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- VICTORIA ILLUSTRATED. 93
the Pacific Asphalt Company, and have done a large amount of paving for both streets and sidewalks, as well as the cellars, of Victoria and other places.
In their real estate department they have been exceptionally successful in syndicating large tracts of land. Among their most prominent enterprises in this direction was that at Oak Bay Beach, the to-day famous watering, bathing, and seaside resort of the city. A year ago little was thought of Oak Ray, although an easy drive of a couple of miles from Victoria postoffice. But last winter these gentlemen formed a syndicate, bought up a large tract of land on the shores of this beautiful beach and made arrangements with the Electric Tramway Company to extend the line to the very shores of their property. They platted the property and sold on such contracts as would insure the erection of only the finest class of residences, set aside a suitable amount for the erection of a handsome hotel, with lawn-tennis and play grounds attached, and in every way so improved the property that, by the arrival of summer, the people of Victoria began to flock down to this superb spot, which at one stroke became the Long Branch of Victoria. It is certainly fair to say that no more picturesque location could be found. The land itself, interspersed with moss-grown rocks and oak trees, is at once a delightful pleasure resort ; while the sandy, pebbled beach furnishes a recreation ground for the children. The water itself is warm and furnishes splendid bathing ; while from the jutting banks of rocks, stretching out here and there, the fisherman seldom returns empty-handed. The bay is simply superb, with its placid waters naturally protected by the islands to be seen in every direction, and here the troller will find plenty of salmon or the hunts-man water fowl ; while in the woods, a quarter of a mile back from the shores the pheasant and grouse are very numerous.
The views of Oak Bay Beach, as seen in our pages, have not shown the distant scenery, which from this point is so enchanting. Mount Baker, the Fraser, the Cascade and the Olympic ranges are all within view, stretching majestically around three points of vision. This in itself is Oak Bay, developed in one year to a pleasure resort and reflecting great credit upon the foresight of this firm of young, energetic and progressive business men. It may be said also, in connection with this firm, that Mr. Boggs has made himself pretty thoroughly acquainted, by personal observation, with the mineral resources of Vancouver Island, over which he has traveled extensively on foot. He has also canoed the waters and bays of much of the western coast of the Island, and has therefore obtained a pretty thorough knowledge, which could hardly be gained in any other way.
T. J. RAYNER.
Mr. Rayner is a native of Cambridge, England, and has spent twenty years in Canada, always following a similar line to his present business. Coming to Victoria eight years ago he established himself in real estate, financial brokerage and insurance. In the latter he represents for British Columbia, as General Agent, the Provident Life Insurance Co., of New York, and the Scottish National Union and Hartford Fire Insurance Co.'s. In his financial business he has invested and negotiated large sums of money for Canadians and Easterners, and the confidence reposed in him in this line reffects strongly, not only upon the reliability of his opinions on real estate values but upon his integrity as well. He is consulted on all the leading movements in real estate of the city, and his character for honest dealing has brought him an immense line of patronage, not only from capitalists but from working-men as well. He is connected with a number of the large syndicates and leading men of the city, and the fact that he is always busy is a fair criterion as to his business credit.
BRITISH COLUMBIA LAND AND INVESTMENT COMPANY.
This business was started in 1862 by Messrs. Thomas Allsop and Henry S. Mason, and the business was merged subsequently into Allsop & Mason. The present company was organized and incorporated in January, 1887, with a capital stock of $200,000. Mr. C. A. Holland was appointed one of the Managing Directors of the company, with Mr. Henry S. Mason. Mr. Allsop looks after the interests of the company in England. They make a specialty of conveyancing and loaning money, and they have now some $6,000,000 invested, partly on mortgages and partly in the development of real estate here and in Vancouver. In Victoria alone they have erected, on one street?between Douglas and Government, on Yates street?over $90,000 of buildings ; $80,000 worth on Government and Broad streets, and a large number outside of this city. The policy of the company is the development of its own property (not waiting for others to do it for them) and a substantial proof of this is the fact that they have only three lots in the city proper at present not built upon. The company is so well known throughout this country and England that further mention is hardly necessary ; the investments and loans made are of the most conservative character only.
LOWENBERG, HARRIS AND CO.
