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Ancient tome from coal mining days sheds light on valley history

    Leonard Morse has an interesting relic from the coal mining days.
    A ledger, handed down from his grandfather, follows the fortunes of the Morse Mine near Hanna and sheds light on the hardships faced by the miners who flocked to the valley.
    The Morse family has a long history in the valley and, like so many people who lived here, worked extensively in the coal mines.
    Alfred Morse and his family came over to Canada from England in 1912. After World War I started, the family moved to Wayne in 1915 so that Alfred could work in the coal mines. A year later the family moved to Drumheller.
    Alfred got his Fire Boss certificate and in 1919 he and Charles Larrair purchased a coal mine south of Hanna.
    The mine was successful for many years, selling coal to farmers in the area and to the residents of Hanna. Alfred gave the mine to two of his sons in the late twenties. Unfortunately, Alfred died in 1929 after a leg injury went gangrenous.
    After many years, and making it through the Great Depression, in 1941 the mine went bankrupt and closed.
    This is where the ledgers held by Leonard, a grandson of Alfred, came into being. Recorded within are all of the sales made by the mine and data regarding the workers at the mine.
    “Some of the names in here are still being used in Hanna today,” said Morse.
    The plight of the miners during the Great Depression is made evident. Wages during that time dip staggeringly low. Although as Leonard describes, they were being taken care of.
    “It shows how much money they made and it was poor. But, if you follow it down to where they are trading coal with the farmers for beef and potatoes,” said Morse.
    The book is in rough shape, the cover is fraying, the pages tattered, and the book is in dire need of conservation. However, the information within is as clear as the day it was written.
    After it was started by Alfred when the Morse mine opened, it was passed down to his sons Bill and then Fred, to Fred’s daughter, and finally Leonard.
    Leonard, after possessing the book for many years, is considering donating it to a museum or the Atlas Coal Mine.
    Morse hopes to find more relics when he heads back out to the old Morse Mine this summer.
    “This valley has a lot of stories to tell,” said Morse.


4-H Communication Judges Workshop prepares for Speak Offs

    Drumheller District 4-H gears up for 4-H public speaking with a Communication Judges Workshop.  
    February 4, judges and 4-H leaders gathered at the Delia Community Centre to learn new skills and new rules for public speaking.
    Janet Kerr, Regional 4-H Specialist, led the workshop and emphasized that both the content and delivery of the prepared speech, impromptu and presentation are judged. 
    “Communication is a requirement for all 4-H members. Some members love public speaking, while others are not so sure.  What we do know is that communication skills can be developed,” said Kerr.
    The 4-H public speaking program relies on volunteers. The efforts all of the volunteers are greatly appreciated, especially those who took time out of their schedules to help out.
    4-H members are now preparing for speak offs in their clubs. District Speak Offs will be March 10 in Carbon hosted by the Hesketh Orkney Club.
    The highlight will be Regional Speak Offs on March 17 hosted by Drumheller District 4-H. Members from across the East Central region will travel to participate in Regional Speak Offs.
    Watch for more details about upcoming communication events. For more information contact Janice Hoover at 403-364-2040.

WPCA drivers nix Dinosaur Derby

The drivers have spoken and this year there will be no WPCA Pro Dodge Tour event in Drumheller.
    The Richard Cosgrave Memorial Dinosaur Derby has enjoyed more than a decade of history and was always well attended. According to Kelly Carson, operations manager for the WPCA, there will not be an event in Drumheller.
    “This was a driver decision at the annual general meeting,” said Carson. “They voted not to go back.”
    Carson said track issues were probably the number one issue drivers had.
    “They (the Ag Society) did a great job of fixing it when we did go back, there was no question about that. It was going to be an ongoing issue because of the spring on turn two and that was their (the drivers) decision,” said Carson. 
    The Dinosaur Derby started with a bang, and was well supported by the community. A few years back there were changes in the tarp auction and it was no longer done on site with the drivers, but rather through a satellite auction. This took a toll on the event.
    “It is tough to find tarp sponsors, that also weighed in to it. The amount of local sponsors was not many,” said Carson, adding that when they introduced the remote tarp auctions, most show’s tarp total went up.
    Another snag was when the race was moved from mid summer to early June, and for two seasons the races were postponed due to weather.
    “If we ran in the spring in Drumheller and we were cancelled two years in a row, the odds of it being cancelled again? Probably pretty good,” said Carson.
    He said it is not just the weather, but also the track’s ability to withstand the weather.
    “The main issue will always be the track and when we want to run. It was underwater this year when we went and obviously we couldn’t run on it,” said Carson. “We are trying to make sure we have all weather tracks. If you look at Medicine Hat, they put $400,000 into the track; you could run there in the winter.  When it gets to that stage the show runs on time, the advertisers are happy and everyone’s happy.”
    Last year the Dinosaur Derby ran on the last possible date of the season, and the season champion was crowned. Carson said this was anticlimactic.
    “This year, if we are cancelled we’ll not go back. So if we were to run in June and were rained out, we would not go back. What happened last year is we arranged with Rocky Mountain House to have the World Finals there but in essence the World Finals were in Drumheller because we went there after Rocky Mountain House,” said Carson.    
Carson said no show this year doesn’t mean it is gone for good.
    “The board changes every year and that doesn’t mean that they won’t come back on track, it will always be out there, but that’s how it stands right now,” said Carson.


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