125 YEARS AGO: JULY 17, 1897
Ashcroft School: The following letter was circulated on Saturday last by Mr. Oliver Evans, and was sent on to the minister of Education. It is a matter that needs attention at once. “Within the past 60 days, more than twenty children of school age have become resident in Ashcroft. We are in much need of a school building of a size to accommodate at least seventy-five or one hundred children. For the past year many children of school age have not attended school for the reason that it was an impossibility to secure proper attention with only one teacher. We would suggest that a building could probably be erected here for about $1,500, and would give entire satisfaction to the community. Ashcroft has more than doubled in population for the past two years and is rapidly growing.”
Water Works: The water works question is being closely looked up and there seems to be a fair chance for the establishment of such works as will give Ashcroft a good supply of water for domestic and garden use. It is something much needed and will be welcomed by all.
100 YEARS AGO: JULY 14, 1922
Home Burns To Ground: Fire broke out from an unknown origin at an early hour this morning in the home of John Brankie on the banks of the Thompson River and completely destroyed the property. The adjoining house, about twenty feet away, caught fire, but was controlled by the fire brigade, which was on the scene shortly after the fire broke out. For a short time the whole town was threatened by flying embers carried by the high wind which was blowing at the time over the business centre of the town. The Howson family were living in the house at the time and are said to have lost their all. The property was covered by insurance.
Marble Canyon: A party of autoists visited Marble Canyon lake on Sunday and put in the time fishing, eating, bathing, and making merry generally. The Marble Canyon is one of the prettiest camping spots in the interior.
Correspondence: Would Burn The Jack Pines: “We read a lot about the vast amount of money that goes up in smoke every year and the consequent financial loss to the country. We wish to go on record as not advocating wholesale fires and destruction of good timber, but the burning up of the useless timber which a misguided Department spends thousands of dollars every year protecting. There was a meeting held in Ashcroft several months ago to meet the forestry representatives. The question of burning was gone into fairly well and a decided verdict given in favour of burning the ranges as a help to grass and water. One has only to ask any of the old timers of the district, be he white man or Indian, and they will say the same thing. Years ago there were lots of grass and lots of water. Why? Because the Indians had always burnt the brush to get the game as burning meant grass for the deer.
“We advocate the burning off of the summer range and this serves two purposes. It gives us the grass to fatten our stock and it enables the snow to get to its natural runways in the spring and to provide us with irrigation water to grow our crops. This year we are suffering from the after effects of an exceptionally long winter, also a backward spring, and now a great shortage of water in most places. We had more than our usual allowance of snow but we have not received any benefit from it. This we put down to the fact that the snow going off so slowly was absorbed by the rubbish lying in the timber, whereas if this had been clean land the water would have run either to the creek beds or along ground reservoirs or to its underground reservoir instead of evaporating on the surface. We trust, Mr. Editor, that you will give this letter, which represents such a large opinion on a most important subject, all the publicity which your paper commands. Ashcroft Local United Farmers of B.C., George H. Chataway, Secretary.”
75 YEARS AGO: JULY 17, 1947
Hard Surfacing In Ashcroft: The Public Works Department is having Ashcroft’s main street hard surfaced from Wing Wo Lung’s down to the cannery, also two side avenues and the remainder of [Brink] street from the post office down to the school.
Tenders: Tenders will be received until August 11th, 1947, for the conveyance of school children for the school year, September 1st, 1947, to June 30th, 1948, from Ashcroft Manor to Ashcroft School; Cache Creek to Ashcroft School; 18-Mile Post, Cariboo Road to Clinton School; Cisco to Lytton School; Thompson siding to Spences Bridge School; Botannie Lake to Lytton School; 14-Mile Ranch to Foster’s Bar School.
Old Timers Revisit Ashcroft: Mr. and Mrs. J. Lozott of Seattle are with Mrs. Lozott’s sister Miss Maggie Higginbottom for a short visit. They were married in the present Anglican church in 1900. Mrs. Lozott spent her girlhood days in Ashcroft. Mr. Lozott is not new to Ashcroft having been here in the late nineties during the Klondike gold rush when he was employed as a waiter in the Ashcroft Hotel. He blames the late F.S. Reynolds, editor of the Journal at that time for his “Overland to Klondike” campaign by way of Ashcroft and Cariboo that didn’t turn out so well. Mr. Lozott went to Klondike the other way around by boat and rail and married here on his way back.
Quesnel-Born Girl Lands Own Plane At Quesnel: Believed to be the first woman pilot to land a plane at Quesnel airport, Miss Bette Milburn set down her Luscombe plane here June 21. She was en route to Prince George from Vancouver with one passenger. After leaving her fare at the northern town she returned solo to Vancouver the next day. Miss Milburn, who was born in Quesnel, has been active in flying circles for some time, starting her training during the war years.
50 YEARS AGO: JULY 13, 1972
TV Coverage Good And None: When the residents of Ashcroft and Cache Creek determined to bring CTV to this area, they naturally expected better viewing with a choice of two channels. The first satellite erected on Elephant Mountain at a cost of $4,000 was to be dismantled and a unit which would accommodate both CBC and CTV, which we now have, costing about $15,000 plus, was installed. In some areas excellent reception is apparent, some areas have indifferent viewing, while in other places they are getting absolutely no picture at all. They feel something should be done to correct the situation, which they have every right to expect.
Lornex Strike: Although Lornex Mining officials are willing to talk to the union, and United Steelworkers officials are willing to talk to the company, no one apparently wants to take the first step to end a strike which is now in its second week. 350 union members walked off the job when a contract ran out at the end of June.
Ashcroft Asked To Observe Water Restrictions: Village of Ashcroft Council announce that water restrictions must be imposed in the Village of Ashcroft when temperatures exceed 85 degrees [29.4 C]. The pumps cannot handle the amount of water required. The public is asked to please cooperate, as there may be a possibility of no water at all.
Names In Print: Now that the season for visiting is upon us, let’s get their names in the Journal. There is nothing that pleases a youngster more than seeing their name in the newspaper.
editorial@accjournal.ca
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