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THE STORY
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MANITOBA
Howard
BIOGRAPHICAL -ILLUSTRATED
VOLUME III
WINNIPEG VANCOUVER MONTREAL
THE S. J. CLARKE PUBLISHING COMPANY
1913
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SIR JOHN SCHULTZ
BIOGRAPHICAL
SIR JOHN CHRISTIAN SCHULTZ, K. C. M. G.
For many years Sir John Christian Schultz occupied a central place on the
stage of public activity in western Canada. Becoming identified with the west
in the period of its pioneer development, he aided in shaping its history, in
promoting its progress and moulding its destiny. He stood as a type of the
ideal citizen in his devotion to the general welfare, in the nobility of the prin-
ciples which governed his life, and in his high and lofty patriotism. Honors
came to him alike from the people and from his sovereign, her Most Gracious
Majesty Queen Victoria conferring upon him the imperial honor of Knight
Commander of St. Michael and St. George on the 24th of May, 1895.
Sir John was born at Amherstburg, Ontario, January 1, 1840, the son of Wil-
liam and Elizabeth Schultz. He was reared in a military atmosphere, for
Amherstburg was at that time a military post of importance, and environ-
ment probably had not a little to do with shaping his early impressions and
inspiring in him a military spirit combined with a growing attachment to his
country which developed and strengthened as the years passed by, and was
ever a dominant feature in his character. The illustrious names of Brock and
Tecumseh were associated with the district and doubtless helped to inspire in
him the lofty and patriotic spirit that was characteristic of his whole life.
In the acquirement of his education he attended the schools of Amherst-
burg and Oberlin College, Ohio. Choosing medicine as a profession, he
studied at Kingston and afterward in the medical department of Vic-
toria College at Coburg, Ontario. The west With its boundless opportu-
nities attracted him and he utilized the vacation period of 1860, while
attending Queen's College, to visit the Red river settlement. There was no
railroad communication between the east and the west at that period. He
could travel by train only to Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin, from which point
he proceeded up the Mississippi river by boat to St. Paul, where he joined a party
bound for the Red river district, eventually reaching Fort Garry. From that
time on the lure of the west was upon him, he recognized its splendid oppor-
tunities, and he was not content until he became a factor in the development
of the great district, where has since been builded so important a part of the
empire. He returned that fall to Coburg and continued his studies through the
winter and graduated in the spring of 1861, at which time the degree of M. D.
was conferred upon him. He was then but twenty-one years old an age at
which most young men are just finishing their preparatory studies, and three
years younger than one is now permitted to practice medicine. His train-
ing, however, had been most thorough and his knowledge was not that
of merely a precocious mind. It partook of a most practical character, it being
sheer ability that enabled him to qualify for the medical profession at that
time. With the completion of his course he hastened again to the west and
immediately began studying the conditions which existed. The vast region
just opening up to settlement surrounded him and he recognized much of its
possibilities and opportunities. He looked beyond the mere material develop-
ment of the country and considered the graver and far-reaching questions of
government and public policy. He felt that the future should bring about an
5
6 THE STORY OF MANITOBA
indissoluble union between the territories and the Dominion and began pro-
mulgating this view among the people, endeavoring to awaken them to a full
knowledge of the possibilities which lay before them. He labored untiringly
to that end and his spoken and written utterances both carried weight.
Upon his arrival in the Red river settlement Sir John entered at once upon
the practice of medicine, and was soon prominently established in his pro-
fession; but he felt the weightier questions of public concern and all through
the earlier years of his residence in the west he sought to bring about the con-
ditions which he knew would be the foundation upon which would be builded
the future greatness of the country. His interests and his activities were varied,
but all seemed to tend toward one end the substantial development of the
country and its future good. Among these varied interests botany was to
him an attractive science, the study of which he pursued assiduously during
his college days. The west offered him excellent opportunities in that
direction, and he made an extensive collection of the flora of the Red
and Assiniboine valleys, especially along the line of the route from Pem-
bina to Crow Wing, Otter Tail Lake and St. Cloud, then known as the
"Old Red River Trail." The results of his researches and collecting he
gave to the world in a paper which he read in 1863 before the Botanical
Society of Kingston, which conferred upon him the degree of F. B. S. C.
The same year he was elected secretary of the Institute of Rupert's Land,
of which the Hon. William McTavish, chief factor and governor of Assiniboia
was the president. Before this organization many interesting papers were read,
and his collection embraced many interesting and curious specimens of Arctic
and sub-Arctic life, together with the flora and fauna of the more temperate
regions of Canada. Sir John became a very active, prominent and valued
member of the institute, was largely instrumental in establishing its museum,
and read before its meetings many papers on the prevailing diseases of Rupert 's
Land. He traveled extensively over the country and soon became an adept in
making his way through the swamps, over the ridges and across the unbridged
rivers. The settlement in the district was an isolated one, practically cut off
from all communication with the outside world, save as private parties traveled
to and fro. On one occasion he went to the east on a business trip and to
visit Ontario friends, and on making his way back again learned at St. Paul
that all communication with the settlement had been cut off, for the Sioux
Indians were upon the war path, the stage road was deserted, the drivers had
been killed, the horses used by Indians, and the stage stations had been deserted.
With his characteristic intrepidity and valor Sir John determined at all hazards
to reach his home to the north, and at a high price prevailed upon a man to
accompany him on the trip of four hundred and fifty miles through a hostile
Indian country to Fort Garry. They knew that their safety lay in conceal-
ment and thus they travelled by night, but at length were captured by a
marauding band of Sioux. It was only .through the greatest diplomacy and
tact that his guide convinced the Indians that Sir John was a "big medicine
man and a subject of the Great White Mother" (Queen Victoria), so that they
released him, and after many days of travel and privation he and his companion
reached Fort Garry. Their supplies were almost exhausted, for they had been
compelled to give from them with lavish hand to the Indians in order to be
allowed to continue on their journey. Through the earlier years of his resi-
dence in Winnipeg Sir John continued in the active and successful practice
of medicine, as well as engaging extensively in the fur trade of the country,
and at the same time took a most helpful and important part in shaping pub-
lic thought and action, owning and editing the only paper in the region at that
time, and guiding ever the destinies of this new and developing dis-
trict, which was afterward to become one of the great provinces of the Dominion
of Canada. It was in 1867-8 that he urged the union of all the provinces, and
his efforts to induce the confederation of provinces to include the Red river
settlement gained him the ill-will of many who desired to retain existing condi-
THE STORY OF MANITOBA 7
tions as they were. For this work he was afterward awarded the confedera-
tion medal. Lieutenant Colonel George T. Denison describes him as he appeared
at his introduction in March, 1869: "He was then quite a young man, under
thirty, of magnificent physique, with clear blue eyes, golden hair with a dash
of brown in it, an exceedingly erect carriage, a man who impressed one with
the idea of strength of mind and will power." Men even then were predicting
that he would become a leading figure in the history of the northwest after it
should become a part of the Dominion.
In the year 1867, Sir John was married to Agnes Campbell, the daughter of
James Farquharson, Esquire, of Kingston, Jamaica, and later of British Guiana,
and granddaughter of William Farquharson, Esquire, of Balmoral, Scotland.
Sir John continued in active connection with public affairs, ready to meet any
emergency and at all times displaying the utmost loyalty to the government and
his sovereign. The part which he took in suppressing the Riel rebellion con-
stitutes one of the most interesting and brilliant chapters of Canadian history.
But for the stand which he took the country now known as Manitoba would have
been cut off from association with other sections of Canada, through the efforts
of those who believed that the proposed union would injure their interests and
destroy their influence. These and other mistaken views and prejudices com-
bined, with the ambition of an opportunist, to bring on what was known as
the Riel rebellion. The constabulary of the country was not used to stay Riel's
rebellious course and he gathered to him a crowd of malcontents and others
until the number became so great that armed resistance was made to the
entrance of Governor McDougal, who after the purchase of the country by
Canada was being sent by the Canadian government into Rupert's Land to
assume control. The mails were captured, and there was no forcible opposi-
tion even when Riel and his followers took possession of Fort Garry with its
armament and stores. Thus encouraged the number of the rebellious
increased until they became quite formidable. In the meantime there was
a little band of loyal Canadians in the embryo village of Winnipeg who became
marked men when enrolled by Lieutenant Colonel Dennis to defend a quantity
of Canadian government stores. They were besieged apparently for no other
reason than that they raised the British flag and preferred to serve The Queen
rather than Riel. Cut off from wood and water, their provisions failing and
starvation staring them in the face, they accepted the terms offered of cessation
of opposition, and a guarantee of the safety of that which they were defending
and their own freedom after being disarmed; but the contracting party on
the other side Riel's representatives were not true to the conditions which
they imposed, and the thirty-nine defenders were marched with an escort of
three hundred and fifty armed men into an improvised prison in Fort Garry,
the number including such men as Messrs. Ashdown, Lynch, Archibald Wright,
McArthur, Eccles, Charles Mair (the poet), Thomas Scott, James Stewart
and others, including their leader Sir John. These men were imprisoned
for two months and Scott was afterward shot in a dastardly manner by
Riel's orders. For two months Sir John Was kept in solitary confinement,
without heating of any kind, when through a clever stratagem of his wife he
gained his liberty, she having conveyed to him a jack knife and three gimlets,
which he had to secrete for weeks working only after dark; but finally, on a
bitter cold night in February, 1870, he finished cutting out the little diamond-
shaped window panes from the window sash of his prison. Having removed
the glass from a space sufficiently large to permit him to put his shoulders
through, he made a rope by cutting his buffalo robe into a circular strip, and
upon this began his descent, knowing full well that capture would mean imme-
diate death. The rope broke before he reached the ground and he was precip-
itated with great force to the earth, injuring his hips and causing internal
injury that harassed him throughout his remaining days. This also made the
task of scaling the fort wall a most strenuous and painful one, yet he succeeded
in getting away without detection. Lady Schultz, after her release from the
8 THE STORY OF MANITOBA
fort became the guest of William Drever and his family. To this house Sir John
made his way, anticipating that his pursuers would look for him there, and
leaving his footprints as far as the door, there having been a fresh fall of
snow. From that point he leaped on to a cord of wood from which the snow
was blown, thereby foiling his pursuers. His injuries during all this time
caused him great pain, but he managed to make his way northward to the
parish of Kildonan and there about daylight found shelter and kindly wel-
come under the friendly roof of Robert McBeth, Sr. His pursuers meantime,
followed his steps to Mr. Drever 's house, again and again, but lost the trail
of his footprints from there on each occasion.
Sir John, after two or three days of extreme peril again made his escape
to the lower part of the settlements and from there organized a force
of loyal settlers and Canadians and was later joined by loyalists from Portage
la Prairie, headed by Major Boulton and Dr. Lynch. This force compelled
Riel to release the remainder of the prisoners. After a time, Sir John was
advised by his friends to try to leave the country as it was known that he was
the especial object of Riel's animosity, being the acknowledged leader of the
loyalists. His house and goods were confiscated and a price set upon his head,
alive or dead, by Riel, who was now in possession of the mail route, of great
stores, as well as seventeen cannon. and a stand of Enfield arms with bayonets.
Few more adventurous journeys have been made than that which Sir John accom-
plished on this return to eastern Canada, to make known the true situation at
Fort Garry. Beside the inducement to pursuit of a price upon his head, alive
or dead, a considerable force had been despatched to intercept him at the Lake
of the Woods, where roads to the east converged, and at other points. His
singular skill as a traveler through wild districts, and the daring and hardihood
of his character stood him in good part and were aided by the experience of
a faithful guide, much attached to him, and the adventurous pair succeeded
at last in reaching Duluth, after a month's journey by dog train and snow shoe
through one of the most difficult and inhospitable regions lying to the north
of Lake Superior, and in the latter part of a severe winter, a distance of over
four hundred miles. On his arrival at Duluth, gaunt, bleeding from the thongs
of the snowshoes and worn, old friends entirely failed to recognize him. When,
however, he reached eastern Canada, he was greeted with enthusiasm wherever
he went and was acclaimed the hero of the day. Riel, meantime, represented
all over the United States and in Canada as he supposed Sir John could never
reach civilization, but would perish by the way that he was the leader of an
unanimous uprising of an enraged and indignant people, and his Fenian allies
were not slow to exploit privately that here in the heart of British America
could be established a Fenian republic, which might afterwards become a state
of the Union. This was largely believed in the United States and might have
been believed in Canada and England, but for the fact that there were those
who, though few in number, had hoisted the flag and acknowledged the Queen.
When a rescuing force of many hundreds of loyal settlers compelled the release
of Riel's prisoners, all Canada saw that the rebellion was confined to a small
section rendered formidable mainly by its sympathizers and by the possession
of the only important fortress and most of the arms and ammunition in the
country. If Riel's plans had not been frustrated the Dominion would almost
certainly have lost forever the Canadian northwest its richest section. The
Civil war in the United States had but recently closed and its thousands of well
trained soldiers and officers constituted excellent material from which to draw
troops for Fenian designs. The Fenians met defeat in eastern Canada, but there
was found a vulnerable point in Manitoba in winter, when all outside com-
munication was cut off. Had Riel succeeded in making it appear that the
uprising was general, there would have been before spring a force of men
posted along the Red river and the boundary line in such manner and with
such strength that Canada would have been taxed to the utmost to dislodge
them. It is thus seen how important was the work of Sir John and the thirty-
THE STORY OF MANITOBA 9
nine loyalists. The band was small but the result was one of magnitude in its
far-reaching influences, and it would be hard to find a Canadian who does not
in spirit pay a tribute of appreciation and honor to Sir John and his gallant
followers, whose prompt action at that time proved to be the 1 crucial point in
making the western country a part of the great Dominion.
After the rebellion was over Sir John returned to the west and was elected
to represent the constituency of Lisgar, so named in honor of Lord Lisgar, in
the Dominion house, where he sat until 1882, when he was elevated to the senate.
Honors were multiplied unto him as the years passed by and his fellow citizens,
appreciating his worth, ability and loyalty, chose him as their representative
in many important connections. In 1872 he was a member of the executive
council of the North West Territories, and while thus serving, strongly advocated
the establishment of prohibition in the territories, an act which proved of incal-
culable value to the lonely settlers throughout the west and to the many others
then beginning to arrive, for during the period when prohibition was in force
there was no Indian uprising or trouble with the Red man. Sir John was
also active in urging the building of the Canadian Pacific Railway. From 1871
to 1874 he was captain of the "Lisgar Rifles/' a company which he raised and
which was the first volunteer rifle company in Manitoba. In 1872 he was one
of the governors of the Manitoba Medical Board, and the same year was made
a member of the Dominion Board of Health. He was likewise president of the
Southwestern Railway and a patron of many societies. He was active in the
adoption of the homestead system and in promoting surveys, and was respon-
sible for the adoption of the movement for the improvement of the means of
communication. He advocated especially the movement which gave Manitoba
its broad country highways, and up to the time of his death he continued arrang-
ing plans for bettering the condition of his less fortunate countrymen of the
far north, up to the Arctic circle. At the time of his demise he was making
preparations to introduce in that section the reindeer of Lapland as a means
of conveyance as well as an article of food.
The Indians, who had always trusted and loved him, and had shown their
devotion when he was pursued by detachments of rebels, found in him a con-
stant and stalwart champion. At a time when the question needed attention
and was regarded by many as a troublesome one, he delivered his famous Indian
speech which led to the humane policy pursued so successfully by the Canadian
government. As chairman of the senate committee on northwest food products
and during his regime as lieutenant-governor, he caused wild rice to be dis-
tributed widely wherever the natural conditions were favorable, so that it
could be propagated and conserved as food for the Indians as well as the wild
fowl. Sir John was chairman of the senate committee on the resources of the
great Mackenzie basin and was principally responsible for the report which
astonished the Empire by revealing a vast area of hitherto unknown possibilities
in what had been considered a useless and barren waste, while the then Canada
was regarded as only a narrow strip of country from ocean to ocean. Both in
the house and in the senate he embraced every opportunity for promoting
progress in the new provinces or disseminating information as to their resources
and opportunities, having almost boundless knowledge of these subjects. On
the 1st of July, 1888, he was appointed lieutenant-governor of the province
of Manitoba and served until a short time before his death in 1896. His strong
Canadian patriotism was the dominant note in all the speeches which he deliv-
ered during his term of office, and the seed which he then planted is now
bearing fruit and will do so for years to come. Through his public addresses
he did much to further the spirit of loyalty and patriotism among the young.
In 1897, after his death, when the public schools reopened in Winnipeg every
flag that waved over them, save one, was the gift of Sir John Schultz and spoke
eloquently though silently, of his fostering care for the patriotism and welfare
of the youth. At his passing Lady Schultz received letters from the public
bodies of Manitoba and from many prominent and distinguished men express-
10 THE STORY OF MANITOBA
ing the highest respect for her husband and their great appreciation for what
he had done for his country. He passed away, April 13, 1896, at Monterey,
Mexico, whither he had gone in search of health. His remains lay in state in
the parliament buildings and after a state funeral, held April 20, the funeral
procession moved to St. John's cathedral and thence to the cemetery. Every
possible mark of respect was paid to his memory, the funeral service being
attended by representatives of every profession and vocation, while resolutions
of respect and condolence were passed by all public and social bodies, not only
in Manitoba but throughout Canada, From the pulpit and the platform were
heard splendid eulogies, while the press editorially paid high tribute to him
who was regarded as Canada's most patriotic son. His comparatively early
death caused genuine sorrow, not only throughout Manitoba but throughout
the Dominion, and robbed the prairie provinces of a true and devoted friend, who
furthered their interests as no other man has done. A leading daily paper said
editorially at the time of his death:
"One by one the links that bind the present bustling, ambitious west to the
simple Utopian past of the Red river settlement worn through by friction
with the fateful years snap assunder, leaving sorrowful gaps in the chain of
time. The sudden death of Sir John Christian Schultz in far off Mexico, removes
another of that little band of adventurous pioneers who braved the hardships
and dangers of the plains in the early '60s to win fortune and position in the
unknown wilderness, the Red river country, which was then a name without
significance to ninety-nine hundredths of the people of eastern Canada. But
the young doctor, imbued with the enterprising spirit of his Norse ancestry,
saw visions of the possibilities of the great west, and, filled with a splendid
egotism resolved to do his share in reclaiming it from savagery and establish-
ing the nucleus of the new empire which his keen perceptions enabled him to
espy through the mists of futurity. That he fulfilled his self-imposed task
his most bitter opponent will not venture to deny and that under circumstances
that would have appalled one less determined. Afflicted with physical ailments
that would have overpowered an ordinary man, his fine physique and great
vitality held the remorseless foe at bay for years years of agonizing bodily
suffering but busy years of mental activity, clear-minded, determined, never
abated effort to advance the interests of his beloved west, interwoven so in-
timately as they are with those of the Dominion and the Empire. Every fibre
of his being was wrapped up in his country, and Manitoba never possessed a
better friend, Canada a more devoted son, nor the Empire a more loyal subject
than John Christian Schultz."
SAMUEL R. HENDERSON.
The Henderson family is one of the oldest in Manitoba, its identification
with the growth and development of this province dating back nearly one hun-
dred years. The progenitor of this family, in Kildonan, was Samuel Hender-
son, the father of Angus Henderson and the grandfather of Samuel R. Hender-
son, reeve of Kildonan. Samuel Henderson came from Scotland to the Red
river settlement, in 1815, as a representative of the Hudson's Bay Company.
Shortly after his arrival in the new country he joined the Selkirk settlers and
purchased lot No, 39, East Kildonan, thereon establishing a home for his
family. One day, however, he left home, became lost and was never seen nor
heard of again.
In the family thus left fatherless was a son, Angus, who was born in East
Kildonan on November 1, 1825. He received only such limited advantages for
an education as the schools of that time afforded. Reared as a farmer boy, he
made that his life business. He early engaged in farming on lot 39 and he
also broke the sod on lot 51, where he had twelve chains. He always followed
ANGUS HENDERSON
S. R. HENDERSON
THE STORY OF MANITOBA 13
mixed farming and his practical methods and unfaltering industry enabled
him to bring his fields to a high state of cultivation. He also kept as many as
eighty head of cattle for dairy purposes and likewise made sheep-raising a
feature of his business. He rode horseback for miles and miles over the country
looking after his cattle and other stock and was a well known figure of the early
days when the work of development was being first carried forward here. Angus
Henderson served as constable under the government of the Hudson's Bay
Company, and in the discharge of his official duties experienced hardships
that called for genuine courage and often bravery, yet at all times he not only
enforced measures for the public good but cooperated in organized move-
ments for the general welfare. He held membership in the Kildonan Presby-
terian church and died in that faith on October 28, 1903. He was one of the
earliest members under Dr. Black's pastorate of the Kildonan Presbyterian
church and for years was a member of the managing board. He was an excel-
lent type of the sturdy old-time Kildonan citizen who held to high ideals of
honor and integrity and caused his everyday life to be in keeping with them.
A man of good, strong mind, he wielded an influence that was of the best. He
married Miss Catherine McBeath, a daughter of Robert McBeath, Sr., and a
member of one of the Selkirk settler families who is mentioned elsewhere in
this work. Mr. and Mrs. Henderson became the parents of twelve children,
of whom seven are yet living: Samuel R., who is mentioned below; A. William,
who resides in Minneapolis; John B., a resident of East Kildonan and a mem-
ber of the firm of Henderson-Blanchard, real-estate dealers of Winnipeg; Vic-
toria, now Mrs. T. Allardice, of Vancouver ; R. George, of Duluth, Minnesota ;
Catherine J., now Mrs. R. W. Greig, of Winnipeg; and Janet, now Mrs. George
H. Greig, also living in Winnipeg.
Samuel R. Henderson was born in 1864, on the old homestead farm he now
occupies in East Kildonan, and is indebted to the St. Johns and the Kildonan
schools for the educational opportunities which were accorded him. His youth-
ful days were spent upon the home farm and he is still living upon the original
homestead which his father secured and developed. He has always followed
gardening and is familiar with the best methods of conducting agricultural
interests, having made a study of the soil and its properties and the best time
for planting the crops. That his broad knowledge is manifest in the excellent
results that attend his labors is well known and he has been chosen secretary
and treasurer of the Agricultural Association of Kildonan and St. Pauls and
has contributed largely to the success of that organization. In public affairs
he has for years taken a prominent part. He was councilman for East Kildonan
for twelve years and is now serving his fifth term as reeve of the municipality
of Kildonan, in which capacity he has given a public-spirited, businesslike and
progressive administration. Mr. Henderson has always been on the side of
progress, with the faculty of being able to look ahead and correctly anticipate
the good results and general benefit of some project that to many might seem
without merit. It is doubtful if the province contains a more conscientious or
capable public official in his capacity. He was one of the pioneers in the move-
ment for good roads in Manitoba and was the first president of the Manitoba
Good Roads Association, having served in that office ever since the association
was organized. Since Mr. Henderson became reeve, there have been fifteen
miles of gravel road constructed in the municipality of Kildonan. In a busy
and populous municipality like Kildonan the office of reeve is one not only
requiring business capacity and capability, but a great deal of the incumbent's
time, with no more compensation than in the less important ones, all of which
testify to the worth and public spirit of the official. Mr. Henderson has always
voted with the conservative party and has ever been ready and willing to lead
in any cause that, in his judgment, would be of benefit to the municipality, city
or province. Nor has he been neglectful of his moral obligations, taking active
part in the work and support of the Kildonan Presbyterian church, in which
he is serving as elder and also for fourteen years was secretary and treasurer
14 THE STORY OF MANITOBA
of the trust fund of the church missionary association, and since June, 1912,
has been secretary and treasurer of the trust fund of the congregation He was
for many years a member of the board of managers of the church. His activ-
ities in the work of the Sunday school have been long important. For several
years he has been superintendent of the Sunday school and for two years was
president of the County Sunday School Association He is provincial super-
intendent of the missionary department throughout the Sunday schools of Man-
itoba A lifelong resident here, he is well known and is familiar with the his-
tory of his section of the province, having for his entire life been a witness of
the events which have shaped its course and modeled its destiny. He has seen
towns and villages spring up and grow into thriving cities, has seen wild lands
converted into productive farms, has witnessed the building of the railroad
and the introduction of the telegraph and telephone and at all times has kept
in touch with the trend of general progress, desiring ever the benefit and improve-
ment of this region. Few, if any, citizens are rendering as valuable service to
their community, and there are none in Kildonan whose work along various
lines is as far-reaching and beneficial as that of Samuel R. Henderson.
HERBERT S. SHILSON.
Herbert S. Shilson, one of the most enterprising and successful business
men of Roland, where he is well known as the proprietor of a general store, was
born in Simcoe county, Ontario, September 25, 1869. He is a son of William
and Susanna (Whipple) Shilson, the former a native of Beeton, Ontario, and
the latter of Markham in the same province. The family is of English origin
and was founded in Canada by the grandfather of the subject of this review,
who came to Ontario in pioneer times and followed general farming. When the
father of our subject grew to maturity he moved to Simcoe county and bought
land, which he developed and improved until 1888. In that year he left Ontario
and came to Manitoba, locating in Brandon, where he remained one year. At
the end of that time he took up a homestead claim in North Melita and became
prosperous and successful as a general agriculturist. In 1907 he retired from
active life and went to Calgary, whence he removed to Vancouver, British Col-
umbia, where he and his wife make their home. While on his farm he became
prominent in local public affairs and held many important offices, including
those of school trustee and secretary of the North Melita district.
Herbert S. Shilson is the eldest of a family of five children. He received an
excellent education in the Ontario public schools and in 1889 joined his parents
in Manitoba. When the family removed to Brandon he entered the employ of
F. Nation & Company and retained this connection for ten years. In 1899
he came to Roland and established himself in the general merchandise business.
AJter one year, during which he had built up a satisfactory patronage, his
store was destroyed by fire, together with a large portion of his stock. How-
ever, Mr. Shilson did not allow himself to become discouraged but immediately
rebuilt it and from the time he again opened his doors to the public his success
has been uninterrupted and well deserved. His patronage expanded rapidly as
the quality of his goods and his straightforward business methods became more
widely known and it finally assumed such proportions that he was obliged to
seek larger quarters. In 1901 he moved into his fine new store, with a frontage
of sixty-six feet on Main street, added to his lines of stock and did everything
in his power to make the enterprise modern and complete in every particular.
He carries lines of general dry goods, clothing, furs, boots and shoes, china
and crockery ware and groceries. Everything is tastefully and attractively
arranged and Mr. Shilson 's large patronage has steadily increased, for the
people of Roland know that the styles and quality of goods which he handles
THE STORY OF MANITOBA 15
may be depended upon, as may be also his straightforward and upright business
methods.
In February, 1901, Mr. Shilson married Miss Charlotta Hill Burnett, a
daughter of James Hill Burnett, a pioneer in Ontario, who came to that prov-
ince from his native country of Ireland when he was a child. He died at the
age of eighty-seven and is survived by his wife. Mr. and Mrs. Shilson have
three children: Lorimer Burnett, who is attending school; Donovan Burnett;
and Wilma Charlotta. The family are devout adherents of the Methodist church.
Mr. Shilson is a member of the Roland Board of Trade and belongs to the
Orangemen and the Canadian Order of Foresters, and is a Master Mason. He
possesses the strength of purpose and the force of individuality necessary for
success in business, bnt these qualities do not detract in any way from his genial
and kindly nature, which has greatly endeared him to a large circle of friends.
WILLIAM J. BULMAN.
Ability commands success. This fact is proven effectively by the life and
works of William J. Bulman, president of Bulman Brothers, Limited, lithog-
raphers and printers, president of the Winnipeg Industrial Bureau and in
both capacities a power and force and a vital influence upon the present pros-
perity of Winnipeg and its future greatness in business and in standards of
citizenship. In every city there are men of broad charity and intelligent pub-
lic spirit, of high integrity and sincerity of purpose and of resourceful business
ability who are marked as leaders in development. Mr. Bulman is a man of
this class, foremost among the able men of Winnipeg not because he has won
conspicuous success in business and financial prosperity, but because he has
applied the power which his influence brings to lessening the hardships of his
fellowmen while at the same time directly benefiting the city. A native of
Ontario, Mr. Bulman was born in Toronto, April 5, 1870, and is a son of Wil-
liam and Frances (Cable) Bulman. The mother of our subject died when he
was only four years of age and afterward he was placed in charge of his grand-
parents.
Mr. Bulnmn acquired his education in the public schools of Brockton, near
Toronto, under the tutorship of Alexander Muir, the writer of "The Maple
Leaf." After he was fourteen years of age he spent his vacations learning the
lithographing trade under Alexander & Cable, of Toronto, and has continued
in this business since that time, a period of twenty-eight years. In July, 1892,
accompanied by his brother, Thomas Bulman, he came to Winnipeg and estab-
lished the firm of Bulman Brothers. They started the first photograph engraving
plant in western Canada and were so rapidly successful that at the end of one
year they added a lithographing plant. In the following year the increased
volume of their patronage justified further expansion and they purchased the
plant belonging to the Free Press. For a period of eight or nine years Bulman
Brothers operated the only photograph engraving and lithographing plant
between Toronto and the coast and the concern became important as an influen-
tial factor in the development of that section of Canada. In 1906 the entire
concern was destroyed by fire and after rebuilding the partners abandoned
photograph engraving, centering their attention upon lithographing, engraving
and printing. In 1907 Mr. Bulman of this review purchased his brother's inter-
est and formed a joint stock company under the name of Bulman Brothers,
Limited, retaining the offices of president and general manager. The expan-
sion which Mr. Bulman 's business has undergone since it was first established
in 1892 is truly remarkable. During the first year the force of employes con-
sisted of one small boy and today the company employs one hundred and sixty-
five hands and is doing business throughout Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan,
Alberta and British Columbia, as well as in many foreign countries. It is one
16 THE STORY OF MANITOBA
of the largest concerns of its kind in western Canada and much of its power and
importance is due to the able management and resourceful ability of its presi-
dent, Mr. Bulman.
Aside from his business prominence Mr. Bulman has won distinction in
another and perhaps still more important line of work. As president of the
Winnipeg Industrial Bureau he has found an outlet for his broad charity and
public spirit along lines which directly benefit his fellowmen. In 1910 he con-
ceived the idea which resulted in the organization in the same year of the
Imperial Home Reunion Association, formed for the purpose of assisting by
loans reliable working men who are willing to bring their families from the
British Isles to Winnipeg. The success of the association in this work is evi-
denced by the fact that in the first eighteen months of its existence it brought
to the city about eighteen hundred people and advanced forty-eight thousand
dollars for railroad fares. All of the credit for the formulation of the idea is
due to William J. Bulman, who in its working out has been ably assisted by the
business men of Winnipeg. The Hon. Robert Rogers was the first man to sign
the bond and the movement thus started has spread to such an extent that nearly
every city of any size in Canada has a similar organization in successful operation.
After Mr. Bulman had the Imperial Home Reunion Association under con-
trol and intelligently managed he gave his attention to another line of work, in
which he had been interested for a long time. He suggested to the Winnipeg
Industrial Bureau the idea that business men of Winnipeg should aid in teach-
ing the school children of the city something of business standards and condi-
tions by making addresses before them on the nature of their own particular line
of work. With the aid of Lieutenant Governor Cameron, of Manitoba, this idea
is being worked out successfully in Winnipeg. It is hard to estimate the impor-
tance of the work, for it touches a vital spot in the nation's life, the coming
generation. The children, in whose hands the future greatness of the Dominion
rests, are being taught modern methods and are becoming acquainted with pro-
gressive standards, and a work which up to this time has been left to chance,
environment and opportunity has been controlled and organized and is being
quietly accomplished in a logical way.
In 1895 Mr. Bulman married Miss Lilly Thompson, of Toronto, formerly a
kindergarten teacher in the public schools. They became the parents of five
children, one son and four daughters. Mr. and Mrs. Bulman are well known
in social circles of the city and Mr. Bulman holds membership in the Carleton
and Adanac Clubs. He is also affiliated with the Commercial Travelers Club
but has no extensive fraternal relations. No better example could be offered of
the power and force of honorable manhood, of high integrity and sincerity of
purpose as factors in success than can be found in the career of William J. Bul-
man, who has risen by the sheer force of his ability and resolution to a prominent
place among the representative men of Winnipeg. Business men owe him a great
debt for his work along constructive lines of development and for the standards
he has steadily maintained and the entire Dominion owes him gratitude for
the work he has accomplished in its interests and the opportunities he has given
its children.
THORSTEINN ODDSON.
Thorsteinn Oddson is at the head of the firm of Th. Oddson & Sons real-
estate and rental agents of Winnipeg, with offices in the Sterling Bank building
A native of Iceland, he was born at Husavik, December 6, 1864. His father
was Oddur Thordarson and his mother Gudrun Snorradottir. The former was
a farmer and sheep-raiser but both have now passed away. The son Thorsteinn
the youngest in a family of eight children, acquired a limited education in his
native land and early learned to value industry and perseverance In his vouth-
THORSTEINN ODDSON
THE STORY OF MANITOBA 19
ful days he mastered the carpenter's trade which he followed in his native
country until he reached the age of twenty-four years, when, in 1888, he came
to Manitoba, making his way to Selkirk. He was attracted to this district
through reports that were returned to Iceland by the early emigrants
here. He began working at the carpenter's trade in Selkirk and finally turned
his attention to general merchandising, but a period of hard times came on
and he abandoned his efforts in that connection. In the spring of 1901 he arrived
in Winnipeg. In the meantime he had become agent for the Northern Life
Insurance Company and in 1902 established his present real-estate business,
since which time he has enjoyed phenomenal success. One subdivision known
as Golden Gate Park which he recently sold for six hundred thousand dollars
returned to him a profit of two hundred and fifty thousand dollars. However,
he has specialized largely in the building of department blocks, terraces, homes,
etc.. and the firm of Th. Oddson & Sons, of which he is the senior partner, owns
and manages the Haselmere, the Komoka, the Kelona and the Kolbrun. They
are also owners and managers of Claremont Court, the Coronado apartments
and St. Paul terrace. They retain many of these properties as revenue-pro-
ducing real estate and their business is now extensive, growing and important.
In addition to his position as head of the firm Mr. Oddson is vice president of
the Columbia Press, Limited, publishers of the Logberg, an Icelandic liberal
paper, and is vice president and manager of the Revenue Investment Company,
Limited, of Winnipeg.
On the 23d of May, 1886, Mr. Oddson married Miss Rakel Sigfusdottir, a
native of Iceland, and they have seven children : Leifur. who is with his father
in business; Olaf, a daughter at home; Thoroddur, who is also connected with
his father in business; Laura, at home; Clara, deceased; Clara, the second of
the name, yet under the parental roof; and Rakel.
Mr. Oddson is liberal in politics but not an active worker in the ranks. He
belongs to the Independent Order of Foresters, to the Independent Order of
Good Templars and to the Lutheran church associations which indicate much
of the nature of his interests and the rules which govern his conduct. He is
quite active in church work, is very charitable and is interested in anything
that will help his own people. He has never had occasion to regret his deter-
mination to seek a home on the American continent and in the constantly devel-
oping business field of Canada he found the opportunities which he sought and
which have brought him to a prominent position in business circles.
FRANK D. BROOKS.
Frank D. Brooks, owning a farm of three hundred and twenty acres on
section 14, township 11, range 18, near Brandon, has become one of the leading
representatives of progressive farming in this vicinity. He was born in Quebec,
March 26, 1878, a son of John and Harriet (Bagsley) Brooks. The father came
to Manitoba in 1879 with his family and bought a farm which his son is now
cultivating. It was raw land but he at once began to cultivate it and make a
home. As the years passed it was brought to a high state of development and
many modern accessories were added to the farm, barns were built and other
outbuildings and also a fine residence, in which John Brooks lived until his
retirement. Since that time he has resided in Brandon, where he has many
friends. He supports the conservative party and is intelligently interested in
local affairs. He is a devout adherent of the Methodist church. His wife passed
away in 1898 and is buried in the Brandon cemetery.
Frank D. Brooks was reared upon the homestead and spent his early years
in school. After acquiring his early education he entered Brandon College and
for three terms took a commercial course and was thus well equipped for the
practical and responsible duties of life. When he put aside his books he began
20 THE STORY OF MANITOBA
working upon his father's farm and after the latter 's retirement rented the
land and finally purchased it. He has never left the homestead and is operating
it in conjunction with one hundred and sixty additional acres, the property of
his father. His buildings and improvements are of the best, his house being
modern and well arranged. He has good barns and outbuildings and all of the
latest improved machinery. Upon his property he carries on mixed farming,
specializing in the breeding and raising of stock, having twenty cattle, twenty-
three horses and twenty-five hogs. His fields are planted in various grains.
On November 29, 1905, Mr. Brooks married Miss Mary Campbell, a daughter
of Mr. and Mrs. Angus Campbell, the former a pioneer farmer near Elton.
Mrs. Campbell passed away in 1889 and is buried in Ontario. Mr. and Mrs.
Brooks have two children, Angus Campbell and John. The family are members
of the Methodist church.
Mr. Brooks gives his support to the conservative party, and is an active mem-
ber of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. He has lived in Manitoba since
he was a child and the fact that his most loyal friends are those who have
known him from boyhood is an indication that he is worthy of respect and
confidence. He has never sought any success except prosperity as a farmer and
he has realized that ambition by constant and well directed work.
ROBERT A. MARTIN, JR.
Robert A. Martin, Jr., is one of the active and progressive farmers and
stockbreeders of the Shoal Lake district, making his home in township 18, range
24, where he owns four hundred and eighty acres of valuable land. Over
thirty years have passed since he came into Manitoba and he has, therefore,
witnessed the evolution of a pioneer settlement into a productive farming dis-
trict, his own labors being important forces in the change. Mr. Martin was
born in Millbank, Ontario, January 23, 1866, and is a son of Thomas C. and
Jane (Bradley) Martin, the former a pioneer farmer of Ontario, who came
to the province from his native country of Ireland in 1824. He became exten-
sively interested in agricultural pursuits and as the years passed achieved
prosperity in his undertakings, being accounted one of the most successful
and prosperous farmers in his community at the time of his death in 1908.
He had survived his wife for eight years and both are buried in the McLean
cemetery. In their family were eight children, those beside our subject being:
Thomas, formerly a farmer, but now homestead inspector with residence in
Vista; Catharine, the wife of Peter McTavish, of Marney, Manitoba; Maria,
the deceased wife of Alexander Brown, of Gait, Ontario; Dorcas, who mar-
ried John Jones and resides near Listowel, Ontario; Jane, deceased, who was
formerly the wife of Emil Rush, of Oakburn, Manitoba; Mary, now Mrs.
Joseph McLennan, of Strathclair, Manitoba ; and William, residing in the Shoal
Lake district.
Robert A. Martin, Jr., acquired his education in the public schools of Mill-
bank and laid aside his books at the age of fifteen in order to assist his father
with the work of the farm. He also labored in the flax mills and continued
at this line of occupation until 1882. when he came to Manitoba. Afterward
he spent five years in the employ of the Hudson's Bay Company, resigning his
position with that corporation in order to engage in general farming. He
bought four hundred and eighty acres in township 18, range 24, near Shoal
Lake, upon which he still resides, and in the course of years has brought it from
a state of partial cultivation to be one of the most valuable farms in this
locality. He engages in mixed farming and has three hundred and twenty-
five acres under cultivation in grain, while the remainder affords pasture for
his fifty head of cattle and twenty-five horses, besides his fine herd of swine.
Most of his animals are pure bred and all are of high grade. Prosperity has
THE STORY OF MANITOBA 21
attended his efforts, which have always been intelligently directed, and he is
justly accounted a leading and progressive agriculturist.
Mr. Martin gives his allegiance to the conservative party, but has never been
active in public affairs, preferring to devote his entire time to the development
of his farm. He is a Royal Arch Mason, holding membership in the Neepawa
Chapter, and has taken the thirty-second degree. He is also identified with
the Independent Order of Foresters, the Independent Order of Odd Fellows
and the Loyal Order of Orange. He belongs to the Grain Growers Association
and his religious views are in accord with the doctrines of the Presbyterian
church. Mr. Martin is one of the most substantial farmers of this vicinity, well
known throughout the township for his diligence and enterprise, and he
deserves great credit for his present prosperitj^, which is due solely to his own
exertions.
THOMAS BRINKLOW.
Thomas Brinklow owns and operates a farm of six hundred and forty acres
on township 11, range 18, Brandon district, and his business qualifications and
genuine personal worth entitle him to be numbered among the representative
citizens of this district. His career is an example of the success to be gained in
agriculture by a man who is progressive, enterprising and energetic, and his
farm stands as an evidence of the value and usefulness of his activities. He was
born in Bedfordshire, England, January 6, 1866, a son of Joseph and Jane
Brinklow, who came to Canada in 1869 and settled in Ontario. His father is
now a prominent farmer in Saskatchewan. The mother of our subject died in
1900 and is buried in Limerick, Ontario.
Thomas Brinklow received his education in the public schools of Lenox
county, Ontario, and laid aside his books when he was nineteen years of age.
He immediately began working as a laborer upon neighboring farms and con-
tinued this work until he came to Manitoba where he worked for three years
before purchasing a portion of his present farm. He gradually increased his
holdings to their present extent and upon this property he has lived since 1895.
The place is highly improved, equipped with large barns, outbuildings, imple-
ment sheds, and a grain elevator, while the residence which was built by Mr.
Brinklow, a few years ago, is one of the commodious, substantial and beautiful
homes in the locality. He has recently fenced his land into convenient fields,
spending in this improvement almost one thousand dollars and this fact alone
shows the progressiveness of his spirit and the quality of his business acumen.
He does general farming, specializing, however, in stock-raising, keeping twenty-
four head of cattle, twenty-two horses, fifty hogs, and other high-grade stock.
He gives his support to the conservative party and is an active member of the
Methodist church. Viewed from every standpoint his life may be termed a suc-
cess, for he started out with no particular advantages at the early age of nine-
teen and realizing that there is not attainment without labor, put forth strenu-
ous efforts to achieve the measure of prosperity which he is now enjoying.
JOHN R. MCDONALD.
Among the successful farmers and stock-raisers in the district around Shoal
Lake is John R. McDonald, who owns and operates the family homestead of
four hundred and eighty acres on township 18, range 24. He was born in Bruce
county, Ontario, July 12, 1869; and is a son of Robert and Annie McDonald.
His father was a pioneer in Manitoba, having come to the province from his
native country of Scotland in the early days of its development and upbuilding.
22 THE STORY OF MANITOBA
He took up a homestead claim near Shoal Lake and brought his property to a
high state of cultivation, becoming largely known as a successful and representa-
tive citizen. He was a devout member of the Presbyterian church and in his
upright life exemplified its teachings. He died June 20, 1904, and is buried in
the McLean cemetery. His wife survived him two years, dying July 20, 1906.
She was laid to rest beside her husband.
John R. McDonald acquired his education partly in Bruce county and partly
in the public schools of Culross. He laid aside his books at the age of sixteen
and for some time afterward assisted with the work of the farm, gaining thus
practical experience in modern agricultural methods. After the death of his
father he inherited the original homestead and has since resided thereon, giving
practically all of his attention to its further development. He has made many
substantial improvements, has adopted modern methods and has done every-
thing in his power to put the property into excellent condition, and as the years
have passed his labors have been crowned with a degree of success which places
him among the representative and prosperous citizens of his community. He
carries on mixed farming and a great deal of his attention is likewise centered
upon stock-raising. He keeps twenty head of cattle and thirteen horses and
his animals command a ready sale and a high price upon the market.
Mr. McDonald married, at Shoal Lake, in November, 1904, Miss Christine
McLean, a daughter of Captain Allan McLean, of whom further mention is
made elsewhere in this work. Mr. and Mrs. McDonald have two children,
Archibald and Donald. The family are devout adherents of the Presbyterian
church. Mr. McDonald keeps in touch with what is being done in agricultural
circles of his section through his membership in the Manitoba Grain Growers
Association. He gives his political allegiance to the liberal party but has never
sought nor desired public office. He is, however, a very progressive and enter-
prising man, who supports loyally any movement for the general good. In
business relations he stands high in the esteem of his fellow citizens and the
success which has come to him is the just rewaid of his own earnest and per-
sistent labor.
J. RICHARD GRAY.
J. Richard Gray is engaged in business at Winnipeg as a member of the
Merrett-Gray Company, financial and general agents, with offices in the Donalda
building. His birth occurred at London, Ontario, in 1869, his parents being
Joseph and Ellen P. (Harding) Gray. The father came to Canada in 1855
and entered the service of the Great Western Railway (now the Grand Trunk
Railway) when it reached London, remaining with that corporation until his
death in 1896. The mother was a grandniece of Sir Francis Harding, of
Crimean war fame, and a grandniece of Admiral Pym of Plymouth, England.
J. Richard Gray obtained his education in the Collegiate School at London,
Ontario, and when eleven years of age went to Toronto as an employe of the
Mail & Empire Company, acting as "printer's devil" for three years. He
then became identified with the Grand Trunk Railway, remaining in the service
of that road at London and Toronto, Ontario, for fourteen years. In 1897 he
went to Detroit, Michigan, and worked for a book and insurance concern,
while subsequently he became connected with real-estate interests. In April
11, he came to Winnipeg and, in association with his brother-in-law, formed
the Merrett-Gray Company. They have since conducted a successful and
growing business as financial and general agents and have become well known
in this held ot operation.
In 1893 Mr. Gray was joined in wedlock to Miss Margaret Heffron of
Detroit Michigan who is a native of Dublin, Ireland. They have four chil-
dren: Archibald, Margaret, Alvaretta and Aynsley. The family residence is
J. RICHARD GRAY
THE STORY OF MANITOBA 25
at No. 56 Matheson boulevard, Winnipeg. Mr. Gray is a member of the
Ancient Order of Foresters, belonging to Court Forest City, No. 5744, of
London, Ontario; and of Ashlar Lodge, No. 91, A. F. & A. M., of Detroit,
Michigan, being well known and popular in his fraternal relations.
MICHAEL COLLINS.
Michael Collins, who for thirty years was secretary and treasurer of the
North Cypress municipality, with offices in the city hall of Carberry, was one
of the pioneer agriculturists of Manitoba. Although of Irish lineage in both
lines he was a native of the province of Ontario, his birth having occurred in
Wellington county on the 29th of February, 1844. His parents were Thomas
and Anne (Kelly) Collins, pioneer farming people of Ontario, where they both
passed away, the father's death occurring in 1892 and that of the mother in
1905. They are buried in Hasborough cemetery in Waterloo county, Ontario.
The early life of Michael Collins was passed in a pioneer home amid the
primitive conditions, where were produced those sturdy types of manhood, who
later helped subdue the west. In common with the majority of country youths
his energies were early directed along agricultural lines, although a large por-
tion of his time was devoted to the acquirement of an education until he was a
youth of sixteen years. He subsequently assisted in the cultivation of the home
farm until he was twenty, and then learned the carpenter's trade, which he fol-
lowed until he came to Manitoba. The year 1878 marked his arrival in this
province, where he filed on a homestead and later purchased a hundred and sixty
acres of land. His energies were assidiously applied to the cultivation and im-
provement of his property until 1912, but in May of that year he removed to
Carberry, turning his farms over to his sons. Mr. Collins met with more than
an average degree of success in the development of his land, which he brought
into a high state of productivity, and held the title to some of the most valuable
farms in his vicinity.
On the 29th of February, 1888, Mr. Collins was married to Miss Isabelle
Switzer, a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Daniel Switzer, pioneer farming people of
this vicinity, and to them were born five children. In order of birth they are as
follows: Thomas, who is on the home place; Michael, Jr., who was operating
another of his father's farms; Isabelle, who is at home; John, who is attending
school; and Anne K., at home. The family are adherents of the Methodist
church.
Mr. Collins had taken the degrees in the blue lodge of the Masonic fraternity.
His political support he gave to the conservative party. He was one of the early
settlers who came to Manitoba with little capital, but an inexhaustible supply
of energy and the determination of purpose which never recognizes defeat, and
was numbered among the prosperous citizens of Carberry. He died in Septem-
ber, 1912, and is buried in the Carberry cemetery, having passed away at
Rochester, Minnesota,
WILLIAM B. MARTIN.
William B. Martin, carrying on mixed farming, is one of the self-made men of
Shoal Lake and through his own labors has reached a creditable financial posi-
tion, being the owner of six hundred and forty acres of valuable and productive
farming land. His property lies in township 18, range 23, and he has lived upon
it since 1882, developing it during the years from a tract of uncultivated prairie
land into one of the valuable farms of this locality. A native of Ontario, Mr.
Martin was born in Millbank, Perth county, May 1, 1863, and is a son of Thomas
Vol III 2 '
26 THE STORY OF MANITOBA
C. and Jane (Bradley) Martin, the former a pioneer farmer of Ontario, who
came to the province in 1824 from his native country of Ireland. He died in
1908, having survived his wife eight years, and both are buried in the McLean
cemetery.
William B. Martin acquired his education in the public schools of Millbank
and laid aside his books at an early age. His parents were poor and conse-
quently Mr. Martin was not able to enjoy many educational advantages, being
obliged to earn his own livelihood when he was very young. His first position
was in a flax mill in Millbank and there he remained until 1882, when he came
to Manitoba, took up a homestead claim and established his residence upon it,
although he was too poor to immediately give all of his time to its cultivation.
For a number of years he worked at lumbering during the summer in order to
meet his current expenses, developing his farm during the winter seasons. The
tract was at first entirely destitute of improvements but with characteristic
energy Mr. Martin worked at its development, gradually bringing out of the
wilderness a productive modern farm. From time to time he added one hundred
and sixty acres tracts to his holdings, which now comprise six hundred and forty
acres, upon which are fine barns and outbuildings and an attractive modern
residence. Mr. Martin carries on mixed farming, believing this method to be
productive of the best results, and a great deal of his attention is centered upon
his stock-raising, his herds comprising forty head of cattle, twenty-seven horses
and fifty hogs, and he also owns a fine lot of poultry. Since 1888 he has owned
a threshing machine, being one of the first men to operate a machine of this
kind in this part of the province.
On December 27, 1899, Mr. Martin married Miss Elizabeth Simpson, a daugh-
ter of John and Catherine (Keith) Simpson, the former a pioneer wagon manu-
facturer of Shoal Lake, Manitoba. Mr. and Mrs. Martin have become the par-
ents of seven children: Catherine, Eva E., Wilhelmina and Margaret, all of
whom are attending school; Thomas; Alice; and Mary.
Mr. Martin gives his allegiance to the conservative party and for four years
served as councilor, doing able, progressive and straightforward work and
finally resigning his position. He is a member of the Presbyterian church, and
fraternally is affiliated with the Independent Order of Foresters and the Loyal
Orange Lodge. He is also a member of the Grain Growers Association and
the Grain Growers Grain Company. He is widely known around Shoal Lake
and his substantial characteristics have gained for him the warm regard and
unqualified trust of his fellow citizens.
CAPTAIN E. SYDNEY WOODIWISS.
Captain E. Sydney Woodiwiss is an enterprising and successful real-
estate dealer of Winnipeg, having here maintained offices in the Phoenix block
since the fall of 1910. His birth occurred in Derby, England, on the 13th of
December, 1871, and he is the seventh son of Sir Abraham Woodiwiss, now
deceased, who was engaged in business as a railway contractor and who spent
many years of his life in Derby. In the acquirement of an education, Captain
Woodiwiss attended school at Harrow, England. He served with the Imperial
Yeomanry in South Africa for a period of two and a half years or from Jan-
uary, 1900, until the close of the Boer war, being in charge of the Twenty-
seventh Squadron of Devon Yeomanry during the latter part of the time.
While in his native land he was a large exhibitor of Dachshunds and Schipperke
dogs and Dexter cattle and at various times won all the leading prizes in Eng-
land for both dogs and cattle, also acting as judge at many of the important
shows in that country. In 1903, when a young man of thirty-two years, he
emigrated to Canada and settled in the Binscarth district, where he cultivated
a tract of land comprising eight hundred acres for a period of seven years,
THE STORY OP MANITOBA 27
winning a gratifying measure of success in agricultural pursuits. In the fall
of -1910 he came to "Winnipeg and embarked in the real-estate business, in
which he has continued to the present time, dealing principally in Winnipeg
city property.
In politics Captain Woodiwiss is a conservative, but takes no active part
in public affairs. In fraternal circles he is known as a prominent Mason,
having held office in the grand lodge of Manitoba and also in the higher degrees
of the grand lodge of England. He is also a member of the Military Institute
and acts as adjutant of the Sixteenth Cavalry Field Ambulance. His religious
faith is that of the Church of England. He is justice of the peace for the
province of Manitoba. He has won an unassailable reputation for business
enterprise and probity, while the sterling worth of his character has con-
stantly gained for him the friendship of those with whom he has come in
contact.
JOHN LESLIE.
John Leslie, one of Winnipeg's foremost business men, who for more than
a third of a century has been identified with the mercantile life of that city, is
a native of the land of hills and heather. His birth occurred on the 16th of
August, 1852, at White Hill, in the parish of Colvend, Kirkcudbright, Scotland,
his parents being Thomas and Mary (Wilson) Leslie, the former a native of
Dumfriesshire and the latter of Kirkcudbright, In 1857 the family left Scot-
land and came to Canada, settling in Prescott, Ontario, where the father carried
on the business of merchant tailoring. He afterward removed to Spencerville,
where he conducted a similar business, but eventually settled in Cummins-
ville, in the county of Halton, removing later to Wingham, where his wife died
in 1899. The latter years of his life were passed at Listowel, Ontario, where
his death occurred on the 6th of June, 1906, at the age of eighty-five.
John Leslie was but a lad when his parents settled in Canada. His educa-
tion, begun in Scotland, was finished in the common schools of Ontario. He
served an apprenticeship at the carriage maker's trade in Milton, Ontario, and
in the spring of 1880 came to Winnipeg, arriving here on the 9th of April.
Throughout the intervening period he has been engaged in the furniture busi-
ness. Starting independently in 1885, his trade has constantly grown until it
has now assumed large proportions. The business built up by Mr. Leslie has
become the foremost one of its kind, not only in Winnipeg, but the Dominion as
well, and has long set the standard for others in the sale of high-grade furni-
ture. Catering to the most select class of trade and utilizing strictly honorable
business methods, the furniture house of John Leslie has acquired a reputation
for commercial integrity that stands second to none, in any line, in the Dominion.
Seldom will there be found a merchant with such a thorough knowledge of
his business in its every detail, and no small part of Mr. Leslie's success has
been due to his unusual mechanical skill and expert knowledge. Throughout
the whole of North America and especially in Canada he is known among the
leading dealers in furniture and is a recognized authority on goods of both
foreign and American manufacture. He visits Grand Rapids, the furniture
market of the world, several times each year to keep in touch with the newest
ideas in his line and his stock shows most attractive designs furnished by the
old as well as the new world. He is one of the best known and most popular
men in commercial circles of the province and has acquired a most enviable
reputation for reliable and progressive business methods. Besides his business,
Mr. Leslie has important outside interests, mainly in a number of financial
institutions of magnitude.
On the 27th of December, 1882, Mr. Leslie was married to Miss Phoebe
Andrews, of Milton, Ontario, and they are the parents of two daughters, Jessie
28 THE STORY OP MANITOBA
and Louise, the former the wife of Edgar Roberts, of Winnipeg. In social,
military and church circles, Mr. Leslie has also become widely known. Promi-
nent in Masonry, he is a past grand master of the order in Manitoba and honor-
ary past grand master of Saskatchewan, while in 1907 and 1908 he was grand
first principal Z of the Royal Arch Masons of Canada. He has attained the
thirty-second degree of the Scottish Rite. He was the founder of The Assiniboine
Lodge of Masonry, which now has a large and very select membership. Also
active in military affairs, he is captain and quartermaster of the One Hun-
dredth Winnipeg Grenadiers and he holds membership in the Manitoba, Carleton
and Canadian Clubs and the Military Institute. In the Canadian Club he is
an officer. Holding membership in the Knox church, he is serving on its board
of managers and is likewise one of the board of management of Manitoba
College. Both he and his wife are life governors of the Winnipeg General
Hospital. Mr. Leslie is a man of interesting personality, genial in manner,
kindly in spirit and at all times approachable. He holds friendship inviolable,
is devoted to the welfare of home and family and at the same time manifests
unfaltering loyalty in citizenship. Mr. Leslie has not lived solely to accumulate ;
he has always done his part as a public-spirited man and represents the type
of a citizen whose life record is inseparably a part of the history of the com-
munity that has been the scene of his activities.
MORRISON SUTHERLAND.
The student of Canadian annals does not carry his researches far into the
history of the development of the country without encountering the name of
Sutherland. Representatives of this family came to Canada with the Lord Sel-
kirk settlers and they have been prominent since that time in every phase of
Canadian expansion. They have fought in the country 's wars, aided in its
commercial progress and built up and promoted its institutions. In the early
days they traded with the Indians and developed farming lands. Being men of
signal ability and long established efficiency, they gradually became connected
with the official life of the Dominion as it was evolved and formulated and they
made their name honored alike in politics, business and the professions. One
of the most prominent representatives of the line at the present time is Morrison
Sutherland, who is carrying on an extensive real-estate business in Winnipeg.
His paternal grandfather, Alexander Sutherland, was the first of the name in
Canada and he died in the Dominion at the age of eighty-four. His wife was
in her maidenhood Miss Catherine McPherson. She came to Manitoba with
the first party of Selkirk settlers and was probably the first white woman in the
province. She died here in the eighty-eighth year of her age. On the maternal
side Mr. Sutherland is a descendant of John Macbeth, one of the most active
forces in the development of the country. He was one of the survivors of the
famous "Black Hole of Calcutta," a military man of high standing and broad
education, and he came to the Red River district in the interests of Lord Selkirk
before the first party of settlers was sent out. He lived to the venerable age of
one hundred and seven years and died respected and honored by all who knew
him. His wife was Miss Ellen Matheson.
Morrison Sutherland of this review was born on the original Sutherland
homestead at Point Douglas, Manitoba, December 17, 1850, and "is a son of the
Hon. John and Janet (Macbeth) Sutherland. The father was also born on the
Sutherland homestead, his birth having occurred in August, 1821. After he
grew to manhood he farmed and traded in a small way, importing goods from
England. He remained in the vicinity of Point Douglas until after the flood
of 1852, which washed away most of his possessions and greatly impaired his
fortune. In order to better his condition he moved to lot 86, East Kildonan,
and he there also farmed and conducted a general store for some time. All his
MORRISON SUTHERLAND
THE STORY OF MANITOBA 31
goods came in York boats by the Hudson bay route, arriving in Kildonan gen-
erally at the end of October. At the outbreak of the Kiel rebellion, in the
winter of 1870, the Hon. John Sutherland offered his services to the Dominion
government and he did able and important service during hostilities. He and
A. G. B. Bannatyne are recognized in Canadian history as the two greatest
factors in the suppression of the rebellion. Gradually Mr. Sutherland became
prominent and well known in official circles of the province. He was for a
long time a member of the northwest council and had the distinction of being
the first high sheriff of Manitoba. His able and conspicuously successful work
gained him rapid advancement in public life and he was afterward the first
senator from the province. In the family of John and Janet Sutherland were
fourteen children, nine sons and five daughters, six of whom are living, namely:
Donald, who resides in Kildonan ; Morrison, of this review ; Hector, an ex-member
of the provincial parliament of Manitoba, now residing at Summerland, British
Columbia, where he is engaged in fruit raising ; James, who is also raising fruit
in the same section; Ross, who resides at Victoria, British Columbia; and
Catherine, the wife of William Black, a son of Dr. Black, an eminent Presby-
terian minister. The names of the deceased members of this family are on the
list of the most able and honored of Manitoba. The Hon. Alexander M. Suther-
land was attorney general and provincial secretary in the Norquay govern-
ment before he was thirty-four years of age. He died while serving and
in his passing Manitoba and the Dominion of Canada lost a great official and
a worthy and highly esteemed citizen. John H. Sutherland gave his life to his
country in 1870, having been killed by a bullet wound during the Riel rebellion.
Another son born to John and Janet Sutherland was Dr. William Robert, who
married Nellie Richardson, a daughter of Dr. Richardson, of Toronto. She
is residing in Winnipeg with her three sons and three daughters.
Morrison Sutherland of this review is numbered among the most deservedly
successful men of the province. For almost forty years he has been recognized
as a great developing factor in the country, for his activities have included such
representative occupations as farming, freighting, the surveying and exploita-
tion of land and dealing with problems of immigration. He was educated
partly in the public schools of his native section and partly under private tutors.
He supplemented this by a course under the well known Dr. Black and when
he had laid aside his books returned to his father's farm, where he worked until
he was twenty-four years of age. In that year he became the owner of five
hundred acres of land, which he developed and improved on his own account
until 1874, when he became identified with the forwarding and freighting busi-
ness, transporting the first lot of goods ever sent during the winter time to the
northwest mounted police at Fort Pilly. He also carried supplies for the
government to the Indians and to the mounted police of the entire northwestern
country. In this business he was extremely successful and he carried it on
antil 1879, when he went west in the van of railway development, taking up
land in the vicinity of Medicine Hat and Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, which his
business instinct told him would be in the future one of the most valuable sec-
tions of Canada. He and his companion, Fred Ross, were the first men to plow
land in this district, tilling at this time three homesteads and bringing them
to a state of development and improvement. On the return journey to Mani-
toba Mr. Sutherland met the preliminary engineering party of the Canadian
Pacific Railroad and was made chief of the commissary for the surveying party.
In the discharge of his duties he spent the years from 1881 to 1883 and then
resigned in order to take up land at Medicine Hat, Alberta, where for two
years he ranched and also conducted a wholesale and retail meat business. In
1886, while a resident of Winnipeg, he was appointed by the Hon. Sir John
Carling, minister of immigration, to the position of land and immigration agent
at Medicine Hat, with the added duties of intelligence officer for the govern-
ment. He did able and efficient work in both positions and only resigned them
in 1889, when he was sent to British Columbia to take charge of the immigra-
32 THE STORY OF MANITOBA
tion on the whole of the mainland of British Columbia. All his energies and
his remarkable ability were given to this work until 1892, when he retired on
account of the change in government. In the same year he returned to East
Kildonan and settled on a farm adjoining his father's homestead. Here he
raised cattle and horses and also engaged in general farming, becoming rapidly
and deservedly successful in both occupations. In 1896 he added to his activi-
ties the duties of inspector of fisheries for southern Manitoba and the northwest
and those of assistant chief at the fish hatchery near Selkirk. However, he
still conducted his ranch and it was not until 1909 that he finally disposed of
this property and came to Winnipeg in order to look after his extensive hold-
ings in the city and throughout the province. He is numbered among the
prominent and able men of the province and is considered a worthy representa-
tive of his sturdy pioneer forefathers. The work which they started he has
carried forward to accomplishment and many sections of the great Dominion
are more advanced in business development and richer in resources for his
persevering and conscientious work.
In London, Ontario, in 1886, Mr. Sutherland married Miss Margaret Ander
son Hunter, who was born at St. Andrews manse in 1862. She is a daughter
of Archdeacon Hunter, a pioneer in Manitoba, who came to the province in
1835. Afterward he returned to London, England, but eventually established
himself in Manitoba. Mrs. Sutherland's grandmother was in her maidenhood
Miss Mary Macbeth, a sister of John Macbeth. She married Donald Ross.
The old Sutherland homestead at Point Douglas yet remains in the family and
is now owned by Morrison Sutherland. In it were born makers of Canadian
history, men of action, of assured ability, of effective public spirit, whose most
powerful qualities of character and mind have been handed down to their
descendants like Morrison Sutherland, developer and promoter, and a loyal
citizen. Mr. Sutherland resides in East Kildonan, which has much profited
by his activities and his loyal support of every worthy enterprise. He gave
the land in East Kildonan on which stands St. Stephen's Anglican church and
also gave substantially toward the erection of the edifice. He has always been
a member of the conservative party and a strong advocate of the principles of
that organization.
ALLEN REID.
Allen Reid is one of the most successful young farmers and stock-raisers in
the Brandon district. He displays excellent business qualities, is resolute,
determined, active, and energetic, and carries forward to successful completion
whatever he undertakes. He is the owner of four hundred and eighty acres
of valuable land on section 28, township 11, range 18, a property which has
been in his possession since 1911.
Allen Reid is numbered among the native sons, having been born on the
farm which he is now operating, June 5, 1887, a son of Robert and Mary
(Montgomery) Reid. His father came from Perth county, Ontario, to Stone-
wall, Manitoba, in 1878, and settled in that section. In 1882 he took up a home-
stead claim, the land being wild and unimproved. He immediately saw oppor-
tunities in timber and planted eight thousand maple trees upon his farm and
made general improvements, gradually bringing his enterprise to a profitable
condition. His success as a farmer gave him prominence in the agricultural
community in which he resided and by degrees he became interested in public
life. He has definitely abandoned farming and gives his attention to the able
discharge of his duties as secretary of the Elton municipality and to the con-
duct of the real-estate business with which he is identified. He resides at Forest,
Manitoba. His wife died in May, 1910, at the age of sixty and is buried in
the Humesville cemetery. In this family were six children: Allen, of this
review ; Georgina A., who married Otto Lau, and who passed away in 1892 and
THE STORY OF MANITOBA 33
is buried in the Humesville cemetery ; Sarah, the wife of James Morrison, a
farmer in Alberta; James "Wilmott, who is engaged in farming in the same
section; M. Robina, who became the wife of Alfred Lightfood, a farmer, in
Saskatchewan; and Mathew, a contractor and real-estate man of Saskatoon.
Allen Reid received his education in the district schools and has been
earning his own livelihood since he was fifteen years of age. After laying aside
his books he assisted his father in the farm work until 1908, when he rented
the homestead and has improved and developed it since that time, purchasing it
from his father in 1911. He does general farming, raising large crops of grain,
but gives his special attention to stock-raising and has attained some prom-
inence as a successful breeder. Each year he exhibits at the winter and sum-
mer fairs of Brandon and has received about sixty prizes for his pure-bred
Percheron horses. He has about twenty-five of these animals, besides twelve
head of pure-bred Shorthorn cattle. Mr. Reid has erected upon his farm a
pleasant home, and other buildings add to the attractive appearance of the place,
which is one of the most highly improved in the locality. He is practical in
his methods and his intense and well directed activity constitutes the basis of
the success which has rewarded his efforts as a farmer and stock-raiser.
On January 1, 1912, Mr. Reid was united in marriage to Miss Gertrude
Forsythe, a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Alexander Forsythe, pioneers of town-
ship 11, range 19. Mr. and Mrs. Reid have one daughter, Hazel Bernice. They
are members of the Presbyterian church. Mr. Reid gives his allegiance to the
liberal party, but his entire attention is given to the management of his
farm. He has based a distinct success in agricultural pursuits upon his prac-
tical methods, all the details of his business being ably conducted and care-
fully managed and his future prosperity is assured.
ROBERT MARTIN, SR.
Throughout the years of a worthy, honorable and courageous life, Robert
Martin, Sr., pioneer in Manitoba, has won a well deserved success in agricul-
tural pursuits and by his industry, unfaltering determination and high
integrity has gained an enviable place in the respect and esteem of the people
of the Shoal Lake municipality. He owns a farm of three hundred and twenty
acres in township 18, range 23, and is numbered among the most able and
progressive farmers of this locality. A native of Ireland, Mr. Martin was born
in Strabane, County Tyrone, January 4, 1830, and is a son of Robert and
Dorcas (Campbell) Martin, the former a linen weaver in the Emerald isle. The
parents of our subject later emigrated to Canada and both died in the Dominion,
the mother in 1867 and the father in 1872. They are buried in Bell's ceme-
tery, near Shakespeare, Ontario. Although the parents of our subject came
from Ireland, the family is of old Scotch origin and the line of descent is clear
for many generations.
Robert Martin, Sr., had very limited educational advantages. He left Ire-
land at the age of twelve and came with his parents to Ontario, where they took
up a farm in the bush. Under the hard conditions of pioneer life there was
work even for the children and Mr. Martin was obliged to help clear the land
and begin the work of development. He remained with his parents until he was
twenty-eight years of age, at which time they had advanced beyond the poverty
and hardships of their early life and had attained an enviable degree of suc-
cess. Feeling justified, therefore, in beginning his independent career, Mr.
Martin of this review bought land in the same county, cleared it of bush and
scrub and developed it until he came to Manitoba in 1879. In this province, he
settled first near the present site of Killarney. At that time, however, there
was no town in existence and the prairie rolled in an unbroken stretch in all
directions. Pioneer conditions prevailed everywhere and many were the hard-
34 THE STORY OF MANITOBA
ships and privations which Mr. Martin had to meet and conquer. With fine
courage and determination he faced this life, and, acre by acre, brought the
land which he had homesteaded and preempted under the plow. As the years
passed his prosperity grew and eventually he was able to make substantial im-
provements, building a fine residence, barns and outbuildings and installing the
necessary machinery. He carried on mixed farming, keeping twenty-two head
of cattle and seven horses besides a fine lot of poultry. Through his own
exertions and his progressive methods his farm gradually became one of the
most valuable properties in that part of the province and Mr. Martin con-
tinued to reside upon it until 1906, when he bought three hundred and twenty
acres in township 18, range 23, where he has since made his home.
Mr. Martin has been twice married. His first union occurred in Morning-
ton, Perth county, Ontario, in 1857, in which year he wedded Miss Eliza
Huston, who died in 1877 and is buried in Bell's cemetery, Perth county. She
left three children : Eliza A., the wife of Thomas Clark, a farmer near Brandon ;
Ambrozine, who married Harry R. Merrell, who is engaged in general agricul-
tural pursuits at Oxbow, Saskatchewan ; and Ida J., who married Leslie Merrell,
a farmer in Wapella, Saskatchewan. On February 14, 1893, Mr. Martin mar-
ried Miss Jeanette I. White, a daughter of William and Sarah (McBride) White,
the former a pioneer farmer near Ottawa. Mrs. Martin's parents have passed
away and are buried at Gloucester, near Ottawa. Three children were born to
Mr. Martin's second union, namely: Robert C., who is assisting his father; and
Mary Olive and Milo Alexander, who are attending district school.
Mr. Martin is a devout member of the Presbyterian church and fraternally
belongs to the Loyal Order of Orange, with which he has been connected for
many years. He does not give his allegiance to r^ny particular political party,
preferring to vote always according to his personal convictions. Although he
has already passed the eighty-third year of his age, he is still active and hearty
in spirit and interests and one of the best known and most highly esteemed
residents of Shoal Lake. Thirty-three years have come and gone since he ar-
rived in Manitoba years of earnest, indefatigable and useful work and
he deserves all the credit which is due to a man who wins his success by honor-
able and persistent labor.
.
FRANK R. EVANS.
Frank R. Evans, identified with building operations throughout the prov-
ince, with offices in Winnipeg, where the value of his work as an architect is
evidenced in many fine buildings, as well as in different cities of the west,
belongs to the class of representative men that the little rock-ribbed country
of Wales has furnished to the new world. He was there born in 1865, a son
of Robert and Eleanor (Nye) Evans. The father followed the architectural
profession in both Wales and England for fifty-one years. He was a native of
the former country and his wife of Kent, England. His death occurred in
January. 1912, but Mrs. Evans still makes her home near London.
Frank R. Evans was a student in Dulwich College of England and after-
ward entered Dublin University, which in 1884 conferred upon him the Bachelor
of Arts degree. He then returned to London and took up the study of archi-
tecture with his father, with whom he was associated in business until 1888.
Attracted by the opportunities of the new world, he came to Canada, making
his way to Winnipeg, while subsequently he located at Regina, Saskatchewan.
As an architect he was employed there until 1896, when he returned to Winni-
peg and in 1902 engaged in the private practice of his profession, establishing
offices on Pacific avenue. He has practiced continuously since and upon the
completion of the Somerset block, about 1906, removed to a suite of rooms in
that building. His work is not confined to Winnipeg but extends both east
and west. He designed the building for the Pauline- Chambers Biscuit Com-
FRANK R. EVANS
THE STORY OF MANITOBA 37
*
pany, for the Foley, Lock & Carson Biscuit Company, for the Ackland Wagon
Factory and has also been the architect of numerous schools throughout the
province, while many of the most beautiful residences of this and other cities
are accredited to his skill and handiwork. He has been a close student of the
great scientific principles which underlie his chosen profession as well as the
practical phases of the business and is familiar with the leading styles of
architecture of all the different ages.
In Regina, Saskatchewan, in 1894, Mr. Evans was married to Miss M.
Hamilton, of Carlingford, Ontario, and they have five children, Victor Hamil-
ton, Frank Robert, Eleanor Marion, Harold and Evelyn Margaret. Mr. Evans
votes with , the conservative party and his fraternal relations are with King
Edward Lodge, A. F. & A. M. He has never had occasion to regret his deter-
mination to try his fortune in the new world, for here he found the opportuni-
ties he sought, which, by the way, are always open to ambitious, energetic
young men. Through the improvement of these opportunities and as a result
of his constantly developing skill, he has gained success in business and is
regarded as a valued representative of the profession.
GEORGE SHERRITT.
Mixed farming and stock-raising engage the attention of George Sherritt,
a substantial agriculturist and representative citizen of Kelloe, who owns four
hundred and eighty acres which he has developed since 1881 from a raw tract
into a productive, modern farm. He was born in Wagner Corner, near Zurich,
Huron county, Ontario, and is a son of Thomas and Jane (Fee) Sherritt, the
former a pioneer farmer of Ontario and one of the first settlers in Huron county.
He came to that locality when it was a wilderness and took up land which was
covered with so dense a growth of timber that he was obliged to chop out a
clearing upon which to build his shanty. As the years passed he prospered in
his agricultural pursuits and became well known and widely popular through-
out the district. He died in 1873, having long survived his wife, who passed
away in 1858. Both are buried in the Bay field cemetery in Huron county.
The families on both sides were of Irish origin.
George Sherritt is one of a family of ten children born to his parents, seven
of whom are still living. He acquired his education in the district schools near
Bayfield but laid aside his books at the age of sixteen in order to assist his
father with the work of the farm. He remained at home until he had attained
his majority and then began his independent career, farming in Ontario until
he came to Manitoba in 1878. At first he took up a homestead claim near Rapid
City, the land being uncultivated prairie, and this he developed and improved
until 1881, when he bought a tract of four hundred and eighty acres in town-
ship 17, range 24, west of the first meridian, upon which he is residing at the
present time. In the beginning he met with many hardships and reverses, his
crop being almost entirely destroyed by frost for seven successive years. This
and the other difficulties which he encountered were faced with confidence and
courage and as the years passed his perseverance and hard work were re-
warded by success. His farm at the present time is one of the finest in this
locality, with three, hundred acres planted in grain and the rest kept as pasture
land for his herds of high-grade stock. Mr. Sherritt keeps one hundred head
of cattle and twenty horses, besides a fine lot of smaller stock. He owns his own
threshing outfit and his farm is equipped with the most modern and improved
machinery.
In Sheboygan, Wisconsin, September 3, 1872, Mr. Sherritt married Miss
Sarah Baird, a daughter of Humphrey and Jane (Fellice) Baird, the former
a pioneer in Ontario. He became successful as an agriculturist and was one
of the prominent men of his community at the time of his death. He and
38 THE STORY OF MANITOBA
his wife are buried side by side in the Grand Bend cemetery, Ontario. For
many generations this family was in Ireland, but i,t was originally of French
stock. Mr. and Mrs. Sherritt became the parents of ten children : John G., who
passed away at the age of sixteen years and three months and who is buried
in the Seaburn cemetery in Silver Creek; George Thomas, who passed away at
the age of five years and who is buried in the Newdale cemetery in Manitoba;
Mary J., who married George B. Shaw, a prominent farmer of Vista, Manitoba;
Ida Victoria, the wife of George M. Bolton, a grain buyer in Rossburn ; James
H., a farmer residing in Shoal Lake; William E., who engages in agricultural
pursuits near Wardina, Saskatchewan ; Margaret E., the wife of Thomas Keat-
ing, a farmer of Silver Creek, Manitoba; Thomas W. and George P., who are
assisting their father; and Stella M., a student in the Central Business College
Mra. Sherritt has shared all of the hardships and privations of her husband's
life as well as its joys and compensations, has ably supplemented his work and
proved herself a faithful and loyal helpmate and a worthy wife and mother.
Mr. Sherritt is active in religious work, holding membership in the Methodist
church and serving as superintendent of the Sunday school. He belongs to the
Manitoba Grain Growers Association and fraternally affiliates with the Loyal
Order of Orange. His political allegiance is given to the conservative party
and for many years he has served as school trustee. During his long period
of residence in this section he has witnessed many changes, for the conditions of
pioneer life have been replaced by the evidences of modern and progressive
civilization. As the years have passed he has prospered in his undertakings
and is now one of the substantial farmers and progressive citizens of his
community.
WILLIAM GRAHAM.
A mechanical skill trained specially and a business acumen intelligently
directed are the important factors in the success of William Graham, proprietor
of the Graham Machine Shops, at No. 414 Frederick street, Brandon. Since
the establishment of his independent enterprise he has made his efficiency prac-
tically effective in the building up of the business, the successful conduct of
which ranks him among the leading men of the city. He was born in Leeds
county, Ontario, January 2, 1880, and is a son of Henry and Salina Graham.
The father was for some years a ship carpenter in Ontario and died in that
province in 1886. His wife survived him until 1911 and both are buried in
Leeds county,
In the acquirement of an education William Graham attended the public
schools of Brockville township, Leeds county, but his advantages along this
line were limited because he was obliged to leave school at the age of thirteen.
Immediately after leaving school he began learning the plastering and brick-
laying trade and for three years followed this occupation, abandoning it, how-
ever, in order to take up the study of machinery in all its branches. At this he
worked for some time, conducting a sawmill in Ontario, and after coming to
Manitoba in 1901 followed his trade as a journeyman mechanic until he estab-
lished himself independently. He employs five people in his shops, which are
large in extent and intelligently managed, their owner being an expert mechani-
cian and an able business man. Mr. Graham's activities, however, are not con-
fined solely to the conduct of his business concern. In partnership with his
brother he engages in buying and selling real estate and together they built a
number of fine houses for sale.
On January 29, 1908, Mr. Graham was united in marriage in Leeds county
Ontario, to Miss Sarah Wilcox, a daughter of Mr. and Mrs, Charles Wilcox
the former a sawmill owner residing in Leeds county. Mr. and Mrs Graham
have two children, Marjorie and Charles. The family residence is at No 360
Frederick street.
THE STORY OF MANITOBA 39
Mr. Graham is a conservative in his political beliefs and interested in every-
thing which pertains to the advancement of the section in which he resides. He
belongs to the Orange Lodge and is a devout adherent of the Church of England.
While still a young man he has already accomplished a definite success, founded
upon special training and efficiency. He is a good financier and business
man and at thirty-two has gained a place among the important men of Brandon.
Practical and systematic in all he does, he has won that measure of success
which follows earnest, persistent and well directed labor.
HON. WALTER H. MONTAGUE, M. D., L. R. C. P.
Hon. Walter H. Montague, member of the privy council for Canada, was
born in Adelaide township, Middlesex county, Ontario, his famliy being an old
English family, a branch of which came to Canada at a very early day in the
history of the country. His father was one of the early settlers in the Adelaide
district. His mother was a daughter of John Humphries of the same township
but was born in the old land. Educated first at the public school and after-
wards at Woodstock College, Walter H. Montague engaged in teaching for
some time in both Middlesex and Norfolk counties, and began the study of
medicine in 1879, graduating in 1882 at Victoria University and taking a post-
graduate course and the Edinburgh qualification of L. R. C. P. in the same
year. First engaging in practice at Dunnville, Ontario, he afterwards took up
professional work in Hamilton, where he was appointed a member of the
medical staff of the General Hospital.
While professional and financial interests have largely claimed his attention,
Dr. Montague has at the same time become a prominent factor in shaping the
political history of the Dominion. For about fourteen years or from 1886 until
1900 he was a member of parliament for Haldmand and was minister without
portfolio in the Dominion cabinet during his career in the house of commons
He was known as one of the best and best informed debaters in the house.
Still higher official honors awaited him in his service as secretary of state for
Canada and afterwards as minister of agriculture. In the latter connection he
established a cold storage transportation system between Canada and Great
Britain and instituted various other improvements of far-reaching effect and
importance. For many years he took a leading part in the discussion of public
questions and at a great meeting held in Association Hall in Toronto in 1888
he moved the first resolution ever proposed in Canada for a trade arrangement
within the Empire. These and other vital Canadian and international problems
have always claimed his close' attention and deep consideration. He is a con-
servative in Canadian politics and strongly imperialistic in matters of the
Empire. He believes in Canada's taking a vigorous part in imperial affairs and
for many years has been a strong advocate of the consolidation of the Empire in
trade bonds. He has delivered important addresses in various parts of the
United States, including Chicago and Boston, of strongly Canadian and
British color, and is frequently invited to American centers to discuss interna-
tional affairs at public gatherings. In 1895 he delivered the principal address
at the unveiling of Sir John McDonald's monument in Kingston, the home
city of that great statesman.
Dr. Montague's wife was Angie Furry, a daughter of Elias Furry, J. P., of
South Cayuga, Ontario. Her father is a Fenian raid veteran and for a long
time held office in his municipality. He was one of the many Canadians who
visited California at the time of the gold rush in the early '50s. The children
of Dr. and Mrs. Montague are : P. J. Montague, B. A., a barrister of Winnipeg;
F. F. Montague, B. A., also a Winnipeg barrister; Mrs. L. J. Crossen, of
Winnipeg; and Blanche, who is with her parents in the provincial capital.
The family hold membership in St. Luke's Church of England, in Winnipeg,
40 THE STORY OF MANITOBA
and Dr. Montague is a past master of Assiniboine Lodge, No. 114, A. F. & A. M.
He belongs to the Rideau Club of Ottawa, the Manitoba Club and the St.
Charles Country Club and is an enthusiastic golfer and motorist. His identifi-
cation with public affairs has covered a period from 1883, when he first was a
candidate for parliament, and his record is clean. His statesmanship has
never degenerated to that level which seeks the aggrandizement of self rather
than the public welfare. Few Canadians have as wide grasp of public ques-
tions or have been actuated by as high motives in public service or in the dis-
cussion of the grave problems which are today before the Dominion. Coming to
Winnipeg in 1905, Dr. Montague engaged in business and is now conducting
a financial agency. He is largely interested in western investments and a
member of a number of financial companies. For several years he served on
the board of the Northern Crown Bank with acceptability. Although a busy
man he finds time to accept many invitations both at home and at distant points
to speak at public gatherings, where his services are much appreciated. He is
fearless in the expression of his opinions and this together with his wide knowl-
edge of men and affairs and his clear and lucid style upon the platform render
him a most effective speaker.
MARK FORTUNE.
The tales of heroic conduct in times of war will always arouse the enthusi-
asm and call forth the praise of those who hear them. But heroism is by no
means confined to the men who wear their nation's uniform and march to the
sound of the bugle. It has been manifest where there were none to witness and
none to record the story and with nothing but an individual sense of duty for
its inspiration. The world thrilled with the story of the heroism of the men
who, in the silence of the night, gave women and children over to the care of
the few who manned the lifeboats and quietly awaited death on the decks of
the steamer Titanic, which sank on its maiden trip across the Atlantic in April,
1912. When this ship went down it carried with it a man who had long occu-
pied a prominent and honored position in the business circles of Winnipeg
Mark Fortune, who as real-estate and loan agent had conducted extensive inter-
ests that were a factor in the city's growth and development as well as a
source of gratifying individual profit. He was born in Wentworth county,
Ontario, in 1847, was educated in public schools there and remained at home
until he attained his majority, when he went to San Francisco, California.
There he engaged in the general contracting business for about two years or
until 1870, when he resolved to establish his home in the Canadian west and
located at Winnipeg. Here he again engaged in the contracting business, to
which he did not confine his energies, however, for in addition he went south
to Emerson and purchased cattle which he brought to the north and broke for
the settlers to use in the cultivation of their land. As time passed on, he saw
opportunity for judicious investment in property, for with wonderful pre-
science he recognized something of what the future had in store for this great
and growing western country and, acting according to the dictates of his belief,
he purchased realty which in time netted him a handsome fortune. He began
dealing m real estate on a small scale, handling both city and farm property.
He made many of his investments at a time when others, having little faith
1 * v7 6 1 \ ture of thls cit ^ iaughed at him. But time justified the soundness
his judgment and he became the most active dealer in Portage avenue prop-
rty, believing that some day that thoroughfare would be the main business
t of the city. He erected there many buildings and the property in time
L him a substantial return upon his investment. For a time he was asso-
la l 6 Mr> Conklin in the conduct of a real-estate business and in
organized the real-estate firm of M. Fortune & Company. The busi-
MARK FOETUNE
THE STORY OF MANITOBA 43
ness grew to extensive proportions, Mr. Fortune concentrating his energies
upon its management with the result that close application and a thorough
understanding of realty values and opportunities for investment at length made
him one of the wealthy men of the city. The general real-estate and loan
business which he established is still conducted under the old name, the opera-
tions of the firm, however, being now confined entirely to city property.
Mr. Fortune was married in Winnipeg to Miss Mary McDougald, and unto
them were born six children : Robert H., proprietor of a fruit ranch in British
Columbia; Clara, now the wife of H. C. Hutton of the M. Fortune Realty Com-
pany; Ethel F. ; Alice E., now the wife of C. H. Allen, of Winnipeg; Mabel
H. ; and Charles A. Mr. Fortune was a man of domestic tastes and habits,
whose interests centered in his home and family, and who found his greatest
happiness at his own fireside. In 1911 he erected the magnificent home at 393
Wellington Crescent, where the family reside.
His political allegiance was given to the liberal party and he took an active
interest in municipal affairs, serving as alderman from the third ward in 1880.
He belonged to the Masonic fraternity and to St. Andrews Society, with which
he was identified for years. He was long an active member in Knox church,
in which he served as a trustee, and his influence and support, were for many
years a factor in the moral progress of the community. He was probably the
most expert of Winnipeg's curlers and took great interest in that sport. His
judgment was sound, his discrimination keen, his life purpose high and by all
who knew him he was held in the warmest regard.
While returning from a European trip and accompanied by his wife and
daughters, Ethel, Alice and Mabel and son, Charles A., as passengers on the
Titanic, Mr. Fortune and his son. Charles A., met death with the other brave
men who saw boat after boat loaded with women and children, while they stood,
quietly awaiting the end. They were not fighting for a principle or for a
nation's honor, but were victims of a reckless management that held life as of
less value than a speed record. Mrs. Fortune and her daughters were picked
up by the Carpathia, after several hours in an open boat, and landed in New
York. None who knew Mr. Fortune would ever question for an instant that
he would be among the lost, for he possessed that strength of character that
is ever ready for an emergency and that shines brightest in the hours of trial.
JOHNATHAN W. MANSFIELD.
Johnathan W. Mansfield is renting from his father a farm of six hundred
and forty acres on section 27, township 11, range 18, near Brandon, and is num-
bered among the progressive and substantial young agriculturists of this dis-
trict. He was born in Manitoba upon the farm which was his father's original
place of settlement in Canada, August 11, 1882, and is a son of Johnathan and
Elizabeth Mansfield. The father came to this part of Manitoba in 1882 and
here purchased a large tract of wild land, upon which no improvements had
been made. Though crops failed and were destroyed by frost and though many
hardships had to be borne, the elder Mr. Mansfield resolutely took up the work
of developing the farm and continued the task until success crowned his efforts
and he was able to retire. He resides in Vancouver.
Johnathan W. Mansfield of this review, is one of a family of thirteen chil-
dren. He received his early education in the country schools of his native dis-
trict, attending for two summers, but is largely self-educated. At an early date
he perceived the advantages of culture and learning and utilized his spare time
in the evenings by study and reading. When he laid aside his books he rented
the homestead from his father and now has one of the model farms in this
part of the province. He is interested in raising various grain and
also makes a specialty of breeding stock, keeping thirty head of pure-bred
44 THE STORY OF MANITOBA
Shorthorn cattle, nineteen horses and sixty hogs. The labor which he has
bestowed upon the place has made it a well improved and valuable farm which
in its attractive and neat appearance indicates his careful supervision.
On January 24, 1912, Mr. Mansfield was united in marriage at Toronto,
to Miss Blanch White, a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Fred White, the former
car superintendent on the Canadian Pacific Railroad. Mr. and Mrs. Mansfield
belong to the Church of England. Mr. Mansfield supports the conservative
party and is a loyal and public-spirited citizen of Brandon county. Although
he has been upon his present property only two years, his genuine personal
worth, his active life and his high principles have commended him to the good-
will, trust and respect of all with whom he has been associated.
ALLAN LESLIE.
The career of Allan Leslie is a splendid example of the value of hard work
and unfaltering determination in the accomplishment of success. With limited
means, without educational advantages, without friends powerful enough to
aid him, he came to Manitoba in pioneer times and after years of hardships,
discouragement, and seeming defeat, worked his way upward to his present
success. All that is sturdy, resourceful, upright and determined in the pioneer
character finds exemplification in his life and his prosperity is merely the
natural outcome of the quality of his work. His entire career in Manitoba has
been devoted to farming and he has made himself one of the most prominent,
progressive and enterprising agriculturists in the province. His farm com-
prises two thousand, one hundred and sixty acres in township 10, range 18,
and upon it he has made his home since 1886. He is a grandson of a pioneer
in Ontario, and a son of one of the leading farmers in that section, his grand-
father, George Leslie, having come to the province at an early date. He was
a soldier in the York Rangers. He entered the army as an advocate of the
tory cause but the experience which came to him changed his convictions and
he became a stanch adherent of the liberal party.
Allan Leslie was born in Peel county, near Brampton, Ontario, November 8,
1856, a son of John S. and Anne (McPherson) Leslie. His father was a
native of Ontario and is one of the prominent farmers in Peel county, where
he is residing. The mother of our subject died in 1859 and is buried in Union
Church cemetery in Esquesing township. Allan Leslie received his education
in the public schools of his native section, but his advantages along this line
were extremely limited. He studied until he was sixteen years of age, but dur-
ing the latter years of this period he attended school only during the winter
months, being obliged to drive a team for his father during the summer.
Determining finally to make his way alone he came to Manitoba. The resolve
was in itself, courageous for he had very little money and his methods of carry-
ing it out showed conclusively the quality of his character. He came by way
of the United States, walking from Winnipeg and fording the various rivers
on the way. After many weary nights and days upon the journey he finally
came to St. Boniface and took up a homestead claim in the vicinity of
Hamiota, locating his land on section 22, township 13, range 23. He imme-
diately began the development and improvement of his farm, working against
the hard conditions of pioneer life, bringing his wheat to Brandon, where he
sold it in the market for a' very low price. For the first year or two he barely
made expenses, but gradually conditions improved, his farm developed and
his success was assured. In 1904 he sold the original homestead, as he had
already bought part of his present farm of two thousand, one hundred and
sixty acres in 1886, which he has since cultivated. He has made extensive im-
provements, built a comfortable residence, barns and granaries, fenced his
fields, and has one of the finest farms in Manitoba, being accounted one of its
THE STORY OF MANITOBA 45
most successful and prominent pioneers. He has made a comfortable fortune
which he has invested judiciously, principally in Saskatchewan lands, owning
about twenty-four hundred acres in that section. He also owns twelve hundred
acres in one block, which he personally manages, west of Headingly.
His business interests are important and include his connection with the
Canadian Guaranty & Trust Company and the Canadian Phoenix Insurance
Company.
In November, 1897, Mr. Leslie was united in marriage to Miss Elizabeth
Stockdale, a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. George Stockdale, by whom he has five
children. Mr. Leslie has five children by his former marriage with Miss Jennie
Wiggins, a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. John Wiggins, who passed away in 1891.
Mr. Leslie's ten children are: May, the wife of Isaac Mitchell, a farmer, near
Douglas; John W., who is engaged in farming near Elkhorn; Jennie, who
married Robert Walker, a farmer who resides near Forest; Allan Cameron,
who is engaged in farming west of Watrous, province of Saskatchewan ; Esther,
the wife of Frank Dixon, also engaged in farming in the Watrous district,
Saskatchewan; George, who resides on his father's farm; James Sifton and
Victor, both of whom are attending school; Millie Christine; and Frank, an
infant.
Mr. Leslie supports the liberal party and has for eight years been reeve of
the municipality of Cornwallis and for six years a member of the municipal
council. He belongs to the Presbyterian church. He is prominent in the
affairs of the Independent Order of Foresters, but is not otherwise active in
fraternal circles. Mr. Leslie is a true type of the self-made man, who has'
developed his natural talents and energies along progressive lines of advance-
ment, never allowing unfavorable circumstances to shake his determination.
Inheriting the sturdy qualities of a long line of worthy and honorable men he-
has worked his way upward and by energetic and persevering labor has gained
a place of importance in the section to which he came as a pioneer.
DONALD GRANT.
i
Donald Grant, who owns and cultivates a farm of three hundred and
twenty acres in township 17, range 23, west of the first meridian and who is
numbered among the substantial agriculturists in the Shoal Lake district,
was born in Grantown, Scotland, January 23, 1851. He is a son of Alexander
and-Elspeth (Lawson) Grant, the former a prosperous merchant of Grantown,
who passed away in that city and is buried beside his wife in the Cromdale
cemetery. He was a man of exemplary character, high ideals and ambitions,
and from his youth was a lay preacher, doing much good in this way.
In the acquirement of an education Donald Grant attended the public
schools in his native village and completed his preliminary education at the
age of sixteen, after which he studied pharmacy. He engaged in this line of
occupation for nine years in Grantown and then went to Georgetown, British
Guiana, where he was successful as a druggist for four years. Later he
traveled through the United States to Halifax, Nova Scotia, and there con-
ducted a drug store for one year. This was followed by a period of travel
through Montreal and Sarnia to Duluth, Minnesota, and then by boat to Grand
Forks, North Dakota, and thence to Winnipeg, where he obtained employment
on the Canadian Pacific Railroad. He aided in the construction of the track
to Rat Portage, which was laid under the direction of Mr. Whitehead, a con-
tractor, and this position he retained for three years. At the end of that time
he joined James Boorman in a journey to Birtle, Manitoba, They traveled
with a yoke of oxen hitched to a cart and were also provided with one pony.
When they reached Birtle they did not remain but immediately turned back to
Shoal Lake, where Mr. Grant obtained employment under Robert Scott as clerk
46 THE STORY OF MANITOBA
and salesman in the latter 's general mercantile establishment. At intervals
for two years he held this position, working at times also for Mathew Thomp-
son, but he eventually determined to abandon commercial pursuits and engage
in farming. For sixteen hundred dollars he purchased three hundred and
twenty acres of land in township 17, range 23, his present property, and in
order to give his entire attention to its cultivation sold a, farm which he had
previously developed at Dauphin. Mr. Grant gives his attention to raising
grain and also to the breeding of high grade horses, and being a man of fine
discrimination and keen business ability, has made both departments of his
enterprise profitable. He is always interested in enterprises which have for
their object the further advancement of the Shoal Lake district, particularly
along agricultural lines, and is a shareholder in the Grain Growers Grain
Company of Winnipeg. He gives his allegiance to the liberal party and is
progressive and public-spirited in his citizenship, although he never seeks
public office. He is numbered among the substantial farmers of his township
and all that he has he acquired through his own efforts and through his own
ambition, patience and perseverance.
DONALD MORRISON.
Donald Morrison is a grain merchant of Winnipeg whose close application
and keen discernment in business affairs have enabled him to pass on- the high-
way of life many who perhaps started out before him or who were accorded
better advantages. He was born at Habost, Ness, on the island of Lewis, Ross-
shire, Scotland, October 22, 1862, and is a son of Donald and Margaret (Morri-
son) Morrison, who were likewise natives of Ross-shire. His educational oppor-
tunities were those afforded by the public schools and in 1880, when a young
man of eighteen years, he crossed the Atlantic to Canada and the following
year came to Winnipeg. No special advantages aided him at the outset of his
career in the new world, but laudable ambition prompted him to put forth
earnest effort, knowing that " there is no royal road to wealth," but that in
the business world the path of opportunity is open to all. He was first employed
as a clerk in the Merchants Bank of Canada, where he remained for three and
a half years. Crossing the border into the United States he secured a position
in a grain office in Duluth, Minnesota, and for twenty years was connected with
the grain trade as a representative of different firms in Duluth and Minneapolis.
In 1904 he returned to Winnipeg, where he organized the firm of Donald
Morrison & Company. He is the sole proprietor of the business, whch has grown
to extensive proportions. He is one of the largest dealers in grain in Winnipeg.
His keen discrimination, sound judgment, initiative ability and excellent man-
agement have brought to the concern with which he is connected a gratifying
measure of prosperity. His progressiveriess has always been tempered by "a
safe conservatism and his policy has commended itself to the judgment of all.
He has never brooked difficulties that honest effort could overcome, and, steadily
advancing, he has long since left the ranks of the many to stand among the
more successful few. Throughout the province he is known as a leading grain
merchant and is now one of the directors of the Traders Building Association,
owners of the Grain Exchange building, and is president of the Winnipeg
Grain Exchange. In addition to the extensive volume of trade transacted in
Winnipeg he has extended the scope of his activities by becoming interested in
country and terminal elevators throughout western Canada, the terminals
being in Fort William.
On the 14th of April, 1887, Mr. Morrison was married in Buffalo, New
York, to Miss Johanna Murray, also a native of the island of Lewis, Scotland.
The six children born unto them are Kenneth Allan, Donald John, Margaret.
Angus Murdo, Katherine Helen and Mary Dorothy. The familv attend the
DONALD MORRISON
THE STORY OF MANITOBA 49
Knox Presbyterian church and Mr. Morrison holds membership with the Assini-
boine Lodge of Masonry and with the Scottish Rite. His political views are
in accord- with the principles of the liberal party and his fraternal relations are
with the Canadian Club, the Assiniboine Bowling Club, the Strathcona Curl-
ing Club, and St. Andrews Society. The first named is indicative of the prin-
ciples which govern his conduct while the latter indicate the lines of his
recreation. He has earned for himself an enviable reputation as a careful man
of business and in his dealing is known for his prompt and honorable methods,
which have won for him the deserved and unbounded confidence of his fellowmen.
