Week December 24 – 30
Dave Humphrey
Items compiled from the archived newspapers held at the Cranbrook History Centre and Archives
TWO WORE FALSE WHISKERS … continued from last week … It is the belief of the trainmen that two of the bandits wore false whiskers. One is described as having a red mustache. He was the one that was unmasked. Another, who is described as tall and slim, had a bushy black beard, which the engineer and fireman declare was false. The bandit of whom the best view was obtained is described as being about 5 feet 8 inches tall, sandy complexion, heavy, set, and weighing 190 pounds. Edward Keegan, a laborer, who has been in Spokane for two weeks and who boarded the train in the Great Northern yards to ride the bound baggage to Newport, Wash., was an unwilling witness to the holding up of the train and relates his experience a s follows: “The first thing I knew the engine blew three shrill whistles and the train came to a sudden stop. Then while I was wondering if they were taking on some more passengers, I saw two men, one a tall man with whiskers, run down the right side of the train to the second car — I was riding between the first and the second — and release the air. One said, “Well I don’t know much about this kind of business, but I guess we’ll have to tackle it,’ and then I heard the air screech, and in a minute the train started. … To be continued in next week’s Townman edition of “It happened this week in Cranbrook” …”TRAIN GETS UNDER WAY FAST”.
NEW SCHOOL … The council met in special session on Monday evening with Mayor Fink in the chair and Alderman Baker, Ryan, Jackson and Henderson and City Solicitor Thompson present. The object of the special meeting was to receive the report of the school trustees re the application for the presentation of a bylaw for the borrowing of $50,000 for building a new school house. Mayor Fink opened proceedings with a statement as to the council’s attitude, saying that they did not think it wise to proceed hastily, but to wait until reliable information might be secured as to the best plan to adopt in issuing the debentures. Mr. Harvey said that there were three reasons why the trustees wished for an early election, the expense, the opportunity to secure a better expression of opinion at the municipal election and last, to prevent the matter drifting, as he looked upon a new school house as an absolute necessity. City Solicitor Thompson brought up the point that 22 1/2 per cent of the taxable property in the school limit was outside of the boundaries of the municipality, and that in consequence it might be possible to secure a grant from the provincial government. Mr. Ryan said he was in favor of a building large enough and a good building. Mr. Baker took the same view but thought that $50,000 was a large amount for the purpose desired. Mr. McCallum said that the new contract price of the Fernie school was $35,000, an eight-room building. Mr. Harvey said that the estimated amount needed for the building and furnishing was $45,000, but the trustees were asking for $50,000 so that they would not have to come, before the council again. He also expressed the opinion that in view of the fact that the property outside of the municipality could not be taxed for school purposes, and that the outside property represented about 25 per cent of the property in the school district, he thought it reasonable to believe that the government would make a grant to meet this difference. After Messrs. Harvey and McCallum had retired the council discussed the situation and finally decided that as they were desirous of securing further information they would not present the bye Law on 14th of January. Mr. McCallum circulated the petition the next day and secured the required signatures, and the election on the school loan will be called at a later date.
CHRISTMAS FEAST … Christmas comes but once a year and when it does most sensible people dine at the Hotel Cranbrook. This year Messrs. Hoggarth & Rollins have determined to make their Christmas dinner a feature that will not be surpassed in any town in Western Canada. The menu, it goes without saying, will be the best, but besides this there will be in attendance the Cranbrook orchestra,, which will render selections during the dinner hours, which will be from to 6-30 p.m. The proprietors of the Cranbrook hotel have always extended a general invitation for Christmas dinner and this year as before Messrs. Hoggarth & Rollins wish to say that everybody is welcome and that the house is open to anyone who wishes to come. Western hospitality is a thing that all Western people are proud of and “George” and “Vic” are showing that hospitality is the key note of their natures.
WANT THE OLD COUNCIL … A petition is being circulated and being largely signed by the citizens of the city asking the mayor and aldermen to run again. The fact that this petition has been signed by so many ratepayers makes it very probable that the present council will be returned by acclamation.
