June 14 – 20: Items compiled by Dave Humphrey from the archived newspapers held at the Cranbrook History Centre and Archives
1913
Two accidents … Two very sad accidents occurred at the North Star mill at Hanbury on Wednesday.
In the morning John Camalick, who had just started to work at the mill that morning, was accidentally caught in between the saw and, the belt pulley and but for the presence of mind of the sawyer who instantly released the carriage, the man would have been cut in two.
However, he escaped with several severe bruises, being brought into the hospital in the afternoon.
The carriage released by the sawyer rushed to the other end of the mill and did considerable damage before being stopped.
In the afternoon as some loaded cars were being let down to the spur track two cars got away and D. F. Cameron, an employee attempted to jump on the cars and set the brakes. In doing so he slipped and fell underneath and both cars passed over him, cutting off both his feet.
The Kootenay Central train came along soon after and he was put on board and brought into Cranbrook with the engine, arriving at St. Eugene hospital at 5.40 and only lived until about 7.20.
He had worked at the mill for several months.
Mr. C. E. Ayre, the manager at Elko, was notified of the accident and with his son driving the automobile started for Hanbury. On arriving there he found the train had departed with the injured man and they followed after driving the 65 miles into Cranbrook at breakneck speed.
Mr. Ayre wishes to strongly commend the action of Mr. W. E. Cline, the chief despatcher at Cranbrook, for allowing the Kootenay Central engine to run over the C.P.R. tracks to Cranbrook and bring in the injured man. He feels that this action on the part of the C.P.R. from a humanitarian standpoint could not be given too much publicity in thus meeting the emergency in an endeavor to save life. Not many railroads would change their rules likewise.
Wardner news … Miss Verle Martin came home Sunday afternoon from Vancouver. She has completed her studies and is a full-fledged teacher. We believe she is the first Wardner pupil to attain the accomplishment.
New wheels … Gus Erickson has purchased a new Ford automobile from the Kootenay Garage and J. W. Young, of Fort Steele, is also a recipient of a new car through the local firm during the past week.
A new relation … Mr. George Burton, the leading comedian with the Frank Rich company, which played here last week, is a first cousin of Dan Burton, They used to know each other as boys several years ago and each had not heard of the other for about twenty years until the accidental meeting last week when they discovered their relationship through the possession of the same name.
Marriage … Invitations have been received in Cranbrook announcing the marriage of Miss Grace Cocker, of Victoria, to Mr. Maurice Quain, of this city, to be consummated at the home of the bride’s parents in Victoria on June 25th. The bride-to-be is known to Cranbrook theatre-goers by the stage name of Miss Grace Hudars, of the Allen Stock Company and has appeared here several times in the past two years. The announcement of the success of the wily Cupid in ensnaring such a confirmed bachelor as our fellow townsman comes as a surprise to his many friends here, all of whom join with us in hearty congratulations. Mr. Quain left on Monday for Victoria. They will reside in Medicine Hat.
Death due to altitude … M. Kristianson, who has been employed by the Crows Nest Pass Lumber company at Galloway, died at the St. Eugene hospital on last Friday morning of acute dilation of the heart, which was caused by the high altitude. The body was taken to the undertaking parlors of F. M. Macpherson and the funeral held Saturday, Rev. O. E. Kendall officiating, Deceased came here recently from Berlin, New Hampshire, where he leaves a wife and six children. He was a big, strong man, but the altitude affected some organic weakness in the heart and he declined rapidly.
Found and fined … In the police court Tuesday morning there appeared Wm. Houston, John Haney, Otto McIntyre, Harry Smith and Tom Davidson, employees of the Staples Lumber company, who were arrested on Monday evening on their arrival in Cranbrook on complaint of the C.P.R. of malicious mischief perpetrated at Marysville.
It was alleged that the men had carried a stove from the waiting room and broken several windows while waiting for a train on Monday afternoon.
A. B. Macdonald appeared for the defendants and entered a plea of guilty and explained that the acts had been committed in a spirit of frolic, super induced by imbibing of spirituous liquors.
They were strongly censured by Magistrate Ryan and fined $17 to cover damages and costs.
Heavy weather … This afternoon occurred one of the severest storms that has happened within the memory of the oldest inhabitant.
