125 YEARS AGO: APRIL 21, 1900
Excitement: A two-horse freight team running away last Monday caused considerable excitement. It started from the station, ran up the street and crossed the bridge, stopping opposite Dougherty’s place. While crossing the bridge it passed Mrs. Hemans, who was driving in a road cart, but fortunately did no harm.
Quick Trip: Mr. Wm. Patrick made a quick trip down from Quesnelle last week on account of the serious sickness of his wife. He changed horses six times en route and made the 220 miles in 48 hours.
Water On Boston Flat: Nearly everyone who has travelled the Cariboo road has had pointed out to them what remains of a good many miles of water ditch built years ago with the laudable intention of carrying water from Hat Creek, 14 miles away, to Boston Flat, and the story of the large amount of money spent and ultimate failure of the water to reach the desired spot has been told to all inquirers. Water there was, and plenty of it in the Bonaparte, close to Boston Flat, but unfortunately it was much below the level of the flat, and without powerful pumps could not be raised. The Ashcroft Water, Electric and Improvement Co., whose power house is quite near Boston Flat, have, at a great expense, put in a water wheel which is now supplying about 600 h.p., and an irrigating pump of 9,000 gallons capacity a minute, together with sufficient steel pipe and flumes and a ditch 10 feet wide and four feet deep. They were convinced that with the proper style of pump that they had plenty of power and could lift sufficient water to irrigate the whole flat. Last Wednesday they had the supreme satisfaction of seeing water — lots of it — filling the big ditch. The pump is now running at about one-third of its capacity and is lifting 3,000 gallons per minute. This is more than is required for the 250 acres now under cultivation. As more land is cultivated the big ditch will have to be enlarged, as the amount of water now pumped nearly fills it.
Steamer Service: The B.C. Express Co.’s stage will connect with the steamer Charlotte at Soda Creek, on Wednesday the 25th inst., the steamer having commenced the regular service for the summer.
Housing: The Presbyterian congregation are contemplating the building of a manse. Owing to the scarcity of vacant houses in Ashcroft, this is a necessity.
Whooping Cough: Whooping cough, which has been so prevalent for some months among the children of Ashcroft, is subsiding with the warmer weather of spring.
Phone Service: Kamloops is now connected with Nicola by telephone. The installation was completed last Tuesday. Telephone offices are now open at Quilchena, Lower Nicola, and Nicola Lake.
100 YEARS AGO: APRIL 18, 1925
North Bend Wants Fraser Canyon Highway; Claim 500 Settlers Would Be Served By Following West Side Of River; Highway On East Shore Present Plan: That the 500 settlers of the North Bend district should be served by the Trans-Provincial Highway now under construction, is the contention of residents of that section. Furthermore, there is a large level stretch of fine agricultural land and other wealthy resources in timber and mines which should be tapped by the highway, which will be passed up unless changes are made in the present plans for bridges crossing on the Fraser in the highway section between Lytton and Hope, it is stated. Present plans provide for the highway running along the east shore from Lytton, along the shore of the ravine-cut country and crossing to the North Bend side 14 miles below the settlement. In other words, North Bend is cut out altogether. The contention is made that instead of serving an unsettled section which would require the building of three bridges over large tributary creeks, the plans should be changed so as to make the Fraser River crossing at Chaumox, thence through the North Bend section to a point four miles below North Bend. It is claimed that by making this change North Bend will receive the service the district is entitled to.
Lytton News: Several of the young folks of Lillooet motored to Lytton on the 13th inst., to take in the whist drive and dance. A very large crowd attended. The hall was artistically decorated, being a credit to all those concerned. The music was rendered by Messrs. B. Rebagliati and G.R. Anthony of Lytton. . . The Chevrolet car is becoming a favourite with the automobile fanciers of Lytton. Mr. A.G. Rebagliati has purchased a truck and Mr. G.R. Anthony a five-passenger touring car.
Lillooet: The two beer parlours opened on the 6th and were fairly well patronized. The atmosphere of the bar days was brought back to liven the town up. Lillooet is again a bit of the wild and woolly west.
Next Steps: Now that the streets of Ashcroft are all nice and clean, how about your back yard?
75 YEARS AGO: APRIL 20, 1950
Work To Start Soon On Trans-Canada: Reconstruction of the Trans-Canada Highway through the Fraser Canyon from Hope to Spences Bridge, a $10,000,000 project, will be started shortly. Public Works Minister E.C. Carson said representatives of the federal and provincial governments will meet in Ottawa April 24 to sign the highway agreements. At the same time, Mr. Carson said work schedules for the year will be drawn up. Actual construction should start within a short time. The work this year will be largely concentrated in the Fraser Canyon, and on the 14-mile section between Golden and Leanchoil. The agreement to be signed calls for completion of the highway from the Alberta boundary into Vancouver, and from Nanaimo to Victoria, by 1956. Because of the tremendous engineering and construction difficulties to be overcome in the building of a modern highway though the Fraser Canyon, it is expected that work on this section will require the full seven seasons allotted for the project.
Around Your Hi-School (By L. Louie): Well, we ended our Easter vacation and came back to have that dreaded recorder of woe issued on the very first day. Yes, it was the too-familiar report card: that little piece of paper which disrupts home life and causes the cancelling of all social engagements!
RCMP Commissioner Defends Switch From Horses To Machines: Efficiency is better than glamour. So Commissioner S.T. Wood, head of the RCMP, defends the switch from horses to machines. He admitted that the RCMP these days consisted mainly of unmounted police. “But we get a lot more work done without horses than with them,” says the supreme head of the Mounties. Commissioner Wood was replying to the Ottawa Board of Trade and other bodies who complained that the Mounted Police had stopped being mounted, therefore losing their allure. Asked if he would put the Mounties back on horses, Commissioner Wood said he would “give consideration” to the matter if and when it was officially brought before him. “We do have RCMP in summer in front of the House of Commons. But I’ll admit they are not on horseback. I have no doubt that American tourists are disappointed. But I am just wondering if I would not be open to criticism if I obliged men and horses to stand on Parliament Hill in the summer heat. Mounted Police in motor cars may be less glamorous but they certainly are more efficient. We can cover greater territory by machines than by horse. The truth is machines are more efficient than the horse. The truth is efficiency is better than glamour.”
50 YEARS AGO: APRIL 16, 1975
Chief By Acclamation: The Ashcroft Indian Band re-elected their chief, Cliff Kirkpatrick, by acclamation at a meeting on Monday. Councillor nominations resulted in four members (Mrs. Mert Kirkpatrick, Shirley Spye, George Kirkpatrick, and Leslie Edmunds) running for two seats, to be elected in 30 days.
A Dream Come True: A sign erected last Friday by Cliff Kirkpatrick, Chief of Ashcroft Indian Band, marks three years of effort and persistence by this energetic young man to better conditions for the members of his band. “Cornwall Mall” will be built on 17 acres of Band property, situated between the North Ashcroft sewage plant and water tank. Final arrangements have yet to be completed on some of the businesses in the complex shown listed on the sign [shops and offices, service station, groceteria, motor inn with convention facilities, along with unlimited parking]. The name “Cornwall” comes from Cornwall Reserve.
Lytton News; Don’t Miss Out On These: Anyone who is interested in the purchase of a Lytton Centennial Book, contact the Lytton Village office. This is indeed a lovely story book told in pictures, of the early days of Lytton. Told by the older ones for the young people of Lytton. It was compiled by the Lytton and District Centennial Society 1966–1967. [If anyone has a copy of this book, the editor would love to see it.]