ROLAND CORISTINE.
Practical and successful farming finds a worthy representative in Roland
Coristine, who since 1886 has owned and operated four hundred and eighty acres
on section 17, township 11, range 19, in the Brandon district. His agricultural
accomplishments alone would entitle him to a place among .the important and
valued men of the province, but farming forms only one of Mr. Coristine 's use-
ful activities. He is interested in local expansion and growth along lines of public
improvement and commercial development, one of the really public-spirited
men of his section, and he constantly promotes the prosperity of infant
industries by financial aid. He is a native Canadian, born in Lampton county,
Ontario, August 29, 1865, a son of John Coristine, a native of Ireland, born
in that country in 1845. The father came to America in his early years and
settled immediately in Toronto, moving to Lampton county after a short time.
Here he engaged in farming and cultivated the soil in that section until 1881,
when he came to Manitoba and bought the farm now operated by his sen. The
land was purchased from the Canadian Pacific Railroad and was a tract of
prairie when it came into his possession. With true pioneer spirit he applied
himself to its clearing and cultivation. Acre by acre the land was brought
under the plow and a good beginning had been made in the work of develop-
ment when the elder Mr. Coristine retired to his farm in Ontario, where he has
been prominent and important in liberal politics. In his family were eight
children, all of whom have reached maturity and have gained success and
prosperity.
Roland Coristine received his education in the public schools of Ontario
and laid aside his books at the age of seventeen. After completing his educa-
tion he assumed the management of the home farm in Ontario, operating it
while his father was working in Manitoba. In 1886, after the latter 's retire-
ment, Mr. Coristine of this review settled upon the Brandon farm, which he
has since operated. He found the work of development begun but not by any
means fully accomplished. The land was broken but there were no trees, no
buildings, and very limited equipment. He at once erected barns, cribs and
granaries, and fenced the land into fields. He planted trees and shrubbery to
make the farm attractive and then devoted his efforts to making it profitable.
Being a man of initiative and originality he experimented with an apple
orchard, undeterred by the fact that his neighbors had been altogether unsuc-
cessful in the cultivation of this fruit. Learning by their mistakes he cut out
the diseased branches of the trees immediately upon discovering them and was
rewarded for his care and practical work by becoming the first successful apple
raiser in this section of Manitoba. He has his farm in excellent condition and
every department is profitable. While he specializes in the raising of grain
he also does mixed farming and stock-raising, having a fine herd of cattle and
fourteen horses. His knowledge of the newest and best agricultural methods
supplemented by long experience and guided by business ability has made him
prosperous as an agriculturist. His interests, however, are not confined to
farming and he is quite as well known in business circles of Winnipeg as in
Vcl. Ill 3
50 THE STORY OF MANITOBA
agricultural circles in his locality. New industries looking for support and
encouragement find in him a ready promoter and a substantial helper, his
breadth of vision and his business instinct enabling him to see beyond the
present to the accomplishments of the future. He is extensively interested in
Winnipeg real estate and in farming lands in the county and is one of the most
widely known and highly respected men of his section.
On December 13, 1895, Mr. Coristine was united in marriage in Brandon,
to Miss Sarah Gumming, a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. James Gumming, the
former a pioneer farmer of Manitoba. Mr. and Mrs. Coristine have six chil-
dren: Hazel and Wilfred, who are attending Collegiate Institute; and Rita,
Murray, Gladys, and Harry, all of whom are pupils in the Manitoba public
schools. The family are devout adherents of the Church of England.
Mr. Coristine is a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and
his politics are consistently liberal. In this connection he has served as secre-
tary of the school board and for one term was a member of the council, bring-
ing to the discharge of his public duties the same comprehensive knowledge of
conditions, conscientiousness and ability which makes him in all the phases of
his life a successful man and a useful citizen.
THE MOST REV. LOUIS PHILIPPE ADELARD LANGEVIN, D. D., 0. M. I.
The Most Rev. Louis Philippe Adelard Langevin, archbishop of St.
Boniface and one of the eminent representatives of the Catholic clergy in the
west, was born in St. Isidore, Laprairie, Quebec, August 23, 1855, a son of
the late Francois Theophile Langevin, a near relative of Sir Hector Langevin.
The mother, who bore the maiden name of Pamela Racicot, was a sister of the
Rt. Rev. Zotique Racicot, bishop of Pogla, formerly auxiliary bishop of
Montreal.
At Montreal College Archbishop L. P. A. Langevin was a class-mate of
Archbishop Bruchesi, Hon. Mr. Monk, ex-minister of public works at Ottawa,
Justice Beaudin and Justice H. Lanctot, of Montreal, and a school-mate of the
well known Justice Prud'homme, of St. Boniface. He studied theology at the
Sulpician Grand Seminary of Montreal and continued his preparation for the
priesthood in St. Mary's (Jesuit) College of the same city, and then joined the
order of Oblate Fathers of Mary Immaculate in 1881, was ordained to the
priesthood in 1882 and served for three years as a missionary in connection with
St. Peter's church at Montreal. On the expiration of that period he was ap-
pointed professor of moral theology in the Catholic University at Ottawa,
which position he filled for eight years, during a goodly part of which time he
was dean of the theological faculty. In 1892 he received his degree of Doctor
of Divinity from the University of Ottawa and in 1893 upon invitation of the
late Archbishop Tache came to Manitoba as head of the Vicariate of the
Oblates of St. Boniface and rector of St. Mary's church of Winnipeg. On the
8th of January, 1895, he was appointed archbishop of St. Boniface by Leo
XIII and on the 19th of March of the same year he received his consecration
from Archbishop Fabre of Montreal.
He at once entered into the school question and in the public discussions
that have taken place in the pulpit, on the platform and through the press on the
question of separate schools for the Roman Catholic children he has taken a most
prominent part. Aside from St. Mary's School and the School of Immaculate
Conception he has, since entering his present office, established in Winnipeg
six new Catholic schools, namely: School of the Holy Ghost for the Poles;
School of St. Joseph for the Germans; School of St. Nicholas for the Ruthe-
nians; School of the Sacred Heart for the French; and the Schools of St.
Edward and St. Ignatius for English-speaking children. In these schools both
the native and the English language is taught. Under the present conditions,
THE STORY OF MANITOBA 51
which have existed since 1890, the Catholic schools are deprived of their por-
tion of the school funds granted by the government, provided by the city and
contributed by private corporations and individuals. In addition to this they are
compelled to pay taxes upon all their separate schools as well as their proportion
of the tax for the maintenance of the Protestant schools to which they cannot
conscientiously send their children. The school question together with his fight
for the maintenance of the French language has been the potent question of
his life.
In September, 1910, he started a religious seminary which until 1912 was
held in the old Provencher School, when they entered the new seminary building
which has just been completed under the direction of the secular clergy at a cost
of two hundred and fifty thousand dollars. He is the father of the religious
community of women known as the Oblate Nuns of the Sacred Heart and Mary
Immaculate which was formed in 1904. He with Rev. Father Prisque Magnan,
O. M. I., former provincial of the Oblate Fathers, was the founder of the Catho-
lic Press and to further promote that interest he readily approved and helped
in the establishment of the Western Canada Publishing Company which issues
the Northwest Review (English) ; West Canada (German) ; Gazette Katolicka
(Polish) ; and the Canadian Ruthenian. A French paper, La Liberte, issued
its first number in May, 1913. In 1902 he started a bi-monthly publication, the
Ecclesiastical Review, which, as it is issued in French, is known as Les Cloches de
St. Boniface. Since 1895 he has called to his assistance in the diocese many orders
of both men and women, namely: Peres Redemptoristes (1898) ; Les Mission-
naires de la Salette (1899) ; Fils de Marie Immaculee, commonly called Les Mis-
sionnaires de Chavagnes (1902) ; Les Basiliens de 1'Ordre de St. Basile le Grand
(1903) ; Les Clercs de St. Viateur (1904) ; Les Freres de la Croix de Jesus
(1904) ; Les Missionnaires du Sacre Coeur (1908) ; Les Petits Freres de Marie
(1910) ; Les Soeurs de la Misericorde (1898) ; Les Filles de la Croix de St.
Andre (Lapuye) ; Les Soeurs de la Presentation; Les Soeurs Oblates du Sacre
Coeur de Jesus et de Marie Immaculee (1904) ; Les Soeurs Dominicaines de
TEnfant Jesus (1910) ; Les Soeurs du Bon Pasteur (1911) ; Les Soeurs Car-
melites (1912) ; Les Soeurs de la Providence; Les Soeurs Ursulines de Cologne
(1912) ; Les Soeurs Benedictines du Manitoba (1912) ; Les Soeurs de Notre
Dame des Missions; Les Soeurs de la Sainte Famille (1912) ; Les Soeurs Fran-
ciscaines Missionaries de Marie; Les Petites Servantes de Marie (Ruthenian
Nuns) ; and Les Soeurs des Cinq Plaies du Sauveur du Manitoba (1913).
Archbishop Langevin's diocese has twice been divided: first on the west by
the Regina diocese and later on the north by the Apostolic Vicariate of Keewatin,
and from now on the Ruthenian bishop, the Rev. Nicata Budka, will oversee the
Ruthenians in the west, being located at Winnipeg. Few men have done as
much for the Ruthenians in the west as His Grace, the Archbishop, he having
sent priests to Galicia to learn their language, and after many efforts succeeded
in obtaining from Rome their transfer to the Greek Ruthenian rite. He also
built a church for them in Winnipeg and erected a separate school for them in
Winnipeg at a cost of twenty thousand dollars. Many thousands of dollars more
have been expended for their benefit alone in western Canada. The establish-
ment of Rev. Father Sabourin and of his three companions at Sifton, Manitoba,
is also the work of His Grace.
In July, 1912, he organized the Catholic Federation in Winnipeg. Several
years ago with his hearty approbation branches of the Knights of Columbus
and the Ancient Order of Hibernians were established in this city. A concise
summary of his work in the past seventeen years shows that he has founded
eighty-five parishes, twenty-five educational convents, three hospitals, three
orphanages, six Indian schools and more than trebled the number of priests.
Among these institutions can be named The Home of the Good Shepherd, in Kil-
donan; The Carmel, in St. Boniface; Misericordia Hospital, in Winnipeg; and
a foundling asylum called Asile Ritchot, in St. Norbert. He has increased the
number of missionary stations visited by the priests to such a number that cannot
52 THE STORY OF MANITOBA
but excite admiration. Under the instigation of the Archbishop was started the
St. Boniface Historical Society in 1902, which was incorporated on the 14th of
October, 1907. Monseigneur Langevin has traveled a great deal both in Europe
and America and has upon several occasions been received in private audience
by His Holiness, the Pope. He took a leading part in the preparation for the
publication of the life of his predecessor, Archbishop Tache, and he has written
a great deal on other subjects. In all that concerns the wealth of the Roman
Catholic church in the northwest he has always taken a leading part. One of
the most important works that has fallen to his share is the completion of the
magnificent new cathedral, together with the establishment of the little seminary
on the site of the old historic building of which Whittier sings in his beautiful
poem, "The Bells of St. Boniface."
HECTOR R. McLEAN.
Hector R. McLean, living in township 17, range 24, west of the first meri-
dian, where he is successfully engaged in mixed farming, has an excellent
property of three hundred and twenty acres well improved. He came to Mani-
toba in 1882 with his parents, Captain Allan and Catherine (McLean) McLean,
natives of Scotland, of whom extended mention is made elsewhere in this work.
In the acquirement of an education Hector R. McLean attended the
Edgehill district school and when he laid aside his books spent some years
assisting his father in the work of the farm. Being desirous, however, of own-
ing property of his own, he purchased three hundred and twenty acres in
township 17, range 24, near Kelloe, upon which he has since resided. He
specializes in the raising of grain and oats and is likewise interested to some
extent in stock-raising, keeping a fine herd of cattle and five horses. His life
has been one of untiring industry and his sound judgment has guided his labors
and won for him the measure of success which he now enjoys.
In Culross, Shoal Lake district, on August 21, 1907, Mr. McLean married
Miss Christine McKinnon, a daughter of Donald and Effie (McDougall) Mc-
Kinnon, the former a pioneer farmer and leading citizen of the Shoal Lake dis-
trict, who passed away March 24, 1908, and is buried in the McLean cemetery.
To Mr. and Mrs. McLean has been born one daughter, Katie.
Mr. McLean is a devout member of the Presbyterian church and politically
is a stanch liberal. He has no fraternal affiliations, but belongs to the Grain
Growers Association. Since coming to this section he has taken an active and
helpful interest in everything pertaining to the welfare of the community and
his cooperation can always be counted upon to further any movement for the
public good. He has not only by capable management and well directed indus-
try won for himself a handsome competence but through his agricultural inter-
ests has promoted to a great extent the general prosperity.
LONSDALE NELLES.
Farming in its most modern and progressive aspects finds a worthy represen-
tative in Lonsdale Nelles, whose nine hundred and sixty acres in township 10,
range 19, Brandon county, constitute one of the model agricultural properties
of this section. He is one of the many successful, enterprising and intelligently
active men who are developing the resources of this part of Manitoba by putting
every department of their fine farms in excellent condition, and his labors have
been one of the most important elements in defining the standards and promot-
ing the growth of this section. He was born in Haldimand county, Ontario, June
19, 1849, and is a son of John and Catherine (Matley) Nelles, the former a
THE STORY OF MANITOBA 53
pioneer farmer of Ontario, who died upon his property in Haldimand county, in
1852, when he was only twenty-seven years of age. He is buried in the York
cemetery.
Lonsdale Nelles received his education in the district schools of his native
section but laid aside his books when he was fifteen years of age. His advantages
along this line were extremely limited as even during the time of his student life
he went to school only intermittently. When he finally began active life he
worked at various occupations, at length obtaining employment in the gypsum
mines, where he remained for fifteen years. Later he purchased a threshing
machine and operated this upon a rented farm for three years. In 1888 he came
to Manitoba and rented a farm, which he operated in conjunction with a thresh-
ing outfit for two years. At the end of that time he bought one hundred and
sixty acres, to which he added by degrees until he owned twelve hundred and
eighty acres of the finest land in the province, out of which he gave to his sons
three hundred and twenty acres, keeping his present tract for himself. By hard
work, guided by business experience and knowledge, he has succeeded in his
general agricultural pursuits and has brought his farm to a high state of cultiva-
tion. He has one of the largest herd of horses in Manitoba, numbering about
sixty high-grade animals, and besides this he is interested in the raising of stand-
ard-bred trotters and pacers as well as racing horses. He owns also ten head
of cattle and forty hogs. During the period of his occupancy he has made exten-
sive improvements upon his farm, building barns, granaries and a silo, while
the residence which he erected is one of the finest and most modern in Manitoba.
In September, 1871, Mr. Nelles was united in marriage to Miss Mary J. Smith,
a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. John Smith, the former a pioneer settler in Haldi-
mand county, coming to that section from Ireland. Although extensively inter-
ested in Canadian fruit lands Mr. Nelles gives his principal attention to his
agricultural pursuits. A prosperous farmer, he possesses the enterprising spirit
which has been an important factor in producing the great development of this
section of the country. By hard work and unremitting effort he has worked his
way upward to success and prominence, standing today as a representative of
all that is progressive and new in modern farming.
HUGH McLEAN.
Hugh McLean owns and cultivates a large farm in the Shoal Lake district
and by hard work, careful management and unfaltering industry has gained an
enviable degree of prosperity and won a high place among the leading and pro-
gressive agriculturists of his community. His farm comprises four hundred and
eighty acres in township 17, range 23, west of the first meridian.
He was born in Shoal Lake, in 1881, a son of Captain Allan and Catherine
(McDonald) McLean, natives of the Island of Tiree, Scotland, where the father
was born April 22, 1855. Captain McLean was one of the pioneers in Manitoba
and became a prosperous farmer in this district, passing away on February 9,
1913. A more extended history of his successful career is given on another page
in this work. The mother of our subject died in 1884 and is buried in the McLean
cemetery.
Hugh McLean acquired his education in the district schools and laid aside his
books at the age of fourteen in order to assist his father. He remained at home
until he was twenty-six years of age, at which time he began his independent
career. His father presented him with one hundred and sixty acres of land, to
which Mr. McLean of this review added an additional three hundred and twenty
acres and upon this he has lived since, carrying on mixed farming, raising grain
and keeping fifteen head of cattle, twelve horses and fine herds of other stock.
He has erected an attractive residence upon his farm as well as barns and out-
buildings and has made other substantial improvements, giving his undivided
54 THE STORY OF MANITOBA
attention to the further development of his property. His well directed labors
have been rewarded by success and today he is numbered among the most pro-
gressive and prosperous farmers in the vicinity.
Mr. McLean married in the Wheatfield district, June 20, 1906, Miss Marion
H. Simpson, a daughter of Frank and Mary Simpson, the former a prominent
farmer in that locality. Mr. and Mrs. McLean have two children, Frank and
Mary. Mr. McLean affiliates with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, and
his political allegiance is given to the Liberal party. He is a man of many
sterling traits of character, honorable in business, progressive in citizenship,
and at all times trustworthy and reliable.
HON. WILLIAM HESPELER.
There are few, if any men living today, whose lives are as inseparably a
part of the history of Manitoba, and certainly none, whose labors have been
as unceasing or of any more value to the province than those of William Hes-
peler, who is now living retired in Winnipeg. For more than forty years
Manitoba has known him as one of her foremost citizens, who, with his varied
responsibilities, has carried through to a successful completion all tasks under-
taken or imposed upon him.
Mr. Hespeler is a native of Baden-Baden in the grand duchy of Baden,
Germany, and was born December 29, 1830. He comes of an old German fam-
ily, being the son of Georg Johann and Anna Barbara (Wick) Hespeler, both
of whom are representatives of prominent families of the place of their nativity.
The father was a merchant in Baden-Baden, following that occupation until
called to his final rest in 1840. Mr. Hespeler was educated in the Polytechnic
Institute at Karlsruhe, the capital of the grand duchy of Baden. He left
school at the age of nineteen and emigrated to Canada, where he located in
Waterloo county, in the town of Preston, joining his brother, who had preceded
him. Mr. Hespeler came with his mother in 1850, and immediately entered
his brother's employ in the milling, distilling and general merchandising busi-
ness at Preston, and later on at Hespeler, Ontario. In 1854 he started in the
general merchandising business in Waterloo, in connection with a milling and
distillery business, forming a partnership with George Randell, and trading
under the firm name of Hespeler & Randell. This partnership continued up
to 1868, when he sold out to his partner and to Joseph E. Seagram, who after-
wards married his niece. The same year, with his family, he visited in Ger-
many, and while in that country in 1871 he discovered that a large number
of Mennonites in south Russia were contemplating emigrating to America.
After these facts were made known to the Canadian Government by Mr. Hes-
peler, he was requested to go to Russia and induce a delegation of these people
to come to Manitoba. The following year a delegation of five farming repre-
sentatives accompanied Mr. Hespeler to the province, and with the assistance
of Mr. Norquay, then the minister of agriculture, Mr. Hespeler showed these
representatives over the country, the outcome being that in 1874 two hundred
and eighty-four families of these German-Russian Mennonites came to settle
in the first Mennonite settlement east of the Red river, the government making
a reservation of seven townships lying within a radius of thirty miles from
Winnipeg. In 1875 some five hundred families of the Mennonites arrived, and
in 1876 a larger contingent arriving, it became necessary to ask the govern-
ment for a much larger reserve. This was granted, and the sixteen townships
were then located by William Pierce, then Dominion surveyor, and Jacob Y.
Shants, a Canadian Mennonite, and Mr. Hespeler, on the southern boundary,
in which are now located the towns of Gretna and Altona, this being considered
one of the garden spots of the province.
WILLIAM HESPELER
THE STORY OF MANITOBA 57
After his return to Ottawa with the delegation in 1873, Mr. Hespeler was
offered the position of commissioner of immigration and agriculture, by the
Hon. John Henry Pope, which he accepted, and returned to Manitoba in
November to assume the duties of that office, which he ably filled up to 1883.
During his term of office he was appointed a member of the council of Keewatin,
and was appointed chief commissioner of census of the province of Manitoba
in 1881. In 1883 he was appointed German consul for Manitoba and the North
West Territories, and after resigning his commission with the Dominion gov-
ernment he accepted his consulship, which position he filled until 1909. He was
elected to represent the constituency of Rosenfeld in the legislature of Man-
itoba, and was elected speaker of the house during that parliament. At the
new election he declined to run for reelection. He was the first foreign-born
citizen to become the first commoner of any British possession in Canada. In
1903 he was decorated by the German Emperor with the Order of the Red Eagle,
in recognition of his twenty years of service to the German empire, and in
1909 received a second decoration from his particular, former sovereign, the
Grand Duke of Baden, that of the Zaehringer Loewen, in consideration of his
long service of twenty-six years.
He was elected one of the three liquidators of the defunct Commercial Bank
of Winnipeg, and was afterwards sole liquidator until the business was wound
up. Under his administration the settling up of the affairs of this bank was
more than satisfactory to all concerned. For over fifteen years he occupied
the position of president of the Winnipeg General Hospital, ki which institu-
tion he has always taken a great interest. He is also a member of the board of
directors of the North of Scotland Mortgage Company and director of the
Royal Trust Company of Montreal. For nearly twenty-five years Mr. Hespeler
acted as manager for the Manitoba Land Company, and for more than a third
of a century he was the agent for Manitoba and the North West Territories
for Seagram's Distillery, of Waterloo, Ontario, which industrial enterprise
owed its inception to his efforts during his business career in Ontario.
Mr. Hespeler is a consistent member of the Lutheran church, and for a
great many years has been one of its main supporters. While in his eighty-
third year, Mr. Hespeler is well preserved in mind and body, and personally
directs many of his large and varied interests. Popular with all classes of
people, he possesses the rare faculty of being able to grow old gracefully. His
acquaintance has included the leading men of the Dominion for many years,
while his conspicuous service and high sense of honor has won him a foremost
place in the respect and esteem of all who know him.
In 1854 Mr. Hespeler married Miss Mary H. Keatchie, of Gait, Ontario, and
a daughter of Hugh Keatchie of that place. Two children were born of this
union : Alfred, a ranch owner at Okanagaii Lake, British Columbia ; and Geor-
gina, the deceased wife of A. M. Nanton, of Winnipeg. Mr. Hespeler 's wife
died in Germany in 1872, and he subsequently married a sister of his first wife,
Catharine Keatchie.
HARRY MORTON MURDOFF, M. D.
Dr. Harry Morton Murdoff enjoys an extensive and gratifying practice as
a physician of Winnipeg and maintains his offices in the Sterling Bank building.
His birth occurred at Picton, Prince Edward county, Ontario, in 1877, his par-
ents being Henry L. and Margaret O. (McGillvray) Murdoff, both of whom are
natives of Ontario. The father came to Winnipeg in 1882 and engaged in busi-
ness as a contractor and builder in association with G. F. Landon, also a pioneer
of this province. Since 1907 he has been in business as a contractor at Prince
Rupert. He spends the summers at that place but his home is at Vancouver,
where he resides with his wife, who is also living. They have three sons, as fol-
58 THE STORY OF MANITOBA
lows : Frank L., a financial agent residing at Vancouver ; Harry Morton, of this
review ; and Clarence, who is associated in business with his elder brother.
Harry M. Murdoff obtained his education in the public schools and in the
Collegiate Institute of Winnipeg. Subsequently he began teaching, first follow-
ing that profession in the country schools of Manitoba and later becoming an
instructor in St. James school of Winnipeg. At the end of three years he aban-
doned the work of teaching and entered Manitoba Medical College, which institu-
tion conferred upon him the degree of M. D. in 1905. During his last year in
the college he acted as president of the Students' Literary Association and
throughout the entire period of his attendance at the institution took an active
part in hockey and football. After completing his medical course he served as
house surgeon in the Winnipeg General Hospital for one year and then opened
an office for the general practice of medicine in Winnipeg, this city having since
remained the scene of his professional labors. He has gained a liberal patronage
and his success in administering the remedies necessary for alleviating human
suffering has won for him a desirable reputation.
On the 1st of June, 1909, in Winnipeg, Dr. Murdoff was joined in wedlock
to Miss Mary Archer Duncan, her father being James Duncan, a Scotchman,
who was one of the earliest pioneers of Manitoba and camped on the site which
is now the principal section of Winnipeg. He and his wife have resided in
Miami, Manitoba, for many years past and in July, 1912, celebrated their golden
wedding at that place.
In politics Dr. Murdoff is a liberal, while his religious faith is that of the
Methodist church. Personally he is characterized by uniform courtesy, a kindly
spirit and a ready sympathy, and these qualities have made him popular socially
as well as professionally.
MRS. ANN MATHESON.
Mrs. Ann Matheson is managing a farm of three hundred and twenty acres
on section 4, township 11, range 18, Brandon county, and by her capable work
is doing much to refute the old argument that business is monopolized by men.
She is one of the best known women in this part of the province, for she and her
husband came here a quarter of a century ago and developed the farm which
she now owns from a tract of prairie land. Mrs. Matheson assisted in the work
from the beginning and since the death of her husband has carried it forward
alone. She was born in Woodstock, Oxford county, Ontario, a daughter of Wil-
liam and Colline Sutherland, who died in Scotland and are buried at Rogers,
near Golispy.
Mrs. Matheson acquired her education in the public schools of Woodstock
and in October, 1871, married Gilbert Matheson, a son of George Matheson, of
Scotland. The husband of our subject came to Ontario when he was still a child
and attended the public schools of the province. At the age of twenty-five he
began farming and was active in that occupation until the time of his death.
In 1887 Mr. and Mrs. Matheson came to Brandon, Canada, and settled upon
three hundred and twenty acres of prairie land. With characteristic energy
Gilbert Matheson carried forward the work of development and cultivation,
ably assisted by his wife. He planted every tree which is now upon the farm,
built a fine residence and a modern barn besides other substantial buildings.
Little by little he brought his fields to a high state of cultivation, finally win-
ning a degree of prosperity which placed him among the leading agriculturists
of this locality. He was a shrewd, able and progressive business man, an
exemplary husband and father, and his death was felt as a distinct loss to the
community in which he lived. He passed away at the age of sixty-seven and
is buried in the Brandon cemetery.
THE STORY OF MANITOBA 59
Mr. and Mrs. Matheson became the parents of twelve children : Georgina,
the wife of Isaac Ingram, a prominent farmer of Manitoba ; Margaret, who passed
away at the age of fourteen and is buried in Woodstock; William A., manager
of the Lake of the Woods Grain Company ; George, who is secretary of the Winni-
peg Grain Exchange ; Colin, a traveler in the interests of the Lake of the Woods
Grain Company ; Robert, one of the well known barristers in Brandon ; Thomas,
who is part owner of the grain exchange operated by the firm of Matheson &
Lindsay in Winnipeg; Ann, who married J. W. Fleming, mayor of Brandon;
Dr. John, a practicing physician in Brandon; Alexander M., who is practicing
law in Vancouver, British Columbia; and Isaac and Ingram, both of whom died
in infancy and are buried in the family burial ground in Woodstock.
Since the death of her husband Mrs. Matheson has ably carried forward the
work which he began and has managed the farm in a progressive and business-
like way, making every department profitable. She possesses a systematic and
practical mind and unusual executive force but while she has given a great deal
of attention to her business affairs she has never neglected her duties, as a help-
ful and loyal wife during her husband's life and at all times as a careful and
loving mother and a true woman.
FRED C. GRANT.
Fred C. Grant owns a fine farm of four hundred and eighty acres in town-
ship 10, range 18, in the Brandon district, and is numbered among the suc-
cessful and representative farmers of the section. He was born in Hamilton,
Ontario, April 11, 1877, a son of Charles R. and Maggie (Gervin) Grant, who
came to Manitoba in 1879 from Ontario. Here the father took up a homestead
claim which his son is operating and upon it he carried on general farming for
a number of years. When he first came into possession of his land it was uncul-
tivated but by practical methods and hard work he soon developed and improved
it into an up-to-date farm. He built all the barns and granaries and erected a
comfortable house, in which he resided until his retirement from agricultural
life. He gave his support to the liberal party and was an active and able worker
in religious circles, belonging to the Methodist church. He died in Aberdeen,
Scotland, in December, 1906, at the age of sixty-three, and is buried in the
Allanvale cemetery near the river Dee. His wife's death preceded his by two
years and she was fifty-four years of age when she passed away.
Fred C. Grant was only two years old when he came with his parents to
Manitoba. Consequently his education was received in the public schools of
that section and after completing the usual primary course at Chater he went
through the Brandon Academy and College, laying aside his books at the age
of twenty-three. His education was retarded to this late date because he endeav-
ored to compensate for his early disadvantages in this respect by working in
the summer months and studying in the winter seasons. When he had eventually
completed his education he bought a farm of three hundred and twenty acres in
the Rapid City district and operated it successfully for a number of years,
selling it finally in order to take charge of his father's property after the latter 's
retirement. He carries on mixed farming, specializing in the raising of cattle,
horses and swine, and has met with a gratifying measure of success in his stock
interests. He keeps everything about his place in excellent condition and has
remodeled the residence built by his father into a comfortable modern home.
Long experience has taught him the best farming methods and these he employs
in all the departments of his enterprise, his present prosperity being the natural
result. Besides his farm in Manitoba Mr. Grant is extensively interested in Sas-
katchewan lands and has invested a large part of his fortune in this way.
On February 24, 1903, Mr. Grant was married in Rapid City to Miss Flor-
ence M. Spearin, a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. James Spearin, the former a
60 THE STORY OF MANITOBA
pioneer farmer of Manitoba, residing in Saskatchewan. His wife died in 1907
and is buried at Rapid City. Mr. and Mrs. Grant have four children : Mildred,
who is attending school; Max; Jackson; and Marion. The family are devout
adherents of the Methodist church.
Mr. Grant gives his support to the liberal party but is not active as an office
seeker. He has been identified with agricultural pursuits all during his life
and the farm which he operates is a visible evidence of his life of thrift and his
business enterprise and discrimination, for through his earnest and persevering
labor he has improved and developed a profitable and valuable property.
REV. CHARLES CAHILL.
Rev. Charles Cahill, pastor of St. Mary's Catholic church, was born on Calu-
met island, in the province of Quebec, in 1857. He was educated in Ottawa
University and, having prepared for holy orders, was ordained to the priest-
hood in 1881. For three years he engaged in missionary work there and then
after spending a few months in the United States, came to Winnipeg, where he
has since labored earnestly and effectively to promote Catholic interests.
Through the three years that followed his arrival in Manitoba he acted as assist-
ant priest of St. Mary's church and was then given charge of the missions at
Lake of the "Woods and of the Red River district. He saw possibilities for the
extension of the church work along various lines and put into prompt execution
his well defined plans for furthering the cause. It was he who established the
Indian Boarding School at Kenora, which is still being conducted. He had
spent fourteen years in his work in the missions when he was called back to
Winnipeg to take charge of St. Mary's parish since which time he has labored in
the city. In 1911 he was made provincial superior of the Oblate Fathers of Man-
itoba and has become widely known as a prominent representative of the Catho-
lic ministry in this province. Since taking charge of St. Mary's parish three
new parishes, which were formerly within the district of St. Mary's, have been
formed, namely the Sacred Heart, St. Edwards and St. Ignatius. Liberal prep-
aration along educational lines and unfaltering zeal have been strong elements
in winning for the Rev. Cahill the success which has crowned his labors in
advancing the work of the Catholic church in the west.
LOUIS ALFRED DELORME.
Louis Alfred Delorme, engaged in the general practice of law at Winnipeg,
with offices in the Electric Railway chambers, has for the past five years beeii
a member of the firm of Wilton, McMurray, Delorme & Davidson. " His birth
occurred in Russell county, Ontario, on the 10th of August, 1879, his parents
being Louis and Henriette, (Rochon) Delorme, both of whom are natives of
Quebec. The father, a stonecutter by trade, followed that occupation in Ottawa
for many years. He subsequently engaged in agricultural pursuits at Clarence
Creek, Russell county, where both parents are still living.
Louis A. Delorme, who was the seventh in order of birth in a family of
eleven children, obtained his early education in the public schools of Russell
county and subsequently attended Montreal College at Montreal, completing
the course by graduation at Laval, Quebec, in 1901. Later he pursued a normal-
school course in Toronto and then followed the profession of teaching in the
public schools of Ontario for two years. In 1903 he came to Winnipeg, ex-
changed his certificate for one in Manitoba University and began the study of
law. He spent a year and a half in the offices of Tupper, Phippen & Tupper
and completed his three-year course in the offices of Wilton & McMurray. In
L. A. DELOEME
THE STORY OF MANITOBA 63
the fall of 1907, having prepared for practice as a representative of the legal
profession, he was admitted to the bar and became a member of the firm of
Wilton, McMurray & Delorme, in which he has remained to the present time.
The zeal with which he has devoted his energies to his profession, the careful
regard evinced for the , interests of his clients and an assiduous and unrelax-
ing attention to all the details of his cases, have won him an enviable and well
merited reputation. He has taken an active part in the formation of the
Franco-Canadian Investments, Limited, and is president thereof. This com-
pany was formed in 1912 and is interesting French capital. He has also been
active in organizing La Tonciere Canadienne, Limitee, of which he is a director,
and is a director of the western board of La Sauvegarde, a life insurance
company, with head offices in Montreal. He is likewise president of the Win-
nipeg branch of L 'Alliance Nationale and is the president of St. Jean Baptiste
Society 'of Winnipeg.
On the 27th of June, 1910, in Winnipeg, Mr. Delorme was united in mar-
riage to Miss Noella Milord, a daughter of Onesime Milord, who was formerly
a manufacturer of this city but is now living retired. They have a daughter,
Laurette. Mr. and Mrs. Delorme are members of the Roman Catholic Sacred
Heart church of Winnipeg, the former acting as chairman of the board of that
church and also of the school in 1911. His acquaintance is wide, and he has a
host of friends whose high regard he has gained through his professional
ability, his deference to the opinions of others, his genial manner and unfailing
courtesy.
JOSEPH B. LYONS.
Diversified farming successfully engages the energies of Joseph B. Lyons,
who owns a well improved and valuable ranch of four hundred and eighty acres
located in the vicinity of Carberry. He was was born in Leeds county, Ontario,
on the 29th of January, 1872, and is a son of Michael and Ann (Gardner) Lyons.
The family is of Irish extraction in the paternal line, but they have been resi-
dents of Canada since 1837. The father, who was one of the pioneer farmers
of Leeds county, removed to Manitoba in 1883, and here he and the mother
passed the remainder of their lives. Both lived to attain a ripe old age, the
mother being seventy-seven at the time of her death, which occurred in April,
1908, while the father, who passed away in September, 1911, was eighty-five at
the time of his demise. They are buried on the family lot in the cemetery at
Carberry. They were people of most estimable qualities and reared a family,
every member of which became an honored and useful citizen, their lives reflect-
ing credit upon their parents and the community where they reside. Four other
sons, Robert F., John, Andrew and Harmon, have also been identified with the
agricultural development of this section and the first named has for more than
twenty years been representing the Norfolk district in parliament.
Joseph B. Lyons, who was only a lad of eleven years when he accompanied
his parents on their removal to Manitoba, completed his education, begun in
the public schools of Leeds county, in Carberry. At the age of fourteen years
he laid aside his text-books and thereafter assisted his father with the cultiva-
tion of the home farm until his death. He then took over his share of the hold-
ing and has ever since been energetically applying himself to its further improve-
ment. During the period of his . ownership he has added to the value of the
property by erecting one of the finest residences in this district, which is pro-
vided with all modern appointments. His fields have been brought into a high
state of productivity and everything about the premises is indicative of sys-
tematic supervision and the capable management which invariably accompanies
prosperity. As his circumstances permit Mr. Lyons adds to his holdings and
now owns about twelve hundred acres of fertile land. His farm has been chosen
64 THE STORY OF MANITOBA
as a demonstration farm in the province (of which there are three in Manitoba)
by the committee on conservation, appointed by the Dominion government
and this gives a fair idea of its careful state of cultivation and that the methods
employed by Mr. Lyons are recognized as standard.
At Quill Lake, on the 3d of December, 1907, Mr. Lyons was married to Miss
B. M. Howsoii, a daughter of Joseph Howson, one of the successful agriculturists
of western Canada, Of this marriage has been born one daughter, Edith May.
The parents are members of the Methodist church, and fraternally Mr.
Lyons is affiliated with the Independent Order of Foresters, while his political
allegiance is given to the conservative party. He is a man of practical ideas and
sound judgment as is evidenced by the capable manner in which he is promoting
his interests, and is regarded as one of the representative agriculturists of his
community.
W. A. BRIDGETT.
W. A. Bridgett, former mayor of Virden and one of the most prominent
figures in the general commercial and political -life of the city, was born near
Owen Sound, Ontario, September 29, 1867, and is a son of William and Alicia
Bridgett. His father was a pioneer in the agricultural development of Virden
district, evolving out of a wild tract of bush land a profitable and excellent farm.
During his life he was a stanch conservative and upheld the principles and
policies of that party until his death, April 13, 1912, at the age of seventy-two.
He is buried in the Virden cemetery but passed away in British Columbia.
He is survived by his widow and four children, namely : W. A., of this review ;
James, a former merchant of Hamilton, Ontario ; Robert, who conducts a harness
store at Okotoks, Alberta; and Albert, a general merchant at Pipestone, Man-
itoba.
W. A. Bridgett received his education in the Owen Sound Collegiate Insti-
tute and laid aside his books at the age of eighteen. Determining to learn the
hardware business he started as an apprentice with the firm of R. P. Butchart
& Brothers, at Owen Sound and worked in their employ for four years, coming
to Manitoba at the end of that time. Here he obtained a position in his chosen
line of work with G. Butchart and after two years went to Pipestone and con-
ducted an independent hardware establishment. At the end of three years he
sold out and came to Virden where for some time he worked in the employ of
J. A. Shoenau, resigning in April, 1898, to take charge of the W. Wyatt Lumber
business, to which he added lines of hardware and furniture. Under his able
management the business increased in volume and expanded rapidly. It was
conducted in its original form until December, 1903, when a stock company was
formed with Mr. Bridgett as director and manager. It is now one of the largest
institutions of its kind in this part of Manitoba and has six flourishing and
profitable branch stores throughout the province. In the conduct of this impor-
tant enterprise Mr. Bridgett has proven his ability and business discernment in
the results which he has obtained. He has evolved from a little lumber enter-
prise conducted in a small shed, a modern and progressive institution comprised
of many departments, each a business by itself and maintaining branches in the
most prosperous commercial centers. All this he has brought about by recog-
nizing and seizing opportunities and by steadily adhering to high and honorable
standards. His force of character and the importance of his accomplishments
have carried him forward into prominent relations with business interests of
the district. He is a partner in the firm of Simpson & Bridgett, a farm land
operating company ; a director in the Virden Brick & Tile Company, and share-
holder in the Oak Lake shooting grounds and past president of the Virden
Board of Trade. He has also taken a great interest in the farming develop-
ment of this section of Manitoba and as past president of the Virden Agricul-
THE STORY OF MANITOBA 65
tural Association has done able work in advancing methods and promoting
growth.
Mr. Bridgett married in Winnipeg, October 25, 1899, Miss Rhoda Richard-
son, a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Charles Richardson, the former for many years
prominent in the general merchandise business in that city. He resides now
in Toronto. Mr. and Mrs. Bridgett have three children: Helen Elizabeth and
Mabel Gertrude, who are attending school ; and William Frederick, aged five.
Mr. Bridgett is well known in local fraternal circles, being a Mason and a
member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. In official circles he is prom-
inent and favorably known as a stanch conservative. He is an active worker in
the interests of his party and his political ability makes his public spirit forceful
and effective for good. He served with credit as a member of the city council
and in 1912 was chosen by his fellow citizens mayor of Virden. In less than one
year he has proven his fitness for this office and his worthiness as a public serv-
ant, his claims lying in the broad and generally beneficial results which he has
obtained.
WALTER B. HATTIN.
A well improved farm of three hundred and twenty acres, located in town-
ship 11, range 26, near Virden, pays tribute to the agricultural skill of Walter
B. Hattin. He was born in Wellington county, Ontario, on the 3d of April,
1869, and is a son of Joseph and Emily (Harris) Hattin. The parents are
deceased and buried in the Winfield cemetery, which is located on the old
homestead. The father was an agriculturist and one of the pioneer veterinary
surgeons of his community.
A large portion of the first sixteen years in the life of Walter B. Hattin was
devoted to the acquirement of an education in the public schools of his native
county. The son of a farmer, naturally his energies were early directed along
agricultural lines, and after leaving school he assisted his father with the
cultivation of the home farm until 1889. In March of that year he came to
Manitoba, where he obtained work as a farm laborer, continuing to follow that
occupation for two years. At the expiration of that time he engaged in farm-
ing on his own account as a renter, cultivating leased land for eight years.
During that period he succeeded in acquiring sufficient capital to enable him to
buy land, and he subsequently purchased a three hundred and twenty acre
tract six miles north of Virden. It was in a wild condition and after making
a few crude improvements and breaking a portion of the land, he sold it,
investing the proceeds in another three hundred and twenty acres west of
Virden, which was partially improved. Soon thereafter he likewise disposed of
this place, realizing a fair profit on his investment, and bought what is now
known as the English Homestead. This farm, which also comprised three hun-
dred and twenty acres, he later sold to good advantage and bought his present
ranch. There was an old shack on the place, but otherwise it was entirely
unimproved. During the long period of his ownership Mr. Hattin has prac-
tically transformed the property, to the value of which he has greatly added
by the erection of an attractive brick-veneered residence, a stone barn and
various other buildings, all of substantial structure. His fields, which are
largely planted to grain, annually yield abundant harvests. He raises such
stock as is needed about his farm and keeps thirteen head of horses. Mr.
Hattin has prospered in his undertakings and as his circumstances have per-
mitted he has added to his realty interests by the purchase of town property.
In Wellington county, Ontario, on the 8th of February, 1889, Mr. Hattin
was married to Miss Annie Younger, a daughter of Robert Younger, a native
of Ontario and a pioneer blacksmith of Winfield. Of this marriage have been
born four children : Olive, who is residing at home ; Robert,, who is assisting his
father ; and Joseph and Ida, who are still attending school.
66 THE STORY OF MANITOBA
The family are members of the Methodist Episcopal church, and his political
support Mr. Hattin accords the conservative party. He is one of the progressive
agriculturists and highly estimable citizens of his community, where he is
known to be a man of good principles and honest business methods.
W. J. WILLIAMS.
W. J. Williams owns six hundred and forty acres in township 10, range 14,
near Norfolk, and has been the proprietor of this land since 1880. It is the
family homestead and was operated by the father of our subject during his
life. Upon it Mr. Williams learned the details of farming and became acquainted
with the best and most practical methods and since he assumed management has
applied his knowledge with the result that his farm is one of the finest in the
district. He was born in Herbert township, Perth county, Ontario, October 9,
1866, and is a son of Samuel and Anna (Van Stone) Williams. The father was
a pioneer farmer in Manitoba, having come to this province with his family at
an early date. He took up a homestead claim of uncultivated land, which he
cleared with the assistance of his son, bringing it to a high state of cultivation
before his death in 1906, when he was seventy-nine years and nine months old.
He is buried in Carberry cemetery. His wife and seven children survive him.
W. J. Williams received his education in the public schools of Ontario. He
came to Manitoba with his father at an early date and from his childhood
assisted in the work of clearing and cultivation. The residence in which he
lives he erected some time ago and he has made other substantial improvements
upon the property, following the standards of honesty and straightforward
business methods set him by his father and keeping steadily in touch with the
advancement and development of scientific farming.
Mr. Williams was married in Carberry on July 18, 1894, to Miss Martha
Calvert, whose father is a pioneer of this section of the province, where he
has been engaged in general agricultural pursuits since 1892. Mr. and Mrs.
Williams have five children, Clifford Gladstone, Blake 0., Manley Benson,
Eldrich Cecil and Beatrice Lillian. The family belong to the Methodist church.
Mr. Williams is a Master Mason and a member of the Royal Orange Asso-
ciation and the Knights of the Maccabees. He is a stanch conservative and is
always ready to cooperate in movements looking toward the public growth, and
in the business and private relations of his life is a valuable addition to the
standards of citizenship in his section.
GEORGE FISHER CHIPMAN.
Among the factors which are contributing to the rapid development of the
agricultural resources of Manitoba is the trade paper known as The Grain
Growers Guide, of which George Fisher Chipman is the editor and manager.
He was born at Nictaux West, Annapolis county, Nova Scotia, in January,
1882, a son of F. M. and Annie S. (Fisher) Chipman, who were also natives
of Nova Scotia. The mother died in 1907, but the father still resides there
and is one of the most prominent farmers of that country, being a past presi-
dent of the Nova Scotia Fruit Growers Association and also of the Nova
Scotia Farmers Association, in both of which connections he has contributed
largely to the development and progress of the country along agricultural and
horticultural lines. In fact he has held office in every agricultural association
there and his labors in this connection have been far-reaching and beneficial.
George F. Chipman is the only member of the family living in the west, the
THE STORY OF MANITOBA 67
others all having remained in Nova Scotia, where two brothers and three
sisters are still living.
George Fisher Chipman pursued his education in the Middleton -high
school and the Truro Normal School and afterward took up the profession of
teaching, becoming principal of the River Hebert high school near Amherst.
He occupied that position for three years and proved an able educator, im-
parting readily and clearly to others the knowledge that he has acquired. This
same ability of stating clearly and concisely any point which he wishes to
express has been one of his strong elements as a journalist. In 1903 he came to
the west and for a year and a half was engaged in teaching in Alberta. He
then removed to Winnipeg and joined the editorial staff of the Free Press,
with which he was connected for four and a half years, this being his initial
step in the newspaper field. During the time that he was connected with that
staff he was a frequent contributor to the leading Canadian magazines and to
many important periodicals published in the United States. In the summer
of 1909 he took charge of the editorial work in connection with the Grain
Growers' Guide, the official organ of the Grain Growers' Associations of Mani-
toba, Saskatchewan and Alberta, numbering in its membership fifty thousand
farmers. He is an active worker in this organization, in which connection he
is laboring untiringly for the taxation of land values, woman 's suffrage, direct
legislation and free trade. He h.as taken an advanced stand. on many important
questions and his intelligent discussion thereof and his sound reasoning have
been potent forces in securing further support for the measures which he
advocates. In politics he is a radical, not identified with either party, but
supporting the measures which he deems of greatest value to the country at
large.
On the 23d of July, 1907, Mr. Chipman was married to Miss Emily Christie,
a daughter of Robert Christie, a farmer and lumberman of River Hebert, Nova
Scotia. They have one son, Robert Avery, born April 28, 1912. The parents
are members of the First Baptist church and it is a well known fact that Mr.
Chipman 's support can be counted upon to further any movement relating to
the moral progress as well as the material interests of the province. His read-
ing and study have been wide and thorough and he possesses a statesman's
grasp of affairs. He marches with the vanguard of progress and as a fluent,
forceful writer and logical reasoner he has had marked influence in molding
public opinion, not only in the great west but also in other sections of Canada
and the Ubited States, where The Grain Growers Guide is also known.
ALFRED STOTT.
One of the extensive landowners and prosperous farmers of Brandon county
is Alfred Stott, who is living on section 34, township 10, range 20. There he
owns and cultivates a farm of six hundred and forty acres, which is constantly
increasing in value because of the care and labor he bestows upon it. He is
also the proprietor of five hundred and forty acres in the same neighborhood,
which is also one of the valuable tracts of land in the county. He was born
in Westmoreland county, England, March 11, 1873, a son of George and Hannah
Stott. The father was a farmer in his native country, but lost his life at sea
in 1877.
Mr. Stott received his education in England and came to America with
his mother and his brothers and sister at an early age. Mrs. Stott bought three
hundred and twenty acres near Brandon on section 3, township 11, range 18,
upon which she resided until 1890, when she sold the property and bought land
twelve miles northwest of the city, which she personally cultivated and im-
proved until her death, in April, 1907. She is buried in Brandon cemetery.
The history of Manitoba's settlement and development contains the record of
68 THE STORY OF MANITOBA
no better or brave* woman than Mrs. Stott, who started out a widow from West-
moreland county, England, and brought her four children to this province, faced
hardships, poverty, discouragements and dangers and_ purchased by her almost
unending work, comfort and prosperity for her sons and daughters.
Alfred Stott is in many respects a self-made man. At the age of four he
began his education and studied until he was ten. When he was eleven years
of age he was earning ten dollars a month by herding cattle in Manitoba and
since that time has been dependent upon his own resources. Even before
that time he had spent eighteen months in a drug store, working for his uncle,
and afterward spent three months baling hay. During the next winter he
worked at Portage la Prairie, looking after stock and in the following summer
aided his mother in the work of the farm which she had taken up. When Mrs.
Stott bought her farm on section 3, township 11, range 18, he remained upon
that property until 1890 and thus acquired a definite knowledge of agricultural
methods and conditions. He obtained his first real start in life from his mother,
who purchased land for him which he operated and improved for two years,
selling it advantageously at the end of that time. Afterward he bought and
sold various farms, always at a profit, until he finally located upon part of
his six hundred and forty acres on section 34, township 10, range 20. The
work of improvement has been steadily carried forward since that time and
the property has all the features of the model. farm of the twentieth century,
while his progressive spirit and practical methods are evidenced by the success
which has attended him. Mr. Stott later added to his holdings by purchasing
from his brother, Frank, five hundred and forty acres, which he owns today.
On August 9, 1905, Mr. Stott was married in Winnipeg to Miss Cassie
Durnin, a daughter of John Durnin, a prosperous farmer of Brandon county,
and they have four children, George A., Stanley D., Francis P. and Evelyn H.
The family belong to the Presbyterian church.
Mr. Stott supports the conservative party but his attention is entirely
absorbed in the conduct of his farm and he never seeks public office. From
his mother he learned honorable dealing and courage in the face of obstacles
and from his early struggles in the world he learned independence and resource-
fulness. He combined these qualities with an energetic and progressive spirit
which has kept him constantly in touch with modern developments in agricul-
tural methods and ideas and which has placed him in the front ranks of success-
ful farmers.
R. BRODIE ANDERSON, F. R. C. S.
Dr. R. Brodie Anderson, whose skill and ability as a medical practitioner
entitles him to representation among the prominent members of the profession
in Winnipeg, maintains offices at No. 666 Main street and is accorded an ex-
tensive and gratifying patronage. His birth occurred at Almonte, Ontario,
in 1875, his parents being William and Elizabeth (Brodie) Anderson, both
of whom were born in Quebec. Both the Anderson and Brodie families came
from Ayr, Scotland. Mr. and Mrs. William Anderson still survive and reside
at lot 8, Kildonan. The former was for a number of years engaged in the hard-
ware business at Almonte, Ontario, subsequently going to Toronto, where he
was identified with the rubber business for a short time. In 1878 he came to
Winnipeg and entered the service of the Ashdown Hardware Company of this
city, traveling for that concern about twelve years. On the expiration of
that period he became a partner of Mr. Thomas, also a former employe of the
Ashdown Company, for the conduct of a retail hardware business, which was
carried on under the firm style of Anderson & Thomas for six years. At the
end of that time he retired and has since lived in the enjoyment of well earned
rest. The period of his residence in Manitoba covers more than a third of a
century and he is well known and highly esteemed here.
DR. R. BRODIE ANDERSON
THE STORY OF MANITOBA 71
R. Brodie Anderson obtained his early education in the public schools of
Winnipeg and later attended the collegiate institute, having been under the
tuition of F. H. Scofield. In 1897 he entered St. John's College and subse-
quently began the study of medicine, being graduated from Manitoba Medical
College with the class of 1903. He then practiced his profession at Moose
Jaw for three months and on the expiration of that period went to Scotland,
where he pursued post-graduate work in the University of Edinburgh. He
next visited the hospitals of London and Paris and immediately after return-
ing to Winnipeg went on a tour of inspection for the Dominion government,
investigating the condition of the Indians in the reserves on Lake Winnipeg,
under the supervision of the Hon. Samuel Jackson. Upon again returning to
Winnipeg he became associated in practice with Dr. C. J. Jamieson but a
short time later joined Dr. A. R. Winram, with whom he maintained offices
in the Crump block for four and a half years. At the end of that time he
sold his practice to Dr. Howard Harvey and went to Edinburgh, where he
did post-graduate work for about a year, receiving the degree of Fellow of
the Royal College of Surgeons. While in that city he also became a Fellow of
the Edinburgh Obstetrical Society. He next spent several months in study at
Dublin, Ireland, and there received from Trinity College, Dublin, the Diploma
of Public Health or degree of D. P. H. He also received the degree of L. M.
from Rotunda Hospital, Dublin. Subsequently he spent three months in the
hospitals of London, and after visiting all the centers of medicine in Europe
he sailed from Gibraltar to New York. In 1910 he returned to Winnipeg,
which city has since remained the scene of his professional labors. His splendid
preparation for the work of the profession has qualified him to meet the
demands of an extensive and constantly growing practice.
On the 12th of October, 1910, at Howick, Quebec, Dr. Anderson was united
in marriage to Miss Margaret E. Ness, of that place. They make their resi-
dence in Kildonan. Along professional lines Dr. Anderson is a member of the
Canadian Medical Society and Winnipeg Medical Society. He is a liberal in
politics and fraternally is identified with the Masons, the Independent Order
of Foresters, the Woodmen of the World and the Maccabees. His religious
faith is indicated by his membership in the Kildonan Presbyterian church.
A man of broad general as well as professional knowledge, and of liberal
culture, association with Dr. Anderson has meant expansion and elevation.
KENNETH McIVER.
Kenneth Mclver, who is one of the two oldest settlers in this district, owns
three hundred and twenty acres of land in township 10, range 26, near Virden,
which he has been cultivating for thirty-one years. Mr. Mclver came to this
province in 1881 from Ross-shire, Scotland, where his birth occurred in 1847,
His parents were Hugh and Flora (Mclntosh) Mclver, both of whom have
long since passed away and are buried in a cemetery in Scotland.
Soon after his arrival in this country Kenneth Mclver filed on the home-
stead where he now resides, and began his career as a pioneer agriculturist. He
is thrifty and energetic in his methods and thoroughly practical as to ideas,
and as he has directed his undertakings in a systematic manner, has met with
success. Mr. Mclver was the first to introduce the western dry grass, now so
extensively raised in the western provinces and states, and he likewise proved
that alfalfa could be successfully grown here. He is most persistent, and any-
thing he attempts is pursued with that relentless determination which never
recognizes defeat, and to this quality must be largely attributed the prosperity
he has enjoyed. For many years he gave his attention almost entirely to grain
farming, but he has largely withdrawn from this now and is only raising such
grain as he can use in feeding stock. For the past twenty-two years he has
vol. m 4
72 THE STORY OF MANITOBA
been making a specialty of raising thoroughbred Shorthorn cattle, owning some
of the purest stock of this breed in western Manitoba. His present herd num-
bers sixty head and he also has twelve head of horses. In addition to his
tillable land Mr. Mclver has a hundred and sixty acres which he uses for graz-
ing purposes. He is very proud of his ranch, which he has improved by the
erection of a fine residence, barns and outbuildings and the introduction of
various modern conveniences. His fields are substantially fenced and he has
an equipment which is entirely adequate to his needs and contains practically
everything required by the modern agriculturist or stockman.
At Inverness, Scotland, on the 24th of May, 1881, Mr. Mclver was married
to Miss Margaret Campbell and to them have been born six children. In
order of birth they are as follows: Flora, the wife of D. W. Mclver, govern-
ment immigration officer; K. "W., who is a real-estate dealer and civil engineer;
Mary Edmonton, a teacher; Eva, who is residing at home; Hugh, an engineer
residing in Saskatchewan; and Jessie, a graduate of the Collegiate Institute at
Brandon.
In his political views Mr. Mclver is independent, giving his support to such
men and measures as he deems best adapted to meet the needs of the people.
He is a man of progressive ideas and indorses every worthy project. During
the long period of his residence here he has witnessed many changes in this
section of Manitoba, as when he located here there was not a house between
his farm and Brandon. Today there are to be found thriving towns and highly
cultivated farms in sections which were absolutely uninhabited thirty years
ago, and the primitive conditions of the pioneer days have given way to the
conveniences and comforts of the present period.
JAMES H. HILLIS.
The career of James H. Hillis is a splendid example of the power of energy
and well directed determination in the accomplishment of success. Coming to
Manitoba in 1886 without a dollar in his pocket he has steadily worked his way
upward until he is one of the representative and important farmers of Brandon
county. He owns and operates a fine ranch of four hundred and eighty acres
on section 19, township 11, range 19, and has given his entire time to its
cultivation for over twenty years. He was born in Watford, Ontario, April
28, 1857, and is a son of Joseph and Maria (Taylor) Hillis, the former a
pioneer farmer of Ontario, who came to that province from Ireland in 1844.
He lived an active, useful, and honorable life, supporting always the conserva-
tive party and died upon his farm in Manitoba, June 30, 1912, in the eighty-
fourth year of his age. He is buried in Zion cemetery, in township 11, Brandon
county. His wife passed away October 8, 1896, and is buried beside her hus-
band. In their family were seven children: Frank, a resident of Toronto,
who was formerly engaged in farming; James H., of this review; "William
Thomas, a farmer, who died in 1894 and is buried in Zion cemetery; Milton,
who lives in Alberta, and is engaged in the grain dealing business; Herman,
who is operating the homestead; Anna, who passed away at the age of sixteen
years and is buried in St. James cemetery, near Watford; and Ruth, who died
in infancy and is buried in the same city.
James H. Hillis is truly a self-made man, for he began earning his own
livelihood when he was a boy. What educational advantages he had were
received in the country schools of Watford, Ontario, and they were extremely
limited. When he laid aside his books he aided his father in the work of the
farm until he was twenty-nine years of age, when he came to Manitoba, where
he has since resided. He had no money but he purchased a farm of three hun-
dred and twenty acres upon his word and by rapid repayment of his debt
demonstrated that this was as good as his bond. When he moved upon the farm
THE STORY OF MANITOBA 73
which he bought, it was all wild prairie land, but with characteristic energy,
and. determination, Mr. Hillis set about the work of development and improve-
ment. He built barns, granaries, and other outbuildings, installed new and
modern equipment and erected a fine modern residence which he has surrounded
with beautiful shrubbery. Upon this property he carries on general farming
and specializes in the raising of Clydesdale and standard horses, having twenty
head at the present time. He is well known in the affairs of the Corn Hill
Syndicate and is otherwise prominent in business circles of his city.
On August 12, 1897, Mr. Hillis was married upon his farm to Anna, a
daughter of William and Katherine Abbey, the former a pioneer farmer of
Ontario. Mr. Hillis has one stepchild, Cassie, the wife of George Dennison,
a farmer, of Newdale. Mrs. Dennison had a brother, Harvey, who has passed
away.
Mr. Hillis is a devout adherent of the Presbyterian church. He gives his
support to the conservative party, but has neither time nor inclination for
political life. With the sturdy and stalwart character inherited from his
father, and developed along lines of resourcefulness and independence by the
hardships of his early life, he has worked arduously and lived frugally and his
name stands as that of one of the most honest and straightforward agricul-
turists of Brandon county.
JOHN ELMHURST.
John Elmhurst has for fourteen years been engaged in the development of a
farm of six hundred and forty acres located on sections 6 and 7, township 10,
range 13 in North Cypress municipality. He was born in Peterboro county,
Ontario, on the 15th of June, 1867, and is a son of Frank and Agnes (Weir)
Elmhurst. The father was also a native of Ontario, the paternal grandparents
having been pioneers of that province. He was one of the highly respected
farmers of his community and a stanch supporter of the liberal party, by whom
he was elected to the office of reeve, in which capacity he served for three town-
ships for fourteen years. He passed away on November 19, 1908, and is buried
in the cemetery at Carberry. The mother is still living. The family of Mr. and
Mrs. John Elmhurst is as follows: Richard, the former proprietor of the
Western Hotel at Carberry; John, our subject; William, a prominent farmer
of Norfolk county, Manitoba; Margaret, the wife of Charles Webster, of Mon-
treal; Annie, who is residing on the old homestead; James, who is cultivating
the home farm; and Mary, who married the Rev. Cannon Williams, who is
residing in Moosomin, Saskatchewan.
There was no unusual circumstance in the boyhood of John Elmhurst to
distinguish his youth from that of other lads of that vicinity. He was reared
in practically the same way as other farmer boys, his energies being largely
devoted to the acquirement of an education until he was fifteen years of age.
Subsequently he turned his attention to the lumbering business in which he
assisted his father, and later engaged in farming in Ontario and Manitoba.
He removed to this province in 1893, and six years later he took up his abode
on the place he now owns. During the fourteen years of his ownership he has
wrought extensive improvements on the property, including the erection of
his residence, one of the finest in the district, and various other buildings.
He has an excellent equipment and has installed about the premises many
comforts and conveniences consistent with the spirit of progress he has at all
times manifested in his work. His specialty is the raising of grain, but in con-
nection with this he does some diversified farming and stock-raising. His fields
are in a high state of productivity and annually yield abundant harvests, the
quality of which is fully equal to the quantity. Mr. Elmhurst is a capable busi-
74 THE STORY OF MANITOBA
ness man as well as a competent agriculturist and is numbered among the most
prosperous citizens of his community.
At Moosomin, Saskatchewan, on the 23d of March, 1898, Mr. Elmhurst was
united in marriage to Miss Luetta Nelson, a daughter of the late John Nelson,
a well known farmer of that vicinity. Of this marriage have been born two
children, Marjorie and John, Jr.
The family affiliate with St. John's church at Pleasant Point, of which Mr.
Elmhurst is one of the wardens. Fraternally he is identified with the
Independent Order of Odd Fellows. His political support is given to the liberal
party, of which he is one of the leaders in his community. For three years he
served as councilor and for two years he was reeve of North Cypress municipal-
ity, having resigned from both offices. As a business man he is energetic and
enterprising and as a citizen public-spirited and progressive, all of which
qualities unite in making him a most desirable acquisition to any community.
HERBERT C. WHELLAMS.
\
Herbert C. . Whellams is a most successful gardener, having a fine place on
the East Kildonan road near Winnipeg. His is the oldest garden in the coun-
try, having been under cultivation for eighty years. Modern methods are now
in vogue in its development, however, for Mr. Whellams understands the scienti-
fic principles which underlie his work as well as all the practical phases of the
business. He was born in Lancashire, England, in 1867, attended school there
and when twelve years of age accompanied his parents when they crossed the
Atlantic to Canada. The family home was established at Rapid City, where
his father, Creasey J. Whellams, was one of the first settlers and where Herbert
C. Whellams was reared and afterward followed farming for a number of
years. Subsequently he removed to the vicinity of Winnipeg and for a short
time lived on the present site of Bronx park. He afterward purchased the old
Pritchard farm of one hundred and four acres on lot 54, Kildonan, thus coming
into possession of the oldest garden in the country. All of the improvements
seen upon the place today are the work of Mr. Whellams and he has the finest
home and grounds to be found in this section. For two years he has won the
first prize given by two municipalities for the best kept place and surrounding
grounds. A spirit of modern enterprise and thrift pervades his farm and is
manifest in every department thereof. He possesses the practical knowledge
not only necessary to the successful production of vegetables but also to getting
his products upon the market and in his business career has ever closely fol-
lowed the maxim that ' ' Honesty is the best policy. ' ' He has raised in a season,
as many as one hundred and twenty-seven tons of cucumbers under contract
for firms engaged in the pickling business, and was the first in this locality to
recognize the opportunity for the cultivation of that crop for pickling pur-
poses. He keeps his land at the highest state of productiveness through his
judicious use of fertilizers and he is constantly studying how to enrich the soil
and thus add to the increase of that which he raises.
While Mr. Whellams occupies a most conspicuous and enviable position as
a successful gardener whose word is largely accepted as authority on any sub-
ject relating to his business, he has yet found opportunity for cooperation
in matters of public moment and is a stanch advocate of any measure which he
deems of value to the community. Seven years ago he was appointed by the
government to go as a delegate to England and enlighten the people of the
mother country concerning the exact conditions of Manitoba and what could be
done here by those who sought to avail themselves of the opportunities of the
new world. His clear presentation of conditions and his practical advice were
the means of bringing many people and much capital to this province and his
work received the high and merited indorsement of the government. The sue-
H. C. WHELLAMS
THE STORY OF MANITOBA 77
ceeding year he paid a visit to his native country, accompanied by his family,
and was again called upon to give talks on Manitoba and her resources. He
had always been a strong advocate of the liberal party until 1911, when he went
upon the platform and spoke strongly against reciprocity, aiding materially in
influencing many of his fellow citizens against the support of that measure.
In 1908 Mr. Whellams served as a member of the municipal council of Kildonan,
and resigned at the time of his going to Europe. In 1912 he was again elected
by acclamation and is now serving as a member of the council. His labors have
long been a potent element in advancing agricultural interests in general and
for years he was chairman of the Farmers Institute and one of the directors
of the agricultural board.
In 1893 Mr. Whellams was married to Miss Charlotte Owen, who died leav-
ing two children, Fannie and Desmond. In England, in 1910, Mr. Whellams
was again married, his second union being with Miss May Hounsfield. He is
a progressive man in every sense of the term and his beautiful home, "Ash
Ridge," which he has made for himself and his family, is evidence of his busi-
ness ability, his artistic taste and his spirit of enterprise, and is one of the most
pleasantly located along the Red river, below Winnipeg.
J. W. SCALLION.
One of the foremost agriculturists of the Virden district is J. W. Scallion,
honorary president of the Manitoba Grain Growers Association. Together
with his brother, T. B. Scallion, he owns a thousand acres of land in town-
ship 11, range 26, where they engage in farming and stock-raising. A native of
Ireland, his birth occurred in County Wexford on the 14th of February, 1847,
his parents being William and Cathrine O'Donohue (Bowers) Scallion. Many
years ago they emigrated to America, settling in Ontario, where they passed the
remainder of their lives. They were residents of Thorold during their latter
years, and both were laid to rest in the cemetery at that place in 1887. In the
paternal line the family was originally of Welsh extraction, their forefathers
having removed from Wales to Ireland several centuries ago.
Much of the younger life of J. W. Scallion was passed amid the pioneer con-
ditions which yet prevailed in Ontario, when he located there. He was given
the advantages of acquiring a good education, completing his course of study
in the Toronto Normal School, which he attended until he was twenty-five
years of age. Although trained to agricultural pursuits, he did not adopt this
vocation for many years after becoming self-supporting. Upon starting out to
earn his own living he first engaged in teaching, following that profession for
five years. Next he engaged in the mercantile business with his brother at
Thorold, Ontario, where they were located for ten years. They afterwards came
to Virden and bought a section of land, which formed the nucleus of their
present valuable farm. In the development of this they met with success and
later added to their holdings until they had acquired a thousand acres. Their
fields are almost entirely planted to grain and in connection with their agricul-
tural pursuits they raise stock. All of the buildings on their place are sub-
stantially constructed and well repaired, theirs being one of the model farms
of the county. Their residence, which is one of the finest in that section of
the country, is provided with modern appointments, and about their premises
have been installed many conveniences and labor-saving devices, consistent with
the spirit of progress Mr. Scallion manifests in everything he does. He is
a man of practical ideas, sound judgment and systematic methods, as is
evidenced by the appearance of his place.
The political indorsement of Mr. Scallion has never been accorded a single
party, his ballot being cast for such candidates as he deems best qualified for
the offices. In matters of citizenship he is public-spirited, and can be depended
78 THE STORY OF MANITOBA
upon to cooperate in forwarding all worthy enterprises. He was one of the
founders of the Manitoba Grain Growers Association, which was organized
at Virden, and was the first president of that organization. He proved to be
a very efficient official and has since been made honorary president, which
office he will hold for life. Both as a citizen and business man, Mr. Scallion is
held in high regard in his township, where he is widely known and has
established a reputation for enterprise and progress which numbers him among
the representative men of his community.
HERMAN B. HARRISON.
Herman B. Harrison, who has been identified with real-estate interests in
Winnipeg for more than a quarter of a century, has since 1906 conducted
business as the senior member of the firm of Harrison, 'Kelly & Burrows,
real-estate dealers and financial agents, with offices in the McArthur building.
His birth occurred in Warwickshire, England, in 1869, his parents being
William Lomas and Harriet (Reach) Harrison. The year 1885 witnessed
their arrival in Winnipeg.
Herman B. Harrison obtained his education in the public schools of
Warwickshire and was a youth of sixteen when he accompanied his parents on
their emigration to Canada. He manifested remarkable aptitude for the real-
estate business and at once began to deal in lands, buying and selling property
with good success. In this field of activity he has remained to the present
time, conducting business under the firm name of Harrison & Company until
1906, since which time he has been the senior member of the firm of Harrison,
'Kelly & Burrows. He has been principally engaged in the development of
tracts of land and has opened a number of suburban sections, notable among
which are St. James, St. Charles and Headingly. In four years' time he
and his partner have been responsible for the location of twenty thousand
people in these sections, in many instances have erected homes for them and
have also provided for public buildings and conveniences. Mr. Harrison and
his family secured the franchise for and built the road of the Suburban Rapid
Transit Company to Deer Lodge, and when it was ready for operation sold
it to the MacKenzie interests, thus making it a part of the Winnipeg street
railway system. He is a recognized authority on real-estate values in this part
of the country and enjoys an enviable reputation as a man of splendid business
ability and unassailable integrity.
In 1890 Mr. Harrison was united in marriage to Miss Alice McDermott, a
daughter of Henry and Sarah (Logan) McDermott, of Winnipeg. Her father
was one of the pioneer settlers of Winnipeg. Mrs. Harrison's death occurred
October 27, 1912, at Long Beach, California. There are two children in the
family, Robert and Margery.
ALEXANDER G. COLE.
Alexander G. Cole, one of the active and progressive farmers and stock-
raisers of Brandon county has two good farms, one of three hundred and sixty
acres on section 21, and another of one hundred and twenty acres on section
22, township 11, range 18. He has lived in this province since 1888, coming
here when a young man of twenty-six. His birth occurred near Renfrew,
Ontario, January 10, 1862, and is a son of Thomas and Catherine (Gibbons)
Cole. His father was one of the first settlers in Horton township, Renfrew
county, and one of the greatest individual forces in its agricultural develop-
ment. He was a stanch supporter of the liberal party and interested in the
THE STORY OF MANITOBA 79
growth and development of the section to which he came as a pioneer. He
died in 1898 at the age of seventy and is buried near Renfrew. He left a
widow and nine children, namely: Mary, the wife of Robert Burwell; Jessie,
who is a resident of Brandon county; Margaret and Elizabeth, both of whom
live at home; Isabelle, the wife of William McFarlane, of Saskatchewan;
Catherine, who married Robert Eady of North Bay, Ontario; Alexander G.,
the subject of this review; John, who resides at home; and Francis, who is
engaged in farming in the province of Saskatchewan.
Alexander G. Cole received his education in the Horton district schools,
attending during the winter months and aiding his father in the farm work
during the summer. At the age of eighteen he laid aside his books and
remained upon the home farm until he came to Manitoba in the summer of
1888, where he purchased his original farm of one hundred and sixty acres
and met with such gratifying success that in 1905 he added to his holdings his
three hundred and twenty acre farm on section 21. Both properties he now
operates and as the years have passed has converted them into modern and
profitable farms. "When his first tract of land came into his possession he at
once began to develop and further improve it. He has since joined his holdings,
built a fine barn, fenced his fields and in connection with general farming,
raises stock, keeping fifteen horses, the same amount of cattle and other high-
grade animals. He finds this a source of gratifying income and his business
is now very successfully conducted. Upon his farm Mr. Cole lives in a modern
brick-veneered residence which he erected in 1910 and which is thoroughly
up-to-date in its accessories and appointments.
On March 13, 1889, Mr. Cole was united in marriage to Miss Margaret
McQuitty, a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. William McQuitty, the former a pioneer
farmer of Ontario. Both have passed away and are buried in the Horton
cemetery. Mr. and Mrs. Cole have four children now surviving: Kate B., who
was formerly a student of the Brandon College; Allan K., who is assisting his
father in the conduct of the home farm; Clarence E., who is also assisting his
father, and is a student in the Collegiate Institute; and Laura E., also a student
in the Collegiate Institute. The children are members of the Presbyterian
church, and Mr. and Mrs. Cole of the Baptist church.
Mr. Cole gives his allegiance to the liberal party and for three terms has
done able and active work as trustee of the school board. For twenty-four
years he has been interested in the agricultural development of Manitoba and
has seen the province grow wealthy and prosperous. He is active in all that
pertains to general progress and improvement and has given his cooperation to
many movements for the public good.
ALEXANDER GRAHAM.
Alexander Graham, one of the prominent, progressive and active farmers
of Norfolk county, owns and operates six hundred and forty acres in town-
ship 9 and throughout his entire life has been engaged in agricultural pursuits.
He is alive to every new development along agricultural lines and his property
is equipped thoroughly and adequately, its attractive condition entitling him
to a place among the representative men of his section. He has been a resi-
dent of Manitoba since 1894, but was born in the township of Otonoby, Peter-
boro county, Ontario, August 12, 1845, a son of Alexander and Agnes (Dick-
son) Graham. The father was a pioneer farmer in Ontario, having come to
that province from Fifeshire, Scotland, in 1842. He supported the reform
party and was well known in local affairs, although he never sought public
office. His principal attention was given to his agricultural pursuits and he
was recognized as one of the leading farmers in Ontario at the time of his
80 THE STORY OF MANITOBA
death in 1893. His wife died in 1891 and both are buried in Fife .cemetery,
in Peterboro county.
Alexander Graham received his education in the public schools and laid
aside his books when he was thirteen years of age, in order to assist his father
with the work of the farm. He remained at home until he was twenty-seven
and then bought land and began his independent career. By hard work he
brought his farm to a high state of cultivation and still owns the property,
which he rents out. He came to Manitoba in 1894 and here purchased three
hundred and twenty acres, one hundred and forty of which were broken. His
rapid success soon enabled him to buy three hundred and twenty acres adjoin-
ing and this he has improved until it is now one of the best farms of the dis-
trict. When he bought his first tract of land there was not a building upon
the property and Mr. Graham has since erected an attractive residence twenty
by twenty-four feet covered on the outside with metallic sheeting and adequately
appointed in every respect. He has built barns and fine granaries in which
he stores the grain which he makes a specialty of raising. He is one of the
active, elert and energetic farmers of Norfolk county and has won success
by hard work and experience, guided by resourceful business ability.
On October 2, 1872, Mr. Graham married Miss Elizabeth M. Elmhurst, a
daughter of Joseph H. and Jane Elmhurst, the former of whom was a pioneer
farmer of Ontario. The parents have both passed away and are buried in
Westwood cemetery. Mr. and Mrs. Graham have six children: Alexander
H., who is operating an elevator; Joseph H., whose home is in Winnipeg;
Thomas J. and Harold D., both of whom are assisting their father in the work
of the farm; Jane S., the wife of Charles Creesy, an elevator operator; and
Agnes E., at home.
The family belong to the Methodist church and Mr. Graham was for a
number of years a member of the official board. He gives his support to the
reform party and is active in promoting movements for the public welfare. At
the present time he is acting as postmaster of Melbourne and doing able and con-
scientious work in this capacity. The greater part of his time, however, is
given to agricultural pursuits. He is a true type of the modern farmer, alert,
progressive, enterprising and eager for advancement, and his individual
activities have been factors in the development of farming in this section of
the province.
WILLIAM HERN.
One of the persistent and enterprising pioneers of Hamiota district, whose
early history records the innumerable hardships and privations which fell to
the lot of many of the early settlers on the frontier, is William Hern. Long
years of constant application and unremitting labor have brought him success
and he now holds the title to three hundred and twenty acres of land located
on sections 25 and 26, township 13, range 24, which constitutes one of the
attractive and valuable properties of that locality. His birth occurred at
Exeter, Devonshire, England, on the 31st of March, 1848, his parents being
Thomas and Elizabeth (Manning) Hern. During the early period of their
domestic life Mr. and Mrs. Hern emigrated to Canada with their family, going
direct to Perth county, Ontario. That section of the province was little more
than a wilderness at that period, affording none of the advantages and com-
forts of civilization, but its rich fertile soil and wonderful agricultural possi-
bilities were beginning to attract those settlers who had the energy and deter-
mination to undertake its development. Here Thomas Hern acquired a tract
of land, on which he made a few crude improvements and then began clearing
his holding and preparing it for cultivation. Year by year he increased his
cultivated acreage until he had brought his homestead to a high state of pro-
THE STORY OF MANITOBA 83
ductivity and provided it with, many of the conveniences and comforts unknown
to the pioneer. Later he removed to Huron county, where he passed the
remainder of his life, his death there occurring on the 18th of October, 1909,
at the age of eighty-four years. He was laid to rest in the Zion cemetery^
Huron county, where the mother, who passed away in 1862, is also buried.
They were consistent members of the Church of England, and the father, who
was one of the enterprising and progressive citizens of his community, served
for many years as a member of the board of school trustees.
As he was the eldest son William Hern early in life was called upon to
assist his father with the lighter tasks about the farm, his duties being increased
from year to year until long before he had attained his maturity he was doing
the work of a man. In the acquirement of an education he attended the various
little log school houses in the vicinity of his home during the winter sessions,
his services being required in the fields during the summer. He last attended
the Zion school in Huron county, Ontario, terminating his student days at
the age of sixteen. He remained at home for two years thereafter and then
started out to make his own way, working out as a farm hand. This occupa-
tion engaged his energies for twelve years, during the greater portion of which
time he resided in Perth county. From Woodham, that county, he came to
Manitoba in 1881, locating in the Hamiota district, where he has ever since
made his home. He had very little money after purchasing his ticket, and at
Winnipeg was compelled to borrow fifteen dollars in order to proceed west-
ward. Portage la Prairie was then the railway- terminal and upon reaching
that point together 'with five others he hired a team to take them to Rapid City.
From there he continued on foot to Hamiota, where he took up a homestead,
which formed the nucleus of his present splendid farm. During those first
few years he experienced all of the hardships incident to pioneering on limited
means, but he had unlimited faith in the ultimate success of his undertaking
and persistently applied himself to the cultivation of his land. Year by year
his fields yielded more abundantly, thus enabling him to increase his acreage
and add to the value of his property by the introduction of various improve-
ments. As his circumstances warranted he replaced the crude house and barns
first erected by more pretentious and comfortable structures and also installed
about his premises various accessories and appliances to facilitate the work
of the fields. Here for more than thirty years he has engaged in general farm-
ing and stock-raising, and as he is a practical man of sound judgment in mat-
ters of business has met with a good measure of success in both lines. He
keeps sixteen head of cattle, twelve horses, about nineteen head of swine and
four hundred fowls.
At St. Mary, Ontario, on the 15th of January, 1875, Mr. Hern was married
to Miss Rebecca Brethour, a daughter of David and Elizabeth Brethour, and
a sister of Richard Wesley Brethour, who is mentioned elsewhere in this work.
Of this marriage have been born six sons and one daughter, Rebecca A., who
died in infancy and is buried in Hamiota. In order of birth the other mem-
bers of the family are as follows: J. Wesley, Sidney A., William Lome,
David J. and Samuel C. B., all of whom are engaged in farming in Togo,
Saskatchewan; and G-ilbert S.,.who is assisting his father on the home farm.
The family are members of the Church of England, and the fraternal rela-
tions of Mr. Hern are confined to his membership in the Canadian Order of
Foresters. He votes the conservative ticket and for three years served as school
trustee. Although he has never actively participated in local politics he is
deeply interested in everything that pertains to the welfare of the community
or is calculated to promote the development of the municipality. Mr. Hern
has worked tirelessly early and late in the attainment of his purpose and is
well entitled to such success as he is now enjoying, as it is the result of long
years of zealous effort and intelligent concentration. In his undertakings he
has been ably assisted by Mrs. Hern, who has not only managed her house-
hold affairs with. marked capability, but has oftentimes assisted her husband
84 THE STORY OF MANITOBA
in the hay field, when their sons were yet too young to help with the work.
Both are highly respected in the community, where they have long resided
and have won many stanch friends, who through long years of acquaintance
have learned to appreciate their estimable qualities of heart and mind.
JOHN WATTS.
The cultivation and improvement of a farm of five hundred acres located
on section 8, township 11, range 14, near Norfolk, engages the undivided atten-
tion of John Watts, who acquired the property from his father ten years ago.
He is of Irish lineage, but his people have long been residents of Canada, his
birth having occurred in. Perth county, Ontario, on the 28th of March, 1876.
His parents, Andrew and Elizabeth (Lyons) Watts, came to Manitoba in 1882,
and here the father acquired an extensive tract of wild land, which he brought
to a high state of productivity. He met with excellent success in the develop-
ment of his agricultural interests, but has now withdrawn from active work and
is living retired in Carberry.
In the acquirement of an education John Watts attended the district and
public schools of Carberry until he was a youth of fifteen years. His energies
were thereafter directed along agricultural lines and he assisted his father with
the cultivation of the home place until he took over the management of the prop-
erty in 1902. His fields are almost entirely devoted to the raising of grain,
in connection with which he does some diversified farming and stock-raising.
Mr. Watts has prospered in his undertakings and has acquired some real-estate
interests at Saskatoon and Regina, Saskatchewan.
At Newboyne, Ontario, on the 2d of February, 1910, Mr. Watts was united
in marriage to Miss Sarah Estelle Sheridan a daughter of John Sheridan, a
retired agriculturist of that section. Of this marriage have been born a son and
a daughter, Robert Frederick and Alma Jane.
Mr. and Mrs. Watts are members of the Methodist Episcopal church, and
politically he supports the conservative party. He is a diligent and enterprising
man, of good business methods and progressive ideas. Since taking possession
of the farm he has made extensive improvements, including the remodelling of
the residence, which he has provided with modern conveniences. He has also
erected a granary, implement house and various other outbuildings and has
substantially fenced the entire tract. He keeps abreast with the trend of the
i times and in the cultivation of his fields and care of his crops conforms to the
most highly approved methods of scientific farming. As he was a child of only
six years when he accompanied his parents on their removal to Manitoba, the
greater part of his life has been passed in the vicinity where he now resides and
among whose citizens he numbers many friends.
THOMAS H. LOWES.
Thomas H. Lowes, who owns one of the finest farms in Brandon county,
is a splendid example of the type of men which hardships and early struggles
develop when there is a foundation of honor and integrity. He is truly self-
made and has all the sturdy and upright virtues implied in the word, being
independent, resourceful and thoroughly progressive. His farm of four hun-
dred and eighty acres on section 32, township 9, range 19, is well improved and
in excellent condition, the result of his well directed care and labor.
Thomas H. Lowes has been identified with the development of Manitoba, being
an early settler in the province and the son of a pioneer. He was born at
Laura, near Ghielph, Wellington county, Ontario, November 8, 1871, a son of
THE STORY OF MANITOBA 85
John Wesley and Sarah (Benson) Lowes. He came to Manitoba with his
mother and his brothers and sisters in 1879, being at that time seven years of
age and he has lived in this province since that time. The family made the
journey by boat up to High Bluff and then pushed forward on foot through
the brush encountering hardships and inconveniences, not the least of which
was the trouble caused by the numerous mosquitoes. Arriving in Manitoba
they joined the father of our subject, who had come to this section in the
previous year and together they went to Winnipeg. The first winter was spent
in a log house, where they suffered extremely from the cold, but they bravely
endured this and other hardships and when spring came moved upon a rented
farm which the father improved and developed for two years. At the end of
that time he and the subject of this review took up a homestead claim on which
the residence is still standing and worked together until the death of John
Wesley Lowes, in 1892. He is buried in Brandon.
Thomas H. Lowes went to school for two months in Ontario, for three
months in High Bluff, and for two summers in Cornwallis. His education was
limited to this and when he laid aside his books he could not write his own
name. He has, however, compensated for his early disadvantages by wide
reading and study and although entirely self-educated, is fully the equal of his
neighbors in this respect. He stayed with his father upon the homestead and
assisted in the work until after the latter 's death and since that time has
been caring for his mother, who is in the eighty-third year of her age. For
the first ten years of his independent life Mr. Lowes worked in partnership
with his two brothers and then purchased the interests of one of them. He
has never left the homestead and he assumed entire ownership in 1891. He
helped to make all the improvements upon the property, planted every tree,
remodeled the residence into a modern home and built a barn. Afterward he
put up a pump house upon his farm and with gasoline as the motive power
draws water from a well one hundred and ten feet deep. He also planned and
built a grain elevator which has been used as a model by many of his neighbors
in this district. Upon his farm he raises all kinds of grains, specializing in
this branch of farming and also does some stock-raising, keeping on an average
of twenty horses.
In December, 1905, Mr. Lowes married in London, Ontario, Miss Loretta
Cook, a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. W. B. Cook, of Constance, Ontario. Mrs.
Lowes died March 13, 1909, and is buried in Brandon. She left two children,
Harold F. and Ida Loretta.
Mr. Lowes supports the liberal party and is interested in the growth and
development of the section in which he resides. He is a member of the Metho-
dist church and belongs to the Order of Owls. His career is an example of
the power of energy, ambition, and hard work in insuring success. The early
hardships of his life taught him the value of these qualities and developed
them in nim, and his prosperity is the direct result.
DAVID MOFFETT.
Prominent among the men whose labors have been important factors in the
agricultural development of the country around Shoal Lake may be mentioned
David Moffett, who since coming to Manitoba in 1888 has developed two
modern, well managed and profitable farms from tracts of wild prairie land.
The success which he has attained by his hard work and indefatigable industry
is intrinsically important but is nevertheless secondary to the progressive,
upright and worthy methods by which it was accomplished. Mr. Moffett was
born in Hullitt township, Huron county, Ontario, September 7, 1866, and is
a son of William J. and Marian (Patterson) Moffett, the former a native son
and a prominent farmer of Huron county. For many years the father of our
86 THE STORY OF MANITOBA
subject gave his loyal support to the conservative party and always stanchly
advocated its doctrines. He died in 1908 and is buried in Clinton cemetery.
His widow survives him and makes her home in township 15, range 23.
David Moffett acquired his education in the public schools of Clinton,
Ontario, and laid aside his books at the age of thirteen. Being the eldest son
he was obliged to aid in the farm work and remained at home until after he
attained his majority. In 1888 he came to Manitoba and for two years worked
at farming in the employ of others, after which he rented a tract of land and
at the same time took up a homestead claim. He lived upon the rented prop-
erty until he could erect a house upon his own farm and began the work of
breaking the soil which at that time had never been touched by a plow. After-
ward he took up his residence on the homestead and acre by acre carried for-
ward the work of development, making substantial improvements, including a
fine residence and gradually developed a profitable modern farm. He added
three hundred and twenty acres to his holdings and upon this property carried
on mixed farming and stock-raising, keeping fifty head of cattle and twenty
horses. In 1902 he sold the original homestead and bought the property which
he now owns, consisting of six hundred and forty acres. Mr. Moffett has four
hundred and fifty acres planted and improved, has built a fine, modern resi-
dence and is rapidly bringing the entire tract to a high state of cultivation. He
keeps in touch with advanced methods and ideas along agricultural lines
through his membership in the Manitoba Grain Growers Association and is
widely known as an able and progressive farmer.
On February 4, 1890, Mr. Moffett married at Clinton, Ontario, Miss Sophia
S. Barr, a daughter of Alexander and Jane (Ford) Barr, the former a pioneer
farmer of Ontario. Mrs. Moffett 's parents have passed away and are buried
at Londesborough, Ontario. Mr. and Mrs. Moffett have become the parents of
seven children: Margaret, who resides at home; Lillian A., who is a graduate
of a normal school and who is now engaged in teaching ; Willard, who is assist-
ing his father; Alexander, who attends school during the winter months; and
Harold, Sophia and David J., all of whom are pursuing their studies.
Mr. Moffett is a devout member of the Presbyterian church and is well
known in religious circles. Fraternally he is a thirty-second degree Mason
and belongs to the Knights of the Maccabees. He is independent in his
political views, voting always for the man whom he considers most capable and
efficient without regard to party lines. He has always endeavored to meet
every obligation of life with confidence and courage and to perform his duties
to the best of his ability, and as a result he has gained an enviable reputation
as one of the representative men of this community.
W. J. COCHRAN.
A highly cultivated and well improved ranch of four hundred and eighty
acres located on section 35, township 13, range 23, Hamiota district, pays tribute
to the perseverance and unremitting diligence of W. J. Cochran, who is here
making a specialty of grain farming. He is a native of Wellington county,
Ontario, his birth having occurred in the vicinity of Clifford on the 29th of
November, 1859, his parents being James and Marian (Beamish) Cochran. The
father was one of the pioneer agriculturists of Wellington county, having
acquired a tract of brush land there which he cleared and brought under high
cultivation. The country about his farm was little more than a trackless wilder-
ness when he located there, but he has lived to witness its transformation into
one of the beautiful farming sections of the province. He is still living and
continues to make his home in Ontario. The mother, however, passed away
March 31, 1913 and is buried in the Salem cemetery. The family is of Irish
extraction.
THE STORY OF MANITOBA 89
In common with the majority of pioneer youths, W. J. Cochran early became
familiar with the duties and responsibilities of life. In the acquirement of an
education he attended the district schools in the vicinity of his home, during
the winter sessions only, until he was a lad of twelve years. He had for some
years past been assisting his father about the fields and barns, but thereafter
his entire energies were devoted to farm work. This was prior to the advent
of modern machinery and farming implements, and owing to the primitive
conditions and methods then pursued tasks, which now occupy but a few hours,
then consumed days, and the life of the agriculturist was little more than
drudgery from dawn to dark. Mr. Cochran remained with his parents until
he was twenty-eight years of age, working on his father's farm with the excep-
tion of one summer when he hired out. He then left home and started out for
himself, beginning his independent career on a rented farm. He continued to
cultivate leased land until he came to Manitoba in 1889. When he arrived here
his entire capital consisted of four horses and ninety dollars in money. This
last he used to make a payment on three hundred and twenty acres of wild
land, which formed the nucleus of his present homestead. He was naturally
an enterprising man, having been trained in habits of diligence and thrift from
childhood, but the responsibilities he had assumed in undertaking the develop-
ment of this vast tract of land stimulated him to greater efforts than he had
ever displayed before, and he worked tirelessly in his efforts to bring his acreage
under cultivation. Each year witnessed a marked improvement in the condi-
tion of his fields and the general appearance of his ranch, while increased har-
vests began to repay him for his hard labor. Ultimately his circumstances
warranted him in extending the boundaries of his farm and he purchased an
adjoining quarter section, his holdings thus aggregating four hundred and
eighty acres. He is now cultivating two hundred and eighty acres of his land,
planting the greater portion of it to cereals, his specialty being grain-raising.
Mr. Cochran has not confined his energies to the practical side of farming alone,
but has expended much thought and effort in improving the general appear-
ance of his place. A beautiful residence, provided with modern appointments,
has taken the place of the crudely constructed building he and his family first
occupied, and about this are tastefully arranged and well kept grounds, on
which have been planted many ornamental shrubs, trees and flowering plants.
At a convenient distance from the house he has built large, commodious barns,
sheds and other outbuildings, all of which are substantially constructed and
kept in good repair. His fields are fenced, his equipment is modern and entirely
adequate to his needs, and everything about his ranch gives an impression of
efficient management, capable direction being exercised in its operation. Mr.
Cochran has worked hard, but his efforts have been intelligently directed, as
is evidenced by the thrifty appearance of his place, and his reward is fully
commensurate with the energy expended.
In the vicinity of Clifford, Ontario, on the 30th of March, 1887, Mr. Cochran
was married to Miss Ellen Reeding, a daughter of Joseph and Charlotte Reed-
ing. The father, who was one of the pioneer agriculturists of Wellington county,
is now residing near Ghost Pine, Alberta, The mother, however, passed away
in 1908, and is buried in the cemetery at Clifford. To Mr. and Mrs. Cochran
have been born four children, as follows: Mabel, the wife of Sherman Houck,
a farmer of Saskatchewan; Gertrude, who is residing with her parents; Wil-
liam Wilfred, who is assisting his father; and Vera, who is attending the dis-
trict school.
The family attend the Methodist church, of which the parents are mem-
bers. The fraternal relations of Mr. Cochran are confined to his membership in
the Loyal Orange lodge. He is a stanch conservative in his political views and
is now serving as councillor of the Hamiota district. Diligence and persever-
ance have been the dominant factors in the success of Mr. Cochran, who during
the earlier years of his residence encountered innumerable difficulties and
obstacles, but he is not easily discouraged and met each with the persistent
90 THE STOEY OF MANITOBA
determination which paves the way to prosperity. He has made his way
unaided, save such assistance as was rendered him by his wife, and now un-
doubtedly finds his greatest satisfaction in the thought that he is indebted to
no one for his success.
W. K COSGROVE.
W. R. Cosgrove, whose business ability and enterprising spirit are the
foundations of his success in the conduct of one of the finest drug stores in
Napinka, was born in Chesley, Ontario, and is a son of James B. and Mary
(Vail) Cosgrove, who reside at Lyleton, Manitoba. He was still a child when
he was brought by his parents to this province and he here attended public
school, supplementing this by a course in Manitoba College in Winnipeg. He
was graduated from that institution at the age of twenty-two and began the
practice of his profession in Lyleton, where he remained for eighteen months.
At the end of that time he came to Napinka, and established himself in the
drug business in which he has since been prominent and successful. He con-
ducts a profitable establishment and is accorded a liberal and representative
patronage in recognition of his reasonable prices, the high quality of his goods
and his earnest desire to please his patrons. His previous training has made
him unusually able as a pharmacist and this united with his excellent business
discrimination has gained for him a gratifying degree of success.
Mr. Cosgrove married, in Hamiota, Miss Ernestine Cable,, a daughter of
John and Emma Cable, residents of British Columbia. Mr. and Mrs. Cosgrove
have two children, Keith and Gertrude, who live at home.
Politically Mr. Cosgrove affiliates with the conservative party and is
eminently public-spirited and progressive in matters of citizenship, giving his
support and hearty cooperation to movements to advance the general develop-
ment. He was for seven years secretary and treasurer of the village of Napinka
and for five years was president of the Board of Trade. He is connected frater-
nally with the Masonic lodge, and is noble grand of the local lodge of the
Independent Order of Odd Fellows. His business career has been distinguished
by well directed activity and steady advancement and his success is of the
character which is important as a factor in the mercantile development and
general business progress of the city.
ADAM HALLIDAY.
No farmer in the district around Oakburn has achieved greater success in
agricultural pursuits than Adam Halliday, whose attractive homestead lies
in township 18, range 24, west of the first meridian, and comprises four hun-
dred and eighty acres. For fourteen years he has lived upon this property and
has made it a model enterprise, rising to prominence as a farmer through his
own industry and determination. Mr. Halliday is a native of Scotland, born
in Moffat, Dumfriesshire, March 30, 1875. His parents were James and Isa-
bella (Muirman) Halliday, who came to Manitoba in 1886 with their
eight sons and one daughter and settled on section 36, township 18, range
24, where the father took up a homestead claim. With the assistance of his
sons he brought this property from an uncultivated condition to a high state
of development and became known as one of the successful farmers and progres-
sive citizens of his locality. He gave a consistent allegiance to the liberal party
and was active in educational circles, serving for many years as school trustee.
He was also prominent in all kinds of religious work and exemplified the faith
which he professed in his upright and honorable life. He died in November,
THE STORY OF MANITOBA 91
1911, at the age of sixty-eight, and is buried in McLean cemetery. He left
to mourn his loss a widow and six children besides the subject of this review:
Robert, James, William H. and Thomas H., all of whom are engaged in farm-
ing in the Oakburn district; Gibson McVicker, who is operating the old home
farm ; and Isabella, the wife of John Peden, a farmer residing in the Rossburn
district. The sons, John and Mathew Halliday, are both deceased. The former
passed away in 1905, at the age of thirty-two, and the latter's death occurred in
the following year, when he was twenty-one years of age.
Adam Halliday acquired his education in the national schools of Scotland,
laying aside his books at the age of about twelve. In 1886 he came to America
with his parents and although still a boy, was hired out to neighboring farmers
at four dollars per month. In the operation of the homestead he assisted for
six years and then, having attained his majority, he took up a homestead claim,
upon which he is today residing. This he developed by the mixed farming
method with such profitable results that he was soon able to buy an additional
three hundred and twenty acres. This tract he has added to his original farm,
so that his time is now entirely occupied with the care and cultivation of four
hundred and eighty acres of land. He gives much of his attention to raising
grain but is also extensively interested in stockbreeding, specializing in old
country Clydesdale horses, of which he keeps twenty-five. He has also a fine
herd of high-grade cattle, his animals numbering forty. From time to time
Mr. Halliday has made substantial improvements upon his farm, upon which
there is now an excellent residence, barns, granaries and other outbuildings,
nothing being lacking which aids in the operation of the enterprise. In all
of his work he is energetic, determined, and far-sighted, a keen business man
who will brook no obstacles which can be overcome by persistent and honorable
effort, With his brother, William Halliday, he owns and operates a fine thresh-
ing machine and this has been an important factor in his success since it has
greatly facilitated the work in a profitable branch of his activities. Mr. Halli-
day is a member of the Grain Growers Association and a director of the local
branch of that organization. He also holds membership in the Grain Growers
Grain Company.
In Oakburn, on the 26th of September, 1906, Mr. Halliday married Miss
Margaret Hamilton, a daughter of James and Margaret (McMillan) Hamilton,
pioneers in this district. The father died in 1904 and is buried in the McLean
cemetery. Mr. Halliday gives his allegiance to the liberal party and is an
active member of the school board. He belongs to the Presbyterian church and
serves on the board of managers, his excellent business ability being a valuable
factor in the material success of the church. He is well known around Oakburn
by reason of his success in business affairs and he is accounted one of the active
workers and progressive farmers of this locality, having the unqualified con-
fidence and esteem of the entire community.
WILLIAM MACKAY.
