Dawson City - A History of Growing Pains 1896 - 1906
As prepared by Dawson Historian, John Gould.
MINUTE GUN
It was after a meeting of the Territorial Council in November 1899 a standard time was established, an ordinance was past that provided for the taking of an observation of the sun each week to establish the standard time for the Yukon. In the absence of a large government clock the hour of noon will be marked each day by firing of one of the small cannons that the Yukon Field force had. (Klondike Nugget Nov. 25,1899)
ST. ANDREWS NIGHT
One of the great social evenings of the early days took part on November 22,1899.
It was a fancy dress ball held in the Palace Grand Theatre. One hundred and eighty couple attended this social event of the year.
It were a pity that the scene at the Palace Grand on Thursday night could not be reduced to canvas. Words can scarcely do it justice, and besides, a proper account of the affair might be taken for reportial enthusiasm, when the truth is that the affair on St. Andrew's night, in Dawson, anno domini DCCCXCIX was so far superior to anything ever anticipated; was such a brilliant display of dress and beauty; was so excellently and hospitably managed; was attended by such a host of superbly dressed ladies and gentlemen in evening dress as to positively preclude the scribe from over painting and teaches him the paucity of his vocabulary.
Those who attended formed in line at the call for the grand march. Silks and satin predominated for the ladies, many who were in decollete evening dress., the gentlemen were in swallow tail, evening dress. The music was by the Yukon Field force band. (Klondike Nugget Dec. 2, 1899)
The dances and Balls were always a dress up affair right into the early 1970's. You had to be dressed or you didn't get in. Many of the early balls were free to the ladies the tickets to the gentlemen cost them a dollar. There usually was a dinner late in the evening. The music wasn't loud like a modem dance.
There was no bar the men had a flask in their coat which was hanging in the cloak room, the ladies also had a flask in their cloak room.
ARE ALL MARRIAGES VOID?
Sensational Point Raised by legal Advisor
Anent Jim Hall's Case
The case of Jim Hall, whose frantic efforts to get married has brought him into court and a consequent notoriety within the past few days, has had still other wider effects. It brought to the attention of Commissioner Ogilvie and legal advisor W.H.P. Clement certain slight but in such cases vary grave defects in the laws governing marriages in the territory. After a survey of the situation a grave doubt has been awakened in the mind of
Mr .Clement as to the validity of all marriages that have taken place within the past few years in the territory. At the session of Yukon council last evening, leave was granted him to introduce an ordinance remedying these technical defects in the laws and specifically validate all marriages performed under the law as it stood. The laws operating in this territory are those made for the North West Territories. In the Northwest Territories there is lieutenant governor and an, attorney general, and the express provisions of the law concerning marriages, it is the business of the department of the attorney general to issue marriage licences, and of that of the lieutenant governor to counter sign them.
There is neither a lieutenant governor or an attorney general in the Yukon territory and yet people do wish to get married. In this dilemma Commissioner Ogilvie felt himself warranted in assuming the duties of the lieutenant governor and in delegating to Comptroller Lithgow those of attorney general. Mr. Lithgow has issued the marriage licenses and commissioner Oglivie has countersigned them. The law, however, is specific. It requires a license to issue before a marriage can be lawfully performed and it as distinctly provides who shall issue it in order to make it valid. It is in the presence of these premises that the doubt stands in the mind of the legal advisor of the Yukon Council as to validity of marriages that have been solemnized under license not issued in accordance with these stipulations.
The ordinance introduced and passed to its first reading yesterday amended the ordinance of the Yukon Territory so as to directly empower the commissioner and the comptroller to perform the duties stated. Having done this, the ordinance further provides that "All marriages solemnized in the Yukon Territory * * are hereby declared and shall, for all intents and purposes whatsoever, be held to have been duly solemnized." (Dawson Daily News Dec. 9, 1899)
©John Gould
(This is copyrighted material and under no circumstances is allowed to be copied or used without the express permission of the author)