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- VICTORIA ILLUSTRATED. 85
crockery and glass wares, lamps, ornaments, silver-ware and all kinds of house furnishing goods. Their display of linoleums, oil-cloths
and carpets, the latter mostly of the celebrated Crossley make, would seem in them-selves to be sufficient for a handsome business. The
firm has been a remarkably successful one, and the cut of their warehouse, shown in these pages, can give but a faint idea of the immense
business transacted within its walls.
M. R. SMITH,
Senior member of the firm of M. R. Smith & Co., commenced business in the bread-baking line in the year 1858, carrying on operations, with
the aid of his two sons and wife, until the present time, and has now the largest business in his line in the city, if not in the province.
Two years ago he established a steam factory, the only one of the kind in Victoria. He keeps twenty-six hands constantly employed, turning
out bread, cakes, biscuits, jumbles, etc., etc. They supply the bulk of the Indian trade in pilot biscuits between here and Alaska. The
factory is a large three-story and basement building on Niagara street, 25 x 84, with outbuildings and stables. The bread is all baked in
the basement. A forty horse-power engine runs the machinery on the upper floors. Smith & Co.'s bread and cakes are well and favorably known
to the house-keepers of the city.
NICHOLLES AND RENOUF.
This. firm is composed of Mr. J. Nicholles, a native of London, England, who came here in 1862 ; followed civil engineering from 1869 to
1875, and later was connected with the firm of Garesche, Green & Co., bankers, and Mr. C. E. Renouf, who is a native of the Isle of
Jersey, and came direct from there in 1879. He was connected with the Hasting's Saw Mill Co. and R. P. Rithet & Co. until the present firm
was started, in 1885. Mr. Renouf was elected Alderman, Jan. 1st, 1891. The firm does a general hardware and implement business, both
wholesale and retail, carrying a large stock of shelf and heavy hardware, agricultural implements, mining and mill machinery. The business
for the first two years was about one-third in volume the amount that it stands at present. They are agents for A. Harris, Son & Co.,
(limited), Harvesting Machinery ; Cockshutt Plough Co. ; I. 0. Wisner, Sons & Co., Seed Drills and Seeders; Waterhouse Engine Works Co.,
of Brantford, and many other concerns as famous as those mentioned. They are also agents for the Hartford Fire Insurance Co., and the
Scottish Union and National Fire Insurance Companies. Messrs. Nicholles and Renouf have many other large business interests, and Mr. Renouf
has devoted himself greatly to civic affairs ; he has been among the foremost to interest himself in the annual exhibitions, the success
of which is, in a great measure, due to his efforts.
VICTORIA VINEGAR AND SAUCE WORKS.
Mr. J. H. Falconer, of the firm of Badgerow & Falconer, well known vinegar manufacturers of Toronto, arrived in Victoria in the early
part of last Spring, and at once commenced extensive improvements to the building of Joseph Heywood, next to the city electric light
building, for the establishment, under the firm name of J. H. Falconer, of vinegar, sauce, pickles and preserving works. He at once set
about manufacturing malt, cider, white wine, raspberry and strawberry vinegars, also malt vinegar in bottles, pure apple cider, sweet
cider, clarified cider, refined cider, fancy mixed pickles, sauces, tomato catsup (by a new process), flavoring extracts, lemon and
vanilla, also mushroom catsup, maple syrup and other table delicacies. There were many who doubted the success of this new enterprise,
owing to the prejudice supposed to exist against goods of this description of local manufacture, but the result showedthe falsity of
such ideas. From the outset the business has been a success, and the demand, which now extends from all parts of the province, is
increasing daily. Mr. Falconer is an expert in his line of business, and has had a remarkable experience for a young man, having gone
on a tour through Europe for the purpose of securing a transfer, in Germany and other places, of the best known patents and processes
for making vinegar. He also worked for a period in one of the largest malt vinegar manufactories of London, England, for the purpose of
acquiring a thorough knowledge of the most improved process adopted so far in that country. Mr. Falconer is a Scotchman by birth, and
stands high in business circles for ability and integrity.
TURNER, BEETON AND CO.
No Victoria firm has a higher standing than this one, which is composed of Mr. J. H. Turner, M. P. P. and Minister of Agriculture and
Finance, and Mr. H. C. Beeton, Agent General. Mr. Turner has charge of the business at Victoria, and Mr. Beeton, at London, England. The
firm occupies its own premises at the foot of Yates street, in a brick building 75 x 125 feet, while below them, on the wharves at the
water front, they have five bonded and other warehouses, which will be seen in this book, and which occupy a frontage of 300 feet,
providing facilities for the loading and discharging of the numerous steamers and sailing vessels always at the wharves, and for the
storage of immense quantities of goods. The firm's enterprises are numerous and far reaching ; besides driving a large salmon cannery
business they are interested in general merchandising and are agents for the following houses in Europe and elsewhere : M. B.
Foster & Sons, London, England ; John Hall & Son, London, England ; J. S. Fry & Son, Bristol, England ; Geo. Wostenholme & Son, (limited),
Sheffield, England ; Williams, Humbert & Co., London, England ; Doulton & Co., London, England ; Jonas Brooks, Bros., Huddersfield, England ;
Wm. Jameson & Co., Dublin, Ireland ; Boutelleau & Co., Barbezieux, France; G. Preller & Co., Bordeaux, France; Cockburn, Smithers & Co.,
London and Oporto; Hiram Walker & Sons, Walkerille, Canada. They represent, also, the following Fire and Marine Insurance Companies :
Guardian, North British and Mercantile, of London, and Cornmercial Insurance Co., (Marine), San Francisco, Cal. In salmon canning they own
their own cannery, the "Inverness," on the Skeena river, and are agents for the " Balmoral," also a Skeena river cannery. Mr. Turner, of
the firm, is a native of England, and first came to British Columbia in 1862 ; he was one of the committee for forming the volunteers of
Vancouver Island, and retired into the reserve militia in June, 1881, with the commission of Lieutenant-Colonel. He was elected to the City
Council of Victoria in 1877 and served two years, subsequently occupying the mayoralty chair for three successive years. He was also
Chairman of the B. C. Benevolent Society and the Royal Hospital for three years. Mr. Beeton, who is a man of very considerable literary
ability and learning, is peculiarly well fitted for the office of Agent General, and has done much for the province in giving intelligent
reports of the country's needs and advantages to the people of England.
MARVIN AND TILTON.
Mr. Edgar Marvin, of this house, recently deceased, was a native of Syracuse, N. V., and was a forty-niner in California with U. S.
Senator Felton, with whom he came to Victoria in 1862 and started the present house. Mr. Edward G. Tilton is a native of Delaware, and
came to Puget Sound in 1852 with his father, being the first Surveyor General to Washington. He remained in the Puget Sound country until
1865, returned
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