From the Archives of Western Newspapers

By Samantha Johnson
For Southern Alberta Newspapers

November 23, 1894 – Moose Jaw Times

A genius who has devoted a good deal of his time to the subject has discovered how to prevent trousers from bagging at the knee by making them so the thread runs diagonally across the knee. This is a piece of news that should send the public, or at least the male portion of it, into transports of joy. It will no longer be necessary for the poverty-stricken dude to put his trousers under the mattress at night nor for those of means to iron them.

The council of Richmond, Virginia has passed an ordinance to punish young men who loiter about the female college and flirt with the students.

At Christmas, every policeman in the city of London receives from Lord Rothschild a brierwood pipe and an ounce of tobacco.

A carriage propelled by a treadmill has been invented in France. A horse works the treadmill and, of course, rides while he/she is at work.

November 28, 1907 – The Gleichen Call

The ferry has been taken out of the river by the operators and is now on dry land. It is hoped the government will find a more suitable part of the river to run it before it is put back in the spring. There is no excuse for spending money on a ferry and then installing it where it will not run. Putting it in the water a few hundred yards one way or another will ensure it can run at all levels of water.

Last Friday, a high wind blew most of the day and a fierce prairie fire could be seen in the distance. It was feared it would strike town, but at sundown, when the wind ceased, it was still many miles away. The fire burned close to Strathmore and many farmers had a considerable amount of hay burned.

During the last week, the Call has received five letters without signature. Some of these letters are quite interesting and worthy of publication while others, if printed, would almost certainly make trouble for the Call and perhaps bring about a whipping for the editor. He is not in good training at the moment and can always make trouble enough for himself without any help from others.

November 25, 1910 – The
Edmonton Capital

A hobble skirt, no matter how it is deemed beautiful in Chicago, constitutes a dangerous item to wear in small cities. Logansport, Indiana saw its first example of a hobble skirt today when a woman disembarked from the Chicago train at noon. Before she had walked five blocks, she was attended by such a mob that she was forced to retreat back to the depot in a cab.

A story is currently circulating about King Alfonso of Spain that the reason for his recklessness is that he believes himself to be living a charmed life. This is only when he is wearing a certain gold ring set with diamonds and pearls. The ring is supposed to bring long life and joy to worthy Spanish monarchs and disaster to anyone else who possesses it.

Automobiling is making the American woman dowdy, according to a Berlin society writer. The craze for motoring, which pervades all classes, is causing such carelessness in dress that the American’s reputation as the most elegant woman in the world is in imminent danger of vanishing.