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Se
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Saturday, May 30, 1992 @

17 hours

So you think you have road
problems?

When I was in hospital in

Nelson last September, I met a
wonderfully interesting pio-
_neer Harry Stevenson, who
showed me this manuscript
entitled Grom Granum, Alber-
ta to Nelson, by Model T Ford

in 1917.

It was so pertinent histori-
cally and threw such a fasci-
nating light on local road trav-
el 75 years ago, that asked and
received permission to present
it for the sake of my own read-
ers. Harry writes as follows:

My father Hazen Stevenson
began his blacksmith business
in Nelson in 1911 with partner
Herdy Butchart.

In 1917 business began to
slow down so the two men de-
cided to close their shop.
Butchart went to work in San-
don while Stevenson accepted
ajob at Granum.

Dad, Mother, my sister
Margaret and I moved to the
Prairie town.

A few months after our ar-
rival at Granum I was taken
critically ill, the alkalis in the
water th re was burning the
lining of my stomach. The on-
ly food I was able to digest was
white of egg beat up in milk.

Three days later the
Stevenson family was on the
way back to Nelson with their
1913 Model T Ford touring
car.

Following the only roads
that connected Granum to
Nelson took us south to Fort
McLeod, then west from there
through Crowsnest to Cran-
brook. We crossed the Canada-
US. border at Kingsgate, then
Bonners Ferry, Idaho.

There were no paved roads
to travel on, only rough grav-
eland dirt. Flat tires and mud-
dy surfaces slowed our
progress and by the time we
reached Rathdrum, Idaho we
had spent three days enroute.

From there we were able to
reach Spokane in fairly good
time as the roads on the Amer-
ican side were well main-
tained and there were fewer
hills to climb.

The only pavement we had
encountered on the entire trip
was on some of the streets in
Spokane, the tires had taken a
terrific beating especially dur-
ing the drive from Blairmore
in Alberta to Sandpoint, ida-
ho.

My father was offered a job
at Consolidated Mines
smelter. The work paid $4 a
day, $2 would be paid by
cheque, the other be
munerated

\ 2

~~

a7
Reflections

and
Recollections

John CHARTERS

tunity because he felt that
$2.00 would not feed, clothe
and house his family.

Dad learned that the only
road toward Nelson ended at
Waterloo Ferry, a small town
about 10 miles north on the
bank of the Columbia River.
We were too far along our
route to change plans, so we
drove on.

The Waterloo ferry was a
primitive raft type of vessel. It
operated on an overhead cable
that was anchored at each side
of the river on high trestles.

It was built to carry passen-

in a Model T Ford

(Lordly) Veregin who was
head of the Christian Commu-
nity of Universal Brotherhood,
owners of the bridge.

Veregin was the first Russ-
ian that we had encountered
who could speak English. He
adamantly denied passage
over the bridge arguing that
the car was too heavy as a
team of horses and wagon.
Fortunately, a wagon loaded
with logs drawn by a large
team of horses crossed over.

Veregin was now convinced
we could cross and he gave his
permission to drive on, but in-
sisted that a lady carry Mar-
garet and Veregin carried me
to the other side of the bridge.

We drove along to Brilliant
where we learned that there
was no road between the set-
tlement and South Slocan, nor
was there any road to Robson
or Castlegar.

Dad drove the car on the
road that paralleled the rail-
way track to the CPR bridge.

He cut the wire fence, drove
the car into the closure to
climb up the railway embank-

‘He cut the wire fence, drove the car into the
closure to climb up the railway embankment
but was halted by a section foreman.’

gers and sometimes horses,
but I am reasonably sure that
we had the first car to use it.

My father must have been
in shock when the ferry land-
ed on the east shore. No road
existed on the 35 degree slope
on the river bank, only a rough
foot path led the top beachland
that was at least 40 feet above
the river. There was no way
that the little 20 horsepower
Ford could climb up the flat
land.

He drove the car off the fer-
ry, then walked to the top of
the bank where he found a pile
of fence posts. Alarge crowd of
Doukhobors had gathered to
watch, none could speak or un-
derstand English (they had ar-

~rived as immigrants from Rus-

sia a short time before.)

With hand signals Dad was
able to instruct some of the
men to assist him in carrying
armfulls of posts down to the
stranded. automobile. He
jacked up the rear wheels of
the car, placed the fenceposts
crosswide under the wheels,
then let it down again, j
it up again, placed more posts
under, etc.

While all this work was go-
ing on, the Doukhobor ladies
were caring for my sister and
me.

The Ooteschenia flats of-
fered good travelling on the
roads from one of the Doukho-
bor farms to another until we
reached the Doukhobor bridge
at the Columbia River.

Here we were met by Peter

ment but was halted by a sec-
tion foreman. A

He ordered us off the rail-
way property accusing us of
trespassing. But as soon as
the foreman was out of sight,
Dad began climbing the bank
with the car.

Now we were back on dirt
roads again. The little single
sided ferry at Castlegar took
us across to Robson.

From here everything
seemed to be in our favor. We
drove through South Slocan,
past Bonington Falls to
Taghum. By now it was dark
so the acetylene headlights
were put into service.

