This week in Prince George history, June 19-25:
June 20, 1935: German settler Karl Sauer suffered an unusual farm accident that left him in critical condition in the hospital, The Citizen reported.
Sauer was working on his farm on the north side of the Nechako River about 11 a.m. when the accident happened.
"He was at work in his hay field, and in attempting to jump from his wagon overlooking a hay fork, the tines of which were firmly imbedded in the earth," The Citizen reported. "The end of the handle of the hay fork entered his rectum with such force as to pass through the wall of the rectum and puncture the bladder at two points. Sauer was rendered unconscious for a time, but later managed to extract the handle of the hay fork from his body."
Sauer lay alone in the field for hours, until around 3 p.m., when he heard a truck coming along the road and managed to stand up long enough to signal the driver for help.
When he arrived at the hospital, Sauer was in such pain that he couldn't explain how he'd been injured.
"When Dr. Lyon was summoned he was immediately aware that Sauer was suffering from internal injuries, but the victim could tell him nothing," The Citizen reported. "An examination indicated a puncture in the bladder and an operation became imperative. One puncture was located in the upper wall of the bladder, and in attending to this, the doctor found fecal matter in the bladder. Further examination disclosed the second puncture in the bottom of the bladder."
Sauer faced a high risk of peritonitis, spread by the fecal matter driven up into his bowels, and his "sole chance (is) that his system will be strong enough to throw it off."
"It is still a mystery as to how Sauer, in jumping from the hay wagon, could land upon the handle of the hay fork with sufficient force to drive it so far into his body as it did," The Citizen reported. "The probabilities are he jumped out of the wagon backwards and that the weight of his body, something over 200 pounds, in the short distance it fell was sufficient to inflict the injuries received."
I couldn't leave this story without getting to the bottom of it, and thankfully there is a happy end to this tale. On July 18, 1935, The Citizen reported Sauer was on the road to recovery and was expected to be discharged from the hospital in a few days, despite developing peritonitis. Doctors' hope for his recovery after the infection had set in "receded almost to the vanishing point," The Citizen reported.
"However, possessed of a remarkable constitution, Sauer was able to throw off the peritonitis, the wounds in the bladder healed nicely so that the organ resumed its natural functions, and in a few days he will be about again," the report said. "Taken together, the accident and Sauer's recovery are regarded as remarkable in medical jurisprudence."
June 21, 1923: Prince George was expecting to host the biggest Dominion Day celebration in the town's history on July 2, 1923.
"Prince George will be called upon to entertain a greater number of visitors on Dominion Day than on any former occasion in its history," The Citizen reported. "All along the line of the (Grand Trunk Pacific Railway), from Lucerne to Smithers, there is a general disposition of the part of the residents to unite with Prince George in a fitting celebration of Canada's natal day. The news from McBride is that the people of that town will move on the city in a body in a determination to root for their football team, and the McBride contingent figures on picking up adherents all along the line."
Prince George and Vanderhoof were in negotiations to unify their Dominion Day celebrations in Prince George, with the understanding that Prince George residents would take part in Labour Day celebrations in Vanderhoof.
Planned celebrations included an auto parade, with prizes to be judged at the aeroplane grounds at Central.
The aeroplane grounds, located along the bypass highway between Tenth Avenue and 18th Avenue, was also to be the location of a number of horse races offering prizes of up to $25.
Sporting events were planned for Duchess Park, including boys and girls foot races, 100 yard dash, pole vaulting, running broad jump and the "hop, step and jump."
The football match between McBride and Prince George was set for 2:30 p.m., and was the first round of the competition for the Perry Cup. A baseball match between Vanderhoof and Prince George was to follow.
A dance and dinner at the RItts-Kifer hall was set to conclude the festivities.
The Dominion Day celebrations were held on July 2, 1923 because Canadian law at the time stipulated that if July 1 fell on a Sunday, the holiday would be observed the following day.
The July 5, 1923 edition of The Citizen reported that the day's celebrations were a general success, excluding the auto parade which lacked entries. Overall, it sounds like folks back then knew how to have a good time.
To explore 100 years of local history yourself, visit the Prince George Citizen archives online at: pgc.cc/PGCarchive. The Prince George Citizen online archives are maintained by the Prince George Public Library.