William Mackay, one of the well known citizens of East Kildonan, now
living retired, after a successful career as a farmer, was born in Wellington
county, Ontario, on November 3, 1868. He pursued his education in the com-
mon schools of Bruce, Ontario, and in 1888, when a young man of nineteen,
came to Manitoba. He bought land on lot 41, East Kildonan, and with char-
acteristic energy, took to the occupation of farming. Mr. Mackay was a suc-
cessful farmer, and soon brought his land into a high state of cultivation, as
well as improving it with an excellent residence and other buildings. Subse-
quently, with other interests more attractive, he discontinued active farm
work, and rented his land, retaining his residence, however, which occupies
one of the most pleasant locations in the East Kildonan district.
92 THE STORY OF MANITOBA .
Mr. Mackay was married in Kildonan on December 18, 1888, to Miss
Isabella McRae, a daughter of John Garvey McRae, who was sent to this district
by the Hudson's Bay Company, from Scotland, and made his way to York
Factory to take care of the lawns and gardens of the company at that place.
When Governor Dallis was sent to Fort Garry to take charge of the fort, Mr.
McRae was also sent hither to look after the horses and perform other such
duties, remaining in that position until Governor Dallis was transferred.
Mr. McRae then invested his savings in land, purchasing one hundred and forty-
three acres on lot 40, from Hugh Poison. He at once began to break the sod and
till the soil, and in time brought his fields under the plow. He built there a
home, and carried on the cultivation of his farm throughout his remaining
days. He was a very active man, and his success resulted from his energy,
determination and careful utilization of opportunities. He filled the office of
road master for a number of years and he gave his political allegiance to the
liberal party. His religious faith was that of the Kildonan Presbyterian
church. Mr. McRae married Katherine Poison, a daughter of Hugh Poison,
and to them were born four children, but Mrs. Mackay is the only one who
reached adult age. Her father died in 1898, when he was sixty years of age,
and his wife passed away in 1900.
Mr. and Mrs. Mackay are the parents of nine children: John, Annie G.,
Thomas, Alex Ewin, William Douglas, Hugh Allan, Edwin Henderson, Robert
McRae and Rae Poison. Mr. Mackay votes with the conservative party, and his
fraternal relations are with the Foresters. The family are members of the
Kildonan Presbyterian church, and stand high among the best families of the
community.
WILLIAM ROBERT STURGEON.
Agricultural pursuits always engaged the attention of the late William
Robert Sturgeon, whose efforts in this direction were rewarded with such
unqualified success that he had been living in retirement for some ten years
prior to his death, which occurred on November 10, 1908. His birth occurred
in Florence, Ontario, on the 19th of October, 1855, his parents being James and
Jane Ann (Finletter) Sturgeon, natives of Ireland. Mrs. Sturgeon died in
Florence, Ontario, and the father came to Manitoba in 1883, locating in the
vicinity of Melita, and passed the remainder of his life in this province. The
family of Mr. and Mrs. Sturgeon numbered six, as follows : John F., a resident
of Omaha, Nebraska; James T., who is deceased; Margaret Ann, the wife of
Joseph Atkinson, of Toronto; Thomas D., an old pioneer of Manitoba, now
residing in Monrovia, California ; William Robert, our subject ; and Dr. Andrew
K., who is deceased.
The boyhood of William Robert Sturgeon was in no way unusual, but very
similar to that of the average youth who was reared in the rural sections of
Canada during the pioneer period. He remained at home and assisted his
father with the cultivation of the farm until his death, after which he started
out for himself. Soon thereafter he took up a homestead, and in its cultiva-
tion met with the success which usually rewards diligent and persistent efforts,
when capably directed. Increasing prosperity attended his endeavors through
the passing years, and as his circumstances warranted he extended his property
interests until he had acquired a thousand and forty acres of farming land in
this province, in addition to city property here and in Vancouver. Mr. Stur-
geon was not only a competent agriculturist but a business man of more than
average ability, as is evidenced by the sagacity he manifested in directing the
development of his interests. His competence, together with the large income
he annually realized from his property, enabled him to withdraw from active
work about ten years prior to his death and spend the remainder of his life
W. R. STURGEON
THE STORY OF MANITOBA 95
in retirement. In November, 1907, with his wife and family he removed to
Vancouver, with the expectation of thereafter making that city his home.
He was taken ill, however, and came back to Winnipeg, where he passed away.
His widow and family subsequently returned to Melita, where she has erected
one of the fine residences in the district, and they have ever since made this
town their home.
Mr. Sturgeon was married on the 22d of December, 1891, to Miss Emily
Oxley, a daughter of Thomas William and Mary (Hutty) Oxley, natives of
England, who were the parents of nine children, as follows : Rachel and Robert,
who are residing in Melita ; Mrs. Sturgeon ; Fannie, the wife of Walter Foster,
of Saskatchewan; Anna, who married A. E. Slater, of Napinka; Walter and
William, who are residing on the farm in Melita district; Alice, the wife of
H. Barker, of Melita; and Ada, the deceased wife of Wilbur Paul. To Mr.
and Mrs. Sturgeon were born five children ; Vida Bernice and Ina Wilhemein,
twins, who are deceased; William Douglas, who is residing at home with his
mother ; Margaret Hazel, who is deceased ; and Clara Irene, who is also at home.
Mr. Sturgeon was a member of the Church of England, as is also his widow
and family. Fraternally he was affiliated with the Independent Order of Odd
Fellows, Canadian Foresters and Ancient Order of United Workmen. Mr.
Sturgeon had many friends in this vicinity, as he was a man of sterling worth
and integrity, manifesting in both his private and business life those qualities
which commanded the respect of his fellow townsmen and won him the con-
fidence and regard of all with whom he had transactions.
ALBERT CHAMBERS.
Thirty-four years ago Albert Chambers came to Manitoba and since that
time has been a factor in the agricultural development of the district around
Shoal Lake. He is familiar with much of the pioneer history of this section,
has had his part in the later upbuilding and at the present time is an active
and successful agriculturist, owning a farm of one hundred and sixty acres in
township 16, range 23. He is a native of Ontario, born in Toronto, January
13, 1854, a son of Joseph and Elizabeth (Ybeman) Chambers, the former a
pioneer farmer in Ontario. The father of our subject was an upright, capable
and high-minded man who strove always to do his duty in every relation of his
life. He served in the army in 1837 but most of his life was spent in general
farming in Derham township, Oxford county. He was a stanch conservative
and active and loyal in his support of the party's policies, although he was
never desirous of official recognition. He died in 1870 and his wife passed
away two years later. Both are buried in Mount Elgin cemetery, in Oxford
county. In their family were nine children: Henry; William, who died in
April, 1911, and is buried in the Ingersoll cemetery ; George, who passed away
in 1910 and was laid to rest in the Mount Elgin cemetery; Annie, who is also
deceased, her interment taking place at Toronto; Thompson, whose home is in
Michigan; Albert, of this review; Graham, who is engaged in the fish business
in British Columbia; Robert, a lumber merchant in the same section; and
Rachel, who died when sixteen years of age.
In the acquirement of an education Albert Chambers attended school in
Ingersoll, Ontario, and laid aside his books at the age of seventeen, assisting
his father during that time in the work of the farm and continuing after the
latter 's death. When he came to Manitoba he was accompanied by two com-
panions, one of whom was Henry Hudson, and with them he took up land in the
Boyne settlement. In the spring of 1878, when the party arrived in Winnipeg
on'the journey from Ontario they purchased there a yoke of Oxen and a Red
River cart. In this cart they loaded all of their provisions and necessary sup-
plies which they had brought from Ashdown and started for the ferry. The
vol. m 5
96 THE STORY OF MANITOBA
oxen became frightened and ran away, upsetting the vehicle and scattering all
the provisions and baggage into the mud. The men gathered up their stove,
cooking utensils and everything which could be saved but were obliged to lay
in a new stock of provisions before resuming the journey. They had not gone
far when two of the men were stricken with a fever and Mr. Chambers accom-
panied by Mr. Pearson walked back seventy miles to Winnipeg in order to
purchase tickets so that they might return to Ontario. This project was never
carried out, however, for the two men died, Henry Hudson passing away in a
little log shanty by the roadside. Mr. Chambers completed the journey an.d
took up a homestead claim but being prevented by illness from living upon this
property and developing his holdings he lost his title. He returned to Ontario
but after one year's residence there again settled in Manitoba and in 1895
bought one hundred and sixty acres in township 16, range 23, Shoal Lake.
He found here a tract which had never been touched by the plow and acre by
acre he brought it under cultivation. Year by year he carried forward the
work, making substantial improvements and installing the necessary equipment,
finally developing a productive modern farm. He has one hundred acres
planted and specializes in the raising of grain, harvesting valuable crops every
year. By constantly following the most practical methods and by working along
systematic and scientific lines he has made his property a model enterprise of
its kind and has won a degree of prosperity which places him among the
prominent and representative men of his community.
Mr. Chambers does not affiliate with any particular political party, preferr-
ing to vote independently according to his personal convictions. He is
a devout adherent of the Presbyterian church and in his daily life conforms to
its doctrines. Having settled in Manitoba in pioneer times, his residence in
Shoal Lake has covered a formative period in the development of the section.
He has therefore been an interested witness of the events which have occurred
and the changes which have been made during the past thirty-five years and,
at all times, has cooperated in the work of public progress and improvement
and has done much to advance the farming interests of the district.
ALEXANDER MAcDONALD.
Alexander MacDonald, one of the prosperous and progressive men of the
section around Vista, whose labors since pioneer times have been of material
and substantial value to the community, makes his home on a farm in town-
ship 19, range 23, west of the first meridian, where he owns and cultivates
eleven hundred and twenty acres of land. This he has brought from a state
of wilderness to a profitable and productive condition and has gained a place
among the important farmers and stock-raisers of this locality. He was born
in Tiree, Scotland, August 21, 1855, and is a son of Lachlan and Mary
(McDougall) MacDonald, the former a pioneer farmer in Manitoba, who passed
away in this province in 1897. He is buried in Dauphin cemetery and his
wife, who passed away in 1892, was laid to rest in Argyle cemetery in the Shoal
Lake district.
Alexander MacDonald acquired his education in the national schools of
Scotland and when he laid aside his books learned the carpenter's trade and
also worked as a cartwright. He engaged in both these lines of occupation in
his native country until 1880, in which year he came to Canada and located
a homestead claim in township 19, range 23, upon which he has since resided.-
During the journey through the province to file upon his homestead he met
with many hard and dangerous experiences, receiving his first taste of pioneer
life before he had settled upon his farm. He traveled with ox teams, -two
yokes being hitched to a cart in which were packed all his provisions for the
journey. Owing to the impassable roads he was obliged to unload six times
THE STORY OF MANITOBA 97
before he reached a small island and in attempting to get upon it broke the
wheels of his cart and had to abandon nearly everything he had succeeded in
preserving throughout the journey. All the dangers which he met he faced
with confidence and courage and eventually reached his land, only to find it
swampy and wet and very difficult to cultivate. However, his characteristic
optimism and resolution enabled him to get beyond this trying period and after
much hard work he eventually succeeded in developing his farm. As the years
passed his harvests grew more abundant and today his property is one of the
model farms of this locality, provided with all the necessary barns and build-
ings besides an attractive and comfortable residence. Mr. MacDonald carries
on mixed farming and has now four hundred acres of his tract planted in
grain. He is likewise interested in stock-raising, keeping eighty head of cattle,
twenty horses and fine herds of other animals. He is beyond all question a
successful man and his prosperity is the more creditable to him since it has been
accomplished in spite of obstacles and discouragements by reason of the com-
pelling power of his determination.
Mr. MacDonald has been twice married. In March, 1887, he married, in
the Vista district, Miss Flora Bell, who passed away in 1892, leaving two chil-
dren: Mary, a graduate of the Normal School of Brandon and the Brandon
Collegiate Institute, who is now teaching school; and Katie M., who resides
at home. In 1893 Mr. MacDonald was again married, his second wife being
Miss Katie Black, a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Dougall Black, of Scotland.
They have three children: Flora, who is a student in the Dauphin Normal
School ; Christina, who attends the Shoal Lake high school ; and Donald A., who
is also pursuing his studies.
Mr. MacDonald is a member of the Baptist church and fraternally is affi-
liated with the Independent Order of Foresters. He votes independently upon
local questions and is recognized as a public-spirited and progressive citizen.
For a number of years he was postmaster of Oakburn and while in office dis-
charged his duties ably and conscientiously. As one of the large landowners
and successful farmers of his township he is well known in this section, where
he has resided for over thirty years. His life record shows what may be accom-
plished by a determined spirit and unfaltering enterprise. He has carefully
noted and used his opportunities and faced discouragements bravely, and his
example of unremitting industry and perserverance is one well worthy of
emulation.
JOHN McKAY.
John McKay is carrying on mixed farming on a tract of four hundred and
eighty acres in township 16, range 22, Strathclair, upon which he has resided
since coming to Manitoba in 1882. He assisted in the development of the farm
which he now owns, from a tract of raw prairie land to its present profitable
condition and since he assumed ownership of the property has steadily carried
forward the work of improvement, making it one of the finest agricultural enter-
prises in this locality. A native of Ontario, Mr. McKay was born in Kincardine
township, Bruce county, May 25, 1870, a son of George and Margaret
(McDonald) McKay, the former born in Oxford county, Ontario, in pioneer
times. The father of our subject came to Manitoba in the early days of its
settlement and located on the farm now owned by his son. He gave stanch
support to the principles of the liberal party and was always active in move-
ments which had for their object "the general welfare of his community. He
died in 1909 and is buried in the Strathclair cemetery, beside his wife, who
passed away in 1888.
John McKay acquired his early education in the public schools of Bruce
county, but when he came to Manitoba there were no schools organized. After-
ward, however, he resumed his studies at the Salt Lake school near Strathclair,
98 THE STORY OF MANITOBA
which he left at the age of fourteen. He then assisted his father with the work
of the farm, managing and directing the property while George McKay worked
at the carpenter's trade, in which he was very proficient. When the farm
came into his possession after his father's death, Mr. McKay of this review con-
tinued the work of development. There was a fine residence and the neces-
sary farm buildings already upon the property and these he has kept in good
repair. He does mixed farming and is likewise extensively interested in stock-
raising, keeping forty-five head of cattle, seventeen horses and other kinds of
live stock, the breeding and sale of which he has made a profitable source of
income.
Mr. McKay gives his allegiance to the liberal party and at the present
time is serving as councilor for ward No. 2, Strathclair rural municipality. He
takes an active interest in the public life of his community, especially as it
effects education, and for eight years has done notable work as a member of the
school board. He is a blue lodge Mason and is vice chief ranger of the Cana-
dian Order of Foresters. His religious views are in accord with the doctrines
of the Presbyterian church, and he is widely known as a man of exemplary
character. For thirty years he has lived upon his present farm and in its
management has manifested the steady industry, perseverance and good judg-
ment which are the foundations of his success. Whatever he has undertaken
he has carried forward to successful completion and his own labor has been
the principal factor in the attainment of the prosperity which places him in
the front ranks of progressive farmers.
JOHN MURRAY.
One of the extensive property holders and grain growers of the Hamiota
district is John Murray, who holds the title to eleven hundred and twenty acres
of fertile land located in township 14, range 23, in the development of which
he has been actively engaged for more than thirty years. He is a native of
Scotland, his birth having occurred in Stirlingshire on the 18th of November,
1858, and a son of James and Jane (Gardner) Murray. The parents were
born, reared and married in Scotland, whence they emigrated to Canada in
1861, coming direct to the province of Ontario, where they arrived in the
month of June. The father acquired the title to a tract of wild land in Huron
county, which through energy and diligence he brought into a high state of
productivity. There he and the mother passed the remainder of their lives,
his death occurring in the spring of 1891, and that of the mother in December
of the same year.
As he was only a child of three years when he came to Canada with his
parents practically the entire life of John Murray has been passed in the
provinces of Manitoba and Ontario. In the acquirement of an education he
attended the public schools of Kinburn, Ontario, having the distinction of being
a schoolmate of the Hon. George Coldwell. At the age of sixteen years he
terminated his student days and took up the trade of cheese-making. He con-
tinued to reside in Huron county until 1879, the latter period of his residence
being spent in Wawanosh township, and in March of that year he came to
Manitoba. The 29th day of that month marked his arrival here and soon
thereafter he took up a homestead in Hamiota district, which formed the
nucleus of his present fine farm. He applied himself with unremitting dili-
gence to the cultivation of his holding, and although he encountered various
difficulties and obstacles he met each as it arose with the resolute determina-
tion of the man who is directing his entire forces toward the achievement of
a single purpose with absolute confidence in his ability to attain his end. By
degrees he brought his holding under cultivation, and as his fields began to
yield more abundantly his circumstances warranted his increasing his acreage,
MR. AND MRS. JOHN MURRAY
THE STORY OF MANITOBA 101
and from time to time he purchased other tracts until he now owns eleven hun-
dred and twenty acres. Eight hundred and fifty of this amount he has put
under cultivation, planting the greater portion of it to grain, and ea'ch year
is realizing better returns from his fields. Mr. Murray also raises stock, keep-
ing seventy head of cattle, thirty-two horses, twenty hogs and several hundred
fowl, all of which substantially contribute toward his annual income. His
stock-raising interests are continually growing and give promise of becoming
numbered among the most important in the province. "While engaged in
the development of his fields, he has given considerable attention to the general
improvement of his homestead, on which he has erected a comfortable resi-
dence, commodious barns and such sheds and outbuildings as are needed for
the protection of his stock and grain. The buildings are all substantially con-
structed and in good repair. At various times he has introduced about his
premises different labor-saving devices and conveniences, while his equipment
comprises practically every implement known to the modern agriculturist.
On the 24th of April, 1883, Mr. Murray was married to Miss Annie Hamil-
ton, a daughter of James and Mary (Sanderson) Hamilton, pioneer farming
people of Ontario, who came to Manitoba in 1880. Mr. and Mrs. Murray have
thirteen children : Mary E., the wife of Alfred Elliott, a blacksmith, of Leslie,
Saskatchewan ; Theodore J., a farmer of this district ; Annie May, who married
Hector Patterson, who is farming in the Hamiota district; William J. and
Roy W., who are assisting their father with the operation of the home farm;
Myrtle M., who is at home; Albert V. and Robert 0., who are assisting their
f ather;. Clarence E., Hubert A. and Lawrence G., who are attending school;
and Ina M. and Pearl J., who are at home.
The family are adherents of the Presbyterian church, in which Mr. and
Mrs. Murray hold membership. Fraternally Mr. Murray is affiliated with the
Independent Order of Odd Fellows and the Canadian Order of Foresters, hold-
ing the distinguished position of district high chief ranger in the latter order
in Manitoba. Politically he supports such men and measures as in his judg-
ment are best adapted to subserve the highest interests of the people, irre-
spective of party affiliation. He gives evidence of his interest in the cause of
education as chairman of the Hamiota board of education and is also promi-
nent in governmental affairs as president of the local association of the munici-
palities of Miniota, Hamiota and Blanchard. Another honor he carries well
is that of director of the Provincial Central Association. Mr. Murray has
always been a diligent worker in his private affairs as well as in his public
connections and, as his ability of directing affairs and powers of organization
are fully equal to his energy, his efforts have been correspondingly rewarded.
He attributes generously much of his success to the able assistance and wise
counsel of his excellent wife, who was the first white woman in this part of
the country. In the early days she often would look after the stock and attend
to the minor duties of the farm when he was working in the fields and with
him shared all the hardships of pioneer life. Mr. Murray is regarded as
one of the foremost agriculturists and most prosperous citizens of the Hamiota
district, where he is accorded the esteem ever extended to public-spirited men
of honorable business methods and upright principles.
WILLIAM NICHOL.
s
William Nichol who owns a fine farm of three hundred and twenty acres
on sections 10 and 4, township 11, range 19, has given his attention to general
agricultural pursuits near Brandon since 1883 and has been upon his present
farm since 1885. During the twenty-seven years his progressive methods and
undoubted ability have made him successful and prominent and he is today
ranked among the representative farmers of the district. He was born near
102 THE STORY OF MANITOBA
Guelph, Ontario, September 11, 1857, and is a son of Mr. and Mrs. Henry
Nichol, the former a native of Scotland, who came to Canada in 1854. He is
buried in Alexandra and his wife, who died in 1870, is buried near Guelph.
William Nichol attended school in his native section and at the age of four-
teen commenced to work for himself. Coming to Manitoba he purchased in
the spring of 1883 a farm in Brandon county, which he later traded for one
hundred and sixty acres, which constitute part of his present farm. For some
time his labors were an important factor in pioneer development. He was
active in transforming wild land into fertile fields, starting with one hundred
and sixty acres of the property upon which he resides. With characteristic
energy he set about the work of development. He had the land broken, plant-
ing pine trees, fencing the fields and erecting a residence, a large barn and a
granary. He later added one hundred and sixty acres to his holdings and
upon the three hundred and twenty acres which he owns does mixed farming,
but devotes most of his attention to raising grain, of which he harvests
abundant crops every year.
Mr. Nichol married Miss Elizabeth Reeding, and they have four children:
Anna, the wife of S. Reeding; Carrie, who married Robert Reid, of Saskatche-
wan; J. H., a farmer in the latter province; and Gordon, who is a student of
the Baptist College, and who is assisting his father upon the farm. The family
are members of the Presbyterian church. Mr. Nichol supports the liberal party
and is intelligently active in its affairs.
DONALD BANNERMAN.
The name of Bannerman is closely associated with the record of early settle-
ment in Manitoba and throughout the intervening period to the present has
been'a synonym for industry, enterprise and progressiveness. Donald Banner-
man was born in Helmsdale, in the Kildonan parish of Scotland, in 1803, a
son of William Bannerman, who with his family came with the Lord Selkirk
settlers to Manitoba in 1815. The father purchased a large tract of land in
Kildonan, erected thereon a log house and he and his wife spent their remain-
ing days upon that place. Pioneer conditions existed here for the great north-
west territory was largely an unsettled and undeveloped tract, the work of
improvement having scarcely been begun. The father undertook the task of
establishing a home and developing a farm in the midst of the wilderness and
aided in planting the seeds of civilization which have since borne fruit in the
progress and prosperity of this section. His wife was also a native of Scot-
land and they reared a family of seven children. One son, John, and his
sister, Isabel, the eldest daughter, were sent out ahead of the family in 1813
to prepare a home for them and traveled westward until they arrived at
Churchill, where they found that they could not go further until spring would
melt the deep snow. During the winter John died and the sister joined a
party that settled in the locality of what was then Little York, now Toronto,
and married Robert Sutherland. The other sons of the family were Alexander,
George, William and Donald.
The last named was a youth of twelve years when the family arrived in
Manitoba and upon the old homestead here he spent his youthful days, experi-
encing the usual hardships and privations which were features of the settle-
ment of the frontier. He early became acquainted with every phase of farm-
ing and later became connected with commercial pursuits by opening a gen-
eral store in Kildonan. For many years he conducted the business and his
carefully selected line of goods and honorable business methods secured for
him a liberal patronage. In time he inherited the old home place and secured
other property, both town and country. With the settlement of the district
and the improvement made upon his land it naturally rose in value and became
THE STORY OF MANITOBA 103
one of the sources of a substantial annual income. Mr. Bannerman was also
the owner of several boats on the Red river and made trips each spring and
fall to York Factory, carrying loads of furs and other products for the
Hudson's Bay Company and returning with supplies and merchandise which
he ordered from European markets to equip his store. He had comparatively
limited advantages but possessed unusual mathematical skill. An observing
eye and attentive memory added greatly to his knowledge and he became in
time one of the influential and highly respected citizens of his community.
Mr. Bannerman was married in Winnipeg to Miss Janette Matheson, a
daughter of William Matheson, of Scotland. She came to Manitoba in 1829
to visit her sister and formed the acquaintance of Mr. Bannerman who sought
her hand in marriage. They became the parents of eleven children, all of whom
have passed away with the exception of Miss Janette Bannerman, who was
born on the old homestead and has spent her entire life here. She attended the
Kildonan school and also a very select and excellent ladies' college at St. Cross.
She still occupies the old homestead and pays every honor to her parents who
were worthy of the highest regard. Both Mr. and Mrs. Donald Bannerman were
regular attendants in the Kildonan Presbyterian church and their lives were in
consistent harmony with their religious observance. His political faith was
that of the liberal party. He died in February, 1880, and his wife, surviving
him until 1887, reached the advanced age of eighty years.
For sixty-five years Mr. Bannerman had been a resident of Manitoba and
had therefore been a witness of the greater part of its growth and development.
He was an eye witness of or participant in many events which were to others
merely matters of history and he related many interesting incidents of the
early days when the work of settlement was just being accomplished, the
reclamation of plain and wilderness being undertaken by a resolute, determined
band of early settlers who were the real builders and promoters of the province.
The old Bannerman homestead, still standing (1913) on lot 20, Kildonan, is
one of the historic old homes of Manitoba. Miss Janette Bannerman, the
present owner, is the third generation of the family that has lived there, and
in its care and preservation she has taken a deep interest from childhood.
Many of the beautiful shade trees surrounding it, she herself planted, and
cared for as young saplings.
JAMES HALLIDAY, JR.
James Halliday, Jr., for many years has been influentially associated with
the farming and stock-raising interests of the section around Oakburn, where
he owns a fine farm of nine hundred and sixty acres in township 18, range 24,
west of the first meridian. He was born in the town of Moffat, Dumfriesshire,
Scotland, October 25, 1869, and is a son of James and Isabella (Muirman)
Halliday, who with their eight sons and one daughter came as pioneers into
Manitoba, where the father took up a homestead claim on section 36, township
18, range 24. With the assistance of his sons he brought this property under
a high state of cultivation and became well known and widely popular in the
community. He gave his loyal support to the liberal party and worked in its
interests for many years, being especially active in school matters, serving for
some time as school trustee. He died in November, 1911, at the age of sixty-
eight, and is buried in the McLean cemetery. Of his children two have passed
away: John, who died in 1905, at the age of thirty-two; and Mathew, who
passed away in 1906, at the age of twenty-one. The surviving members of this
family are : Robert, who is engaged in farming in the Oakburn district ; James,
of this review; William H., farming near Vista; Adam and Thomas H., who
are carrying on agricultural pursuits in the same section; Gibson McVicker,
104 THE STORY OF MANITOBA
who is operating the home farm ; and Isabella, the wife of John Peden, a farmer
residing in the Rossburn district.
James Halliday acquired his education in the national schools of Scotland,
laying aside his books at the age of eleven, after having passed his standard
examinations. For one year afterward he worked in a nursery in his native
section and then began learning the stonemason's trade. He followed this
line of occupation for eighteen months, studying under his father who was an
important contractor in the south of Scotland, giving special attention to the
building of waterworks and sewers. Mr. Halliday after serving his apprentice-
ship remained in partnership with his father until October, 1886, in which year
he and his father came to Canada. After filing on a homestead claim near
Oakburn they sent for the rest of the family, who arrived in March of the
following year and settled upon the property. Mr. Halliday of this review
aided his father and brothers in the operation of the farm, all working together
for the common good. He remained at home until he was twenty-one years of
age and then moved upon a homestead claim which he had taken up at the
time his father acquired his land. The land being in a primitive state when
Mr. Halliday settled upon it, it was necessary for him to make all of the improve-
ments in order to bring it into a fit state for cultivation. This he succeeded
in doing and the property is now provided with a comfortable residence, a
commodious barn and outbuildings and all the conveniences necessary for the
conduct of a model agricultural enterprise. Mr. Halliday has four hundred
and fifty acres under cultivation, upon which he carries on mixed farming,
and from the first has met with success, for he has steadily adhered to the
policy of progressive methods and hard work. He keeps fifty head of cattle
and twenty horses and his stock-raising has proven one of the most profitable
sources of his income. In connection with his farming operations he is also
conducting a general contracting business and is meeting with great success
in this line of work. He is well known in the Grain Growers Association of
Oakburn and is secretary and treasurer of the local branch. *
At Portage la Prairie, on November 27, 1906, Mr. Halliday married Miss
Elizabeth Tait, a daughter of James and Jeanette Tait, of Culvanan Farm,
Castle Douglas, Scotland, the former a brother of James Tait, who is well
known as a horse importer. Mr. and Mrs. Halliday have three sons, James
Tait, Adam Thomas and Robert Tait.
Mr. Halliday is a member and an elder of the Presbyterian church and is
active in religious work. He belongs to the Independent Order of Foresters
and in this organization is serving as court deputy of Oakburn. He gives his
allegiance to the liberal party but never seeks political preferment, his citizen-
ship being of the practical kind which finds happiness in industry, in reliability
in business, with a spirit active in measures to promote the general prosperity
and to uphold the social and political institutions of the community.
REV. GUSTAVE JEAN.
Rev. Gustave Jean is the first graduate of St. Boniface College to be ap-
pointed its rector. He was born at Plessisville, Quebec, April 10, 1872, his par-
ents being Francois and Victorine (Letourneau) Jean. The family is of French
lineage. In 1882 the parents removed to St. Boniface, Manitoba. Rev. Father
Jean then entered St. Boniface College and in due time was graduated from
the University of Manitoba in 1892. His determination to devote his life to
the work of the Catholic ministry found practical fulfilment in his joining the
Jesuit order in Montreal in the same year. Eleven years were spent in study
and preparation for the priesthood, at the end of which time he received holy
orders. He afterward spent a year in Canterbury, England, to complete his
theological studies. He was for six years connected with Loyola College, Mont-
THE STORY OF MANITOBA 105
real, as teacher and prefect of discipline, and in 1911 he was appointed prefect
of studies at St. Boniface College. In March, 1912, on the advancement of
the Rev. Father Carrier e, Father Jean succeeded him as rector of the college
and gained the distinction of being the first graduate assigned to that position.
The Jesuit Fathers having been requested by the Catholic population of north-
ern Ontario to open a commercial and classical college at Sudbury, Rev. Father
Jean was called upon by the superior of the order to organize the new institu-
tion, and in April, 1913, he was appointed its first rector. He is a man of
scholarly attainments, greatly loved by his people, and as their spiritual guide
has done much to further the interests of the school and promote fidelity to
the cause of Catholicism.
FRANK SIMPSON.
Through well directed business activity and enterprise, supplemented by
remarkable foresight, discrimination and sound judgment Frank Simpson has
become one of the most prosperous and successful farmers as well as one of
the most extensive landowners in the Shoal Lake district. He owns a highly
improved tract of land in township 18, range 24, first meridian west, and since
1882 has lived upon it, during which time his labors have not only contributed
to his own prosperity but have proven effective forces in advancing the gen-
eral welfare. Mr. Simpson was born in Middleton, Lancashire, England, Novem-
ber 15, 1855, and is a son of Thomas and Anna (Surrage) Simpson, the frtrmer
prominent in the butcher business during his entire active career. In fact,
identification with this line of work has become a tradition in the Simpson family,
for representatives for four generations have been engaged in it. The father
of our subject resides in Rochdale, England, where he is living retired. The
mother passed away in 1878 and is buried at Middleton, in Lancashire. The
family is of old English Saxon origin arid the men for many generations be-
longed to the yeomanry and to the land-owning class.
In the acquirement of an education Frank Simpson attended the national
schools of Middleton, England, but laid aside his books at an early age in order
to assist his father on the dairy farm and in the meat market which the latter
owned in the town. He continued in this line of work until 1882, when he
crossed the Atlantic and came to Canada, settling immediately in Manitoba,
where he took up a homestead claim of wild prairie land in the Shoal Lake dis-
trict. He was very poor and was obliged to walk from Portage la Prairie to
Shoal Lake, driving a yoke of oxen hitched to a plow. This with fifteen dollars
constituted his stock in trade but he was rich in ability, perseverance, energy
and determination and has constantly realized upon these assets until today
he is a prosperous and successful man. The land which he acquired was entirely
destitute of improvements, but upon it he built a small house and began the
development of his farm. He worked resolutely and diligently to achieve suc-
cess and in the course of time the capital which he acquired from the sale of
his crops enabled him to purchase more land and he finally became the owner
of fifteen hundred acres, all of which with the exception of eight hundred acres,
has since been divided between his sons. Upon the remaining tract Mr. Simp-
son carries on mixed farming and gives a great deal of attention to the care
of his stock, which comprises ninety head of cattle and forty horses. Substan-
tial improvements have been made upon the property, including a fine modern
residence, commodious barns and outbuildings and all the necessary machinery.
At the present time Mr. Simpson is operating his own threshing machine and
has found this one of the greatest economies in his farm operation. Since com-
ing to Manitoba his life has been usefully occupied with important affairs and
his work has contributed in substantial measure to the progress and develop-
ment of his section. As the architect of his own fortune he has builded wisely
106 THE STORY OF MANITOBA
and well. He has depended on no outside aid or influence but has wrought out
his success along well defined lines of labor and has achieved his prosperity by
industry and perseverance.
In Shoal Lake on the 9th of July, 1884, Mr. Simpson married Miss Mary
Lament, a daughter of Neil and Marion (McLean) Lamont, the former a pioneer
farmer in Manitoba, who is residing in the Shoal Lake district and has reached
the age of ninety-two. His wife passed away in 1902 and is buried in the
McLean cemetery. Mr. and Mrs. Simpson are the parents of nine children:
Marion, who married Hugh McLean, a prominent farmer in the Shoal Lake
district; Hector and Edmund, both of whom are engaged in farming in this
district ; Frances M., who resides at home ; Margaret, a graduate of the Portage
la Prairie Normal School ; Neil, who assists his father in the work of the farm ;
Catherine, who is a student in the Shoal Lake high school ; Ellen, who is attend-
ing district school; and Dorothy, aged five.
Mr. Simpson is a devout adherent of the Presbyterian church. He is inter-
ested in everything relating to the grain question in Manitoba and active in
the affairs of various societies, being president of the Grain Growers Associa-
tion of Shoal Lake, a member of the Grain Growers Grain Company of Man-
itoba and a director in the Provincial Central Association. His record is indeed
a commendable one and his career in all of its relations has been characterized
by the strictest fidelity to principle and a high sense of honor, which have won
him prominence, success and many friends.
W. A. McINTYBE, LL. D.
The history of educational progress in Manitoba would be incomplete and
unsatisfactory were there failure to make prominent reference to Dr. W. A.
Mclntyre, who since 1888 has been connected with the staff of the Provincial
Normal School and since 1892 its principal. The detailed account of the
growth of this school indicates the breadth and scope of his activities and his
high ideals for intellectual development. He was born in Balderson, Ontario,
June 28, 1859, a son of Hugh and Janet Mclntyre, both representatives of
old and highly respected families of Ontario, where the father followed the
occupation of farming. In the home school the son began his education, and
after attending the Perth high school entered Manitoba University, from which
he was graduated in 1885. He was granted the LL. D. degree by McMaster
University in Toronto in 1907. He entered upon his professional career as a
teacher in the rural schools of Halton county, Ontario, but after a year removed
to Winnipeg, entering the service of the school board in January, 1880. In a
short time he became principal of the Boys' Central School and when soon
afterward the first collegiate department or high school was organized in the
city, in 1882, he became mathematical master therein, retaining at the same
time the principalship of the Boys' Central School. Subsequently, however,
he relinquished the latter position and devoted all his time to high-school work.
He was appointed to the staff of the Provincial Normal School in 1888, at
which time Dr. D. J. Goggin was principal, and when the latter resigned in
1892, going to Regina to organize the normal schools of the Northwest Terri-
tories, Dr. Mclntyre succeeded him as principal of the Manitoba Normal
School. During that year the normal school had an attendance of fifty-nine
first and second class students, while one hundred and fifty-three third class
students attended the sessions held for them in various towns of the pro-
vince. During the year 1911 the corresponding figures have been about three
times as great, showing the growth in the work of the normal school in twenty
years. Its courses have been broadened and brought more in harmony with
the needs of the people, especially in rural communities where the majority of
teachers must have charge of all the various lines of the school work. In the
DR. W. A. McINTYRE
THE STOEY OF MANITOBA 109
improvement and development of the school Dr. Mclntyre has taken a leading
part. Some years ago the provincial government established a model school
in connection with the Winnipeg Normal School and of this he has always
acted as principal.
Dr. Mclntyre 's interest in the educational welfare of the province has made
him an active worker in every movement for improving the schools, and he has
been particularly zealous in his efforts to make education in the elementary
schools, the high schools and the University suit the needs of the masses and
may be considered as one of the leading progressives in education in western
Canada. There has been no more enthusiastic advocate of or cooperant factor
in teachers' institutes, conventions and reading clubs, and he has assisted in
revising and remodeling programs of study, has advised changes of text-books,
has encouraged trustees to provide better schools and urged a more generous
appropriation for all educational purposes. His enthusiasm and unfailing
optimism have done much to create a professional spirit among the teachers.
Dr. Mclntyre was a member of the commission appointed a few years ago
by the provincial government to suggest a new plan for the organization of
the University of Manitoba and in that connection he visited many of the
leading universities of Canada and the United States. It seems probable that
many of the changes which his exhaustive study of the subject led him to
recommend will be made ere long. He was also a member of the educational
commission appointed in the spring of 1912 by the government of Saskatche-
wan. He has edited readers for Nova Scotia, Manitoba, Alberta and Saskatche-
wan and also a set of copy books. He has likewise assisted in the preparation
of other school text, was editor of the Western School Journal for three years
and has been similarily connected with other journals for an equal length of
time. For twelve years he has served on the council of the university and for
three years on its board of studies.
In Winnipeg, on the 12th of July, 1898, Dr. Mclntyre married Florence
S. Hilton, a daughter of Henry Hilton, of this city, and they have five children:
Dorothy, Lily, Kenneth, Jack and Harry.
Dr. Mclntyre holds membership in the First Baptist church of Winnipeg.
He is a prominent factor in the councils of his denomination. As a public
speaker he is well known all through western Canada. In all efforts at moral
and social betterment he has assisted both in the city and the province. For
eleven years he was secretary of the Manitoba Educational Association, while
in 1904 he was secretary of the Dominion Educational Association and in 1908
its president. .He is a firm believer in the value of outdoor games, loves the
wilder aspects of nature and is a most ardent fisherman. His genial qualities
make him one of the most likeable of men in his own home and one of the
best traveling companions when away from it. Beneath the genial qualities
of his nature there is a stratum of deep seriousness and this has led him to
give his support to what seems right in all public affairs.
ANDREW E. SLATER.
Andrew E. Slater, serving in a far-sighted and capable way as postmaster
of Napinka, was born in Gait, Ontario, March 21, 1861. He is a son of Andrew
and Janet (Common) Slater, both of whom have passed away and are buried
in Gait.
In the acquirement of an education Andrew E. Slater attended public
school in his native community and afterward became a student at the Gait
Collegiate Institute, from which he was graduated, entering afterward the
Trinity University of Law. He received his degree when he was twenty-seven
years of age and he spent three years thereafter as a clerk in a law office, going
at the end of that time to Toronto, where for three months he continued his
HO THE STORY OF MANITOBA
studies. In 1889 he left Ontario and came to Manitoba, turning his attention
first to teaching, an occupation which he followed for two years. At the end
of that time he took up his residence in Napinka and after three years iden-
tification with the lumber business here again began teaching, accomplishing
a great deal of beneficial work along this line in the five years he continued
actively in it. He resigned his position eventually in order to accept the office
of postmaster of the town and he has since discharged his duties capably and
conscientiously, his successful labors reflecting credit upon his business ability,
his energy and public spirit.
In 1894 Mr. Slater married Miss Anna Oxley, a daughter of Thomas and
Mary Oxley, who reside in Melita. Mr. and Mrs. Slater have six children,
Arthur, Lynett, Jennie, Gertrude, Lloyd and Olive. Mr. Slater is a liberal in
his political beliefs, is connected fraternally with the Canadian Order of For-
esters and is a member of the Presbyterian church. He is one of the active and
enterprising public officials of Napinka, a man of good business capacity and
enterprise and of unquestioned business integrity, enjoying in an unusual degree
the confidence and good-will of the entire community.
WILLIAM A. YOUNG.
William A. Young, manager of the Morris branch of the Merchants Bank
of Canada, is one of the most influential men in financial circles of the com-
munity, for he is at the head of a well established and conservative institution
which owes much of its substantial and flourishing condition to his able direc-
tion and control. He was born in Chatham, Ontario, January 15, 1870, and
is a son of John P. and Helen (Richardson) Young, the former a native of
Roxboroughshire, Scotland, and the latter of Canada. The father for many
years followed the blacksmith's trade and w r hen the Home for Incurables was
established at Portage la Prairie he was appointed its superintendent, in which
position he served for twelve years. At present he holds the position of super-
intendent of the park board and in both capacities has done capable work.
Mr. and Mrs. John P. Young became the parents of five children : William A.,
of this review, Margaret, who lives at home ; Helen, who is engaged in teaching ;
John, who resides at Fort William, Ontario ; and Robert, of Young & Company,
dispensing druggists in Winnipeg.
William A. Young acquired his early education in the public schools of
Portage la Prairie and in 1886 became connected with the hardware business
in that city. However, he realized the advantages of further study as a prep-
aration for his independent career and accordingly entered a business college at
Chatham. Upon completing the prescribed course he returned to Portage la
Prairie and resumed the hardware business for four years. At the end of that
time he made an entire change of his active interests by entering The Merchants
Bank, where he remained for six years, becoming familiar during that time
with all the details of modern banking. His fine work won him rapid advance-
ment, for he soon proved himself possessed of the systematic and concise mind
necessary when dealing with important financial affairs. Moreover, his exec-
utive force became evident and he was selected as manager of the Whitewood
(Saskatchewan) branch of the bank, in which position he remained for three
and one-half years. After that he spent two years as manager of the Souris
branch and then came to Morris as manager here. He has since been promoted
to the management of the Neepawa branch of The Merchants Bank of Canada.
While in Morris he has made this branch one of the well organized and substan-
tial financial institutions in this part of the province, bringing his past experi-
ence to aid him in systematizing and his excellent executive force to help in
the details of operation. He is recognized as a power in financial circles of the
district, a banker at once shrewd, able and conservative who yet never allows
THE STORY OF MANITOBA 111
the interests of his institution to suffer from lack of direct and aggressive
action should the occasion arise.
On June 12, 1894, Mr. Young was united in marriage to Miss Emma Hodg-
son a daughter of Jonathan and Eliza (Brown) Hodgson. Mr. and Mrs. Young
have three children, Amy Helene, Dorothy M. and William H. Mr. Young is
well known in fraternal circles and for the past twenty-one years has been a
member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and is now past grand. He
belongs also to the Masonic order, being master of his lodge. His religious
beliefs are in accord with the principles of the Presbyterian church. He takes
an active interest in all kinds of outdoor sports, believing firmly in self-control
and the power of quick thinking which athletics teach. He is a man of dis-
tinct ability and force of character which in business have made him an impor-
tant figure and in the private relations of his life have won him the respect and
honor of many friends.
MALCOLM McFADYEN.
As a pioneer in the Shoal Lake district Malcolm McFadyen is well known,
for he came here at an early period of its development and has borne his full
share in the work of advancement and progress which has been carried forward
along agricultural lines. He is now one of the successful farmers and exten-
sive landowners of this community, having seventeen hundred and sixty acres
in township 17, ranges 22 and 23 a fine and well improved property. Mr.
McFadyen is a native of Ontario, born in Mariposa, Ontario county, June 15,
1845, and is a son of Hector and Belle (Campbell) McFadyen, both of whom
passed away before the subject of this review was three years of age.
In the acquirement of an education Malcolm McFadyen attended public
school in Ontario, laying aside his books at the age of eighteen. Afterward he
worked upon neighboring farms and in the lumber camps or at any work which
would bring him an income. In this way he gained his livelihood for about
fourteen years and then determined to try his fortune in Manitoba. Accord-
ingly, in 1879 he started for the province, going by boat from Kincardine,
Ontario, up Lake Huron and Lake Superior and through the Soo canal to
Duluth,. thence by train to St. Vincent and then by boat up the Red river to
Winnipeg. In that city he purchased a yoke of oxen and for seventeen days
drove his team across the province. He laid in a supply of provisions at Por-
tage la Prairie and then pushed on to the Shoal Lake district, where he took
up a homestead claim, upon which he is today residing. He found his property
a tract of undeveloped land, but with characteristic energy set himself to the
task of cultivating his fields. Acre by acre the land was brought under the
plow and gradually by hard work, perseverance and determination Mr. Mc-
Fadyen developed a profitable farm. From time to time, as his circumstances
justified, he added to his holdings and owns at the present time seventeen hun-
dred and sixty acres, upon which he has erected a fine residence, good barns
and outbuildings, making it one of the attractive and valuable properties of
this vicinity. Nine hundred acres are under cultivation in grain and the rest
affords pasture for eighteen horses, thirty cattle and six swine. In addition
to this Mr. McFadyen is engaged in poultry raising, keeping about one hun-
dred fowl.
At Bruce, Ontario, on March 7, 1876, Mr. McFadyen was united in marriage
to Miss Mary Buchanan, a daughter of Donald and Grace (Stewart) Buchanan,
both of whom have passed away. The father died in 1882 and was survived by
his wife until the 20th of February, 1898. Both are buried at Tiverton cem-
etery, Bruce county. Mr. and Mrs. McFadyen became the parents of eight
children: Grace, the wife of Donald McGregor, a farmer of Strathclair; Dan-
iel, who is assisting his father; Irene and Janet, both of whom live at home;
112 THE STORY OF MANITOBA
Stewart, also aiding in the operation of the home farm ; Ethel, who is still with
her parents ; and Ivan and Henry, who are assisting with the work of the home-
stead.
Mr. McFadyen gives his allegiance to the liberal party and served for two
years as councilor, discharging the duties of this office in a capable and effi-
cient manner. He has resided in the Shoal Lake district for over thirty years
and during the time has witnessed many changes as the work of advancement
and improvement has been carried on. His success is by no means the result
of fortunate circumstances but has come to him through energy, labor and per-
severance, for he started out in life at the bottom round of the ladder and has
gradually worked his way upward, being today in the front ranks of pro-
gressive and successful agriculturists.
HENRY JOHN CAIRNS.
Henry John Cairns, well known in real-estate circles of Winnipeg as a
member of the firm of H. J. Cairns & Son and recognized throughout the city
as one of the most able, resourceful and progressive business men, was born in
Fifeshire, Scotland, and came to Canada in 1897. He located first in Montreal
but, becoming discouraged by the dullness of business conditions, resolved to
return to his native country. However, he was prevented from obtaining his
passage back by the congested traveling conditions incident to the jubilee year
and determined to come to Manitoba. He arrived in Winnipeg in 1903 and he
has since been engaged in the real-estate business in the city. He has charge
of extensive interests along this line both in Winnipeg and adjacent farming
sections and has built up one of the most flourishing and prosperous concerns
of this kind in this part of Manitoba. Mr. Cairns is also the principal Canadian
owner in the Anglo Continental Fertilizer Company of No. 1, Broad Street
Place, London, that owns the Dickson process for treatment of sewerage, known
as the "Centrifuge" system.
Mr. Cairns married, in Scotland, Miss Catherine D. Garroway, . and they
have two sons : John, who is editor of the Calgary Herald in Calgary, Alberta ;
and William G., who is in partnership with his father under the firm name of
H. J. Cairns & Son. Mr. Cairns married again, his second union being with
Miss Mary Adams, of Stirlingshire, Scotland.
Mr. Cairns gives his allegiance to the conservative party and is at the pres-
ent time serving as a justice of the peace for Manitoba. During the nine years
he has lived in Winnipeg he has made a close study of its conditions and oppor-
tunities and has come to regard it as one of the coming great cities in the
Dominion. No movement looking toward its further advancement along any line
lacks his active and helpful cooperation. He is a firm believer in the theory
that the way to make a city great is to patronize its industries, to advertise
its opportunities, to "boom" its advantages, and he has done all in his power
to make his beliefs effective, for his public spirit is of the forceful and vital
kind which finds vent in active and constructive work.
MALCOLM MORRISON.
Among the farmers who have won notable success in tilling the soil in the
Strathclair district is Malcolm Morrison, who for thirty years has cultivated
and improved four hundred and eighty acres in section 32, township 16, range
22, evolving from a tract of bush land a profitable and well managed agricul-
tural enterprise. A native of Ontario, Mr. Morrison was born in Sydenham,
August 16, 1862, and is a son of Neil and Minnie (McPee) Morrison, the former
THE STORY OF MANITOBA 113
one of the earliest pioneers in the settlement of Ontario. The father took up
a .tract of bush land near Sydenham and literally hewed his farm out of the
wilderness, bringing it finally to a high state of cultivation. Later he came to
Manitoba and took up a homestead claim in township 17, range 22, which prop-
erty he cultivated and improved for sixteen years. He became popular and
widely known throughout this part of the province and his death in 1897 was
the occasion of deep sorrow and regret. He is buried in the Elphinstone cem-
etery His wife survives him and makes her home in Strathclair. The family
is of Scotch origin, of old Highland stock.
In the acquirement of an education Malcolm Morrison attended the Syden-
ham district school but laid aside his books at the age of fifteen in order to
assist his father in the work of the farm. He thus at an early age became
acquainted with the best methods of tilling the soil and the result of his early
training is apparent in the splendid condition of his farm today. When he
came to Manitoba in 1880 he took up a homestead claim near Strathclair and
upon this he has since resided. When he moved upon the property he found
it a tract of rolling prairie covered with a dense growth of brush and scrub
which he was obliged to clear before the work of cultivation could be begun.
Acre by acre Mr. Morrison brought this land under the plow and as his finan-
cial resources grew he carried forward the work of development along progres-
sive lines, erecting substantial buildings and installing modern machinery. At
present he has two hundred and fifty acres cleared and planted and in addi-
tion he gives a great deal of his time to the care of his stock. At one time he
kept sixty head of cattle but at present has only six head. He owns twenty-
two high-grade horses, a fine herd of swine and other small farm stock.
In Shoal Lake, on the 28th of September, 1897, Mr. Morrison married Miss
Marie Christopherson, a daughter of August and Marie Christopherson who
are now residents of British Columbia. Mr. Morrison's first wife passed away
on the 16th of August, 1909, leaving five children : Jessie K., who died in 1911,
at the age of twelve years, and is buried .in the Strathclair cemetery; and
James, Annie, Minnie and Herbert, all of whom are attending school. On
March 16, 1911, Mr. Morrison was again married, his second wife being Lillie
Crawford, a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. William Crawford, residents of Ireland,
where the father follows the fisherman's trade. The mother has passed away
and is buried in Ireland. To Mrs. Morrison by a former marriage had been-
born a daughter, Florence, and by her marriage to Mr. Morrison she is the
mother of two children, Malcolm and William.
Mr. Morrison is a liberal in his political beliefs but takes no active part in
the public life of his district, preferring to concentrate his attention upon his
business affairs. He is a member of the Manitoba Grain Growers Association, and
his religious views are in accord with the doctrines of the Presbyterian church.
He has been a resident of Strathclair for over thirty years and the upright
and honorable standards by which he has directed his work have made him
honored and respected wherever he is known. He has made good use of his time
and opportunities and as the years have gone by has gained prosperity, yet his
success is measured not alone by material gain but by the enterprising spirit
and worthy methods by which it was accomplished.
ROBERT M. SMITH.
Robert M. Smith, closely connected with mercantile interests of Griswold
as a member of the firm of Gillespie & Smith, general merchants, was born in
Dunkeld, Scotland, September 25, 1875, and is a son of Alexander and Mary
(McLeish) Smith. The father died in 1897 and is buried in his native country.
He is survived by his widow, who makes her home in Scotland.
114 THE STORY OF MANITOBA
Robert M. Smith acquired his education in the public schools of Butterstone
and at the early age of twelve laid aside his books, beginning his business
career as an apprentice in a grocery store in his native country. After four years
his health failed and he was obliged to give up active life for three years, at
the end of which time he came to Manitoba, arriving in this province in/ 1894,
when he was nineteen years of age. He found that the climate benefited his
health and he accordingly made a permanent location here, obtaining a position
in a general store at Oak Lake, where for four years he did able and conscien-
tious work. At the end of that time he became connected with the A. E. Hill
Company, Limited, of Griswold and he retained his position with this con-
cern until 1911, when he formed a partnership with Mr. Gillespie and together
they purchased his employer's business, which they have since conducted under
the name of Gillespie & Smith. They have an extensive and important patron-
age, controlling a lucrative trade, which has been accorded to them in recogni-
tion of their reasonable prices, their large and well selected line of goods and
their earnest desire to please their patrons.
In London, Ontario, on the 14th of October, 1902, Mr. Smith was united
in marriage to Miss May Wilkinson, a daughter of William E. and Anne
(Simpson) Wilkinson, the former of whom passed away in 1892. He is sur-
vived by his wife, who makes her home in London. Mr. and Mrs. Smith have
two children, Ernest and Gladys, who live at home.
Mr. Smith is well known in fraternal circles of this community, having
been through all the chairs of the Masonic lodge. He has also gained a high
position in the Canadian Order of Foresters, of which he is now financial and
recording secretary. He gives his political allegiance to the conservative party
but has no desire for public office, preferring to concentrate his energies upon his
business interests, in which he is meeting with signal success.
JOHN FRASER.
For a year John Fraser has resided in a pleasant residence at No. 129
Home street, previous to which time he lived for many years on Charlotte
street in Winnipeg. For almost four decades he has been connected with Mani-
toba, being identified with some of the earlier efforts for its upbuilding and
development. He was born in the north of Scotland in Inverness, in January,
1841, a son of Alexander and Annie (Fraser) Fraser, and pursued his educa-
tion in that country. He was thirty years of age when, in 1871, he crossed the
Atlantic to the new world, spending the first winter after his arrival in Ontario.
In the following spring he made his way up the lakes to Duluth, Minnesota, and
thence by train to Moorhead, Minnesota, from which point he proceeded as a
passenger on the old steamer Dakota up the Red river to Winnipeg, where he
arrived on the 1st of June, 1872. That summer he was employed on the town-
ship survey and in the month of September entered the service of the Hudson's
Bay Company, which was building houses west of Fort Garry. During the
succeeding winter he assisted in running the boundary line with a party of
surveyors. In the spring of 1873 he returned to Winnipeg on the steamer
Dakota and entered the employ of Peter Sutherland. Subsequently he pur-
chased horses and began teaming, and until the fall of 1911 continued as a
teaming contractor of this city. In the meantime he had built up a business
of extensive proportions and had derived therefrom a gratifying annual income
that enabled him to acquire the competence that is now his.
In Winnipeg on December 11, 1879, Mr. Fraser was married by Rev. James
Robertson, who also christened every one of their children, to Miss Minnie
Johnson, a daughter of William and Marion (Stanger) Johnson, the former
a trader of the Hudson's Bay Company almost a century ago. He came from
Orkney Islands and made his way to York Factory. While in the service of
JOHN ERASER
THE STORY OF MANITOBA 117
the company he made various trips with dog sleds, trading with the Indians
in furs throughout the northwest country. In this connection he went through
many trying experiences and after a few years spent on the Canadian frontier
he returned to the Orkney Islands, and for years afterward followed the sea.
He died in Stromness, Scotland. His daughter, Mrs. Fraser, came to Winnipeg
in 1875. By her marriage she has become the mother of six children, John H.,
James Robinson, Thomas Arthur, Jessie A., Edward Allensworth and Marion.
After their marriage Mr. and Mrs. Fraser went to housekeeping at 58 Charlotte
street, where they lived until their removal to 129 Home street in 1911, where
they now reside. In 1912, Mr. and Mrs. Fraser and their youngest daughter
paid a visit to Scotland, which was his first in forty-one years, while it was
thirty-seven years since his wife had left the land of her birth. While enjoy-
ing their sojourn, they were glad to return to Winnipeg, the home that had
grown dear to them in the new world and where their life interests center.
Mr. Fraser has always voted with the liberal party and his cooperation can
always be counted upon to further public progress when the welfare of the
community is at stake. He holds membership with the Ancient Order of
United Workmen and his religious faith is that of the Presbyterian church.
Whatever success has come to him is the reward of diligence and determination.
He early recognized the truth that "industry wins," and industry became the
beacon light of his life.
ANGUS McKAY.
One of the most progressive, active and able young farmers of Strathclair
is Angus McKay, who is carrying on mixed farming upon four hundred acres
of land in township 16, range 22, and meeting with the success which always
rewards earnest and well directed work. A native of Ontario, Mr. McKay was
born in Bruce, March 25, 1880, a son of George and Margaret (McDonald)
McKay, the former born in Oxford county, Ontario, in pioneer times. He was
among the early settlers in Manitoba and for a number of years operated the
farm in township 16 which is now owned by the subject of this review. He
was a stanch liberal in his political beliefs and gave active support to that party
until his death, which occurred in 1909. His wife passed away in 1888 and
both are buried in the Strathclair cemetery.
Angus McKay was two years of age when he was brought to Manitoba by
his parents and consequently his education was acquired in this section. He
attended the Salt Lake school but laid aside his books at the age of twelve in
order to assist his father on the farm. Thus from his childhood he has been iden-
tified with agricultural pursuits and his work along this line at the present time
shows the splendid results of this early training and experience. He worked
upon the homestead until 1905, when his father presented -him with the tract
of land he now operates. Upon this property he carries on mixed farming,
keeping fifteen head of cattle, fourteen horses and other live stock, which com-
mands a high price and ready sale in the Manitoba markets. He has one hun-
dred and eighty acres of land under cultivation and has made substantial im-
provements upon the property, erecting fine farm buildings and a comfortable
residence.
On December 14, 1904, Mr. McKay married Miss Ella McKay, a daughter
of James and Annie McKay, residents of Strathclair. Mr. and Mrs. McKay
have four children, Hazel, Eva, Isabelle and Lawrence. Mrs. McKay has ably
supplemented her husband's work and her quiet industry, good sense and prac-
tical judgment have influenced his activities in a vital way and have materially
hastened his success.
In his political views Mr. McKay is a stanch liberal and has always sup-
ported the principles and policies for which that party stands. He belongs to
Vol. 1116
118 THE STORY OF MANITOBA
the Masonic order and is junior warden of his lodge, and he also holds member-
ship in the Canadian Order of Foresters. His personal characteristics have
gained for him the warm regard and friendship of many, while in farming he
has attained that success which comes only as the reward of merit and ability.
SAMUEL B. COWAN, M. D.
Dr. Samuel B. Cowan, who is carrying on the general practice of medicine
in connection with the conduct of a modern drug store in Portage la Prairie,
was born in Harrison, "Wellington county, Ontario, November 28, 1868, a son
of the late Dr. James Cowan, whose sketch will be found elsewhere in this work.
Dr. Cowan was the eldest of a family of five children. He received his
education in the public schools of Portage la Prairie and later attended Mani-
toba College, where he received the degree of B. A. Immediately afterward
he matriculated in the medical department and was graduated with the degree
of M. D. in 1893. He returned immediately to Portage la Prairie and began
the practice of his profession, which he continued as his only occupation until
1895, when he bought the drug store conducted by Joseph Taylor, now of
Winnipeg, which he has since managed, becoming remarkably successful in a
business and professional way.
On May 4, 1889, Dr. Cowan was united in marriage to Miss Georgina Per-
cival, of Winnipeg, a daughter of James Percival, deceased, and to their union
were born three children : Percival G. ; Harry A., who has passed away ; and
Margaret I. Dr. Cowan keeps abreast of the progress in his profession by. his
membership in the Manitoba Medical Association, and is regarded by his fellow
physicians as one of the most able representatives of the medical fraternity in
the city.
J. B. WILSON.
Through successive stages of progress and advancement J. B. Wilson has
worked his way upward in the grocery business from the position of messenger
boy to that of manager of the Central Grocery, operated by Symington & Com-
pany, Limited, of Brandon. No man can rise from a humble place to prom-
inence and prosperity without the essentials to success, industry, perseverance
and patience under defeat. All of these qualities are exemplified in the career
of J. B. Wilson and he adds to them an alert business instinct, the power of
organization and control and an active discernment which have taken him out
of the ranks of employes into those of owners and managers. He was born in
Bruce county, Ontario, January 26, 1869, and is a son of Byron and Agnes
Wilson. The father was a pioneer timber merchant in Bruce county and fol-
lowed that line of occupation until his death in 1881. He is buried in Bruce
county. He left a widow and three children besides the subject of this review,
namely: Byron G., who died in Brandon; Charles S., a mail contractor in the
same city; and Samuel P., a merchant in Edmonton, Alberta.
J. B. Wilson received his education in the public schools of his native sec-
tion and laid aside his books at the age of twelve. In 1882 he came to Brandon
and secured a position in one of the first grocery stores of the city. Since that
time he has never abandoned his identification with this line of work and has
been connected with it in various capacities for thirty years, not a little of his
success being due to early experience well applied. For six years he remained
in his first position, working as messenger boy under T. W. Kirkpatrick and
then after a short visit to his mother's homestead returned to Brandon and
entered into partnership with Joseph Symington. They formed a joint stock
THE STORY OF MANITOBA 119
company and carried on the business in this way for ten years. In January,
1912, it was reorganized under the name of the Central Grocery with Mr.
Wilson as manager. Under his direction the business has grown in volume,
responding immediately to his new and progressive policies and methods.
Mr. Wilson was married in Brandon on March 31, 1902, to Miss Elizabeth
Symington, a daughter of his partner, Joseph Symington, who is now residing
in Ireland. Mr. and Mrs. Wilson have one daughter, Vivianne Alberta, who is
four years of age. They are members of the Presbyterian church.
Fraternally Mr. Wilson is a member of the Independent Order of Odd
Fellows but is not otherwise fraternally connected. He is a liberal in his
political views and for some time did able and effective work as alderman.
Thirty years of continuous activity in the grocery business in Brandon have
made him closely associated with mercantile interests of the city and his methods
and standards which have been tested and proven true during the time have;
made him honored and esteemed by all who have had business dealings with
him.
WILLIAM H. HALLIDAY.
William H. Halliday, who follows farming in township 18, range 24, near
Vista, has since the beginning of his career been connected with agricultural
interests and is today one of the most prosperous farmers of this locality, own-
ing eight hundred acres of land. , He was born in the town of Moffat, Dum-
friesshire, Scotland, and is a son of James and Isabella (Muirman) Halliday,
natives of Scotland, who came to Canada with their family of eight sons and
one daughter in 1886 and took up a homestead claim in section 36, town-
ship 18, range 24. With the assistance of his sons the father of our sub-
ject brought his fields to a high state of cultivation and in the course of years
became one of the leading agriculturists of this locality. He was prominent
in liberal politics, active in religious and educational circles and in all the rela-
tions of his life upright, straightforward and honorable. He passed away in
November, 1911, at the age of sixty-eight, and is buried in the McLean cemetery.
He left to mourn his loss his widow and seven children.
William H. Halliday acquired his education in the schools at Moffat, Scot-
land, laying aside his books at the age of thirteen in order to accompany his
parents to America. When the family settled in Manitoba he assisted his father
with the work of the farm for some time and then engaged as a laborer in the
employ of others for about eight years. At the end of that time he began his
independent career, buying from the provincial government a tract of land,
upon which he has since resided. From the beginning he carried on mixed
farming, putting forth every effort to make his soil more highly productive,
and so great has been his success that he has been enabled to increase his hold-
ings and now owns eight hundred acres in township 18, range 24. He has two
hundred acres under cultivation in various grains and pastures a herd of sixty
cattle, while he keeps twenty-two horses and a large number of hogs. He is
also interested in poultry raising and has made this one of the important
branches of his work. He is a member and a director of the Grain Growers
Association and a shareholder in the Grain Growers Grain Company.
On the 26th of September, 1904, Mr. Halliday married Miss Maggie J.
Armstrong, a daughter of William H. and Ellen (Swinton) Armstrong, the
former a pioneer farmer near Vista. Mrs. Halliday 's mother died in 1899 and
is buried in the Rossburn cemetery. Mr. and Mrs. Halliday have four children :
John, who is attending school; Ellen, Isabella M., and William Armstrong.
Mr. Halliday is well known in religious circles, being secretary and treasurer
of the Presbyterian church and also acting as elder. He is a member of the
Minnedosa Presbytery and superintendent of the Sunday school and in all the
120 THE STORY OF MANITOBA
relations of his life exemplifies the doctrines in which he believes. He gives
his allegiance to the liberal party and at the present time is serving as road-
master and fence viewer and is acting also as chairman of the Culross school
board. His life has been such as to merit the respect of his fellowmen and by
his honesty, integrity and industry he has contributed much toward the upbuild-
ing of the community in which he is a representative citizen.
CHARLES NAPIER BELL.
Charles Napier Bell is one of the most important men in public life in Win-
nipeg. This does not mean that he is prominent in political circles or that he
seeks the distinction of official recognition. What it means is that no move-
ment of a business, social or educational nature, which has for its object gen-
eral growth and advancement, ever lacks his cooperation, that he has stood
steadily on the side of progress for the city along all lines and that his active
life has been one of the greatest individual factors in general expansion. He
is perhaps the most valued authority upon the ever recurring grain question
in Manitoba and has done some distinguished work on the royal commission.
He has studied the grain question in all its phases and has carried his researches
forward along practical business lines so that his reports to the government
have been invaluable to the province in acquiring necessary statistics upon
which to base laws and standards. Mr. Bell is a son of the late James Bell,
registrar of South Lanark, Ontario, and he was born at Perth, in that province,
in 1854. He attended the grammar schools in that city but his early education
was extremely limited. As a boy of twelve he served as bugler for the Perth
Rifles during the Fenian raid of 1866 and for that service holds the military
medal, to which has since been added for service during the second Fenian raid
of 1870 and the Red River expedition under General Wolseley the appropriate
clasps. Mr. Bell also served in the Fenian raid in Manitoba in 1871.
Mr. Bell left Ontario in 1870 and since that time has resided in western
Canada, principally in Winnipeg. In 1872 and 1873, however, he traveled in
the Saskatchewan country and under the new order Mr. Bell was the first
Canadian, upon organization of the province of Manitoba, to engage in hunt-
ing and trading among the Indians of Saskatchewan and Alberta. For twelve
years afterward he was in the customs and railroad service, during the latter
two or three years representing the United States railroads which prior to
the completion of the Canadian Pacific Railway were interested in the trans-
portation of Canadian goods. Since 1887 Mr. Bell has been a continuous resi-
dent of Winnipeg and most of his time has been given to work upon various
phases of the grain question. For the past twenty-five years he has been sec-
retary of the Winnipeg Board of Trade and the Winnipeg Grain Exchange
and also of all the government grain boards controlling the selection of stand-
ards and grain surveys. He was secretary during the organization and first
year's management of the Winnipeg Industrial Exhibition Association and
held the same position on the royal commission which investigated the whole
question of warehousing, transportation and handling of grain, this Investiga-
tion resulting in the present Manitoba grain laws. Mr. Bell was also secretary
of the royal commission on transportation, which during the years 1904 and
1905 investigated and reported upon the general questions of national trans-
portation and especially as to the transportation of products of Canada from
the points of production to the markets of the world. He has thus become
recognized as a standard authority and his work and research have been impor-
tant in the general development of the Dominion of Canada,
Mr. Bell has also for many years taken a great interest in the history,
archaeology and geography of northwestern Canada and is the author of many
papers and reports bearing on the subjects and upon the general resources of
C. N. BELL
THE STORY OF MANITOBA 123
the country. He has been president of the Manitoba Historical and Scientific
Society and was elected a fellow of the Royal Geographical Society in 1885.
He is also a fellow of the Royal Colonial Institute, a corresponding member of
the Royal Scottish Geographical Society, the National Geographic Societies of
the United States and of the Bremen, the Buffalo and the Minnesota Historical
Societies. In 1912 he was made an honorary member of the Academic Society
of International History of Paris, receiving a gold medal and the insignia from
that institution. In 1896 he was appointed consul for the republic of Guatemala
and served with ability and distinction in this difficult position. He is well
known in the social circles of Winnipeg, holding membership in the Manitoba
Club and the St. Charles Country Club. In 1912 he was elected president of
the Canadian Club of Winnipeg. In fraternal circles, too, he holds a prominent
position, especially in the Masonic order, of which he is a past grand master
of Manitoba and a member of the supreme council of the thirty-third degree
for the Dominion of Canada. He belongs to the Presbyterian church. In the
earlier days of Winnipeg Mr. Bell was very active in amateur sporting circles,
taking an especial interest in snowshoeing and skating and he holds many
trophies which he won in contests in these sports. He was the one to introduce
fancy skating in this western country and was also one of the leading rifle shots
of Winnipeg.
Mr. Bell has been more or less identified with every public movement not
of a political character in Winnipeg during the forty-two years of his residence
here and was the originator of the Winnipeg Industrial Bureau and has on
three occasions represented Winnipeg in London at Imperial trade congresses.
He is a fine type of the modern man of affairs, who makes his life valuable and
influential in the general interests of his city and province. Liberally educated
and widely read, trained by experience in the management of important enter-
prises, shrewd, capable, versatile and public-spirited, he stands as an exempli-
fication of the spirit of progress which is making Winnipeg great among the
cities of the western continent.
JOHN ROBERT BUNN.
Since he was eighteen years of age John Robert Bunn has been closely asso-
ciated with business interests in various parts of Manitoba, his native province,
and has been especially prominent as a representative of the Hudson 's Bay Com-
pany. At the present time he is inspector of Indian agencies for the Lake
Winnipeg Inspectorate. Although he has been serving little more than a
year, he has already demonstrated his wise judgment, his tact and his business
ability. He was born August 26, 1855, in the Red River district, a son of
Thomas and Isabella (Clouston) Bunn, natives of Manitoba. The family is of
Scotch origin and was founded in Canada by the grandfather of our subject, also
John Bunn, who after graduating in medicine from the University of Edin-
burgh in 1832 came to the Dominion and was the first physician in the Red River
colony. His son, the father of our subject, followed farming in that section all
during his life and was also well known in political circles. He was clerk of
the governor, and councilor of Assiniboia and was clerk of the court in the Red
River colony. His ability gained him advancement and at the time of his death
he was serving as a member of the first legislature of the province of Manitoba.
He died on the llth of April, 1875, in middle age, having long survived his
wife, who passed away March 15, 1857. They were tfye parents of two chil-
dren : John Robert, of this review, and Isabella, who is a trained nurse.
John Robert Bunn remained at home until he was eighteen years of age and
received his education in the public schools of the Red River colony and St.
John's College. He began his active life as a representative of the Hudson's
Bay Company and was connected with their interests until 1884, when he
124 THE STORY OF MANITOBA
became connected with the general merchandise business in Winnipeg. In
1890, however, he resumed his connected with the Hudson's Bay Company and
retained it until 1901, when he again became connected Avith the mercantile
interests. In April, 1912, he was appointed inspector of Indian agencies. In
his conduct of the affairs of this office he has proven himself to be above all an
able and resourceful business man, conscientious in conserving the public
interests but essentially just and humane in all his dealings.
Mr. Bunn married Miss Vashti E. Gunne, and to their union were born five
children: Charles R. R., who is a graduate of Manitoba Medical College and
is a practicing physician at Ignace, Ontario; Victor William; Thomas Drake;
Marguerite Isabella; and John Reginald. Mr. Bunn is actively and helpfully
interested in all matters relative to the progress and improvement of this sec-
tion, giving his support to many measures for the public good. As a business
man he is thoroughly reliable and his honesty in all the relations of his life has
been one of the important factors in his substantial success.
WILLIAM HUNTER.
No history of the agricultural development of Manitoba would be com-
plete without mention of William Hunter, who came to the province in 1879
and settled upon a tract of raw prairie land, from which during many years of
earnest, persistent and well directed work he has evolved his present excellent
farm of four hundred and eighty acres in township 16, range 22, near Strath-
clair. Mr. Hunter holds a high place in the respect and esteem of the com-
munity in which he has so long resided, for his worth has been tested through
the years and has been proven true in every relation of his life. A native of
Ontario, he was born in Brantford, January 14, 1844, and is a son of James and
Jean Hunter, the former a pioneer in Ontario. He came to that province when
there were only a few dwellings in Toronto and took an active part in the devel-
opment of the district around Brantford. He was a sergeant during the Fenian
rebellion and always did his utmost to serve his country in times of peace as
well as in times of war. He gave always a stanch support to the conservative
party and was active in his promotion of measures for the public good. He
died in 1870 and is buried in Kincardine cemetery. His wife passed away in
Minnedosa and was laid to rest there.
William Hunter attended the public schools of Brantford, Ontario, but
laid aside his books at the age of fifteen. Even during the period of his attend-
ance his educational opportunities were extremely limited, as the country in
.which he lived was practically a wilderness and the schools unorganized and
badly managed. For a time he assisted his father with the work of the farm
and after the latter 's death continued to develop the property until the outbreak
; of the Fenian rebellion, when he offered his services to the Dominion govern-
ment. He was soon promoted to the rank of sergeant and at the close of hostil-
ities was awarded the Victoria medal for bravery and given one hundred and
sixty acres of land in New Ontario in recognition of his distinguished service.
In 1879 he came to Manitoba and took up a homestead claim, upon which he is
living today. Pioneer conditions prevailed then and for many years after his
arrival. He found his property a wild tract of prairie land, covered with a
dense growth of brush and scrub. The nearest railroad was one hundred and
sixty miles east, at Winnipeg, and all provisions had to be brought from that
city. Mr. Hunter faced these hardships with confidence and courage and grad-
ually succeeded in making improvements upon his farm so that it is now pro-
vided with an excellent dwelling, a barn, outbuildings and all the machinery
necessary in the conduct of a profitable agricultural enterprise. There is also
a fine schoolhouse upon a portion of his land, which he gave to the district for
school purposes. Mr. Hunter does mixed farming and devotes a great deal
THE STORY OP MANITOBA 125
of his attention to stock-raising, keeping forty head of cattle, fourteen horses
and fine herds of swine. He is also extensively engaged in poultry raising.
At Minnedosa, on September 4, 1886, Mr. Hunter married Mrs. Elizabeth
Bickford, a daughter of Thomas Moody, a descendant of an old Irish family,
who came to Manitoba about 1874 and farmed in the province until his death.
His wife has also passed away and both are buried at Morris. Mrs. Hunter has
aided her husband materially in his work by her confidence and courage during
the early pioneer days and by the hearty support and encouragement which
she gave to his undertakings. Mr. and Mrs. Hunter have two children, William
A. and Robert N., both of whom assist their father with the work of the farm.
By her former marriage the wife of our subject became the mother of the
following children: Emily J., who married Hugh McFadden, of Viola Dale;
Mary E., who married Robert King, a farmer in the same locality; Thomas J.,
who also follows agricultural pursuits; Maud M., the deceased wife of Hugh
Roberts; Clara A., who married Eli Pollard, a plumber of Winnipeg; and one
who died in infancy.
Mr. Hunter gives his support to the conservative party but has never been
active in public affairs. He is a member of the Loyal Order of Orangemen and
his religious beliefs are in accord with the teachings of the Methodist church.
The cause of education finds in him a stalwart champion and at all times he is
interested in the welfare of the section to which he came as a pioneer. In his
business dealings he has ever been straightforward and reliable, enjoying the
full confidence of those with whom he has been associated.
JOHN E. DENNISON.
John E. Dennison is a member of the firm of Dennison Brothers, who operate
a livery, feed, boarding and sale stable located at No. 141 Seventh street,
Brandon, in connection with which they rent and sell automobiles, being local
agents for three well known cars. Although the greater portion of Mr. Denni-
son 's life has been passed in Manitoba, he is a native of the province of Ontario,
having been born on the 2d of November, 1869. His parents were Richard and
Mary Dennison, who removed from Ontario to Manitoba in 1881, where the
father engaged in farming during the remainder of his active life. He passed
away in April, 1905, and was laid to rest in the cemetery at Newdale beside the
mother, who died on the 25th of August, 1900.
In the acquirement of an education John E. Dennison attended school in
Quebec for a year and for a time was a student in the schools of Newdale. When
the family removed here the country was but sparsely settled and little provi-
sion had been made for the education of the children of the pioneers, the nearest
school being seventeen miles from the Dennison homestead. Thus as it was
impossible for him to continue his lessons and his services were needed about the
farm, at the age of eleven years John E. Dennison laid aside his school books
and began his career as an agriculturist. He was associated with his father
in the cultivation of the home place until his marriage at the age of twenty-six
years. About that time he filed on a homestead and bought a half section of
land, which he cleared and placed under cultivation, devoting himself to its
further development for eleven years. At the expiration of that period he sold
his land and bought three hundred and twenty acres located in the vicinity of
Brandon. Here he continued his agricultural pursuits for two years and then
disposing of his property invested the proceeds in another tract of land com-
prising three hundred and twenty acres and the business in which he is
interested. He is now renting his farm and has removed to the city, having pur-
chased a residence at No. 652 Sixteenth street, and is giving his undivided atten-
tion to the development of his interests here. As the members of the firm are
126 THE STORY OF MANITOBA
men of progressive ideas and enterprising methods, they are meeting with suc-
cess and have the largest business of the kind in the city.
In the vicinity of Brandon on the 31st of March, 1896, Mr. Dennison was
married to Miss Alberta Koland, a daughter of William A. Koland, a pioneer
agriculturist of Manitoba, who is now residing in British Columbia. Four chil-
dren have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Dennison: Mary Anna, a student at
Collegiate Institute, at Brandon; Leslie Hay and Koland Henry, who are also
attending school ; and Francis Harold, one year of age.
The family are members of the Methodist Episcopal church, and Mr. Denni-
son belongs to the Canadian Automobile Club. In his political views he is a
conservative and gives his stanch support to the candidates of that party.
Despite the meager advantages of his youth, Mr. Dennison has developed into
an intelligent and capable business man, of broad views and practical ideas,
who is well informed on all current subjects.
HENRY BYRNES.
Success which is the legitimate outcome of persistent, earnest labor intelli-
gently directed has come to Henry Byrnes, who for many years was prominently
identified with the lumber trade in Manitoba but is now living retired. He
was born in the county of Argenteuil, Quebec, August 15, 1839, a son of William
and Agnes (McKissick) Byrnes, the former a native of County Cavan, Ireland,
and the latter of Edinburgh, Scotland. In early life both came to Canada and
the father turned his attention to the occupation of farming, which he always
followed.
Henry Byrnes was reared on the old homestead farm, early becoming
familiar with all the duties and labors that fall to the lot of the agriculturist
as he tills his fields and cares for his crops. He acquired his education in the
public schools of his native county, but at the age of sixteen years left school
and concentrated his energies upon the work of the home farm until he had
attained his majority. He then left home in order to engage in business on
his own account and first secured employment in a sash and door factory which
was operated by J. H. Broadfoot. He remained in that line of business in the
east until coming to Winnipeg in 1881. The following year he established a
sash and door business on his own account, being one of the pioneers in that
industrial field in the city. The new undertaking grew gradually until the
business assumed extensive and profitable proportions, Mr. Byrnes directing
its interests until 1897, when he sold out to the Rat Portage Lumber Company.
He then established a retail lumber business at Portage la Prairie, entering
into partnership with G-. B. Housser under the firm style of G. B. Housser &
Company. That business was continued until a few years ago and in 1900 Mr.
Byrnes engaged in the lumber trade as a wholesale lumber and commission
merchant, retiring therefrom only a short time ago. His has been a very
active, busy and useful life and the reputation which he gained for enterprise,
capability and integrity in commercial circles is a most enviable one. He is
now a director of the Home Investment Company of Winnipeg but is not active
in the management of any business undertaking. For an extended period,
however, he was an active and valued member of the Winnipeg Board of Trade.
His energies have at no time been concentrated upon his personal affairs to the
exclusion of outside interests, for he has ever recognized the duties and obliga-
tions of citizenship, cooperating in many movements which have been a directly
beneficial force in the city. For six years he served as a member of the school
board and the cause of education found in him an earnest friend whose labors
were effective in upholding the educational standards of the city. He has
always voted with the liberal party, yet has not sought or desired office as a
reward for party fealty. He belongs to the Independent Order of Odd Fellows,
c
HENEY BYENES
THE STORY OF MANITOBA 129
is a member of St. Andrews Society and of the Methodist church connections
which indicate much of the nature of his interests and the principles that
govern his conduct.
In 1862 Mr. Byrnes was married to Miss Sarah Jane Smith, a daughter of
Captain "William Smith, of the county of Argenteuil, Quebec, who for many
years was prominent in military affairs of the province. Two children were
born of this marriage : Robert Andrew, living in Vancouver, British Columbia ;
and Elizabeth Agnes, the wife of William J. Flinty, of Oakville, Ontario. The
wife and mother died May 20, 1872, and Mr. Byrnes afterward married Anna
Maria Johnson, a daughter of William Johnson, of the county of Wellington,
Ontario. She died in 1904 and is survived by one daughter, Frances Emma,
the wife of George Stephens, of Winnipeg. There were two other daughters
of that marriage, Ada Beatrice Willett and Alice Edna, both of whom have
passed away. On May 15, 1909, Mr. Byrnes married Sarah Jane Garwood,
of Winnipeg, a daughter of William Garwood, a farmer and an early settler
of the Red river district, who was of English extraction. In the fall of 1906
Mr. Byrnes started on a trip around the world that covered nine months, dur-
ing which period he visited Japan, China, Ceylon, India, Palestine, Egypt,
Germany, Austria, Belgium, France and the British Isles. This trip was a
source of great pleasure to him, for he has a hearty appreciation for the enjoy-
ment and benefits of travel. He possesses a very retentive memory and never
forgets a face that he once sees. That quality was of great benefit to him in
his business 'affairs as well as in his social life. He is a broad-minded man who,
though he has passed the psalmist's three score years and ten, is remarkably
well preserved and keeps in touch with the world 's progress, being well informed
upon topics of general interest. Mr. Byrnes resided at 396 Edmondton avenue
from 1893 to 1912, when he erected a new home at 235 Yale avenue, Fort Rouge.
CHARLES L. MORGAN.
One of the most able, prosperous and progressive men in Shoal Lake is
Charles L. Morgan, who since 1906 has been engaged in the grain-buying busi-
ness. Moreover, for many years he was a successful agriculturist, owning and
cultivating a farm of three hundred and twenty acres, which he still owns.
He was born in Grey county, Ontario, in Sullivan township, September 4, 1857,
and is a son of Charles and Sarah (Ross) Morgan, the former a pioneer farmer
in Grey county, who came to Ontario from Nova Scotia. He died in 1886, at
the age of sixty-two years, and his wife survived him until 1906. They are
laid to rest side by side in the cemetery in Sydenham township, in Grey county.
In the acquirement of an education Charles L. Morgan attended district
school in Sullivan township, studying only during the winter months, as he
was obliged to help his father during the summer seasons. When he was six-
teen years of age he definitely laid aside his books and aided in the minor duties
of the homestead until he was eighteen, at which time he hired out as a farm
laborer. In 1879 he came to Manitoba among the early settlers in the province
and for two years worked for the Canadian Pacific Railroad at Rat Portage.
In 1881 he came to Shoal Lake and took up a homestead claim which he
developed and improved until 1897, when he sold this property in order to
give his entire attention to the cultivation of a farm of three hundred and
twenty acres which he had previously acquired. This property he also disposed
of after some time and bought a tract similar in extent and close to the town
of Shoal Lake. Upon this he made substantial improvements, erecting a fine
residence and all the necessary farm buildings. Gradually he put two hundred
and forty acres under cultivation in grain an4 his energy and good manage-
ment were rewarded every year by abundant harvests. In 1908 he rented out
his farm on shares, having no difficulty in securing tenants, for the property is
130 THE STORY OF MANITOBA
considered one of the best in the Shoal Lake municipality. Mr. Morgan is now
giving his entire attention to his duties as a grain dealer, in which line of
business he became interested in 1890. He occupies a very prominent position
in business circles and is very popular in his community, for his judgment is
considered sound and his honesty beyond all question.
In Euphraser township, Grey county, Ontario, on February 20, 1888, Mr.
Morgan married Miss Catherine Murdoch, a daughter of Captain John and
Catherine (Torrey) Murdoch, the former one of the earliest sailors upon the
Great Lakes and captain of his vessel for many years. He died in 1892 and
was survived by his wife until 1908. Both are buried in a cemetery in Euph-
raser township. Mr. and Mrs. Morgan have become the parents of five chil-
dren: Edna, who is a graduate of the Manitoba Normal School and who is
now engaged in teaching; John A., who is manager of the Beaver Lumber Com-
pany at Mortlach, Saskatchewan; Jeannette E., who is also a graduate of the
Manitoba Normal School and is likewise engaged in teaching; Henry A., who
is assisting his father in business ; and Robina, who is attending school.
Mr. Morgan is a devout adherent of the Presbyterian church. Fraternally
he is affiliated with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and the Independent
Order of Foresters. His political beliefs are in accord with the doctrines of
the liberal party. He 'has served with ability and energy as councilor for the
municipality, holding this office from 1886 to 1888, and for three years was
councilor of the town of Shoal Lake. No public trust reposed in him has ever
been betrayed and his fidelity to honorable, manly principles has won him the
good- will and -friendship of all with whom he has been associated.
JOSEPH H. LEONARD.
The success of any community is due in a large measure to the efforts of
men of the type of Joseph H. Leonard, men who accomplish definite results
and whose connection with business life promotes progress and advancement.
A spirit of enterprise and determination has characterized Mr. Leonard 's career
since entering the business world at the age of twenty and during the interven-
ing years his work has led him by successive stages of progress and growth to
a high position among the men who establish standards and develop new busi-
ness methods. A native of Ireland, Mr. Leonard was born in Dublin in 1870, a
son of Samuel and Elizabeth (Bell) Leonard, who came to Canada in 1885 and
settled in Manitoba,
Joseph H. Leonard was fifteen years of age when his parents came to the
Dominion. He completed an education begun in Ireland in the public and
high schools of Montreal and in 1890 began his active business career in the
employ of Robert Mitchell & Company, dealers in plumbing supplies. In 1897
he came to Winnipeg and spent a few months with the J. H. Ashdown Hard-
ware Company, but eventually entered the employ of the Crane & Ordway
Company. After four years in their St. Paul house he was selected to open
their new Winnipeg offices, the choice effectively proving the high place which
he had acquired in the regard of his employers. With characteristic energy
he set himself to the task of founding and developing the enterprise. He built
the warehouse, established the needed departments in the office, supervised the
least details and from the beginning gave his ability and talents to the building
up of a modern business house. For fourteen years his interests were closely
associated with those of the Crane & Ordway Company but at the end of that
time he recognized a broader field of usefulness in independent operation and
established himself as a manufacturers' agent. With the prestige of his former
success as a foundation he soon built up a flourishing patronage along his
chosen line and at present represents many of the most important manufacturing
concerns in the province, among which may be mentioned the Glauber Brass
THE STORY OF MANITOBA 131
Manufacturing Company, the Ideal Manufacturing Company, makers of closet
combinations, and the C. A. Dunham Company, Limited, manufacturers of
heating systems.
In 1907 Mr. Leonard married Miss Minnie Graham, of Toronto, Ontario, and
they became the parents of a daughter. Mr. and Mrs. Leonard are well known
socially in Winnipeg and have a charming home at No. 844 Grosvenor avenue.
Mr. Leonard is a member of the Carleton and Adanac Clubs and is active in the
affairs of St. John's Lodge, No. 4, A. F. & A. M., and Manitoba Lodge, No. 1,
I. 0. 0. F. He is numbered among the prominent and influential men of Winni-
peg and his career furnishes a splendid example of the power and force of
honorable manhood, of earnest effort and high principles.
WILLIAM BEAMISH.
William Beamish has been a resident of the Shoal Lake district since 1880
and has been carrying on mixed farming in this locality during practically the
entire period. He has therefore, seen the development of this section of the
province and in an important way has assisted in the work of progress, being
classed among the individual forces in upbuilding. He owns twelve hundred and
eighty acres of land in township 15, range 24, and has won prosperity and suc-
cess, which have come to him by his own efforts as a direct result of his energy
and well directed labor. He was born in Lindsay, Ontario, on the 26th of July,
1846, a son of Richard and Mary Ann (Reynolds) Beamish, of whom further
mention is made elsewhere in this work.
In the acquirement of an education William Beamish attended public school
in Wellington, Ontario, and laid aside his books at the age of eighteen in order
to assist his father with the work of the farm. In 1880 he left Ontario for
Manitoba, coming to this province with his wife and three children, arriving in
Winnipeg with nine dollars in his pocket. He secured employment hewing
lumber for the first bridge across the Red river and in this way earned enough
money to pursue his journey. In spring he pushed on to Rapid City, where he
bought a small tract of land, upon which he built a board shanty, making this
his home for eighteen months. At the end of that time he sol(| the property
for two hundred dollars and with part of this small fortune purchased a wagon
and plow. With these as his only farm equipment he began the cultivation of
a homestead claim in township 14, range 23, near Shoal Lake, a property which
is now owned by his brother, Joseph. He faced all the obstacles of his early
career cheerfully and with confidence and at length overcame them, winning
gradually prosperity and success. He now owns twelve hundred and eighty
acres in township 15, range 24. Throughout the years he has steadily carried
forward the work of improvement, building a fine residence, substantial barns
and outbuildings and adding to his holdings from time to time until he now
owns one of the largest and best equipped properties in this locality. Seven
hundred and fifty of his twelve hundred and eighty acres are under cultivation
and Mr. Beamish is likewise interested in stock-raising, keeping about eighteen
head of cattle, an equal number of horses and thirteen swine.
In Walkerton, Ontario, July 28, 1875, Mr. Beamish married Miss Sophia
English, a daughter of Samuel and Margaret (Blackwell) English. The father
died in 1901 and the mother in 1903. Both are buried in Greenwood cemetery.
Mr. and Mrs. Beamish became the parents of eight children : Georgiana, the
wife of John Wilkie, a farmer in Saskatchewan ; Imer E., who resides in British
Columbia; Samuel R., engaged in farming in Saskatchewan; Margaret M., who
lives at home; William H., a resident of British Columbia; Harold E., who is
farming in Manitoba; Robert W., who is assisting his father; and Mary Ann,
who passed away on the 14th of March, 1908, and is buried in Greenwood ceme-
tery. .
132 THE STOEY OF MANITOBA
Mr. Beamish gives his allegiance to the conservative party but has never
been active politically in the sense of office seeking. He is a devout adherent
of the Methodist church and fraternally is affiliated with the Masonic order and
the Loyal Order of Orange. He deserves great credit for what he has accom-
plished, for he started out in life empty-handed, met difficulties cheerfully and
bravely overcame obstacles and by energy and perseverance worked his way
upward to success. Today he is recognized as one of the substantial citizens,
extensive landowners and prosperous farmers of this vicinity.
THOMAS HENRY LEIGHTON.
Thomas Henry Leighton is now living retired at East Kildonan, after years
of earnest, persistent labor which brought to him a handsome competence. He
came to Manitoba empty-handed and he may well be termed a self-made man,
meriting all the honor which thp phrase implies. He was born in Gloucester,
England, January 2, 1864, and enjoyed only limited educational opportunities.
His father, Frederick Leighton, was a rope maker. He married Sarah Bond
and as he was in limited financial circumstances it was necessary that the son
provide for his own support at an early age. Thomas Henry Leighton con-
tinued a resident of England until he reached the age of twenty-five, when
with his wife and one child, Frederick Henry, he sailed for the new world,
.arriving in Winnipeg with a cash capital of but a dollar and seventy-five cents.
Of this a dollar and a half was expended in securing lodging and breakfast and
the other twenty-five cents went for food later in the day. The following day
Mr. Leighton secured employment with a farmer in Kildonan, he and his wife
hiring out for twenty-five dollars per month and board. They became victims of
sharp practices that were new to them, receiving but ten dollars and sixty cents
for their combined services for the season 's work, and being strangers in a strange
land unused to the ways and customs prevailing, they contented themselves and
submitted to this outrageous treatment. He worked hard all the following winter,
chopping wood in order to eke out an existence for his family, and the next sum-
mer secured employment that paid him a fair wage. He also managed to plant
an acre to vegetables with the assistance of his wife, who was ever ready, not only
to take care of the home and children, but also to go out and earn money to help
him keep a roof over their heads. During the succeeding winter Mr. Leighton
walked to Winnipeg each day, where he sawed, split and piled wood for fifty
cents a cord. Through the closest economy Mr. Leighton and his wife were
able to continue the development of their place, planting a larger area to
vegetables each year, and in 1894 he purchased nine acres in lots 76 and 77.
On this he built a log house and the prospects seemed brighter for making a
comfortable home and a living for his family. He also built a hot-house and
continued to raise vegetables for which he found a ready market, as the quality
of his produce was first class. As success attended his efforts he added to his
holdings, purchasing in 1902 an adjoining tract of twenty-seven acres. In 1904
he built thereon a fine greenhouse, splendidly and modernly equipped, and
engaged in the raising of vegetables and plants for the early spring market
when he could command high prices for his products. Untiring in his labors,
he came to realize the fact that industry wins and found himself the possessor
of a comfortable competence. In 1905 he erected a modern residence, equipped
with every comfort, and today he is able to put aside the active business cares
of gardening and enjoy the fruits of his former toil. He has sold most of his
land to a syndicate that is laying it off in building lots, and received a good
price for his property.
On September 18, 1887, in Gloucester, England, Mr. Leighton was married
to Miss Annie Lawrence, of that place, a daughter of George and Martha
Lawrence, and they had five children: Frederick H., whose home adjoins his
T. H. LEIGHTON
THE STORY OF MANITOBA 135
father's and who wedded Miss Mary Thane, a native of Scotland, by whom he
has one son, Lawrence G. ; John G. ; Lizzie, deceased ; Mary M. ; and William
Gordon.
Mr. Leighton holds membership with the Foresters and with the Sons of
England, and he gives his political support to the conservative party. He is a
member of the Presbyterian church and his has been an active, upright life.
He and his wife with their children have on different occasions visited their
old home in England and they also spend the winter seasons in California.
Mr. Leighton certainly deserves much credit for what he has accomplished,
for, coming to Winnipeg empty-handed, he has steadily worked his way upward
and through wise management and careful expenditure has acquired a hand-
some competence that enables him to live retired and enjoy the comforts of life.
THOMAS KELLY.
Thomas Kelly is one of the best known contractors and builders in western
Canada, whose identification with that line of business covers a longer period
than that of any other man connected with it in Winnipeg. For more than
thirty-five years he has been closely associated with the growth and develop-
ment of that city. Coming here in 1878, as a young man of twenty-three, he
has not only witnessed the great transformation from that day to this, but has
probably taken as prominent a part in it as any living man in Winnipeg.
Mr. Kelly was born in County Roscommon, Ireland, August 7, 1855. His
parents, Thomas and Jane (Conley) Kelly, also natives of the Emerald isle,
came to America in 1864, settling in the state of New York, where the mother
still resides. In the public schools of that state Thomas Kelly pursued his
education, and when a young man, learned the trade of bricklaying in towns
along the Hudson river.
As previously stated, Mr. Kelly settled in Winnipeg in 1878, and during
the first two years here he occupied the position of foreman for Peter McGill,
a contractor and builder of this city. In 1880 he was joined by his brother,
Michael Kelly, in organizing the firm of Kelly Brothers, for the conduct of a
general contracting business which they successfully conducted until 1884 when
the firm name was changed to Kelly Brothers & Company, as a result of a
brother, Martin, becoming a member. This firm was subsequently merged into
the Manitoba Construction Company, of which Thomas Kelly was president
and manager from 1903 to 1905. On the dissolution of this company, the firm
of Kelly Brothers & Mitchell was organized, with Thomas Kelly as president
and manager, a relation that he continued from 1905 to 1908. In the latter
year this company wound up its business, and it was then that Mr. Kelly estab-
lished the present firm of Thomas Kelly & Sons, whose offices are in the Lindsay
building, admitting his two sons, Robert Emmett and Charles B. ; in 1912, his
son, Lawrence C., became a member, completing the present personnel of the
firm.
In connection with the brick manufacturing business, Thomas Kelly can be
justly called the pioneer in that line. In 1881, Kelly Brothers manufactured
brick in St. Boniface. Subsequent locations of this branch of business have
been at Pembine avenue, River Park and St. James West, while for the past
decade the firm has maintained its brick plant at St. Boniface.
The successful contractor and builder of thirty and more years ago in
Winnipeg, was, from necessity, forced to employ methods that in comparison
with present-day plans of operation in that line, would seem highly imprac-
tical. As an illustration, when the present Clarendon hotel building was
erected by Kelly Brothers in the early '80s, the contractors encountered a fine
deposit of clay, and Mr. Kelly seeing the advantage of utilizing this and thus
affecting a substantial saving in the cost of brick for that building, converted
136 THE STORY OF MANITOBA
the natural deposit from the excavation into brick, right on the premises, and
these bricks went into the structure.
The following are some of the more notable buildings which have been
erected by Mr. Kelly or by the companies, of which he was the head : The
Dominion Government postoffice, Grain Exchange building, the old Free Press
building, Imperial Bank, Bank of Toronto, Bank of Nova Scotia, Canadian Paci-
fic Eailway shops, Canadian Northern Railway shops and the Laura Secord
school in Winnipeg; the Dominion Government postoffice and the Canadian
Bank of Commerce in Vancouver, British Columbia ; and the Canadian Northern
station and hotel in Brandon. He has also constructed the substructures of
several bridges across the Eed and Assiniboine rivers. The firm of Thomas
Kelly & Sons are at the present time finishing up the Agricultural College
buildings for the provincial government at St. Vital.
Mr. Kelly has been chairman of the Winnipeg Master Builders' Association
since its organization in February, 1911, and also a member of the Winnipeg
Builders' Exchange. He is president of the Manitoba Quarries, Limited, who
have quarries at Airdale, Stonewall, Stony Mountain and Gunton.
In Winnipeg, in November, 1882, Mr. Kelly was married to Miss Mary
Margaret Corbett, a niece of Senator 'Donahue (deceased), of Toronto, and
to them seven children have been born: Robert Emmett, of Thomas Kelly &
Sons, who married Bessie 0. Noden, of Winnipeg; Charles B., of Thomas Kelly
& Sons, who married Cecilia Rochon of Winnipeg, and has one daughter, Mary
Margaret Cecilia; Harry, who died April 17, 1912, in El Paso, Texas, aged
twenty-four; Lawrence C., of Thomas Kelly & Sons; Maurice, a student of St.
