From the Archives of Western Newspapers

Posted on April 24, 2025 by Sunny South News

By Samantha Johnson
For Southern Alberta Newspapers

April 21, 1879 – Saskatchewan Herald

The Herald today shows to what expedients it is sometimes necessary to resort to in this country. From some cause or another, the supply of the newspaper, which should have been here some time ago, failed to arrive. We are compelled to use the ‘high-toned’ article on which the present number appears.

Prairie fires illuminated the sky in every direction at night during the early part of last week when clouds of smoke overhung the town. The rain of Wednesday night checked its course, which was coming alarmingly close to the government buildings.

Speculation in immigration seems to have become quite a profession. Periodic assaults are made with persistent regularity on the Department of Agriculture by parties with schemes for bringing people into the Dominion from every conceivable quarter of the globe.

April 22, 1903 – The Anaconda News (BC)

Boundary Creek is rising rapidly on account of much warm rain. During Tuesday night, it rose about a foot and at this rate will soon reach the highwater mark. By the lower railway trestle, the creek has flooded the entire flat and it appears it may form a new channel.

The plumbing in the new courthouse will be up-to-date in every particular. Handsome marble slabs with oval wash bowls and nickel-plated trimmings will be placed in all lavatories.

A little bird sat on a telegraph wire and said to his mates, “I declare, if wireless telegraphy comes into vogue, we’ll have to sit on the air.”

April 25, 1918 – The Estevan Progress

The familiar scarlet tunics will be a thing of the past after every man on the force of the Northwest Mounted Police left the barracks for Regina via Weyburn. The entire detachment volunteered for active service, thus bringing to a close the history of the famous force for maintaining law and order on the wide prairies.

Two young ladies in town are busy gathering up subscriptions for the Regina Daily Post in the hopes of obtaining sufficient numbers to win the grand prize of an automobile in the circulation contest.

Tramps, loafers, sports and gentlemen of leisure who hang around poolrooms, picture shows, cabarets, railway stations, steamboat landings, street corners and other places with nothing particular to do and a reasonable amount of health and strength please take notice, loafing is now illegal as per a recent Order of Council. At this stage in the world’s history, when every man available is necessary for the safety of the country, it seems a remarkable thing that there are any of the class above left in Canada. Poolrooms, cabarets, and picture shows report a thriving business and there are still plenty of sports at large with nothing much to do.