kimberley chronicle issue #20!

4
Kimberley Chronicle FREE Volume 20 Monday December 2, 2012 kimberleychronicle@gmail. Your Biweekly Source for Kimberley’s Past, Present & Future Welcome everyone to our twentieth issue! e East Kootenays made national and international news once again recently with a story involoving our local wildlife. is was not the first story involving charimatic megafauna (look it up) in our area and we are willing to bet it will not be the last. We at Kimberley Chronicle would like to congratulate the couple that survived the recent bear attack. Maybe Kimberley’s brand should be “Where to live if you want to survive a grizzly encounter.” To read about another recent grizzly attack involving Kimberley residents check out our Facebook page where Issue #12 which is available digitally. You can also see some video of a cougar in Marys- ville that the Kimberley Chronicle paperboys saw the other day. In this issue we look at a story from our past involving large mammals that made international head- lines back in 1926. As per ususal we love hearing from our readers, let us know what you think at [email protected] or on our facebook page. e Great Elephant Hunt Back in the 1920’s people ac- tually went to live circuses and enjoyed jazz music. In 1926 the second largest circus company in the world - e Sells-Floto Circus came to Cranbrook. e company had over a thousand performers, horses, camels and three herds of elelephants. ey would roll into towns all over North America in their own trains. To get the area hyped some promoters would come to town before the actual event to advertise and put up posters. When the trains arrived in the early morning everyone would get to work - including the large animals to set up the tents and get ready for the first afternoon matinee. e custom at the times was to have a parade at noon the first day to continued Elephants on the loose southest of Cranbrook. Photo courtesy of the Columbia Basin Institute of Regional History. www.basininstitute.org

Upload: wade-jarvis

Post on 30-Oct-2014

66 views

Category:

Documents


0 download

DESCRIPTION

The Great Elephant Hunt of 1926.

TRANSCRIPT

Page 1: Kimberley Chronicle Issue #20!

Kimberley Chronicle FREE

Volume 20 Monday December 2, 2012 kimberleychronicle@gmail.

Your Biweekly Source for Kimberley’s Past, Present & Future

Welcome everyone to our twentieth issue! The East Kootenays made national and international news once again recently with a story involoving our local wildlife. This was not the first story involving charimatic megafauna (look it up) in our area and we are willing to bet it will not be the last. We at Kimberley Chronicle would like to congratulate the couple that survived the recent bear attack. Maybe Kimberley’s brand should be “Where to live if you want to survive a grizzly encounter.”To read about another recent grizzly attack involving Kimberley residents check out our Facebook page where Issue #12 which is available digitally. You can also see some video of a cougar in Marys-ville that the Kimberley Chronicle paperboys saw the other day. In this issue we look at a story from our past involving large mammals that made international head-lines back in 1926. As per ususal we love hearing from our readers, let us know what you think at [email protected] or on our facebook page.

The Great Elephant HuntBack in the 1920’s people ac-tually went to live circuses and enjoyed jazz music. In 1926 the second largest circus company in the world - The Sells-Floto Circus came to Cranbrook. The company had over a thousand performers, horses, camels and three herds of elelephants. They would roll into towns all over North America in their own trains. To get the area hyped some promoters would come to town before the actual event to advertise and put up posters. When the trains arrived in the early morning everyone would get to work - including the large animals to set up the tents and get ready for the first afternoon matinee. The custom at the times was to have a parade at noon the first day to continued

Elephants on the loose southest of Cranbrook. Photo courtesy of the Columbia Basin Institute of Regional History. www.basininstitute.org

Page 2: Kimberley Chronicle Issue #20!

Kimberley Heritage Museum

105 Spokane Street - above the libraryMonday-Friday 1-4pmPhone: 250-427-7510

Email: [email protected] Fee - By Donation

Happy Hands Tattoo

418 - 304th St - 778-481-5000

Firewood For SaleSeasoned, Split & Delivered

Pine $150/cordPine $80/half cordLarch $250/cord250-427-5430

www.basininstitute.org

It’s Time To Start Thinking About WInter Tires.

Come See Us To Get Some Traction This Winter.

