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Another baby girl had been born to the Hamiltons in the Byron Creek home, Katherine, in 1908. Mr. Hamilton moved his growing family as a temporary measure into the roomy boarding house at the flats, before it was used for that purpose, and installed a Chinese cook. Unfortunately he was addicted to opium and had two long knives which he was inclined to sharpen when under the influence. This was a point of considerable anxiety to Mrs. Hamilton, though he never threatened her. When a Ladies' Aide was formed and met frequently in the large dining room, the cook found Mrs. Fitzsimmons, wife of the manager of the Burmis mine, very attractive. She was a very jolly rotund sort of person, who would sooner laugh than take things seriously. He paid her constant attention and could hardly be gotten out of the dining room. He was furious that she took him so casually. He tried to force Mrs. Hamilton to use her good influence to promote his cause and she was never sure to what lengths he might go if unsuccessful.

The last of the stone buildings built at the Police Flats was a large three story bungalow for the Hamilton family. It was probably the first house in many miles to have its own sewer and water. This was made possible through a spring of pure water coming out of the ground above the house and to the sharp drop of the hill to facilitate sewers below the house. It also had hardwood floors, three fireplaces, and a dummy elevator from the kitchen to the dining room.

By this time the limestone cliff which had provided so much building stone, was a yawning cavern in the side of the hill. All this beehive of activity had required the services of many men, the building of another store by the Kerr Brothers, a bank, a hotel, a doctor and many more homes on the townsite. Pioneer problems persisted. The road behind the Hamilton house, leading to town, to school or church was so steep that the new gravity fed cars coming on the market had to go up the hill backwards. And at night the wife would take the rear coal-oil lamp off the back fender and lead the way so as to keep the driver from going over the steep embankment.

Considering the large amount of work involved coal production got underway creditably fast. The company had limited operating capital and from the start endeavoured to keep spending within reasonable reach of coal returns. Assay reports showed they had the highest quality of steam and coking coal, with samples showing higher fixed carbon, less ash, and less sulphur than Connellsville in the States, considered to be the best on the market, and the B.T.U/s were comparable.

A sample assay follows:

Milton Hersey Co. Ltd., the well known assay chemists, made the signed comment:

"I am able to say that these are two of the best coals that have ever been submitted to me. They are excellent for steam raising, gas making, and manufacture of coke for smelting or other purposes." Signed: Milton L. Hersey.

The C.P.R. said they would take all the coal they could produce, and there were other customers who promised to buy on a regular basis if they could have consideration. Production had reached one hundred and twenty-five to one hundred and seventy-five tons daily, and they were showing a small monthly profit. As against today's mining figures one should remember the time, and that they were receiving an average of probably one dollar and a half per ton, as against today's latest figures of $56.07 per tonne (1977). For the month of March 1909 the profit was five thousand dollars.

This article is extracted from Crowsnest and its People: Millennium Edition (Coleman, Alberta, Crowsnest Pass Historical Society, 2000.) The Heritage Community Foundation and the Year of the Coal Miner Consortium would like to thank the authors and the Crowsnest Pass Historical Society for permission to reprint this material.

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