tbe Crofton Gazette DEVOTED TO The Mining and Agricultural Interests of Island, Texada Island, and Coast Mainland Districts.

AOL. 1 CROFTON, B. C, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 1902. NO. 1

ALL ABOARD FOR CROFTON. railway station. At the two corners nearest to this two hotels are going up. On the north side (corner of block T 7.45 a. m., punctually, the Sidney train started 1) is the large hotel which J. T. Pearce, of the Tele­ A from Fisguard street. By twos and threes the graph hotel, Victoria, is erecting. It already promises various parties of sportsmen dropped off at the to be a handsome building. On the opposite corner of wayside stations, and after the final dispersion at Sid­ the avenue (corner of block 2) is the site of another ney the little band that wended their way to the steamer large hotel which will be owned by M. J. Conlin, of " Iroquois " might all be counted Crofton pilgrims, as Klondike fame. Just at the back of his hotel site indeed they were. Mr. Conlin has put up comfortable temporary quarters There was the real estate agent, spruce and tidy and and is providing meals and a few beds. looking full of business, there were several contractors Going up the avenue A. Howe's butcher store is near­ who had been down before and were wisely provided ly completed on the left hand. It will be opened in a with big gum boots. There was the doctor. There few days. On the opposite side of the street (in block 1) were also various business and professional men who three stores are contracted for, the builders being Moore would be speculators in town lots. There was the gen­ & Whittington, of Victoria. ial general manager of the railway, there was the Higher up again, on the right, at the top corner of smelter chief and colleagues and friends — all aboard block i, is the townsite estate office where genial Capt. for Crofton ! The talk ran of stone and lumber, esti­ Mackintosh wins all sorts of praises from lot buyers for mates, dollars in tens of thousands, and of course smelt­ his urbanity and business energy. Across the way a pile ing, with an occasional reference to refreshments. And of lumber is lying on the ground ready for the building presently, with its eager human freight, the little steam­ of a store which is to be run by Mr. Broadwell, of Salt er was plying through the picturesque waters between Spring Island. and Vancouver Island. Still farther up the avenue, crossing King street and About two-and-a-half hours journey brought us past passing now along blocks 3 and 4, the buildings at pre­ arm and on to Maple bay. We could now sent begun are all to the right in block 3. The first perceive ahead of us, to our right, Vesuvius bay settle­ come to is A. B. Whittingham's private boarding ment lying in a cosy nook of Salt Spring Island. To the house. This is an upstair building, and is practically left a wooded promontory cutoff our view, but rounding finished, with a sidewalk in front. It is temporarily this we caught our first fair glimpse of Osborne bay. being occupied as a general store during the completion At the foot of a gentle slope of wooded hills lies the of Dyke & Kirkwood's building near the end of the clearing upon which are dotted the earliest habitations block. This evidently will not take many days. Be­ of Crofton. To the left Mt. Richards stretches, green tween Whittingham's and Dyke & Kirkwood's are the and forest covered, whilst in the distance to the right stables occupied by Lindsey's teams which are doing Mt. Brenton arises, a misty blue mass with scattered excellent work. Next door, again, a stable is going up fields of snow. But the little patch of cleared land with for Keast, of Duncans, who, as soon as he has this ac­ the yellowish wooden buildings is the mark of all eyes. commodation, will run a daily stage from Duncans and The large double building on the high ground to the Westholm. left is pointed out to be the smelter offices, and to the At the end of this block York avenue, another impos­ left of them again is the smelter site. To the right, ing hundred-foot thoroughfare, partially graded, crosses stretching back, are a couple of ranches. Their from north to south. Many of the lots have been sold weather-stained buildings sufficiently denote that they bi»:t so far no buildings have begun to appear. Here are not a part of a new townsite. The nearest one with Joan avenue ends. The prospect looking down it dwelling house close on the shore belongs to Mr. across the bay is admirable. The avenue has been so Arthur Ward, who is shortly leaving for England ; the laid out that there is an uninterrupted view across the homestead behind is the property of Mr. Masters. still waters of the bay to a deep dip in the rugged hills The wharf confronts us. It is at present a small of Salt Spring Island, through which may be caught a structure erected merely for Mr. Ward's convenience, glistening vista of glorious Mt. Baker on the far off but five or six week's hence there will extend in its American shore. place an imposing structure 750 feet long and 60 feet In our haste to inspect the various buildings we have wide, and having a depth of water for the largest ships not noticed the gangs of Japs working on the grading at its extremity. of the streets, or clearing the ground of stumps. Every This leads on to the end of Chaplin street, the north­ now and then " Dynamite Bill " may be seen running ern boundary of the townsite. Chaplin has already been for his life, and, looking for the cause of his trouble, you partially graded. Turning down the water front we suddenly hear a thunder sound and see clouds of earth, B> come to the end of Joan avenue, which promises to be stones and tree stumps, whirled hundreds of feet in all the main business street of the town. It is already directions. Blasting, of course, will not be permitted graded and will be gravelled in a few days. It will be much longer so the wiser lot owners are having their a handsome thoroughfare 100 feet in width. Near the large stumps blasted out at once while they may. end of it to the south, on the water front, will be the (Continued on Page Seven.) THE CROFTON GAZETTE.

