September 16, 1920
What was happening a century ago this week from the front page of the Cowichan Leader.
September 16, 1920
There were splendid exhibits at the 52nd Fall Fair—so proclaimed The Leader’s six-column-wide headline for September 16.
Livestock, garden produce and children’s displays were especially prominent as, once more, the Cowichan Agricultural Society presented the “busiest of scenes as...exhibitors from far and wide [brought] in their treasures”.
Highlights included, besides three classes of cattle and garden produce exhibits, what were termed educational entries. Horse entries were down slightly, thanks to the advent of gasoline tractors, but there were more poultry exhibits than ever.
“Ladies’ work” and the domestic sciences were also represented this year as well as an “Indian exhibition”.
“In no section was progress so decidedly marked as it is in that devoted to children’s work,” with exhibits from all the schools in the district, “and every record hitherto set is absolutely far out-distanced”. Children’s entries totalled an amazing 700, and the number of babies in the Better Babies contest had had to be limited to 30. The delicate task of judging rested upon the brave shoulders of Dr, Arthur G. Price, Victoria.
Once again The Leader had to announce a workplace fatality, that of faller John G. McLean at the Falls logging Co. Camp between Sahtlam and Cowichan Lake. A tree he’d just fallen hit a dead snag on its way down, snapping off a branch that flew back and struck him. Death was said to have been instantaneous.
Officialdom moved swiftly in those days. After Const. William Kier investigated the accident and Coroner Dr. H.D.E. Stephens, RN, held an inquest later the same day, McLean’s body was on its way to Rossland. Originally from Nova Scotia, he was 61 and left a daughter and two sons.
The Cowichan Branch of the Liberty League of British Columbia came into being in an afternoon meeting with its objective to “secure as large a majority as possible in favour of government control and sale of liquors” in the forthcoming plebiscite. Another goal was to promote moderation in consumption of alcoholic beverages. Of the 40 who attended the meeting in the Agricultural Hall, 34 bought memberships and W.M. Dwyer was named temporary chairman.
It was another nail in the coffin of the four-year-long provincial attempt at legislating Prohibition. In fact, the plebiscite to determine its fate was just five weeks away. Voters were to have two choices:
1) The present Prohibition Act
2) An Act to provide for Government Control and Sale in Sealed Packages of Spiritous and Malt Liquors
(We’ll read more of this over the next five weeks even though we know how it turned out...)
An “assortment of fish” from the government hatchery at Cowichan Lake was exhibited in Vancouver. Included were albino spring salmon, spring salmon, eastern brown trout, cut-throat trout and coho salmon.
Unseasonably heavy rains had caused a rise in the Cowichan River, and the Victoria Lumber & Manufacturing Co.’s Camp 10 was being moved two miles from its Shaw Creek location.
There was a box advertisement at the bottom of the page instructing readers to turn to page three for a list of properties to be sold for unpaid taxes by the City of Duncan on the following Monday.
In Police Court Harry Halpenny was fined $50 and had his license revoked(!) for speeding. (Justice not only moved swiftly 100 years ago, but didn’t mess around with scofflaws. Mind you, Hallpenny was driving a stage (bus) when he was clocked going—horrors!—20 miles per hour.)
Tzouhalem Hotel bartender Arthur Griffin was charged with serving beer to a First Nations man in violation of the Indian Act. When non-native Melville Collinson said he bought the beer for his Cowichan friend, Magistrates Paterson and Bevan found for the defendant, ruling that Collinson not Griffin had violated the Act.
Stipendiary Magistrate Maitland-Dougall fined F.E. Scholey and H. Hodgson for having had in their possession, “in a place other than a private dwelling,” liquor containing more than 2 1/2 proof spirits as defined in the Prohibition Act. $50 was a lot of money to a working man in those days.
Duncan merchants had agreed to close on Saturday from 1-4:00 p.m. to allow employees to attend the Fall Fair. They also intended to keep regular closing, fixed at 5:00 p.m. through the summer, come winter.
The beauties of the Cowichan Valley continued to draw attention nationally thanks to three photos and an article in a new travel brochure published by the CPR, and mention in a CNR publication.
Perhaps it’s no surprise that, less than two years since the end of the First World War with its devastating toll on local manhood, an attempt to form a local militia unit had failed for want of recruits. Even the local Cadet Corps had “lapsed”.
There followed an entire column and continuation on page 10 of the newly-established Health Centre news. With its two newly-hired nurses the centre began operations in a rented private home next to St. John’s Church on First Street. The outright purchase of a house would be decided in April. In charge of the Centre was Miss Bertha E. Hall, originally from Ontario, and a graduate of the Spokane Deaconess Hospital with wartime experience with the American Army in France.
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