On the 2nd of September 1964, Murray Gibson, who had met Alex Stewart a few days before, went to Nelson, BC to spend an evening talking to Alex. With Murray were Fred Morrish (who acted as prompter) and Bill Wadeson. Murray made a tape of the evening and Bill made this transcript of that tape.
     There was originally a larger group that wanted to go along, but the rest couldn't make the trip for various reasons. That group included Murray Gibson, Bill Wadeson, Fred Morrish, Alfie Albo, Clyde Michaely, Warren Crowe,and Jimmy Hunter. When Bill made the transcript the entire group met at the Rossland Club and discussd the evening. Alfie made a few notes from that discussion to clarify or expand on some things.
     Alfie gave me the transcript and I added a couple of notes to clarify things that are contrary to the historical record. All notes that have been added are in italics and are credited. I asked Murray's daughter, who is now Gael Fisher, about the tape. She doesn't know what might have happened to it, but doesn't think it survived to this day.
     Alex was born in 1874. In the original introduction to this transcript, Bill Wadeson says that Alex was on the police force in Rossland from 1897 until 1911 (Alex actually says that he first came to Rossland in 1897 and joined the force "right away - at least before 1900" ). In actual fact it's not clear exactly when he first came here, but the nightly police log shows that his first shift was on 10th February 1902 . He first shows up on the voters list in 1903. His last shift was on 30th November 1914. At that time both he and Chief Long of Rossland went to Nelson and took over there, and Chief Devit of Nelson came to Rossland and took over. When Chief Long retired, Alex took over as Chief and remained on the force in Nelson until about 1940.
 
Wayne Krewski
 
FRED MORRISH: How does it feel to get back to the old hum-drum ?
 
ALEX STEWART: Just fine
 
FRED MORRISH: It sure looks natural to see you around.
 
ALEX STEWART: There are so many people here I don't know. Some I recognize their faces but I can't put a name to them.
 
FRED MORRISH: We're all getting the same way
 
MURRAY GIBSON: Warren Crow said to say "Hello" to you. What did they call him? He had a nick name.
 
ALEX STEWART: Quad Crow. He was a great boy.
 
FRED MORRISH: He's still going strong. He's got mines all over the country. How is your family Alex, are they all well ?
 
ALEX STEWART: Fine. My family's never been ill.
 
FRED MORRISH: I met your girls here during the election.
 
ALEX STEWART: Do you folks know Ethel and Eddy.
 
BILL WADESON: Yes I know them well. I used to know you well too. Do you remember drunken Jimmy Graham - the carpenter boss from the Reno Gold Mine? You picked us up out of the gutter one night after we'd been thrown out of the Queen's Hotel. You remember George Harlow, the prize fighter who used to tend bar there? I guess Jimmy had given him too much lip and George threw him out. Of course I wouldn't permit him to do that to a friend of mine, so he threw me out too and you picked us up and took us back to our hotel.
 
ALEX STEWART: George Harlow was in town only last week. You ought to see his family - you know I didn't think he'd ever get a real wife - but. he's got one of the finest women - as tall as he is - a good-looking woman - and he's got four sons. Anybody would be proud of them. But George weighs about 250 pounds.
 
BILL WADESON: I guess he would now - he was always a big man.
 
ALEX STEWART: Yes, but he's awful fat now.
 
MURRAY GIBSON: Fred was telling us some stories on the way over of the early days in Rossland.
 
ALEX STEWART: They were great days.
 
FRED MORRISH: They were great days, Alex.
 
ALEX STEWART: From 1897 to 1903 it was great.
 
FRED MORRISH: A lot of funny things happened in those times all right.
 
ALEX STEWART: Did Fred tell you the story of Mrs Allen having dinner with her four husbands. She sat down to dinner in her hotel (You know she ran the Allen Hotel) and she sat down to dinner with four husbands - two on each side of her. All friendly and happy. And after dinner was over she walks out in the middle of the floor and turns a hand-spring.
 
MURRAY GIBSON: How did you get into this race with Billy Esling?
 
ALEX STEWART: He ran to Trail every morning. He was a foot-racer when he was a kid, you know, and he thought he was getting in good shape. So I was running around there and he started kidding me, you see. He said " you know I'd just like to race you to Trail - I'd give you a go for your life."
 
ALEX STEWART: I said " I'd. be delighted." Of course it was the old road then, you know , it would be about a mile or mile and a half further than it is now. So we arranged it. One of the fellows went to Billy and said " Stewart's got a horse cached about half way down and he's going to get ahead of you a little bit and jump on that horse and ride in." So Billy hired David Houde ( you remember David Houde ) to ride behind me. We didn't start together, you see. He wouldn't run with me. I had a start - well we tossed up to see who would go ahead. The toss picked me so I started five minutes ahead of him - or ten ( I forget which). But there was no horse waiting for me.
 
MURRAY GIBSON: Well who won the race ?
 
ALEX STEWART: I did. I don't like saying it and I don't like taking the credit away from Old Billy but I beat him by ten minutes.
 
MURRAY GIBSON: You must have been in pretty good condition because you were telling me something about going up Roberts.
 
ALEX STEWART: Yes I was always in training - trained all my life. Before I got to be chief when I would come off shift at twelve o 'clock I would run up to the mountain station along the Great Northern track a mile or two and come back home and go to bed.
 
FRED MORRISH: Yes, I can remember that
 
MURRAY GIBSON: Well how did it come about this Mount Roberts thing.
 
ALEX STEWART: Well it was an argument between two men. They wanted a road up to the top of Mount Roberts. One party who was very much against it said " What a foolish idea - a man couldn't go up there and back in a day. So they got to arguing and. the other said " A man could go up there in four hours and back." " No man living could go up there and back in four hours." So they made a bet and he came up to me on the street and said "Alec will you help me out - I'm in a tight spot. I have bet that a man could go to the top of Mount Roberts and back in four hours and you're the only man who would have a chance. Will you go?" I said I'd be delighted. So I went and I made it in three hours and forty minutes. I had to take a little box of .22 shells - something that was light and that I would have to carry and lay them at the bottom of the flag pole. So when a party went up they would find the shells there - so I couldn't renege. I had to go all the way. Two or three times on the way up I almost decided to quit but after I started down I travelled pretty fast.
 
MURRAY GIBSON: Well did you go up the trail up Jumbo Creek and up the draw? You didn't go up the face of it did you ?
 
ALEX STEWART: Yes, up the face and I was very glad because you know the whole side-hill is sand and coming down I bet I made jumps of twenty feet at a time. In the sand. That's where I gained so much time.
 
FRED MORRISH: Gosh. What they would do in those days for a dollar and a half bet.
 
BILL WADESON: How big a bet was it ?
 
ALEX STEWART: Fifty dollars. I don't just remember - yes I'm sure it was fifty dollars. Yes because he had said to me " If you win it the fifty's yours."
 
BILL WADESON: Well how much money was up the night that you fought Bob Fitzsimmons ?
 
ALEX STEWART: Well there was no money. You see the way it was Bob was getting 60% I think and the 40% was going to some organization - I thought it was for the returned soldiers, but I'm. not sure on that.
 
FRED MORRISH: No!
 
ALEX STEWART: Well 40% anyway and they liked to fight a local man because it drew a larger crowd. He fought, I think in Fernie and Cranbrook - I think he knocked out two fellows in Cranbrook. All along his route.
 
MURRAY GIBSON: Fred said he was at the fight.
 
FRED MORRISH: Yeah, I snuck in.
 
MURRAY GIBSON: Yes he was just a kid but I guess he snuck in.
 
FRED MORRISH: I sure did - I wouldn't have missed that. Just like the horse races we used to have out there after dark.
 
ALEX STEWART: Oh Golly - in the middle of the night. FRED MORRISH: I remember Dave McLeod saying to me " Kid can you ride a horse?" " Oh," I said " I've rid one or two but not very well." "Come on " he said and boosted me up on that one from Nelson here.
 
ALEX STEWART: Kootenay Belle
 
FRED MORRISH: Yes, Kootenay Belle. I don't remember who was riding Rags - remember Rags?
 
ALEX STEWART: Yes - the boy who owned it. Rags was owned down at Patterson - down at Pagets.
 
FRED MORRISH: Yes the girls used to ride him all the time.
 
ALEX STEWART: Yes the girls used to ride him but not in a race.
 
FRED MORRISH: I don't know who he put on but he put on some kid there that was heavier than me and I beat him. You were betting on the little red horse at that time. That damned horse ran away from me - I couldn't stop him.
 
ALEX STEWART: You know I believe that I had the world's fastest quarter horse. This story is about an old horse by the name of Happy. This is when Dr. Frank was vet around here. And when he would come to Rossland he'd get this old horse to ride out around the places he'd want to go, you know, and the police used him too. You could just jump out of the saddle and he'd keep still until you came back. So one night I had him out and I came along and they were getting ready for the races, you see. Just as I got there they said " Go!" Well I gave old Happy a clinch with my knees and away we went and we led them for three parts of the way. I weighed 215 pounds and he had a big pack-saddle on. Well the poor old horse was all in and he saw that he couldn't run any further and he made a leap into a snow bank and stopped dead.
     Well, I went right back to Barnes and I called up Dave McLeod and I said " Dave, do you want to sell that old Happy horse?" "Sure, just so's I get rid of the old curse," he said. " What'l you take for him?" "What do you think?" he said. I said " I'll give you fifty dollars." " Done " he says and I said " All right he's mine from now on and I'll bring you $50 in the morning."
     I started training him right away and I thought right from the beginning that there was something good in this horse. He had the most beautiful head and hind legs that I ever saw on a race horse. And this great big stomach. Well I took him and started cutting down on his feed and exercising him at night and he developed into a picture. And there wasn't a horse around who could give him a race. But one came up from Colville and he beat him so easy.
     Geo. Ferguson from Nelson Transfer heard about it and he called me up and said " How would you like a match race with Kootenay Belle?" I said " I'd be delighted George." He said " I'll run against you for $200.'' I said " O.K., I haven't got that much money, but I can raise it." When Doc Frank heard about it he made a special trip up to Rossland. He said "Alex, don't be crazy, betting $200 on that old Happy horse, against Kootenay Belle. There aint a horse in the Kootenays or anywheres near who could beat Kootenay Belle." I says " Doc, you don't know what you're talking about. How long since you've seen Happy." " Three Weeks." I says " Come on out to the stable and have a look at him." I led him out of the stall and he had a big rug on him. I took the rug off. Doc says " you can't pull that - that's not old Happy." I says '' Yes it is. I bought him for $50." " God, he looks wonderful " he says " But Alex, call off that bet because that Kootenay Belle is very fast." Well I didn't call it off and a whole bunch from Nelson came to see the race. Up from Trail, 104 people from Trail came up to see the race." He beat Kootenay Belle just one block in five blocks..
 
