Item AAAB5782 - James W. Brown interview

CALL NUMBER: T4135:0014 PERIOD COVERED: 1907-1924 RECORDED: Trail (B.C.), 1983-11-16 SUMMARY: TRACK 1: Biographical information; February 1908, family moved to bench above Robson; 11 acres covered in jack pine; bought from Kootenay Fruit Lands (KFL); agents of KFL were McDermott and McHardy; Waldie partner; KFL to put in water; KFL tried twice, then declared bankruptcy; father carried water from bottom; anecdote about water; bench abandoned; father bought lot in Robson; 100 people in Robson; father's work; Robson Farmers' Institute; feed buying through the institute; Harvey's land; Truit family and house; Joe Burfield property; Quance property; syndicate lots; McCandrew property; anecdote about getting land from McAndrew; dentist named Maybe; Ralf Funnel's property; anecdote about 1929 motorcycle trip; Maybe property and Norcoff; orchards' inability to support people; Dr. Tellford ;J. Norman, Deputy Minister of Health in Alberta, retired to Nelson. TRACK 2: Anecdote about Dr. Norman's practice; Independent Doukhobors buy land; Calder in South Africa buys land; dynamiting to plant trees; trees from nurseries; packing trees; types of orchards; varieties of fruit; dynamiting anecdote; Hedley's orchard; anecdote about steep lots; buying land sight unseen; owners of Robson townsite; Vining from Brandon College; father looked after several orchards for absentee owners; father hired as packing house manager; early fruit shipped from farms; Dominion Express; make-up of trains; buyers of Robson Fruit; fruit brokers and Okanagan United Fruit Growers; father has name changed from Robson East to Robson West; Hartfords from England; anecdote about Grechouse; school and church property; Foster and Jordan property; anecdote about blasting stumps; Fowler place and family. CALL NUMBER: T4135:0015 PERIOD COVERED: 1910-1924 RECORDED: Trail (B.C.), 1983-11-16 SUMMARY: TRACK 1: Fowler family from Pilot Mound; anecdote about Mr. Fowler; anecdote about playing ball; Clive place and family; Millers, Christophersons, Golders sold to Quance; three Miss Perrons farmed lot; sold to Bob Waldie; horns; anecdote about maple sugar brought to Robson; Wright and Evans from Brandon; Harold Golder and family; J.D. Fergesson; Dr. McDermott from Brandon College and the Squires of Brandon; Mrs. Squires grew and sold flowers; anecdote about printing co-op shares; anecdote about Mrs. Foxlee; Oburns; Johnsons ran store; previous store owners. TRACK 2: Berry's lot; McNaughton built first summer home in Robson; dairy by dam; anecdote about meeting Frank Bentley at smelter; East Indians at Westley; anecdote about East Indians; anecdote about burying Bentley's wife; anecdote about someone running off with the governess; anecdote about First World War enlistment; Yarrow estate subdivided by CMS; Irwin place; anecdote about a man getting shot; cattle near Syringa Creek; anecdote about heart attack on first ferry; Robson Farmers' institute; poultry association in Robson; anecdote about wagon; Humpty Dumpty egg crates; first carload of feed to Robson; anecdote about Robson Institute financing. CALL NUMBER: T4135:0016 PERIOD COVERED: 1910-1930 RECORDED: Trail (B.C.), 1983-11-16 SUMMARY: TRACK 1: Robson Farming Institute history; Harms and Coleman's box factories; Okanagan United Fruit Growers; first packing house; fruit inspections; agricultural competitions; Robson fair; institute brought in horticulturalists; horticulturists Middleton and Hunt; anecdote about meeting Hunt on ferry; schools conducted on pruning; anecdote about 1920 spring school; disease inspection; spraying for disease; coddling moth brought to Kootenays; instructors to teach packing; standardized packing and shipping problems; grafting new fruit varieties; market for different varieties; Kootenays not ideal fruit country; Kaslo cherries; Baptists in Robson; Reverend Donaldson; church life in Robson; community church; anecdote about minister from South Slocan; S.S. "Rossland"; anecdote about river boats; "Rossland" uses swing bridge; operation of railroad bridge; anecdote about [tug] "Elco 1"; towing logs on lake. TRACK 2: Boat race in the U.S.; S.S. "Rossland"; first ferry operator; BC car licence; anecdote about ferry operator; packing house as community hall; Trail dramatic society show; anecdote about railroad section crews; Lobarth turntable; feed to Corkindale; Westley mills; East Indians; at Westley; Waldie dry kiln and mill; cutting planks for "Elco II"; Waldie Lumber; anecdote about hauling poles; anecdote about children; Corporal Johnson of the Provincial Police.