From the Archives of Western Newspapers

By Samantha Johnson

Commentator/Courier

Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Saturday, April 25, 1885 – The Illustrated War News

General Middleton’s scout exchanged fire with the enemy on Wednesday morning. His force, divided about equally, was to advance from Clark’s Crossing on both sides of the river to attack Riel’s position at Batouche. 

Colonel Otter’s Brigade, marching from Swift Current to Battleford, is making good progress and hopes to relive the garrison of that post on Monday. 

The vanguard of General Strange’s brigade, at present commanded by Colonel W. Osborne Smith, has already started from Calgary to Edmonton. 

The continued absence of Colonel Ouimet from the command of his battalion in Strange’s brigade, when they are setting out on an important expedition, is certainly unpleasant. The extraordinary variety of explanations advanced doesn’t mend the matter and if a leave of absence was granted, surely the fact would have been promptly reported to the Adjutant-General in Ottawa. 

The Fort Pitt garrison were not massacred after all. Two mounted police lost their lives in defence of that post and police have now arrived at Battleford. 

Friday, April 25, 1903 – Ponoka Herald

In correspondence from the Brook School District Miss. Smith from Ontario was engaged to teach school for the season but resigned. Miss. Bray, sister of Lawyer Bray from Ponoka, now holds the fort. Another young teacher, Miss Cameron, travelled all the way from Hamilton, Ontario to fill-in as substitute but wasn’t needed when she arrived. We are glad to report the Seafield district has engaged her. 

The two hotels have done a creditable job of cleaning up their back lots since our last issue. The overseer states there are still other places as badly in need of a renovation, which he hopes will be promptly looked after. 

In England, one journalist advertised himself as having no particular ability as his recommendation. A clerk recently sought a position where great strength, and personal appearance or ability are not required. A church paper recently appealed for anyone to take an old man who is deaf, lame and epileptic as a gardener. In a leading Scotch journal an advertiser appealed for money to pay off some gambling debts. A Gloucestershire paper recently inserted an advertisement that said, “Our one and nine penny dinner at 6:30 p.m. Funerals promptly attended to.” The paper apologized the next day for mixing up two separate and distinct announcements. 

Monday, April 25, 1910 – The Edmonton Capital

The fire fiend has been holding high carnival all over the province the last two days and its ravages visited Edmonton in the wee hours of Sunday morning. The most serious fire was at Zephyr Dairy. The entire building was destroyed at a cost of about $2,000 and the owner only had insurance for $375. Fortunately, all the stock were saved. Bush fires on the Hudson Bay Company Reserve were the most serious the department has had to contend with for several years. The worst part of these fires is they seem to have been deliberately started. There were also fires at Clover Bar and Fort Saskatchewan. 

From Chicago, the most devastating and far-reaching frost in a generation has damaged crops, fruits and vegetables amounting to more than $30 million in losses. The forecast of continued snow, cold and a northwest wind indicates there will be further extensive damage. 

In Michigan, there are plans to move Protestant and Roman Catholic cemeteries, consisting of hundreds of human remains, to a new site. It is believed a large body of ore lies beneath a portion of the present burial grounds and there are plans to mine the deposit. 

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