bc:vips:enochjones


Enoch Roscoe Lukens Jones

Kitselas, British Columbia, Canada


Enoch R. L. Jones Sr.
Enoch Roscoe Lukens Jones
b- Nov 28, 1877 in Harrisburg, Dauphin, PA, USA
d- Oct 20, 1968, San Francisco, CA, age 90
buried Oct 24, 1968, in Golden Gate National Cemetery, San Bruno, CA, USA, Section Z, Site 2534

Came to Kitselas in 1908 to work as a telegraph operator on the Dominion Telegraph
Previously a telegraph operator on the Pennsylvania Railroad.
July 1910 found an article that shows him as Publisher of the Big Canyon Weekly Newspaper in Kitselas,
He was also interested in mining.
He was preparing to open a Mining Broker's office in Prince Rupert.
He was going to make the mines on the Skeena, and at Alice Arm, his specialty.

Served in Spanish American War, US Signal Corps, Enlisted July 23, 1900 in Harrisburg PA,
arrived in China, during the Boxer Rebellion, Abt. Sept 14, 1900.
Discharged in Manila Philippines, May 19, 1903
Received a Commission to serve in Philippines Constabulary
He was a miner in Wyoming before coming to Kitselas.

Telegraphed an order to Vancouver from Kitselas for a complete Printing Press and Printer.
Drew up plans for a 2 story house, and built it from wood from the sawmill at Hardscrabble, run by William Ellis, a few miles up river from Kitselas.
He got some of his news from “Barney” Mulvany, and Sperry “Dutch” Cline, who operated a packing trail from Telegraph Point to Hazelton by tobaggon and dog sleds.
Barney Mulvany is known as the founder and owner of what became Burns Lake. (see bio below)
He was co owner of Beirnes & Mulvany, with George Beirnes. (see bio below)
Sperry “Dutch” Cline (see bio below) was a Provincial Constable in Hazelton in early 1900's, and worked on the mail route for Beirnes & Mulvany
Enoch also gleaned his newspaper news he claimed, from a fellow named Beach, an Omineca Placer miner, (He noted-not Hicks Beach from Hazelton), and “French” Bodine, land surveyor Brownlee, (James Harrison Brownlee, of the firm Brownlee, Nash and Davidson) and others who he said passed thru Kitselas in the spring and fall.

My guess for Bodine is Henry Edmund Bodine, born Champbrique, France, son of Henry and Lucy Bodine.
1921 he was age 37 when he married Elsie Louisa Vaughn. He was shown as a mining Engineer then.
b- Jan 30, 1875
d- Mar 1, 1956
buried-Rose Valley Cemetery, Kelso, Cowlitz County, Washington, USA
I believe Mount Bodine would be named after this fellow.

Shown as a Publisher in 1911 Canada census, in Hazelton BC

Veteran 1st Lieut., US Army, WW1, enlisted Aug 14, 1917
when he enlisted he was a Telegraph Operator for Western Union at Pine & Montgomery, in San Francisco, race- White
Lived at 1527A Jones St., San Francisco.

Member of The California Society of the Sons of the American Revolution, # 52627
Descendent of Williams Jones of Cumberland Co Militia, Pennsylvania, USA

1920, 1930 and 1940 US census, family in San Francisco
Enoch shown as a Telegraph Supervisor, Western Union.

In his own words he describes his work experience
“I had previous experience that Phelan (John Theodore Phelan) himself did not know about, that fitted me specially for that work.
spanning rivers in North China with Submarine Cables, building telegraph lines through jungles in the Philippines,
3 years head instructor of the Philippines Division Signal Corps School at Calapan, Mindora, where my standing force was 85 men,
Train dispatching in Pennsylvania etc. all that experience was under my belt before arriving up there. In mining business in Wyoming 1906-1908
and lost everything in the 1907-1908 panic. I quit Wyoming, and went to Seattle looking for employment. Nothing there.
I was advised to go to Vancouver, where it was claimed there were mining opportunities, going hungry for men who knew the game.
Over there through the merest chance I met Phelan. With no recommendation than that I was a telegrapher, asking nothing about my background, he sent me up to Port Essington.
Then on to first boat to Kitsumkalum, and the moment I landed there, ordered me to Kitselas to relieve Bill Wrathall,
who wanted to relieved so he could go to Victoria and be married”

