$4.00 Volume 23, No. 1 Winter 1990 ISSN 0045-2963 British Columbia Historical News Journal of the B.C. Historical Federation MEMBER SOCIETIES •••••*••*•**• Member Societies and their secretaries are responsible for seeing that the correct address for their society is up-to-date. Please send any change to both the Treasurer and the Editor at the addresses inside the back cover. The Annual Return as at October 31st should include telephone numbers for contact. Members' dues for the year 1988/89 were paid by the following Members Societies: Alberni District Historical Society, Box 284, Port Alberni, B.C. V9Y 7M7 Atlin Historical Society, P.O. Box 111, Atlin, B.C. VOW 1A0 BCHF - Gulf Island Branch, c/o Marian Worrall, Mayne Island, VON 2J0 BCHF - Victoria Section, c/o Charlene Rees, 2 - 224 Superior Street, Victoria, B.C. V8V1T3 Burnaby Historical Society, 4521 Watling Street, Burnaby, B.C. V5J 1V7 Chemainus Valley Historical Society, P.O. Box 172, Chemainus, B.C. VOR 1K0 Cowichan Historical Society, P.O. Box 1014, Duncan, B.C. V9L 3Y2 Creston & District Historical & Museum Society, Box 1123, Creston, B.C. VOB 1G0 District 69 Historical Society, P.O. Box 3014, Parksville, B.C. VOR 2S0 East Kootenay Historical Association, RO. Box 74, Cranbrook, B.C. V1C 4H6 Fraser Nechako Historical Society, 2854 Alexander Cresent, Prince George, B.C. V2N 1J7 Golden & District Historical Society, Box 992, Golden, B.C. VOA 1H0 Ladysmith Historical Society, Box 11, Ladysmith, B.C. VOR 2E0 Lantzville Historical Society, Box 501, Lantzville, B.C. VOR 2H0 Nanaimo Historical Society, P.O. Box 933, Station 'A', Nanaimo, B.C. V9R 5N2 North Shore Historical Society, 623 East 10th Street, North Vancouver, B.C. V7L 2E9 North Shuswap Historical Society, P.O. Box 22, Celista, B.C. VOE 1L0 Princeton & District Pioneer Museum and Archives, Box 687, Princeton, B.C. VOX 1W0 Qualicum Beach Historical & Museum Society, c/o Mrs. Cora Skipsey, RO. Box 352, Qualicum Beach, B.C. VOR 2T0 Saltspring Island Historical Society, RO. Box 705, Ganges, B.C. VOS 1E0 Sidney and North Saanich Historical Society, P.O. Box 2404, Sidney, B.C. V8L 3Y3 Silvery Slocan Historical Society, P.O. Box 301, New Denver, B.C. VOG 1S0 Trail Historical Society, P.O. Box 405, Trail, B.C. V1R 4L7 Vancouver Historical Society, P.O. Box 3071, Vancouver, B.C. V6B 3X6 Affiliated Groups B.C. Museum of Mining, P.O. Box 155, Britannia Beach, B.C. VON 1J0 City of White Rock Museum Archives Society, 1030 Martin Street, White Rock, B.C. V4B 5E3 Fort Steele Heritage Park, Fort Steele, B.C. VOB 1N0 The Hallmark Society, 207 Government Street, Victoria, B.C. V8V 2K8 Nanaimo Centennial Museum Society, 100 Cameron Road, Nanaimo, B.C. V9R 2X1 Second Class registration number 4447 Published fall, winter, spring, and summer by the British Columbia Historical Federation, P.O. Box 35326, Station E, Vancouver, B.C. V6M 4G5. A Charitable Society recognized under the Income Tax Act. Subscriptions: Institutional, $16.00 per year; Individual (non-members), $8.00. Financially assisted by the Government of British Columbia through the British Columbia Heritage Trust. Back issues of the British Columbia Historical News are available in microform from Micromedia Ltd., 158 Pearl St., Toronto, Ontario M5H1L3-Micromedia also publishes the Canadian Magazine Index and the Canadian Business Index. Indexed in the Canadian Periodical Index. British Columbia Historical News Volume 23, No. 1 • Winter, 1990 Journal of the RC. Historical Federation Editorial Looking back at 1989, my first full year as editor, I extend a big "Thank You" to all who have contributed articles; to Colleen, our typesetter and her fellow staff members at Kootenay Kwik Print in Cranbrook; to my spouse for diligent proofreading; and Ann Johnston, Nancy Peter and Anne Yandle who make it possible for this magazine to appear every three months. 1990 will be good year for the B.C. Historical Federation. Grand Forks is hosting our annual conference in May, and we make optimistic predictions for the News. Material has been assembled for the "Okanagan Special" by Winston Shilvock of Kelowna with the help of a few members of the Okanagan Historical Society. Several fascinating articles are on hand for the Summer 1990 issue. Now we are looking for articles which will fill out the Fall theme "Because of the War" (any war). Do you have special memories of the blackout / brownout ? or community clubs which prepared parcels for overseas ? rationing? What of communities that suddenly became garrisons? What was it like to arrive as a war bride ? to be on staff at a Veterans Hospital? Agricultural practices were changed in some places "because of the war". Tuum Est! Deadline July 1, 1990. Naomi Miller ********** Cover Credit The Canadian Bank of Commerce Building at the corner of Government and Fort Streets in Victoria as it was in Service's day. Photo courtesy of the CIBC Archives Contents Features Page Table of Contents & Editorial 1 The First Bank of British Columbia by Kenneth M. Pattison 2 Was Vancouver Named by Americans? by Leonard Meyers 3 British Columbia's Pioneer Inventor by Valerie Green 5 The Beholder by Russell C. Shelton 8 Buddhism in British Columbia by Douglas Henderson 11 The Wilby Hoax by Ron Welwood 15 The Florence Nightingale of Vancouver by Helen Borrell 16 Peter Skene Ogden - A Great Explorer by Winston A. Shilvock 18 Something Out of Nothing: Mission's Memorial Hospital by Catherine Marcellus 20 The Hunter Family of Thetis Island by Grace Dickie 24 Photographer of Nootka Sound by Eleanor W Hancock 26 News & Notes 28 BookShelf: Book Reviews Crofton House School Review by JoAnne Naslund 30 Continental Dash Review by Geny Andrews 30 Robert Brown and the Vancouver Island Exploring Expedition Review by John Spittle 31 Widow Smith of Spence's Bridge Review by Naomi Miller 32 Manuscripts and correspondence for the editor are to be sent to PO. Box 105, Wasa, B.C. VOB 2K0 Correspondence regarding subscriptions are to be directed to the subscription secretary (see inside back cover) RC Historical News The First Bank of British Columbia by Kenneth M. Pattison With the closing of the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce branch at Government and Fort streets in Victoria in 1987 we should be reminded of the part this handsome building played in the history of British Columbia. In 1860-61 by letters to the Colonial Office in London, Governor Douglas pleaded for the establishment of stable banking facilities for the Colonies. Apparently, existing banking services were not faring too well for he complained that miners were walking around Victoria with no place to deposit their gold and no cash to acquire their daily needs. In a dispatch from the Governor to the Duke of Newcastle, Secretary of State for the Colonies, he wrote: "Much anxiety has been expressed by the miners generally upon the subject of banks which are greatly needed in every district of British Columbia. The miner's only alternative at present being to bury his gold dust for security, which is known to be the general practice on Fraser's River; but were banks of deposit established, they would willingly pay a monthly percentage on any sums they might deposit. I have long been convinced of the value and importance of such institutions, but without men of tried integrity and business habits, no such scheme could be carried out with advantage to individuals or to the public." The London Times reported, "According to our correspondent Donald Fraser, resident in Victoria, the gold digging of British Columbia is a lottery in which there are no blanks; and the prizes are indeed splendid. The Law is strong, and public opinion is sound under British Rule. Thus, we are told, that British Columbia offers a good investment both for labour and capital." Many factors encouraged the founding of the bank, primarily gold on the Fraser and in the Cariboo and the presence of much capital in England needing opportunities for investment. Finally, Queen Victoria's Privy Council acted. In April 1862 a group of London bankers received a Royal Charter and issued a Prospectus under the name "The Chartered Bank of British Columbia and Vancouver's Island." This was subsequently changed to "Bank of British Columbia" with Head Office in London. The prospectus indicated that the bank was to provide facilities essential to the colonies of British Columbia and Vancouver's Island. The Prospectus also stated: "Great complaints were made by the miners that they could not sell their gold." (and) "The salubrity of the climate and its suitability to the European constitution; the fitness of the soil for agricultural purposes; the immense mineral wealth of both colonies, and the existence of English laws, are strong inducements to rapid and extensive emigration, and are also powerful reasons for at once establishing a bank with large capital, especially as the only existing banking accommodation is so inadequate to meet the exigencies of the colonies. " With all negotiations completed it was time to appoint staff and send them to the Colony. There were three ways to make the trip from England to Victoria, none of them easy. Around the Horn by sailing vessel was the cheapest and longest, taking 4-6 months at a cost of 60 pounds. The shorter route was by steamer to Colon, Panama. Then by railway across the isthmus to the Pacific, with the final leg by steamer to Victoria. The total trip took a little less than two months and cost nearly 200 pounds. Then there were the hardy few who ventured overland from New York to San Francisco, then took a steamer to Victoria. James D. Walker was appointed resident manager and with three assistants chose the Panama route. Arriving from England in July 1862 they set up quarters for the new bank in the former home of Victoria's first Mayor, Thomas Harris. Many branches were opened in the next few years; New Westminster in October 1862, Richfield 1863, Quesnel, Yale and San Francisco 1864, Portland 1865, Vancouver 1886 and in 1889 Seattle and Tacoma. The Richfield branch moved to Camerontown in 1865 then to Barkerville in 1867. Further expansion was made in the late '80s and early '90s with branches opening in Nanaimo, Kamloops, Nelson, Sandon, Kaslo, and Rossland. The Bank was also an outstanding example of an International Bank, with the branches in the United States often surpassing the Canadian business in size and profits. Twenty-four years after James Walker arrived, the magnificent building we now see on the southwest corner of Fort and Government opened for business as the new headquarters of the ever-widening influence the Bank was exercising on the Pacific Coast. Victoria's Daily Colonist of April 20, 1886, in reporting on the new bank stated: "Business was transacted for the first time yesterday in the new Bank of British Columbia offices. They are spacious and elegant, and attracted the admiration of everybody. Every possible conven- BJC Historical News ience is afforded for customers and employees and business can now be carried on with comfort to all concerned. There is probably no handsomer or better arranged banking office on the coast." Prior to the bank there were three occupants on the property that are worth noting. It was the site of the first Legislative Assembly, later the first school house in the Colony and finally, before the bank, the location of Parker Brothers butcher shop. When it united with the Bank of Commerce in 1901, the Bank of British Columbia brought to the merger the results of a successful 40 year career with many prosperous branches flourishing in most major centres of the Province. Robert Service the poet worked for this new Bank of Commerce for a good part of 1903-04, but that is part of another story. ********** Ken Pattison is the author ofMilestones On Vancouver Island. He worked in the Kootenays and in the Okanagan Valley prior to moving to Victoria in 1965. Interior of the Canadian Bank ofCommerce- Victoria, B.C - August 1910. CANADIAN IMPERIAL BANK OF COMMERCE, GOVERNMENT & FORT VICTORIA The building was constructed in 1885 and occupied by the bank of British Columbia in 1886. It was purchased in 1901 as part of the amalgamation with the Canadian Bank of Commerce. In its day, it was reputed to be the largest and best bank building in the province. In November, 1975, the building was designated as a heritage building and is protected from demolition or exterior alteration unless approved by City Council. Branch closed October 25, 1987, and the business transferred to Douglas & View. The building, a 3-storey brick structure on a stone foundation, contains approximately 22,000 square feet. London financiers and merchants established the Bank of British Columbia in 1862, opening the Victoria branch on the present day Government Street site of the Bank of Montreal. The Bank played an important role in the development of the province. It refused to extend further credit to the colonial government, thereby encouraging B.C. to enter Confederation. In 1903, Robert Service was an employee, at a salary of $50 per month! Was Vancouver Named by Americans? by Leonard Meyers Vancouver was conceived in controversy. Vancouverites can never agree on anything. In the early days they debated whether to call this isolated outpost on the Pacific Hastings, Granville, City of Liverpool, Vancouver, New Brighton, Gastown, etc. In recent years certain Vancouver historians seriously questioned whether, indeed, Sir William Van Horne, the CPR's builder, was re sponsible for choosing the name Vancouver for this fledgling young city as is generally believed. One local historian, several years ago, argued that the name Vancouver even appeared in early American west coast newspapers when referring to the new western terminus of the Canadian Pacific Railway in British Columbia months before railroad builder Van Horne set foot, in 1884, on the tall-timbered environs of Granville, or Gastown as the little mill settlement was unofficially called. In fact, long before the appearance of the latter-day doubters, a bronze plaque was erected on a stone drinking fountain at the corner of Carrall and Water Streets by the "Pioneers of Vancouver" and unveiled on June 13, 1925. (It was also on June 13th, 1792, that Captain George 'Vancouver explored RC. Historical News Burrard Inlet, and also on June 13, 1886, that the newly incorporated City of Vancouver went up in flames). The original plaque has since been set in the pavement on the site of Captain John "Gassy Jack" Deighton's famous maple tree after the restoration of old Gastown. Its inscription reads: HERE STOOD THE OLD MAPLE TREE UNDER WHOSE BRANCHES THE PIONEERS MET IN 1885 AND CHOSE THE NAME VANCOUVER FOR THIS CITY. No mention here of the historic role played by William Cornelius Van Horne in proposing an appropriate name for his new transcontinental railway's western terminus. Even in those days the CPR had its detractors. Compare that to another bronze plaque attached to a wall in Pioneer Place, at Hastings and Carrall Streets, a mere two blocks away. Which quite emphatically proclaims the following: PIONEER PLACE. HERE VANCOUVER WAS FOUNDED. 1886. HERE, IN THE SILENCE OF THE FOREST COVERING THE "CPR. TOWNSITE", STOOD VAN HORNE, VICE PRESIDENT CANADIAN PACIFIC RAILWAY AND L.A. HAMILTON, LAND COMMISSIONER. VAN HORNE EXCLAIMED HAMILTON! HAMILTON! THIS IS DESTINED TO BE A GREAT CITY. PERHAPS THE GREATEST IN CANADA, AND WE MUST SEE TO IT THAT IT HAS A NAME COMMENSURATE WITH ITS DESTINY AND IMPORTANCE. AND VANCOUVER IT SHALL BE IF I HAVE THE ULTIMATE DECISION. ERECTED BY THE CITIZENS ON THE SEVENTY-FIFTH ANNIVERSARY OF INCORPORATION, 1961. Needless to say the two plaques appear at variance with each other. A sin of omission regarding the former? As for Van Horne, not a citizen of Granville, nor a local property owner, he obviously possessed no legal means to personally petition the Legislative assembly in Victoria not only to incorporate but to officially name the emerging young city. That remained for a citizens' delegation, in all probability the one that congregated under the famous old maple tree alongside Gassy Jack Deighton's Hotel in Gastown to dis cuss the vital and historic issue. Obviously the provincial government would be receptive to the Gastown petition. Consequently in January of 1886, 432 residents of Granville duly inscribed their signatures to and presented the document to the Legislature in Victoria asking for incorporation of the City of Vancouver. A subsequent act incorporating the new city received third and final reading on April 2nd of the same year, with royal assent granted by Lieutenant-Governor CF Cornwall on April 6, 1886, creating a new city with a brand-new name - Vancouver. But you can be sure that the same citizens' committee had Van Home's personal blessing from the start. After all, without the "brass pounder from Illinois" there would be no great city of Vancouver, no flourishing port on the mainland of British Columbia. And certainly no significance for themselves as nation builders. And no Confederation. They would have died in obscurity as nonentities of a rag-tag community called Granville, isolated and forlorn in a perpetual forest setting of a distant West Coast of North America. And so, in a sense, it would appear that an expatriate American had a major hand in the naming of Vancouver, even if not the ones certain historians had in mind. But what do other historians say? The record seems to be quite clear. It bespeaks a certain unanimity. One favoring Van Horne. An extract from the City's own publication, 60 Years!, commemorating Vancouver's diamond jubilee in 1946, reads as follows "Mr. Van Horne inspected the little town of Granville . . . and stated he would change the name of the railway terminal from Granville to Vancouver, a proposal which received endorsation in Montreal, Toronto, Ottawa and London. . . " And again in the Encyclopedia Canadiana there appears a brief entry relative to Captain George Vancouver encountering Spanish Vessels, the Sutil and the Mexicana off Point Grey on June 22nd, 1792, "He (Captain Vancouver) had already passed by the site of the city that Sir William Van Horne of the CPR was to name after him. . . " Historian Alan Morley in his book Vancouver: From Milltown to Metropolis, covers both bases. He wrote: "It is probable the name had been under general consideration for some time previously, since as early as August, 1884, it had been used in Portland, Oregon, newspapers for the western terminus of the CPR." While under a portrait of Van Horne appearing in the same book, a caption that rather categorically states: "As general manager of the new Canadian Pacific Railway, Van Horne named Vancouver to commemorate, through the great city he then foresaw, the British navigator, Captain George Vancouver." Lastly but not least, John Murray Gibbon in his book Steel of Empire, perhaps the most definitive history of the building of the CPR ever written, and published in 1935 when the building of the great railway was still relatively fresh in mind, had this to say: "(quoting the Montreal Star), "The name of Vancouver has been chosen by Mr. Van Horne for the terminus at Coal Harbour, On Burrard Inlet ..." Mr. ^n Home's favorite books, he further went on to say, dealt with explorers and adventurers, and it was therefore natural, he assumed, that Van Horne should select for the Pacific terminus of a transcontinental railway conceived and carried out with such bold enterprise, the name of this great adventurer. Added to this, a certain kinship, as both George Vancouver and William Van Horne were of Dutch ancestry. And nothing like keeping it in the family. ********** Leonard Meyers is a freelance writer who has had articles pubUshed in numerous newspapers and magazines. After five years in the Royal Canadian Navy he became a cartoonist then a student at Banff School of Fine Art He has published a book of social history plus a volume of poetry and a book of humorous essays. RC. Historical News British Columbia's Pioneer Inventor by Valerie Green Bagster Roads Seabrook was born in New Westminster in 1865 when it was still the colony's capital. His family moved to Victoria in 1869 where his father, Roads Seabrook was Vice-President of the R.PRithet & Co. Ltd. Shipping Company as well as being an incorporator of the Victoria Sealing Company. His somewhat unusual name "Roads" was the anglicized version of a Dutch name. Louisa Annette Seabrook, Bagster's mother, was born in England in 1842, granddaughter