A Trove of Treasure
We all have some. They are found in drawers, boxes, bags and closets and classified, according to their beholder, as junk, collectibles or treasure.
My new neighbour down the street, formerly of St. Catharines, Ontario, realizing that I was a history buff of sorts, dropped off a couple of medium-sized, cardboard boxes. "If you're interested in old things," he said, "have a look inside these."
Cardboard Box of Items
After he had left, I carried the boxes upstairs to my office and opened the first one which revealed a disorganized collection of items. There was the regular stuff: newspaper clippings of the Gulf War, Elvis Presley, Guy Lafleur, Tim Horton and Dick Duff, personal photographs that didn't make it to the family album; and certificates, schedules, report cards, and diplomas . As a favour to my new neighbour, I spent a few days organizing these things into categories and placing each into clear, page protectors. All the items were then placed into a three-ring binder for permanent storage.
The Other Box
The other box, which I hadn't looked into yet, I was told, contained much older possessions. Upon opening this box, my nostrils immediately detected the antique scent of dry, decomposing paper and my eyes were soon focussed to a large clump of yellowish-brown newspapers at the bottom.. My senses caused me to question my discovery.
Separating this bulk of newspapers, I realized they were old, but probably not rare. Very possibly, one could read the contents of these on microfiche in a big city archive or library, but finding the originals up here in isolated northern Ontario and being allowed to peruse them at home with no restraints of time or space was, for me, a very exciting prospect.
Many have inherited old newspapers from aging ancestors who, in the past, had placed them in storage to commemorate an important date, event or historical turning point. Other chunks of aging newsprint are sometimes found accidentally in partially dismantled buildings. These were used to keep out the winter cold, but when rediscovered, perhaps became a coveted addition to a personal archive.
The newspapers I found in this box were placed there for safekeeping starting some 66 years ago and now they were again about to be read. The separate editions had the following headlines: The King Is Dead (The Mail and Empire- January 21, 1936), Main Body of Italians Advance on Addis Ababa (The St. Catharines Standard- April 24, 1936), Edward Abdicates- Brother Becomes King (The Evening Telegram- December 10, 1936), Germans Launch Showdown Battle (The St. Catharines Standard-May 22, 1944), Invasion Opens (The St. Catharines Standard-June 6, 1944), Berlin Admits Bridgeheads Between Le Havre, Boulogne Firmly Held By Montgomery (Toronto Daily Star- June 6, 1944), They Stood In Mute Sorrow As He (Roosevelt) Went To His Rest (Toronto Daily Star-Second Section-April 16, 1945), This Is The Hour Of Glory, The Hour Of Utter Loss (Toronto Daily Star- Second Section-May 7, 1945), Germany Surrenders (Toronto Daily Star-May 7, 1945), Nazis Capitulate (The St. Catharines Standard-May 7, 1945), Coronation Picture Supplement (Daily Telegraph-June 3, 1953), The Queen?s message: 'I thank you all from a full heart' (Daily Mail-June 3, 1953), Traffic Flows Over Glenridge Fill (The St. Catharines Standard-November 30, 1955), St. Catharines Marks 80 Years As A City (The St. Catharines Standard-Third Section-May 1, 1956), Centennial Edition (The St. Catharines Standard- June 27, 1967).
By the way, also found in the box along with the newspapers were: 15 World War II ration booklets, neatly bound with a string, and an admissions ticket to the New York World?s Fair (1939).
I selected the oldest newspaper and began to read it.
"The King Is Dead"
King George V
"The King Is Dead" was an appropriate headline for newspapers around the world on 16 August 1977 when founder of rock n' roll, Elvis Presley, passed away, but the same headline I was reading was dated January 21, 1936. Anyone pleased to have his Trivia Pursuit token land on the history category, after rolling the dice, would know the 1936 date pertained not to Elvis of Graceland but to the death of 70-year-old King George V of England. There was a lot to be said of King George and much was printed on the front pages of The Mail and Empire on that winter day of ?36. However, let's leave those details for the history books as there were many other small, interesting articles appearing in this Toronto newspaper that Tuesday.
