Jan 19, 2019 — GREENWOOD, BC (BG)

In a previous feature story, "When the Empire Came to Greenwood", we talked about a special event that brought to Greenwood over 100 delegates from the Fifth Congress of the Empire Chamber of Commerce. The men were leading businessmen and industrialists from many of the world's financial capitals.

While it's fascinating to imagine the pomp and ceremony that must have greeted this delegation to the Boundary in September 1903, it was not the first or the largest group of its kind to be welcomed in Greenwood. Two groups had previously arrived in the Boundary, in September and December of 1899, and each group numbered twice that of the Fifth Congress delegation. Both these excursions were organized by the Canadian Pacific Railway.

An International Excursion

The first excursion, which took months of diligent planning, was mentioned in the Boundary Creek Times in May 1899, in an article about the Canadian contingent that would be joining other parties on this international sojourn._[1]

Another report in the Times on July 15, 1899_[2] noted that a leg of this mining excursion departed from New York City. In fact, two, if not three groups merged for the westward trip. Among them were members of the Canadian Mining Institute and the American Institute of Mining Engineers. Of the latter group, one party left from New York, one from Boston.

The Canadian Mining Institute members departed from Montreal on September 1st, picking up more men along the way in Ottawa, Toronto and eastern points. The group arrived in Revelstoke on September 8th after a stop at the Banff Hot Springs, then made numerous stops in the Kootenays.

The May 24th report on the excursion does not mention a stop in the Boundary, which was added to the itinerary a bit later in the planning phase. The delay was explained in the July Times report.

The excursion had also been mentioned in an earlier Times article that July_[3], in a report on the sixth annual Spokane Fruit Fair:

"A special excursion of mining investors from eastern cities is to be undertaken. From the present outlook it is expected that such excursion will be made, and that several hundred eastern people will participate."

As we mentioned in part three of our feature on the Fruit Fair:

"This announcement of a train excursion coming to the fair from Boston is interesting, given the news report of September 1898, when the C. P. R. was soliciting good specimens of Boundary Creek ores to exhibit at the Mechanics' Fair, Boston. It appears their effort was a success, and the Eastern capitalists were indeed convinced to come explore prospective mining investments in the Pacific Northwest."

Like the Fruit Fair article, the July 15th report tells us how important a role C. P. R. played in bringing the delegates to Greenwood:

"W. S. Keith, secretary of the Mining and Commercial Association, has received a letter from J. A. T. Bell, secretary of the Canadian Mining Institute. Mr. Bell states that the excursion of the members of the institute will be extended to the Boundary Creek District. They were under the impression that Boundary Creek would be difficult to reach, but the C. P. R. officials has assured them that they can come to the Boundary Creek district over their line. Under the circumstances, the members will be pleased to visit this district."

As late as September 16th, the Boundary leg of the trip still appears to have been tentative, as we read in a Times report from that date:_[4]

"There has been rumour of an excursion of Rossland and Nelson business men to the Boundary on the first passenger train, but this will be deferred, as the requisite rolling stock is not yet at hand." ~ Cascade Record

Additional background information on this delegation was provided by the Times:_[5]

EASTERN MINING MEN
Will Visit the West In Large Numbers This Fall

"A large number of eastern mining men will visit the west this fall. The members of the Canadian Mining institute have made arrangements for their excursions to the west and the American Institute of Mining Engineers will also come west this fall. They hold their convention in San Francisco and intend taking in the northern mining camps. The institute has its headquarters in New York City. It is not only one of the oldest societies in the country, but claims the largest membership of any organization of mining engineers in the world.

The delegates will not only come from all portions of the United States, but from Mexico, Canada, Australia, China, Germany, England, Peru, New Zeland. South Africa and, in fact, from every known mineral country zone on the globe. The institute expects to leave New York about September 10."

Those departing from the U.S. side on the excursion began in New York, coming by rail through Chicago, with stops at St. Paul, Butte, and Anaconda, then on to Portland and San Francisco. After the convention in San Francisco, the group made it's way back east, with many stops in the west and southwest U.S.

