Nanaimo, British Columbia, Saturday,
March 16, 1907
Evening Edition
The Men Who Helped Build Nanaimo
Jesse Sage and a Number of Old
Timers Treated of by M Bate in To-Days Letter On Early Nanaimo History.
(Continued from Last Week)
We come next to the House which was occupied by a well known resident in
the person of Mr Jesse Sage -- Mrs Sage, (recently deceased), one daughter
and three sons -- Princess Royal passengers 1854.
Mr Sage has been around all these years, actively engaged as Miner, Mine
Overman, Mine Contractor, Wharf builder and Janitor. He had charge of
the underground workings at No 3 Pit in 1861, and in partnership with Mr
George Baker had a contract, previously, for the extraction and delivery of
Coal from the Park Head Mines. In conjunction with his Son-in-law, Mr
Edward Walker, he in 1868, entered into an agreement, which he fulfilled,
for working out a section of the lower seam of coal on Newcastle Island and
for that purpose sank a slope at the back of the Adit, which had been driven
15 years before, and from which several thousand tons were mined. The
slope was opened through to the surface -- round the bluff in a Northerly
direction from the Adit entry, and a steam winch stationed there, to do the
winding.
For some sixteen years he was Janitor of the Provincial Government offices,
retiring in 1905 upon a well-deserved pension. Mr Sage is now in his
87th year. He is often seen, with snowy crown, on the streets, and though
not as sprightly as he used to be, he gets around among his friends, having
a cheery smile for them all. He has had a busy life. One of his
legs has been broken three different times, and is, as a consequence some
two or three inches shorter than the other. Verily our friend has seen
many "ups and downs". He took up land on Salt Spring Island over 40
years ago, and just recently sold it. He has resided on Mill Street
upward of forty years, and still has a home there. May he live to enjoy,
serenely, yet a few years amid the affectionate solicitude of his children,
grand-children and great grand-children.
Then, a little further on, came the house of Mr Richard Richardson, and
his wife (both deceased), and Job Langston, also deceased. The Richardson's
were passengers by the Princess Royal in 1854. Mr Richardson was a Miner.
He was an invalid for several years, and died at his residence, Haliburton
Street, 12 years ago, aged 85, in 1858, he went to the Fraser River, in quest
of gold. He was not long absent from Nanaimo, but on his return, he
represented that he had made his pile, and told his friends he would soon
be off to the Old Country. He walked around for a few days with affected
dignity, dressed quite stylishly, and assumed the airs that some persons
do when suddenly becoming rich. It turned out, however, that "Dick",
as he was familiarly called, had been playing a little deception, or exaggerating,
as to the amount of his wealth. His "pile" was a small sack of about
four ounces of dust, and that he had obtained by the sale of the outfit he
took with him to the "diggings". He had, it should be said, commendable
traits of character -- of the Good Samaritan type -- ever ready to aid the
helpless to the extent of his ability and strength.
Job Langston was a Staffordshire miner, a man of fine physique, who came
from Australia, where he had "made money". It was said that he arrived
on this coast "with a hatful of sovereigns". He went with the rush to
the Fraser River in 1858. He was absent from Nanaimo a year or two,
came back and soon after his return took up the land now known as Frew's Ranch,
near Nanaimo River, which he sold to Nicholas J Jones for 2250.00. Job
had been mowing on the Ranch in 1861 -- the bulk of the Hay used at Nanaimo
at that time came from the Delta of the Nanaimo River. Walking toward
the River bank, to get into his Canoe, he made use of his scythe to steady
himself down the slope. He slipped and fell on the keen edge, which
cut a dreadful gash in the fleshy part of his thigh. He was brought
to town by Indians, in a weak, fainting state, from loss of blood, and the
wound was dressed and stitched by Dr Benson, whose Dog, as before mentioned,
Job had chastised for biting him. Langston worked around Nanaimo and
Wellington until his health failed, when he entered the Nanaimo Hospital and
died there on the 10th of January, 1886, aged 60 years.
