125 YEARS AGO: NOV. 13, 1897
Quesnelle: The first snow of the season has fallen but it disappeared slowly. The river is yet free from ice and the continuance for some time yet of mild weather is likely. The steamer Charlotte made her last trip this week and she will now be drawn out of the river. The stage and mails now return to the weekly trip and instead of the wail of the steam whistle we shall be greeted for a few months with the war-whoop of Mr. Owen. The bi-weekly mails have been greatly appreciated and it is to be trusted that in the very near future it will be found necessary to continue all the year round.
Ashcroft: Every available house and shack is filled to its utmost in Ashcroft. About a couple of dozen small cottages built by some enterprising man, could be rented in a very short time. Next spring residences will be in great demand as the vast amount of business which will be done here will naturally bring more families to town.
Clinton: The addition to the Clinton hotel is finished and will be furnished shortly. It consists of bedrooms up stairs and the enlarging of the dining room and kitchen down stairs. Jos. Smith, the proprietor of the house, does everything for the comfort of his guests.
Social Dance: Mr. and Mrs. Wm. Lyne, of the Ashcroft Hotel, entertained quite a number of their friends at a social dance held in the town hall Thursday evening. The dance commenced about nine o’clock and was continued until about three o’clock in the morning. About 30 couples were constantly on the dance floor with a large number of friends in attendance. At midnight the guests repaired to the large dining room of the Ashcroft Hotel, where a very nice spread had been prepared for their benefit.
100 YEARS AGO: NOV. 11, 1922
Death Claims James A. Teit; Pioneer Of Spences Bridge And Benefactor Of The Indians: By the death of “Jack” Teit at his Merritt residence on Monday evening, the Province of British Columbia has lost an old pioneer and one of its most widely respected and esteemed citizens. Born at Shetland Island, Scotland, on April 15th, 1864, James Alexander Teit came out direct to Spences Bridge, and lived with his uncle, the late John Murray, another old Canadian pioneer, and highly respected citizen. John Murray grew the first apple at Spences Bridge, which later became popularly known as the “Smith” apple, the property being sold to a fruit rancher of that name. James Teit has lived in British Columbia for thirty-nine years, thirty-six of which were spent at the Bridge, from where he moved up to Merritt about three years ago. He was an ethnologist by profession, and greatly skilled at his work, taking keen interest in the life of the Indian in the province, and befriending them in countless ways. For a number of years he wrote for the Mosaical Institute at Boston, and two or three works from his pen have been published with much success. He married about fourteen years ago Miss Morens, daughter of Leon Morens, a well known stock owner and dairyman of Spences Bridge. The widow and four children — three sons and one daughter — live to mourn the loss of a beloved husband and father. The remains were laid to rest in the Merritt cemetery on Tuesday morning, November 2nd. [The Journal obituary makes no mention of Teit’s first marriage, to Nlaka’pamux woman Susanna Lucy Antko, who died of pneumonia in 1899.]
Highway Resolution: The citizens meeting in the [Ashcroft] town hall on Saturday was well attended. A number of subjects of interest to town and district were discussed, and a resolution was drafted out and passed asking the government to reconsider the building of the trans-provincial highway via Fraser Canyon instead of Hope Mountains [now Highway 3].
Cariboo Automobile Association Meets With Ready Response: The Cariboo Automobile Association, which was formed in Quesnel a few weeks ago, is meeting with a hearty response in its appeal for members. The association, which was formed with the object of boosting the Cariboo road and districts adjacent to it from Ashcroft to Barkerville is also aiming to secure more good roads, more and better touring information, and to help furnish and obtain complete, correct and up-to-date road and route information to any point.
Clinton Clippings: The new church will be finished this week. The plastering is all done, and the contractor is rushing the inside work. In all probability the opening services will be held at an early date.
Good Advice: If you are taken ill and consult the doctor follow his instructions faithfully. A great deal of damage may be done by taking advice from one and another about town who claim to know of never-failing cures for all ailments.
