East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1905-01-21

IAlllD2 SlOrN othHth" Son
~ Writer and Traveller.
Nanamo. Jan. 17.-CTo the East
Oregonian) )-Nanaimo, 10 miles north
of Victoria, on the Victoria, Esqui-
mault & Nanaimo railway, is the sec
.ond town on Vancouver island in
point of size, has a population OF
about 5000 people, and at the coal
mines in operation here claims to dis-
burse the largest payroll on the Pa
cific coast.
1t probably does. The amount OF
the black commodity in sight, coming
out of the ground at the mines, ana
being loaded on cars and on ships
seems practically without limit.
Nanaimo is situated on the east
coast of the island, has good harbor
where large ships find good anchor
age. The day l was here one deep
sea monster, 500 or 100 feet long.
was loading coal, taking 5000 TONS
and the loading process was not
bad lesson in applied mechanics
The coal comes from the mine to
an elevator In cars, is hoisted by der
ricks and huge shovels into the ele-
vator, where 1t is put through some
sort of a separating machine and
emerges in several different grades
drops back into the cars, is taken TO
the wharf where the bottom drops
out of the car, the coal falls through
n hatchway onto a slide and disap-
pears in the hold of the ship to re-
appear again and brighten firesides
somewhere on the other side OF the
world.
Great Fishing Industry.
The fishing industry is another inn
portant factor here. The finny tribes
come in here in shoals and seem to
walk into the nets. spread for the
unwary, with a trusting simplicity
which has been witnessed nowhere
else by the present writer.
One morning the first sight to greet
the eve from the hotel window, was
a man in a boat. who seemed to be
standing in a solid mass of fish,
which he was dipping up in buckets
IIltll tiAN
boatload was only one of a number
of similar cargoes caught that morn
ing-it was then about 3 o'clock. On
inquiry, the fish turned out to be her
ring. which were being barreled ano
shipped to New Westminster, where
they are converted into oil and guano
The British Columbia legislature
however, seems to think that the In
dustry is in danger of being over
worked. and the herring exterminat'
ed, and a bill is before that body tt
stop the wholesale destruction, in th'
near future. The idea which ha'
penetrated the legislative mind seem
to be a good one, as there are quit
a number of people here and ther'
through the world, who don't ge
enough to eat; and to whom a squar'
meal of fish occasionally would b.
very palatable.
Vancouver's Old Town.
This is an old town-one of tn
oldest on the island, but its growtl
seems to be a tale that is told. Their
are no new buildings going up excep
scme laborers' cottages at new min
a mile away, and unless some new en-
terprfse comes along the limit of de
yelopment seems to have been reach
ed.
The inducements to a life of eas
and leisure for the man of moderat
means are many. From his cano
without going out of sight of his ow
habitation, he can catch various kinC
of fish in abundance; he can shou
der gun and without going fs
from his own dooryard can find gan
in abundance, feasting his eyes meal
while on some of the finest scenery
the world, and ever in his ears Il
song of the sea; that wonderful son
which through the countless ages
the worlds history, has lulled
peaceful slumber or reused to ami
tious dreams.
The Enchanting Sea.
Some writer says: THE India
hear this same song out of the P
cific, this same wind fingers this sar
instrument in the sea of Okhotzk al
off the windy cape of Good HoI
This is the lutte Camoens heard; Il
Balboa knew; this the Romans fes
ed, and the Greeks faced boldly. Th
who smiled to Ophir. or to the
casterrides, knew it, The music h
enchanted old Vikings, pirates, bu
canneers and explorers of the u
known"
This island is over 900 miles lor
and at this point is 45 miles wild
and on the west coast nearly opposi
here. the Pacific cable touches lai
after its long stretch across L
ocean. The northern part of the
land, so say the natives, is practical
unexplored. and these waters alol
the western coast are particular
dangerous to navigate. being know
as the graveyard of the Pacific.
Returning, the boat leaves Nanain
at in the morning, which In tt
northern latitude comes a while b
fore daylight the darkness, howeve
is presently dispelled and the pictu
which comes with the dawn. is
delight to the eye. To the eastwa
across this narrow channel, 4
snowy submits of the coast range
British Columbia is plainly visib
away TO the south as the light