From the Archives of Western Newspapers

By Samantha Johnson
For Southern Alberta Newspapers

December 6, 1882 – Prince Albert Times and Saskatchewan Review

A group travelling from Winnipeg to Prince Albert by land and water are experiencing many delays and accidents. In the evening when trying to reach their camp for the night, located about 45 miles from Humboldt, the group took a shortcut to avoid a bad bit of trail and ended up mired in a slough. The horses ended up sunk to their haunches and the wagon to the axles. They finally managed to get out after the wagon was partially unloaded and the horses could haul it onto dry land and they carried on, making it to the campsite, where a small hut was located with comfortable beds of straw, late at night.

The snow has been particularly heavy this year. More snow has already fallen this season than during the whole of last winter. This makes travelling very heavy. In the woods, due to the early snowfall in October, the muskegs are not sufficiently frozen to allow teams to pass over them.

Claim jumping has started in earnest.

Onions are very scarce at present in Prince Albert.

December 4, 1908 – The Strathcona Chronicle

The primary matter of business at the last council meeting was regarding the selection of a site for the post office. After a short discussion, it was decided a committee composed of the mayor and two aldermen would be formed to choose potential sites for the ratepayers to vote on. It was stated that no association, such as the board of trade, has the right to decide where the post office is located and an opinion expressed by any could not be taken as representing that of the ratepayers.

There is no doubt that a good maid-of-all-work is hard to find and to keep. It goes without saying that her wages have gone up, like everything else. The fact that she does not pay rent or fuel bills nor buy food does not militate against her demanding more pay for the same work that was done ten years ago. Since a competent maid is a rarity, it behooves the possessor of one to consider her so far as she can. The mistress should make it clearly understood with the maid that certain duties fall upon the servant’s shoulders. When the mistress takes it upon herself to perform these duties, she needs to make it clear she does so not out of merit on the maid’s part, but of free grace on that of the employer.

From the time of Saint Peter down to the year 1153, the popes of Rome all wore beards.

December 7, 1911 – The Mirror Journal

Readers should take notice that many counterfeit $4 bills are in circulation. Officials state this note is easy to copy and they are endeavoring to locate the source of the production. Canadian $4 bills started being issued around 1882 and were popular because their value was equal to one pound Sterling in Britain. Production of them ceased in 1904 when they were replaced by the $5 bill, although the $4 bill remained in circulation until about 1912.

Two Queensland journalists, one the editor of a liberal paper and the other the editor of a labour paper, decided to settle their political differences with boxing gloves. The hall was crowded and both men fought fiercely. The editor of the liberal paper decided the match in three rounds leaving the other hanging from the ropes in a dazed condition.

Gossip does more harm than whiskey. It is pure poison without even offering the best-man-in-town feeling that whiskey imparts. There is no defense against malicious gossip, the victim is without redress for the source of the gossip is not easily traced.