From the Archives of Western Newspapers

Posted on August 22, 2024 by Ryan Dahlman

By Samantha Johnson
For Southern Alberta Newspapers

August 21, 1886 – The Calgary Herald

The Northwest mounted police have engaged 120 new recruits this summer and the force is now up to full strength at 1,020 officers.

A certain fashion magazine used to have a very ugly magenta cover that no woman in her senses would be seen carrying around. It is a very unbecoming colour to any complexion and will not harmonize with the popular colours for dresses. The new enterprising editor has changed the cover to a pleasing shade of ecru and every woman has something in pale yellow. It is very soothing to the nerves to have a magazine cover that matches one’s clothing. The magazine has seen a great increase in circulation since the cover was changed.

A New York man has invented a paper railway tie that is subject to pressure and heat during manufacturing that makes it proof against dampness. The inventor says that while the average life of a wooden tie is only five years, his paper ties will last 30 years.

August 22, 1907 – The Advertiser and Central Alberta News

Palmer of the Ag Society found much fault with this paper for stating a few weeks ago that this year’s fair will be held on the old agricultural grounds. At the risk of seriously offending him, we will now repeat the statement. This year’s fair will be held on the old grounds.

The weather the past 10 days has been anything but favourable for farming operations with rainy and stormy days predominating. Our storms have been much lighter than those that have prevailed in Eastern Canada, Manitoba and the northern states, so we have not much room to complain. Snow was reported in Southern Alberta, the mountains and the foothills west of here on Sunday.

Not content with stealing horses, some bold Edmontonians have been stealing other men’s wives. Yesterday, two applications were made to the RNWMP barracks and their assistance requested to locate the levanting wives. One lady took $18 with her and the other her husband’s trunk.

August 22, 1913 – Empress Express

Mr. Miller purchased a small cut of meat in Empress recently and paid for it with a $5 bill, which the clerk took away to get change. When the clerk returned, he demanded payment from Mr. Miller, claiming he had not received any money yet. After a long dispute, the $5 bill was found outside the door where it had been dropped while the clerk went to get change.

Why do people wear fine clothes? This was a question presented recently and some said for pride and others claimed for style. Our judge claimed it was only because they are fond of dress. The decision was not accepted in the best of grace by some.

A friendly but businesslike dispute between King George and the new Duke of Sutherland is to be referred to arbitration. The dispute has arisen over a Guthrie cabinet now housed at Buckingham Palace but was formerly in Stafford House, the town home of the Duke. The Duke claims his father lent the cabinet to King Edward VII, then Prince of Wales, in 1894. King George states the cabinet, worth $50,000, was a gift.