From the Archives of Western Newspapers

Posted on April 16, 2026 by admin

By Samantha Johnson
For Southern Alberta Newspapers

April 14, 1899 – The Cardston Record

Petitions were circulated here this week requesting a mail service to be established triweekly between Cardston and Macleod. The paper is in favour of the movement so long as it does not interfere with the present system between Cardston and Lethbridge. We will be strongly opposed to any movement that might lead to an abandonment of the present mail route. All our immigration comes from the south and we want a service that will directly connect us to the western states. However, if the post office department wants to run two mail services to Cardston, we will heartily commend the effort.

The freight wagons were stuck in the mud at Pot Hole several days last week. Travellers say they have never passed over a worse place. Why is not a bridge put in about four miles up the coulee? The cost would be slight in comparison to the benefits that would result from the outlay.

This morning in Niagara Falls, a great mass of rock, estimated to weigh over 100,000 tons, fell from the cliff on the south side of the Buttery Whirlpool Rapids elevator. The rock plunged into the gorge, falling on the road, tracks and buildings at the foot of the elevator shaft. These buildings were only just reopened, having been damaged by the collapsing of an old elevator shaft a few weeks ago. One large boulder, weighing many tons, remains on the Gorge road tracks and at the top of the bluff one can see another large rock breaking away from the cliff.

April 12, 1912 – The Alberni Advocate

The paper has been informed on several occasions, by sources that were supposed to be authoritative, the post marking the western terminus of the Canadian Highway will be set, for a time at least, in Port Alberni. As this statement appeared just and logical, it was not questioned. Now comes a statement to the effect that the exact spot for the post has not yet been decided and it will be impossible to plan an event at the last moment for the planting of the post if a solid decision is not made soon.

Port Alberni appears to have a few troubles at hand, with more to come. The formation of numerous committees has been safely accomplished without serious incident. However, the drafting of various required bylaws appears to be hanging in the wind. Alderman Cooper is alarmed by the idea of the city clerk chasing around all over the country with the visible possessions of the city in his vest pocket and proposed a safe to be purchased at once, but there are not any funds for said safe. An immediate tax was to be placed on pool rooms, dogs and editors with the purpose of securing the needed funds without explanation if the suggested means of gathering revenue were to be regarded as of value to the order named.

A police magistrate in Chicago has fined his wife $25 for contempt and made her pay it from her own bank account. The lady sat in her husband’s court and audibly characterized one of her husband’s judicial acts as an outrage; hence, the lamentable occurrence.

April 8, 1913 – Vulcan Advocate

An April joke of serious character was perpetuated in Chicago and almost resulted in a riot of out-of-work men at the Soo railway freight house. Near 5,000 men swarmed there on Wednesday last to answer a newspaper advertisement asking for freight handlers. Railroad officials denied inserting the advertisement. The crowd became threatening after standing in the rain for some time, but police reserves managed to disperse them.

Cultured people do not make noise when they eat. This is all well and good on an aesthetic level and bad in a hygienic way, says a doctor. Silent mastication has deprived the act of eating with a healthy gusto that supports a good appetite and improved digestion.

The western provinces are having all their wool bought by Mr. Harvey, a prominent sheep man from the Lethbridge district who is buying on behalf of a company in Boston. This is the first year since 1898, when the Wilson Tariff went into effect, that wool has entered the USA from Canada. The price being paid by American buyers is about two cents higher per pound over what was paid last year by Toronto and Montreal buyers. Mr. Harvey has already bought up all the wool in Southern Alberta, amounting to 850,000 pounds.