It was only a summer shower and did not last long, but for a few minutes the wind was traveling at the rate of about fifty miles per hour, the rain came down in sheets, and every available loose article flew around the streets.
The scene was punctuated at times by a reverberating roar of thunder or a sharp flash of lightning, and here and there a scurrying citizen rushed for cover.
The transformer on the corner by the post office building was struck by lightning and burned out, shutting off the power and light for a time.
An alarm of fire was turned in from the Beattie-Murphy company, caused by two electric light wires becoming crossed.
A chimney on the Fink residence blew down, the blower at the King Lumber Mills was blown down, the roof was taken off a small building near the Cranbrook Steam Laundry, a chicken house belonging to Angus Musser was turned over and laid flat, a window was smashed on Baker street in the Wentworth hotel, a brick or two from a chimney on the Lester Clapp building fell through the skylight into McBride’s store, and altogether there were a number of small accidents.
Outside the city the storm also did considerable damage, blocking roads and uprooting monster trees. It is feared that considerable damage has been done to crops. Nothing of a serious nature is so far reported.
Hanson’s brick yard … It would pay any citizen to visit the new brick yards being operated by Mr. N. Hanson, two and a half miles north of the city, especially if the visitor happened to be one of those sorts of individuals who have to be shown.
Work on this yard only commenced a few weeks ago and now we find a full force of men engaged in manufacturing the brick and piling them in the drying sheds.
The land has been cleared, brush cut away, stumps cleared out and piled for burning in the boiler of the engine, three bunk houses, stable, cook house and office buildings erected and all painted a bright red, engine, boiler and brick making machine installed and ten drying sheds each 150 feet long, each shed having a capacity of 15,000 bricks erected, and a force of men now busily engaged in filling the sheds with the wet clay bricks.
There are twelve men at present employed under Mr. Joseph Wallace, the foreman of the plant, who is an old-timer in this district, having come here some thirteen years ago from Simcoe, Ontario, and located on a farm near where the present brick plant is situated.
Before coming to Cranbrook, Mr. Wallace had thirty years’ experience in practical brick making. We learn from him that the tests made on the clay being used proved to be of the very best in every particular and adapted to the manufacture of all clay products, and before long the company will be making tile and building blocks and later expect to engage in the manufacture of pottery and other clay products.
The brick machine now being used temporarily has a capacity of 10,000 daily but will soon be replaced with an up-to-date machine of three times the capacity.
The government has just completed the construction of a road one and a half miles long to the plant, which is as straight as the crow flies and will greatly assist in the hauling of bricks to the C.P.R. tracks.
A number of men are also engaged in clearing a space of land on the hill where Mr. Hanson intends to erect his house and another crew is digging a well.
Much has been accomplished in a short time at this embryo manufacturing plant and if the pace is kept up the citizens of Cranbrook may look for a manufacturing plant soon, which will take place among the foremost of the industries of the city.
The kilns are being built and the first brick will be burned next week. Fifty thousand bricks are now ready to burn and they are being turned out at the rate of 10,000 per day.
Catholic lawn social … Luckily, for the Cranbrook city band, the weather man was on his good behavior and the best weather of the past two weeks occurred on last Tuesday evening for the occasion of the lawn social which was held at the Catholic church lawn.
A very large crowd attended, the weather being ideal for the consumption of ice cream and strawberries.
The musical programme rendered by the band under the direction of Bandmaster Jas. Austin was well received by the audience.
The programme commenced at 8.00 o’clock and continued until 10.30.
Besides the refreshments, the band had provided a flower table presided over by Miss Della Drummond, where boutonnieres were provided.
The candy booth was in charge of Mrs. W. H. Wilson and Mrs. J. R. Thompson, who provided their customers with a delicious assortment of homemade candy.
Second place finish … The Cranbrook ambulance team, which is conducted in connection with the C.P.R. shops, won second place in the recent contest held in Calgary. Last year the team tied with Calgary freight sheds for second place, but this year they secured second with a good strong lead. Next year they anticipate carrying off the honors of the meet.
Those composing the Cranbrook team were: J. Bennett, captain; S. Ryckman, J. Draper, G. Plant and W. Gibbs.