MT. SICKER MINING NEWS. TZOUHALEM HOTEL,

THE LENORA MT. SICKER PROPERTY. DUNCANS, HE Lenora mine is owned by the Lenora Mt. Sicker Copper Mining Company, Limited, non- PRICE BROS., - - - PROPRIETORS. T personal liability. The property is situated 1,400 feet above sea-level and in extent is a full-sized mineral claim. Considerable work has been done by means of FELL & COMPANY, LIMITED LIABILITY, tunnels, which have been driven at three levels. It has GROCERS, not been necessary to sink shafts so far. The lowest tunnel which is at present about 1,000 feet long has WINES AND LIQUORS. a back at the extreme end of about 350 feet. Ore has been found at all three levels, continuously from the lowest No. 3 to the surface. VICTORIA, B. C. Development work is now being carried on at the rate of about 300 feet of tunnel per month. The boiler capacity at present consists of two 25 h.p. MEN'S CLOTHING STORE. boilers running a 3-drill compressor. A new 5-drill Cornish compressor will be supplied by Holman Bros, HATS AND UNDERWEAR in about 40 days, and by that time a new 50 h.p. boiler —AT— will be in running order. The ore has hitherto been sorted by hand but by the first week in April a belt conveyor, sorting table and ARTHUR HOLMES' rock crusher will be installed, of which the capacity will be about 200 tons a day. 78 YATES ST., CORNER BROAD, The formation on Mount Sicker consists of schistose rocks with diorite intrusions. VICTORIA, B. C. Tunnelling can be put through for $4.50 to $5.00 in some cases. At the present time there are about 40,000 tons of ore on the dump and two years output at least THE MT. SICKER & B. C. DEVELOPMENT CO., LTD. in sight. Whilst this ore is being shipped a great deal of development work can be done and the output of the The Mount Sicker and Development mine will accordingly be greatly increased. Company, Ltd., own seventeen claims on Mount Sicker, To date, only one vein has been worked. This vein most of which are in the group adjoining the Lenora —the south vein—contains ore bodies which have been mine. mined up to 45 feet in width. It has been found that as The townsite of Mount Sicker is situated on this prop­ depth is gained the gold values of the ore increases, erty. Latterly the Company has been doing consider­ which is a welcome sign. The ore so far has been most able development work and has erected a substantial uniform the shipments varying only $1.00 to $2.00 per manager's house. The shareholders reside chiefly in ton in returns received from the American smelters, to Scotland, and if they have only sufficient faith in their which so far about 22,000 tons have been shipped. property to sink money in its development (and they The north vein parallel to the south contains very high have plenty of capital for the purpose) their holdings grade ore. From it numbers of assays running over 200 should become very valuable. They were the original oz. in silver have been made, the highest of them show­ owners of the Lenora mineral claim, but sold it last year ing no less than $130.00 in gold, 696 oz. silver and 14% to the present Company. copper. The vein upon which the claims were staked is to the DEVELOPMENTS AT THE TYEE. north again of the two above mentioned, and is of a This company are only waiting for the large double- different character, carrying free gold on the surface. drum hoist which they have ordered, and which should Work will be prosecuted on this vein during the sum­ be on the mine by the 10th April, to greatly enlarge their mer. The matrix of the vein is quartz and will be used operations. They will then be in a position to start to line the bessemer converters at Crofton. sinking again, and to commence stoping from the 200- The Lenora ore is shipped by the Mt. Sicker Railway foot level to the surface. which is owned by the Company. It is a 3 ft. gauge In the 100-foot level they have drifted over 200 feet, line running 6j( miles to a point near Westholme on the ore body there averaging 25 feet in width, being in the E. & N. Railway. From this point it will be ex­ places as wide as 35 feet and nowhere less than 20 feet. tended to Crofton, a distance of $% miles, The bridges At the 300-foot level a fair body of ore has been and grading along the extension have all been complet­ l struck, and cut through so far 6 feet in one place and 2 /2 ed and the entire line will be open for traffic by the ist feet in another. of April, 1902. Two hundred tons of ore a day will The ore