From the Archives of Western Newspapers

Posted on July 25, 2024 by Ryan Dahlman

By Samantha Johnson
For Southern Alberta Newspapers

July 20, 1892 – The Saskatchewan Times

The Calgary Herald reports no more mail is permitted to leave Victoria, which seems an extreme measure given the facilities available for disinfecting mail. Passengers going west by the CPR must disembark at Vancouver and are not allowed to travel to Victoria. Nanaimo has quarantined against Victoria with Vancouver and New Westminster practically doing the same.

Locally, the leading question of the day is: What do you know about bricks? This stems from a dispute pending between the Board of Works and the Inspector of Public Works at our Town Hall. The dispute is based on who has greater technical knowledge of good bricks.

The Regina papers have severely criticized the examination papers for entrance to high school. The papers are not all that could be desired, but on the whole are a step for the better. With the exception of the arithmetic paper and a few questions on the others, they are a little too easy. In a new country, such as this, it is probably better the questions not be too difficult.

July 21, 1909 – Didsbury Pioneer

Since Friday evening, a guard of the Edmonton penitentiary, seven RNWMP along with Tracker Williams have been on the trail of two escaped inmates. On Saturday morning, it was thought they would be in custody within a few hours, but now the men have disappeared without a trace. It was thought they were between White Mud Creek and Leduc but there have been reports of suspicious characters in Millet, so perhaps that is the direction they went.

Ten constables of the RNWMP arrived in Vancouver from Regina on their way to the Yukon. They are being escorted there by Staff Sergeant Dubunque and his wife. The men will be in the north for five years due to the increase in population and the building of new towns and villages. One of the men commented it was a long time to be away from civilization, but the pay was good and if they take good care of themselves, will come out alright in the end.

The crew from the steamship Pelican stopped in Montreal for supplies and the sailors found the heat unbearable. They put out as quickly as possible to sail for the north. The steamer will spend the summer sailing along the coast of Labrador and Ungava Bay as far as Churchill. Three English clerks were on the ship and intend to spend three years at their lonesome posts before returning to more civilized parts.

July 29, 1910 – The Raymond Rustler

The Lethbridge Herald reported that a gathering of Mormons in Germany was raided by police. Mormon leader John Kay, from Salt Lake City, Utah, was ordered to leave the country.

After spending two weeks in the mountains, staff of the Raymond Rustler are back at work with smiles all around.

After reading recent reports in the Taber Free Press and Magrath Pioneer, any fair-minded person will agree with our local baseball boys in having nothing more to do with those teams. Some of the language used was most unsportsman-like and unfit to be printed in any respectable newspaper. Our boys are always glad to entertain visitors and when beaten can accept defeat, but such vulgar reports are objectionable and we are somewhat surprised they were printed.