125 YEARS AGO: SEPT. 2, 1899
Chilcotin: Crops are good in spite of the late spring, but there has been so very much rain that most of the natural meadows are very wet, and some of them will not be cut this season.
Civic Holiday? Why should not the "Mayor" of Ashcroft proclaim a civic holiday at the time of the Ashcroft Fair? We would suggest that Thursday, Sept. 28 be set aside for that purpose.
Women As Inventors: Some of the most valuable as well as important inventions have been patented to women, among which may be numbered the first cook stove, a permutation lock having 3,000 different combinations, a machine for making screws (invented by a little girl) which revolutionized that industry, and the valuable Burden process of making horse shoes, which resulted in a saving over the old process of many millions of dollars per year. The first patent to a woman was granted in 1808, and since then the number has increased to many thousands. These facts are interesting, not only because they indicate the rapid and almost marvellous growth of woman's intellect, but also from the fact that the inventive genius of woman invades fields in which one would scarcely credit her with any interest, much less knowledge. We would not be surprised that a hat-pin, corset, glove-fastener, etc., should be invented by women, but when we learn that such inventions as telescopes, making marble from lime-stone, and dams and reservoirs are involved, people begin to be interested.
100 YEARS AGO: AUG. 30, 1924
Highway Work To Take Three Years; Construction Will Begin On Provincial Road By End Of Year: Early in the spring the Hon. Dr. W.H. Sutherland, Minister of Public Works, announced his choice of route for the provincial highway, which is to be through the Fraser Canyon. Since the election he announced that he intended to let the contract this fall so that the contractor could make an early start next spring. A small amount of day labour work at clearing up and improving sections of the existing road cut off by bits of the railway right-of-way just east of Hope was done this year. The remainder of the work is to be done by contract, and the minister has estimated that three years will be required to get it done. The road is expected to cost about $1,250,000, but only a portion of that will be undertaken during the first year. There is nearly a 70-mile break in the old Cariboo trail which can not be traversed by motor, but only about 30 miles of new construction is required, the remainder of the old road being still in existence. The use of portions of the old grade by the C.P.R. and C.N.R. has left miles of road untouched.
The Canyon Highway: The completion of the coast to the interior highway will revive some of the early glory of the Fraser Canyon route. Instead of the picturesque stage coach of the mining camp days will be the modern motor car, and the trip through the famous scenic route will be accomplished in greater comfort and shorter time. Yale and other pioneer centres may again assume an importance once enjoyed but long since missing. The highway will bring within reasonable distance the dream of those who have long advocated an all-Canadian highway from coast to coast, but a more immediate advantage will be to throw open to motor tourists a large and important section of Southern and Central British Columbia. It will establish a direct connection between Vancouver and the great fruit-growing districts in the Interior and remove the anomaly which compels residents of this province motoring from the coast to the Interior to travel much of the distance through foreign territory. It will be a connecting link in a real sense and a big step forward in the opening up of the old province.
Provincial Control Of Hospitals Urged: The Victoria City Council has instructed its delegates to the Union of B.C. Municipalities convention to introduce and support a proposal making the expenditures of hospitals a general charge upon the province or, as an alternative, amending the present Hospital Act to reduce the fees for indigent patients for which municipalities may be held responsible from $2.50 to $1.50 a day.
Moving Pictures: The picture show was opened again in Ashcroft on Wednesday night with a very good crowd. They will now continue to run the movies on every Friday and Saturday night. A special show will be put on at the theatre on the 19th and 20th of Sept., "If Winter Comes". On Sept. 5th and 6th, "To Have and To Hold", featuring Miss Betty Compson. [No prints of either To Have and To Hold (1922) or If Winter Comes (1923) still exist. The latter was remade in 1947 under the same title, starring Deborah Kerr, Walter Pidgeon, and Angela Lansbury.]
