Chronicles of Boundary Country from the pages of The Boundary Creek Times
Volume IV, No.13 – June 4, 1898
- Ø Oil Discovered on Greenwood Street – For several months, residents of upper Greenwood Street had been complaining about a stench that they attributed to a possible sewer coming from the Greenwood hospital located directly above them. However, an investigation determined “that it was nothing else than the odor of coal oil, and that the oil was oozing out of the mountain… and the announcement (of the find) appeared to take a great deal of unpleasantness out of the smell and one member of the Board of Health mildly suggested that he could not understand why so much fuss should be made, that the odor was not at all unpleasant. Messrs. Wood and Galloway are going to prospect for oil. Who knows but Greenwood may yet become a great oil producer as well as a great mining centre.”
- Ø City Hospital is For Non-Residents Too – In response to concerns from Greenwood city council that the city hospital should not have to look after non-resident indigent sick, the Provincial Secretary, James Baker, responded in a letter that “the government is prepared to reimburse the city for any expenditure incurred in the care of indigent sick coming from outside the city.”
- Ø Epic Floods Hit the Boundary – Several days of continuous rain struck all parts of the Boundary district and resulted in many very creative reports to be filed with the newspaper. “The Kettle River, fed by the numerous tributaries, succeeded in frightening the Rock Creek Chinamen and damaging their provisions. The river behaved itself fairly well until Grand Forks was reached where it forced the Rubber Neck Association to use boats in order to reach their places of meeting. It treated with contempt the new bridge at Hall’s Ferry, carrying it away. Boundary Creek too behaved rather badly. It threatened to carry away the corduroy bridge below Anaconda but was apparently satisfied when just the approaches were washed out. Twin Creek also took a hand in the flood and made matters rather interesting in the vicinity of the Hamill Block. The creek passes underneath the building. When the flood came, it was not satisfied until it carried off several of the posts upon which the building stood. The oldest inhabitant is non-plussed. His conscience will not allow him to say that the floods of ‘66 or any other year were higher. He has decided to make the floods of ’98 a standard by which to gauge all future floods.”
- Ø Greenwood Cemetery Must Be Moved – “The Greenwood cemetery is anything but a credit to the city. Unfenced, uncleared and uncared for, it is a reproach to the people of the town. The location was a mistake. Within one year, the ground immediately surrounding the cemetery will be dotted with residences and then an agitation will be started for the removal of the bodies to more suitable burying grounds. Action should be taken at once. It is easier to change the location now than in a year hence when there will probably be twice as many graves as at present.” (ed. - and so it was done)
- Ø Rendell & Co. Advertisement – “EVERY DAY brings notices from different manufacturers of advancing prices… as a result of the WAR between AMERICA and SPAIN. The point we wish you to observe is that we have laid in a large stock, and that you can save money by placing an order, in quantity, right now with us.”