C.P.R. railroad locomotive #2860, c. 1900
[ Photo: UBC Library Digital Collections ]

A Canadian Excursion

Three months after the international mining tour, another group of some 200 businessmen arrived in Greenwood, in December of 1899, again organized by the Canadian Pacific Railway. This party was comprised primarily of Canadians, most from British Columbia. Among the members of this excursion party were businessmen from Vancouver, Victoria, New Westminster, Nelson, Rossland, Kaslo, Sandon, Fort Steele, New Denver, Revelstoke, Columbia, Grand Forks, Toronto, Idaho and London, England.

A week before the excursion was set to arrive in the Boundary, a Times editorialist delivered a rather stern scolding to the businessmen of B.C.'s west coast, admonishing them to take advantage of the tour organized by the C.P.R., and to not miss out on getting to know the Boundary's business environment._[6]

[They] have missed opportunities to expand the trade of the coast cities because many of them failed to realize that the whole of the province was not along the sea coast. … Today Victoria money is mildewing in Victoria banks while Boundary money goes to the wholesalers of Toronto and Montreal. There is no good reason why Victoria capitalists should not invest their money in Boundary Creek, and no better reason why Boundary Creek merchants should not purchase from coast wholesalers. Trade can be fostered and cultivated. The coast merchants who come on the C. P. R. excursion will receive a hearty welcome. Past difficulties will be forgotten."

The Times next offered a very detailed report of the event, with coverage of the party's destinations, their celebratory banquet, and an address from the Greenwood Board of Trade._[7]

COAST — GREENWOOD — KOOTENAY

Two Hundred Business Men Visit Greenwood as Guests of the Canadian Pacific Railway Company ~ Prominent Men of the Coast Cities and Kootenay Size Up the Situation in the Boundary District ~ The Reception by the Citizens of Greenwood ~ An Address of Welcome ~ List of Visitors/ Excursion Notes ~ The Extension of the Railway to the Coast

"Two hundred representative business men from the coast cities and Kootenay took possession of Greenwood on Thursday evening and retained possession. Like the shrewd men that they were, they knew a good thing and kept it. While here the town was practically theirs. They filled the hotels and the club, invaded the business houses, buttonholed business men, visited the mining camps and went away fully impressed with the idea that the liveliest, most enterprising town in the interior is Greenwood and that the Boundary district offers many opportunities for increased business in the several branches of commercial trade which the visitors represented. … The coast excursionists left Vancouver on Tuesday. The Nelson delegates met them at Robson. The party that reached Greenwood was 200 strong."

At a banquet given to the excursion party, the Greenwood Board of Trade's secretary, Mr. Gosnell, offered an address of welcome, which included the following praise for the Canadian Pacific corporation, by whose efforts the excursion took place:_[7]

"…of the Canadian Pacific Railway Company who brought you here and to whose enterprise much of our progress and possibilities are due, it is our duty to express our appreciation. While careful at all times to guard rights and interests, as affected by the operations of that corporation, we regard as of eminent benefit to the district the construction of the Columbia and Western railway, which it is quite proper to assume will soon place us on the short and main line to the coast, and the spur lines that have been built into the various mining camps about us.

So far, we are pleased to know that the returns in traffic have far exceeded the anticipations of the company, and this is only a foretaste of what will occur when the mines are shipping. None more cordially than the members of the Board of Trade and citizens of Greenwood desire to see the company for all time to come well rewarded for the expenditure of $5,000,000 thus entailed. No other fact, we may be permitted to observe, is more significant of what is contained in the Boundary district than that such an undertaking should have been assumed, largely on faith, by a corporation, the management of which is noted for great business capacity and wise foresight.

It is understood that the Canadian Pacific Railway Company is making arrangements to extend the line of the Columbia and Western railway westward to the main line. We believe this to be the most important enterprise, which can now be undertaken in this province, affecting the interests of Southern British Columbia and the coast cities, and we hope that you, who form so powerful a factor of the business community throughout the province, will extend to the project your utmost moral support and political influence.

In conclusion the desire is expressed that the present will be but one of many visits by you individually and collectively to this city and the right hand of welcome tonight is indefinitely extended. We say: "Come again; come often. Come and do business with us if you can, but come."