BILL WADESON: What year was that. Alee?
 
ALEX STEWART: " Oh Gosh."
 
FRED MORRISH: About the fall of 1908 wasn't it, or 09?
 
ALEX STEWART: Yes about 09
 
FRED MORRISH: I remember the race because in the race before that Dave McLeod says "There's the kid who can ride Kootenay Belle for you " and pointed to me. So I says " No I can't but my brother can." Dick was just a little older than I was and he was always after horses. So the day of the race he was sitting there and it was the first time he had ever had jockey pants on. He was sitting there like this, all raring to go and when the flag dropped, Kootenay Belle ran out from under him.
I'll tell you a horse up there - that grey one that Murdoch Henderson used to have. That crazy grey one that always liked to run on the sidewalk. Who was that who was riding it that day and it took off and ran up on the sidewalk?
 
ALEX STEWART: Do you remember the time that you wouldn't ride the horse and Murdoch said he'd ride it himself and the horse took off and ran about three hundred yards and Murdoch fell off? He was in the hospital for about three weeks. He pretty near passed out. In fact he never did get over it.
 
FRED MORRISH: No, that's right. It was always the back of his head and in his neck. Poor old Roy Stevens. Do you remember how he and old Murdoch used to fight and scrap? They'd argue by the hour. You know it was laughable to hear them.
 
ALEX STEWART: Were you there when Howarth and I rassled ?
 
FRED MORRISH: Yes. Who was it you rassled at that time?
 
ALEX STEWART: Howe - you remember the instructor from the YMCA. He guaranteed to throw me twice in 21 minutes, but I threw him twice in seven.
 
FRED MORRISH: When you mention those things I can still see you doing it.
 
MURRAY GIBSON: I was talking to Alec Smith, telling him what we were going to do and he wanted to be remembered to you.
 
ALEX STEWART: There was a great old timer.
 
MURRAY GIBSON: Was Alec in the Coeur d'Alenes? Did he come to Rossland from the Coeur d'Alenes.
 
ALEX STEWART: I couldn't say.
 
FRED MORRISH: No, I don't think so. It seems to me he was from up this way somewhere. He was telling me one day that he walked into Rossland. Said he walked for two days before he got to Rossland. It seemed to me he told me it was over in this direction somewhere.
 
MURRAY GIBSON: Well from something somebody said I though he came in after the Coeur d'Alene strike.
 
FRED MORRISH: He may have
ALEX STEWART: I couldn't say about that. Irish. Do you remember Irish? He was a bartender under Alec.
 
FRED MORRISH: What was that other Irishman's name that used to work at the mine? Happy something. He'd get on a drunk and he'd always have a keg of beer up here over his bed with a hose. He could have a drink any time he liked. He used to stay at the Central.
 
ALEX STEWART: They were great old days.
 
FRED MORRISH: I laughed at him one day. I was working with him in the mine. He was standing up and leaning against the wall sound asleep - leaning on his shovel and the boss came in. The foreman at the mine at that time. What the Dickens was his name? Ed Montgomery. He got a hold of Paddy and he shook him and he says " If you want a job here you'll stay awake. Do you know who I am?" He says " No, I don't." " Well " he says " I'm the foreman." The Irishman said " Well you've got a damned good job and you want to try and hang on to it."
 
ALEX STEWART: Do you remember the great tug-of-war teams.
 
FRED MORRISH: Yes, I do.
 
ALEX STEWART: I guess that was the greatest thing in the line of tug-of-war that was ever pulled off.
 
FRED MORRISH: Gee there were some big men in that.
 
ALEX STEWART: They brought a fellow from California to be anchor man against me. I was on the police force but I represented the Centre Star Mine. They asked me. They brought in this big fellow from California to pull for the War Eagle. That was an awful pull - one hour. The saddle I had if it were built now would cost $150. I was training to build up in the saddle. Well we got a pair of horses up at the Centre Star Mine on 100 ft. of rope. I got my feet braced and they said "go" with the War Eagle team on the end of the rope. I held them there the first pull. Someone at the scene said "Try it a second time" and I agreed to take another chance. That time this right leg bent and the team pulled me over so my shoulder hit him in the ribs and he broke three ribs.
 
FRED MORRISH: I remember that - I took a glass of water out to you when you were pulling. You just took one little sip and rubbed the rest of it on your face - or I probably rubbed it on for you.
 
ALEX STEWART: The fellow that pulled against me - that big fellow never got over it before he died - three weeks afterwards.
 
FRED MORRISH: Oh, that was a terrible thing that tug-of-war, to see those great big fellows...
 
ALEX STEWART: And a darned horse ran away and came and jumped right over the top of me - he never touched me but he ran right over me.
 
FRED MORRISH: When they'd take the strain you'd think the rope was going to break - you'd see it stretch out like a piece of elastic. Everybody would hold until Alex got his legs up. Then he would straighten out and you'd see that old rope come up and away.
 
ALEX STEWART: There was an awful lot of money up. There was over $1,000 bet in the Hoffman Hotel that day.
 
FRED MORRISH: Some of the biggest men I ever saw were on that team.
 
MURRAY GIBSON: What year was that Alex?
 
ALEX STEWART & FRED MORRISH: Around 10 or 12
 
BILL WADESON: The Hoffman House was still going then ?
 
FRED MORRISH: Oh yes, they had a bowling alley in it. I'm the only one who ever bowled 500 in it - I bowled a perfect game in there.
 
ALEX STEWART: They bought that alley down in Chicago. FRED MORRISH: Say - I'll tell you - I had a letter from Ella Keef. Eddie Keef just died a month ago. Burned to death in San Fransico. I guess he had a cigarette or something when he went to bed. But they found him in the morning and he was three quarters burned but still alive. He only lived for an hour or so.
 
ALEX STEWART: Say when I first went to Rossland I got aquainted with a fellow called Dunc McDonald - no - McDonnell. Did you fellows know him?
 
MURRAY GIBSON: Well, I think we all knew his family. We knew his girls and he had one son - Joe. Was that the fellow? He was on the police Force ?
 
ALEX STEWART: Yes - that's right - he was a police fellow. And he had just quit the force. And I was talking to him one night and we were pretty good friends. And he says to me "Can you come in and have a drink even though you're in uniform?" I says " Sure - I'll take a chance." Well he says "The man who's running this spends a lot in my place and I've just never had the chance to spend a few dollars - I'd just like to go in and buy a drink for the crowds."
     Well we went in there and this ( Teest ? ) the old fellow who was a supposedly very powerful man - he kept a big dumbell in there and he used to bet all night to see who could lift it up the most times. The dumbell weighed 75 pounds. I've still got it in Vancouver - I bought it from him.
     When we went in Garrick was just giving an exhibition and he challenged anyone in the crowd to put it up as many times as I can and he said " I'll bet $10." Well McDonnell spoke up and he said " I'll call you - I'll bet on this man here." And McDonnell didn't know me more than three weeks you know. And I had no idea who he was picking on. When he put up the money he turned. to me and. said "Will you try it?" " Oh Gosh, " I says, "Dunc, you shouldn't have done that." I says " I wouldn't have a chance with that man." "Oh, it don't matter." he says " I just want the chance to spend a few dollars with him, and if you lose it's O.K. - just try." So we tossed up to see who would have to do it first and he had to do it first. He put it up 22 times - this 75 pound dumbell. So when it came to my turn I put it up 42. I just seem to be a lucky person. I wasn't anything outside the ordinary but anything I went into seemed to be pure lucky.
 
FRED MORRISH: Well you kept yourself in good shape, Alex, all the time.
 
ALEX STEWART: Yes I was trained right to the minute all the time. I blame some of my good fortune to a priest. When I left Cape Breton to come out west, another young fellow was with me and we were on the train. This fellow drank a lot - I didn't drink then at all. He got out into the smoking room with three or four other fellows - and they were all drunk. My pal got drunk too. Well a priest came in to have a smoke - I guess he wanted a smoke pretty bad. He came in with his big pipe and when he came in they were cursing and swearing you know. And I thought it was awful in front of a good man and I got up and walked out. I went out into the coach and sat down in my seat but I was only out there a few minutes when the priest came in and sat down with me. He says " Young fellow, I think you belong to a better class than what you are travelling with. Well we talked for a while and I had bought some shoes - you can't buy them today, but in Cape Breton when we left it was snowing and was raining - about three inches of snow and slush and I went and. bought these fancy rubber boots lined inside with sheep's wool, you know. They were perfect looking things - beautiful - and, of course when I got on the train they were too warm and I took 'em off and put on a pair of shoes. These boots were setting in the seat beside me. "Oh my," the priest said, " Wouldn't I like to have a pair of boots like that where I'm going." He said " I'm getting off at the next stop to see a sick woman and I've got to climb up hill and it's nothing but snow and slush and pouring rain." He said " Would you sell 'em?" I says " No, I wouldn't sell 'em - I just bought em yesterday." So we went along and finally the horn tooted - the whistle tooted - for him to get off. He said " I've got to leave you, my friend," and he got up and shook hands and started to leave and I said "You're forgetting your boots." He says "You said you wouldn't sell 'em." " No, I won't " I said, " But I'm giving them to you." He told me to stand up and he put his hand on my head and he said a lot of things that I don't know what he was saying. Then he spoke English. He said " You'll have a great and prosperous life." That's the way it's been all through life.
 
FRED MORRISH: We had quite a bit of excitement up there at the time of the explosion. You were there then?
 
ALEX STEWART: Yes. You mean the time John Ingram was killed.
 
FRED MORRISH: That was an exciting time around Rossland.
 
BILL WADESON: That must have taken just about all the glass in town.
 
FRED MORRISH: Just about. Even down as far as the where the old water hole is - down at Floyd's Ranch (down at the Milk Creek Dairy). It broke windows down there.
 
MURRAY GIBSON: Just the one man killed in it though ?
 
FRED MORRISH: Just the one man,
 
ALEX STEWART: Well, let's have another.
 
BILL WADESON: I like to hear this because if a drink'll loosen your tongue, by all means let's have a drink.
 
ALEX STEWART: Where's yours ?
 
BILL WADESON: Oh, mine's been empty for some time - I'm one of these fast drinkers.
 
ALEX STEWART: Well will you have another.
 
BILL WADESON: Thanks, I'll Just do that.
 
MURRAY GIBSON: Bill, have it out of the Scotch bottle this time, we don't want to clean his stock out here.
 
