X is for X-ray - Blogging from A to Z April 2020 Challenge!

Today X is for X-ray Machine in Quesnel

  Blogging about British Columbia Genealogy Resources

The Cariboo Observer, Quesnel, BC, Saturday 27 December 1924, page 2.

In 1924 and '25, people in Quesnel were raising money to buy an x-ray machine for their hospital. The Quesnel newspaper, The Cariboo Observer, mentioned the X-Ray Fund in every issue and published the names of donors (and the amounts donated).

At that time, the hospital was run by the Quesnel Hospital Association. The government of BC was in favour of a "contributory health insurance scheme" ¹ to fund hospitals and other care, but nothing had changed yet.  As the Observer pointed out, the Hospital Association membership was $1. a year, if a citizen wanted a say in the hospital's affairs. Of course, there was also a Women's Auxiliary. 

Buying an X-ray machine was certainly a modern undertaking, but citizens must have been thinking about health issues beyond Quesnel which could affect them too.  Not only would most remember the recent influenza epidemic, but in December, just as the campaign started, there were chicken pox cases in Quesnel, soon quarantined.² And there was concern about a smallpox outbreak ³  in March; the US-Canada border was closed at Vancouver to those who weren't vaccinated.

But the campaign began in 1924 as planned with the New Year's Dance. "As you know, the Hospital Board purposes soon to start a drive for the X-ray fund, and right here is where it starts, with a bang!" ⁴ Several businesses mentioned it in their Christmas ads, as they did for future events.

Contributions came in from men employed on the Pacific Great Eastern Railway, or working on road or bridge crews, from Barkerville and nearby mining areas. The Kersley Farmers' Institute sponsored a dance and donated the proceeds. By September 1925, the fund stood at $1029.01. More about this campaign later. 

The Cariboo Observer, Quesnel, BC, 31 January 1925, page 4. You can get an idea of local prices from this. I dearly need a new saucepan myself. The Observer was $2. a year; "strictly in advance", but just like now, there were special offers. See the ad below from the same newspaper issue.

Here are the names of some of the contributors. More later.

QUESNEL, BC - HOSPITAL X-RAY FUND CONTRIBUTORS, 1924-1925. (Partial list.)

ALCOCK E. H.

ARCHIBALD Archie

BOWERS G. --Curtis Road Camp

BOYD G. --Curtis Road Camp

BRIGHTBELL H.  --PGE

BROWN A. -- Curtis Road Camp

CAMPBELL D. E. --McKenzie's Bridge Crew

COCKIN W  --PGE

CURTIS A. F. --Curtis Road Camp

DANDERFIELD N. --Curtis Road Camp

DANIEL H. -- PGE

DAVIES J. D. -- PGE

DOWIE E. E.  --McKenzie's Bridge Crew

EAGELSON M. J. --PGE

EELESCO W --PGE

FOSTER Joe  --Curtis Road Camp

GRAY H.   --McKenzie's Bridge Crew

GUTHRIE H.  --McKenzie's Bridge Crew

HANSEN C  --PGE

HILBORN G. --Curtis Road Camp

HOUSTON J -- PGE

HUNGER P.  --McKenzie's Bridge Crew

IRWIN  J  --McKenzie's Bridge Crew

JOHNSON A.  --Curtis Road Camp

LAZAROFF P. --Curtis Road Camp

LINNER C  --PGE

LUST A  --PGE

MACALISTER J  --PGE

MACPHAIL A. --Curtis Road Camp

MCCLEARY J --Curtis Road Camp

MCGUIRE B  --Curtis Road Camp

MCKENZIE K.  --McKenzie's Bridge Crew

MCKINNON A. --McKenzie's Bridge Crew

MILLER J  --PGE

MILNE R.  --McKenzie's Bridge Crew

MOFFAT  J. --McKenzie's Bridge Crew

MORRIS M. --Curtis Road Camp

MORRIS J.  --PGE

MORRISON D. D.  --PGE

NADON J. A. --Curtis Road Camp

NICHOLS J. C. 

NORWOOD C.A.

ORMHEIM Olaf  --Curtis Road Camp

OSTRAND J.  --Curtis Road Camp

PAULSON C.  --Curtis Road Camp

PEDRO  H.  --Curtis Road Camp

PIERCE E.   --Curtis Road Camp

PINCHBECK Wm.

PRICE J.   --Curtis Road Camp

RATLEDGE J. --Curtis Road Camp

REID C.  -- PGE

SAFFIN J. --McKenzie's Bridge Crew

SHEPHERD F. --Curtis Road Camp

SMETANUK W. B. --PGE

THOMPSON D  --PGE

THOMPSON Jas.

WALLACE A.  --McKenzie's Bridge Crew

WESTBROOK S.  --PGE

ZSCHIEDRICH P.  ---McKenzie's Bridge Crew

Note: PGE - the Pacific Great Eastern Railway (the Please Go Easy, or, Prince George Eventually)

REFERENCES

1. Making Medicine: The History of Health Care in Canada, 1914-2007. Canadian Museum of History:https://www.historymuseum.ca/cmc/exhibitions/hist/medicare/medic00e.html

3. The Cariboo Observer, Quesnel, BC, Saturday, 27 December 1924, page 1. 

3. The Cariboo Observer, Quesnel, BC, Saturday, 25 April 1925, page 1. 

4.  The Cariboo Observer, Quesnel, BC, Saturday, 27 December 1924, page 1. 

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