renchman and property holder of Johnson Street; Robert Ridley, who
claimed he was the original "Old Bob Ridley" who crossed the plains
to San Francisco in '49; Felix Leslonis, the Hudson's Bay Company's
cooper, who was a Frenchman, and used to sing a song called "Beau
Nicolas" at charity concerts, and usually brought down the house.

There was S. Driard, another Frenchman, and proprietor of the Driard
House, and who being, like Mayor Harris, very corpulent and
asthmatic, complained, like him, of the "upper room"; James Wilcox,
the proprietor of Royal Hotel, now proved to have been the "second"
brick hotel built in Victoria; William Spence, a contractor, and
after whom Spence's Rock was named; John Dickson, the tinsmith and
hardware man of Yates Street--a quiet, goodhearted man, an American;
James Lowe, a Wharf Street merchant, of Lowe Bros.; Frank Campbell,
of "Campbell's Corner"--genial, goodhearted Frank, a man without an
enemy; Thomas L. Stahlschmidt, of Henderson & Burnaby, Wharf Street
merchants, and father of Mr. Stahlschmidt, of R. Ward & Co.

There were Robert Burnaby, already mentioned; J. B. Timmerman,
accountant and real estate agent, a Frenchman; Benjamin P. Griffin,
mine host of the Boomerang, who had been a friend of my father's in
Sydney, Australia, and was accountant in a bank there; and lastly,
your humble servant, who was secretary of the meeting. There were
others present, but they did not see fit to become members, among
them being Ben Griffin.

As I said before, they passed in review before me as I stood there
thinking; and to-day I think no one lives to tell the tale of that
gathering.

I am fully in accord with the suggestion that there be a reunion of
all pioneers of early Victoria; but I think it should be in the
summer, when as many as possible could be there, and it might be made
very interesting by a recital of the personal recollections of those
present. I should like to hear Mr. Higgins, for I am sure he has not
yet told all he knows of the early history of Victoria.

CHAPTER XVII.

VICTORIA DISTRICT CHURCH.

I read with a great deal of pleasure the article on Christ Church by
Canon Beanlands. These reminiscences of former days in Victoria have
a charm for me that is not easy to describe. More particularly is
this the case in the present instance, as my very earliest
recollections of this fair city are connected with Victoria District
Church. My mother was a devout church w