| Transcript |
- VICTORIA ILLUSTRATED. 95
time ex Collector Hamly, the late Mr. Geo. Frye and Mr. Charles Finlaison, since superannuated, were the only inside officers. Mr. Milne gradually worked himself upward, until his recent appointment to the Collectorship of this port. Although always a staunch Conservative, he never took an active part in public affairs He has filled the highest position in the Grand Lodge A., F. & A. M. of British Columbia for the two years of 1887 and 1888, having occupied the chair of Grand Master with honor to himself and the craft. On January 1st, 1890, he was appointed Collector of Customs, Registrar of Shipping and Con-troller of Chinese for the Port of Victoria. His connection for so many years with the Custom House, his courtesy, his readiness to oblige all those with whom he has had occasion to do business, and the efficiency with which he has performed his duties, have made for him a great many friends, not only in Victoria, but abroad, and his appointment to his present position has been strictly on the plan of civil service.
F. C. DAVIDGE AND CO.
This house of importers and steamship agents is composed of F. C. Davidge and Charles Curwen, both young men, whose record the past two years at Victoria is a remarkable one. Mr. Curwen (an English-man) had until that time spent twenty-five years in the United States, and especially in California ; while Mr. Davidge, who is also English by birth, had spent five years in India Straits, China and Japan, in the employ of the Chartered Bank of India, Australia and China. This brought Mr. Davidge into contact with the merchants of those countries, the system of doing business with other countries and the manner of calculating exchange, which is practically the most prominent factor in connection with importation from other countries. The result was that the firm was able to represent as agents some of the largest houses of the Orient?such as the great firm of Samuel, Samuel & Co., of Japan, and others equally prominent. F. C. Davidge & Co. fill orders even to the United States by bond, and are able to sell as low, being brokers, as the goods can be had direct. They control the entire output of one of the leather paper mills of Japan, which manufactures from the pulp of the mulberry tree, in any design, the handsomest wall-paper in existence. They handle also rice, of which Samuel, Samuel & Co. handle about half the entire export. They handle silks, and even manilla cigars, which latter are made from leaf grown from Havana tobacco seed. The firm have now connections in all the large cities of the United States and Canada. They have lately been appointed agents for the Upton line of steamships, and are making this line a popular and powerful competitor in the oriental trade with the Canadian Pacific line of steamships. The career of this house furnishes food for powerful reflection. To-day they are agents of the Japan Tea Syndicate, of Yokohama and Kobe ; of the Tokio Leather Paper Mills ; the Canvas Mills, of Kobe ; of the Compania Gral de Tabacos, de Filipinas ; and of Charles Cammell & Co. (Limited), steel iron works, of England.
T. J. JONES, L. D. S.
Dr. Jones is a native of Toronto, where he first commenced the study of his profession, and which he finished at New York City. Returning to Canada he practiced at Bowmanville and St. Catharines, Ontario, for twenty-three years. Coming to Victoria in 1884 he has since made this place his home, and has built up the largest practice of dentistry in Victoria. His son, Dr. T. H. Jones, D. D. S., who is a graduate of the Philadelphia Dental College, is his colleague. Dr. Jones's handsome residence will be seen in our pages. He has been interested in many projects for the advancement of Victoria interests, notably that of the Electric Tramway Company, of which he is vice-president.
ALDERMAN A. J. SMITH,
In company with the late William Smythe (at one time Premier for British Columbia), Mr. Smith, who was born at Edinburgh, Scot-land, in 1840, came to Victoria via Panama in 1862. He engaged as a foreman carpenter until 1864, when he took charge of a sawmill at Freeport, on Puget Sound, returning to Victoria in 1865 and engaging in steamboat contracting. He later took the management of Hastings Sawmill Company, Burrard's Inlet, and in 1869 went to San Francisco to engage in mill work, returning again to Victoria in 1872. Since that time he has pursued his present business, which includes general mill work, finishing, contracting and building. Among the structures put up under his supervision are the Postoffice, Custom House, Public School ; Redfern, Galpin, Southgate and Heathorn blocks ; Clarence and Metropole Hotels and Bank of British Columbia, of Victoria ; and the Custom House and Postoffice at Nanaimo. He was first elected Alderman in 1880, and has since served seven times. He was chair-man of the Water Works for four years, and at present is chairman of the Streets and Police Committees.
CHARLES HAYWARD.