FRED MORRISH: I'll tell you what I was telling these fellows on the way over. That my younger brother was the only one really hurt besides the man who got killed in that explosion.. Do you remember - he got his eye put out 9 with a sliver of glass. He was just a kid and old Dr. English said "If you can live for another 50 years you'll be able to see anything out of that eye again. And to-day he can read anything at all with it. It just came back like overnight. After all that time.
 
ALEX STEWART: I read without glasses.
 
MURRAY GIBSON: At 90 years old Bill. That's fantastic.
 
BILL WADESON: Amazing. And what do you do for exercise now ?
 
ALEX STEWART: Well I'm exercising from the time I get up until I go to bed because every little thing I do, I do it in a way that I'm always exercising. Anything I grab a hold of in my hand I'll press a half a dozen times. If I go to the wash basin there I'll bend a dozen or two times - about a dozen times a day. Or I'll go out to do a little clearing or jump up to the limb of a little tree there and grab a hold and then drop down. Of course in Vancouver I've got all sorts of apparatus to work on. Dumbells and so on.
 
MURRAY GIBSON: Well I'll join you. Alec.
 
ALEX STEWART: Yes you do that. I was telling Eddy and Ethel that I'd met a mighty fine fellow down there, and of course they know you.
 
MURRAY GIBSON: Oh yes I've known Eddy and Ethel for about thirty-five years, I guess.
 
FRED MORRISH: Well there's not very many old timers left in Rossland. When I go up there I'm lost. There's only one or two I can go and talk to - Jimny Hunter, Roy Stevens - he's still going strong.
 
ALEX STEWART: Roy - Well for gosh sake - Well he's as old as I am, I think.
 
FRED MORRISH: No, but he's along in his eighties, though.
 
ALEX STEWART: For God's sake the first time I remember him he was bald-headed and I was just a kid.
 
FRED MORRISH: When you get talking about old timers, you look around and you see these people. You actually see them in action, you know, you can't help it.
 
BILL WADESON: There's a name that's always intrigued me from up there, and of course I didn't know him - Bigga da Mike. Who was that ?
 
FRED MORRISH: Oh yes, Mike Caffaldo. All the family pictures were hanging around the outside of the house. ALEX STEWART: I have a story I'd like to tell you or am I too tiresome ?
 
FRED MORRISH, MURRAY GIBSON, BILL WADESON: Oh no - go ahead.
 
ALEX STEWART: Well do you remember George Bradshaw on the police force? Well for some reason Bradshaw got it in for me but the old chief he was very strong in my favour. But the sergeant, Bradshaw was against me - but I saved his life. That's how I came to be on the police force. George, he went to arrest a fellow in the saloon. The fellow he went to arrest just grabbed him and flopped him - for all Bradshaw was a big man. And they were getting ready to kick his head off, you know, and I looked in the door as I was going by - I looked in and saw the scrap and I rushed in and grabbed the fellow and jerked him back. All of a sudden I realized I was in a tight spot. They all looked angry at me and they were just about ready to pounce on me. But I seen something like that happen at Halifax and it reminded me, so I stuck my hand in my pocket like this, and said " Listen, young fellow, if you're in trouble you go to the police officer, and if you're fined in the morning, I'll pay your fine." Well they all started talking among themselves and they all cooled down quite a bit and they all agreed that was what he should do. I said "You can't get away with it. You may beat up the seargent, but there'll be a dozen after you tomorrow Well, he finally agreed to go and the sergeant handcuffed him and started with him and he had a street to walk along. I walked along with him until we got to the police station and he took my name and address, where I was stopping at. A crowd had followed us - about 25 or 30 of them - right on our heels. When we got down to the police station - in the old city hall, you know. There was those big windows, and four or five police were watching out of them. There was quite a big force then - there were fifteen. Fifteen police officers and they were just coming on shift and going off and walking around inside. When we came to the door I turned and said to the sergeant " I'll beat it off home now and go to bed," and I said to the fellow " I'll keep my word. I'll be down to the police court at ten o'clock, and if you're fined I'll pay it."
     So I went home and went to bed and in the morning about six o'clock there was a knock on the door and Lena Watson - you remember Mrs Watson used to run the hotel; she come to the door and she said " You're wanted at the police Station." "Yes," I said, "that's right - but I don't have to be there until ten o'clock." "Well," she says, " it's the chief of police who's talking and he wants to talk to you." So I got ready and went right down. So he says " You're the young fellow who gave the sergeant a hand last night?" And I says "Yes sir." He says " How would you like to be a policeman?" I says "I don't like it. I wouldn't like the job." "You ought to change your mind," he said. " Because I think you would make a police officer. Think this thing over" he said, " I'd like to put you on the force." And I finally agreed to go on for thirty days trial.
     Well the first thirty days I did some good stunts but I did more bad ones. The chief called me in his office and said " Alex, you just won't settle down. You'd make a good police officer, but you've got to cut out a lot of this stuff." I said " Chief, I don't want the job in the first place." "Alex," he said, "I'm going to give you thirty days' more trial, and try and settle down because I want to keep you." Well after the second thirty days was up and I didn't do any better than the first thirty, so... The last man on the police force - there were sixteen - I was number 16 - and they were counted from number 1, 2, 3 and everybody had authority over me and the last man on slept in a room beside the jail and I slept in there. So, on this last day, I knew it was all off for me and I wouldn't get no more chance ( and I didn't want any ). Well when I got up - I got up about noon - and when I was going through the office the old chief hollered at me to come in. He said he wanted to talk to me. "Alex," he said, "I'm mighty sorry, I guess the jig is off this time, I can't do any more - some of the citizens is kicking - I'm awful sorry. " I started to go out but he said "Come back here a minute. Now," he says " you and I are the only two policemen in Rossland to-night."
      "It's Collins, the preacher." (I wouldn't be sure on the name - It was Collins, I think) He brought a girl from England out and passed her off for his niece, and he was living with her.....
 
FRED MORRISH: Oh yes
 
ALEX STEWART: Yeah - he preached a year in the church.
 
FRED MORRISH: Yeah, I remember that.
 
ALEX STEWART: He was a wonderful speaker. And he preached a year there and he had this girl in the family way. I think he went back to the old country and the New York police were looking for him and the London police were after him, but when the Rossland police found out, why he was gone back. But he went back and stayed with his wife only two or three weeks and came back again. Well they notified the New York police to meet the boat, you see, and get him and - God - he fooled the New York police and he got by them. So the old chief, Robertson, he wasn't taking any chances. You know that there were several places that the train stopped - at the switchback - and it was like that all the way to Castlegar. So when the train went out in the afternoon he sent all the police force out on it. And when they came to these places where the train stopped they would get out and wait for it to come back. So the train came in and the old sergeant couldn't afford the policemen at this time. So the chief he took me out to dinner and then he took me out to the house where this girl was, and he told me all about this preacher business and he says " you keep your eyes open around here to-night." And the funny thing was - it was 'way out on Washington St. ( and it wasn't finished then ) and there was a big bunch of bushes 'way out in the centre of the street and on the left hand side was a nurse girl, waiting on a sick person and I had to take her out that night and over on the lower side was the girl that the preacher had on the lower side of the street. And the old Miners' Union Hall - the first hall - just a shack built - and a long shack with seven partitions built across it, you see, and the girl was in one end and the old folks who used to live in it were in the far end. And, of course the chief took me up there and showed me the ground, you see, and everything, and took me around and introduced me to the two old people and told them about the preacher who was on the train - and we were going to get him this time for sure. Well they got very nervous and they went into the room where the girl was and they told the girl. The girl didn't say much but after I had been shown around I had that advantage, the chief said to me ( he went home around eleven o'clock) he says to me "Alex, you're the only man left on the force; will you behave yourself ?" I said " Chief, this is one night I 'm going to be on the job. You can depend on me." He said "I believe you." and he went home.
     Well finally the train pulled in. Our whole force was on it and the preacher had got away. The sergeant was a great fellow for making out long reports , you know. He could certainly sound off and stretch out the sheets. He wrote one saying that the London police was mistaken and the New York police were mistaken. He blamed everybody but himself. And said Collins had never come in. (I say Collins, and that was his name, I think.) Well the sergeant came in and he met me and he said "You're through and you're through for good." " I know that," I said and wanted to be through and I walked out and I walked up the street to meet the girl, you know.
     Well I got up there to this little bunch of bushes and I was a little ahead of time because she was supposed to come to the door and give me the high sign. So I was standing there and golly I thought I heard something move in the bushes. And it was a beautiful moonlit night - the moon was shining right overhead. I listened and I thought it was just a toad or something. Finally I seen a fellow all bent down with whiskers on - bent down and starting going down towards the old hall. He stood up and gave the window a tap and I said to myself: "Golly, that's Collins the preacher. He's got by the whole works and got ahead. Holy G. now what do I do? If I put in a call, old Bradshaw will get all the credit and I will get nothing." Said I : "I'm going to take him alone." He was supposed to be a dangerouse character and an athletic fellow too. I says "I'm going to take him alone - I'll try it anyhow," So I figured it out and went down the ground to the far end of the building and tried the door. Luckily it was open. I went in and over to the room where the two old parents were sleeping. I woke them up and I says Listen now, keep quiet, Collins the preacher is in the room with the girl right now." Oh. the old woman started yelling and the old man says "Keep your damned mouth shut!" And she closed up, so I said: " Have you any shootin' irons?" He got up on the wall and. got down an old rifle, but there was no firing plug in it. I said. " That's no good, but listen what I want you to do. We'll creep out of the house and go round by the window, where he went in through the window. ( The preacher when he went round by the window, knocked on the window and the girl opened it and reached out with her arms and dragged him in through the window.) And they were having a great time in there and I said "You get to this window," and it happened that there was a great big stump about the size of that heater there, about six feet from the window. And I said " You get behind that and use it to rest my service revolver." ( he was supposed to be armed ) I would take a chance without it. I said " You take my revolver and hold it on top of that stump." Well I got him to sit down there and I said " I'll go around and come in the other end."
     And I noticed when the chief and I investigated earlier in the day that the wall was all ready to fall down. So I got to the door of her room and I knew I was going to have to go in with one bounce. And I got right through to the door and I stood there a few seconds and they were having a heck of a good time in there giggling and laughing and laughing and tickling. So I braced myself and made my rush and the door went plop with me on top of it. As luck would have it he couldn't get out of bed - he was all tangled up in the sheets, so by the time he was out of bed I was up on my feet and ready for action. Well we mixed it and it was one of the toughest fights I ever had. He was sure in condition and good shape, but I finally got him choked - choked him unconscious and got handcuffs on him.
     So we started for the police station and he kept looking at me all the way down, and I figured he was going to try to make his escape. "Well," he said " I never thought I would be arrested by a kid cop." So I says "It's a funny thing but this is my last act. When I arrest you and lock you up I'm fired." "Oh no," he said "when I'm through talking you'll be promoted."
     Well that's what happened to me - I took him down and he told me he was very hungry, so I says " All right I'll get you something." And I went out and got him a roast chicken and brought it in to him and then I went to jail him in the room ahead. In the morning the old sergeant come in ... Oh yes when I brought him in - I'm ahead of my story - when I brought him in there's two of the police there and they said " Why, you're off shift. You're fired. You can't arrest a man. What are you arresting that man for ?" I says " For a drunk." See, I didn't want them to know who I had. "Well" they said, "you'll be in trouble." I said " That's none of your worry." And that preacher he sure was a good fellow. He keeled over against the wall, you know and he made out he was drunk. I searched, went through the pockets - he had all kinds of money and everything. "Why" I says, "you're a bum - you haven't got a bean. Come on out to the jail where you belong." So we went out, you know and I went out and got him his dinner.
     So in the morning the old sergeant, when he come on shift he came into my room. "What's the idea " he says "arresting a man after being fired, and arresting a man for being drunk?" The two policemen there say he was perfectly sober," " They don't know everthing," I say " I can prove when the court opens that he was so drunk."
     So in about half an hour I heard the chief coming - he was a "big man - he come in Thump, Thump Thump (action by Alex) - the chief come in, he said "Alex, what the deuce happened last night ? You were off shift, but how come you came to arrest the drunk ?" I says "Chief, do you know who I got ?" He says "No, I don't !" I says " I got Collins the preacher." Well he just let one yell out of him and then he made a race for the jail. The first thing I heard was " Hello Collins ". "Hello Chief " - they were great friends - and then they shook hands. So then he came back and I was in bed and my sister had just sent me a silk nightshirt and that chief he just grabbed that shirt and he tore it all to pieces and pulled it off me. So when the case came up in court and he went out in the office and boy, did he bawl those others out. "Your nuts" he says " I sent you all the way out there so you wouldn't miss him, and he sat in the seat and talked to Bradshaw all the way in." He had this whisker on him and they didn't know him.
     So in court - sure as heck he kept his word. When he was charged and they asked him for an explanation he gave me the finest screed I'd ever heard - bring tears to your eyes - he boosted me saying " You got a boy there of which no police force need be ashamed . You ought to be proud of all he's done." I was promoted to Number One.
 
