Provinolal Library, Parliament Buildings, Victoria, B Deo. 8, CASTLEGAR NEWS, Thursday, Nov. 3, 1966 An Moueas ai Wat ar Raellavar er Scere History of West Kootenay Telephone Companies, By Harold Webber Local Historian It was in 1890 that ore was discovered in'the hills around which saw the influx of hun- eds of Canadian, American and Chinese miners, As many of these mines and new mining communities were miles from commercial centers such as Nelson, the telephone was introduced to fill the com- munications gap created by these distances. The first official word we have of telephone activity in the Kootenays .is the granting of a charter in 1891 to the Kootenay Lake Telephone Co. to operate lines between Nelson and Ains- worth. In the same year the Ver- non and Nelson Telephone Co. was granted a charter and after the company had established ex- changes in Rossland and Trail, it bought out the Kootenay Lake Telephone Co. Phone rental was $5. a month, payable six months in advance, If you were not fortun- ate enough to have a-phone at Nelson or Ainsworth, the only location that you could Place a call was at the central, as sub- scribers were not permitted to allow non-subscribers the use of their telephones. In the early days of Green- wood, there were three tele- phone systems in operation and some of the rostdente, had as many telephones -instalied in their. homes The: rate from Greenwood to Nelson by the | ¢ Vernon ‘and Nelson. Telephone Co.. was $1.85 per minute. ‘The story is told of a miner, who had ben riding for two days, coming into the Greenwood of. |; tice and. telephoning to Rossland, When he completed his'conver- sation’ he ‘tendered a $20 gold piece in payment and received 10 cents change. He thought # money well spent and was quite satisfied. The maintenance of these systems always proved to be a major problem. ‘he repairs to the lines were handled by “‘trou- ble shooters. ’ These were lines- men who could duties even under the severest of conditions. On one occasion a man was sent from Nelson to city. He was also instructed to follow the telephone route from Robson to Trail to locate some reported trouble. Five days later he turned up at his destination, having walked the whole dis- tance break af break. The steamer Lytton caused a little concern, in August 1891, to repairmen at Trail. An old telegraph line between Trail and Waneta ‘had been extended’ ac- ross the Columbia at Trail, a feat that had taken two days. The S.S. Lytton, coming up the river 24 hours later, under the command of Captain Gore; ran into the line. The-wire car- ried away the ship’s ‘bow. pen- nant staff and tore some of the gingerbread work from the hur- ricane di ‘The captain wasted little time in‘ cutting the wire. “Trouble shooting” was al- ways done on a rough and ready. basis. In 1896 when the Colum- bia was flooding most of the bus- iness section in Trail, the only mode of transportation was by towboat. The linemen had to re- ropair crews were forced to use poats, on ie water-covered streets of Trail, to carry out their repairs, By April 1896 the Vernon and Nelsen Telephone Co, had put through a long distance tele- phonetelegraph line to Water- too,.a mining town that had sprung up almost overnight on a flat of land across ine! river, from the present-day Kini Gold, silver and copper. had been discovered in the hills be- hind the Castlegar airport in 1895 and. miners swarmed into the area, By the end of that year there were 40 houses at Water- loo. Telephone service linked Waterloo. with Trail, Rossland and Nelson. the line ly built smelter. : Dedication to their work is seen in the report that, rather than turn back to the comforts of Trail, they carried on their journey upriver. A wind that} b whipped the water into their faces made the going hazardous. The men. had to drag the canoe along the bank, causing them to become completely drenched. Some line repairs were made, but soon it became impossible, as their stiff fingers would not respond. Edwards condition was becoming quite serious. They beached the*canoe, planning to continue on foot. Edwards quickly tired, sat down on a rock and refused to go on. Mc- Carger realized the danger, but was from Waterloo to Trail that brought about the death of Har- ry Edwards. November 1897 was a bitterly cold month. On the 22nd, Edwards and a companion, Albert McCarger went to Trai for provisions and a canoe, need- ed for the trip up the.river to ‘aterloo. The distance was 17 miles, and they were to make any line was so far gone he couldn’t