The Old Laketon Courthouse, scene of
"Christmas In Laketon." Tom the Packer

and his Mrs. were living here when

On Christmas Eve, in the late 1920's
Harper Reed, Indian Agent for the Cas-
Siars, was dogsledding north on Dease
Lake. He was cold to the bone, and
hungry. His dogs were nearly played
out, pulling a heavy sled in dry snow.

Lights appeared on the west side of
the lake, and Harper headed for them,
knowing they came from Tom the Pack-
ers house in Laketon.

Tom the Packer, or Packer Tom as
some called him, came into the Cas-
siars during the 1870's Gold Rush fr-
om the Kamloops area. He drove a herd

of beef cattle up at a time when beef-_

steak was a rare and expensive com-
modity. Tom never left. He found his
girl, married, and settled in Laketon.
-the Cassiar metropolis of the day.
(With from 500 to 1600 population. )
As gold dwindled, so did the pop-
ulation of Laketon. By. the time Har-
per Reed made this Christmas Eve jo-

Tom the Packer: on ‘Dease* Lake.

co NO2

; Cassi ar Courier

the Voice of Cassiar Country
DECEMBER 1976

10cents

The Staff of the Cassiar Courier would

Wess: like to extend Season's Greetings to
same everyone in Cassiar Country.

We hope the Christmas Season brings

jall the joy and peace of this blessed
scelebration, and that the New Year wi-

“1 bring us all closer together per-

Harper Reed visited on Christmas Eve
in the 1920's.

AG) IN LAKETON

urney, there were four residents left:
Barney McHugh, Packer Tom and his wi-
fe, and an unknown character who 1i-
ved at the far end of town. Tom and
his Mrs. had moved from house to ho-
use as other moved on, finally set-
tling in the roomy old Laketon Court-
house.

Harper was near the end of his en-
durance as his dogs climbed the: bank
of the windy lake. Tom's dogs had an-
nounced his arrival and brought the
courthouse resident to his door -fl-
inging it open wide. Harper didn't
stop, and sled, dogs, and Harper
flew into the room.

"It was like getting straight out
of Hell into Heaven!"', Harper later
recalled. "They took off my mitts,
and each took one of my hands bet-
ween theirs and rubbed feeling back
into them."

econtinued on page 15

Where Can You Buy The}
Courier?

BY SUBSCRIPTION-The best way, for
it comes in your mailbox. Only $5
a year! [See page 16]

IN CASSIAR,, Supermarket, Retail

Store, Rec. Hall, Snack Bar, and

McDame Automotive

IN WATSON LAKE,,,Watson Lake Hard-
ware, Watson Lake Hotel, Belvedere
Hotel, Thompson's Yukon Goods

IN DEASE LAKE,,,Jack & Rae Esplin

IN GOOD HOPE LAKE.,.George Holman

IN ISKUT.,, Iskut Cooperative

IN TELEGRAPH CREEK,,,Please check

the Post Office for location.

IN QUARTZ *CREEK., Laura's Cafe &
Quartz Creek Gulf

“sonally, and in the pages of the Cass-

jar Courier.

New Cassiar Council

The new Cassiar Town Council has met
and according to Frank Buckley, Town-
site Administrator, and member of the
Council, "has really set out to do a
superior job!" .

The Town Council, an elected
group, makes recommendations for est-
ablishing and maintaining regular ser-
vices and facilities for the impro-
vement of living and the beautifica-
tion of the community. The Council ad-
ministrates an annual budget as they
determine it should be spent.

The Council recently sponsored with
the School a completion of speed signs
which will be the artistic designs of
the school children. Ten signs will
be erected around Cassiar, and will be
exact reproductions of designs sub -
mitted by the children.

e Continued on page 6

ae Brown
Vice-Chairman

Paul Ripco
Chairman

In this issue...

Christmas in Laketon....
Pioneer Profile

Letters to Editor
This N'That

Watson Lake Reports....
Good Hope Lake Reports.page 14

School News page 12