We had left Trail at 6 a.m.
and there were more frustra-
tions ahead of us. It was now
10 p.m. Our fuel was getting
low.

To explain our next prob-
lem, one must know that Mod-
el T Fords had a gas tank un-
der the front seat in such a po-
sition the gasoline would not
flow to the engine while climb-
ing a steep hill except when
the tank was full. So, to alle-
viate this engine, the vehicle
could be turned around and
driven uphill in reverse gear.
On arrival at the top of
Taghum hill he turned the car
around to make a convention-
al final lap into Nelson.

At 11 p.m. we arrived home.
It had taken us 17 hours from
Trail. That same trip today
can be accomplished from
Granum to Nelson easily in
about six hours.

Thanks, Harry.

Sry Get on the Train for the
Chicken Barger Special
\ME _ Includes a choice cut of Breast Meat on a'sesame

y/ XY , seed bun with lettuce, tomato and

our own special sauce.
Also includes your choice of golden crispy french
fries, our delicious JoJo's or our freshly made salads.
For ONLY $3.
So get on the train and head on down to Chicken Time.
For a great meal at an affordable price.

365-5304 2816 Columbia Ave.

SELKIRK COLLEGE

WHERE YOUR FUTURE BEGINS .. -

NEW PROGRAM ANNOUNCEMENT

The Human Services Department is now offering a
Post-Basic Certificate program

EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION

for Infants and Toddlers
This certification training meets the requirements of the Child
Care Facilities Licensing Board for working with children under
three years of age.
The five-month program begins at the Castlegar Campus July 6,
4992. Classes meet untit September 25. A two month practicum
begins September 28 in community agencies providing
education and care for infants.and toddlers.
Admission requirement: Early Childhood Education Certificate

If interested, contact: Admissions Office, Castlegar Campus,
365-1297 and/or your nearest Canada Employment counsellor.

CASTLEGAR CAMPUS

Box 1200, Castlegar, B.C. VIN 331
365-7292

FORMULATED WITH LONG-
LASTING SULPHUR COATED
UREA FOR CONTROLLED
RELEASE OF NITROGEN.

(J FERTILIZE LESS OFTEN

(J LASTS 8-12 WEEKS

MITCHELL SUPPLY LTD.

490-13th Avenue, Castlegar

365-7252

@ Saturday, May 30, 1992

138

MAMBO QUEENS

News photo by Glen Freeman

Maxwell School of Dance students Julie Costa (left) and Jean Merritt
- 4 ‘ took a breath
their Latin Ladies number at Stanley Humphries Secondary School Saturday. ioe

» Don't be caught short
¥. this summer. Ask about
» our overdraft protection!
Castlegar Savings Credit Union

"Your Community Financial Centre”

601-18th St. (C5) 3026 Hwy. 3

Castlegar Slocan Park
ShGeasas

Rossland
market
reopens

The Rossland Public Mar-
ket will be taking place again
this summer in Esling Park,
bigger and more diverse than

_ever.

The market organizers
have established a non-profit
co-operative with the ultimate
aim of providing a permanent
location. and structure for the
market to ensure its contin-
ued success.

This year the markets are
to be on the last Sunday of
each month — May 31, June
28, July 26, August 30 and on
Sunday September 20. Trad-
ing time is 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Many Rosslanders will be
setting up tables as well as
traders from Trail, Nelson,
Castlegar, Fruitvale, Slocan
and Kelowna. Besides the dis-
plays of crafts, gifts and cloth-
ing there will be live enter-

tainment, music, food and
plenty of diversions for the
kids — balloons, clowns, com-
petitions and much more.

With the co-operation of the
weather it should be.a great
family day out.

ESF Fireside
Restaurant
SUMMER HOURS
Monday-Saturday
6:30 a.m.-10 p.m.
Sundays &
Holidays
6:30 a.m.-9 p.m.

OF | 17es ide Restaurant

1810-18th Avenue, Castlegar
Reservations 365-2128

FULLY SERVICED
R.V. PADS
Close to Safeway
Phone

365-8077

WEST KOOTENAY
CAMERA CLUB
2nd Annual Photo Salon
Sunfest Weekend
“A competition open to all photographers”
For entry forms and information
CASTLEGAR: Vogue Studio, Driftwoods,
The Picture Place, Kootenay Aviation
NELSON: Vogue, Horizon 1 HR., Profile
TRAIL: Kootenay Cameras
For additional information:
Castlegar: Chris/Ross 365-2696
Ken/Teni 365-5473

Trail: Maureen 367-9351

Bluetop
Burger

Ay
oe

|) : I eS, i children under the age of 3. The
free First Dental Visit program*
Al includes:

VISIT

he ideal time for a child’s
first dental visit is between
the ages of 2 and 3. To encourage
this, the dentists of B.C. are par-

ticipating in a new program for

orientation to the dental office

a visual check of the child’s

an oral health consultation.
with parents
Ask your participating dentist or
the staff at your health unit for
details of the First Dental Visit
program.

* Does not cover a detailed exam
or preventive/treatment services

College of
Dental Surgeons of B.C.

OO TOGETHER
WE CARE

BC MINSTRY OF HEALTH AND
¢Y RESPONSIBLE FOR SENIORS