of London publisher, Samuel Bagster. The family lived in an elegant Swiss chalet-style home on an acre of land on the outskirts of Victoria. The elaborate stables adjacent to the property enabled young Bagster to indulge his love of horses inherited from his paternal grandfather back in Ontario. When the Seabrook family moved from New Westminster to Victoria, Bagster was only four, but already his inquiring mind was anxious to learn and create. He was sent to all the finest schools to obtain the best possible education, the first being a private school run by a Mr. Vicussex boasting among its pupils, future premier Simon Tolmie. Bagster later attended the Collegiate School in Victoria, a well-known Anglican academy. By 18, Bagster was ready for the business world. He began his career as an engineer-businessman with the Albion Iron Works Ltd., the largest engineering plant north of San Francisco. Albion had branches in both Victoria and Vancouver and it took Bagster a mere 12 years with the company in Victoria before he rose to the position of general manager. He was still only 30 years old. The Albion Iron Works had a considerable reputation which Bagster Seabrook greatly helped to enhance during his time with them. Among the many hundreds of vessels they built or repaired were the sternwheelers, "Ora", "Nora" and "Flora", the first to reach Dawson during the 1898 gold rush. Two of the more famous contracts Albion had under Bagster's management were the William Head Quarantine Station in 1893, and the complete iron and steel works for the Parliament Buildings in Victoria. It was whilst working as supervisory head of this second project that Bagster was said to have delighted in personally climbing to the top of the Dome to drill the last rivet into place. During his time with Albion, Bagster had also been working on numerous inventions of his own, his active mind never idle. His first invention was the bicycle rear brake which sold, in application form, for $2,000 in Vancouver. His typewriter backspacer was never patented. His rock crusher invention was featured in the British Columbia MiningRecord for April of 1897. In 1888, Bagster married Elvira A. Crosby of Markham, Ontario. At the time of their meeting, Elvira was visiting her uncle, financier Alfred C. Flumerfelt. Flumerfelt had come to British Columbia in the early 1880's and was prominent in many business operations, mining developments and civic affairs. One of his daughters later became a doctor, a most unusual accomplishment for a woman at that time. The Flumerfelts' house on Pemberton Avenue in Victoria was a showpiece of old Victoria for many years, and it was there that young Bagster Seabrook met and fell in love with BagsterRoads Seabrook (Taken 13th July, 1941, at age 76 • 9 years before he died) the pretty Miss Crosby. Not long after their marriage, they themselves built a large home on the Gorge Road in Victoria at the considerable cost of $18,000. The house stood on two acres (0.8 hectares) of land which also accommodated a house for their Chinese houseboys and an impressive set of stables for Bagster's six horses. Bagster had always retained his love for horses. One particular team of fast horses he imported from San Francisco at a cost of $3,500 enabled him to ride around Beacon Hill in Victoria (a distance of approximately one mile (1.61 km) in a light rig in three minutes flat, a considerable feat in those days. Bagster and Elvira had two children, a son Norman, and a daughter Ada, named for her godmother, Ada Flumerfelt. After 20 years with Albion and still only 38 years old, Bagster decided to go into business on his own. It was now April of 1903, the turn of a brand new century, and Bagster's energetic brain was busy generating new ideas and innovations. One of the first contracts he se- aC Historical News cured for his own business was a spiral stairway for the Carnegie Library in Vancouver, the total weight of which, in steel and cast iron, was 9,888 pounds (4,500 kilos). Priced at $2,279, the stairway had a full tread adjoining the rail said to be the first of that kind in Canada. By the year 1903, Bagster's interests had also gone in another direction. That was the year he shipped the first steam car into Victoria from San Francisco. He himself took the automobile for a trial run out to Wright's Hotel in Saanich on the outskirts of town, in company with a Mr. H.D. Ryus who was timing and making notes of the whole operation. Obviously satisfied with the car's performance, Bagster then sold it for the sum of $1,800 to his first customer, a Mr. Bert Todd, and thus became Victoria's first recorded car salesman. Bert Todd later became Bagster's son-in-law when in 1910 he married Bagster's young daughter, Ada. Their honeymoon trip became famous in the history books as the pioneer travel of the Pacific coast road from Los Angeles to Vancouver. Later when Bagster decided to move to Los Angeles, the Seabrook plant in Victoria was bought out by James Dunsmuir, and Bagster was then able to pursue his career as an inventor extraordinaire. Together with a business associate, Thomas Allen Box, he worked on and produced his invention, the Seabrook-Box railway differential axle. The test of the railway axle was made in August of 1909 in Los Angeles on Oil Tank Car #96307 on the Santa Fe Railway. It had been proved that after five months of service the wheels remained in perfect condition. In 1913, the two men sold this invention to the French government for $2,000,000. Bagster later became involved in consulting engineering in the Toronto area where he lived until the outbreak of WWI. During the war years he went into the paper business and later headed for New York where he worked on one of his most famous inventions, the Seabrook Phonograph. BM. Seabrook home on Gorge Road, Victoria - About 1898. Seabrook children by steps (left) Ada (right) Norman. The phonograph came to be known as "the first new and fundamental improvement in talking machines in thirty years." The machine received wide publicity throughout the United States and was described as "revolutionary in character." The horn was particularly revolutionary because the melody could now be heard close up without the previous unpleasant crackling sound effects. By moving away from the machine, the sound waves became amplified. This, it was stated, "upset some recognized principles of science." Another interesting feature of the Seabrook Phonograph (a brochure about which can be found in the Provincial Archives in Victoria) was that the speed could now be regulated which was not previously possible. Reproduction of the human voice was also particularly good. However, it was in 1926, that Bagster Roads Seabrook who was then living in Mishawaka, Indiana, finalized what he considered to be his greatest achievement. It was the culmination of 40 years of patient dedication, but finally in September 1926, he was able to bring out his Business Manual on Handling Computations. The origi nal idea had been conceived back in 1886 whilst living in Victoria, and Bagster had worked at it on and off for the next 40 years. The entire work, which was written in long hand and re- checked numerous times, required 780,000 calculations, involving more than 63,000,000 figures. The principles contained in the Manual were applicable to any line of business, and by application of the tables which were based on 'reciprocal', all math problems could be solved faster than, or at least as fast as, a calculating machine. Bagster had originally intended that these principles should be in the form of a machine but, when he returned to Mishawaka in February of 1924, he decided that there would be more advantage to having his work applied in book form. For the next two years, therefore, he set about converting his machine plans into a book. He had previously been on a five- month tour of such business institutions as General Motors, Pierce Arrow and Cadillac, to investigate the various methods used in these companies in order to adapt his system to those methods. His Manual was acclaimed by engineers, mathematicians and actuaries alike, and it was a proud day for the Seabrook family when the first copies of the book were rolling off the presses of publisher, WB. Conkey Company of Hammond, Indiana. On that September day in 1926, various distributors from other states had gathered at the Seabrook home at 410 Lincoln Way East, to form a procession of some 40 cars containing nearly 100 people. They then headed off towards South Bend, LaPorte, Valparaiso and other small towns along the Lincoln Highway to Hammond to inspect the first copies of the Manual coming off the press at the Conkey Publishing plant. Many of the cars in the procession were decorated with banners, RC. Historical News Bagster's reading "Seabrook's Business Manual - Official Car - Home Office, Hammond, Indiana." The Seabrook sales organization was to be known as B.R. and E.A. Seabrook but later was incorporated under the name of the Seabrook- Todd Sales Corporation. The appointment of 29 State distributors had been made and contracts already signed for over 22,000 books monthly to be sold at $30 a copy. The sales territory stretched from the Atlantic to the Pacific, a remarkable feat considering there had been no advance advertising. It was indeed a proud day for Bagster Seabrook. His dream had become reality. British Columbia's native born son, who had travelled the North American continent extensively and, at various times, maintained laboratories in Toronto, Victoria, Vancouver, Los Angeles and Mishawaka, had achieved world-wide acclaim. He was a legend in his own time. When well into his 80's, Bagster's alert inventor's mind was still very active. By then, the Seabrooks were living in a suburb of Seattle. At age 81, Bagster was busy working on his third book and was still able to recall all his past business dealings in British Columbia with amazing accuracy. A photograph taken of him in later years shows that one eye appears to be pointed off to the right due to a complete loss of vision, no doubt the result of long hours spent at close study. At that time, his doctor had warned him that he must stay quiet and avoid working. He had previously been spending a great deal of time down in his basement making, among other things, furniture. Being the man that he was, he could not bear to just sit quietly and remain idle. Even if his body must rest, his mind certainly could not. He therefore decided to take up playing solitaire and for the next few years kept a written record of every game he played as he established a trend based on the number of shuffles to the cards and the number of cuts made each time. His written records were kept in the family for many years. In 1950, at the age of 85, Bagster Roads Seabrook died peacefully in his Seattle home. His incredibly active brain was still at last and one of Western Canada's greatest pioneer inventors was gone. It would be many years before the world would see his like again. ********** The author is a freelance writer living in Victoria with her husband and two teenaged children. She writes regularly for The Islander and has published articles and poems in English and Canadian magazines. She is currently preparing a book on the Todd family. BIBUOGRAPHY Correspondence with Richard Hunter Todd, grandson of Bagster Roads Seabrook, between February 1987, and November 1987. Provincial Archives, Victoria, B.C. Who's Who in Canada, 1922. ARTICLES! Daily Colonist, 29th April 1920. Victoria Inventor Achieves TMlHII|fei Daily Colonist, June 80th, 1967 (Centennial Edition). First DrtortatoShawtpui - Bert Todd Led Tburist Parade. The South Bend Tribune, October 10th, 1926 • New Sales Concern Is Betas Oiynhed Here- Seabrook State Distributors Go To Hammond For First Copies of Book. By Ralph Hutchinson. TimesColonist (Islander Section), October 18th, 1987. VlilisliinimliMisniiiiii waMasta Immifni By\blerie Green. The Vancouver Daily Province, March 2nd, 1946. Energy and Ability Are Harnessed By 7M» Inventive Son afBXl By L. Bell-Clemmens. Pamphlet "The Seabrook" in Provincial Archives, Victoria, B.C. Interview in Victoria with Richard Hunter Todd, on September 11th, 1987. Interview in Victoria with Joe Fretwell, grandson of Bagster Roads Seabrook, on September 11th, 1987. Copy "fn-»W"J°"Hi"«»T»»«<»nt editorial dated September 20th, 1877, supplied by Mrs. Joy Godson Ray, niece of Bagster Roads Seabrook, age 82. "sVdvexlating Albion Iron Works-Victoria Plant (About 1900). B.C. Historical News "The Beholder" by Russell C Shelton (ex Royal Australian Air Force) After more than forty years the visual impact of beautiful British Columbia on the senses of observant impressionable young Commonwealth airmen who passed this way, remains fixed in the memories of the living, regardless of present residence. Canada, the aerodrome of democracy during the terrible years from 1940 to 1945, welcomed some 15,000 Royal Australian Air Force personnel, all eager to master their distinctly separate categories of pilot, navigator, bomb aimer, wireless air gunner, or "straight A/G" (air gunner.) To be selected for the "Canadian draft" was a special bonus, even if it meant that we were destined to become reinforcements for Britain's Royal Air Force, to do battle in European skies. A larger benefit was all I could see, - one year's "Cook's tour" by sea and rail, of a sister Dominion, Canada, that vast country of such contrast to Australia's tropical and sub-tropical climes. In school days of the 1930's I had needed no encouragement to absorb the curriculum regarding things Canadian. Long before March 1944, all Australians had been made aware of the warm welcome and hospitality their boys received from the Canadian people, not omitting the allure of their girls who spoke in such "accents fair," many of whom had yet to meet mothers-in-law in Australia. Invariably the 16 to 21 days voyage across the Pacific Ocean itself not without a degree of danger after Japan's entry into the war, would end with Australian's disembarking at either Los Angeles, or San Francisco from whence Southern Pacific Railroad carried us to the still beautiful but now defunct Canadian Pacific Railway station in Vancouver. From there that great RC Historical News railway carried us through the magnificence of British Columbia's mountains and valleys to the schools and flying fields of the prairies. Exactly forty-six years after, as a member of the older generation, I sense a historical value to the twenty photographs for which I gave almost one day's pay at the CPR Station when I place them with the stored memories of grim but nonetheless happy times. British Columbians may find the diary recollections of a twenty year old serviceman of interest not only from the standpoint of how a young "foreigner" reacted to totally unfamiliar sights and sensations, but also to recall for themselves the soon-to-be forgotten days of the steam locomotives, and the open air "rock-jumper" observation cars of the 1920's and 1930's, depicted in the aging photographs. Wartime Diary, March 19th 1944 I awakened at 7 a.m. to find ourselves in Seattle, Washington, on a very dull but not too cold morning. While we slept, a CPR dining car, far superior in appearance and service to Southern Pacific's had been coupled to our train. Such luxury! We slept in made-up bunks with sheets and pillows, after months in Australian camps that provided us with only straw-filled paliasses (sacking) and two blankets. Now the Canadians have added the comfort of chinaware and silver cutlery in a mobile restaurant; truly "something to write home about." We should be in \ancouver at 12 noon and a few hours leave to help get rid of our sea legs would be appreciated, even if it is Sunday. I still can't believe I'm in North America after all my dreams of a few months ago. This is the first train trip which has not bored me within twenty four hours of that 8 ULIC. Shelton, R.C.RAAF. Taken at City Park, Winnipeg, Manitoba. May 28th, 1944. mode of travel - and we've still 3 more welcome days of it ahead. We came through New Westminster - quite a large town reminding me of my birth place, - Gympie (Queensland) It's "coat-hanger" bridge is reminiscent of Sydney's celebrated likeness, about which we kidded the Sydney - ites among us. We pulled into Vancouver about 1 p.m. and it was too cold for this Queenslander just out from summer and some equatorial sun-baking on the troopship. Looking across the harbour I believe Vancouver to be one of the most beautiful places I have seen. If Sydney had such mountains, rising right from the shore line or so it seems, then it would indeed be the best. A portion of this city nestles along the water's edge for some distance, and then the steep sided mountains, cloaked in tall timber show their tops as though icing sugar had been sprinkled on them, the overflow trickling down into the many crevasses. We were to depart for the east at 4:30 p.m. No leave. We had our meagre money supply changed into Canadian. I sent mother a cable for her birthday and bought a souvenir embroidered cushion cover - ""Vancouver". I splurged a dollar on CPR postcards to illustrate the route we were to travel in the mountains. Some Canadian children appreciated receiving my kangaroo clad enormous pennies; theirs are so small. A French-Canadian chap appeared grateful for my comforts fund gift of "log cabin" cigarette tobacco. The sergeant marched us to the CPR coaches, all noticeably better looking than their U.S. counterparts with strange names on the sides, - Lillooet, Shannon Falls, Squamish, and fine upholstery and heating system which had us a little too warm though; still, no complaints heard from our boys. How much longer will the luxuries last? As I write darkness has set in. I have the impression that the further we travel the more beautiful B.C. becomes. Australia cannot compare its beauty with this. Here it is more spectacular even in late winter than reports claim it to be. The hills have not yet lost their snow cap although it has thawed long ago in the coastal regions. (Note "Aussies" didn't understand that B.C.'s lower mainland was not subject to the kind of freezing we found on the prairies). We are always at the bases of mountains, running along streams and lake shores, and in places we paralled the C.N.R. often just across a rocky, mountain stream rushing with melting snow. Scenery is so changable and awesome that I just keep looking. Supper time - as they say here - (not tea-time) provided chicken, peach pie (not tart) and tea more fla- voursome than Australia's best. I turn in so contented, sorry that so much unseen scenery is going by while we sleep. Monday 20th March I awaken to find the train at rest, and a fairyland of snow outside the window. Light snow was falling when I went to the back platform of our car. I have never in my life seen snow or touched it. It feels so soft, but too cold, and our thoughtless high command gave us no gloves, scarfs or galoshes, which the Canadians call "rubbers". We stayed on board so I have yet to "go out" in the snow. Last night we stopped at a little settlement called North Bend and we conversed with an old railwayman. I told him of Australia's so called cough remedy - "Buckley's Canadiol mixture,- in blizzardly cold Canada - ". We got a kick out of his claim that his tried and tested remedy was rum, - and he'd never heard of ours. We had our first real contact with snow at a one-shack whistle stop called Glasgow. Don Willis and I, with a couple of the lads got out and promptly engaged in our first brisk snow fight - grown men (?) acting like kids. The cold got to us quickly and we scrambled aboard, ready for a free C.ER. breakfast from which we emerged with prestigious souve- Biwb .V ■: ~^'X;3lX, /••xx ,§m'.. ■;•■ -~\:t XT _ ■» .■-"■ ':hiiMf XX ^Ww^r ~ - ■' . Wm- ■ -' ... X'.f-* !,...^',?^ ** ~*" f-'." ■■".. " .