John's College, at Winnipeg; Francis, who attends St. John's College; and
Kathleen, who is a pupil at St. Mary's Academy, Winnipeg .
In his political relations, Mr. Kelly is a conservative in both Dominion and
provincial affairs. He has always taken an active interest in the political situa-
tion, yet has never sought nor desired office for himself. His religious faith is
that of the Roman Catholic church and his social relations are with the Carleton
Club of Winnipeg and with the Vancouver Club of Vancouver, British
Columbia. His recreation is found in curling, driving and golf. His success
in the business world is due, at least in part, to the fact that he has always
continued in the line in which he embarked as a young man, so that long exper-
ience has promoted his efficiency. He thoroughly understands the scientific
phases of building, as well as its practical elements. Mr. Kelly is included among
the sound, substantial business men of Winnipeg, and as a citizen he is of the
type that any community would be proud to claim.
CARRON GLENN.
For twenty-three years Carron Glenn has been closely identified with the
agricultural development of Strathclair, and the results of his steady, well
directed and progressive work may be seen in the excellent condition of his farm
of three hundred and twenty acres in township 16, range 22. Mr. Glenn has
lived for almost a quarter of a century in Manitoba but is a native of Ontario,
born in Haldimand county, February 7, 1860, his parents being William and
Mary (Huit) Glenn. The father of our subject was a pioneer in Ontario, having
come to that province with his parents from Ireland in early times. He volun-
teered for service in the Fenian raid arid acted as a member of the Thirty-
seventh Battalion. Throughout his life he gave stanch support to the liberal
party and was popular and well known in the public life of his section of
Ontario, serving as councilor for a number of years. He and his wife reared
a family of nine sons and two daughters. The father of our subject passed
away in 1892 and his wife in 1910, both being buried in the Ebenezer cemetery
in the third concession in the township of Seneca, Haldimand county.
THE STORY OF MANITOBA 137
In the acquirement of an education Carron Glenn attended district school
in his native locality but laid aside his books at the age of fifteen in order to
assist his father with the work of the farm. For some years afterward he
divided his time between his duties on the homestead and his work as a hired
laborer, and was later employed by the Georgian Bay Lumber Company for six
years. In 1889 he came to Manitoba and took up a homestead claim of one hun-
dred and sixty acres near Strathclair. He found this a tract of wild prairie
land, which had never been touched by the plow. With characteristic energy
he applied himself to its development and acre by acre brought it under culti-
vation. When his financial resources justified he added one hundred and sixty
acres to his farm and his holdings now aggregate three hundred and twenty
acres of productive land. Upon this he carries on mixed farming, keeping forty
head of cattle and fifteen horses. The farm is provided with barns, outbuildings,
machinery and all the necessary conveniences of a profitable agricultural enter-
prise and Mr. Glenn has also erected a residence which is considered the best
in the district.
On November 7, 1883, Mr. Glenn married, in Seneca township, Haldimand
county, Ontario, Miss Margaret J. Morrison, a daughter of John and Margaret
J. (McMahoii) Morrison, the former a pioneer farmer in that section of the
province. He and his wife have passed away and are buried in the First Con-
cession cemetery, Seneca township, Haldimand county. Mr. and Mrs. Glenn
have four children: Laura May, who married Albert Schamperlean, superin-
tendent of the Canadian Elevator Company at Saskatoon, Saskatchewan; Wil-
liam John, who is assisting his father ; Isabella Maud, a graduate of the Minnedosa
high school; and Charles Edgar, who is assisting his father on the homestead.
Mrs. Glenn has aided her husband in his work by her hearty support and
encouragement and by her faithful performance of the duties which devolve
upon her as a wife and mother.
Mr. Glenn belongs to the Loyal Order of Orangemen. He is a devout
adherent of the Presbyterian church and active in the administration of its
affairs. He is not affiliated with any political party, voting always an independ-
ent ballot. For nine years he represented his township as councilor and
has been a trustee of the school board, showing in the discharge of his official
duties the same energy, conscientiousness and perseverance which influenced
and hastened his prosperity in business.
W. J. CREELMAN.
W. J. Creelman has for fifteen years been actively identified with the com-
mercial interests of Brandon as junior partner of the firm of Dowling & Creel-
man, wholesale and retail boot and shoe dealers located at No. 738 Rosser street.
He was born in Durham, Grey county, Ontario, on the 2d of December, 1872,
and is a son of William and Annie (Duthie) Creelman. The father, who was
one of the successful pioneer farmers of Grey county, passed away at Toronto
in 1911, at the age .of sixty-seven years. He left a family consisting of a widow,
three sons and a daughter, all of whom are in comfortable circumstances.
The youthful days of W. J. Creelman were passed on the farm, where he
was born and in Georgetown, Ontario, where his father and family had moved
in the '80 's. His education was acquired in the public schools of the same
place. He resolved to identify himself with commercial activities, when old
enough to begin his life career, and at the age of fourteen, feeling he was
qualified to assume the duties of manhood, he laid aside his text-books and
entered the mercantile business with the firm of McLeod & Anderson of George-
town. Early in the '90s he went to Toronto and there obtained employment with
the firm of Philip Jameson, with whom he remained until 1897. As he was
an ambitious youth he utilized both his time and opportunities to good advantage,
138 THE STORY OF MANITOBA
diligently applying himself to an acquirement of a knowledge of the business
and of the principles of general salesmanship. When offered the management
of the clothing department of the firm of Wilson & Rankin he resigned his
position in Toronto and came to Brandon. He remained with the latter com-
pany for a year, and at the expiration of that time formed a partnership with
Mr. Dowling, and together they established the business they are now conduct-
ing. Their well organized methods united with good judgment and intelligence
in the development of their plans has enabled them to build up a large patronage
and they are now regarded as one of the most important shoe firms not only in
Brandon but in the province. As their circumstances and business have war-
ranted they have extended the scope of their activities and now maintain a
thriving wholesale department. They keep in touch with the progress of modern
commercial methods and are regarded as one of the most enterprising firms in
the city.
Brandon was the scene of Mr. Creelman 's marriage on the 3d of June, 1902,
to Miss Etta I. Laidlaw, a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. G. B. Laidlaw. The father,
who was one of the founders of the Brandon Machine Works, passed away in
1907, and was laid to rest in the cemetery at Gait, Ontario. The mother is
still living and continues to make her home in Brandon. Mr. and Mrs. Creel-
man have become the parents of three children: Hubert Duthie, Edward Evan
and Helen Irene. The two first named are attending school. The family home
is located at No. 322 Fifteenth street, which Mr. Creelman purchased about the
time he disposed of his former residence in 1912. The latter place had been
built by him and is situated at No. 416 Fifteenth street.
The family are affiliated with the Presbyterian church, and fraternally Mr.
Creelman is a Mason, having passed through the degrees of the blue lodge
and he also belongs to the Brotherhood of American Yeomen. He was one of
the organizers of the Brandon Athletic Club and is now a member of its board
of directors. He is likewise a member of the Brandon Board of Trade and is
quartermaster of the Ninety-ninth Manitoba Rangers. His allegiance in mat-
ters politic Mr. Creelman accords to the conservative party. Honorable in his
motives, honest in his transactions and trustworthy in all of the relations of
life, he is one of the influential and estimable business men of Brandon and
one of its public-spirted and progressive citizens.
HENRY McPHAIL.
Henry McPhail owns and operates a farm of three hundred and twenty acres
on the east half of section 16, township 11, range 18, Brandon county, and has
given his attention to the development of this land since 1892. He was born
in Montague, Ontario, July 17, 1874, a son of Donald and Jane (Kilfoyle)
McPhail. His father was a native of Ontario and followed farming in that
province until 1879 when he came with his family to Manitoba, settling upon the
homestead now operated by his son. While a resident of Ontario he operated
a threshing machine in conjunction with his agricultural pursuits, but abandoned
this line of activity on coming to Manitoba and gave his entire attention to
general farming. He died in 1895 when he was forty-five years of age and is
buried in the Humesville cemetery. He left a widow and five children, one of
whom has since passed away. His son Archibald died in 1902 and is buried
beside his father. The youngest son, Herbert E. McPhail, a native of Manitoba,
has an interest in the farm of our subject.
Henry McPhail was only five years of age when he came to Manitoba and
his education consequently was received in the public schools of this province.
He followed the usual course of studies in Clinton until he was twenty years of
age, and during that time also worked upon his father's farm, helping build
the improvements and assisting in the general work of cultivation and develop-
MR. AND MRS. HENRY McPHAIL
THE STORY OF MANITOBA 141
ment. Since his father's death he has assumed entire management and- by
practical methods and persevering labor has made the property one of the model
and attractive farms in Brandon county. His acres are planted in various
grains which he sells in the markets of the province, and he also specializes in
the breeding and raising of Clydesdale horses.
On August 29, 1906, Mr. McPhail married in Brandon, Miss Martha Jackson,
a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Jackson, the former a pioneer plumber and
steamfitter in that city. Mr. and Mrs. McPhail have three children: Wesley,
Ernest, and Gordon Edward. The family are members of the Methodist church.
They reside in a beautiful brick-veneered house, comfortable and modern in all
its appointments. This dwelling Mr. McPhail erected some time ago upon his
farm.
Mr. McPhail gives his allegiance to the liberal party and is interested in the
growth and development of the section to which he came as a child. His child-
hood comrades are his friends today an evidence that his life has been upright
and worthy and his activities useful and straightforward.
HENRY T. CHAMPION.
Henry T. Champion, vice president and treasurer of Alloway & Champion,
Limited, one of the oldest and best known banking houses in the west, has
been long and prominently connected with the financial interests of Winnipeg.
For forty-three years Mr. Champion has been a resident of this city, which he
has seen grow from a village of a few hundred inhabitants to the metropolis of
the west. Mr. Champion was born in Toronto, Ontario, November 28, 1847, his
parents being Thomas and Mary Champion. His early education was supple-
mented by study in Upper Canada College of Toronto and he made his initial
step in the business world in a clerical position in the Bank of Montreal at
Perth, Ontario, in 1865. Five years were there passed and in 1870 he came
to Winnipeg as sergeant of the Ontario battalion under Lord Wolseley in the
first Red River expedition. He remained in that service until May, 1873, when
he became teller of the first chartered bank, the Merchants, opened in Winnipeg.
Mr. Champion remained with this institution until 1879, during which time
he had risen to the position of accountant, and had gained valuable experience.
In 1879, in company with W. F. Alloway, he established the private banking
house of Alloway & Champion. No financial house in the west is better known.
As a private partnership this firm has piloted through a period of thirty-three
years a private banking business, which started in the uncertain and unstable
conditions incident to the birth of a new country to a position of strength, rank-
ing it amongst the strongest unincorporated banking houses in the Dominion.
After so long a period in business, in which very important relationships
had been established, the founders deemed it best in their own interests as well
as of their customers, that the business should be merged into an incorporated
company. With a view to this end some of the old friends and business asso-
ciates were asked to become directors. Incorporation followed and on Decem-
ber 1, 1912, the firm became Alloway & Champion, Limited, with an authorized
capital of three million dollars and one million twenty-five thousand dollars
fully paid up, with a reserve of over one hundred thousand dollars.
To have been one of the founders and all during its career one of the main
factors in the success of a financial institution of this strength and importance,
entitles Mr. Champion to a prominent position in the history of Winnipeg's
banking interests. To have weathered so successfully all the depressions, the
booms, crop failures and other vicissitudes which have visited the west during
his business career is a record in which he can justly take pride. In addition
to his other interests he is a director of the Northern Crown Bank and is chair-
man o^ the Winnipeg Stock Exchange.
Vol. Ill 7
142 THE STOEY OF MANITOBA
In 1882 occurred the marriage of Mr. Champion and Florida Grattan, a
daughter of the late Dr. J. H. O'Donnell, and they are the parents of a son
and three daughters. Politically Mr. Champion is a conservative and in
religious faith an Anglican. Shooting, golf, lawn bowling and bridge furnish
him hours of recreation and pleasure. He is a charter member of the Manitoba
Club, and he belongs also to the St. Charles Country and the Lake of the Woods
Yacht Clubs.
DONALD M. STEWAET.
Donald M. Stewart is one of the leading and prosperous business men of
Eussell, where since 1906 he has conducted a livery barn. He was born in
Stratford, Perth county, Ontario, April 9, 1845, and is a son of Donald and
Isabella (McNaughton) Stewart, the former a pioneer farmer of Ontario, who
died in March, 1854. The death of his wife occurred in the fall of 1905, when
she was ninety-two years of age. Both are buried at Stratford, in Perth county.
Donald M. Stewart acquired his education in the public schools of Brocks-
den, near his native city, and laid aside his books at the age of seventeen in
order to accept a position as a farm laborer. For seventeen years he worked
at farming in the employ of others and at the end of that time came to Manitoba,
settling in this province on the 28th of April, 1879, among the first pioneers.
He was poor but ambitious and energetic and obtained employment by hauling
wood from the forest to the settlers. Afterward he took up a homestead claim
near Eussell and concentrated his attention upon farming, achieving success by
reason of his hard work and careful management. In 1906 he disposed of his
land and moved into the town, where he established himself in the livery busi-
ness. He is still successfully engaged in the conduct of this enterprise, which
has under his capable direction become a prosperous concern.
Mr. Stewart has seen much of the development of this part of the province,
his residence having been established here in early times. He can remember
when the settlers were obliged to go to Moosomin, Saskatchewan, for provisions,
paying six dollars for one hundred pounds of flour, one dollar for four pounds
of sugar and ten cents per pound for salt. Eggs at that time sold at one dollar
per dozen and prices for all other provisions were proportionately high. Mr.
Stewart is numbered among the honored pioneers of this section and commands
the respect and esteem of all with whom he is associated. All that he possesses
has been won through his energy and perseverance and he is today one of the
most deservedly successful men of this community.
JOHN SLATEE.
John Slater is the owner of extensive landed possessions in the Shoal Lake
district, having on township 17, range 23, a tract of nineteen hundred and
twenty acres, on which he carries on mixed farming. Modern and progressive
agriculture finds in him a worthy representative, for his success is based entirely
upon his practical methods, his capable management and his excellent business
judgment. He was born in Derbyshire, England, December 7, 1849, and is a
son of William and Mary (Goodwin) Slater, the former of whom passed away
in 1881 and the latter in 1899. Both are buried at Duffield, England.
John Slater acquired his education in Derbyshire but laid aside his books at
the age of fourteen in order to assist his father with the work of the farm.
After fifteen years he purchased the homestead and upon it carried on gen-
eral agricultural pursuits for some time, becoming a practical and experienced
agriculturist. However, he was attracted by the opportunities which Canada
THE STORY OF MANITOBA 143
offered to an enterprising farmer and in 1891 crossed the Atlantic to the
Dominion, coming immediately to the Shoal Lake district in Manitoba, where
he purchased land. His first tract comprised six hundred and forty acres
and this he cultivated along practical and systematic lines, reaping abundant
harvests from the beginning. Because he was experienced, industrious and
determined success came rapidly and little by little he added to his holdings
until at length he acquired his present extensive possessions. He has adopted
mixed farming and has seven hundred acres under cultivation in grain, reserv-
ing some of his land as pasture for his sixty head of cattle. He also has thirty-
seven horses and thirty hogs. In addition he keeps several hundred fowl, his
poultry raising constituting an important branch of his work. Mr. Slater has
erected substantial farm buildings upon his property, has tiled and fenced his
fields and has as a result one of the most attractive and profitable farms in this
vicinity.
At Duffield, England, in 1875, Mr. Slater married Miss Anna J. Newhan, a
daughter of Thomas and Elizabeth .(Twigg) Newhan, both of whom have passed
away and are buried at Derbyshire. Mr. and Mrs. Slater became the parents
of eleven children: Elizabeth, the wife of William Bryce, a farmer in Strath-
clair; John W., who is assisting his father; Phoebe, who married Joseph Duncan,
a farmer of Shoal Lake; Thomas, who is assisting his father; Rose, at home;
Hugh T., who is also working for his father; Sarah and Lillian M., both of whom
live at home; Margaret, who died in England; Anna, who passed away in 1906
and is buried at Shoal Lake ; and one son, who died in infancy.
Mr. Slater is a stanch conservative and since casting his first ballot has
supported loyally the men and measures for which that party stands. He is a
devout adherent of the Church of England. He is well known in the Shoal
Lake district as one of the substantial citizens and prosperous farmers, who
owes his advancement in life entirely to his own perseverance and well directed
labor. His many friends hold him in high esteem and confidence by reason of
his many trustworthy characteristics, his integrity in business and his loyalty
in all matters of citizenship.
NEIL McKINNON.
Neil McKinnon is one of the younger men of the Vista district, who is find-
ing his fortune in the rich soil of the section, where he owns and operates a
farm of one hundred and sixty acres in township 18, range 24, west of the first
meridian. He is a native son of this locality, born upon the farm he now
cultivates on June 5, 1886, his parents being Hector and Eifie McKinnon. The
father of our subject came from Bruce county, Ontario, to Manitoba in 1880
and was one of the first settlers in the district around Vista, where he took up
a homestead claim of raw prairie land, which through years of hard and unre-
mitting work he brought to a high state of cultivation before his death. In
the public relations of his life he proved himself a man of upright character
and progressive spirit qualities which aided him in the discharge of his
duties as councilor, which office he held for many years. In private life he was
an exemplary husband and father and was widely beloved by his many friends.
His wife was a daughter of R. and Kate McDonald. She died in 1906, a short
time before the death of her husband, and both are buried in the McLean
cemetery. In their family were four children besides the subject of this review :
Kate, the wife of Thomas Peden, Jr., clerk of the court at Rossburn, Manitoba;
Annie, who married Kenneth Matheson, a farmer in Minnedosa ; Hughena, who
is the widow of Garf Gilroy and resides at Rossburn ; and Stewart, who is in
partnership with the subject of this review.
Neil McKinnon acquired his education in the Culross public school and laid
aside his books at the age of fourteen in order to assist his father in the
144 THE STORY OF MANITOBA
work of the farm. Upon this property he has resided all his life and from
his boyhood has been associated with the details of its development. After the
death of his father he assumed charge of the homestead which he now owns and
has steadily carried forward the work of improvement, keeping the residence and
buildings erected by his father in good repair and never neglecting anything
which will aid in the operation of a model agricultural enterprise. He concen-
trates his energies upon his business affairs and has already won a creditable
measure of success, his diligence constituting an important element in his
prosperity. He carries on mixed farming and is especially interested in stock-
raising, keeping fourteen horses and a number of hogs. He owns besides a fine
lot of poultry.
Mr. McKinnon belongs to the Presbyterian church and his political views
are in accord with those of the liberal party. He has already proven himself
a man of fine business ability and progressive spirit and these qualities will
undoubtedly influence and hasten his prosperity.
WILLIAM BRYCE.
In the year 1877 William Bryce arrived in Manitoba with a capital of ten
cents in money but with unlimited assets in determination and hope. He took
up a homestead claim near Elphinstone and since that time has given his entire
attention to its cultivation, winning in the course of years prominence and
prosperity. He has witnessed the development of the section and has borne his
full share in the work of advancement and progress, gaining a success which
today places him in the front ranks of representative agriculturists. He was
born in Lambton county, Ontario, January 6, 1852, and is a son of Hugh and
Margaret (McDonald) Bryce, both of whom have passed away. The father died
in 1875 and is buried in Ontario, while the mother's death occurred in Manitoba
twenty years afterward. Her grave is in Big Bend cemetery, on the Little Sas-
katchewan river.
In the acquirement of an education William Bryce attended the public
schools of Lambton, Ontario. He is in all essential respects a self-made man,
for he was obliged to lay aside his books at the very early age of eight years in
order to aid his father in an effort to wrest a livelihood from the soil. He
remained at home for a number of years, gaining valuable experience in the
best methods of tilling and cultivating the soil and caring for the stock and
grain. However, the financial returns from all of this hard work were incon-
siderable and Mr. Bryce determined to try his fortune in Manitoba. In 1877
he came to the province, his money at that time consisting of a ten cent piece.
For three days he was without food before he secured employment and for
sometime afterward the conditions of his life were hard, for he was obliged to
encounter all the privations incident to poverty. However, he faced these with
confidence and courage and gradually won success. He took up a homestead
claim in township 18, range 22, and from time to time added to his holdings as
his financial resources grew until his farm now comprises eight hundred acres
of productive land. Upon it Mr. Bryce has erected a fine residence, substantial
barns and outbuildings and has installed the conveniences in equipment and
accessories of a model farm. He has three hundred acres under cultivation and
has been extremely sucessful in the raising of grain, of which he makes a
specialty.
In Elphinstone, in July, 1895, Mr. Bryce was united in marriage to Miss
Mary C. Slater, a daughter of John Slater, of whom extended mention is made
elsewhere in this work. Mr. and Mrs. Bryce became the parents of eight chil-
dren : Robert, who has passed away ; John, Hugh, Thomas, William and James,
all of whom are assisting their father ; and Maggie and Hannah, who live at home.
THE STORY OF MANITOBA 145
Mr. Bryce gives his allegiance to no particular political party, preferring to
vote according to his personal convictions. The many years of his residence in
this section and his upright character have brought him a wide acquaintance
and many friends. He is a man of determined spirit and progressive instincts
and throughout his career has labored along progressive, lines of advancement,
becoming by his own efforts what he is today, a prosperous and successful busi-
ness man and a representative citizen.
ROGER GOULET.
Roger Goulet, well known in educational circles, his promince in that
field being indicated in the fact that he has been president of the Manitoba
Educational Association, was born in this province, January 14, 1867, and his
parents, Elzear and Helene (Gerome) Goulet, were also natives of Manitoba.
Both his paternal and maternal grandfathers were natives of France and on
coming to the new world settled first in Quebec. At an early period in the
settlement of Manitoba they came to this province and both were in the employ
of the Hudson's Bay Company. The paternal grandparents are both deceased
but Roger Goulet 's grandmother in the maternal line is now a resident of North
Battleford. Elzear Goulet died on the 13th of September, 1870. Some time after
the Riel insurrection had been settled he entered a saloon in Winnipeg, not far
from the river, where there chanced to be a party of British soldiers. It is said
that the soldiers had been drinking freely and that at the sight of Goulet, who
had been one of Riel's councilors, they became angry and chased him. He ran
to the river and leaped in. While attempting to swim across he was stoned to
death by the soldiers. His widow survives and makes her home at Northwest
Angle, Lake of the Woods.
In the public schools of Lorette, Manitoba, Roger Goulet pursued his educa-
tion until he entered St. Boniface College. He was subsequently graduated
from the Manitoba University, obtaining the degree of Bachelor of Arts in 1891
after having won the first scholarship three years in succession, while four years
later the degree of Master of Arts was conferred upon him. Following his grad-
uation he entered upon the study of law but never completed his course therein.
He was for some time engaged in civil service work in the office of the postoffice
inspector in Winnipeg, remaining there for several years. At the beginning of
1900 he was appointed inspector of schools, Imving supervision over the French-
English bilingual schools throughout the province. He holds to high standards
in -his work and under his direction continuous progress has been made in the
educational system. He has also since 1900 had charge each year of St. Boniface
Normal School, of which he is principal. In addition to all this he performs the
duties of a notary public and is the president of the Union Nationale Metisse,
of Manitoba, which office he has held for the past four years. He was for one
year president of the Manitoba Educational Association and for one year
president of the St. John Baptiste Society of the city of St. Boniface. He is like-
wise an honorary member of the Bon Parlar Francais, a member of the Histori-
cal Society of St. Boniface and a member of the Manitoba University Council,
representing St. Boniface College. All this indicates something of the breadth
of his interests and his activities. His labors have largely touched the general
interests of society and have been a factor in the onward march of civilization
and higher development.
In addition to all of his other interests Mr. Goulet is secretary of the Uni-
versal Life Insurance Company of Winnipeg and is the St. Boniface representa-
tive of the Alliance Nationale Insurance Company of Montreal. He adds to his
other qualifications and characteristics excellent business and executive ability
and unflagging energy has carried him continually forward to success along the
different lines in which he has labored.
146 THE STORY OF MANITOBA
In December, 1896, at St. Boniface, Mr. Goulet was married to Miss Lumina
Gauthier, a native of Manitoba but of purely French blood. They have nine
children: Armand, Maurice, Denys, Germain, Armande, Martial, Bernard,
Helene and Marie Therese. The parents are members of St. Boniface Catholic
church and are prominent socially. Professor Goulet has long been deeply
interested in athletics and all manly outdoor sports. During his college days
and in fact up to almost the present time he has taken a most active part in
all kinds of outdoor athletics and in years past has held numerous champion-
ships and won many honors. He is a man of fine physique and pleasing per-
sonality, always most courteous, and has an extensive circle of warm friends
among the leading residents of Winnipeg. Association with him means expan-
sion and elevation and he is a prominent figure in those circles where intelligent
men are met for the discussion of vital and significant questions.
ALEXANDER POLSON.
The student of history cannot carry his investigations far into the records
of Manitoba without learning of the early connection of the Poison family with
events that have shaped the development and promoted the interests of the
province. In the years of an active business life Alexander Poison of this
family bore his part in the work of general improvement and for some years
prior to his death proved a capable public official. His grandfather, Alexander
Poison, came to Canada from Kildo'nan, Sutherlandshire, Scotland, and settled
in Kildonan, Manitoba, in 1815. He became owner of a large tract of land
that is now included within one of the city 's suburbs. Upon this place he spent
the remainder of his days and in the early period of his residence here experi-
enced all of the hardships and privations incident to pioneer life. His later
years, however, were crowned with comforts as the district became settled and
his well directed labors brought him prosperity. His son, Hugh Poison, born
March 26, 1806, was reared in this new country and when he had attained his
majority began farming on his own account, breaking a tract of land for his
home and converting a wild district into richly cultivated fields. For forty
years he lived where the Luxton school now stands. He was a man of good
education, well read on general topics, and was very active in public affairs as
well as in business connections. He owned one of the first windmills in this
country, using it to grind grain for all the people of this section. As the years
passed by he prospered in his business undertakings, gaining a substantial
competence, and as the city grew he sold much of his property at a good price
and retired from active life some years prior to his death, which occurred
February 27, 1887. He was a man of natural refinement and intellectual
strength and his influence was a beneficial factor in the community in many
ways. He married Janet Henderson, a sister of John Henderson, and they
became the parents of two sons, Alexander and the Rev. Samuel Poison, and
six daughters.
He whose name introduces this review was born in Kildonan in 1840 and
was liberally educated, his parents placing high and merited value upon intel-
lectual progress. He attended first the St. John's parish school and afterward
St. John's College. He was instructed in French and Latin by Judge Thorn
and Bishop Anderson and he further pursued private courses in the classic
languages under Dr. Black, becoming an able linguist and a man of scholarly
attainments. He taught school for a time in Kildonan, after which his father
gave him a part of his farm. Mr. Poison then concentrated his energies upon
agricultural activities, directing his interests in that connection until the time
of the boom, when the advanced prices of real estate and the rapid growth of
the city in his direction caused him to sell his farm property.
ALEXANDER POLSON
THE STORY OF MANITOBA 149
Mr. Poison was twice married. He first wedded Christine Pritchard, who
died in 1880, leaving three daughters: Catherine, the deceased wife of the
Rev. John Little; Laura and Flora, In 1883 Mr. Poison was again married,
his second union being with Miss Jessie Poison, who came from Sutherland-
shire with her mother in 1882. There were four children of this union:
Euphemia, Ina, Hugh and Alexander.
The death of the husband and father occurred September 12, 1905, and
was the occasion of deep and widespread regret. He had been influential in
local political circles and for two terms, in 1887 and 1888, represented the
sixth ward on the board of aldermen. In 1893 he was appointed city license
inspector and relief officer, continuing in that position for twelve years, or
until his demise. He was the first school trustee in the north end and it was
through his efforts that the school was established in that district. The cause
of education found in him a stalwart champion and one whose efforts were an
influencing factor in furthering the interests of the schools. He was associated
with Mr. and Mrs. Nesbit in building the first mission in Prince Albert. His
religious faith was indicated in his membership in St. John's Presbyterian
church, which he aided in organizing, giving generously toward the building
of its house of worship and later to the support of the church. He belonged
also to the Masonic fraternity.
His life work was one of usefulness, he being a worthy successor of father
and grandfather in their efforts to plant the seeds of civilization on the western
frontier and further their growth until they reached fruition in modern prog-
ress and improvement. The prominence of the Poison family is indicated in
the fact that one of the streets of the city was named in their honor. Mr. Poison
left many warm friends who cherish his memory, for he was not only a public-
spirited citizen and worthy official but also a loyal and devoted husband, father
and friend.
WILLIAM J. SHORT.
William J. Short, extensive landowner and successful farmer, whose pro-
gressive spirt is manifest in the excellent condition of his property in town-
ship 16, range 23, has a valuable tract of land of fourteen hundred acres. It
is a neat and well improved place, with all the conveniences in equipment and
accessories of a modern and well managed farm. Mr. Short is a native of
Ontario, born in Wellington county, September 22, 1864, a son of William J.
and Margaret (Oakmen) Short. The father passed away in 1883 and is buried
in Meaford, Ontario. The mother still makes her home in the same province.
In the acquirement of an education, William J. Short attended school in
Grey county but laid aside his books at the age of sixteen, securing a position
as a farm laborer. He worked in this capacity until 1888, when he came to
Manitoba and filed on a homestead claim in the Shoal Lake district. He did
not, however, develop this property but established himself in the meat busi-
ness, conducting a butcher shop for five years. At the end of that time he be-
came interested in buying and selling cattle and for about fifteen years was one
of the most successful stock dealers in this part of the province. He then
purchased his present farm of fourteen hundred acres in township 16, range 23,
five hundred and fifty acres of which are under cultivation, and since that
time has devoted practically his entire attention to its improvement and develop-
ment. He carries on mixed farming, raising grain and keeping seventy-five
head of pure-bred Shorthorn cattle and thirty horses, his stock-raising interests
constituting one of the most profitable elements in his business. Mr. Short has
paid particular attention to the attractive appearance of his property, has built
a fine modern residence, barns and outbuildings, everything about the place
evidencing the skill and ability of the owner, who is a progressive and practical
agriculturist.
150 THE STOEY OF MANITOBA
In Owen Sound, Grey county, Ontario, on the 10th of August, 1885, Mr.
Short was united in marriage to Miss Matilda Bumpstead, a daughter of Wil-
liam and Eliza (Hollingsworth) Bumpstead, the latter of whom passed away
when Mrs. Short was still a child. The father makes his home in Owen Sound.
Mr. and Mrs. Short became the parents of seven children: Hugh, who is
assisting his father; George A., a traveling man of Alta; Harold, who follows
the trade of steamfitting in Shoal Lake; and John, Alice, Winifred and Wil-
bert, all of whom live at home.
Mr. Short does not give his allegiance to any particular party, voting for
the man whom he considers best fitted for the position without regard to party
affiliations. He is connected with the Masonic order and is also well known
in the Knights of the Maccabees, while his religious views are in accord with
the doctrines of the Presbyterian church. His life of well directed activity has
been rewarded by a gratifying measure of success and in his business relations
he has manifested the sterling qualities of perserverance, determination and
integrity, which have won for him an honored name and great prosperity.
WILLIAM CLOUGHER.
Among the well known business men of Winnipeg a quarter of a century or
more ago was William Clougher, who was identified with various commercial
interests. He was born March 12, 1851, in Drumaghei, County Armagh, Ire-
land, a son of John and Jane (Carroll) Clougher, the former a farmer by
occupation. The son acquired his eduction in the schools of his native place
and in Dublin, and soon after attaining his majority came to Canada, first
settling at Toronto, where he later became a member of the police force. In
the fall of 1881 he arrived in Winnipeg and soon afterward established him-
self in the restaurant business in the Spencer block, there opening the English
Chop House, which became one of the best known restaurants of the city. In
1885 the location of the business was changed, a removal being made to a
building occupying a part of the present site of the- Bank of Hamilton. In
1890, however, Mr. Clougher disposed of the building to the bank and later con-
ducted the Clarendon Hotel. He was quite successful in this undertaking and
at different times he also conducted the Bodega Hotel at Port Arthur, and owned
the Queen's Hotel at Kenora. There he also built the Clougher block. He also
built the Queen's Hotel at Morden and for years was the owner of a fine ranch
at St. Jean, which became one of the best known ranches in Manitoba, In 1893
Mr. Clougher attracted wide-spread attention by his success in demonstrating
the possibilities of wheat culture in Manitoba by planting and threshing within
ninety-five days, on this farm, a high grade of the Red Fife wheat, which grain,
displayed at the exhibit in Chicago, won the first prize for the world. Later
the exhibit was shown in London. Mr. Clougher built the Hotel Victoria at
Carman, which he opened in February, 1903, this being one of the best hotels
in a town of its size in the province. He conducted that hotel successfully until
his death, which occurred on the 25th of July, 1905, his remains being interred
in Mount Pleasant cemetery at Toronto. In many connections he was well
known. He was fond of fine blooded horses, owning a number of them at dif-
ferent times and one year had the prize team at the Toronto horse show. He
was a member of the Winnipeg Grain Exchange and while in that business had
elevators at Otterburn, Manitoba. He was also at one time president of the
Empire Brewing Company and a director of the Canada West Fire Insurance
Company at Winnipeg.
In 1886, at Toronto, occurred the marriage of Mr. Clougher and Miss
Marietta Wright, a daughter of William and Jane (Paisley) Wright, early
residents of Toronto. In fact the mother was native of that city, while the
father was born in County Armagh, Ireland. Since the death of her husband
THE STORY OF MANITOBA 151
Mrs. Clougher has continued the management of the Victoria Hotel and has
proven herself to be a woman of splendid business qualifications. Mr. Clougher
was a member of the Masonic fraternity and the Loyal Lodge of Orangemen,
becoming identified with the latter before leaving Ireland. He had many attrac-
tive qualities which made him popular with a large circle of friends, the patrons
of his restaurants and hotels found him ever a genial, courteous host as well as
an enterprising, progressive business man, and he gained friends wherever he
went.
EDWARD BURNELL.
Edward Burnell has for the past twenty-four years filled the office of police
magistrate ably, conscientiously and faithfully, proving himself an efficient and
loyal public servant. Moreover, he is one of the extensive landowners and
progressive farmers of this locality, for he owns and operates a tract of four
hundred and eighty acres in township 17, range 22, upon which he has resided
since 1880. A native of England, Mr. Burnell was born at East Hoathly,
Sussex, June 4, 1856, and is a son of George and Elizabeth (Rawlinson) Burnell,
the former for many years a practicing physician at East Hoathly. He passed
away in 1863, having survived his wife two years, and both are buried in their
native section. The family is of old Huguenot orign and descends from two
Burnell brothers, who fled from France to England after the massacre of St.
Bartholomew on account of religious persecution.
Edward Burnell acquired his education in the public schools of East Hoathly,
at Brighton College and at Blackheath, in England, laying aside his books at
the age of fifteen. At that time he left his native country and came to Manitoba,
.joining his brother in Westbourne. He spent four years upon a farm learn-
ing the details and practical methods of farm operation, and then purchased
land of his own, buying from his brothers, Martin and Harry Burnell, who had
come to Manitoba in 1868. Mr. Burnell of this review bought also the stock
upon this property and here carried on mixed farming for a number of years.
In 1880 he came to Strathclair and took up a homestead in township 17, range
22, upon which he resides today. He found at that time a tract of wild prairie
land which had never been touched by the plow. With characteristic energy
he set himself to its improvement and development, gradually bringing it under
a high state of cultivation. He adopted the mixed farming method, deciding
that this was the most advantageous under the conditions, and has now two
hundred acres planted in grain and besides gives a great deal of his attention
to breeding the Bates Shorthorn cattle and Berkshire hogs. He is very proud
of the success which he has attained in stock-breeding and has won several
prizes at local fairs. His herd consists of thirty head of fine cattle and he
has twenty-four horses. Gradually, in the course of years, Mr. Burnell has made
substantial improvements upon his farm, has erected a fine residence, barns
'and outbuildings and has installed modern machinery. All the features of a
model farm are here found, indicating Mr. Burnell's progressive spirit. There
is no property in this section which excels this in productiveness of soil or in
practical methods of operation and its excellent condition is a tribute to the
owner's indefatigable energy and careful management.
On November 28, 1878, Mr. Burnell married Miss Elizabeth Hodgins, a
daughter of John and Elizabeth (Percy) Hodgins, the former a pioneer farmer
of Ontario. The father passed away in 1902, having long survived his wife, who
died in 1872. Both are buried in the cemetery at Bervie, Ontario. Of the
ten children born to Mr. and Mrs. Burnell four have passed away, namely:
Ethel, who died at the age of five years ; Jessie Louise, who passed away at the
age of twenty-one; Mary Elizabeth, who died at the age of twenty-one; and
Emma, who passed away at the age of eighteen. All are buried in the Strath-
clair cemetery, in Manitoba. Those livng are: Albert E., who is operating a
152 THE STORY OF MANITOBA
farm near Foam Lake, Saskatchewan; Thomas P., who is engaged in farming
in the same district ; Frederick C., who is a partner of his brother, Thomas P.,
in the operation of their farm; James, who. assists his father in cultivating the
home farm; Richard H., who is attending school; and Lillian, who is residng
at home.
Mr. Burnell is a devout adherent of the Presbyterian church, and fraternally
is affiliated with the Canadian Order of Foresters. He is independent in his
political views, supporting the men and measures which he considers best for
the general good of the province. He is always ready to cooperate in movements
which have for their object progress and advancement and although he never
seeks public office, has served for twenty-four years as police magistrate, dis-
charging his duties ably and impartially and with sound judgment. He is
one of the active and progressive public men of Strathclair and in business
affairs able and effective, enjoying in an unusual degree the confidence and
good-will of the community.
SAMUEL J. McLEOD.
The friends of Samuel J. McLeod and they were many are united in the
opinion that he had few equals and no superiors in those traits of character
which in every land and clime awaken high regard. Of him it might be said:
"He was a man. Take him for all in all
I shall not look upon his like again."
The principles of Christian citizenship and of sterling integrity and enterprise
in business were highly manifest in him. He was born in Kingston, Ontario,
in 1867, and died in Winnipeg in 1904, so that his life record covered the com-
paratively brief span of thirty-six years. His father, James McLeod. was fore-
man of a department of the locomotive works at Kingston, Ontario, for thirty-
five years. He took active part in the public affairs of the city and was a man
highly respected by all with whom he came in contact. He married Rebecca
Trwin, of Kingston, and they became the parents of eight children, of whom
Samuel J. McLeod was the third son.
In the schools of his native city Samuel J. McLeod pursued his education
and in starting out in life for himself went to Toronto, where for twelve years
he was employed as bookkeeper by the firm of Eby, Blain & Company. On
severing his connection with that house he entered the employ of the Standard
Life Assurance Company, becoming inspector in Winnipeg in 1898. In this
field of business he was soon recognized as a leader. He familiarized himself
with the various phases of insurance and his keen business discernment, his
sound judgment and his unfaltering industry were features that brought him
to a prominent place in business circles. Moreover, he was thoroughly reliable
a man to be trusted in any circumstance and under any condition. It is
through the influence of such men as Mr. McLeod that the business standing
of the city has been kept high. He built up the interests of the Standard Life
Company in Winnipeg in large measure, establishing and controlling agencies
which greatly increased its volume of business.
Mr. McLeod was married in 1885 to Miss Winifred Victoria Jones, a native
of Kingston, Ontario, and a daughter of John Jones, who was a very active
man in his community, recognized as a leader in the conservative party. He
was a Welshman by birth and a tailor by trade. He served as volunteer fireman
and was always interested and active in progressive measures relating to the
public good. His wife, who bore the maiden name of Marie Nelson, was of
Irish descent. Her father, who was a very early resident of Kingston, was
killed at the time the soldiers went to that district where they were engaged
SAMUEL J. McLEOD
THE STORY OF MANITOBA 155
in making trenches for fortifications. Into one of these Mr. Nelson fell and his
life was thus forfeited. Mr. and Mrs. McLeod became the parents of eight
children: Dorothy M., the wife of E. M. Bowen; John Melville, deceased;
John Keith; James Norman; Janet Blanche, deceased; Samuel Nelson; Mary
Lucile; and Winifred Laura. Mr. McLeod was devoted to his family and his
home and manifested great pride in the household. He exemplified in his life
the beneficent spirit of the Masonic fraternity with which he affiliated and he
was a loyal and active member of St. Stephen 's church, of which he was elected
elder on the Sunday following the Friday on which he died. He had previously
aided in many departments of the church work and had been a generous con-
tributor to its support. He possessed a most charitable and kindly spirit and
gave freely to organized charity and to the individual needy. In fact he was
ever reaching out a helping hand to fellow travelers upon life's journey, speak-
ing a word of encouragement when such was needed or extending substantial
assistance. He was also a member of the Manitoba Club. His ideals of life were
high and it was his daily purpose and effort to live up to these. His friends
are one in the opinion that his place cannot be filled. It has been said: "Not
the good that comes to us but the good that comes to the world through us is
the measure of our success," and judged by this standard Mr. McLeod was a
most successful man. The family home at the time of Mr. McLeod 's death was
a4; 435 Cumberland avenue.
WILLIAM A. DAVIS.
William A. Davis, who represents the fourth ward on the board of alder-
men at Dauphin, where for the past year he has been engaged in the meat
business, owning a w r ell equipped market on Main street, has been a resident of
the province of Manitoba for thirty years. Winnipeg was yet the terminal of
the Canadian Pacific Railroad when he located here, and vast sections which
were then a trackless wilderness now annually produce abundant harvests of
grain. Mr. Davis was born in the city of Ottawa on November 4, 1855, and is a
son of Frederick and Cecelia (Dunning) Davis. The father, who was a strong
conservative in his political views, was for many years a prominent member of
the detective force of Ottawa and participated in the Fenian raids. He passed
away in 1882, while the mother survived him until 1898. They are buried in
Rockcliffe cemetery, Ottawa. The family is of English origin, but they have
been residents of Canada for more than eighty years.
The boyhood of William A. Davis was not remarkable in any way, nor does
the history of his early years chronicle any event of unusual importance. He
was reared in the parental home and educated in the public schools of his native
city. When a youth of fifteen years he began his business career as an employe
of Batson & Currier, who were engaged in the general lumber business and
also operated a sash, door and blind factory. After discharging the duties of
clerk and assistant bookkeeper for this firm for three years, he accepted an
appointment as assistant deputy sheriff of Ottawa. He served in this capacity
for two years, following which he was employed as bookkeeper for five years in
the city of Ottawa. In the spring of 1882, he came to Manitoba and filed on a
homestead north of Gladstone. That section of the province was but sparsely
settled at that time, however, and his nearest neighbor was nine miles away.
The land being in every way desirable, settlers later flocked to this region and
when he left his farm in 1905, there was a resident on every quarter section.
In the cultivation of his land Mr. Davis exercised care and intelligence, bring-
ing his fields into a high state of productivity, while the substantial improve-
ments he added from time to time greatly enhanced the value of his farm, con-
verting it into one of the valuable properties of the district. Agricultural pur-
suits engaged his undivided attention for twenty-three years, during which
156 THE STORY OF MANITOBA
period he acquired a comfortable competence. He subsequently removed to
Dauphin, where he purchased a residence and has ever since made this city his
home. Upon leaving the farm, Mr. Davis accepted an appointment by the
Dominion government as chief forest ranger, but at the expiration of five years
resigned this position and in 1911 he established the business he is now con-
ducting.
At Gladstone, Manitoba, in 1895, Mr. Davis was married to Miss Annie
Zimmerman, of London, Ontario, and to them have been born six children, as
follows: Frederick, John and William, who are assisting their father in the
market ; Elsie, who died in 1904 ; and Edna and Annie, who are atteding school.
The family are consistent members of the Church of England, and frater-
nally Mr. Davis is a Mason, being a member of the chapter and he also belongs
to the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. He is a stanch liberal in his politics,
and takes an active interest in all public questions, particularly those affecting
the welfare of his immediate community. At the present time he is representing
the Fourth ward in the city council and is giving efficient service in this capa-
city. He is a man of clear judgment and keen business discernment and views
the upbuilding and development of the city in a practical yet progressive way.
By his prompt, decisive measures and honorable methods of conducting his
dealings in both public and private life, Mr. Davis has won the good will and
confidence of his neighbors and fellow citizens, who hold him in the regard whieh
is ever accorded an honest and upright man.
ANGUS McBAIN.
Among the earlier settlers in the Strathclair district who for many years
have been closely associated with agricultural interests in the vicinity is Angus
McBain, whose farm of six hundred and forty acres in township 17, range 22, is
a well improved and valuable property. He came to the province in 1877 and
has consequently seen much of the development of the section in which he resides
and has to a great extent assisted in it. He was born in Tiverton, Ontario,
October 7, 1855, and is a son of Donald and Janet (McEwen) McBain, both of
whom have passed away. The father died on the 7th of October, 1901, and the
mother on June 20, 1895. Both are buried in Strathclair cemetery.
In the acquirement of an education Angus McBain attended public school
at Tiverton and laid aside his books at the age of fifteen. This was supple-
mented by one year's schooling after he was thirty years of age. However,
during the intervening period Mr. McBain earned his own livelihood, assisting
his father for about seven years and eventually coming to Manitoba, where he
took up a homestead claim in township 17, range 22. He did not immediately
engage in agricultural pursuits but worked at various occupations for ten
years. Finally, however, he settled upon his land and gave his entire attention
to its development and improvement, bringing it by hard work and persevering
labor to a high state of cultivation. At the present time he has three hundred
acres planted in grain and keeps nineteen horses, twenty-seven head of cattle
and six swine, his farming and stock-raising interests bringing him a gratifying
measure of success because of the progressive methods he follows in their con-
duct.
At Rapid City, on the 17th of September, 1897, Mr. McBain married Miss
Jennie McEwen, a daughter of Peter and Katherine (Clark) McEwen, the
former of whom has passed away, his death having occurred in 1893. The
mother makes her home in Strathclair. Mr. and Mrs. McBain have five chil-
dren, Haddon, Boyd, Laura, Ranald and Chester, all of whom live at home.
Mr. and Mrs. McBain are devout members of the Baptist church.
Mr. McBain gives his allegiance to the liberal party and is at all times pro-
gressive and public-spirited in his citizenship. He takes especial interest in
THE STORY OF MANITOBA 157
educational affairs and for a quarter of a century has done efficient and valu-
able work as secretary and treasurer of the school board. He is numbered
among the progressive and enterprising agriculturists of the section in which
he has lived for so many years and takes great interest in its further advance-
ment, giving an active and helpful support to any measure or movement for the
general welfare.
JOHN I. SMITH.
John I. Smith, the owner of eight hundred acres of well improved land in
township 17, ranges 22 and 23 of the Shoal Lake district, was born in Perth-
shire, Scotland, May 15, 1850, and is a son of Walter and Margaret (Isdale)
Smith, natives of that country. The parents have both passed away, the
father's death having occurred in 1856 and the mother's in 1878.
John I. Smith acquired his education in the public schools of Methven,
Scotland, but was obliged to lay aside his books at the early age of ten
years in order to gain a livelihood. For about twenty years he worked as a
hired laborer in Scotland and at length determined to try his fortune in
Canada, He accordingly crossed the Atlantic and settled in Manitoba in
1880. In the same year he took up a homestead claim in the Shoal Lake dis-
trict, upon which he has resided continuously for over thirty years. From
time to time he added to his holdings until his farm reached its present size
and he also carried forward steadily the work of improvement, building a fine
residence, barns and outbuildings, and in fact all the modern accessories of a
model farm. Mr. Smith has four hundred acres planted in grain and keeps
about thirty horses, forty head of cattle and six swine. In addition to this he
engages in poultry raising and has several hundred fowl.
In Minnedosa, on the 18th of June, 1884, Mr. Smith was united in marriage
to Miss Janet Mclnnes, a daughter of James and Katherine (Whannal) Mclnnes,
both of whom have passed away. The father died in 1888 and the mother in
1892 and both are buried in Scotland. Mr. and Mrs. Smith have become the
parents of six children : Walter, who is assisting his father ; Katherine, Mar-
garet and Nellie, all of whom are at home ; and James and John, who are assist-
ing the subject of this review. The family are devout members of the Pres-
byterian church.
Mr. Smith gives his allegiance to the liberal party and takes an intelligent
interest in the affairs of his community, although he never seeks office, preferring
to do his public service in other ways. He has spent thirty-three of the most
forceful years of his life in this vicinity and his long association with its
agricultural affairs, his constant support of progressve public measures and
his upright character have gained for him a high position in the regard of all
with whom he has been associated.
ROBERT SQUIRE.
Robert Squire is carrying on mixed farming upon a fine property of ten
hundred acres in township 15, range 23, in the Shoal Lake district, and is
recognized as one of the substantial and successful agriculturists and exten-
sive landowners of this vicinity. A native of Ontario, he was born in Brussels,
March 5, 1862, a son of William and Mary Ann (Morris) Squire, both of whom
have passed away, the father's death having occurred in 1902 and the mother's
in 1909. Both are buried in Detroit, Michigan.
In the acquirement of an education Robert Squire attended the public
schools in his native section and laid aside his books at the age of eighteen, after
158 THE STORY OF MANITOBA
which he assisted his father with the farm work for a number of years, becom-
ing during that time an expert, able and practical agriculturist. When he
finally left Ontario he came to Manitoba and took up a homestead claim in the
Shoal Lake district, in township 15, range 23, the nucleus of his present large
farm. He has at different times added adjoining tracts of land to his holdings
and now owns one thousand acres, upon which there are many substantial
improvements, including a fine residence and all the necessary farm buildings,
a modern barn eighty by fifty feet with a cement floor and galvanized roof and
all the equipment necessary to the conduct of a modern agricultural enterprise.
Upon this property Mr. Squire carries on mixed farming, having about five
hundred and fifty acres under cultivation and keeping eighteen horses and
the same number of cattle. He is besides extensively interested in poultry rais-
ing and his yard contains about one hundred choice fowl.
Mr. Squire gives his allegiance to the conservative party and is progressive
and public-spirited in all matters of citizenship. His religious views are in
accord with the doctrines of the Methodist church, of which .he is a devout mem-
ber. As a business man he has become conspicuous among his associates not only
by reason of his success but because of his straightforward and honorable
methods. In all of his work he has been eminently practical and progressive and
his prosperity demonstrates the value of these qualities in the development of a
successful career.
JAMES RICHARDSON.
James Richardson is cultivating a fine farm of one hundred and sixty acres
on section 36, township 18, range 23, near Oakburn, constituting the original
homestead claim which he took up on coming to the province in 1884. As the
years have passed he has gained success in its management by reason of his
systematic and progressive methods and is now numbered among the promi-
nent and substantial farmers of this vicinity. He was born in Wellington
county, Ontario, August 22, 1852, and is a son of Walter and Isabella (Wallace-
son) Richardson, both of whom passed away in 1882 and are buried in Guelph,
Wellington county.
The public schools of his native section afforded James Richardson what
educational advantages he received, but at the early age of ten years he was
obliged to lay aside his books and earn his own livelihood by hiring out to
neighboring farmers. He worked as a laborer for over twenty years but finally
resolved to leave Ontario and come to Manitoba. He arrived in this province
about the year 1884 and immediately afterward took up a homestead claim on
section 36, township 18, range 23, near Oakburn, whereon he is still residing.
His property comprises one hundred and sixty acres and this he has developed
into one of the best farms in this locality, adding to it all modern equipments
and accessories and bringing the fields to a high state of cultivation. He has
sixty acres planted in grain, of which he makes a specialty, and his labors along
this line bring him a gratifying annual income.
In Grey county, Ontario, on the 22d of November, 1876, Mr. Richardson
married Miss Margaret J. Kerr, a daughter of Samuel and Margaret (Earl)
Kerr, both of whom have passed away, the father dying in 1892 and the mother
in 1893. They are buried in Ontario. Mr. and Mrs. Richardson became the
parents of ten children: IJannah J., the wife of Murdock McDonald, a farmer-
of Shoal Lake; Margaret I., who married Kenneth McDonald, also a farmer
in the same district; Eliza A., now Mrs. Frank Green, of Menzie; Mabel M., who
was united in marriage with Thomas Scott, a farmer of Menzie; Stella May,
the wife of George Jenkins, who is engaged in farming near Russell; William H.,
who lives at home; Wellington S., who is assisting his father; Thomas A., who is
still with his parents; James N., who died in infancy; and James S., at home.
THE .STORY OF MANITOBA 159
Mr. Richardson gives his allegiance to the conservative party and is a
member of the Methodist church. He is well known in Oakburn as a prosperous
and representative farmer, for in all of his business relations he has awakened
that confidence and warm regard, which are always given in acknowledgement
of honorable methods and strict integrity.
E. GRAHAM.
E. Graham, who owns a ranch of twenty- four hundred acres located on
townships 17 and 18, range 28, which is being operated under the name of E.
Graham & Sons, has been identified with the agricultural interests of Fox-
warren for practically eight years. He came here from Pontiac county,
province of Quebec, where his birth occurred on the 28th of May, 1849, his
parents being Thomas and Mary (Park) Graham. The father located on a
tract of bush land in Pontiac county, Quebec, in his early manhood, and
through unceasing diligence and close application finally succeeded in bring-
ing it to a high state of productivity. He was a capable man of enterprising
methods and subsequently became one of the foremost agriculturists and lead-
ing citizens of his community. He lived to the advanced age of ninety years, his
death occurring in 1907, and was laid to rest in the cemetery in Bristol town-
ship, Pontiac county, where the mother, who passed away in 1897 at the age of
eighty-one, is also buried. The family is of Scotch extraction.
The boyhood and youth of E. Graham were passed in very much the same
mariner as those of other pioneer farmer lads. In the acquirement of an educa-
tion he attended the elementary schools of Bristol, his native province, until
he had attained the age of fifteen. His energies were then directed along
agricultural lines and for seven years thereafter he gave his undivided atten-
tion to the cultivation of the home farm. In common with the majority of
young men he desired to see other countries and when he was twenty-two he
left home and started on a leisurely journey around the world. After spending
two years in Australia and visiting various other sections of the globe he decided
that Canada afforded greater opportunities to the young man of limited means,
and turned his face homeward with the firm resolution of earnestly applying
himself to the pursuit of his career. Upon his return to Pontiac county he
built a cheese factory, which he operated with a good measure of success for
eleven years, and then disposed of it. Some six years prior to the sale of this
plant he had purchased a farm adjacent to his father's, and thereafter engaged
in agricultural pursuits in connection with the operation of his factory. After
selling the latter he gave his undivided attention to the cultivation of his farm
for more than twenty years. Having become deeply interested in the north-
west, he made, in 1905, a trip to Manitoba, and was so favorably impressed
with the country that he decided to locate here. Returning to Quebec he disposed
of his interests there and removed with his family to a ranch of six hundred
and forty acres, which he had purchased on rang.e 28, between Foxwarren
and Lasare. The land was entirely unimproved but through the earnest efforts
of himself and sons it was brought under cultivation. Under his capable super-
vision his fields were soon yielding abundant harvests, and as opportunity
afforded, he extended the boundaries of his ranch until he now holds the title
to twenty-four hundred acres of land. As the years have passed he has further
increased the value of his property by the erection of substantial buildings and
the introduction of various modern conveniences. Mr. Graham's success and
enthusiasm regarding the possibilities here afforded have been the direct means
of his bringing to this district twenty-five other agriculturists, all of whom are
prospering and are highly desirable citizens. His energies have not been con-
fined to the cultivation of his ranch but have been directed along other lines
and he is now grain buyer for the Maple Leaf Milling Company.
160 THE STORY OF MANITOBA
In Bristol township, Pontiac county, Quebec, on the 15th of June, 1879, Mr.
Graham was united in marriage to Miss Margaret Graham, a daughter of James
and Janet (Malcolm) Graham. The father, who was one of the pioneer farmers
of Pontiac county, passed away in South Dakota and is buried in Canastota,
South Dakota, where the mother is now residing. To Mr. and Mrs. Graham
have been born six children: Nettie, the wife of James Thomas, grain buyer
for the Northern Elevator Company at Foxwarren; Walter P. and George M.,
who are managing the home ranch and are also operating a threshing and gaso-
line plowing outfit ; Dinah, who is residing at home ; Myrtle, a graduate of the
Portage la Prairie Normal School, who is now teaching ; and Melvin, who is
attending school.
The family attend the Presbyterian church in which the parents hold
membership, and fraternally Mr. Graham is affiliated with the Masonic order
and the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. His political support he accords to
the conservative party and takes an active interest in all local affairs. He
served as reeve of Birtle municipality from 1908 to 1910, but refused to be a
candidate for reelection. He is now councilor for Foxwarren and is giving very
efficient service in this capacity. In the fall of 1910 he was a candidate from
this district for the provincial parliament, but was defeated, as this is a strong
liberal municipality. Mr. Graham is a man of many estimable qualities and is
held in favorable regard by his neighbors and fellow townsmen, as both in his
business transactions and the discharge of his official duties he has proven him-
self to be honorable and upright. He is progressive and enterprising in matters
of citizenship and is ever ready to extend his indorsement to any movement he
feels will advance the welfare of the community or promote the material inter-
ests of the people.
JAMES MONROE.
At one period in his life, covering many years, agricultural pursuits claimed
the time and attention of James Monroe, while later he became a salesman and
was upon the road as representative of the house of Frost & Wood until he
retired. He is now enjoying in well earned rest in Winnipeg the fruits of his
former toil. He was born March 27, 1851, in Manitoba, a son of Robert Monroe,
who had come to this province with his father, George Monroe, in 1832. The
latter was sent to this part of Canada to instruct the people in farming and
to teach them to weave and make cloth, thus becoming an active factor in
promoting the agricultural and industrial development of the country. He
settled on lot 55, in Kildonan, and his remaining days were there passed. It
was in large degree a wild and unimproved district into which the Monroe
family came. Robert Monroe took up his abode on lot 86. He cleared, broke
and cultivated a farm upon which his remaining days were passed, his death
occurring in 1891. He married Christina Frazer, of a family from Suther-
landshire. Her father, James Frazer, married a Miss Bannerman, whom he
met on shipboard when they were en route for the new world. As there were
no ministers here, they were married by contract, and the paper which declared
them man and wife and which was issued in 1815, is still in existence. It was
in that year that Mr. Frazer sailed from Ross-shire to America. In 1820, a
minister having become domiciled in this district, he and his wife had a mar-
riage ceremony performed which was more in accordance with their ideas than
the contract agreement into which they had entered five years before. As a
life occupation Mr. Frazer followed farming and was very active in his busi-
ness affairs. His daughter Christina, as previously stated, became the wife
of Robert Monroe, and to them were born nine children : Ann, now Mrs. John
Henderson ; George F. ; James ; Marion, deceased, who died January 25, 1864,
her burial being the first in Kildonan cemetery; Donald; Alexander; Marion
JAMES MONROE
THE STORY OF MANITOBA 163
(II), now Mrs. James Penrose; Barbara, deceased; and John W., who passed
away in 1884.
After acquiring his elementary education in St. John's school at St. Johns,
James Monroe continued his studies in Manitoba College and when he had put
aside his text-books began farming on the old homestead, thus contributing to
the important work which the family have done in the agricultural development
of this section of the country. Later he took up the northwest quarter of section
4, township 11, range 4 east, in Transconia, and with characteristic energy
began to clear and develop this. He sold that property, however, about twenty-
two years ago and for twelve years was engaged in farming in High Bluff. In
1900 he came to Winnipeg and entered commercial circles as traveling sales-
man for the firm of Frost & Wood, representing that house upon the road until
he retired from active business life. He is a member of Lord Selkirk's Settlers
Association of St. Rupert's Land.
On June 18, 1879, Mr. Monroe was united in marriage to Miss Martha Annis
Brown, a native of Ontario and a daughter of Rev. Nelson and Susan (Johns)
Brown, the fornier a Methodist minister. To them have been born four chil-
dren : Annie Winnifred Marion, who is the wife of R. A. Gillespie, of Winnipeg,
and has two daughters, Isabel Edith and Kathleen Margaret; Robert Nelson,
who is in college ; Nina Alix Frazer ; and Barbara Lillian Pentland.
Mr. Monroe has been very active as a liberal Conservative and is president
of the North Winnipeg Conservative Society. He has filled various offices,
serving as a member of the municipal council and as a school trustee. He also
served as district license inspector for several years. Since 1874 he has affiliated
with the Masonic fraternity and is a past master of his lodge. He belongs to
the Cathedral church, in which Mrs. Monroe also has been prominent for
years, and his interests and activities in life cover the wide scope of material,
intellectual, political, social and moral progress and development. The family
home since 1905 has been at 89 Cathedral street.
J. P. LAYCOCK.
The history of the world proves most conclusively that all prosperity has
its root in agricultural interests. A distinguished American statesman said:
" Agriculture is the most useful as well as the most honorable occupation of
man." Mr. Laycpck's position of prominence therefore is at once established
when it is known that he is engaged more extensively in farming than any
other man within a radius of fifty miles, having in the year 1912 twenty-five
hundred acres under cultivation. His landed possessions aggregate four thou-
sand acres in ranges 28 and 29 and since 1900 he has lived at his present place
of residence, with Russell as his postoffice. He came to the province of Mani-
toba in 1882 from Oxford county, Ontario. His birth occurred in the village of
Embro, his parents being Joseph and Mary (Powell) Laycock. The father
owned and operated a large mill at Embro and was classed with the leading busi-
ness men of that place for a long period. He came to the new world from
Northumberland county, England, in company with his parents, the family
being among the pioneer residents of Ontario. They followed the blazed trail
into the wilderness and were active factors in the upbuilding and improvement
of the district in which they located. Joseph Laycock was a stanch conserva-
tive in his political views and in matters of citizenship stood for progress and
improvement. He passed away in 1872 and was laid to rest in the Embro ceme-
tery, but is still survived by his widow, who is now living at Saltcoats,
Saskatchewan, at the age of ninety years.
J. P. Laycock acquired his education in the public schools of his native
village, but when a youth of fourteen years put aside his text-books and started
out in the world to earn his own living, scorning no employment that would
vol. in s
164 THE STORY OF MANITOBA
yield him an honest dollar. Later he turned to the occupation of farming and
cattle exportation and has since been actively connected with agricultural inter-
ests. He specializes now in grain production and, as previously stated, has
planted twenty-five hundred acres to the cereals best adapted to soil and
climate. The extent and importance of his farming interests o'ertop those of
any man living within fifty miles, for in the present year his crops will aggregate
over one hundred thousand bushels. He has erected a beautiful residence upon
his farm and has other modern and attractive improvements which render his
place the most pleasing feature in the landscape.
On the 28th of February, 1906, Mr. Lay cock was married to Miss E. Blair,
a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. John Blair, both of whom are now deceased, their
remains being interred at Embro. The father was a very prominent and
influential resident of that district. Mr. Lay cock has followed in his father's
political footsteps, for his mature judgment has sanctioned the policy and prin-
ciples of the conservative party, of which he is a stanch adherent. He has never
sought nor desired office, however, preferring to concentrate his energies upon
his constantly growing business affairs. His success may be attributed to honest
toil and perseverance guided by sound judgment. Laudable ambition has led
the way and as the years have passed he has advanced until success in large
measure is his and his example should serve to inspire and encourage others
who must, as he did, start out in life practically empty-handed.
JOHN EASTCOTT.
Since 1878 John Eastcott has lived upon his present farm of nine hundred
and sixty acres on township 18, range 23, Shoal Lake, and is one of the honored
pioneers of the section, having gained during the course of years success and
prominence as a progressive agriculturist. He was born in Devonshire, England,
January 16, 1851, and is a son of Richard and Elizabeth (Wilton) Eastcott,
both of whom have passed away. The mother died in 1907 and the father in
1910 and both are buried in the cemetery at Hope, Ontario.
In the acquirement of an education John Eastcott attended the Canton
school at Hope and laid aside his books at the age of sixteen in order to assist
his father with the work of the farm. In this way he gained his livelihood for
about eight years and during that time saved enough money to rent a tract of
land and for four years he carried on general agricultural pursuits upon this
farm near Hope but, finally left Ontario and came to Manitoba and took up a
homestead claim in the Shoal Lake district, on township 18, range 23, which
by hard work he gradually brought to a high degree of cultivation. From time
to time, as his financial resources justified, he added to his holdings and now
has nine hundred and sixty acres, six hundred of which are planted in grain.
The rest affords fine pasture land for his thirty head of horses, forty cattle and
fifteen swine. In addition Mr. Eastcott keeps one hundred and fifty fowl, his
poultry raising being one of the most important sources of his income. Upon
his farm he has erected a fine residence, substantial barns, granaries and other
outbuildings and makes it his aim to keep everything about the place in excellent
condition. This he has succeeded in doing and his farm today is one of the most
attractive and well managed agricultural properties in this part of the province.
At Hope, Ontario, on the 3d of November, 1874, Mr. Eastcott was united
in marriage to Miss Annie McMaster, a daughter of Joseph and Leah (Green-
shield) McMaster, both of whom have passed away. The mother died in 1860
and the father in 1886 and both are buried in the cemetery-at Peterboro, Ontario.
Mr. and Mrs. Eastcott have six children: Richard J., who is a farmer in the
Shoal Lake district; Joseph W., who is engaged in agricultural pursuits in the
same section; Alfred J., who is assisting his father; Wilson W., a farmer near
Oakburn; and Ira and Elizabeth, who live at home.
THE STORY OF MANITOBA 165
Fraternally Mr. Eastcott is affiliated with the Masonic order and the Loyal
Order of Orange and has gained a place of prominence in both organizations.
His political allegiance is given to the conservative party and during his entire
career he has stanchly supported the men and measures of that party. No man
in this section more fully enjoys the trust and confidence of the people than
does Mr. Eastcott, for thirty-four years of his life have been spent here and his
his upright and sterling characteristics have become widely recognized. Today
he is numbered among the substantial residents of this community and all that
he possesses has been won through the most honorable and worthy methods.
THOMAS WILLIAM TAYLOR, M. P. P.
Thomas "William Taylor is one of Winnipeg's foremost business men and
citizens and his efforts have been far-reaching in their scope and effect. He has
not only built up a business enterprise of extensive proportions, but has also
been recognized as a political leader whose course has furthered the welfare
of city and province. He is also a distinguished representative of the Masonic
fraternity and is not unknown in military circles. His varied interests, there-
fore, entitle him to mention as one of the representative residents of Manitoba.
He was born in Portsmouth, England, on the 6th of September, 1852, his par-
ents being Sergeant Major James and Abigail (Peel) Taylor. The former, a
native of Wick, in the county of Caithness, Scotland, was an officer of the
Ninety-third Sutherland Highlanders. The mother was a daughter of a well
known manufacture*" of Hillsboro, Ireland. While in command of his regiment
in Canada they were married, but soon afterward returned to Portsmouth,
England. It was during the three years that his father was stationed at
Anglesy Barracks in Portsmouth, England, that T. W. Taylor was born. Upon
securing his discharge from the service they returned to Canada and settled at
London, Ontario, where for several years he was tax collector. . He died there
at the age of eighty-two, while his widow still survives at the age of ninety-three,
residing in London. Here the boy in due time entered the public schools and
when still young in years he was apprenticed to the trade of bookbinding. He
first entered an establishment in the town in which he resided, but subsequently
went to Cincinnati, Ohio, where he worked at his trade, finally graduating as a
master of the art in Toronto, and in 1877 he came to Winnipeg, where he at
once began bookbinding, establishing one of the pioneer industries of this
character in Manitoba. It was Mr. Taylor who introduced the first ruling
machine ever seen in the northwest. He has always followed progressive
methods in the conduct of his business and from a small beginning it has grown
to its present extensive proportions. It has been necessary from time to time
to increase his facilities in order to meet the demands of the business, which
in its ramifying trade interests has reached out to all sections of the Dominion
from the Great Lakes to the Pacific ocean. In 1901 the business was incor-
porated under the name of the T. W. Taylor Company, Limited, with Mr.
Taylor as the president. The plant is splendidly equipped with modern ma-
chinery and a large force of operatives is employed, making this one of the
most important productive industries of the city and a source of its material
development. This plant began on a very small scale and its growth has been both
steady and substantial. The business has been carefully systematized in every
department so that maximum results are produced with minimum expenditure
of time, labor and material which is the source of all success in the industrial
field. This house does printing, publishing, account book manufacturing,
artistic bookbinding, paper ruling, gold blocking, fancy lettering, marbling,
folding, sewing, paging and numbering, perforating, punching, etc. It makes a
specialty of loose leaf systems, grain books, classified sale cards, tabs, slips, etc.,
166 THE STORY OF MANITOBA
also all kinds of legal and municipal forms and many other special features of
printing.
In municipal affairs Mr. Taylor has always taken an active interest ana
in 1889 was elected as alderman from ward four to succeed Alderman Curry,
who had resigned. He remained in that position until December, 1892, during
which time he held respectively the offices of chairman of the market license
and health committee and finance committee. In 1892 he was made a candidate
for the mayoralty but was defeated by Mr. Macdonald. The following year,
however, he was elected mayor by acclamation and his administration was
creditable alike to himself and his constituents. At the by-election of 1900 he
was chosen a member of the Manitoba legislative assembly, representing Winni-
peg Center First, and has been reelected at each succeeding election to the
present time. He took an active interest in shaping the work during those sessions
and sought the welfare of the majority rather than of the few, in his support
of legislative enactments. As chairman of the Winnipeg public parks board
in 1904 and 1905 he made an enviable record, doing much to advance the park
system of the city. He has always taken an active interest in municipal affairs.
In fraternal relations Mr. Taylor is also widely known, being especially
prominent in Masonry. He is a past master of St. John's Lodge, A. F. & A. M.,
a past district grand master, a past preceptor and past provincial prior of
King Edward Preceptory and Priory, No. 24, of Winnipeg. He was the first
president of the Masonic Temple Association. He also holds membership with
the Foresters and with St. Andrews Society, of which he is past president,
while along more strictly recreative lines he is connected with the Manitoba
branch of the Royal Caledonian Curling Club, of which he was patron in 1904,
and the Thistle Curling Club, of which he is patron. He is president of the
Old Timers' Association of Manitoba, He is a past president of the Manitoba
Rifle Association and at one time was captain and paymaster of the Ninety-
first Winnipeg Light Infantry, but is now retired. Mr. Taylor's business inter-
ests are diversified and important. He is the president of the Western Life
Assurance Company and also president of the Universal Life Assurance &
Annuity Company. In religious affairs he is deeply interested, having long been
an earnest worker in St. George's church of Winnipeg.
On the 17th of May, 1877, Mr. Taylor was married at London, Ontario, to
Miss Gertrude Seaton, of that city, and to them have been born twelve children,
as follows: Arthur Robert, a physician of Winnipeg; Abigail, the wife of
William Chandler Birt, who is a member of the T. W. Taylor Company,
Limited ; Claratina, the wife of Victor W. Horwood, who is provincial architect
of Manitoba and is mentioned elsewhere in this work ; Thomas William, Jr., who
is associated in business with his father; Gertrude and Minnie, both of whom
died in childhood ; Edna, the wife of A. T. Warrington ; Chester Roy, a student
at Manitoba University ; Harold, who is associated in business with his father ;
Marguerite, a student at Manitoba College ; James Sinclair, who is a student at
Trinity College of Port Hope ; and Hugh John, who is attending the Winnipeg
public schools.
JAMES STEWART NICOLSON.
In the history of Winnipeg's commercial development and consequent pros-
perity extended mention should be made of James S. Nicolson, who occupied
a commanding place in business circles by reason of his marked enterprise, his
indomitable energy and his commendable ambition. He was born in the province
of Quebec, Canada, in 1854, a son of Kutosof and Louisa (McNaughton) Nicol-
son, the former registrar of the place in which he lived.
In the schools of his native province James S. Nicolson pursued his early
education and afterward attended a military school in Montreal. He made his
JAMES S. NICOLSON
THE STORY OF MANITOBA 169
initial step in the business world in connection with, general merchandising,
conducting a store in Valleyfield in partnership with his brother until 1882,
when he came to Winnipeg. In the fall of that year he formed a partnership
with Robert Strachan and Charles H. McNaughton, under the name of the
Arctic Ice Company, and established a business which grew to large propor-
tions. In 1884 Robert Strachan withdrew, after which the trade was continued
by Mr. Nicolson and Mr. McNaughton, who developed an extensive and profit-
able enterprise. As executrix of the estate Mrs. Nicolson carried on her hus-
band's interests, and in 1901 the interests of the Bricker Ice Company and the
Northern Ice Company were merged with those of the Arctic Ice Company
under the last name, making this one of the most extensive enterprises of this
character in Manitoba. Mr. Nicolson continued an active factor in the business
until his death, which occurred August 22, 1898, and his enterprise, executive
force and administrative ability were prominent factors in winning the success
which crowned the undertaking.
On April 24, 1884, in Herdman, Quebec, Mr. Nicolson was united in marriage
to Miss Anna Munro, a daughter of Allan Munro, who was a native of Quebec and
followed farming for many years but subsequently became postmaster of the
town where he made his home. His wife bore the maiden name of Sarah Hagan
and was a native of Ireland. To Mr. and Mrs. Nicolson were born six children :
Louisa; Allan M., who is a resident of Prince Albert, Canada; Helen A.;
James S., living at Brandon ; J. W. ; and Harriett. The family has maintained
their home on River avenue for almost twenty-five years, and since 1900, the
residence, which was built by Mrs. Nicolson, has been at 350 River avenue.
Mr. Nicolson held membership in the Augustine Presbyterian church and
fraternally was connected with the Masons and the Foresters. He was a very
public-spirited man, manifesting an active and helpful interest in all that
tended to develop the city and promote its progress along lines leading to
permanent advancement. His business career, too, was commendable. He
never feared to venture where favoring opportunity led the way and as the
years passed on he achieved success that was the direct and legitimate outcome
of persistent energy intelligently directed.
J. T. CAIRNS.
Since 1903 J. T. Cairns has conducted a general store in Kelloe and in the
management of this enterprise has met with a degree of success which is the
natural result of his experience, ability and incorruptible integrity. He came
to Manitoba from his native province of Ontario, having been born in Plimpton
township, Lambton county, October 7, 1863. He is a son of John and Jane
(Lang) Cairns, the former a native of Kelso, Scotland, who came as a pioneer to
Ontario. There he engaged in farming and became well known as a stanch
supporter of the liberal party. He died in 1897 and is buried near his farm
in Plimpton township. His widow still resides on the old homestead and has
reached the advanced age of eighty-five.
J. T. Cairns acquired his education in the public, schools of his native county
and laid aside his books at the age of fourteen in order to enter a general store
conducted by his brother, Joseph. At an early age he learned all the details
connected with the management of a successful mercantile enterprise and became
familiar with the most progressive and effective business methods. In 1885 his
services had become so valuable that he was given a partnership in the business
and he and his brother conducted a store at Camlachie for some time. In
1890 this association was dissolved and in the following year Mr. Cairns, of this
review, established himself in business in Kent county. From there he went
in 1893 to Varna, in Huron county, and after ten years came to Kelloe and
opened a store, which he has since conducted. He has secured a large patronage,
170 THE STOEY OF MANITOBA
for he handles only the best goods, makes his prices reasonable arid displays
great courtesy and consideration in his dealings with his customers. In addi-
tion he is a man of industry, enterprise and progressive business methods and
these qualities, combined with an integrity which is beyond all question, have
been salient factors in his prosperity.
At Camlachie, Ontario, on June 18, 1886, Mr. Cairns married Miss Annie
Murray, a daughter of Adam and Ann (Lunam) Murray, the former a pioneer
farmer of Ontario. Mrs. Cairns' parents have passed away and are buried in
the Camlachie cemetery. Mr. and Mrs. Cairns have eleven children: Laura,
the widow of J. T. Nusham ; Bertha, who married W. W. "Wilson, who is engaged
in the practice of law at Russell; Harold, who is assisting his father; Clara,
at home ; Jane, who is attending the high school at Eussell ; Gordon M., Thomas
K., Charles E. and Eobert C., all of whom are attending school; Delta; and
Grace.
Mr. Cairns gives his allegiance to the liberal party and has always been
active in public affairs. He has been postmaster of Kelloe for the past eight
years and has held that position in practically every village in which he has
resided, -having now a record of thirty-six years' service as clerk and post-
master. His fraternal relations are with the Knights of the Maccabees, in which
he has been prominent and well known for a quarter of a century. He is a
devout adherent of the Presbyterian church and in his life exemplifies its teach-
ings, being a man of high moral character whose honesty and integrity have
always merited him the confidence and respect of his neighbors.
JOHN BLACK SUTHEELAND.
John Black Sutherland needs no introduction to the readers of a history of
Manitoba, for he is a representative of one of the oldest and most honored
pioneer families in the province and he has by his own honorable and upright
career added to the esteem in which his name is held. He is today one of the
prosperous farmers of Griswold and owns an excellent property, which in its
attractive and neat appearance evidences the owner's many years of care and
labor.
Mr. Sutherland was born in the old parish of Kildonan, January 24, 1854,
and is a son of Eobert and Jane Sutherland, also natives of that community,
to which their parents came about the year 1813. The grandparents were
identified closely with the early settlement of the section and did a great deal
to promote agricultural development. The paternal grandfather, John Suther-
land, married a sister-in-law of Sheriff Inkster. The maternal grandfather was
in the employ of the Hudson's Bay Company in his early years but afterward
settled in Kildonan, where he followed farming. His death was a mysterious
one, for going out one evening after supper to drive in the cows he never again
was heard from and it is supposed that he was murdered by the Indians. Living
representatives of the maternal branch of this family are John Henderson and
his son, Samuel, and on the paternal side Bishop Matheron is a cousin of the
father of the subject of this review. The latter, Eobert Sutherland, lived in
the Kildonan district in pioneer times and his early life was attended with the
hardships and difficulties incident to pioneer existence. In the early days when
the Hudson's Bay Company's boats went down the Eed river, bringing back
freight from the ships, he engaged in the manufacture of shoe packs and carry-
ing straps for the company, these being used in the winter months to carry the
goods over the portages between York Factory and Fort Garry. He was also
identified with the freighting business between St. Paul and Manitoba in the
early days and made as many as two trips in the summers and two in the winters,
often sleeping out of doors in the snow, for there were no houses for many miles
THE STORY OF MANITOBA 17!
in all directions. The father later turned his attention to farming in Portage
la Prairie and continued in that occupation for many years.
Amid such conditions as above described John Black Sutherland grew to
manhood, assisting his father with the work of the farm and acquiring his early
education in the Kildonan, West, school. He was a pupil of James Harper,
who is still living in Kildonan, where he was born and where he received his
normal training. Although he was a firm believer in the old saying ' ' Spare the
rod and spoil the child," he was nevertheless an excellent educator. When
the first college was opened in this section of the province by Professors Bryce
and Hart, Mr. Sutherland entered as a pupil and continued to study in the
institution for two years, finally returning home and assisting with the work of
the farm. Eventually he purchased land of his own in Griswold and here he
has since engaged in agricultural pursuits, his industry, energy and practical
methods having been rewarded as the years passed by a gratifying degree of
success, which places him today among the representative and substantial
farmers of this vicinity.
Mr. Sutherland married, in Winnipeg, December 15, 1896, Miss Sarah E.
Ryan, a daughter of John and Mary Ryan, of Lucknow, Ontario. He gives his
political allegiance to the conservative party, but has never aspired to public
office, although for nine consecutive years he served as councilor from the
first ward in Sifton municipality. He has always been a devout and faithful
member of the Presbyterian church and is at present one of the board of
managers of the Presbyterian congregation of Huntingdon and Griswold. He is
a man of exemplary character, able in business and progressive in citizenship,
and his record is a great credit to a name that has long been an honored one
in this vicinity.
REV. ALEXANDER MATHESON.
Rev. Alexander Matheson, a descendant of one of the old Selkirk settlers, was
a well known Presbyterian clergyman in his day, whose influence and labors in
the communities where he resided were always for the moral and general up-
building of his fellowmen. He was born in the parish of Kildonan, Manitoba,
March 18,1827, and was the eldest child of John and Ann (Poison) Matheson.
Their emigration westward was with the Lord Selkirk settlers of 1815. After
seven years' service with the Hudson's Bay Company the father retired and
took up farming in the Red River settlement, now the parish of Kildonan.
The Rev. Alexander Matheson acquired his early education in the common
school at St. John's. On the 4th of December, 1849, he began to teach in the
first schoolhouse built in Kildonan, remaining as teacher there until June 1,
1853. He was not only interested in the educational progress, but also in the
moral development of the community, and in 1850 organized the first Sunday
school in Kildonan. On the 2d of June, 1853, he left Manitoba for Toronto to
attend an academy, reaching his destination on the 14th of July after a six
weeks' journey. In the autumn of 1854 he entered Knox College to begin the
arts course, and in 1860 was graduated in theology, being ordained by the
Presbytery of Montreal on the 28th of November of that year. He served as
minister of the Presbyterian church for the congregations of Lunenburg and
Avonmore in Ontario, and at Portage la Prairie, Selkirk, and Springfield in
Manitoba. In October, 1897, he retired from the active work of the ministry
and lived a quiet life in the old home in Kildonan, occasionally supplying the
pulpit in the churches in and about the city and teaching a Bible class in
Kildonan. On the 28th of November, 1910, he celebrated the fiftieth anniversary
of his entrance into the ministry.
On the 12th of November, 1862, at Roxborough, Ontario, Mr. Matheson was
married to Miss Victoria Johnstone, who died December 3, 1903, while the death
172 THE STOEY OF MANITOBA
of the Rev. Mr. Matheson occurred February 15, 1911. They were the parents
of seven children: John, who died September 13, 1866; William, who passed
away on the 9th of the same month; Mary Ann and Alexander, residents of
East Kildonan; Robert Burns, of Ottawa; James, of Winnipeg; and David
Young, living in Kildonan. The Rev. Mr. Matheson left behind him a memory
which is cherished and revered by all who knew him. He was always deeply
interested in educational matters and during his ministry acted for several
years as school inspector both in the east and in the west, while for some time
he was a member of the board of education in Manitoba. His life was ever an
elevating influence among those with whom he was brought in contact, and his
worth as a factor in the intellectual and spiritual progress of Manitoba, and
especially of the Kildonan parish, is attested by all who knew him;
JOHN PALMERSTON ROBERTSON.
John Palmerston Robertson, who for almost thirty years has been legislative
librarian of Manitoba, is a man of wide learning and intellectual attainments,
preeminently qualified for the important duties which have devolved upon him
in the development and management of the provincial library at Winnipeg.
He was born in Fortingal, Perthshire, Scotland, May 23, 1841, a son of Donald
and Janet (McDonald) Robertson, both of whom were natives of Perthshire,
Scotland, in which country they were married in 1840, coming thence to Canada
in 1845. They settled in the present city of Ottawa, which then, however, had
not yet been incorporated as a village, the work of development having scarcely
been begun in that region. The father was a contractor and builder, being
identified with building operations in Scotland and afterward in Ottawa to
the time of his death, which occurred in 1860. His widow continued a resident
there until her demise in 1886.
Passing through consecutive grades in the public schools, John P. Robertson
eventually became a high-school student in Ottawa and afterward attended the
normal school of Toronto. He took up the profession of teaching, having charge
of rural schools in the vicinity of Ottawa for about five years. He then pursued
a second course in the Toronto Normal and became principal of the Central
school of Ottawa, remaining in charge for nearly a decade. With his retire-
ment from the educational field he took up the study of law, to which he
devoted three years, but at the end of that time he abandoned his purpose of
preparing for the bar and turned his attention to journalism, becoming a
member of the editorial staff of the Ottawa Times. He continued on that paper
from 1873 until 1878 and while a resident of Ottawa he served as a member of
the public school board for twelve years and also as a member of the city
council for five years. He was thus actively concerned with events of municipal
interest and importance and in the field of journalism did not a little to mold
public opinion.
In 1879 Mr. Robertson came to Manitoba to accept the night editorship of
the Winnipeg Times, a paper which has long since passed out of existence.
After a year's work on that journal he joined the editorial staff of the Mani-
toba Free Press, with which he was connected from 1881 until 1884. During
that period he represented the Canadian Associated Press, as well as a number
of leading current publications and was correspondent for a number of eastern
Canada, New York, Chicago and Minneapolis papers. This brought him into
close connection with leading journalists of the country, among whom he is
widely and favorably known.
On the 1st of July, 1884, Mr. Robertson entered upon the duties of legislative
librarian, which office he still holds. Under his care and direction the province
has gradually acquired a library of no mean proportions. To this constant
additions are being made and today the Manitoba library is one of the best if
J. P. ROBERTSON
THE STORY OF MANITOBA 175
not the largest of its kind in the Dominion. His liberal education, as gained
from the schools, from journalism and from wide reading and research, well
qualifies him for the onerous and responsible duties which devolve upon him,
and holding ever before him high standards in his work, his achievements have
been such as have won for him the highest commendation of those qualified to
judge of the character and scope of the provincial library. He is not unknown
in the field of authorship, having written, and in 1887 published, the Political
Manual of Manitoba and the Northwest Territories.
On the 15th of July, 1869, at Ottawa, Mr. Eobertson was married to Miss
Jessie Graham, a daughter of William Graham of that city, and they have
become the parents of six children, of whom four are living, William and Walter
having passed away after reaching manhood. The others are: Catherine, the
wife of James Osborne, of Victoria, British Columbia; Flora Gordon, the wife
of R. M. McTaggart, a barrister of Winnipeg; Beatrice Wilson, the wife of
A. C. Ruttan, of the Winnipeg Grain Exchange; and Robert B., who is engaged
in the hardware business in Victoria.
In religious faith Mr, Robertson is a Presbyterian and has been president
of the Winnipeg St. Andrew's Society. He was also deputy royal chief of the
Order of Scottish Clans and in 1907 he was elected president of the Ottawa
Old Boys Association of Winnipeg. Curling has ever been one of his chief
sources of recreation and he has been connected with the Manitoba Curling
Club since its organization in November, 1888. He was elected its first secre-
tary and the general manager of the Mammoth Winnipeg Annual Bonspiel,
which offices he has now held for nearly a quarter of a century. He was the
representative of the Assiniboine curlers on the Canadian team that visited
Great Britain in January, 1909. He has ever recognized the fact that the
nature of a man's recreation is almost as important as that of his business, and
that in the former must be maintained the even balence which results in a
strong and normal development. He enters into all that he undertakes with a
contagious enthusiasm and such is his wide learning and mental resource that
he finds his friends among the strongest intellectual forces of the province.
J. HARVEY MILLER.
Political and business interests of Elkhorn have profited greatly by the
well directed activities of J. Harvey Miller, mayor of the city and since his
arrival here, in 1895, a force in business circles. He was born in Norval,
Ontario, and is a son of James and Harriett (McNab) Miller, both of whom are
natives of Ontario, the former born on the farm where the Brock monument now
stands. The family is of old Scotch origin and was founded in Canada about
the year 1812. Mr. Miller's grandmother, Jane Chisholm, was born in Vermont,
at the time of the Revolution. She was taken prisoner at Queenston Heights
and was later released by Indians under General Brant, The paternal grand-
father of the subject of this review, John Miller, was a stanch United Empire
Loyalist, and was one *of the first settlers in Ontario who received grants of land
from the crown. His son, the father of the subject of this review, was active
in the rebellion of 1838 and afterward one of the well known and prosperous
farmers of the province. He died in 1884 and was survived by his wife until
January, 1906. Both are buried in the. Norval cemetery.
J. Harvey Miller received his early education in the public schools of his
native community, afterwards attending, for six months, the grammar school at
Owen Sound. He afterwards spent eight years assisting his father with the
work of the farm, and then, having thoroughly mastered the details of farm
operation, purchased land of his own which he developed and improved for
several years. His connection with public life began even before he left Ontario
for while he still resided on his farm in that province he was elected councilor
176 THE STORY OF MANITOBA
of Chinguaconsy township, Peel county, a position which he filled capably for
three years. In 1890, he was made census enumerator for the county of Peel
and in the same year he went to Streetsville, where .he opened up a real-estate
and auctioneering office conducting a profitable and growing business until
1895, when he came to Manitoba. He settled in Elkhorn and immediately
interested in the agricultural implement business which he has since carried on
in connection with farming. He added to his activities here by again taking
up the dutes of an auctioneer and since that time he has made this a very impor-
tant branch of his work.
Always a stanch supporter of the conservative party, Mr. Miller has since
coming here identified himself in an important way with public life, his service
being distinguished by straightforward methods and high ideals of political
morality. He has been councilor of the Wallace municipality and has served
on the Elkhorn town council, proving conscientious and capable in both capaci-
ties. In 1912 he was elected mayor and has given to the city a businesslike,
efficient and successful administration marked by the accomplishment of much
constructive and progressive work along lines of municipal development. Mr.
Miller is an adherent of the Presbyterian church, and is a man of exemplary
character, blameless alike in its public and private relations.
J. K. HAY.
J. K. Hay, who is engaged in the lumber business in Foxwarren, has passed
the greater part of his life in this immediate vicinity, where he was formerly
engaged in agricultural pursuits. His birth occurred in Shakespeare, Ontario,
on the 10th of October, 1879, his parents being Alexander and Catherine
(Thompson) Hay. The family is of Scotch extraction. In his early life the
father was a sailor, but he subsequently gave up this occupation and in 1881
came to Manitoba, where he engaged in farming. For a time he was in charge
of the supply department on the Indian reservation and he was also manager
at different times of various mercantile concerns in Ontario and Manitoba. He
was drowned in Alberta in June, 1886, and was buried in the Indian reserva-
tion. The mother is still living and now makes her home in Foxwarren.
J. K. Hay was only a child of two years when he came to Manitoba with
his parents. In the acquirement of an education he attended the district schools
of this province until he was a youth of eighteen, and then started out to make
his own way in the world. He was already quite familiar with the duties of
the agriculturist, having assisted with the cultivation of his father's farm as
well as those of some of his relatives during his vacations. For three years after
leaving school he worked for different members of the family and then decided
to engage in farming on his own account. In 1900 he purchased three hun-
dred and twenty acres of land, in the cultivation of which he met with such
success that he was later able to extend the boundaries of his farm until he owned
six hundred acres. By the practice of diligence and thrift he soon had the
entire tract paid for, and was adding to its value by the erection of substantial
buildings and the introduction of various modern conveniences. Unceasing
effort, intelligently applied, wrought a marvelous transformation in his home-
stead and he is now the owner of one of the most desirable ranches in the com-
munity, which is bringing him a substantial annual rental. He has also acquired
realty interests in other sections of the Dominion. In May, 1912, Mr. Hay gave up
farming and removed to Foxwarren, where he is now conducting the lumber
business founded by his father-in-law, Isaac Murphy. The general capability
and enterprise which characterized him in the development of his ranch, have
been manifested in the promotion of his present enterprise and he is becoming
recognized as one of the town's most competent business men.
THE STORY OF MANITOBA 177
In Foxwarren on the 12th of July, 1906, Mr. Hay was married to Miss
Bertha L. Murphy, a daughter of Isaac and Mary J. (Shields) Murphy, who
are now residing in Vancouver, British Columbia. The father was one of the
pioneers of this district and established the lumber business now owned and
operated by our subject. Of this marriage there have been born two daughters,
Irene and Muriel.
Mr. and Mrs. Hay are members of the Methodist Episcopal church, and
number among its congregation many close friends. Politically he extends his
support to such men and measures as he deems best qualified to subserve the
interests of the people. He takes an active interest in all questions affecting the
progress of development of the community, and is accorded by his fellow citizens
the respect and esteem ever extended to men of upright principles and com-
mendable business methods.
H. P. NICHOLSON.
Diversified business interests have engaged the energies of H. P. Nicholson,
founder and senior partner of the firm of Nicholson & Hawkins, during the
twenty-three years of his residence in Dauphin. He came here from Carlisle,
England, where he was born on March 25, 1868, during the pioneer days and
has ever since been actively identified with the district's development. His
father, John Nicholson, accompanied him to Canada and upon his arrival here
took up a homestead on township 24, range 20, which he brought under high
cultivation. He engaged in agricultural pursuits until 1906, when he was
appointed custom officer, which office he held until his death in 1910, at the
age of seventy years. He was buried in the cemetery at Dauphin. The mother,
whose maiden name was Eliza Pears, passed away in England in 1872, and was
laid to rest in the cemetery at Carlisle. To this worthy couple were born three
children, as follows: H. P., our subject; James B., partner in the firm of
Newton & Nicholson, official assignees of Winnipeg; and Lome, who died in
childhood. The father subsequently married Margarita Louisita Alton, who is
still living in Dauphin, and of this union were born: George A., an assistant
land agent for the Dominion; Sidney 0., a baggageman for the Canadian
Northern Railroad; Dr. John R. W., of the "Winnipeg Medical College; Amy,
the wife of Fred Eagle, a farmer of Gilbert Plains; Frederick V., who is
operating the old homestead; Margarita K., the wife of the Rev. F. W. West-
wood, a Methodist minister of Wilcox, Saskatchewan; Thomas A., Hepworth
C. and Frank E., who are living on the old homestead; and Stanley A., a
student in Collegiate Institute, Dauphin.
The first twenty-one years in the life of H. P. Nicholson were passed in his
native land, his education being acquired in Grosvenor College, Carlisle. After
leaving school he assisted his father until 1886, when, having resolved to come
to Canada to pursue his career, he devoted himself to the acquirement of a
knowledge of agricultural pursuits. For three years thereafter his time was
largely occupied in fitting himself for the duties of a farmer, especial attention
being given to acquiring an understanding of western agricultural methods. In
1889, he accompanied his father and other members of the family to Canada.
They landed at Halifax, going from there to Montreal, thence to Winnipeg, and
on to Portage la Prairie. In the latter place he bought an outfit and a team of
oxen and drove from there to Dauphin, twenty-four days being consumed by the
journey from Portage la Prairie to the point where he took up his homestead.
He also selected in that immediate vicinity a tract of land for his father, which
is now being operated by his brothers. Mr. Nicholson immediately placed such
buildings as were necessary on his holding, and then began preparing the land
for cultivation. For eight years his undivided attention was devoted to the
development of his farm, which he brought into a high state of productivity.
178 THE STORY OF MANITOBA
In 1897, he withdrew from agricultural pursuits and with his brother, James
'B., bought out the store of the Hudson's Bay Company at Dauphin. They
successfully conducted this enterprise for several years and then disposed of it,
following which Mr. Nicholson gave his entire attention to the development of
the business he is now engaged in. It was established in a small way, but it
developed rapidly and he subsequently took Mr. Hawkins in with him, the firm
name being changed to Nicholson & Hawkins. They deal in real estate, handle
loans, fire and life insurance and also do auctioneering. Mr. Nicholson owns
about nine hundred and sixty acres of farming land in this vicinity and also
several pieces of valuable residence and business property in Dauphin. He
made all of the improvements on his farms, which he acquired before they had
been cultivated, and he also built the Cameron block in Dauphin, formerly
known as the Nicholson block. His interests have also been extended into the
industrial field, and he is vice president of the Eagle Manufacturing Company
of this city.
In Dauphin on the 24th of March, 1892, Mr. Nicholson was married to Miss
Margaret Hall, a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. John Hall. The father, who was
one of the pioneer farmers of this vicinity, passed away in 1909, and was
buried in the Dauphin cemetery. The mother, however, is still living and con-
tinues to live on the old homestead. The family of Mr. and Mrs. Nicholson
numbers six, as follows: John H. E., Bertha E., James L., Sidney V. and Harry
M. E., all of whom are attending Collegiate Institute; and Margarita P.
Mr. Nicholson is a local preacher and a trustee in the Methodist church.
Both he and his family take an active interest in the work of the various church
organizations and he was for many years superintendent of the Sunday school.
He is a Master Mason and he also belongs to the Independent Order of Odd
Fellows, Knights of Pythias, Royal Templars and Loyal Orange lodge. His
connection with organizations of a more purely social nature is confined to his
membership in the Dauphin Club. Politically he indorses the candidates of the
liberal party and has for many years been a member of the school board, having
been president of that body when they erected the present school buildings. He
also gave efficient service as a member of the town council. Mr. Nicholson is
one of the citizens of Dauphin who stand for progress along all lines of activity,
but he is too conservative in his ideas to advise the spending of public funds
unless assured that it is for the best interests of the community. He is a man of
practical methods, good judgment and general business sagacity, who is as con-
scientious in his discharge of his official duties as in his private transactions.
WILLIAM FINGLAND.
Liberal education fitted William Fingland for the part which he has played
as an architect of Manitoba. He has been well known in professional circles
in New York city as well as in Winnipeg but since 1905 has engaged con-
tinuously in business in the latter city. His birth occurred in Rockton, Went-
worth county, Ontario, August 5, 1862, his parents being William and Mary
Ann Fingland, who were natives of Scotland and Ireland respectively but came
to the new world with their parents in childhood days and were married in
Ontario, where the two families settled.
William Fingland received his preliminary education in the public schools
of Rockton, and in the spring of 1884 came to Manitoba. He remained here
until the fall of 1885, when he returned to Ontario. Subsequently resuming;
his studies to prepare himself for the profession of architect, he became a
student at the School of Practical Science, Toronto, Ontario, from which he
was graduated in 1893. Taking up work in his profession, he became con-
nected with various architectural offices in New York city. He remained there
until 1905, when he returned to Winnipeg and has since been well known as an
WILLIAM FINGLAND
THE STORY OF MANITOBA 181
architect of this city. He was appointed consulting architect for the parlia-
ment buildings in the province of Alberta in 1907. He served for two and a
half years as president of the Province of Manitoba Board of Examiners of
Architects, and in 1913 he served as president of The Manitoba Association of
Architects, positions suggestive of the high place which he has made for himself
in professional circles. He has had his office at his present location in the
Enderton building since its completion three years ago. He was the designer
of this and other handsome buildings in Winnipeg and he has a large patronage
throughout the west, his professional services being in demand in various points
from Winnipeg to the Rocky mountains.