body on this mine has now been proved from then be shipped regularly to the new smelter at Crofton. the Lenora line to a distance of 450 feet east, and to a The townsite of Crofton is owned by the Lenora Com­ depth of 200 feet. pany, and already a considerable number of lots have been sold, and it is expected that a number of industries will be started in the new town this year. Crofton has ENGLISH MINERAL CLAIM ON MOUNT BRENTON. the advantage over most smelter towns in this Province Mr. Creeden is putting in a tunnel to prove this claim, that it does not depend upon a local supply of ore but and has already struck the lode five feet in width. ' An can secure ores by sea from any part of the world. average assay of the surface rock went $18 to the ton At Mount Sicker the Lenora Co. have erected a fine in gold, copper, and silver. Mr. Creeden can trace the hotsl which contributes greatly to the comfort of those ledge for 1,000 feet, and seems to have got hold of a wishing to exploit the district. good thing. THE CROFTON GAZETTE.

•••••••••»»•••••+• Duncans ano Cowicban local 1Rew$. THE WESTSIDE •••+»••»•••••••••••»••••»•»•••»••»•»•»•»••• •••••••••••••••••• VICTORIA'S LARGEST DRY GOODS STORE.

THE COWICHAN MUNICIPAL COUNCIL. ABOUT MAIL ORDERS. The meeting of the Cowichan Municipal Council just The Westskle's Mail Order Department gives quick and efficient held was a full one. On representations from Mr. Croft service. Experienced assistants are placed at your disposal, and every it was agreed to take over the streets of Crofton when order is attended to the same day as received. The best aid in ordering completed. The acceptances of Messrs. A. Blyth, goods is a copy of our 100 page Illustrated Catalogue—sent post free. J.P., and W. H. Elkington, J.P., to seats on the Board MAIL ORDER ADDRESS: of Licensing Commissioners were received with satis­ faction. Mr. W. Gidler of the Cowichan Lumber Co. THE HUTCHESON CO.^LTD. put in an application for the reduction of assessment on VICTORIA, B. C. that property, and a letter was read from Mr. L. G. Hill 80 GOVERNMENT STREET, acknowledging with thanks the Council's donation to Chemainus Hospital. The Annual Meeting of the Dairymen's and Live A number of bills were then dealt with. These had Stock Association of British Columbia is taking place reference to road clearing and repairs, and the road on Wednesday and Thursday at Victoria. inspector handed in his report and estimates totalling We have to hold over a report of the Supplementary about $9,000. Meeting of the Cowichan Farmers'Inst., addressed by The amendments to the Municipalities Act suggested the Hon. C. L. Smith, on the "Stabling and Care of by the Reeves' Convention at New Westminster were Cows." read and postponed for consideration to a future meet­ Mr. Lamming, of Mt. Sicker, has provided a hall with ing. An amendment to the Fire Wardens by-law con­ anterooms, etc., over his store, and it is proposed to cerning the storage and carriage of explosives was read have social dances there regularly every week. Three a first time, and the revision of the assessment roll was social functions have already been held, and were most then proceeded with. Quamichan and Comiaken- successful. As many as twenty ladies have graced the Cowichan wards having been disposed of, the session hall by their presence on these occasions. was adjourned until the 12th March, when the Licensing There is a good deal of complaint amongst Mt. Sicker Board will also hold a session. residents that the mails reach them only twice a week instead of daily as heretofore. The road up the hill is not so bad considering the heavy weather. During the THE NEW HOTEL AT DUNCANS. late rains the roadway was transformed into something approaching a mountain torrent, yet there have been no The embers of the burnt out Quamichan Hotel are washaways to speak of excepting in one little place near still smouldering but Mr. Joseph Daley, the proprietor, the " divide." has taken time by the forelock and given out already a contract to Walter Ford of Duncans for the erection of a new hotel, with all the latest improvements, on the CHEMAINUS NEWS. old site. Thos. Hooper, of Victoria, is the architect, The Chemainus Mills have started work again after and he has designed a handsome and commodious being closed for several weeks. building. Fred H. Nelson, who tenanted the old house, Mr. Howe, of the Horseshoe Hotel, Chemainus, has will open business in the new one within