The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1883-09-27
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YaneouYer's Island.

/ far=fanfed climate of Wancouver's Is
laHd.te eSSeen from the sea the whole
/ place presents a different character
from the raw towns along Puget Sound,
| where shingles and shaVings, paint and
mortar-beds surround nearly every
/ finished structure to tell of its newness,
The solid red-brick warehouse fronting
palong the harbor and the unmistakable
issigns of English solidity and stability
ION every hand carried convineingprooi
4aof the Briton's rule, without the Uniou
Il Jack flying from all the official fiagstaffs
and buildings. There is a little bother
II with the. custom-house inspections il
i you wish to land any baggage at Vic
toria, but as duty falls alike on articles
lsimported from England or the United
States, the stranger can not grunlble
/ more than the eolonists themselves
Whenever you hear any one descant
upon Victoria,l the drives come In for
chief mention after the climate, and in
these two respects Victoria is entitled
to precedence over any small spot on
the continent. English rule had noth-
ing to- do with the climate, which is
mild and equable the year round, with
an average temperature Of forty-two
| degrees for the month of January and
sixty-three for the month of August,
and every citizen relates with roFal
| pride that the Princess Louise came
here to spend two days, and became so
l delighted that she remained two months.
and then left with the regret that she
could not stay longer. English rule is
demonstrated, however, in the excellent
roads that extend in every direction
from the city, and the summer visitors,
who come here from different parts Of
the Pacific coast, never find their long,
est stay half long enough to include all
the attractive points within easy drive
from Victoria. Convict labor has been
employed in making the maeadainized
highways, and conFicts are constantly
at work now keeping them in perfect
condition. A fayorfte drive IS that
leading from Victoria to the naval
station on Esqlinlatlt BAY, which is
known commonly as fSauiIno. The
Squimo road follows part way beside a
narrow and cHrying arm of the sea,
through which The tide ruslres ike the
swift current of river, and half of the
way it unrolls its slength between hedges
of fern and underground and walls of
solid forest trees. Picturesque rocks,
bangles of wild rose and sweet-brier.
and forest hooks dappled with sunshine
here and there, make one continual
picture along the road, and the oc-
casional red jackets of the English
marines and soldiers illuminate the
landscape with brilliant touches of
color. seq s
All Victoria breathes the atmosphere
of past and greater grandeur, andthe
citizens feelingly revert to the time
when British Columbia was separate
colony to itself. and Vietoria the seat
OF the miniature court of the Governors
General and commander in chief of its
forces. Those were the good old days
to which no latter-day progress car. ap-
proach, and it is with no heartfelt ioy
that the people celebrate Dominion
day, !" when British Columbia and the
two provinces of Canada were made
one. The recent visit of the Marquis Of
Lorne and all the fiattering things he
found time to say have gone far toward
restoring the political ,complaceney of
these people, and it requires no in.
sistance to make them believe that you
consider Victoria the most charming
spot in the country. English traits and
English customs are maintained as well
here as in the home island, and a
Charming friendliness exists between
this colony and. the United States.
Dominion day falls on the ed of July.
and the celebration of it hardly exceeds
the spirit with which the glorious Fourth
of their American cousins across the
line is observed, and the first week in
July is the gala season at Victoria.
Z With only twenty-three miles of salt
water separating them from American
shores there is one material difference
that no one fails to observe. In Vic
toria every one takes life easily, and
things move in slow and accustomed
groove as If sanctioned by the customs
of centuries on this same SPOT. The
stores close every afternoon at six
o'cloeks although at this season day.-
light lasts for three and four hours
later, and business men go home to
their comfortable roast beef and pud-
ding as il the fever and activity of
American trade and competition were
4tkL 1A af anu uAlASdTu U1.& Lively sep
arate article that You wish to buy il
keptin different kind of a store than
III America, and between the chemist.
the astationer, the haberdasheries and
the green groceries many of the per.
plexities of London shopping assail you
IN Victoria. The climax comes, how
ever. when the young man at the post
Office window turns on you look OF
surprise and bids you go to the book
store to buy Postage-stamps, forsoothl
- Cer.alSt. Loais Gl0be-Democrat
Those Philadelphia juveniles who
are sad and disheartened because of the
prohibition of the fireworks features. of
independence Day, no doubt think civ
iilization is failure; but the announce
ment that che revision of the Old Testa-
ment viii be completed this year will
go far toward toaing down their disap-
pointnens and making thena think life
is worth living II Norrastoaoh Herald.
IS *ff8 .eeesszA2z
= Prof. Harris, Of the Concord
Schoc4 of Philosophy, hits the nail on
the head occasionally. ssThat which
shau1d ba pnufia11ad 5sT4r-e ;rs@-5 AZ, ,-;,.1,,,