In 1887 Mr. Fingland was united in marriage to Miss Bella Barbara Chis-
holm, and to them have been born nine children. His fraternal relations are
with the Masons. He has attained the Knight Templar degree in the York
Rite and the thirty-second degree in the Scottish Rite. Alert and determined,
he quickly recognizes an opportunity and in its utilization has promoted public
interests as well as individual prosperity.
W. A. ELLIOTT.
All credit is due a man who carves out his career unaided a man who lifts
himself from a humble walk in life to a position of prominence and attains his
ambition by indefatigable labor and unswerving purpose. Such a man is W. A.
Elliott, who began his career as a farm hand, in turn became a house carpenter
and later was connected with the contracting business. While he followed that
occupation the desire to study architecture awakened within him and in his
typical way he set about to realize his ambition. Since 1899 Mr. Elliott has
practiced his profession with ever growing success in Brandon, where he has
offices at 116 Eleventh street. That city is proud to call him one of her adopted
sons and the impress of his genius is here visible on every hand. He is today
one of the eminent men in his line and examples of his work can be seen in prac-
tically every place of importance in the Canadian northwest, for he has designed
numberless buildings of a public character, scores of schoolhouses, churches, busi-
ness blocks, lodge halls and a number of handsome residences in Saskatchewan
and Manitoba. He combines with a wonderfully practical mind the innate
taste of an artist for beauty, and everyone of these structures which he perceived
in his mind's eye, designed and executed, is a true example of art and utility
combined.
Mr. Elliott was born at Wingham, Ontario, August 18, 1866, and is a son of
John and Annie (Irwiii) Elliott. The father was a farmer by occupation and
passed away in 1908, while the mother of our subject had long preceded 'him
dying in 1871, at the age of thirty-six years. Both found their last resting
place near Wingham, in the province of Ontario.
W. A. Elliott received his education partly in the district schools of his native
province and also at Degolia, Pennsylvania, which latter place he left at the
age of fifteen years to return to his father's home, where he assisted in the
farm work for about three years. In 1886, when he was twenty years of age,
he crossed the Atlantic to London, England, in charge of a shipment of cattle.
He remained in the mother country only a short time and in 1887 began to learn
the trade of house carpenter and served his time of apprenticeship with James
Young, of Auburn, Ontario. In the spring of 1889 he went to Toronto and
worked there during the boom days at West Junction. The year 1890 saw him
in Chicago, where he entered the employ of the firm of Moreland & Beaton, con-
tractors, with wliom he remained for about one year. In 1891 he accepted a
position with the Chicago Edison Light Company, with whom he remained until
1893. He had charge of the carpenter work and during his connection with
182 THE STORY OF MANITOBA
this firm installed the electric light machinery in the Cook County Insane
Asylum. Although he was receiving the highest of wages and any man would
have been satisfied to attain such a position as he then filled, his ambition led
him into wider fields of endeavor by taking up a course of study in architecture
in the Chicago Polytechnic Institute. Ill health, however, compelled him to
abandon his course and he returned at this period to his native country. In
1894, however, he proceeded to New York city and there matriculated for a
three years' course in the Pallace School of Architecture, graduating with high
honors in 1897. He then removed to Montana and located in the city of
Anaconda, where he opened an office and practiced until 1899, in which year
he came to Brandon. He began practice in this city and has since attained a
high reputation and remarkable success in this line. A few years ago he also
opened a branch office at Moose Jaw. Among the buildings which he designed
are several of the more important business blocks of Brandon, the college of
the Collegiate Institute, the Park school, the principal buildings of the Brandon
summer and winter fairs and also- the Cecil and Empire hotels. He was the
supervising architect for the new building of the Bank of Montreal and the
Bank of Commerce and was also supervising architect for the new hospital for
the insane and architect for the Brandon new fire hall, which is one of the most
handsome and practical in Canada and in a remarkable degree combines use-
fulness and artistic design. In addition to his Brandon practice he has done
professional work throughout Manitoba and Saskatchewan. Among the more
important of the buildings which he has planned and designed may be mentioned
the Hamilton Hotel at Neepawa, the Trafalgar Hotel at Belmont, the Empire
Hotel at Saskatoon, and the I. 0. O. F. Hall at Rapid City. He specializes in
public school buildings, of which he has designed over forty, and of these may be
mentioned the public schools at Baldur, Newdale, Elkhorn, Melita, Brookdale,
Rivers, Oak River, Rapid City and Roundthwaite, all of Manitoba. He has designed
the Alexander and Empire schools at Moose Jaw, and others at Whitewood, Caron,
Arcola, Carlyle, Reston and Saskatchewan. Since Mr. Elliott has become promi-
nent before the public in this line he has also designed over thirty churches,
among which may be mentioned the First Baptist church, the Victoria Avenue
Methodist church of Brandon and the Methodist church of Souris. He is just
completing the building of St. Matthews church, Brandon, and this church is
recognized as one of the finest examples of Gothic architecture in Canada.
About five years ago he opened a branch office at Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan,
which was made imperative on account of his ever increasing practice in that
province. Among the buildings which he planned in that city are the new
Y. M. C. A. building, the Central Fire Hall and a very fine structure known as
the Nurses' Home. There are also several important business blocks and a number
of private residences for which he made the plans. In 1911 he designed the
Opera House at Virden, Manitoba, and at present is engaged with the plans for
the Isolated Hospital of that city. The list of above mentioned buildings
plainly indicates the importance of Mr. Elliott's work. He has done much
toward the upbuilding of many cities of the northwest and examples of his
work will stand for many years to come as monuments to his skill and ability.
As recent as April, 1913, Mr. Elliott has been appointed by the Manitoba
government chief inspector of the proposed new parliament buildings, to be
erected at "Winnipeg and the Brandon Daily Sun says in this regard:
"W. A. Elliott, one of Brandon's architects, has received notice today
of his appointment as chief inspector of the new parliament buildings which it
is proposed to build in Winnipeg for the members of the provincial legislature.
The work will commence within the next few weeks and Mr. Elliott will shortly
leave for Winnipeg to take up his new duties. Meanwhile his family will
remain in Brandon, but it is probable that they will rejoin him and reside in
Winnipeg very soon. The work will last about four years and the honor of a
Brandon man securing such an appointment will cause much satisfaction among
the many friends of Mr. Elliott here. ' '
THE STORY OF MANITOBA 183
Mr. Elliott was married, at Anaconda, Montana, on the 9th of November,
1898, to Miss Hester Eldridge, a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Lewis Eldridge. The
father served during the Civil war in the Union army and he was editor of the
first republican daily journal in Florida published in the south after the war.
To Mr. and Mrs. Elliott have been born six sons and two daughters, Egbert
Eldridge, Louis J., William Harris. Allegra, Stanley H., James A., Justice H.
and Myrtle, of whom the five eldest are attending school. During the summer
months Mr. and Mrs. Elliott make their home at Fourth street and Richmond
avenue and in the winter they reside at No. 116 Eleventh street, in a home which
Mr. Elliott has designed. Mr. and Mrs. Elliott enjoy the friendship of many
and their home is a favorite meeting place of all their acquaintances. They
play an important part in the social circles of the city and are accorded uni-
versal esteem.
In politics Mr. Elliott is a conservative and has been more or less prominently
connected with political affairs, having served as a member of the executive
committee of his party during seven campaigns, while he has been chairman of
the Third ward committee for several years. He is prominent in fraternal
circles as the past grand chancellor of the Knights of Pythias and may be called
the father of the organization in this city, as during his term of office as grand
chancellor, the membership of the domain has increased one hundred and twenty
per cent. He is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church. In whatever
relation Mr. Elliott's life may be considered as architect, as man of political
importance or as a leader in fraternal affairs he always plays a full man's part.
Brandon has gained by his activities immeasurably and the prominent position
the city occupies as one of the centers of the Canadian west is largely due to
his endeavors. Every matter of public importance finds in him ready and loyal
support, which he gives unstintingly to promote the general welfare. Such
a man as Mr. Elliott is a valuable asset to any city and his work is of lasting
worth to the general good. Purposeful yet kindly, Mr. Elliott is greatly admired
and esteemed for his true worth as a man of parts and a loyal citizen.
WILLIAM QUINN.
A farm of three hundred and twenty acres on section 2, township 11, range
25, in the Virden district of the province of Manitoba, stands as evidence of
the industry, labor and intelligent effort of William Quinn, who since 1901
has given his attention to the cultivation and development of this property. Yet
a young man, he has already attained a remarkable success along agricultural
lines and a prosperous future may be presaged for him. A native of Ontario
county, Ontario, he was born May 10, 1877, a son of Daniel and Catherine
(Ferguson) Quinn, residents of Ontario, where the father is widely and favor-
ably known and a prominent man in his community.
William Quinn attended school in the province of Ontario, discontinuing his
lessons at the age of fifteen. At that time he took up work on the home farm,
assisting his father in its operation for eight years and becoming acquainted
with the most thorough and resultant methods of agriculture. Well grounded
in the details of the work, he then decided to seek the opportunities offered
in the west and, coming to Manitoba, hired out as a farm hand for two years,
accumulating by thrift and industry the necessary means to acquire one hun-
dred and sixty acres of land. He later increased his holdings to their present
size and has since given his entire attention to improving his farm, where he
engages in mixed agricultural pursuits. He gives considerable attention to
stock-raising, keeping about ten horses, twenty-five head of cattle and fourteen
swine. Another department, which augments his income, is poultry-raising,
which has become more and more profitable to him as the years have passed.
His success must largely be attributed to his incessant labor, his energy, patience
184 THE STORY OF MANITOBA
and, last but not least, to the valuable assistance of his wife, who ably looks
after many of the minor duties of the farm and advises and counsels him on new
undertakings and policies.
At Virden, in February, 1906, Mr. Quinn was united in marriage to Miss
Mary Forsdyke, a daughter of Mark and Elizabeth (Bear) Forsdyke. The
parents are residents of England. Mr. and Mrs. Quinn have two children,
Robert G. and William D. The family reside in a comfortable residence which
Mr. Quinn erected upon the property, besides other substantial farm buildings.
In his political views he is independent, preferring to support the best man
available for the office, irrespective of party lines. While his personal success
is well worthy of commendation and illustrates the fact that close application,
industry and honesty lead to the goal, his labors must be considered as a serv-
iceable factor* in the general advancement of his part of the province, especially
along agricultural lines.
GEORGE E. RICHARDS.
A valuable property of four hundred and eighty acres, owned by George E.
Richards, is located on section 4, township 11, range 18, Brandon county, and
is a well improved place, having all the accessories and conveniences of a present
day model farm. In its conduct Mr. Richards displays excellent business ability,
and he derives his income not only from the large crops which he annually
produces but also from his stock-raising interests. He was born in Durham,
Pictou county, Nova Scotia, June 16, 1873, and is a son of Robert and Jane
(Rae) Richards, The family is of old Scotch origin and was founded in Nova
Scotia by the grandfather of our subject, who was among the first settlers in
that country. The father of our subject came from Pictou county to Manitoba
in 1879 and was one of the pioneers in the development of this section. He pur-
chased land which was then in a raw and undeveloped state and brought it acre
by acre under the plow, improving and developing along the most modern and
progressive lines, putting up many improvements and gradually bringing the
farm to a high state of cultivation. He engaged in general agricultural pur-
suits until .1899, when he retired and made his home with the subject of this
review. For many years he was prominent in local affairs and did his most
able work as trustee of the school board. He was an elder for forty years and
very active in Sunday school work. He died August 3, 1912, and the mother
on April 3, 1911, and they are buried side by side in the Hunnesville cemetery.
George E. Richards received his education in the public schools of Clinton,
Manitoba, and laid aside his books when he was sixteen years of age. After
completing his education he spent some time as assistant upon his father's farm
and aided greatly in the improvement and development of this property. Upon
his father's retirement, in 1899, he assumed with his brother, J. H., entire
charge of the farm, to the expansion and cultivation of which he has given his
entire time and attention for thirteen years, carrying out his father's progressive
policies to ultimate success. He has fenced the entire tract, built a fine barn
and shed and has everything about the place in excellent condition, the fine
shrubbery being an especially attractive feature. He annually harvests good
crops and feeds horses, cattle and hogs, selling in the Canadian markets. His
brother J. H. Richards, was residing with him and was. an active aid in the
work of development until 1913, when he removed to his own farm. Anna
Richards, an aunt of our subject, has been on the same farm since 1879, and
another aunt, Martha, lived here from 1879 until her death in 1896 and is
buried in the Hunnesville cemetery.
Mr. Richards gives his allegiance to the liberal party and his cooperation
is always ready in movements looking toward the general advancement and
growth. He is a member of the school board and a devout adherent of the
THE STORY OF MANITOBA 187
Presbyterian church. His efforts along agricultural lines have been crowned
with a gratifying measure of success which is the direct result of his progressive
methods and his unremitting work. His life is active, useful, and honorable,
and his genuine personal worth has gained for him the high place which he
occupies in the regard of those who know him.
CHARLES W. CROSBY.
Charles W. Crosby, closely connected with journalistic interests of Elkhorn
as part owner of the Mercury, has lived in Manitoba since 1885 and for the
greater part of that period was active in agricultural pursuits. A native of
England, Mr. Crosby was born in Cambridgeshire, February 12, 1868, and is
a son of Dr. F. L. and Elizabeth (Wedge) Crosby, the former a prominent
physician and surgeon and a fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons. He died
in England in 1876 and his wife passed away one year later.
In the acquirement of an education Charles W. Crosby attended college at
Bury St. Edmunds, England, and completed the prescribed course at the age
of sixteen. He afterward learned telegraphy, which he followed for one year,
after which he came to Manitoba, coming to the Elkhorn district with the pur-
pose of making a study of agriculture. For a few years he remained upon a
farm, mastering the details of its operation and learning them by practical
experience, and he finally homesteaded land and began the work of cultivation,
disposing of the property at the end of three years. After a period, during
which he worked at various occupations, he rented a farm and was successful
in its development for three years, purchasing finally four hundred and eighty
acres of improved land, making his home there until he rented out the farm
and came into Elkhorn, where he now resides. He is part owner of the Elkhorn
Mercury and by his progressive methods, his straightforward business dealings
and his resourceful business ability has made it an excellent weekly newspaper,
with a large circulation and, therefore, valuable as an advertising medium.
Mr. Crosby married, in Elkhorn, in October, 1907, Miss Catherine Scott,
a daughter of James and Elizabeth Scott, the former a pioneer farmer of the
Elkhorn district, who passed away in 1897. He is buried in Elkhorn. His
wife, who died in 1910, was laid to rest near Port Elgin. Mr. and Mrs. Crosby
have six children: Frank, who is a student in the high school; Lorna, who is
also a pupil in the high school; Florence and Irene, who are attending school;
Agnes ; and Edith.
Mr. Crosby was for several years president of the Elkhorn Agricultural
Society and the Grain Growers Association connections which indicate the
prominence of his place in agricultural circles of this vicinity. His political
allegiance is given to the conservative party and fraternally he is connected
with the blue lodge in Masonry. He is a member of the Church of England.
He is conducting the paper with which he is connected along progressive and
businesslike lines and it is proving not, only a source of individual profit but also
a powerful force in the direction of public thought and opinion and in the
promotion of public progress.
EDWARD C. PAGAN.
Edward C. Pagan is carrying on general farming and stock-raising upon
an excellent tract of land of four hundred and eighty acres in township 21,
range 29. He has devoted his time and energies to the improvement of this
property since he homesteaded it in 1883 and is accounted one of the repre-
sentative agriculturists of the community. He owes his success not to any
Vol. Ill 9
188 THE STORY OF MANITOBA
outside aid or influence but to his perseverance and energy. His birthplace was
Sheffield, England, and his natal day May 28, 1863. His parents were "William
and Ellen (Cousins) Pagan, the father a capable physician, who for fourteen
years practiced at Stouffville, Ontario, and when called to his final home was
laid to rest in the cemetery there. He died in 1886 and his wife in 1908.
At the usual age Edward C. Pagan became a pupil in the public schools
of Stouffville, pursuing his studies there until fifteen years of age, when he
started out in the business world, spending a year in connection with the opera-
tion of a flour mill. His first work along agricultural lines was as a farm hand
in the harvest fields. He continued to make his home with his parents until he
came to Manitoba in 1883, when twenty years of age. The opportunities for
agricultural activity in the new but growing west led him to establish his resi-
dence in Manitoba, where he secured a homestead claim. Not a furrow had been
turned nor an improvement made upon the property, but his labors soon wrought
a marked transformation and he brought his farm under a high state of cultiva-
tion. He has always carried on general agricultural pursuits, believing mixed
farming to be the most profitable, but at the same time he has raised some stock,
keeping on hand thirty head of cattle, including at the present time six head of
pure-bred Holsteins. He likewise has eight horses which he uses for driving or
in the operation of the farm, and he is interested in a threshing outfit. In the
midst of his place stands an attractive and commodious residence with substan-
tial farm buildings for the shelter of grain and stock, and these in turn are
surrounded by well tilled fields.
On the 14th of November, 1902, in the Russell district, Mr. Pagan was mar-
ried to Miss Amy Sykes, a daughter of Samuel and Annie Sykes, who were
early residents of this part of the country. There are five children of this
marriage: Elsie, Marjorie and Lillian, all attending school; Charles; and
Grace. Mr. Pagan votes with the liberal party and his religious belief accords
with the teachings of the Presbyterian church, the services of which he and his
family attend. He is interested in all lines of progress and improvement and
his cooperation can be counted upon to further the material, intellectual and
moral upbuilding of the community.
WILLIAM J. DRINKWATER.
Among the men who have prominently influenced the trend of agricultural
development in the Dauphin district and who have gained places of distinction
and importance as factors in general advancement is William J. Drinkwater,
living retired in Dauphin after thirty years' identification with farming inter-
ests in the section. He was born at Tara, Bruce county, Ontario, September 1,
1858, and is a son of John and Mary Ann (Thompson) Drinkwater, the former
a pioneer farmer in Ontario and for thirty years well known as a gunsmith.
He is residing in Dauphin and has reached the age of eighty-five. He gives his
political allegiance to the liberal party. The mother of our subject died in
1898 and is buried in Dauphin.
William J. Drinkwater received his education in the Owen Sound public
schools and left the high school at the age of nineteen. Immediately afterward
he traveled west and settled with his grandfather on a farm, working in the lat-
ters interests for two years. In the spring of 1882 he took up a homestead
claim near Carnduff which, in seven years he brought to a high state of develop-
ment, erecting modern buildings and making general improvements. From
Carnduff he went to Moosomin, where for two years he managed a rented farm,
and then came to Dauphin and bought one hundred and sixty acres, the nucleus
of his future extensive holdings. This he set himself resolutely to improve and
develop, erecting barns and outbuildings and installing the necessary equipment.
From time to time he added to his property until he owned nine hundred and
THE STOEY OF MANITOBA 189
sixty acres of well improved and productive land, one of the most valuable
farms of the section. He operated this until his retirement in 1908 when he
sold six hundred and forty acres, retaining only three hundred and twenty.
During his active career he did mixed farming upon an extensive scale and
was also largely interested in stock-raising, owning at times seventy head of
cattle and twenty-five horses.
At Morden, Manitoba, July 28, 1884, Mr. Drinkwater was united in mar-
riage to Miss Esther A. Rawson, a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. James Rawson,
the former a pioneer farmer of Manitoba, who came to this province in 1876.
He died in 1909 and is buried in Morden. His wife makes her home with the
subject of this review. Mr. and Mrs. Drinkwater have four children: Alfred
I., a farmer in the Dauphin district ; Augusta J., who is living at home ; Clara
A., the wife of George Bellamy, an engineer on the Canadian Northern Rail-
road; and Ethel Irene, a student at Whitby College. The family . reside in a
beautiful home, which Mr. Drinkwater acquired by purchase. They are mem-
bers of the Methodist church and Mr. Drinkwater serves as trustee.
In his political views the subject of this review is a consistent liberal but
has never been active as an office seeker. He belongs to the Independent Order
of Odd Fellows. During practically his entire business life he was engaged in
farming and for thirty years was an influential factor in the development of
Dauphin county along this line and his persevering and unfaltering labor has
now been rewarded with peace and rest.
ROBERT HAINSTOCK.
For thirty-two years Robert Hainstock has lived upon his farm of four hun-
dred and eighty acres in township 17, range 24, west of the first meridian, in
Kelloe, and during the years has by hard work and determined effort brought
it from a tract of raw prairie land to a high state of cultivation. Because his
methods have been always progressive and his standards Of integrity high, his
success has influenced the general advancement of the section, while at the same
time it has gained for him a place among the substantial and representative
agriculturists. A native of Ontario, Mr. Hainstock was born in Aurora, York
county, April 16, 1856, and is a son of Robert and Mary (Harmon) Hainstock,
the former a pioneer in Ontario. The father of our subject came as a boy to
Ontario, when the whole province was a wilderness, and for many years after
he reached his maturity followed farming. He died in 1866 and was survived
by his wife until 1875, both being buried in the Aurora cemetery. On the
paternal side the family is of English origin but the mother of our subject
came of a long line of -Pennsylvania-Dutch ancestors.
Robert Hainstock acquired his education in the public schools of Aurora,
laying his books aside at the age of twelve in order to work out upon neighbor-
ing farms. He earned his own livelihood in this way until he came to Manitoba,
settling immediately in the Vista district, where he took up a homestead and
preemption claim in township 17, range 24, where he has since resided. When
he procured the land it was in a raw state, never having been tilled, but in the
course of time he improved the entire tract, provided the farm with good barns
and outbuildings and has since been reaping bountiful harvests as the result
of his persevering efforts. His residence was at the time of its erection the finest
in this locality and is still a modern, beautiful and attractive home. Mr. Hain-
stock engages in mixed farming and keeps fine herds of stock, having at the
present time forty-five head of cattle, twenty-four horses and a number of swine.
He is besides interested in poultry-raising and this has come to be one of the
most profitable sources of his income. The grain which he raises is threshed
upon his property by his own machine, which forms a part of his complete farm
equipment. In all the relations of his life Mr. Hainstock has proved himself
190 THE STORY OF MANITOBA
straightforward and progressive and has well deserved the success which has
rewarded his years of labor.
In Shoal Lake, on the 4th of April, 1888, Mr. Hainstock married Miss Annie
Snider, a daughter of James and Elizabeth (Hutchison) Snider, the former a
pioneer farmer of Manitoba, who is now living retired. His wife passed away
in March, 1910, and is buried in the Shoal Lake cemetery. Mr. and Mrs. Hain-
stock have seven children : Nellie B., the wife of Peter L. Hyde, a merchant in
Silverton, Manitoba; James A., who is assisting his father; Ruth E., who resides
at home; Mabel, a student in the Brandon Normal School; Laura, also attend-
ing school; Howard; and Ernest. Mr. Hainstock is a devout member of the
Methodist church. Fraternally he belongs to the Independent Order of For-
esters, the Knights of the Maccabees and the Loyal Order of Orange, and is also
a member and a director of the Grain Growers Association. He gives his
allegiance to the conservative party. He never seeks public office but is emin-
ently progressive in his citizenship, while as a business man he has gained for
himself a notable place because of his keen discernment, his energy and his
untiring industry.
W. K. McPHAIL.
W. K. McPhail, a well known real-estate dealer of "Winnipeg, with offices
located at No. 22 Levis street, Elmwood, is a native of the province of Manitoba,
his birth having occurred on lot 97, East Kildonan, on the site of the new city
park, on April 16, 1863. He is a son of John and Ann (Kauffman) McPhail,
and is descended from well known pioneer stock. His maternal grandfather,
Wildrick Kauffman, was born in Switzerland in 1788. He early became a soldier
in the British army and participated in the battle of Waterloo. Together with
his regiment he came to Canada in 1816, but subsequently left the service and
later took up some land and turned his attention to agricultural pursuits. He
lived to attain the age of eighty-two years, his death occurring in 1870. He
married Elizabeth Mackay, who was born in Scotland in 1803, whence she emi-
grated to America with her parents, who were members of one of Lord Selkirk 's
parties. She long survived her husband, and had reached the age of ninety-
one when she passed away in 1894. John McPhail, the father of our subject,
was likewise a native of Scotland, his birth having ocurred on Lewis island,
Stoneway, in 1834. He resided in his native land until he had attained the age
of eighteen years, and there received his education. In 1853, he came to Man-
itoba as an employe of the Hudson's Bay Company, continuing in their service
for nine years. At the expiration of that time he wedded Ann Kauffman and
about the same time he bought lot 97, East Kildonan. He paid for this tract
of fertile land, which was four chains wide and two miles long, sixty-four dol-
lars, and for eighteen years diligently applied himself to its development. In
1880, by a.ct of the government, he acquired the title to the outer two miles,
and removed to Springfield, where he continued his agricultural pursuits until
his retirement. He was residing in Swift Current at the time of his demise
which occurred in 1907, at the age of seventy-three years. The mother is still
living and is now making her home in Elmwood. Of this marriage were born
three daughters and ten sons. Both the McPhail and Kauffman families are
held in high repute in this district, toward the development of which they have
contributed not only through the capable management of their private affairs,
but by reason of the enterprising and progressive spirit they have manifested
in all matters affecting the public welfare.
W. K. McPhail passed his boyhood and youth in very much the same man-
ner as other lads who were reared in Manitoba during the pioneer period. He
began his education in the Garrick school, later in the common schools of Kil-
donan, following which he was a student for a time in St. John's College, over
THE STORY OF MANITOBA 191
which Bishop MacRae was then presiding. His energies were devoted to the
management of the home farm until 1892, at which time he decided that com-
mercial pursuits were more to his liking than an agricultural career. Acting
upon this decision he subsequently engaged in teaming and various other occu-
pations and also conducted a general store until 1902. In the latter year he
established his present office and has ever since engaged in the real-estate busi-
ness in which he has met with a good measure of success.
On the 23d of November, 1886, Mr. McPhail was married to Miss Flora Mary
McDonald, a daughter of Donald McDonald of Little Britain, who was likewise
one of the Selkirk settlers. Of this marriage have been born three sons, Donald
A., Edward L. and William K. The family have a very pleasant residence
located at No. 387 Nairn avenue, Elmwood.
Mr. McPhail is held in favorable regard in the business circles of his com-
munity where he has established a reputation of being trustworthy and reliable
in his transactions, while in matters of citizenship he is enterprising and pro-
gressive and can be depended upon to cooperate in promoting any worthy move-
ment or in forwarding the development of the various public utilities.
JAMES H. BOLTON.
James H. Bolton, grain buyer for A. S. Arnold, of Shoal Lake, and formerly
for many years closely and influentially associated with agricultural interests
of this vicinity, was born in Bayfield, Ontario, December 4, 1864. He is a son
of J. 0. and Jane (Sherritt) Bolton, the former at one time a successful hotel
proprietor in Ontario and later a pioneer farmer in Manitoba. He is now living
retired with his wife in Kelloe.
James H. Bolton acquired his education in the public schools of Petrolia,
Ontario, and laid aside his books at the age of sixteen in order to go to Iowa,
where he engaged in business for two years. At the end of that time he came
to Manitoba and took up a homestead claim, carrying on the work of its devel-
opment for three years, after which he sold the property and bought four hun-
dred and eighty acres in township 17, ranges 24 and 25, west of the first meri-
dian, which he still owns. He made substantial improvements upon this prop-
erty, erecting a fine' residence, barns and outbuildings, and gradually making
it one of the finest farms in this locality. He carried on mixed farming, raising
grain and keeping one hundred and fifty head of cattle, and he made both
branches of his work a profitable source of income. Of late years he has rented
out this property and for some time devoted his attention to the conduct of
a general store and lumberyard in Shoal Lake, disposing of this enterprise
in order to accept the position of grain buyer for A. S. Arnold, in which capacity
he is still acting. He is a reliable, progressive and resourceful business man
and the success which he has achieved is the natural result of his ability and
industry.
On the 10th of March, 1888, Mr. Bolton was united in marriage at Shoal
Lake to Miss Belle McDonald, a daughter of Allan and Belle (McKenzie) Mc-
Donald, the former one of the first settlers in this part of Manitoba, coming
to the province in 1877. He now makes his home in Oakburn. His wife passed
away in 1905 and is buried in the Edgehill cemetery. Mr. and Mrs. Bolton
have four children : Fred, who is a grain buyer in the employ of the Northern
Elevator Company ; Jean, who resides at home ; Allan, who is attending school ;
and Elizabeth, a graduate of the high school and a student in the Portage la
Prairie Normal School.
Mr. Bolton is a conservative in his political views and is secretary and
treasurer of the local Conservative Association. He is a Mason, holding mem-
bership in Shoal Lake, and belongs to the chapter in Neepawa. He has lived
in this district for a number of years and has never hesitated to perform any
192 THE STORY OF MANITOBA
duty which fell to his lot. During the Northwest rebellion he served as a cor-
poral in Major Bolton's troop and served throughout the entire period of the
conflict. His life has been quietly passed in straightforward, honorable and
trustworthy work, his record showing conclusively what may be accomplished
by determination and enterprise.
G. F. SYKES.
G. F. Sykes, treasurer of the city of Brandon, was born at Wantage, Berk-
shire, England, March 2, 1874, and is a son of George Cawthorne and Annie
Sykes. The family is of old Yorkshire origin and the father of our subject
was for many years manager of the London and County Bank.
G. F. Sykes remained in England until he was twenty-two years of age and
received his education in private schools of his native section, laying aside his
books when he was eighteen years old. Afterward he served his apprenticeship
in the building trade and after completing it came to Manitoba, arriving in the
province July 1, 1896. After a short time he came to Brandon where he com-
menced as an architectural draftsman. For two years he engaged in this line
of work under W. H. Shillinglaw, architect and city engineer. He soon was
drawn into more important connections and in 1900 he was appointed assistant
city treasurer and tax collector, holding these positions until August 1, 1905,
when he was made secretary-treasurer of the city of Brandon. He discharged
the duties of both these offices ably and efficiently for two years but finally
applied for their separation, being unable to give to both the time and attention
which he considered necessary. The division was accomplished in 1907, Mr.
Sykes being retained as city treasurer.
On May 22, 1901, Mr. Sykes married in Brandon Miss Mary Emily Handley,
a daughter of W. J. and Hannah Handley, the former a pioneer settler in
Brandon and captain of the militia in his early days. He is at present suc-
cessful in the boot-making business. Mr. and Mrs. Sykes have two sons, Fred-
erick Loyola and Ernest Ralph.
In his politics Mr. Sykes is independent, since he prefers to vote for the
man whom he considers best fitted for the position without regard to party
affiliations. He is a member of the Knights of Pythias, the Brandon Club and
honorary captain and paymaster of the Ninety-ninth Manitoba Rangers. He
is a member of the Church of England. An accomplished musician, he takes a
great interest in religious music and has been choir master and soloist in many
churches in the city. As city treasurer he has demonstrated his possession of
all the requirements for success in a public office of great responsibility. His
honesty is beyond all question, his loyalty undoubted, his business ability of a
high order, and, although of a modest and retiring disposition, his public spirit
one of the most important and dominating forces in his character. Thus his
work has been carried forward steadily along lines of municipal advancement,
the record of his results being the truest evidence of his unusual capability.
STEPHEN CARR.
Stephen Carr resides on a well improved ranch of four hundred and eighty
acres located on township 17, range 28, Foxwarren, where he has been engaged
in general farming for more than thirty years. His pioneer experiences record
hardships and privations which could only have been endured and conquered
by a man of indomitable courage and unrelenting persistence. Today he is in
independent curcumstances, and holds the title to one of the best ranches in
the district, which stands as a monument to years of unwearied toil and intel-
G. F. SYKES
THE STORY OF MANITOBA 195
ligently directed activity. Mr. Carr is a native of Coburg, Ontario, his birth
haying there occurred on the 24th of November, 1848, his parents being Reginald
and Cloien (Nickols) Carr. The father who was a native of England, was one
of the pioneer farmers of Northumberland county, Ontario, where both he and
the mother passed away, her death occurring in 1848 and his in 1851. They are
buried in the Coburg cemetery.
Left an orphan at the age .of three years, Stephen Carr was reared by an
uncle, John Carr, with whom he made his home during his boyhood. In the
acquirement of an education he attended the public schools of Coburg until
he was a youth of thirteen, and then began qualifying himself for an agricul-
tural career. From the time he was fourteen until he had attained his majority
he worked out for the farmers in the vicinity of his native town, thus becoming
thoroughly familiar with the practical methods of tilling the fields and caring
for the crops. "When he was twenty-one he sold the farm he had inherited from
his father, and invested the proceeds in some land in the vicinity of Stratford,
Perth county, Ontario. He diligently devoted himself to the cultivation of
this place for four years, and then disposing of it returned to the vicinity of
Coburg, where he purchased another farm. He subsequently lost this property
through having gone security for a friend, this misfortune leaving him prac-
tically penniless. It was necessary for him to begin over again, and deciding
he preferred to do this in some other community as soon as he was able to adjust
his affairs he came to Manitoba, locating at Winnipeg where he obtained employ-
ment on the railroad. Three months later he was taken sick and sent to St.
Boniface Hospital, the expense of his illness consuming all of his earnings.
Before he had fully recovered he was joined by his wife and four little children,
which necessitated his immediately finding employment in order to provide for
their maintenance. He succeeded in obtaining work as a teamster, and he also
sawed wood, doing any thing which afforded him an opportunity of earning
an honest living. His wife bravely assisted him in his efforts to get a start by
keeping boarders. Through their united efforts they finally accumulated enough
money to buy a team of oxen, and then continued their journey westward to
Foxwarren, where they took up a homestead. Mr. Carr not only fulfilled his
homestead requirements but for two years after locating here he engaged in
freighting with his ox team. The first year he covered eleven hundred miles,
enduring untold hardships from exposure, often having spent the night on the
prairie when the thermometer stood at sixty below zero. The thought of those
dependent upon him and their needs no less than his determination to make a
success of his undertaking gave him the courage and fortitude to overcome all
obstacles, and each year witnessed an improvement in his circumstances. After
he gave up freighting he worked for other ranchers in the vicinity, and at the
same time increased his own cultivated acreage each year. As time passed suc-
cess came to him and with the improvement in his circumstances he added to
his holdings until at one time he held the title to eleven hundred and twenty
acres of land. Three hundred and twenty acres he subsequently sold at a good
advance, and he gave a like amount to one of his sons, so that he now owns four
hundred and eighty acres. His entire tract has been brought under cultivation
and is planted to such crops as in his judgment are best adapted to the soil.
In connection with diversified farming he raises some stock. Mr. Carr is a
shareholder in the Cobalt mines, owns a fine residence and other property in
Foxwarren and twenty lots in Birtle.
At Coburg, Ontario, on the 3d of March, 1869, Mr. Carr was united in mar-
riage to Miss Maria Davey, a daughter of Peter and Mary (Staples) Davey.
The father was one of the well known pioneer farmers of that section where
he held the office of reeve until his death, which occurred in 1863. He was laid
to rest in the Coburg cemetery, as was also the mother, who passed away in
April, 1912, at the advanced age of eighty-nine years. The family is of English
extraction. To Mr. and Mrs. Carr were born twelve children, three of whom
died in infancy. Those who lived to attain maturity in order of birth are as
196 THE STORY OF MANITOBA
follows : Ezekiel H., who is engaged in the meat business in Balcarress ; Minnie,
the wife of Thomas Copeland, a rancher of Birtle ; Annie, who married George
H. Copeland, government telephone inspector in Foxwarren; Margaret E.,
the wife of Arthur Barker, a farmer in the vicinity of Binscarth; Charles S.,
a farmer; John, an engineer and real-estate owner at Edmonton, Alberta; Wil-
liam Lawson, who is assisting his father with the operation of the home ranch;
Thomas, who is in partnership with his brother in the meat business ; and George
P., who is assisting on the home ranch.
The family are members of the Church of England and fraternally Mr. Carr
is affiliated with the Independent Order of Foresters. Politically he supports
the liberal party and has served as school trustee for many years. He is public-
spirited in matters of citizenship and takes an active and helpful interest in all
movements which are designed to promote the welfare of the community. He
is thoroughly familiar with the early history of this district, as he and his wife
were among the first settlers west of Birtle, and many are the interesting reminis-
cences he relates of his pioneer experiences. His success Mr. Carr attributes
to the unremitting toil, careful management and close application of himself
and wife, who through the long period of their married life have worked toward
the achievement of a single purpose, and are now able to spend their latter
years in the ease and comfort denied them in their youth.
GEORGE F. STEPHENS.
Respected by all, no man occupies a more enviable position in the commer-
cial circles of Winnipeg than George F. Stephens, not alone by reason of the
success which he has achieved but also owing to the straightforward business
policy which he has ever followed. He has never feared to venture where favor-
ing opportunity has led the way and his even-paced energy has carried him into
important relations with trade connections. He is now the president of the
firm of G. F. Stephens & Company, Limited, wholesale dealers in hardware and
manufacturers of paint. A native of Ontario, he was born in 1851, and after
pursuing his education in the grammar school of Collingwood he left home in
1871, when twenty years of age, and became connected with the hardware trade
as an employe in a wholesale house in Montreal. He continued his residence in
that city for eleven years and gradually advanced along business lines. Feel-
ing that the growing west offered still better opportunities, he came to Winni-
peg in 1882 and established the business of which he is now the head. His
trade has steadily grown, its ramifying interests covering a broad territory, so
that the annual sales of the house have reached a large and attractive figure.
The business was incorporated in 1901 with an authorized capital of five hundred
thousand dollars, its officers being G. F. Stephens, president; F. W. Stephens,
vice president; and M. F. Christie, secretary-treasurer. A branch establish-
ment has been located at Calgary and the trade extends from the Great Lakes
to the Pacific ocean. The business includes the manufacture of paint of all
kinds, in which connection they rank second to none in the Dominion. Mr.
Stephens has been a close student of commercial conditions and indications and
the spirit of enterprise which has actuated him throughout his entire commer-
cial career has been a potent factor in bringing to the house the splendid suc-
cess now enjoyed.
In 1880 Mr. Stephens was married to Miss Alice M. Christie, of Bowman-
ville, Ontario, and they have become the parents of two sons; Laurence C., who
is associated with his father in commercial pursuits ; and George F., who is now
a practicing physician in Winnipeg.
Mr. Stephens holds membership in the Manitoba and St. Charles Country
Clubs, and he has been not only a generous supporter of, but also a cooperant
factor in church work. He is a leading member of the First Baptist church
THE STORY OF MANITOBA 197
of Winnipeg and has worked most earnestly and industriously for the upbuild-
ing of the Young Men's Christian Association, of which he was for eight years
the president. He still retains his connection with that organization in an
advisory capacity. No good work done in the name of charity or religion seeks
his aid in vain. It is true that his chief life work has been that of a remarkably
successful merchant, but the range of his interests and the scope of his activities
have reached far beyond this special field. He belongs to that class of men who
wield a power which is all the more potent from the fact that it is moral rather
than political, and is exercised for the public weal rather than for personal ends.
DANIEL N. SUTHERLAND.
The name of Sutherland has long been well known in Manitoba, for rep-
resentatives of the family settled here as early as 1843 and they have been
prominent since that time in various phases of community life. Daniel N.
Sutherland needs no introduction to the readers of this volume, for he is one
of the foremost farmers of the district around Griswold and a man upright,
straightforward and honorable in all the relations of his life. He is a native
of the province, born in 1863, and is a son of Robert and Jane Sutherland, who
are numbered among the earliest settlers in Portage la Prairie. A more extended
review of Mr. and Mrs. Robert Sutherland is made elsewhere in this work.
Daniel N. Sutherland acquired his education in the public schools of Portage
la Prairie and after laying aside his books at the age of sixteen, assisted his
father with the work of the farm for four years. At the end of that time he
took up a homestead claim and developed the farm which he now owns and
which by his well directed, persistent and practical labor he has made one of
the finest in this locality. He owns three hundred and twenty acres on section
12, township 9, range 23, and thereon engages in mixed farming, raising fine
crops of grain and keeping about twelve horses, twenty-five cattle and fifteen
swine.
Mr. Sutherland is a liberal in his political beliefs and has held several
official positions, in all of which his services have been distinguished by con-
structive and progressive work in the best interests of the community. He is
a man of exemplary life and high character and his record is a credit to a name
that has long been an honored one in this community.
PETER HYDE.
Peter Hyde, who since 1880 has been cultivating a farm of three hundred
and twenty acres on section 4, township 21, range 27, near Silverton, is one
of the most prominent and successful farmers and stock-raisers in this locality.
He is a native of Ontario, born in Perth county, April 18, 1848, and is a son of
John and Jessie (Dow) Hyde, the former of whom passed away in 1862 and the
latter in 1906. The father is buried in Ontario and the mother in Winnipeg.
Peter Hyde acquired his . education in the public schools of Perth county,
laying aside his books at the early age of thirteen in order to assist his mother
with the management of the farm. For eight years he worked at home and
then became a hired laborer, acting as a farm hand for three years. At the
end of that time he left Ontario and came to Manitoba, purchasing his present
tract of three hundred and twenty acres on section 4. He has one hundred and
forty acres under cultivation and in the course of years has improved the farm
with excellent buildings. He carries on mixed farming, finding this the most
profitable method, and devotes a great deal of his time to his stock-raising,
keeping twenty-five head of cattle and eight horses. He has besides about one
198 THE STORY OF MANITOBA
hundred Plymouth Rock chickens, his poultry-raising constituting an impor-
tant source of his income. He is interested in the advancement of scientific
farming, keeping in touch with its development through his membership in the
Grain Growers Association and the Agricultural Society, of which he has been
president for the past twenty-nine years.
On 1he 22d of December, 1873, Mr. Hyde was united in marriage to Miss
Margaret Forbes, a daughter of George and Margaret (Patterson) Forbes, both
of whom have passed away. Mrs. Hyde died in July, 1909, leaving five children
to mourn her loss, namely: George, who is assisting his father; Peter, Jr., who
is in the real-estate business in Winnipeg; William A., a banker of Maple Creek;
John, who is also assisting his father; and Jesse, at home.
Mr. Hyde is a member of the Presbyterian church. He was at one time
president of the Curling Club. In official circles, too, he is well known and
influential. He gives his allegiance to the liberal party and has been for three
years reeve of the municipality and since 1883 has served as councilor. For
fifteen years he was secretary and treasurer of the school board, displaying in
all the relations of his public life the energy, conscientiousness and liberality
which have distinguished the activities of his entire career.
JAMES IRVINE.
James Irvine is one of the most prominent men in real-estate circles in
Manitoba today and has done more effective and useful work in colonization
and development in the province than any other individual. Through suc-
cessive stages of progress and advancement he has worked his way upward in
the business, studying conditions and making use of every opportunity, with
the result that farming lands have been better exploited than ever before and
whole sections of the country have been built up and promoted.
Mr. Irvine was born in Glengarry county, Ontario, in 1867, a son of Duncan
and Elizabeth (Stewart) Irvine, the former a successful farmer in Ontario.
He was educated in the schools of his native section and worked upon his
father's farm until he was seventeen years of age, after which he engaged in
the cheese making business, to which he later added butter making. In this
occupation he continued until 1901 and in the following year came to Winnipeg,
where for two months he had charge of a threshing outfit. At the end of that
time he became identified with the Manitoba Land & Investment Company as
sales agent. His duties brought him into close relations with real-estate interests
and he studied and learned land values and future possibilities until he became
an expert judge, a keen business man, and a loyal believer in the coming great-
ness of the province. His ability soon earned him a partnership in the firm,
in which capacity he served for two years and then withdrew in order to
organize the business operated by James Irvine & Company. He has long seen
great possibilities in Manitoba farm lands and the concern of which he is the
head started out with the definite intention of specializing in the exploitation
and colonization of these valuable tracts. The company today holds deed to
over twenty-eight thousand acres of land all in Manitoba. A great deal of it
is improved and large tracts lie in the famous Portage la Prairie district. The
ability, the power of organization, the faculty to think and to develop ideas is
shown in the development and growth of Mr. Irvine's business. Beside his
office at No. 513-515 Mclntyre building in Winnipeg he has a branch at St.
Paul, Minnesota, and the ramifications of his business extend to every state
in the union, his thirty-eight agents working constantly throughout the United
States, colonizing, promoting and developing. As an authority on valuations
of Manitoba's lands Mr. Irvine is constantly called upon for his opinions. He
is very careful in placing investments and thoroughly conscientious and reliable,
and money intrusted to him is sure to receive a safe return with the principal
JAMES IRVINE
THE STORY OF MANITOBA 201
safely conserved. He is also vice president of the Portage la Prairie Develop-
ment Company, but confines himself entirely to his own business.
Manitoba owes a great deal of its rapid growth to Mr. Irvine, who has been
ever loyal in promoting the interests of the province and spreading a more
general knowledge of the resources and opportunities which it offers. Since
coming to Winnipeg he has become an enthusiast on the subject of Manitoba
lands and has made his public spirit effective in a most useful and tangible way.
JAMES BUCHANNON.
James Buchannon, who owns one of the finest farms in the Dauphin dis-
trict, on which he located when it was in a wild condition, and which he has
since so improved that it yields abundant crops annually, was born in County
Tyrone, Ireland, April 18, 1868, and is a representative of an old Irish family.
His parents, Patrick and Margaret (Cairns) Buchannon left their native coun-
try in 1871, and crossing the Atlantic settled in Parry Sound, Ontario, where
the father followed general agricultural pursuits until his death in 1875. The
mother of our subject is residing in Dauphin.
James Buchannon received his education in the public schools of Parry
Sound, Ontario, and laid aside his books when he was fifteen years of age in
order to assist his father in the work of the farm and to engage in various
occupations in the lumber camps in the bush. He was active in this work for
four years but finally abandoned it in order to go to North Dakota, where for
three years he operated a rented farm. From North Dakota he came to Man-
itoba and here purchased two hundred and forty-five acres on section 16, town-
ship 21, range 19. It was at that time a tract of raw scrub land upon which
not a furrow had been turned. "With characteristic energy Mr. Buchannon
broke the soil and got it acre by acre under cultivation. In the course of the
nineteen years during which the property has been under his management he
has built a comfortable residence, substantial buildings, and has installed every
convenience with which to carry on farming by modern methods. He engages
in mixed farming and in addition takes considerable interest in stock-raising,
keeping twenty-five head of cattle, and thirteen horses, besides stock of other
kind.
Mr. Buchannon married in Victoria, British Columbia, on December 12,
1900, Miss Eliza Cruise, a daughter of Peter and Margaret Cruise, the former
a pioneer farmer of the district around Montreal. Mr. and Mrs. Cruise have
both passed away. Mr. and Mrs. Buchannon have four children: William
Howard, Winifred, and Olive, all of whom are attending school ; and Gladys H.
Mr. Buchannon is a conservative in his political views and is a member of the
Loyal Order of Orange. His success is directly attributable to hard work intel-
ligently directed and he deserves great credit for turning wild prairie land into
fertile fields, thereby adding materially to the resources and wealth of the
district.
ARCHIBALD E. WILSON.
Archibald E. Wilson, principal of the Dominion Government Indian Indus-
trial School at Elkhorn, is a man eminently well fitted by reason of his boyhood
environment, his early training, his interests, ideals and enthusiasm for the
work he has undertaken and which for the past twenty-three years he has so
ably carried forward. He was born in Sarnia, Ontario, May 4, 1869 and is a
son of Reverend Edward F. and Eliza (Francis) Wilson, the former in his
time one of the most successful workers among the Indians in Canada. The
202 THE STORY OF MANITOBA
Eev. E. F. Wilson was the founder of the Shingwauk Home for Indians at
Sault Ste. Marie and he made a thorough study of the Indian character, tradi-
tions and history. Much of his knowledge was embodied in his books among
which was a volume of stories, a book entitled "Missionary Work among the
Ojibways" and an Ojibway dictionary. He was also the founder of the Elk-
horn Indian school.
Archibald E. Wilson received his early education in the Shingwauk Home,
and his boyhood was spent thus among the Indians, whom he learned to know
with that intimacy possible only in childhood. He afterward attended Trinity
College at Port Hope and after laying aside his books assisted his father with
missionary work. From his boyhood his interests had centered in projects to
ameliorate the condition of the Indians, and he determined to devote the activ-
ities of his life to the work. Accordingly he came to Elkhorn and accepted the
position of principal of the Indian Industrial School, a capacity in which he
has acted since 1890, discharging his duties in a wise, capable and far-sighted
way. Thoroughly understanding the Indian character, he has been able to do
much to increase the happiness of those under his charge, and in this way his
life has been useful and beneficial in a remarkable degree.
Mr. Wilson has been twice married. He wedded first Miss Eliza C. St. Clair
Vidal, a daughter of William P. and Eliza A. (Baby) Vidal, both of whom have
passed away. By his first marriage Mr. Wilson has four children: Melita,
Winifred, Muriel and Archibald St. Clair, all of whom live at home. In July,
1912, Mr. Wilson was again married in Winnipeg, by his grace, the archbishop
of Rupert's Land, to Miss Alida J. Baldwin, who had been for five years a
member of the school staff. She is a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. John W. Bald-
win, well known residents of Warren, Manitoba. Mr. Wilson is a member of
the Church of England and is connected with the Masonic order, holding mem-
bership in the lodge, and he is active and interested in the affairs of the organ-
ization. Viewed from a standpoint of usefulness and benefit his life has been
unusually successful and he well deserves the respect and esteem in which he is
uniformly held.
GEORGE GOLDING.
Among the extensive landowners of the Virden district in the province of
Manitoba is George Golding, who holds title to a valuable farm of eight hun-
dred acres on sections 16 and 11, township 9, range 26. Yet a young man of
but twenty-five years, he has already demonstrated his ability along agricultural
lines and has reached a substantial success. He was born in Ontario in 1888
and when but one year old was brought to Manitoba by his parents, Sanger and
Nancy Golding, both of whom have passed away and were laid to rest in Mani-
toba. The father died in 1904 and the mother followed him in death in 1906.
George Golding has spent practically his entire life in Manitoba, receiving
his education in the public schools near his father's farm and discontinuing his
lessons at the age of sixteen, when he began to assist his father in the multi-
tudinous duties connected with the operation of the home place. After the lat-
ter 's death he took entire charge and has since promoted his interests in a
remarkable degree, making the property one of the most valuable in his dis-
trict. He keeps about fifteen horses, twenty head of cattle and fifty swine. The
buildings upon his place are substantial and modernly equipped and afford
ample shelter for his stock and grain. The residence was erected by our sub-
ject and is one of the best in the district.
In 1909, in Virden, Mr. Golding was married to Miss Florence Vandervoort,
a daughter of Harris and Emma Vandervoort. The father died in 1899, in
Ontario, where he is buried, but the mother resides with Mr. and Mrs. Golding.
THE STORY OF MANITOBA 203
Mr. Golding adheres to the faith of the Church of England. Fraternally he
is. a member of the local lodges of the Masons and Odd Fellows, belonging to
the blue lodge of the former. Politically he gives his allegiance to the con-
servative party, the standards of which he stanchly upholds. His business
methods and conduct have always been such as neither seek nor require disguise.
He deals honorably and honestly with his fellowmen and his name has come to
be regarded as a synonym for integrity in business and honor and loyalty in
every relation of life. Those who know him find him genial, frank and open-
hearted and he enjoys the trust and confidence of his friends and neighbors.
THOMAS REDMOND.
A well improved and highly cultivated ranch of nine hundred and sixty
acres located in township 18, ranges 28 and 29, Foxwarren, pays tribute to the
agricultural skill and business ability of Thomas Redmond. He is a native of
Newry, County Armagh, Ireland, his birth there occurring in 1860, and is a
son of Thomas and Jeanne (Warren) Redmond, farming people.
The boyhood of Thomas Redmond was passed in his native county, where
he acquired a meager education. Resenting the treatment accorded him by
his father at the age of fourteen years he left the parental roof and started out
to make his own way in the world. He subsequently came to Canada and for
five years made his home with an uncle, who was a farmer in the province of
Ontario. From there he went to Iowa, where he worked out on a farm for about
two years, during which time he heard they were paying farm hands fifty dol-
lars per month and board in the northwest and decided to come to Manitoba.
He took up his residence in this province in 1880, and for three years thereafter
worked out on ranches. In 1883 he went to Winnipeg and took a position as bus
driver at the Queen's Hotel. Five years later he gave up this position and
came to Foxwarren, where he took up a homestead and preemption claim and
turned his attention to agricultural pursuits. His entire holding was bush
and scrub land, but he diligently applied himself to clearing and placing it
under cultivation, and as his circumstances permitted extended the boundaries
of his ranch until he held the title to nine hundred and sixty acres of land.
As the years have passed he has increased the value of his property by
the erection of substantial buildings and the introduction about his premises
of various modern conveniences. Since locating here he has made some judi-
cious investments in real estate and owns several residence properties in Fox-
warren, which he is renting. At different times of recent years he has bought
and improved farms in this district, which he has later sold to good advantage.
Mr. Redmond is diligent and enterprising in anything he undertakes and as a
result has met with more than average success in the development of his inter-
ests and is regarded as one of the foremost agriculturists in the community.
At Winnipeg in February, 1886, Mr. Redmond was married to Miss Sarah
Scott, a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. George Scott, natives of Ireland, and to them
have been born five children. In order of birth they are as follows: Sarah J.,
the wife of Robert J. Pizzie, a farmer of the Foxwarren district; Thomas J.,
who is assisting his father; Ethel M., a graduate of the Morseby School, who is
now residing at home; William J., who is assisting his father; and George V.,
who is also at home.
The family manifest their religious faith through their connection with the
Church of England, and fraternally Mr. Redmond is affiliated with the Loyal
Order of Orange. He supports the conservative party, and for several years
served as provincial constable. During the early period of his residence he
joined the mounted police, remaining in the service for four years. He par-
ticipated in the battle at Duck Lake, during the rebellion, at which time he was
awarded a medal that is still in his possession. Mr. Redmond has never regretted
204 THE STORY OF MANITOBA
locating in Manitoba, despite the fact that he met with such difficulties and
obstacles during the period of his early residence as fell to the pioneer, as he
has prospered in his undertakings and is now in independent circumstances.
He is held in favorable regard in his community both as a business man and
private citizen, always having manifested those qualities which commend him
to the confidence and esteem of all who have dealings with him.
PETER L. HYDE.
Peter L. Hyde is one of the enterprising merchants of Silverton, where since
1910 he has conducted a general store. He was born in Silver Creek, Manitoba,
a son of Peter and Margaret (Forbes) Hyde, the former a prominent farmer
in the Silverton district. The mother of our subject passed away in 1909 and
is buried in the Silver Creek cemetery.
Peter L. Hyde acquired his education in the public schools of Silverton and
Russell and received a diploma from the Normal school at Portage la Prairie.
After he had laid aside his books he taught at Strathport, Swan Lake, Kelloe
and Lidford for six years, but finally abandoned teaching in order to enter a
business college at Winnipeg, having determined to take up a commercial career.
After he had completed the prescribed course he obtained a position with a
wholesale fruit company, where he remained until he opened his present store
in Silverton in 1910. He is one of the leading and enterprising citizens of the
town, his alert and energetic spirit enabling him to carry forward to success-
ful completion whatever he undertakes. His interests are now centered in Sil-
verton, where he conducts a well equipped general store and is meeting with
a creditable and gratifying success.
On May 30, 1912, Mr. Hyde was united in marriage to Miss Nellie Hains-
bock, a daughter of Robert and Annie (Snyder) Hainsbock, residents of Kelloe.
Mr. Hyde is a member of the Presbyterian church, and is independent in his
political views, voting for the men and measures which he considers most con-
ducive to the public welfare. He has spent his entire life in Manitoba and has
been for almost a quarter of a century a resident of this locality. He belongs
to that class of substantial and representative citizens who constitute the best
portion of any community by reason of their business activity, their loyalty in
citizenship and their honor and integrity in private life.
FREDERICK T. WESTWOOD.
Frederick T. Westwood, a successful and well known agriculturist of Man-
itoba, residing near Rapid City, is the owner of a farm of eight hundred acres
on section 31, township 13, range 19, and cultivates about four hundred and
twenty-five acres of the property. It was in the year 1880 that he came to this
province from Petrolia, Ontario. His birth occurred in London, England, in
1846, his parents being Thomas and Susan (Lemon) Westwood, both of whom
are deceased and lie buried at Essex, England. The father passed away in 1892,
while the mother was called to her final rest in 1856.
Frederick T. Westwood attended the school of Clavering, Essex, England,
until thirteen years of age and subsequently assisted his father for about eight
years. He then worked in London for about six years and on the expiration
of that period crossed the Atlantic to Ontario, Canada, being there employed
in connection with the operation of oil wells for about eight years. Coming
to Manitoba, he took up a homestead near the present site of the town of Rivers,
the entire tract being prairie land. He cleared the property and cultivated the
same for about fifteen years, at the end of which time he disposed of the land
THE STORY OF MANITOBA 205
and purchased the farm of eight hundred acres on which he has resided con-
tinuously since. Mr. Westwood cultivates about four hundred and twenty-five
acres of his land and makes a specialty of the raising of grain. His undertak-
ings as an agriculturist have been attended with a gratifying measure of success.
Mr. Westwood has been married twice. In 1868, in England, he wedded
Miss Sarah French, whose parents have passed away and are buried in that
country. By this union were born two children, namely: Florence, the wife
of George Craig, a contractor and builder of Toronto ; and Francis M., at home.
In 1885, at Brandon, Mr. Westwood was again married, his second union being
with Miss Sarah Gregory, a daughter of John and Mary Gregory, who have
passed away and are buried in Ontario. The children of this marriage are three
in number, namely : Harold, an agriculturist, residing in Rapid City ; William,
who acts as manager of a bank at Roblin, Manitoba ; and Wilfred, at home.
Mr. Westwood is independent in politics and has been chosen to serve in a
number of positions of public trust and responsibility, acting as counselor of
the Daly municipality for about three years. He is a consistent and valued
member of the Baptist church and for about ten years has served as deacon and
treasurer thereof. The period of his residence in Manitoba covers almost a third
of a century and during that time he has won and maintained a place among the
substantial agriculturists and representative citizens of the province.
CHARLES N. McDONALD.
Charles N. McDonald, engaged in general farming, is one of the pioneers
in the agricultural development of Manitoba. He has brought his farm of three
hundred and twenty acres, half of which was acquired as a squatter's right and
half by purchase, from a raw tract of scrub land to a modern, thoroughly
equipped and valuable property and has fully earned the high place which he
holds in the respect and esteem of his fellow citizens. He was born in Caledon
township, Cardwell county, April 15, 1867, and is a son of Neill and Mary Ann
(Roszell) McDonald. The family is of Scotch origin but the father of our sub-
ject was born in Caledon mountains, Ontario, and his life has been actively
identified with the agricultural development of that part of the province and
with Dauphin county in Manitoba, to which he came in pioneer times. His
education was received in a little log schoolhouse, three miles distant from his
home. The necessities and the primitive conditions of life made an extended
school career impossible and at the age of eleven Neill McDonald was ready to
earn his own livelihood. He learned the blacksmith's trade under his father,
Neill McDonald, Sr., and after serving his apprenticeship went west and worked
on a railroad for fourteen years as foreman of a construction gang. He aided
in the construction of the Lawrence-Galveston road and parts of the Canadian
Pacific and in conjunction with this work carried on general agricultural pur-
suits on a farm near the Indian Territory. Eventually, however, he returned
to Canada and squatted on the farm which he owns today. It was a tract of
raw scrub land which he cleared and brought to a high state of cultivation. In
1882 he and another pioneer of Manitoba brought their sons on a journey from
Ontario into this province. They were obliged literally to hew their way through
the bush, cutting the trail, and they encountered almost unbelievable priva-
tions. They were once molested by a bear and their journey was filled with
real danger. Finally after long wanderings they settled in Dauphin county,
where Neill McDonald obtained a tract of land as a squatter's right, upon which
he is residing at the present time. He made all the improvements upon the
farm, erected barns, granaries and outbuildings and cultivated and developed
it along modern and progressive lines. He owns also a farm of three hun-
dred and twenty acres which is managed by his son, the subject of this review.
In 1865 Neill McDonald married Miss Mary Ann Roszell, who died in 1896 and
206 THE STORY OF MANITOBA
is buried in the family burial grounds on the farm. To their union were born
four children : Cynthia V., the wife of Alexander Birss, a farmer in the Dauphin
district; Charles N., of this review; Duncan, a real-estate agent in Winnipeg;
and John, a farmer in Manitoba. The father is independent in his political
views and votes always for the man whom he considers most capable without
regard to party affiliations. He is still an active and vigorous gentleman, in
the eighty-first year of his age.
Charles N. McDonald was educated in the public schools of Bruce county,
Ontario, and laid aside his books at the age of thirteen, going to Michigan,
where he worked at anything which would bring him an income. He
remained in the United States for two winters and then returned to Ontario,
where he remained a short time before going to Manitoba. His first settlement
was made in Winnipeg and there he remained for one year. At the end of that
time he squatted on one hundred and sixty acres of land, a portion of his present
farm. It was entirely destitute of improvements and with characteristic energy
he began its development and there developed a well improved farm on which
is a good residence together with substantial buildings and all the equipments
of a model farm property. In 1903 Mr. McDonald added to his holdings one
hundred and sixty acres adjoining. When he had been on his original tract for
fifteen years he went to the Klondike region in Alaska, making the journey at
the time of the gold rush. However, he remained only eighteen months and at
the end of that time returned to his homestead, upon which he has since resided,
giving his entire time to his agricultural pursuits.
On June 27, 1900, Mr. McDonald was united in marriage to Miss Charlotte
F. Stewart, a daughter of George and Charlotte Stewart, of Montreal. The
parents died in that city in 1880 and both are buried in the Presbyterian cem-
etery. Mr. and Mrs. McDonald have six children: Neill Stewart, Mary Ann
and Duncan Hector, all of whom are attending school; Annie M. ; Charles N. ;
and Donald M.
Mr. McDonald is a member of the Loyal Order of Orange, and is active in
the affairs of the Manitoba Grain Growers Association. Politically a stanch con-
servative, he has served as chairman of the school board and bears an unsullied
reputation for honesty and ability in office. He has been closely identified with
Dauphin county in its upbuilding and its prosperity for a number of years and
is justly accounted one of its most active and progressive farmers. His labors
have done much to promote the development of modern agricultural methods
and his success is well merited, for he is capable in management and displays
untiring energy in carrying forward his interests.
GEORGE DUNCAN MAcVICAR.
George Duncan MacVicar, one of the pioneers in wool manufacturing in
Manitoba and for some years prior to his death manager of the Winnipeg
branch of the Free Hold Loan & Savings. Company of Toronto and thus well
known in financial circles, was born in Chatham, Ontario, in 1846. His father,
Duncan MacVicar, a farmer by occupation, was a lifelong resident of Chatham.
He married Elizabeth Duncan who was born in Scotland but at the time of her
marriage was a resident of Ontario. George D. MacVicar was educated by his
uncles. Dr. Malcolm MacVicar, principal of the Potsdam Academy of New
York, and by Dr. Donald H. MacVicar, for many years principal of the Presby-
terian College of Montreal. He first came to Winnipeg as a youthful pioneer
at the age of twenty-two, in the year 1869. He went through the stirring days
of Riel's usurpation prior to the historic Wolseley expedition and participated
in the events of that time to the extent of being imprisoned along with about
thirty other loyalists. Subsequently escaping, he joined the late Hon. Sir
John Schultz, and made an arduous overland trip by snowshoe and dog train
GEORGE D. MAcVICAR, SB.
THE STORY OF MANITOBA 209
from Fort Alexander to Duluth, a distance of over five hundred miles, in
the depth of winter. Undaunted by his hard experience and with the youth-
ful optimism which always characterized him and a firm faith in the future of
Winnipeg and the west, Mr. MacVicar returned in the fall of 1870 with his
brother John MacVicar, to whom he had given glowing accounts of the country.
Together they started an implement supply house under the firm name of
J. & G. D. MacVicar. Subsequently George MacVicar built and equipped the
first woolen mill in the west, situated on the east bank of the Red river in the
then village of St. Boniface. The enterprise succeeded for some years and was
only checked by a series of fire losses and by reverses brought on through out-
side speculations. Mr. MacVicar then secured an appointment in the customs
house as appraiser and eventually became western manager of the Free Hold
Loan & Savings Company, now amalgamated with the Canada Permanent Mort-
gage Corporation, which position he occupied until the time of his death in
1889. From every possible standpoint he was a man highly respected and an
exemplary citizen and the possessor of a faith in the possibilities of the west
which are realized at the present day. He was a thorough gentleman, courteous
and agreeable, and was ever active in good works and in all that pertained to
the substantial improvement and progress of the city. His memory remains
still fresh in the minds of many of his friends who are yet living and who
compose some of Winnipeg's most successful citizens.
SAMUEL SYKES.
Early in his business life Samuel Sykes was connected with the grain trade
and his experience in that direction proved of marked value to him when he
turned his attention to farming and the production of grain. He is now the
owner of seven hundred acres of land on township 21, range 29, near Russell,
where he has made his home since 1887. He dates his residence in Manitoba
from May of that year, having come to the new world from the vicinity of Shef-
field, England, where his birth occurred on the 10th of November, 1842. His
parents, Robert and Emma Sykes, are both deceased and lay buried in the Shef-
field cemetery. The ancestry of the family can be traced back through several
generations in England.
Samuel Sykes acquired his education in a private school which he left at the
age of twelve years to become assistant to his father, who was a grain merchant
and with whom he remained until he reached the age of forty years. He then
succeeded his father in the ownership of the business, which he conducted inde-
pendently for five years or until he determined to establish his home in the new
world in 1887. Reaching Manitoba in May of that year he took up a homestead
on prairie land which he at once began to cultivate and improve. The results
of his labors were soon seen in good crops and after ten years he had prospered
to such an extent that he began to increase his holdings, additional purchases
having made him the owner of seven hundred acres. He is now cultivating
three hundred acres in the production of the various cereals best adapted to
soil and climatic conditions here, while the remainder of his land is being used
for pasture. Stock-raising is an important feature of his business, he now keep-
ing fifty head of cattle and twenty-three head of horses. His sound judgment
has found its expression in his success which is growing year by year. Upon the
farm are excellent buildings, including a comfortable and pleasant residence, six
granaries and large stables for the shelter of his stock. He uses the^most modern
and improved machinery to carry on the farm work and everything about his
place indicates his progressive spirit.
In Sheffield, England, on the 25th of June, 1870, Mr. Sykes was married to
Miss Annie Mastin, a daughter of Robert and Mary Mastin, both of whom are
deceased. The father was at one time a prominent builder of Sheffield. Mr.
Vol. Ill 10
210 THE STORY OF MANITOBA
and Mrs. Sykes have become parents of four children: Lillian M., the wife of
Harry Hooper, a farmer of this district; Amy, the wife of E. C. Pagan, who is
a well known representative of agricultural interests of this section ; and Robert
J. and Herbert S., who are assisting their father. Mr. Sykes votes with the
liberal party. The cause of education finds in him a stalwart champion and he
is now serving as chairman of the school board. He is interested in other mat-
ters relative to the public welfare and has never allowed private business affairs
to so monopolize his time as to exclude his participation in movements for the
general good. His religious faith is that of the Baptist church.
H. V. YOUNG.
H. Y. Young, who has lived in Manitoba since 1881, has for many years been
a force in the agricultural development of the section around Griswold, where
he owns nine hundred and sixty acres of land, known as the Oak Lawn Farm.
He was born in Bruce county, Ontario, in July, 1865, and is a son of James and
Eliza (Land) Young, the former of whom makes his home in Alberta, having
reached an advanced age. He has survived his wife since 1912.
In the acquirement of an education H. Y. Young attended the Ontario pub-
lic schools but laid aside his books at the early age of twelve. He is in all
essential respects a self-made man, for he early began his independent career
and has long been dependent upon his own resources, working steadily and
earnestly to attain the success which is today his. For a time after leaving school
he assisted his father with the work of the homestead but in 1881 came to Man-
itoba, where for three years he worked as a farm laborer. In 1885 Mr. Young
took part in the Riel rebellion, being engaged on transport duty. About that
time he purchased land of his own on section 9, township 10, range 23, near
Griswold and he has since added to his holdings, being now the proprietor of
nine hundred and sixty acres. Upon this he engages in mixed farming, raising
grain and keeping about twenty-five horses, fifty cattle and twenty-five swine.
He has improved the farm with a comfortable residence, a barn and substantial
outbuildings and today owns one of the finest agricultural properties in this
section of the province, known as Oak Lawn Farm.
In Bruce county, Ontario, in 1889, Mr. Young married Miss Elizabeth
Wright, a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Richard Wright, the latter of whom passed
away in 1910. . The father makes his home in Oak Lake. Mr. and Mrs. Young
have five children, Edith, Bertha, Melville, Emily and Myrtle, all of whom live
at home. The two eldest daughters are married and now live in Moose Jaw,
Saskatchewan.
Mr. Young is a liberal in his political views, and belongs to the Methodist
church. He is a good financier and business man as well as a practical farmer
and as the years have gone by has gradually worked his way upward until he
is now one of the prosperous citizens of this locality. He is practical and sys-
tematic in all that he does and he has gained that measure of success which
always follows earnest, persistent and well directed labor.
CHARLES F. NIXON.
One of the oldest settlers in township 17, in the Kelloe district, is Charles
F. Nixon, who since 1881 has owned a fine farm of one thousand acres on range
24, west of the first meridian. His industry and enterprise, combined with his
good management, have been important factors in his success and as the years
have passed he has won a prosperity which places him in the front ranks of
substantial and progressive agriculturists. A native of Ontario, Mr. Nixon was
THE STORY OF MANITOBA 211
born in St. George, May 1, 1864, and is a son of Charles and Mary (Corson)
Nixon, the former a prominent pioneer farmer in Ontario. The family is of
old Union Loyalist stock, of Danish and Irish origin, and has been prominent
in the affairs of the Dominion of Canada for three generations. The first white
child born west of the Niagara river was a Nixon and the father of the subject
of this review, carried government dispatches in the rebellion of 1837. He was
at that time only nineteen years of age but he served with distinction during the
entire campaign. He died in 1904 and was survived by his wife until 1908.
Both are buried in the Methodist cemetery at St. George, Ontario.
Charles F. Nixon acquired his early education in the public schools of St.
George and later completed a course in the Collegiate Institute at Brantford.
Laying aside his books at the age of seventeen, he started for Manitoba, being
obliged to travel on account of his failing health. After seeing the country he
was attracted by its numerous agricultural advantages and shortly afterward
returned and settled upon the homestead upon which he is now residing. When
he took up his residence in 1881 his farm was in an uncultivated state but he
gradually succeeded in making improvements, so that now his property is pro-
vided with an excellent dwelling, barns, outbuildings, machinery and all the
necessities and conveniences of a modern agricultural enterprise. Mr. Nixon is
one of the oldest settlers in the township and from the beginning has carried on
mixed farming with such profitable results that he now has three hundred acres
planted in grain and keeps seventy-five head of cattle, fifteen horses and large
herds of other stock. During the years he has resided in this locality he has
shown himself to be a man of marked business ability, energy and enterprise and
therefore the success which has come to him is well merited.
On December 4, 1891, Mr. Nixon was united in marriage in Kelloe to Miss
Sarah Teasdale, who died December 22, 1911, and is buried in the Shoal Lake
cemetery. She and her husband became the parents of eight children : Dorothea,
who is a student in Alma College, in Ontario ; Emily, who is attending the Por-
tage Normal School ; Lily, who resides at home ; Harrison, who is attending Lord
Kelvin Technical School in Winnipeg; Gladys and Alice, who are attending the
public schools ; Harry ; and Netta, who is in her second year.
Mr. Nixon is a devout adherent of the Methodist church, and fraternally is
affiliated with the Independent Order of Foresters. He is a member and presi-
dent of the Grain Growers Association, was one of the organizers of the society
and has always taken an active part in its management. He does not affiliate
with any particular political party, preferring to vote according to his personal
convictions. He has served with ability as councilor of the municipality, dis-
charging his official duties with the same energy and conscientiousness which
have marked his business operations. He is a man of high integrity and well
controlled ambition and is accounted among the section's most representative
citizens.
HAVELOCK MODILL.
Havelock Modill devotes his time and energies to general agricultural pur-
suits, owning and cultivating a farm of one hundred and sixty acres on section
10, township 21, range 28. In the midst of this place he has erected a good resi-
dence and made other substantial improvements in keeping with the spirit of
modern progress on the farm. He is a native of Ontario, his birth having
occurred at Thornbury, Grey county, June 4, 1877. His parents were Thomas
and Eliza (Brown) Modill and the family comes of Irish ancestry. The^ father
was one of the pioneer settlers of Manitoba and both he and his wife reside not
far from Russell.
Havelock iModill pursued his -education in the schools of Thornbury to the
age of fifteen years, when he put aside his text-books to devote his time and atten-
tion to the occupation to which he had been reared. In his early boyhood he had
212 THE STORY OF MANITOBA
assisted his father on the farm as his age, time and strength permitted and after
leaving school his entire attention was given to general agricultural pursuits.
He came to the province of Manitoba in 1899, when a young man of twenty-
two years, and in 1904 he took up a homestead of prairie land which he at once
began to develop and improve. He lived thereon for about three years and
then sold that property, purchasing his present farm of one hundred and sixty
acres in 1907. To this he is adding modern equipments and accessories and
now has a well developed property, the neat and thrifty appearance of which
indicates his careful supervision and practical methods. He is one of the
shareholders in the Grain Growers Grain Company.
At Russell, on the 6th of March, 1907, was celebrated the marriage of Mr.
Modill and Miss Florence Lyons, a daughter of Thomas and Annie Lyons, the
father one of the early business men of Russell, where he became a pioneer
painter. Both he and his wife still reside there. Mr. and Mrs. Modill have
one son, Thomas Franklin. The parents are members of the Methodist church
and are interested in its welfare and upbuilding. Mr. Modill also has member-
ship relations with the Knights of the Maccabees, while his political support is
given to the conservative party.
HON. DAVID MARR WALKER.
Hon. David Marr "Walker, a pioneer practitioner of law in Manitoba, his
ability maintaining him ever in a foremost position as a representative of the
bar, has for many years served on the bench, being transferred to Winnipeg
in his judicial capacity in 1893. He was born in Woodhouse, Norfolk county,
Ontario, October 3, 1835, and is a son of the late Solomon and Sarah (Osborne)
Walker. Both were descended from United Empire loyalists, who followed the
British flag into Canada, taking up land on the shores of Lake Erie at Long
Point district, now known as Port Reyrse. They were among the earliest settlers
of western Ontario, who followed agricultural pursuits. The father died in
1881 and the mother, surviving him for about four years, passed away in 1885.
On his father's farm David M. Walker was reared to manhood, pursuing
his education in the public schools of Norfolk county and in the University of
Toronto. A review of the various lines of business to which he might direct
his energies led him to the determination to enter upon the practice of law,
which he believed would prove congenial and hoped would prove profitable.
Accordingly, he entered Osgoode Hall, from which he was graduated in 1860,
winning the degree of barrister and solicitor. Returning to his native county,
he there practiced his profession in Simcoe until 1870, in which year he came
to Manitoba as a lieutenant in the Ontario Rifles, under the command of Colonel
Garnet Wolseley, now Lord Wolseley, in the First Red River expedition, sent
out by the dominion government to quell the Riel insurrection. He remained
on that force until the command was relieved by a second expedition in 1.871.
In the meantime Judge Walker had recognized something of what the
future had in store for this great and growing western province and, believing
that it offered excellent opportunity in many business and professional lines,
he decided to remain and immediately entered upon the active practice of his
profession, which he followed until 1882, being the first barrister to practice in
Winnipeg. Much of the time since then he has sat upon the bench. In that
year he was appointed judge of the county courts for the western judicial
district at Brandon and in 1893 was transferred to Winnipeg. His course
upon the bench has been in harmony with his record as a man and lawyer, dis-
tinguished by a masterful grasp of every problem presented for solution. His
opinions are based upon a comprehensive knowledge of the law, accurately
applied to the points in litigation, and have won him the admiration of still
higher representatives of the courts as well as of the legal profession at large.
D. M. WALKER
THE STORY OF MANITOBA 215
In 1878 he was elected a member of the local legislature and entered the
government as attorney general, which office he ably filled until 1882.
Judge Walker has not only been identified with the legal and judicial
affairs of the province but has always taken a keen interest in the municipal
affairs of Winnipeg both before and after the incorporation of the city. He
served as the first city solicitor from 1874 until 1878 and in many ways he has
contributed to public progress, cooperating in all the movements which have
made this a modern, progressive city.
In 1856 Judge Walker was married to Miss Anna Bella Anderson, a
daughter of John Anderson, who was also a pioneer of Norfolk county, and they
have one son, Geoffrey H. Walker, who is now prothonotary registrar of the
court of appeal. The Judge belongs to the Masonic fraternity, being a charter
member of Prince Rupert's Lodge, No. 1, established in 1870. He was also
principal of the first chapter established in Manitoba. Both he and his wife
are members of the Church of England. A man with whom courtesy has
always been a habit, he enjoys the esteem and high regard of Winnipeg's leading
citizens and the people of the province wherever he is known, and his pro-
fessional record places him among the eminent representatives of the judiciary
of Manitoba.
PERCY BRYOE.
Among the business interests of Lenore, Manitoba, which have contributed
in a considerable degree to the growth and upbuilding of the town, is the lumber-
yard owned by Percy Bryce. A native of this district, where he was born
on May 22, 1878, he is a son of Rosby and Katherine (Goodsly)' Bryce, who now
reside at Hamiota, Manitoba.
Percy Bryce was reared under the parental roof and received his education
in the Lenore public schools, which he left at the age of nineteen to devote his
entire time to assisting his father in the work of the farm, in which connection
he remained for a year. He then hired out for four years on a farm, at the end
of which period he began to work in a lumber mill, later buying out his
employer, becoming the owner of the mill and yard. He now enjoys an exten-
sive and profitable patronage and his business ability is demonstrated by the
increasing trade accorded his concern. He has erected upon his property, which
is partially devoted to farming, a fine residence and other substantial farm
buildings. It is due to men of the enterprise of Percy Bryce that towns are
founded and grow, and the upbuilding of Lenore has received a valuable impetus
through his constructive activities.
DONALD McIYER.
Donald Mclver has passed the eighty-sixth milestone on life's journey and
his record is that of a well spent and honorable life, bringing him at last to
a period in which he is resting from further labors in the enjoyment of the
fruits of his former toil. He was born in Stornoway, Scotland, and although he
had limited training in the schools, he learned many valuable lessons through
experience and observation. He was twenty-one years of age when in 1847 he
came to the new world for the Hudson's Bay. Company, making his way to
Norway House, where he was employed as a laborer for a year. He afterward
spent six years with the same company in the Mackenzie river district, after
which he returned to Norway House, remaining for six years. In the mean-
time, however, he became convinced that he might win success more rapidly by
following agricultural pursuits and in 1861 came to East Kildonan, where he
216 THE STOEY OF MANITOBA
purchased one hundred and fifty acres of land overlooking Ked river. Upon
this place he has since resided following farming and gardening for many years
but now living retired. Through an extended period he tilled his fields, gather-
ing rich harvests as a reward for the care and labor which he bestowed upon
his place. He broke most of the land himself and made all the improvements
upon the place, transforming a wide tract into one of rich productiveness. He
never once regretted his determination to take up farming and in his chosen
life work met with a gratifying and substantial measure of success.
At Norway House on June 26, 1858, Mr. Mclver was married to Miss Marion
Munroe, a daughter of George Munroe, who came to this district in 1830 and
is mentioned elsewhere in this work. Mrs. Mclver was born here and has
spent her entire life in the district which is still her home. Mr. and Mrs.
Mclver reared a family of eleven children, of whom eight are yet living:
Margaret, the wife of D. A. Eoss ; Annie, at home ; Angus, engaged in farming
in Millbrook, Manitoba; Alexander J., Daniel William, Eobert and Dr. N. K.
Mclver, all residents of Winnipeg; and Isabella E., now Mrs. Samuel Taylor.
Through the long years of his residence here Mr. Mclver has been an interested
witness of the changes which have occurred as Manitoba has become a populous
and prosperous province. His mind bears the impress of the events which figure
most prominently in its success and he can relate many interesting incidents of
the early days before the era of railroad building, when the usual conditions
of frontier life existed here. Both Mr. and Mrs. Mclver hold membership in
the Kildonan Presbyterian church and in its teachings have found the rule
which has guided them in all of their relations to their fellowmen.
AETHUE BEYANT.
The landed holdings of Arthur Bryant, amounting to eight hundred acres,
make him one of the leading farmers in the vicinity of Eussell. Since 1881 he
has occupied his present place, which is situated on section 10, township 22, range
28. What he has undertaken in the way of its improvement has made this one
of the valuable farm properties of the district, lacking in none of the equip-
ments and accessories of the model farm of the twentieth century. Thirty-one
years ago Mr. Bryant came to Manitoba from Toronto. Three years before
he had arrived on American shores from England, his native land. His birth
occurred in Canterbury, County Kent, June 2, 1851, his parents being John
and Katherine (Millwood) Bryant. The father was a dry-goods merchant in
Canterbury and through the careful management of his interests provided a good
living for his family. His political support was given the liberal party. He
died in 1876 and was laid to rest by the side of his wife in the Abney Park
cemetery.
In his youthful days Arthur Bryant attended- various schools in the acquire-
ment of his education, which he completed in the Stoke Newington school,
which he left at the age of fifteen years. He -was then apprenticed to the dry-
goods business, with which he was continuously connected until he came to
America, Hoping to find better business opportunities on this side of the
Atlantic, he resigned his position and made his way to Toronto, where he took
up his abode in 1878. He then sought employment in connection with the
dry-goods business, which he followed until he came to Manitoba iri 1881. It
was a wish to enter agricultural circles that brought him to the west and he
took up a homestead after traveling two hundred and twenty miles with oxen.
This journey required six weeks and involved a large amount of hardships and
difficulties. The land which he entered consisted of rolling prairie and scrub
timber land. He at once began the task of clearing his fields, which he brought
to a high state of cultivation, now having over five hundred acres planted to
crops that are well adapted to conditions here. He keeps fifty head of cattle
THE STORY OF MANITOBA 217
and sixteen head of horses and everything about his place shows that an enter-
prising spirit actuates him in all that he does. He has made all of the improve-
ments upon his farm, beginning with the erection of a log house, eighteen by
twenty-four feet. As the years have passed, however, he has transformed this
into a comfortable, modern residence and has erected commodious farm build-
ings furnishing ample shelter to grain and stock. He has his land divided into
fields of convenient size and uses the latest improved machinery to carry for-
ward his work. He is a shareholder in the Grain Growers Grain Company and
is a member of the Grain Growers Association. '
On the 2d of June, 1883, at Birtle, Manitoba, Mr. Bryant was married to
Miss Mary Rea, a daughter of Samuel and Annie (Pollock) Rea. Unto Mr.
and Mrs. Bryant have been born three children who are yet living: Nellie,
at home ; Edith, the wife of William Button, a farmer of the Birtle district ; and
Ernest, who is assisting his father. They also lost two children, Charles and
Edward, both of whom died in infancy and were laid to rest in the Russell
cemetery. Politically, Mr. Bryant is a liberal, conversant with the leading ques-
tions and issues of the day and able to support his own position by intelligent
argument. He is a member of the Presbyterian church and finds in its teach-
ings the motive springs of his conduct. He is always fair and honorable in
his business relations with his fellowmen, is loyal and progressive in citizenship
and is seeking the welfare of his family through his devotion to and capable
management of his business interests.
ALFRED FULCHER,
Alfred Fulcher conducts a general mercantile establishment at Lenore,
Manitoba, having come to this province in 1899 from Ontario, where he was
born in 1875, a son of John and Emma Fulcher, residents of St. Mary's, Perth
county, Ontario.
Alfred Fulcher was educated in his native province and, leaving school at
the age of eighteen, engaged at various occupations which would yield him an
honest living. After years of close application and self-denial he was enabled
to establish himself in. business and, perceiving greater opportunities in the
middle west, came in 1899 to Manitoba, where he established a mercantile enter-
prise at Lenore. That he made no mistake in the selection of location and did not
overestimate the chances for a prosperous future is evident from the substan-
tial rewards which have resulted from his business. He owns the store build-
ing, beside his own residence, and there carries an up-to-date and complete
stock which in every way meets the demands and approval of his patrons. His
trade connections extend far into the country and by his pleasant manner and
fair methods he has succeeded in building up a most profitable patronage. He
is up-to-date and modern in his ideas, the appointments in his store are such as
would be a credit to any larger city and the goods he sells are so fairly repre-
sented to his customers that success has been inevitable.
In 1900, in Manitoba, Mr. Fulcher was united in marriage to Miss Florence
Pearn, a daughter of Thomas and Margaret Pearn; residents of^ Ontario. Mr.
and Mrs. Fulcher have become the parents of one child, Eunice F. In his
political affiliations Mr. Fulcher is a conservative, stanchly upholding the prin-
ciples of his party at the polls. Fraternally he is a member of the Canadian
Order of Foresters, in which organization he is prominent and popular. The
interests of Lenore have been largely furthered by the activities of Mr. Fulcher,
who by establishing a store in the village, has greatly contributed to its advance-
ment and growth. He is highly respected and esteemed by all who know him
and as the years have passed has become considered one of the forceful elements
in the locality, one who always stands ready to give support to advancement
and development, not only along material lines, but also in promoting the cause
218 THE STORY OF MANITOBA
of education and the moral, spiritual and intellectual life of the community.
That his efforts have not been in vain is pleasant to contemplate, and the
personal success Mr. Fulcher has achieved is highly merited and not only a
source of satisfaction to him but to his many friends.
A. McNAB FRAZER.
A. McNab Frazer, who since the foundation of Elkhorn in 1906 has been
city clerk, is also serving as clerk of the county court and in both capacities
is proving himself an able, conscientious and efficient public official. He is one
of the oldest settlers in this section of Manitoba but was born in Halton county,
Ontario, August 18, 1851, a son of John S. and Isabelle (McNab) Frazer, the
former a pioneer farmer in Ontario and Manitoba. The father was a son of
James Frazer, a United Empire Loyalist, who came to Canada from the United
States after the "War of 1812. John S. Frazer was at that time four years
of age and he grew to manhood in Ontario, becoming afterwards prominent in
public life in the township of Esquesing. James Frazer had settled first at what
is known as the Scotch Block, peopled at that time entirely by Scotchmen or
men of Scotch parentage. Although he had a broad Scotch accent, Mr. Frazer
was a native of the north of Ireland, and when this was discovered he found
so little favor with his fellow citizens, who mingled an intolerant and austere
Calvinism with a genuine detestation of the "ungodly Irish," that he was
eventually obliged to seek a new home. He located on the farm now owned by
"William Hoare, at Union Presbyterian Church, and thus upon an Irishman's
land is reared an edifice dedicated to the worship of a Scotchman's God. James
Frazer later became the first clerk of the township of Esquesing and otherwise
prominent in public life. John S. Frazer served with the Canadian militia in
the rebellion of 1837-1839, and lived in Halton county for many years there-
after. He died in Manitoba in 1898 and is buried in the Elkhorn cemetery.
His wife, who has also passed away, was laid to rest in Sacramento, California.
A. McNab Frazer acquired his education in the public schools of Glen
Williams, Ontario, but laid aside his books at the early age of fifteen in order
to assist his father on the farm. After a few years spent thus he established
a shingle mill, where, for some time, he engaged in the manufacture of shingles
and barrel staves. In 1880 he came to Manitoba, being classed among the
pioneers in the province. He traveled by boat from Winnipeg to High Bluff
and thence with ox teams to Hamiota, where he filed on a homestead claim
which he developed and improved for some time. He was at that time a member
of the first council of Hamiota and afterward reeve of Miniota municipality.
He was afterwards in the implement business in Virden for three years. In
1885 he left Manitoba and returned to Ontario, where he turned his attention
to general farming, following this occupation until 1893, when he made his
second settlement in Manitoba. He took up his residence in the Elkhorn dis-
trict and for a time worked at everything which would bring him an income,
becoming eventually interested in the real-estate business, in which he now
controls an important and lucrative trade. Industry, perseverance, honesty and
enterprise are the elements and foundation upon which he has built up his
present success, which places him in the front ranks of substantial men of this
community. In 1906 upon the incorporation of Elkhorn he was appointed
first city clerk and he is still serving in this capacity, discharging his duties
with a sense of conscientious obligation and a constant consideration for the
best interests of the people. He is also clerk of the county court and has
proved himself equally efficient and valuable in that office.
Mr. Frazer gives his political allegiance to the conservative party and,
aside from the offices he is now holding, has been assessor for the Wallace munic-
ipality at various times. He is a Mason and is connected also with the Home
THE STORY OF MANITOBA 219
Circle of Ontario. His religious views are in accordance with the doctrines of
the Presbyterian church and for a number of years past he has been a member
of the board of managers. His life has been upright, and straightforward in all
its relations and its record is a credit to his perseverance, industry and ambition,
for he started out empty-handed and has steadily worked his own way upward
to success.
ARCHIBALD McLENNAN.
Covering a widely extended territory, the farm of Archibald McLennan is
being rapidly brought under cultivation and broad acres now return to him
excellent crops, showing that he works systematically, diligently and intelli-
gently in the further improvement of his place. He was born in the township
of Puslinch, in Wellington county, Ontario, November 14, 1853, and is a son of
Thomas and Barbara (Little) McLennan. The father was a pioneer farmer
of that province, beginning his work as an agriculturist there when little had
been done to develop and cultivate the land. In politics he was a stanch liberal.
He died in 1889 and his wife in 1909 and they were laid to rest, side by side,
in the Walkerton cemetery in Bruce county, Ontario. The family comes of
Scotch origin.
During the boyhood days of Archibald McLennan his parents removed with
their family from "Wellington county to Bruce county and he acquired his
education in the district schools of the two counties, giving his attention to
his lessons through the winter months until fifteen years of age, while the sum-
mer seasons were devoted to the farm work. Later his entire time was given
to farming upon the old homestead until he was in his eighteenth year, when
he apprenticed himself to a carpenter and for eight years followed that business,
spending the last four years of the period as a building contractor. In 1882,
when a young man of about twenty-eight years, he left Bruce county for the
west, arriving in Manitoba in the spring of that year. He proceeded to the
Russell district and entered a claim of rolling prairie land. He also secured
a tract through preemption and both farms he brought to a high state of culti-
vation. He has remained thereon until the present, but in 1888 he took up
another homestead and also improved that. This, too, is still in his possession.
He likewise purchased nine hundred and sixty acres of land, which he gave
as a present to his two sons, John H. and G. S., and upon that tract he erected
a good brick residence. His own holdings now comprise fifteen hundred and
sixty acres in township 21, range 28, although when he started out here he
had but three hundred and twenty acres. He is likewise the owner of consider-
able city property and is a shareholder in the Grain Growers Grain Company.
On the 7th of March, 1882, in the township of Greenock, Bruce county, Mr.
McLennan was married to Miss Mary Ritchie, a daughter of the late J. B.
and Martha (Giffen) Ritchie. Her father came to Manitoba at an early day
and took up the occupation of farming. He also served as the first postmaster
of Greenock and in other ways was connected with the early settlement and
development of the district in which he located. Both he and his wife have
passed away. Mr. and Mrs. McLennan became the parents of six children:
Thomas Milton, who is assistant manager of his father's property; Harvey, who
is a twin of Milton and follows farming on the land given him by his father;
G. Stewart, who is engaged in the sale of agricultural implements at Russell;
Martha L., residing at home ; R. Cameron, a student in the Kingston University,
in which he is pursuing a civil engineering course ; and A. Everett, who is also
attending school.
Mr. McLennan casts an independent ballot, supporting the candidates whom
he thinks will best serve the public interest. He is at all times actuated by a
spirit of progress and cooperates in many movements for the general good. He
220 THE STORY OF MANITOBA
is now councilor of the Russell municipality and is secretary and treasurer of
the Londonderry district. His religious faith is that of the Presbyterian church,
in the work of which he takes an active and helpful interest, having served as
elder, secretary and treasurer. He has always endeavored to live peaceably with
his fellowmen and to follow the Golden Rule, and all who know him bear testi-
mony to his upright life and high principles. Mr. McLennan now has an
attractive home upon his farm, has fenced his fields, added good buildings to
the place and supplied his farm with all modern conveniences and accessories.
He has sixty head of cattle and forty head of horses upon his place, and stock-
raising is made one of the features of his farm work. His wife has ever greatly
encouraged him in his undertakings and has proven of much assistance to him.
The secret of his success is found in his willingness to work and his early
recognition of the eternal truth that industry wins.
JOHN A. GRAY.
As a native of Manitoba, a son of a pioneer in its settlement and one of
the most successful farmers of Brandon county, John A. Gray is justly
entitled to the high place which he holds in the respect and esteem of his fel-
low citizens. He owns three hundred and twenty acres on the west half of
section 16, township 11, range 18, Brandon county, and another tract of land
comprising half of sections 32 and 33, in township 10, making a total of nine
hundred and sixty acres. This large farm he has cultivated since 1906 and is
one of the most progressive and enterprising young men of the section. He
was born in Brandon, July 30, 1882, and his entire life has been spent in this
county. His parents were John F. and Euphemia (Smith) Gray. His father
was a splendid example of the sturdy, determined, upright and hard working
men, who came as pioneers into Manitoba and by their courageous battle against
hard conditions and obstacles, influenced the rapid development of the province.
Driving two oxen hitched to Red River carts, he came from Winnipeg into the
Assiniboine valley, one of the earliest settlers in this section. Here he took
up land, broke the soil and began the work of development. For the first
summer he lived in a tent and when winter came, took up his abode in a stone
cellar. During the following summers he made some progress in his farming,
gradually getting his fields under cultivation, installing machinery and raising
cattle and horses. Just when his prospects looked brightest a fire broke out
upon his property. The buildings and implements were destroyed and all the
accumulated seed and the entire herd of stock burned and Mr. Gray was left
with nothing but his devastated land. Misfortune, however, could not destroy
his determination and energy and he immediately set out to repair his fortune.
It was a triumph of the greatest kind that he became finally one of the impor-
tant and prosperous agriculturists of the district and made his farm the center
of agricultural activity. Many different times he acted as delegate to the
Association of Farmers, which is interested in bringing emigrants to the Cana-
dian farming districts and he did much able work along this line, being one of
the greatest individual forces in progress and development in this section of
the province. He died in Forfer, Scotland, in 1908, and is buried in Brandon
cemetery: He left a widow who is residing on the homestead and four chil-
dren, all of whom are in comfortable circumstances.
John A. Gray received his education in the Brandon Collegiate Institute
and laid aside his books when he was eighteen years of age. He immediately
began his independent agricultural life. In 1906 he took up his residence upon
his present farm but pursued his studies, attending Wheat City College until
1908. Since that time he has devoted his entire attention to the development
of his property upon which he is carrying on mixed farming and specializing
in the raising of high-grade stock.
THE STORY OF MANITOBA 223
Mr. Gray married at Brandon on December 18, 1912, Miss Janet Halliday,
a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. John Halliday, of Brandon. Mrs. Gray is a
graduate nurse of the Brandon General Hospital, receiving her diploma in
May, 1911.
Mr. Gray belongs to the Presbyterian church. His support is given to the
liberal party and he is intelligently interested in the growth and advancement
of the section in which he resides, although he has never been active politically.
He is still too young to have, accomplished his entire success, but his work along
agricultural lines up to the present time has been progressive, energetic, and
successful. Inheriting the qualities of character and mind which made his
father's life so eminently useful, he has worked his way upward until at the
age of thirty he has attained a place in agricultural circles which promises
well for his future prominence.
ROBERT J. DONNELLY.
Diversified farming and stock-raising engage the energies of Robert J.
Donnelly, who owns a well tilled ranch of three hundred and twenty acres
located on section 17, township 18, range 27, in the vicinity of Foxwarren,
where he has resided for eight years. He came here from Algoma county,
Ontario, of which province he is a native, his birth having occurred in the city
of Kingston, Frontenac county, on November 25, 1859. His parents, Matthew
and Sarah (Molyneaux) Donnelly, were for many years residents of Kingston,
where the father was a foreman in the stove works. Both are now deceased, the
mother's death having occurred on the 6th of March, 1872, and the father's
on April 9, 1907. They are buried in Catterockway cemetery, Kingston.
The boyhood and youth of Robert J. Donnelly were passed in the city of
his nativity, his education being pursued in its public schools. At the age of
fourteen years he terminated his student days and went to work in a meat
market, following this trade for about twenty years. The west had long
attracted him and in 1895 he disposed of his interests in Ontario and came to
Manitoba, locating in this district. Upon his arrival here he took up a home-
stead, which he' cultivated for nine years, and then selling it invested the pro-
ceeds in his present property. He has owned this ranch for nine years, during
which time he has effected extensive improvements, including the erection of a
residence, barns and various other farm-buildings. His fields, through careful
tilling, have been brought into a high state of productivity and now annually
yield abundant harvests. Stock-raising has always occupied a large portion of
his time and attention and he keeps about fourteen head of horses, a herd of
twenty cattle, including a registered Hereford bull, and several hundred fowl
and some swine. He is enterprising and progressive in his methods and has
installed about his premises many modern accessories and conveniences, while
the latest improved machinery is used to facilitate the work of the fields. Mr.
Donnelly is meeting with a good measure of prosperity in his undertakings,
but during the early years of his residence he experienced the difficulties and
obstacles as well as the innumerable discouragements which fell to the lot of the
majority of the ranchmen of that period. Grain at that time did not .command
the price it does today, the roads were poor and market facilities inadequate.
On many an occasion did he haul wheat and oats seven miles and sell it for
seven and eight cents per bushel, realizing from his season's labor little more
than a mere living. . With the passing of time conditions have changed, how-
ever, and he is now meeting with well deserved success in the various lines of his
work
At Port Arthur, Ontario, on the llth of September, 1882, Mr. Donnelly was
married to Miss Ellen Humphrey, a daughter of Scott and Jane (Dell)
224 THE STORY OF MANITOBA
Humphrey. The mother passed away in May, 1880, and the father is now
making his home in Charlotte, Saskatchewan.