three months, shown the enterprise to instal a dynamo and plant for and his many friends in Duncans will welcome him back. the electric lighting of his premises. Finding, however, the water supply which generates his present power1 in­ sufficient, he has contracted with H. YV. Mallett to lay THE ALDERLEA FIRE CO. on a 10 in. main from Fuller's Lake, a quarter of a mile away. A meeting of the Alderlea Fire Co. will be held at It is an open secret that Mr. Howe offered a smelter Duncans this week, the matter for consideration being site to the Tyee Co., but local influences militated against the purchase of a chemical engine. A. Peterson is the its acceptance. energetic chief of this body, and it is to be hoped that the efforts of himself and others will secure so necessary an aid to the very valuable services of the Fire Co. THE WHARF. The contract for building the wharf has been awarded to J. A. Carthew of Victoria. The piles have been sup­ plied by Geo. Lewis of Duncans, and are already delivered LOCAL AND MT. SICKER NOTES. and the pile driver will be got to work in a day or two. Mr. Keast is erecting stables at Crofton to enable him Mr. Carthew is at present at Crofton pushing on the to run a daily stage connecting the new town with the work. His agreement is to complete it within 60 days, E. & N. Railway at Duncans and Westholme. This but he will have it ready for steamers in 35 days. This will give Duncans merchants a show in the opening wharf promises to be one of the best appointed in Crofton markets. British Columbia. When it is completed there will be Mr. S. C. Bull of the Cowichan Meat Market has also a wharfage of 250 feet for ocean steamers, besides a slip in view the purchase of a lot in Crofton and the exten­ for the ferry, and several other slips for smaller vessels. sion of his business in that town. It will carry three tracks, and the work of construction The Cowichan Fishermen's Union will hold their is so arranged that steamers will be able to load and meeting at Quamichan Indian village on Saturday, 1st unload alongside as the work progresses without caus­ March, at 2 p. m. ing any inconvenience. THE CROFTON GAZETTE.

THE CROFTON GAZETTE short, will be directed to the utmost towards furthering the interests and advertising the great natural resources PUBLISHED BY of Vancouver and Texada Islands in general and of the THE CROFTON PUBLISHING CO. Cowichan and Mt. Sicker districts in particular. Politically we shall steer an independent course. That MANAGER, H. MORTIMER LAMB however, does not imply that we shall "sit on the EDITOR, HENRY II. NEWII.I. fence," which at the best is an uncomfortable and un­ dignified seat. On the contrary, being unbound by RATES FOR ADVERTISEMENTS: party trammels, we hope to be the better and closer $1.00 per inch per insertion. students of politics, i. e. the science of good govern­ Larger spaces at a reduction by arrangement. ment, and shall extend our support impartially to those legislators or to that party whose actions or line of INSCRIPTION. $2.00 PER ANNUM. policy seem best conducive, in our opinion, to the wel­ fare and prosperity of the Province as a whole. All communications for the present to P. O. Box 645, Victoria. In devoting special attention to mining and agricul­ THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 1902. ture we are concerning ourselves with the most import­ ant interests of our constituency. The advent of the first smelter to our Island is as much a proof of the THE GAZETTE AND ITS POLICY. amount of mine development accomplished, on Mt. ONTEMPORANEOUSLY with the laying of the Sicker especially, as it is a promise of future mining ex­ C first brick in Crofton, the CROFTON GAZETTE pansion. Wherever there is a growing mining industry to-day makes its debut in the journalistic arena; and there is an equally growing demand for agricultural so favourable an opportunity as the present should products. In the Duncan's and Cowichan districts of not be allowed to pass without a brief reference to the Vancouver Island we have one of the finest agricultural object, scope and policy of the publication, of which this areas in the province. So far as we are able we shall is the first of, we hope, many regular issues. It is un­ claim for it the attention and consideration that its ad­ fortunately true that the number of newspapers pub­ vantageous position demands. lished in British Columbia in proportion to the popula­ For the rest we shall endeavour