Later

of the North Shore

FROM PAGE B7

racing for the privilege of
crossing into North Van-
couver. The future of the
growing railway Mecca was
compared with that of New
York to the latter’s disad-
vantage, since it was
Statistically proven that
North Vancouver's rate of
population increase was four
times that of the eastern city
in the same period of time. A
railway was all the fairy
wand required to start the
factories and docks smoking
from Turtle Point to the
Capilano.

Besides the vexations and
disappointments involved in
transportation and com-
munication that took too
much capital for the slim
resources of the struggling
District, there were the

antipathies of nature and the

B22.- Sunday, June 29, 1983 - North Shore News

: we

whimsical unreliabilities of
the human population to
confound orderly progress.

The creeks flooded and
washed away bridges,
cutting off east from west
and north from shoreline;
fire ravaged acres of timber
and threatened
homesteaders; smallpox laid
its feverish hand on _ the
community. Trees of
enormous girth and tenacity
had to be removed from
planned routes, and fell in
high winds on roads and
dwellings. And the settlers
themselves exercised a
roguish independence of
spirit and action that made
them desirable as pioneers
but difficult to suppress into
models of cultural and
gracious living.

They bought and sold
liquor on the Sabbath, shot
off thetr firearms
irresponsibly, never thought

twice about polluting the
creeks and insisted on laying
corduroy on District roads to
fortify them for log-hauling.
Council employed a con-
stable,. true, who was also
empowered as poundkeeper
charged with the con-
finement of “bulls, stallions
and boars” running wild and
loose over the hills. They
couldn't afford a salary for
him but he did receive six
pairs of handcuffs and a
reciprocal agreement with
regard to the Moodyville
lock-up, and was reinforced
by council’s purchase of a
couple of lawbooks.
Probaby the most
disastrous legal hassle the
newly-blessed Fathers
encountered occurred in the

year 1896-97. Dr. Carroll
was Reeve when _ the
provincial government

published an amendment to
the Municipal Act that the

DOMINION DAY 1907 -

the City Fathers pose. Seated, third from left,

Photo submitted
North Van

District Reeve Arnold Kealy, first mayor of the newly incorporated City. Next to him, se-
cond from left, realtor J.C. Keith, builder of the North Shore's longest road.

District found impossible to qualifications for municipal
implement. It had to do with office in terms of length of

and
‘“ministered the District for

residence, which
automatically wiped out the
eligibility of all but the local
Indian bands and Navvy Jack
of Skunk Cove. None of
these was willing or able to
take over the local govern-
ment, and the result was
total disenfranchisement of
the whole North Shore.

The only “reputable
citizen” who escaped this
sweeping indictment was
Mr. William Erwin, of Point
Atkinson. By some freak of
chance or clerical error he
was left with his rights intact,
and he may be remembered
as the political Davy
Crockett of the North Shore.
When he got the news, he
galloped over to Lonsdale
through the winding trail
that was Keith Road, set up
a polling booth, cast a vote
for himself, scrutineered
same, announced he was
. unanimously elected Reeve
council and = ad-

>» ° the next six months.

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So this is some of what
happened to the baby born
into the lawless ambitious
West from a_e modest
homestead at the mouth of
the Seymour. Before it had
reached adolescence it was
making boasts suitable to
municipahihes twice its age
Before its muscles had been
tamed into decent control it
was letting itself be pushed
into competition = with
stronper adversaries lts
internal strength wasn't
equal to the opportunities
that offered. and at was
felled by the disruption of
war, the amocba-lke
partion into three separate
governments. the severnng of"
the Second Narrows life
line

Sulking was its answer to
reversal

Now that it
second wind.

has pot its
and its wrists
oo longer hang out of its
sleeves one can sec the truth
in that 1891 horoscope

FIRST AID TIP

trom

FROSTARITE
ON tonthurtean ares ber OMS wany
white and mnt @ Warm the aran
yradvatty with body haat @ Oa not
rot the aran @ if your tace oF aan is
affen ted) Covad ot with a gloved hand
AT moerneat Cohoe and toeting
rotors © bin trogen firgurs of toes
FAMOVE Hight boos oF gloves @ Where
Detar Oe Cover Merny highttly
With a aterde Unesainag and thandage
carotutly @ tstesters Shot’ ot te
token @ oN trostinre is sewers aeok

HAMM OT AtE Ned al attention

ne