= ye Mark Lupin n SS er ona Saeaseh ep eee — VS WHET SWS BESS 26 PENINSULA NEWS REVIEW __ THE PLAYHOUSE is pleased to be able to make available to you a limited number of spaces in the morning and afternoon preschool classes commencing January 4, 2000 Call 656-2567 for information and registration. “Where the happy kids live, laugh and learn’ BE THE REASON WHY... | > HELP is available, det eA eens > Your community is PREPARED ae > HAVE tenfreehours/month. -. 2 ARE agoodorganizer | We are the Peninsula Neighbourhood _ Emergency Preparedness Program (N EPP) [ 3 DEPUTY COORDINATORS NEEDED For more information nips Cae Call 655-8901 SUPREMO ce ser ane eos sas Wis 0 HD, FACES r omer ne : ts an tarmematines.| Cosmedica Laser be eC ENT RE Be ome y Bes > People SURVIVE an emergency or disaster. | ~ |, = WANT to make a difference in your community... ad Seren ery a CHAAR A, UTEP __ PIONEER PORTRAITS: ostal service on the Saanich — Peninsula This week’s Pioneer Portrait begins the first of a new se- ries of articles concerning the Postal Service and Postmas- ters of North and South Saanich. This ts not intended to be an exhaustive study on the subject, but a general overview of how the “welcomed message from the outside world” arrived at the homes of the early pioneers of the Peninsula. Herein we will look at the manner in which the mails were deliv- ered, and some of the difficulties, which occurred. There were several well-known individuals who acted as the postmasters, and carriers, some of whom have previously been examined, i.e.: Henry Wain, Leon Eckstein, Rufus Horth, James Hagan, Henry Simpson, Mr. & Mrs. Alexan- der Wright and the proprietors of the Brackman and Kerr Mill. These individuals shall be mentioned only in passing. Those that will be considered in more detail are postmasters Bryant, Turgoose, Sluggett, Young, Forfar and their fami- lies to mention a few. ~, uring the period prior to the Fraser River H tially handled the colonial and pre-colonial » fs” mail service on Vancouver Island. The deliv- ery of the mails to the Island from Great Britain before 1854, according to Colonial Postal Historian Alfred Stan- ley Deaville, was effected by means of “occasional war- ships, Hudson’s Bay Company vessels and whaling-ships”. via Panama and San Francisco. He further states that from ‘about 1854 “the bulk of the Colonial mail commenced to. travel via San Francisco by steamer to Olympia, whence it | was conveyed fortnightly to Fort Victoria by means of In- "dian war-canoes manned by Natives or French-Canadians ~ under the charge of one of the Hudson’s Bay Company of- ficials.” : ~ After the mail had arrived in Victoria, it was the respon-- sibility of the settlers to make frequent inquiries at the town’s post office. to collect whatever letters or‘papers |." |. may or may not have arrived for them. For some of those .. |. living in the Saanich Districts, this meant travelling up to. 20 miles to the post office, and a repeated effort returning home. | vd ee ae ; et ey _. After the establishment of the Victoria Gazette and — British Colonist newspapers in 1858, long lists of names were presented in the papers, which often displayed resi- dents of the District who had mail awaiting them. Edgar Fawcett reminisced that he had “seen a line of letter hunters reaching from the post-office up Wharf Street nearly to Yates, waiting for the mail to be sorted - and the wicket to open ... The mails from Europe arrived | about twice a month, and not regularly at that. The Colonist would state that ‘there was no mail again,’ but that it might be expected tomorrow. It was a day of impor- tance when it did arrive and people naturally were anxious to get their letters, even if it necessitated their standing in the street in line, maybe at 10 o'clock at night. Many a ~ time a dollar has been paid for a favorable place in line near the wicket by someone whose time was considered too valuable to spend in waiting for his turn. A good deal ~ of banter was indulged in by those in line. The anticipa- lion of hearing from friends at home made them good-na- tured, and brought out the best that was in them.” It may be pointed out that Alexander Caulfield Ander- son, one of the Penineula’s most noted personages and pi- oneers, was appointed “superintendence of postal arrangements” of Vancouver Island on June 28, 1858. This was shortly after he visited Victoria to “inquire into the gold discoveries and to observe the strange spectacle of the mad fortune-seekers chasing the golden butterfly.” He remained in the position for only a short time, be- - fore vacating it in the