MURRAY GIBSON: You'd 'better have another drink, Alex, Do you want some Scotch this time ?
 
ALEX STEWART: O.K.
 
MURRAY GIBSON: All right, I'll get it for you if you want.
 
FRED MORRISH: Can I use your bathroom. Alec ?
 
ALEX STEWART: Yeah - just around the corner. Turn to your right. To your left - To your left, my boy, MURRAY GIBSON: Did you know of a mounted policeman named Read - he opened a detachment in Grand Forks,
 
ALEX STEWART: No, I can't say I did.
 
MURRAY GIBSON: He opened this detachment and then he was on the dope detail.
 
ALEX STEWART: No, I didn't know him
 
MURRAY GIBSON: This is all there is of this. I'd better put in a little more of this other stuff and we'll leave the rest of this stuff for you.
 
********************
Note by Bill Wadeson :- This was the end of the adjournment and Murray tried to resume with the "dope" story which we must get on tape some day. At this point, however, Alec suddenly realized that all this conversation was going on tape and we lost the "dope" story. For the record it should be noted that this was pointed out to Alex at the outset and the machine was in full view but I guess he forgot, in his enthusiasm.
********************
 
MURRAY GIBSON: This chap he told. me he was on the dope detail and I thought you might have known him. Anyway he told me this story which you might remember .................
 
FRED MORRISH: I wonder if I left my coat in here - it's got my cigarettes in the pocket.
 
MURRAY GIBSON: Oh here, have these. Well this.............
 
ALEX STEWART: Your coat's laying right here on the bed.
 
FRED MORRISH: This chap Read told me about a ............ They decided they had the dope on a Chinaman in Rossland that they were sure that was peddling some dope .......
 
ALEX STEWART: Now I understand. Now I'm not talking any more.
 
BILL WADESON: That stuff has to be preserved. Alex you are part of the history of the country and this is our only chance to preserve it.
 
ALEX STEWART: Thank you,
 
MURRAY GIBSON: Yes, Alex you are one of the few fellows left who lived through these times and there are very few who can talk about it. This is the only way we can preserve it.
 
FRED MORRISH: When did you come to Rossland the first time?
 
ALEX STEWART: Ninety Seven.
 
FRED MORRISH: I came in ninety eight.
 
ALEX STEWART: Baby
 
FRED MORRISH: Well, I was still able to go to school when I came.
 
MURRAY GIBSON: How old were you when you came to Rossland, Alec ?
 
ALEX STEWART: Well I was born 1874 - that would make me about 23 years old.
 
BILL WADESON: What was this year you were speaking of when you joined the police force ? Was that right away?
 
ALEX STEWART: Yes right away - at least before 1900, You know we mentioned Collins and that may not be the right name.
 
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Note by Wayne Krewski :- In actual fact the nightly police log shows that Alex's first shift was on 10 Feb 1902. There may have been a short training period during the days prior to that which didn't show up on the nightly log. The first record of Alex on the Voters List is in 1903. There is a letter from the City of Rossland to Officer Stewart dated 29 Jan 1903 appointing him Police Constable at the salary of $85.00 per month for January & February and $80.00 per month thereafter. There is a letter from the Board of Police Commissioners to Alexander Stewart, Esquire, Police Constable dated 18 March 1904 asking for his resignation effective immediately. Whatever the cause & result of that was, he remained on the force for many years to come. From April 1908 to November 1914, the logbook shows that Alex was the only Constable on duty at night, except for occasional short periods when Alex was gone, presumeably on leave. His last entry was 30 November 1914. Also on 30 November 1914 there is an entry by Constable Caunt stating that he was sworn in and that both Chief Long and Constable Stewart of the Rossland Police force left the force and went to Nelson to take over there, and Chief Devit of the Nelson force came to Rossland to take over.
********************
 
BILL WADESON & FRED MORRISH: That's all right - that's close enough.
 
ALEX STEWART: But I think it was Collins
 
FRED MORRISH: There's not very many living now that would, know the difference, Alex.
 
ALEX STEWART: This is a story I'd like to give, but I wasn't so smart on this. Do you know Mr.E.H Winn ?
 
********************
Note by Alfie Albo:- E.S.H.Winn was the late head of the Workmen's Compensation Board
********************
 
MURRAY GIBSON: Yes - well I just met him
 
ALEX STEWART: And Mr.J.A.McDonald - He was the prosecuting attorney and Winn was the assistant. Well Winn and the prosecuting attorney knew that Bradshaw had it in for me, do you see, and they thought I was all right, I guess. And there was this fellow, a big engineer, I believe his name was McPherson, he was a mining engineer - a very wealthy man. He had quite a lot , I think, to do with mining in the early days. He come in and he was in the Collins House and he called everybody up for a drink and while they were having a drink he pulled out a bill, a thousand dollar bill, and he asked the boys if they ever saw a thousand dollar bill before, and he passed it around so that everybody could have a look at it. Then they passed it back to him and just as they passed it back to him a girl that was in that little office - you know that stood at the end of the bar - a girl stepped out of that office quick as lightening and grabbed the $1,000 bill and back in the office and up the back stairs and out the back way and got completely away. Well we're all after her and trying to catch her but nobody from the bunch was trying to catch her - they were all so astounded that they stood there. And maybe they wouldn't want to catch her anyhow, Well the police got onto it strong but soon the citizens began to kick to think that a girl could come into town and grab a thousand dollar bill from this man, and. he was one of the finest fellows in the country - highly respected by everybody you know, an awful fine man. ( I think it was McPherson I'm not sure ). They were complaining the police was doing nothing.
     So one night I got a call from Mr. Winn. He said "You know your old sergeant's kinda got it in for you. I'm going to give you a chance to make a reputation for yourself." I said " How is that Mr Winn ?" "Well," he says, "you know the girl that stole the $1,000 ?" I said "Yes, we're all workirg on it," "Well," he said " you haven't got much, have you ?" He says " she's sitting here in the office with me right now. I've got the $1,000 but now I've got the chance to give you a great name. I want to take this girl into court. She could have skipped out and got clear away, but I wouldn't let her do it without going into court first and clear herself so she wouldn't be bothered by the police." He said "She's a fine girl, and I'll give you a chance to make a record for yourself." I said "How's that, Mr. Winn ?" "Well," he says "you go down on the corner of Washington St. and Columbia Ave and at seven o'clock......." At that time the streets is crowded, you know - all the gamblers and others are getting around to going on shift. The street is really crowded and he says "You be on the corner and you'll get the beat on everyone and no-one will ever know it but the girl and myself and the attorney general or the prosecuting attorney." I laughed and I said "Gosh, Mr.Winn, that's not much of a hero's job. You pick her up and phone me to tell me where she is and never mind that." He says. " Don't worry about that - you'll get a full - page spread." I says "OK" and I was there at seven and I was all swelled up with the thought that I was going to get a reputation, arresting the girl in this crowd.
     So I stood there ten minutes past seven - no girl. Twenty minutes past seven - no girl. I says " By God that Mr Winn's made a fool of me. He got me down here to give the girl a chance to get out of town."  All of a sudden I felt a tap on the shoulder. "Aren't you going to arrest me?" she says. Well I was quite excited. " " What's that ? Eh. Oh. Why sure you're under arrest." She laughed and we started down the street and I was walking 'way out on the outside of the sidewalk and she was on the inside. "You'd better get closer to me " she said, "or people won't think I'm under arrest." Well we walked in and I called up Mr.Winn and I said " That girl of yours is here but I didn't make a very good job of it." " What's that,?" "Well she had to tap me on the shoulder to draw my attention." Well I thought he would die laughing.
     The case came up the next day in the courtroom - the people heard about it - the girl being arrested and everything. And the old gentlemen Sutherland had to lay information and the old city hall was jammed, and just when the case was about to start and the old judge started to do his talking, Mr. Sutherland stood up - he was a great big man - about 6 foot 3 or 4 and about 65 or 70 years old - He stood up and he says: "Your Honour, if it pleases this court, I'd like to withdraw that charge and give that $1,000 bill to the girl. That girl's mother was my greatest friend and she made me what I am today and her last words when this girl was 8 years old - she put her in my care and I took perfect care of her until she disappeared. I hired detectives trying to find her but never could locate her. But she stands here in front of you and she gave her right name - that's her right name - and I want this case withdrawn." And the judge dismissed the case right away and when the two of them left the courtroom she had him by the arm.
 
