Oolichans & other stinky stuff; Spratt's Ark (was Re: Iskit/Secret Island

[Mike Cleven]

>From: Pass/Kishkan/High Ground Press <high_ground at SUNSHINE.NET>

>
> >LhaXayEm!
> >
> >Lhush chandi-ubut.  Good week-end.
>
> >Second:  Spratt's Ark.  Could it have been processing "sprats"?
>
>I don't pretend to know this but remembered seeing reference to Spratt's
>Fishery and Spratt's Oilery somewhere. Did a brief hunt in a very untidy
>study (I think of it as my midden...) and found a copy of the Vancouver
>Historical Journal from January, 1960 (this was published by the Archives
>Society of Vancouver, edited by Major Matthews and full of  his usual style
>-- exuberant and tangled....). This issue has a watercolour painting of a
>trail leading from Gastown to Spratt's Oilery, 1884, near the junction of
>Cambie and Water Streets. It also has a photograph of Coal Harbour,
>Spratt's
>Fishery, 1884. At the foot of Burrard Street, it seems to have been the
>same
>thing. But who or what was Spratt? Not fish, I think, but there is no text
>to let us know. When I can locate the copy of Matthew's self-published
>history of Vancouver which he presented to my husband when John worked for
>Matthews one summer, I'll see what I can find out.

Wow, Theresa!  I hate to point this out, but this kinda dates you guys a
bit, don't it?  ;-)  I am humbled by the auspicious company into which I
have fallen....

For all his historiographical faults and cultural prejudices, Skit Matthews
has turned out to be a major trove of historical and cultural resources for
early Burrard Inlet history (i.e. early in post-Contact terms!).  If you
were at all interested in getting a copy of the first two (published)
volumes of his "Early Vancouver" you can get hold of Steven Lunsford,
Bookseller (maybe 'ph' instead of 'v') in the Dominion Building (Cambie &
Hastings), who bought up all Bill Hoffer's stock when he passed away a few
years ago....the other five volumes remain unpublished by the Vancouver
Archives, who hold the original manuscripts that Matthews compiled.....(and
haven't acted on in seventy years!)

As far as Spratt's Oilery goes, I think there _was_ a Mr. Spratt who owned
the smelly old thing; but given Dave's comment on "sprats" this makes me
wonder if _he_ wasn't the original "jack sprat"....hmmmmm....not a
chinookism, but certainly a possible northwestern reference into the mother
tongue; Al Hartley, please note.....what ref does the OED have for "jack
sprat", BTW?

MC



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