125 YEARS AGO: FEB. 10, 1899
Wants To Know Why: Editor Journal — Sir: Can any of your readers inform the public of Ashcroft why it is necessary for the Ottawa government to bring between 40,000 and 50,000 lbs. of groceries, including such things as flour, salt, tea, and coffee from Kingston, Ont. for supplying the Atlin-Ashcroft telegraph, when there are firms in Ashcroft (to say nothing of other B.C. points) quite capable of supplying all necessaries for such an outfit? As you said in a recent issue, “What is Mr. Bostock [MP] doing?” and is he aware that there is a place in his constituency called Ashcroft? I have always understood that British Columbians paid about three times more in taxes than the average for the Dominion, and yet when any government work is to be done, both men and supplies are brought from the east, and B.C. merchants and workingmen not given even a chance. Yours &c., Kicker.
Firemen’s Ball: Don’t forget the Firemen’s ball next Wednesday [in Ashcroft]. The committee will do all they can to make it a success, and the object is a most worthy one and should be well patronized. The management committee beg to remind the ladies that the refreshments which they have so kindly promised to provide, should be at the hall on Wednesday afternoon.
Clinton Ball: Clinton’s annual ball will be held on Thursday and Friday nights, Feb. 22nd and 23rd. This annual ball is one of the settled institutions of Clinton; it is always well-managed, and everyone has a good time, so make your arrangements to be there.
Inland Cigar Company: Fred. Roth and W.A. Massey returned Thursday from a business trip through Cariboo, Barkerville, and Quesnelle Forks, and all the intervening points were visited. Mr. Roth represents the Inland Cigar Company of Kamloops, whose goods have a splendid reputation throughout the district. Mr. Massey is in the wholesale liquor business.
No Permanent Injuries: What might have been a very serious accident happened to Mrs. Carson, of Pavilion, and her sister, Miss Magee, a few days ago. While driving to Pavilion post office their horse ran away and they were thrown out, but received no injuries of a permanent character.
100 YEARS AGO: FEB. 7, 1925
Canning Plant For Ashcroft; B.C. Express Company May Enter This Field Again: The prospects for a canning factory for Ashcroft are very bright, and no doubt action will be taken from one source or another in that direction before the season is much further advanced. There are rumours that the B.C. Express Company, which formerly operated stages from this point, will enter this new line of enterprising business in Ashcroft and remodel some of their present building into a plant for the canning of tomatoes. It is also that Mr. West, who was manager here during the old stage days, is expected here soon to go over the ground and size up things. The National Canneries, who had a man on the ground here last summer, has made statements leading up to the supposition that they will enter the field with a plant if guaranteed a certain number of acres for a specified number of years. There is no doubt that Ashcroft has a soil adapted for the raising of tomatoes that is second to none in the world, and the climate here was specially made for the growing and maturing of such vegetables. And a cannery need not confine its activities to tomato only; it can spread out to include all varieties of vegetables, and even fruits.
Interesting Board Of Trade Meeting: At the regular monthly meeting of the board of trade held in the community hall on Monday last, the coast-interior telephone question was brought up. A quotation from the Ashcroft Journal was cited to prove that action on this much-needed improvement had been taken, and that in all probability the new line would be built contemporaneous with the building of the Fraser Canyon highway.
Clinton News: The ice harvest is now in full swing at Kelly Lake. The P.G.E. Railway is shipping a car a day from there.
Weather: The chinook wind which has converted much of the snow to ice, and the ice to water, has put the crimp in skating and hockey.
Beer By The Glass: Regulations for the sale of beer by the glass have been announced by Attorney General Manson. Only those districts which voted “wet” will be included in the experiment with beer. This will include Ashcroft but not Kamloops. There will be no bars or barmaids in the licensed premises, and only men who are British subjects and otherwise eligible to get on the voters’ list can be employed. The upstanding bar and brass rail will be conspicuous by its absence, and tables for drinking at will be limited to a four-person capacity. No female other than a licensee can be employed in the premises or will be permitted to handle beer in any way whatever. Only one entrance will be allowed, which must be leading from the street. No blinds or screens will be permitted on the windows, so that you can stand outside and look in, or stand inside and look out. Hours are to be between 10 a.m. and 11 p.m.
