What Would “Miss Vancouver” Win, Precisely?

Proven within the picture above are among the contestants in the Canadian Legion Celebration Popularity Contest, gathered across the Auburn car that was promised to the winner of the competitors. Though the Legion referred to the contest as being a “popularity” and a “beauty” contest, it was actually neither. It was principally about how expert the assorted girls have been at distributing tickets in massive numbers and in a strategic vogue. In 1927, the Legion sponsored a carnival at the Cambie Road Grounds and the Drill Corridor from May 24 (Victoria Day) to Could thirtieth. What was being celebrated was  Hair Salon Vancouver ’s Diamond Jubilee; its 60-year anniversary. In order to gain admission to the carnival, of us wanted a (free) admission ticket. The ladies who have been within the “popularity contest” would distribute tickets to friends, acquaintances, anybody actually who they might persuade to accept a ticket (or a couple of) to the carnival. Presumably, the name of the “popularity girl” could be written someplace on the ticket, and that a part of the ticket would be submitted to the Legion. That way, the Legion might monitor who was main in ticket distribution and, finally, determine who gave away the best number of tickets and thereby won the competition. Ticket distribution began in early Could and continued until midnight on Could 30th (the ultimate day of the carnival). What would “Miss Vancouver” win, exactly? It was broadly reported within the native press that she would be given an Auburn coupe car (offered by Duplex Sales Ltd.) and she would earn the right to symbolize Vancouver by way of a “free trip” to the Inter-Metropolis Beauty Contest to be held in September in Atlantic City, N. J. (this was the Miss America pageant). The lady who would in the end win the competition and change into “Miss Vancouver” was Velma Rogers. Watch how her identify bounces around the standings. The competition proved to be about not only having a big quantity of parents to whom you would go and beg to simply accept tickets. It was also about figuring out when to drag out the stops. You didn’t want to ‘peak’ too early. So it was partly about strategizing. But ticket distribution, in the whole scheme of issues, appears to have been a aspect-show. The true contest began after the counting was carried out; the discussion board was the regulation courts of British Columbia. Scarcely had the votes been counted when Mrs. Letitia Salmon, mom of 2nd-place winner, Kitty Salmon, filed an injunction in BC Supreme Court docket on her daughter’s behalf, claiming that Kitty had been declared the winner, however that after the closing hour, votes and cash had been exchanged and that Velma Rogers was then declared the winner. The way it was that Mrs. Salmon obtained this info, let alone how she hoped to prove it in a court of law, wasn’t reported. By mid-July, Salmon’s injunction was dissolved and it regarded like Rogers can be free to assert the Auburn and her forthcoming Atlantic Metropolis bills. But her authorized struggle wasn’t completed, but. At the end of July, a new character entered the legal fray: Joseph J. Diamond. He utilized for an order that might forestall Rogers from eradicating the Auburn from Larger Vancouver. Diamond had a written settlement with Rogers, which his lawyer produced in courtroom, which acknowledged that he could be given the automobile in trade for his financial support to Rogers throughout the contest, in the event that she should win. Solar 28 July 1927). By early August, the court docket ordered that the automobile be sold so that her lawyer may very well be paid and so that the stability would be obtainable to the courtroom for Diamond’s swimsuit. A couple of weeks later, and “Queen Velma” (as she was coming to be recognized within the native press) was on the authorized offensive. She had been deprived of her automotive; there was no approach she was going to be denied her proper to go to Atlantic City - expenses-free - for the pageant in September! She threatened to file swimsuit against some 70 individuals who had been “patrons” of the Legion celebration, including Mayor L. D. Taylor and Vancouver city aldermen to get enough money so that she may journey to Atlantic City, unburdened by bills. The 70 didn’t capitulate to Rogers’ menace of bringing go well with, nonetheless, so she had to truly accomplish that. Rogers received the battle, however she lost the warfare. It was February 1928 earlier than the go well with wended its method though the system - and so, 5 months after the Atlantic Metropolis occasion, the Legion paid her $1000 for the Atlantic City bills. Velma Rogers was married just a few months after claiming her $1000. She married Gordon W. Dalgleish, a theatre supervisor in Nelson. A few years later, Velma was again in Vancouver. She had been made the head of a brand new hosiery department at Rae’s Clever Shoe Retailer on Granville Road (Sun 4 April 1934). Not lengthy after that, Velma and Gordon have been divorced. Velma married Christopher Beute and moved to California the place she labored as an accountant. Based on her dying discover, throughout WWII she was employed by Hughes Aircraft and later worked for Samuel Goldwyn Productions. When I used to be initially piecing this story together, I simply assumed that the Legion would have charged for the tickets to the carnival. However they didn’t. And I think that was a mistake. To cost would have meant that the ladies would have had the chance to show off their sales savvy (or lack thereof). And there would have been some money in the ‘kitty’ for prizes. As it turned out, Velma Rogers didn’t seem to win much that she actually needed (her dream of a new car and an expense-paid journey to the brand new Jersey beauty contest were a complete loss). The Legion was broken by detrimental publicity. Maybe the one real winners had been the legal professionals who represented the parties to the disputes!