to show, by the tion of the Province is unduly, almost absurdly large. GAZETTE, that a British Columbia local paper may be Nearly every little village boasts, while it begrudgingly both interesting and entertaining without an indulgence maintains (?) its local journal, whose sole and only aim in silly or offensive personalities. in life is to defy the world to show a more charming, picturesque, sanitary or enterprising "city" than the particular village or hamlet in which the newspaper in The legitimate claim of our townspeople for the es­ question circulates. But none of this applies to the tablishment of a Post Office in Crofton will, no doubt, CROFTON GAZETTE. There may be too many news­ be promptly responded to by the Postmaster-General. papers, but it is an excellent saying that "there is The business of this town is developing rapidly, and the always room at the top," and—well our readers we are want of a Post Office and regular daily mails is felt sure will obligingly fill out the sentence. Then, so far severely. as Crofton is concerned, no one could even in terms of contempt or derision describe it as a " mere village or We believe that the honour of being the first lady hamlet." For it certainly does not answer any such resident in Crofton townsite belongs to Mrs. A. B. description. Crofton to-day is a clearing, beautifully Whittingham of Joan Avenue. decorated and dotted with newly cut stumps. There are possibly a dozen buildings of sorts, and the mud on the streets is of a peculiarly "sticky" type. To-mor­ VICTORIA & SIDNEY RAILWAY row,—that is the metaphorical and rhetorical man­ ner of speaking of three months hence—it will have a population of we are afraid to say how many thousand Trains will run between Victoria and Sidney as follows: people, with numerous industries in full swing, not to DAILY: mention one of the largest and most complete smelting Leave Victoria at 7.45 a. m. 4 00 p. m. works on the Pacific Coast—in fact, the largest north of " Sidney at 9.00 " 5.45 " San Francisco. But we do not propose to rely alto­ SATURDAY AND SUNDAY: gether on the tender mercies of the future residents of Leave Victoria at 7.45 a. m. 2.00 p. m. " Sidney at 9.00 " 5.45 " Crofton for our bread and butter. Our constituency we are happy to say extends beyond such narrow limit­ ations, as any one may see by studying our sub-title. STEAMER "MYSTERY" We have around us a magnificent agricultural and min­ Connects at Sidney with morning train DAILY for ing territory, whose only "long-felt want," a local CROFTON. Returning connects with evening train for Victoria. organ, is now at length to be gratified. Our efforts, in S. F. MACKENZIE, General Manager. J. ANDERSON, Traffic Manager. THE CROFTON GAZETTE.

THE SMELTER. HAMILTON POWDER CO. (INCORPORATED 1861.) ESSRS. Breen, Bellinger and Fotheringham have Manufacturers of High Explosives, Stumping Powder, Blasting, M lost no time in placing the contracts for the Mining and Sporting Powder. Dealers in Electric Blasting erection of their new smelter at Crofton. Apparatus, Safety Fuse, Detonators, etc. Mr. Joseph Bye under whose supervision the North- Head office : Montreal. Branch office: Victoria. Local offices : port smelter was constructed, is superintending the Vancouver, Nelson, Rossland and Greenwood. Works: . construction of the present one which bids fair to be one of the most complete on the Pacific coast. Mr. Fred Young, of Butte, is the resident engineer. MOORE & WHITTINGTON, The contract for the excavations has been given to CONTRACTORS AND BUILDERS, the Victoria Transfer Co. who have fifty or sixty men at VICTORIA AND work. The amount of earth to be removed totals up to CROFTON, B. C. some 12,000 cubic yards. If you are contemplating The contract for the boilers has been secured by the building we shall he Victoria Machinery Depot Co. and that for the building, pleased to give you an masonry and carpentering by the very capable and en­ estimate. ergetic firm of Sherbourne and Smith. Mr. Haggerty HEAD OFFICE: is supplying the stone from quarries near Vesuvius Bay on Salt Spring Island. The transport will thus be only 159 YATES STREET, ELECTRIC POWER. five or six miles by water. Granite will be used for fac­ PHONE A750. ing the structure and sandstone for the backing. Such of the machinery as can be purchased locally has been so obtained, but a large quantity of special and very per­ VICTORIA MACHINERY DEPOT CO. fect machinery is en route from Denver, Col. With