From the Archives of Western Newspapers

By Samantha Johnson
Southern Alberta Newspapers
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Wednesday, July 27, 1887 – Qu’Appelle Progress

The ferry cable at Saskatoon broke some time ago and the scow was left to drift down river. A new steel cable has been procured and the boat brought back. The ferry is back in working order.

The Medicine Hat Times recently stated the acting editor of the Leader is softening in the brain and that is what accounts for his idiosyncrasies. He is becoming notorious for being determined to have the last word. When editor Davin returns, there will be much to answer for when he discovers this young snob has degraded the columns that Davin has been at no little pain to give a character of able and intelligent journalism.

The Brandon Mail advocates the separation of the western part of Manitoba to form a new province. The greed of Winnipeg has saddled the province with heavy debts for works that do not benefit the western part of the province.

Saturday, July 27, 1907 – The Saturday News (Edmonton)

If you wish to witness unusual sights, come to Edmonton. Here we have all that goes to make a bustling, modern city, but the days when it was merely a fur trading post is still such a short distance off that there are many survivals of the old life. This past week, many were privileged to see a Stony tribe powwow behind Duncan Bros. and Butlers Store, formerly McDougall and Secord’s.

The traveling dairy school, arranged by the Department of Agriculture, visited the Medicine Hat district last week. The school is fully equipped with all modern appliances for present day dairy farming. A supply of cream and milk were arranged and the cream separator, churn, Bancock tester and all other equipment were demonstrated in full operation.

People in Pincher Creek are raising a fuss about the name. F.W. Gosal has joined in the agitation for a new name and has suggested ‘Spitzee’ as an improvement over the current one. The Fernie Ledger does not like to grumble, but it has never been able to see anything appropriate, musical or beautiful in the name the Grand Trunk Pacific company bought at so high a figure with which to burden its terminal city.

Thursday, July 28, 1910 – Claresholm Review

Granum is in no way behind Claresholm. We had a fire and they called to say they’d had a larger one, beginning in the laundry and reducing the Royal Hotel, livery stable and adjoining buildings plus the pool room to ashes. If Granum gets a new hotel to replace the lost one, the fire will not have been in vain.

A man named Poole who wrote to the Toronto Globe in lugubrious note about the crop condition in Alberta is receiving plenty of free advertising of an uncomplimentary nature. He should be about ready for parliamentary honours.

There is no use lying about the crop conditions. At the same time, there isn’t much room for the groucher. One man told the Review that the value of his land has increased $10 an acre this year. He has lived in Idaho, Wyoming and other states and knows what a dry year means. A country that produces like this one in a dry year is one worth living in.

An interesting case was brought before WC Miller, J.P., this week. G. Stewart sought an order compelling A. Hunter to remove a fence that parallels one Stewart built. There is a difference of opinion about the right of ownership about the fences. The magistrate decided it was not a problem for him to solve and dismissed the case with the suggestion of taking civic action.