| Transcript |
- 70 REMINISCENCES OF OLD VICTORIA
" 88 Simcoe St., April 20, 1904.
" Dear Mr. Fawcett:?I send you these few lines to complete my rather disrupted memory re the Victoria Treasury office. Mr. Alexander Calder, an ex-R. E. sergeant and a British Government pensioner, joined in 1860. Robert Ker was also employed for a certain time as clerk, but was removed to the audit office, and afterwards became auditor-general. Gordon was appointed treasurer of Vancouver Island on the exodus of the B. C. officials going to New Westminster; he did not continue long in the office?the truth is, there was something the matter with the ' chest,' and he took French leave. Mr. Watson succeeded him; he was clever but not very popular. In 1867 the island and mainland were united in one province; the officials at New Westminster were all sent down to Victoria. At that time I was `officer in charge of the treasury.' A Savings Bank Act was passed by the Legislature. I received from the executive council a mandate to establish the bank, with the head office in Victoria, and four branches, one each at Nanaimo, New Westminster, Yale and Cariboo. The bank was under commissioners, Mr. Roscoe and Mr. Langley being nominated to that office; their services were purely gratuitous. The head office of the bank was in the Treasury, but to accommodate working men, an office was opened at Government Street, not very far from Sehl's furniture store, for, I think, two hours two days in the week.
" I do not know if I mentioned the fact that the Dominion virtually bought out all the depositors in the British Columbia bank. A small temporary office was opened at the foot of Fort Street, next to what was Mitchell & Johnston's feed store, which was in use until the new Post Office building was built; the savings bank, as you are aware, is now located in the grand new building at the foot of Government Street. If it would not be considered far-fetched I would like to send you a word or two on the
A LITTLE MORE STREET HISTORY 71
origin of savings banks. The first ideas of thrift were promulgated by Daniel Defoe in 1697; it was a happy Socialistic discovery. In 1797 Jeremy Bentham taught the principles of thrift. In 1799 the first savings bank was started at Windover in Buckinghamshire, by the Rev. Joseph Smith. The Rev. Dr. Henry Duncan opened in Ruthwell, Dumfrieshire, the first savings bank in Scotland in 1810. Thrift is the keystone that supports the arch of the savings bank. The stormy petrel riding in safety on the crest of the wave in instinctive security, symbolizes the security of a depositor in a government savings bank. I do not know that I can say any more at present.
" JOHN GRAHAM."
This little photo shows the west side of Government
Street, from Fort to Yates Street, as it appeared in 1863. The corner store was A. Rickman's grocery, then Jones' Bazaar (toys and fancy goods), then McNiff's saloon, next Payne's barber shop. Before going on I might, with Mr. Payne's permission, give a little joke on that gentleman at the time. The Mechanics' Institute gave an entertainment for, I think, the benefit of the library, and prizes were offered for the two best conundrums. The best was at the expense of Mr. Payne's name, and was " Easy Shaving by Pain" (Payne). I don't think Mr. Payne took the money. Then Norris & Wylly, notaries public and estate agents, ?Mr Wylly is still a resident of the city; Messrs. Lush and Zinkie, milliners; Shakespeare, photographer; Gen-tile, photographer (over the theatre), then Theatre Royal.
The north-west corner of Government and Bastion Streets was the brick building built by Mayor Harris as a residence, and afterwards turned into the Bank of
|
|---|