MURRAY GIBSON: Well that's quite a story. FRED MORRISH: Alex, I bet that you couldn't find any more than three or four in Rossland that you'd know - that is of the old-timers. I go up there and I'm lost. Unless I go to see Alma Beverley. Do you remember Buck Beverley's daughter? She married Alec Paige and we see them ... and Roy Stevens, Curley Rouelle, little Curley Rouelle...
 
ALEX STEWART: Yes
 
FRED MORRISH: Well, he just died. Just a short time ago. Up at Frenchtown ...
 
BILL WADESON: Where was Frenchtown ?
 
FRED MORRISH: Well it was up at the top end of Washington Street and down towards the track. There were a lot of Frenchmen there, but if you went up above, crossing the CPR tracks again there was a whole row of houses up there. That used to be real Frenchtown.
 
MURRAY GIBSON: This isn't, Fred, coming down from the old reservoir - coming down towards town?
 
FRED MORRISH: Well, they were in there too, yes, but that main street up there. They used to be all French up there. I used to deliver groceries up there.
 
BILL WADESON: Where is that - Just about McLeod or just off Plewman Way?
 
FRED MORRISH: Well, where the CPR track goes up to the mine, I guess. You cross the track up there - on the old wagon road and you turn to your right to all those houses up in there, all facing town, and that was Frenchtown.
 
MURRAY GIBSON: That's just above Mcleod Avenue
 
FRED MORRISH: Yeah, that's right,
 
BILL WADESON: Well, was Fishtown alive then ?
 
FRED MORRISH: That's what they called Fishtown, or Frenchtown
 
BILL WADESON: There was a Fishtown up by the War Eagle that you mentioned Alex. At least you can still see the signs of houses there.
 
FRED MORRISH: They were pretty well Irish up in there. All the Irishmen in the countryh lived up there. I can't remember the names of them. I used to deliver groceries up in there.
 
BILL WADESON: Was the War Eagle Hotel standing then ?
 
FRED MORRISH: Oh yes. That got knocked to pieces in the explosion.
 
BILL WADESON: Oh, was that it ?
 
FRED MORRISH: Yes
 
BILL WADESON: Well it was towards town from the hotel and on the lower side of the road where you can still see the outline of the houses or the foundations of them - and there's an old tennis court up there.
 
FRED MORRISH: Yes. Gee whizz that's a long time ago Alex.
 
ALEX STEWART: Yes. It'll be 24 years since I retired.
 
BILL WADESON: Oh I can't believe that. Is that right, I remember seeing a write-up in the paper.
 
ALEX STEWART: It was 40 and I put in six years as chief of police for the Boewing Aircraft Co.
 
MURRAY GIBSON: In 42 ?
 
ALEX STEWART: No I went for the Boewing Aircraft in 40 and. I put in six years there. I held. a job down for six years. The war was over but they kept me on.
 
BILL WADESON: And I guess Bob Harshaw has just retired.
 
ALEX STEWART: Yes
 
FRED MORRISH: Gee whizz when you stop and think about things that happened from the 1900's on, you can see those people - you can place them, but you can't find names for them.
 
MURRAY GIBSON: I had a friend that I used to see quite often - Jack Hanna.
 
ALEX STEWART: Have you seen him lately?
 
MURRAY GIBSON: Well, I had lunch with him in Victoria. He's living in Victoria and his daughter married a chap by the name of Le Fluque (?) and they had a daughter married just recently.
 
FRED MORRISH: Gee it only seems yesterday they were all little kids. Yes, my wife, when she heard that you were over here said " Well, you say hello to Alex for me." Laura Jewell.
 
ALEX STEWART: Laura Jewell ? Laura Jewell's your wife ?
 
FRED MORRISH: Sure.
 
ALEX STEWART: Well I'll be ... That's wonderful. Well you just say "Hello" to her for me.
 
FRED MORRISH: I sure will. She and your wife used to be great friends.
 
ALEX STEWART: Yes. They were great pals. Minnie Ganninnon - do you remember her ?
 
FRED MORRISH: Yes and at the old-timers' celebration up at Rossland there was Minnie Ganinnon and the two Dyer girls sitting right opposite me - and did we ever have a talk. Laura knew me, you know,as kids but I didn't know them until they were pretty-well grown.
 
ALEX STEWART: Old Jim Dyer's girls
 
FRED MORRISH: Yes. And. they looked just the same you know.
 
ALEX STEWART: There was a girl visiting here in this house - Lily Paul - Do you remember Paul, the photographer ?
 
FRED MORRISH: Yes.
 
ALEX STEWART: Well Lily was here about two weeks ago.
 
FRED MORRISH: Gee whiz. You know you hear these different names and then you think "Doggone, why did I forget those people ?" Kids I went to school with.
 
ALEX STEWART: I done some funny things - we had a fellow who passed off some worthless checks in Rossland and he was only in town about two hours and he left, walking for Northport and I walked down after him. He had quite a start on me and he got across - he got a little boat. I followed him across the line ( if a fellow did that today he'd be hung ). I located the hotel and took him out of bed and brought him back. Just imagine that today.
 
BILL WADESON: I guess they had the customs house there in those days.
 
FRED MORRISH: Sure. Old Daddy Woods
 
********************
Note by Alfie Albo:- William Woods
********************
 
MURRAY GIBSON: Alex, wasn't there some story when they were building the old court house - I didn't know much about it - but a contractor who didn't pay wages and tried to skip out of the country.? Do you remember anything About that ?
 
ALEX STEWART: No. I don't remember
 
FRED MORRISH: There was something to do with that court house - I've heard my dad speaking of it but I don't know the names or the parties.
 
MURRAY GIBSON: Well it was something along the order that this chap didn't pay his men and they were going to lose the money and he went down to Trail and got on a boat and a policeman from Rossland got a team of horses and went to Northport and brought him back.
 
ALEX STEWART: Yes. I walked to Northport and back without having a drink of water.
 
FRED MORRISH: About 20 miles
 
BILL WADESON: Oh it's more than that - it must be 36 miles.
 
FRED MORRISH: I was figuring 20 miles one way.
 
BILL WADESON: Let's see there was an old wooden bridge there as I remember. Was the wooden bridge there then or did you have to get a boat.
 
ALEX STEWART: Cross by boat. BILL WADESON: Well you'd remember Sourdough Alley, I bet you.
 
ALEX STEWART: Oh yes.
 
BILL WADESON: What were the names of the girls down in Sourdough Alley ?
 
ALEX STEWART: One named Popgun Kate, Hazel Domingo.
 
********************
Note by Wayne Krewski: He may be referring to Popcorn Kate who ran a popcorn and candy store on St. Paul Street north of 3rd Ave. on the east side of the street.
********************
 
FRED MORRISH: What about Irish Nell ?
 
ALEX STEWART: You know whose girl she was, do you. Do you know who was laying up with her? You know he had red hair.
 
FRED MORRISH: Oh yeah I know - she used to dye his whiskers red. He was the real estate man.
 
ALEX STEWART: You remember the fellow that committed suicide down there. I think his name's Charlie ...
 
FRED MORRISH: I can't think of it.
 
ALEX STEWART: I can't remember it - there's two sisters ...
 
MURRAY GIBSON: The International must have been quite a place.
 
FRED MORRISH: I snuck in there one afternoon, you know when they were having the shows there. Selling papers, you see and I hid under one of the benches until the show started. Of course I was late getting home, but everything was fine until dad said "Well where were you, son ?" I said "selling papers." He said "So where ?" I said "In the International. " " What were you doing there ?" "Selling papers. Dad," "Well - that's a saloon. I told you not to go into saloons." "Well? I said,"that's more of a show than a saloon." And that did it - I sure got a tanning on that.
 
ALEX STEWART: I well remember the gamblers out walking. They'd get up about two o'clock in the afternoon, and walk on down the street in long black overcoats and no arms in their sleeves. They'd
     just have their overcoats over their shoulders. That's the way they dressed. You could always tell them.
 
MURRAY GIBSON: What was the reason for that ?
 
ALEX STEWART: It was the style. They were very fashionably dressed. They were professional gamblers and very stylish to their way of thinking with their nice black coats. They would go out and it would be kind of chilly maybe - kind of cold, but it was too much hard work to put their arms in their coat sleeves.
 
FRED MORRISH: And their hard hats.
 
MURRAY GIBSON: Were there pretty big games ?
 
ALEX STEWART: Oh yes - huge games. Well is there any truth in that saying that Governor McIntosh brought six million dollars into Rossland and spent three million over the bars ?
 
FRED MORRISH: Yeah ... Yeah.
 
ALEX STEWART: He was a great old sport. He had two daughters and they were just as sporty as he was. But he'd walk around with his high hat on and he had a cane ( this is some years ago ) and he'd dance around and tap his cane - dance a jig ( action by Alex ) Oh, he was a real guy.
 
FRED MORRISH: Alex, d.o you remember Dr. Campbell and the two good little girls ?
 
ALEX STEWART: Oh. yes.
 
BILL WADESON: What was that story, Fred ?
 
FRED MORRISH: Well the two daughters and his wife liked to step out a little bit - well they wouldn't think anything of slipping into a saloon and having a few drinks.
 
BILL WADESON: Where was the International - physically, I mean?
 
FRED MORRISH: Right where the curling rink is.
 
MURRAY GIBSON: No wait
 
ALEX STEWART: You just came along Columbia Avenue until you came to Spokane Street and then you just turned the corner and it was in the middle of the block.
 
FRED MORRISH: Yes well that's where the curling rink used to be
 
MURRAY GIBSON: It used to be, but there's no curling rink there now Fred. That's a church there now.
 
FRED MORRISH: That's where it used to be anyway - you know my cousin married one of the Perry sisters that used to perform there at the International. - Jack Morrish who was superintendent of the Velvet. And that old house that the carpenters built is still standing at the Velvet Mine. The ceiling in there is one of those drop ceilings - a fellow from Rossland went out and put that in as a wedding present for them and there were carpets on all the upstairs rooms - all the upstairs rooms were carpetted - wall to wall carpets, all big heavy thick stuff like a ... and all downstairs with the exception of the kitchen. And when my mother was living I took her out there - that's about 15 years ago - and that carpet was still there. Just as nice as the day it was put down and that drop ceiling is wonderful to look at. You wouldn't believe that a man could do that with just ordinary paper. There was a scare of a fire going through there - oh that would be about 13 or 14 years ago - and somebody went out and cut a big strip out of that carpet and took it away. I suppose they figured that the place was going to burn anyway. But I was out at the Velvet about six years ago and I went out to the house. The fellow who was running the mine up there then ...I went up and told him who I was and what I wanted to see and he took me and let me go right through the house. It was just the same as it was when Jack was there.
     You see, the way he got mixed up in the Velvet - my dad's brother was consulting engineer for the London Mining Syndicate.
 
