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. ships 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, midshipman 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.
[Illustration: Craigflower School.]
CHAPTER XXXIII.
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.
"_R. B. McMicking, Esq., President Y.M.C.A._
"Dear Sir,--In searching through the files of the _Colonist_ of
1859 for items of forgotten lore that might be of interest to our
early pioneers, I came across the enclosed interesting account of the
forming of a branch of the Young Men's Christian Association in
Victoria fifty-two years ago (September 5th, 1859), and am sorry I
did not remember it sooner, so that it could have been read at the
opening exercises, but 'better late than never.' I shall accompany it
with some comment.
"In the first place, it is likely that all
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