rise, Neither his mind nor his body would respond to McCarger’s pleading. MeCarger decided that his chance to save his companion il] was to go on to Waterloo for helo. He made Edwards as com- fortable as he could by putting a coat under his head and wrap- ving him in a dlanket fore he iy lee On it Telephone in Sloean Valloy in 1884 storm. When they reached the spot where McCarger had left Edwards, they found only the blankets, A-search of the near- by woods produced Edwards ony ‘The body was taken back to Waterloo’ that night and since ‘dwards had been the only oper- ator in town, the authorities couldn’t be notifled .until the next day, when Dr. Hoyes and police chief Devitt arrived from Trail. For a while McCarger was in serious condition with frozen hands and arms, but he managed to survive. In the summer of 1898 Mc- Carger was working for H. W. Simpson who had a clearing con- tract with West Kootenay Power & Light: He and several other men were crossing the Columbia to, Waterloo late one evening. As the current was swift at this point, She men were rowing hard and McCarger stood in the stern paddling for ali he was worth. In the darkness the boat reached the shore sooner than was ex- pected and it scraped heavily against a rock. The boat capsized and the were thrown repairs that were up Their trip got off to a poor start. Both men soaked to the waist In a mishap across from the recent- icCarger four men a immediately went to the rescue. By this time it was dark and the wind was now a “perform. their | stops. District Safety Council School Bus Suggestions Your. schoo! bus driver has an Important: and difficult job. He is responsible for driving you achool day. You hale by following ths these 10 us: gestions: 1. Leave home in good time | from the 6 catch your bus without hurry- "2. Choose the safest walk- ing route to and from the bus 8. Make sure traffic is clear ‘f you, must cross the highway. 4. When waiting for the bus do not stand or play on the road. 5. Board the ‘bus in single fle Sithout crowding or push- g. 6. Take your seat promptly ‘and stay seated until the bus 7. Keep books, lunch boxes and other items ‘on your lap, not in the aisle where they may trip someone, *8, Keep arms and head in- side ae bus at all times. 9: Fighting, wrestling or horseplay on the bus is danger- ous and distracting to the driver. 10. In addition to following iter | the directions of your driver and your School bus patrol if you ‘have one, always Look: path ways ‘ore crossin; is What | to do in an Se aneyi 1. Ef you have a school bus ‘patrol and emergency drill sys- tem at your school you will have learned rules: which you should. follow. in case of an accident, fire or other emergency. . If not, these are some im- portant things to remember. Do not panic. You may: feel} ~ like running to the door without Stopping to think.. If everyone did, this,.some people could be trampled and‘ very seriously in- jured unnecessai rity. If.the bus is still moving and |_ the driver is injured or becomes unconscious, an older child should turn off the ignition key and apply the hand brake. i calm, even though it FRUIT GROWERS MUTUAL /15V2—% expiry date... ene promium Se pay. MAXIMUM COVER AT HINMUM COST FRUIT GROWERS MUTUAL INSURANCE YOUR FRUIT GROWERS/CIS INSURANCE AGENT] M. W. — MIKE — SHISKIN 269 Columbia Ave., Castlegar OFFICE. 365-6665 HOME - 365-6704 closest to your seat. ¥f the driyer is injured and unable to heip unload the bus, | oj older. children should see that everyone gets out safely. Gather at a point well away bus and off the road- way, and stay there together. Unless the bus is on fire, do not move an injured person if. it is possible to let him stay where he is until a medical per- son arrives, Two older children should go to the nearest home to report the accident and get help. into the water. ietoe - Men from Waterloo heard the shouts for help and quick rescues were made of everyone except Albert McCarger. Police chief Devitt led a party in’ an attempt to locate the body. Dyn- amite was used in the river in the hope that the concussion float to ber of of that year. In the absence the minister, chief Devitt read the Church ‘of’ England service. Telephones were introduced |f lomema side blocks stached to trees car- ried this line, This was later taken over by the vernon and Nelson Telephone Co. first telephone. line ‘connecting Waneta and Rossland. ;The line between ‘Trail and Rossland was not pants the Siocan valley sys- tem, in’ that it, too, was ‘crudely strung from trees, This line was later, extended to the War Eagle and Le Rol mines on Red Moun- tain. As well as the Slocan sys- tem, this line was taken ‘over by the’ Vernon and Nelson Tele- phone Co. By 1896 telephone service was on the increase with the of Nelson reporting 15 subscrib- ers, The exchange for this sys- tem was located in the rear of a local drug store. That same year Trail boasted 27 telephones and Rossland 26. 