Benito Mussolini
For example, a scathing denouncement of Italy's Fascist dictator Benito Mussolini appeared on the 'editorial page.' Just three months previous to the printing, Italian troops had invaded Ethiopia. Mussolini was subsequently in the process of setting up a new government there. The editor criticized him for destroying Italian public records concerning his misdeeds committed during his 16-year rise to power. No mention was made of course, to the 1938 nonaggression pact signed with Hitler nor Italy?s axis power involvement during World War II as all this would, of course, occur a few years later. Mussolini would become Hitler's puppet; Italy would be devastated by warfare, and within nine years of this editor?s condemnation, the bodies of Mussolini and his mistress would be publicly displayed in Milan, hanged upside down after being fatally shot by Italian partisans.
Prospector and Miner
In a 'letter to the editor,' signed by "E. M. of Toronto," a personal opinion was expressed concerning the recent 1935 Governor General of Canada's visit to the Kirkland Lake area. E.M. reminisced of 1913-14 when he was a prospector in the area when the only gold mine in production at the time was the Tough-Oakes, working a small but rich vein. He went on to say this gold camp started out slowly with low expectations, and he was concerned that during the Governor General?s visit to town, the local, large, rich gold producers neglected to give credit to these early prospectors and miners for their present mining success. "It seems an opportune time to call attention to the prospectors and miners who at Kirkland Lake and elsewhere in the North Country, have dared every possible hardship and have risked everything in order to prove their faith in the North," he wrote.
Jacobus Stainer Violin
Another 'letter to the editor' detailed the plight of a southern Ontario woman who purchased, a few years back, a Jacobus Stainer violin dated 1620. Due to the present worldwide Depression she was in need of money and advised the editor that her violin was now for sale.
Old Man Winter
The January 'weather forecast' for Northern Ontario was briefly stated as "mostly fair and cold."
(Some things don't change.)
James Y. Murdoch
In another 'column' there was a reporter's story about Noranda Mines magnate, James Y. Murdoch. Making a retirement speech to his Toronto Board of Trade colleagues, the board president deplored high taxes. While speaking he said taxes were destroying the work ethic of people who built this country. He emphasized that during the Depression, the government was hurting the nation by "soaking the wealthy."
Earth Tremor Recording
Another 'article' detailed an earth tremor in the North Bay, Mattawa and Temiskaming, Quebec area on January 20, 1936. "A distinct shock, the most severe since the major quake of November 1 (1935)," stated the reporter. The quake, apparently originating along a fault in the Ottawa Valley, was probably similar to nature?s 'Y2K' surprise experienced by us northerners in the same area in the early morning of January 1, 2000.
John S. Labatt Kidnapped
For you 'beer-drinking historians' there was a story, in this old paper, of kidnapping and ransom demands involving John S. Labatt. Seized on a lonely road outside of London, Ontario in August 1934, the wealthy brewer was driven to the Muskokas where he was held for three days and then later released alive in Toronto. A suspect, Russell Knowles, was having his trial set for January 27, 1936.
1936 Studebaker
The newspapers of the 30's were of course subsidized, as today, by 'commercial ads.' There in the 1936 edition was the expected Dodds Kidney Pill advertisment. On the opposite page an 'ad' was placed for a new 3-passenger Studebaker coupe advertised at a price of $1084 including license. Installed in this car, stated the ad, was an "automatic hill holder that keeps you from rolling back when you stop on an upgrade." Competitively, a McLaughlin-Buick for $1243 was advertised on another page. Impressive professional sketches of each car accompanied the ads.
Passenger Train
It was winter and there was an ad for Canadian snowbirds, concerning Florida travel rates. Interestingly, they weren?t airfares; they were train fares from embarkation points in Buffalo and Detroit.