When Enoch arrived in Kitselas it took 3 days for a telegram from Rupert to get to Vancouver. With his ability, and cooperation of other telegraph operators they fixed the line.
For this work Phelan appointed him Circuit Manager.

son of Enoch Beale Jones
b- Mar 29, 1835 PA, USA
d- May 16, 1904 in Sellinsgrove, Snyder Co. PA
son of Rev. William McCord Jones and Elizabeth Coffman
and Sarah Ann Jones, nee Lukens
b- Apr 1832, PA, USA
d- Aug 23, 1907
daughter of David Lukens and Elizabeth Sunderland

Enoch Married Sept 19, 1903 in the Philippines

wife- Remedios Jones, nee Ponce de Leon
b- Jan 24, 1886 in Cuyo, Palawan, Mimaropa, Philippines
(1867 in some documents, but 1886 in Enoch's letter)
d- June 5, 1964 in San Francisco CA, USA
race- Filipino
mother's maiden name- Acero,
buried June 10, 1964, in Golden Gate National Cemetery, San Bruno, CA, USA, Section Z, Site 2534

She was a descendant of the Spanish Explorer, The First Governor of Puerto Rico, and First European Discoverer of Florida (1512), Juan Ponce de León.
Her Ancestors went to the Philippines late 1700's from Spain.
King Carlos sent Don Antonio Ponce de Leon to the Spanish Colony the Island of Cuyo.
The Ponce De Leon's were the leading family of the Island of Cuyo.
They were shown as one-fifth Native Blood.
American Governor Phillips, of the Island of Cuyo, taught Remedios English.
Within 3 months she was in charge of the English School he had set up there.
Lieutenant Jones who was a resident of Lewiston Junction PA, was made Telegraph Inspector for the Island ca 1900.
He boarded with 1st Lieut. of the Island, Lemuel E. Boren.
He had already married a Ponce de Leon girl.
This is where he met his wife.
She learned basic Telegraph, and they sent messages of love to each other.
His father got ill, living in Selinsgrove, by the time he got to America, his dad was dead, and his Mother moved to Williamsport.

first 3 children as of 1911 census, all in Hazelton:

daughter- Mariano Jones
b- Aug 10, 1904
d- Aug 10, 1904

son- Rev. Enoch “Roscoe” Lukens Jones Jr.
b- Sept 8, 1905 in USA
d- Feb 26, 2001 in Cotati, Sonoma, CA, USA, age 95
buried in Cypress Lawn Memorial Park, Daly City, CA, USA
Veteran LCDR, US Navy, WWII
found an article from 1966 saying he was a retired Navy Chaplain., in Los Angeles, ( this could be Sr.?)

son- John Ponce deLeon Jones
b- Aug 10, 1907
d- Sept 23, 1907

above Immigrated in 1908 from US to Canada

daughter- Remedios Jones
b- Jan 1909 in Kitselas, BC
d- ?
1930- Copy Clerk, Telegraph Office in San Francisco

daughter- Isidra “Suzy” Jones
b- Dec 1910 (5 1/2 mo old time of census) in Kitselas, BC
d- ?
married Colin Spangler, divorced by 1940
she had a son

son- Daniel J. Jones
b- Abt 1913, Puerto Princesa, Palawan, MIMAROPA, Philippines
d-
married a Chris and had a daughter

son- David Mifka Jones
b- July 11, 1915, in Philippine Islands
d- Feb 2, 2005 in Elkhorn, Douglas, Nebraska
married Virginia Marie Waller, had 2 children

The family arrived back in US, ca 1918 from Philippines

Son- Benjamin Selin Jones
b- May 28, 1919, San Francisco, CA, USA,
age 14 1/2, Feb 1934,
d- Feb 3, 2010 in Harrisonburg, Harrisonburg City, Virginia
married Francis Marie Rapp, they had 2 daughters.