midst ofa controversy. i. Few records have been Jocated concerning the earliest days of mail delivery in the Saanich Districts, The earliest — found isa letter from Governor Douglas authorizing “res: ~ wlar mail services between Victoria and Esquimall and Saanich in Marcel, 2865," 8 owe Although naw authorized; maildelivery did not come — about until the new year, when an agreement was signed by William Giles Bowman and Cornlius Walsey who had previously been operating a staye coach company that. made by-weekly (rips to the Fry's Hotel, in North Saanich. - ~The agreement was signed on January 1, 1864, and statec that they agree do “run a stage fa the Reverend Mr. gold rush the Hudson’s Bay Company essen- . CPOr 2risdmoessd ysheorhsly Wednesday, December 15, 1999 PHI eke te ee Sop heats bea ee ke We ENC 2 EEE ORE ae Pee “Many a time a dollar has been paid for a favorable place in line near the wicket by someone whose time was considered too valuable to spend in waiting for his turn.” Edgar Fawcett Lowe’s House or such other point on the Saanich Road as the Government may require once a week, and to call at — the Post Office and obtain the Mails ... for Saanich, or any point in that district and deliver the same.” The contract was to run for 12 months, “at the rate of ~ Two Hundred and Fifty Dollars per annum payable quar-_ terly.” It was quickly decided that the mail should be dropped off at the roadhouses of Peter Lind’s (corner of West - Saanich and Mt. Newton Cross Roads) in South Saanich, — and Henry Fry's (corner. of West Saanich and Mills Cross * Roads) in North Saanich. J. M. Sparrow of the Victoria Post Office wrote that Bowman and Halsey’s mail delivery contract, had a clause stating that they may be required to carry mail on each scheduled trip to Saanich if required, _ “which services have seldom been performed less than : twice a-week.”) os ELE ee a SE - He continued to state that “the greater part ofthe Jet. ters have been left at the Peoples Houses {who lived ~~ 2S - along] the road,” thus being one of the first recorded in- - « . ‘stances of house to house mail delivery in the Colony, su- >. ~ perseding home delivery in Victoria by several years. — » John Guest, former partner with John Coles of North: Saanich, was the experienced whip of the conveyance. North Saanich pioneer Thomas Benjamin Shaw was. ~ awarded the contract for 1865, receiving $300 for the year. Beye He only continued the service from January 1 until April. _6, when he requested to be released from his contract be- cause he was preparing to move from the District _ ~ Both Peter Lind and Henry Fry applied to fill the vacant | position, at the same rate of payment as Shaw. On April 8, Henry Wootton, the Postmaster of Vancouver Island, re- ceived and appointed Fry “for the remainder of the year 1865.” Apparently Fry must have had a change of mind, for John W. Williams, a well-known stage and livery stable. owner in Victoria was recorded as taking on the delivery of the mails on April 24, with Mr. McCausland as his dri-. ven. Williams retained the mail delivery contract for the Saanich Districts for the next 12 years, until April 1877, when Henry Simpson was awarded the job. During those 12 years, there were times of occasional complaints and bitterness. Some of them were probably brought forth with just causes and others for personal reasons. One ex- ample occurred in December 1866, during the submis- sions of the contract tenders. Fifteen settlers of the Dis- trict produced a petition stating that they were not happy with the manner in which the mail contract was being handled by Williams. They painted out that George Luxon of North Saanich [owning Henry Fry's former residence}, was running a stage and should be awarded the contract, as he had “acted as a public carrier" of the mails fo the residents north of his farm. : ~ Postmaster Henry Wootton, writing in response to the complaint, made the following observations: “I have the - honor to report that no complaint had ever been made to» me respecting the conveyance of mails between Victoria — and Saanich and J have reason to believe that no dissatis- - faction was felt until the running of the Stage by Mr. Laxon. Mr. William's stage leaves here with the mail every Wednesday morning. If Mr. Laxon has carried let- ters it has been done in an informal manner and not through the Post Office. Letters for people living beyond Mr. Fry's [place] have always been left there according to contract that being the termination of the stage.” Next week, we will continue with the saga of mail deliv- ery an Saanich Peninsula,