BARREL’S JOURNEY

Wairarapa Times-Age, 28 October 1941, Page 6

BARREL’S JOURNEY

MEANS OF RAISING MONEY.

FOR AIR RAID VICTIMS.

NEW WESTMINSTER, British Columbia

The mighty Fraser River, roaring tumultuously through gorges and canyons, is going to play a part in raising money for the Queen’s Canadian Fund for air raid victims this September. Every buyer of a ticket issued by the New Westminster Rotary Club is entitled to guess how long it will take an air-tight barrel, dropped in the Fraser River at Lytton, British Columbia, to travel a distance of some 150 miles to New Westminster. The person making the nearest guess will win 500 dollars. The barrel “rolled” last year for the first time, when almost-4,000 dollars was raised for the Air Supremacy Drive. At that lime it took the barrel 70 hours, 37 minutes and 7 seconds to cover the distance, but the barrel was not moving all those hours —it was held up for 10 hours during its journey by a sand-bar. This year special guards will be placed along the banks of the Fraser, especially at the sandbars and eddies, to see that the progress of the drum is uninterrupted.

The barrel that was used last year will be used again this year. It has been freshly painted, and. carries a huge. “V” fob Victory on the two ends and sides, with the “Queen’s Canadian Fun” inscribed in the “V’s.” In order that the barrel’s progress may be followed at night, a battery with a longburning light has been installed on the top. There is also a flag-staff from which the Union Jack will proudly wave as the barrel sails gaily down the river.