June 2, 1921
What was happening a century ago this week from the front page of the Cowichan Leader.
June 2, 1921
I’ve commiserated, in recent weeks, with readers who find the news of 100 years ago to be, shall we say less than exciting when compared with today’s sensational and depressing headlines.
Well, cheer up, there was real exciting news—and sorrow for readers of the June 2nd Leader, a headline (one of eight on this front page) announcing, SHOCKING FATALITY – Mr. Richard Nelson Accidentally Killed When Handling Shot Gun
The “most distressing occurrence” had taken place at his Sherman Road home, mid-Tuesday evening, as he prepared to clean a shotgun. He was alone in the house, his twin daughters playing outside in the yard, his wife visiting a neighbour, when the girls heard a noise and investigated. They found their father in great pain from a wound in his left breast. He was able to tell them that he’d placed the gun, which he’d been convinced was unloaded, on the table when “something flew back at him”.
Dr. H.N. Watson was first on the scene and did what he could to staunch the wound but Nelson died only half an hour later. At the coroner’s inquest conducted by Dr. H.F.D. Stephens, RN, Mrs. Nelson testified that the family had been looking forward to going away for the weekend and her husband had hauled out his fishing gear. That’s when he decided he’d clean the gun, too, having recently used it to shoot rats.
Douglas Sherman testified that he was called to the Sherman house about 8:30 p.m. and found Nelson’s body lying on the floor and still bleeding profusely. There was fishing gear and a gun cleaning rod on the table and, on the floor three or four feet from Nelson, a breech-loader shotgun with what he described as a “hair trigger” with the safety catch set on safe.
He surmised that Nelson had lifted the gun from the cupboard with his left hand and it had discharged when he placed it, perhaps with a bump, on the table.
Ironically, Nelson had served overseas in the trenches throughout much of the war and returned home uninjured.
English-born, the 37-year-old building contractor who loved sports and the outdoors had arrived with Mrs. Nelson in the Cowichan Valley in 1908 and they later lost their Somenos Lake home to fire. The popular tradesman and Mason left a widow, two daughters and was interred in St. Peter’s, Quamichan cemetery.
Duncan High School students were given a lesson in democratic government, it was said, when they attended a memorial service for those who’d fallen in the Great War. Making the ceremony all the more poignant was the presence of army veteran Vyvyan Hodding with his bugle who played the Last Post. School trustee W.M. Dwyer then unveiled the memorial tablet attached to the west wall of the school by pulling away a Union Jack.
The work of Arthur Burchett, it was described as “carried out in the classical style, two fluted Corinthian columns being happily introduced. On the columns are the dates of the war and a design embodying laurel wreath, maple leaves and crossed swords. The whole is brought into relief by a landscape background in colour.
“The central part of the memorial is occupied by the main inscription and the names of 36 students who volunteered for service. Five of the names are underlined to indicate that they gave their lives in that service.
“The inscription is in Latin and was read in Latin and English by Bertha Castley, who was chosen as the youngest member of the school. She also recited the names...” The tablet was erected by the General Council of Teachers and Students of Duncan High School.
The Board of Trade discussed the seeding of Shawnigan Lake with 10,000 cutthroat trout fry, the continuing struggle to have the federal government release the Justice Eberts Report on the state of commercial fishing in the province, and the restoration of Mill Stream (Shawnigann Creek) as a fish bearing stream.
There were reports of the illegal sale of grilse at Chemainus, a recommendation that the Empire Lumber Co. reduce its royalty on minerals on company-owned land to match that of the E&N Railway, and “motoring signs” near Lake Cowichan schools, and the Cobble Hill branch wanted the federal government to take more stringent steps against Canada thistle.
A committee was working on a pamphlet to encourage newcomers to the Valley and there was a letter from a man in Qualicum who decried a proposal from the Cowichan Fish & Game Association to place a bounty on bald eagles.
The Duncan branch of the Retail Merchants’ Assoc. of Canada had been well attended, probably because the forthcoming provincial convention was to be held here. President W.M. Dwyer gave a report on the association’s “slow but steady progress” through the year and cited the repeal of the luxury tax as a “great event”.
There was further good news in that a small claims court was to be established in Duncan with the likelihood that its jurisdiction would be expanded to cover most of the Valley.
Bowing to the protests of the Consolidated School Board, who believed that it would impose a hardship on students who had to travel great distances to school (particularly those who weren’t bused), City Council compromised on the imposition of Daylight Saving. As most merchants appeared to be in favour, DST would be set from May 28th to October 1st.
In response to a query, the province replied that students who were injured while travelling to and from school by bus could only seek damages if the driver could be proven to have been careless or otherwise negligent.
And for Genoa Bay School, potential bad news: if they didn’t boost their six-pupil registration it would be closed.
The Great War Veterans Assoc. were unhappy that a government position that dealt with veterans hadn’t gone to a returned man and discussed rumours that some returned men seeking employment had encountered discrimination locally. Valley farmers were unhappy that the province had rejected a request to station a professional agriculturalist closer than Saanich to cover the area between the Malahat and Ladysmith.
30 residents attended the first Vimy Social Club annual general meeting and the fundraising program to build a community hall continued.
The Girl Guides, Brownies and Elders gave a “delightful demonstration” and play at the Duncan Opera House, particular praise being paid to leaders Miss Norah C. Denny and Miss Dorothy Geoghegan. The most memorable scene of the play was what was described as the realistic beheading of Mary, Queen of Scots, and Brownies Marjorie Latter and Sylvia “wander[ed] by moonlight in the fairy forest”. Among the names of the children who participated are those of pioneer Valley families, such as Auchinachie, Castley, Potts and Dwyer.
In what seems to be a curious add-on, before breaking for supper, Misses Denny and Geoghegan presented medals for boxing to Boy Scouts Howard Phillips and Charlie Lefever.
As always, a great time was had by all.
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