From the Archives of Western Newspapers

By Samantha Johnson
For Southern Alberta Newspapers

April 2, 1884 – The Calgary Herald, Mining and Ranche Advocate and General Advertiser

Mr. Melvyn of Silver City did a pretty tall tramp last week. He walked from Cascade Mountain to Calgary, accomplishing the entire distance of 102 miles in 20 hours. Considering the uneven nature of the ground over which the journey lay, this was no slight feat.

In Silver City, the Hetherington Mine is to be opened at once. From the fact that a day and night watchman is on the ground, there is reason to believe that rich discoveries have been made. (Note: Silver City was a short-lived mining town located near Castle Mountain that boasted six hotels, casinos and pool halls at its height, although was quickly abandoned once it was discovered the original gold found there was fake).

This past weekend, there were terrible riots in Cincinnati over the acquittal of Berner, who was tried for murder. Notices were posted demanding all criminal lawyers, gamblers and prostitutes leave the city. A raid was made on the jail and the building fired. The police interfered and the military was called out. The mob was fired on, and it replied with revolvers. About forty persons were killed and over one hundred injured. The most intense excitement prevails, but the city is now under control.

April 7, 1900 – The Atlin Claim

Four protests were entered against the Yellow Jacket, one of Lord Hamilton’s properties located a mile north of Pine City. Three of the protests claim the Yellow Jacket overlaps other claims and one is disputing ownership of the claim. The Yellow Jacket received considerable attention last winter. As many as eight men were employed prospecting the ground in the past five months, where they encountered some exceedingly fine ore.

On March 19 in the Dominion House, Mr. Taylor wanted to know if the government was now prepared to pay wine bills for civil servants. His reason for asking was that he noticed, in the Auditor-General’s report, wine bills from J.B. Charleson’s party at the Vancouver Hotel on March 27, 1899. The Hon. Mr. Mulock replied the government would not permit such charges and a refund would be demanded at once.

Mrs. Mary Hitchcock, Atlin’s enterprising mine operator, authoress and traveller is currently staying at the Hotel Vancouver after a sojourn in England and will return to Atlin shortly. She is the authoress of the now famous book, Two Women in the Klondike, which has created such favourable comments in all parts of the country. While in England, she met with Lady Aberdeen to discuss the founding of a Victoria Order of Nurses and it is expected some action will be taken.

April 5, 1901 – The Wetaskiwin Times

A young man south of Cherry Grove had a thrilling experience last week. While driving through a stream of water, he stopped to allow the horses to drink and stood up in the wagon to see how they were getting on. When he sat down again, he happened to sit on the extreme edge of the board that served as a seat and projected over the edge of the wagon box. The man and board went off and landed in about three and a half feet of water. No injuries resulted other than having a cold bath at this early season of the year. The creek has since been renamed Hobbs Creek.

There seems to be some doubt as to the character of the disease that has been prevalent recently in Edmonton, Maple Creek and other points. Some medical men have pronounced it smallpox, yet others say it is chicken pox. The Territorial government has been asked to investigate to determine which it is. Several houses around the Wetaskiwin district have recently been cleared of quarantine for smallpox.

In Brussels, a man ran into a crowd of children and started striking them down, yelling he was saving them from the pain of living. He killed seven children before the father of one of the victims faced him down and shot him dead.