<■ ■ -iv' i 1 X £" SaU 5fu* j^^^W9H| The Great Divide. Between the Provinces of Alberta and British Columbia. nir menus. I was learning the difference between "a la carte," and "table d'hote." At Beavermouth, McCarthy and Peterson snapped some of us with a mountain background, and snow and ice underfoot. I got my first lesson in the dangers of leather soles on ice, by falling "on my neck" boarding the steps of the coach. We are still in British Columbia now in the heart of the Selkirk Ranges, partially iced up mountain streams show that the thaw is on. Tiny foot-prints in the snow reveal a fox's (?) passing. Here are mountain tunnels, one five miles long, the longest in the British Empire! The Connaught tunnel shows Australia to have lesser problems but necessarily different beauties. We are in the last car and I looked at two tandem steam engines running up a gorge between two mountains, and another mountain filling the picture at the end. Snow must be C.PR.'s greatest enemy, and I would guess it can build up destructive forces. Yes, it's "Springtime in the Rockies", but always the evergreens surround us. How beautiful are the green rivers, fast-flowing in places, jagged lumps of ice protruding in others. Before dinner we stopped at Field, a little town sheltered beneath a mighty mountain. Ever hungry, many of us scampered across the street to buy bags of cakes and a bottle of milk. From here we witnessed another railroad wonder - the Spiral Tunnels. I could look out and find where we entered the mountain head-on and gained 104 feet, by the time we exited above it. Still we climb, and soon we'll be in Alberta. While we fledgling airmen enjoyed the officer class service of the C.ER. diner, I saw the wooden letters, GREAT DIVIDE slip by, the provincial border and an end to the ever-so beautiful British Columbia, not withstanding further feasts for the eyesight at Banff. We can feel the downhill roll to our train now, and like the droplets of water which will flow either to the Pacific Ocean or to Hudson Bay from the Great Divide RC. Historical News of the Rocky mountains, we head for what we now know to be No. 3 Wireless School, Winnipeg and the beginning of many new and exciting adventures in places and people. In Calgary we farewell our bomb aimer friends who are bound for their training school in Lethbridge, pilots and navigators for Edmonton and Calgary. We are now coupled to the regular C.P.R. train. Sleep comes easily to those at peace with themselves and the world. When I awake tomorrow, Tuesday March 21st 1944 I shall be twenty years of age. ********** Russell Shelton is the author of a new book entitled "FROM HUDSON BAT TO BOTANY BAT", - The lost frigates ofLaperouse. He came to Canada to live on the prairies in 1949. He returned to Australia in 1967, but in 1978 decided to fulfill a long-standing desire, farmed outside of a CJiR. Station Vancouver in March 1944, to live in Vancouver, with his Canadian wife and family. Australian Airforce members experience their first snow. This photo taken at Beavermouth, near Rogers Pass -Russ Shelton on left. ANNOUNCING THE BRITISH COLUMBIA LOCAL HISTORIES PROJECT. The British Columbia Heritage Trust has generously funded, through the British Columbia Library Association, a project to search out all local histories written about communities in British Columbia. The end result will be an annotated bibliography indexed by geographical location, subject, author and title. It will be available both in published form and on computer through the University of British Columbia Library. The project has been organized and is being supervised by Jean Barman, Assistant Professor, and Linda Hale, Canadian Childhood History Project Bibliographer, at the Department of Social and Educational Studies, University of British Columbia. The Bibliography will greatly assist research and scholarship on British Columbia. Up to the present time no systematic means exists to locate local histories, some of which have been privately printed in small numbers in the geographical area which they are about. Many are long out of print. Local histories, while uneven in coverage and quality, contain a wealth of information other wise unavailable concerning the many hundreds of small settlements that have existed over time, often in geographical isolation, across British Columbia. The bibliography will make it possible to examine a variety of subjects about which we still know far too little, including the distribution of non-Native settlement across B.C., actual means of livelihood and emergence of social institutions beyond the province's urbanized southwestern tip and the everyday lives of women and children. For the bibliography to be as complete as possible, assistance is sought from everyone - researchers, librarians, lovers of local history, authors, genealogists and all others-aware of the existence of local histories about their community or some other area of B.C. Can you help? The project organizers are particularly concerned to learn about smaller, older and more obscure publications that may be tucked away on a back book shelf. Basic bibliographic information (author, title, publisher, place and date of publication, actual location of a copy) should be sent to Jean Barman or Linda Hale, Department of Social and Educational Studies, Faculty of Education, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, B.C. V6T 1Z5. All assistance will be acknowledged in the completed bibliography, to be available by the fall of 1990. For further information, Please contact Jean Barman - 228-5331. September 1989 RC Historical News 10 Buddhism in British Columbia by Douglas Henderson British Columbia, the westernmost province of Canada has a long, possibly ancient connection with Buddhism. The purpose of this paper is to examine sources and give a brief description of the history of the contact of this great world religion with the peoples of British Columbia. Pre-Modem times One of the most tantalizing theories to surface again and again is that of Chinese Buddhist monks having contact with British Columbians in pre-499 A.D. times.1 In the Imperial Annals we are told of one Ma Twan Lin composing history based on reports of a returned explorer, the monk Huei Shan. This monk had returned from lands far to the east. ..."He told of a land named Fusang, and of two lands before it, tants, houses were made of planks, people wrote on tree bark, bartered for goods, and had a very clear system of rank, being led by a king treated with much pomp and ceremony. Of Wan Shan, it was said that the inhabitants marked their bodies to indicate tribal rank and lived in houses surrounded by moats filled with "yin shui", a term difficult to translate but suggesting silver-water, now considered to have been eulachan (a fish) in process of having their oil extracted." 2 The placement of these various countries was computed mechanically by the 19th century scholar Edward E Vining8 as follows; Ta Han in the Aleutian Chain, Wan Shan on the north Pacific Coast and Fusang in Mexico. Obscure written records are one thing, what of artifacts, hard physi- named Wan Shan (the country of marked bodies) and Ta Han (Great China). In Fusand, which derived its name from a tree which produced food and clothing for the inhabi- Douglas Henderson, priest of Iron Mountain Buddhist Group, Victoria, B.C, Canada Photo credit: Victoria Star. cal evidence? The October 25th, 1882 issue of the Weekly Colonist in Victoria, B.C. ran a story of a cache of bronze coins bound by wire which were alleged to be 3000 years old. These coins were found by miners near Telegraph Creek."4 And further, ..."some years later, while prospecting in the same area, the Chinese court interpreter from Victoria met Indians who showed him several ancient Buddhist silver ceremonial dishes and a number of brass charms. Though they were reluctant to part with any of it, the Indians did give him one of the charms, which was estimated to be at least 1,500 years old. It had been found, along with the other objects, buried in the roots of a large tree." 5 A small statue of the Buddha was found also in the roots of a large tree, when the townsite of Powell River, B.C. was being cleared. 6 In Nanaimo, B.C. remains of a Japanese sword of ancient manufacture were found at a depth of eleven feet.7 We cannot lose sight of the suggestion, however, that these physical items were diffused by trade through the Aleutians and down to B.C. by middlemen cultural brokers. Lawrance, previously cited, also avers that Canada's foremost ethno- musicologist the late Marius Barbeau "entertained theories that the Northwest Coast tribal music was strongly flavoured by Buddhist temple chanting." 8 One does not have to read much 19th century and early 20th century anthropology and ethnology to find bias about third world culture. "These chaps must have learned this from the Chinese (or the Greeks or whatever)" is a common view. Certainly we live on a small planet. The oceans though huge, are passable in pre-historic fragile craft. Pace, St. Brendan. But one must maintain a detached view and not wax rhapsodic over every excavated cross-legged figure as that of the Buddha. Meditative figurines (and, 11 RC Historical News indeed the art of meditation) thrives everywhere, in every culture.fl Howarth, previously cited, states that "...another Japanese junk was wrecked on the north-west coast of America near Queen Charlotte's Island (sic) in the winter of 1833-4, and the numerous crew were murdered by the natives, with the exception of two survivors. They were sent to England by the agents of the Hudson Bay Company and thence to the East, but were not allowed to land in Japan by the authorities", the latter circumstance dictated by the long-standing flat of the Shogunate prohibiting the return of off-shore adventurers. We must also mention here the reliable accounts of the great Chief of the Nootka, Maquinna having Japanese slaves in the late 1700's, very likely the hapless survivors of similar shipwrecks. Even to-day it is common beachcombers' jetsam- - - glass and plastic floats of the Japanese fishing fleets following the currents to the shores of British Columbia. Our premise is that barring the mists of antiquity we may assume quite reasonably that amongst the slaves of Maquinna and the survivors of the 1833-4 wreck were followers of the Buddhist faith. The first firm date of Chinese occupation in British Columbia is May 13, 1788 when Capt. John Meares brought fifty Chinese craftsmen to Friendly Cove, Vancouver Island, B.C. for the construction of a trading post and stockade. n The following year a further twenty-nine craftsmen joined their fellows from China. In May of 1789 Spanish frigates seized the Chinese workmen as part of the Nootka Incident which came close to creating war between the Spanish and the British. Of the seventy or so, the Spanish only accounted for twenty-nine~so allowing for scurvy and injuries we can assume some were killed, some enslaved by Indians and some absorbed into Indian population through marriage. Again our premise is that amongst that seventy or so band of Chinese craftsmen many would be Buddhist. A few Chinese craftsmen were about the various Hudson Bay Company posts that dotted British Columbia, but massive immigration didn't start until the gold rushes. During those hectic times Chinese from California and China itself worked the claims and established many a 'Chinatown'. 'Joss-houses' established in most of these Chinatowns by miners offered religious worship centres for the 'Three Religions' - Buddhism, Taoism and Confucianism. From this time period we have yet to secure an exclusively Buddhist house of worship. 13 Until well into the twentieth century we have no evidence of European- descent residents of British Columbia having Buddhist affiliations. u From the 1880's onward the Japanese presence was felt in British Columbia. Working as fishermen, in forestry and farming young Japanese men came to this province to seek their fortunes. By far the overwhelming majority of these young Japanese men were of the Pure Land, Jodoshinshu Buddhist faith. 15 By 1901 "dharma talks" were being held in a private home of a layman, Hatsutaru Nishimura in Sapperton, B.C. This man had been given a "Buddhist name" Shin-ei- by a high abbot at sect headquarters in Kyoto as well as an image of Amida Buddha on a scroll. Devotees gathered regularly. 16 By November 1905 a regular Jodoshinshu priest Rev. Senju Sasaki and his wife were in Vancouver. Several temporary locations were used over the years for Buddhist services. 17 Sister organizations were established in New Westminster, Sapperton, Barnet and Port Moody, B.C. The total active membership was about 650. In 1909 the government of British Columbia officially recognized the incorporation of this endeavor as Nihon Bukkyo-Kai. 18 Buddhist Women's League (Bukkyo Fujin-kai) was formed in 1913.19 The very first official formal conversion of Westerners to Buddhism in British Columbia is recorded in church documents as occurring in 1917. Bukkyo-kai received into its membership a Mr. and Mrs. Greep who were given Buddhist names. 20 By 1921 out of a total of 21,000 Japanese living in Canada, most of whom lived in British Columbia, more than 4,000 were Canadian born. 21 Sunday school services and young people's groups abounded. Missionary work, chiefly on Vancouver Island and in the Vancouver area was extensive. 22 From 1927 to the start of WWII eleven Bukkyo-kai centres were established in British Columbia, viz: New Westminster (1927); Marpole (1928); Steveston (1928); Royston (1930); Maple Ridge (1932); Chemainus (1932); Okanagan Buddhist Mission at Kelowna (1933); Victoria (1934); Skeena (1934); Ocean Falls (1935) and Whonnock (1939). 23 Seven Buddhist clergy from Kyoto administered to a flock of about 1,500 at this time. Then disaster struck. With the outbreak of WWII all Japanese gatherings except funerals were outlawed. Soon, all Japanese males, then whole families were relocated to camps in the British Columbia interior and further east to Alberta and Manitoba. During all this turmoil clergy still held services carrying images and altar items with them from camp to camp. Two years after the War's end the Japanese population was 7,200 a drop from a pre-war estimate of 22,000. Many of the Bukkyo-kai had been sold under war-time draco- nian legislation. Contemporary Times After the return of the Japanese and Japanese-Canadians to British Columbia a total of six Jodoshinshu churches were re-established. They are at Ladner, Kamloops, Kelowna, Richmond, Vancouver and Vernon. 24 Other Japanese denominations established including a small Shingon group of laypersons in Steveston, B.C., Rinzai Zen style groups meeting at the Zen Center of Vancouver and the Victoria Zen Center; Soto RC Historical News 12 Zen style in Vancouver at Lion's Gate Priory; and a small Shingon- Shugendo group, Iron Mountain Buddhist Group in Victoria. There are also several Nichiren Shoshu (Sokka Hakkai) groups throughout the lower mainland of British Columbia and Vancouver Island.2S In 1971 Most Ven. Kalu Rimpoche, an esteemed meditation master of the Tibetan Kargugpa School established a centre, Kagyu Kunkhyab Choling in Vancouver. This group under the leadership of Ven Tzenjur Rimpoche maintains their centre in ^ncouver as well as a 160 acre retreat facility on nearby Saltspring Island. 26 Several years ago retrea- tants completed a three year three month three day traditional total retreat to study and practice traditional Tibetan ascetics. At the time of writing sixteen people are in retreat for the same traditional period. Other Tibetan centres include that of Ven. Sakya Lama Tashi Namgyal, who has established the Victoria Buddhist Dharma Society-Sakya Thubten Kunga Choling in Victoria; 28 the Sakya Bodhi Dharma Society established in Vancouver by Ven. Chime Luding (Jetsun Kusho) sister of H.H. Sakya Trizen, Head of the Sakya School of Tibetan Buddhism; 26 the centres known as respectively Gaden Rime Zong Ling in Vancouver and Tashi Choling in Nelson established by Ven. Zasep Tulku and the Vajradhatu / Dhamadhatu centres established by the late Ven. Chogyam Trungpa Rimpoche at Victoria, Vancouver and Nelson. 2e All these lamas have been instrumental in bringing high lamas to British Columbia to give teaching since 1972; some of the visitants including such illustrious personages as the H.H. the Dalai Lama, H.H. Sakya Sakya Trizin, H.H. the Gyalwa Karmapa, the late great Zong Rimpoche, Luding Ken Rimpoche, the late great Dezhung Rimpoche, Dakchen Rimpoche, etc. etc. In keeping with Tibetan traditions many of these visitant lamas as well as resident lamas have given ordinations, refuge in the Three Jewels and initiations into tantric His Holiness the Dalai Lama has visited British Columbia several times to give teachings. Photo credit: Brian Beresford. em i j-iSFWFWfc jr rites. Two Buddhist monumental stupas or Chortens each about 10m in height have been erected in British Columbia. The first in Tibetan Style of brick and mortar was erected in the 1960's near Nelson, B.C. by Karma Kuzhang, a disciple of Namgyal Rimpoche, both Westerners. The second was erected in the 1970's on Galiano Island in the Strait of Georgia by another associate of Namgyal Rimpoche, a Burmese monk. It is in the southern Buddhist style using mortar and impervious new polymer epoxy bonds for longevity. Both are symbolic representations of the body of the Lord Buddha comprised of earth, water, air, fire and space. In modern times the Chinese community has established several centres of worship devoted exclusively to Buddhism. The Universal Chinese Church "a lay Chinese Buddhist temple" 24 has been established for several years in Vancouver. Recent arrivals in Vancouver are Gold Buddha Monastery under the aegis of Tripataka Master Hsuan Hua of San Francisco and supervised by two Westerner monk of his; and in nearby Richmond the International Buddhist Society has built a sump- 13 tous temple and Gracious Hall, quite the most impressive in all the province. It is constructed in traditional Chinese style with peaked roofs, etc. The Hua Ts'ang Buddhist Society , a modern Chinese mahayana society meets regularly in Vancouver and publishes monthly 'Lotus Treasury' under the editorship of Mr. Harvey Cheung. The Theravadin (Teachings of the Elders) Tradition is a small but active force in the province. The Ariya Theravada Society operates in Vancouver. The Anagarika Dhamma Society 26 is active in Halfmoon Bay, B.C.. A new but dynamic aspect of Theravadin practice is that of the Vipassana x societies under the aegis of Mr. Goenka of Burma. This pragmatic austere approach to meditation is regularly taught in Victoria and Vancouver. No doubt small groups of Laos and Cambodian refugees are meeting in British Columbia privately but as yet these pious and devout people have had no part in public Buddhist functions. The Vietnamese people who have settled in British Columbia have established two Centres in Vancouver, Copgun Tai Vancouver B.C. and Chua Phoc Long 26. Another centre in Victoria, the Victoria Vietnamese RC Historical News Buddhist Association is currently being incorporated. The Buddhist Council of Canada, an outgrowth of the Toronto Buddhist Federation, is currently exploring ways of extending communication amongst various Canadian Buddhist groups. A representative met with some Victoria groups in 1987 with that end in view. The Buddhist Co-op of Vancouver 26 is a loose federation of groups that meet to exchange views and increase public awareness about Buddhism. Several learned pandits teach Buddhism at the University of British Columbia at Vancouver including Dr. Leon Hurvitz renowned translator of a new edition of the Lotus Sutra and Dr. Daniel Overmyer, an expert on Chinese folk Buddhist culture. Through their and others efforts a massive library (the Asian Studies Library) has been assembled with many texts of interest to scholars. Buddhism is regularly taught in several undergraduate/graduate studies level courses at the University of British Columbia and the University of Victoria. A Buddhist archive (#87-10) has been established by the writer at the British Columbia Archives in Victoria B.C. Conclusion The establishment of a Buddhist archive in the Provincial Archives will hopefully aid the historian of religion in the future. This brief history is but an outline of the events that lead up to the successful transplanting of this profound and gentle World Religion in British Columbia. In the writer's capacity of president and priest of Iron Mountain Buddhist Group he has often been called upon to assemble with his co- religionists-sometimes in a joyful oc- casion-the celebration of H.H. the Dalai Lama's birthday culminating in the release of one hundred and eight helium balloons bearing selections of sutras; or the exposition of various forms of Buddhism by various Buddhist clergy at the Victoria International Folkfest-sometimes the occasion is melancholy; a memo- RC Historical News rial service for a deceased lama-but always the sense of the moment is endowed with the feeling that whatever sect is represented all clergy and layfolk are united and unanimous in the view of tolerance and respect for each other's belief. When a Buddhist bows or does prostrations to the Triple Gem - the Buddha, the Kharma and the Sangha - in British Columbia he should bear in mind that the Sangha quite possibly goes back to the mists of antiquity to the closing of the fifth century A.D. and to those early co-religionists, the early Japanese and Chinese lost and enslaved on these coasts two hundred years ago; and those doughty Japanese clergy of the turn of this century who laboured in fish camp and saw mill and the selfless other Asians - - the Tibetans, Vietnamese who laboured to bring this faith to British Columbia. The story has just begun. Acknowlegements The writer would like to thank Virginia E. Appell, M.A. of the University of British Columbia's Graduate (Anthropology Department) Programme for securing the Howarth material; and Maryse Dumas, B. Ed. of the University of Victoria's Graduate (Musicology) Programme for inquiries re: the Marius Barbeau material and also for deciphering my handwriting and typing the mss. Notes 1. article, "Buddhist Columbia" by Scott Lawrance, 'Raincoast Chronicles First Five', Harbour Publishing, Box 119, Madeira Park, B.C. 1971, pp. 67-68. 