Exterior of the Oriental Hotel – 306 Water Street; 1889, Vancouver City Archives

Karl stayed in Vancouver for the entire month of November, arriving on the 1st and departing on the 30th. In his last Chronicle, he mentioned boarding with eight other “Colchester boys” at the Oriental Hotel, a wooden structure built in 1888 near the railway terminus. The hotel quickly expanded that same year and became a popular lodging spot. By 1890, it had even acquired a horse-drawn "omnibus", which shuttled passengers between the hotel and the C.P.R train station. These omnibuses were notorious for cramming in up to 25 passengers, and the hotel often squeezed extra cots into rooms to accommodate more guests.

Karl wrote four letters to his sister, Mattie, during his stay, using the hotel’s stationery, which proudly advertised itself as "The Most Central and Oldest Established Hotel in the City," located directly across from the Hudson’s Bay Outfitting Stores. At the time, the Oriental was owned by John Meikeljohn and managed by Harry Edwards, a fellow Nova Scotian from Halifax.

The hotel cost Karl around $10 for the month for a shared room, with meals at another location adding an additional $3.50—quite a hefty sum for Karl. To cover his expenses, he found work checking train cars for the C.P.R. By June 1900, the Oriental Hotel had been sold at auction, and while it continued to operate until 1910 under Selby Baker, by 1911, the hotel had vanished from Vancouver’s landscape.

Karl’s letters to Mattie were dated November 7, 14, 17, and 22, 1899.

The following are excerpts from those letters to Karl’s younger sister:

November 7, 1899

Dear Mattie;

I do not know to whom I owe letters so I will write to you all and address it to you. I suppose it does not make so much difference who gets the letter so you all get word that I am all right, where I write. I must write something for the “star” soon that will be my first letter.

I had a look at the “Empress of Japan” one of the CPR boats running to Japan and China, she looks all right I guess it will be safe enough sailing on her. I got a letter yesterday from home and one this morning readdressed from Revelstoke. Needless to say I was delighted to hear from you all and to know people have not forgotten me.

Tell anyone who wants to write me, that they had not better lose much time about it as I am not going to stay here all winter. Perhaps no more than a month at most. It is about all I can do to write home, you should keep them posted you will not be able to hear from me so often after a while and you will never be able to tell when letters will arrive so you need not get at all anxious if you do not hear from me for two months.

November 14, 1899

Dear Mattie;

I was surprised at getting such a long letter from you and it was just as nice as it was long.

I never bother playing my piccolo and leave it in my baggage box most of the time.

Yes it is great fun going around the world perhaps I haven’t spoken to a girl hardly since I left. I do not believe I could get one if I tried however, I do not want one what could I do with a girl anyway? I do not think I will be able to get a girl in Australia or Zululand either I may get one in Borneo or the Fiji Islands but do not think I will bother. If I ever get one it will be in Nova Scotia but the great chances are I will never get one (tears are falling now). The prettiest girls I ever saw were in St. John and Nova Scotia in NB & NS I mean.

Some photographer wants me to go and get my picture this morning so I think I will go and be sure to save all those pictures I send. I want them when I get back. Henry McDonald, Evan Thomas, Barney Christian Boomer, Al Fisher, Jack McKenzie, and Arthur Carlos from Truro and myself got our picture taken Saturday. I may get one and send to you to lock up for me.

November 17, 1899

Dear Mattie

When I am not doing much I always feel like writing and reading, running around or something and when I see this writing paper laying around I pick up a pen and scribble away.

I send too many letters home I know, but after a few days you will not hear from this chicken for sometime about March 31st or April 1st somewhere along there but that is not so very long is it?

I am getting anxious to get away. I had to see the American Consul here to see if he would make out “articles” so as to clear the Captain of the Navy from any responsibilities for me after arriving in Sydney. The Captain said I would have to do this he thought I was so “small and young” that I would get homesick and I will not have to do very much work hardly any but I am going along with all of this so as to learn the whole thing. I’m out for experience - I guess I am getting it.

The steamship people are afraid to take me away from Canada as they take me for a kid with a desire to see foreign countries and it makes me laugh. I will get along alright in Australia. I will get there for the fall season and will strike Japan and China in good time too better than if I went there now people don’t like me now (so much ) that I will give it up a good many say “you’ll get along ok” and I will too. For pity's sakes don’t worry about me when I am sea for I will be alright. I will cross the Equator and will lose sight of the north star and will come in sight of the southern cross.

I met some Nova Scotians around here and tomorrow I think I will walk out to Port Moody to see that man who is anxious to see me, he knows every Creelman in N.S.

I did not get my pictures yet - be sure to keep them safely and not get them soiled or sunburned I want them when I get home will frame them.

I suppose you still get the “star” I sent them a letter the other day and will send another before I sail. I do not know whether they will publish them they may be badly written, I can talk better than I can write.

Send letters to “Mayor” of Sydney between xmas and January 14th or 15th will give directions for further mail then.

November 22, 1899

Dear Mattie;

I am going to run away to sea in a day or so and I suppose I had better drop you a line before I go. I don’t suppose I will get another letter from home for a day or so perhaps not until I get to Sydney. I will get word from home before any of you will hear from me that is after I set sail from here.

I wrote to Jean and Mary [Karl’s other sisters] from Port Moody the other day and to Ma yesterday so now will write to the rest of you tonight.

Now don’t forget when xmas holiday comes to write 16 sheets a day for the whole 3 weeks and send it all to Sydney in a half bushel basket prepaid don’t forget to tell the others to do the same. Sure now don’t forget I will be expecting it don’t forget whatever you do and when I get it, I will answer it all sheet for sheet so don’t forget and oblige.

Dear reader, these letters are so endearing between 21-year-old Karl and his 15-year-old sister. On the one hand, there is so much bravado while he awaits passage to Australia, making sure the Navy Captain is absolved of any responsibilities for Karl after he arrives in Sydney. It’s nice to know the Captain was looking out for our traveller and worried being alone on the other side of the world might be too much for the young Canadian. But I don’t get any impression from Karl that he was worried and saw the passage to Australia as part of the overall experience he was seeking.

At the same time, he wanted to stay connected with his family and his “fans”, continuing to write regularly to his parents, brother and sisters while also documenting his journey for the respective newspapers. “I was delighted to hear from you all and to know people have not forgotten me.” While appreciative of these letters, he’s also providing the directive of when to write and how often to write to make sure he gets all his correspondence while he’s in Vancouver, going so far as to request his sister and the rest of his family write 16 pages a day for the next 3 weeks and send to Sydney!

And as much as Karl is not worried about travelling alone and his passage on the sea to Australia, I do get the impression he is more fearful of women. Notwithstanding his ability to “get” a girl, at this stage of his travels, he hasn’t tried, keeping his heart for a local girl when he gets home to Nova Scotia.

Oh, and that reference to the piccolo?! This is the first time I’ve seen anything about him packing an instrument on his travels. What do you make of this dear reader?

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