MURRAY GIBSON: That came into Rossland ?
 
FRED MORRISH: That came into Rossland - They came in from India.
 
MURRAY GIBSON: Your mother ?
 
FRED MORRISH: No, my father's brother. He looked at the different mines around Rossland - he was there to buy - and he bought the Velvet. That's why my dad became ??? - We came from Nevada. MURRAY GIBSON: I didn't know that about you. ( to Alex ) You came from Cape Breton ?
 
ALEX STEWART: No, that was when I came out but I came from Wallace - Cumberland County.
 
BILL WADESON: And you were born ....?
 
ALEX STEWART: In Cumberland County
 
MURRAY GIBSON: Across the street, he said, from Black Jack McDonald.
 
ALEX STEWART: Do you know Black Jack ?
 
BILL WADESON: No - I've just heard of him - I'm even a little bit younger than Murray and Murray's just a Johnny-come-lately - he's only been here fifty years.
 
ALEX STEWART: My - he don't look a day over forty-five.
 
MURRAY GIBSON: Well that's a good pure life that does it.
 
ALEX STEWART: No doubt you've led one.
 
FRED MORRISH: I went to old Jack McDonald's funeral.
 
BILL WADESON: "When was that, Fred ?
 
FRED MORRISH: Oh that must be about twelve years ago - something like that.
 
BILL WADESON: And where was he buried ?
 
FRED MORRISH: Up in Rossland. Yes, old Blackjack died in the Hospital up in Rossland.
 
ALEX STEWART: Old Blackjack would buy a dozen drinks a day - and every time he would reach into his pocket and pull out a four-bit piece. We'd always think that this was the last one but he never seemed to run out.
 
ALEX STEWART: He was a beautiful writer - he wrote the finest penmanship I ever seen.
 
MURRAY GIBSON: Bill, this is fantastic, because I saw one of his claimposts out on the Pend d'Oreille. Fred would know the writing, and I was this ...
 
BILL WADESON: Copper plate ?
 
MURRAY GIBSON: Yes, Copper plate and it was really beautifully done ...
 
ALEX STEWART: He used to write cards for the business people.
 
MURRAY GIBSON: A prospector and a miner - you know - you would never expect him to do this really beautiful...
 
ALEX STEWART: He was quite a fighter, you know,
 
FRED MORRISH: Yes, Jack could handle himself.
 
ALEX STEWART: He was quite a tough boy.
 
BILL WADESON: Yes, Fred was telling me the story coming in, about someone shooting a deer - almost a pet deer, it seemed - out of his place down on the Pend d'Oreille.
 
FRED MORRISH: Yes - Syd Hunt did that. Yes - you remember Syd Hunt. Syd Hunt and Bob Head.
 
BILL WADESON: Bob Head, the negro.
 
FRED MORRISH: Yes he was the negro who had the cleaning establishment. Well they went out to Jack's place and Jack had a deer there that used to come into the kitchen. I'd been out there just a few days before that - and Jack wanted me to shoot this deer, but I said " No I won't." ... and there were some willow grouse out in his yard and he wanted me to shoot them and I wouldn't. I said "I didn't come out here to take your chickens." " I'll go up in the hills and get some." I knew old Jack when I was just like this, you know. Two or three days after Jack was away staking out some claims - Bob Head and Syd Hunt went in there - they killed the deer and cleaned it right at Jack's side door and threw the cleanings right in his woodshed there, and shot four of the chickens. So he was in the next day with a revolver this long - you know the little one he carried - about a foot long - looking for them. So I got a hold of Ben Downs to get them out of the way, but they got out of town before Jack could get a hold of them or Jack would have killed them. He told Ben Downs " I came in on purpose to kill them."
 
BILL WADESON: And they stayed out of town for a week ?
 
FRED MORRISH: They sure did. And they made sure that Jack wasn't around before they came back. But Alex, when they put him in the hospital up in Rossland - I went up to see him. And he was sitting back in bed - lying back against the pillow with his hat on.
 
ALEX STEWART: No!
 
FRED MORRISH: And his hair braided around this way.
 
ALEX STEWART: For God's sake!
 
FRED MORRISH: He wouldn't take that hat off - and he wouldn't take his underwear off
 
ALEX STEWART: Probably it was stuck on. Poor Jack - he was the Nova Scotian champion,
 
FRED MORRISH: I forget who it was - some woman up there he promised to leave all his money to but I don't think she got any - I don't think he had any to leave there at the last.
 
ALEX STEWART: At the last - I don't think so. He went through quite a lot.
 
FRED MORRISH: Yes he did and, you know, you wouldn't find a better hearted man anywhere - he'd give you the shirt off his back.
 
ALEX STEWART: Jack was a fine fellow.
 
********************
Note by Alfie Albo :- In fact, Black Jack left to his sister in Boston $20,000 in bonds, $100 in gold coin and the house. The house was purchased by Mr. Plotnikoff . This was from the will - J.A.McLeod and Ken Martin, Executors
******************** BILL WADESON: Well, did you know Father Pat, Alex ?
 
ALEX STEWART: Oh yes, well. Old Father Pat was a jolly fellow, I remember seeing him one day ... I don't know whether I should be talking all this stuff ...
 
BILL WADESON: Don't worry. Alex. We'll be very discrete indeed.
 
ALEX STEWART: Well, I was always in a bit of trouble, you know, and I remember this day, after we had talked a while, I remember he patted me on the back and he said, " Alex, you're the devil. " Yes he stayed here for about 20 years and every year he took a ten dollar box of candy up to the sisters.
 
FRED MORRISH: Yes he was quite a character was Father Pat. He was one of these fellows who, if he saw you walking down the street with a new overcoat on, he'd want it - and he'd tell you.
 
********************
Note by Wayne Krewski:- in fact Father Pat was known for giving folks the coat off his back. One of the famous stories about him was the time some folks got together and bought him a brand new green coat to replace the threadbare coat he was wearing (it was wintertime) only to come across him a few days later wearing the old coat. Father Pat explained that some other poor soul needed it more than he did.
********************
 
ALEX STEWART: Oh I 'm. sorry, I was all wrong - It was not Father Pat - Father Pat was the English preacher. Yes, I knew him well, but I was talking about Father Oslo, the Catholic priest.
 
MURRAY GIBSON: He was before Father Mclntyre ?
 
ALEX STEWART: Yes.
 
FRED MORRISH: Oh yes he was there a long time before Father Mclntyre - I think I was the first one Father Mclntyre met when he came to Rossland. I was working for Charlie Myers, putting in the steam pipes in the new church that they have now.
 
BILL WADESON: Are you a steam-fitter too, Fred, I thought that you were an electrician.
 
FRED MORRISH: I was, but I worked for Myers there before I was an electrician. He was short- handed there and I went to work and helped him put in this ... Joe ... Joe Harris. I don't think you'd know him. He was gone before you got there.
 
ALEX STEWART: Did I ever tell you the story about Hazel Domingo ? She was one of the sporting girls.
 
BILL WADESON: Hazel Domingo, eh ? I'd like to hear about Hazel.
 
ALEX STEWART: Well, I don't know if I should tell you - you mustn't put it in print
 
BILL WADESON: Oh, no,
 
ALEX STEWART: Well, Hazel, you know, was a coloured girl, and a very beautiful girl and a beautiful build. And she just prided herself on that build. And she started getting heavy and she heard about me - how I took so much exercise and kept in shape, and had trained this one and that one, so she called me up and said "I'm just worried to death, I'm losing my shape" she says, "could you advise anything. I could do - would it be possible for you to put me back in shape ?" "Well" I says, " yes. Hazel, I could put you back in shape, but it would be a tough proposition, but if you could stand it I'd guarrantee to put you back in shape." She wanted to know how much it would cost and I said it should be worth about $250. ""Will you take me on, then ?" she says, and I said " Sure I will." "What do I have to do ?" she says, and I say "You be out here at five o'clock in the morning, and be ready to go. Have a woolen under suit on and dress in heavy clothes, man's pants and man's shoes and meet me ... and we'll go down towards Trail."
     I trotted her down there and she pretty near died before I got her back. I got her back and the next morning she did a little better and a little better. The I put her in the bathtub and put a blanket over the bath tub - covered her right over with double blankets - you. know. Left her there twenty minutes. Then took her out of the bath tub - laid a big double blanket on the floor - made her lie on the edge of it and rolled her over and over in it and leave her in there twenty minutes. She wanted to stop. She was going to quit two or three times. I told her " I don't care how soon you quit but you're going to pay the price." "I'm going to stay with it another day, " she said, and finally she got so that she liked it, and the weight was just falling off. I gave her the works. Brought her right down to her natural weight.
 
BILL WADESON: This is fantastic.
 
FRED MORRISH: Do you remember the pretty girl she had there, Clara Morgan ?
 
ALEX STEWART: Used. to dance around the post like this. She could only do it about twenty times when she started but at the finish she could do it about three hundred times.
 
FRED MORRISH: Well, she and Clara, when they moved out they went to Alaska. I was in the army at Victoria and I had my appendix taken out. I was standing on one crutch - on the street corner - waiting for what we called jitneys to come by. I saw these two girls standing right on the edge, you know, and I thought "God, I should know them" and then Hazel kind of turned sideways and I sad "Hello, Hazel" and she turned around and she said ". It's the Kid." She always called me the Kid. She put her arms around me, she and Clara both hugged me and people thought I was crazy - right on the street corner.
     Well I asked them where they were staying and they were at that Empress Hotel - the big C.P.R. Hotel there. "How long are you going to stay ?" Well they didn't know - they'd be there a week anyway. "Well", I said, "arrange for a party to-night anyway. I'm going to have a party with you - I'll throw away this crutch and I'll be down."
     I went back to the camp and Clara's friend was there - Dave ...... Oh he used to tend bar up there. He worked in the drug store for a long time and he was a druggist. Then he went tending bar in the Hoffman - Dave McLaren. He and. Clara were just like this, you know. So I went out to the camp and made arrangements for Dave to get an all-night pass. I told the old major that Dave's sister was in town and I wanted to take them down - they were great friends of mine. So I took him up to this room and I said to Dave "Now you rap at the door" I didn't tell him who was there. Well sure, of all the funny things I ever saw in my life was those two meeting after being away from one another for about ten years. They loved one another all the way up and down the hall and back and I was trying to break them up.
 