Mr. and Mrs. Donnelly are members of the Presbyterian church, and
fraternally he belongs to the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. His political
prerogatives he exercises in support of such men and measures as he deems best
adapted to serve the highest interests of the district, irrespective of party affil-
iation. All movements designed to advance the interests of the agriculturists
enlist the cooperation and hearty indorsement of Mr % Donnelly, who for six years
was secretary and treasurer of the Grain Growers Association. He is also a
member of the Grain Growers Grain Company. In the development of his
interests he has met with such success as is usually won by the man of persistent
effort and diligent methods. Honest in his transactions, upright in his prin-
ciples and thoroughly reliable in every respect, Mr. Donnelly is accorded the
esteem and respect of his fellow citizens, among whom he numbers many friends.
A. B. McDOUGALL,
An excellent farm of three hundred and twenty acres on section 36, township
21, range 28, pays tribute to the care and cultivation bestowed upon it by A. B.
McDougall. He has lived in Manitoba since 1880, in which year he arrived from
Glasgow, Scotland. He is descended from a family of Scotch origin and was
born in Edinburgh in June, 1850, his parents being Professor Patrick J. and
Ann (Bruce) McDougall. He acquired his primary education at Portobello
and at Musselburgh in Midlothian county, Scotland, but when fourteen years
of age it seemed necessary that he leave his studies and learn the more difficult
lessons in the school of experience. He went to Glasgow and became an appren-
tice in the City of Glasgow Bank at a salary of fifteen pounds. He applied him-
self so diligently and showed such efficiency in his work that after two years
he was earning a salary of fifty pounds per year. He was teller and accountant
and when he left the branch of the bank at Charing Cross, Glasgow, he was
receiving one hundred pounds or about five hundred dollars per year. He
occupied that position for six years, after which he was transferred to the
head office at Glasgow and received a salary of two hundred and seventy-five
pounds, and remained there until the bank went out of existence.
Mr. McDougall then came to Canada, landing, however, first at New York
city, whence he made his way to Winnipeg and from there direct to his present
place of residence. He took up a homestead and preemption of prairie land
and at once began to develop and improve the property. His labors were
soon seen in the good crops which he gathered and he now has under cultiva-
tion two hundred acres of his farm, which comprises altogether three hundred
and twenty acres. Mr. McDougall has lived to see a wonderful change in
this part of the country. There was not a house in this section at the time of
his arrival and the work of improvement and progress seemed scarcely begun.
In the early days of his residence here he had to go to Birtle and Ellis for his
provisions. There were no roads and no bridges, so that he had to ford the
creeks and rivers. He had to make his own survey, and all of the improve-
ments upon the place are the direct result of his industry, capable management
and determination. A great transformation has occurred since he came, for the
district is now thickly settled and has every evidence of a progressive farming
community.
On the 20th of January, 1892, in Russell, Mr. McDougall was married to
Miss Jane Lawther, a daughter of John and Elizabeth (Middlemass) Lawther.
Her father was also one of the early farmers of the Eussell district and both he
and his wife have now passed away, being laid to rest in the family lot in the
Russell cemetery. Mr. McDougall is a conservative, active and prominent in
THE STORY OF MANITOBA 225
the local ranks of his party, which has called him to some offices. He has served
as councilor and as reeve of the municipality, filling each office for five years,
his record in that connection being highly commendable and creditable. He
sought the progress and upbuilding of the municipality, giving to it a business-
like and progressive administration. He adheres to the teachings of the Pres-
byterian church and is a man of wide interests, keeping in touch, with the trend
of thought, and progress, of public interests and of public activities at the
present day.
HORACE ORMOND.
Called to the bar in 1899, Horace Ormond has engaged in practice in Winni-
peg since 1904 and now confines his attention largely to corporation and com-
mercial law. He was born in Pembroke, Ontario, June 17, 1875, a son of Daniel
and Frances L. (Hudson) Ormond, both of whom were natives of Pembroke.
The family removed westward to Portage la Prairie in 1888 and there the par-
ents still reside.
Horace Ormond began the study of law with the firm of Martin & Curtis,
of Portage la Prairie, removing to "Winnipeg in 1897, w r here he continued his law
studies with the firm of Howell & Mathers, and after attaining his LL. B.
degree in 1898, he was called to the bar in 1899. After his graduation he
returned to Portage la Prairie and there entered into active practice in partner-
ship with Edward Anderson, with whom he remained for four years. In 1904
he again came to Winnipeg and here formed a partnership with A. B. Hudson.
They were afterward joined by E. W. Marlatt under the firm name of Hudson,
Ormond & Marlatt, which partnership relation is still maintained.
In 1902 Mr. Ormond was married, in Winnipeg, to Miss Louise Helen
Smith, a representative of one of the old families of this city, and they have
two children, Daniel Stewart and Margaret. He is a liberal in politics. He
belongs to the Manitoba, Carle ton, St. Charles and Winnipeg Golf Clubs
associations which indicate much of the nature of his interests and recreation,
while his religious belief is manifested in his membership in the St. Augustine
Presbyterian church and his work in its behalf.
ROBERT RUTHERFORD.
Agricultural interests of the district around Silverton find a worthy repre-
sentative in Robert Rutherford, who owns and operates a well improved farm
of three hundred and twenty acres on section 22, township 20, range 27, upon
which he has resided since 1889. He was born in Shakespeare, Perth county,
Ontario, May 29, 1871, a son of Johnston and Jane (Morrin) Rutherford, both
of whom have passed away. The father's death occurred on the 30th of Decem-
ber, 1902, and that of the mother on the 2d of May, 1903. Both are buried at
Silver Creek, near Russell.
Robert Rutherford acquired his education in the public schools of Shakes-
peare and laid aside his books at the age of sixteen in order to assist his father
with the work of the farm. He was active in minor duties until he attained his
majority, after which he began his independent career. He came to Manitoba
in 1881 and in 1889' homesteaded on part of his present farm, and in 1903
bought the adjoining quarter, which gives him three hundred and twenty
acres. Of these three hundred and twenty acres, one hundred and sixty are
under cultivation. He has erected all the buildings upon this property and has
brought his farm to its present high state of improvement by the^ exercise of
industry, enterprise and perseverance. He carries on general farming, special-
226 THE STORY OF MANITOBA
izing in the raising of grain, and has met with a prosperity which is the sure
reward of well directed effort and modern methods.
At Birtle, Manitoba, on December 30, 1903, Mr. Rutherford was united in
marriage to Miss Catherine Wood, a daughter of John and Margaret (Wilson)
Wood, the latter of whom passed away in 1908 and is buried at Birtle, where
the father still resides. Mr. and Mrs. Rutherford have three children: Jane
A., Johnston C. and Lloyd Wilson.
Fraternally Mr. Rutherford is affiliated with the Knights of the Maccabees.
He is an enthusiastic curler and always takes an active part in this sport. He
is a liberal in his political views and for some time served on the rural council
and was for two years school trustee. A stanch friend of the cause of educa-
tion, he is known throughout the entire section as a citizen whose support may
be counted upon to further any measure or movement that will promote the
welfare and prosperity of the community in which he resides.
RODERICK MACFARLANE.
To write a detailed history of this old officer and his life work would be to
give a fairly comprehensive account of the operations of the Hudson's Bay
Company in northern and arctic Canada through the latter half of the nine-
teenth century, for during forty-three years he was in the employ of that com-
pany, connected with almost every phase of the fur trade that necessitated
expeditions into known as well as uninhabited sections and the wildernesses of
their former vast, chartered and licensed territories. He lived close to nature's
heart and became well acquainted with the habitat and life of the woodland
animals and songsters, as is evidenced by his bird and mammal portions of the
combined Mair-MacFarlane volume entitled Through the MacKenzie Basin,
published in 1908, and which had a sale of about twenty-five hundred copies.
Out of numerous more or less appreciative notices, whereof only one, that of
Director John M. Clarke, of the science division of the New York State Educa-
tion Department, addressed to Mr. MacFarlane, shall be quoted herein, namely :
"Since acknowledging the receipt of your book I have had the opportunity to
read it in detail, and must take this occasion to express to you the enthusiastic
interest with which I prosecuted its perusal. My scientific interest in the
exact knowledge of our mammalian and bird fauna is not so acute as in some
other lines of work ; but I have not failed to follow your accounts, drawn from
an extraordinary experience with the Hudson's Bay Company, with lively
appreciation and great profit." His book lore may not be as comprehensive
as that of the college-bred man, but his practical knowledge is, like those of
similar Hudson Bay men's experiences, probably greater and comes from actual
study of the phases of life that forest and plain and lake and river present.
Roderick MacFarlane was born in Stornoway, island of Lewis, Scotland,
the first of November, 1833, and was educated in the parochial school and at
the Free Church Academy of his native town. He also spent nearly three
years in the law office of the procurator fiscal for the Lews district and gained
knowledge that afterward proved of much value to him in his business transac-
tions. On the 25th of June, 1852, he entered the employ of the Hudson's Bay
Company, in the service of which at the time were also an uncle (Chief Factor
Donald Ross), and a cousin named Macdonald. Retired Chief Trader John
M. Macleod, Chief Factor Robert Campbell's predecessor in northwestern ex-
ploration, was a family connection. Mr. MacFarlane 's mother was a "high-
land" relative of the celebrated explorer, Sir Alexander MacKenzie, while one
of the ' ' indomitable ' ' clan MacFarlane, has been an official in the famous North
West Company of Montreal. It was therefore only natural that he should
desire to follow in their footsteps. He was engaged to serve five years as
apprentice clerk, and on the 3d of July, 1852, he sailed from Stromness, Orkney,
RODERICK MACFARLANE
THE STORY OF MANITOBA 229
for Y;ork Factory, Hudson's Bay, in the company's ship Prince of "Wales,
Captain David Herd. The vessel was somewhat delayed by ice in Hudson's
Straits and Bay. but cast anchor in the outer flats, eighteen miles or so from
the Factory, on the 15th of August. A pilot boat came out and the ship
reached Five Fathom Hole (eleven miles closer) next day. There the passen-
gers were taken off and landed at York on the 18th, where Mr. MacFarlane
remained for about a week. He then started for Fort Garry in one of the
Portage la Loche Brigades of York or inland boats, arriving on the 14th of
September, 1852, at which time traces of the great flood of that year were still
visible. A week later he left Fort Garry for Fort Pembina, now West Lynne,
where he acted as clerk for Mr. George Setter, a veteran "runner" of the days
of keen competition which existed between the two companies (Hudson's Bay
and North West) for the Indian fur trade. Mr. Setter retired in 1853 and
was succeeded by Mr. (afterward Chief Trader) A. A. Murray, the founder
of old Fort Yukon. He established Long Creek flying post in the autumn and
Mr. MacFarlane had charge thereof for three months thereafter. In May,
1853, he made a trade trip to the Long Creek plains, and this covered his first
season. He next proceeded by York boat to Norway House, the entrepot of
the northern department, and the place where also the annual county council
met. On this occasion Governor-in-chief Sir George Simpson presided and its
members comprised Chief Factors John Rowand, John Ballanden, Nicol Fin-
layson, George Barnston, William Sinclair, E. M. Hopkins and Chief Traders
John Bell and George Deschambeault. The notable arctic explorer, Chief Factor
Dr. John Rose, passed through on his last northern voyage, which resulted in
the discovery by him of many relics of the fateful expedition of Admiral Sir
John Franklin.
The council of 1853 appointed Mr. MacFarlane to the charge of Fort Rae,
Great Slave Lake, MacKenzie River District. After a few days he set out for
Portage la Loche in one of its brigade of boats and in due course reached his
destination, where he wintered. In 1854 he passed the summer in charge of
Fort Resolution and in the fall succeeded Mr. Adam McBeth as manager of
Fort Good Hope. In the autumn of the following year he had charge of Fort
Liard and afterward for three months was assistant clerk at Fort Simpson,
prior to going on his first long winter voyage of five hundred miles on snow
shoes (nearly all of which he footed) and the resumption of the Good Hope
charge. In 1856 he was still in charge of that post and made a boat trip to
Fort Simpson (headquarters) with the year's returns and for the following
season's trade supplies. In 1857 he went by canoe on an exploring trip to the
Beghula, which he named the Anderson river, in honor of the district superin-
tendent, Chief Factor James Anderson. He spent the next winter with him at
Fort Simpson as storesman and district accountant. Many years later Dr.
George M. Dawson, geological director at Ottawa, came across a copy of the
report of that trip and stated that it would have been creditable as the result of
an expedition undertaken for scientific purposes instead of primarily in the
interests of the fur trade. In this connection it may be further stated that in
1902 the British admiralty, through the good offices of Lord Strathcona, pre-
sented Mr. MacFarlane with Queen Victoria's arctic medal in recognition of this
service and for the recovery in June, 1862, of the despatches given by Captain
McClure of A. M. Franklin search ship "Investigator," while off Cape Bathurst
in August, 1850, to the Eskimos for transmission to the company's officer at
Fort Good Hope. In 1858 he accompanied the district brigade to Portage la
Loche and again, at his own request, was given charge of Fort Good Hope.
During the winter he made two fur trading trips, covering fully eighteen hun-
dred miles, on snow shoes to the Eskimos of the Anderson river and Liverpool
Bay, and in March, 1859, he reported the results thereof to Chief Trader
Bernard R. Ross, the district manager at Fort Simpson. He went with another
brigade in charge to Portage la Loche in the summer of 1859 and held the same
post charge and made similar trips in the winter to the coast and Fort Simpson,
230 THE STORY OF MANITOBA
covering some twenty-eight hundred miles. In the summer of 1860 he made
an exploring trip to the Anderson river for the purpose of securing a place
where the lumber required for a trade post could be prepared the following
winter. In the fall of the same year he reported at headquarters and again
was given charge of Good Hope. Mr. J. S. Onion, afterward Chief Factor
Camsell, his successor, passed several months at the "wood shanty" and then
at Good Hope, his new charge. The average trade of Good Hope during Mr.
MacFarlane 's management was greater than for any other six years in its
history.
Following the breaking up of the ice in June, 1861, Mr. MacFarlane de-
scended the Anderson river from the lumber camp at Shantyville, where he
had turned up from Good Hope early in April, in order to select a site for the
new post, after which he returned thereto, and then with six company 's servants
and two Indian assistants lost no time in rafting the prepared timber therefor
eighty miles down stream, where the work of building was so steadily and
vigorously prosecuted that by the time winter had set in for good Fort Ander-
son was stockaded with four bastions and a gateway, houses and stores were
finished and all comfortably occupied. He never knew men to do quite so well
even when better fed, while those in question lived entirely on the country's
resources venison, fish, birds and rabbits, with little flour and with little
imported tea. One of the noted six was a Norwegian, one was a French
Canadian from Quebec, two were Iroquois from Caughnawaga, near Lachine,
and two were Saulteau Indians from the Indian settlement at Dynevor, Mani-
toba. The two Indians only worked at times. In December Mr. MacFarlane
visited Fort Good Hope on business and in January of 1862, accompanied by
the manager of that post, he made a trading trip to the Eskimos of Liverpool
Bay, while in the succeeding March both reported at Fort Simpson and after-
ward returned on the last snow to their respective posts of Good Hope and
Anderson. In 1862, his second year in charge of Fort Anderson, he made a
winter trip to Good Hope and after the spring trade was over he set out on
his first tour for the collecting of birds and eggs, etc., across the "barren
grounds" to the shores of Franklin Bay, in the Polar Sea. That task was
successfully accomplished, and on his return he proceeded overland, chiefly on
foot, to Good Hope and thence by the Peel river inland boats to Fort Simpson
for the post trading outfit, returning to the Anderson in the fall. Similar
Franklin Bay and Fort Simpson trips were made in the summer seasons of
1863, 1864 and 1865, with even greater results, while the duties pertaining to
the trade and routine work of the post were by no means neglected. In 1866
Mr. "W. L. Hardisty (afterward chief factor) ordered the closing up of Fort
Anderson, mainly on account of the large number (one hundred) of its
Eskimos and Indian frequenters, who had during the winter succumbed to a
very fatal epidemic of scarlatina which had carried off nearly one-fifth of the
district's population. A total of over eleven hundred must have perished.
Mr. MacFarlane then went to Fort Simpson as assistant to Mr. Hardisty and
in 1867 was in charge of one of the summer Portage brigades. While engaged
there in the transport of the outgoing returns of 1866 and the incoming outfit
for 1867 a severe bilious attack of fever prostrated nearly all of the Indian
boatmen, eight of whom four in one day died at the Portage. Four deaths
also occurred on the return voyage to Fort Simpson and eight more after their
arrival at Fort Norman and Good Hope one-third, in fact, of a total of sixty
native tripmen. It was very trying work indeed to secure Indians for the
summer of 1868. Many, engaged for the trip, deserted from fear of a third
epidemic. As a result of the aforesaid first and second occurrences the authori-
ties insisted on having a medical officer stationed at Fort Simpson for the
transport and personal service of the district. Dr. William M. Mackey, now of
Edmonton, Alberta, was -therefore sent up north in 1868. Be turning* from the
Portage, Mr. MacFarlane held the charge of MacKenzie river district for four
months after Mr. Hardisty 's departure on the 1st of February, 1868, for Carl-
THE STORY OF MANITOBA 231
ton, Edmonton and Fort Garry. The same year he was promoted to the rank
and emoluments of a chief trader in the company. In 1869 the Norway House
council having confirmed him in the district appointment during Chief Factor
Hardisty's absence in England and elsewhere, he held same until that gentle-
man's return to Fort Simpson in the autumn of 1869. Mr. MacFarlane states
that in his time the offices of the MacKenzie river established and maintained
at their own expense (the company, however, carried the books free from Eng-
land) a fine library of some two or three thousand volumes, which enabled
them to somewhat enliven the tedium and monotony pertaining to the life itself
and the long northern nights of the winter of that remote region of the great
Northwest. Mr. B. R. Ross, the superintendent, was a man of literary and
scientific tastes, who had from the MacKenzie river and other parts of the
country made large and valuable contributions of objects of natural history to
the Smithsonian Institution at Washington, D. C., U. S. A. He also owned a
splendid collection of English standard works which he sold to his successor,
Mr. W. L. Hardisty, when he retired from the district in 1862. In the old
Northwest Company's days the Athabasca Department, comprising the present
Hudson's Bay trade districts of Peace river, Athabasca and the MacKenzie,
had an excellent library at their headquarters, Fort Chippewyan on the lake
and from which point, in 1789, Sir Alexander MacKenzie set out and discovered
and explored to its mouth in the Arctic ocean the great northern river Mac-
Kenzie. On the 30th of November, 1869, Mr. MacFarlane started with his own
dog train of dogs for Fort Garry, a distance of about two thousand miles by
the route he followed, and while resting on Sundays and spending more or less
time at some of the company's posts on the way, yet record days were made on
the actual march. He reached Fort "Garry on the 25th of February, 1870. He
spent two weeks in the Red river settlement. Louis Riel was president of the
insurrectionary government, and Thomas Scott was shot on the 4th of March.
Mr. MacFarlane found Governor Mactavish in very poor health, which never
improved, and he died in Liverpool the day he landed there on the 15th of
July, 1870. His loss to the service was great and abiding. It was on this
occasion that Mr. MacFarlane made the personal acquaintance of Chief Factor
Donald Alexander Smith, now the Right Honorable Lord Strathcona and Mount
Royal, G. C. M. G., the London governor of the Hudson's Bay Company since
1889. Obtaining a brief leave of absence, reaching Liverpool on the 19th of
April, he spent three weeks in London and the remaining three weeks of his
stay in his old home and traveling, and got back to Fort Garry before the end
of July, 1870.
During his absence the chartered and licensed territories of the company
had been transferred to the Dominion of Canada, In due time Mr. MacFarlane
arrived at his new council appointment, Fort Chippewyan, Athabasca. Chief
Factor, afterwards Inspector, William McMurray, held the district charge,
which, before leaving for Norway House, on the 13th of May, 1870, he made
over to him and he became manager and only relinquished same to his suc-
cessor, Factor Roderick Ross, on the 16th of November, 1885. During his
fourteen years of charge (the best fourteen in the trade history of the district)
Mr. MacFarlane made many official visits to the district posts, exclusive of
boat voyages, with returns and trade supplies, and yearly trips to the Carlton
and Prince Albert meetings of council. In 1872 he was promoted to factor,
and in 1875 he became a chief factor of the service. In 1874 he was appointed
justice of the peace for the Northwest territories a position subsequently con-
firmed for life by the territorial governor of Regina. In 1876 he was appointed
as issuer of marriage licenses for the same country. In 1886 he was granted a
year's furlough, which he had well earned, and the change and old country
visits rested and benefited his health, and he got back from England in March,
1887. After several years strong advocacy therefor, Mr. MacFarlane had the
satisfaction of persuading the company to introduce steam into the far north.
In the winter of 1882-3 Captain John M. Smith, now of Birds' Hill, Manitoba,
vol. in 1 1
232 THE STORY OF MANITOBA
commanded the Grahame, the first stern-wheel steamer at Fort Chippewyan,
Athabasca. The company's old engineer, Mr. Edmund R. Abell, of the Stone
Fort, arrived in March, 1883, and he, with the captain and the boat's engineer,
fixed the machinery and the steamer was ready for the transport service of 1884.
The London executive further sanctioned the building of a boat for the Mac-
Kenzie river and the same captain (Smith) conducted the "Wrigley, the first
propeller, at Fort Smith, Slave river. During the winter of 1885-6 Mr. Mac-
Farlane was appointed to the charge of New Caledonia district, Northern
British Columbia, in 1887, continuing there until August, 1889, when he was
transferred to Cumberland district, lower Saskatchewan, where he duly arrived,
and he continued there until the close of outfit, 1893, this being his last charge..
Between the years 1853 and 1893 he made other inland journeys in addition
to those herein referred to, and hardly any phase of Hudson's Bay life in the
far north and west is unfamiliar to him. He has traveled many thousands of
miles by stream, lake and across country, often on foot, again on horseback, and
at other times with dogs and on snow shoes. He spent over forty years alto-
gether in the service of the Hudson's Bay Company and in 1894 removed to
Winnipeg, where he has since lived retired.
On the 26th of January, 1870, Mr. MacFarlane was married at He a la
Crosse, English river district, by the Reverend (now archdeacon) John A.
Mackay, D. D., of Prince Albert, Saskatchewan, to a daughter of Chief Factor
Alexander Christie, Sr., and a granddaughter of Chief Factor Alexander
Christie, who twice held the position of governor of Assiniboine and the Red
river district. It was he who built Fort Garry and also prepared plans for the
existing Lower Stone fort. The former was begun in 1835 and finished in
1836. The oak log addition thereto was made in 1850-1. The latter, begun in
1831, was not completed until 1839. The family of Mrs. MacFarlane 's father
one of whose sisters became the wife of Chief Trader John Black, for some
time manager at Fort Garry, and who acted as the company's recorder, a posi-
tion first established under the notable Adam Thorn consisted of five sons and
two daughters, but she herself and a brother (Rev. James Christie, of the
Church of England and now residing in Cannes, France) are the sole survivors.
Her sister Emma was united in marriage to Chief Trader W. Scott Simpson
in 1886 and died in Winnipeg in the autumn of 1893. Mr. A.- K. Isbister,
M. A., who bequeathed his own library and a considerable sum of money, over
one hundred and eighty thousand pounds, to the University of Manitoba, was
for many years head master of the Stationers School in Bolt Court, Fleet
street, London, and who resided in Dr. Samuel Johnson's former dwelling
house there, was a maternal uncle of Mrs. MacFarlane. Dr. Isbister was a
barrister by profession but did not practice. He also held for some years the
honorable position of dean of the English College of Preceptors. Mrs. Mac-
Farlane is Canadian born, and by her marriage has become the mother of eight
children: Katie, the wife of C. G. Heaven, who is manager of the Bank of
Hamilton at North Vancouver, British Columbia ; Alexander, of Winnipeg, who
was formerly engaged in the practice of law at Dawson, Yukon Territory;
Elsie, the wife of J. D. Bell, of Vancouver, B. C., a son of Chief Factor Peter
Warren Bell, who perished in the steamer Islander in 1901; William, who is
manager of the Dominion Bank at Fort William, Ontario; Emma, the wife of
E. C. Senkler, formerly gold commissioner of Dawson, Y. T., and latterly
stipendiary magistrate at The Pas, Manitoba; Lillian, at home; Jessie, at Van-
couver, British Columbia; and James Grahame, who died of diphtheria on the
1st of April, 1887, aged one year and four months.
Mr. MacFarlane is a Presbyterian, but his wife and children have been
reared as Anglicans. He is fairly well posted on political and imperial ques-
tions and has given his support to the conservative party and, in fact, is deeply
interested in all momentous topics of the day. His has been an eventful life,
sometimes fraught with dangers, anxieties and more or less hardships, yet he
has the satisfaction of knowing that as an officer of the Hudson's Bay Company
THE STORY OF MANITOBA 233
he has played a part in the development of the Northwest Territory of the
Dominion of Canada. He relates many interesting incidents of the early days,
but though at times remote from so-called civilization, he has always endeavored
to keep abreast through wide reading with the world's work and at the same
time has learned some of the great lessons taught in nature 's school.
DUGALD MCLEAN.
Among the agriculturists of the Shoal Lake municipality who are numbered
among the substantial farmers and representative citizens and who have
achieved success by their own exertions and persevering efforts is Dugald Mc-
Lean, who owns a fine tract of eight hundred acres in township 18, range 24.
Upon this property he has lived continuously since 1882 and has developed it
from a tract of raw prairie land into a profitable farm, the excellent condition
of which is the visible evidence of his years of labor. Mr. McLean was born
on the Island of Tiree, Scotland, December 25, 1840, and is a son of Hugh and
Christina (McLeod) McLean, the former a shoemaker and farmer for many
years in his native country and a pioneer in Ontario. He died in that province
and is buried in Tiverton beside his wife, who survived him only a short time.
The famly is of ancient Scotch origin and can be traced back in an unbroken
line for several hundred years.
Dugald McLean was only three years of age when his parents emigrated to
Canada. For seven years afterward he lived in Brock township and his educa-
tion was begun in the district schools of that section. Later he came to Bruce
county but for some time there were no schools organized in this vicinity. When
a public-school system was finally established he studied during the winter
months but altogether attended only about four seasons. Being the eldest son,
he was obliged to aid his father with the work of the farm and thus early
became familiar with the details and methods of practical farming. At the age
of eighteen he definitely laid aside his books but remained with his parents until
he was twenty-six years of age. At that time he crossed the line into the
United States and worked in the Michigan lumber woods for eight years, after
which he returned to Ontario and for one year again assisted in the operation
of the homestead. On May 1, 1878, he started for Manitoba and during the
journey he met with hardships and difficulties, not the least of which were
the inconvenience and discomfort of the bitter winter weather. At one time
he lost his way and, wandering a little from the road, fell into a gully, where
the snow reached to his neck. "With great difficulty he extricated himself and
resumed his arduous journey, arriving after many vicissitudes in Winnipeg,
where he obtained employment on the Canadian Pacific Railroad. For three
years he held this position and then in 1881 came to the Shoal Lake municipality
and in the following year took up his present property, which he has never left.
The land at that time had never been touched by a plow and was in fact an
uncultivated wilderness. With characteristic energy Mr. McLean applied him-
self to the work of development and as the years passed his efforts were rewarded
by success. His harvests increased in abundance and in quality and he now
has two hundred and sixty acres under cultivation, the rest of his farm serving
as pasture for his seventy-five head of cattle, his fine herd of horses and his
other high grade stock, his attention being extensively engaged by breeding
operations. Mr. McLean has erected a fine residence upon his property and all
the necessary farm buildings and has made his enterprise one of the most profit-
able in this vicinity.
In Shoal Lake in November, 1881, Mr. McLean married Miss Christina
McKinnon, a daughter of Donald and Mary McKinnon, of Scotland, and they
have one daughter, Mary Christina, who is living at home. Mr. McLean is a
devout adherent of the Baptist church, and his political support is given to the
234 THE STORY OF MANITOBA
liberal party. He belongs to the Manitoba Grain Growers Association and is
interested in everything that pertains to the improvement of agricultural
methods and the raising of standards. His early life was filled with hardships
and reverses which were faced with confidence and borne with courage. He
has, step by step, made his way in the world until now he has risen to a position
where he is numbered among Shoal Lake's substantial farmers and most highly
respected citizens.
WILLIAM HENRY ELLIS EVANSON.
Winnipeg has on the whole been signally favored with the class of men who
have occupied her public offices and prominent among those who are now in
positions of public trust is William Henry Ellis Evanson, whose record in
office has received the indorsement of press and public alike. The public official
is always a target for criticism and yet little has been said adverse to the
administration of Mr. Evanson and then only by those to whom envy or desire
makes his 'office personally attractive. A detailed account of his life shows that
the progressive steps in his career are easily discernible. He was born in
Prescott, Ontario, on the 31st of January, 1866, and is a son of Samuel Henry
and Susan (Kilpatrick) Evanson. The father, a native of London, England,
was an officer of the famous Cold Stream Guards of the world's metropolis and
was sent to Canada in December, 1861, as a drill instructor, being stationed
for some time at La Prairie. In 1866 he went to Prescott, Ontario, at the time
of the Fenian raid and there resided until his death, which occurred on the
llth of May, 1895. He made a distinguished record as a military official and
afterward became prominently known in connection with the transportation
interests of the country, being an official of the Canadian Pacific Railway. His
wife, who was born in Ireland, was brought to this country by her parents
when three years of age, the family home being established in Prescott, Ontario,
where she now lies buried, her death having occurred on the 1st of April, 1912.
In the public schools of Prescott William H. E. Evanson pursued his educa-
tion and then, putting aside his text-books, took up the study of telegraphy. In
1881, when but a youth of fifteen years, he became telegraph operator at a gravel
pit for the St. Lawrence & Ontario Railroad Company and in the fall of that
year he was made operator at the freight office in Prescott, Ontario, where he
remained until December 31, 1887. In that year he was sent to Sault Ste.
Marie as agent for the Canadian Pacific Railway and there continued until
May, 1891. Further promotion made him traveling auditor for the same road,
with headquarters at Montreal, and his incumbency in that position until
1903 constituted a record of capable and loyal service, highly commended by
the railway officials. In the latter year he came to Winnipeg as auditor in
charge at this point and so served until May, 1907, when he resigned, having
been appointed city comptroller of Winnipeg, which position he has since
filled, making an excellent record in that office. He has instituted many changes
in the upbuilding of his department and in transforming the old system accord-
ing to modern needs and methods. In speaking of his public service one of
the local papers said :
"Supreme over the combined departments is the board of control and each
comptroller has the departments divided and under his care. But the practical
general manager is W, H. E. Evanson, the city comptroller, and he is held
responsible for the working of the city machinery.
"The comptroller's practical contact with all parts of the civic government
places him in a position to speak authoritatively as to the city's needs and the
means best calculated to meet them. He does not, however, in any degree usurp
the functions of the elective officials nor interfere with the proper authority
.and responsibility of those who are appointed to office. He suggests to the
W. H. E. EVANSON
THE STORY OF MANITOBA 237
board of control any changes in policy or methods that he may think advisable
and in almost every case the suggestions are acted upon and the changes
effected.
"The comptroller is the logical official to undertake the work; he is now
to a greater extent than any other official in touch with all the departments and
has a more comprehensive knowledge of the finances of the city than any other
officer. The comptroller exercises a general supervision over the collection
and return into the city treasury of the revenue of the city of every descrip-
tion and over all other fiscal affairs of the city. He looks after all claims which
might become the subject of litigation. 7 '
On the 10th of May, 1888, Mr. Evanson was married to Miss Emily B.
Lawson, of Montreal, and they have one son and three daughters, Edna E.,
Hilda Gr., Olga P. and Wilfred G. S. Mr. Evanson holds membership with
the Commercial Travelers and is also a member of the Masonic fraternity and
the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. He finds recreation in hunting, fish-
ing and curling and is secretary and treasurer of the Manitoba Fishing and
Hunting Club and vice president of the Assiniboine Curling Club. He stands
strongly in support of all measures looking to the civic welfare and cooperates
in many movements which find their root in a desire for the improvement and
upbuilding of city, province and dominion. He is now treasurer of the Win-
nipeg Industrial Exhibition and' was formerly second vice president of the
Union of Canadian Municipalities, cooperating heartily in the efforts to pro-
mote the objects for which those organizations stand.
FREDERICK COOPER.
Frederick Cooper resides on section 24, township 17, range 28, Foxwarren,
where he owns a ranch of three hundred and twenty acres, which he has been
diligently cultivating for fifteen years, making a specialty of the raising of grain.
His birth occurred in Wiltshire, England, his natal day being the 3d of January,
1865, and his parents, John and Ann Cooper. They have both passed away and
are buried in the Daunton and Lover cemeteries.
Being a member of a large family in limited circumstances, the early advan-
tages of Frederick Cooper were naturally meager. He attended the national
schools of his native village until he was a lad of ten years, when it became
necessary for him to begin earning his own living. He found employment on
a farm, where he was placed in charge of a drill, and despite his youth was
expected to do a man's work. When he was twenty-two he left the farm and
went to London, where, for about eight years he followed various occupations,
and then decided to come to America, feeling convinced that he would here find
better opportunities than were afforded in the old country. He came direct to
Manitoba and went to work on a farm, of which he practically was manager.
At the expiration of that time he leased his employer's farm of four hundred
and eighty acres and turned his attention to agricultural pursuits. His efforts
in this direction met with a fair measure of success and three years later he paid
six hundred dollars for a quarter section of partially improved land, which
formed the nucleus of his present ranch. He paid ninety-five dollars for a
matched team and after purchasing such implements as were immediately neces-
sary, began the cultivation of his land, which during the intervening years he
has improved until it is now worth five thousand dollars. In 1899, he extended
the boundaries of his ranch by the purchase of an adjoining tract of a hundred
and sixty acres, which he has likewise brought into a high state of productivity
and now specializes in grain raising. Mr. Cooper is a practical man of pro-
gressive ideas, as is evidenced by the general appearance and condition of his
place. He has erected a more comfortable residence and substantial barns and
238 THE STORY OF MANITOBA
outbuildings to take the place of the crude structures first built, and now owns
one of the attractive properties of the community.
In this district in July, 1900, Mr. Cooper was married to Miss Frances
Wilkinson, a daughter of Joseph and Ann Wilkinson. The father, who was
one of the pioneer farmers of Manitoba, came here from Portage la Prairie with
an ox team when this section of the province was regarded as the Canadian
frontier. He lived to the advanced age of ninety-one years, his death occurring
in 1911. The mother, who only survived him for a few months, was eighty-
one at the time of her demise. They are buried in Zion cemetery, Foxwarren.
To Mr. and Mrs. Cooper have been born two children : John, who is attending
school; and Gertrude.
The parents are members of the Methodist church, and politically Mr. Cooper
supports such candidates as he deems best adapted to subserve the interests of
the people. He has always been a hard working man of earnest purpose and
honest methods and fully merits such success as has come to him. He is favor-
ably known in his community and numbers among his neighbors and felloAV
townsmen many stanch friends.
LEVI BUKEB.
An estate of six hundred and forty acres near Virden, Manitoba, speaks well
for the methods employed by Levi Buker in its cultivation. This farm is located
on section 32, township 11, range 26, and there Mr. Buker has given his life's
work to promoting the productivity of the soil, specialising in grain growing,
and has attained to such success that he is today considered to be one of the
substantial men of his district. He came to Manitoba nearly a quarter of a
century ago, in 1889, starting from Grenville county, Ontario, where he was
born in 1867. His parents were Taylor and Eliza (Edwards) Buker, both
deceased and buried in Ontario.
Levi Buker received such educational advantages as were afforded him in
the schools of his native province and, laying aside his books at the age of
fourteen, began to assist his father with the work of the homestead. This
hard but thorough school of learning has stood him in good stead, for he there
became acquainted with resultant methods and all the details valuable in the
operation of an agricultural enterprise. He remained at home for the follow-
ing eight years, at the end of which time he decided to set out for the middle
west in order to found a home in Manitoba, of the superior advantages of which
province he had heard. Upon coming here he acquired title to three hundred
and twenty acres of land, upon which he still resides, and in 1909 purchased
an additional three hundred and twenty acres, now having the whole section
of six hundred and forty acres, to the cultivation of which he gives his sole
attention with most gratifying results. The residence which he has erected is
substantial and . comfortable and his barns, outbuildings and sheds modernly
equipped and suitably appointed for the purposes for which they are intended.
Mr. Buker has succeeded in annually increasing his crops to a remarkable extent,
and by thorough cultivation and scientific rotation of crops, bountiful harvests
are secured. He specializes along those grains which are most suitable to soil
and climate and his success is such that he has become a factor in the farming
operations of the province to such an extent that his labors must be considered
as a national asset.
In 1899, in Manitoba, occurred the marriage of Mr. Buker to Miss Nellie
Green, a daughter of James and Susan (Zimmerman) Green, residents of this
province. To Mr. and Mrs. Buker have been born three children: Mabel,
Percy and Gordon. In his political affiliations Mr. Buker is a conservative,
well informed as to the principles of the party. Fraternally he is a member
of the Masonic order and the Canadian Order of Foresters. He is highly
THE STOEY OF MANITOBA 239
esteemed and respected by all who know him and has made many friends since
locating in this vicinity, whose confidence and good-will he enjoys. Both he
and his wife interest themselves in the better things of life and are ever ready
to join movements for the moral and intellectual improvement of the people.
Personally he is a genial and pleasant man, frank and open-hearted, being popu-
lar among his neighbors and well liked by all who know him.
THOMAS JACKSON.
Thomas Jackson, prominent farmer and early settler near Russell, dates
his residence in this part of Manitoba and upon his present property since 1880.
He was born in County Armagh, Ireland, 011 the 24th of December, 1848, and
is a son of Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Jackson, both of whom have passed away and
are buried at Kilmore, Ireland.
In the acquirement of an education Thomas Jackson of this review attended
public school at Hutchins Corner in his native country, laying aside his books
at the age of seventeen in order to assist his father with the work of the farm.
After the latter 's death Mr. Jackson came to America and settled in Ontario,
establishing his residence in Fort Erie, where he remained until 1880. In the
latter year he came to Manitoba and purchased three hundred acres near
Russell, whereon he has since resided, having two hundred and fifty acres
under cultivation. Since taking possession of this farm he has made many im-
provements, including a, comfortable residence, good barns and substantial out-
buildings, so that he now has a well improved and attractive place. He follows
practical methods in his farming operations and is now a progressive and
successful agriculturist.
In the fall of 1905, Mr. Jackson married, in Manitoba, Miss Sarah Petropesky,
a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. John Petropesky, who reside near Roblin. Mr.
and Mrs. Jackson have three children, Mary, Annie and Alexander, all yet at
home. Mr. Jackson is a member of the Church of England and politically is
affiliated with the conservative party. He is numbered among the substantial
citizens of this section of the province and through his honorable business deal-
ings has won the good-will of all with whom he has been brought in contact.
C. GORDON MURRAY.
C. Gordon Murray, who. was appointed secretary and treasurer of Rapid
City in March, 1910, has since served in the dual capacity and holds similar
positions on the school board. He came to the province of Manitoba in June,
1901, and is now successfully engaged in the insurance and loan business. His
birth occurred in Georgetown, Bermuda, West Indies, his parents being John
A. and Florence H. (O'Reilly) Murray, who reside in Oxford, England. The
father is a retired colonel of the Second Battalion of the Queen's Own Royal
West Kent Regiment, known as the old Ninety-seventh, and when sent to south-
ern Africa became a member of the famous ' ' hungry eight ' ' of the Boer war.
C. Gordon Murray acquired his education in the schools of Kent, England,
putting aside his text-books at the age of eighteen years, when he accepted a
position as clerk of a bank and was thus employed for about eight years. On
the expiration of that period he came to Canada, settling in Moosomin,
Saskatchewan, where he worked as a farm hand for about three months. Coming
to Manitoba, he here worked at farming for a similar period and then made
his way to Rapid City. *A month after his arrival here he embarked in the
real-estate business, in which he remained for two and a half years, Disposing
of his interests, he secured a position as bookkeeper with the Missouri Lamp
240 THE STORY OF MANITOBA
'Manufacturing Company of St. Louis, Missouri. After returning to Manitoba
he was employed on railway construction for six months and then came back
to Eapid City, here being engaged in the butchering business for a year. He
is at present engaged in the insurance and loan business and in this connection
is meeting with a gratifying measure of success.
On the 6th of July, 1903, in Rapid City, Mr. Murray was united in marriage
to Miss Renetta Easier, a daughter of August and Ernestina (Schaefer) Easier.
The father passed away in August, .1912, at the age of eighty-four years, but
the mother survives and makes her home in Rapid City. Mr. and Mrs. Murray
have three children: Violet R., Beatrice E. and Lillian P., all at home. The
family residence was purchased by our subject.
Politically, Mr. Murray is a conservative. He was appointed secretary and
treasurer of Rapid City in March, 19.10, and has since discharged the duties
devolving upon him in those connections in a most satisfactory and creditable
manner. As secretary and treasurer of the school board he labors in the inter-
ests of education and has done valuable service in his official capacity.
Fraternally he is identified with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and
the Knights of Pythias, being a past grand in the local organization of the
former and a past chancellor in the latter. His religious faith is that of the
Church of England. The principles which have actuated him in all of his
relations with his fellowmen are such as establish confidence and regard in
every land and clime.
JOHN POLSON.
For twenty-six years John Poison has been farming near Stonewall, Mani-
toba, where he owns two hundred and forty acres of fine land highly improved
and developed along modern lines. During the period of his residence he has
been carried forward into important relations with the general interests of his
section and has achieved in public life the same prominence which his success
in general agriculture has brought him. He was born in Kildonan, Manitoba,
February 7, 1861, and is a son of Donald and Catherine (Sutherland) Poison,
the former a native of Scotland, born in 1813, and the latter of Kildonan,
Manitoba, born in 1834. For many years the father followed farming in
Kildonan and became prosperous and successful in this line of activity. He
died in 1869 and was long survived by his wife, who passed away in 1905, at
the homestead near Stonewall. They had seven children. Alexander, the eldest
son, was born November 23, 1855, for a number of years was councilor at
Kildonan and for ten years postmaster of the village and school trustee. He
was a sergeant of Volunteer Company No. 1, Winnipeg Light Infantry in 1885,
and gave a great deal of his attention to military affairs during his life. He
came to Stonewall in 1887 and farmed in the Rockwood municipality, being
later elected reeve, which office he held with much honor and credit for ten
years, and was serving at the time of his death, which occurred March 1, 1912.
He was active in religious circles and devout in his adherence to the Presby-
terian church, of 'which he was an elder. He was a member of the board of
school trustees from the time it was organized in 1889, until his death and
served as secretary and treasurer. Alexander Poison also held membership in
the Rockwood Agricultural Society from its organization and for several years
served as president. Fraternally he was well known in the Masonic order.
The second child of Mr. and Mrs. Donald Poison was Catherine, born February
16, 1857, who died in infancy. Ann, born October 17, 1858, also died in infancy.
The fourth child in this family is John, the subject of this review. Janet, born
January 5, 1863, lives at home. Catherine, born February 27, 1865, the second
of the name, married (first) Cuthbert McKay, a missionary and school teacher
at Fort Pelly, Saskatchewan. They had one son, Donald, who resides in Stone-
ALEXANDER POLSON
THE STORY OF MANITOBA 243
wall. Mr. McKay died in Kildonan and his widow later married Joseph Tottle,
of Stonewall, and they have one daughter, Louisa. The youngest child in the
family of Donald Poison was Victoria Ann, born May 17, 1867, the deceased
wife of J. D. Harrower, of Stonewall. She was the mother of James Donald and
Alexander John, and a daughter, Catherine Mary, who died young.
John Poison came to the Eockwood municipality in 1887, and in partnership
with his brother, Alexander, bought two hundred and forty acres of land,
which they operated in partnership until the latter 's death in 1912. Mr. Poison
of this review is now the sole proprietor of this fine farm, which is in all
respects a model agricultural enterprise. During the twenty-six years in which
Mr. Poison has lived in this section he has become prominent in many different
lines of activity and his work has been an important factor in general develop-
ment. When his brother died, in 1912, John Poison was elected to the office of
reeve and served until the close of the term. Like his lamented brother, he is
a conservative in political faith. He is serving as secretary and treasurer of
the board of school trustees, succeeding his brother in that capacity.
D. R. MCDONALD.
D. R. McDonald has practically been a lifelong resident of Manchester, hav-
ing been brought to this province in 1888 when but three years of age. Since
starting out in the business world he has been closely associated with agricul-
tural interests and is now owning and operating a farm of four hundred acres
in township 22, range 25. He was born in Bruce, Ontario, June 5, 1885, his
parents being Hugh C. and Mary Ann (McDonald) McDonald, who in the year
1888 brought their family to the west, the father taking up a homestead on roll-
ing prairie land which was entirely undeveloped and unimproved when it came
into his possession. His efforts to bring it under a high state of cultivation have
been very successful as is indicated by the excellent appearance of the place at
the present time. Upon the farm he reared his family, numbering three chil-
dren : Charles, who is now a prominent farmer of the Russell district and a
director of the Russell Agriculture Society; Kate, living at home; and D. R.
The mother died September 11, 1902.
D. R. McDonald was a pupil of the district schools until he had mastered
the branches of learning usually taught therein, when he concentrated his
efforts upon the farm work as assistant to his father until 1906. He then entered
the Central Business College and the course which he there pursued has been
of much value to him in the conduct of his later business interests. After leav-
ing business college he returned to the old home place, which he continued to
cultivate as a partner, the farm consisting of nine hundred and sixty acres of
rich and productive land on which general farming is carried on. Good crops
are annually harvested, for the methods followed are practical, and untiring
industry is one of the strong features in the development of the farm. Stock-
raising, too, is an important branch of the work and upon his place today are
found eighty head of cattle and thirty-eight head of horses. He is breeding
horses, keeping for this purpose an imported Clydesdale stallion. The family
also own their own threshing outfit and all of the latest improved machinery
necessary for the development of the fields and the care of the crops. Many
of the improvements upon the place were made by the father, Hugh C. Mc-
Donald, who is a popular and highly respected resident of his part of the
province.
The family attend the Presbyterian church, including D. R. McDonald, who
is much interested in the moral progress and in the advancement of the district
along other lines. He votes with the liberal party and held the office of councilor
of the Boulton municipality, of which he is now reeve. Fraternally he is con-
nected with the Masonic order and the Independent Order of Odd Fellows.
244 THE STORY OF MANITOBA
Charles McDonald, who is a partner with his brother, D. R. McDonald, and
their father, Hugh C. McDonald, in the ownership and conduct of the home
farm of nine hundred and sixty acres, was married at Boulton, July 11, 1906,
to Miss Martha J. Patterson, a daughter of Joseph and Margaret Patterson.
Her father became one of the early farmers of this part of the country and still
resides upon the tract of land which he has now been cultivating for a number
of years. He comes of Irish ancestry. His wife died in 1900. Mr. and Mrs.
Charles McDonald are the parents of one daughter, Olive Mary A. A quar-
ter of a century has come and gone since the McDonald family arrived in
Manitoba and throughout the intervening years the name has been closely,
prominently and honorably associated with its development along agricultural
lines, their labors bringing to them substantial and well merited success.
GEORGE T. EARLE.
Mercantile interests of Elkhorn find a worthy and progressive representative
in George T. Earle, who for a number of years has been associated with the
firm of Lambert & Earle in the conduct of a profitable general store. He was
born in Kent, England, in 1864 and is a son of James and Frances (Day) Earle,
the former of whom passed away March 13, 1910, and is buried in Brandon.
He was one of the prominent and well known citizens of that part of Manitoba
and a man upright and honorable in all the relations of his life. His wife
survives him and makes her home in Brandon.
George T. Earle acquired his education in the public schools of Ontario and
at the age of fourteen laid aside his books, afterward assisting his father in
the conduct of a brickyard in Millbrook, Durham county. After five years he
came to Manitoba and turned his attention to f armnig near Brandon, developing
there an excellent property of which he is still the owner. When he left the
farm he came to Elkhorn and formed a partnership with Mr. Lambert under the
firm name of Lambert & Earle. They conduct a large and profitable merchan-
dise business and their trade has increased rapidly in recognition of their well
selected stock of goods and reasonable prices. The business has grown steadily
and its development is due in a large measure to the persistent efforts and close
application of the proprietors.
In Brandon, in 1893, Mr. Earle married Miss Amelia Warner, a daughter of
Mr. and Mrs. Charles Warner, of Gloucestershire, England, both of whom have
passed away and are buried in that country. Mr. and Mrs. Earle became the
parents of a son who died in infancy. Mr. Earle is a liberal in his political
beliefs and was for two years a member of the city council. He belongs to the
Masonic fraternity and is connected also with the Independent Order of Odd
Fellows and the Canadian Order of Chosen Friends. His strong and salient
characteristics are such as endear him to all who come within the close circle
of his friendship, and wherever he is known he is respected and honored.
JAMES A. KIPPAN.
James A. Kippan is classed among the extensive landowners and success-
ful farmers and stock-raisers in the vicinity of Silverton, where he owns a tract
of land comprising four hundred and eighty acres in township 21, range 27. He
has lived upon this farm for thirty years and by hard work and intelligent
management has made it one of the finest agricultural properties in this locality.
He is a native of Ontario, born in Stratford, Perth county, on the llth of
August, 1857, a son of Alexander and Mary (McKay) Kippan. The father
THE STORY OF MANITOBA 245
passed away in 1878 and his wife survived him many years, dying in 1897.
Both are buried in Bell's cemetery, Northeast Hope, Ontario.
In the acquirement of an education James A. Kippan attended public school
at Brocksden, Ontario, laying aside his books at the age of sixteen in order
to learn the blacksmith's trade. After he had served his apprenticeship he
remained in this line of work for about five years, but in 1879 left Ontario and
came to Manitoba. He took up a homestead claim and also preempted land,
acquiring four hundred and eighty acres in township 21, range 27, of which
he has at the present time two hundred and fifty acres under cultivation. He
has made many improvements since locating here and now has a fine cement
block residence, barns and other outbuildings for the care of his stock and
grain. Mr. Kippan carries on mixed farming and his stock-raising interests
are very valuable, since he keeps about forty head of high-grade cattle and
nineteen horses. He owns besides one hundred fowl. The success he enjoys
today is due entirely to his own efforts, for he started out in life empty-handed
and through his own energy, economy and perseverance has gradually worked
his way upward until he is now the owner of a valuable farm property.
On the 25th of December, 1881, Mr. Kippan married, at Minnedosa, Miss
Katy Henry, who died in September of the following year. On January 16,
1901, Mr. Kippan was again wedded, his second wife being Miss Isabella Forbes,
a daughter of John and Isabella (McNab) Forbes. The father's death occurred
in 1897 and the mother's in 1899. Both are buried at Bell's cemetery. Mr. and
Mrs. Kippan have two children, George and Nellie, who live at home.
Mr. Kippan does not affiliate with any particular political party, preferring
to vote according to his personal convictions without regard to party lines.
During the thirty-three years of his residence in this part of the province he
has seen much of the wild land converted into valuable tracts. He has assisted
in much of the improvement that has been made along agricultural lines and
as owner of a valuable and productive farm he is numbered among the sub-
stantial and progressive citizens of this section.
HORMISDAS BELIVEAU.
For the last thirty years business circles of "Winnipeg have profited greatly
in tangible results, in standards and ideals and in the establishment of straight-
forward and upright methods by the work of Hormisdas Beliveau, president
of the Richard-Beliveau Company, Limited, and one of the most forceful men
in the city. He is a descendant of a prominent French family of Quebec and
was born at St. Wenceslas in that province, November 4, 1860, a son of Jean
Baptiste and Apoline (Coulomb) Beliveau, the former an old settler in Quebec
province, who came to "Winnipeg in 1880 with Medard Guilbault, with whom
he engaged in the contracting and building business.
In the acquirement of an education Hormisdas Beliveau attended the public
schools of Beauharnois, Quebec, and later studied at St. Mary's College in
Montreal. During that time he also learned the grocery business and was active
in it from the age of twelve until the age of twenty-two, although he still kept
up his studies in Montreal. In 1882 he came to Winnipeg and entered the
employ of Richard & Company, wine merchants in the city. He did such ex-
cellent work that he gained rapid advancement and in 1892 was admitted as a
partner in the firm. In 1903 the concern was incorporated under the name of
the Richard-Beliveau Company, Limited. Of this concern Mr. Beliveau is now
president and owns a controlling interest in the corporation. The company
imports all kinds of wines, spirits and cigars and does a flourishing business
throughout the provinces of Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta. The main
office is located at No. 330 Main street and six warehouses are maintained in
various sections of the city. Aside from his connection with the Richard-
246 THE STORY OF MANITOBA
Beliveau Company, Limited, Mr. Beliveau lias other important business inter-
ests. He. is the owner of a large amount of farm land and has extensive hold-
ings in city property in Winnipeg. He is besides president of the Richard
Company, Limited, owners of the "Shops of Fashion Craft," of Winnipeg,
recognized as leaders in the gentlemen's furnishing business. He is also vice
president of the Fashion Craft Manufacturing Company of Montreal and has
other important connections in business circles of Winnipeg. He was one of
the charter members of the Winnipeg Commercial Club and has at all times
proven loyal, progressive and public-spirited in his citizenship.
In 1883, Mr. Beliveau married Miss Ernestine Guilbault, a daughter of
Medard Guilbault, who came to Winnipeg with Mr. Beliveau, Sr., in 1880.
They have five children, three of whom are living : J. Antonio, Joseph and Marie
Anne, who live with their parents at No. 187 Dumoulin street, St. Boniface.
Mr. Beliveau gives his allegiance to the liberal party but is never active in
official life, preferring to make his public spirit effective in a business way.
He is a devout adherent of the Roman Catholic church and holds membership in
the Catholic Order of Foresters and with L 'Alliance Nationale. He is a busi-
ness man of the old school, well versed in courtesy, fair dealing and upright
living and he has left the impress of his own honorable standards upon the
important affairs which he has promoted and controlled.
SAMUEL A. COXE, D. V. S.
Dr. Samuel A. Coxe, who since 1892 has been practicing veterinary sur-
gery in Brandon, is one of the most able men engaged in that profession in
the city. For some time past he has been in partnership with Dr. Robinson
under the firm name of Coxe & Robinson, a connection in which he is every
day furnishing proof of his ability and skill. He was born in the township
of Nassaguewaya, Halton county, Ontario, August 4, 1866, and is a son of
Samuel and Letitia (McLaughlin) Coxe, the former in early life a prosperous
lumber dealer and in his later years a successful farmer. He died in October,
1908, and is buried in the Brandon cemetery, being survived by his wife, who
makes her home with the subject of this review.
Dr. Samuel A. Coxe acquired his primary education in the public schools
of Milton and after graduating from the Milton high school went to the Ontario
Veterinary College, from which he was graduated in 1892. He immediately
afterward located in Brandon and with the exception of the time spent in tak-
ing a post-graduate course in the McKillip Veterinary College has been con-
tinuously in practice here, his patronage growing as his knowledge, skill and
ability became more widely known. After a time he formed a partnership
with his former pupil, Dr. Robinson, and today the firm of Coxe & Robinson
is one of the most successful and prominent of its kind in Canada west of
Toronto. The partners enjoy a large and representative patronage, and, being
both able, practical and efficient men, are very successful in its conduct.
Dr. Coxe is well known in Brandon, for he has always been active in the
support and promotion of progressive public projects and a leader in all work
of advancement and development. He .was one of the organizers and is now
a director of the winter and summer fair, is a member of the Brandon Board
of Trade and the Brandon Commercial Club and is vice president of the Bran-
don Turf Club. In fact, he is an enthusiastic horse fancier, an excellent judge
of horse flesh and has bought and sold a number of valuable animals, his opin-
ions on matters of this character being considered practically infallible. He
is a director of the Canadian Stover Gasoline Engine Company, the head
offices of which are located in this city, and he owns a large amount of city
and county real estate.
DR. S. A. COXE
THE STORY OF MANITOBA 249
Dr. Coxe is a chapter Mason and a member of the Presbyterian church.
He gives his political allegiance to the liberal party and for many years has
served ably and conscientiously as secretary of the Liberal Association of the
Brandon district. His personal characteristics have gained for him the warm
regard and friendship of many, while in professional lines he has attained that
distinction which only comes in recognition of merit and ability.
JOSEPH J. WISHART.
Joseph J. Wishart is one of the most extensive landowners in the vicinity of
Russell, having eleven hundred and twenty acres in township 21, range 27. In
his management of this fine farm he has displayed marked business ability
and a practical knowledge of agricultural methods and has gained a high place
among progressive and enterprising farmers. He has spent his entire life in this
province, for he was born in St. Paul, Manitoba, on the 3d of February, 1859,
a son of James and Eliza (Flett). Wishart, both of whom have passed away.
In the acquirement of an education, Joseph J. Wishart attended public
school at Poplar Point and laid aside his books at the- early age of fourteen in
order to assist his father with the work of the farm. He remained at home for
seven years and then purchased his present property. His land comprises eleven
hundred and twenty acres in township 21, six hundred of which are under
cultivation. Since locating here Mr. Wishart has made many substantial
improvements, has erected a fine house, a barn and outbuildings, so that his
farm has become one of the most attractive as well as one of the most valuable
in this vicinity. He does mixed farming, giving besides a great deal of atten-
tion to feeding and fattening high-grade stock. He keeps about thirty-five head
of cattle, the same number of swine and twenty-two horses, and this branch of
his business is proving a profitable source of income to him.
At Poplar Point, on March 13, 1879, Mr. Wishart married Miss Margaret
Gowler, a daughter of William and Ann (Miller) Gowler, who reside at Poplar
Point. Mr. and Mrs. Wishart have eleven children: Elizabeth A., the wife of
William Pettigrew, a business man of Winnipeg; Laura E., who married Robert
Thompson, of Saskatchewan; Lynda E., who became the wife of Neil K. Wilkie,
a butcher of Russell; Joseph, a farmer in Saskatchewan; Walter H., who is
assisting his father; James C., a carpenter in Russell; Sidney C., who follows
farming in Manitoba; Mabel J. and Mary E., who live at home; and Herbert
B. and Albert V., who are assisting their father.
Joseph J. Wishart is a devout adherent of the Methodist church and poli-
tically is allied with the conservative party. He is well known in this part of
Manitoba, where he has resided for thirty years, and is justly accorded a place
among the prominent and representative citizens of this locality, for he belongs
to that class of men whose enterprising spirit is used not alone for their own
benefit but also for the advancement of community interests.
JOSEPH THOMPSON.
The career of Joseph Thompson, who is one of the prosperous and sub-
stantial farmers of Kelloe, forms a splendid example of the value of industry,
perseverance and determination in the attainment of success, for he started
out in life penniless and uneducated but with fine courage and steadfast pur-
pose worked his way upward to prosperity. He was born in Nottinghamshire,
England, November 30, 1840, and is a son of Joseph and Charlotte Ann
(Footage) Thompson, both of whom have passed away. The mother died in
1867 and is buried at Sheffield, England.
250 THE STORY OF MANITOBA
Joseph Thompson is a fine type of a self-made man and he possesses in
his character and personality all of the sturdy, forceful and independent vir-
tues of his class. Without the advantage of a single day in school he has be-
come broadly educated, gaming learning from books, from newspapers, from
his friends, from his enemies, from his most casual acquaintance and from the
very smallest detail of his daily life. At the early age of thirteen he began
earning his own living and even before that time had contributed largely to
his own support. For eleven years he hired out on canal boats and at the
end of that period obtained a position as engineer in an iron works in England,
remaining in that capacity for fifteen years. When he resigned that position
he determined to try his fortune in Canada and crossed the Atlantic to the
Dominion, settling in Ontario, where he obtained employment as a farm laborer.
After three years he came to Manitoba and for the first four years served as
engineer for the Hudson Bay mill at Elphinstone. At the end of that time he
took up a homestead claim at Shoal Lake and set himself with characteristic
energy to the task of its improvement and cultivation. To it he has added con-
siderably as the years have passed and owns at. the present time three hundred
and twenty acres in township 18, range 23, a well improved and valuable prop-
erty. Upon it he specializes in the raising of grain, having about one hundred
and fifty acres under cultivation. The attractive appearance of this farm is a
proof of the careful supervision of the owner and of the practical and progres-
sive methods which he has constantly followed, his labors bringing him gratify-
ing results.
At Hibaldstow, England, on the 14th of October, 1863, Mr. Thompson was
united in marriage to Miss Jane Standerline, a daughter of Charles and Mary
Standerline, who have passed away, the mother dying in 1908, at the age of
eighty-five, and the father in 1909, when he was ninety-two years of age.
Both are buried at Whitton, England. Mr. and Mrs. Thompson became the
parents of nine children: George, who is engaged in farming in Elphinstone;
Lucy, who married William Delman, a farmer of Roland; Henry, who follows
agricultural pursuits in Allanton ; Joseph, who is assisting his father ; Hannah,
the wife of Arthur Brown, a farmer of Menzie Station; Charlotte, who died
in January, 1906, and who is buried at Strathclair ; Viola, who passed away in
1885 and is buried on the farm belonging to the subject of this review; Alice,
who died on April 24, 1866, and who was laid to rest in Lincolnshire, England;
and Mary Ann, who died October 31, 1868, and is also buried in Lincolnshire.
Mr. Thompson is independent in his political views, voting always accord-
ing to his personal convictions without regard to party affiliations. He is a
devout adherent of the Church of England. He is a man of strong individuality
and marked character and these qualities have been developed in him by his
independent and self-reliant life. He stands today as a fine type of a progressive
and straightforward business man, being reliable, energetic, upright and honor-
able in all his dealings, and he is justly accounted one of the representative farm-
ers of this community.
MARK COUSINS.
Mark Cousins is one of the successful and enterprising agriculturists of
Elkhorn, where he owns four hundred and eighty acres of land, comprising the
southwest quarter of section 6, township 12, range 27, and the east half of sec-
tion 36, township 11, range 28. He was born in Yorkshire, England, in 1862,
and is a son of Mark and Jane (Green) Cousins, the former of whom died in
1872 and is buried in England, where his widow still resides.
Mark Cousins acquired his education in the public schools of Yorkshire and
at the early age of ten laid aside his books and became a farm laborer, a capacity
in which he worked for thirteen years thereafter. By the exercise of thrift and
THE STORY OF MANITOBA 251
economy, he saved enough money to buy land and accordingly began farming for
himself, developing his property in England until 1905, when he crossed the
Atlantic to America. He came to Manitoba and purchased one hundred and
sixty acres of land near Elkliorn, the nucleus of his present property. To this
he has since added, the property now comprising four hundred and eighty acres,
and by well directed and intelligent labor he has brought it to a high state of
cultivation and gained a gratifying measure of prosperity. He specializes in
the raising of grain, and fine crops annually reward his practical and progressive
methods.
Mr. Cousins married, in Yorkshire, England, in 1887, Miss Emma Hunter,
a daughter of William and Ann Hunter, both of whom have passed away and are
buried in Yorkshire. Mr. and Mrs. Cousins have five children : Arthur William,
who resides still in England and married Miss Edith Collinson ; Reginald Albert,
who is engaged in farming in Elkhorn; Gertrude Annie, who became the wife
of John Ernest Philip Gooding, a constable of Elkhorn; and Mark and Frances
Jennie, who live at home.
Mr. Cousins is a conservative in his political beliefs and is a member of the
Church of England. The success which has crowned his efforts is all the more
creditable to him by reason of the fact that he started out in life empty-handed
and by indomitable industry and unfaltering energy, worked his way upward
to the position he now occupies among the prosperous and enterprising agricul-
turists of the community.
JOSEPH McLEAN.
Joseph McLean is one of the enterprising citizens of Hamfota, where he is
successfully engaged in the implement business, in connection with which he
buys and sells farm lands. His birth occurred in Brant county, Ontario, on
the 16th of February, 1858, his parents being Edward and Mary (McLean)
McLean. The father, who was one of the pioneer farmers of Brant county,
passed away in 1881 and was buried in Salt Springs cemetery in Cainsville
circuit on the Grand river. The mother, however, is still living and continues
to reside on the old homestead. The family is of Irish extraction, but they
have long been residents of Canada.
The early years of the life of Joseph McLean were passed amid the pioneer
conditions which yet prevailed in western Ontario at that time. In the acquire-
ment of an education he attended the public schools of Newport until he had
attained the age of seventeen years. He then laid aside his text-books and
began his apprenticeship as a blacksmith in Brantford, of which city he was
a resident until he came to Manitoba in 1882. Upon his arrival in this province
he filed on a homestead a half mile from Hamiota and there established a black-
smith shop, which he operated while engaged in the development of his ranch.
When the railroad came through Hamiota he sold his homestead and removed
to town, where he continued to follow his trade. He is an enterprising man
of keen business sagacity and recognizing the large demand there would ulti-
mately be for farming machinery he later extended the scope of his activities
by putting in a line of agricultural implements. As his trade increased he
gave more and more attention to the development of this branch of his busi-
ness and when he had it well established sold his blacksmith shop. His experi-
ence as a farmer united with his knowledge of machinery has well qualified
him for this business, and as he is trustworthy and reliable, and in the conduct
of his enterprise has adopted a policy that commends him to the confidence
of those who have transactions with him, he is enjoying a large and constantly
increasing patronage. At various times Mr. McLean has made some judicious
investments in real estate and materially increases his annual income through
252 THE STOEY OF MANITOBA
the buying and selling of farm lands. He owns his residence, which he erected,
and also the building where his business is located.
In the vicinity of Brandon on the 9th of December, 1892, Mr. McLean was
married to Miss Martha Kadey, a daughter of Thomas Kadey, one of the pioneer
farmers of Manitoba, having located here in 1879. He passed away in 1909
and was buried at Vancouver. To Mr. and Mrs. McLean have been born six
children, as follows: Lisle, ledgerkeeper in the Bank of Hamilton, Hamiota;
Gladys, Edith and Bessie, who ar.e attending school; Lome, who is six years
of age ; and John, who has passed his fourth birthday.
The parents are members of the Methodist Episcopal church, and fra-
ternally Mr. McLean is affiliated with the Ancient Order of United Workmen.
Politically he supports the conservative party and has served as town coun-
cilor and also as trustee, in both of which capacities he gave efficient service.
Such prosperity as has come to him Mr. McLean attributes to hard work and
persistent efforts; unremitting diligence and tenacity of purpose, in his judg-
ment, being the dominant factors in a successful career. .
ANDREW KELLY.
Andrew Kelly is one of the leading men of Winnipeg and his prominence
has come to him by virtue of his identification with important enterprises.
He has probably done as much as any one man to promote the commercial
activity which brings growth, and his energies directed along lines of expan-
sion, have resulted in the founding and building up of many large industrial
concerns and in the improvement and development of institutions already
established. He was born July 10, 1852, in the township of McGilvray, Ontario,
of Irish parents.
Mr. Kelly was educated in the public and high schools of his native section
and when he laid aside his books aided his father upon the farm until he was
twenty-four years of age. In 1876 he went to St. Marys, Ontario, and there
began his commercial career, becoming identified with the grain business. As
his knowledge of commercial methods and standards increased he gradually
became prominent. In 1881 he left St. Marys and came to Manitoba,
locating in Brandon, where he first began in the milling business as a member
of the firm of A. Fisher & Company, which concern, in 1882, by retirement
of Mr. Fisher, became Alexander, Kelly & Sutherland. In 1890 he formed a
corporation which operated under the name of the A. Kelly Milling Company
until 1905, when he became associated with S. A. McGaw, of Goderich, Ontario,
and amalgamated the A. Kelly Milling Company of Brandon with the Lake
Huron & Manitoba Milling Company of Goderich, naming the new concern
the Western Canada Flour Mills Company. They immediately built a new
mill at Winnipeg and are now operating three mills, in this city, in Brandon
and in Goderich, the total capacity amounting to seven thousand barrels per
day. The rapid expansion of the little business which he founded in St. Marys,
Ontario, into an important and prosperous industrial concern is a splendid
example of Mr. Kelly's business methods. He is shrewd, straightforward and
intelligently progressive and always takes into account the changing standards
which go with advancement. As long as it was profitable he kept his enter-
prise under private ownership but with the progress and expansion of modern
business conditions he was quick to recognize that corporation methods were
the .most efficient for the prosecution of a profitable enterprise. That he is
prominent in business circles of Winnipeg and of the whole province is evi-
denced by the fact that he is president of the West Winnipeg Development
Company, with a capital stock of one hundred and fifty thousand dollars; one
of the original directors of the Great West Life Assurance Company ; a director
and vice president of the Cardiff-Colliers Company, with a capital of seven
ANDREW KELLY
THE STORY OP MANITOBA 255
hundred thousand dollars; and a director of the Security "Warehouse & Stor-
age Company, the capital stock of which is one hundred thousand dollars.
Beside this he is president of the Canada Fish & Cold Storage Company at
Prince Rupert, British Columbia. This concern has a capital stock of one
million, five hundred thousand dollars and is by far the largest enterprise
with which Mr. Kelly is connected and his success in its control and manage-
ment has added greatly to his importance in industrial circles,
On December 20, 1882, Mr. Kelly was married to Miss Louise Bremner,
only daughter of John Bremner, of Watertown, Ontario. They have three
children : Ewart Cameron ; Allan Bremner ; and Veiva May, who is the wife
of Frank B. Matthews, the latter for some time manager of the business oper-
ated by R. G. Dun .& Company with a territory extending from Port Arthur
and west to the coast of British Columbia. He is now a member of the firm
of Allan, Killam & McKay, and manager of the Edmonton branch of that
house.
Mr. Kelly gives his allegiance to the conservative party and is well known
in local affairs, having served as mayor of Brandon, in 1890-91, being elected
by acclamation. Socially he is an active member of the St. Charles Country
Club, an honorary life member of the Brandon Club, and prominent in the
affairs of the Manitoba Club. Preeminently an organizer and promoter, he
has been successful in the handling of large affairs and has proven his power
to coordinate and develop the various phases of modern industrial life. An
unusual prosperity has resulted from unusual ability and has made the name
of Andrew Kelly synonymous with activity and accomplishment.
G. E. DAVIDSON.
G. E. Davidson, councilor of Manitou, who is extensively engaged in the
lumber business in this district, is a native of the province of Quebec, his birth
occurring on the 4th of May, 1868, and a son of John and Cecelia (Somer-
ville) Davidson. The parents were born, reared and married in Quebec, where
they passed the early period of their domestic life. In 1878 the father crossed
the country with his family in a prairie schooner, drawn by oxen, and located
on a homestead five miles north of Manitou. There he resumed his agri-
cultural pursuits, experiencing all of the hardships and difficulties encountered
by the majority of the frontiersmen. The country was but sparsely settled
at that time and their nearest trading point was Emerson, and as the roads
were poor the journey consumed too much time to be often made. Through
the diligent application of himself and sons Mr. Davidson gradually brought
his land under cultivation and replaced the crude buildings first erected on
his place with more pretentious structures. He has now retired from active
work and makes his home in Manitou, but still owns his ranch, which is oper-
ated by his youngest son. The mother is deceased. The family of Mr. and
Mrs. Davidson numbered nine, our subject being the eldest. In order of birth
the others are as follows: John R., who is engaged in the practice of medi-
cine at Winnipeg; Clara E., the wife of the Rev. J. N. MacClean, of Missoula,
Montana; Alice M., the wife of Fred Hamilton, of Winnipeg; I. H., a physician
of Manitou, whose biography appears in this work ; Lilly Agnes, who married
Frank Macintosh, of Manitou; Emery L. S. ; Reuben L., a druggist, of Swan
Lake, Manitoba ; and Joseph W., who is at home. In his earlier life the father
took an active interest in municipal affairs and served for years as councilor,
in which capacity he gave efficient service.
G. E. Davidson, who was only a child of ten years when he accompanied
his parents on their removal to Manitoba, pursued his education in the district
school located in the vicinity of his father's farm. The eldest son of a large
family, many of the minor tasks about the homestead early devolved upon him,
Vol. Ill 1 2
256 THE STORY OF MANITOBA
his duties being increased from year to year as his strength and sense of respon-
sibility developed until long before he had attained his maturity he was
thoroughly familiar with the practical methods of tilling the fields and caring
for the crops. After leaving school he remained at home and continued to
assist with the cultivation of the farm until he was eighteen, when he went
to work in an elevator. Three or four years later he gave up this employ-
ment and took a position in a lumberyard. The latter business proved to be
to his liking, and he resolved to master its every detail in order to qualify
himself to adopt it as a permanent vocation. He has ever since been identi-
fied with the lumber trade, in which he has met with a good measure of suc-
cess, and now has yards established at Altamont, Darlingford, Kalida and
Manitou, in all of which he is doing a thriving business. .
On the 13th of August, 1896, Mr. Davidson was married to Miss Mabel
Kerr, and to them were born three children, as follows: Henry Clifford, who
is deceased; Gordon Ralston; and Mabel Maud.
The parents are members of the Presbyterian church, and fraternally Mr.
Davidson is affiliated with the Masonic lodge and Independent Order of For-
esters. He has always taken an active part in politics, being a strong liberal.
In 1907 Mr. Davidson contested the seat for the provincial parliament against
Hon. Robert Rodgers and, although he failed in the election, made a big reduc-
tion in the majority, as this has always been a very strong conservative section of
the country. He is one of the public-spirited, enterprising citizens of the
district, taking an active interest in everything that will tend to forward the
development of the municipality, his efforts in this direction being manifested
in private life as well as in the discharge of his duties of councilor, in which
capacity he is now serving.
F. ARTHUR WILLIAMS.
It is a well recognized fact that in the professional and business life of
today the younger generation is forging to the front, assuming positions of
responsibility and becoming identified with important affairs. Prominent
among the young men of Killarney who are accomplishing results in profes-
sional life is numbered F. Arthur Williams, treasurer and clerk of the Kil-
larney district, who, although he is only thirty-two years of age, is neverthe-
less making his influence felt in legal circles. His family has long been an
honored one in this section, to which the parents of our subject came as
pioneers, and Mr. Williams has proved himself a worthy representative of the
name. His birth occurred in Wroxeter, Ontario, December 4, 1880, and he
is a son of John and Mary (Clark) Williams, the former a native of Ireland
and the latter of Ontario. They came to Manitoba about the year 1876 and
the father took up land which is now the town site of Killarney. He returned
to Ontario but in 1881 came back to his farm in Manitoba and built upon it
a log cabin in which he resided for a number of years. In Ontario he worked
as a druggist but in Manitoba gave his attention to farming. Mr. and Mrs.
John Williams became the parents of five children: F. Arthur, of this review;
Elizabeth Dorothea, the wife of Jesse P. Tripp, of Oxbow, Saskatchewan;
Leonore, who married Edward Sehel, of Lethbridge; Walter, deceased; and
Ruth, who lives at home.
F. Arthur Williams attended the public schools and is a graduate of the
Killarney high school. He supplemented this by a course in the Winnipeg
Normal School, after which he taught school for three years and a half.
Finally, however, he took up the study of law and was graduated from the
Manitoba Law Society in 1911. He has built up an excellent business as a
solicitor, and as treasurer and clerk of Killarney is evidencing the loyalty and
enterprise which are the most effective qualities in his public spirit.
THE STORY OF MANITOBA 257
On October 19, 1910, Mr. Williams married Miss Bessie Weir, a daughter
of William Weir. He belongs to the Masonic order and is active in the affairs of
the Rebekahs and the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. He is a member
of the Presbyterian church. His interests are thoroughly identified with those of
the Killarney district and his influence has already begun to be felt in his
profession and in the promotion of the general upbuilding of this part of
the province.
WILLIAM BUCHANNON.
Farming in its most progressive and modern aspects finds a worthy repre-
sentative in William Buchannon, one of the most prominent and energetic
agriculturists of the Dauphin district, his holdings aggregating eleven hun-
dred and twenty acres and being located on township 25, range 19. He has
operated part of this farm since about 1893, in which year he acquired title,
as shown by copy of the official document reproduced at the end of this sketch.
His capable management and successful work have gained him a high place
among the active agriculturists of his district. Mr. Buchannon is a descendant
of an old Irish family and was born in County Tyrone, June 17, 1865. He
came to Canada with his parents in 1872 and with them settled in Parry Sound,
Ontario, where the father died only five years later, in 1877. The mother of
our subject is now residing in Dauphin, this province.
William Buchannon received his education in the public schools of Parry
Sound and laid aside his schoolbooks at the age of twelve. He is truly a self-
made man, for from that early age he has been entirely dependent upon his
own resources. After leaving school he at once began working upon neigh-
boring farms and was also engaged in the lumber camps for a number of
years. His father being dead, the support of the family rested upon his
shoulders and he early learned lessons in thrift, independence and resource-
fulness, upon which he has built his success. In the fall of 1893 Mr.
Buchannon arrived in Manitoba, coming from Muskoka, Ontario, and having
spent a year in the Dakotas. He located on the northwest quarter section of
section 9, township 25, range 19, in the Dauphin district, buying his land
from the Canadian Pacific Railroad. He obtained possession from a squatter,
to whom he paid one hundred dollars for his improvements, which consisted
of about twenty acres that had been broken. Mr. Buchannon now has this
whole one hundred and sixty acres broken and under cultivation, having har-
vested last season about five thousand bushels of good grain, which he sold
at the ruling prices. From time to time he made substantial improvements,
building barns, granaries and a silo and fencing his acres into convenient
fields. He now uses four horse teams to work this land, saving a great sum
each year in labor. He also carries on an average of eight head of cattle
and ten hogs, as his farm is more adapted to grain land than to stock-raising.
Fifteen acres are in timothy, which has yielded him a fair crop for the past
three seasons. Wheat is his staple crop and has never failed him, as he always
takes good precaution to farm his land well and get in the crop at the right
time in spring. Recently Mr. Buchannon has bought another quarter section,
close to his original holdings, which he intends to use more largely as a stock
farm, as it is especially adapted to that purpose. As the years have passed
he has acquired title to other tracts of land, his holdings now comprising
eleven hundred and twenty acres, on which he engages in mixed farming.
He keeps about sixty head of cattle thereon and it needs thirty-six horses to
do the work of cultivation.
When Mr. Buchannon arrived in Manitoba his sole capital consisted of
four hundred and fifty dollars and he had no stock or implements whatsoever,
but has now a modern and complete outfit, including modern machinery,
258 THE STORY OF MANITOBA
sleighs, wagons, a binder, gang plow, seed drill, harrows, buggies and all other
equipment suitable to conduct farming operations along progressive lines.
He has also made profits from the sale of a fine grade of gravel found upon
his farm and is supplying the city of Dauphin and the surrounding district
with this product.
In November, 1898, Mr. Buchannon married Miss Jessie Wisheart, a
daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Robert Wisheart, the former a pioneer farmer of
the Dauphin district. He came to this section as one of the volunteers and
was active in the suppression of the Riel rebellion in 1870 and also aided in
the building of Fort Garry. Mr. and Mrs. Buchannon are adherents of the
Presbyterian church.
Mr. Buchannon is a conservative in his political belief and interested in
the growth and progress of his section. He considers this one of the best
countries for any one to start in who has a fair knowledge of farming and is
willing to work and live economically for the iirst few years until he has
gained a foothold. As he expresses it, it does not matter much if one who
wants to make a success has capital or not, if but the willingness, endurance
and knowledge " is there. In fact he expresses it as his experience that the
majority of people who have prospered have landed here with but small capital.
He belongs to the Manitoba Grain Growers Association and is a member of
the Knights of Pythias and the Loyal Order of Orangemen. His success must
be primarily attributed to hard work and secondly to the intelligent way in
which he has directed his labors. He is truly public-spirited, interested in
many movements for the general growth and particularly in everything per-
taining to the agricultural development of the province, which he has himself
done so much to promote.
As a document of interest we append a copy of the deed which states how
he paid the squatter for his improvements when he acquired his first quarter
section, the paper having been written with the help of cold black tea, as there
was no ink on hand for that purpose. It reads as follows :
"Lake Dauphin, November 13, 1893.
I, undersigned, agree to forfeit all claim whatsoever on the northwest
quarter of section 9, township 25, range 19, west, in favor of Mr. W. Buch-
annon, for which I have received the sum of ninety dollars (cash), also six
sacks of flour, same to be paid before this date, 1894. I also agree to pay
Mr. Buchannon one spring pig in spring of 1894.
(Is) PAUL WOOD.
> >
R. E. TRUMBEL.
R. E. Trumbel, vice president and managing director of the Empire Brew-
ing Company, is a native of Sunbury county, New Brunswick, having been
born on the 26th of March, 1858. He is a son of John Robert and Sarah
(Rolins) Trumbel, both of whom are deceased, the father having passed away
in 1901 and the mother in 1902, and are buried at Woodstock, Ontario. The
energies of the father were largely devoted to agricultural pursuits, but in
his early life he also engaged in the lumber business.
The boyhood and early youth of R. E. Trumbel were largely passed near
Woodstock, Ontario, where he pursued his education in the district schools
until he was sixteen years of age. He then crossed the border into the United
States and for twelve years thereafter worked in the lumber camps of Mich-
igan, holding the position of foreman during a portion of that time. Later he
came to Manitoba, engaging in the wholesale liquor business in Virden, Man-
itoba, with a branch at Moosomin, Saskatchewan. He subsequently disposed
of his interests there and came to Brandon, where he established a wholesale
R. E. TRUMBEL
THE STORY OF MANITOBA 261
liquor business in 1902. Two years later he disposed of his establishment and
joined. the Empire Brewing Company, their output largely being ale, although
they began about the same time to operate a soda factory on Rosser avenue.
The company met with a fair measure of success along both lines and in 1906
they built a new brewery and the following year erected a new soda factory
adjoining. Both buildings are substantially constructed and provided with
an equipment which is thoroughly modern and enables them to promptly fill
the orders of a continuously increasing patronage.
At Virden, Manitoba, on the 28th of December, 1885, Mr. Trumbel was
united in marriage to Miss Emily Ellen Wyatt, a daughter of Mr. and Mrs.
William G. Wyatt, both of whom have passed away and are buried at Virden.
To Mr. and Mrs. Trumbel have been born four sons and a daughter, as fol-
lows: Robert C., who is engaged in the clothing business in Brandon; Fred-
erick E., a fruit farmer in British Columbia; Orville E., who is in the clothing
business with his brother Robert C. ; Bertha Meryle, a student in Bishop Strome
College; and G. Reuben, a student in Brandon Collegiate Institute. The fam-
ily home is located at No. 354 Eleventh street, where they have a very pleasant
residence.
The family are members of the Church of England, and fraternally Mr.
Trumbel is a member of the Masonic lodge, of which he is a past master. He
is also affiliated with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and is now sub-
ordinate campman of the latter organization. He maintains relations with
the other members of his business through the medium of his connection with
the Western Brewers Association, of which he is president. It is an organiza-
tion of western Canada and admits to membership all brewers in Manitoba,
Saskatchewan, Alberta and the eastern portion of British Columbia. In mat-
ters of citizenship Mr. Trumbel is public-spirited and is one of the enthusias-
tic members of the Brandon and Commercial Clubs. Politically he is inde-
pendent, giving his support to the man he deems best qualified to meet the
requirements of the office, irrespective of party connection. The business inter-
ests of Mr. Trumbel have not been confined to the development of his industry,
but have extended into other fields, and he was one of the founders of the
Travelers Loan & Investment Company, of which he is now the president. His
undertakings have been directed in a well organized and systematic manner
and in their development he has met with highly deserved success. Mr. Trumbel
is a man of clear foresight and keen discernment, which qualities, as well as his
upright principles and honorable method of conducting his transactions, have
served to number him among the representative business men of the com-
munity.
JAMES ANDERSON, SB.
James Anderson,. Sr., is the owner of a farm of eight hundred acres located
in township 13, range 24, in the vicinity of Pope, Hamiota municipality, which
he has been cultivating for more than thirty years. He came here from
Blanchard township, Perth county, Ontario, but is a native of Scotland, having
been born in Lonmay parish on the 6th of September, 1849. He is a son of
Charles and Rebecca (Robe) Anderson, who were born, reared and married
in the old country, where the father engaged in farming. There he passed
away in 1859, at the age of forty-eight years, and was buried in the Lonmay
cemetery. The mother subsequently came to Canada, locating in Ontario,
where her death occurred in November, 1881, in her sixty-seventh year. She
was laid to rest in Kirkton.
The early life of James Anderson, Sr., was passed in his native land, his
education being pursued in the parish schools of Lonmay. At the age of
fourteen he terminated his student days and began to assist with the work on
262 THE STORY OF MANITOBA
the home farm. When he was nineteen he left the parental roof and started
out for himself, being employed as a farm laborer until he came to Canada.
He made the journey by way of Quebec and Montreal, Whitby (Ontario)
being his destination. The first two years of his residence in this country
were passed in Pickering, that province, where he worked out as a farm hand.
At the expiration of that period he went to Blanchard, Perth county, where
he farmed as a renter for twelve years. In 1882 he continued his journey
westward to Manitoba, traveling by train until he reached the railway terminal.
He was eighteen days coming from Blanchard to Winnipeg, the train having
been delayed by a heavy snow storm, and as he had not provided sufficient
feed for his horses he was compelled to buy 'hay while en route, paying twenty
dollars per ton for it. He came from Brandon to the location of his home-
stead by team and upon reaching his destination erected a tent in which to
live and made a dug-out stable for his horses. His early years on the prairies
of Manitoba brought him many unusual experiences, involving innumerable
hardships and privations. He is not easily discouraged, however, and clung
to his purpose with the tenacity and determination which invariably means
ultimate victory. As the years passed success came to him and as opportunity
afforded he increased his holdings until he now owns eight hundred acres of
land, three hundred and twenty acres of which is under cultivation and is
yielding him abundant harvests. His fields are planted to such crops as are
best adapted to the soil and in connection with farming he is engaged in
stock-raising. He keeps about forty cattle, ten head of which he annually
stall-feeds for the market, twenty horses, some swine and several hundred
fowl.
Pickering, Ontario, was the scene of Mr. Anderson's marriage to Miss Ann
Lorimer, a daughter of William and Ann (Bernie) Lorimer, the event being
celebrated on the 3d of August, 1871. The parents passed their entire lives
in Scotland, where the father engaged in farming. He passed away in 1872
and the mother in 1889, and both are buried in the Pitsligo cemetery. To
Mr. and Mrs. Anderson have been born eleven children, three of whom died
in infancy. In order of birth those who attained maturity are as follows:
James, Jr., whose biography appears in this work; Charles, who passed away
on the 28th of September, 1912, and is buried in Scotia ; Joseph, who is farm-
ing in this township; Oliver J., who is operating his farm in Saskatchewan;
Colin Fletcher, a foreman in a bridge construction crew; Mabel and Alice M.,
who are residing at home ; and Clarence L., a student at Winnipeg Collegiate
Institute. The family are members of the Presbyterian church.
Mr. Anderson is one of the enterprising and progressive agriculturists of
his community as well as one of its most prosperous citizens. He takes great
pride in his farm, on which he has erected substantial buildings and has installed
many modern conveniences, thus enhancing the appearance and value of the
property. Both as a business man and private citizen Mr. Anderson is held
in high repute by his neighbors and fellow townsmen. He supports the lib-
eral party, but does not actively participate in local politics, although he is
not remiss in matters of citizenship, but is always ready to indorse any move-
ment he feels will promote the intellectual, moral or material welfare of the
community.
EPHRAIM REID.
Ephraim Reid, manager of McConnell Brothers wareroom, has been a resi-
dent of Manitoba for twenty years, during the greater portion of which time
he has been identified with agricultural pursuits, He is of Scotch lineage,
but was born in Renfrew county, Ontario, his natal day being the 4th of April,
1853, his parents being Ephraim and Elizabeth (Semple) Reid. The father
THE STORY OF MANITOBA 263
was one of the pioneer woolen manufacturers of Renfrew county, where he
.passed away in 1887. In matters of citizenship he was public-spirited, taking
an active interest in all things pertaining to the welfare of the municipality,
and being a stanch supporter of the liberal party. He was long survived by
the mother, whose death occurred in 1899. They are both buried in Admaston
cemetery in the vicinity of Renfrew.
The boyhood and youth of Ephraim Reid were passed in the home of his
parents, his education being pursued in the public schools. At the age of
fifteen years he left school and began assisting his father in the mill, being
identified with the woolen industry until he removed to Manitoba in 1893.
When he first came to this province he settled in Brandon, where he followed
the carpenter's trade. He subsequently turned his attention to agricultural
pursuits and for two years operated a leased farm in the vicinity of Alexander.
At the expiration of that time he purchased four hundred and eighty acres of
wild land near Hamiota, diligently applying himself to its development for
many years. Practical methods diligently and systematically pursued
wrought a marvelous change in the place, which he ultimately converted into
one of the attractive and valuable properties of the community. His fields
were brought into a high state of productivity and each year witnessed other
marked improvements in his farm, the crude buildings first erected having
been replaced by more substantial structures, while various conveniences were
installed about the premises from time to time. After the death of his wife
Mr. Reid sold his farm and removed to Hamiota and here since 1908 he has
been manager of the wareroom of McConnell Brothers and he is also dealing
in real estate.
At Perth, Lanark county, Ontario, on the 28th of July, 1885, Mr. Reid
was married to Miss Rosenna Lewis, a daughter of James Lewis, a pioneer
agriculturist of Drummond township, Lanark county, where both he and the
mother passed away. To Mr. and Mrs. Reid there were born six children,
as follows: Samuel, who is an employe of the Canadian Pacific Railroad
Company; Lucinda, the wife of Charles Gardener, a piano agent; Ephraim,
Jr., a conductor on the Canadian Pacific Railroad; Elizabeth and Hazel R.,
who are residing at home; and Wilburt, who is attending school. The wife
and mother passed away on January 1, 1904, and was laid to rest in the
Hamiota cemetery.
Mr. Reid is a member of the Presbyterian church, as was also his wife,
and his fraternal relations are confined to his connection with the Masonic
order, in which he has taken the degrees of the blue lodge. He supports the
liberal party but has never figured prominently in political affairs, always
having concentrated his entire attention upon his personal interests; at the
same time he is not remiss. in matters of citizenship but can be depended upon
to assist in forwarding every movement he feels will promote the progress
of the municipality or the well being of its citizens.
B. R. McNAUOHT.
The drug trade of Hamiota finds a worthy representative in the person of
B. R. McNaught, who for ten years has been the proprietor of one of the city's
leading pharmacies. He was born in Seaforth, Huron county, Ontario, on the
25th of February, 1875, and is a son of David and Rebecca (Ross) McNaught.
The family on the paternal line is of Scotch extraction, but they were pio-
neers of Ontario. The father, who was one of the first to engage in the prac-
tice of veterinary surgery at Seaforth, removed with his family in 1881 to
the Rapid City district, Manitoba, and has ever since been a resident of this
province. Of recent years he has been actively identified with public affairs
264 THE STOEY OF MANITOBA
and has represented the Marquette constituency in the provincial parliament
for three consecutive terms. He is now living in Rapid City.
The greater part of the life of B. R. McNaught has been passed in Mani-
toba, as he Was only a child of six years when he accompanied his parents on
their removal from Ontario. He pursued his education in the public schools
of Rapid City, following which he identified himself with business activities,
having decided to adopt a commercial career. Early in his experience he per-
manently decided in favor of the drug trade and was employed in stores at
various points in Canada and the United States, having spent four years as
a clerk in a pharmacy at Superior, Wisconsin. He subsequently returned to
Manitoba and matriculated in the College of Pharmacy at Winnipeg, from
which institution he was graduated, January 3, 1901. His previous experience
as a clerk had well acquainted him with the commercial side of the profession
and he was in every way well qualified to establish and successfully develop
a business of his own. Therefore, the following year, he became the proprietor
of the pharmacy he is now conducting in Hamiota and has met with unquali-
fied success in its conduct. He has always given special attention to his pre-
scription department, in the interest of which he carries a large assortment
of drugs of a superior quality, and he also handles toilet articles and such sun-
dries as are to be found in a store of this kind. Mr. McNaught erected the
building where his business is located, designing it with special attention to
his particular requirements. He also built his residence and has acquired
other desirable property interests since locating here.
In Hamiota on the 1st of January, 1908, Mr. McNaught was married to
Miss Lena Hunkin, a daughter of Andrew and Elizabeth Hunkin, and to them
has been born a daughter, Margaret K.
Mr. and Mrs. McNaught are adherents of the Presbyterian church, and
fraternally he is affiliated with the Masonic order, having taken the degrees'
of the blue lodge, while in politics he is a liberal. By reason of his systematic
methods and constant perseverance Mr. McNaught is making creditable
advancement in his commercial career, and is numbered among the progressive
and enterprising business men of the city.
JOHN L. WATSON.
With the passing years has come a wonderful development in the real-
estate business. Memory harks back to the time when a prospective buyer
sought out property which he desired and personally negotiated with the owner
for its purchase. Today the real-estate business has become as greatly sys-
tematized as any commercial pursuit; the situation is studied, well laid plans
are carefully executed and the real-estate dealer has become an important
factor in the colonization, development and improvement of country and of
city. Prominent in this connection is John L. Watson, conducting an exten-
sive business under the name of the John L. Watson Land Company. He
makes a specialty of handling farm lands in the Yorkton-Togo district and
also handles Winnipeg suburban farms and city real estate. He has made
continuous advancement in his business career, wisely utilizing time, talents
and opportunities until he has reached a place of recognized prominence in
his chosen field of labor. He was born across the border, his birth having
occurred at Rochester, Minnesota, in February, 1871. His parents were J. P.
and Amelia (Griffin) Watson, the former a native of Lincolnshire, England,
reared at Sarnia, Ontario, and the latter of the state of New York. In 1860
the father went to Minnesota and in 1873 removed from Rochester to Marshall,
that state, where he established a hardware business. He has since passed
away but the mother still resides in Marshall and with the assistance of her
I
JOHN L. WATSON
THE STORY OF MANITOBA 267
two sons-in-law conducts the hardware store which her husband established in
1873 and which is carried on under the name of the Watson Hardware Company.
John L. Watson was educated in the public schools of Marshall, passing
through consecutive grades until he became a high-school student. He put aside
his text-books when in his senior year and removed to the state of Washing-
ton, where for two years he was engaged in railroad construction. In 1891
he returned to Marshall, where he entered the hardware store of which he
later became a partner, continuing in the business for about eleven years, or
until February, 1902. Seeking still broader opportunities which he believed
would yield more ready and substantial returns, he went to St. Paul and there
opened an office for the sale of farm lands. Noting the rapid settlement and
development of Manitoba, he came to Winnipeg in May, 1904, and was here
engaged in field work, cruising and locating settlers for the land department
of the Canadian Northern Railway. When two years had gone by he became
Canadian manager of farm lands for the Burchard-Hulburt Investment Com-
pany of St. Paul, colonizing settlers in the Yorkton-Togo district. He remained
as representative of that corporation until May, 1909, when he took over the
balance of their Canadian holdings and embarked in business on his own
account under the name of the John L. Watson Land Company. He is still
largely handling farm lands in the Yorkton-Togo district but also buys and
sells farming property in the suburbs of Winnipeg and maintains a city real-
estate department. He is principally engaged in bringing colonies from the
United States into the rich agricultural districts of the north and thus is greatly
promoting the upbuilding and development of the province, his work being
of far-reaching and beneficial effect.
On the 20th of May, 1896, Mr. Watson was married, in Wahpeton, North
Dakota, to Miss Maude W. Howry, of that place, and they have one son, Wil-
bur H. Mr. Watson holds membership with the Masonic fraternity and in
his life exemplifies the beneficent spirit of the craft. In 1911 Mr. Watson was
naturalized as a British subject, giving thereby evidence of his entire accord
with Canadian interests. Laudable ambition at the outset of his career
prompted him to utilize his time to the best advantage and each forward step
he has made has brought him a broader outlook and wider opportunities. He
early realized that success is the result of individual effort, intelligently directed,
and 'that " there is no royal road to wealth." Understanding these things, he
has' placed his dependence upon the sure and substantial qualities of energy,
persistence and careful consideration of each step to be made and has found
that success is ambition's answer.
JAMES CHAPMAN.
More than thirty years have elapsed since James Chapman became identi-
fied with the agricultural interests of the Killarney district, where during the
interim he has acquired the title to. thirteen hundred and twenty acres of
fertile land, on which he has made extensive improvements, his being one of
the finest farms in Turtle Mountain municipality. A native of Scotland, the
birth of Mr. Chapman occurred in Aberdeenshire on the 26th of January,
1860, his parents being William and Betsey (Jolly) Chapman, who were born,
reared and married in Scotland. The mother passed away in 1864, and for
his second wife the father took Ellen Angus, who survived him, her death
occurring in 1911. Together with his wife and family William Chapman
emigrated to America in 1870, going direct to Ontario, where he settled on a
farm. He had always engaged in mercantile activities in the old country, but
after he came to Canada he gave his undivided attention to agricultural pur-
suits, which he continued to follow until his death. To Mr. Chapman and his
first wife were born ten children, our subject being the youngest son and
268 THE STORY OF MANITOBA
ninth in order of birth. The other members of the family are as follows:
David, who is deceased; Mary, the wife of A. Beaton, of Scotland; Betsey,
who married A. Beaton, also of Scotland, but no relation to the former;
Isabella and William, who are deceased; Barbara, the wife of David Kilpat-
rick, of Gait, Ontario; Jane, who is deceased; George, who is a resident of
Manitoba; and Margaret, the wife of Thomas Hilton, of Manitoba. Of his
second marriage were born six children: John, who is a resident of Ontario;
Ellen, the wife of W. Davidson, of Prince Albert; Charles, who is a resident
of British Columbia; Peter, of Cobalt, Ontario; Andrew, who is deceased;
and Angus, who is a resident of Saskatchewan.
