Looking Back: Oratory Contest
100 years ago - Nov. 19, 1925
On Nov. 14, the fireman on the Canadian National Railway train took sick west of here and on arrival of the train at Rosetown Jack Heartwell volunteered to take over the sick man’s duties on the run into Saskatoon. “Though he probably found it a testing task, Jack made the grade.”
Rosetown tennis players won four of five matches to take the Judge Leahy Trophy from the Kindersley club on Nov. 17: John Murphy, men’s singles; Murphy and E. Hewat, men’s doubles; Mrs. W. H. E. Graham, ladies’ singles; and Murphy and Mrs. Blanch, mixed doubles.
80 years ago - Nov. 15, 1945
On Nov. 11, First World War veterans hosted Second World War veterans at the Legion hall. Thurston Talbot showed a series of films. Branch president D. Monteith spoke briefly. T. C. Clements acted as accompanist for community singing. Chaplain Rev. G. W. Rhodes welcomed the new veterans. W. J. Garland looked after the lunch. Ed Smith and P. Murphy sang solos.
Rosetown Union Hospital had a busy October. Staff admitted 127 patients, performed 26 operations and delivered 12 babies. Two patients also died during the month.
Pilot Officer F. Herb Webb of Kingsland had been promoted to flying officer. Webb had arrived in Halifax from overseas in June and since had been getting treatment in Lachine and Winnipeg hospitals and the Saskatoon Sanatorium.
70 years ago - Nov. 17, 1955
Robert “R.B.” Fenson won the Rosetown elementary school senior division oratory contest with his speech on stock car racing. Five others spoke on these topics, as introduced by master of ceremonies Barry Hastings: Bill Gordon, Our Little Known Universe; Larry Myers, Our Neighboring Province of Alberta; Jim Foster, The Development of the Aeroplane; Bob Burton, Geese and Goose Hunting; and Monica Flach, My Brother’s Car.
Bert Fountain of Druid, east of Dodsland, had played cribbage on Nov. 11 with his 11-year-old nephew, Raymond Fountain. Raymond dealt himself three fives and the jack of clubs. Bert then cut the five of clubs. Two years earlier, his brother Ronald did the same. “Twice in the same family. Can anyone beat that?” asked editor John Pinckney.
50 years ago - Nov. 19, 1975
There had been too many fires in the past two weeks, said Rosetown fire chief Roger Seib. Up until Nov. 15, fires destroyed two unoccupied houses in Sovereign, an old building on a Zealandia-area farm and scaffolding at the Cargill elevator. A landfill fire burned a field and threatened the Co-op service centre.
Photos showed Hilda Walker, noble grand of the Leona Rebekah Lodge, presenting gifts to young participants at a Rebekah - Odd Fellows program here. Recipients were Rosetown-area music student Ruth Andres, who played three piano selections, and Connie Cathcart of Perdue, who gave a talk and slide show of her going that summer on the United Nations Pilgrimage for Youth.
30 years ago - Nov. 13, 1995
Back-breaking work by town employees from one late afternoon to 5 a.m. the next day prevented a sewage backup into Rosetown homes. A pipe had broken between the pumphouse and the lagoon, said town superintendent Greg Rollheiser.
With only 11 people turning out for an organizational meeting, those in charge had to cancel the Donor’s Choice campaign, said chair Dennis “Wax” Williams. It was even too late to switch to a mail-out campaign, said Williams.
20 years ago - Nov. 14, 2005
Bison prices had started to increase after the 2003 discovery of bovice spongiform encephalopathy in a cow in Alberta, said Macrorie-area bison producer Ivan Hodges.