I.

THE CLOSING OF VIEW STREET IN 1858.

It is known to few only that View Street at one time reached from
Cook to Wharf Street.

[Portrait: Senator Macdonald.]

In the Victoria _Gazette_ of 1858 appear several items regarding
this street. A public meeting was called for by certain citizens who
considered themselves more aggrieved than the general public, in that
they, being residents of the upper part of View Street, had on coming
to business, to walk on to Fort or Yates Street to get to Government
or Wharf. Without any notice the street was fenced across on Broad
and also on Government. The _Gazette_ states that there was
great dissatisfaction at the fencing of the vacant space on
"Broadway" and Government Streets, which the paper stated was used as
a cabbage patch, and there was talk of pulling the fence down.

All the agitation seems to have amounted to nothing, for not only was
the fence not pulled down, but J. J. Southgate, one of the earliest
merchants of Victoria, erected a large wooden building on the street.
By referring to the engraving this building may be seen indicated by
a cross. Later on Southgate erected the present brick building which
Hibben & Co. have just vacated after an occupancy of forty odd years.
The _Gazette_ stated later on that the Governor had sold the
lots to Mr. Southgate, and that settled the matter.

That it was not intended that View Street should end at Broad
is evident, as Bastion Street was then known as View Street, being so
called in Mallandaine's first directory (1859.)

Mr. Trounce, who owned the land through which Trounce Avenue passes,
after the closing of View Street, decided to make an alleyway through
his property so as to more easily let his stores. This alley has been
open ever since, but used to be closed for a day each year for many
years after.

I might state that J. J. Southgate, who was a prominent Mason, called
a meeting of "all Free Masons at his new store on Monday evening,
July 12th, 1858, at 7 o'clock, to consider important matters
connected with the organization of the order."

T. N. Hibben & Co., who have just vacated this site after so many
years, have moved only once before since going into business on the
corner of Yates and Langley Streets, in 1858, by the firm name of
"Hibben & Carswell." The building is that brick one lately sold. Both
founders of this well-known and long-established business, together
with their bookkeeper who later became