The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1896-05-24

q means OF communication with the out
side world unrii the Canadian Pacific
railway reached Port Moody On The NAH
land. vas by water almost exclusively.
Victoria long remained the commercial
entrepot. and after the Canadian Pacific
was an accomplished fact II continued
by It's advantageous relations TO trade,
TO occupy q leading position and progress
ed more rapidly than ever Hts growth
for the past seven years has not been
less remarkable than the progress % the
many remarkable cities OF the Paciic
coast
The discovery. colonization and early
settlement OF Victoria and Of British CO.
iumhsa much resembles that Of the ne,gh-
boring states Of Washington and Oregon
The history Is an oft-repeated and fa-
mifiar one. OF all the early explorers
the one whose name has been most In
deiibly impressed on this particular por-
ton OF the Pacific coast is Capt. George
Vancouver. whose statue towering from
the summit Of the new Parliament build
ings Ii one Of the first and most striking
objects to greet the visitor to Victoria
He gave his name to the island and the
names OF many Of hts friends TO the
physical features OF the island and coast
north and south For . time he held the
island n joint occupation with the Span
iards but they finally withdrew, leaving
the British In possession Vancouver
completed his surveys In I7s5 and return
ed to England From 1870 to 1872 there
was an extensive fur trade carried on by
vessels of several nations, chiefly Amer;-
can and English. which was brought to Q
standstin by the war in the latter year.
In these early days two great corpora
tons got foothoid and occupied an i'm
mense stretch OF territory for trading
Company and the Hudson Bay Company.
bitter rivals and keen competitors. Sir
Alexander Mckenzie. a Scotchman. made
the first overland trip from Montreal to
the Coast, In lisa. coming into the prov
ince through the northwest corner Of IL,
ard named New Caledonia In ISL the
fur companies analgamated, and the
Hudson Bay Company occupied. governed
and traded over. having exclusive domsn-
ion Of. the greater half Of the North
American continent, the trade ramifca-
tons and the disciplinary system carried
out being among the most wonderful OF
modern commercial corporations. In the
early days the Hudson Bay Company ex-
srcised sort of territorial lordship over
vast area. including Washington and
Oregon Owing TO the decrease In the fun
trade and the probability OF the boun-
dairy between British and United States
possessions being settled ct q point which
would exclude these or q portion of them,
II was decided to establish the head Offices
OF the company some place further north
on the Coast than Fort Vancouver. Sir
James Douglas. who was their chief fac
tor, chose Samosun, subsequently named
Albert, and finally Victoria 1t was
founded In 1872. and the steamer which
carried the party there was the old
Beaver. now a wreck at the mouth of
Burrard inlet, the first steamer on the
Pacific ocean She rounded the Horn in
lSs5- The boundary line was fixed in lsis
1T the forty-ninth parallel Of north lati-
tude. Victoria then became the chief
trading post on the North Pacific coast.
The choosing OF Camosun, the first
name given to the site upon which Vic
toria now stands. as the chief trading
post OF the Hudson Bay Company on the
Pacific coast, was the result of careful
survey and a good deal OF elaboration.
Prior to this the headquarters had been
first al Astoria, Or. and subsequently at
Fort Vancouver, Wash. but the time was
rapidly approaching when the inroads of
settlement and the question of fixing the
international boundary line between
British and American possessions render
ed a change necessary, and when the
change was made II was deemed desirable
to be safely within British limits. So
Camosun. or Victoria, was selected in
II.
Included what Is now known as Bastion
square. was erected. There the Hudson
Bay Company's factors and Gov, Doug
las reigned for fifteen years, the undis-
puted rulers of vast territory of which
their employees and the native population
were the sole occupants. The reasons for
Its selection were simply these: The dis
rict Immediately surrounding the fort
AFFORDED some excellent agricultural land.
which was an important desideratum I'M
der existing conditions: the site was close
70 an important Indian village, and The
Hudson Bay Company preferred being
near to Its costumers as well as to its
natural base OF SUPPLIES. There may have
been other considerations. but these are
what principally appealed to Gov. Doug
las Judgment. The site was picturesque.
and possessed other attractions that rec
commended IL as well. Had Douglas been
looking FOR sea port, with harbor ia
ciliues. he would have chosen ESquimaIt.
a league away. which has since been
chosen by the imperial authorities as the
headquarters for the North Pacific Coast
squadron, and which is now COM
pletely and strongly fortified But the
Hudson Bay Company was not planning
for future great city. but had simply an
eye TO what suited its own interests best
Victoria possessed the necessary condI-
lions and was near the water However
as IT has turned out. while EsquimaIt pos
sesses An admirable harbor, as the site
for city otherwise Il does not cornuara
with Victoria, which is admired by all
who have seen IL on account of its beautv
OF situation
The fort was fully completed and estah
hshed about 1875. Victoria was laid on,
In town lots In 1872. In 1873 the Hudson
Bay Company secured an absolute crown
grant OF Vancouver island for purposes
a an
owned the colony. lock- stock and harre,
IL Is needless 10 say that so far as eo,on-
ixaron went IL was not a success Az
the end OF fS5s there were about 5an set,
ucrs. white and MIXED largely uudso,
Bay Company people, and about the same
number Of acres cultivated. So that wheo
Iot'hal government was established the
governor sent out to rule found his gov
sfnorship an exceedingly hollow afYat-
ana resigned after one year In disgust ana
went home. The first legislature VS.
elected and convened in IS5s It, g..
tons. however. were neither onerous nor
important. and Douglas. who succeeded
blanchard. continued 10 rule Absolutely
as before
The discovery Of gold in 1873 changed
everyihirS. Victoria became a cttv An a
day and Hudson Fay Corranv r,1a
vanished in a day. The company gave m
Its ownership Of the island for a ro-std-
grafton From this date the real hys,o-v
OF Victoria and the province 81 pri.tsh
Columbia begins FYftee. or -ve,,,-
thousand people rushed in from al uuar-
'ers, and the little hamlet rose 10 a city
OF tents After the first Fraser river ex-
ciseMent the population was greatly Re-
oncei until the secoa1. or Carihoo .x-
ei'eFaent began In the meantime West
minister was founded. and ferss;a.,,ss
Were convened Union folloued in ISs4,
snd confederation in vi Fortunes -.