Another competent and reliable real estate agent is Mr. L. V. Wells, who has been a resident of Wenatchee for the past ten years and who has been successful both as a real estate dealer and as a rancher. His confidence in the growth of this community has been unbounded and the events have justified his faith. His personal success has been marked and his clients have profited by his experience. The growth of Wenatchee and the large amount of building that has been going on in the city and throughout the valley during the past few years are facts well demonstrated by the record of the Columbia River Lumber Company of this city, which has supplied a large part of the lumber which has been required for this construction work. So rapid has been the growth of this company that it has recently moved from its old location and abandoned its old lumber vards, and is now occupying a fine new threestory building, with protecting roofs, wherein the lumber is stored unexposed to the elements, awaiting the call of the buyer, who receives it in as fresh and satisfactory a condition as it was when it came from the mill. The Columbia River Lumber Company is a branch of the Skykomish Lumber Company, the parent concern, of which George R. Farr is president. F. W. Smith is the manager for the concern in this city. The Columbia River Lumber Company has been doing business in the Wenatchee Valley for a number of years, and its enterprise has gained for it a large number of customers in all parts of the upper Columbia River Valley, which is tributary to Wenatchee. This company deals in a most satisfactory manner, and its large growth of business proves that its methods are acceptable. A Bit of England on the Shores of the Pacific By Herbert Cuthbert WENTY years ago the T capital of British Co by putting unusual energy into beautifying the country, building palatial hotels, and in many other ways making the southern portion of the state attractive to pleasure seekers, particularly in winter. This advertising campaign' had the effect of drawing the attention of people in search of a holiday away from Victoria until that city with its attractions was almost forgotten by its old friends. and unknown to the younger generation. During the past few years, however, its citizens have awakened to the importance of acquainting the outside world with the opportunities and natural attractions it possesses and have carried out, on its own account, an advertising campaign which has done a great deal to draw attention of the people in the East lumbia, at that time recognized as pre-eminently fitted for the enjoyment of a vacation because of its charming situation and most delightful climate. With the advent of With the advent of enterprising railroads and their energetic passenger and advertising officials, however, other parts of the Coast have been exploited, and the advantages they possessed as attractive spots in which those on pleasure bent could enjoy a good time, have been made thoroughly known to the people not only of the Pacific Coast, but throughout the East. The State of Cali-ern States and in Canada to the beauties fornia has been built up by the enterprise of its people, and particularly through the railroads advertising its climatic and other advantages throughout the United States; and, not only in advertising, but of their own immediate neighborhood and to the whole North Pacific Coast, and, of the crowds of visitors who flocked to Portland last year to the Fair, many of them had their attention drawn to this part of the world for the first time by the Tourist Association of Victoria. Victorians feel that while they have reaped from this pioneer work for the Pacific Northwest a great deal of benefit during the past few years that now that the whole of the West is awake to the importance of diverting American tourist travel from Europe to western portion of their own country that Victoria's greatest reward is to come. The convention of representatives of Western States, cities, commercial houses, etc., which is to meet in Salt Lake City on the 25th of January, will be perhaps one of the most important gatherings of aggressive men ever held in any part of the world. These people will carry out on a large scale a work Victoria has dene on a small one, and the people of that city hope to receive a fair percentage of the business that will result to all Coast cities from the efforts of this convention, and so it should, for without detracting from any other portion of the Pacific Coast, there is, without question, no other city so capable and so well fitted in every way to cater to the Eastern tourist in summer as Victoria. Take its climate in the first place. What California is to the East in winter, that Victoria is in the summer. It is from five to thirty degrees cooler in Victoria in the height of the holiday season than in any other city. For the last ten years the temperature has only registered above 79 on three occasions, while it rarely falls below 73, except, of course, after sundown, and to the Easterner or resident of the Middle States, who knows what it is to have a summer temperature of from 90 to 110, the moderate temperature in this Canadian city is a very great factor in choosing a resort for a summer vacation. There is no reason why this climate should not be made the most of by the "See America First" movement in their advertising propaganda. The people of California have been co-operating with Victoria in this summer tourist business ever since the latter city commenced its campaign. Eastern tourists who visited California in winter, have invariably returned by Victoria, and, upon the completion of the new hotel which is now being erected in that city at the cost of $1,000,000, and which will add greatly to the already excellent hotel accommodation of the city, the volume of this business will enormously increase, and many of the tourists who come from the East to spend part of their summer in Victoria will undoubtedly return by California. The interchange of business, therefore, between the North and South of the Pacific Coast is likely to assume very large proportions during the years. next few see many of the customs of old England without actually visiting it. There are many beautiful places within from five to sixteen miles of the city that are ideal spots for a day's outing, the scenery along the various routes being varied and extremely interesting. The opportunities offered for boating and canoeing are unequalled anywhere in the West, the arm of the sea known as the "Gorge” running inland about four miles, affords perfectly safe water at all times of the year, while those of a more venturesome disposition enjoy being out at the mouth of the harbor or in front of Dallas Road and Beacon Hill Park. During the past year two public parks have been added to Victoria's assets as a residential city, both of them at the Gorge Bridge, one owned absolutely by the city and the other by the British Columbia Electric Railway. This company has spent a great deal of money in making the park into a popular resort by providing music and amusement, but its most pleasing feature is its naturalness which the company has wisely retained as much as possible. The