THE LATE MR. T. GEIGER.
About thirty-five years ago, maybe a little more, it was a fine
bright summer afternoon and rather warm. The sun beat down on the
awnings on the east side of Government Street. It was the custom then
for all stores to have wooden awnings with a kind of drop curtain
awning which rolled up and down, and on the summer afternoons it was
sure to be down. But to proceed; when all these drop curtains were
down the sidewalk was enclosed from one end of the street to the
other. Before I proceed to say anything more about these awnings and
sidewalks, I will have to admit that our city was not the Victoria of
to-day, and I am sure I shall hardly be credited if I assert that a
cannon might have been fired down the centre of Government Street,
and chances taken of not striking anyone. I mean that a time could
have been chosen when it could have been done with perfect safety. On
any of these quiet afternoons, a sudden uproar might have been heard
of a flock of geese alighting from a distance on Government Street to
feed on the sides of the streets on the grass that grew there. As
they passed up the street they chattered away, likely discussing the
quiet times which permitted them to make a feeding ground of the
chief business street of the city. During the time the geese are
chatting with one another, several little groups of Victoria's
respected citizens are having their afternoon chat on the several
topics of the day. I see them now, as I saw them then, a row of
chairs, some of them tipped back and the occupier perhaps smoking.
There was, likely, Alexander Gilmore, merchant tailor. Then half a
dozen guests in the front of the Colonial Hotel, which was next door
to Fletcher's music store; then Joe Lovett of Lovett's Exchange, and
then the subject of my little sketch, Tommy Geiger. He was well known
and well liked by all, and fond of a joke was Tommy. No one ever
thought of calling him other than "Tommy" in those good old days.
Very few fortunes were made in those days on Government Street, or
those summer afternoon chats, sitting on tipped-up chairs would not
have been held.
It must have been a slack time of the day to be able to enjoy
themselves in this free and easy manner. A customer goes into one of
these stores, the proprietor gets up, goes in to serve him, and then
returns to his seat to resume the conversation. They did not worry,
they lived quietly, were able to bring up their families as they
should, and to-day these families represent some of our best business
men. So I say "_requiescat in pace_." He was an enthusiastic
fireman in those days when volunteer firemen did so much for nothing
and that efficiently, too.
THE ROSTER OF THE "FIFTY-EIGHTERS" IN THE PROVINCE.
The following is a list of those who remain of the twenty thousand
people who arrived in Victoria from San Francisco in 1858, the first
year of the gold excitement:
Anderson, James R. November. Str. Cortez, from San Francisco. Ar. with sister; retired Deputy
Minister of Agriculture
Adams, Frank. July Str. Pacific, from San Francisco. Ar. young, with father and mother;
now with firm of E. B. Marvin & Co.
Allatt, Frederick. August 12. Str. John L. Stephens, Ar. young, with father and mother;
from S. Francisco. now carpenter and contractor
Alexander, March. Str. Oregon, from San Francisco. Ar. with wife and son
Charles.
Borde, August. April. Str. America, from San Francisco. Ar. with father and mother;
now Municipal Water Rates Collector
Booth, Samuel. September. Str. Cortez, from San Francisco. Ar. with brother
Borthwick, Ralph. July 7. Str. Orizaba, from San Francisco. Ar. single; hotel-keeper
Burnes, Thomas J. May 11. Str. Commodore, from San Francisco. Ar. single; hotel-keeper, now Customs
Officer; was prominent fireman in early days
Chambers, Walter. Ar. with father and mother
Cogan, August. Ship Oracle, from San Francisco. Ar. with father and mother
Mrs. George.
Collins, Henry. August. Ship Oracle, from San Francisco. Ar. with father and mother
Gribble, Henry. June. Str. Republic from San Francisco. Ar. single; gold miner, then
engaged in retail business
Harrison, July. Str. Brother Jonathan, Ar. with husband, son and daughter
Mrs. Eli, Sr. from S. Francisco.
Harrison, Eli. July. Str. Brother Jonathan, Ar. with father, mother and sister;
from S. Francisco. now Judge
Hastings, August. Ship Oracle, from San Francisco. Ar. with father, mother and sister.
Mrs. Oregon C. Maiden name Layzell
Helgeson, Hans. July 4. Str. Brother Jonathan, Ar. single
from S. Francisco.
Higgins, David W. July 19. Str. Sierra Nevada, Ar. single; newspaper proprietor,
from San Francisco. retired
Humphreys, Dec. 28. Overland, from California. Ar. single; gold miner,
William. now in Customs
Lombard, Charles. August. Str. Oregon, from San Francisco. Ar. with father and mother;
now in the optical business
Marvin, July. Str. Pacific, from San Francisco. Ar. with husband and son
Mrs. Edward.
McPhadden, Mrs. July. Str. Brother Jonathan, Ar. with father, mother and brother.
from S. Francisco. Maiden name Harrison
Moore, John. July. Str. Cortez, from San Francisco. Ar. with father, mother and brother.
Purser C.P.R. Co.
Moore, William. July. Str. Cortez, from San Francisco. Ar. with father, mother and brother.
Miner in Alaska
Moore, James. May. Via Bellingham Bay, Ar. single; gold miner
from San Francisco.
Phillips, July. Str. Pacific, from San Francisco. Ar. with husband and son.
Mrs. Alexander. Resident of Seattle, Wash.
Phelps, August. Ship Oracle, from San Francisco. Ar. with husband;
Mrs. Edward. now widow in this city
Scott, June. Barque George Anna, Ar. with husband;
Mrs. William. from San Francisco. now widow in this city
Seward, Thomas W. May. Barque D. M. Hall, Ar. single; gold miner
from San Francisco.
Sere, John B. June 11. Str. Republic from San Francisco. Ar. with wife and son;
was prominent hotel-keeper--Hotel de France
Stelly, George. May. Str. Oregon, from San Francisco. Ar. single; contractor
Wolfenden, Mrs. H. August. Ship Oracle from San Francisco. Ar. with father and mother
This list and statement has been compiled with the greatest care
by the undersigned, who has lived in this city continuously since
February 13th, 1859, when he arrived with his mother and three
brothers on the steamer Northerner, from San Francisco, Cal.,
his father, Thomas Lea Fawcett, having arrived the previous year,
July, 1858.
Sept. 1st, 1908.
EDGAR FAWCETT.
The undersigned, who has lived in this city since July, 1858,
certifies to the correctness of this statement.
D. W. HIGGINS.
Note--Since the original list was compiled in 1908, thirteen
have since died, leaving thirty-one remaining, as per above list, on
March 1st, 1912.