Chronicles of Boundary Country from the pages of The Boundary Creek Times
Volume IV, No.11 – May 21, 1898
➤ The Railroad is Coming, The Railroad is Coming – “The Canadian Pacific Railway Company is actively pushing the extension into the Boundary country. Bids were opened at the general offices of the Columbia & Western Railway in Spokane today for the building of this extension from Robson into the Boundary district. The line will be 100 miles in length; the estimated cost is $3,000,000. The bids were wired to Montreal, to the head offices of the Canadian Pacific Railway. The contract may not be let before June 1.”
➤ High Assay Values – “Even if the mother lode in the Klondike has been discovered, it is questionable whether it will assay higher than some Boundary Creek ores. Last week, Guess Bros. assayed some ore from the Enterprise mine in Long Lake camp (ed. - at Jewel Lake now), and the result was as follows: gold values, $5,849.27 to the ton; silver, 1,361.28 ounces to the ton. If the Enterprise continues as at present, it may be necessary for the owners to guard their mine carefully for fear someone steals ore from their dump.”
➤ Shifting the Responsibility – “The provincial government … are now showing a determination to make the City of Greenwood and its hospital shoulder the responsibility for the care of the indigent sick residing outside the city limits. Greenwood is quite willing and quite able to provide for any indigent sick who are bona fide residents of the city; but Greenwood is not willing nor can she afford to become a dumping ground for those who are properly the charge of the provincial government. To say the least, it is anything but creditable for the government to attempt to inflict such an incubus upon a young town.”
➤ Barrett Block (now known as the McArthur Centre) – “The Barrett block is nearing completion. The ground floor has been used by the Russell Hardware Co. and W.M. Law & Co. for some time. The second floor is handsomely finished. On both sides of a very wide hallway are large well-lighted rooms, well adapted for offices. The front rooms are particularly well arranged. On the third floor is a hall 60x30 feet, capable of seating at least 600 people. It will be opened by a ball, to be given by the baseball team to defray a portion of the expense of clearing the recreation grounds.”
➤ The Truck Act – “The Truck Act introduced in the provincial legislature is one of interest to workingmen. The object is to do away with the system whereby men are forced to board at their employers’ boarding-houses and buy in their employers’ stores. The bill provides that every workman shall be paid in cash and in full. The employee cannot be dismissed for not boarding at the employer’s boarding-house or not dealing at his store.”
➤ Sentenced for Smuggling – “Ben Benson of Eureka (ed. - now Republic, WA) has been sentenced to seven months’ imprisonment and to pay a fine of $100 for smuggling. Benson ran a blind pig at Eureka and bought his whiskey in Greenwood. He had over 50 gallons of whisky at the time of his arrest.”