From the Archives of Western Newspapers

By Samantha Johnson
For Southern Alberta Newspapers

April 10, 1884 – The Brandon Mail

In Turtle Mountain Valley from north of the Souris River to the Dakota line, from the east to the indefinite west, the farmers are loudly denouncing the CPR for not building one of the two railroads long promised. Some farmers are openly advocating an appeal to arms as the last and only means of securing a railway.

In Toronto a white-robed figure was seen walking the streets. Two policemen called out, causing the figure to shout in alarm. The young man was nearly dead with cold and had been sleepwalking. He’d leaped out his second-floor bedroom window and scaled a fence without waking. As he is a young man with respectable connections, his name was suppressed.

If you know the facts of a local item, come report it to our office. Don’t wait until after the paper is published and then express surprise the item didn’t appear. Editors and reporters cannot be everywhere at once and must gather a great deal of news. Let each think it a pleasure to furnish an item for the paper when they can, and not wait for somebody else to report what they know.

April 9, 1908 – The Frank Paper

The second burglary to have ever taken place in Frank was reported to police. The rear window at Kribs Hardware was smashed and $7 taken from the till, leaving $2 behind. The perpetrator attempted to break into the safe but was insufficient of a raffles to make the cracksman’s job. The Imperial Hotel was hit next with an entrance affected through the sample room to get to the bar. The night clerk heard a noise and went to investigate and the person or persons made off.

John’s Newspaper is the title of a new publication started in Fernie last week by Mr. John, former editor of the Fernie Ledger. It is a credible edition in all respects other than as it relates to the ego, which is written in rather large letters throughout its columns.

The crocuses are out with the first robin of spring making an appearance Monday morning, who was in the middle of a mighty warble when a terrific storm set in that lasted all day. The last seen of the robin, he was making a quick getaway and heading south.

April 8, 1911 – Bow Island Review

Snow has again been falling this week, heavily, and coupled with a short spell of cold weather is going to turn last year’s pessimistic feeling topsy-turvy.

Geographers attribute floods to the destruction of forests, astronomers to comets and meteorologists insist they are due to rain. When rain falls continuously for days, it is natural to ask where it all comes from. The sun has been under observation since 1610. Fifty-four meteorological stations across England have recorded excessive rainfalls when sunspots are most numerous.

Davy Jones’ Locker, that perilous spot, mention of which so often comes from the lips of sailors, is not shown on any ocean chart, principally because it is not really a settled place. If any ocean deathtrap deserves the title, it is the Thames estuary. The British naval authorities have a chart upon which is marked the position of wrecks by black dots. On this chart, the Thames mouth tract is a solid black spot due to the numerous wrecks. The Kentish Knock is where the black dots pile one on top of the other due to the treacherous, clinging sand that grasps the doomed ship with a grip of steel and holds it firmly while the sea batters it to fragments.