This firm of financial and real estate agents dates its inception from the year 1858, when it was founded by the late Mr. L. Lowenberg. Mr. D. R. Harris, a native of Hampshire, England, who has for some twenty years resided in Canada and British Columbia, became a partner at a later date, the firm assuming the name of Lowenberg, Harris & Co. Mr. N. P. Snowden, who became a partner in 1885, was bornin Yorkshire, England, went to Manitoba in 1879, and two years later came to British Columbia. The firm have done a phenomenally successful business. They have branch offices at New -Westminster and at 22 St. Mary Axe, London, England They are, in addition, agents for the following : Commercial Union Assurance Company (Limited), Connecticut Fire Insurance Company of Hartford, London Assurance Corporation, London and Lancashire Life Assurance Company, Can-ton Insurance Office (Limited), Marine, and North China Insurance Company (Limited). Both Mr. Snowden and Mr. Harris are notaries public, while the latter has been a member of the Municipal Council. A large amount of foreign capital has been conservatively placed by the firm here, and they are so well known, both here and abroad, that further mention is unnecessary. The beautiful residences of the partners will be seen in these pages.
ALDERMAN F. G. RICHARDS, JR.
Mr. Richards, who is one of the most prominent real estate men of Victoria, was born in the United States--at Dodgeville, Wisconsin?-October 8, 1855. He is, however, of English parentage, his parents leaving Cornwall in 1850. Mr. Richards has spent the greater part of his life and was educated at Victoria. He was in 1871 appointed chief draughtsman of the Provincial Government Land and Works Department, and occupied this important position until his resignation in 1886, when he built and took the management of the Clarence Hotel, now run in conjunction with the Driard. This he gave up two years later, and went into real estate and insurance, which he has followed since that time. He is special agent for the 'Etna Fire Insurance Company of Hartford, Conn. ; the Union Mutual Life Insurance Company of Maine, the London Assurance Society, and the Loan Branch of the Crown Life Insurance Company of London. Mr. Richards has had a large experience in real estate, and, from his long experience under the Provincial
Government, is especially well informed on location and values. He has also taken interest in the mineral resources of the mainland, but more especially those of the Island itself, and recent discoveries made by his agents have shown some exceedingly good specimens of easily worked gold quartz. Mr. Richards also personally owns an interest in the Sooke Iron Mine, situated directly on Becher Bay, about twenty miles from Victoria, opening out from a snug harbor to the Straits of San Juan de Fuca, where ships can safely ride and be loaded in six or seven fathoms of water. This property is a veritable mountain of iron, practically inexhaustible ; and from recent analyses by such reliable men as Wm. Teague, of Yale, B. C., J. H. Collins, F. G. S., of London, Eng., and Dr. Wm. Wallace, F. R. S. E., of Glasgow, Scotland, it is shown to contain as high as 70.07 per cent. of metallic iron, with but a bare trace of sulphur, only 1 .40 of silica and no phosphorus. The latter gentleman describes it as "a magnificent
magnetic iron ore of extraordinary purity and richness, capable of making the finest pig iron, suitable for conversion into steel by the Bessemer or Siemens-Martin process." Mr. Richards was elected early in 1891 to the Municipal Council as a representative of Yates Street Ward, and is also a School Trustee and a member of the B. C. Board of Trade. He is also member of the Victoria Club, the Jockey Club, the I. O. O. F., is a P. D. S. in the Foresters, and P. M. W. in the A. O. U. W.
BARRETT AND CARPENTER.
L. S. Moulton Barrett was born in Devonshire, England, and seven years ago he emigrated to the States, engaging in the cattle business in Wyoming. Two years ago he came to Victoria, and in the Fall of 1889 he started the present business, being joined in July, 1890, by Erick Conway Carpenter, who came to the States in 1884. Mr. Carpenter has travelled very extensively, and has been engaged in the real estate business for some time. He located here about a year ago, when he became the partner in the above concern. They are the representatives of the Chandler & Coolican Addition to Port Angeles, which controls eight hundred acres in one place and about 1,000 in another. This syndicate is one of the most progressive of any doing business there, and have the management of the advertising interests of Port Angeles. Barrett and Carpenter are agents for Low's Steamship Exchange in New York and London. They have also interests in the Kootenay District, particularly Nelson and Trail Creek. They do a general commission business, handling Victoria property in connection with their agencies. Both of the partners have an extensive acquaintance in the mining districts of both British Columbia and Washington. They control 160 acres of coal lands in the Nicola Valley.
JOHN EARSMAN AND COMPANY.
This firm is practically the successor of Andrew and Earsman, of which Mr. Andrew, so long and favorably known in connection with the Hudson Bay Co., died a few months ago. Mr. John Earsman, who is a Scotchman by birth, came to this country about eight years ago ; spent four years in the steamboat transportation business, and subsequently entered the employ of the Hudson Bay Company, where he remained until March, 1881, when he joined Mr. Andrew in business ; he was city buyer for the Hudson Bay Company, and had charge of the depot which supplies all posts in British Columbia. Mr. Earsman is agent for the Armour Packing Co., of Kansas City, and Lightbound, Ralston & Co., the great grocery house of Montreal, the largest sup-pliers of dried fruits to British Columbia. He is also agent for the
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