1897 saw a long distance hookup between Ross- land and Spokane. Business was brisk at '75 cents a minute and la- ter at $1.15 per minute. Miners would dine up in queues of 50}, length, waiting their turn to Deoeve to, Spokane.’, By 1807 long distance lines connected the principal cities of we ttock @ full selection af -SAVAGE-SHOES-4 for thitdren TE SLEVISION * SERVICE — T.V., Radio, sieres; Record Players % SALES — Authorized Dealer For %* R.C.A, VICTOR — For the finest in color or black & white TV “Years of is your tee of Electronic Services Ph. 365-7833 Day or Evening 270 Columbia Ave: British and the teleph was well on its way to. ‘The telephone system 4 ‘the ‘West Kootenays has grown stead- while Nelson listed 625. aur 1917 Nee magneto system (power generated within the phone) was converted to common battery (central ex- change power). A similar change took | place in Trail in 1925, ‘That nae ee service. . The automatic telephone system .we enjoy today stands out as a tribute to ambitions men like George; Williamson and Col- onel Topaing, as well as dedica- ted men like Harry Edwards, Al- bert ‘McCarger and the trouble who In’ Trail, Cotonel “The Father of Trail,” built the the lines in the 1800's 7 : - Norm’‘s Sport Shop 300 Baker St. NELSON, B.C. Ph, 352-2015 Open Mondays from 9 sin to 6 p.m. Re-Loading Supp Custom: Loads — Bring Your lice. Empties Free Lessons Given on Loading — See Our Custom Rifles — Redfield: Scopes and Mounis Installed By Our Professional Gunsmith AN Calibre Weatherby Rifles in’ Stock Nosler - Speer - Sierra - Ballets Pistols - New and Used - Redfield - Weaver Scopes Mountswall Models in Stock Browning Rifles and Shotguns | & WESSON RIFLES: & We Take Trades — We'll Trade Anything * tus’ of Centennial Series Canada Savings Bonds offer you their highest interest yield ever— 5.48% a‘year when held to maturity. rate of 5% for each of the firat four years; 534% for each of the next three ycars; 514% for the following year and 6% for each of the last five years—a total of $72.25 in interest ‘on every $100 ‘Bond. And for the first time, there is a special compound interest option. To take full ad- vantage of it, leave ail the. annual interest ‘The new Bonds pay annual interest at the _ uncollected until Nov. 1, 1979, and you will get interest on your interest, amounting to $27.75 extra on every $100 Bond. : It all adda up to total interest of $100 on every $100 Bond. It’s a safe, sure way to save, DOUBLE YOUR MONEY with Canada Savings Bonds Centennial Series. ‘This Series retains all the traditional features which make Canada Savings Bonds Canada’s most favoured investment. ‘They are still casy to buy for cash or on instalments where you york, bank or invest. You may biiy as little as $50 or as much as $10,000, Every Canadian resident may buy up to this limit. So can estates. * They. are still simple to to cash, anytime, at . any bank in Canada for their full face value plus earned interest. Just fill out the redemp- tion form’on the Bord, present it to your bank and; you'll get your money, tight away. ‘And now they're s better than ever to keep with the highest interest yield ever and interest on ipfergat.nousis youn moar with Canada Savings Bonds Centennial Series, LA ‘rededication aevice ot} the recently-moved’ stone: ceno- will «hig! x "Remens| Hou brance Da: observances here on/ McDonald, ‘Jack Friday. _ ‘Officiating ‘at the rededi- cation service «will - be: former Castlegar resident'Dr. B. i Rew. Res- DD. archdeacon .emeri- ican * diocese Kootenay: He: alll be be ‘assisted: by. the Legion’ 'B. honorary, padre, Rev. F. ‘Willey, The clued which is pic: tured here with Legion manager | 63 Charlie oe was originally selections ‘Hope and G! There Bey Bool be sung includ to ude Onward Christian: Soldiers‘ and Faith of Our Fathers while Le- gionaire ‘John } Mills“ will: read the ‘poem In Flanders’ Fields.” <0 ap *District* residents’ who. aus dives in-the two World, wars rae the. aavance ; ton|| Ser of: commerce member Jack = Hipwell’ found not: pomsleth a at the sp yew DM: meenng held here” Mon: ingera two committees — official and one educational er or not to