2. ibid. 3. Edward Payson Vining (1847-1920) "An Inglorious Columbus, or Evidence that Hwui Shan and a party of Buddhist monks from Afghanistan discovered America in the Fifth Century A.D." New York, Appleton 1885. 4. Lawrance, ibid. 6. ibid. 6. ibid. 7. ibid. In 1979 in my capacity of Registrar of the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria I was asked by Mr. David Pepper of the Royal Ontario Museum, Toronto about the whereabouts of this Japanese sword. Material was then being assembled for the celebration of the centennial of the arrival of "the first Japanese" to British Columbia and Canada. My enquiries proved fruitless. I am, at the time of the compilation of this paper attempting through the British Columbia Museums Association's newsletter to locate this sword and any other Buddhist 14 10. u. 12. 13. 14. 16. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 26. 26. related artifacts mentioned herein. Lawrance, ibid. for some of the more far-fetched theories the reader is referred to: article, "Buddhism in the Pacific" by Sir Henry H. Howarth, K.C.I.E., D.C.L., F.R.S., Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute, vol. LI, 1921 pp. 279-287 in which Howarth postulates Tibetan lamas coming to the Hawaiian Islands due to a perceived similarity in capes and helmets of rank. Howarth is more credible in his reporting of wrecked Japanese fishermen in historical times. (see later). Howarth, ibid., Pg. 284. article, "First Chinese Get Their Due" by Jacque Mar, Victoria B.C. Times-Colonist newspaper, 'Islander' supplement Pg. M2, 29 May, 1988. ibid. An eminent geographer, Dr. David Lai, Associate Professor at the University of Victoria, and expert on British Columbia's 'Chinatowns' offered the following views, "the joss-houses were syncretic which is to say, Buddhist-Taoist-Confucian...they were primarily concerned with worldly prosperity and could not in any way be considered 'Buddhist temples' or exclusively Buddhist places of worship." Conversation with the author, 20 May, 1988. The author solicited information from the Theosophical Society, a society with some Buddhists-inspired roots. I asked specifically about contact between the TS. and any Buddhist in British Columbia. This society has been active in British Columbia for many years. Except for a relatively recent contact (1986?-86?) between the Victoria Lodge and a local Victoria Tibetan-lineage nun, no other contacts have as yet been reported, (letter to author, 27 April, 1988 from Mrs. Dorothy Armstrong, vice-president, Victoria T.S.Lodge.) article, "Buddhists in British Columbia" by Yasuo Izumi in'Circle of Voices -A History of the Religious Communities of British Columbia' edited by Charles P Anderson, Tirthankar Bose and Joseph I. Richardson, Oolichan Books, Lantzville, British Columbia 1988 pp. 27-3S. Izumi's title is a bit of a misnomer for his survey covers only his particular denomination (and except for a few Caucasian converts to that denomination) is devoted to reports exclusively about ethnic Japanese. It is hoped that the writer's current article will provide a more expansive view. Nevertheless the writer is grateful for the extensive material published by Rev. Izumi — it aided a tremendous amount in the writer's researches, ibid., Pg. 28 ibid, ibid, ibid, ibid, ibid, ibid. ibid., Pg. 80 article, "Buddhism in Canada" in Spring Wind - Buddhist Cultural Forum' Spring/ Summer 1986, vol. 6 no. 1&2, pp. 167-195. ibid., names and addresses of most of the groups cited appear in this issue, see also addenda in the succeeding issue of Spring Wind, ibid. The Wilby Hoax by Ron Welwood Since the publication of my article, "Wilby in the Kootenays", several significant sources of additional information have been uncovered. Although, at the time of researching and writing the article I suspected Thomas William Wilby was not the great automobiling hero he pretended to be, I did not have the resources to prove it. This short addendum records additional facts that have come to light since the writing of that article. Readers will recall that in 1912, under the auspices of the fledgling Canadian Highway Association and the sponsorship of the Reo Motor Car Company, Wilby proposed an epic journey to support the Good Roads Movement and to promote a Trans-Canadian Highway from Atlantic to Pacific via the All Red Route. Wilby was accompanied by test driver Fonce 'Val (Jack) Haney, 23, who was considered a mechanical wizard by his employer, the Reo Motor Car Company of St. Catharines, Ont. Although Wilby basked in the glory, it was Haney who did all the work -- driving all day and repairing the Reo at night. Wilby unashamedly took full credit as the triumphant automobilist but, in fact, he was chauffeured all but 60 miles (100 km.) of the entire trip across Canada! According to local newspaper accounts Wilby was at the wheel when the automobilists entered some of the larger Canadian cities. So it seems he only drove the Reo from the outskirts of those communities where he would receive wide press coverage. In this way he maintained the pretense that he was the great automobiling hero that he imagined himself to be. It is obvious from Haney's travel diary that there was great enmity between British Wilby and Colonialist Haney. His entry for September 5th reads: Left Ottawa at 7:30 a.m. I was ready at 6:30 but the Captain of the schooner slept in so we could not get away ...Had a warm argument with the Captain to-day. He says it makes him sick to run over a chicken, also he is afraid to go more than 25 m.p.h. (40 km.p.h.) — Rather a soft outfit for the Captain of a transcontinental automobile trip. One poor devil does all the work "that's me". I am hooked up with about the worst companion that possibly could be. The work is going to be hard after leaving Toronto , and not having a MAN with me, I don't know how I'll make out. This tension between the two travellers is subtlely documented in A Motor Tour Through Canada where Wilby deliberately omitted any mention of Haney's name! This colorful but exaggerated account of the trip only refers to him as the "driver" or the "chauffeur". In fact, the vindictive and deceitful Wilby went so far as to either obscure or airbrush Haney's image from the book's photographs! (Nicol 23, 50) In order to have his own mementos of the trip, Haney had purchased a simple box camera in New Brunswick. Naturally he had Wilby take photographs of himself at various locations along the way; but when he got to Ontario and had the film developed every photo that Wilby took of him was out-of-focus. Photo after photo,...blurred, blurred, blurred. The scenery photos Wilby took using his own camera were fine, so why were only the pictures he took of Haney spoiled? Jack thought Wilby intentionally ruined them. This realization was the final straw: Jack Haney was determined to quit the trip. (Nicol 29) However, out of a strong sense of loyalty to the Reo Motor Car Company he was convinced by company representatives to continue. After a second Reo employee, Earl Wise, joined them in Regina, Sask., Haney no longer mentioned his frustration with Wilby. Although the trip was touted as the All Red Route, there was one mi- 15 nor deviation which could easily be overlooked when reading Wilby's account, "Above the rush and roar of the Columbia, as we followed the devious paths of its green waters from Canada into America and back again...." (250) Unfortunately, the rough, mountainous terrain had forced the Reoists to cross the border just south of Rossland at Patterson and to return north at Cascade, B.C. This was the only detour from an otherwise all-Canadian route. Until recently Wilby's book presented the only public, but distorted, record of this epic journey. Wilby had, indeed, succeeded in keeping Haney's name obscure and anonymous. However, new evidence has finally revealed the true hero of this amazing saga. Ironically after such a prolonged silence, 1989 has seen the publication of John Nicol's short book and broadcasting of a C.B.C. radio play, "A Motor Tour Through Canada", by Charles Tidier on Morningside (May 1989). A special display in the St. Catharines Historical Museum commemorating Haney and the trusty Reo Special Touring Car will also help Canadians to remember the quiet but tenacious Haney. These are just a few deserving testimonials to the true hero of the All Red Route, Jack Haney. ************ The author is a librarian at Selkirk college in Castlegar. He is a real history buff who has done a great deal of research about the Kootenays. BIBUOGRAPHY 'Book Chronicles Pioneer's 1912 Cross-Canada Drive." VnoonverSin, 4 March 1989: A18. Haney, F.V. IHarvofF.YHanepi Halifax to Vancouver) 1912. (unpublished) August 27 - October 14,1912. Nicol, John D. Jade Han^. Markham, Ont.: Fitzhenry & Whiteside, 1989 "No Glory for Drive." Province 5 March 1989:19. Welwood, Ron. "Wilby in the Kootenays." BrttahCotambia Historical News. 20 (Fall 1987): 8-11 Wilby, Thomas W AMotcrlburTlirooghOanada London: John Lane, The Bodley Head, 1914 RC Historical News The Florence Nightingale ofVaneouver by Helen Borrell Vancouver had a Florence Nightingale. She was called to her life's service when the little mill town and C.P.R. terminus fringed Burrard Inlet in the area of Hastings and the present Main Street. It was then some scattered pioneer cabins with two lumber mills, pioneer community halls and churches. Father Henry Fiennes- Clinton, rector of St. James', the founding Anglican Church, invited Frances Dalrymple Redmond to come as nurse and deaconess. The two partners built Vancouver's first general hospital, which had seven beds. Sister Frances (she earned that name) was born in England in 1854, of a family with a tradition of British Navy service. She married William Charles Redmond, a Naval officer, and they had two sons; one died an infant. They moved to Winnipeg, where Frances became the lifelong friend of Archdeacon and Mrs. Pentreath. Early in their marriage, the Redmonds separated amicably; (private lives were just that, in those days.) William Charles Jr., was sent to school in England, and Mrs. Redmond, as she still was in name, trained as a nurse and midwife at Laval University, Montreal. In 1854 Henry Fiennes-Clinton was born in Nottinghamshire, the first son of an Anglo-Catholic minister, cousin of the Duke of Newcastle. As a theology student and active sportsman at Oxford, young Henry met "restless missionary-minded young churchmen who were to mean much to Canada". l One was Acton Sillitoe, who became the first Bishop of British Columbia's Diocese of New Westminster in 1879. Frontier trading posts and bush settlements sparsely dotted its 160,000 square miles. The villages of Hastings Mill and Granville received their first Anglican church, St. James', in RC Historical News 1881, a tiny wooden building near Burrard Inlet. The young English priest, Father Clinton, became its rector in late 1885; undaunted by Vancouver's Great Fire, he held worship services in community halls and built the second St. James' for his growing congregation on two CPR. - donated lots at Gore Avenue and Cordova (then Oppenheimer) Street. Its massive white stone successor towers protectively today, on the same site. Undefeated by what seems to have been low level tuberculosis, Rev. Clinton was the "Anglican father of Vancouver" for 25 years. When his parish family first worshipped in the new, 210-seat church, on the anniversary of the Fire, Cordova Street was lined with tents; the city had no piped water, and typhoid and other diseases were endemic; the only hospital was the C.P.R.'s three-bed infirmary. Rev. Clinton knew Frances Redmond's administrative gifts, and asked her to be Vancouver's first public health nurse. She was soon indispensable to the city's few doctors. One of her first services was to give up her bed to a destitute patient; she did so for many others, for no one in need was turned away from her St. Luke's Hospital. Father Clinton and she purchased three CPR. lots next to St. James' Church and borrowed money to build the seven bedroom, frame hospital; later they added two wards and an operating room. Planned as primarily a maternity hospital, St. Luke's sheltered many sick and homeless children; being the city's first hospital, it received patients from all parts of B.C. On Opening Day the first one was rushed in, delirious with typhoid. Sister Frances' outreach took her, in all hours and weather, to any of the sick and 16 Sister Frances needy in Vancouver. At St. Luke's she directed the Province's first training school for nurses. An early photo shows her first class, eight serious students in floor-length white uniforms. Doctors and surgeons gave the lectures; Sister Frances instructed in practical work. Frontier British Columbia had no preventive medicine. In the 1890's small-pox epidemics broke out. Sister Frances was best qualified to organize the required isolation hospital. She volunteered to direct it. With her small, much-sought-after group of nurses, she combatted typhoid in Howe Sound outposts, and small-pox in Mission; she organized a Church hospital for Indians at Lytton Mission, with her Nurse Hester Crickmay as matron. This graduate later married the archdeacon, Rev. E. W Pugh. Frances Redmond had a motherly interest in all her former students, and gave news of them in her report for the Church Record, Diocese of New Westminster, August, 1899. One of her girls, probationing in an English hospital, wrote to Sister Frances that, besides the arduous care of helpless patients, she had to polish every ward article "from scissors to door-handles" and sweep. Sister Frances observed that, if British Columbia nurses were so trained, "we would not so often hear the complaint regarding household matters, nowadays spoken of as housemaid's work. I myself have? several times received the answer from a new probationer, 'Oh, I did not know that was for a nurse to do, I call that housework and not fit for a lady' Needless to say, she does not suit." Vancouver's founding nurse was another Florence Nightingale. Sister Frances, who mothered many waifs, later adopted a girl and two boys. She gained a devoted, permanent helper - admitted as a seriously ill young mother, unable to manage her own home. Her services to Sister Frances made St. Luke's Home hers for the rest of her life. When the City Hospital and St. Paul's were built in growing Vancouver, they had more facilities for more nursing students than St. Luke's; its school was gradually phased out. But from its opening St. Luke's Home was Vancouver's first social service centre. Sister Frances, Father Clinton's administrative partner, raised funds for his many "firsts" in early Vancouver. One cold winter, she opened a soup kitchen in the basement of Market Hall. She was President of the first Anglican Women's group, the Guild of St. Agatha, for girls and young women. The little girls in her church school learned to sew, to serve tea and entertain graciously, and to help the unfortunate. Their models were Sister Frances' team of parish mothers; notably, Mrs. Margaret Thain and Violet Sillitoe, widow of the first Bishop of New Westminster, who gave lifelong service to the extended family of St. James' Church. In the parish paper, The Church Record, Sister Frances always gave warm thanks to every donor for gifts to St. Luke's Home. For two hundred children, Easter Monday, 1901, was a holiday in fairyland; in grown-up words, an Easter egg party in St. Luke's garden. After Christmas, Sister Frances wrote joyously of the "Dickensian feast which rewarded the men and boys of the choir," 2 the Sunday School party, the visits, and generous friends of her Home. On Bowen Island, in 1902, Father Clinton opened the Choir Boys' Camp; nearby, Sister Frances built a summer cottage, where her nurses, and the business girls who later resided at St. Luke's Home, enjoyed seaside holidays beneath Howe Sound's majestic mountains. Also, this was a God-given setting for St. James' Church retreats. Typical of Sister Frances was her "busman's holiday" in Victoria in 1902; she helped some of her former nurses set up a small maternity hospital. 