This week in Prince George history, April 17-23:
April 20, 1933: Clyde C. Williams arrived in Prince George with his dog team from Copper Centre, Alaska on April 14, 1933 The Citizen reported.
Williams left Copper Center on Nov. 20, 1932 and had travelled 1,700 miles on his way to Chicago by dog sled.
Williams said his trip was the result of a bet, which came about after "a boast he made that he could drive his dogs anywhere," The Citizen reported.
"Report has it Williams is backing his faith in the dogs to the extent of $5,000, and that he will take down $10,000 if he succeeds in driving the team into Chicago," The Citizen reported. "For 900 miles of his journey south he broke trail on snowshoes for his team, but even with this kind of going he made better than 13 miles per day. Now that the snow is gone he has wheels on his sleigh and thinks he will average 25 miles a day, but this of course depends on the dogs."
Williams was concerned that travelling on the roads would be hard on his dogs' paws, The Citizen reported, and while he was in Prince George he was looking to find shoes to protect the animals' feet.
While in Prince George, Williams visited Harry Avison, who he knew when they both lived in Dawson City around 1901 when Williams was only 20 years old.
Williams left Prince George on April 17, the report said, confident he'd reach Chicago in time to take in The Chicago World's Fair.
Clyde 'Slim' Williams won his bet. The Sept. 27, 1933 Omenica Herald reported Williams was in Chicago attending the fair, after travelling 5,600 miles by dog team. He and his dogs were even made part of the fair at an Alaska cabin exhibit.
Williams then mushed on to Washington, D.C. were he met with U.S. President Franklin Roosevelt to talk about the importance of building a highway between the continental U.S. and Alaska.
Williams repeated his journey in 1939 on a motorcycle, and later in life became a popular lecturer in the U.S. before returning to Alaska. His life was the subject of a 1968 biography titled Alaska Sourdough: The Story of Slim Williams.
April 19, 1921: At a special meeting, city council passed resolutions "instructing the acting mayor to take action towards ridding the city of the undesirable coloured population," The Citizen reported.
"A number of these people have been reported by Chief of Police Sinclair as being occupied in criminal pursuits, including the running of assignation houses, red-light brothels and boot-legging," the report said. "Following the action of council, Acting Mayor Keegan signed ultimatums addressed to about fourteen of these people, advising them that their presence in the city was not considered advisable in the public good, and suggesting that a change of scenery would be beneficial to their health."
The chief of police delivered the notices and the issue was expected to come up for further discussion and action at council's regular meeting on April 21, 1921, The Citizen said.
"While it is a difficult matter for the police to secure proper evidence against these law-breakers, by the very nature of their offences, they will probably recognize the futility of trying to carry on in the face of police action concentrated against them, with the strength of mayor and council behind it," the report said. "Aside from the undesirable element in the coloured population here there is a feeling that the white boot-leggers doing a thriving trade should be put out of business. The peddling of dope has also been under observation of the police..."
Well, this isn't a proud moment in the city's history. Prince George city council sent letters to visible minorities threatening them like two-bit hoods in a mobster movie.
It's a good reminder not to glamorize the past. The city council members who voted for this were some of the community leaders and founding fathers of Prince George.
Sadly, if you read the letters to the editor and online comments on some of The Citizen's stories, attitudes here haven't changed that much.
April 18, 1946: Packs of dogs roaming the streets of Prince George have become a danger to children going to school, The Citizen reported.
"Dogs in numbers are roaming and fighting around the schools at all hours during school days, constituting a menace to the children," The Citizen reported. "Three pupils have been bitten by the animals in recent weeks, reports J. Cooke of the elementary school. Indignation of teachers over the situation and their appeals to parents, through the children to keep the animals at home have met with little response. Mr. Cooke said the dogs are running in packs and their repeated fighting and snapping are endangering the children."
The Citizen reported that it had received complaints from several residents that something needs to be done to break up the packs of dogs running wild in the streets.
Perhaps this is the origin of the classic "the dog ate my homework" excuse.
To explore 100 years of local history yourself, visit the Prince George Citizen archives online at: pgc.cc/20c5O7k. The Prince George Citizen online archives are maintained by the Prince George Public Library.