BILL WADESON: This was Clara who ?
 
FRED MORRISH: Clara Morgan.
 
ALEX STEWART: I had completely forgotten - and I knew them awful well.
 
FRED MORRISH: Oh yes. She was a dandy fellow
 
ALEX STEWART: Sure was. His people were quite big people. His people were quite wealthy at one time - I know they were.
 
FRED MORRISH: Yes, That's right. I'll never forget when I enlisted, you know. I was put out in this barracks in Victoria there and they gave me what they call a palliasse to lie on. A little thin mattress like this - those days. That was the first war. And two blankets. And in the morning, you know, I poked my head out and here's Dave's head sticking up. "Well for Christ's sake " he said " where did you come from ?" We both got ten days for that. He just pounded the devil out of me.
 
ALEX STEWART: You remember old P.R.McDonald ?
 
BILL WADESON: P.R.McDonald, who was he ?
 
ALEX STEWART: He was mayor for about threee or four years.
 
FRED MORRISH: I'll tell you the funny one who used. to be mayor.
 
ALEX STEWART: Oh I know who you're going to mention.
 
FRED MORRISH: That old fellow who had the grocery store up Washington Street there. His daugnter's name was Mrs Black. He danced a jig when he was running for mayor. He danced a jig on the platform and then he stood on his head to show that he wasn't an old man. Well he was elected - he was mayor for one year there. He took sick. I was working in Rodger's grocery store - just a little way from the other one. Every second morning without a miss .... he had his casket ..... he'd gone and picked out his own casket .... and he'd get in that and try it. And he couldn't get out and his daughter couldn't take him out so she'd phone up Rodger's store to send the boy down to give me a hand, will you.
 
FRED MORRISH: Mayor Martin....
 
ALEX STEWART: No
 
MURRAY GIBSON: Joe Deschamps ?
 
BILL WADESON: Was Joe Deschamps Mayor ....... I didn't know that.
 
ALEX STEWART: Yes - he was a good one. Do you remember Dean ..... John Dean ?
 
FRED MORRISH: He was the real-estate man.
 
ALEX STEWART: He was mayor that night of the fire, you know. And he had all the stock carried out on the street, you know. And they had a dummy dressed up like a man, you know - just a perfect good job. And they carried it out and leaned it up against a bunch of stock piled up in the street. And the mayor came along and said "Stewart, there's a man who's drunk - he should be locked up." Well just then Gus Swain came along and touched this dummy so that he fell right across the mayor." Arrest him. Arrest him," the mayor said. So I had to tell the mayor that it was a dummy.
 
FRED MORRISH: Say, Alex, wasn't Dean the fellow who was tied up with Irish Nell ?
 
ALEX STEWART: Oh no, I was trying to think of that fellow.
 
FRED MORRISH: I thought that was Dean
 
ALEX STEWART: Oh no. Dean was very respectable - church-going man. I'll tell you what he done when he got to be mayor. He cut the police and all the city officials $10 per month and raised himself $20.
 
********************
Note by Alfie Albo:- there is a park - John Dean Park - named after him on Vancouver Island near the Experimental Farm in Saanichton
********************
 
********************
Short Intermission
******************** ALEX STEWART: He used to tell us what a hunter he was, but all the fellows knew that he couldn't shoot. He wanted to keep up the bluff though and he got a gun and went out into the hills to get a bear.
     Pretty soon he came running back with the bear at his heels and he ran right through the group shouting "You skin this one and I'll go out and get another."
 
FRED MORRISH: Who was it - up there in Rossland - Old Joe Deschamps - tied the bear up on top of the mountain. They had it up on a stand there and they'd move it about, you know. They'd move it about with ropes and there were two or three of the boys went out and shot that thing full of holes.
 
ALEX STEWART: I'll never forget one day, Deschamps was coming out of this alley, you know where they had the lumber yard up on Second Avenue. He was driving and there were a couple that had just got married - they were all dressed up, you know, and he headed straight into them. Well, Golly, the fellow jumped out, you know, in an awful splather and Deschamps apologised and told them how sorry he was and that he'd. pay all damages. Well the fellow was satisfied with that and Deschamps gets back into his car and. backs up about ten feet and then goes forward and hits them again and knocks them right out into the street.
 
FRED MORRISH: He was driving out to his mill one morning in that little one-seater of his - it steered, with one of those handles - a tiller - and he was coming up that hill by Rodger's store there and the sidewalk was up about this high above the road, you see. When he got there the car stalled. He did something to the gears and the car started to run backwards and he twisted the wheel - the handle - and the seat of his car caught the sidewalk ( it was just a plank-walk ) and upset the whole thing. And here old Joe was saying "Whoa, "Whoa "Whoa,"
 
BILL WADESON: I didn't know Joe, you know. I knew Mrs. Deschamps and the daughters but I didn't even know that Joe was mayor.
 
MURRAY GIBSON: Oh yes, he was a very colourful mayor.
 
FRED MORRISH: Speaking of Mrs Deschamps, and her sister Mrs Chapman - Well, in Rossland in the early days they never used to plough the streets the way they do now. They had a big twelve by twelve and the fire horses would level it all off, you know, and you had steps to go up this side and steps to go down the other side. Well one morning it was one of those rainy mornings and everything was sloppy, you know, and I came by the Bank of Montreal and I wanted to go over to the Allen Hotel. So I walked across. Started down the steps to the Allen Hotel ( that was when they first started to use shoes without rubbers ). Well I hit the first step but on the second my feet went out this way and down I went, slid through this water and who did I catch but Mrs Descharaps, right in here and down she came on top of me and she pulled her sister down too. Well - that's when I almost learned to speak French. The dressing-down I got and she's still sitting on me. And the old fellow at the Allen there, the old man ( what was his name ?) he came out and helped her up. Old Davis. Dick had the Allen Hotel there - he had grey hair - I can still see him.
 
ALEX STEWART: You mean Jim Davis ?
 
FRED MORRISH: Yes Jim Davis. Well, I can still see him tugging at Mrs Deschamps to lift her, you know, and he couldn't.
 
ALEX STEWART: Yes he was one of - Jim Davis was one of the four husbands.
 
FRED MORRISH: Wasn't he the last one ?
 
ALEX STEWART: Yes he was the last one.
 
FRED MORRISH: Well I had the pleasure of getting on the "Goose" - you know the one that went down through Columbia Gardens to Spokane - I was going down one morning to have my eye fixed - and who was on there but Mrs Chapman. And I said "You know, you owe me an apology " and she started to laugh and she said "I know what you're referring to but I laughed so hard I couldn't apologize, I couldn't say a word." And she did, too. But she remembered falling down.
 
MURRAY GIBSON: You know I'm thirty years younger than you are, Alex, but I wish I'd been born when you were and lived through the times that you did.
 
ALEX STEWART: Yes, I wish you had - we sure got around at that time. FRED MORRISH: Well, I tell you one thing that we had in those days and you don't see it any more. That is, for instance, you're a stranger in town, you probably have sickness or death in your family - everybody in town would be with you - you had friends right away. Anything you needed, all you had to do was mention it. Now, if your house burned down, I know we were always a big family but mother could always find boy's clothes or girl's clothes for those people - they need it and you don't need it. You can use your old one. But the best went out to those people. Always a pillow, a blanket or a comforter went to them right away. Not only that but every day my eldest sister or my mother would bake something to go to those people.
 
ALEX STEWART: That's right.
 
FRED MORRISH: And before you knew it old Barry would be there and old Murdoch Henderson too. "Anything you want in the line of lumber just order it - pay for it when you can. And the carpenters would get together - "What kind of a house do you want ?" And you'd find dozens of fellows there putting up that house. There were no questions asked - no pay - no nothing.They speak of their Community chest to-day. We had one in Rossland that they never could touch,
 
ALEX STEWART: No, I don't think there was any place in the world that could touch Rossland for three years.
 
FRED MORRISH: That's right - there were some wonderful people up there but they're all gone now.
 
MURRAY GIBSON: Alex, this is Ernie Morrison's story, but maybe you'd know more about it. He told me about it. A bunch of the fellows had someone they wanted to have a joke on and they went into the International, and the way Ernie described it there was a main floor and. a balcony up above. And they arranged with one of the girls to come out on the balcony and point this fellow out and call him by name and she had a revolver and fired a blank at him. And he ran out the door and she after him and she chased him all the way up to the City Hall there and he came down around the corner and back to the Bank of Montreal comer and then Ernie Morrison and these fellows walked across and met him and then kind of let him know what the joke was and I guess he was so mad at them that he could have shot them.
 
BILL WADESON: Do you remember the fellow's name Alex ?
 
ALEX STEWART: No, that's the worst of it. Maybe to-morrow I'll remember it but right now I've forgotten.
 
BILL WADESON: What were Mrs. Chapman's and Deschamps names before they were married ?
 
FRED MORRISH: Degagne.
 
********************
Note by Alfie Albo:- the sisters were Angeline (Mrs. Deschamps) & Helene Degagne (Mrs. Chapman)
********************
 
MURRAY GIBSON: Well I should know because my wife talks about them a lot and she knew them before they were married.
 
FRED MORRISH: You know when I worked for the telephone people I had a pass between Rossland and Trail and my biggest thrill was to get on the evening train and come down to Trail and take Helene
     Degagne home. They lived up there by the fire hall you know. And the old telephone office was right there where Bill's Cafe is. And the old man - one night he kicked my pants. He says "I tell you before - you not come here," and he took me by the shoulder and he gave me three or four kicks that I had marks to show for it the next day. But when I started to work in the smelter he was foreman of the carpenters. And he remembered me as soon as I walked into that shop. He says "You - you want your pants kicked, again ?" I said "No, not now." He was a dandy old fellow when you got to know him.
 
MURRAY GIBSON: When did you leave Rossland, Alex ?
 
ALEX STEWART: In 1911
 
MURRAY GIBSON: So you came to Nelson in 1911 ? You lived in Rossland in all of the most stirring times in Rossland.
 
ALEX STEWART: Yes, I saw a lot since 97. I saw the whole works. And what a place. You know the buildings were always so nicely painted and everything - all wooden buildings. That Columbia Avenue at that time was about the nicest street in British Columbia.
 
MURRAY GIBSON: And it was so wide .....
 
FRED MORRISH: Paved with gold ..... It had that name all through the district.
 
ALEX STEWART: Yes and all the buildings so nicely painted - there were so many buildings that were two and some were three storey, but after the fire they were all gone.
 
MURRAY GIBSON: Well I came just before ..... I saw Columbia Avenue in Rossland just before the two fires; only just before.
 
ALEX STEWART: You would know Johnny McLeod who just died recently ?
 
