When one starts thinking back it brings
memories of certain times and people whom you
knew way back then. I first saw the streets of Trail
and Rossland in the early part of 1946 and it really
doesn't seem like 40 years ago. But that's what the
calendar says and a person would be rather foolish
to argue with it. Someone a lot wiser than most of
us got the idea to keep track of time that way and it
has proved to be a pretty good idea ever since.
I got off the bus not far from the Douglas Hotel
which my older readers will know was across the
road and up the block a little from where SuperValu is today. Its wide front stoop and open door
welcomed me and I spent the next week or so there
, while house-hunting.
The next day I visited the bakery where I wm
destined to work. It was situated on the ground
floor of the Italo-Canadese ,,,hall. I found an
available house on the way there and met the
current shop foreman whom I got to know as one of
the golf pros at the local course.
His name, which you all know, was Roy Stone.
I said, "Hi, my name is Harry Pepper and I've
come to take over your job here". As was his habit,
Roy didn't say anything, he pulled out the loaves he
had on the peel and handed me the peel, saying
"There you are, you now got the job and the tools
that go with it."
In the Montana I ran into another guy I goi
mixed up with. In the world of soccer, Jimmy
Stewart was a pretty good full-back in his day. It
also led to me going out to play with the Colombo's
team and from soccer it lead to softball and
baseball. Don Fleming, who later moved to Edmonton, was the editor of the Trail Times at that
time, to be followed later by Eric Bishop, Jack
Fisher and at least a couple of others.
Getting in with this group of guys led me to my
becoming vice-president and finally president of
the City-Wide Men's Fastball League and watching
guys like the Wanless brothers, Gerry and Cliff,
who as a battery were among the best of their era.
Many and long were the battles we had in the
board room as they represented Castlegar's interests while Trail had Bill Anderson and other
powerful voices on their behalf. We started to bring
in the touring teams like the King and his Court
and some of the top colored aggregations.
Trail had some dandies of its own in those days

too, big Slivers Decembrini, Tick Hall and one real
little rabbit of an outfielder. Ken Stanton's name is
very well-known in Rossland today as he has
produced a number of pretty good hockey players
who made Rossland one of the better hockey towns
around. I don't think I've ever watched a better
outfielder in this calibre of ball anywhere. He beat
more guys out of home runs in Butler Park than
any other guy I ever saw.
On softball, not many towns had a ball park
like the little old box called Victoria Park. Many
were the games I watched there while learning to
keepscore.
·
Still on ball, not many people in this area know
how the Rossland ball team got their name
Capilanos. It seems that a Vancouver club of that
name was travelling through town and Gerry Long,
a well-known scribe for the Rossland Miner, was
also a member of the Rossland group and also a
pretty good gambler. At a poker game in the old
Allan Hotel Gerry took the Vancouver manager for
all his available cash and that worthy put up the
team uniforms as bond for what he owed Gerry.
When he left Gerry kept the uniforms which were
never redeemed. They also lost the ball game.
The game of soccer in the Trail district is welldeveloped today with leagues for kids as soon as
they can walk. You can still play when you practically have to use a pair of crutches.
Back in the early days when we got the idea to
give the little guys a chance we had lots of coaches.
In Rossland the late John Hughes and several
others got things started and the ladies of the town,
"God bless 'em", did a fine job transporting and
mothering ten or a dmen kids every Saturday
morning. Now we have leagues for every kid that
ever dreamed of being another Stanley Matthews.
Guys who played with us in those days were Jim
Shearer, Robbie Robertson, Reg Hastings, Jimmy
Morris, Wish Milburn, Gord Sinclair, the Paterson
boys, Jimmy Peat and a number of Italian boys
who came to Trail at that time.
Another sport which had its share of heroes but
which seemed to have faded away from the present
scene and I'd love to see come back is lacrosse.
Rossland was a hotbed for years with the Lafaces,
Scotts, Bileskys, Marcus Smith, Buddy Dupperon
and a dmen more who were just starting to hit
their stride.
This has been a chance to reminisce about the
old ones and their heyday. With Canada Games
and one thing and another taking the spotlight, I
thought it-might be a good time to give them some
of their due.
So until next time, I'll say, bye for now.