75 YEARS AGO: SEPT. 1, 1949
C.N.R. Has Freight Train Wreck: A C.N.R. freight train was wrecked after it encountered a gravel slide three miles east of Spences Bridge Sunday afternoon last. Engineer Mr. Applin of Kamloops and the fireman were fortunate that the engine turned over against the bank, enabling them to leave by the cab door uninjured. Fruit cars and several oil tankers lay crushed side by side against the bank on the inside of the track, the fruit cars being badly damaged. Also among the cars were coal and grain cars. Telegraph communication was kept open during repairs to the track, although the wires were lying on the ground. The engine appears to have escaped much damage. An emergency track was built immediately by railway workers alongside the wreck so as not to disrupt traffic longer than necessary.
Less Than One Mile Of Road To Cost Over $300,000: Rebuilding of less than a mile of the Trans-Canada Highway in the Fraser Canyon will cost the provincial works department more than $300,000. Works Minister E.C. Carson opened tenders Tuesday for the project, which involves rebuilding .968 miles of the highway from Alexandra Lodge east. The project involves replacing seven wooden bridges with fills, retaining walls, and other structures.
Ashcroft Legion: The Canadian Legion new hall is progressing favourably, the cement walls have been poured and are now drying. The Legion Hall will be a great asset to Ashcroft, adding that much more importance to the town, and it is hoped that all Legion members will get behind the building and see it through to completion now. There was some talk about just completing the basement and putting a temporary roof over it, but general opinion is that it should be completed with upper walls so that the kitchen and hall can be used also. We hope this will be the case.
Temporary School: The converted room in the old Ashcroft school building, commonly known as the Community Hall, is about ready for the opening of school at the end of the summer holiday. We understand the Junior high class will be taught there until such time as a new high school is built.
50 YEARS AGO: AUG. 29, 1974
Ashcroft Arena: Plans for the official opening of the Ashcroft Arena are nearing completion, and as previously reported will be held the first week in October. Enquiries regarding family skating fees have been received from as far as Lillooet, Lytton, Clinton, and Savona, as well as Walhachin, Spences Bridge, Highland Valley, Upper Hat Creek, and of course Ashcroft and Cache Creek. With the $40,000 grant received, the village is now looking at $80,000 to complete the job. This will not include fitting out the upstairs lounge. So it looks like a good opening season for our long-awaited ice hockey arena.
Walhachin News: Many of the residents of Walhachin have noticed the increased intensity of the blasts at the quarry. One resulted in noticeable concussion and the latest one on the 22nd scattered fairly large boulders all over the village, some of which fell near the Soldiers Memorial Hall, gouging the surfaced road; a few in people's yards; and one, the size of a typewriter, made a hole in the ranch house roof where the haying crew are staying. It penetrated the roof of the veranda, then punched its way through the floor to the ground beneath. Dave Pollard, of CFJC Kamloops, was in town interviewing the residents concerning the blast and resultant damage. During the weekend the drill has been operating, so presumably there shall be another blast soon. Hopefully there will be another TV crew out. In spite of these operations at the quarry, there is a heartwarming faith on the part of the residents in their hometown. Perhaps the air is filled with rock dust, the water is uncertain, the noise and discomfort of the quarry in such close proximity punctuated by blasting, but the people here love their tiny hometown.
Break-ins In Ashcroft: Grant Sidwell Jewellers and MacLeod's stores were broken into on Monday night and considerable merchandise stolen. One of the large front windows was broken at Sidwell's, while at MacLeod's entry was gained through a rear window.
Holidays Over: The months of summer are over this weekend. The kids will be returning to school next Tuesday: mother will get a break and teacher will pick up the problem of handling them for a few hours a day, and keeping them occupied. Children need to have something to do these days, and it keeps them out of mischief too. There doesn't seem to be the initiative of the old days, when kids made their own fun. What has become of hide-and-seek, anti-anti-i-over, trains made out of sardine cans? [Anti-anti-i-over is a North American children's game dating back to the mid-19th century which involves throwing a ball over an obstacle such as a small building or shed, and has a variety of names and variations; for more information go to https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ante_Over.]