The Times coverage ended with a description of the excursion souvenir:

"As a souvenir of the trip, the excursionists were each presented with a handsome colored card folder. The outside had in one corner the Canadian flag crossed with the company's flag and the lower corner was a steamboat scene on the Arrow lakes. The wording was, "Canadian Pacific Railway. Complimentary excurson. Opening of the Boundary country, Kettle river valley, Columbia and Western Railway, Dec. 7, 1899."

Apparently not content to let the matter ride on his December 2nd chewing out, the Times editorialist did a follow-up piece after the excursion party had departed, this one directed to members of the visiting Boards of Trade:_[8]

"The excursion is of greater importance than the mere exchanging of amenities. Its influence should be provincial (using the word in its broad sense), not sectional. You enthused over a direct railway to the coast not merely because such a railway would benefit us, but because you thought, it would benefit yourselves. If your visit is to influence the upbuilding of this great province, you must look beyond the interests of Victoria and Vancouver. When we ask for representation that has been denied us for years, will you help us? When we demand those things that belong to us, although they may not interest or benefit you, will you help us?

The mining districts of Southern British Columbia never asked for anything but justice, but our efforts have been thwarted by you gentlemen of the coast. You thought that you were the whole province and we were not worthy of consideration. Now that you have visited us and have become acquainted with our possibilities and our requirements, will you take a broader view of provincial affairs? We hear your shouts of acclaim when a scheme is on foot to enable you to secure the business we built up without your assistance, but when you were not directly interested you never raised a finger to help us when we needed your assistance. If the coast and the interior are to be drawn more closely together there must be actions as well as words."

Back home on the Coast after the excursion, a writer for the Victoria Times offered a softer word of appreciation for the trip, and for the efforts of the C.P.R. staff who organized it:_[9]

"The C. P. R. have a faculty of finding genial and painstaking officials. Those who accompanied the party were untiring. Allan Cameron never stopped from the time he left Vancouver until his return, having an eye, an ear and a thought for every one. All will join in with Mr. Earle, who expressed the hope that some day it would be President Cameron. Then there was Captain Troup, who looked after the party while on the steamers; F. W. Peters, district freight agent for Kootenay; John G. Sullivan, Mr. Guetilus, A. B. Mackenzie, every inch of whose broad frame is filled with fun, and again everybody's friend, "Sid" Sykes. They can all tell a good story, and laugh at one, too, and can do as much work on as little sleep as the next man. What more could be desired?"

FOOTNOTES:

[1] Boundary Creek Times — May 24, 1899 p. 5
https://open.library.ubc.ca/collections/bcnewspapers/xboundarycr/items/1.0170514

[2] Boundary Creek Times — July 15, 1899, p. 1
https://open.library.ubc.ca/collections/bcnewspapers/xboundarycr/items/1.0170386

[3] Boundary Creek Times — July 1, 1899, p. 5
https://open.library.ubc.ca/collections/bcnewspapers/xboundarycr/items/1.0170384

[4] Boundary Creek Times — Sep 16, 1899 p. 5
https://open.library.ubc.ca/collections/bcnewspapers/xboundarycr/items/1.0170678

[5] Boundary Creek Times — July 15, 1899, p. 2
https://open.library.ubc.ca/collections/bcnewspapers/xboundarycr/items/1.0170386

[6] Boundary Creek Times — Dec 02, 1899 p. 4
https://open.library.ubc.ca/collections/bcnewspapers/xboundarycr/items/1.0170222

[7] Boundary Creek Times — Dec 9, 1899, pp. 1 & 8
https://open.library.ubc.ca/collections/bcnewspapers/xboundarycr/items/1.0170318

[8] Boundary Creek Times — Dec 16, 1899 p. 4
https://open.library.ubc.ca/collections/bcnewspapers/xboundarycr/items/1.0170316

[9] Boundary Creek Times — Dec 23, 1899 p. 2
https://open.library.ubc.ca/collections/bcnewspapers/xboundarycr/items/1.0170306