75 YEARS AGO: NOV. 13, 1947
Hon. E.C. Carson To Open New Road: The official opening of the newly constructed highway from the 59-Mile to the 70 Mile on the Cariboo road above Clinton will be held this Friday. The opening ceremony will be performed by E.C. Carson, Minister of Public Works. The new piece of road, which eliminates the winding old road, is built in a straight line and is three miles shorter, it is good and wide and has a 12-inch gravel surface, which is the foundation for the hard surfacing, to be done later. It is now, in its present condition, a 50-mile an hour highway.
Shoots Cougar, Cache Creek: Johnny Pierro of Cache Creek killed a cougar last week two miles above Cache Creek up behind the Indian Reserve. The animal measured seven and a half feet in length and weighed 160 pounds. A good shot between the eyes brought it down from the two-foot thick tree in which it was cornered. This is one of the very few cougars seen and known around this district.
Radio Booster Going Up Here: Mr. D.C. Schubert and his telephone men have been busy the past week erecting 80-foot cedar poles to be used as radio booster for CBC. The holes were dug 9 feet deep to set the poles in and are located one near the Journal office and one half way down the lane near Peters warehouse. Mr. Schubert has been in touch with CBC for some time trying to get a booster station here, as reception is not so good. Ashcroft and district appreciates Mr. Schubert’s efforts to give this part of the province good radio reception.
Missing Man Found: About thirty men spent a night and a day combing the mountains at the south end of Canim Lake searching for Wilfred Johnson of Vancouver. On Sunday Mr. Johnson became separated from his partner, Pat Lloyd, of Vancouver and failed to return to camp. On Monday Mr. Lloyd heard two shots but could find no trace of Mr. Johnson. The Canim lake sawmill closed down and all the crew joined in the search, as well as Indians from the Canim Lake Reserve. The police from Williams Lake assisted and a plane was chartered from there to circle the area. Mr. Johnson was found at about 10 p.m. on Tuesday night at the east end of Howard Lake. He had spent Monday night at Ward’s cabin there and Tuesday morning had been put on the trail for home but had again become lost. He was in excellent condition when found.
Is Kamloops Lake Misnamed?: How did that body of water between Tranquille on the east end and Savona on the west end come to be known as “Kamloops Lake”, when the city of Kamloops is about twelve miles away from it on the east? Who was responsible for the name of the lake? To citizens to the west, when they have occasion to mention it, the lake is always referred to as “Savona Lake”, notwithstanding the years it has masqueraded as “Kamloops”. Of course it is too late to seek a change of name now, although “Savona Lake” would be more appropriate and more in keeping. Geographically Savona would have the prior right, and would be more legal from an historical point of view.
50 YEARS AGO: NOV. 9, 1972
Highland Valley News: If you happened to be driving along Highland Valley road the night of October 31 it’s quite possible that you may have seen a ghost. Ghosts, goblins, witches, and other weird looking characters were out in force, especially around Half Way and Logan Lake. They were all quite harmless though, asking only for a treat, for it was Hallowe’en!
Pupils Move At Cache Creek: Pupils at Cache Creek School had a holiday Wednesday, because it was moving time for them. A few rooms have been occupied this week in the now rapidly nearing completion of the new Cache Creek Elementary School. Needless to say Principal Norman Vennard and his staff will be glad to be back to a more normal routine.
Too Many Break-Ins: There has been another rash of break-ins [in Ashcroft] this week; these are occurring far too frequently. Murray Kane had two trucks broken into on Tuesday night. Bundus and Son was entered and chain saws stolen at a reputed value of $800. Huston Hollinger Drugs had a garbage can thrown through a front store window.
Minister At Clinton: Les Hempsall, Deputy Min. of Trade and Commerce, met several interested members of the Clinton Chamber of Commerce to hear their appeal for help for the Village of Clinton which has been in a slump for the past year due to closure of mills and other industry which have been the backbone of the community.
Christmas Trees: It’s Christmas tree time again and Tegart Tree Co. of Clinton have been cutting and bringing the trees into Ashcroft, for shipment for Shamrock Tree Company. The trees are all going to Mexico and there will be around 35,000 of the real nice smelling fir trees to make Christmas a merry one. There are many different box cars from all over the United States lined up on the siding.
Do you want to read more from the Journal archives? An expanded version of this story is available on the Journal website at www.ashcroftcachecreekjournal.com/.
editorial@accjournal.ca
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