3 Charles Redmond presented his mother with a residence in the California diocese of Paso Robles, a sunshine blessed haven which became her Home for Convalescents. It was also a haven for Father Clinton, when the illness he had valiantly battled during his 25 years' leadership of the mother Anglican church finally ended his life. Sister Frances put her assistant in charge of St. Luke's, and she and another of her graduates, Mrs. E.W. Pugh, nursed him until his death on January 29, 1912. His many services to his adopted home city were her legacy, and she continued them under his successors. She was honoured with a life membership in the Women's Auxiliary to Canada's Anglican Missionary Society, Diocese of New Westminster, shortly before the Great War. In that mass slaughter, one of the millions killed was Sister Frances' son. In his memory, she placed a sanctuary lamp in the church for which she lived. By the 1920's, this grand old pioneer and its Parish Hall had to be replaced by up-to-date buildings; so did St. Luke's Home, by then a creaky fire- trap, unable to meet civic standards. The new, larger St. Luke's Home, with its dignified, Old English style exterior - a contrast to the austerely plain, New Era design of today's St. James' Church - was a home in which the aged were given devoted care, its ground floor contained a sitting hall, dining room, library, and bedroom for Sister Frances. In the spirit which always guided her, she made sure that Mrs. Crooks, her faithful assistant for 27 years, should have a permanent home in St. Luke's. Among the many friends who showered donations for the new building was an English lady who had never forgotten that Sister Frances had sheltered her, a needy child - thirty years before. But the new St. Luke's was, financially, the gift of the wealthy philanthropist, Joseph Greaves - the pioneer immigrant of romance; he came to British Columbia as a butcher and retired as the owner of B.C.'s largest cattle ranch. Besides his legacies to other hospitals, he bequeathed to the Directors of St. Luke's an amount generous enough to build the new home and to pay off the mortgage and tax arrears which had burdened the first home. His inspiration? The single visit he had made to St. Luke'os in its early days; he was helping one of the five non-paying patients cared for there. He observed Sister Frances' sound business management, and asked her assistant about their care of the needy; and realized that this haven in the city's poorest district was worth the fortune he could give to it. "The kindness to me has been marvelous," Vancouver's first nurse said simply, as, with a veteran's nostalgia, she told St. Luke's story to a ^fencouver Province reporter. She and her nurses had once taken charge of the Vancouver General Hospital for six weeks, while a new matron was sought. On March 15, 1925, the Province gave a deserved full-page spread to the completion of the present St. Luke's Home, including photos and Sister Frances' thanks for each gift toward its furnishings. Perhaps the two givers who had so briefly known her - the former homeless child, and the millionaire - were the best witnesses to her full life. In 1929, "the little mother of the sick and needy of Vancouver" was chosen by the community for the 17 RC Historical News "Good Citizen" award, bestowed by the Native Sons of British Columbia. Frances Redmond died on April 15, 1932 and was buried in Mountain View Cemetery, like her leader and friend, Henry Clinton. All through her career another friend linked her with the founding of the New Westminster Diocese - the first Bishop's widow, Mrs. Violet Sillitoe, who died in 1933. Sister Frances' church family gave her and Father Clinton a memorial chapel in the present St. James' Anglican Church built in 1935. But she lived on in what she founded. St. Luke's continued as a women's residence and guest house, managed by the Anglican Sisters of the Society of the Love of Jesus. "A quiet, well-kept home, combined with religious surroundings and a chapel" it was called. In recent years, it has been remodelled into seven suites where residents live independently. The unseen life of Sister Frances is, of course, the Christlike ideal and the practical administrative skills which she bequeathed to St. James' clergy and community servants who, today, are indispensable to Vancouver's Downtown. *********** Miss Helen Borrell was born and raised in Vancouver but worked in Toronto and Halifax as a stenographer. She then worked at the United Church Hospital in Bella Bella. She has recently retired in Vancouver with time to do research & writing. BIBLIOGRAPHYAimCLESi PhyllisReeve: Eray Good Gift A Hisi<»yo* St. James ; Mitchell Press Ltd., \femouver, B.C. 1980. Every Good Gift, Page 45. Bvixy Good Gift, Page 47. Peter Skene Ogden - A Great Explorer by Winston A. Shilvock Peter Skene Ogden was the last of Canada's great fur-trading explorers, following closely in the steps of those other great adventurers of the North West Company - Alexander Mackenzie, Simon Fraser and David Thompson. The tough, intrepid Nor'Westers were ideally suited to Ogden's, devil- may-care nature. Against the wishes of his father, an admiralty court judge in Lower Canada, the young, 16-year-old gave up the study of law and entered the fur business in 1810. Not long after, one of his associates described him as the "humorous, honest, eccentric, law- defying Peter Ogden." His own personal motto, indicative of his later actions was, "Necessity has no law." For the next few years Ogden served an apprenticeship in the harsh Saskatchewan River country where, in the Indian way, he married a Cree woman. After giving him two sons she died, and since her name was never recorded, disappeared into history without a trace. So well did he perform with the Nor'Westers that in 1820 he as made a partner and a year later, when the North West Company and the Hudson's Bay Company joined forces, he became a chief trader with the new organization. This necessitated a move to the strategically located Spokane House which David Thompson had built a decade before in what is now Washington State. It was from here that Peter Ogden, at the age of 27, would begin the work that would enshrine his name in history as one of our great explorers. Here, too, he met and married Julia Rivet, a full-blooded Flathead Indian from the Spokane area for Peter Skene Ogden whom he paid 50 horses. Like her husband, Julia was intelligent, aggressive and had a mind of her own. Two recorded stories exemplify this. Once, when a raft load of furs broke RC. Historical News 18 loose on a swift-flowing, ice-cold river, she quickly dove in after it and several hundred yards downstream steered it to shore. On another occasion Julia was travelling with an Ogden expedition when American mountain men raided the group and stampeded many of the fur-laden horses. When Julia realized that one of the stolen animals was carrying her first-born son tied to the saddle, she leaped onto another horse and started after the raiding party. Galloping into the middle of the enemy camp she quickly switched to the horse bearing her son, grabbed the reins of another one loaded with furs, and before the astonished Americans realized what was happening, disappeared into the surrounding forest. The marriage of Peter and Julia was idyllic and lasted for 34 years until Peter's death. Julia then moved to Lac la Hache in the Cariboo country of British Columbia where their descendants live today. After the amalgamation of the Nor'Westers and the HB Co, complete control of the fur trade in the north was secure and attention was turned to the south and east of the Columbia River for new fields to take over. As a commissioned gentleman and the ablest one around, Ogden was a natural choice to lead the attack. The first assault on this virgin territory began in the Snake River country, an area that now takes in the States of Washington, Idaho and Oregon. The next step was to move into what is now Utah, Nevada and California. The odds against operating in this terrain were formidable. The country was a vast sea of mountains broken by violent rivers; the Indians were hostile; winters brought enormous snowfalls and the American mountain-men trappers, unhappy over the intrusion, put up a stiff resistance. Of this period Ogden wrote, "Only the fit survive and not all of those." Nevertheless he pressed on. From December, 1824, when he left Fort Nez Perce (Walla Walla, Washington) until 1829, he and his 58-man troupes completed six fur- gathering expeditions. The travels, mainly on horseback because horses could carry furs and they and the accompanying dogs were frequently needed for food, took him east to Idaho Falls and south to the Great Salt Lake. On the way he rode past the site of today's Ogden, Utah, which is named in his honor. On the fifth expedition he went south through Klamath Indian country (Klamath Falls, Oregon) and discovered "a fine large stream" which he called the Unknown River. Today this is the Humbolt River in northern Nevada. On the last trip he went through to the Gulf of California. Ogden was meticulous in recounting these explorations and it has been said by historians that the expeditions constituted one of the most magnificent chapters in the history of exploration in western North America and that Peter Skene Ogden was one of the greatest pathfinders, traders and diplomats the West ever knew. His agility and endurance were the more amazing when one considers that his short, stocky frame carried a tremendous amount of fat. He was so obese that he was a continual source of amusement to the Indians who were themselves slim and wiry. Over the next few years Ogden performed various other duties for the Hudson's Bay Company. In 1831 he assisted in founding Fort Simpson on the British Columbia coast and inaugurated a coastal trade for the company. He went north to the southern tip of Alaska and diplomatically warned off the Russians who were encroaching on New Caledonia (north central British 19 Columbia) along the Stikine River. In 1835 he led an expedition south and established a trading post at the junction of the Sacramento and Jesus Maria Rivers in California. That same year he was appointed Chief Factor at Fort St. James which had been built by Simon Fraser in 1806. This was the centre of all activity in the New Caledonia district and the position of Factor carried tremendous power and prestige. From here, as a member of management, he led several fur bridges over the famous Brigade Trail through the Okanagan Valley to attend meetings at the company headquarters at Fort Vancouver at the mouth of the Columbia River. With the establishment of the International Boundary in 1846, the headquarters of the company were moved to Victoria and for the next eight years Peter Ogden and James Douglas jointly administered the enormous expanse of the Columbia Department. Ogden Point, the site of the Outer Wharves in Victoria, is named for him. Then, at age 60, Peter Skene Ogden suffered a bout with "the fever" and died on September 27, 1854. ************ Winston Shilvock is a retired businessman living in Kelowna, He took up writing and has had 154 articles published since 1969 - most of these with historical content RC Historical News Something Out of Nothing Mission's Memorial Hospitals In 1919, when the soldiers who had survived the "Great War" were returning to their homes, and the ravages of the "flu" were subsiding, the women of Mission turned their energies towards improving their community by creating a memorial for the men who died. They developed an original idea, a hospital, which they said would forever be a "living memorial". They had no money, nothing but their energy and enthusiasm, but in less than two years they had a small, makeshift building in full operation and in five years they had a beautiful new brick building, debt free. They had truly created "Something Out of Nothing". Mrs. Beryl Lambarde was an energetic Englishwoman who was dedicated to improving health care. In January, 1919, she organized "The Mothers of the Empire League" whose aim, she said, was no less than to unify all women. However, in August of the same year, she and the other "Mothers" decided to transfer their loyalties to the new Gallipoli Branch of the I.O.D.E. By January 1920, they had found a project; they raised money by putting on a dance and opened a soup kitchen in the local school. The soup kitchen did not seem to be demanding enough of Mrs. Lambarde's considerable energy, and in March she and the other members of the Gallipoli Branch "who had been discussing the subject of having a hospital". . . . turned the matter over to a provisional Board of Directors.x Mrs. Lambarde was elected secretary. A month later, on April 9, the ladies met again and formed a Hospital Auxiliary.2 The president of this organization was Mrs. Emma Houlder, another determined Englishwoman, and it by Catherine Marcellus was not long before she was also on the Hospital Board and Mrs. Lambarde was working for the Auxiliary. Two other women were members of both groups, Mrs. A.J. Stuart and Mrs. A.L. McQuarrie, the wives of the town's two doctors. They were usually given the double title, "Mrs. Dr." Their husbands, too, were members of the board, for they knew the need better than anyone. They were joined by WH. Mathewson, the bank manager and John Catherwood who would soon become M.L.A. for Dewdney. J.B. Millar, who had retired from his position at Clayburn Brickworks in 1917, was elected president, and it was he who influenced the physical appearance of the new facility. The double mission of this group first appeared in print in 1919. An article in the Fraser ^folley Record (almost certainly in Mrs. Lambarde's breathless style) said, "Now times have become more normal again, so "Lest we Forget" - and nothing in life is easier than to forget - and before what our men have done becomes but a faint memory, let us turn our attention to what we can do to keep the memory of their sacrifice green in the minds, not only of the present generation, but of those to follow, when the "Great War" itself has become but a matter of history. And how can we do that better than by erecting a hospital." 3 In British Columbia, public hospitals were appearing in a number of centers, but there was, as yet, no legislation or body of regulations to determine how much tax money should be given for their support. An editorial in the Fraser Valley Record of March 1, 1923 explained the philosophy. "There is a lack of understanding of the proper relation of the hospital to the community. .... The practice of requiring those who are sick and who use the hospital to pay for the hospital building and equipment is wrong The trend of present day thought is towards the concentration of hospitals, wherever practicable, and their full and complete ownership by the community which they seek to serve." Not everyone agreed with the principle. Mission's new Hospital Board faced a monumental task. The "Stokes House" was the only available building in the community. It was an old two-storey dwelling and quite unsuitable for a hospital, but it would have to do. The Board must find a way to pay for the daily operating expenses of a hospital while trying to save enough money for a new building. Two forces contributed to the successful outcome. Of primary importance were the volunteer women who formed the Hospital Auxiliary and sparked the enthusiasm of the Women's Miss MulhaU-Matron 1924 RC Historical News 20 Institutes in the surrounding areas. They contributed determination, persistence, and seemingly unlimited amounts of physical labour. The second force comprised the members of the Board who borrowed, mortgaged and juggled finances while consistently pressuring local councils and the provincial government for funds which they considered to be rightfully theirs. Some of these Board members were women who were providing volunteer labour at the hospital and were also baking as many as ten pies each for various fund raising events. At the Board level, they were innovative administrators and politically astute fund raisers. Before their task was completed they learned to manipulate the larger world of liquor profits and shaky provincial politics. How they did it is part of the story. The first stage was to become incorporated as "Mission Memorial Hospital" and then to consider how to buy Stokes house on the corner of Third Avenue and Birch Street, convert it into a hospital, buy furniture, and hire staff. This was an ambitious plan for a group with no funds. Mr. Stokes wished to sell his property outright but nevertheless agreed to rent for one year for $350. "The first transaction was a loan of $365 from a private source to pay our rent in advance. This was not a good beginning", said W.H. Mathewson, writing the storey in 1925. 4 The Auxiliary minutes reveal that the loan came from Mrs. Marryat, Mrs. Lambarde's mother. The house needed "considerable renovations", and the twenty-three members of the newly formed Hospital Auxiliary undertook the task. "They cleaned and calcimined the walls, stained the floors, put down the linoleum, put up curtains, etc." 5 According to Mrs. Joan Gutch her father, Barrie Lambarde, did all the carpentry. Within two months it was ready to open. The next task was to raise the money for equipment, and the ladies promptly held a bazaar which made $150, spent on "bedding, table linen, nightshirts, towels, baby clothes, etc." * Their heroic efforts through 1920 raised $1,222.26 from teas, a whist drive, tag days, catering, raffles, and donations. In the spring of 1921, they produced the first May Day which made an astonishing $1,233.38 and became a Mission institution. By February 1925, they had contributed $6,557.56, of which $1,150 went to the building fund, $668 to a Nurse's Home, and $13.25 to a flagpole! The remainder, $3,294.38, "was spent entirely on supplies for the hospital." 6 Once the hospital was open, it could earn money, but it also cost money to run. The Board's sources of earned income were the patients, who were charged a fee; the Provincial Government, which paid a grant of $1 for each hospital day; and Workmen's Compensation Board. Indigent patients posed a special problem which was often mentioned by the Board minutes. Like Boards at other small B.C. hospitals, the Mission Memorial Board considered itself morally bound to accept "indigents" who were often transient labourers or "those developing land". 7 In March 1923, the Board secretary noted that Village commissioners were responsible for indigents, but this was understandably not a popular burden for local taxpayers. In 1924 the Board signed a resolution (initiated by the Vernon Jubilee Hospital) asking for Provincial Government assistance with the problem. As late as 1948 indigents were still written off the Board's financial statement. 8 In February 1925, the Board reported that the total amount of patients' fees received since the operation began was $22,497.83 and that there had been 917 patients with 12,309 hospital days. This meant that the average patient's bill was $24.53. The Provincial Government grant received for hospital days was $9,779.20, or just under 80 cents a day. As the per capita grant was supposed to be $1, it seemed clear that some Provincial money was still owing. The total amount paid out for op erating the hospital was $35,471.10. There was, therefore a shortfall of $3,194 07, an amount which was met by the contributions of the Auxiliary. In addition, members of the community donated their own produce, and the Fraser Valley Record published the names of donors each week. A typical list included flowers, eggs, vegetables, and fruit. On November 8, 1923, the secretary of the Board recorded a decision "to cost out the gifts to get a true maintenance cost". The results were never recorded. Salaries were an important item. "At first we started with two nurses and a cook", the Report of 1925 explains, "but it was not long before a third nurse was needed and a helper in the kitchen." The nurses were paid $70 a month, but there were so many resignations that in March 1924, the Board raised the amount to $75. At the end of the first year, Mr. Stokes refused to renew the lease, and the Board had to buy the property. W.H. Mathewson said, "So in 1921 we bought the property for $5,000 and subsequently paid everything but $1,400 which is the present debt on the old building. 9 Mrs. Stokes was paid in full on January 12, 1922, and this meant that a mortgage had been arranged. On the same date, according to the Record some lots had been sold for $600. On September 14, 1922, the Board invested $4,000 in Canada Victory Bonds, a sum which must have been an aggregate of the sale of the lots, the contributions of the Hospital Auxiliary to the building fund, and donations by other community groups. In addition, the Municipal Council had sent $1,148.68, only half of the collected Poll Tax and Liquor Pofits. It was a wise move for the Board to lock up $4,000 in bonds that could not be used for operating expenses. The Stokes house, now the Mission Memorial Hospital, continued to cost money. In May 1922, the secretary was instructed to "find out the cost of shingling the roof and get it 21 RC Historical News done", and in July of the same year a summer kitchen was added and a room for the baby nursery ($300). Towards the end of 1920, before it leased the Stokes house, the Board had negotiated the purchase of "half of the Bowyer block for $2,000. The sum of $500 was paid and the balance by raising a mortgage of $1,500 which is still running". 