A CITY OF HOMES The advantages of Cranbrook as a residential city is acknowledged by all those whose business takes them into East Kootenay. With a population of slightly over 3,090 the school attendance is far above the average for a population of this size.
MERRY CHRISTMAS … Tomorrow will be Christmas Day. The Herald wishes all its readers A Happy Christmas. Particularly the Herald would wish its young readers the compliments of the season, because this season is theirs more especially. In a city like Cranbrook, where the schools are filled to overflowing and where baby carriages fill the streets, the rising generation is something for all of us to do something at Christmastime to make those little hearts glad. Bye and bye the work of this hard-hearted old world will fall on their shoulders and it is now, while they are young and with all their troubles ahead of them, that we should put all the sunshine and cheerfulness into their lives that we can. See that the children are treated to the spirit of Yuletide, because that is much more to them than the costliest of gifts.
WHITE CHRISTMAS … It looks now as if the fears of a green Christmas were unfounded. The snowfall up to the present time has not been very heavy, yet there has been enough to give a white Christmas and to protect our banana crop.
CHRISTMAS MAIL … There were no less than three dray loads of mail sacks put on the train going east yesterday. Ten years ago yesterday anyone could have carried the Christmas mail in one coat pocket.
HIGH PRAISE … The girls in the post office deserve a great mead of praise for the way they have handled the business during the Christmas rush, In spite of the fact that the mail both coming and going, was far greater than previous years, still the work has been kept up to standard and the public have been well served. Miss McKay, Miss Tannhauser, Miss Moran and Miss Bolen make an ideal post office staff.
OTRICH FEATHERS … Ostrich feathers cleaned and curled by an experienced curler. Mrs. C. R. Shepherd, back of St. Eugene hospital.
GETTING HITCHED? … J. Johnson has gone to the end of the last railroad in Canada and is walking fifteen miles to his home in Nova Scotia to spend Christmas. Indications point to the probability of Mr. Johnson not returning alone.
FIRE BRIGADE REWARDED … V. Hyde Baker recognizes a good thing when he sees it. And the fire department is one of the city institutions which he recognizes, so much so in fact that through Chief Fink he handed them a handsome Christmas present in the way of a substantial cheque.
GREAT DISPLAYS … The windows of the Fink Mercantile company’s store are, as usual at this season of the year, artistic. Mr. Laidlaw, on the grocery side, and Mr. McArthur, on the dry goods side, are both artists in window dressing and it would hard to find anything better in west.
UPDATING … Creston has now got a waterworks, and you had better see E. Ryckman about doing your plumbing.
HORRIBLE ACCIDENT … Yesterday a telegram arrived here from Spokane announcing the accidental death of Allan F. Gill, brother of Thomas Gill, of this city. As Mr. Gill is lying seriously ill at his home with typhoid fever and his daughter is still in a critical condition with the same disease, the telegram was delivered to Mrs. Gill and the knowledge of its contents kept from her husband. This additional trouble would have proved a severe shock to Mr. Gill, as this brother was his favorite and Mr. Gill had often visited with him in Spokane. The deceased had been for many years very prominent in the political circles of Spokane and the state of Washington. For a number of years he served as city engineer of the city of Spokane and afterwards as consulting engineer in the extension of the water works system. His tragic death was a severe shock to his friends in Spokane. Under the circumstances neither Mr. Gill nor any member of the family will be able to attend the funeral. The following account of the accident appeared in yesterday’s Spokesman- Review: Allan F. Gill, former city engineer of Spokane and manager of the Independent Asphalt company, was found dead this morning on the ice on the shore of Moses lake, some 30 miles south of here. It is the opinion of those who found him that he had either slipped on the ice and his gun discharged or that the trigger had caught in the tules. He was on a hunting trip with F. C. Robertson, of Spokane. The charge of shot had struck him in the right jaw. He was found by a searching party and the body brought here tonight. The remains will be sent to Spokane on Great Northern train No. 2, due here at 10.20 in the morning.
