March 2003 - Vol Three, No. 4

Advertising a Service

This classified ad, under the heading "SPECIALTIES," is bound to make one ponder.

"MRS. CRAWFORD, Medical Electrician, 510 Cordova Street, Vancouver, B.C. Electrical treatment, sponge baths, massage, etc., for rheumatism, neuralgia, headache, nervous debility, etc. Family batteries for sale or rent."

Source: Vancouver Daily World, 24 March 1893, page four.

Name Change

"A New Name

‘Douglas’ is to be the name of the postoffice [sic] and customs port at the boundary adjoining Blaine, Wash. For a year or two the little village has been known as Blaine, B.C., but as two towns of the same name alongside each other would cause no end of confusion, it was decided to change the title of the British Columbia village to Douglas. The railway officials in choosing a new name fixed on Douglas, in honor of Mr. Ben. Douglas, of this city [New Westminster], who took such a prominent part in bringing the railway scheme to a successful issue. May Douglas prosper."

Source: The Daily Columbian, 08 December 1891, page four.

1906 Canadian Census

As mentioned in last month’s newsletter, the 1906 census for the provinces of Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta is now available to researchers. It can be accessed on the National Archives of Canada website, but unfortunately the database is not nominally-indexed and cannot be searched by family name. There is, however, a search tool that enables one to search by Province, District Name, District and Sub-district Numbers.

You can find the database at http://www.archives.ca/08/08_e.html

Smallpox Epidemic in Victoria

Here’s how the epidemic in 1892 affected other parts of the region:

"Health Committee Meeting

The Health Committee [of New Westminster] met yesterday afternoon to discuss the situation in connection with the Victoria smallpox epidemic.

The Mayor presided, and informed the meeting that he had instructed the C. P. N. Co.’s agent to hold the Victoria steamer on her arrival until the Medical Health Officer could inspect the passengers. Copies of the Government regulations also had been sent to all the livery, steamboat, railway and tramway offices.

Dr. De Wolf Smith, who was at the meeting, was instructed to inspect the boats and to use his own discretion as to what measures to adopt, should any case of smallpox be found on board.

Arrangements were made with Dr. Smith, to have one day a week at his office for vaccinating the public who need it. Poor persons will be vaccinated free, and for those who can afford to pay, a very moderate fee will be charged."

Source: The Daily Columbian, 14 July 1892, page four.

B. C. Archives

Has anyone any news of our B. C. Archives following consolidation (is that the correct word?) with the Museum? I’m thinking in terms of changes in accessibility in particular. If anyone has news, please drop me an e-mail.

Temperance

In many ways we’ve forgotten about the temperance movement, which was a major channel of thought in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. The following short item conveys a little of the seriousness with which the subject was regarded at the time.

"New Temperance Movement

An executive meeting of the Royal Templars of Temperance was held in Victoria last week, at which the secretary was instructed to communicate with all the temperance organizations of the Province, requesting them to appoint committees, to meet at some central point, to take into consideration the advisability of establishing prohibition clubs in the Province. At the same meeting, Rev. Thos. Haddon, of this city, was appointed missionary superintendent, and will in future give the whole of his time to advancing the temperance movement in British Columbia."

Source: The Daily Columbian, 05 April 1893, page four.

The Telephone Situation

"Long Distance Telephoning

The New Westminster and Burrard Inlet Telephone Company, having completed connections with the Sunset Telephone Co, of Seattle, the Oregon Telephone Co., of Portland, and the Inland Telephone Co., of Spokane, have issued a circular giving a list of 180 towns in British Columbia, Washington, Oregon and Idaho to which messages can be sent from any station.

The circular says: ‘Points in British Columbia (including Blaine and Whatcom) can be communicated with from the subscribers’ instruments, but beyond Whatcom good service can only be guaranteed from the central office in Vancouver, and from the central office in New Westminster, where special instruments have been provided for the purpose. Conversation booths have been provided at those places for the convenience of the users of the long distance telephone, and absolute privacy is thereby assured. The rates have also been arranged with due regard to economy, and will in most cases compare favorably with the telegraph schedule for message and reply.’"

Source: The Daily Columbian, 11 January 1895, page four.

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Gwen Szychter, M.A.

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