f
the well-known firm of W. & J. Wilson, clothiers and outfitters,
which was then conducted by the father and uncle of the present
proprietor, Mr. Joseph Wilson. With the exception of the Hudson's Bay
Company, Hibben & Co. (then Hibben & Carswell) and Thomas Wilson, the
draper, the firm of W. & J. Wilson is, so far as I can remember, the
longest established in Victoria. I can remember being fitted
out there on occasions as a school-boy. Their advertisement in the
_Colonist_, with their autograph underneath, occupied part of the
front page of the paper continuously for years.

[Illustration: Government St., Northward.]

The two-story wooden building in the middle of the block, between
Trounce Alley and Fort Street, is the Hotel de France, kept by P.
Manciet, and one of the two principal hotels of that day. Next was
McNiff's grotto, Mon's Laundry, The Star and Garter, Thomas Wilson &
Co., drapers, and farther on the two-story brick building, now Hibben
& Co., and farther on south J. H. Turner & Co. Of course all will
recognize the name as that of the Hon. J. H. Turner. The firm
occupied the whole of the building up and downstairs, as drapers and
carpet warehousemen, and I might state that the late Henry Brown,
Walter Shears, late custom appraiser, and Edward White were on the
staff. Next is one of the two meat markets, owned by Thomas Harris,
the first mayor of Victoria. His prominent figure may be seen on the
sidewalk looking across the street. With my mind's eye I can see him
at the Queen's Birthday celebration on Beacon Hill. The chief event
of the year was the racing on that day, and the mayor was an
enthusiastic horse fancier, and a steward of the Jockey Club. These
celebrations were nothing without Mr. Harris. The bell rings (John
Butts was bellman) and the portly figure of Mr. Harris on horseback
appears. "Now, gentlemen, clear the course," and then there is a
general scattering of people outside the rails; the horses with their
gaily dressed jockeys canter past the grandstand, make several false
starts, and off they go for the mile heat around the hill and back to
the grandstand. Oh, what exciting things those races were! Another
prominent figure at these race meetings was John Howard, of
Esquimalt. The race meetings without Messrs. Harris and Howard would
not have been the genuine thing, and, I must not forget to mention
Millington, who always rode Mr. Harris' horses at these meetings. I
believe he is still in