The Dalles daily chronicle. [volume] (The Dalles, Or.) 1890-1948, 1891-08-04

the following extract from a diary kept
by Mrs. Filloon during their recent trip
to Victoria on the steamship City of
Kingston. The extract commences as
they were about to leave Tacoma:
We have just wired to our friends in
Victoria that we will reach that city at
4 80 p. m. and then the boat moves off.
We find quite number of A. o. U. w.
delegates on board, and other pleasant
passengers. We have fine day on the
water. The Straits of Fuca would not
be exactly calm; they never are, so
some felt rather "shaky," but at 4 80 we
arrived at James Bay, Victoria. We
went to the pleasant homestead of Mrs.
H. v. Leigh in James Bay and were well
entertained by Mrs. L. and son, Joe.
We find them splendid English people.
After diuner we began to see Victoria
and think it is noble city. We find
the people here somewhat slower than
their Yankee cousins across the line,
but they live as long and as happy.
Business houses open at 9 a. m. and
close at p. m. This city is called the
Newport of the Pacific coast. Its climate
is mild and pleasant. Victoria has
population of about 1000 people. One
sees quite difference between this and
Puget Sound cities. Here no one is in a
hurry; the people will forgive anything
sooner almost than hurry and hustle.
After the hurry and hustle of Tacoma
and Portland and other western cities
one feels such restful sensation stealing
over one. 1t is thoroughly and delight
orderly-everything except the tide that
is quite irregular, and rises only once,
instead of twice, in twenty-four hours.
Even the tide does not hurry.
The city wears a finished, substantial
appearance. 1t was founded by the
Hudson Bay Co., whose store is on
Wharf street. 1t is store well worth
anywhere. 1t is large brick warehouse
of gloomy appearance, where ever ything
imaginable is sold, from a pin up. 1t
has no crooked aisles, nor no display of
articles, hung up or spread out, as our
American merchants do at home and no
army of clerks to answer idle questions;
no tasty placards Elegant" "Your
choice for 25 cents" "Just the thing"
etc., meet the eye. You are supposed to
be here to buy, not to "bum." You
cannot purchase scarf pin and then try
on seal skin jacket, paw through laces
and embroideries and then test cheese
as you make your exit. But here you
loo xyfh do
clothing, hats, caps, millinery, farm inn
plements and kitchen utensils; you can
buy butter or a seal skin sacque, pea
nuts, candies and muslin, Sewers China
or Sever tlling, watch crystals, main
springs and bar iron; there is every
thing from Soho square, Picadilly and
the Strand, London. In the vaults are
wines and liquors that Rhines villas
could not match, brandy that witnessed
the Bastile's fall and port that lay in
London dock when George the Third
was king. You will leave this store with
profound sigh and say show awfully
young / am"
The restaurants are good; hotels good
and the tables kept well supplied. The
| EOICOG5 dIC ClCdA du0 bilC POODlO
pleasant and of healthy, robust appear
auce. The city's environments render
it charming. The harbor has two forks
across James Bay. This is the best resi-
dence portion of the city. Here are the
government buildings situated. We
visited the museum and found all sorts
of animals and birds and reptiles stuffed.
A taxidermist is kept busy all the time
attending to his trade. The colonial
government buildings consist of treasury,
land Office, printing Office, museum and
assembly chamber, which strike one as
a sort of political Kindergarten or nur-
sery of state craft. These buildings are
situated in a very pretty little park on
Billeville street, James Bay. Further
oil up Birdcage walk we find the Beacon
Hill park, spot of great natural beauty.
A great deal of time and money has
been expended to make this park what
it is. Miniature lakes on whose, smooth
surface rest swans and other waterfowl,
appear ever and anon to greet the visitor
and these lakes have in them artificial
islands, on which grow in luxuriance, all
sorts of beautiful plants. The grass,
everywhere here, is dotted with the zeal
English daisy. The park has pretty
little rustic bridges and chairs and there
are dens of bears and other wild animals.
Here cricket, lacrosse and baseball
games may be witnessed most any after
noon, and, when cool enough. Rugby
football may demand an occasional
martyr. This park contains some fine
fir forests under which rustic seats are
distributed for the use of anyone who
} may wish to rest.
! Esquimalt, the British naval station,
about four miles west of Victoria, proper,
has securely sheltered harbor-a per-
feet enclosure. The tram. as it is called