CANE

Description: CUT FROM SINGLE LIMB OF TREE. BARK ON & VARNISHED, HANDLE SKINNED & VARNISHED. POSSIBLY CHERRY OR APPLEWOOD. SOME CHIPPING TO BARK. NUMEROUS SCRATCHES TO HANDLE. HAND MADE.

History: HANDMADE, POSSIBLY ALBERTAN. DONOR BELIEVES CANE OWNED ORIGINALLY BY DR. PETER M. CAMPBELL, PIONEER LETHBRIDGE DOCTOR. DONOR ACQUIRED FROM OLD LADY NAMED "MARY" IN 1983. *UPDATE* IN 2014 COLLECTIONS ASSISTANT JANE EDMUNDSON CONDUCTED A SURVEY OF MILITARY OBJECTS, INCLUDING ONE DONATED BY DR. ALEX JOHNSTON (P19820062000). WHILE SHE WAS UNABLE TO FIND SPECIFIC INFORMATION ON THE ARTIFACTS DONATED BY JOHNSTON, A TRIBUTE ARTICLE FROM THE APRIL 13, 1989 ISSUE OF THE LETHBRIDGE HERALD PROVIDES BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION. JOHNSTON WAS BORN IN 1920 IN WORKED FOR NEARLY 30 YEARS AS A RANGELAND ECOLOGIST AT THE LETHBRIDGE RESEARCH STATION. HIS CAREER AS A LOCAL HISTORIAN STARTED IN THE MID-1960S, AND BY HIS DEATH HE HAD AUTHORED OVER ONE HUNDRED ARTICLES AND PUBLICATIONS. HE WORKED AT THE GALT MUSEUM AND ARCHIVES, AND SERVED AS THE CHAIRMAN OF THE ARITFACTS AND ACQUISITION COMMITTEE AT THE FORT WHOOP UP INTERPRETIVE SOCIETY. JOHNSON RECEIVED AN HONOURARY DOCTORATE OF LAWS FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF LETHBRIDGE AND WAS INDUCTED IN THE ALBERTA AGRICULTURE HALL OF EXCELLENCE FOR HIS ROLE IN THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE RESEARCH SUBSTATION WEST OF STAVELY - A DEMONSTRATION FARM USED TO DEVELOP THE PRESERVATION OF NATIVE PRAIRIE GRASSES. JOHNSTON WAS A CONFIRMED BACHELOR AND LIVED FOR MANY YEARS AT THE MARQUIS HOTEL. HE DIED ON APRIL 12, 1989.