Part 22 (1/2)

”Friend after friend departs, who has not lost a friend?

There is no union here of hearts, that finds not here an end, Were this frail world our only rest, living or dying none were blest.”

CHAPTER x.x.xII.

THE BEGINNING OF THE ROYAL HOSPITAL AND PROTESTANT ORPHANS' HOME.

In Mallandaine's ”first directory” of Victoria, I note the following: ”We have an hospital started by Rev. Edward Cridge, and now sadly overburdened with debt.”

In course of conversation with Bishop Cridge one day I learned the history of this--the first public hospital of Victoria--which, in due course, became the Royal Jubilee Hospital.

It was in 1858 that one day a sick man was found lying on a mattress in Mr. Cridge's garden. The man admitted he had been brought there by certain parties, their names being known to Mr. Cridge. I asked Mr.

Cridge why they had brought the man to him, and clandestinely, too?

”Oh, they thought I was the proper man, and I suppose I was under the circ.u.mstances.” He continued: ”We set to work at once to meet the case, and temporarily rented a cottage owned by Mr. Blinkhorn, on the corner of Yates and Broad Streets, now occupied by the B. C. Hardware Company (the first patient's name was Braithwaite), and placed W. S.

Seeley, afterwards of the Australian House, at the north end of James Bay bridge, in charge as steward, and Dr. Trimble being appointed as medical officer in charge.” This was the beginning. Afterwards there was a wooden building erected on the Songhees Reserve, on the site of the Marine Hospital. Later on the hospital was again moved to Pandora Hill, and by the exertions of Mrs. (Senator) Macdonald, Mrs. Harris (wife of Mayor Harris) and Mrs. Cridge, a female infirmary was built there, but afterwards merged into a general hospital. It will be seen from this that my dear old friend, Bishop Cridge, as also Mrs. Cridge, were first in this most important work for the relief of the suffering humanity of Victoria. Nor was this all.

I might state that Mrs. (Senator) Macdonald, with Mrs. Cridge, were the founders of the Protestant Orphans' Home, through Mrs. Macdonald having a family of orphan children brought to her notice by some friend. She first of all found homes for the individual children; then as other cases were brought to her notice she, with Mrs. Cridge, took the matter up and rented a cottage, putting a Miss Todd in charge of the children. In course of time, the children increased, so that a larger building was rented on the corner of Blanchard and Rae Streets. Even these premises in time became too small, and another and final move was made through the munificence of the late John George Taylor, a member of Bishop Cridge's congregation, who left all his property, some thirty thousand dollars, to the founding of the present home.

Mr. Taylor, whom I had known for many years, told me of the great interest he took in these orphans. He paid daily visits to the home, and a.s.sisted in many ways to help it along. Bishop Cridge and Mrs.

Macdonald have seen these inst.i.tutions grow from the smallest beginnings to their present state of usefulness, which must be a source of congratulation to both.

Craigflower School House.

With respect to what has appeared in the paper lately _re_ ”Craigflower School House,” the following may be interesting:

In early days (1856) Rev. Edward Cridge held services at stated times in the school house, and later on services were held regularly by the chaplains of H.M. s.h.i.+ps stationed in Esquimalt harbor, and later on by Rev. (now Bishop) Garrett and Rev. C. T. Woods.

I quote from Mr. Cridge's diary, which is mentioned in his Christmas story of ”Early Christmas in Victoria,” that on August 24th, 1856, he held a religious service in the school house with Mr. Cook, the gunner, and Mr. Price, mids.h.i.+pman of H. M. S. _Trincomalee_.

In the Victoria _Gazette_ of August, 1858, Rev. Edward Cridge, acting for the Governor, examined the pupils and presented the prizes to the following: Jessie McKenzie, William Lidgate, Christine Veitch and Dorothea McKenzie.

The first master of the school was J. Grant; the second Claypole, and afterwards Pottinger, Newbury and Pope.

With respect to the building itself, I might say that it was built under the direction of Mr. McKenzie, of Craigflower. The lumber used in its construction was manufactured from fir trees on the ground in a mill built by mechanics sent out from England.

The residence of the late Mr. McKenzie, which stands to the west of the Craigflower bridge, was also built of lumber sawn in this mill, and not of redwood imported from California, as stated lately. There are several men and women living to-day who attended this school in the early sixties.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Craigflower School.]

CHAPTER x.x.xIII.

VICTORIA'S FIRST Y.M.C.A.

The _Colonist_ has been handed the following self-explanatory matter, bearing upon the founding in this city of a branch of the Y.M.C.A., which is of especial interest:

”Dingley Dell, September 29th, 1911.