daughter- Esperanza Jones
b- Abt 1921, CA, USA age 13, Feb 1934

Son- Jacob Gilbert “Jake” Jones
b- June 1, 1922, San Francisco, CA, USA, age 12, Feb 1934
d- Sept 20, 2011, San Francisco, CA

Daughter- Consuelo Jones
b- Abt 1925, CA, USA, age 10, Feb 1934

Note- Frank White was a lodger with the Jones family
in 1911 census (see below)

1910- Big Canyon Weekly Newspaper changed it's name to Inland Colonist, so there was a newspaper printed at Kitselas
June 1911 the paper moved from Kitselas to Hazelton
Frank S. White shown as a printer of a newspaper in Kitselas in 1911
His dad was an orderly at the Foley & Stewart Hospital
Frank S. White
b- Dec 1885, in England
father- Frank White
b- Nov 1869 in England
Orderly
brother- William G. White
b- Jan, in England
Waiter at the hospital
brother- Harold G. White
b- Dec 1901 in England
family immigrated in 1910

Additional info on Big Canyon Weekly paper from Helene McRae, Terrace:
“Note you have a mention of a printer of the Big Canyon Weekly, did you ever hear of Enoch R. L. Jones, the Owner?
A very interesting fellow, was in the Spanish American War. He had a couple children while at Kitselas.”
some additional info from Helene:
“Enoch kept in touch with the North, He corresponded with my Aunt until they got too old.
I later corresponded with one of the sons, Benjamin, until he was too old to write.
Enoch sold a Lot in Kitselas for $625 and with the money purchased the Press, for the Big Canyon Weekly,
Later moved it to Hazelton, sold it, and returned to the U.S.
Press later came back to Terrace as the “Omineca Herald”.
Lots were first sold for $50.00
but when word of the Railroad was received, they jumped in price.”

Now I do Helene! Thanks for the info, he was an interesting guy!

Today Apr 18, 2013 heard from Enoch's Great Grandson Greg Jones, and hopefully he will get something from this page and Helene's info.
Greg told me Enoch was interested in boxing. He also gave me permission to use the photo above.

I also know Enoch published a series of articles on the Missions of Northern BC in collaboration with Mrs. Lily Graham, daughter of Rev. Robert Tomlinson at Meanskinisht.
as well he published George Kerr's story, of him and his brother John Kerr, during the Riel rebellion. George was a clerk in Patterson's store at the time. The Kerr's had a trading store at Batoche.


Sperry “Dutch” Cline
b- May 26, 1881 on a farm near Elgin, Ontario
d- May 8, 1964 at a nursing home in Burnaby BC, age 82
served at a young age in the Boer War
Served as a policeman in Hazelton from 1901 to 1926
son of Janus Cline and Maria Schaeffer, both born in ON


George Milton Beirnes
alt spelling George Biernes
b- Sept 22, 1876 in ON
d- Mar 8, 1948 on his Kispiox Ranch, 22 miles north of Hazelton BC, age 71
buried in Hazelton BC
One of the first to locate Ground Hog coal fields.


Barney Mulvany
Trygarn Pelham Lyster “Barney” Mulvany
alt spelling Barney Mulvaney
b- May 17, 1876 at Carrying-Place, ON
d- Mar 27, 1961 in Burns lake BC
buried in Burns Lake BC
son of Rev Charles James Pelham Mulvany, an Anglican Rector, and Julia Mary nee Crookenden,
father b- May 20,1835 in Dublin Ireland, d- May 31, 1885 in Augusta Terrace, Toronto, ON
Father served several years in the English Navy as a surgeon.
Grandfather- Henry William Pelham Mulvany, Barrister-at-law
Great Grandfather, Captain in the Royal Navy that fought in the battle of Bunker Hill
Barney came west in 1899


EXT links
Note- NOT my web pages

Link from Greg Jones
http://www.geni.com/people/Enoch-Roscoe-Lukens-Jones/6000000015976700232.



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  • Last modified: 2019/09/25 19:22
  • by dlgent