James Chapman, who was a lad of only ten years when he accompanied
his family on their emigration to America, completed his education in the
schools of Ontario. His agricultural training was received under his father
on the old homestead with the cultivation of which he assisted until he was
twenty-one. Soon after attaining his majority he left the parental roof and
started out for himself. The year 1882 witnessed his arrival in Manitoba,
and in the spring, as soon as the snow was off the ground, he filed on a home-
stead of a hundred and sixty acres, located six miles from Killarney, which
has ever since been his place of residence. His means were very limited and
after paying for the entry of his land he had enough money left to buy a
team of oxen, harness and plough and the lumber for a small house. Owing
to the state of his finances operations progressed very slowly for a few years,
as it was necessary for him to work for others in order to acquire the money
to promote the development of his own ranch. During the first summer he
did considerable plowing for others in order to obtain enough money to carry
him through the following winter and until he harvested his first crop. Con-
ditions were very favorable to the interests of the settlers, and although they
endured more or less hardships and privations, as do all who live on the
frontier, they never suffered from a crop failure. Until 1886 they were com-
pelled to haul their grain to Brandon, a distance of sixty miles, but in the
summer of the year last named the railway was extended from Manitou to
Boissevain, thus providing a home market. The development of the country
from that time on exceeded the expectations of even the most sanguine of
the pioneers, and their future success was assured. Mr. Chapman has ever
since enjoyed continual prosperity, and as the years have passed has increased
his landed interests by the purchase of adjoining tracts until he now holds
the title to thirteen hundred and twenty acres of land. The entire tract is
fenced and much under cultivation and here he is engaging in diversified
farming and stock-raising, making a specialty of the breeding of Clydesdale
horses and Shorthorn cattle, in which he has met with more than an average
degree of success. From time to time Mr. Chapman still further increased
the value of his place by the erection of substantial buildings, including an
attractive modern residence and commodious barns, all of which are kept in
good repair. That he has applied his energies intelligently and has directed
his undertakings with the foresight and sagacity which eventually bring suc-
cess in any line of business is evidenced by his present prosperity. Mr. Chap-
man values his personal property and chattels at fifty-five thousand dollars,
which he considers fair compensation for his efforts and feels highly satisfied
with the results of his thirty years of farming. It represents many years of
hard labor and continuous application, but the same amount of energy would
necessarily have been required to successfully develop any undertaking, and
but few activities could have been established on as small an amount of capital.
Mr. Chapman has been twice married. His first union was with Miss
Annie Beattie and to them were born two children: Cora Bertha, the wife of
Charles Davidson, of Manitoba; and Douglas James, who is living at home
and assisting his father with the operation of the farm. The wife and mother
passed away, and on the 16th of December, 1902, Mr. Chapman married his
present wife, known in her maidenhood as Margaret Golightly. She is a
THE STORY OF MANITOBA 269
daughter of John and Margaret (Boyd) Golightly, to whom were born twelve
children: Sarah, the wife of Joseph Colby, of Manitoba; Jean, who married
Alfred Horning, of Ontario ; James, who is a resident of North Dakota ; Anna,
the wife of William Horning, of Ontario; Margaret and Elizabeth, twins',
the former Mrs. Chapman and the latter the wife of Mr. Shelby; Mary, the
widow of George Harrison, of Winnipeg; John, who is residing in Carlisle,
Saskatchewan; Robert, who is living in Alberta; William and George, resi-
dents of British Columbia; and Thomas Oliver, of Manitoba. The father and
mother are both deceased.
Mr. and Mrs, Chapman are members of the Presbyterian church and num-
ber among its congregation many close friends. He takes an active interest
in public affairs or in any movement affecting the general development of
the municipality. He is now serving as school trustee and director of the
local agricultural society. Mr. Chapman has witnessed with interest the
marvelous development of this section of the province, which has far exceeded
his expectations. When he came here there were but two hundred miles of
railroad in Manitoba and traveling facilities were very poor, as is evidenced
by the fact that he spent four days coming from Wallington county, Ontario,
to Emerson, having left the former place on the 22d of March and reached
his destination on the 26th. He has never had any occasion to regret locating
in Killarney district, to the interests of which he is intensely loyal, ever ready
to accord his support to any movement he feels will forward the development
of its various public utilities or promote the general well-being of its citizens.
JAMES TODD.
James Todd is one of the widely known pioneers of Crandall, where he
has resided for practically thirty-five years, during the greater portion of
which time he has been identified with the commercial interests of the dis-
trict. A native of the province of Ontario, his birth occurred at Fergus on
the 10th of March, 1859, his parents being David and Sarah (McKay) Todd.
They were born and reared in Scotland, but in early life they came to America
and were among the first settlers in Fergus, where the father, who was a
machinist, followed his trade during the remainder of his active years. He
passed away in 1897 at the age of sixty-seven years and was buried in the
Fergus cemetery. The mother, however, who was seventy-eight at the time
of her death, which occurred in 1910, was laid to rest in the Belmore cemetery.
The boyhood and early youth of James Todd were very similar in every
respect to those of all pioneer lads. In the acquirement of an education he
attended the common schools of Salem, Ontario, until he was a lad of fourteen
years, when he laid aside his text-books and became self-supporting. During
the succeeding five years he worked for various farmers in that section of
the province, thus becoming thoroughly familiar with the duties of the agri-
culturist and qualifying himself to operate a place of his own. Believing that
the west afforded better opportunities to enterprising young men he came to
Manitoba in 1878. Soon after his arrival here he filed on a homestead in
the vicinity of Rapid City, and for four years thereafter gave his unqualified
attention to its improvement and cultivation. In 1882 he withdrew from
farming and going to Rapid City went into the grocery and flour business,
which he successfully followed for two years. At the expiration of that time
he went to the Rocky mountains and engaged in the restaurant business, fol-
lowing the Canadian Pacific Railroad Company as they extended their system
westward. In 1885 he returned to his homestead and resumed his agricul-
tural pursuits, which he followed for four years. His next removal was to
Oak River, where he established a general store, continuing in this business
at that point for twelve years. As he directed his undertaking in a capable
270 THE STORY OF MANITOBA
and energetic manner he met with more than an average degree of success,
and subsequently extended the scope of his activities by establishing a branch
store in Crandall. In 1902 Mr. Todd had the misfortune to be burned out
at Oak River, thus sustaining a loss of fifteen thousand dollars, and imme-
diately thereafter he removed to Crandall and has ever since devoted his
energies exclusively to the development of his business interests at this point.
As he carries a carefully assorted stock of merchandise, which he offers at
reasonable prices, and his methods of conducting his transactions are such as
to commend him to the confidence of the community, he has succeeded in gain-
ing a large patronage. He is also interested in the real-estate business and
has acquired some valuable holdings of his own, including a well-improved
ranch of four hundred and eighty acres, which he is renting. He likewise
owns his residence and the building where his store is located, both of which
he erected. As a business man and citizen Mr. Todd is held in high esteem
in the community, in the progress and development of which he has always
actively cooperated by extending his indorsement to every worthy movement
designed to advance the interests of the town.
In Rapid City on the 9th of April, 1879, Mr. Todd was married to Miss
Ajmie Burland, a daughter of B. and Hannah Burland, early settlers of Rapid
City, where they both passed away. The father was a farmer. To Mr. and
Mrs. Todd were born nine children: Maggie, who passed away at Victoria,
British Columbia, in 1910, at the age of twenty years, and is buried in Cran-
dall; Evelyn, the wife of Percy Bond, who is engaged in the real-estate busi-
ness at Calgary, Alberta; George, who is managing his father's business;
Bertha, who married A. Adams, junior partner of the firm of Bond & Adams,
real-estate dealers at No. 812 Second street, Calgary; David, who is proving
up on a homestead at Clancy, Saskatchewan; Annie, who married Harold
Shier, a farmer near Hamiota; Ida, who is keeping house for the family; and
Myrtle and Olive, who are attending school. The wife and mother passed
away on the 24th of June, 1912, at the age of fifty-three years, and was laid
to rest in the family lot in the Crandall cemetery.
Mr. Todd is a member of the Methodist church, as was also his wife, while
in politics he is independent. He is a man of good business principles, high
standards of citizenship and commendable traits of character, all of which
qualities have united in winning him the esteem and respect of his fellow-
townsmen, by whom he is held in favorable regard.
JEFFREY E. HANSFORD.
Jeffrey E. Hansford, called to the Ontario bar in 1888, and to the Man-
itoba bar in November, 1906, has since been continuously engaged in practice
in Winnipeg, specializing largely in corporation, realty and commercial law.
He is a native of Quebec and a son of the late Rev. William Hansford, D. D.
Liberal educational advantages were afforded him. He was educated in Stan-
sted College, Ontario public schools, collegiate institutes and Toronto University
and studied law at Osgoode Hall. As previously stated, he was called to the
bar in 1888 and for seventeen years he continued in practice in Toronto, but
thinking to find still broader opportunities in the west, he came to Winnipeg
and opened an office in this city. He was called to the bar of Manitoba and
granted the law degree ad enndum gradum by the Manitoba, University. His
previous experience and well earned reputation in Toronto qualified him for
the onerous professional duties which have devolved upon him since he came
to this city. His work is largely of a general character, including counsel and
assign practice, along which lines he is specializing, his reading and study
being directed particularly toward those ends. He maintains offices at the
new Union Trust building on Main street, near Portage avenue. He is also
J. E. HANSFORD
THE STORY OF MANITOBA 273
interested in several business enterprises and acts as solicitor and director for
numerous real-estate and manufacturing companies.
Mr. Hansford was married in Toronto to Miss Frances Henderson, a daugh-
ter of J. W. Henderson, of the North of Scotland Mortgage Company, of
Toronto, and they have three daughters, namely: Blossom, who is a graduate
of Manitoba College of the class of 1913 ; Muriel ; and Helen.
Mr. Hansford is a conservative and has always taken an active interest in
local political affairs. He has been several times on the executive of the Con-
servative Association both here and in the east. He holds membership in the
Adanac Club, the Military Institute, and is a Scottish Rite Mason, being past
master of Northern Light Lodge, No. 10, F. & A. M. He also belongs to the
Independent Order of Odd Fellows in Toronto and the Orange order. He
is a captain in the Ninetieth Regiment of Winnipeg Rifles, which commission
he has held for several years. All that makes up life in Winnipeg in its better
phases is familiar to him and progressive projects receive his indorsement and
hearty cooperation.
J. H. McCONNELL.
Varied business interests have engaged the energies of J. H. McConnell,
of the firm of McConnell Brothers, and one of the most progressive and enter-
prising representatives of the commercial fraternity of Hamiota. High com-
mendation should be given to Mr. McConnell for the success he has achieved,
as he is both a self-made and self-educated man, never having been given the
advantage of attending school, while he has been entirely dependent upon his
own resources since he was a lad of nine years. His birth occurred in
Ontario, on the 28th of October, 1863, his parents being John and Catherine
(Delaney) McConnell. The father, who was a farmer, came to Manitoba in
1883 and took up a homestead in the vicinity of Hamiota. He so capably
directed the development of his holding that he was later able to extend the
boundaries of his farm by the purchase of adjoining property, until at the
time of his death in 1906 he owned eleven hundred and twenty acres, the
greater part of it in a high state of productivity. He was survived by the
mother, who passed away in 1908. They are both buried on the family lot
in the Hamiota cemetery. To Mr. and Mrs. McConnell were born six sons
and one daughter, in the following order: Andrew, a farmer, residing in
McConnell, which town was named for him; Annie, who passed away in 1900,
and is buried in Hamiota; J. H., our subject; Robert, whose death occurred
in 1903, also buried in Hamiota; Edward and William, prominent agricul-
turists of this district; and James GL, who is the other member of the firm of
McConnell Brothers.
The childhood of J. H. McConnell was rather hard and uninteresting, as
at the tender age of nine years he became a wage-earner. During the suc-
ceeding ten years he worked out on a farm, but at the expiration of that time
he came to Manitoba and the same year, in 1882, he filed on a. homestead in
the vicinity of .Hamiota. Later he traded his holding for a piece of property
in Winnipeg, to which city he subsequently removed and went into the wood
business. He engaged in this activity with a fair measure of success for eight
years, and then removed to Hamiota, Here he embarked in the lumber busi-
ness, importing the first fifteen cars of lumber brought into the town and the
greater portion of the building material used in the construction of the first
houses and business blocks. Later he extended the scope of his activities by
putting in a stock of farm implements and also engaged in auctioneering.
Subsequently he began carrying undertaking supplies and imported the first
hearse that was ever taken west of Brandon in Manitoba. He has now with-
drawn from the lumber business, but still engages in the other lines and also
274 THE STORY OF MANITOBA
/
deals quite extensively in real estate. Mr. McConnell is a man of unusual
ability and keen discernment in matters of business, as he has most ably mani-
fested on innumerable occasions during the period of his residence in Hamiota.
He is far-sighted and constructive, and anything he undertakes is directed
with the surety and well-defined purpose which invariably achieves success.
In Hamiota, on Christmas day, 1887, Mr. McConnell was married to Miss
Minnie M. Brown, a daughter of W. L. and Margaret (McLaughlin) Brown,
the father having been a contractor under Langdon & Shepperd, who built
the Canadian Pacific Railroad. To Mr. and Mrs. McConnell have been born
five children : Gertrude, who is living at home ; Pearl, who graduated in music
from Toronto University; Mildred, who is attending school; Dr. Lome H.,
who is engaged in practice in Saskatoon and was awarded the Hutchinson
gold medal; and Clarence, who is going to school.
The family are members of the Presbyterian church, and fraternally Mr.
McConnell is a Mason and he also belongs to the Chosen Order of Friends.
Politically he supports the liberal party. He owns his residence, one of the
finest in the city, and he is also interested in other real estate, while the firm
of McConnell Brothers own their warehouses and business site. Mr. McCon-
nell 's career and achievements should be an inspiration to every enterprising,
ambitious youth, as it is another proof that success is a matter of capably
directed energy and well-defined purpose rather than a fortunate combina-
tion of favorable circumstances. He is a man of unremitting zeal and the
tenacity of purpose that never recognizes defeat, and although he has met
with the obstacles and apparently insurmountable difficulties that confront
all who engage in business, particularly those who are striving to float an
enterprise on limited capital, his persistent determination and resolute spirit
have always enabled him to carry anything he has undertaken to a successful
issue. As a result he is recognized as one of the foremost business men of
Hamiota, where he is accorded the respect invariably paid to success in any
line of endeavor.
GEORGE CLEMENTS.
During the years of his active business connections with Winnipeg George
Clements not only conducted one of the best known tailoring establishments
but also dealt in real estate and displayed unusual foresight in conducting his
purchases and sales of property. His keen insight and capable management
in business affairs at length brought him substantial and well-merited success.
That he had great faith in "Winnipeg and her future is evidenced by his real-
estate investments.
England numbered Mr. Clements among her native sons. He was born at
Reading, Berkshire, in 1848, and his people always remained residents of that
country. He pursued his education in the schools there and when a youth
met with an accident which necessitated the amputation of his left leg. This
disqualified him for certain kinds of labor and, wishing to adapt himself to
this condition, he learned the tailor's trade, becoming an excellent workman
in that line. Feeling that perhaps he might have better opportunities in the
new world he made his way to Ontario in 1872 and followed his trade in that
province for two years. Still the west beckoned him and in 1874 he made
a trip down the Red river on the first boat that navigated that stream in that
spring. Proceeding to Winnipeg he accepted a position as tailor in a large
general store here, but in the fall of 1874 practically began business on his
own account. The following year he opened a tailor shop on Main street,
where he continued for some years and then removed to Portage avenue. His
excellent workmanship, .his reasonable prices and his honorable dealing were
the factors that brought him continuous success in that line. He did not
THE STORY OF MANITOBA 275
confine his attention entirely, however, to his tailoring establishment but dealt
to a considerable extent in real estate, buying and selling property. In 1880
he built a terrace on Hargrave street, between Portage and Ellice, notwith-
standing the predictions of failure on the part of the public, who thought it
a wild plan to build so far out in the country. This, however, was an example
of his prescience and insight, for that property is today in the business sec-
tion of the city. In all of his real-estate transactions he seemed to anticipate
future changes and possibilities and that his judgment was sound is indicated
in the results that followed his labors.
In 1873, in Ontario, Mr. Clements was united in marriage to Miss Mary
Keirstead, who was born in Quebec, a daughter of Daniel and Hannah
(Ferguson) Keirstead, the father a boot and shoe merchant of Ontario. Mr.
and Mrs. Clements became the parents of eight children, of whom six are yet
living, namely: George, of George Clements & Brothers, real-estate dealers
of Winnipeg ; Katie Mary Alice, who gave her hand in marriage to W. J.
Spence, by whom she has three children, Kathleen Mary, Howard and Mar-
jorie; William A., of Saskatoon, who married Mabelle Hayes and has three
children, Arthur, Gwendoline and Margaret ; A. Victor ; Mabel W. ; and
Charles Alexander. Two of the children have passed away. George Clements
married Miss Annie Lawler and has three children, George Lawrence Patrick,
Ruby and Georgina. The family circle was broken by the hand of death when
on the 3d of March, 1906, Mr. Clements was called to his final rest. He had
for almost a third of a century been a resident of Winnipeg and throughout
that period had enjoyed the respect, confidence and good-will of his fellow
townsmen. In politics he was a supporter of the conservative party and he
was frequently offered the candidacy for office but always declined, having no
ambition in that direction. He held membership with the Independent Order
of Odd Fellows and for years was a member of the Holy Trinity church, but
afterward attended the First Baptist church with his wife. His was an
upright, honorable life in which there were no spectacular phases, but his
loyalty to all the duties that devolved upon him in public and private con-
nections made him a respected and worthy resident of his adopted city.
ROLAND F. F. MIDDLETON.
Diversified farming and stock-raising successfully engage the energies of
Roland F. F. Middleton, who owns six hundred and forty acres of land in
township 14, range 23, Viola Dale district. The greater part of Mr. Middle-
ton's life has been passed in Manitoba, although he is a native of Huron county,
Ontario, his birth having occurred on the 8th of January, 1877. His parents,
Francis and Margaret Ann (Brown) Middleton, were among the first settlers in
this district, having taken up their residence here in 1879. The father at that
time took up a homestead, which formed the nucleus of the farm now owned by
our subject, adding to his tract until it embraced six hundred and forty acres.
Their nearest trading post was then Brandon, which is located fifty miles away,
and as the roads were poor, in many instances being little more than wagon
tracks across the prairies, it was difficult for the settlers to obtain supplies.
Recognizing the need in the community of a local store Mr. Middleton resolved
to establish one, although such an undertaking was fraught with innumerable
difficulties owing to the distance merchandise would have to be hauled. Never-
theless despite the obstacles which confronted him he carried out his pur-
pose, thus becoming the pioneer merchant of Viola Dale. The mail for the
residents of this community at that time was sent to Rapid City, the nearest
postoffice, from which point he used to bring it on horseback. Later the Can-
adian Pacific Railroad Company began running a stage coach from Griswold
to Viola Dale, which was then made a postoffice. Mr. Middleton was appointed
276 THE STORY OP MANITOBA
postmaster and kept the mail at his house, which was also the stage coach ter-
minal. In connection with his various other duties he was developing his
farm, continuing to be identified with both the agricultural and commercial
interests of this district until his retirement from active business. Both he
and the mother are still living. In matters of citizenship Mr. Middleton is
both public-spirited and progressive, actively cooperating in every movement
inaugurated for the betterment of the community, and for fifteen years he
was treasurer of the Viola Dale school board, giving the efficient service in
this connection which has characterized him in everything he has undertaken.
Eoland F. F. Middleton, who was only a child of two years when he came
to Viola Dale with his parents, began his education in the district schools of
this vicinity. Later he became a student of the Brandon Academy and also
the Manitoba Normal School of Winnipeg, being graduated from the latter
institution with honors and awarded a second-class certificate. For ten years
thereafter he engaged in teaching school, but at the expiration of that time
he withdrew from this profession and took over the management of his father's
farm,, which he now owns. During the period of his possession he has wrought
many and extensive improvements in the place, including the erection of a
new residence, barns and other buildings, while he has introduced about his
premises various modern conveniences. Mr. Middleton has applied himself
closely and directed his work in a well organized, systematic manner, and is
now meeting with the results which invariably reward intelligently applied
effort.
At Hamiota on the 27th of March, 1906, Mr. Middleton was united in
marriage to Miss Levina Furtney, a daughter of Solomon and Frances (Herk-
lerhode) Furtney, of the state of Michigan. Mr. and Mrs. Middleton have
four children, as follows: Alma F., Irene B., Edwin F. and Edith L. M.
The family are members of the Presbyterian church, and Mr. Middleton
accords his political support to such men and measures as he deems best quali-
fied to subserve the highest interests of the people regardless of party affilia-
tion. He stands for progress and improvement in matters of citizenship, fol-
lowing in the footsteps of his father, and is held in high respect and regard
in the community where he has passed the greater part of his life and is
widely known.
EDWARD BENSON, M. D.
Many progressive features in the life of Winnipeg have felt the stimulus of
the cooperation of Dr. Edward Benson, whose labors have been effective and
resultant forces not only along professional lines but also in the educational
field. Such was the place that he had won in public regard and in social cir-
cles that his death was the occasion of deep regret when he passed away, in
this city, August 26, 1904. He was born in Peterboro, Ontario, April 22,
1843, a son of Colonel J. R. and Catherine (Lee) Benson, the latter a member
of the well known Lee family of the United States. The father was engaged
in buying and selling land and cattle and through his speculations and busi-
ness operations became a wealthy man.
Early in life Dr. Benson developed an interest in the medical profession
and about the time of the Civil war he was sent to Louisville, Kentucky, to
study with an uncle, who was a distinguished physician of that city. The
uncle, however, was taken prisoner during the period of hostilities and upon
Dr. Benson devolved the task of becoming protector of his uncle's, family
during the troublous days that followed. He afterward went to New York,
where he attended a course of lectures in the Bellevue Hospital, successfully
passing the final examinations before he was twenty-one years of age. On
returning to his native land he gained a Canadian diploma at Toronto and
(VIC Yni>.U)
DR. EDWARD BENSON
THE STORY OF MANITOBA 279
located for practice at Peterboro, whence he afterward removed to Lindsay,
Ontario. Hearing of the possibilities of the great west from his brother John,
who had preceded him to Manitoba in 1869, he came to this province in 1874
and after making arrangements to enter upon practice here he returned several
months later to Ontario, where he married Miss Annie Campbell. Their wed-
ding journey consisted of an interesting trip westward. As there were no
railroads, they drove in sleighs over the stage route from Moorhead, Minnesota,
to Winnipeg, stopping at little cabins and shacks along the way for food and
shelter.
Dr. Benson came to be recognized as one of the eminent members of the
profession in Winnipeg. In addition to his private practice he was for a quarter
of a century jail surgeon and' he was also appointed for professional attend-
ance to the Deaf and Dumb Institute. He was likewise one of the founders of
the General Hospital, an institution to which he devoted much of his time and
ability. He was widely recognized as a public-spirited citizen and one who
took a deep and helpful interest in educational matters, serving as public-
school trustee from the '80s until 1900. He was the honor chairman of the
school management committee and instituted many plans, the value of which
have been proven as the years have gone by. One of these was the securing
of large school sites in suburban districts which were likely to become thickly
settled later, and the wisdom of his course has been amply demonstrated. He
also insisted upon having well built and well equipped school buildings and
that Winnipeg is preeminent in this direction in Canada today is largely due
to his persistency of purpose in this regard. Another position of public trust
which Dr. Benson held for many years was that of coroner of Winnipeg and he
was acting in that capacity at the time of his death.
Dr. and Mrs. Benson became the parents of three sons. John Robinson, a
railroad contractor, was for a number of years a trusted employe of the Impe-
rial Bank, being at that time manager of the North Battleford branch of that
institution. He married Ida Vassar and they reside in Winnipeg, having four
children, Edward, Roderick, Bruce and Mary. Edward Campbell, a ranch-
man, resides in the Grand Prairie section of the Peace river country. He mar-
ried Maggie Wishart, a daughter of a prominent farmer of Dauphin. Henry
Lome, the well known Minto la-crosse player, is engaged in the real-estate
business in Winnipeg. He married Annie Howard, of Winnipeg, a daughter
of a retired merchant. The family circle was broken by the hand of death
when, on the 26th of August, 1904, Dr. Benson passed away in Winnipeg. He
had always been a conservative in politics and he was well known in fraternal
circles as a Mason and Odd Fellow. His religious faith was that of Grace
church and he became a member of its board of trustees at its inception. His
was, indeed, a life of great usefulness, touching many lines of activity and
proving of great worth along the path of permanent progress and advance-
ment in his adopted city.
ISAAC HERBERT DAVIDSON, M. D.
Dr. Isaac Herbert Davidson, who has been identified with the medical
fraternity of Manitou for the past eight years, is a native of the province of
Quebec. He is the fifth in order of birth of the nine children born of the mar-
riage of John and Cecelia (Summerville) Davidson, also natives of Quebec.
The father, who followed agricultural pursuits during the entire period of his
active life, came to Manitoba with his family in 1877, when his son, Isaac, was
but two years of age. The mother is deceased. The other members of their
family in order of birth are as follows: G. E., who is mentioned at greater
length elsewhere in this work; John R., a practicing physician of Winnipeg;
Clara E., the wife of the Rev. J. N. Maclean, of Missoula, Montana; Alice M.,
vol. m 13
280 THE STORY OF MANITOBA
the wife of Fred Hamilton, of Winnipeg ; Lilly Agnes, who married Frank
Macintosh, of Manitou; Emery L. S. ; Reuben L., a druggist at Swan Lake,
Manitoba; and Joseph W., who is residing at home.
At the usual age Isaac Herbert Davidson began his education in the little
log schoolhouse in the vicinity of his boyhood home. Later it was his privi-
lege to continue his education in the Winnipeg Collegiate Institute, following
which he resolved to become a physician and entered Manitoba Medical Col-
lege. There he diligently pursued his professional studies for the prescribed
time, being awarded his degree with the class of 1903. Immediately there-
after he was offered the position of superintendent of the hospital at St. Boni-
face, this province, which he accepted. He was the head of that institution
for a year, at the expiration of which time, in 1904, he resigned his post and
came to Manitou and established an office. Here he has ever since engaged in
practice, meeting with more than an average degree of success, and is now
numbered among the representative physicians of the district. Dr. Davidson's
preparation was thorough and as he keeps in close touch with the progress of
medical science through the medium of the various journals and periodicals
issued for the benefit of the profession he has continued to advance. Although
he is progressive, he is not given to experimenting on his own responsibility,
and never lays aside an old, well tried method of treatment for a new one until
assured beyond all question of its superior efficacy. As he is most conscientious
in his devotion to his patients, and closely observes the ethics of the profession,
he is held in high respect by his fellow practitioners and the community at
large.
On the llth of January, 1905, Dr. Davidson was united in marriage to
Miss Grace Shore, of the Winnipeg Collegiate staff and a daughter of R. B.
and Elizabeth (Taylor) Shore, natives of Ontario, who moved to Winnipeg
thirty-five years ago. The father is deceased, but the mother is still living.
The family of Mr. and Mrs. Shore numbered four, of whom Mrs. Davidson
is the youngest. In order of birth the others are as follows: Montague, a
teacher at Glenella, Manitoba; Frank, a practicing physician of Des Moines,
Iowa; and William, deceased, formerly a window draper at Marshall Field
& Company's, Chicago.
Dr. and Mrs. Davidson are members of the Presbyterian church, and frater-
nally he is affiliated with the Masonic order. They are both widely known in
this district where they have many friends, and are popular in local social
circles.
GAVIN STRANG.
Since 1895 Gavin Strang has been closely associated with agricultural inter-
ests of the Dauphin district, where he owns and operates a fine farm of three
hundred and twenty acres, a property which he brought from an undeveloped
state to the present flourishing condition. He was born in Glasgow, Scot-
land, July 20, 1857, and is a son of William and Isabella Strang, both of
whom lived and died near Glasgow. They are buried at East Kilbride, near
that city.
Gavin Strang received his education in the public schools of East Kilbride
and laid aside his books at the age of fifteen in order to assist his father with
the work of the farm. There he remained until he left his native country.
Crossing the Atlantic, he landed in Montreal and went from there to Sas-
katchewan by way of Chicago. There he settled on a farm eighty miles from
a railroad and improved and cultivated it until 1895, when he came to Mani-
toba in order to give his children the advantages of a good education. When
he arrived in this province he bought his present property, which was then
in its natural state. The work of development he has steadily carried for-
THE STORY OF MANITOBA 281
ward since that time, erecting the necessary buildings and making general
improvements until he has one of the most valuable and adequately equipped
farms in the section. Upon this property he does mixed farming and stock-
raising, keeping twenty-five head of cattle, seventeen horses and fine herds
of other animals. He also deals in gravel, of which a fine grade is found upon
his farm, and he supplies the city of Dauphin with this commodity. He is
a man keenly alive to every new development, which agriculture makes a
science, and he keeps in touch with the trend of modern advancement along
this line by his membership in the Manitoba Agricultural Society, of which he
has been president and a director for the past ten years.
On January 16, 1884, Mr. Strang married Miss Martha Fee, a daughter of
Mr. and Mrs. Edward Fee, of Huron county, Ontario. Mr. and Mrs. Strang
are the parents of the following children : Catherine, the wife of William Phil-
lips, who is engaged in farming near Medora, Manitoba; Isabella, the wife of
John Spillet, of Dauphin ; Margaret, who is a graduate of the Dauphin Col-
legiate Institute and who is engaged in teaching school, her residence being
with her parents; Jennie, also a graduate of the Dauphin Collegiate Institute
and now engaged in teaching school ; William and Edward, both of whom are
assisting their father in the operation of the home farm; Sarah, who is a
graduate of the Dauphin Collegiate Institute and who is teaching school ;
Gavin, at home; and John, who is attending school. The family are members
of the Presbyterian church.
Mr. Strang is independent in his political views and votes for the man
regardless of his party. In community affairs he is ever found helpful and
progressive, supporting many measures for the public good. He has made for
himself a creditable position in agricultural circles and his name is an hon-
ored one throughout the district, by reason of the progressive spirit and strict
integrity which he has displayed in all of his business transactions.
EGBERT D. MAGWOOD.
Egbert D. Magwood is one of the extensive land owners living in the
Vicinity of Killarney, where he carries on general farming and stock-raising.
He was born in Ontario June 1, 1874, and is a son of James W. and Margaret
(Dunsmore) Magwood, in whose family there were five children: Egbert D. ;
George N., who has won the Doctor of Divinity degree and is now located at
Washington, D. C. ; Wilbur D., who has won the same degree and is engaged
in preaching at Sydney, Manitoba ; Ida H., the wife of David N. Finley, of
Killarney; and William J,, who is attending Wesley College.
Egbert D. Magwood spent his youthful days to the age of sixteen years
under the parental roof and then started out in the world to earn his own
livelihood. Ambition prompted industry and careful expenditure until his
capital was sufficient to enable him to purchase a quarter section of land.
He has added to this from time to time until he now owns six hundred and
forty acres in the vicinity of Killarney, on which he is carrying on general
farming and the raising of shorthorn cattle. He has brought his fields under
a high state of cultivation and annually gathers good crops while his stock-
raising interests are proving a profitable feature in his business. His place
presents a most neat, thrifty and therefore attractive appearance, indicating
the careful supervision and progressive methods of its owner.
On the 3d of February, 1903, Egbert D. Masrwood was united in marriage
to Miss Emily L. Magwood, a daughter of William A. and Annie (Talbot)
Magwood, who were natives of Ontario and of Irish lineage. In their family
were seven children: Eva A., the wife of John McCullough, of Saskatchewan,
Canada; Grace E. ; Emily L. ; Eliza M., the wife of George Ames, of Hartney,
Manitoba ; William D., also of Hartney ; Mildred M. ; and Edna J. Mr. and
282 THE STORY OF MANITOBA
Mrs. Egbert D. Magwood have become the parents of one son, William J.,
born December 22, 1908. Mr. Magwood manifests a public-spirited interest
in all -that pertains to general progress and improvement. He is now secre-
tary of the school district and is a stalwart champion of the cause of educa-
tion. He is also president of the young conservative party and is secretary of
the Million for Manitoba League of Killarney. He likewise holds membership
with the Orangemen and with the Methodist church associations which indi-
cate much of the nature of his interests and the principles which govern his
conduct. More strictly in the line of his business he is vice president of the
Grain Growers Association and he is continuously seeking out new methods
relating to the agricultural development of the section. That progress actu-
ates him in his chosen life work is indicated by the excellent appearance of his
place and the results that have attended his labors.
ALEXANDER KERR.
Alexander Kerr has for two years been identified with the commercial
interests of Hamiota, where he is successfully conducting a lumber business.
The greater part of his life has been passed in this immediate vicinity, although
he is a native of Ontario, his birth having occurred at Kirkton, Perth county,
on June 28, 1872. The family is of Scotch lineage, the parents, Philip and
Elizabeth Kerr being natives of Scotland and pioneers of Perth county.
There the father engaged in farming until 1879, when he decided to become
a resident of Manitoba. In the spring of that year he crossed the prairies
with a wagon and ox team to the vicinity of Hamiota, where he filed on a
homestead, on which he erected such crude buildings as were necessary for
habitation and in the fall started back to Ontario for his family. He walked
from his homestead to Winnipeg, but made the return journey from Perth
county by wagon, crossing the river at Winnipeg on the ferry. Mr. Kerr
worked tirelessly in his efforts to promote the development of his land, finally
bringing it under high cultivation. There he reared his family of thirteen chil-
dren, all of whom are in comfortable circumstances and are in every way a
credit to their parents and each other. He has now attained an advanced
age and has withdrawn from active work, but continues to make his home on
the farm. The mother passed away in 1885 and was laid to rest in the ceme-
tery at Hamiota.
Alexander Kerr, who was only a child of seven years when he came to
Hamiota with his parents, obtained the greater part of his elementary educa-
tion in the Kerr school, so called from his father. Later he supplemented the
knowledge thus acquired by a course in the Brandon Collegiate Institute,
where he continued his studies until he was a youth of eighteen. He then
went back to the farm, diligently devoting himself to its cultivation until
1905, when he left home and started out for himself. Saskatchewan seemed
to him a desirable territory in which to locate, so he went to the Outlook dis-
trict and filed on a homestead of three hundred and twenty acres. His undi-
vided attention was concentrated upon the development of his land for three
years, during which time he made creditable progress in its cultivation and
effected many improvements. He still owns this property, which is constantly
increasing in value, but now leases it. In 1910, Mr. Kerr came to Hamiota
and engaged in the lumber business, and during the intervening period he has
succeeded in building up a trade which gives him every reason to feel gratified
with the success of his undertaking and feel assured of its continued prosper-
ity. He owns his residence here, which he erected, and has recently made
further improvements on his farm in Saskatchewan, and also on the Hamiota
farm.
THE STORY OF MANITOBA 283
In this town on Christmas day, 1904, Mr. Kerr was married to Miss Jennie
Lorimer, a daughter of Joseph and Jane Lorimer, the father a pioneer farmer
of this district who is now residing in New Westminster, British Columbia.
Of this marriage have been born two children, Charles and Violet.
The family attend the Presbyterian church, in which the parents hold mem-
bership, and fraternally Mr. Kerr is affiliated with the Masonic order, having
taken the degrees of the blue lodge; Independent Order of Odd Fellows, and
the Canadian Order of Foresters. He takes an active interest in local politics,
giving his support to the liberal party, and is now representing his ward in
the city council. Mr. Kerr stands high in the opinion of his fellow townsmen
by reason of the capable and efficient manner in which he is discharging his
official duties no less than by his enterprising and progressive business meth-
ods and the active cooperation he accords every movement he feels will advance
the development of the various public utilities or promote the general welfare
of the community.
R. J. BROWN.
For ten years R. J. Brown has been a member of the commercial frater-
nity of Crandall, where he has met with well deserved success and is now the
proprietor of one of the town's thriving business enterprises. His birth
occurred at Owen Sound, Ontario, on the 12th of August, 1873, and he is the
second son of William and Elizabeth (Cashoure) Brown. The father, who
was one of the pioneer farmers of Owen Sound, took an active interest in the
public affairs of his community, giving his political support to the conserva-
tive party, and served for twenty-eight years as town assessor. He passed
away in 1904, at the age of fifty-six years, and was laid to rest in the Owen
Sound cemetery. The mother, however, is still living and now makes her
home in Hamilton, Ontario. To Mr. and Mrs. Brown were born ten children.
In order of birth, those beside our subject are as follows: William, who is a
druggist in Victoria Harbor, Ontario; George, who died in 1904 and is buried
in Owen Sound ; James, who is employed in the store of his brother, R. J. ;
Maud, the wife of John Dixon, manager of a ten and fifteen cent store at
Brantford, Ontario; Bernie, a farmer of Saskatchewan; Bessie, who married
Howard McHowl, manager of the Standard Bank of Newburg, Ontario; and
Pearl, Alma and Edith, who are living at home with their mother.
Being a member of a large family in limited circumstances, the early advan-
tages of R. J. Brown were naturally meager. He attended the public schools
of his native town until he was a lad of twelve years, when he laid aside his
text-books and went to work on the home farm. Agricultural pursuits claimed
his attention for several years, thereafter, following which he became a plum-
bers assistant in a ship-yard. Next he entered the employ of R. P. Butcherd
of Owen Sound, under whom he learned the tinsmith's trade, remaining in his
service until 1892. In November, of that year, he came to Manitoba, locating
at Hamiota. There for eight years he followed his trade, and as he was diligent
and thrifty during that period he managed to accumulate sufficient money
to enable him to engage in business on his own account. Recognizing a good
opening in Crandall, he came here in 1900 and opened a tinshop and hard-
ware store. Owing to his limited finances he had to begin in a small way,
but as he is a skilled workman and conducted his business in a straightfor-
ward, reliable manner he readily built up a lucrative trade. During the inter-
vening years he has made creditable advancement in his career, and has not
only enlarged his business but has erected the building in which his store is
located. It is an iron-cased structure, twenty-four by eighty-two feet, and is
well adapted to meet the needs for which it was designed.
284 THE STORY OF MANITOBA
At Souris, Manitoba, on the 30th of August, 1899, Mr. Brown was married
to Miss Ida Me Cosh, a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Hugh Me Cosh, both of whom
are deceased. They were farming people of Ontario and are buried in Shel-
born, that province. Of this marriage has been born one son, William Roy,
who is attending the public schools.
Mr. and Mrs. Brown are members of the Church of England, and in politics
the former is a conservative. He takes an active interest in local affairs and
has served on the school board for several years. In the development of his
business he has met with the success won by well organized methods, intel-
ligently and capably executed, and he fully merits the esteem and respect
accorded him by his fellow townsmen, as -his career has been pursued in an
honorable and upright manner.
CHARLES F. CZERWINSKI.
Charles F. Czerwinski, a leading and esteemed citizen of Winnipeg, is a
well known representative of industrial interests as the president and general
manager of the Czerwinski Box Company, Ltd., conducting the largest business
of its kind west of Ontario. His birth occurred near Cashel, Markham town-
ship, Ontario, on the 17th of January, 1863, his parents being Louis and Mary
A. Czerwinski. The former was a lieutenant in the Prussian army and belonged
to a family prominent in the affairs of that section of the country in which they
resided. The father of Louis Czerwinski served as speaker of the Polish pro-
vincial legislature. Among the ancestors of Charles F. Czerwinski was Neil
McKinnon, of the famous old Selkirk colony. The grandfather, Angus Mc-
Kinnon, who died near Cashel in- 1894, came to this country as a child in 1812.
His family were of the colony that was sent here by Lord Selkirk in that year
and migrated in 1815 to York county.
In the acquirement of an education Charles F. Czerwinski attended the
public schools of Ontario until he was fourteen, from which time until his
twenty-first year he was employed on his father's farm. When a young man
of twenty-one he embarked in business for himself as a contractor and brick
manufacturer in Wellington county, Ontario, continuing in that work until
1891. Believing that the west offered better opportunities, he went to Keewatin,
Ontario, in the latter year and there engaged in the manufacture of flour and
lumber until 1895, when he came to Winnipeg. Here he at once entered the
box manufacturing business in association with W. Jordan. In 1900, in con-
nection with G. W. Grant, they purchased a small box manufacturing business
then located on Lombard street. The enterprise grew rapidly, and in order to
facilitate the handling of the trade the Czerwinski Box Company, Ltd., was
organized in 1904, at which time Mr. Czerwinski purchased Mr. Grant's interest
and became president and general manager of the new company. In February,
1906, the business w^as removed to Logan avenue and Tecumseh street, where
it occupies a modern, commodious plant, built in accordance with the require-
ments of the business. The product of the Czerwinski Box Company includes
all kinds of wooden boxes and crates, wooden specialties, Spanish cedar chests,
tables, furniture frames, and general cabinet-making. The business . is the
largest of its kind west of Ontario and supplies a trade covering almost the
entire Dominion. Mr. Czerwinski has been a dominant factor in tEe success of
this industry, not only as its executive head but with a knowledge of the
mechanical details that are features of the enterprise. He displays notable
business acumen and unusual natural ingenuity. He is not only the foremost
man in western Canada in his line of industrial activity, but a pioneer in that
line as well. He is a man of excellent business ability, keen discernment and
untiring energy, and the success which has attended his undertakings as a
CHAELES F. CZEEWINSKI
THE STORY OP MANITOBA 287
manufacturer is well merited. He was at one time vice president of the Home
Builders Realty Company and is now president of the North Winnipeg Hospital.
On the 29th of December, 1886, Mr. Czerwinski was married to Miss Mary
C. Grant, a native of Erin, Ontario. They have three children, as follows:
Walter G., who is a collegiate graduate and who is now associated with his
father in business; Lena V., a teacher in the Central Business College; and
Harold F., a student at the Collegiate Institute.
Politically Mr. Czerwinski is independent, while fraternally he is identified
with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and the Royal Templars of Tem-
perance, being grand councilor of the latter, which places him at the head of
the provincial work of the organization. He also belongs to the Winnipeg
Canadian Club, is a member of the Industrial Bureau, the Canadian Manu-
facturers Association and the Canadian Commercial Travelers Association. He
finds recreation in traveling and motoring. For the past thirty- two years he
has been an official member of the Methodist church, serving as local preacher,
choir leader, superintendent of the Sunday school and in many other offices.
For many years he has devoted much time to temperance work, traveling in
the province and western Canada. He frequently makes journeys during the
week but lectures most often on the Sabbath and has done splendid work as a
temperance advocate. He has always been a total abstainer from alcoholic or
malt drinks and from the use of tobacco. He is a man of unusual natural
intellectual power, which has been largely developed through reading, travel
and observation. It is a trite saying that blood will tell, but Mr. Czerwinski 's
life work and character are a notable illustration of this. He is a man of
natural politeness and courtesy, refined in manner and possesses a thorough
knowledge of the topics and questions incident to his especial line of activity,
while possessing as well a vast fund of general information. He has exercised
a strong influence for the moral uplift of his community. In his life are the
elements of greatness because of the use he has made of his talents and his
opportunities, because his thoughts are not self-centered but are given to the
mastery of life's problems and to the fulfillment of his duties as a man in his
relations to his fellowmen. Through all his life he has seemed to be actuated
by the spirit of the following lines :
"May I reach
That purest heaven, be to other souls
The cup of strength in some great agony,
Enkindle generous ardor, feed pure love,
Beget the smiles that have no cruelty
Be the sweet presence of a good diffused,
And in diffusion ever more intense.
So shall I join the choir invisible
Whose music is the gladness of the world."
FRANCIS E. LANGDALE.
Francis E. Langdale, a well known barrister and solicitor of Hamiota,
where he has been engaged in practice for the past three years, was born at
Chelsea in the vicinity of London, England, on the 12th of October, 1875. His
father, Frederick W. Langdale, is manager of the Union Bank of London, of
which city he is a resident. The mother passed away during the infancy of
our subject.
In the acquirement of his education Francis E. Langdale attended the
Queen Elizabeth grammar school at Sevenoaks, Kent, until he was a youth of
eighteen years, when he laid aside his text-books and began his business career.
For several years thereafter he was employed as clerk and stenographer in
88 THE STORY OF MANITOBA
various business houses in London, but feeling that he preferred to pursue his
career amid different conditions than those in which he had been born he took
passage for Canada in 1896. He came direct to Manitoba, first locating in the
vicinity of Rapid City, where he engaged in herding cattle for a year. Next
he hired out on a farm for two years, following which he bought a hundred
and sixty acres of partially improved land and began farming on his own
account. He soon gave this up and coming to Hamiota he followed any employ-
ment which afforded him an opportunity of making an honest living. As he
owned a team he readily obtained work on the farms during the summer, par-
ticularly at the harvest season. After two years of this life he decided to
again take up stenography and entered the office of M. B. Jackson, with whom
he remained for five years. During that time he began the study of law and
in 1906, having successfully passed his examination, was awarded a solicitor's
license. Immediately thereafter he removed to Binscarth, where he first
engaged in practice, but later went to Shore Lake, remaining there until 1909,
when he once more took up his residence in Hamiota. He has succeeded in
building up a fair clientage during the period of his connection with the legal
fraternity of this city, and has every reason to feel assured of the continual
growth of his practice. In connection with his law practice he is extensively
dealing in real estate and is also the local representative for a number of
insurance companies.
At Christ church, Winnipeg, June 2, 1910, Mr. Langdale was united in
marriage to 'Miss Maud Moulton, a daughter of Harold and Mary Moul-
ton, of Lansdowne, Ontario. Of this marriage have been born one son, Fred-
erick F., and one daughter, Elizabeth.
Mr. and Mrs. Langdale are members of the Church of England, and frater-
nally he is affiliated with the Masonic order. His political support he accords
to the conservative party, and while he takes an active interest in local affairs,
he has never been an office seeker. Mr. Langdale is a young man of fine prin-
ciples, honorable motives and commendable business methods, as he is demon-
strating from day to day in the practice of his profession in which he is meet-
ing with well merited success.
R. DE W. WALLER.
One of the most successful and prominent business men of Elkhorn is R.
de W. Waller, who since 1893 has conducted a profitable and important real-
estate business in the town, building up a large patronage by reason of his
honorable methods and his high standards of commercial integrity. He has
been a resident of Manitoba since 1882, but was born near Londonderry, Ire-
land, November 11, 1857, a son of Richard and Sarah (Skipton) Waller, the
former a domain agent in Ireland and at one time an officer in the old revenue
police. The family is of old and honorable origin and has had many prominent
representatives in various walks of life. Both parents have passed away, the
father dying in 1899 and the mother in 1907.
Mr. Waller acquired his education in Dr. Bryce's Collegiate School of
Edinburgh, Scotland, completing the course when he was sixteen years of age.
After laying aside his books he served an apprenticeship in the tea trade,
remaining in London for his full term of three years. At the. end of that
time he formed a partnership with two others and purchased a granite quarry
in north Wales, with the operation and development of which he remained
connected until he came to Manitoba in 1882. After his arrival in this prov-
ince he obtained employment at Flat Creek with the Canadian Pacific Rail-
road and in 1883 came to the Elkhorn district, taking up a homestead claim
of one hundred and sixty acres of wild prairie land. With characteristic
energy he began the development and improvement of this property, building
THE STORY OF MANITOBA 289
upon it a comfortable residence in which he made his home for nine years,
moving into the town in 1892. Here he identified himself with the real-estate
business and has since won prominence and success in this line of work, being
today recognized as an expert judge of land values. He has handled a great
deal of valuable property and is a business man whose sagacity is far-reaching
and whose integrity is beyond all question. In addition to his real-estate
business he is also an appraiser and valuer and conducts an important loan
and insurance enterprise.
In the Elkhorn district, on the 17th of March, 1886, Mr. Waller was united
in marriage to Miss E. H. Watson, a daughter of Thomas and Mary Watson,
of Guelph, Ontario. The father was a native of England, afterward locating in
Ontario, whence he came, in pioneer times to this vicinity. He died at the
home of the subject of this review in 1905 and is buried in Elkhorn. Mr.
and Mrs. Waller are the parents of four sons and two daughters: R. de W.,
Jr., who is a graduate of the Elkhorn high school and now a prominent farmer
of this district, owning nine hundred and sixty acres of land; Edward G.,
also a graduate of the high school and now engaged in surveying; Henry Ch.
V., a high-school graduate, who is farming in partnership with his brother;
Dorothea B., a high-school graduate, who resides at home; Annie M., also a
graduate of the high school ; and Archie F. A., who is attending school.
Mr. Waller is a member of the Church of England, and fraternally is
connected with the Masonic order. He is one of the most prominent men in
local political life, having served for many years as president of the Liberal-
Conservative Association, his public service being marked by the same ener-
getic, far-sighted and conscientious work that has distinguished and made
successful his business career.
WILLIAM CAMPBELL.
William Campbell is prominent in the wheat and stock-buying business
in Holland, Manitoba, and has been connected with this line of occupation for
almost twenty years. During that time his work has influenced the general
business growth of the town and has resulted in a prosperity which places Mr.
Campbell among representative and substantial men. However, this phase of
his activities is only one of his claims to distinction, for he came to Manitoba
in early times and has farmed in the Holland district, becoming recognized
as an individual force in agricultural development at a time when methods and
standards were just being established. A native of Ontario, Mr. Campbell
was born in Aran, Bruce county, January 7, 1860, a son of Joseph and Jane
(Somerville) Campbell, natives of Donegal, Ireland. The grandfather of our
subject, James Campbell, was also a native of the Emerald isle and during his
life engaged in agricultural pursuits. His son, the father of Mr. Campbell
of this review, founded the family in Canada, coming to the Dominion in the
early '40s and locating in Bruce county, where he bought land. For many
years he has developed this property along practical and systematic lines and
has become recognized as one of the most able, enterprising and deservedly suc-
cessful agriculturists in that part of the province. He has reached the age
of eighty years.
William Campbell was the fourth in a family of six children. Four of
these are living, those beside our subject being: James and Robert, of Hol-
land ; and Eliza J., the wife of John Sharp, of Paisley, Ontario. He spent his
boyhood in Bruce county and was educated in the public schools of that sec-
tion. His half-brother, Thomas Leslie, left Ontario in 1870 and came by way
of the Dawson route to Manitoba, making the journey with Sir Garnet Wolse-
ley. He served through the first Northwestern rebellion and upon suppres-
sion of the outbreak received his honorable discharge, after which he lived
290 THE STORY OF MANITOBA
in Winnipeg for a number of years. Finally he determined to follow farm-
ing and took up a homestead claim adjoining that occupied by Mr. Campbell
of this review, who in 1878 had come to the province. He traveled part
of the way by rail and came down the Red river by boat, making the journey
from Bruce in nine days. Immediately after his arrival he was employed on
the Canadian Pacific Railroad construction on section 14 and continued in
this connection for three months, after which he spent the fall and winter at
Poplar Point on the farm belonging to Ed Hyndman, a pioneer in the develop-
ment of Manitoba. In the following year he was joined by his parents and
three brothers and together they rented a farm near Portage la Prairie, which,
however, they operated only a short time. In the same year he and his brother
Joseph and the father took up separate homestead claims in the Holland dis-
trict, four miles north of the present railway line, and in the fall of 1879
they moved on to their farms. All met with rapid success, but William Camp-
bell is the only one now living, his mother having died in June, 1888, when
she was sixty-five years of age, his brother Joseph in 1895, and his father in
1901, at the age of eighty.
Mr. Campbell remained upon his homestead until March 3, 1893, and then
moved into Holland, where he has resided since that time with the exception
of nine months spent in Alberta. His farm of three hundred and twenty acres
is being operated on shares and is one of the most valuable agricultural enter-
prises in this district. He became connected with the wheat and stock-buying
industry and has attained a prosperity in this line which places him among
the progressive business men of this section.
On the 19th of March, 1883, Mr. Campbell married Miss Jane Thompson,
of Bruce county, Ontario, a daughter of James Thompson, one of the pioneer
farmers of that province. In 1895, however, he disposed of his holdings in
Ontario and came to Manitoba, locating in the Holland district, where he
died in 1908, at the age of eighty-two. Mr. and Mrs. Campbell have five chil-
dren: Alberta Jane, a graduate of the Manitoba Normal School and now a
teacher in the public schools of Holland; Nellie Mabel, who married Frank
Newby, a hardware merchant in Gull Lake, Saskatchewan, and they have one
daughter, Frances A. J. ; Maud, who became the wife of Wilfred Gray, a prom-
inent farmer of the Holland district, and has two children, Albena M. and E.
Jean; Ena, now Mrs. Oscar Anderson, of Alsaz, Alberta; and Edna, who is at
home. Mr. Campbell is a Master Mason and belongs to the Canadian Order
of Foresters. He is also past master of the Loyal Order of Orangemen. He
gives his allegiance to the conservative party and has been nominated for sev-
eral important local positions. The nature of his business, however, obliges
him to be absent from the district a great deal of the time and he has never
felt that he could conscientiously accept office. His public spirit, however,
takes the form of active support of measures for the public good and his stand-
ards of citizenship are evidenced in his quiet, systematic work along lines of
progress and general advancement.
JAMES E. YATES.
James E. Yates, who is successfully conducting a heating and plumbing
business at No. 29 Ninth street, was born at Rochespoint, Ontario, on the 3d
of November, 1873. He is a son of John and Mary Yates, who removed with
their family to Manitoba in 1877, and on May 26, of that year, settled in Win-
nipeg. There the father, who was a carpenter, followed his trade until his
death, which occurred in 1879. He is buried in Brookside cemetery, Winni-
peg, as is also his son, John, a member of the Toronto Grenadiers, who was a
victim of the Red river fever. To Mr. and Mrs. Yates there were born five
children, those who are living beside our subject being as follows: William
JAMES E. YATES
THE STORY OF MANITOBA 293
G., who is engaged in mercantile pursuits in Spokane, Washington ; Minnie,
the wife of Richard Baker, of Winnipeg, and Fred, a fitter, located at Ash-
town, Manitoba,
James E. Yates, who was a lad of less than four years when he accompanied
his parents on their removal to Manitoba, acquired his education in the public
schools of Winnipeg. The son of a widow of very limited means, it was neces-
sary for him to terminate his student days at the age of twelve years and earn
his own living. His first position was that of office boy for Dr. Blanchard, of
Winnipeg, by whom he was employed for a year. He subsequently served an
apprenticeship as a plumber, two years of that time being spent as shop-boy
in the establishment of Joseph Nott. From there he went to the plumbing shop
of Plaxton Brothers, with whom he remained for about twelve years. He was
an ambitious youth and intelligently applied himself to the acquirement of a
thorough knowledge of his trade with the expectation of engaging in the busi-
ness on his own account. Upon leaving the employ of Plaxton Brothers he
came to Brandon and established the business he is now conducting. As he is
thoroughly familiar with the practical details of heating and plumbing and
is trustworthy and reliable in the conduct of his business he has met with
excellent success in the development of his interests. He has been in busi-
ness here for about fifteen years and during that time has been given the con-
tracts for the heating and plumbing in many of the best residences and prin-
cipal public buildings, including the courthouse, McKenzie block, Cecil Hotel,
Winter Fair building, Hospital for the Insane, Clement block, Bank of Mon-
treal, Bank of Commerce and the Dominion Bank.
Mr. Yates is a member of the Loyal Order of Moose, and his political support
he accords to the conservative party. He has been a most desirable acquisition
to the commercial circles of Brandon as he is diligent and enterprising in
matters of business, while as a citizen he is progressive in his ideas and is ever
loyal to the best interests of the community.
JOHN RIDDELL, SR.
A valuable and highly productive farm of eight hundred acres located in
township 13, range 23, Hamiota district, stands as a monument to the unre-
mitting diligence and perseverance of John Riddell, Sr., who has here made
his residence for thirty-two years. His holding was entirely uncultivated
when it came into his possession, a vast expanse of prairie, surrounded by
acres of uncultivated land, the country at that time being but sparsely settled.
Mr. Riddell is one of the thrifty, enterprising citizens Scotland has furnished
Manitoba, his birth having occurred in Selkirkshire, on the 16th of July, 1838.
He is a son of John and Margaret (Greive) Riddell, who passed their entire
lives in Scotland, the mother 's death there occurring in 1871 and that of the
father in 1876. They were both laid to rest in the cemetery at Bowden, in
which vicinity they had resided for many years. The father was a shepherd
during the entire period of his active life.
The boyhood and youth of John Riddell, Sr., were passed in the rural sec-
tions of his native land. Reared in a home of meager circumstances, his early
advantages were very limited and at the age of eleven years he left school and
became self-supporting. His first employment was herding cows, this occu-
pation engaging his energies for two summers. Owing to his youth and the
few avenues of employment open in that section it was difficult for him to
find work and for several years thereafter he followed any occupation which
afforded him an opportunity of making an honest living. He next became a
shepherd, continuing to follow this vocation until he emigrated to Canada.
It was his desire to establish a home for himself in Canada and with this pur-
pose in mind he practiced the most rigid thrift and self-denial. Year by year
294 THE STORY OF MANITOBA
his capital increased until it was large enough to warrant leaving the old
home and taking passage for America. In the year 1880, with his wife and
seven children, he sailed for Canada, with Manitoba as his destination. They
landed at Montreal, going from there to Chicago, thence to Winnipeg. Upon
his arrival in the latter city Mr. Riddell invested a portion of his small hoard
of Wealth in an ox team and cart, by means of which they covered the remain-
der of their journey. They came on through to Hamiota, settling on the place
which they have ever since called home. The district of Hamiota in the pio-
neer period bore little resemblance to that of today, with its vast fields of grain
and beautiful homes. Only a small portion of the land had been brought
under cultivation and, as neighbors were few and remotely located, there was
little opportunity for social intercourse. It was not an altogether attractive
prospect, but the Riddell family had come here to establish a home, and the
possibility of realizing their hope overshadowed every disadvantage. All
worked together toward the achievement of a single purpose and soon the
evidence of their labor was apparent in the buildings "they erected, crude
though they were, and the increasing acres of broken .prairie. Owing to their
limited means they had but few implements with which to work and these in
many instances were crude make-shifts. The father and sons built the first
house and barns of stone, their tools consisting of little more than ax and
hammer, but they were resourceful and enterprising and made rapid progress
with their work despite their handicaps. During the intervening years the
Riddell ranch has been improved until it is hardly possible to believe it was
only a tract of prairie thirty-two years ago. Beautiful shade and fruit trees
have done much to transform the place, while modern buildings and the intro-
duction of many conveniences have enhanced both its appearance and value.
Abundant crops are now annually harvested from the highly cultivated fields,
which are planted to such cereals as are best adapted to the soil. In connec-
tion with diversified farming Mr. Riddell has always engaged in stock-raising,
keeping forty head of cattle, twenty-five horses, twenty sheep and some swine.
As both lines of the business have been pursued in a practical and systematic
manner they have brought lucrative returns, and he is regarded as one of the
most prosperous and substantial residents of the community. Owing to his
advanced age he has practically withdrawn from active work, turning over
the management of his ranch to his son, Andrew, and is now living almost
retired. He has led too active and enterprising a life, however, to be entirely
-unoccupied and gives his personal supervision to much of the work, taking
an active interest in the further development of his extensive holdings.
In Lauder, Berwickshire, Scotland, on March 29, 1861, Mr. Riddell was
married to Miss Margaret Fairburn, a daughter of Thomas and Maggie
(Thompson) Fairburn. The parents passed their entire lives in Scotland and
upon their deaths were laid to rest in the churchyard at Lauder. For more
than fifty years Mr. and Mrs. Riddell have traveled life's journey together
and in 1911 celebrated their golden wedding surrounded by their children
and grandchildren, all of whom have settled in this immediate vicinity. Their
family numbers seven, as follows: Maggie, who is at home with her parents;
John, Jr., who is farming for himself on section 28, this township ; Thomas,
who owns and operates a farm on section 9, also this township ; Andrew, an
independent farmer, who is assisting his father; James, who is farming for
himself; Elizabeth, the wife of J. A. Stewart, mayor of Hamiota; and Agnes,
who married Edwin Westbrook, also a farmer of this district.
The family are all consistent members of the Presbyterian church, in which
Mr. Riddell holds the office of elder. He takes an active interest in the work
of the Hamiota Agricultural Society, the purpose of which is the protection
of the farming interests of the community. He accords his political support to
the liberal party and has served as trustee of the school board. Mr. Riddell
is held in high repute throughout the district, where he is widely known and
has established a reputation for business integrity which has won him the
THE STOEY OF MANITOBA 295
confidence of all with whom he has transactions. His career has been a credit-
able one and well entitles him to the respect and esteem he is accorded by
old and young. His success he attributes to hard and persistent work on the
part of the entire family, who united their efforts toward a single achieve-
ment. He gives particular credit to Mrs. Riddell, whose thrifty habits and
competent direction of the household affairs contributed in no small measure
in forwarding the prosperity they are all now enjoying.
BENJAMIN H. DOUPE.
Benjamin H. Doupe is the owner of Fairview Stock Farm, which contains
twelve hundred and eighty acres of land and is located in the vicinity of Cran-
dall, where he has engaged in diversified farming and stock-raising for over
thirty years. His birth occurred near Kirkton, Perth county, Ontario, on the
31st of May, 1860, and he is a son of Samuel and Mary (Roadhouse) Doupe.
The father, who was one of the pioneer agriculturists of Ontario, passed away
in January, 1870, and the mother in 1884. They are both buried in Kirkton,
where for many years they made their home.
The early advantages of Benjamin H. Doupe were very meager. Such
education as he received was acquired in the public schools of Kirkton, which
he attended until he had attained the age of twelve years. He then began
his agricultural training and for about eight years thereafter hired out on
farms in Perth county, saving as much as possible from his small wages in
order that he might later be able to engage in farming for himself. About
that time many of the residents of western Ontario began to migrate to western
Manitoba, which offered to the men of limited means many advantages not to
be obtained in the older and more thickly populated province. Early in the
year 1882 Mr. Doupe resolved to avail himself of the opportunity of acquiring
a farm on the western prairies and the 15th day of April marked his arrival
in Manitoba, where soon thereafter he exercised his homestead privilege. He
had always worked hard but the fact that he was now a land owner proved an
incentive to yet greater effort on his part, and early and late found him in
his fields. It was the period of ox-teams and as his farming implements were
few and crude, operations moved slowly, but year by year he increased his
cultivated acreage until his entire tract had been brought into a high state of
productivity. As his fields produced more abundantly his circumstances war-
ranted his extending his holdings and he continued to add to his landed inter-
ests until he owned twelve hundred and eighty acres. About a thousand of
this is under cultivation, the various fields being planted to such crops as in
his judgment are best adapted to the soil. As his fields are carefully tilled
and supervised they annually yield abundant harvests of a quality fully equal
to the quantity and are well repaying him for his early years of labor. In
connection with his general farming Mr. Doupe has always raised some stock.
He now has a herd of twenty-five high-grade cattle, including a registered
Shorthorn bull, and he keeps twenty-two horses, about twenty head of swine
and a hundred fowls, all of which substantially contribute toward the year's
profits. The appearance and value of his place has been greatly enhanced of
recent years by the addition of various improvements, including the erection
of several substantial buildings. The exercise of systematic supervision and
capable management is evidenced everywhere about the place from the appear-
ance of his fields to the condition of the stock and the well repaired fences
and buildings. Thrift and diligence have been the dominant factors in the
success of this enterprising man, who has never had any occasion to regret
coming here in his early manhood and undertaking the hardships of pioneer-
ing, as he has met with the success usually achieved by those who intelligently
concentrate their energies upon a single purpose.
296 THE STORY OF MANITOBA
At Portage la Prairie on the 13th of January, 1896, Mr. Doupe was mar-
ried to Miss Jane Webb, a daughter of Thomas and Mary (Kirk) Webb. The
father passed away in September, 1886, and is buried at Yorkton, Saskatche-
wan. To Mr. and Mrs. Doupe have been born ten children, as follows: Joseph
and Hartwell B., who are assisting their father with the cultivation of the
farm; Mary E., who married Leonard Johnston, a farmer of Crandall, and
died November 4, 1912, and is buried in that town ; Euretta, the wife of Alfred
Lints, a farmer, near Decker; Thomas W., Arthur and Earl, who are assist-
ing with the work of the farm; Mabel, who is at home; Anna, who passed
away at Crandall in August, 1906; and Frances, whose death occurred in
April, 1904. They are both buried at Crandall.
The family attend the services of the Methodist church in which the parents
hold membership, and in his political views Mr. Doupe is independent. He is
one of the progressive and enterprising men of his community, where he is
held in favorable regard, having manifested during the long period of his
residence here those qualities which have won for him the respect and esteem
of those with whom he has had dealings.
JOSIAH SHIER.
After a long and successful agricultural career Josiah Shier is spending
his life in retirement on his beautiful homestead of three hundred and twenty
acres, located in township 14, range 23, Hamiota district. He came to this
province in the spring of 1885 from Osborne township, Huron county, Ontario,
where his birth occurred on the 13th of October, 1860. He is a son of Nicholas
and Jemima (Switzer) Shier, pioneer farming people of Huron county. The
father, who was also a native of Ontario, took an active interest in politics in
his earlier life, giving his support to the conservative party, and on several
occasions served as chairman of election. He is still living at the advanced
age of eighty-six, but the mother is deceased. She passed away in 1877 and
was buried in the Kirkton cemetery. The family is of German lineage, but
in the seventeenth century some of their members were shipwrecked -off the
coast of Ireland, of which country they then became residents.
Josiah Shier was reared at home and educated in the district schools of
Kirkton, which he attended until he was a youth of seventeen. In common
with the majority of lads who live in the country he early began to assist with
the work of the farm, and before he had attained his maturity was thoroughly
familiar with the duties of the agriculturist. For seven years after leaving
school he gave his undivided attention to the operation of the home farm, but
at the expiration of that time he left the parental roof and started out for
himself. He came direct to this province, locating in the Hamiota district.
Here he purchased three hundred and twenty acres of land, fifty of which
had been broken, and began his career as a pioneer agriculturist. In the cul-
tivation of his tract he applied himself with the unremitting energy and dili-
gence which invariably bring success, and subsequently increased his hold-
ings by the purchase of six hundred and forty acres of prairie land. Year
by year he added to his cultivated acreage, gradually bringing his fields, from
which he reaped abundant harvests, into a high state of productivity. He
engaged in diversified farming, but his principal crops were 'such cereals as
can be fed to stock, as he was an extensive breeder. Unqualified success
attended the efforts of Mr. Shier in both lines of his business, as he applied
himself closely and directed his undertakings in a practical and systematic
manner. He is in every way well adapted for pioneering, as he is not only
thoroughly familiar with the essential points of agriculture and stock-raising,
but he is a good organizer and director and possesses more than average
mechanical skill. He did all of the carpentry work on his residence and the
THE STORY OF MANITOBA 297
various farm buildings on his ranch, all of which are substantially constructed,
while here and there about his premises he has installed many devices to mini-
mize the labor and expedite the work. In 1910 Mr. Shier sold his six hundred
and forty acre tract and retired from active life. He is now devoting his
energies to looking after his property and various other business interests.
His energies have not been entirely confined to ranching, but have been
extended into other lines, and he is financially connected with several thriving
enterprises, which net him a substantial annual income.
Kirkton, Ontario, was the scene of Mr. Shier 's marriage on the 10th of
March, 1886, to Miss Matilda Kirk, a daughter of Alexander and Jane (Mahon)
Kirk. The father, in whose honor the town of Kirkton was named, was one
of the first settlers in that section of Huron county. There both he and the
mother passed away in 1907, her death occurring a month after his. They
are buried in the cemetery of their home town. To Mr. and Mrs. Shier have
been born three children, as follows: Lawrence Roy, who is engaged in the
practice of medicine at Pearson, Manitoba; Isabella Olla, a graduate of the
Manitoba Normal School, who married Walter Beggs, a farmer of this district;
and Arabella A., who is residing at home.
The parents are consistent members of the Methodist church, in the faith
of which denomination they reared their family. Fraternally Mr. Shier is
affiliated with the Masonic order, having taken the degrees of the blue lodge,
and he also belongs to the Canadian Order of Foresters, of which he is a
charter member. He is a stanch supporter of the conservative party and takes
an active and helpful interest in local politics, having served for years as
councilor and also as school trustee. Mr. Shier takes an interest in every
movement organized to promote the interests of the municipality and is one
of the enthusiastic members of the Agricultural Society, of which he has been
one of the directors for several years. He represents the type of citizen who
is regarded as an acquisition to any community; forwarding its development
by his diligence and enterprise in matters of business, and promoting its gen-
eral progress by maintaining a high standard of citizenship and cooperating
in every commendable public movement.
THOMAS TOOHEY.
For almost thirty years Thomas Toohey was closely associated with agri-
cultural interests in the Manitou district and in the development of his farm
of three hundred and twenty acres worked so steadily and persistently that
he has earned an honorable rest, which is the reward of well directed labor.
He was born in County Clare, Ireland, in February, 1842, and is a son of
John and Katherine Toohey, natives of the Emerald isle. When the subject
of this review was only three years of age his parents determined to come
to America. Upon the journey across the Atlantic the mother was taken sick
and died a short time after landing, but the father settled in Ontario and
later crossed the border into the United States, where he resided until his
death.
Thomas Toohey was the third child born to his parents. He was educated
in the public schools of Ontario and remained in that province until 1878,
when he came to Manitoba and took up a homestead claim of three hundred
and twenty acres and began its improvement and cultivation. With the
energy, ambition and progressive spirit which are qualities in his character
he steadily carried forward the work of development, making substantial
improvements from time to time. In the conduct of his farm he followed
the most modern methods of agriculture and his work was rewarded annually
by bounteous harvests. He remained upon this property until 1907 and then
retired, taking up his residence in a hotel in the town of Manitou.
298 THE STORY OF MANITOBA
Mr. Toohey belongs to the Roman Catholic church. He farmed upon his
three hundred and twenty acres for almost thirty years, has witnessed many
changes during the time and through his well directed work bore his full
share in the general improvement and progress. He does not seek to figure
prominently in public life but performs his daily duties faithfully and effi-
ciently, is considerate of the rights of others and never neglects his obligations
to his fellowmen or to the community in which he lives.
JAMES KIRK.
A well improved farm of three hundred and twenty acres, located on the
south half and east half of section 16, township 14, range 24, Hamiota district,
pays tribute to the diligence and perseverance of James Kirk, who is one of
the prosperous pioneer farmers of that locality. He is a native of Rockville,
Ontario, his birth having occurred on the 23d of June, 1851, and a son of
Alexander and Jane (Mahon) Kirk. The father, who was one of the pioneer
residents of Ontario, passed away on the 12th of October, 1909, at the advanced
age of eighty-seven years. The mother, whose death occurred on November
6, 1909, was eighty- two at the time of her demise.
The early advantages of James Kirk were better than fell to the lot of the
average youth in the rural sections of Ontario during the pioneer period. In
the acquirement of an education he attended the public schools of Kirkton,
Perth county, until he was graduated from the high school at the age of nine-
teen years. His energies were thereafter devoted to the operation of the home
farm, with the work of which he had been assisting for some years previous.
He remained with his parents until he was twenty-six, at which age he started
out for himself. As he was not familiar with any line of work save farming
he continued to devote his energies to agricultural pursuits, beginning as a
renter. He cultivated leased land for a year, and at the expiration of that
period resolved to test his luck in the newer sections of the west. Coming to
Manitoba he filed on a homestead, which formed the nucleus of his present hold-
ing, and to this he subsequently added a pre-emption. In the clearing and
preparation of his land for cultivation he encountered the difficulties and
obstacles met with by the majority of the pioneers, but intelligently applied
energy ultimately brought him success. Each year witnessed a marked
improvement in his circumstances and as he prospered he increased his hold-
ings by the purchase of adjoining tracts until he owned nine hundred and
sixty acres. He cultivated the greater portion of his land until his eldest son
was ready to start out for himself when he presented him with a large tract.
James Kirk still cultivates three hundred and twenty acres, which he plants
to such crops as he deems best adapted to the soil, and in connection with farm-
ing he raises stock, keeping thirty horses, twenty head of cattle, about forty-
five hogs and several hundred fowls.
In March, 1880, Mr. Kirk was married in Huron county, Ontario, to Miss
Eliza E. Shier, a daughter of Nicholas and Jemima (Switzer) Shier, pioneer
farming people of Ontario, where the father still lives in Osborn. To Mr.
and Mrs. Kirk have been born eight children, as follows: Jemima Jane, the
wife of Stephen Windsor, a barrister of Campsack, Saskatchewan'; Harold N.,
who is farming in this district; Rachel E., who married John Smith, of Cran-
dall district; Alice Matilda, the wife of Albert Conn, who is farming in Sas-
katchewan; James S. and Joseph E., who are assisting their father with the
cultivation of the home farm; Mabel A., who is attending school; and Alex-
ander, who died in infancy.
Mr. and Mrs. Kirk are members of the Methodist Episcopal church, and in
politics he supports the conservative party. He stands for progress and
improvement in matters of citizenship as a business, and gives his hearty indorse-
THE STORY OF MANITOBA 301
ment to any movement calculated to promote the development of the country.
Mr; Kirk is proud of his farm, as he well may be, as it not only affords him a
gratifying income, but is a most attractive place of residence. His success he
attributes to his persistent energy and to the fact that each failure but served
to renew his zeal and enable him to meet the next obstacle with greater
fortitude.
EOBERT W. SMITH.
Robert W. Smith owns and cultivates one of the most valuable and attract-
ive farms in the vicinity of Dauphin. He bought it in an unbroken state from
the Hudson's Bay Company in 1890 and has steadily carried forward the
work of development and improvement until he has made it profitable and
modern in every particular. His labors have been a contributing factor in
the growth of this section of the province and although he is in the eightieth
year of his age he is still useful and his work important. Mr. Smith was born
in Scotland, April 6, 1833, a son of James and Mary (Scott) Smith, both of
whom died in their native country and are buried at St. Mongo, Dumfries,
Scotland.
Robert W. Smith received his education in his native district and did not
leave school until he was sixteen years of age. Afterward he clerked in a
hardware store for a number of years before he left his native country. Cross-
ing' the Atlantic he landed in Canada and came on the Grand Trunk Railroad
by way of Point Leroy to Toronto and thence to Collingwood. He next went
by boat to Port Arthur and from there traveled over the old Dawson route
to the Lake of the Woods, landing in Winnipeg in 1874, having made the last
eighty miles of the journey by wagon. Afterward he took up a homestead
preemption claim, which he developed and improved for some time and was
rapidly becoming successful when his entire property was destroyed by fire.
Being left practically destitute he was obliged to take a position as clerk in a
grocery store and he worked in this capacity for one year. In the spring of
1876 he formed a partnership with John Cuddy and conducted the business
at Winnipeg until 1882. In that year he returned to Scotland and there
remained until 1890, when he returned to Manitoba. Upon his arrival he
purchased from the Hudson's Bay Company six hundred and forty acres on
section 8, which is his present home. It was a tract of raw prairie land upon
which not a furrow had been turned. With the resolute energy which had
distinguished him during all the difficulties of his earlier life Mr. Smith set
himself to clear the property. Acre by acre it was plowed and planted and
gradually his labor and care were rewarded by abundant harvests. He made
substantial improvements, fenced his fields, built barns and outbuildings and
finally had one of the most valuable farms in the district. Four hundred acres
of this property are under cultivation and upon it Mr. Smith does mixed
farming and is also extensively interested in stock-raising, keeping fifty head
of cattle, seventeen horses and fine herds of sheep and swine, which he puts
in condition for the market. Besides the farm upon which he resides he owns
another tract of four hundred and eighty acres and is conducting also a profit-
able mortgage-loan business.
In Liverpool, England, in 1859, Mr. Smith married Miss Ellen Clayton,
who passed away February 10, 1877, and is buried in St. John's cemetery,
Winnipeg. Mr. Smith supports the liberal party and is active and well known
in local politics. He has served with distinction as police magistrate for
seven years and was for a long time justice of the peace. Mr. Smith lives
with his two nieces, Sarah and Fanny Boyd, and his nephew, Robert Boyd,
who are doing all in their power to make his home comfortable and attractive.
Although he is in his eightieth year he seems still in his prime in spirit and
Vol. Ill 14
302 THE STORY OF MANITOBA
interests and is important and prominent in his many different lines of activity.
He was one of the early settlers in Manitoba, coming to the province in 1874,
although his residence has not been continuous. His integrity and straight-
forward methods have made him esteemed and honored wherever he is known.
FRED C. BENNEST.
Fred C. Bennest is the .leading barrister of Hamiota, where he has been
successfully engaged in practice for the past eight years. He is a native of
Wyoming, Lambton county, Ontario, his birth occurring on October 5, 1878,
and a son of George F. and Emma (Hoskin) Bennest. The father, who was an
agent for musical instruments, removed from Ontario to Brandon, Manitoba, in
1891. He is now living retired in Vancouver, British Columbia, but the mother
is deceased, having passed away in Brandon in the fall of 1901. The family is
of English origin.
Fred C. Bennest, who was only a lad of thirteen years when his parents
came to Manitoba, completed his education in the schools of Brandon, being
graduated from a collegiate institute when he was seventeen. Immediately there-
after he identified himself with the legal profession by accepting a clerk-
ship in the office of Mr. Macdonald of that city. While engaged in the dis-
charge of his duties he diligently applied himself to the mastery of the prin-
ciples of jurisprudence, having resolved to become a barrister. As soon as, he
had saved fifty dollars he took out solicitor 's articles, completing his professional
course under Mr. Ewart of Winnipeg, through whom he received his license
entitling him to practice as a barrister. In 1904, he came to Hamiota and
established an office, and owing to the competence and general efficiency he has
displayed in the discharge of the legal business entrusted to him has become
recognized as one of the capable and reliable representatives of his profession
in the town. He has succeeded in building up a large and highly desirable
clientage, and a reputation that assures steady advancement in his professional
career.
At Brandon, on the 5th of July, 1905, Mr. Bennest was married to Miss
Nellie Doran, a daughter of S. C. and Rachel Doran, the father a retired
capitalist of that city, and to them have been born two daughters, Helen and
Dora, and one son, Edwin. Mr. Bennest owns his residence, which is located
in a desirable section of the town.
In religious faith the family are Methodists, and the fraternal relations of
Mr. Bennest are confined to his membership in the Independent Order of Odd
Fellows. In politics he is independent, casting his ballot for such men as he
deems best qualified to protect the interests of the majority, and has served
as alderman of Hamiota. Mr. Bennest has a brother, Edwin H. Bennest, who is
a junior partner in the well known legal firm of Campbell, Pitbledo, Grundy
& Bennest. Both as a representative of his profession and as a private citizen,
Mr. Bennest is held in high regard in Hamiota, as in all of the relations of life
he has manifested qualities which entitle him to the respect and esteem of his
fellow townsmen.
SHERMAN HARRISON WILSON.
Sherman Harrison Wilson is one of the many young business men of modern
times who base their success on special efficiency. Practically his entire active
life has been spent as an electrical worker and the many different capacities
in which he has worked made his training comprehensive and his knowledge
detailed, while his business ability has made both practically effective. Through
THE STORY OP MANITOBA 303
successive stages of advancement he has worked his way upward to the position
of manager of the Brandon branch of the United Electric Company, the head
office of which is at Winnipeg, and the fact that he has been put in such a
responsible position at so early an age is evidence of the fact that he has accom-
plished something worthy of confidence. Mr. Wilson was born June 10, 1888,
and is a son of Captain Harper Wilson, a veteran of the Civil war, who came
from his native country of Ireland to New York city in 1851 and after the
close of the war in the United States went to St. Catharines, Ontario, where he
engaged in the grocery business for a number of years. In 1880 he came to
Manitoba and settled in Winnipeg, where he has since become prominent and
important and is at present serving as city coal, wood, and hay inspector.
Previous to assuming his duties in this capacity he had been successful in the
fruit business.
Sherman H. Wilson was educated in Winnipeg and left the collegiate
institute at the age of fourteen and immediately started as an electrical worker,
in the employ of the city government. He remained in this connection for
eighteen months and was then engaged as shipper and clerk for the Dauphin
Supply & Apparatus Company, of Montreal. This position, however, he re-
signed after a short time, in order to take charge of the plant operated by the
Selker Electric Light & Power Company and was successful in the discharge
of his duties for fourteen months when he became connected with the Canadian
Pacific Railroad as engineer at Laggan, Alberta. There he remained nine
months and at the end of that time was engaged by the United Electric Com-
pany as wireman and in four years worked himself up to his present position
which is one of the most responsible and important ones within the gift of the
company. Mr. Wilson has proven himself equal to his duties which have
developed in him the energy, keenness, and resourcefulness which are elements
in his character. By virtue of his office he is an important figure in business
circles of the city while his own work and attainments have added materially
to the respect and-esteem in which he is held.
On June 12, 1911, Mr. Wilson was united in marriage to Miss Fanny L.
Finnsson, a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. G. Finnsson, the former an engineer at
the Selker Insane Asylum. Mr. Wilson gives his allegiance to the conserva-
tive party and is a member of the Presbyterian church. He is only twenty-five
years of age but has already accomplished a distinct success. His position as
manager of one of the important branches of a large business enterprise has not
come to him by chance but as the result of proven efficiency and definite attain-
ment.
ROBERT BEATTIE.
Robert Beattie is leading a life of diligence and well directed business
activity on his ,farm, which comprises four hundred and eighty acres of fertile
land and is located in the vicinity of Killarney. When he came into possession
of this property it was in a wild state, but unwearied industry and constant
application have wrought the usual transformation and today he is the proud
owner of one of the best farms of that community. Aberdeenshire, Scotland,
was the birthplace of Mr. Beattie, his natal day being the 7th of March, 1866,
and his parents, James and Catherine (Griach) Beattie. The father and mother
were born, reared and married in Scotland, where they made their home until
1882. In the latter year they emigrated to America with their family, locating
in the province of Ontario. There the mother passed away, and the father
subsequently continued his journey westward to Manitoba, where his death
occurred in 1904. He was trained to an agricultural career in his youth, con-
tinuing to follow that vocation until age compelled his retirement from active
life. To the marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Beattie were born eleven children, of
304 THE STORY OF MANITOBA
whom five are deceased. Of the remaining six, our subject is the only one resid-
ing in Manitoba.
Robert Beattie was a youth of sixteen years when he accompanied his par-
ents on their removal to America. Soon thereafter he learned the carpenter's
trade and bridge-building, and was for six years in the employ of the Dominion
Bridge Company of Montreal. Next he occupied a similar position with the
Great Northern Railway Company, and while in their service he purchased a
quarter section of wild land, which formed the nucleus of his present fine ranch.
The succeeding two years were spent in elevator work, but at the expiration of
that time he returned to this district and bought another hundred and sixty
acres of land. He has since further extended his holdings by the purchase of
another quarter section, all of which he has brought to a high state of produc-
tivity. From time to time Mr. Beattie has increased the value and enhanced
the appearance of his property by the erection of substantial buildings, his
now being one of the best improved places in the county. His fields are planted
to such crops as he deems best adapted to the soil and in connection with diversi-
fied farming he engages in stock-raising. In the development of his interests
he has met with the success which usually rewards the man who directs his
energies in a systematic manner along practical yet progressive lines.
For his wife and helpmate, Mr. Beattie chose Miss Betsey Jane Chapman,
a daughter of William and Elizabeth (Pattulla) Chapman, both of whom are
deceased. The mother, whose death occurred some fifteen years ago, passed
away first, and Mr. Chapman, who died in 1910, later married Miss Agnes
Runkin. Besides Mrs. Beattie, who is the eldest of the first marriage, there was
born a son, William P., who resides in Manitoba, and Isabella, who is deceased.
To Mr. Chapman and his second wife were born six children, in the follow-
ing order: Ida Pearl, Edith May, Hazel Blanche, Ruby Vona, David Sterling
and Harold Melvin, all of whom are living at home with their mother. The
family of Mr. and Mrs. Beattie also numbers six: Catherine E. M. ? Beatrice
Maud, Alice Irene, Robert R., Helen Susan and Roland Griach. Although a
native of Canada, Mrs. Beattie is of Scotch extraction, her father having been
born in Scotland.
The religious views of Mr. and Mrs. Beattie coincide with the teachings of
the Presbyterian church, of which they are consistent members. He takes an
active interest in community affairs and is now serving as a member of the local
school board. He is meeting with well deserved sucess in his undertakings and
each year marks a substantial advance in his business career, which is being
pursued with the unrelenting persistence, characteristic of the energetic man
of determined purpose.
WILLIAM EDWARD ROBERTS.
One of the foremost railroad men in the employ of the Canadian Northern
system is William Edward Roberts, division superintendent at Brandon, who
for almost twenty years, the entire period of his active life, has been identified
with railroading and through successive stages of progress and advancement
has worked his way upward to a prominent place in the organizing and admin-
istrative branches of the business. He was born in Winnipeg, June 12, 1875,
and is a son of Edward and Catherine Roberts, the former a pioneer lumber
merchant of that city. The father became prominent and successful in this
line of work and was still actively identified with it at the time of his death in
1890. He is buried in St. John 's cemetery in Winnipeg. The family is of Irish
origin and its members have been stanch adherents of the conservative party
for many generations.
William Edward Roberts, was educated in the Carlton School and laid aside
his books at the age of fifteen in order to accompany his mother on a tour
W. E. ROBERTS
THE STORY OF MANITOBA 307
through the east. When he returned he took up the study of telegraphy and
began his career as operator for the Northern Pacific Railroad, working in
various parts of what was known as the Manitoba division. He worked as
agent and as relief agent for ten years and in 1901 was transferred to the
Canadian Northern Railroad as train despatcher, which position he held until
1905. In that year he was promoted to the office of chief train despatcher and
did able work in this capacity for four years, being appointed in 1909, train
master and acting superintendent. He filled the duties of these two positions
at various parts of the Manitoba division until it was determined to establish
the division of which he is now at the head. The importance of the place which
Mr. Roberts had attained in the confidence of his employers and the splendid
record he had made in his past services is evidenced by the fact that he was
given full charge of organizing the new division. His long experience in rail-
roading in all its details, combined with his business judgment and discern-
ment, made him an ideal man for the work. It was soon accomplished, different
departments were founded and the whole coordinated into a profitable and
flourishing division of the road. Mr. Roberts has acted as its superintendent
since 1911 and in one year has fully justified his appointment.
On September 30, 1902, Mr. Roberts married Miss Ethel M. Thomas, a
daughter of E. B. and Margaret Thomas. Her father was formerly a woolen
mill expert of Coburg, Ontario. He died in 1900 and is buried in that city.
Mr. and Mrs. Roberts are adherents of the Church of England. Mr. Roberts
is a well known Royal Arclr Mason and is a popular member of the Brandon
Club. For twenty years he has been identified with railroading in different
capacities and has become an expert in his line of work. He gives to his
employers the invaluable services of a man of keen business acumen, reliability,
conscientiousness and progressive instincts, combined with that special efficiency
which is the foundation of success.
JOHN CHRISTIE.
John Christie, who engages in diversified farming in the Killarney district,
where he owns a well improved ranch of three hundred and twenty acres, was
born in Perthshire, Scotland, on the 13th of October, 1848. He is a son of
John and Ann (Lowe) Christie, who were born, reared and married- in Scot-
land, whence they later removed with their family to Canada, settling on a
farm in Ontario. To them were born six children, of whom our subject is
the second in order of birth. The other members of the family are as follows:
Edward, who is a resident of Ontario; Catherine and William, both of whom
are deceased; Elizabeth, the wife of William McEwen, of Hansel, Ontario;
and Andrew, who died in infancy. The parents are now deceased.
John Christie remained in Ontario with his father until 1882, when he
removed to Manitoba, which has ever since been his place of residence. Soon
after his arrival he filed on a homestead and began his career as a pioneer agri-
culturist. In this connection he had practically the same experiences as the
majority of the frontiersmen, but year by year he met with greater success
and was subsequently enabled to extend the boundaries of his ranch until he
now holds the title to three hundred and twenty acres of valuable land. During
the intervening years his fields have been brought to a high state of produc-
tivity and more substantial structures have taken the place of the crude build-
ings first erected on his homestead, to the value of which he has still further
added by the introduction of many modern conveniences.
On the 29th of December, 1875, Mr. Christie was married to Miss Mary
Ann Wilcox, a daughter of Daniel and Jane (Tomlinson) Wilcox, natives of
England. The father was a tailor by trade, but he subsequently engaged in
agricultural pursuits, which he followed during the remainder of his active
308 THE STORY OF MANITOBA
life. He has been living retired for thirty years when he passed away at
the advanced age of ninety. The mother is also deceased, her death having
occurred in 1901. Their family numbered ten, as follows: John, who is a
resident of the state of Missouri ; Susan, who died in childhood ; two, who died
in infancy; Daniel; two, who died in infancy; Mrs. Christie; Elizabeth, the
wife of Frank Grill, of Exeter, Ontario; and Sarah Agnes, who became the
wife of John Hutchinson, of Lafond, Alberta. To the marriage of Mr. and
Mrs. Christie have been born eight children : Daniel J., who is at home ; Luther
Alton, who is deceased; Bertie, also deceased; Edna Jane, the wife of John H.
Scott, of Creelman, Saskatchewan; Ethel Ann and Cora Lizzie Agnes, both of
Winnipeg; and Olive Mary and Edward Lewis, who are at home.
The parents are members of the Methodist church and have reared their
children in the faith of that denomination. Although he has never promi-
nently figured in local politics Mr. Christie has for several years been school
trustee, in which capacity he has given efficient service. A residence cover-
ing a period of thirty years has served to make Mr. Christie widely known
in this district, where his fine principles, honest business methods and high
standards of conduct have won him the respect and esteem of all with whom
he has had relations in either a social or business way.
J. OLIVER FRAZER.
For thirty-eight years J. Oliver Frazer, who owns four hundred and eighty
acres of land in the Hamiota district, has been closely associated with the
agricultural development of Manitoba. Like many of the pioneers of this
district, he is a native of Ontario, his birth having occurred in Halton county,
April 19, 1864. His parents were James O. and Catherine (McQuarry) Frazer,
the father being of Irish lineage but a native of the state of Pennsylvania.
When a lad he became a resident of Ontario, where he engaged in farming
until 1874, when with his wife and family he came to Manitoba. Upon his
arrival in this province he first located in the vicinity of High Bluff, where he
purchased a tract of partially cultivated land. He there continued his agricul-
tural pursuits for ten years, but at the expiration of that time he continued
his journey westward to the Hamiota district. . Here he took up a quarter
section of land on range 23, which is now the property of his son, J. Oliver. Mr.
Frazer was a man of marked public spirit and took an active interest in all poli-
tical affairs. During his early life he was a stanch supporter of the liberal
party, but he subsequently became a great admirer of Sir John A. MacDonald,
the conservative leader, and after coming to Manitoba he transferred his
allegiance to the latter party. In religious faith he was a Presbyterian, as was
also the mother, and for many years he was an elder in the church. He was
a man of good principles, high standards of conduct and incorruptible integrity,
all of which qualities united in making him a power in his community for
progress and improvement and won him the regard of a large circle of friends.
He was a member of the first council in this district under the original con-
stitution and was a volunteer during the Fenian raid. He lived to attain the
advanced age of eighty-two years, his death occurring in 1899, while the mother
was fifty-six when she passed away in 1887. They are both buried in the
Hamiota cemetery.
The education of J. Oliver Frazer was begun in the schools of his native
province, where he passed the first ten years of his life, and completed in those
of High Bluff. When he was sixteen he left school, and assumed his share
of the duties connected with the operation of the home farm. He accompanied
his parents on their removal to Hamiota in 1884, and took up a homestead on
township 13, range 23, as did also his father. Owing to the advanced age of
the latter the greater part of the work connected with the cultivation of his
THE STORY OF MANITOBA 309
place devolved upon the son, who was also busily engaged in the development
of his own holding. He continued to operate both places, bringing the land
to a high state of productivity and making such other improvements as he was
able from year to year. Upon the death of his father he inherited his land and
in addition he also owns another quarter section located on township 14. He
annually plants three hundred and twenty acres of his land to grain, wheat
being his principal crop, and in connection with farming he raises stock. He
keeps sixteen horses, ten head of cattle and a large quantity of other stock,
all of a high grade. As he directs his undertakings with good judgment and
business sagacity, he is meeting with profitable returns in the development of
his interests and is enjoying well earned success.
In Hamiota on the 18th of May, 1898, Mr. Frazer was married to Miss
Isabelle Anderson, a daughter of George and Isabelle (Thompson) Anderson,
who removed to this province from Ontario during the pioneer period. The
father, who was one of the well known farmers of this district, passed away
in 1892 and is buried at Beulah, Manitoba. The mother is still living and now
makes her home with her son, John T. Anderson. The family is of Scotch
extraction. To Mr. and Mrs. Frazer have been born six children, in the
following order: Ralph Oliver, Jessie Isabelle, Catherine McQuarry and
Florence, who are attending the'Kerr school; James Anderson, who is five years
of age; and Mary Grace, who has passed the second anniversary of her birth.
The family attend the Presbyterian church, of which the parents are active
members, Mr. Frazer being a member of the executive board. His fraternal
connections are confined to his membership in the Masonic order, in which
he has taken the degrees of the blue lodge. In politics he supports the men and
measures he deems best qualified to subserve the interests of the majority. He
takes an active interest in local affairs and is now one of the trustees of the
Kerr school board. He is a stockholder in the Miniota Mutual Fire Insurance
Company, and is a member of its board of directors. Mr. Frazer attributes his
success not ajone to his diligence and perseverance, but largely to the capable
assistance of his wife, whose careful and efficient management of the household
affairs has substantially contributed toward his advancement. They are both
held in high regard in their community, where they have won the esteem
and friendship of a large circle of acquaintances.
HARRY E. LAWRENCE.
Harry E. Lawrence, who bases his success in the conduct of a general store
in Napinka, Manitoba, upon long experience in the various departments of
the retail dry-goods business, was born in Sackville, New Brunswick, in October,
1872. He is a son of George and Mary E. (Purdy) Lawrence, residents of
Sackville, New Brunswick, where they are well and favorably known.
Harry E. Lawrence acquired his education in the public schools of Sack-
ville and in the high school at Port Elgin, laying aside his books at the early
age of sixteen to enter the mercantile business in the employ of George F.
Fair, of Moncton, New Brunswick, where he served an apprenticeship of over
four years. At this time his health becoming somewhat impaired, he returned
to his home at Port Elgin for a much needed rest and while there entered the
office of the Anglo-American Telegraph Company. After spending a year at
this he again entered mercantile lines, becoming engaged as salesman with
A. & R. Loggie, of Loggieville, New Brunswick, later winning promotion to
the position of manager of their branch at Dalhousie, New Brunswick. He
followed two years of activity in that capacity by four years as manager of
a general store belonging to R. O'Leary, of Richibucto, New Brunswick.
In 1909 he came to Manitoba and settled in Napinka, where he is now
engaged in the mercantile business for himself. He has since continued to
310 THE STORY OF MANITOBA
conduct his enterprise and has been accorded a liberal patronage because he
not only understands his business in principle and detail, but also makes a
constant study of local needs and demands and is earnest in his desire to
please his patrons.
In Koughibouguac, New Brunswick, Mr. Lawrence was united in marriage
to Miss Carol Jardine, a daughter of George and Alice Richardson Jardine.
Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence have .three children, Carol, Harold and Kathleen.
Mr. Lawrence is Episcopal in religion, a conservative in his political beliefs,
and fraternally is connected with the Masonic lodge and the Independent Order
of Foresters. He is an upright and honorable man, interested not only in his
individual advancement but also in the public welfare, and he has won the
confidence and regard of his neighbors both as a successful business man and
as a useful citizen.
j. D. MCGREGOR.
The development of western Canada has been a foremost interest in the life
of J. D. McGregor. Every opportunity for the advancement of the country
and the promotion of its welfare has been employed by him and his efforts
have been a vital and forceful element in bringing about the present progress
and prosperity of his section of the country. He has studied the questions of
irrigation, of the improvement of live stock and others that have had direct
bearing upon the welfare of the province, and through his individual labors
has brought many thousands of acres of land under high cultivation. He has
been a resident of Manitoba since 1877, coming to the west from "Windsor,
Ontario. He was born at Amherstburg, Ontario, on the 7th of August, 1860,
and is a son of David and Annie (Smith) McGregor. The father conducted an
extensive business as a dealer in live stock. Removing to the west, he estab-
lished his home in Winnipeg and became a well known and valued resident of
that city. He has passed away but is still survived by Mrs. McGregor, who
makes her home in Winnipeg. In politics the father was known as a stanch
liberal and in matters relating to the public good exerted considerable influence.
The family is of Highland Scotch origin and J. D. McGregor manifests
several of the sterling qualities of the race that comes from that section of the
country. The public-school system of Windsor, Ontario, afforded him his
educational opportunities and after leaving school at the age of fifteen years
he went to Chicago, where he spent one winter. He then came to Winnipeg,
where he assisted his father in the live-stock business, and in 1879 removed to
Portage la Prairie, where he continued in the same business. He removed to
Brandon before the town was organized and was engaged in farming and
ranching in Alberta for a time. He afterward went to the Yukon and there
remained for eight years, holding the position of mining inspector for one
year. Brandon still remained his home, however, and here he took up his
permanent abode after returning from the north. For six years prior to Janu-
ary, 1913, he was managing director of the Southern Alberta Land Company,
which irrigated four hundred thousand acres of land in the province of Alberta.
Mr. McGregor was the organizer of that company and controlled its interests
until the beginning of the present year, when he resigned the- management
although he still remains a large shareholder. His activities have indeed con-
stituted an important element in the growth and progress of the west, his
labors being of the most practical character, productive of tangible, far-reaching
and beneficial results. He has done much to stimulate the cooperation of others
in the work that he has achieved and his is a contagious enthusiasm which has
constituted a valuable force in promoting plans and measures for the general
improvement and development of this section of the country. He is now the
president of the Manitoba Winter Fair and of the stock association, of which
JAMES D. MCGREGOR
THE STORY OF MANITOBA 313
he was one of the organizers. He is likewise president of the Brandon "Winter
Fair and Live Stock Association and is likewise a director of the Brandon
Hospital a fact which shows that broad humanitarianism constitutes a factor
in his activities as well as a desire to promote material progress. He is the
largest breeder of Aberdeen Angus cattle in Manitoba and one of the largest
live-stock breeders in Canada. He has gained notable progress along that line
in late years and he won the world's grand championship at the International
Exhibition with the steer Glencarnock Victor. He also had the grand champion
herd which he exhibited all over Canada and the United States. Aside from
his important landed and live-stock interests he is also a representative of com-
mercial affairs as a partner of the firm of Brown & Mitchell, proprietors of a
very exclusive retail hardware store at Brandon.
