From the Archives of Western Newspapers

September 9, 1897 – The Weekly Herald (Calgary)

In Montreal, seven convicts at St. Vincent de Paul penitentiary made a desperate attempt to escape on Saturday. Tools were stolen from the workshops and used to bore a hole into the roof of the hospital where the men were confined. The plot was discovered in the nick of time.

The demand for horses to be used for packing over the passes from Skagway is increasing. During the present week, several hundred horses were shipped to Skagway. There are now about 4,000 horses there and it seems unlikely they will be able to be fed over the winter. Many predict both men and horses will be killed to be eaten.

Florence Nightingale is 76 years old and, despite ill health, never forgets to send a message to veterans of the Crimea on the anniversary of a victory. At Christmas, she always remembers those who labour in the institution for training nurses that she founded at St. Thomas Hospital at the close of the war. 

September 12, 1912 – The
Blairmore Enterprise

Now that the Curfew Bylaw has been passed, we have the pleasure of seeing the streets of Blairmore clear after 9 p.m. The law provides that children under the age of fourteen shall not be found in the streets or public places after 9 p.m., unless in the custody of an adult or guardian. Before the bylaw, the streets were chock full of youngsters and now there’s not one to be found.

On Friday morning last at Hillcrest Station, engineer John Schultz fainted and fell out of the cab of his engine while he was waiting for a freight train. He was discovered by his fireman and a CPR agent lying in an unconscious condition. He was revived but fainted again. He was removed to Frank hospital and put under the care of Dr. McKay. It is reported he is not dangerously ill but will be out for a few days.

We were interested to note in last week’s issue a mention of the dangerous condition of the bridge between Bellevue and Hillcrest. The importance of having the bridge repaired has been felt in Bellevue for some time. We hope the proper authorities will take up the matter and assure the safety of those who frequently travel between the two camps.

September 5, 1913 – The Empress Express

A working bee was held yesterday at the Saskatchewan River Ferry. The approach on this side of the river was extended 12 feet and holes were dug on the far side for installing the tower to which one end of the cable will be strung. Another bee is in progress today to complete more work in connection with the ferry.

At the international congress of neurology, over 100 physicians adopted a resolution regarding the disastrous consequences of alcoholism in the colonies. They invited various governments to take prompt and rigorous measures to put an end to this evil that is common to all people.

Regarding the ongoing controversy in newspapers as to whether sharks attack humans, a subscriber has written in to say in New South Wales, Australia all the bathing beaches are surrounded by submerged fences to protect bathers from sharks. Anyway, what are all those sharp teeth for if not to make an experiment on a new kind of fish that wanders into the net?