BILL WADESON: Yes I was an honorary pall-bearer for Johnny
 
ALEX STEWART: He was kind of gone in the head before he went ?
 
BILL WADESON: He was pretty good until the last few months and he was slipping a bit
 
ALEX STEWART: I saw him in Rossland about a year before he died.
 
BILL WADESON: He didn't know you ?
 
ALEX STEWART: Well I went up and shook hands and he looked at me, and I said " you know me, Johnny, don't you ?" and he said "Yes, I know you " but I don't believe he did.
 
ALEX STEWART: You didn't know Mr.Wasson, the city clerk, did you ?
 
BILL WADESON: Oh yes, I knew Bill Wasson
 
ALEX STEWART: About thirty-five or forty years ago he was the dead picture of you, Murray.
 
BILL WADESON: By Gosh, that's right there is a resemblance.
 
MURRAY GIBSON: There was a chap over here by the name of "Gibson" who was here for a long time. What did he do ?
 
ALEX STEWART: John Gibson ? Oh he was the postmaster.
 
MURRAY GIBSON: Yes, well his family came from Dumfries, Scotland and my family came from Dumfries, Scotland and I always meant to talk to him because I'm sure that we were related a long piece back some place or other.
 
FRED MORRISH: There's a funny thing has happened to me just this last week or so. There's a fellow in Victoria with the same name as mine, Frederick Morrish. And here some time ago he was
     canning air and sending down to the States and sending down to our members of parliament - canned air. Well M Vipond came up to the house about a week ago from Victoria and he says " That's an awfully nice thing that you did in Victoria." I said " What do you mean ?" Well apparently they have a replica of the Eiffle Tower in Victoria. It's all put together and now it's a case of lift it up in place, and to do that will cost $5,000. But he says that it came out in the Victoria papers in "big headlines " Fred Morrish of Trail,B.C. donated $5,000 to have the tower lifted."
 
BILL WADESON: That was real nice of you Fred, and you don't drink.
 
ALEX STEWART: I never had a drink of beer in my life. That's quite a record.
 
FRED MORRISH: Well I haven't had a drink of anything for a good many years now.
 
ALEX STEWART: It was back when I was 15 or 16 years old, a fellow told me he was going to buy me a drink, and of course, I thought it was lemonade, you know, and I was just dying for the taste of that sweet drink. And, Golly, he gave me a glass of Bass's Ale and it tasted something horrible and that was enough for me.
 
MURRAY GIBSON: This Sourdough Alley, that was the name of the main street of Rossland at one time, was it ?
 
FRED MORRISH: That was on First Street, Sourdough Alley
 
ALEX STEWART: Yes, the first street above Columbia
 
FRED MORRISH: Do they still call that First Street ?
 
BILL WADESON: First Avenue they call it now.
 
FRED MORRISH: They talk about housing shortages to-day, but when we first came to Rossland we lived in a five-room house and it didn't seem any wider than that and it went straight up for two storeys
     and a basement. But we were only nine kids in that house besides mother and father. And I've often laughed about it, you know. The Dining room was right here and the kitchen would be right there. There was a door with just a curtain hanging down overit and that was the toilet.
 
BILL WADESON: An indoor toilet in 1898 ? Pretty classy accomodation in 1898.
 
FRED MORRISH: Oh yes, that was swanky, but with all those kids, sure as blazes one or two of them would have to go in there while we were eating..
 
ALEX STEWART: A funny thing happened, about four years ago. I was down in California at that gambling place - what's the name of it ?
 
BILL WADESON: Just outside California ? Los Vegas ?
 
ALEX STEWART: Yes, I was down there - drove down in a car and I thought I would go out for a walk and. have a look. And I walked out about a couple of miles and when I turned around to go back - Gosh a "bus came along and I says " I'm going to take a bus ride back. It was really hot. And I got on the bus and the bus driver kept looking at me - I sat right on the seat across from him, you know. And he kept looking and looking at me and finally he pulled in and stopped to let somebody off and he says "I think I know you." I says " I don't think so - I'm thousands of miles from home." I says " And I've only been here three days." "Yes, I know you," he says " Your name is Alex Stewart." I says " Holy G. you're right." He says " you're Chief of Police in Nelson." I says " You're right again." We started talking and he apologized to the crowd for holding them up, you know but they said " No, Ho, go right ahead." I says " Well, I can't remember you." He says "Well, no, probably not, but I can tell you something that you will remember me. Do you remember the panic days when there were so many people living dovn on the C.P.R. Flats ? In holes in the ground and under stumps and trees, and the city was feeding them ? I says " Yes, I remember well." "Do you remember when I came to .you one day and asked you for a meal ? And you said that you were only allowed to give a 40 cent meal ? And the fellow said " Well I'm awful hungry but a 40 cent meal would help a. lot." "Well," you says " All right, if you're really hungry, I'll put you down as two men, McDougal and McPherson, and I'll give you a real meal." "Do you remember that ?" he says. And I says " Gosh, I remember well because when I took him in to the hotel, you know and told Benwell " This is Mr. McDougal and Mr.McPherson." Well he kept looking around and he couldn't understand it. I says " Give them two meals" because I had to keep check on them and I could only go 40 cents, do you see ? "Well", he says, "I'm here now and I've got a good job and I'm married and I've got two little girls," and he says " I want you to come out to dinner with me." " I'll be off this shift in a short time. Come and have dinner with me." So I told him that I couldn't do it because my gang was waiting for me down at the Motel. Wasn't that funny ?
     Another thing - a fellow that I wrassled here in Nelson. This lady was with us and when she was ready to go home she wanted to buy her husband a masonic ring and she had it spotted in this jewellery store and she wanted it in the worst way and she went in to see if she could make a deal for it. And he told her the price for that thing - said it was $40 or something. She says
     "I'm awful sorry, I haven't got that much money"
 
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Here intervened the McGregors
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EDDY McGREGOR: Did Alex tell you about the time he and Chief Long vent out chasing these rollers and they got out in the country and they were all poohed out so they decided they would have to bunk down in a hay stack. Well they bunked down for the night and later they found that the robber was underneath them in the hay stack.
 
ALEX STEWART: That's right. He was a murderer too.
 
FRED MORRISH: Ben Downs from Trail was in that too, wasn't he ?
 
EDDY McGREGOR: I'd like to bring up the story of The Gunner from Galway. Gunnar Devlin. This one on Pa. Jack Devlin, he was quite a character. Alex and Whiteman and Chief Long were going to get the Gunner from Galway. They were really after him. And the Gunner says to me "Eddie, I want you to go up to the Hume Hotel and get my effects out of there, and don't let anyone see you go in. I says " I can't do that." He says " Oh, yes, you've got to do it. They want me and I've got to get out of town." So I sneaked up to the Hume Hotel, and I got the Gunner's stuff out of his room and I slipped it down to the station and I met the Gunner around behind a freight car, I gave the Gunner his stuff and I said "What goes on here ?" He gave me a $10 for doing this and he says "The police are all looking for me - Alex Stewart, Jim Whitman and Tom Long - they're after me." At that particular time Tom Long was taking a prisoner to Vancouver and I got the Gunner's stuff down to the train without Alex or Tom Long seeing him and they got out here by the old Slaughter House and the old Gunner walked up and he shook hands with Chief Long and he says "Chief Long, you didn't get me this time, did you ?" Of course it was then out of the city and out of his jurisdiction. The old chief said " How in Hell did you get on this train ?"
 
ALEX STEWART: What do you think of that for a son-in-law ?
 
FRED MORRISH: Is it too late to arrest him now ?
 
ALEX STEWART: One time, you know. Dr. Mackenzie ( you remember Dr. :Mackenzie ) he was playing cards with me in Bush's Cigar Store, and they were talking about Gunner from Galway ( and he really was a wonderful fellow ). And Doc Mackenzie says, "By Golly, where is he now ?" Well no-body knew where he was. He says "Well that's one man I've heard so much about him. I'd like to see him." All of a sudden the swing doors going into the cigar store swung back and " THE GUNNER FROM GALWAY " and there he was.
 
EDDY McGREGOR: Are you interested in that character we're talking about The Gunner from Galway ? His name was Devlin. Now I'll tell you an incident back in 1917 - 18, my dad and I went down to Spokane - my mother had the flue ( incidentally she died at that time - it was the epidemic ). Well we walked into the bar in the Coeur D'Alene. There was an old peg-legged bar tender in there. "Oh," he says " you're from Nelson,?" Dad. says "Yup," I was only a punk kid, about 17 or 18 years old, you see. He Says to Dad. " Did you ever hear of a character from that neck of the woods named The Gunner from Galway ?" This was right down Dad's alley and he said "Why, of course I do. That's Jack Devlin, I know him very well and my boy knows him." The bartender says " It's a funny thing, one time, years ago I was sitting in the bar here - things were quiet - and a fellow burst in, big as life and twice as natural and he says "I want to borrow fifty bucks" He said " I'm the Gunner from Galway, give me fifty bucks " just like that." And the bartender said " As stupid as could be I just handed him fifty bucks and after a while I began to think and I said to myself ""Who in Hell is the Gunner from Galway"? He thought he was out fifty bucks. So about six months or a year later another fellow burst into the bar, big as life and twice as natural, put fifty bucks down and twenty-five bucks beside it. He said " I borrowed fifty bucks from you and here it is " Set 'em up for the house" The bartender said "Who in Hell are you ?" He said "I'm the Gunner from Galway."
 
EDDY McGREGOR: He went up here in the high hills one time and he was wildcatting. He went up in the hills and he had a prospect there. Every place he came to where there was a high rock he stuck up a piece of stovepipe - here and there all over his claim. Well he got some people out from England and he was going to sell them a gold mine. He took them up there - they went up on snow-shoes and while the Limeys were looking around he was saying "There is the bunk house, there is the cook-house and there's the shaft over there," And they bought the mine. This is not fallacy - this is true. and when they went up there in the spring and hauled the equipment up there, all they could see was pieces of stove-pipe laying on tall rocks. He made a big killing here and he chartered a special train C.P.R, from Montreal - right to Nelson from Montreal from his girl-friend's and back again. He was a fellow that made a fortune several times over and spent it as fast as he made it. He should go down in history because he was fantastic. We had fabulous characters in Nelson - Coal-oil Johnny .....
 
ALEX STEWART: His hole is still up there on the side of the mountain
 
EDDY McGREGOR: Silver-King Mike. Another fellow who should go down in history is Tatter-Jack ?
 
EDDY McGREGOR: One more story and this one about old Chief Long. He was up on Observatory St. investigating an accident involving a dog that had been run over and he said "Take that dog down into Silica St., I can't spell "Observatory".