scenery around Victoria is a great In recreation and sport it has more adfactor in attracting tourists and is of vantages perhaps than any other city on such a magnificent character that it has the Coast, all kinds of outdoor sports and almost always baffled description even by pastimes being indulged in by the young is nothing artificial about it. It is the people. It is the people. For years they have had the revelation of the Almighty's conception of championships in sculling and other aththe beautiful as exemplified in His per- letics, while there are innumerable refect work in the wonderfully enchanting sorts where trout fishing, both in lake and natural scenery which entirely surrounds stream, is exceptionally good. Driving, the city. No attempt has been made by motoring, riding and cycling upon the man to improve or adorn this perfect fine roads that radiate from the city afwork. It is as it came from its Maker, fords the very best recreation for visitors. centuries ago; centuries upon centuries before it stirred the heart and admiration of the early explorers and navigators, and enthralled Captain Vancouver when he first gazed upon its sublimity. This is no ordinary attraction. It cannot be purchased for the purpose of a city or Chamber of Commerce, neither can it be appreciated in a single day, nor from a single point of view. Victoria's greatest charm to the strenuous American citizens seeking a vacation is its restful character. The city is essentially English in all its features. It has not the rush and bustle of the usual type of Western city, but partakes more of the restful, quiet, unobtrusiveness and repose of the typical English city. Therefore it is very rare that a person spending his vacation in Victoria returns home without a sense of a new lease of life, and not as a good many people very often return, feeling that he has worked harder on his vacation trip than before he started. It must not be supposed, however, that the people of the city are not enterprising or progressive either in private business or in public affairs, only they do it rather after the style of the people in the old country from whence at least half of them or their ancestors came, and not after American methods. It is therefore extremely interesting to the people of the United States to pay this city a visit, and to those who will come from the East in response to the advertising of the "See America First" movement it will be one of the pleasantest portions of their trip to take that most enchanting sail across the waters of Puget Sound and the Straits of Georgia-inland seas-to this quaint and delightful city, for there they will Of the many points of interest, the handsome Parliament Buildings, splendid Museum, beautiful Beacon Hill Park, and many charming suburbs, it is impossible for me to speak in this article, but they afford every facility for visitors to spend many pleasant and happy days. Many of these places are reached by the tally-hos, observation cars, autocars, etc., that are now features of Victoria's summer sea sons. Therefore it is not to be wondered at that, apart from Victoria's importance as a commercial and industrial center, it is undoubtedly the natural summer recreation ground of the people of the North Pacific Coast. The Way of a Man and a Wife. "Down in Southern Oregon," said the Knight of the Grip, "there is a little town which I would rather make than any other town on the line. In the first place, it has a good hotel, and in the second, it has a cigar store which is just to my liking. "This store consists of one of those little two-by-twice cubby-holes, where there are smoking and chewing tobacco stowed away more kinds of cigars, cigarettes, cheroots, than you would think could be put in a place three times the size. The important part of it, however, so far as I, and for that matter, most of the natives, am concerned, is the back room. A cigar store, you know, without a back room is like a bar without a footrail. "In appearances this room doesn't differ from any other back room. That is to say, there are pictures of light-footed fairies smoking certain brands of cigarettes stuck up on the walls; there is a little stove in one corner; there are several 'horse-shoe' boxes filled with sawdust placed at the disposal of the guests, and there is a round table covered, or only partly covered as the result of much use, with faded green felt. "About six-thirty every evening this back room becomes interesting. Schmitz, the proprietor, turns over the cigar trade to his boy, and ensconces himself in a large armchair and begins to shuffle and re-shuffle a deck of cards. Soon, in comes Schnell, as scrawny and weazened a little Dutchman as Schmitz is big and plump. For twenty minutes they play cribbage, the stakes being five cents a point. Then in comes Klusmann, and the pastime becomes solo. Finally the quartet is completed by the breathless arrival of Billy Kritz. He immediately stops the game in progress and insists that he be permitted to sit in a 'leedle game of poker.' As Billy's method of play is more or less pleasing to the other three, they with somewhat too great a show of reluctance consent to his demands. The bank is established, chips are purchased, all pipes are replenished, and the game is on. "The luck of the game for Schmitz, Klusmann and Schnell ebbs and flows variously, but for Kritz it is generally on the ebb. When ten o'clock comes, he squares his account and looks around for his hat. "Where goin', Billy?' asks Schmitz. 'Say, py colly!' exclaims Klusmann, 'ain't it dat we all petter go to home alreaty?' "Nein!' exclaims Schmitz. "Yah, you pet!' Schnell mumbles. "What is it?' they all ask. "Py colly, I don't know why it is yet, but when I to home went every night when the clock ten times struck, und leaves you poys hier mit yourselfs, I gits hot mit myself. I say what for I was such a pig fool for to quit dot leedle game when maype I can dot five dollars win back if I stays? Dot's what I questions mit myself, und I gets hotter und madder mit myself. Und I gets poody mad mit mein wife alreaty, pecause, py colly, she don't like it very much when I don't home py ten o'clock git, und she don't quit saying somethings 'bout me till, py colly! I don't git no sleep alreaty. "Und every time while I was walking to my house alreaty, I makes my mind up und down dot when I comes der house in und my wife stooden up by der front door, unt her fists all doubled like dis up und resting her hips on, und says to me, "Billy, where you was been all dis time, alreaty"-when she says dot to me, I am going to say, "Py colly! it ain't none of your pizness where I was been.'' Dot was what I was going to say. Und every step what I tooken, I gets madder yet alreaty, und when I der door opens, und my wife she says, "Billy, where you was been all dist time?"-when she says dot, I yust up und says, "Oh, down to Schmitz's once.'' Py colly, dot's what I says every time alreaty.' * The First Thing. Mrs. Newwed-Oh, Mary, I want your advice. Tell me, do you think my new piano will look better in this corner or on that side? Her Friend-Goodness me! Are you going to have a piano? Mrs. Newwed-Yes, indeed; I have ten dollars saved up already. |