From the Archives of Western Newspapers

By Samantha Johnson
Southern Alberta Newspapers
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

November 9, 1883 – The Calgary Weekly Herald

A petition and subscription list is in circulation for constructing a bridge across the Elbow. There is a certain amount of diversion in fording rivers, creeping apprehensively over an ice track, and with considerable alarm crossing an elevated railway bridge, but in course of time it becomes somewhat monotonous, and we have no doubt that by now Calgary humanity will be prepared to properly appreciate a foot and passenger bridge.

We can look with a certain degree of pity on the person who is sufficiently degraded as to resort to very small means to obtain whiskey to gratify his passion, but when one stoops so low as to steal that obtained for medicinal purposes, our pity gives way to utter contempt. In reference to this, while the Medicinal Hall was open for repairs, five gallons of liquor were stolen.

James Ryan stole a span of horses last Thursday and made his way south, crossing the Elbow on Saturday night and making for the MacLeod Trail. Information was received at the Fort on Sunday morning and a party went out in pursuit and successfully captured him four miles this side of Sheep Creek.

13 November 1906 – Red Deer News

Last Wednesday about 4 a.m. Edgar Lull was captured in the billiard hall of the Alberta Hotel by the proprietor, Mr. Vickers, and his assistant. Two months ago, there was a break-in and considerable money taken from the slot machine. Vickers has kept an eye and ear open since then and heard another attempt was to be made. He and the assistant lay concealed in the saloon with the assistant holding up Lull with a gun while Vickers went for the police.

Dr. Nadal, a famous scientist in Paris, treats the throats of famous opera singers by removing pears and apples from their diet. Dr. Nadal says that a single pear and/or apple a day is enough to keep the sensitive throat out of order and a singer will first notice a disruption to their vocal chords in the form of congestion.

The investigation into the Ontario Bank failure has led to the arrest of general manager Charles McGill on the charge of theft. It is not enough to punish a single bank official to restore confidence in a banking system that has claimed to be superior to anything across the border. Every man in anyway connected to the bank failure, no matter his position, should be sought out and punished.

November 10, 1916 – The
Claresholm Review-Advertiser

A physician who has made a study of social and industrial conditions in the US and abroad states that an American community produces three to five times more waste than an European one of the same size.

On May 25 last President Wilson addressed the League as follows, “We have nothing material of any kind to ask for ourselves and are quite aware that we are in no sense or degree parties to the present quarrel. Our interest is only in peace and in its future guarantees.” This explains his attitude throughout the present war. The loss of lives, the wholesale murder of women and children evidently have no weight with the representative of the US. We venture to believe that future generations will be ashamed their nation took no part in this great struggle for justice and right.

Rumour has it the life insurance men are following up with all new car owners in town.

Two masked and unknown bandits entered the Merchant Bank in Okotoks last Friday night and blew open the safe, making off with $7,000 in cash.