10 This transaction occurred before Board minutes were retained, but it is clear that, by the beginning of 1922, the Board had two mortgages on its books. The Bowyer property was a magnificent site on 5th Avenue, overlooking the valley, and by 1921, the Board was drawing plans. It was estimated that at least $20,000 would be needed for the new building. n Even the most committed volunteers could not hope to raise such a large sum; consequently, the Board looked to other governments for possible funding. The Municipality of Mission had managed the rural area since 1892, and had taxed the town- site for schools and street lighting. The town was also taxed by Victoria for roads and services, but on December 30, 1922, it became incorporated as the Village of Mission City with the right to levy its own property tax. As population increased throughout the early post-war years, demands for services escalated. The resulting struggle for the tax dollar sharpened conflict between local and provincial governments. The province had a poll tax and an amusement tax, both of which were unpopular and hard to collect. In April 1920, Premier John Oliver, announced a plan to relinquish to the municipalities the poll tax and to increase the amusement tax to 20%. One half of the money was to be earmarked for schools and hospitals. The Opposition was scathing 12, claiming that the municipalities would "pay the shot" for collecting what was almost uncollectable in widely scattered areas. An entertaining chapter of social history unfolded when politicians began to look at the drinking habits of British Columbians as a possible source of government income. Under "Prohibition" or the "Dry Act", there were only two ways to get liquor; to import it from outside the province, or to consult a physician. The physician could prescribe 8oz., or "up to 2 quarts - if it is really necessary".13 The government made an immense profit of 45%, or an aggregate of $1,700,000 14 on the sale of such liquor, for, according to WJ. Bowser, the Leader of the Opposition, 315,000 prescriptions had been issued under "Prohibition" and 516 Import permits had been given to industrial concerns. He said that many had gone to the underworld. is The government was forced into a referendum on "Moderation", which really meant control of the excesses of "Prohibition", and on October 20, 1920, when women voted for the first time in B.C. "Moderation" passed by 25,000 votes. Cagey Premier Oliver did not make any clear statement on the details as his own political position was increasingly insecure. However, it is clear that the municipality of Mission and the Hospital Board both thought they would benefit from liquor profits. Oliver called an election for December 1920. He was the member for Dewdney, but the local roads were so bad that voters "turfed" him out and elected John Catherwood, the Conservative, who was also a member of the Hospital Board. Oliver won a seat in Victoria, but left Mission with no voice in the Cabinet. The debate over liquor raged through 1921, still without clarification. In Mission, the members of the Hospital Board waited each month for news that would allow them to plan their building. There were two problems, first to find out whether the liquor profits were coming to the municipalities, and second, to find out how much would be turned over to the hospital if the money did arrive. The trip to Victoria was long and expensive, but by September 1921, the Board decided it had waited long enough and formed a committee to make the journey. Three men set out in December (paying their own way of course) and reported back to the January 1922 meeting that they had been promised 20% of the cost of the hospital and that they would get "$3,000 this year and $1,000 next year". These sums were never received. Another committee had gone to the Municipal Council and reported to the same meeting that they would be sent $1,148.64, half of the collected Poll Tax and Liquor Profits, 16 and in June, Mr. Catherwood went to the Council and reported back that they would get 75% of the "liquor money". At the end of December 1922, delegations went to Victoria on behalf of hospitals from all over the province. J.B. Millar went from Mission and reported that they were all in favor of "eliminating division of liquor profits at present" 17. The confusion was clearly province wide. During January 1923, Mr. Catherwood was reported to be investigating "Liquor Control money" in Victoria, and by March the Board had still not received its current payment from the municipality. The Board wrote the Council once more and at the May meeting, Mr. Catherwood reported that the government had sent the money in July and December of 1922. In July, 75% had been sent to the Hospital Board, but in December, nothing at Dr. Underhill & Dr. Stuart (with hat) Dr. Stuart was resident doctor-1920-26. RC Historical News 22 all had been sent. In a fury, the Board moved to send a bill to the Council with interest, but "after discussion the motion was withdrawn". 18 Doubtless, it was thought to be more diplomatic to write another letter of complaint. And so it continued; every month the Board sent a delegation to council, and every few months it wrote Victoria. In January 1924, the Councils (for now there were two) said they would give 25% of 5/7th of the liquor money! Again angry, the Board wrote Victoria. In spite of its frustration, its persistence paid off, and by March of 1924, the Board could announce that it had $12,000 "from liquor profits and the Auxiliary" 19. The Auxiliary had donated $1,150 to the building fund, so that meant that the Board had received $10,850 from the liquor profits. The hospital would have received little money from either council without this unrelenting pressure from the Board. However, there was still not enough money for a new building. "You will recall" said Mr. Mathewson, "that during 1923, plans of the new building were finally approved but owing to lack of money no decision as to the building was arrived at. However, in 1924 the matter became a lively topic and arrangements were advanced to a point in May where it was decided to press our application to the Government for aid." 2° Mr. Mathewson did not mention that the delegation that had gone to Victoria in 1922 had been promised assistance which it never received. He also did not say that provincial politics had reached a crisis in 1924, when "Honest John" Oliver and Bill Bowser found themselves under attack from a third party. Premier Oliver called an election for June, 1924. In Mission, the Hospital Board met on May 8, and immediately decided to send a letter to Mr. Maxwell Smith, the Liberal candidate for Dewdney, telling him to ask for "6 or 7 thousand" for the hospital. 21 At the same meeting Mr. J.B. Millar announced that he had arranged with his old company, the Clayburn Brickworks, a special price of "$15 per m." for the bricks, a vote of thanks was passed for Mr. Millar and he and E.J. Abbott, Chairman of the Village Commissioners, were sent to choose and purchase the bricks. By the meeting of June 10, just 14 days before the election, the Board had received a letter from the Provincial Secretary promising that the government would pay 40% of the cost of the new hospital." The Board called for tenders the same day. The decision to call on Maxwell Smith was brilliant, and it was obviously done with John Catherwood's approval. It was no coincidence that the election on June 20 was so close that the results had to be established by judicial recount, but the two men were close friends and had the interests of the community at heart. When the building was opened on February 19, 1925, they both made speeches in which they congratulated Dr. MacLean, the Minister of Health, "who had so nobly stepped forward and helped the establishment of a hospital in our midst." 22 These were Catherwood's words and Maxwell Smith "also said that he gave the Honorable gentleman good advice, and that was that he should give 40% to the new hospital." There was, says the Record, "Laughter" and "Applause". The Board had read the political situation correctly, had used its friends to gain an election promise, and had come out with support from both parties. They built their beautiful brick memorial quickly, for by January 1925, it was finished, and by the middle of the next month it was equipped with the help of many community donations, especially from people who lost sons in the war. On that gala occasion, Mrs. Lambarde said "that she was happy to say that the hospital was all paid for, an announcement that brought forth loud applause". 23 She was exaggerating a trifle, it is 23 true, for the last government cheque did not arrive until July, but "the large gathering of the residents of the whole countryside gave her three cheers and a tiger". She deserved it, and so did they all, the volunteers of Mission who with their extraordinary commitment had truly made something out of nothing. ********** BIBUOGRAPHY 12. 13. 14. IS. 16. 17. 18. 19. Mission Manorial HaepttalArmual Report, February 25,1925. Mission Manorial Hospital Auxiliary Annual Report, February 19,1925 Fraser Valley Record. February 20, 1919. Mission Memorial Hospital Annual Report. February 25,1925 Mission Memorial Hospital Auxiliary Annual Report. February 25,1925 [bid. [bid. Misdon Memorial Hospital Board Minutes, August 14,1924 Mission Memorial Hospital Annual Report, February 25,1925 Mission Memorial Hospital Board Minutes, November 11,1921. Fraser VWley Record, April 8,1920. Fraser \felky Record, April 22,1920 Fraser \falky Record, April 1,1920 Fraser Valley Record, April 15,1920 Mission Memorial Hospital Board Minutes, January 12,1922. Minion Memorial Hospital Board Minutes, December 14,1922. Mission Memorial Hospital Board Minutes, May 11, 1923 Fraser VUky Record, May 25,1924. Mission Memorial Hospital Annual Report, February 25,1925. Mb**! Memorial Hospital Board Minutes, May 8.1924. Fraser Vidley Record, February 26,1925. [bid. Have You Enjoyed This Magazine? If so, tell a friend, or buy a Gift Subscription for only $8 within Canada. $12 outside Canada. B.G Historical News The Hunter Family of Thetis Island, B.C. Six kilometers off shore from Chemainus mid way up the east- coast of Vancouver Island, is a small, picturesque and most interesting body of land - Thetis Island. This island was one of a nameless group visited in the early 1850's by the British frigate HMS Thetis on patrol from Victoria's naval base at Esquimalt. The twin islands of Thetis and Kuper were named for Captain Augustus Kuper and Thetis for his ship by Admiral Sir George Henry Richards exploring the Trincomoli and Stuart Channels in HMS Plumper in 1858 and 1859. The Hunter family were one of the first which have settled and remain today on Thetis Island. Peter Donald Hunter was born in 1864 in the Shetland Islands and, with his brother Joseph, he came to North America in 1887. The two brothers came to Thetis Island in 1891 and bought land at North Cove and later Peter purchased land on the west side where he built a home about 1895. The Hunter family still have a sailing skiff called the Sea Saucer which was built by Peter in 1893. The Hunter brothers would row or sail this 171/2 foot skiff to the Fraser River every summer to fish for salmon. Peter's mother, Janet Hunter, came to Thetis Island about 1897 as well as three of Peter's brothers, James, William and Thomas and one sister, Jessie. All joined Joseph and lived at North Cove. Peter made his home on the west side where Don and Gwen Hunter now reside with their three children, Heather, David and Darlene. It is hard to realize the work that went into clearing land. They had a team of oxen which they raised and they were used for plowing. Even in those very early days the Hunters were noted for their tomatoes which were sold on Vancouver Island and one year they planted over twelve RC. Historical News by Grace Dickie hundred tomato plants - just think of the weeding, staking and picking! (Adam Hunter has carried on raising tomatoes and has planted up to three hundred plants at a time. I think everyone on the island has tasted these delicious tomatoes at one time or another especially on local Sportsnik Day.) In addition to the tomatoes, the Hunters raised goats, sheep, cows, chickens and horses. In 1896 Peter Hunter received a letter from the Government Agent in Nanaimo (which Adam still has in his possession) authorizing the Hunter brothers to build a road from North Cove to Preedy Harbour. This entailed cutting and hauling trees to clear the right-of-way and digging ditches, surfacing the road with sand and gravel. For the whole project, they received the total contract price of one hundred and fifty dollars. That is the road that is known today as North Cove Road. In 1907 Peter Hunter went to New Brunswick where he met and married Ethel Fawcett and returned to Thetis Island in 1908 with his bride. Ethel and Peter had two children, Ena and Adam. When Ena grew up she married Roland Savage of Victoria and they had one son, Russell, who is now Dr. Russell Savage. Ph.D in Calgary, Alberta. In 1942 Adam Hunter married Margaret Weber of Youngstown, Alberta and they raised six sons here on Thetis Island. Adam has been involved in logging for years now but he also finds time to have a large crop of tomatoes every year. When the ferry service started between Chemainus and Thetis Island in 1959, Ethel Hunter was then 80 years of age and the oldest resident on the island and the ferry was named after her. In June of that same year power came to Thetis Island and B.C. Hydro honoured Ethel Hunter by having her turn on the switch. Ethel Hunter lived to the age of 92 and I am pleased that I had the privilege of knowing that gracious lady. The Hunter family have contributed so much to the development of this island that it is hoped that some member of the family will one day write "the Hunter story". Adam Hunter donated the land for Pioneer Pacific Camp to become a reality and he also started the road from Clam Bay to Pilkey Point which opened up the whole east side and arranged to have two wells drilled to show that there was water available. At one time Adam Hunter was road foreman on the island. The Hunters have a large home facing on North Cove and it has been The skiff built by Peter Hunter about 1892. (Canvas shelter was added later.) Taken in 1946 -Adam Hunter in boat. This boat is still in use, The "Sea Saucer" 24 the scene of many, many gatherings on the island. Over the years the young people of the island have spent a great deal of time at the Hunter home with the six sons of Adam and Marge- David, Donald, Ernie, Kenneth, Arden (Arthur) and Phil. One of Marge Hunter's talents is baking and decorating cakes and I don't think Marge herself has any idea of how many cakes she has beautifully decorated for birthdays, christenings, weddings, showers and other such receptions. Adam and Ena Hunter were pupils in the first school on Thetis Island for the school year 1920-21. When the present school was opened in 1951, Adam's oldest son, David, was one of the students. Ernie Hunter and his wife Lynn with their three children, Teddy, Bradley and Tricia live at North Cove. Don's and Ernie's children are fifth generation Hunters to live on this small island. David's son, Arthur, lives in Victoria with his mother and spends his summers on Thetis Island. There are more boys than girls among the Hunter grandchildren so it would seem that the Hunter name will continue indefinitely. ********** Grace Dickie has been very active with the Chemainus Valley Historical Society, and is the Past-President. BIBUOGRAPHY The information in this article comes from knowing the Hunter family for over thirty years. The family picture was provided by Marge Hunter. doberrtnunt ODfffce, Na,mtimo, ,%c ■-Jiff- W~ /W luw) Orotic^ e^o e*Js o^tr fa a^.-u [O-aJ^Lf 'jf\^vuo tU*^>^ facv J-trv ML^/ST>-~ ccJ ^*^u<, cc^^ (j-c co 6M<ju CllLt ajya.cL-> /z,-^Ur un-cU~ n*JlT {«^4 rtoA*> t&Ur LlKjCI^C - a-s"-<4- CjuAt flow) ry^cou fex*^ ~ti~ ML xC'*-' fi^C n**"^ OjCloLukI fo /btULeA&Us a-&rvt-« &*■ &*^<— *~" TfiUaAjU/ Lr riieJ~ v>*j£ (+rfctJL *u**J - '-y*-^ - ^ #*/I-.€■/,«# Hunter letter from Tour obedient servent, 1896." FORT STEELE UPDATE The vacant lots in Fort Steele Heritage Town are being filled in. Some buildings are originals moved onto proper footings. Others are replications of buildings that existed during the boom years of Fort Steele. There is Mrs. Underhill's Bakery - a large building which will have a wood fired brick oven producing up to 400 loaves of bread per day in the summer of 1990. Coming up close by is the International Hotel 30 x 90 feet. The ground floor will become a turn-of-the-century restaurant while the upper floor will house meeting rooms and reception areas. Next to the Kershaw Store stands Mrs. Sprague's Confectionery which sells old fashioned candy in a pleasant little shop with old time wallpaper and display cabinets. The McBride Hardware Store, across the street from Kershaws's was erected during to tourist season 1989 as a demonstration construction project using hand tools only. This was a major crowd pleaser. It is hoped that their will be a demonstration build- ing project each summer. On the next avenue there is a small milliners shop and the Kootenay Men's Club. The men's club was formed in 1897 and after three years of meeting upstairs in the Opera House they had their own clubhouse built. This building, now in the centre of Fort Steele, was opened in April 1900 "with no formal ceremony but informal opening of many small bottles." During July and August many buildings are manned by volunteers or interpreters. You may find a telegrapher operating his keys in the Telegraph office, a schoolteacher giving lessons to visitors, a knowledgeable druggist demonstrating preparation of pills or ointments, the newspaper office humming with press activity, or a seamstress covering her parasol. The Living History Troop performs street scenes which incorporate people and events of the 1890s. A bright red passenger wagon pulled by a team of horses, gives free rides around town. Make Fort Steele one of your preferred destinations in 1990 25 RC. Historical News Photographer of Nootka Sound by Eleanor Witton Hancock John Perry, 95, of Oliver in March 1989 turned over to the British Columbia Archives some 500 photographs which will become the John Perry Collection. Mr. Perry, a Latvian, arrived at Nootka on the west coast of Vancouver Island in 1922, undertook the study of photography and turned it into a small business. Nootka Sound was on the verge of development when he arrived and few people owned cameras, therefore his photos of the twenties and thirties are regarded as a bonanza. Contacted by the Visual Records Division of the Archives, Perry agreed to donate his collection and spent weeks busy with the task of annotating. He photographed the fishermen and cannery workers, the reduction plants which sprang up in 1926 after the arrival of the pilchard; loggers and gyppo logging outfits; prospectors, miners and mines; Indian villages, fledgling towns; weddings, sports days and other celebrations; and always the scenery. Photography was not his sole pursuit nor did it make him wealthy, John Perry- taken in the 1930s. This photo from the John Perry collection PABC BC Historical News and his work was enhanced artistically by the other endeavours he and his brother undertook to earn a living during their 38 years in Nootka Sound. John Perry is remembered today in combination with his brother, Peter. Together, the bachelor brothers made a contribution to the development of the area which has resulted in the naming of landmarks for them: Perry Lake and Perry River on Tahsis Inlet in the 1940's and, last March, a bridge at Tahsis. Peter Perry's remarkable skill in woodworking led to their cottage industry in skiff building and boat repair which, with John's photography, made a lasting impression on those who knew them. Paralleling other activities in the area, they trapped, tried fox farming, Peter fished commercially and John took short term jobs at fish plants. When gold fever struck in the thirties they prospected and did a stint of mining on their claims on Muchalat Inlet. Being involved, recording with the camera, John Perry achieved that elusive quality known as a feel for his subjects which hallmarks his work. He got his start in a log cabin at the homestead he and his brother occupied for three years near the Indian Village of Youquot at picturesque Friendly Cove. Peter's friend, Julius Kalnin, the former owner of the homestead, sold them a Kodak camera and gave John some tips. Kalnin, another Latvian, had owned a photo studio in California. While John had once built for himself a glass plate camera, he had never used roll film. With John in charge of the household and busy with a hobby, Peter resumed commercial fishing, an occupation he 26 had followed since 1906 at Los Angeles, and he began to consider business opportunities. In Latvia he had been a professional furniture builder. In 1922 Nootka Sound was almost as untouched as when Captain James Cook arrived in 1778, the first recorded European to set foot on present day B.C. The villages of Tahsis and Zeballos did not exist; the Nootka cannery built in 1917 by the Everett Packing Company of Everett, Wash, was the only fish plant and was serviced three times per month by the CPS Princess Maquinna from Victoria. John Perry spoke no English, had no money, and he was depressed by the climate and isolation. In Latvia his plans for university and a career had been ruined when he was drafted in 1915, the beginning of six years in the army for him. The study of photography provided a much needed outlet. The homestead, it turned out, had a reputation for photographers, a unique tidbit of history not far removed. The property and at least one other pre-emption had been occupied in 1910 and 1911 by Russian counterfeiters disguised as settlers who ran a big-time operation in the U.S.A. in an attempt to raise money to help overthrow Czar Nicholas II. The operation had originated in Beaumont, Calif. Only the leader, Albert Leon, and two pushers had been captured. Intrigued, John Perry paid a visit to the once handsomely furnished two-storey cabin of the cultured, master counterfeiter. Although the police