Mr. Hayward came to Victoria in 1862 direct from Stratford, Essex, England, where members of his family still reside, and here entered sash and door manufacturing and general contracting. For several years he was a member of the Municipal Council, and was there at the time of the passage of the celebrated water act for bringing water into Victoria. Mr. Hayward has also taken a great interestin public school, charitable and public affairs. For the past six years he has been chairman of the School Board. Since its inception he has been a member of the Board, and is now Vice-President of the Provincial Royal Jubilee Hospital, honorary Secretary of the Protestant Orphanage and a Justice of the Peace. Mr. Hayward has been very successful in a business way, and is largely interested in real estate both in the city of Victoria and throughout the province.
VANCOUVER IRON WORKS.
This important industry is situated on Pembroke street, between Douglas and Government, extending through to Princess avenue. It was established in 1882 by Messrs. Wilson Bros., C. H. Wilson now being general manager and principal owner of the works. The business is that of general founders and machinists, a specialty being made of building iron columns, girders and general architectural work. This firm cast 164 tons of iron work for the new Driard building. Sawmill work and castings for the electric tramways, etc., are also done. An average of forty-five men are employed.
GOLDSTREAM HOTEL.
This house, situated at Goldstream, about eleven miles from Victoria, is the terminus of pleasure-seekers of perhaps the most beautiful drive around Victoria. The genial proprietor, Mr. James Phayer, who has been established here some six years, coming originally from the States, has made the house exceedingly popular. In addition to the beautiful strolls around his house, the stream and woods in the vicinity abound with trout, pheasant, grouse, deer, bear and about anything the huntsman may desire. Mr. Phayer is himself an ardent sportsman, and is always willing to accompany his guest on a hunting expedition. He is a young man, a large property-owner, and has bought one thousand acres of fine lands, of which he has one hundred acres under cultivation.
C. E. REDFERN.
Mr. Redfern came to the coast some twenty-nine years ago, and has since been engaged in his trade of watchmaker. lie was elected Mayor of the city in 1883, and served two previous years as Councillor. For fifteen years Mr. Redfern has supplied the city with standard time. He placed a large dial in position above his store, operating it by machinery placed some seventy-five feet in the rear of his building. Mr. Redfern is the owner of the building he occupies, which has a frontage on Government street of twenty-two feet, and seventy-five feet depth. He has a large and commodious workshop in the rear of his shop, in which he employs five skilled workmen in the manufacture of fine jewellery and repairing work. He carries a stock of some $40,000, and deals only in solid gold and silver jewellery, handling nothing in the plated goods line, except table ware. Mr. Redfern was awarded the contract for the new City Hall clock and bell, lately put in position, which were manufactured by Messrs. Gillett & Johnson, of Croydon, England.
SHIP BUILDING.
This is one of the important industries of Victoria, and employs quite an army of men. Steamers, sailing vessels and all sorts of craft are built in the yards, while the building and equipping of the always increasing fleet of sealing schooners is a large industry in itself. Principal among the ship yards are the " Star," the " Central," the " Clyde," and those of Foot & McDougal, J. J. Robinson, T. C. Jones and D. D. McIntosh. Among these the " Star " ship yard is probably the largest, and is situated on the Indian Reserve, and is fitted out to accommodate a number of vessels of all sizes. There are machine shops in connection, and at all times steamers, tugs and vessels are on the ways being repaired. Mr. Warner has built some of the finest sealing schooners of the fleet, and is continually turning out boats of all descriptions from the small sail yacht to the steamer.
" THE COLONIST."
The Colonist newspaper was established in 1858 by the Hon. Amor DeCosmos, and since that time has had an almost invariably successful career. Many other newspapers have succumbed to the inevitable, -and are numbered with the almost forgotten pioneers who died early in the struggle of a new country. The Colonist, through the ability of its owners, retained its supremacy as the leading journal of British Columbia through the various stages of prosperity and dulness which have visited this Province, the Hon. D. W. Higgins from 1866 until 1886 having guided its destiny, and through his able management secured to it first place. In October, 1886, Ellis & Co., now composed of W. H. Ellis and A. G. Sargison, secured control of The Colonist and its kindred departments, 'since Which time, in sympathy with the growth of Victoria and the Province, it has made rapid advance in value as a newspaper, and is acknowledged as the most enterprising and influential journal in British Columbia. It is an eight-page seven-column paper, containing the latest telegraphic and local news, and is ably edited. It is Liberal-Conservative in politics, and is the chief organ of the Provincial Government. In connection with the newspaper are job printing, label printing and lithographic printing departments, the work turned out in each being equal in merit to that of any office on the continent. "Victoria Illustrated" was compiled and printed in The Colonist office, and is an evidence of the high class of printing done by that institution.
|
|---|
