December 2003 - Vol Four, No.1

History Helps, Volume Four, Number 1, December 2003
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Christmas Holidays

"BOXING DAY NOW PROVINCIAL HOLIDAY; POST OFFICE HOURS

In British Columbia this year, December 26th, known as Boxing Day, will be observed as a provincial holiday. All business places will remain closed that day, thus giving most employees an extra day for celebration.

The two holidays have caused a rearrangement of hours of distribution in the local post office. As usual the office will be open on Christmas morning from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. There will be no rural route delivery that day.

On Boxing Day the wickets will be open from 10:30 to 11:30 again, and there will also be a delivery of mail on rural mail routes from Ladner and New Westminster.

Just as the admonition ’Shop Early’ is good advice, so is the warning to ‘Mail Early’..."

Source: The [Ladner] Optimist, 12 December 1935, page six.

Requests for Information

Many, many thanks to the subscribers who pointed me in the right direction for finding out where Eholt, B.C. was located. If nothing else, your responses reassured me that this newsletter was being read.

For anyone who wants to know, Eholt was located 8 miles southeast of Greenwood or 13 miles west of Grand Forks, B.C., on the railway line, but the town no longer exists. An interesting webpage concerning Eholt can be accessed at http://www.boundaryschools.com/perley/classpages/brown/
gfhistory/GhostTownJL/eholt.htm

A wonderful map called the "Rand McNally Official 1925 Auto Trails Map British Columbia," which shows the location of Eholt, can be found at http://www.vanc.igs.net/~roughley/graphics/rail/
nw_roads_1925_lrg.jpg

In that same newsletter item I had also questioned whether the holdup men had included Bill Miner. I’ve since been informed by Peter Grauer, the expert on Bill Miner’s adventures in Canada, that this company of bandits could not have included Miner, who was still doing time in San Quentin, from where he wasn’t released until 17 June 1901.

However, I’m still waiting for a torrent of information about researching potter’s fields -- or, I’d even settle for one response that will steer me in the right direction.

Work of the Salvation Army

"SALVATION ARMY SHELTER

A Splendid Work Being Done By This Branch of the Army

This institution still continues to do the good work of assisting men who are destitute and out of employment. During the month of January, 180 men found temporary employment in the Industrial Woodyard, besides 75 who were supplied with work through the free labor bureau which is in connection with the shelter.

Some day there are as many as 18 men at work, sawing, splitting and piling wood. Most of these are industrious and are willing to do anything in the form of work. There are others who do not like work at all: for instance, there was one who applied for assistance, and when asked to saw some wood said: ‘That some time ago, if a man was hungry, he could get 25 cents by asking for it, but now,’ he said, ‘the people send him to the Salvation Army, and then what do they do? They put a bucksaw into his hand and ask him to go to work. Where is the religion in that?’ But it was pointed out to him that he was capable of earning the 25 cents himself; so he took the hint, and after being a professional tramp for five years, was induced to work, and has now a situation.

The number of beds supplied during the month of January was 1,544. The Army has converted the large diningroom into seven bed rooms, and thus supplies more men with beds, and yet some nights turn as many as ten away. Arrangements are made to give the meals just as usual with a neighboring restaurant. This arrangement solves the problem better and gives more space for beds. The Shelter is still in charge of Adj. Patterson, who states that no man need go hungry or without a bed if willing to work. It will be a surprise to World readers to learn that in one month the army supplied so many wanderers with beds. The above number makes an average of about 61 a night. The work is self-sustaining and deserves the assistance of every citizen."

Source: The [Vancouver] Daily World, 10 February 1900, page seven.

Langley Information On-line

Langley Centennial Museum at http://www.langleymuseum.org/ has several databases online, but there are two in particular that will interest genealogists and historians.

The first is the Photograph Collection, which you’ll find in the drop-down menu under "Collections." This database can be browsed or searched for something specific. Under this heading there is also information about the Archives.

The second is the database for Langley’s cemeteries, which shows up in the drop-down menu under "Heritage." It includes over 10,000 cemetery records for Murrayville, Langley Lawn and Fort Langley cemeteries. The site also includes a virtual tour of Fort Langley and
Murrayville cemeteries. In addition, you might want to explore the webpages titled "Cemetery Design" and "The Style of Monuments," if you’re interested in more sweeping information about cemeteries.

A subscriber shared this lead, which is always a pleasure to receive. Thanks, Annette.

Modern Divorce Information

"Divorce status now private affair

OTTAWA -- In a decision that will give peace to public figures with failing marriages, the federal government has quietly ruled that divorce records should be treated as confidential personal information and not exposed to public release.

Although divorce has traditionally been a legal matter of public record, bureaucrats in the department of justice decided to cut off access to its Central Divorce Registry -- a massive database of information about ongoing and past divorce proceedings -- after an internal review of its privacy policies.

Before the ruling, the registry fielded about 150 telephone calls every day from people seeking information about ongoing or past divorces. The registry provided the name of the divorcing spouses, the date of the divorce and the court location and file number of the legal documents.

The service was used by lawyers, geneologists [sic], journalists, private investigators and even the occasional suspicious girlfriend or boyfriend. But this spring, the department decided that releasing this information was a violation of the Privacy Act. Now only the divorcing parties will be given the information.

Although the divorce documents will remain public in the locations they were filed, it will be difficult to determine whether someone has been divorced without checking every courthouse in the country.

The decision was not publicized and only came to light when CanWest News Service requested divorce details for a relative of prime minister-in-waiting Paul Martin, in the hopes that personal financial information often contained in divorce files would further illuminate the size of the Martin family’s business holdings.

The government refused to provide the information citing the Privacy Act. CanWest has filed an appeal with the Information Commissioner of Canada."

Source: The Vancouver Sun, 03 November 2003, page A3.

University Endowment Lands, Vancouver, B. C.

"UNIVERSITY ENDOWMENT LANDS

The University Endowment Lands are administered by the Department of Lands and Forests. In this area are about 2,700 acres which, in the words of the famous city planners, Harland Bartholomew and Associates of St. Louis, is ‘undoubtedly the finest area for a large residential development remaining in the Vancouver Metropolitan area. Probably no other city on the North American continent has within or near it an area containing such extraordinary natural advantages for the development of a truly fine residential area.’

The area is adjacent to the University of British Columbia, and the money derived from the sale of lands here is for the benefit of the University.

Already a beautiful group of homes has been built on these lands, which are fully developed with all necessary services. Other homes are constantly being built, and at present approximately ninety lots are left for sale. Plans, however, are in contemplation for opening up of additional blocks.

Department of Lands and Forests

Parliament Buildings -- Victoria, B.C."

Source: The Ladner Optimist, 09 January 1947, page two.

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Gwen Szychter, M.A.

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