had taken over 1000 items as evidence and 11 years had passed, there were still odds and ends. In the darkroom upstairs John found a developing tray which he took home with him. (Today the story of the counterfeit- ers is entrenched in the lore of Nootka Sound, and some people feel that Peter Perry and Julius Kalnin were part of the group, Peter perhaps as a fisherman delivering bundles of bills to Washington coastal points. The storey can be read in Tales of the British Columbia Provincial Police by Cecil Clark.) John Perry's second camera was a secondhand telephoto double extension bellows plate camera for 5x7's which he purchased in Victoria in 1924. (He spent three months in Victoria that summer studying English at the Sprott-Shaw Business Institute.) The telephoto camera proved to be excellent for group portraits and for making copies of double size. In 1925 the Perrys moved to a homestead at the head of Tahsis Inlet and after building a house with a darkroom John was able to start developing, tinting and making enlargements with a homemade printing box, a six-volt storage battery for printing and a six-volt charger for continuous power. Eventually he was doing a lot of developing for local people. Among the many cameras he would acquire, including a Super Ricohflex 120, a Voightlander Bessie II, and a Baldaflex 120 which could take 8, 12 or 16 pictures on a roll, the best investment he would make was a Graflex, a camera with a magazine for 12 cut-films for postcards. Postcards of the scenery and industries of Nootka Sound were in demand by tourists aboard the Princess Maquinna; in summer John would meet the steamer when it called at Ceepeecee, a cannery and reduction plant six miles away. The homestead at the head of Tahsis Inlet was home for 27 years. Here the Perrys built a simple sawmill and began a skiff building and boat repair business to serve the developing area. In 1945 an export lumber mill was built one mile away by the now- legendary Gibson brothers. It was Gordon Gibson who named Perry Lake and Perry River. The new town, Tahsis, was too close for comfort, however and in 1952 the Penys sold the homestead to the Tahsis Company and bought four acres of land near Ceepeecee. John was 58 now and Peter, 74. They reassembled the sawmill, built a two- storey house and continued working until 1960 when they retired to Oliver. For westcoasters, their departure marked the passing of an era. Today John Perry is married, and despite the complaints of old age he keeps active. He has returned to the coast only once, in March 1988, for the opening of the Perry Bridge at Tahsis, where he was an honoured guest along with Municipal Affairs Minister Rita Johnson. In May 1987 a long overdue project got under way, the Nootka Sound History Project. The project was initiated by the West Coast Committee of the Comox-Strathcona Regional District as a two-year endeavour to compile the history of the region in written, audio and visual formats. John Perry has contributed a number of photographs to the project and has been interviewed about his experiences. A videotape, Nootka Sound Explored, has already been produced, in which he appears. After being contacted by the Visual Records Division of the Provincial Archives he decided to donate his photo collection to the Archives, a fitting spot, westcoasters will agree, for the work of the Photographer of Nootka Sound. ********** Eleanor Witton Hancock, currently the editor of the Kamloops Museum Association newsletter, grew up at Zeballos. She writes articles about the west coast. She is a friend and admirer of John Perry. A Tele-Graflex Voigtlander Perkeo of the 1930's 27 &C. Historical News NEWS & NOTES University of B.C. - Focus 1915 U.B.C.'s Open House in March 1990 will take the year 1915 as its focus for programs. Mrs. Christine Parkin of U.B.C.'s English Department invites anyone who has special memories of, or information about that year (or era) to contact her at 224-5486 or 263-5160 ************** JoAnn Whittaker, now a graduate student at the University of Victoria, is researching the history of nursing in British Columbia. She seeks input from nurses who trained between 1920 and 1950, even those who did not complete the course. She especially wishes input from those who graduated from the small schools of nursing in the interior. If you or someone you know, are willing to participate in this survey please contact Mrs. Whittaker and let her know 1) the outline of your nursing / personal history, 2) whether you hold any memorabilia of training or work experience (pictures, diaries, notes, uniforms or textbooks) and 3) whether you would be prepared to write or tape your memories. Write to: Mrs. J Whittaker R.R. #2 Hutchinson Road Cobble Hill, B.C. VOR 1L0 or Phone: (604) 743-9443 ************** Self Help For Writers While short courses on writing are available in many communities around the province, few, if any, offer guidance on how to approach a publisher. There are books on the market and in libraries which offer hints on what to strive for in your presentation, and how to arrange for publishing. Some B.CH.F. members have compiled a list of books which could answer your questions. Those wishing to obtain this list may do so by sending a stamped self addressed envelope to: N. Miller, Box 105 Wasa, B.C. VOB 2K0 RS. to Published Writers. Do you have a favorite handbook which has helped you over the hurdles? Please send us the title, author, and description of the book so that we may add it to our list of suggested self-help references. ************** Alberni District Historical Society The Archives of the Alberni Valley are expanding constantly and much work has been done restoring maps and other RC. Historical News paper artifacts. The Archives, manned by 15 volunteers, is open Mondays and Thursdays 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Facilities have been used by 105 researchers and volunteers have responded to 20 inquiries by mail. A major research project on Robertson Creek done for the Department of Fisheries earned some money for the developing resource centre. Alberni District Historical Society prints a "Did You Know" brochure to give historical highlights to tourists and citizens. The book Place Names of the Alberni Valley is into its second printing. The first fall meeting saw 100 people attending a talk on the West Coast Trail. Sue M. Watson - President **•*•••*•*•••• Cowichan Historical Society Our museum in the renovated Duncan Train Station opened on 23rd June and in the ten remaining weeks of the tourist season received 4,400 visitors. The main exhibit room is still incomplete but application has been made to obtain a professional planner to prepare a lay-out. Storage rooms have been set up with shelving, cupboards and drawers, and an archival records and research section is in place. The "General Store" display includes a gift shop. The exterior of the building, repaired and painted, with concrete walks and garden beds supplied by the city of Duncan, make the station a very different place to the building of not so long ago. Nine totem poles and a railway caboose add interest to the grounds. The only contribution to station maintenance made by the railways in recent, and not so recent years has been three benches supplied by Via Rail. The Historical Society alone spent over $140,000 on renovations, and with the programs completed by other Duncan organizations and the City of Duncan well over $200,000 has been invested in the building. Our lease, otherwise providing occupancy until the year 2005, expires with the termination of VIA Rail service 15 January, 1990. Our only hope is that CP Rail will see fit to lease the property direct to us, or to us through some alternative to VIA Rail. Strong representations against the closure of VIA Rail have been submitted by many organizations to no avail. The Society provided much volunteer work on the building, and is now providing docents and other workers to maintain the museum, gift shop and archives. 28 With regular meetings being held, usually with speakers, which are well attended, it can be considered an active society . Substantial support has been received from the Cowichan-Chemainus Valley Ecomuseum. J.A. Green, President *•********•••• Nanaimo Historical Society In January of 198S the Nanaimo Historical Society initiated a search for a professional archivist to serve Nanaimo and area. Many groups have responded positively and cooperated in the formation of an Archivist Advisory Committee. The Retired Teachers Association sponsored a School History Project, with collected tapes and materials stored at the Centennial Museum awaiting a future home in Archives. A burst water pipe on the third floor of the Bastion created havoc with papers, paintings and photographs stored on lower levels. All wet paper items had to be placed in a deep freeze (which the Coast Bastion Hotel promptly supplied). Paintings and photographs had to be dried slowly, in a cool place, turned frequently, and stored in such a way to keep them from warping. Advice came from Shirley Cuthbertson and Dr. Mary Lou Florian of the Royal British Columbia Museum, and space and supervision of the collected treasures was given by president Daphne Patterson in the basement of her home. Several people have contributed their time and expertise; gradually there has been reclamation of the salvaged documents and pictures. Daphne Paterson ************** Boundary Historical Society held a tea in Grand Forks in October to honour Lois Haggen on her 90th Birthday. Mrs Haggen was President of the B.C. Historical Association in 1959 - 60, and M.L.A. for Boundary area for many years. ***•••****••** The Nanooa Historical Society is no more. Its members voted to dissolve the organization and to become members of District 69 Historical Society ************** West Coast Railway Association The West Coast Railway Association has leased a 20 acre site near Squamish to create a Railway Museum. The Museum project is keeping volunteers very busy. When the C.N.R. made a donation of 180 tons of rail, plus ties, turnouts and miscellaneous materials (most of which came from the Point Ellice yard in downtown Victoria) many members put in weekends "working on the railroads" taking up track. Paid employees were hired to complete the clean-up and meet the deadline for removal of track materials which were shipped to Squamish by Sidney Freightways. The Museum complex expects to have 4 miles of railway track operational within the next three years. The W.C.R.A. have worked closely with the Historic Transportation Centre in Cloverdale and have had the C.ER. business car "The British Columbia' and Colonist Car #2514 on display there. Since 1961 the West Coast Railway Association has operated tours on lines in the Pacific Northwest. There have been trips to Lillooet which included attending the annual Judge Begbie Days, and longer trips to Fort Nelson. These trips are great fun because the tour guides are so enthused about railroads. Anyone interested may obtain brochures about tours or meetings by writing to: West Coast Railway Association, BO. Box 2790, Vancouver, B.C. V6B 3X2. ************** - Grand Forks - May 10, 11 & 12, 1990 Members of the Boundary Historical Society are busy preparing to host the 1990 B.C. Historical Federation Annual Convention on May 10,11 & 12. As well as a tour of Doukhobor sites in the Boundary and a talk by Eli Popoff about Doukhobor heritage, convention guests will be treated to a trip to the Cascade Powerhouse by Cascade Power Restoration Society president, Eric Coleman. Featured speakers at the convention will be Bill Barlee, on prospecting and mining, and Anne Yandle, on "Helpful Hints for Researching History". These talks, tours, ethnic food and the Annual General Meeting will be sure to keep conference-goers busy. Registration forms will be available from local secretaries about March 1, and other interested readers are very welcome to attend. Write to: Mrs. & Mrs. J. Glanville, Box 746, Grand Forks, B.C. V0H 1H0 For information and registration. ************** P.S. Cowichan Historical Society has booked the conference headquarters for the 1991 Conference, and Burnaby is already planning our 1992 gathering. Dates chosen are the second weekend in May for both years. ************** Provincial Historical Societies Meeting On October 25, 1989, Myrtle Haslam chaired a meeting in the Hotel Vancouver with representatives from six provincial historical societies and the Canadian Historical Association. An interesting discussion took place on 1) the involvement of Historical Societies with Heritage Canada, and 2) whether this group of historical societies should formalize. It was agreed that more frequent meetings were not necessary. There was consideration given to establishing a closer relationship with the Canadian Historical Association. Efforts will be made to include societies from the Atlantic provinces. In conclusion Colin Read (Ontario) moved and Ann Wood (Saskatchewan) seconded "That we convey to the Board of Governors of Heritage Canada that the provincial societies would like to continue to meet annually in conjunction with the Heritage Canada Conference, and that they would also like to meet in joint sessions with provincial representatives of Heritage Canada." Next meeting: Wednesday, September 12, 1990 in St. Johns, Newfoundland. ************** Look for a more detailed report of the whole Heritage Canada Conference in the next issue. ************** Help Save the Harrison-Lillooet Gold Rush Trail Burnaby students began using this trail in 1976 to have an introduction to B.C. history, semi-wilderness hiking, meet native people and a chance to explore a very beautiful valley. These 1000 students are in the forefront to appeal to the government to permanently protect the trail by creating a recreational corridor park along the trail from Port Douglas to 29 Mile House. You can add your voice by writing to Lyall Hanson, Minister of Municipal Affairs, Recreation and Culture. Or you can treat yourself to a calendar depicting the trail by sending $6 (plus $1 postage) to: Burnaby North Secondary School, Hike Calendar 1990, 751 Hammarskjold Drive, Burnaby, B.C. V5B 4A1 29 lima Dunn and her friends in the Cariboo in "Enterprise in the 1930s" sang a song which may have many verses or versions. Readers have written to supply these options to; THE PIG GOT UP AND SLOWLY WALKED AWAY One evening in September As far as I remember I walked along in alcoholic glee, Without a murmur or a mutter I fell into the gutter And a little pig came and sat by me. Without a murmur or a mutter As I sat there in the gutter A lady passing by was heard to say, "It is easy known who boozes By the company he chooses." And with that the pig got up and walked away. ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦ The above was from Victoria, and the following from a Vancouver reader ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦ One evening in October when I was far from sober, To keep my feet from wandering I tried. My poor legs were all a flutter so I lay down in the gutter, And a pig came up and lay down by my side. We sang, "Never mind the weather as long as we're together," Till a lady passing by was heard to say, "All his self respect he loses when such company he chooses," And the pig got up and slowly walked away, Slowly walked away, slowly walked away. Yes, the pig got up, then smiled and winked at me As he slowly walked away. ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦ RC. Historical News Bookshelf Books for review and book reviews should be sent directly to the book review editor; Anne Yandle, 3450 West 20th Ave., Vancouver, B.C. V6S 1E4. Crofton House School; the First Ninety Years, 1898-1988. Elizabeth Bell-Irving. Vancouver, Crofton House School, 1988. 273 pp. Illustrated. Without a doubt, Jessie Gordon "was in the vanguard of the proud tradition of higher education for women, and saw far ahead of most that women would become successful doctors, lawyers and scientists. Moreover, she did all in her power to open doors for them." (p. 229) In 1898 Jessie Gordon with her sisters, Mary and Edith, started a school in the spacious billiard room of the Gordon home on West Georgia Street. By September 1901, fifty relocated to the corner of Jervis and Nelson Streets overlooking English Bay and Stanley Park. The name Crofton House was suggested by Jessie Gordon's memories of the Crofton cottages outside of Newnham College at Cambridge, which were used as overflow houses for women students pending the building of a new wing at Newnham College. Jessie Gordon's English education at Bradford Girls' Grammar School and Newnham College, combined with her B.C. Teacher's Certificate and two years' teaching experience at Granville School served as the initial academic and professional base for beginning what has endured and become a most prestigious private school for girls in Vancouver. A recounting of the history of Crofton House School celebrates the growth and development of a private school, and sheds some light upon the social changes that have occurred over the past ninety years with respect to education, women and society. By 1904, Crofton House School had six classrooms, over eighty pupils, and a resident staff, all of whom were from England. At the time Vancouver society was absurdly snobbish and the British visitors and settlers arriving in the new and prosperous city were determined to fashion Vancouver as closely as possible into their ideal picture of home, complete with class distinctions. Private schools were simply a natural part of this ideal picture. Ivy leaf became the symbol of Crofton House School; and Servabo Fidem the Latin motto. Green and white became the school colours; and basketball became the first official sport. Learning in the school was mainly achieved by rote. For many years, St. Paul's Anglican Church played an important role in the life of the school. The history of Crofton House School has been organized into two major parts. Part 1 begins with the Gordon sisters, the school at Jervis and Nelson Streets and ends with the retirement of Mary and Jessie Gordon, at which time a decision as to the continued existence of the school was made. This ended the first era in the Crofton House School history. Part 2 begins with Miss Sara E.G. Macdonald as headmistress (1937-1958), formation of a board and relocation of the school to 41st and Blenheim. Subsequent headmistresses included: Miss Ellen K. Bryan, Miss Muriel Bedford-Jones, and Miss Rosalind W Addison. This section ends with an outline of those proud traditions that have linked Crofton House School in the present to the past. As Miss Addison commented: "/ think the school has kept the best of our traditions and standards, while moving with the times and adjusting to those times." (p.227) Individual chapters document things such as school activities, fashion (evolution of the school uniform), discipline, etiquette, physical facility, purchase of property, location and programme. Items included in the appendix list the Board of Governors, Crofton House School Foundation, Alumnae Presidents, Parents' Committee Chairmen, Headmistresses, members of staf£ etc. Also included in the appendix are the school song, school hymns, school prayer, coat of arms and history of the property. A detailed name and subject index is provided to aid the reader. Unfortunately, there is not a bibliography citing the references for the quotations or for reference materials consulted. Such an omission reduces the value of the book as a research aid. The extensive Crofton House School Archives and issues of the Croftonian dating from 1913 served as excellent source material. Excerpts from the Croftonian and comments from alumnae and teachers have been carefully selected and skillfully pieced together. The writing style is dear and easy to read. The lively narrative is based upon taped interviews, simple chats, diary entries, teachers' notes, photographs, letters and other memorabilia. Comments about individuals and events have been reported as objectively as possible and where differences of opinion have existed both sides have been presented in an attempt to provide a balanced viewpoint. The author, Elizabeth Bell-Irving, de scends from the large Bell-Irving clan, a prominent family in Vancouver's business life since the early 1900's. She spent nearly all her school years at Crofton House School as did her mother, Mary 