Bill Boothby Personal Recollection 1992
What was Cochrane like in the 1920s and ’30s? In this article, my father reflects on his experiences growing up in the community, including his time as a paper carrier, offering a firsthand look at everyday life in those early years. Dad's bike hung in the old machine shed for years. It's still a family heirloom. Dad grew up in a house at 4th Ave West and Highway 1A.
While trying to put all the photos that had accumulated over the years and were just lying around, into albums, I came upon an article in the Calgary Herald of country carriers. They were winners in a subscription drive hosted by the Herald. Being in the picture, I started to reminisce about those days.
I followed Lloyd Sibbald, but I do not know if he had all of the village in his route. The route given to me was west of the highway, now 1st. Ave. W. and Allan McKay, the route to the east.
Brewster Bus Lines out of Banff delivered the papers, two bundles, one to each carrier. Mr. Hart’s drug store was the depot, the bus usually arrived about 5 pm, and the edition was a three-star paper. As the bus left Banff in the A.M. on to Calgary, to return in the evening, many local residents used this service for a day’s shopping in the city.
The front part of the drug store, now McKay’s chocolate shop, and the rear was his living quarters, but now the offices of The Cochrane Times. Shortly after coming to Cochrane, he began to make ice-cream. 5c a cone, 15c a milk shake. No ice milk in those days, for his shakes were always thick and the container full. While waiting for the papers, there were many shakes consumed.
For whatever reason Hogarth’s Transport was contracted to deliver the papers from Calgary to Cochrane. Harvey Hogarth Sr. picked up milk and cream in 8 and 5-gallon cans from the farm site and delivered the same to the distribution dairies in the city, on the return hauling local merchant freight. Weather, road and farmers yard, trucks mechanical condition, amount of freight to pick up resulted in a time frame of 4-11 PM. Harvey was a good guy and Mr. Hart to If the truck looked like it would be late ,we would go home and he would phone By the way. the paper was always delivered as soon as it hit the depot. Mr. Hart was a friendly chap and really enjoyed a good cigar. He was often seen hunched close to the coal and wood heater blowing the smoke through the little door at the top. Grey Hound Bus Lines later took over delivery and times were more exact again.
Allan stopped delivering and I then delivered to all of the village. Before Allan left he had on his route, a gent by the name of John Park, retired. He was anxious, observant, and desirous for the paper to be on time. Mr. Park was close to the start of mine and Mac was a little tardy at times so was always catching heal. We switched Kwong’s Cafe for Mr. Park, every thing was fine for he had no one to compare to. If you did not tow the line for some of those crusty, elderly otherwise great people you were told in no uncertain terms.
At first we walked, no car rides and when able to buy my own bike, did so. My double bar, long handle is in the basement now waiting to be reassembled with new tires and cleaned. It is approx. 50-52 yrs old. My route had about 27 customers and forced to take two extra’s for street sale, double that for all of the village.
Customer’s price 25c for 6 papers, carrier got 10c
Forced extra’s 5c / paper, Carrier got 2c
The route bought a bike, a heck of a lot of milk shakes and whatever.
I do not know who followed.
Bill Boothby
Feb. 15/92
