THE WEST SHORE.
All
three thousand tons burthen, and cleared two hun
dred and seventy vessels, of a total burthen of ninety
eight thousand tons. The custom house collections
were $73,402 29, or more than double the amount of
the previous year. The total imports increased in
value $74,808.00, and the exports $121,401.00, over the
previous year. The goods shipped to the United
States were valued at $20,087.75, and the shipments
through Vancouver from the United States were val
ued at $1,380,000.00. The postcflice business last
year was about one hundred and fifty per cent great
er than for 1887, the stamp sales aggregating $11,.
579.10, money orders $114,793.99, postoilice savings
bank deposits $28,972.00, and the number of regis
tered letters mailed was five thousand. These figures
show specifically what advancement the city made
in the lines which are quoted, and when the fact that
the mercantile and manufacturing interests corres
pondingly increased in importance is considered, a
definite idea may be formed of the unusually rapid
growth which the city experienced; and this rate
of advancement has not in the least abated, but rather
increased. In another article in this number the val
ue and extent of the manufacturing industries of the
city are set forth.
The people of Vancouver take life easier than
those on this side of the international boundary. The
ceaseless hurry and worry that characterizes so many
American cities is almost entirely absent there. The
business (if the city does not get fairly to moving un
til about 10: 00 o'clock in the morning, and very littlo
is done, even in the mercantile trades, after 5:00 or
0:00 in the evening. The people are genial in social
intercourse, and seem to believe in enjoying life m
they go. Many tourists are attracted to Vancouver
by its society and its pleasant surroundings. It is
growing to be quite a pleasure resort Tho hotel
accommodations are most excellent in every particu
lar. Divertisements are numerous, and seem to have
very popular fascination, ttesides the attractions
of the city in its parks, drives, fishing, boating, etc.,
there are medicinal springs not far distant, and the
wilds of the mountains may bo reached a few miles
from the city, where all kinds of game are found in
abundance. There is railway and steamboat cornmu
nication to the numerous points of into rent in th in
terior and about the shores of that far-fara-d arm of
tho Pacific which separates the large island ofWn.
couvor from the main land of the continent A ri
through the wonderful archipelago lying to the south
westward of Vancouver, by any one of the several
routes radiating from the city, takes one through
somo rt i n,l Iwnntiful scenery in tlio
v. lug uiuoi tuuuuo " . i
wide enough to admit two boats abreast Tho islands
are of various sizes, some of them being tnero rocks
projecting above tho surface of tho water, and somo
bo large that farming and lumbsring and oven mining
operations are in progress on them. In almost auy
direction, when tho weather is clear, tho uneven line
of mountain chains is iu tho horizon. From the ho
tel verandas in Vancouver a considerable variety of
mountain scenery may bo seen. Of special interest
are the " Lions," on tho summit across Uurrard inlet
to tho northward. Tho rock formation thero closely
resembles two huge lions crouching sidi by sida on
the topmost peak.
In addition to tho great transportation lines of the
Canadian Pacific railway and tho steamship line to
China and Japan, tho city has connections with all
important points along tho Pacific coast Tho trans.
Paoifio steamship lino receives a subsidy of WOO,.
000.00 from tho Dritish government, and ths Ixiats
that have been employed in tho service during tho ei
perimental stage of tho lino aro soon to 1 superset!,
ed by new ones specially designed for that trade. A
steamer leaves Vancouver for Yokohama and Hong
Kong every three weeks. Steamers ply between Van
couver and all Paget sound txirts, both in and out of
the province, and to Portland and Han Francisco,
Recently a steamship linn to Australia, with govern
ment subsidy, has Ihmu established. It would seem
that tho city had all tho boat liues that could U de.
sired, but its only railroad is tho Canadian Pacific.
No loss than threo railroads extending to tho south
east are in contemplation, however, to tap resources
that at present have no convenient outlet, and to con
nect with tho Seattle, aU Shorn A l'.astrru and tho
IMIingbarn Hay road, thus getting other transoontl
nental routes to doing business in tho city. Th
prosjtect for the Iramediatn construction of theso
roads is very bright, and they must stimulate, a much
greater growth than has yet Uvn fiperlencnlln Van
couver. The. vast region tributary to Vancouver la t,1, M
a whole, almost entirely undevelojL Homa sections
have In-en projected with a fair degrea of thorough,
ness, and development operations am in progress,
showing that th" resources are. rich and abundant
Th mountainous character of most parts of thu pror.
inn, Intended to retard eiplorations, hitherto cod
fining them almost entirely to strips of country along
tun roast or on th more Important streams that drain
that region. Fishing, luml-ring. mining, cattlo ral.
ing and farming nisi, but they are all Inf.nt Indu.
tri,s and th isibtltirs which their full develop
ment will work are still, in a larg degree, a matter of
I. ins l--n done, howoref, to glv9
ronienun'. . . :
WnrU T- i st'umers go througn i i;,,..!,,,,. f txuis for a ratdd erowth
passage, between rocky islands, which seem scarciy