'Pye' Bell-Irving, and her daughter Lishe, who graduated in 1975. It is apparent that much time, energy and care have been devoted to the recollections included in this handsome publication. Unlike Jean Barman's Growing Up British in British Columbia; Boys in Private Schools (1984) this book does not attempt to critically examine the role of Crofton House School as a private school within the emerging social and political fabric of Canadian society. Rather, it is more akin to publications that celebrate the history of a company, sporting club or local community. By focussing upon the history of one school, a much more complete picture of the school, its personnel, programme and students is provided. Independent Schools of British Columbia (1989) by Frank Keane, includes only brief historical material, and the information about Crofton House School is so condensed that it conveys little about the real character of the school. Crofton House School; the First Ninety Years 1898-1988 succeeds in informing us about the growth and development of the school. It celebrates the achievements of its founders, teachers, students and alumnae. It stands out as a beautiful publication - well formatted, attractive green cover, good quality paper, clear print, well sewn binding, and well presented photographs. Overall, it is a high quality production. It will be a prized possession among Croftonians - alumnae, parents, teachers and students. As well, it will be a useful addition to archival and education collections in university, college and public libraries in British Columbia. JoAnne Naslund, Curriculum Laboratory, University of British Columbia Library. Continental Dash - The Russian American Telegraph: Rosemary Neering; Victoria, B.C. Horsdal & Schubart, Ganges, B.C. 1989. Pp. xii, 231; maps, footnotes, bibliography, illustrations, index. $22.95. For over forty years the best reference for the Collins Overland Telegraph has been Corday MacKay's 30-page article RC. Historical News 30 under that title in the B.C. Historical Quarterly Vol. X No. 3, July 1946, pp. 187-215. MacKay stressed the B.C. scope of that enterprise which covered primary exploration, 1865-67, before that for the CPR. under Sir Sanford Fleming 1871-cl884. Rosemary Neering, in 240 pages, covers the whole Collins enterprise which spanned a global arc of over 5,000 miles, between New Westminster, B.C. and European Russia, mostly through unmapped wilderness. She starts with man's discovery of Electricity for communication by wire, traveling with the speed of light in contrast to months for colonial mail between B.C. and Britain. Wireless (radio) superseded transmission by wire some sixty years later, about 1920. The catalyst for Continental Dash was Perry McDonough Collins (1813- 1900) who travelled to Siberia in 1856 to explore for trade extension from the US west coast. He conceived the Russian American Telegraph before Cyrus Field's delayed success with the Trans Atlantic cable 1866, and won support from the USA, Britain, Russia and the Western Union Telegraph Co. In 1864 he got approval to start construction north from New Westminster but then relinquished his interests to the Western Union Telegraph Co. which espoused the project with vigour. The American Civil War, 1861-1865, had emphasized the value of telegraphic communication. Hiram Sibley for the Western Union organized the Overland Telegraph Project on quasi military lines based at San Francisco. Colonel Charles S. Bulkley from the U.S. Army "Signals" proved a good choice for "Chief of Operations". Among many others, his remarkable staff included: Major Serge Abasa, Russian aristocrat: Siberia. Capt. Edward Conway (7-1878): New Westminster to Quesnel, 1865. Wm. H. Dall (1845-1927): Naturalist, Russian America (Alaska). George Kennan (1845-1924): Siberia 1865-67. Robt Kennicott (1835-1866): Naturalist, "Russian America" (Alaska). Jas Adams Mahood (?-1901): Surveyor, Siberia 1865-67. J.W Pitfield: WUT agent at New Westminster. Miyor Franklin L. Pope (1840-?): N of Quesnel 1865, Cassiar, Stikine 1866. Frederick Whymper (cl840-cl910): Artist, North Pacific 1865, Alaska 1866-67. Indigenous people in the vast wilderness of two continents were recruited for labor, guides, interpreters, provisions and accommodation. A fleet of ships fanned out from San Francisco to remote harbors in the North Pacific moving supplies and personnel, subject to hazards of primitive navigation. On 2 September 1866 the Atlantic cable succeeded but the Western Union Extension Telegraph Co. did not formally abandon its overland project till 9 March 1867. Their remote detachments in Alaska and Siberia finally boarded the ship "Nightingale" 6 September 1867 to be paid off in San Francisco. A loss of $3 million was absorbed by the parent company. The sale of Alaska by Russia to the USA was ratified 20 June that year. Several of the dramatis personae in Continental Dash recorded their experiences as noted in Neering's comprehensive Bibliography which includes 27 books and 19 articles (ms and /or published). Sixteen have been published since MacKay's effort of 1946. Illustrations are well chosen: 14 from RJ Bush "Reindeer, Dogs & Snowshoes' 1872; 9 from WH Dall "Alaska and Its Resources" 1870; 3 from F Pope ms, nd; and 8 from F Whymper "Travels....in....Alaska" 1868. Several vintage photos are from the PABC. Four good maps are conveniently placed inside the front cover. Footnotes and Index are adequate. In modern book design, the practice of relegating footnotes, by chapters, after the narrative text, is unnecessarily inconvenient for the serious reader who must thumb through the pages to determine which chapter is pertinent. One remedy would be to insert the chapter number on each page. Another would be to number the footnotes in one series, in this case an aggregate of 205 for 22 chapters. Can we remember a three- digit number long enough for this purpose? I think so. For books on geography or exploration, good maps are a must. Ideally every feature or location mentioned in the text should be shown, plus any well known features to clarify relationships. When special maps are drawn, as for Continental Dash, they should show the geographic grid of Latitude and Longitude. The official Gazetteer of British Columbia, Ottawa 1985, shows all locations to the nearest minute of Lat and Long, eg. Mount Whymper 48° 57' 124° 08'. This locates the feature to within a mile on any map showing Parallels of Latitude and Meridians of Longitude. (Does this remark reflect professional bias?). We should be grateful to Rosemary Neering and her Publishers for refurbishing and expanding a primary and colorful phase in the history of British 31 Columbia, the Yukon, Alaska and Eastern Siberia. She takes the wraps off a fascinating body of sources with specifics for access to them. Her style is meticulous yet easy, with an eye for humor and personalities. A sequel to Continental Dash could well be a like treatment of the Yukon Telegraph so vital in the Klondike frenzy a generation later. It followed very closely the same route as far as Dawson City. For this too, there is a wealth of accessible source material waiting the skill and dedication of Rosemary Neering. Gerry Andrews, 'Victoria, B.C. Gerry Andrew's is a Past President of the B.C. Historical Federation. Robert Brown and the Vancouver Island Exploring Expedition: "Recollection of the Pioneers of British Columbia", Vol. 8. Edited by John Hayman. UBC Press, 1989, pp. 211, footnotes, illustrated. $29.95 When in the spring of 1864 Victoria's leading citizens formed a committee to organize an expedition to examine the resources of southern Vancouver Island, Robert Brown, an affable and persuasive twenty-two-year-old Scot had little difficulty in convincing them that he was the man to lead it. Although his only recognized qualifications were in the fields of botany, zoology and geology (he was at the time being sponsored by the Botanical Society of Edinburgh to collect seeds), his interests and his ambitions went much further; he agreed to furnish a complete report on the topography, soil, timber and other resources. Despite the flattering tributes paid by Governor Kennedy and the citizens of Victoria upon its completion, the Vancouver Island Exploring Expedition has been almost totally ignored by historians. At best, it is dismissed as having been unimpressive in its accomplishments. For this latest addition to the "Recollections of Pioneers of British Columbia" series professor Hayman has meticulously transcribed and copiously footnoted Brown's hitherto unpublished journal. It not only discloses many details of the expedition omitted from the Committee's published report but provides an interesting record of life in the early settlements on Vancouver Island. Brown was a prolific writer and a careful observer. The inclusion of the account of his attendance as "A Guest at a Potlatch" given by a member of the Opetchesaht tribe and "A Collection of Indian Myths and Legends" will delight many readers. Brown never missed an opportunity to take advantage of the power of the press as illustrated by his article "The land we RC Historical News live in" written for the Victoria Daily Chronicle. It appeared, to quote Hyman, "...at a strategic moment - when the VTEE was being organized and a leader was about to be chosen". Thirty-three sketches (or engravings made therefrom) by Frederick Whymper, the artist who accompanied the VIEE, have been reproduced throughout the book. Two appendices provide a partial list of Brown's writing relating to the northwest coast and a check list of Whymper's sketches. The index is adequate though a number of omissions were noted. Barclay Sound should have been cross-referenced to its correct spelling Barkley Sound. John Buttle seems to have become William Buttle. Professor Hayman in his twenty-two page introduction gives the reader a biographical sketch of Brown himself, describes the events leading to the formation of the VIEE and summarizes its routes and accomplishments to provide a concise introduction for anyone unfamiliar with Brown and the VIEE. But it is for the maps included in this book that I have saved my main criticism. On pages 38-39 an attempt has been made to reproduce "Originalkarte von Vancouver Insel" from the German edition of Brown's "Memoir of the Geography of Vancouver Island" published in 1869. UBC Press should know that one cannot take a map drawn at a scale of 1:1,300,000, reduce it by some 40%, reproduce it in halftone and expect it to remain legible. Why not a map in English? The Royal Geographical Society engraved an excellent map of Vancouver Island to accompany one of Brown's papers. The second disaster is found on page 45 - "Map 2a - Vancouver Island", "2b - South Vancouver Islandd" (sic) and "2c - Route from Cowichan Bay to Chowichan Lake". I assume these are intended to refer to the maps lettered "A", "B" and "C" respectively. Map "A" defines the "Location of Fig. 1-B; I assume this to mean map "B". Map "B" in turn defines the "Location of Fig. 1-C" and the "Approx. Location of Fig. 2"; I assume "Fig. 1-C to mean map "C" at the foot of the page but where is Fig. 2"? A diligent search found that "Map 3 - Route from Comox Harbour to Sproat Lake" on page 127 fits the description. These maps are a little short on detail and show little more than the location of some of the campsites, none of which (unfortunately) is dated. Neither Leechtown nor Leech river are identified. If it is any consolation, the quality of reproduction is excellent. The final map, on page 138, "Map 4 - Country between Barkley Sound and Nanaimo" shows many of the topographical features named by the VIEE. Neither the routes taken nor the location of the campsites are shown. Its style suggests that it is based upon one of the expedition's maps, with changes in the spelling of placenames. The source is not disclosed. Its location could of course have been defined on map "B" on page 45. Barkley (Barclay) Sound itself is not identified on the map. I prefer not to comment upon the choice of Whymper's "Rampant Raft" for the paper jacket. The saving which would have resulted from the elimination of this along with the horrors to which I have already referred would easily have offset the cost of producing one large-scale fold-out map of southern Vancouver Island embodying all of the routes taken, all of the campsites with dates and all of the topographical features named. Brown's failure to compile and publish such a map was, I believe, a major reason for the lack of recognition afforded the VTEE once the gold rush on Leech river was over. As the "Recollection of a Pioneer of British Columbia" this book fulfills the stated intent of the editor and the selection of material has been well chosen. Nevertheless, it does focus on the VTEE and Brown as an explorer; there is no excuse for those maps. John D. Spittle John Spittle is President of the BCHF. He likes expeditions and maps! Widow Smith of Spence's Bridge: Jessie Ann Smith as told to J. Meryl Campbell & Audrey Ward, edited by Murphy Shewchuk. Sonotek Publishing, Merritt, B.C. 1989 pp. 128. $9.95 This is the biography of Jessie Ann Smith, 1853-1946. It was written in the 1930s by Jessie Ann and her granddaughters, and recently edited and published by Murphy Shewchuk. The story starts in Scotland where Jessie Ann was born, schooled and became a teacher. Her childhood sweetheart, John Smith, came to North America where he worked for several years before returning to Aberdeen to marry Jessie Ann. In February 1884 the newlyweds sailed from Liverpool to New York, travelled by train to Tacoma, Washington then by boat to Victoria. Mr. & Mrs. Smith rode a work train from Port Moody to the end of track at Cisco, crossed the Fraser River on a cable bucket, and travelled the rest of the way to Spence's Bridge by horse and buggy. John Smith worked for a Mr. John Murray in Spence's Bridge, establishing a large orchard. When John Murray attempted to break up the marriage the Smiths moved to Voght Valley where they homesteaded for ten years, raising cattle and six children. In 1897 John Smith was able to purchase the Murray estate and move his family back to Spence's Bridge. Jessie Ann had watched the CPR being built; years later the C.N.R. laid track through her property, and obliged with a spur into the orchard of 3000 trees. After the death of her husband in 1905 Jessie Ann and her children continued to improve the orchard. Her apples won top honors at Horticultural Fairs in Canada, U.S.A. and England. The story tells of Walhachin, the Depression, and pioneer life. Widow Smith of Spence's Bridge is a neat little book which begins with a map and ends with an index. It deserves a place in both the home and the school designated as easy to read B.C. History. Naomi Miller MOVING? Please send a change of address to: The Subscription Secretary 5928 Baffin Place Burnaby, B.C. V5H 3S8 RC Historical News 32 THE BRITISH COLUMBIA HISTORICAL FEDERATION Honorary Patron: Honorary President: Officers President 1st Vice President 2nd Vice President Secretary Recording Secretary Treasurer Members-at-Large Past President Editor His Honour, the Honourable David C. Lam, CM, LLC, Lieutenant-Governor of British Columbia Mrs. Clare McAllister John D. Spittle, 1241 Mount Crown Road, North Vancouver, B.C. V7R 1R9 988-4565 Myrtle Haslam, P.O. Box 10, Cowichan Bay, B.C. VOR 1N0 748-8397 Dorothy Crosby, 33662 Northcote Crescent, Mission, B.C. V2V 5V2 826-8808 T. Don Sale, 262 Juniper Street, Nanaimo, B.C. V9S 1X4 753-2067 Shirley Cuthbertson, 306 - 225 Belleville Street, Victoria, B.C. V8V 4T9 387-2486 (business), 382-0288 (residence) Francis Sleigh, Box 29, Deroche, B.C. V0M 1G0 826-0451 Margaret Stoneberg, RO. Box 687, Princeton, B.C. VOX 1W0 295-3362 Alice Glanville, P.O. Box 746, Grand Forks, B.C. V0H 1H0 442-3865 Naomi Miller Naomi Miller, Box 105, Wasa, B.C. VOB 2K0 422-3594 Chairmen of Committees Archivist Margaret Stoneburg Publications Assistance Committee (not involved with B.C. Historical News) B.C. Historical News Publishing Committee Subscription Secretary Book Review Editor Heritage Cemeteries Lieutenant- Governor's Award Committee Scholarship Committee Historic Trails and Markers Helen Akrigg, 8-2575 Tolmie Street, Vancouver, B.C. V6R 4M1 228-8606 Loans are available for publications, Please contact Helen Akrigg prior to submitting manuscript. Ann W. Johnston, R.R. 1, Mayne Island, B.C. VON 2J0 539-2888 Nancy Peter, 5928 Baffin Place, Burnaby, B.C. V5H 3S8 437-6115 Anne Yandle, 3450 West 20th Avenue, Vancouver V6S 1E4 228-4879 (business) 733-6484 (residence) John D. Adams, 628 Battery Street, Victoria, B.C. V8V1E5 342-2895 Pamela Mar, RO. Box 933, Nanaimo, B.C. V9R 5N2 758-2828 Evelyn Salisbury, 5406 Manor Street, Burnaby, B.C. V5G 1B7 298-5777 John D. Spittle The British Columbia Historical News EO. Box 35326 Stn. E. Vancouver, B.C. V6M 4G5 Second Class Mail Registration No. 4447 British Columbia Historical Federation WRITING COMPETITION The British Columbia Historical Federation invites submissions of books or articles for the eighth annual Competition for Writers of B.C. History. Any book dealing with any facet of British Columbia history, published in 1990, is eligible. The work may be a community history, a biography, a record of a project or an organization, or personal recollections giving glimpses of the past. Name, dates, and places with relevant maps or pictures turn a story into "history". The judges are looking for fresh presentations of historical information (especially if preparted by amateur historians) with appropriate illustrations, careful proof reading, an adequate in^ dex, table of contents and bibliography. Winners will be chosen in the following categories: 1) Best History Book by an individual writer (Lieutenant - Governor's Medal for Historical Writing). 2) Best History as prepared by a group (Eg. Bunch Grass to Barbed Wire was published by Rose Hill Farmers Institute) 3) Best History for Junior Readers. Awards are given where entries warrant, (i.e. a lone entry in group 2 or 3 will not automatically be given a prize.) Winners will receive a monetary award, a Certificate of Merit, considerable publicity, and an invitation to the Annual B.C. Historical Federation Conference in Cowichan in May 1991. • Deadline for 1990 books is January 31,1991, BUT submissions are requested as soon as possible after publication. Those submitting books should include name, address, telephone number, selling price of the book, and an address from which the book may be ordered if a reader has to shop by mail. Send to: B.C. Historical Writing Competition EO. Box 933, Nanaimo, B.C. V9R 5N2 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦A****** There will also be an award for Best article published in the British Columbia Historical News. This prize is reserved for amateur historians and/or undergraduate or graduate students. Articles should be no more than 2,500 words, substantiated with footnotes if possible, accompanied by photographs if available, and typed double spaced. (Photos will be returned.) Deadlines for quarterly issues are February 15, May 15, August 15, and November 15. Please send articles directly to: The Editor, B.C. Historical News EO. Box 105, Wasa, B.C. VOB 2K0
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Title | British Columbia Historical News |
Publisher | Victoria : British Columbia Historical Federation |
Date Issued | 1990 |
Subject |
British Columbia--History |
Genre |
Periodicals |
Type |
Text |
FileFormat | application/pdf |
Language | English |
Notes | Titled "British Columbia Historical Association Report and Proceedings" from 1923-1929; "British Columbia Historical Quarterly" from 1937-1957; "BC Historical News" from 1968-2004; and "British Columbia History" from 2005 onward. |
Identifier | FC3801.B72 H44 FC3801_B72_H44_1990_winter |
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British Columbia History |
Source | Original Format: University of British Columbia. Archives. |
Date Available | 2015-07-17 |
Provider | Vancouver : University of British Columbia Library |
Rights | Images provided for research and reference use only. Permission to publish, copy, or otherwise use these images must be obtained from the British Columbia Historical Association. |
CatalogueRecord | http://resolve.library.ubc.ca/cgi-bin/catsearch?bid=3202327 |
DOI | 10.14288/1.0190637 |
AggregatedSourceRepository | CONTENTdm |
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