Musing Out Loud...
I’ve never had the patience for filing.
Almost in spite of myself, my personal archives is probably equal in size to the Cowichan Valley Museum. But the unavoidable filing is such a drag...
On the plus side, when I do give filing the time and attention it deserves—needs—I’m sometimes pleasantly surprised with the nuggets that turn up: newspaper clippings, as a rule, that I’ve forgotten about.
The following two articles from the Cowichan Leader, from September and October 1921, are perfect examples. The first story, about a local bootlegger, made me chuckle.
Archibald Tiderington (I don't make these names up, folks) was in Duncan police court on a charge of bootlegging. Apparently he'd been negotiating a sale at one end of a wood pile, unaware that Provincial Police Constable William Kier and Game Warden EG Steadham were at the other end!
His Not Guilty plea notwithstanding, Magistrate Maitland-Dougall found him otherwise and sentenced him to six months’ imprisonment. Logger and prospective purchaser, John Kynble, was out of pocket, both the booze and his $4.00 for a case of beer and $2.50 for a part bottle of whisky.
A second man, identified only as Sam, also charged with bootlegging, was released but his alleged client was hit $5 for drunkenness. Sam didn't get off Scot-free, however, police having seized an unlicensed revolver for which he was hit $10.
A sadder story is that of E.H. Grant who was accidentally shot and killed at Cowichan Lake while hunting alone. The hired hand had set out from Henry March's farm at dusk with a .44 carbine. When he didn't return March became worried and went looking for him.
A quarter of a mile from the house he found the rifle on the ground, pointing towards Sutton Creek. Beside it was an empty shell and there was another empty shell in the breach.
Grant's body was found on a sandbar, 100 yards downstream. A bullet had passed through his heart and lungs and there were powder burns on his clothes. It was theorized that he’d shot at a deer then jumped on a log to cross the creek but slipped; his gun discharged, and his body fell in the water.
The author giving a tour of St. Peter’s, Quamichan Cemetery. Among the Tales the Tombstones Tell, that of poor E.H. Grant. —Author’s Collection
Forty-three, single and a veteran of the recent World War, Grant had been invalidated from the Canadian army after serving in England and France. He’d only returned to the Cowichan Valley in June and he was interred in Saint Peter's, Quamichan cemetery.
Two “blasts from the past,” one light-hearted, the other tragic. Now, all I have to do is file them...
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God knows I hate to admit a mistake but, when you have knowledgeable readers, what are you going to do?
My recent conclusion to the ‘Bulldog’ Kelly story drew this email from railway historian Tom W. Parkin. “Your caption, ‘Lower Kicking Horse Canyon, B.C., 1880-1900,’ showing five railway trestles: ‘It was in this general vicinity that Kelly ambushed the three men and made off with $4,500...’
“Sorry to correct you, Tom. That image is the Fraser River at White’s Creek (an unofficial CPR name), looking upstream. The Cariboo Road is on the opposite bank. I’m writing a story about the construction history at that location, this very moment!”
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Getting back to more current news, the recent fire that damaged Victoria Chinatown’s historic Tam Kung Temple: It has since been learned that the 160-year-old statuette of Tam Kung has survived unscathed.
More remarkably, it also escaped destruction by fire in 1980.
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