THE WEST SHORE.
l,r,L Uu- td the. mill. m located on the water
ml! of the I M city of Vancouver. I orycnrs
thi. rather primitive m mill, and few wooden
l.uiMiig.orfojd h lumbermen and fishermen, con
tituUl th" "nly .-ttl.-m.-Lt th-ro, and it was known
ly tu Mj.rri-iTo name "(iaAtown." Lhter it as-
am! more imrta jxaition, and wan for a cam
Ur ,.f jrMi, during Kih it grew to ho a town of
aUul ii hundred inhabitant., called Granville.
When it Ul w definitely wtthnl fact that tho
Canadian iViflc mil)' would mako that point its
.nWn touiino., the hitherto insignificant bamlet
uddn.ly .pratjtf iiito prominence. The railway com
''f by K't ff,l,u tMft government, 'cured con
trol of the Und ojm which tho city muHt bo built,
ftr I tho j.lify punned by tho company baa resulted
in r.Ubli.hing foundation for a iint growth. Peo
jdo from tho rwiti ru province. Hocked to the pros
jfdite m.-tro'lii in great Dumlx-ri, and it was re
dml to entirely reorganize tho town. Accordingly,
thii m dntio, and tho city of Vancouver waa incor
H.rtxl on tho &nU mentioned, the namo being in honor
cf Cupula Oisirgn Vancouver, of tho I5ritinh navy,
ho dmooTorl, explored and named 1'urrard inlet,
brrlj a hundred year.
Tho condition irujxiiiyl on purchaser, of proper
ty in Vancouver arc mch that no mere .peculators
ran l-uy tho land and hold it, without improvement,
for tho rio In uluo which tho indu.try of other peo
jlo will U turn to king iL This policy bM tended
to krp out adventurer, and to .curo tho benefit, of
tho nty'. fcilranrt-ment to thoao who bavo home, there,
or to tW who are interpatal in it. bu.inos. affair..
Tbo (milling condition, accompanying transfer, dur
tog tho put two w.vka tho Ut two w.N'ki of March
- biod purchuru to rnvt thi. sea,n Uo and brick
trurturc aggregating jD uluo irj-VHH) (M. Theao
build.rg.will doIU all in ono locality, but will lie
acattl over a considerable area. Thi. jx.licy re
lc,rtho rily (,f Uj0 N,,r(lIW ((f l)fingfroW(lllil
and encourage npataion in all direction., while tbo
lntcnorm:g i rtjr i., of ,,, augtnontM in val.
tv Hut tho nty 1M t ij-rieneed remarkable growth
l-lhlhMUK-that ill rnaWM n-rty owner, to
rrlLt.aj.tnBu I. t,.n ,f .U growth .cat.
Wc.bo.in IUU would I. unprofiubl,, and it
would U uW. to .tumpt to c.forc ,tlfh fomli.
tixi.i ai am U,l d,,wn in y,I1(Xl(n,r u h
Us that thcr, ntUnd.vl o.tf)d,.1(. in iu futon
faW than tho ,wtm d,.mn,, fof tL
ii4.iDMnrDbo in ,,.
"ui,,"' iurtM or
o utiiiititin.i
icimtj prewar
f.mr yor. ago wd rrroral tf
Nine-tenths of the present area of the city was a
dense, unbroken forest of hnge firs. There was but
a single street cleared of timber, and a few rude roads
led into tho gloomy wild. To build a city there was
certainly a Herculean task. The timber was removed
at a cost of 8200.00 to $300.00 per acre, and, follow
ing tho retreating forest, massive structures of stone
and brick sprang up, streets were graded, sidewalks
built, and large business enterprises inaugurated.
Bomo of the finest business blocks in the city stand
on ground that, three years, or even two years ago,
was occupied by a howling wilderness. The Cana
dian Pacific railway was completed to Vancouver in
May, 1887, when the first through train arrived from
Montreal. That year, also, the Canadian Pacifio com
pany put a line of steamships on the route between
Vancouver and China and Japan, Those two impor.
tant projects gave an impetus to the growth of the
city, by placing its advantages entirely beyond the
realm of speculation, and the advancement the city
made was truly marvelous.
A great conflagration, in June, 1886, nearly wiped
tho young city out of existence, but before the embers
died, materials for rebuilding were on their way to
Vancouver, and where small wooden structures were
before, there arose grand edifices of stone, brick and
iron. Tbo fire seemed to be a positive benefit, and in
a few weeks all traces of it had been removed and
tho town presented a vastly better appearance. Un
der tho influence of the large transportation interests
which were established there the next year, the build
ing of the city progressed rapidly, and during 1887
mo.t of the city plat was cleared of timber, and a
largo amount of street work was done. Then it really
began to assume the appearance of a city and its nat
ural physical advantages were made apparent.
Since that time its progress has been unhindered
by any disaster, and Vancouver now, probably, con
tain, more handsome buildings than any other city
of its eize in tho country. The city is laid out on a
magnificent Bcale, and it is being built up in a style
fully in accord with the plan. Its residences, busi
now blocks, hotels and publio buildinga of all classes
would bo creditable to any city. During the year
buildings aggregating in value $1,350,000.00
wero erected within the corporation limit. In Janu
ary, Isss, tho city assessment showed a taxable vain
Miou of property aggregating nearly $3,500,000.00,
and the population was then, in round numbers, six
thousand. In January, 1889, the total valuation of
taxable property waa $G,G0O,00O.OO, and the inhabit
atih numbered eleven thousand. Laat year $85,000 00
were expended in street improvement, making the
total mileage of graded atrecti in the city thirty-sis.
and there are twenty.five miles of idewalki. Street