proceed with a local DMs“A® vote,’ however, is 2 official: steering © com- mittee is ‘to, be-headed’ by cham- ‘This. committee will be of \a'-representative area A Ritz ::Hotel © spokesman said’ police: were called after members of the’ Pulp: and ‘Paper. ‘Workers of.Canada, of which tan g van Si of the ‘shifted. to-ittfrom the Brotherh of finding the equipment the fime of his ‘death, ‘reported |-Pulj in .the’]’ meeting hall in the:hotel:and in provinelad : labor | Hi board: did : not cert] dian‘ union’s contention i ed, pre! Prof. saw the role| it College as one of a me- diator in‘public debates. “The ideal debate would be formation shee ‘DI was concern. the lege ';, nonetheless should take’ fo, active interest va pe ec-| the subject: of the (of. against it,” Jaa ‘suggested the : pro- of Mayor Maddocks said after it: had. and eet t- the meeting -ho was pre] red to consider su de! Daten ibly more, He, among others, noted the obvious enthusiasm at the meet- ing and souveee ments from vit mmittes.jreds of square feet, stands awaiting in- He added, ‘however, mmittee has: marginally creased it demande ‘for. 14.6. per ecnt overall scale increases and the’ board: has likewise up- Jess than'one mill.’ Tue meeting between school board and teachers was the fifth since started ped its:3.6 per..cent of- fe g ‘ 3 last reported. ‘fol meeting p.week. =. , With: + claims, ; if “payments, unemployment insurance c age: ‘and contributions are under jurindicti ones nations benefit ment ; and other ed= by the *¢ “Manpower Neilso f service, | COl ol e-13 Bass about. 8,000. ssauare miles & dd: include: the. of Castle; Grand St Vonks, Kas +Kas-| 1, i Nabe ee ‘Net r and lon of the Castlegar “Applications: ‘for: employ. : man) power : Te- quitements:are still: being handl- ter ‘A meetin "pia . tween Castlegar count ts Kinsmen® Club ie Castle- and th said because of: Sere costs for. both teachers ‘and ‘board he jnany.:salary arbitrations across te vince. this’ year. ; Wnt ‘the explanation of ‘sev: en. weeks of the:negotiating per- (Continued “on “ page" nine) “Nelther your raipes hold. water,’ s he ‘vere on university entrance pro- grams in ‘high school. faces ‘Mr: “This means they are. nrak-| ciety has got ing their own. decisions. ear Tess of: social ; preasur ‘said. the principal: lt eee his Mr. didarene by DOnowing a philoso- phieal quotation‘: ‘which: h'sal it success, can be achieved. through BA Campbell ‘no! noted: ‘'So- otoff’ on the wrong foot”. regarding» education. :He said the’ concept. that ° sus ship. and MA degrees and eventually a PhD; ‘degree’ was’ false. ey Sit ponies th llege society. s ballogophers but. ones good plumbers with both Mr, Cal t impbell,; He. said . many... ment had: been faculty. and’ students ‘alike first term but the~-disappoint- ‘ments ‘had turned ‘al ” >: By the same token, he went| on, itiis necessary to. where: toconduct this reiation- have. some : sarsibton bra branch ‘of the Royal at leading: to’: ney pice telocat-| ed cenotaph, now. in the Kins- men Park:in Castlegar. iN regarding the lack ‘to. them onthe matter concern: ing \their-park j 4; ™: : twill decide “The the widths’ of: the! four paths leading tone the cen otaph. is:one 10 Of 0 items propose d under the future Lid rane ¢ crossing when the iven by a deyearcld rolled and "Filed wp against a in juvenile court Thursday. _ Also to appear in juvenile is-a Kinnaird juvenile ed with breakin, and -enterin; earn Kinnaird Ji ae jor secondary School one week Bg. “her pain a ood.’ /< And-blood indeed there was. Mr, ell was. delayed an ing ‘engagement: by: a’ series Foe lesald getting..a ‘goin “ig something ike. preg- oi joyfully: concelvéd but college by} dents this | lege from “out-of-town. ‘one. student‘ was. “fighting. for iospital.”” Campbell College was lacking as a result of :the: escalation :' costs. :“Angrering this: in what’ he Campb: hour in’ arriving, for, his:.speak- |. into’'the Col- bee He said|is Charges t} $110 in cash wa was’ yas found missing from the school business office. principal said a then fe eit Cee 2. ut. a through’ the winter wponths and 0. skiing He added fae new “college |: made up priorities. only and‘ he felt t the erent and pro- vinetal governments were . not extras. | planning to “buy” He'did’ not: suggest where else the @ money. could come from and had earlier squelched rum- ors’ of .a:largelocal‘referendum : termed “generalities only” -the | to raise suggestion ‘for : an’ open: house “an ‘excellent’ idea” ‘Student enrollment, he pre- dicted, would double the’ coming i the nt 484 to