In the next house lived Antoine E Nelson, and Narcisse Montigny -- the former
a Norwegian, the latter a French Canadian. Nelson was going around with
his Arm in a sling -- he had severely burned while inebriated. He was
a carpenter of a good class. Hhis employment was making Doors, planing
boards, preparing tongued and grooved lumber for flooring, all of which was
done by hand. He made Pick Handles, Hammer Handles, etc., from Dogwood.
Dozens of fine trees were cut down for these purposes, and the "logs"
placed under cover for seasoning. He left Nanaimo in 1864.
Montigny was an Axeman who supplied Poles for House building, etc., etc.
He was an uncouth, gruff, customer, who used to have lively times with
the Iroquois, and other of his Tillcums. He let Nanaimo in 1858 for
Fort Hope.
The last House, in the front row -- a small one -- was occupied by Jonathan
Elliott, one of a number who were classified as assistant miners, but who
were variously employed as general laborers. Elliott went to Victoria
soon after the Hudson's Bay Company sold out the Nanaimo Estate, Mines, Machinery,
etc., to The Vancouver Coal Mining and Land Co., Limited. He there followed
the vocation of Gardener, and died there about a year ago.
Pass on down the hill to the house which (what remained of it) was lately
removed by Mr Thomas Dobeson, to make room for the extension of his Iron and
Brass Works. Henry Sampson and William Isbister were the occupants --
the one in the south end, the other in the North. Both of these gentlemen
had been in the service of the Hudson's Bay Co. at Fort Rupert and were "transferred"
to Nanaimo in 1852. Mr Sampson was engaged Carpentering. He assisted
to build the first Railway Bridges, Wharves, and many other structures. For
the past 40 years, about, he has been a resident farmer of Salt Spring Island,
where he has a valuable Estate. He was many years Constable there.
Although quite an old man, as far as years go, he is still up and doing,
and once in a while visits his friend Mr George Baker, of the Dew Drop Hotel,
Haliburton Street.
William Isbister is fairly well known in Nanaimo and District. He
too, came to Nanaimo from Fort Rupert in 1852. A stone mason and bricklayer,
he, with his helpers, built the Boiler seats and Chimneys at No 1 and No 3
Pits -- at Douglas Pit and Slope, and most of the house chimneys, in the "early
days". They were Chimneys, too -- thick enough for an embattlement,
no material spared. He quarried stone, made ...(unreadable)... washing,
as well as for building purposes. He had charge of the Indian laborers,
and other outside employees in 1858 - 9 and a lively pushing "boss" he was.
He was present at the discovery of the first indication of Coal at Wellington.
Acting under the direction of the late Hon R Dunsmuir, he one or two
prospect holes were the upper, or thin, seams, were found, but he did not
follow up the work. Mr Dunsmuir thereupon engaged James Hamilton to
continue the examination, and by him the coal was exposed. Hamilton,
a harmless, kind-hearted man, a few years afterward, was brutally murdered
by two well known Nanaimo Indians, one of whom paid the penalty of hanging
-- the other villian -- a son of "old Qualicum", which the public judged the
most guilty of; the town turned Queens evidence and died of consumption. Isbister
built one of the first houses "over the Ravine". choosing for its site the
knoll on the Crace Street side of Mr A S Hamilton's residence. He lived
there without a neighbor for a yar or two. When others "pitched their
tents" near him, he moved further away -- built the house at the Northwest
corner of Haliburton and Dickson Streets, which is now a Chinese laundry.
His last flit was to Victoria Road, beyond Chase River, where now,
in his declining years, he is resting after a long season of toil -- waiting
calmly and hopefully for the inevitable end. He bought Land in Cedar
District "below the Rapids" in 1860 -- cleared, ploughed, and planted a portion
of it -- raised fine crops of Turnips and Potatoes, which only rich virgin
soil could produce. Having no proper means of access to the Farm, he
became tired of it, and sold out. Trees, in the meantime, over forty
feet high, have grown on a part of the ground which had been cleared and
cultivated.