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In 1923, plans for Cariboo road to become one of continent’s ‘great tourist highways’

Future of the historic road lies in attracting tourist traffic from across the continent
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An ‘autoist’ being passed by a freight team on the Cariboo Road in 1910. Until July 1920, most roads in B.C. were left hand drive, similar to Great Britain.

125 YEARS AGO: FEB. 19, 1898

Weather Wise: The snow has nearly all disappeared and once more it looks as if spring has set in. It all depends on the change of the moon, says our weather prophet (Mr. Seward). He says if the moon comes in on its end we are sure to have an early spring, and if it comes in on its back it will be a wet and backward spring, so look out for the moon.

Lytton: Some new placer diggings have been struck at Kanaka Bar which have caused quite an excitement. Some are making from $7 to $20 a day to the rocker, as high as 50 cents to the pan has been taken out. Both the banks of the Thompson and Fraser rivers are dotted here and there with whites, Indians and Chinese and all seem to be satisfied with their earnings. The town is very short of change owing to the large amount of gold coming in.

Ashcroft: Several more new buildings are in contemplation in Ashcroft. You may expect to see a city of tents within the next few weeks. We have splendid weather, a little colder for the past two days, but carpenters are working bareheaded and often in their shirt sleeves and have done so nearly all of the winter.

Railway: The C.P.R. is having a little trouble on the line from slides and trains are sometimes a few hours late, but nothing like the trouble that is experienced on the other great transcontinental lines. On the Great Northern and Northern Pacific several days at a time have frequently passed without a through train.

Protective Measures: Editor, Mining Journal — Dear sir: The race in search for gold will doubtless sooner or later introduce into our midst an element in the population which will most likely require controlling. Are the authorities therefore prepared to take efficient measures to secure the peace and well being of our town in the near future. No one, I take it, would be disposed to witness such a state of things here, as existed for instance at Yale during the construction of the C.P.R. As a law-abiding community, we should see that protective measures are taken in time, for it is not considered the height of wisdom to be wise after the event. “Prevention is better than cure,” and do we not know from old experience that village management, boards, municipal bodies, and even governments are not in the habit of moving quickly. Festina lente [make haste slowly] is usually the guiding motto, and the tortuous, devious ways of officialdom and red tape must first be traversed before legitimate business can be discussed. I am yours faithfully, A. Anstey Dorrell, St. Alban’s Vicarage, Ashcroft.

100 YEARS AGO: FEB. 17, 1923

Favours Canyon Route; Cariboo Automobile Association To Press For Reconstruction Of Historic Road: Changing the historic old Cariboo road into one of the continent’s great tourist highways is the object of the province’s youngest organizations of autoists, the Cariboo Automobile Association. “Romance and beauty are along the Cariboo road,” says R.R. Carver of Quesnel, secretary-treasurer of the association. “Most people think of the highway as one that has fallen into disrepair and is used only by horse-drawn wagons. As a matter of fact the road is in fine shape, and is travelled by autos all through the summer. Its future, I think, lies in tourist traffic. Were it to be properly advertised I think we could get tourists from all parts of the continent.”

Ashcroft Locals: Mr. John Calder has had a Radiophone installed at his home and we understand is getting very good results, hearing concerts nightly from California, and has heard Regina and eastern states.

Lytton Social Notes: Owing to the mild winter, the local skating rink was completely out of business, so the young people, headed by our genial C.P.P. agent, wended their way to a natural rink on the Fraser, where many pleasant hours were put in on excellent ice.

Government Decides To Pave Pacific Highway During Coming Season: After many delays owing to lack of money the government has decided to complete the paving of the Pacific Highway to the international boundary. Some nine miles of concrete paving will be put down and the work will be finished by late summer. As a result, there will be an unbroken stretch of hard-surfaced highway from Vancouver to Seattle.

King “Tut’s” Treasures: It is with very hungry eyes that we scan the newspapers of today for information relating to the ancient effects of King Tutankamen which are being unearthed from the tomb of that early Pharaoh at Luxor, Egypt.

75 YEARS AGO: FEB. 19, 1948

Spences Bridge: Just when our thoughts were turning to seeds and spring cleaning and although it’s still February, “old man winter” played an April fool joke on us this past week and really turned on us with all his fury. Wind and snow galore, which we are grateful for, as we hope it will keep our electric light, which has not been up to par this winter.

Ashcroft: The fire siren called citizens to the streets again Saturday afternoon when a fire occurred at the Smith home. Little damage was done. Fire Chief Jim Hewitt as usual had the fire equipment on the scene in record time.

Travel Trouble: Five cars of Ashcroftites took in the hockey game at Clinton on Sunday last. The editor got as far as the 20-Mile hill and half way up on the slippery grade turned completely around and refused to go any further — so took the car to the bottom and got out and helped the other two cars which were stuck to get over the top.

Clinton Legion Plan Activities: The Clinton Branch Canadian Legion has the “Members Working” sign out, as many activities are planned for the immediate future. A rally of all members is planned for Wednesday, February 25th. Business on the agenda includes the questions of arranging for a clubroom for members and the building up of a “Distress Fund” for veterans of the district. Plans are going ahead for the annual St. Patrick’s Day Dance. Card fans can look forward to a public cribbage tournament to be held in March, followed by a monster whist drive in April, while for the merry month of May a musical revue is scheduled.

50 YEARS AGO: FEB. 15, 1973

Walhachin And CP Rail: Mr. Ernie Goroni, Claims Officer for CP Rail, and Mr. Jacobson, Public Relations Officer of Peter Kiewit and Sons, spent two days in the townsite interviewing residents and settling damage claims. Everyone seems quite satisfied with the compensation they will receive and only a very few releases have not been signed because of the nature of certain claims.

An Oldie But Goodie: A proposed alternate rail route to bypass the Fraser Canyon for the movement of western grain to Vancouver has been suggested in the Commons by Frank Hamilton (PC: Swift Current-Maple Creek). He said the federal government has a responsibility to construct a rail line of 45 miles which would join the present Canadian National and Canadian Pacific main lines. “This line would begin at Ashcroft and go up a valley in a northwesterly direction to Clinton which is situated on the B.C. Rail line. The proposed 45 mile loop would be built in a hilly mountain valley, not a mountainous canyon, closed-in type of terrain. At present there is already a highway joining these two towns.” Of the present three rail routes to the Pacific, the Prince Rupert line was blocked for five weeks last year, the Fraser Canyon route for four weeks, but the proposed B.C. route was blocked for only 24 hours and records for past years followed a similar pattern.

Big Job Well Done: With the winter about over (!!!) we hope it is a good time to congratulate our local Highways Department, Savona Dept., and the Clinton Dept. of Highways too, for a job well done in keeping our highways in good condition all winter. The local crew is responsible for 170 miles of regular highways besides auxiliary roads which they grade, plow and sand during the winter. This covers north to 20 Mile and the Loon Lake Road, south to Spences Bridge, to the Hat Creek cutoff on the road to Lillooet, also Upper Hat and upper levels, and the Highland Valley road. Some of these run through snowbelts where the fall is usually quite heavy but so far this year we have had nothing much to complain about. Thanks again gang!

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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