125 YEARS AGO: MARCH 11, 1899
Cariboo Items: Phonographs, graphaphones, and gramophones seem quite the order of the day. Last week we announced that Mr. Eddie Bowron of Soda Creek had recently made and was highly elated over his purchase of a gramophone. This week we can inform the outside world that Cariboo is making rapid strides to the front, Mr. Isaac Ogden, of the 115 Mile House, having purchased a graphaphone, which is a good one. Mr. and Mrs. Wm. Abel, of the 111 Mile House, have acquired a gramophone and it is without doubt the best one in British Columbia. The writer last summer, previous to his transplantation into Cariboo, made an extensive tour of all the coast cities and visited all concert and music halls and attended all the up-to-date high classic music concerts, etc., and feels in a position to vouch that Mr. and Mrs. Abel’s gramophone reproduces high classical music, songs, readings and recitations quite equal to, if not in excess of, anything he has ever heard. The popular pieces as played by Sousa’s band and reproduced on the gramophone in the frozen interior of British Columbia makes one forget his gloomy surroundings and carries him in imagination back to Manhattan or other like popular sea-side resorts.
Bonaparte Bridge: The bridge across the Bonaparte near the Harper mill is nearly completed and is reported by those who have seen it as a good and substantial structure.
Coming Home: Premier Semlin is expected to visit his home [at Cache Creek] shortly. Mr. Semlin enjoys life in a dry climate much better than where there is so much rainfall as there is at the coast or on Vancouver Island.
Bicycle Track? Bicycling is beginning to be indulged in to quite an extent in Ashcroft. A bicycle track would be much appreciated. Cannot something be done in this line?
Spring Fashion: McArthur & Harper are having their head milliner, Miss Hughes, come to Ashcroft with new millinery for a few days. Ladies, don’t neglect seeing the new spring millinery. Miss Hughes is a first class milliner, and her work and style cannot be improved upon. This is a grand chance to get a pretty hat for spring.
100 YEARS AGO: MARCH 8, 1924
Proposed Bowling Court: A rumour has been floating through the air of a proposed lawn bowling club to start action here. The game, which is played something on the same lines as curling, would no doubt take good in this community. An ideal spot for the court would be on the old Potlatch grounds on the corner of Fourth and Brink streets. Here we have the water supply and everything necessary, even the location. With a little work on the part of the enthusiasts the grounds could be cleared in a very short time, and a good sized court, accommodating say three or four teams, could be made. Benches could be arranged at different places around the ground. One good point of this pastime is that it could be played at night. (Lights could be strung over the court.) This would allow the business men who cannot get off during the day, to get a little recreation in after hours. Another advantage of playing at night is that it would not interfere with any sports going on during the day. We would like to hear more of this, for we are sure many would be interested, especially the ladies.
Hospital Raffle: Up to the time of writing, approximately 700 tickets have been sold [at $1 each for a Ford automobile] and really, that’s mighty encouraging. The additional public hospital ward, for which this raffle is expected to provide a goodly portion of the necessary funds, has already been built and equipped. Twelve hours after the completion of this addition, which provides six extra beds, it was utilized, and from then on has been in constant use. The matron and staff of the hospital would take it as a personal pleasure, to show visitors this very desirable and much-needed addition.
75 YEARS AGO: MARCH 10, 1949
Road Program For This District: Hon. E.C. Carson, Minister of Public Works, revealed in the legislature that $50,000 to pay for a four-mile revision of the Trans-Canada Highway through Savona and $150,000 for reconstruction of the highway at Cherry Creek are included in this year’s major road improvement program. Cache Creek is in for a $100,000 road improvement. $800,000 is to be spent in 1949 in improving the Maiden Creek to Clinton road and 100 Mile House to Lac La Hache sectors. In 1950, $800,000 will be spent on the Cariboo Road generally and in 1951 $1,000,000. Next year the department plans to spend $700,000 on the Trans-Canada between Yale and Lytton, and $300,000 on the Spences Bridge to Ashcroft sector.
Restore C.N.R. Bridge East Of Walhachin: CNR traffic, including the overnight passenger train from the coast, used CPR tracks from Basque to Kamloops Monday, when permanent repairs were being made to the CNR bridge three miles east of Walhachin. The centre span of the bridge was washed away last May during the flood. The bridge was temporarily repaired late last summer. The span was washed down the Thompson River about two or three hundred yards.
Skating Rink Dance: A really large and peppy crowd turned out for the Clinton Skating Rink dance Friday night, and all reported having a grand time. Specially noticeable was the large contingent of people from out of town. Thanks are expressed for the support shown by Ashcroft, four cars coming from there. During the evening donations of homemade cakes and candy were raffled. The money raised by the raffle and dance will be used to change the rink’s water pipe line. The present line is entirely unsatisfactory, freezing up on more than one occasion during the winter. It was music by the Clinton Music Makers.
50 YEARS AGO: MARCH 7, 1974
Steelhead Derby: The Spences Bridge and District Chamber of Commerce annual Steelhead Derby Cabaret will be held in the Spences Bridge Community Hall on March 16 starting at 9 p.m. to ? There will be a door prize, spot dances, good food, and good music. Trophy and hidden prizes will be awarded at the dance.
Learning To Count Metric: The government is planning six seminars next month for civil servants involved in the government’s conversion to the metric system of weights and measures. The target date for the completion of conversion to the metric system throughout Canada is 1980.
Wrong Number: Answering the phone in Walhachin can be an adventurous way to start the day. We seem to have a direct line to a modern “Tower of Babel”. One early morning ring elicited the information that the lady on the other end merely answered the phone. On Saturday, five voices chorused “Hello,” with one original character querying “Who is calling whom?” when I answered the strident instrument. It just rings and rings when it doesn’t tinkle plaintively. The ghost of Walhachin haunts the telephone; probably the only place it feels safe.
Spences Bridge: Spring really must be in the air, for it’s a sure sign when you see the gardeners thumbing through the seed catalogues and looking over their garden tools.
