The Bridgeport evening farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1866-1917, 1916-11-17
THE ROMANCE OF
BRITISH COLUMBIA

Countless volumes have been writ
ten about the romantic early history
of California, but comparatively little
of the equally romantic and adven-
turous days when British Columbia
was being transformed by red-blood-
ed pioneers from a wilderness inhabit-
ed only by trappers and Indians into
a civilized state.
1t was just a half a century ago to-
day that the union of Vancouver Is
land and the British Columbia main
land was proclaimed, and about five
years later the united colony became
a province of the Dominion of Can
ada. Embracing within it's far flung
boundaries a great island and a wide
stretching mainland, bold sea coast,
towering mountain ranges, rugged
and picturesque river courses rich
fertile valleys and frozen north1and
wastes, British Columbia is an en-
pire in itself, rich in the largess of
soil and sea, mine and forest
First came the brave navigators,
the Cooks and the landowners, close
ly followed by the Scotch explorers
and trappers and their aides, the
hardy French-Canadian voyageu rs.
Greatest of these was Alexander Mac
kenzie, who crossed the continent aft
er Drawing a multitude Of perils and
hardships. and carved his name on a
rock at Dean Inlet in j1793
Gold was the lure that attracted
TO British Columbia its first consid
cradle white population, as it was in
California. Prior to the gold rush of
the sos British Columbia was under
the government and control of the
Hudson's Bay Company, and was di-
vided into districts known as New
Caledonia, New Georgia, New Norfolk
and New Cornwall. In 1856 the first
rumors of the discovery of gold in
New Caledonia reached San Francis
CO, but it was not until 1858 that the
great exodus from the Golden State
to the new Eldorado began in earnest.
Thousands Of miners set out, by sea
and land, for the north, and before
the close, of the year 10000 Cali
fornians were in British Columbia To
provide for the government of the
country, the colony of British Column
b1a was formed, and James Douglas.
who had long ruled Vancouver Island,
was sworn in as governor. The min
ers from California were loud in their
protests against the Hudson's Bay
Company, which held a monopoly and
forbade the importation Of goods
through other than the company's
agencies. An appeal was made to the
Washington government, which in
turn took up the matter with London.
The British government sustained the
governor In the steps he had taken,
but, at the same time, impressed upon
Governor Douglas .'the Importance of
caution and: delicacy in dealing with
those manifold causes Of information
al relationship and feeling which are
certain to arise"
Soon after the union of Vancouver
Island and the mainland in 1866, a
movement was set on foot to bring
about the union Of thel colony with
Canada, while another influential
party Of American settlers openly
agltated annexation to the United
States. DR.. Helmoken was the leader
of the annexationists. and he sue
ceeded in arousing a strong pro-
American sentiment, but the major
ity Of the citizens favored inclusion in
the Canadian Dominion. In 1871 con-
federation, became an accomplished
fact, British Columbia having exacted
pledge from the Dominion govern
ment to build a transcontinental rail-
way. The long delay in the fulfill
ment of this pledge exasperated the
British COlumbians, and the threat Of
withdrawal from the Dominion was
often made, while the annexation
movement was revived. At length, in
1885, the railroad was completed, and
the union with Canada became real
itv