AUNT AGGIE AND THE SCHOLARSHIP CONTEST
Each year, Chestnutwood Business College of Santa Cruz sponsored a scholarship contest in the Hanford Journal. Three candidates were entered in the 1904 contest: Irwin McDiearan, Marion Hefton and our own Agnes McDonald who was 22 at the time. The first day's vote count was McKiearan 1200, Hefton 1800 and Aggie 64. Poor girl, she was off to a shaky start. Each day's paper carried a ballot readers could cut out and submit with their vote. Those first few days Agnes kept falling further behind. It was obvious the paper didn't want this to become a two person race, "Agnes McDonald will no doubt be polling a large vote soon, as she has many friends who have promised her support."
Winner of the contest would receive a six month scholarship to Chestnutwood College, a scholarship which would include "the commercial course in shorthand and typing'" free.
By January 9, Aggie had fallen 2800 votes behind second place, Marion Hefton. By the 16th his lead was a 3000 vote margin. The gap
was widening and the paper was worried as it reported:
"It has been reported by someone (we hope not maliciously) that .Agnes McDonald has withdrawn from the Hanford contest, she informs us that such is not the case and she is going to do her best to win. It is hoped that she will stay in the race for if she withdraws one of the prizes for Hanford will have to be taken down as there would then only be two contestants for two prizes."
The contest would end March 1 and by February 1, our heroine was down by 4000 votes. The Journal reported:
"Miss Agnes McDonald, a charming young lady of the capitol of Kings Co. was in Laton yesterday looking after votes in the journal scholarship contest. Miss McDonald is out after one of the scholarships offered to the contestants and if perseverance and hard work by herself and friends count she stands a good show of getting at the head of the list as the contest closes."
It appeared as if Agnes had a lot of family support. In early February, Letha Mott, Alien's wife to be, and Mrs. Lohse (sister Elite) visited the contestant from their home in Estrella.
Toward the middle of February, it seemed as if Agnes might be closing the gap. On the 16th she was 6000 votes behind Marion, by the 17th the difference was 4000, 2000 on the 23rd, only 300 on the 25th and, miracle of miracles, she trailed second place by only 28 votes on the eve of the final day.
When the final count was in, Agnes had won second place, a $50 scholarship. She had surpassed Marion by 900 votes!!
In her victory message that was reported in the paper, Agnes thanked one and all:
"I wish to thank each and every one who took such an interest on my behalf in the recent contest for the Journal scholarships and although I did not receive first prize, I feel just as thankful that one so deserving as Mr. McKiernan should receive it.
I also wish to state that every courtesy and act of kindness shown by Mr. Dewey and Miss Baker was fully appreciated by me."
Agnes Mc Donald Hanford, California February 29, 04
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BLIADHNA NAN LUCH
“Year of the Mice”
It is difficult to imagine conditions more difficult than those
found in East Bay by Donald Gillis and his fellow immigrants from
Prince Edward Island upon their arrival in Cape Breton. The Bras
d' Or Lakes were surrounded by trackless forests, and no human
habitat existed except for the local Mic Mac Indians, who were often
unfriendly and arrogant. Before the pioneers lay weeks and months of weary labor
and lonely winter days when cold and hunger could hardly be endured. They
lived in miserable one room huts built of round logs cut on the spot and
covered with bark. The winters were tough, and fires had to be kept going night and day, for they provided the only source of light and warmth. Many of the
pioneers would lose their way in the dense forests, perishing in the snow.
Imagine the plight of Mary Gillis, wife of Donald, as she tried to raise young
children in this hostile environment. On one occasion she was confronted by a large bear as she opened the door to the tine hut. She had the courage and foresight
to throw burning embers from the fireplace on the creature to chase him away.
When the lemmings came, it must have been almost too much for Mary, whose
firstborn daughter was only one year of age. Only this once in Nova Scotia
history has this plague of mice occurred. In Norway and other Scandinavian countries there is a visitation of that sort at intervals which range which range from
five to 25 years. In Europe the animal is called the lemming. It is a variety of field mice approximately five inches long with a stout body and a very short tail. It
is a fierce fighter.
Nobody know how or from whence they came. So numerous were they that year in
Nova Scotia that a fall of two to three inches of snow was packed down by their
bodies. The wheat and potato crops were almost totally destroyed. They were
so bold as to face dogs and cats in mortal combat. During the next summer,
their disappearance was as sudden and mysterious as their advent. As is their
custom, having set a course, the lemmings followed it closely and didn’t turn aside for rivers lakes or other difficult obstacles. In due course, they came to the sea
and kept going straight ahead with confidence until they perished.
The Gillis family survived these dangers and, with their fellow pioneers turned the primitive wilderness into a habitable Nova Scotian community.* *
**Further research on my part tells me that the suicide of lemmings is an urban myth.
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