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- 86 VICTORIA ILLUSTRATED.
East and again came to the coast in 1870, following his profession of civil engineer for the Northern Pacific. In 1875 he went to South
America and engaged himself on the railways of the Andes, and when the contract was let for the building of the Canadian Pacific, in 1880,
he became the Chief Engineer and Superintendent under Onderdonk, the contractor. He left there in 1883 and came to Victoria, taking a half
interest in the above business, which includes a general hardware, iron and steel, cordage, chains, mill and building supply and shelf
hardware business. It is the oldest house in British Columbia, and does a wholesale and retail business of about $150,000 a year.
E. G. PRIOR AND COMPANY.
This firm is composed of Colonel E. G. Prior, M. P., and Mr. G. F. Mathews. Colonel Prior is from Yorkshire, England ; he was educated
in mining engineering, and after coming to British Columbia was, until 1878, for five years mining engineer and surveyor for the Vancouver
Coal Mining and Land Company, during which time he was elected a life member of the North of England Institute of Mining and Civil
Engineers. He was also for two years Government Inspector of Mines. Colonel Prior is Lieutenant-Colonel in the B. C. Brigade Garrison
Artillery and holds a certificate of qualification from the Royal School of Artillery ; he was appointed an extra Aide-de-Camp to the
Governor-General of Canada in January,1889; commanded the Canadian rifle team at Bisley, England, July, 1890 ; he sat in the Legislative
Assembly of British Columbia from the general election of July 6th, 1886, until January 23d, 1888, when he resigned to become a candidate
for his present seat in the Dominion Parliament on its becoming vacant by the appointment of the sitting member, Mr. Shakespeare, to the
post-mastership of Victoria. Colonel Prior was first returned to parliament on June 23d, 1888, by acclamation, and he was re-elected at the
last general election. He is a Conservative in politics. The firm of which E. G. Prior & Co. are the outcome was founded in 1859 by
Alfred Fellows, and, after many changes, Colonel Prior bought a half share in 188o, and the firm name was changed to Fellows & Prior.
In 1883 Colonel Prior bought out Mr. Fellow's interest and three years later admitted to partnership Mr. Mathews, who is an Englishman
and had been for a period in his employ. The present large and handsome structure was erected by them in 1888. The firm's business consists
of general merchandising in iron, steel, hard-ware, agricultural implements, wagons, buggies, etc. They are sole agents for British
Columbia for the Massey Manufacturing Company's Binders, Mowers, Rakes and Drills ; D. M. Osborne & Company's Binders and Mowers ; American
Bain Wagon Company's Freight and Farm Wagons ; Chatham Manufacturing Company's Wagons and Carts ; Brantford Carriage Company's Carriages
and Buggies ; Sawyer & Massey's Threshing outfits, and many other equally celebrated lines and firms too numerous to mention.
DAVID SPENCER.
Mr. Spencer is a native of South Wales, England ; came to Victoria in 1864 and went into stationery and fancy goods, which he carried on
for six years, after which he joined William Denny. In March, 1879, they dissolved partnership and he then started the present house.
Outside of the regular dry goods business Mr. Spencer carries a large stock of carpets of high grade, Oriental rugs, etc., and has a
fine dressmaking and millinery department, manufacturing ladies' bath gowns, tea gowns, etc., etc. His business this year will amount to
$200,000. He carries $120,000 worth of stock, and imports direct from France, Germany and England, one of his sons going once a year to
Europe to make purchases. His store is 240 feet long, 66 feet in front and 33 feet in the middle, and two stories in height, and the
building is fully lighted by skylights. Mr. Spencer is one of the most progressive retail merchants of the Northwest, and his stock of
goods, for taste and elegance, is not equalled anywhere North of San Francisco.
BRADEN AND STAMFORD.
Mr. John Braden, of this house, was born at Liverpool, where he served an apprenticeship with David Ratcliffe, who has since been knighted
by the Queen, and pursued his occupation for the parent house in London, Belfast, Chester, Wales, Warwickshire and Warwick on large
contracts. He went to Olympia, Washington, in 1871, and came to Victoria two years later. In 1875 he formed the house of Stewart & Braden,
which was continued until 1884. Mr. James Leonard Stamford was born at Royston, Cambridgeshire, England, and emigrated to Canada. He was
there engaged in building the gas works in different cities, and subsequently went to Newport, Rhode Island, in 1883. One year later he was
sent out by R. D. Wood & Co., the well known house of Philadelphia, to build the gas works at Tacoma, and having completed them he built
those of Olympia, New Westminster, Nanaimo and Vancouver. He was next employed to build the woolen mill at Westminster, and, later, remodel
the gas works at Victoria. The present firm was started in June, 1888, and have since built the Port Angeles water works, in addition to
which they will this year construct the gas works and electric light plant of the same city. Braden & Stamford are known as steam, hot
water and sanitary engineers, and carry everything in that line. They are doing, at the present time, a business of about $100,000 a year.
They furnished the plumbing for the Canadian Pacific Railway Hotel at Vancouver, and the Jubilee Hospital, the Y. M. C. A. building, Central
School, Jensen's Hotel, New York Hotel, and many other well known structures of Victoria. They do all the English Navy work at Esquimalt,
and are both strong supporters of the Dominion and Provincial Governments. Mr. Braden was appointed a Director of the Jubilee Hospital by
the Provincial Government. The firm employ about thirty men, and have the largest business in their line in the province.
T. B. PEARSON AND CO.
Among those establishments commencing business in a moderate way and have, in a comparatively short time, grown to material prominence in
the front rank, none have eclipsed the above firm. They are manufacturers of shirts, overalls and clothing of every description. The house
was established in 1884, and they now occupy a two-story, 30 x 65, building, well arranged and supplied with the latest and most approved
machinery. They employ some forty hands, with an average output of from 120
VIEWS IN DAVID SPENCER'S STORE.
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