Kimberley Chroni-cle

For advertising rates, questions, comments & complaints contact

writer, publisher & paperboy Wade Jarvis

stir up excitement. There was no parade scheduled at Cranbrook however. Cranbrook residents were’t really aware, but at the pa-rades in Edmonton and Calgary prior to the show in Cranbrook some elephants escaped and casused some significant excitement and property damage. When the trains rolled into Cranbrook the elephants were put to work hauling wagons to the fairgrounds for the big show. For rea-sons that are both unkown and disputed, Myrtle, Tillie and Charlie Ed decided to take a self guided tour of the East Kootenays. The worldwide press was captivated by the story of three runaway el-ephants making a break for it at the base of the Rocky Mountains. What helped make the story such a big hit was a telegram that was sent warning all trains travelling in the area to beware of elephants on the tracks. Folks in the railway business thought it was hilarious. A pachyderm hunt was quicly organized by the Circus to retrieve the animals that were valued around$15,000 - $20,000.Tillie was the oldest of the escapees at 32 and was also the first to be caught. Some Ktunaxa trackers managed to get on her trail, find her and lure her back into captivity with some bread and apples.Mytle was not quite as fortnute as Tillie. She and Charlie Ed had been on the run for over a month and the weather was getting cooler. The exact details are murky, but what is known is that Myrtle died on September 8 1926 at the base of Moyie Mountain. Whether it was pneumonia, a broken hip or a well placed bullet is open to debate. Her cape was removed by a local taxidermist and was on diplay at a shop in Cranbrook before going to the Univeristy of Al-berta’s Zoology Department. Charlie Ed had the longest taste of freedom and was a local celeb-rity when he was finally caught 39 days after the initial stampede. A worker at the sawmill in Lumberton spotted him and some circus workers and Ktnuxa managed to capture him and bring him back to Cranbrook. He was the main attraction at the Cranbrook Fall Fair and was paraded down Baker Street and fed severral breakfasts from the local shops and restaurants before being loaded onto the train to rejoin the circus. He was briefly renamed Cranbrook Ed and there is a statue of him by the Cranbrook Photo Building.This story has so many different versions available. We encourage our readers to check out the great, extensive write-up available on the Co-lumbia Basin Institute of Regional History’s website (basininstitute.org).

Page 3: Kimberley Chronicle Issue #20!

Colin Parfey CarpentryYour Renovation Expert

Call 250-432-9507 for a quote.

Tryna’s EventzMemories made to last a lifetime!

Katryna SigurdsonEvent & Wedding SpecialistServing the East Kootenays and beyondInternationally Certified778-481-1981trynaseventz.weebly.comtrynaseventz@gmail.com

StellaLissa Jewelryby Kara Clarke

*Handmade Jewelry / Custom Designs**Locally Owned*

Shop Online: stellalissa.etsy.comEmail: [email protected]

Call: 250-427-6013Like my Facebook Page “StellaLissa Jewelry”

to Win One-Of-A-Kind Pieces!

The Kimberley Branch of the Order of the Eastern Star is collecting postage stamps, Campbell Soup Labels and Pop Can Tabs for various charities. These items can be dropped off at Curves or at 960 Rotary.

Trivia & Puzzles1) In what Canadian city did the real Jumbo die?

2) Which is bigger - the Asian or African Elephant?

3) How big were the largest tusks ever recorded?

4) How long does an elephant pregnancy last?

5) How many different elephant species have been found in fossil records?

6) 7) 8)

Kootenay Cleaning Services‘A Breath of Fresh Air’

Residential, Recreational & Commercial Cleaning

Call Heather or Sue at 250-427-8644

The City Wants to Know What YOU Think!

Let them hear what YOU think Kimberley’s Brand should be.

Complete the survey at www.kimberleysurvey.comor go rant at Matt & Andy at

Story & Co. in the Platzl.

Humans, Neanderthals, and elephants are the only known animals to known to have death rituals. If an elephant becomes sick the herd will bring food and water to help out. If the elephant dies the herd will bury it in a shallow grave and cover it with dirt and branches. They stay around the grave for a few days and seem to mourn.

-What do you get if you cross an Elephant with a Kangaroo? -Great big holes all over Australia.

-What’s harder than getting a pregnant Elephant in the back seat of your car? -Getting an Elephant pregnant in the back seat of your car.

Page 4: Kimberley Chronicle Issue #20!

computers - networks - communications250-432-5269

101 370 Wallinger

WeatherWinter seems to be here to stay. Mostly sunny with some flur-ries mixed in. Average Lows -2oC, Average Highs -12oC.

propane, gas, marked premium, and diesel Certified Journeyman Automotive Mechanic Motorbike, ATV’s and other small engine repair Kimberley’s STIHL Dealer Call 427-7690 for an appointment or stop in Monday to Saturday 7am-7pm

Kimberley Forest Consulting

Your forest expert.

Wildfire Assessments,Forest Development Plans,Ecosystem Management,

Surveys.Wade Jarvis, RPF

[email protected]

Upcoming EventsWednesday December 5: Free Public Swim from 5-6pm. Sponsored by Creekside Physiotherapy Clinic.Wednesday December 5: Dynamiters vs Golden Rockets, Civic Centre at 7pm.Saturday December 8: Sleigh Rides & Father Christmas at Fort Steele, 11am-2pm.Sunday December 9: Dynamiters vs Grand Forks Border Bruins, Civic Centre at 2pm.Friday December 14: Opening Day at Kimberley Alpine Resort.Saturday December 15: Dynamiters vs Summerland Steam, Civic Centre at 7pm.Sunday December 16: Community Day at Kimberley Al-pine Resort - Free Skiing.

Trivia Answers1) St. Thomas, Ontario 8) Pencil me in2) African3) They were 138 inches long and weighed 214 pounds4) 22 months5) 170, there are now 3 elephant species left6) Water under the bridge7) In your dreams

Hot Yoga Is Coming to Kimberley!

Gift Certificates Now Available.Like us on Facebook to stay tuned for our opening date.

www.onelovehotyoga.ca

Kimberley Chronicle will soon be requiring the ser-vices of a creative accountant. If any of our readers know someone familiar with Canadian Tax Law let us know at [email protected] or 427-5430.

Meadowbrook Motors Is Open!

Is Your Vehicle Ready For Winter?

Come see Pat and he will get your vehicle ready to brave the winter

weather!