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Pioneers - John Conway
Right from the
beginning, Stewart enjoyed the benefits of having popular and public-spirited
government agents.
John Conway and his good wife were always in the
fore of hospital, lodge, dance and concert committees between 1910 and
1920.
Conway's successor, John P. Scarlett, was more reserved, but always
ready to give a helping
hand and active on the hospital board, at musical concerts (he always
enjoyed playing
his cello in the orchestra).
Probably the most colorful agent
was Harry W. Dodd, who was transferred to Stewart
in 1932. With Mrs. Dodd, their two youngest boys (Gerry and Fred), he arrived from
Telegraph Creek, where he had been stationed for the previous 24 years.
Harry had been posted to
Telegraph in 1908 and was appointed a provincial police constable
the following year. In 1913 he was transferred from the force to become,
in turn,
mining recorder, gold commissioner, government agent, judge and
government liquor
vendor. From September 1921 until July 1929, he held all five positions
at the same
time. In the earlier days at Telegraph Creek, Harry at times acted as
midwife to some
of his Indian friends, having gained considerable practice in the
mysteries of birth
by helping to deliver two of his own children.
This was before Telegraph enjoyed
either hospital or doctor.
One fall, two big game hunters
from New York sought to obtain their hunting permits,
only to be informed that the government agent was busy--attending to the
delivery of a baby.
The hunters then identified themselves as doctors, and asked to be directed to the
expectant mother.
Upon their arrival, they found mother and baby doing
well, thanks to Harry's tender care. The astounded doctors later sent
him a set of
medical reference books to help him in his extra line of endeavor.
When Harry moved into the old
government buildings at Stewart, he was joined by his two oldest
sons, Jack and Dan. One of Harry's daughters married Dick Gaskell,
well-known lineman-operator of the Dominion Telegraph Service.
A second daughter
became a nurse at the Telegraph hospital. The Dodd family fitted in
nicely at Stewart,
and the town lost some of its strongest boosters when Harry Dodd and family moved to
Victoria upon his retirement in 1940.
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