Shawnigan Lake School - Yearbook (Shawnigan Lake, British Columbia Canada)

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Life In the Lower Cariboo ONE who visits the Cariboo may get the first impression that it is a dull, monotonous place, but if he pushes aside the sage brush and peers through he may find things of interest which are not common in other parts of the world. The ranches of the district — for that is the main occupation — employ mostly Indians and Half- breeds when these persons are not at a stampede, in a poker game or at a funeral. It is not an uncommon sight to see a whole troop of Indians with their buggies, children, cayuse and dogs going along the road on their way to one of such mentioned. There are, of course, white men employed too, and some ranchers (probably the wisest) try to employ nothing but white men. Of z oot-suiters and their kind the Cariboo is thankfully lack- ing, the Indians on Saturday nights making all the fuss the small towns can stand. A person might be rudely interrupted from his supper plate one night and, on going to the door, discover that the whooping and yelling is merely two intoxicated Indians racing up Main Street to the cheers of their companions and the cries of a poor jay-walker striving desperately to get out of the way. The roads, though not super-highways, are usually quite driv- able, the only danger being the cattle which have broken their fences and wander aimlessly onto the road. They stand waiting for a car to come along so that they can cross the road and cause the car to slow down and honk its horn in a vain attempt to get the animal to move. Occasionally when the animal is too slow or the car too fast the former is hit and the poor driver finds himself with an angry rancher down his neck and a law-suit on his hands. The country, though in places hot and dry, has some beautiful spots farther up and on either side. The Cariboo valley is generally narrow but in spots it widens out to make room for a lake or plain. It is particularly pretty where the deep green of the pine and fir suddenly breaks and the pale green-yellow of a cottonwood grove continues down to the shore of a deep mountain lake or bed of a spring. Farther up the valley the mountains widen and nearly dis- appear and there one will find large cattle ranches bordering on small homesteads. There are few sheep ranches but one might see occasionally a thousand sheep being moved slowly down the road to new feeding grounds. Of hunting sports there are plenty. In the way of big game there are moose, deer, and coyotes. Sometimes the odd cougar is shot for bounty because of the danger they are to stock. Coyotes, too, are shot for bounty when their fur is not on the market. In the deep lakes excellent trout weighing from one to thirty pounds are caught. For the small game hunter there are many pheasants, duck and SCHOOL MAGAZINE Page 21

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DRAMATICS IN September, 1942, a School Dramatic Club was formed under the guidance of Mr. Manson with E. R. Larsen as President. Shortly before the end of the Michaelmas Term, the Club presented several short skits, including Box and Cox. The highlight of its activities, however, was the presentation on May 15th, 1943, of Charley ' s Aunt under the direction of Mr. Manson. The perform- ance was in the best traditions of the inimitable old comedy and was the culmination of several months ' rehearsals by the School Dra- matic Club assisted by five members of Strathcona Lodge School. This was the first time Strathcona Lodge had combined efforts with the School and the innovation was a The cast of characters was as follows: Brassett (a College Scout) Leonide Ignatieff Jack Chesney Jack Huntington Charles Wykeham Kenneth Wallis Lord Fancourt Babberley E. R. Larsen Kitty Verdun Mary Twigg Woodward Amy Spettigue Nancy Rendell Colonel Sir Francis Chesney P. Ballentine Stephen Spettigue David Roberts Farmer (a College Scout) Ian Forrest Donna Lucia d ' Alvadorez Faith Barraclough Ela Delahay (an Orphan) Pauline Nancollis Maud (Parlour-maid) Margaret Bradshaw THE WEEKLY LETTER Dear Mother, I hope you are well. The weather here isn ' t too bad, Although we have had a cold spell. My love to Aunt Mabel and Dad. I do so look forward, you know, To getting your letters. I ought Not to ask you for money ; but O, I am getting most terribly short. I hope that your weather is fine. On Sunday we went up the hill. Well, buck up and drop me a line. I guess that is all for now. Bill. R. A. B. M. p age 20 SHAWNIGAN LAKE

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grouse, and it keeps property owners busy warning tourists with guns off their property during the season. One must be careful of the stories cooked up on such occasions. In the fall of the year traffic is often held up by a herd of from twenty-five to one hundred and fifty head of cattle being driven along the road on their way to stock-yards where they are weighed and put on cattle cars for their journey to the meat packing plants. Often small herd owners ship their cattle with those of a large outfit for convenience in driving and shipping. It is an amusing thing to watch small children with their heads out of the car window and their mouths open as they stare with awe at the cattle shunting the car as they go past. Occasionally a startled steer will shatter head- lights or a fender as revenge for giving it such a fright. If the visitor still remains in doubt as to the variation of events in the Lower Cariboo he must look elsewhere for his excitement. G. H. S. P. (Form VL) FRUSTRATION You ' re crew because you ' re junior, We ' ll launch the boat together, — There ' ll be but me and you — And I will be the captain, And you shall be the crew. I know a secret channel, That cleaves a woody brake, And pulsing sounds are heard there, Like heart-beats in the Lake. ' Tis said on winter evenings, Whene ' er the moon is full, Pale figures pass along there In motion magical, To reach a pallid water, That lies around the bend, Where Time may never enter, And Life may never end. And this, the Lake ' s dark secret, I mean to have from her, Though Arthur ' s self should guard it With bright Excalibur. And I am captain, mind. — O look, the Head has written : Too young. Our leave ' s not signed. K. A. B. M. Page 22 SHAWNIGAN LAKE