From the Archives of Western Newspapers

Posted on July 3, 2025 by Ryan Dahlman

By Samantha Johnson
For Southern Alberta Newspapers

July 1, 1871 – The Weekly
Manitoban and Northwest Herald

The excitement is tremendous. In the hotels, by the wayside, inside the stores and outside the stores can be seen at any hour of the day excited men talking excitedly. Some have the calm determination of patriots while others have more of the Lord George Gordon style about them and gesticulate and shout and even swear a little – some of them do – and fume generally.

The Globe is a pretty good paper, although there is more expenditure than brains in its get-up. Still, there is wonderful versatility amongst their staff where anything is good enough for them and where anyone can scrawl a page or two. Just as certain, one of the editors will seize upon said scrawl to make cartridges for his little popgun. The most transparent lies and palpable nonsense is thankfully received and made a subject of. The consequence is the Globe is laughed at in Manitoba on account of the atrocious nonsense it perpetuates relative to our province.

A large quantity of spurious tea was sold by public auction in London. Composed of broken down, previously used and rotten tea leaves along with a great portion of earthly matter and iron filings. 600 half chests of the tea were sold, which was intended for country use with samples of the tea available in Liverpool.

June 29, 1906 – The Armstrong Advance (BC)

Mr. Maxwell Smith, Dominion fruit inspector, recently stated that all British Columbia needed was to develop the fruit growing industry and to send large quantities of first-class fruit – properly grown, harvested, packed and shipped – to the Northwest. This would bring in settlers who have grown tired of the more rigorous climate of the prairies.

The contract for getting out poles for the Armstrong Electric Light and Power Company was let on Tuesday for a price of $1.60 per pole. The contract calls for delivery of the poles by August 15 and the people of Armstrong may depend on electric light being by early fall, perhaps about October 1.

A prominent bachelor residing not many miles from Mt. Ida will doubtless adopt the motto of “Delay not too long in farewell biddings.” His faithful horse grew tired of how long he tarried and, less the bridle, made a circuit of the nearby grainfields with the buggy still behind him. The animal’s capture was eventually accomplished after some difficulty and only with the assistance of the two lady companions of the young man.

July 1, 1914 – Vulcan Advocate

James Harper appeared in the barracks this morning on charges of driving so as to endanger the lives of others. He came into Vulcan on Friday evening about 8 p.m. when a large crowd was gathered watching the band play. Rather than go north, Harper turned down the street straight into the crowd, travelling about 10 mph. The crowd scattered but three young boys failed to get out of the way and were hit. One suffered injuries, another lay on the road and was driven over by the vehicle but remained uninjured. The judge fined Harper $50 and costs, saying he was lucky the charge wasn’t manslaughter after such a reckless act.

The four smokestacks of the Raymond sugar factory were blown down during the terrific wind the district experienced during the first part of last week. Owing to the fact they were unable to work the factory dynamo, all Raymond was deprived of electric light and plunged into darkness.

Dan Hall and James McMillan boarded the freight train in Champion on Thursday armed with a roll of blankets and a bottle of whiskey each. The train master requested they disembark, which they refused to comply with. Arrested in Vulcan, they appeared the following day at the barracks and pleaded guilty to a charge of vagrancy. Both have been sent to MacLeod to assist in making new roads for one moon.