all ENGINEERS, due allowances for unavoidable delays the smelter will BOILER MAKERS AND FOUNDERS, be ready to treat ores on the ist of June. Two hlast furnaces are in the first instance to be in­ VICTORIA, B. C. stalled, the largest with a calculated capacity of 400 tons per day. The furnace room will be built large M. W. WAITT & CO., enough to accommodate threeof these stacks and in addi­ The Largest, Oldest Established and Most Complete MUSIC STORE tion to the above mentioned stack another is being put in British Columbia. STEINWAY, NORDHEIMER, HEINTZ- in with not so great a capacity. MAN & CO. DOMINION PIANOS. ESTEY, DOMINION, THOMAS ORGANS. We carry an immanse stock of Sheet Music Besides these two furnaces a modern bessemerising and books of all kinds. Write for Catalogues. plant is being put in ; this will be a great benefit to mine 44 GOVERNMENT STREET, . . VICTORIA. B. C. owners of Vancouver Island and the Coast of British Columbia and the freight on the matte to New York will MEETING OF PARLIAMENT. be saved to a great extent, as the output of the Crofton Parliament was opened by His Honour the Lieut.- Smelter will consist of blister copper instead of ordinary Governor on Thursday. Feb. 20th. All the members matte. were in attendance except Hon. Speaker Booth who was The power plant will consist of one compound con­ absent through illness ; and C. E. Pooley was elected to densing engine of 500 h. p., of which one side, that is the chair for the sitting. the high pressure one will be erected and at present will After gratifying allusions to the visit of the Duke and have a capacity of 275 h. p. Duchess of York, and the approaching coronation ot His In addition a large blowing engine will be erected to Majesty King Edward VII, the Speech from the Throne supply the convertors, whilst two connesville blowers regretted the continuance of the war in South Africa will supply the air for the furnaces. The boiler-room which has taken so many Canadians from their homes. will contain three boilers of 200 h. p. each. The main It reviewed the improving Mining and Agricultural pros­ stack is 12 feet in diameter and 125 feet high. pects of the Province and promised a report concerning The plant will be fully supplied with electric power the results of the commission to enquire into and adjust and lighting. The works are built so that they can be freight rates on agricultural products. It stated that rapidly enlarged without affecting their economical negotiations were continuing with the Dominion Govt, working, and with the whole coast of British Columbia at Ottawa referring to the relations of the Province with to draw from and increased quantities of ore offering, the Dominion under the terms ot the Union, and pro­ there can be little doubt that the expansion provided for ceeded to enumerate the subjects to be dealt with by the will be necessary at an early date. The Works will not Govt, during the Session, which were :—(1) In further­ only smelt ores purchased by the Company operating at ing the interests of the stock raisers of the interior to Crofton, but will also treat the matte from other smelt­ deal with the establishment of a system of cold storage ers sent to these works, reducing it to blister copper, in connection with abattoirs ; (2) Fishery development; and thus effecting a considerable saving in freightage (3) A fair measure of re-distribution ; (4) The encourage­ to the Eastern refineries. ment of immigration and the settlement of unoccupied lands ; (5) A measure for the purpose of consolidating existing loan acts and of obtaining authority thereunder THE STEAMBOAT SERVICE. for the issuance of a new loan ; (6) The agreements en­ We hear on good authority that a large and fast stern tered into with several companies for the manufacture wheeler will shortly be put on the route between Sidney, of pulp and paper, and the measures for the establish­ Crofton and Nanaimo. She will have comfortable ac­ ment of these industries ; (7) The means for securing comodation for a large number of passengers, and will construction of a railway from Bute Inlet to Yellowhead steam 15 miles an hour. She will be able to carry 200 Pass to connect with the railway system of Vancouver, tons of freight. as also for the construction of the Coast-Kootenay Rail­ A ferry will connect Crofton with the Mainland way, and finally, legislation dealing with Taxation and railway systems. assistance to hospitals. THE CROFTON GAZETTE.

