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RECORDED: Williams Lake (B.C.), 1964 SUMMARY: TRACK 1: Mr. Spencer Hope Patenaude describes how he came to 150 Mile House from Quebec with his father, Joseph P. Patenaude, around 1896. He describes his memories of 150 Mile house, how he came there from Ashcroft, and the Bachelors Ball, which was a three day party with about 600 people from all around the area in the winter. Then he describes how he moved to a ranch in Williams Lake with his family in 1898. He describes the area and his memories, the Primrose Dairy, the trails in the area, English settlers who were unprepared for BC. Patenaude tells a story of a cattle drive of 1,500 miles to Dawson Creek from Williams Lake to make a fortune -- which proved to be unrealistic, and almost all were lost. He discloses how his family moved to a ranch in Horsefly which was 600 acres or so with 150 head of cattle. He describes Horsefly as a gold mining town and the town as he remembers it. He discusses his school years including a time in Victoria at the Collegiate College at Beacon Hill, run by Mr. Church, in 1900 and 1901. He goes on to speak about how he became a telegraph operator when he was sixteen. He describes how the telegraph system was set up and how he worked within the telegraph for 47 years. Then he mentions the progress of the railroad which never quite reached Prince George.

TRACK 2: Mr. Patenaude describes the area around Vanderhoof including the roads around Black Creek to Prince George. He describes how he went to the area, a story about a Chief of the Black Water Tribe named Jimmy who had the ability to foresee who was coming to the area with great accuracy, a man named Dr. Ringwood, and observations and anecdotes about trusting Indians. Patenaude goes on to describe his job as a telegraph operator, the installation of howler telephones in 1910, stories about a phone operator named Bob who was caught eavesdropping, telephone lines, and teamsters.

CALL NUMBER: T0625:0001 RECORDED: [location unknown], 1964 SUMMARY: TRACK 1: Mr. William (Bill) Broughton recalls the Chilcotin region of the 1930s. Mr. Broughton describes his life as he was born in Alexandria; his family; a description of Lillooet and Clinton before 1920; childhood memories of freighters and stages at Alexandria before 1913; how he joined the Provincial Police Force in 1930; being stationed at Hanceville; duties; the telephone system in the Chilcotin in the 1930s; a description of the Chilcotin landscape; and settlers in the early days. TRACK 2: Mr. Broughton continues describing the region; housing; refrigeration; present versus past landscape; roads; place names; Becher house; Eric and Lillian Collier's place; Eric Collier's book "Three Against The Wilderness"; more physical description of the Chilcotin region; and the attitude of residents toward law enforcement.

CALL NUMBER: T0625:0002 RECORDED: [location unknown], 1964 SUMMARY: TRACK 1: Mr. Broughton discusses several people who gave character to the Chilcotin region during the 1930s; the epic scale of the country; Indians; children; the spirit of the community; humorous anecdotes involving the telephone system and home brews. [TRACK 2: blank.]