Logging has always been a dangerous job, more so in the old days than now.
But the accident that claimed the life of blacksmith David Cunningham, June 9, 1920, was a freak of freaks—he was asleep in his bunk at the Charter Lumber Co. when tragedy struck.
This is the second instalment of an unidentified pioneer’s recollections of Cowichan Valley pioneers, most of whom he’d known personally, and of the dramatic changes he’d witnessed over his own lifetime.
To maintain its original flavour, I’ve kept editing to an almost non-existent minimum. To correct the misspellings and grammatical errors would take away much of its charm. Hence I’ve only interceded when I felt absolutely compelled to do so to maintain clarity.
North Cowichan Municipality reversed an earlier decision not to hire an engineer as roads superintendent after dissenting Councillor Hilton changed his mind on the idea. Council was unanimous that existing conditions of Municipal roads were unsatisfactory even after the expense of $10,000 with “little to show for it” in the words of Clr. Paitson. He wasn’t even sure where the money had gone.
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I’ve long joked that I shuffle more paper in a working day than a civil servant.
That no longer really applies (to civil servants, I mean) since the arrival of the computer.
But nothing has really changed for me. Yes, I’ve computerized too, but I still work with paper—17 file cabinets’ worth. Which is the way I prefer to work and to archive the thousands of files I’ve been building over most of a lifetime.
The big news story of the day, “Jersey Breeders to Convene,” is yet another sign of changing times and tastes. Back in 1920, people wanted butterfat in their milk and Jersey cows were the preferred breed. Today it’s Holsteins with their almost-skim milk and little cream.
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I’ve never been able to quite believe in UFOs (flying saucers). Or Sasquatch. Or ghosts.
Mind you, I’ve wavered a few times, if only briefly; sometimes from reading or hearing particularly credible news reports or solid firsthand accounts of alleged sightings. Mostly, my skepticism has come closest to losing its resolve after
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