75 YEARS AGO: FEB. 9, 1950
Those Barking Dogs: They say dogs are our best friends. But when one of them barks half the night, all this friendship goes out the window in disgust. When we owned a dog and it took a notion to bark at the moon or something, we got up and made “Laddie” dry up, because at one or two a.m. we were not in the mood to listen to any melody. The other a.m. we lay awake half the night, forced to listen to a neighbour’s doggone dog merrily serenading in loud and long barking. Whatever under the moon it had to bark at when every other obedient dog was trying to sleep, is beyond our imagination. We crawled under the blankets, stuffed our head under the pillow, and said words that would make the dog’s hair curl, but the sharp bark pierced through all this protection on and on to the early a.m. It is hoped that people with barking dogs, especially at night, will do something about it.
Clinton News: Mrs. Charlie Robertson and Mr. J. Whitman had a narrow escape from possible serious injury when the car in which they were travelling to Ashcroft to attend the School Board meeting last Monday afternoon skidded off the road three miles south of Hat Creek ranch. The car turned over and came to rest against a fence post. If they had not been travelling so slowly at the time of the skid, the force of the impact would probably have broken the post and the car would have turned over again and gone further down the slope into a ditch. Mrs. Robertson and Mr. Whitman escaped with bruises and a shaking up. While Mr. Whitman attended to getting the car back onto the road, Mrs. Robertson got a ride into Ashcroft and attended the school meeting.
Free Picture Show, Baseball: 1949 World Series Baseball Games will be shown at the community hall, starring Jackie Robinson, on Tuesday, Feb. 14 at 8 p.m. This series of pictures is brought in under the auspices of the local Independent Order of Oddfellows. All welcome. They are on loan from the Vancouver Daily Province.
New Car: Mark Dumond is showing the new 1950 Chevrolet in their show window. It is perhaps General Motors’ finest workmanship, and all interested should call in and look it over.
50 YEARS AGO: FEB. 5, 1975
Dog Bylaw Lacks Teeth: According to Mayor Michael Yewchin, the Village of Ashcroft council learned at the last regular meeting that the “Dog” bylaw now in effect in our village “lacks teeth” to deal with the dog problem in town. Negotiations between four villages concerned about roaming dogs and the S.P.C.A. have been anything but satisfactory. No persons locally seem to want the job of dog catcher, so the towns have become dependent upon the occasional visit of the S.P.C.A. man, who seems to pick on the wrong dogs, leaving us with our same old problems running around town. You can almost tell to the day when the S.P.C.A. man is coming, because the dogs causing the problem seem to disappear like magic. Then, too, he parks around the post office block, where everyone can see the dog catcher is in town. The villages pay the S.P.C.A. $100 a visit, but for some mysterious reason the annoying animals are still with us, and of course we live in a small town where it seems spiteful people find a way to get even if a report is lodged concerning a particular dog. Funny how some people never see themselves as the offender.
Area Transportation Meeting: An open meeting to discuss transportation for citizens of Ashcroft and Cache Creek to desired destinations by railroad or bus was held on Friday evening at Ashcroft. Ashcroft Taxi, through Ed McClosky, will try to group trips so that instead of one person paying $5 for a trip, five persons could pay $1 each, thus minimizing the cost for all concerned. It was suggested that the Villages of Ashcroft and Cache Creek might be willing to subsidize the service. There were not many Ashcroft residents present, but quite a number from Cache Creek.
Through The Ice: A grader which was being used to clear the race track at Barnes Lake on Sunday crashed through ice in a shallow spot. It remains submerged with just the driver’s seat and cage visible.
Fewer Fishermen On Thompson: John Cartwright, biologist, has stated there are fewer non-resident fishermen on the Thompson River near Spences Bridge this year. The river has been designated as a trophy fishing river due to the large fish taken. Usually a number of border non-residents come to Spences Bridge during the two months prior to the steelhead season opening in the border states of the U.S.A. to do their fishing in the Thompson River.