Fag ads were legal then. That may or may not be surprising, but the price for a 25-pack of Spud-Menthol Cooled Cigarettes was 25 cents.
Cary Grant and Katherine Hepburn
According to the 'entertainment page' the Imperial Theatre in downtown Toronto was featuring Katherine Hepburn and Cary Grant starring in the movie "Sylvia Scarlett." If one had already viewed this 'flick' one could go across the way to the Uptown Theatre where " Magnificent Obsession" starring Irene Dunn and Robert Taylor was playing. Perhaps not wishing to see a movie, one could consult the printed 'radio guide' and learn that the vocal sounds of Kate Smith would be heard on WABC or WGR at 7:30 that evening.
"Toe" Blake
Former NHL great and Montreal Canadian's controversial coach during the 1956-60 run of five consecutive Stanley Cups, Toe Blake, was mentioned in a 'sports page write-up' originating from Providence Rhode Island. Unknowingly, at the time, Blake was only a few months away from becoming a NHL player. He was mentioned in this write-up due his fight on the ice with Ted Saunders. It wasn?t the fight or the score of the game that was important enough to make the type, but during the melee a frozen orange was thrown onto the ice, hitting the referee on the head, bringing him to his knees!
Lou Gehrig
Another sportswriter interviewed New York Yankee "iron man and great first-baseman" . Lou Gehrig. Over the past eleven years, Lou had played in 1653 consecutive games and the writer questioned him about his future and the possibilities of extending his "iron man" streak. Lou couldn't say when the streak would end, but realized a serious injury could do it at any time. He also mentioned the fact that at times he got lumbago in his back, especially, after long trips in air-conditioned railway cars. Unknowingly, of course, he would go on to play in 477 more consecutive games until May 2, 1939 - the day he removed himself from the starting lineup due to extreme illness. He received a standing ovation and returned to the dugout in tears. Diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (Lou Gehrig?s Disease or ALS), he never returned to play baseball and died on June 2, 1941 at the age of 37.
Charlie Conacher
Toronto Maple Leaf fans could read about Charlie Conacher missing a few games due to an injury, causing him to drop to second place in the scoring race in the Canadian Section of the NHL.
If you lived in Timmins you may have been interested to read that during the past week, the Pickering Rink, consisting of Honey, Day and Smith, won the Timmins Trophy at the local Curling Club by defeating the Ecclestone rink.
Gold
In the 'financial page,' there was a story about Sid Pain of the Kirkland Lake Bidgood Mine engineering dept., opening up a new high-grade ore section on the 500-foot level. (Later in the 60's, Sid would write two cherished local history books: The Way North and On Three Miles Of Gold.) Also on the same page the Paymaster Mine in Timmins was featured as it had hit high-grade at the 1202 and 1325-foot levels. In other stories on the page, the Smith Cobalt Mine was successfully developing a smaltite vein and the Lake Shore Mine in Kirkland Lake was having a higher output this quarter. Mining quotes were listed for the local Kirkland Lake mines of Macassa , Kirkland Lake Gold, Teck-Hughes , Lake Shore , Wright-Hargreaves, Sylvanite, and Toburn. Listings for the Hollinger and Buffalo Ankerite mines in Timmins, the Dome mine in South Porcupine and Falconbridge in the Sudbury area were also interesting. It is unfortunate we don't see that anymore.
The last page of the paper had of course the 'comic strips' featuring the antics of Pop, Telling Tommy, Tim Tyler's Luck, Babe Bunting and Bobby Thatcher.
Junk, Collectible or Treasure?
For some this discoloured, old, smelly newspaper would be considered junk and quickly tossed into the hungry, gaping mouth of a green, plastic, garbage can. Others, appreciating the age and the headlines, but not knowing exactly what to do, would probably place the newspaper back into its original aged resting place, realizing that it was, at least, a collectible that should be kept.
Finally, there are those of us who would realize that these old, priceless relics should be preserved and respected as an historical treasure so that others in the future would be allowed to enjoy their contents.
