Sometimes you get lucky...

... on Kijiji.... (Sort of the Cdn equivalent to Craig list in the USA)

Its been a while I lurked on it, so in between house chores, I figured I had a look see.
You never know what you gonna find, it's a crap shot...

Yesterday, I got lucky, iI spied this enigmatic listing with no pictures, up from Nov 19th. No pics in your listing tend to do that... they linger without much interest...

Two things caught my attention: the fact that it comes with its own box, which means very low usage, and a Pat date of 1901. I already own a No 95 Stanley Butt gauge, but, for Cdn $35 with original box, turn of the century, Yah, I'll go have a look :-)

After making arrangements to see it, dressed up Rudy for the ride and made the drive over to Halls Harbour, famous for its lobsters and... its pirate's legend back into the US war of independence .

She brought me a small yellowish paste box with an old Stanley Level & Co label. Heart start racing... Then I opened the box, saw a Stanley No 45 cam rest with a few more tidbits resting atop the Butt gage. I quickly closed the box and said, I'll take it!

Back home after a white knuckle ride down the tortuous mountain snow covered, icy, dirt road down to the valley, stupid GPS is taking the shortest route direct, not necessarily the one I would take Grrr... (stupid technology trying to be helpful)

Anyway, back home this is what I found inside the box, I am very happy with my find :-)

There is some sort of literature at the bottom of the box. 

Instruction sheet?

No. it is a disclaimer note, explaining the label 

over the Stanley box label

Notice the label Made in Canada over the usual US location

The label reads:

PLEASE NOTE

This tool was made at the Canadian Branch of the STANLEY RULE & LEVEL COMPANY, at The Roxton Tool & Mill Company, Limited, Roxton Pond, Quebec, under the superintendence, ownership and trademarks of the said STANLEY COMPANY, and is fully warranted.  

Stanley started in Canada when they acquire the Roxton Pond Tool & Mill in Roxton Pond Quebec in 1907. Car loads of parts, equipment and tooling came to Roxton Pond along with Stanley personnel to start the Canadian operation. The tools produced were identical to the US production, pretty soon they would grow to manufactured almost the complete tool lines. This piece of paper explaining that it was made in Canada and the small label affixed over the US label, all point to the earliest days of Stanley production in Canada. That to me is priceless. Never came across any mention of that before. Ephemeras, the paper artifacts, never last long, most are thrown out or long lost. The rough box and that piece of paper are worth more to me than the price I paid for it all...

This is all I got for my Cdn $35...

Instruction on how to use it.

Scanned from my collection. Barely fit the scanner bed...

The other big part sitting on top was a Cam rest for a Stanley No 45. I just happened to own two with this piece missing... Bonus :-)
The two small screw contraptions, do you recognized them?
I'll give you a hint, look at the blades selection for the No 45 or 55... whenever missing they are worth more than the complete assembly... (they are depth stops)

The Stanley No 45 Cam rest is the second Type, 

and an early example of this type, as indicated 

by its patent date of 1901. And yes the small cylindrical piece

 bearing at the end of the screw is still present :-)

So all in all, a fun drive in snowy covered mountains roads to find a piece of Canadiana tool history. Does not get any better than this :-)

Bob, who took Rudy on an adventure