The standing of the teams were as follows: Ogden shops, Calgary, 203 points; Cranbrook shops, 179 points; Red Deer, 165 points; Strathcona, 163 points; Medicine Hat, 159 points; Macleod, 156 points.
Kootenay publicity … Sidney Billingham, representing the Saturday Sunset and the Vancouver Sun, arrived in the city last night from the coast, and registered at the Hume, says the Nelson Daily News.
The object of his visit to Kootenay and Boundary is to gather material for a series of specially illustrated articles on south-eastern British Columbia.
It is the intention to devote four special supplements of the Saturday Sunset dealing with Nelson, Grand Forks, Rossland and Cranbrook, and the country tributary to each of those centres.
After the publication of three separate issues, Mr. Billingham has been commissioned to amalgamate the whole of the districts in one long article to be printed in a special number of the Sun.
Mr. Billingham was engaged writing up the agricultural and fruit growing possibilities of this section of the country for the special number of the Daily News published last January, and his work in the Vancouver papers is expected to afford valuable publicity for the Kootenay and Boundary districts.
Billiard room … Frank Carlson has rented the two vacant rooms in the Hanson block and will open sometime next, week with a first-class billiard room and cigar store. His equipment has been ordered and is expected to arrive within a day or so.
Rebekah Lodge … The ladies of the Rebekah lodge will give a strawberry and ice cream social Tuesday evening, June 24th, on T. Gill’s lawn. Dancing pavilion in connection. Music by Rex Orchestra. Everybody welcome. Admission free. Come and bring a friend.
The last of Malcolm Horie … We have been instructed by Mr. Horie to dispose of the few remaining Tracts, which have been in reserve for some time. All irrigated, and within a mile of the city and a few minutes of the new school.
This is a bona-fide sale of the best land in the district, and it adjoins city lots that have sold for $100.00 up.
Come in and discuss prices and terms. If you buy you will be subdividing into city lots within a very short time.
The Chapman Land & Investment Co. Exclusive Agents for Malcolm Horie
Elko news … Mr. Madden, manager of the Merchants bank, Elko, was called to Vancouver.
If you want anything good you will get it in Elko. Elko turns out more senators, supreme justices, foreign ambassadors, captains of industry, bank managers and baseball captains than any town in British Columbia, and Madden was the Chesterfield of the bunch and one of the best drawing cards that the Merchants bank ever had in their employ.
By special request we are not mentioning the handsome presents he received from the board of trade, the Conservative club, and the Queen Bees of the Ladies Aid and others. May Heaven’s blessings pour upon him in Vancouver till he’s soaked to the skin, is the sincere wishes of everyone in Elko.
Elko visitors … Several travelers from Nelson, Vancouver, Calgary and Victoria held a reunion at the Elk hotel on Wednesday night, which was quite a swell affair.
Deacon Goosegrease was toastmaster and Jim Thistlebeak called off the dance, while Jimmy White, who sells fleece-lined neckties and thunderstorm plaid shawls for a Vancouver house spread the gospel of sunshine, and stated that the reason Mary Queen of Scotland was born at Linthgow was because her mother was staying there at the time.
The grilled sauerkraut traveller sang “Locked in the Stable with the Sheep,” and the man who sells the finest shoes ever seen with the naked eyeball, gave a recitation entitled “If We Never Go to Heaven the Other Place will Remind Me of Fernie.”
Ernestine, the pink tea fighter, who peddles rolling stock cheese for a Calgary house, dressed flashier than a band on a cheap cigar, sang “Oh That I Were a Bird” and “Rock Me to Sleep, Mother,” and he sang as if his words were diamonds and the supply short.
Space forbids us giving a full report from start to finish, but wait while I come back from fishing.
Found … Will the traveler from Nelson with the nice red complexion like a restaurant lobster, who arrived in Elko Sunday night wearing a knitted tie that we wouldn’t be caught wearing in one of the Coal Creek mines during a total eclipse of the moon, and leading a hairless Mexican pup a la Doukhobor, please call and remove the pup from our back porch or we shall put him in the pound.
Creston news … Two large rooms will be added to the public school. Plans and specifications have been received from the department by James Compton, secretary of the school board, which call for the completion of the new addition by August 10th.