THE HISTORY OF OSBORNE BAY. M. J. Conlin's hotel is also making a good show. This building is going up under the supervision of K. A representative of the CROFTON GAZETTE waited on Sharp, who has been waiting for delivery of the material. Mr. Arthur Ward in his comfortable home at Osborne The lumber, however, is now all on the ground, and Bay, and elicited from him some interesting facts re­ two or three days will see a big building going up here. lating to the history of the settlement which has been The hotel is to be a strictly first-class one. Mr. Conlin his home for several years. hopes to open on the 10th of next month. Meanwhile According to tradition the earliest inhabitants of the at the back of the new building he has put up comfort­ •/] bay were a people called " Tli-yamen," a name which is able temporary quarters where he is providing meals generally interpreted " people of the mountain," assum­ and a few beds. ing its derivation from the Japanese word "yama"—a hill. This old race must have lived and died in the bay many hundreds of years ago. Mr. Ward has come across skeletons in his garden so ancient and decompos­ PETITION FOR POST OFFICE. ed that they have crumbled to powder at the touch of A meeting of pioneer citizens has been held to petition his spade. It is assumed that these early dwellers lived the government for a post office. The meeting was in­ mostly on clams as, in the vicinity of every little stream formal but all who have interests in the town attended where encampments might be expected, heaps of broken and resolutions were passed unanimously that the clam shells are to be found More particularly is this Postmaster General should be humbly petitioned so in Mr. Ward's garden, and on the scene of excavat­ ion for the smelter building where compact beds of clam Firstly " for the establishment of a post office in shells five or six feet thick have been cut through at Crofton," . considerable depths beneath the ground surface. Over Secondly " that the new post office should be located these beds have gradually sprung up trees which must in lot 3 block 3 on Joan Avenue," and have taken nearly 200 years to come to their present state Thirdly " that James Kirkwood should be the first of maturity. The antiquity of these old clam-eating in­ local postmaster." habitants is thus strongly suggested. This petition has since been duly presented by James Kirkwood in person he being deputed by'the votes of The Chemainus Indians are said to have become the the meeting to put the matter before the Government. next possessors of the bay, presumably by conquest, and The Postmaster General's reply has not yet been they in their turn were later on dispossessed by the received. Cowichan Indians. A few of their descendants may be found living near Comox to this day. The name Osborne Bay was probably bestowed on the place by a British warship. The first white settlers HOW TO REACH CROFTON. came during the sixties, and seem to have led a more or The simplest way to reach the new townsite is to take less peaceful existence until about fifteen years ago. At the Victoria & Sidney train any morning of the week that period two ranchers, Messrs. Dringand Miller, held leaving Victoria at 7.45 a. m. This connects at Sidney the land now to be occupied for the smelter site. An with the s.s. " Mystery" or other steamer which, after Indian living in the vicinity had lately been hanged for a couple of hours trip through protected water some offence, and his vengeful fellows mistaking either and lovely island scenery, will land the visitor right on Dring or Miller for the hangman (who in those days the wharf at Crofton. The return journey is made the was always a volunteer) entered the ranchers' home one same day. night, and shot both its occupants dead. The Indian The alternate route is by the E. & N. railway to who fired the fatal shots was tried several times, and Westholm, thence by stage. A stage now runs be­ eventually committed suicide in prison by the novel and tween Duncans, Westholm and Crofton every Saturday laborious but simple expedient of beating his hands and Sunday. The walk from Westholm to Crofton is against his breast. four miles. Mr. Ward pointed with some pride to snowdrops al­ ready blooming in his garden, and drew attention to his interesting collection of Indian relics, including stone knives and axe heads, boat anchors, paint pots, etc. It SEND YOUR ORDERS is the district's loss that Mr. Ward is leaving almost immediately for England. FOR

CROFTON UP TO DATE Hay, Grain and Mill Feed Messrs. Dyke & Kirkwood have opened their store. Keast's stables are well in hand, and his daily stage TO from Duncans and Westholme should be running within the week. Mr. Whittingham's boarding house will very shortly THE BRACKMAN-KER MILLING CO., be ready for occupation. In this business he is being assisted by Mrs. Whittingham and every comfort is (LIMITED) assured to his patrons.

J. T. Pearce's hotel is going up at lighthing speed. MANUFACTURERS OF The contractors Messrs. Sherbourne & Smith, and their foreman, A. Murray, are to be congratulated. Ten days ago the foundations were being laid, and now B. & K. ROLLED OATS. a two-story building 41 feet by 60 feet and 26 feet high from sill to plate has arisen upon them. VICTORIA- AND -VANCOUVER. THE CROFTON GAZETTE.

