WHETSTONE

Description: DARK BROWN RECTANGULAR BLOCK, WITH ROUNDED CORNERS. RED STICKER AT TOP END READS "QUALITY RAZOR HONE SATISFACTION". "MADE IN U.S.A." STAMPED IN BLACK INK ON SIDE. C/W CARDBOARD SLEEVE. PRINTED IN BLACK ON SLEEVE IS "ONE RAZOR HONE NO. CARBO THE HONE THAT MAKES THE VELVET EDGE GUARANTEED UNIFORM IN QUALITY MADE IN U.S.A.". "LT 75" IN PENCIL ON BACK, WITH "AL BAINES" IN PENCIL ON SIDE. CORNERS AND EDGES OF SLEEVE ARE BADLY WORN; PIECE OF SCOTCH TAPE REMAINS ON END.

History: BELONGED TO AL'S FATHER, WHO CAME WEST IN 1899 AS A RAILWAY WORKER. HE HAD WORKED FOR L.N.W. RAILWAY IN LONDON. *UPDATE* IN 2018, COLLECTIONS ASSISTANT ELISE PUNDYK CONDUCTED A SURVEY OF BOXED TEXTILES AND ACCESSORIES, INCLUDING A BELT BUCKLE DONATED BY AGNES BAINES (NEE GIBSON). LETHBRIDGE HERALD RESEARCH INDICATES THAT BAINES WAS BORN ON 20 JANUARY 1912 IN CARSTAIRS, ALBERTA. HER SIBLINGS WERE MILDRED BOS, JEAN MORGAN (D. 2000 IN EDMONTON, AB), ROBERT GIBSON, AND A BROTHER WHO PASSED AWAY AS AN INFANT. SHE MARRIED AL BAINES ON 31 DECEMBER 1941. BAINES’ OBITUARY STATES THAT THE COUPLE RESIDED IN LETHBRIDGE FROM 1945 ONWARDS. SHE PASSED AWAY ON 3 AUGUST 1999 AT THE AGE OF 87 YEARS. HER HUSBAND, AL BAINES, WAS BORN IN LUNDBRECK, ALBERTA IN 1909. ACCORDING TO LETHBRIDGE HERALD RESEARCH, HIS FATHER CAME TO THE AREA IN 1903 TO PUT A NEW RAIL LINE OVER THE FRANK SLIDE IN THE CROWSNEST PASS, ALBERTA. RESEARCH CONDUCTED TO LOCATE THE DONOR’S NEXT OF KIN WAS UNSUCCESSFUL. PLEASE SEE PERMANENT FILE FOR MORE INFORMATION, INCLUDING LETHBRIDGE HERALD ARTICLES.