As we’re approaching the end of a year, I thought I’d celebrate it on the blog by looking back… 100 years ago!  I decided to look at several editions of the Renfrew Journal and the Renfew Mercury for 1910 (one might, nowadays, think it to be curious that a small town like Renfew would have two newspapers).  Anyway, here are some little tidbits:

One of the topics that graced the newspapers on a regular basis was that of local option, evidently a very hot topic back then but sufficiently unfamiliar to most people nowadays that I’ve provided a link to the Wikipedia article.  I’ll just share one small article that I think illustrates well the futility of local option (from the Renfrew Journal, January 10, 1910, page 10):

The Eganville Star-Enterprise last week has the following: “The value of the hotel properties at Portage du Fort and Osceola will be considerably enhanced for a time at least by the passing of local option by-laws in Renfrew and Cobden. In the latter instance the hotel is located but three miles from Cobden and young men and others desiring to go “out for a time” will be able to drive in a few minutes from Cobden to Osceola and there partake freely of the inebriating fluid—more freely perhaps than they would were they able to buy a drink at home at will. The situation at Cobden emphasizes the soundness of the position of those who held that all rural bars should be abolished before attempting local option in the larger centres.”

Another common theme, at least between January and March, was hockey.  This was the first year of the National Hockey Association (NHA), the forerunner of the NHL.  Renfrew, a place that would never be a candidate for expansion nowadays, had a team, as well as the towns of Cobalt and Haileybury.

One story from the Renfrew Mercury (January 21, 1910, page 6) seems as if it is from a lot more than 100 years ago:

Agriculture is the milch cow of the United States as it also is in Canada. The value of farm products this year is $8,760,000,000.00 being $869,000,000 in excess of 1908. The putput of all the mills and factories in that country does not equal the products of the farms. Shortage in labor has been the farmers’ handicap but labor saving machinery has enabled them to greatly increase farm output. Special education in schools and colleges, by farm bulletins, farmers’ institutes and in other ways has given farmers a scientific knowledge of soils, of the crops best suited to their different kinds and of the seasons and methods of plowing, seeding and harvesting. Improved methods have doubled in 11 years farm products so that in corn and wheat growing states farmers are enjoying unparalleled prosperity—mortages have been raised, banks have been established, homesteads have been greatly improved, modern conveniences—telephone, telegraph, electric roads, railroads, good country roads—have brought farmers in touch with cities and towns, so that more than ever are farmers the backbone of the nation in its larger financial and political interests…

One interesting thing that I saw was an article about the deleterious effects of cigarette smoking and how many employers refuse to hire smokers.  Plus ca change…

Another thing not seen much in modern papers is the degree of personal items.  We would never see on the front page of the paper nowadays  the news that Mr. J. A. Jameson has left on a business trip for Regina, for example.

Another thing that we don’t see much in newspapers is a large volume of patent medicine ads, such as those for “Dr. Morse’s Indian Root Pills” and “Psychine” and many others.

All in all, a very interesting exercise.  There’ll definitely be another installment of “looking back” later…