BUTTER MAKING AT DUNCANS. QUEEN'S MARKET Business in Duncans and neighbouring districts con­ Cor. Govt, and Johnson Sts., Victoria, B. C. Te.1. 32. P. O. Box 18. tinues to increase in a steady yet unobtrusive way that LAWRENCE GOODACRE & SONS, is apt to mislead the occasional visitor who thinks he WIIOLKSAI.K AND RETAIL BUTCHERS. Contractors by appointment sees in its placid existence a slumbering land ot nod. lo His Majesty's Royal Navy, The Dominion Government, etc. The figures of the last balance sheet of the Cowichan Shipping supplied at lowest rates. Creamery for instance are instructive reading. During the year 1901 no less a sum than $19,651.02 have been credited to the funds, an increase of $3,403.22 on the A. HOWE, figures of 1900. The sales of butter during the year have amounted to 80,356 lbs., an increase of 9,445 lbs., and this output has sold for $22,375.76, an increase of , \ BUTCHER, $3,025.46 on the receipts of 1900. In 1897 the takings were only $10,368.79, so that these have more than Established for six years at Chemainus. doubled during the past four years. This increase as Mr. J. H. Whittome, the Secretary of the Company, Best Meat at most liberal assured our representative has been a steady growth prices. from year to year, and the prospects are brighter than ever. Most of the farmers from Westholme to Cow­ ichan are doing business with the Creamery, and others JOAN AVENUE, CROFTON, B. C. are gradually taking advantage of it. The Metchosin district is being tapped but transport facilities are ab­ sent in many cases. The total cost to the farmer of butter manufactured by the Creamery is only 3^ cents per lb. including in­ BENNETT'S surance, etc. This compares favourably with Alberta figures, and the excellence of the article turned out is CROWN BRAND attested by the prizes which the company has never failed to secure wherever it has exhibited. Last year at Victoria it was awarded a diploma in addition to first and second prizes. Bravo Duncans! GUTTA PERCHA FUSE AWARDED THE GREATER BRITAIN EX. GOLD MEDAL, 1899. , ALL ABOARD FOR CROFTON. (Continued from Page One.) THIS POPULAR FAVORITE STILL LEADS. Looking up the hill at the back a time-worn building stands just on the edge of the bush. Here Capt. Livingston Thompson has made his headquarters whilst, HOLMAN BROS. assisted by Mr. W. Pinder and an untiring crew, he has been busy for many weeks surveying and marking out the streets and lots on the townsite. And now returning down Joan avenue and bearing PATENT ROCK DRILL across Robert street, we cross into the smelter domain AWARDED THE GOLD MEDAL, PARIS, 1900. by a light bridge over a small stream. Here we come to two large buildings connected by a covered way. These are the smelter offices and living quarters of the IN STOCK AT VICTORIA: staff. Their luxuriousness bears witness to the hand­ some way in which the smelter syndicate are known to Air Compressors and all kinds of Mining treat their employees. Here reside • at present Mr. Machinery. Joseph Bye, who is superintending construction, and Mr. Fred. Young, the engineer. ESTIMATES ON APPLICATION. Beyr iid on the high ground the foundations for the various smelter buildings are being prepared. Behind Gen A ent are to be the ore and sampling houses, and below them Rowland Machin, '' e ' again the boiler house and furnaces and the great smoke stack, 125 feet in height, which, with the pre­ YATES STREET, VICTORIA.B. C. vailing winds, will carry any fumes there are right out to sea. As, however, the ore is to be treated in closed furnaces this nuisance will be very much mitigated if TRY OUR ARABIAN COFFEE. not altogether done away with. Below, again, ex­ cavations are being made for the works, the lowest plat­ MOWAT & WALLACE, form to be 7^ feet above high-water mark. Here the GROCERS. Victoria Transfer Co. are employing 50 or 60 China­ men and the scene is a busy one. COB. YATES AND DOUGLAS STREETS, VICTORIA, B. C. A couple of hours have now passed in what has seem­ 89 Johnson Street—Tel. 621. 31 Government Street—Tel. 398. ed but a few minutes in this interesting place, and the steamer is whistling for our return. A few weeks hence BROWN & COOPER, VICTORIA, B. C. these impressions will be obliterated as ancient history, but they will serve as a contrast to the hustling future, Dealers in FRESH FISH, OYSTERS, POULTRY, GAME, and to suggest the rapid development that is now quietly FRUIT, Sit., &c. .Smoked Fish a specialty—our own curing. taking place. IQpCountry orders or produce sent us will receive prompt attention. 8 THE CROFTON GAZETTE. THE PATERSON SHOE CO., Ltd. Importers and Dealers in all Kinds of Boots and Shoes, Rubber Boots, &c.

MINERS' FOOTWEAR A SPECIALTY. Letter Orders promptly and carefully filled. Write for Catalogue. BRANCH STORES IN VANCOUVER AND NANAIMO. THE PATERSON SHOE CO, Ltd, VICTORIA, B. C,

W. E. LAMMING, A. B. WHITTINGHAM,