On the 10th of June, 1882, Mr. McGregor was married to Miss Elizabeth
Murphy, of Brandon, a sister of G. B. Murphy, of Carberry, Manitoba. They
have become the parents of four children: James Hilton, who is engaged in
the hardware business ; William Allen, who is connected with his father in the
irrigation works at Medicine Hat, Alberta; Kenneth, a student in the Iowa
State Agricultural College ; and Gwendolin, a graduate of the Bishop Strachan
School, of Toronto. The family reside at No. 324 Thirteenth street, in Brandon,
and are members of the Presbyterian church. Mr. McGregor belongs also to
the Masonic and Knights of Pythias lodges and the Ancient Order of United
Workmen. His political support is given to the liberal party but he has had
neither time nor inclination for public office, preferring to concentrate his
energies upon his business affairs which, capably and intelligently directed,
have brought to him an unusual measure of success. There is in his entire
career, however, not a single esoteric phase and careful analyzation of his life
work proves conclusively that close application, sound judgment and persistency
of purpose have been the underlying factors in his continuous and notable
advancement.
JOHN McPHERSON MAcMILLAN.
John McPherson MacMillan, who owns and cultivates three hundred and
twenty acres of land in township 14, range 24, is one of the capable agricul-
turists and enterprising business men of Hamiota district, of which he has
been a resident for thirty years. A native of the province of Ontario, his
birth occurred in Glengarry county on the 27th of May, 1856^ his parents being
Duncan and Annie (McPherson) MacMillan. The father, who was also a
native of Glengarry, Was one of the pioneer agriculturists of Ontario, where
he passed his entire life. The family of Mr. and Mrs. MacMillan numbered
nine, those beside our subject being as follows: Jane, who passed away on
August 15, 1911, and was buried on the family lot in Mount Roy cemetery,
Montreal; Hugh, whose death occurred in 1907, also buried at Mount Roy;
Mary Ann, the wife of R. P. Nevin, of Montreal ; Daniel, Maggie and Walter
Mile's, all of whom are residing in Montreal; Sarah, the wife of B. Gillies,
who passed away in 1900 and is 'buried at Mount Roy ; and Colin, who is resid-
ing in Montreal. The father, who lived to attain the advanced age of eighty-
six years, passed away in 1891, and was buried at Mount Roy, as was also
the mother, whose death occurred in 1884. The parents were both of Scotch
extraction.
In Glengarry county was the boyhood home of John McP. MacMillan, who
passed his early years in very much the same manner as other lads who are
reared in the country. His education was acquired in the district schools,
which he attended during the winter months only, his summers being devoted
to the work of the farm from early boyhood. Soon after laying aside his
text-books he started out to make his own way in the world, following such
314 THE STORY OF MANITOBA
employment as afforded him an honest living. He gained a knowledge of many
things and an understanding of human nature, generally, during the years
he was thus engaged, that has been of assistance to him through all his life.
For a time he worked in the lumber woods, but he subsequently learned the
cheese- maker's trade, following which he engaged in railroading for eight
years. In 1882 he came to Manitoba from Montreal and has ever since made
his home in this province. For a year after his arrival he worked for the
Rev. Dundas, but at the expiration of that period he homesteaded some land
and went to farming for himself. Diligence, united with constant applica-
tion, finally resulted in bringing his tract of prairie land under cultivation.
By means of careful tilling and the exercise of intelligence as to soil culture,
the fertility of his land was increased instead of diminished and his labor
was rewarded with more abundant harvests. He subsequently availed himself
of an opportunity to dispose of his farm at a good profit, investing the pro-
ceeds in another tract of wild land, which he likewise brought under cultiva-
tion and sold to advantage. In 1900 he purchased his present place, com-
prising three hundred and twenty acres of prairie land, and practically
repeated his previous experiences in bringing it under cultivation. Profiting
by his earlier experience and his wider knowledge of the country and soil
conditions, his efforts progressed more rapidly and in comparatively a short
time his vast expanse of prairie had been transformed into beautiful fields
of grain. As time has passed he has made many substantial improvements
in the place, including the erection of a comfortable and attractive residence
from designs and plans made by himself and wife. Large commodious barns,
sheds and outbuildings have replaced the crude structures first built, while
about the premises have been installed many conveniences and various devices
to lessen the labor and expedite the work. Mr. MacMillan does some mixed
farming but his fields are almost entirely planted to grain and he also raises
stock. As his circumstances have permitted he has acquired other property
holdings, including some real estate in Winnipeg, and he substantially increases
his income by the purchase and sale of lands.
On the 16th of July, 1883, in the city of Brandon, Mr. MacMillan was
married to Miss Margaret Kerr, a daughter of Philip and Elizabeth Kerr, who
are mentioned at greater length elsewhere in this work. Of this marriage
have been born nine children, as follows: Bessie, the wife of George O'Neill,
a farmer of this district; Philip, who is farming in Saskatchewan; Alice, who
became the wife of David Douglas, of Hamiota; Stewart and Colin, who are
assisting their father with the cultivation of the farm; and John, Florence,
Maggie and William, all of whom are attending school.
The family are members of the Presbyterian church, and fraternally Mr.
MacMillan is a Mason. In politics he supports the liberal party, and is
serving as a trustee on the Kinsmore school board. Mr. MacMillan has led a
life of diligence and intelligently directed business activity, but he generously
attributes much of the credit for his success to his wife, whose able manage-
ment of the household affairs, fine intuition and good judgment have all united
in promoting his prosperity. They are both people of many sterling quali-
ties and fine traits of character, the worth of which is appreciated in the
community, as is attested by their large circle of friends.
JOHN J. RANKIN.
Among the progressive and enterprising agriculturists of Killarney must
be mentioned John J. Rankin, whose farm comprises nine hundred and sixty
acres of fertile and highly improved land. He was born in Glasgow, Scot-
land, on the 8th of July, 1857, and is a son of John and Jane (Douglas)
Rankin, likewise natives of Scotland. The father, who was a miller, came to
THE STORY OF MANITOBA 315
America with his family in 1879, settling in Lanark county, Ontario, where
he followed his trade for a year. In 1880 he came to Manitoba, settling in
Crystal City, and there worked at his trade until his retirement, since which
he has resided in Killarney. The mother has long been deceased, her death
occurring in 1884. Their family numbered eight, of whom our subject is the
eldest, the others being as follows: Jeannette, who became the wife of John
M. Rankin, of Killarney; Jane, who married W. R. Johnson, of Bannerman;
Rachel, who is the wife of George Jaques, of the same place; Charles D., who
is residing in Manitoba; Christina, who married Amos Hicks, of Killarney
district, Manitoba; Agnes, the widow of William Chapman, of Killarney; and
James K., who resides in this province.
John J. Rankin, who was reared and educated in the land of his nativity,
began his agricultural career in Ontario, where for five years he cultivated his
father's farm. At the expiration of that period he came to Manitoba and
took up a homestead, and during the intervening years he has increased his
holdings from time to time until he now owns three half sections of valuable
land. He is persevering and diligent as is evidenced by the condition of his
farm, the well-kept appearance of which indicates the exercise of careful super-
vision and systematic methods in its operation. His fields have been brought
into a high state of productivity and now annually yield abundant harvests,
while he has still further increased the value of his place by the erection of
a comfortable residence, substantial barns and such other buildings as are
needed about the premises, his being one of the best improved farms in the
district. In connection with his diversified farming Mr. Rankin is engaged
in raising stock, and is meeting with gratifying returns from both lines of
his work.
in March, 1877, Mr. Rankin was married to Miss Mary Cullen Bain, a
daughter of William and Margaret (Dachman) Bain, natives of Scotland.
The father, who is now deceased, followed the vocation of farming all of his
life. To Mr. and Mrs. Bain were born eight children, as follows: Jeannette,
the widow of Peter Lawson, of Ontario; Catherine, who married Robert
McAvoy, of Laurnell, Quebec; Thomas, who resides in British Columbia; Mrs.
Rankin; William, who makes his home in Vancouver; James, who is living in
Minnesota; John, of Peterborough, Ontario; and Davis, who is also a resident
of Ontario. Mr. and Mrs. Rankin are the parents of eleven children: Sophia
Jane, who married James Bartley, of Killarney ; Maggie C., the wife of James
Davidson, of Killarney ; Jessie, who is deceased ; Nellie, who became the wife
of Joseph Bartley, of Killarney; and Charles B., Harry, Thomas, Dorothy,
Bertha F., David B. and Raymond, all of whom are at home.
The parents are consistent members of the Presbyterian church, in the
faith of which they reared their family. In matters of citizenship Mr. Rankin
is public-spirited, taking an active and helpful interest in all local affairs,
particularly those of a political nature, being a liberal, and he has held several
of the minor offices. He has inherited the thrift, energy and business integrity
of a long line of Scotch ancestors, all of which qualities he has exercised in
the pursuit of his career. As a result he is today the owner of valuable prop-
erty and enjoys the respect and confidence of his fellow citizens, who during
the long years of his residence have ever found him to be honest and upright
in his transactions.
HENRY HYDE EDWARDS.
Henry Hyde Edwards has for two years been identified with the business
interests of Manitou, where he owns and operates a livery stable. He is a native
of the province of Ontario, his birth having occurred in the vicinity of Ottawa
on April 21, 1876, and a son of Hamnett and Rebecca (Lett) Edwards. The
316 . THE STORY OF MANITOBA
parents are also natives of Ontario, whence they removed to Manitoba in 1877,
locating on a homestead in the vicinity of Darlingford. There they endured
all of the hardships and privations incident to pioneer life, but they came
here to establish a home and diligently applied themselves to the achievement
of their purpose, and as a result theirs is now one of the desirable properties
of the community. The family of Mr. and Mrs. Edwards numbered nine chil-
dren, as follows : Emily, who is deceased ; Lila M., the wife of H. Thompson, of
Morden ; Emma Florence, who married Harry Burke, of Manitou ; Charles, who
is deceased ; Henry Hyde, our subject ; Andrew Lett, who is living at home and
assisting his father with the operation of the ranch; Marion Etta, the wife of
Albert Bestwick, of Lethbridge; Carrie Hill, who married Donald Possey, of
Lloyd Minster; and Thomas Baird, who is residing in Lethbridge.
The boyhood and youth of Henry Hyde Edwards were passed in very much
the same manner as those of other lads who are reared in a pioneer country.
He early began helping about the fields and barns, remaining at home with his
parents until he had attained his majority. Feeling that he was then fully
qualified to begin farming for himself he purchased a half section of wild
land, in the development of which he engaged for a year. At the expiration of
that time he disposed of his holdings and invested the proceeds in a quarter sec-
tion located elsewhere in this district. Here he continued his agricultural pur-
suits for four years, when he again sold his holding, subsequently purchasing
a half section in the vicinity of Manitou. Deciding that he preferred a busi-
ness career he likewise disposed of the latter property in 1910 and coming to
Manitou engaged in the livery business, in which he is meeting with a fair
measure of success. His stable and equipment would be a credit to a town
much larger, while his methods of conducting his enterprise are such as to
commend him to the patronage of the community, both of which features have
united in enabling him to build up a permanent local trade. Mr. Edwards also
owns his residence in Manitou.
On the 4th of December, 1900, was celebrated the marriage of Mr. Edwards
and Miss Evangeline Mary Ann Armitage, and to them there have been born
two children, as follows : Harry Boyd, whose natal day was the 28th of January,
1905 ; and Evangeline Marian, who was born on the 18th of June, 1907.
The parents are members of the Church of England, and the fraternal
relations of Mr. Edwards are with the Independent Order of Foresters, and
the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. He is an industrious man of good
business principles and honest methods, and as such enjoys the respect of his
fellow townsmen.
ALBEET EENEST WALKEY, M. D.
Dr. Albert Ernest Walkey, practicing physician and surgeon and specialist
in electro-therapeutics in Portage la Prairie, was born in Mitchell, Ontario,
June 24, 1879, and is a son of William and Mary (Williams) Walkey, natives
of Ontario, the former born near Toronto. The paternal branch of the family
was founded in Canada by the grandfather of our subject, who followed the
blacksmith business in Ontario for a number of years. The maternal side is
of Welsh descent and the first of the line to come to Canada was Rev. John
Williams, the maternal grandfather of the subject of this review.
Dr. Albert Ernest Walkey is the third of a family of eight children and
received his primary education in the public schools of Mitchell. He came to
Manitoba in 1891, locating at Newdale in that year and there entered the Souris
Collegiate Institute from which he received a teacher's certificate. He after-
ward attended normal school, thus completing his education in pedagogy and
after his graduation taught in the Manitoba schools for six years. Having
early determined to make the practice of medicine his life work he entered the
DR. A. E. WALKEY
THE STORY OF MANITOBA 319
medical department of the Manitoba University and was graduated with high
honors in 1906. He afterward took a post-graduate course in the Illinois
School of Electro-therapeutics and now gives much of his attention to electrical
and X-ray treatment. He has a well equipped office, with all the most modern
medical apparatus, including an X-ray outfit for use in his special work. Being
progressive, ambitious, and thoroughly efficient, Dr. Walkey has built up an
excellent practice since coming to the city and is regarded as one of the most
successful physicians in Portage la Prairie. Dr. Walkey is surgeon for the
Grand Trunk Pacific Railway, and health officer for the city and municipality
of Portage la Prairie. He is a member of the Manitoba, Central Manitoba and
the Dominion Medical associations.
Dr. Walkey married in December, 1906, Miss Margaret Nicol, of Ontario,
and they have one son, James. The Doctor is a member of the Independent
Order of Odd Fellows, the Independent Order of Foresters, the Loyal Order of
Moose, the Maccabees and the Royal Templars of Temperance.
Dr. Walkey 's studies have shown him vividly the evil effects of alcoholic
stimulants and his moral principles have led him to take a prominent part in
temperance work in this part of the country. In fact he dislikes anything
which detracts from personal physical efficiency. During his college days he
was well known in athletics and was active on the football, hockey and curling
teams of the Manitoba Ukiiversity and also was a skilful la-crosse player. He
was especially prominent in football, playing every year on winning teams.
This interest he has carried forward to his later life and^ his efforts have been
strong factors in spreading the doctrine of the efficacy of "a sound mind in a
sound body."
DANIEL McKILLOP.
One of the successful farmers of the Dauphin district, whose labors have been
of material and substantial value to the community in which he has resided for
a quarter of a century is Daniel McKillop, who makes his home on a farm
on section 3, township 26, range 19, where he owns and cultivates one hundred
and sixty acres of land. His family is of old Scotch origin but has been in
Canada for a number of years. Mr. McKillop of this review was born in
Inverness, Megantic county, Quebec, June 15, 1861, and is a son of Peter and
Margaret (Curry) McKillop. The father came to Quebec from Scotland in
1880 and settled in Megantic county in pioneer times. He farmed in that sec-
tion until his death. He and his wife are buried in the cemetery of the Con-
gregational church, of which they were devout adherents.
Daniel McKillop received his education in the public schools of his native
section and laid aside his books at the age of eighteen in order to assist his
father with the farm work. In 1881 he left home and went to Saskatchewan,
where he worked upon a farm for four years. This experience made him
admirably equipped for the conduct of his own property, which he took up
upon coming to Manitoba in 1887. The one hundred and sixty acres which he
acquired at this time was all scrub land but he has since brought it to a high
state of development by constant labor. He has made extensive improvements
and has recently erected a fine, modern home equipped with every convenience.
The raising of grain occupies most of his attention but he also .raises and feeds
stock, having a fine herd of cattle, nine horses and a large amount of other
stock. He has neglected no opportunity that would promote his advancement
and is justly accounted one of the active and progressive farmers of this part
of the province.
Mr. McKillop was married in Megantic county, Quebec, March 17, 1875, to
Miss Annabelle Gillies, a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. John Gillies, the former a
prominent farmer of Megantic county. The parents are both dead. The
320 THE STORY OF MANITOBA
father is buried in the Presbyterian cemetery in Megantic county and the
mother in Dauphin. Mr. and Mrs. McKillop have five children: John, who
is operating a farm on range 19 ; Lome, who is engaged in general agricultural
pursuits on the same range ; Rev. James, who is a minister of the Presbyterian
church located near Dauphin ; Donald, who is farming on range 19 ; and
Mary, the wife of Rev. J. J. Cowan, a Presbyterian minister at Clan William,
Manitoba.
Mr. McKillop gives his allegiance to the liberal party but is not active as
an office-seeker. He is a devout adherent of the Presbyterian church. He
deserves much credit for what he has accomplished for he has brought out of a
wild tract of scrub land a model farm and has thus added not only to his own
prosperity but to the resources and wealth of his section.
WILLIAM R. ROSS.
William R. Ross has been in Holland since before the railroad was con-
structed into the district and for over thirty years has been one of the dominat-
ing forces in growth and development along general lines. For some time he
engaged in farming and since 1886 has been the proprietor of a general store
the first in the town and today a thoroughly modern and up-to-date business
enterprise. Mr. Rossjias seen the section develop and has himself been active
in promoting growth,* standing steadily during the years on the side of right,
progress and advancement. He was born in Mount Forest, Wellington county,
Ontario, September 1, 1857, and is a son of William and Emily (Nicklin) Ross,
the former a native of Lanark county, Ontario. The mother of our subject was
born in Ohio in 1824 and died in Canada in 1861. The family is of old Scotch
origin and was founded in the Dominion by William Ross, the grandfather of
the subject of this review, who came from Edinburgh, Scotland, to Canada in
the early part of the nineteenth century and settled in Ontario, where for many
years he followed the millwright's trade. Gradually he narrowed his activi-
ties to one line that of building gristmills and soon became recognized as an
expert. His services were in great demand all over the province and many of
the mills which are standing . today were constructed under his supervision.
When his son, the father of our subject, grew to maturity he, too, engaged in
building gristmills and did some excellent work along this line in the early
days when water was the only power used to run the mill machinery.
William R. Ross of this review was the eldest son of a family of three
children. He was educated in the public schools of his native section and
immediately after laying his books aside, entered the store conducted by Hon.
James McMullen, of Mount Forest, now senator in the Dominion legislature.
In this way Mr. Ross learned all the details connected with general merchan-
dising and when he had fully mastered the methods of operation he moved to
Camlachie, Ontario, and established himself in business independently. This
venture was rapidly successful and brought Mr. Ross a high degree of pros-
perity. He continued his identification with it until 1880 and then left Ontario
and came to Manitoba, and after a short period of residence in Winnipeg moved
to Prince Albert, where he remained until the fall of the same year. At that
time he located near the present site of Holland, where he bought land and
engaged in farming. When the railroad came through the province in 1886
he moved into the town and there built a frame store, sixteen by twenty-four
feet, which he conducted as a general merchandise store. He is well known
to the early settlers in HollancT, who remember his work in building up his
business and who recall also the straightforward, upright methods which brought
him prosperity. His patronage rapidly assumed large proportions and he was
obliged to seek new quarters. He then erected one of the finest business build-
ings in Holland, making his new store twenty-eight by ninety-two feet, with
THE STORY OF MANITOBA 321
two stories and a basement. Everything in the line of general merchandise
is fonnd here and the goods are always of the very finest quality attainable.
The stock is kept tastefully arranged and the lines complete in every detail, so
that the people of Holland have the advantage of access to a store which within
the limits of demand has all the conveniences and many of the aspects of a
metropolitan enterprise.
In Winnipeg, in 1882, Mr. Ross married Miss Margaret McCammon, of
Niagara, Ontario. They have three children. William Fulton is associated
in business with his father. Walter is a graduate of the Manitoba University
and in 1909 received his degrees of C. M. and M. D. from the Manitoba Medical
College. For his able work he received a gold medal and the highest honors
in his class. He is now practicing at Dauphin, Manitoba. Arthur is a graduate
of the School of Pharmacy in Winnipeg.
William R. Ross for the past ten years has been a member of the board of
Manitoba College. He is a splendid example of the type of modest and unas-
suming men who live quiet, industrious and straightforward lives and constitute
always the best portion of any community. He never seeks public office, nor
prominence in public affairs, but for a number of years has served as a member
of the school board, since his interests are directly centered in the cause of
education. During the thirty-two years he has lived in Holland he has done
notable work in promoting general business activity and the quality of this
work is reflected in the flourishing condition of his store. Laboring incessantly
to make his business broaden and develop along lines of advancement, he has
succeeded in building up in the town a profitable, modern enterprise, which
has not only contributed to his own prosperity but has become valuable as a
public resource.
RICHARD WESLEY BRETHOUR.
Unremitting energy intelligently and constantly applied toward the achieve-
ment of success has enrolled Richard Wesley Brethour among the substantial
and prosperous agriculturists of the Hamiota district, where he holds the title
to nine hundred and sixty acres of land located on township 13, range 24. His
activities are devoted to diversified farming and stock-raising, in both of which
he is meeting with well deserved prosperity, and as his circumstances have
permitted he has made judicious investments in real estate, acquiring valuable
property interests in both Saskatchewan and British Columbia. Mr. Brethour
is a native of Ontario, having been born in Blanchard township, Perth county,
that province, on the 2d of May, 1856. His parents were David and Eliza
(Shier) Brethour, pioneer residents of Perth county, where the father engaged
in farming. He figured prominently in the early history of his community and
organized and was captain of Volunteer Company No. 6 during the Fenian raid.
In politics he was a stanch conservative, giving his unqualified support to the
men and measures of that party, and served as deputy reeve, reeve and tax
collector, discharging the duties of each office in an efficient, and capable manner.
He was a man of rare integrity and honor ; a respected citizen, loyal friend and
kind and considerate husband and father. He passed away in 1905 and was
laid to rest in Kirkton cemetery, where the mother was placed beside him in
February, 1912. The family is of German origin, as the name would suggest,
but many years ago some of its members were shipwrecked off the coast of
Ireland, which country became their home.
The boyhood and youth of Richard W. Brethour were passed on the home
farm in Perth county, where he attended the public schools in the acquirement
of an education until he was a youth of sixteen. The work of the school room
was then followed by that of the field, and for seven years thereafter he re-
mained at home and assisted his father in the cultivation of the farm. Feeling
322 THE STORY OF MANITOBA
he was in every way qualified to begin his independent career as an agriculturist
when he was twenty-three years of age he left the parental roof and came to
Manitoba. Upon his arrival here he filed on a homestead in the vicinity of
Newdale, township 15, range 20, which he cultivated for four years. At the
end of that period he disposed of this holding and invested the proceeds in
three hundred and twenty acres of wild prairie land in township 13, range 24.
This tract formed the nucleus of his present valuable farm, the boundaries of
which he has extended at different times until they embrace nine hundred and
sixty acres. By degrees he has broken his land, doing the work in a systematic
and thorough manner, and now has it in a high state of cultivation and is
annually reaping the reward of his early labor and painstaking efforts in
abundant harvests. He specializes in the raising of grain and yearly devotes six
hundred and fifty acres of his land to this purpose. In connection with farming
Mr. Brethour raises some stock, and keeps a herd of twenty cattle, twenty head
of horses, swine and other stock. He has improved his place by the erection
of a fine residence, large barns and such other buildings as have been needed
about the premises, as well as by installing many conveniences consistent with
the spirit of progress he manifests in his undertakings.
Mr. Brethour generously attributes much of the prosperity which has
attended him in his career to his excellent wife, whose capable management of
the household affairs, encouragement and splendid advice have played no small
part in his success. In her maidenhood she was known as Miss Elizabeth
Merriott, and is a daughter of David and Ann Merriott. The father, who was
one of the pioneer farmers of Ontario, passed away in 1897 and was buried
in the cemetery at St. Mary. The mother, however, is still living and now makes
her home with Mrs. Thompson in Toronto. Mr. and Mrs. Brethour were
married in St. Mary, Ontario, on the 17th of March, 1891, and to them have
been born two sons and two daughters. In order of birth they are as follows:
Sadie, who is residing at home ; Oscar Raymond, who assists his father ; Randel
Arthur, a student of the Hamiota high school ; and Olive, who is attending the
Hamiota public school.
Fraternally Mr. Brethour belongs to the Loyal Orange lodge and the
Knights of Pythias. He is conservative in his political views, and is actively
interested in local governmental affairs. He held the office of councilor for
three years and resigned the reeveship after seven years service, the length
of his term giving substantial evidence of his efficiency in this capacity. Mr.
Brethour attributes his success to hard work, carefully organized planning and
systematic methods. He has applied himself constantly early and late for many
years, and the result is to be seen in his productive fields, abundant harvests
and extensive acreage. Every success he has experienced has been purchased
at the price of much effort and unceasing perseverance, but like all self-made
men he has enjoyed the struggle and, without doubt, finds his greatest satisfac-
tion in thought that he is indebted to no one for the position he occupies
in the esteem of his fellow men or the prosperity he is enjoying.
JOHN WEIR.
John Weir, superintendent of the Industrial Training School for Boys at
Portage la Prairie and for a long time a prominent figure in charitable circles
of this district, has in one year established a distinct success in the conduct of
his important affairs by earnest and sincere charity, made forceful and effective
by business ability. He was born near London, in east Middlesex county,
Ontario, April 2, 1867, a son of John and Abigail (English) Weir, the former
a native of the north of Ireland and the latter of Ontario. The family is
originally of Scotch origin on both the paternal and maternal sides but its
representatives on the paternal side were for some generations in the north of
JOHN WEIR
THE STORY OF MANITOBA 325
Ireland, before the grandfather of our subject came to Ontario in 1848. He
located in North Dorchester near London, one of the pioneer farmers of that
section, who wrested from a virgin forest a profitable and well improved farm.
He was finally killed by the fall of a tree.
The father of our subject continued on the original farm and developed and
improved it until his death. He was one of the most prominent and thoroughly
progressive agriculturists of the section and was a well known figure in this
district, being a man of large stature, six feet three inches in height, and of
athletic build and of remarkable physical power, renowned all over Middlesex
county for feats of strength and endurance. He died in 1908.
John Weir is the fifth in a family of eight children. He received an excel-
lent education in the public schools of Ontario and when he was twenty- two
years of age left home, working in various parts of the province for two years
and a half. At the end of that time he came to Manitoba and in 1891 located
near Portage la Prairie and engaged in farming at Oakville in the Prairie
valley. From the time of his arrival in Manitoba Mr. Weir took an active part
in public affairs, serving as reeve and as a member of the rural council for
several terms. Always interested in education he found a fitting field for his
labors as school trustee and in this capacity did able and conscientious work.
He continued on his farm all during this time but gave most of his attention
to charitable work, being inspector of foster homes in the province. His duties
consisted of overseeing the management and direction of various orphan asylums
and of looking up the antecedents and general standing of people who wished
to adopt the children under his charge. The excellent work which he did in
this capacity led to his appointment in 1911 as superintendent of the Industrial
Training School for Boys at Portage la Prairie. The institution is in the
midst of a farm of two hundred and forty acres, adjoining the city and at present
the buildings consist of, the main house, a beautiful structure of cut stone and
brick, an eight room school of the same material, a blacksmith's shop and all
the buildings necessary to the conduct of a model farm of the twentieth cen-
tury. Here the boys under Mr. Weir's charge are taught scientific agriculture
and useful trades and are kept busy, healthy and happy. They are farming
all the land and upon it they raise more than enough vegetables for use in the
institution. It is the policy of the board of directors to study each boy as an
individual and to fit his vocational education to his needs and talents. Beside
the work at the various trades which occupies half of each day, courses of
general education are conducted, thus giving a broad cultural foundation for
the special training. The capacity of the institution is two hundred and fifty
and over half that number are receiving its advantages at the present time,
working under a large staff of selected instructors. Nor is the recreation of
the boys neglected in any particular. A band has been organized in which
they take a great interest, working successfully under their leader, Mr. Wil-
liams. Not the least important thing about the institution is its well kept and
attractive appearance. The buildings of beautiful design and of artistic group-
ing are set in the midst of handsome grounds, shaded with fine trees and
beautified with flower beds. In the distance may be seen well cultivated fields,
rich in grain, fenced, tiled, and improved a model farm.
Mr. Weir married December 29, 1892, Miss Sarah E. Dixon, of London,
Ontario, a daughter of John Dixon, a pioneer of that district. They have four
children: James Dixon, Jean Margaret, Sadie Louise and William Cecil.
Mr. Weir is prominent in the affairs of the Independent Order of Foresters
and a well known member of the Loyal Orangemen lodge. Most of his time
and attention are given to his able management of the important institution
under his charge. He is proud of the work which his boys are doing and is
always ready with help and encouragement, proving himself an ideal public
official and a charitable and kindly friend. It is hard to estimate the importance
of the work he has accomplished since he has proved fully equal to the demands
made upon him. He is in the presence of a great opportunity the opportunity
Vol. Ill 15
326 THE STORY OF MANITOBA
to make of the boys under his charge active, able, and honorable men; to so
direct their lives and control their instincts that they will grow in strength
and manliness, and make the coming generation stronger, better and more
efficient.
U. F. GERALD PENNEFATHER, M. D.
No history of the medical fraternity in the Holland district would be com-
plete without mention of Dr. R. F. Gerald Pennefather, who in the eleven
years of his practice in this section has proven effectively his unusual skill in
his profession by the excellent results which have attended his labor. Dr.
Pennefather is an able physician and he is also a soldier, the son and grandson
of soldiers and a descendant of one of the best known families in Manitoba.
He himself is a native of Ireland, born February 28, 1862. His father, Dr.
John Pyne Pennefather, was born in India in 1833 and his mother, who was
in her maidenhood Miss Mary Fitzgerald, was a native of Ireland. On both
sides the family is of Irish lineage and the paternal great-great-great-grand-
father of the subject of this review, Kingswell Pennefather, was born in New-
park, County Tipperary. He was one of the most notable and prominent men
in that section in his time and represented the district of College Green in
parliament. His son, Rev. Francis Pennefather, was the proprietor of the
Anns Fort estate, which was in the family for many generations. The next
of the line, William Pennefather, married Anna, the daughter of Sir Richard
Pyne, of Codham Hall, in Essex, and also of the Ballyvalane estate in County
Cork. The next generation was represented by William Pyne Pennefather,
the great-grandfather of the subject of this review, who spent his life on the
Anns Fort estate, in County Tipperary. Captain John Pyne Pennefather, the
grandfather of the subject of this review, was born in County Tipperary and
when he grew to manhood entered the army, joining the Fifty-ninth Regiment
and becoming its captain. He saw active service in India and was for many
years prominent in military affairs. He married Ellen Dickson, the third
daughter of Rev. Hugh Dickson, of Tipperary. They became the parents of
eleven children, of whom Dr. John Pyne Pennefather, the father of the sub-
ject of this review, was the eighth in order of birth. He was educated in the
public schools of Dublin and was later graduated from King's and Queen's
College in that city in 1854. Immediately after his graduation he joined the
army and saw active service in India and the Crimea. He had previously
studied medicine in the Royal College of Surgeons and took a special course
in obstetrics. When he returned home he opened an office in London for the
practice of medicine and successfully practiced his profession in that city
until 1880, when he came to Manitoba and took up land near Holland. For
a few years he farmed in that district and then moved to Winnipeg, where
he resumed the practice of medicine. At the call of his country at the out-
break of the Northwestern rebellion he joined Strange 's Division as brigade
surgeon and did able and useful work in this capacity until the suppression
of hostilities. Afterward he resumed his private practice, which had reached
large proportions at the time of his retirement in 1910. He died April 14, 1913.
Dr. R. F. Gerald Pennefather is the eldest in a family of five children
and his education was acquired in Somersetshire, England. He came to
Manitoba with the family in 1880 and for five years afterward he remained
upon the farm. Upon the outbreak of the second Riel rebellion he joined the
army, serving in Colonel Scott's Ninety-first Battalion and taking part in the
battle of Frenchmans Bute and in other important engagements. After the
cessation of hostilities he returned to Manitoba and entered the Manitoba
Medical College, graduating in 1891. During this time he took an active part
in athletics and was a member of the Winnipeg football team from 1885 to
THE STORY OF MANITOBA 327
1890, and this interest he has carried forward into his later life with the
result that his health is practically perfect. He took advantage of all the
opportunities afforded him to broaden and complete his medical education and
was besides a deep and intelligent reader of medical literature. He was,
therefore, excellently equipped for practice when he settled in 'the Holland
district, where he has resided for the past eleven years. The results he has
obtained during this time afford the best proof of his capabilities. His prac-
tice has increased steadily since the beginning and has reached gratifying pro-
portions at the present time, for Dr. Pennefather is recognized as a keen
student, a deep thinker and a skilful and able physician. He keeps in touch
with the most advanced thought of the profession and is quick to adopt new
methods when once they have been proven valuable. His work has gained
him a high place in the ranks of the medical fraternity not only in the Holland
district but throughout Manitoba.
In 1899 Dr. Pennefather was united in marriage to Miss Helen Scarlett,
a daughter of Samuel Scarlett, of Toronto, and they became the parents of
two children, Kingswell and Mary, both of whom are attending school. The
Doctor is well known in the Masonic order, is past master of the lodge, and is
also a member of the chapter. He belongs also to the Canadian Order of
Foresters, the Knights of Pythias and the Independent Order of Odd Fellows.
His work in athletics still remains one of the active interests of his life, for
he considers exercise not only beneficial as - a recreation but valuable as a con-
tributing factor in the attainment of perfect physical efficiency. He himself
is a fine example of the benefits to be derived from it, being of robust health
and of a remarkable physique. He is loyal to the standards of his pioneer
father and has inherited the high integrity, energy and vitality which are
traditions in his family. To these qualities he adds a laudable ambition, a
power of steady scientific work and sturdy qualities of mind and character,
all of which are vital elements in a forceful and convincing individuality.
G. C. SMITH.
For twenty-three years G. C. Smith has been identified with the agricul-
tural interests of Boissevain, where he owns nine hundred and sixty acres of
land, which he is largely devoting to the raising of wheat, having met with
a good measure of success along that line. Victoria county, Ontario, was the
birthplace of Mr. Smith, whose natal day was the 8th of May, 1847, his parents
being Archibald and Jeannette (McCorquodale) Smith. They were both
natives of Scotland, whence they emigrated to Canada in 1840, locating in
Ontario. There they passed the remainder of their lives, the father devoting
his energies to the blacksmith's trade. The family of Mr. and Mrs. Smith
numbered seven, of whom our subject is the eldest. In order of birth the
others are as follows : Margaret, the wife of D. K. Curry, of Boissevain ;
Mary, the widow of Hugh "Wilsson, of Cannington, Ontario; Hugh, who is a
resident of Ridgeville, Manitoba; Donald, who makes his home in Woodville,
Ontario; Flora, who married John McCrimmons, of Cannington, Ontario; and
Archibald, who is a resident of Boissevain.
G. C. Smith was reared at home and given the advantages of a common-
school education. At the age of eighteen years he began his business ^ career
as an employe in a dry-goods store, being identified with this enterprise for
five years. In 1872 he came to Fort Garry, Manitoba, as traveling salesman
for a shoe company, and has been a resident of this province practically ever
since. He continued to be identified with commercial activities until 1889,
when he acquired some land in this district and turned his attention to agri-
cultural pursuits. Although he was not familiar with agriculture Mr. Smith
felt that in farming, as in any other line of business, practical methods
328 THE STORY OF MANITOBA
systematically pursued would lead the way to success, and that he was right
is evidenced by his present prosperity. As his circumstances have permitted
he has added to his holdings until he now owns nine hundred and sixty acres,
the greater portion of which he has brought to a high state of productivity.
Wheat has always been his principal crop, and as he has made a close and
scientific study of the various conditions affecting this cereal, with the culti-
vation of which he is thoroughly familiar, his fields annually produce abundant
crops of a superior quality. Mr. Smith has expended much time and effort
in the general improvement of his ranch, which not only nets him a gratifying
income, but is a most attractive place of residence. The buildings are prac-
tical in design and substantial in structure, while all have been planned with
careful consideration of the various purposes they were to serve.
For his wife and helpmate Mr. Smith chose Miss Christina McCorquodale,
and they have become the parents of six children: Archibald Duncan, who is
assisting his father about the ranch; Hugh S., a resident of Killarney; Flora,
who married J. H. Nelin, of Boissevain; Gilbert, who makes his home in
Edmonton, Manitoba; and Mary and Margaret, who are at home.
The family are members of the Presbyterian church, and fraternally Mr.
Smith is affiliated with the Masonic, order and the Royal Arcanum. In poli-
tics he is a conservative and has always taken an active interest in municipal
affairs. In 1904 he was appointed treasurer of this district and he was
formerly a member of the council, discharging his duties in both connections
in a manner highly satisfactory to his constituency and the community at
large.
JOSEPH ANDREW.
Joseph Andrew, who for twenty-eight years has been secretary and treas-
urer of Hamiota rural municipality and also of the village of Hamiota since
its incorporation, is a native of Huron county, Ontario, his birth having
occurred in the vicinity of Exeter on the 13th of December, 1855. He is a
son of Samuel Andrew, one of the early pioneers of Huron county, where he
acquired a tract of brush land, in the development of which he engaged during
the remainder of his active life. He passed away on his homestead in 1890,
but was survived by the mother, whose maiden name was Eliza Lamport, until
1908. They are both buried in Elimville, Huron county, in which vicinity
they resided for many years. They were of English extraction.
Reared on the farm where he was born amid the pioneer conditions which
yet prevailed in that section of Ontario, in the acquirement of an education
Joseph Andrew attended the Usborne township school. At the age of fifteen
he terminated his student days and assumed his share of the work connected
with the operation of the home farm. When he was eighteen he- left the
parental roof and began learning the mason's trade, which he followed for
eight years. Feeling at the expiration of that time that the west afforded
better advantages to enterprising young men he left his native province and
came to Manitoba, locating in this district. Soon after his arrival he filed
on a homestead on which he resided during the winter for three years, while
in summer he followed his trade. In the year 1884 he was appointed to his
present office and removed to Hamiota, where he has ever since resided. That
he has proven to be an efficient and reliable public servant and is discharging
his duties in a manner entirely satisfactory to the community at large is evi-
denced by the long period of his incumbency. During the intervening years
Mr. Andrew has increased his landed interests until he now owns six hundred
and forty acres, which he rents for one-third of the crop. He has made all
of the improvements on his ranch, transforming it from a tract of prairie
land into one of the desirable properties of the district. He also erected his
THE STOEY OF MANITOBA 329
town house, which is a substantial structure and is located in one of the desir-
able residence sections of Hamiota.
In Miniota, on the 7th of October, 1891, Mr. Andrew was married to
Miss Estella Taylor, a daughter of "William and Mary J. (White) Taylor.
The father, who was one of the pioneers of Manitoba and an ex-reeve of the
Miniota municipality, passed away in April, 1892, and is buried in the ceme-
tery at Arrow River. The mother, whose death occurred some time previously,
was buried in the Bell River cemetery, Essex county, Ontario. To Mr. and
Mrs. Andrew have been born five children: Annie Eliza M., a graduate of the
Hamiota high school, now attending the Brandon Normal; Edith G., who has
also graduated from high school ; Florence and William Titus, who are attend-
ing school ; and George W., who is four years of age.
The parents are members of the Methodist church, and regularly attend
its services, Mr. Andrew being financial and recording steward. Fraternally
Mr. Andrew is affiliated with the Loyal Orange lodge and is an officer of the
grand lodge of Manitoba. In politics he is a conservative. He is accorded
the esteem and respect of a large circle of acquaintances in the municipality,
having manifested in both his public and private life those qualities which
have won for him the regard and confidence of those with whom he has had
either social or business relations.
JOHN HANNAH.
John Hannah, who for the past eight years has been a resident of Killarney,
where he holds office of county court clerk, is one of the pioneer agriculturists
of Manitoba. He was born in Bruce county, Ontario, on the 25th of April,
1857, and is a son of Richard and Jane (Owens) Hannah. The father, who
was born and reared in Ireland, emigrated to Canada in 1839, locating in
Ontario, where he took up a homestead. He remained a resident of that
province until 1885, when he came to Manitoba and settled in the vicinity of
Pelican lake, where he continued his agricultural pursuits. He has now
attained the venerable age of ninety-two years and is making his home in
Everett, Washington. The mother, however, who was a native of Canada,
passed away on the 25th of January, 1910. Their family numbered seven
sons and seven daughters, of whom our subject is the eldest. In order of
birth the others are as follows: Andrew and Mary Jane, who died in child-
hood; Isabelle, the wife of Dr. Hallsworth, of Everett, Washington; Margaret,
who married W. J. Maloney, also of Everett ; William, who is deceased ; Albert,
who is residing in Alberta; Richard, who is also living in Alberta, where a
town has recently been named Hanna in his honor; a daughter, who died in
infancy; Maria, the wife of Neil MacMillan, of Killarney; George and Thomas,
of Alberta; Sarah, who is deceased; and Ida, the wife of W. J. Young, of
Winnipeg.
The early years in the life of John Hannah were passed in the parental
home, his education being obtained in the common schools. Upon terminating
his student days he turned his attention to farming, assisting his father with
the cultivation of the old homestead until he was twenty-five. The same year,
in 1882, he came to Manitoba and engaged in farming in the vicinity of
Morden. In 1883 he removed to the vicinity of Pelican lake, where he took
up a homestead and continued his agricultural pursuits for fourteen years.
The year 1897 marked his removal to this district, where he has since made
his home. During the first seven years of his residence here he lived in the
country, having purchased a farm in the vicinity of Killarney, but he gave
up farming in 1904 and removed to town.
On the 14th of December, 1887, Mr. Hannah was married to Miss Kate
Griere, a daughter of William and Catherine (Elliott) Griere, natives of Scot-
330 THE STORY OF MANITOBA
land. The father, who was a drover, crossed the Atlantic ocean seven times,
taking cattle to the old country and bringing back horses. Both he and the
mother are now deceased. To Mr. and Mrs. Hannah have been born six chil-
dren: Clara M., who is at home; Bertha Agnes, the wife of Alfred B. Stone,
of Vancouver; and Howard Eldon, Mary Kathleen, Lawrence A. and John
Andrew.
Mr. and Mrs. Hannah are members of the Presbyterian church, and fra-
ternally he is affiliated with the Loyal Orange lodge, the Chosen Order of
Friends and the Canadian Order of Foresters. He takes an active interest
in municipal politics, supporting the conservative party, and has held various
minor offices, including that of councilor of Riverside municipality, and for
seven years was reeve of Turtle Mountain municipality. Mr. Hannah is a
man of progressive yet practical ideas and zealously supports every move-
ment he feels will forward the interests of the district or promote the welfare
of its citizens.
HERBERT A. GORDON, M. D.
During the time of the Jacobite troubles in Scotland about the year 1745,
a brawny Scotch soldier named Gordon, a man of powerful physique, became
angry with an Englishman of the opposing force and struck him with his fist,
killing him instantly. The blow was not intended to be fatal but the times
were troublous and Mr. Gordon was obliged to make his escape as quickly as
possible. For several months he hid in the highlands, completely eluding his
pursuers and finally made his way to Ireland, where he was joined by his wife
and family, among whom was an infant boy. In Ireland Mr. Gordon engaged
in agricultural pursuits and the family remained in that country for two
generations. Finally three brothers, John, Robert and Andrew Gordon, grand-
son of the little boy who had followed his father into exile, came to America
with their widowed mother and their two sisters, Jane and Mary. They
remained a few months in New York and then pushed north to Canada, settling
in Ontario in pioneer times, where they took up a homestead claim which is
still in the family, owned by John Gordon, a venerable old man in the eighty-
ninth year of his age. The second brother, Robert, passed away February 19,
1902, at the age of eighty-five. The third brother, Andrew, the father of the
subject of this review, lives in retirement in Winnipeg and is eighty-three years
of age. They all lived upright, straightforward and honorable lives which
reflected credit upon the section to which they came as pioneers.
The active representative of the family at the present time is Dr. Herbert
A. Gordon, practicing medicine and surgery in Portage la Prairie. He was
born in June, 1868, a son of Andrew and Annie (Copp) Gordon, the former a
native of County Down, Ireland, and the latter of Devonshire, England. The
father of our subject was still a boy when he came to America and he received
in Ontario such education as the country afforded. He made full use of his
opportunities and fitted himself for the Methodist ministry, preaching the
Gospel for forty-three years, first in Ontario and then in Manitoba, to which
province he came in 1882. He first preached in what is now called Thorn Hill
and later at. Manitou and retired at the age of seventy, after a worthy career
as a servant of God.
Dr. Herbert A. Gordon is the fourth of a family of six children and he
received his elementary education in Peterboro and in other Ontario towns,
continuing his studies in Manitoba. He finally received a third-class license
to teach at Manitou and he engaged in this line of occupation for some time
and also worked at any other honest employment which he could find to do in
order to earn money to complete his education and to give him his medical
course. When he had amassed a sufficient sum by his own labors and energies
DR. H. A. GORDON
THE STORY OF MANITOBA 333
he entered Wesley College at Winnipeg and graduated in natural science in 1895
and in the same year entered the medical department of the University of
Manitoba, receiving his degree in 1899. He located immediately for practice
in Strathclair and continued there until November, 1900, when he removed to
Portage la Prairie, where he has resided since that time. His educational and
technical equipment in medicine is practically perfect and since it was acquired
with difficulty has been retained in its fullness and expanded to meet modern
needs and requirements. It is a valuable part of his medical equipment but it
counts for no more than his broad humanitarianism, his tolerance and his
sympathy with the sufferings and defeats of his fellowmen. It was his possession
of these qualities combined with his well known business ability which led to
his appointment in November, 1903, as medical superintendent of the Home for
Incurables located at Portage la Prairie. With his kindness which is a force
in his character and a skill which is the outcome of his knowledge and ability,
Dr. Gordon administers to the needs of two hundred and fifty inmates, all of
whom he has made his stanch friends. Although a great deal of his time is
given to this branch of his work he ha,s yet built up a large outside practice
which is continually increasing with his growing prominence. He keeps in
touch with modern advancement in the profession by his membership in the
Dominion and Manitoba Medical Societies.
On September 5, 1898, Dr. Gordon was married to Miss Annie Irene Bow-
man, of Portage la Prairie, a daughter of James Bowman. They have five
children, as follows: William Copp, James Frederick, Helen Ruth, Alice Jean
and Allan Andrew.
Dr. Gordon gives his allegiance to the conservative party and takes a deep
interest in public and political affairs. He is well known in the Independent
Order of Odd Fellows, having been through all the chairs in the encampment
and is a chapter Mason and past master of his lodge. Always a close and
earnest student of medicine in its scientific aspects he has attained a degree of
proficiency which places him in the front ranks of prominent and skilful
physicians. He has not, however, overlooked the broader phases of his work
the opportunity for aiding distress, the obligation of misery, the influencing
humanitarianism.
PETER GILLIES.
Among the men who have developed modern productive farms out of tracts
of scrub land may be mentioned Peter Gillies, who owns three hundred and
twenty acres on section 32, township 25, range 19, in the Dauphin district,
a property which in its present highly improved condition gives little evidence
of its unattractive appearance twenty-four years ago. In its management and
development Mr. Gillies has proved himself an able and scientific agriculturist
and has justly earned the high place which he occupies in farming circles.
He was born July 13, 1859, in Megantic county, Quebec, a son of John and
Mary (McKinnon) Gillies. The father of our subject was a pioneer farmer
of Quebec, having come to that province from Islay, Scotland, in early days.
He died in 1877 and is buried in Adderley cemetery. His wife is buried in
Dauphin cemetery.
Peter Gillies is one of a family of seven children. He received his educa-
tion in the public schools of Quebec, which he left at the age of eighteen.
However, his schooling only occupied three months in each of his school years
and most of his childhood was spent in work upon his father's farm. He
remained at home until after the death of John Gillies and then came to Mani-
toba, taking up homestead and preemption claims, aggregating three hundred
and twenty acres of wild land, not an acre of which had ever been under the
plow. By hard work, intelligently directed, and guided by former experience
334 THE STORY OF MANITOBA
he brought his land under cultivation. He built barns, granaries, a silo and
fenced his fields and installed modern equipment, thus developing out of a
wilderness a profitable and productive farm. He carries on mixed farming
and is also interested in raising and feeding stock, keeping about sixty head
of cattle and eleven horses, besides other stock.
On June 29, 1898, Mr. Gillies married Miss Christina McKerchar, a
daughter of Donald and Mary (Sinclair) McKerchar, the former a pioneer
farmer of Manitoba.
Mr. and Mrs. Gillies are members of the Presbyterian church. Mr. Gillies
gives his allegiance to the liberal party but his entire attention is given to
his agricultural pursuits and he never seeks public office. He is numbered
among the substantial farmers of Dauphin district and all that he has he
acquired by his own efforts, having started out in life with few educational
advantages and without means, but with the more valuable assets of ambi-
tion, industry and perseverance. These qualities have brought him financial
prosperity and the respect and esteem of his fellow citizens.
JAMES LORIMER.
For more than thirty years James Lorimer has been engaged in diversified
farming and stock-raising in Hamiota district, where he owns four hundred
and eighty acres of land, located on township 13, range 24. A native of
Scotland his birth occurred in the vicinity of Frazerburgh, Aberdeenshire, on
the 7th of November, 1857, his parents being William and Annie (Barnie)
Lorimer. The father, who was a small farmer, passed away in 1873, and was
laid to rest in the Frazerburgh cemetery, where the mother, who survived
him until 1887, is also buried.
Reared in the parental home, in the acquirement of an education James
Lorimer attended the schools of his native parish until he had attained the
age of fourteen years. As his services were then needed at home he laid
aside his schoolbooks and assisted with the cultivation of the farm until he
emigrated to Canada. He made the journey by way of Quebec and Montreal,
whence he took the train to St. Marys, Perth county, Ontario. There he
obtained work as a farm hand, continuing to follow that occupation until
1882, when he continued his journey westward to Manitoba. He came from
St. Marys to Brandon on the train, spending almost three weeks en route,
and as the place last named was then the railway terminal he bought an ox
team and drove from there to Hamiota. Upon his arrival in this district he
located on a homestead, which constituted the nucleus of his present place, and
began his career as a pioneer farmer. His holding was prairie land and as
he had but limited capital with which to advance its development he was able
to make but few improvements at first. He built a log cabin and dugout
stable and then began breaking the prairie and preparing the soil for cultiva-
tion. By degrees he succeeded in getting his entire acreage under cultivation,
and as his fields began to yield more abundantly he extended his holdings
until he now owns four hundred and eighty acres. As the years passed his
prosperity was marked by the improvements made on his place from time to
time, and he has become numbered among the successful agriculturists and
capable business men of the district. A comfortable residence, surrounded
by attractive grounds, and substantial barns and outbuildings for the protec-
tion of stock and grain have not only added to the value but the appearance
of the property, which is one of the most desirable in the community. At
various times Mr. Lorimer has introduced about the premises different labor-
saving devices and conveniences to facilitate the work of the fields, while his
equipment comprises practically every implement or machine found on the
farm of the progressive, modern agriculturist. He has put up five miles of
THE STORY OF MANITOBA 335
fencing on his holdings, the greater portion of which is under cultivation and
has been brought to a high state of productivity. His fields are planted to
such crops as he deems best adapted to the soil, his chief crops being such
cereals as can be used in feeding, as he is also engaged in raising stock. He
keeps nineteen horses, thirty-five head of cattle, twenty-five swine and several
hundred fowl, all of which materially contribute to his annual income.
In this district on the 10th of April, 1886, Mr. Lorimer was married to
Miss Mary Angus, a daughter of Alexander and Elizabeth Angus, pioneer
settlers of this vicinity, where the father, who has devoted his life to farming,
still resides, but the mother passed away in 1904 and was buried in the Scotia
cemetery. To Mr. and Mrs. Lorimer have been born ten children: Elizabeth,
who is the wife of Frederick K. Morrison, in Hamiota district; William, a
farmer of Outlook, Saskatchewan; Mary, who is residing at home; Herbert,
who is assisting his father; Jane and Annie, who are at home; and James,
Allan, Hazel and Leister, who are attending school.
The family regularly attend the services of the Presbyterian church, of
which the parents are members, and his political support Mr. Lorimer gives
to the liberal party. He is a man of progressive ideas, taking an active
interest in the work of those organizations which are calculated to promote
the agricultural interests of the district and is a member of the Grain Growers
Association. A life of intelligently directed activity has won for Mr. Lorimer
the success which usually follows earnest and persistent effort, and in the
pursuit of his career he has manifested the integrity and upright principles
characteristic of the man of honorable motives and reliable business methods.
As a result he enjoys the esteem and respect of his neighbors and fellow
townsmen, many of whom are friends of long years standing.
JOHN A. FISHER.
John A. Fisher is prominently identified with agricultural and stock-raising
interests of Dauphin district, where he owns three hundred and twenty acres
on section 5, township 25, range 19, and a tract of similar extent in Gilbert
Plains. This property he has operated since 1902 and in ten years has brought
it from an unbroken wilderness to its present excellent and profitable condition.
He was born in Antigonish county, Nova Scotia, August 12, 1850, and is a
son of William and Jane (Boggs) Fisher. His father followed general agricul-
tural pursuits during all his life, first in Nova Scotia, his native country, and
then in Portage la Prairie. The family is of ancient Scotch-Irish origin and
has been in Canada for a number of years.
John A. Fisher received his education in the public schools of Huron county
and laid aside his books when he was fifteen years of age in order to assist his
father with the work of the farm. He also spent some time in the employ
of others but finally went to Michigan, where he cut trees and sawed them into
logs in a lumber camp. This occupation he followed for two years and then
came to Manitoba in 1873, making the journey by the old Dawson road. Im-
mediately after his arrival he took up a homestead claim on the west half of
section 30, township 12, range 7 in the Portage la Prairie district, which was
at that time a tract of wild prairie land. By hard labor he brought this property
to a high state of cultivation, put up fine substantial buildings and installed
the necessary equipment, finally selling it in order to come to Dauphin, where
he bought land. He purchased three hundred and twenty acres one mile north
of the city, a part of which was broken and the remainder of which he developed
and improved for a number of years. Eventually he sold this farm and bought
his present property, which he has evolved from an uncultivated state and
highly improved, providing a comfortable residence, barns and outbuildings,
and all the conveniences necessary to the conduct of a modern farm. He spe-
336 THE STORY OF MANITOBA
cializes in raising grain and while he does not deal extensively in live stock
he keeps on hand twenty-five head of cattle, twenty horses, and a fine lot of
other stock which he puts in condition for the market. As a farmer he has been
distinctly successful, and taking pride in the appearance of his farm has added
every improvement which might contribute to nature and fertility. He is a
man of progressive spirit, keenly interested in the development of farming as
a science and he keeps in touch with modern advancement along this line by his
membership in the Manitoba Grain Growers Association and in the Manitoba
Agricultural Association of which latter organization he was president for one
year and director for several years.
Mr. Fisher married in Portage la Prairie, November 4, 1877, Miss Sarah
Playford, a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Playford, the former for a
number of years sheriff of Huron county, Ontario. He died in 1875 and is
buried in the Exeter village cemetery, Ontario. His widow makes her home
with the subject of this review. Mr. and Mrs. Fisher have nine children:
Ella M., who married Rufus McPherson, a former hardware merchant, but
now a farmer; Reuben E., who is assisting his father; Mary J., the wife of
Joseph Williams, of Lanigan, Saskatchewan ; Mabel, who married Herman Love,
who is a mason by trade ; Clara, the wife of George Lynch, a farmer of Gilbert
Plains; Anna E., the wife of William Ward, who is operating a farm near
Dauphin; Arthur L., who married Miss Ward, and who is cultivating a half
section of land given to him by his father; Sarah 0., a graduate of collegiate
institute and a teacher in the public schools, and William James, who is attend-
ing collegiate institute.
Mr. Fisher does not affiliate with any political party but takes an active
interest in the affairs of his community and has been councilor of the Dauphin
municipality, displaying in this as in all the relations of his life the high
integrity and conscientiousness which make him esteemed and honored wherever
he is known.
REUBEN J. PANGMAN.
Many years of unremitting toil and tireless energy have served to number
Reuben J. Pangman among the substantial citizens and prosperous agricul-
turists of Viola Dale, in which vicinity he owns a farm of two hundred and
twenty acres. His life record was begun in Simcoe county, Ontario, on the
2d of August, 1832, his parents being Jeremiah and Mary (Sterks) Pangman.
The parents, who were of German lineage, were pioneer residents of Simcoe
county, where for many years the father engaged in farming. He passed
away in 1871 and the mother in 1895.
The son of a pioneer farmer of limited means, the early advantages of
Reuben J. Pangman were naturally very meager. As soon as he was old
enough to be of any assistance he was put to work in the fields and about the
barns, and when his services were not there required he was permitted to
attend the 'district schools, where he pursued the common branches of English
learning at rare intervals during the winter months, until he was a youth of
twelve years. Thereafter his undivided attention was given to the cultiva-
tion of the fields and care of the crops, and he has ever since devoted his ener-
gies to farming, his hard work and constant application .having eventually
won him prosperity. He was the first person to establish a public inn on
the Hudson Bay trail, which he operated in connection with his farming, his
hostelry being located twenty-five miles from Portage la Prairie. All pro-
visions at that time were purchased in Winnipeg, two days being required to
make the journey under the most favorable circumstances. In 1879 Mr.
Pangman removed with his wife and family to this district, where he took up
a homestead, being the first homesteader and settler hereabouts, and has ever
THE STORY OF MANITOBA 339
since devoted his energies to its development. His ranch comprises two hun-
dred and twenty acres of land, located in township 15, range 22, which he has
transformed from uncultivated prairie into one of the most productive tracts
in the community, annually harvesting therefrom abundant crops. Mr. Pang-
man has not confined his activities entirely to general farming but has also
engaged in stock-raising. He keeps about thirty head of cattle, fifteen horses,
a. small amount of swine and some other stock. The value of his property has
been materially increased by the substantial improvements he has made thereon,
including his residence, barns and such sheds and outbuildings as are required
for the protection of stock and grain. He is thrifty and practical in his
methods, and everything about his premises evidences capable management
and competent supervision in the direction of his undertakings.
In 1860 Mr. Pangman was married to Miss Ann McDonald, a daughter of
John and Euphemia (Hicks) McDonald, pioneer settlers of Ontario. Of this
marriage have been born nine children, as follows: Jeremiah, who married
Mary Jane Wallace and is engaged in farming in Hamiota; Timothy, also a
farmer; Mary Ann, the wife of William Besler, a contractor; James H., who
is farming; Reuben, Jr., who married Clara Brown; Margaret E., the wife
of Robert English, a farmer; Andrew, who is engaged in farming; Rebecca,
who became the wife of Thomas Richardson, an agriculturist ; and William J.,
who passed away at the age of twenty-two years.
Members of his family affiliate with the Church of England and also
the Presbyterian faith, while Mr. Pangman is a Catholic. His political views
coincide with the principles of the conservative party, to whose candidates he
gives his support. He was the first settler in this part of the district, being
the first homesteader, and such success as has come to him, Mr. Pangman does
not attribute to his labors alone, but gives much credit to his wife, whose advice
and encouragement no less than her capable management of the household
affairs contributed in no small measure to his prosperity.
WILLMOT WARDLE.
For over a quarter of a century Willmot Wardle has made his home in
the province of Manitoba and there he is now engaged in the cultivation of
a large ranch of eight hundred acres on section 24, township 10, range 28,
near Daly, giving his attention to mixed farming and stock-raising. Progres-
sive and thorough in his methods he has succeeded in transforming a practi-
cally wild tract of land into a valuable farming establishment and now derives
a gratifying income as the result of his labors. Mr. Wardle came to Manitoba
in 1885 from Ontario, where he was born in 1864, a son pf James and Eliza-
beth (Rodger) Wardle, both of whom have passed away and are buried at
Pilot Mound, this province. The father died in 1901, the mother surviving
him until 1909.
Willmot Wardle received his education in his native province, leaving
school at the age of twenty years. However, .during that time he had become
acquainted with agricultural methods, assisting in work of that kind. After
leaving school he began his independent career in a humble capacity and was
engaged at various occupations for about ten years in his native province and
also in Manitoba until he was enabled by his industry and thrift to buy his
present farm. Since 1894 he has given his undivided attention to its develop-
ment and upon it has erected a handsome residence, with outbuildings, sheds
and barns to house his stock and shelter his grain. The latest improved
machinery can be found upon his farm, which is cultivated along scientific
lines in order to raise its productivity to the highest standard.
In 1895, in Saskatchewan, Mr. Wardle married Miss Mary Knisley, a
daughter of Cyrus and Katherine Knisley, both of whom have passed away
340 THE STORY OF MANITOBA
and are buried in Saskatchewan. Mr. and Mrs. Wardle are the parents of
five children, Howard L., Gordon E., Myrtle M., Irene M. and Ida M. In
religious faith he is a Methodist and a member of that church in Daly. He
supports the liberal party at the polls and is well informed upon all issues
that affect the government, although he has never cared to participate in
public or political life. However, he is public-spirited and supports every
worthy, movement tending toward improvement and is ever ready to gladly
bear his share of time or money in promoting the general welfare. Beginning
life in the humble station of a laborer he has become one of the substantial
agriculturists of the rich middle west and great credit must be given him for
what he has accomplished.
THOMAS ROBINSON.
To attain a high and honorable place in professional circles of a community,
to live worthily and to improve all the opportunities for advancement within
the reach of ability and industry is to attain success and, therefore, Thomas
Robinson was unquestionably a successful man. In his death Manitoba lost one
of the keenest, most resourceful, most able and brilliant members of the provincial
bar, and the city of Winnipeg one of her most public-spirited, representative
and progressive citizens, for the principles of worthy and upright living which
formed the keynote of his character were also the stepping stones by which he
rose to honor and distinction in the legal profession. He was, moreover, a promi-
nent member of the Masonic fraternity and a leader in the religious activity of
the city, molding his straightforward and useful life by the religious doctrines
in which he believed.
Mr. Robinson was born in Royston, Cambridgeshire, England, on the 21st of
May, 1854, and was a son of Rev. Thomas Robinson, an Anglican clergyman. He
acquired his early education in the grammar schools of his native community
and also received private tuition. He studied law in England and when he
came to Canada entered the law office of Hon. Edward Blake, of Toronto.
Ontario, under whom he studied until 1882, when he was admitted to the
bar. In the following year he came to Winnipeg and was here associated with
the firm of Bain, Blanchard & Mulock until he was called to the bar of Manitoba
in 1885. He afterward became a partner in the firm of Bain, Perdue & Robin-
son, and when Mr. Bain was appointed judge Mr. Robinson continued his part-
nership with Mr. Perdue under the firm name of Perdue & Robinson, an asso-
ciation which continued until 1900. Mr. Robinson then became associated with
W. F. Hull under the name of Robinson & Hull and they built up a large
and lucrative patronage, continuing to conduct their affairs in partnership until
Mr. Robinson's death, which occurred on August 6, 1908. near Yaudreuil,
Quebec, as a result of a fall from a train, he being then en route to visit his
brother in England. Mr. Robinson had a large practice and achieved distinction
as a solicitor, paying especial attention to that branch of his legal activities.
In the famous Winnipeg Grain Exchange litigation he was solicitor for the
Exchange, taking a prominent part in all the arguments and contributing
many notable points to the defense, his conduct of the case indicating a keen
grasp of the salient features of the situation, a thorough mastery of the com-
plex subject and an exhaustive knowledge of the law and its precedents. In
the course of his career he was connected with a great deal of notable litigation
and, while he rose steadily to prominence as a strong and able practitioner, he
was never known to support a cause in the justice of which he did not thoroughly
believe. His mind was comprehensive in its scope, keen in its intelligence,
incisive and analytic in quality and his developing powers carried him forward
into important relations with the professional life of Winnipeg, his many
notable victories forming a portion of the legal history of the city. His wide
THE STORY OF MANITOBA 341
experience and successful practice placed him among the leading attorneys in
this part of the province and won for him the respect and esteem of all with
whom he was brought in contact a just tribute to his unerring devotion to his
chosen profession.
On the 19th of April, 1888, in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Mr. Robinson was united
in marriage to Miss Evelyn Salter, of that city, and a representative of an old
United Empire Loyalist family. They became the parents of three children:
Sidney Frances ; Phyllis Evelyn, who died in 1901 ; and Royston T. Mr. Robin-
son is survived by three brothers : Admiral Charles G., formerly of the British
navy, now retired; William C. H., a mechanical engineer in Syracuse, New
York; and Edward M., of Winnipeg.
Mr. Robinson was known as one of the best posted men on matters relating
to Masonry in Manitoba and he had been initiated into the Masonic order accord-
ing to both the Scottish and the York Rites. In the organization he rose to a
position of honor and distinction, serving in 1895 as grand master of the
grand lodge, A. F. & A. M. ; as past "Z" of Prince Rupert's Chapter, R. A. M.;
and as past grand superintendent of the grand chapter of Canada, He was
for nearly twenty years president of the board of general purposes and also
served as the representative of the British grand lodge of Masons of Manitoba.
He was a strong supporter of the Anglican church, being first a member of Holy
Trinity parish, of which he was people's warden for over four years. Later,
when he removed to the Fort Rouge section of the city, he became connected
with St. Luke's parish, of which he was vestryman at the time of his death.
He was for several years a delegate to the diocesan synod of Rupert's Land for
Holy Trinity parish, was a member of the executive committee of this synod and
accomplished a great deal of constructive, beneficial and lasting work in the
cause of religious expansion in the city and province. Always a firm believer
and an intelligent upholder of the principles of imperialism, Mr. Robinson took a
marked interest in projects and measures for the expansion and upbuilding of
the British empire and did a great deal by his support and intelligent argument
to promote the imperialistic cause in Canada, His name swells the roll call of
men who build for all time and whose interests are of such a practical and
essential nature that their successors must follow closely in their footsteps or
lag behind in the march of progress and civilization. The superstructure of his
life was founded on honesty, integrity and broad probity and upon those prin-
ciples of toleration and humanity which man has always cherished as his highest
ideals. He was a man of great generosity of heart, contributing liberally and
cheerfully of his means toward the relief of suffering where he beheld it. The
record of his well spent and useful life is one to which his descendants should
revert with pride conscious of the knowledge that he is entitled to a conspicuous
place in the historical literature of Manitoba, in the professional, religious and
fraternal development of which he took so active and important a part.
FREDERICK T. VENABLES.
The landed interests of Frederick T. Venables, who is engaged in diversi-
fied farming and stock-raising in township 14, range 24, Hamiota district,
aggregate sixteen hundred acres. His birth occurred in London, England, on
the 15th of February, 1865, his parents being Joseph and Maria (Barnes)
Venables. The father, who was a jeweler by trade, emigrated to Ontario with
his family during the early childhood of our subject. Later he came to Mani-
toba, engaging in the jewelry business in Hamiota.
The education of Frederick T. Venables was pursued in the district schools
of Norwich, Ontario, until he was a youth of sixteen years. He then laid aside
his school books and became an apprentice to the harness maker's trade, which
he followed for thirteen years. During that time he acquired the capital to
342 THE STORY OF MANITOBA
enable him to engage in agricultural pursuits, which he has been following
with a good measure of success for nearly twenty years. Mr. Venables has a
thousand acres of his holding under cultivation and in connection with farming
he is engaged in stock-raising. He keeps twenty-nine horses, fifteen head of
cattle, ten hogs and several hundred fowl. As the years have passed he has
greatly added to the value of his farm by the erection of a comfortable resi-
dence, substantial barns and such outbuildings as are needed, and at different,
times he has installed modern farming equipment, having recently added to
his machinery a sixty-horse-power gasoline traction engine and plow.
At Forest, Manitoba, on the 1st of February, 1892, Mr. Venables was mar-
ried to Miss Kate Forsythe, a daughter of Alexander and Catherine (Stewart)
Forsythe, pioneers of Ontario, who are now deceased. The father passed away
in March, 1892, and the mother on the 29th of June, 1912. They are buried
at Forest, where for many years they made their home. To Mr. and Mrs.
Venables were born four children, as follows : Katie, who is at home ; Alexander
B., a graduate of the Baptist College of Brandon, who is assisting his father;
Louise M., who is also at home; and Edith, who passed away in 1903.
The fraternal relations of Mr. Venables are confined to his membership in
the Canadian Order of Foresters and the Canadian Order of Odd Fellows, while
he is a charter member of the Odd Fellows Lodge of Neepawa and served as
its first treasurer. In politics he is independent. He has been a diligent worker
and his success he largely attributes to his capable management and the able
assistance rendered him by his wife, whose efficient direction of the household
affairs has contributed in no small measure to the prosperity he is now enjoying.
GEORGE COOPER.
Among the successful agriculturists of Killarney must be mentioned
George Cooper, who holds the title to five hundred and seventy acres of land,
which he is devoting to diversified farming and stock-raising. He was born
in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, on the 17th of April, 1870, and is a son of William
and Catherine (Benzie) Cooper, who were born, reared and married in Scot-
land. The father, who was a farmer, emigrated to Canada with his family
in 1892 and settled in Manitoba in the vicinity of Killarney. Here he con-
tinued his agricultural pursuits until his death on the 22d of August, 1899.
The mother is still living. Of their marriage were born nine children, as
follows: Helen, who married Frank McAlister, of Deloraine, Manitoba;
George, our subject; James, who is deceased; Mary, who married Angus Gall,
of this district ; Wilhelmina, the wife of William McKay, also of this district ;
Jennie, who married George Harris, of Medora, Manitoba ; Maggie, who became
the wife of Samuel McGregor, of Winnipeg; and two, who died in infancy.
The education of George Cooper was obtained in his native land, where he
passed the first twenty years of his life. He came to Canada in 1890, first
locating in Ontario, where for two years he engaged in farming. In the spring
of 1892, he continued his journey westward to Manitoba, purchasing a hun-
dred and ninety acres of wild land in the vicinity of Killarney, which formed
the nucleus of his present fine ranch. He diligently applied himself to the
development of his holding, meeting with such lucrative returns from its cul-
tivation that he was subsequently able to increase his acreage until his ranch
now embraces five hundred and seventy acres. Through the exercise of diligent
and systematic efforts he has brought four hundred acres of his tract under
high cultivation, and is annually harvesting therefrom abundant crops, the
quality of which is fully equal to the quantity. In connection with his diver-
sified farming he is raising stock, making a specialty of the breeding of Clydes-
dale horses. Mr. Cooper is a man of practical yet progressive ideas as is mani-
THE STORY OF MANITOBA 343
fested by the appearance of his farm and the condition of his stock. From
time to time he has increased the value of his property by further improve-
ments, including the erection of a comfortable house, large barns and such
other buildings as are needed, all of which are substantially constructed and
kept in good repair. Mr. Cooper has for the time being rented his farm arid
is at present making his home in Killarney.
On the 23d of December, 1892, Mr. Cooper was married to Miss Emma
Jane Anderson, the only child born of the marriage of William and Mary
(Gawley) Anderson. The parents were both natives of Ontario, where the
mother passed away in 1879. The father subsequently married Elizabeth Fry
and to them were born nine children: Edward, who is living in the United
States; two, who died in infancy; Mary, the wife of George Lyons; Maud,
who married a Mr. Lathrop, residing in Minnesota; Pearl, the wife of a Mr.
Earl, also of Minnesota ; Eva, who is married and resides in the United States ;
Hazel; and one, who died in infancy. Mr. and Mrs. Cooper have four chil-
dren : William George, who was born on the 27th of November, 1893 ; James
Henry, whose natal day was March 12, 1895; Gilbert Andrew, whose birth
occurred on the 21st of August, 1898; and Helen Catherine, who was born on
March 9, 1910.
In matters of religious faith Mr. Cooper is a Presbyterian, while Mrs.
Cooper is a member of the Church of England. He is a zealous worker and
during the long period of his residence here has industriously applied himself
to the achievement of a single purpose the successful development of his
ranch. By the exercise of systematic methods, persistently pursued, he has
attained his ambition and is now numbered among the substantial and effi-
cient agriculturists of his community.
CHARLES A. HAMBLETON.
Charles A. Hambleton, carrying on general farming and stock-raising on
a farm of three hundred and twenty acres in township 12, range 19, was born
in the village of Drayton, Wellington county, Ontario, November 28, 1851, a
son of Eli and Hannah (Allen) Hambleton. The family is of English origin
but has been in Canada since 1660. The father of our subject came to Well-
ington county, Ontario, in pioneer times and carried on general agricultural
pursuits in that section until his death in 1872, when he was fifty-five years
of age. His wife survived him until 1887, dying at the age of sixty-five. Both
are buried in the Drayton cemetery.
Charles A. Hambleton received his education in the Drayton public schools
and laid aside his books at the age of eighteen in order to assist his father in
the work of the farm. He remained at home until he came to Manitoba and
settled on a homestead on township 2, range 15, which he developed and
improved for about six years. At the end of that time he became identified
with railroad construction work, doing grading for the Canadian Northern
Railroad. In this work he continued until 1910, but added to his activities in
1899, when he purchased his present farm. At that time only fifty acres had
ever been under the plow, but Mr. Hambleton resolutely began to develop and
improve the property and the result of his labors is seen today in its attractive
and excellent appearance. He has since broken another one hundred acres
and has erected a new house, barns and granaries and has fenced his place
into fields of convenient size. In fact, he has made the property what it is
today and the work of development is being carried forward year by year.
He annually harvests good crops of grain and he also raises feeds and fattens
horses, cattle and swine.
In Drayton, Ontario, on the 20th of November, 1877, Mr. Hambleton was
united in marriage to Miss Marjorie Mann, a sister of Sir Donald Mann and
344 THE STORY OP MANITOBA
a daughter of Hugh and. Helen Mann, both of whom have passed away and
are- buried in Akton cemetery. To Mr. and Mrs. Hambleton seven children
were born : Donalda May, who died at the age of four years and who is buried
in Brandon; two children who died in infancy; Charles E., a conductor on the
Canadian Northern Railroad; Hugh C., who is assisting his father in the work
of the farm; Jennie L., who married Clarence G. Willis, of Victoria, British
Columbia; and Reginald Clarkson, who is also identified with the management
of the home farm.
Mr. Hambleton gives his allegiance to the liberal party but has never been
active as an office seeker, preferring to concentrate his attention upon the
conduct of his farm. Through his own labor, enterprise and good manage-
ment he has become the owner of a valuable property and is widely and favor-
ably known in this part of the province.
ADAM McBETH.
Adam McBeth, who has been engaged in the draying business in Manitou
for the past nine years, has been a resident of the province of Manitoba since
1882. He was born in Simcoe county, Ontario, in 1860, and is a son of John
and Isabella (Bannerman) McBeth, both of whom are now deceased. The
father engaged in farming during the entire period of his active life.
The first twenty-two years in the life of Adam McBeth were passed in his
native province, where he obtained a common-school education. In 1882, he
came to Manitoba and took up a homestead and the same year he also operated
a ferry over the Red river at Emerson. In common with many of the pioneers
he has been identified with various business activities during the period of
his residence, availing himself of such opportunities as in his judgment promised
financial advancement. Nine years ago he established a dray line here, which
he has ever since operated with a good measure of success.
On the 1st of July, 1891, Mr. McBeth was married to Miss Louise Bowler,
and they have become the parents of four children, as follows: Pearl, Adam
Kenneth, Ethel and Ruby,
The family attend the Methodist church, in which the parents hold member-
ship, and fraternally Mr. McBeth is affiliated with the Canadian Order of
Foresters. During the thirty years of his residence in the province he has
witnessed the country's marvelous transition as pioneer conditions with their
hardships and privations have given way to those of the present period with
their comfort and luxury, and relates many interesting experiences of the early
days.
E. A. SPENCER, D. D. S., L. D. S.
Dr. E. A. Spencer has a well equipped office for the practice of dentistry
at No. 927 Rosser avenue, Brandon, and is recognized as one of the most able
men in his profession in the city. He was born in Montreal, Quebec, January
26, 1874, a son of Dr. Richmond and Emily (Bray) Spencer. His father came
to Brandon in February, 1882, and practiced his profession in the city until
his death in 1898. He is buried in the Brandon cemetery. His wife survived
him one year. The family is of British origin but has been in Canada for a
long time and is of United Empire Loyalist stock.
Dr. E. A. Spencer received his primary education in the public schools of
Brandon but was only nine years of age when he came to this city. After
completing the usual course he attended St. John's College at Winnipeg, which
he left at the age of nineteen, securing employment as a clerk in the Brandon
freight office of the Canadian Pacific Railroad. This position he held until
THE STORY OF MANITOBA 347
1896 when he began the study of dentistry as apprentice to the late Hon. Dr.
S. W. Mclnnis, working his way upward until he finally became a partner.
The business was carried on under Dr. Mclnnis' name with Dr. Spencer and
Dr. A. P. Mclnnis as silent partners. In order to equip himself more fully for
the practice of the profession which he had determined to make his life work,
Dr. Spencer entered the Northwestern University Dental School in Chicago
in 1899 and was graduated from the dental department in 1902, with the degree
of D. D. S. In the same year he receiyed his degree of L. D. S. at Winnipeg,
and immediately afterward located in Brandon, where he has been practicing
successfully since that time. His ability is effectively proved by the results he
has obtained. In ten years his practice has gained enviable proportions and
is increasing with his growing prominence so that Dr. Spencer is numbered
among the leading representatives of the dental fraternity in Brandon. A true
student, he keeps in touch with the advanced thought of the profession by con-
stant reading and by personal contact with its leading exponents, whom he
meets through the medium of his membership in the Manitoba Dental Association.
In Toronto, in August, 1907, Dr. Spencer married Miss Edith Gertrude
Bronsdon, a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. J. L. Bronsdon, the former a commercial
traveler of Toronto. Dr. and Mrs. Spencer have two daughters, Kathleen
Emily and Florence Ella, who reside with their parents at No. 437 Sixth street.
Dr. Spencer is a stanch conservative but has never been active as an office
seeker. He is a member of the Episcopal church and well known in the affairs
of the Brandon Club. He never loses an opportunity to study the scientific
aspects of dentistry, and researches along this line have led to his collecting
some very interesting photographs which are truly unique and valuable. By
being constantly alive to progress and advancement along professional lines,
by being ready to adopt new ideas as soon as they have been proven efficacious
and by constantly adhering to high ethical ideals, Dr. Spencer has been one
of the greatest forces in raising professional standards and in promoting the
awakening activity which means scientific advancement.
T. JASPER LAMONT, M. D.
The profession of medicine requires for its successful practice a thorough
training, a mind scientifically inclined, a deep knowledge of underlying prin-
ciples and the ability to make practical application of the results of research
and investigation. Dr. T. Jasper Lamont, of Treherne, Manitoba, possesses
all of these qualifications, yet they count for no more in his splendid success
than do his sense of conscientious obligation, his keen appreciation of the value
and purpose of life and his broad humanitarianism. In Treherne his name
stands for such things as these personal qualities in themselves which yet
influence his professional work in a vital way by inspiring it with humanity
and gentleness. Dr. Lamont is a native of Ontario and was born near Walk-
erton, Bruce county, May 13, 1858, and is a son of Joseph and Elizabeth (Jas-
per) Lamont. The father was born in Lanarkshire, Scotland, in 1831, and
died in Canada August 11, 1912. The mother of our subject is a native of
Cornwall, England, born on the Jacob Stowe farm in that section. Dr. Lamont
comes of a long line of sturdy Scotch ancestors who seem to have possessed
the qualities and characteristics which directed their careers in forceful and
eventful ways. The paternal grandfather, George Donald Lamont, was born
in Scotland and at the time of the battle of "Waterloo was a member of the
local militia at Glasgow. In 1816 he enlisted in the Sixty-fourth Regiment
(Second Staffordshire), which was then stationed in Plymouth, England. In
1818 it was sent to Gibraltar, where on May 24, 1819, George D. Lamont helped
to fire a "Feu de joie" in honor of the birth of her majesty Queen Victoria.
He was honorably discharged in 1824 as a commissioned officer and returned
Vol. Ill 1 6
348 THE STORY OF MANITOBA
to Scotland, where he made his home at Lark Hall. In 1843, with his family
of three sons and two daughters, he crossed the Atlantic to Canada and settled
in Bruce county, Ontario. He was a born frontiersman, made of the sturdy
stuff, out of which are made men of power and force. He literally hewed a
home out of the forest. On the land which he cleared of timber he steadily
carried forward the work of cultivation and gradually evolved a model farm
and became one of the notable and leading men of his district. When he cele-
brated his eighty-eighth birthday four generations of his descendants gath-
ered to do him honor and he lived for several years after this event, having
survived his wife for some time. He was a man of splendid physique and
military bearing, well able in the new world to uphold the dignity and honor
of his native Scotland, which is a country of forceful and able men. .
The career of his son, Joseph Lamont, the father of our subject, was almost
equally eventful and important, touching and influencing as it did the pioneer
development of Bruce county, Ontario. When he grew to manhood he went
as one of the first settlers into Brant township and his wife was the first white
woman to enter the district. She was a fine type of a pioneer woman whom
hardships could not dismay or privations discourage. She made the long jour-
ney to her husband's farm in Brant township on the back of an ox, crossing
in her travels the Sauge'en river, and during the hard early days gave splen-
did aid to Joseph Lamont in his work of development. They found in Brant
township a sparsely settled and undeveloped region covered with a dense for-
est in which wild animals were plentiful. Indians surrounded them on all
sides and were almost the only inhabitants, but they soon made friends with
the savages who throughout the troublous days of uprising and insurrection
never harmed these people who had treated them with fairness and had never
broken a contract with them. Whenever an uprising was expected all of the
people in the district fled for their lives but Mr. and Mrs. Lamont never left
their home and always escaped unmolested. In Scotland Mr. Lamont had
learned the weaving trade and followed it at intervals in Canada, although
most of his time and attention were given to the development of his fine farm.
His ability would have carried him forward into close relations with important
interests in any community but it was doubly effective in an unorganized and
undeveloped section. Many of the institutions which are factors in the public
life of Bruce county today owe their foundation and upbuilding to his per-
severing work. Among these may be mentioned the Presbyterian church at
Walkerton, of which Mr. Lamont was one of the five organizers and to which
he gave active support during his life. He was a man who possessed high
standards of citizenship and his private life was marked by loyal and per-
severing labor in the interests of his wife and children, so that he died full of
years and honors.
Dr. Lamont of this review is the third in a family of eleven children. His
education was received in the public schools of Walkerton, Bruce county,
Ontario, and after he had completed the usual course he began teaching and
continued in this occupation from 1876 to 1881, with the exception of one
term which he spent in the Collegiate Institute at Hamilton, Ontario. In the
latter year he left his native province and came to Manitoba, settling in Bran-
don, where in January, 1882, he was appointed principal of the public schools
and he held this office for six years. One of his greatest early ambitions had
been to study medicine and as soon as he was able he entered the Manitoba
Medical College and was graduated in 1889. Every year in .this institution
marked another stage in his advancement; every year he took a scholarship
and with his C. M. degree won the Boyles scholarship. He stood second in
rank among the students who took the M. D. degree and therefore when he
came to Treherne he was splendidly equipped for his professional duties. His
patronage has assumed large proportions, for Dr. Lamont has accomplished
some excellent results and has become widely known as a skillful and able
physician. He unites with his scientific knowledge the human instincts and
THE STORY OF MANITOBA 349
sympathy with the ill and suffering which make his presence a delight in the
sick-room and gain for him the warm friendship of the patients under his care.
On July 1, 1884, Dr. Lament married Miss Mary Weightman, a native of
Northumberland, England, and a daughter of James and Elizabeth Weight-
man, of that section. She is a descendant of the ancient family of Bolam,
representatives of the landed English gentry. Dr. and Mrs. Lamont have six
children. The eldest daughter, Mary Elizabeth, received her primary educa-
tion in the Manitoba schools and supplemented this by a course in "Wernigerode,
Germany. At the present time she is teaching in the John M. King school in
"Winnipeg. Arthur Victor is married and is engaged in teaching in Krossack,
Saskatchewan. Annie Frances is completing her education in Colombier,
Switzerland. Joseph Laurie, B. A., was graduated from the Manitoba Uni-
versity in 1911, one of the two youngest graduates who ever left that institu-
tion. He made a remarkable record in other respects, for he won a gold
medal and also a scholarship. From 1910 to the present time he has been a
member of the winning football team. He is now connected with the univer-
sity as senior demonstrator in chemistry. The fifth child born to Dr. and
Mrs. Lamont was John Noel, who has passed away. Their youngest child is
Winnifred Margaret, who is still at school.
Dr. Lamont is one of the prominent men in local liberal politics and takes
a great interest in public affairs, studying conditions and influencing stand-
ards. He has always refused office although he has been nominated by his
party as a candidate for election to the provincial parliament. He is a past
master of the Masonic lodge and in the thirty years of his membership has been
through all the chairs of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. When he
was still in the university he took an active part in all kinds of athletics, espe-
cially in baseball and football. He has lately abandoned these in favor of
curling, in which recreation he spends many of his leisure hours, for he is a
firm believer in the value of perfect physical efficiency as a factor in success.
The sturdy virtues which distinguished his pioneer ancestors, the energy, the
sincerity of purpose and high integrity are present in Dr. Lament's character
and .they have made him not only a most able and conscientious physician
and surgeon but also one of the most truly beloved men in this part of the
province.
WILLIAM CLARKE FRASER,
William Clarke Fraser is diligently engaged in diversified farming and
stock-raising in township 14, range 24, Hamiota district, where he owns eight
hundred acres of land, five hundred of which has been brought to a high state
of productivity. Thirty-one years have elapsed since Mr. Fraser removed
to this municipality from Halton county, Ontario, where his birth occurred
on the 26th of August, 1857. He is a son of William and Jane Ann (Clarke)
Fraser, pioneer settlers of Ontario, whence they later removed to Manitoba,
spending their latter days in this district. The mother passed away in Feb-
ruary, 1907, and the father on June 25, 1909, and both were laid to rest in
the Hamiota cemetery.
The early life of William Clarke Fraser was passed on his father's home-
stead in Ontario, where he received his agricultural training. His educational
advantages were better than fell to the lot of the average farmer youth of that
period. After completing the course of the district schools he attended the
Georgetown Academy at intervals until he was twenty-two. Returning home
he then gave his undivided attention to the operation of his father's farm,
remaining with his parents until 1881. In the latter year he came to Manitoba
and took up a homestead in the Hamiota district, which formed the nucleus
of his present valuable farm. Tireless energy, persistently applied day after
350 THE STORY OF MANITOBA
day ultimately enabled him to bring his tract under cultivation, each year
witnessing the enlargement and enrichment of his fields, which were planted
to such crops as were best adapted to the soil. As his harvests became more
abundant, his circumstances warranted the extension of the boundaries of his
ranch until he held the title to eight hundred acres, to the value of which
he added from time to time by the introduction of various improvements. His
increasing prosperity has permitted him to replace the crude buildings first
erected on the place by more pretentious structures, and a large, comfortable
residence, commodious barns and other farm buildings have wrought a wonder-
ful transformation in his farm, which is regarded as one of the most desir-
able properties in the locality. In connection with the cultivation of his
fields, Mr. Fraser is raising stock, keeping about twenty head of cattle, the
same number of horses, twelve hogs and about fifty chickens.
In Hamiota on Christmas day, 1889, Mr. Fraser was married to Miss
Martha Kerr, a daughter of Philip and Elizabeth (Kerr) Kerr, the father a
pioneer farmer of Hamiota. To Mr. and Mrs. Fraser have been born five chil-
dren: William Kerr, Kenneth R., Clarence M., Francis J. and Philip C., all
of whom are living at home and assisting their father about the ranch.
The family are members of the Presbyterian church, and fraternally Mr.
Fraser is affiliated with the Masonic order, while politically he supports the
liberal party. Diligence, practical methods and persistence have been the
dominant factors in the success of Mr. Fraser, who is meeting with the pros-
perity in the development of his interests which invariably accompanies intel-
ligently applied effort in any line of business.
WILLIAM HEBRIOT.
For many years William Herriot was well known as a successful mill owner
and operator, and although he has retired from active identification with this
occupation is still one of the leading and prominent figures in business circles of
Souris. As a man of varied interests, all of the constructive kind which make
for general growth, he has done important work in a commercial way and his
interests have influenced development by promoting activity. He was born in
Haddingtonshire, Scotland, April 19, 1846, and is a son of James and Jeannette
(Wilson) Herriot, who came to Canada in 1851 and settled in Ontario, where
the father followed the boiler making business which he had learned after coming
to America. He died in Gait and is buried in that city beside his wife. The
family is of old Scotch origin, and its representatives lived in Haddingtonshire
for many years, the father of our subject being the first to settle in Canada.
William Herriot received a limited education in the public schools in Ontario,
attending during the winter months after his tenth year. From that time until
he was sixteen, he spent the summers working as a farm hand and then became
an apprentice as a millwright. After four years' study he engaged in that
trade and for fifteen years was employed at Gait. At the end of that time he
was sent to take charge of the erection of a saw and grist mill at Minnedosa and
retained this position until 1882 when he went into partnership with George
McCulloch and purchased the property upon which the latter 's mill is now
standing. Together they built a mill and operated it successfully until their
growing patronage compelled them to enlarge the capacity. They then erected
a newer and more extensive plant and met with a very gratifying measure of
prosperity, continuing their association until Mr. Herriot retired. They also
engaged to a great extent in farming and Mr. Herriot now owns about fourteen
hundred and forty acres of fine land which he is personally managing. He is
also vice president of the Arnett Manufacturing Company and prominent in
many local enterprises. In all of these various business relations he evidences
that shrewd ability as a financier, a power of coordinating causes, and com-
WILLIAM HEBRIOT
THE STORY OF MANITOBA 353
prehending conditions, which is the basis of all commercial success. His inter-
ests are broad and his ability effective, and he is in every way one of the most
active, progressive and substantial men of his section.
On August 11, 1884, Mr. Herriot was united in marriage in Souris to Miss
Dora Mihn, a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Adam Mihn, and they became the
parents of six children : Jeannette, the wife of William McLean, who is engaged
in the furniture business in Souris; Martha, who married E. Hunter, a graduate
of the high school, who is engaged in the jewelry business in Hamicota; Alfred,
who is assisting his father in the conduct of the home farm ; Alexander, who is
employed as a printer on the Brandon Sun; Lena, who resides at home; and
Isabelle, who is attending school.
Mr. Herriot is a member of the Presbyterian church. He erected his own
residence and also the Herriot business block, and has other very important
property interests in Souris. He is independent in his political views voting
for the most able man without regard for party affiliations. He has done ef-
fective work as councilor, in which office he served for one year, and also as
reeve of the Glenwood municipality and as chairman of public works. For
twelve years he was financial secretary of the Canadian Order of Foresters and
is a charter member of that organization. The city of Souris owes much to his
constructive talents and business ability, since he has been one of the individual
forces in creating the activity which results in growth. A man of ready
adaptability, intelligent public spirit and a comprehension of present-day needs
in business and political life, his activities have been for thirty-two years an
important factor in the growth of the province.
JAMES ALEXANDER DAVIDSON.
Numbered among the progressive and enterprising farmers of Killarney
stands the name of James Alexander Davidson, who through his perseverance
and energy has acquired the title to three hundred and twenty acres of land,
which he has brought to a high state of productivity. He was born in Well-
ington county, Ontario, on the 14th of October, 1866, and is a son of Peter
and Jeannette (Cornie) Davidson, who are also natives of Canada but of
Scotch lineage. They are still living on the old homestead in Wellington county,
where for many years the father has been actively engaged in agricultural
pursuits. The family of Mr. and Mrs. Davidson numbers ten, our subject being-
the second in order of birth. The others are as follows : John, who is residing
in Colorado; David, who is living in Ontario; William, of Killarney; Annie r
who married Samuel Jamison, of Ontario; Jennie, the wife of John Broad-
foat, of Ontario; Charles and Ernest, who are residing in Killarney; and
Norman and Nellie, who live in Ontario.
James A. Davidson remained in his native province until he had attained
his majority, obtaining his education in the common schools. The son of a
farmer, his energies were early directed along agricultural lines, and by the
time he had reached maturity he was familiar with the practical methods
of tilling the fields and caring for the crops. Having decided to adopt the
career of an agriculturist, he came, in 1887, to Manitoba and purchased a
quarter section of land in the vicinity of Killarney. He began the development
of his tract with the characteristic energy of the diligent young man of well
defined purpose and prospered in his undertakings, each year bringing him
greater success. As his circumstances permitted he extended the boundaries
of his farm until he now owns three hundred and twenty acres, all of which
he has under cultivation, and is annually reaping abundant harvests from his
well tilled fields. As the years have passed his land has constantly increased
in value, owing to the care bestowed upon its cultivation and the extensive
354 THE STORY OF MANITOBA
improvements he has made from time to time, until it is now one of the most
desirable properties in the community.
On the 28th of November, 1898, Mr. Davidson was married to Miss Mar-
garet Clara Rankin, a daughter of John and Mary (Baine) Rankin, the father
a native of Scotland and the mother of Canada. They are now residing in the
vicinity of Killarney and are more fully mentioned elsewhere in this work.
To Mr. and Mrs. Rankin were born eleven children, as follows: Sophia, who
married James Barkley, of Killarney; Mrs. Davidson; Nellie, who is the wife
of Joseph Barkley, of Killarney; Jessie, who is deceased; Charles, Henry and
Thomas, all of whom are residing in Killarney; and Dorothy, Bertha, David
and Raymond, who are living at home. Mr. and Mrs. Davidson have three
children, in the following order of birth: Florence Mary, whose natal day
was August 5, 1902 ; Jeannette, whose birth occurred on the 16th of February,
1905; and Laura, who was born on the 5th of August, 1911.
Mr. and Mrs. Davidson are consistent members of the Presbyterian church,
and politically he supports the liberal party. He is one of the public-spirited
citizens of the community and takes an active and helpful interest in all things
pertaining to the local welfare. He has been called to public office on several
occasions and is now serving as secretary and treasurer of the school board,
and for a time he discharged the duties of trustee. Mr. Davidson is a worthy
representative of the agricultural interests of the district, where he is accorded
the respect of his fellow townsmen, who recognize in his prosperity the well
merited reward of earnest and persistent effort.
JAMES L. FRASER.
For more than thirty-one years James L. Fraser has been engaged in gen-
eral farming and stock-raising in Hamiota district, where he owns three hun-
dred and twenty acres of land, located in township 14, range 24. His birth
occurred in Halton county, Ontario, on the 29th of February, 1852, his parents
being "William and Letty Ann (Leslie) Fraser. They are now both deceased,
the mother having passed away in 1852, and the father, who was one of the
pioneer agriculturists of Ontario, on June 25, 1909, and is buried in the Ham-
iota cemetery. The mother found her last resting place in the Union Church
cemetery, Halton county, Ontario.
James L. Fraser, who was only an infant when his mother died, was reared
in the home of his father and educated in the public schools of Glen William,
Halton county, which he attended until he was nineteen. The son of a farmer,
his energies were early directed along agricultural lines and after leaving
school he gave his undivided attention to the operation of the home place until
he was twenty-five years of age. He then started out for himself coming direct
to Manitoba, of which province he has ever since been a resident. In 1881, he
filed on a homestead in township 14, which formed the nucleus of his present
ranch. As his holding was bush and scrub land it was difficult to clear and
.break and many long months had elapsed before he had the entire tract
under cultivation. His efforts were rewarded by increasing crops from
year to year, and as his circumstances improved he extended the boundaries
of his farm, until he owned three hundred and twenty acres. About two hun-
dred acres of his land has been brought to a high state of productivity, and
this he is planting to such crops as he deems -best adapted to the soil. His
efforts are not confined to the cultivation of his fields, but he is also engaged
in stock-raising, keeping about fourteen horses, 'as many head of cattle and a
hundred fowl. From time to time Mr. Fraser has replaced the crude build-
ings first erected on his place with more pretentious structures, all of which
have added to the appearance and value of his property. He is enterprising
THE STORY OF MANITOBA 355
and progressive in his methods as is evidenced by the general condition of fields
and stock, and his well repaired buildings, all of which ar^ indicative of close
supervision and systematic directions.
At Eollo, North Dakota, on the 25th of July, 1893, Mr. Fraser was married
to Miss Margaret Elliott, a daughter of George and Mary (McDonald) Elliott.
The father passed away in September, 1884, and the mother in May, 1911.
The former is buried in Hollo, North Dakota, and the latter in New Ontario, in
Hymers' cemetery. Mr. and Mrs. Fraser have one son, William N., who is
assisting his father with the operation of the ranch.
Mr. and Mrs. Fraser are members of the Presbyterian church, and in pol-
itics he supports the liberal party. He is one of those who came to Mani-
toba practically empty-handed, but intelligently directed energy and constant
application have enabled him to advance from year to year, until he is now
one of the successful agriculturists and substantial citizens of the municipality.
J. A. STEWART.
J. A. Stewart, the present mayor of Hamiota, has been successfully engaged
in the meat business here for the past ten years, and he is also identified with
the agricultural interests of this district. He was born in Uxbridge, Ontario
county, Ontario, on the 16th of November, 1874, and is a son of William and
Martha (Vance) Stewart. The father was one of the pioneer settlers of
Ontario county, where he successfully engaged in agricultural pursuits, devot-
ing his entire attention to the development of his farm. He is a man of many
sterling qualities but of a retiring nature, fond of his home and family and
ever considerate of their needs and well being. The mother is now deceased,
having passed away in January, 1903, and is buried in the cemetery at Uxbridge.
The family is of Scotch extraction as the name would suggest.
The boyhood of J. A. Stewart was passed on the farm where he was born,
the years passing in the uneventful routine characteristic of rural life. He
attended the public schools of Uxbridge in the acquirement of an education
until he was seventeen and then turned his attention to business affairs. He
continued to reside in his native province until 1897, when he came to Mani-
toba and engaged in. the buying and exporting of grain. This business engaged
his attention for five years, at the expiration of which time he recognized an
excellent opening in Hamiota for a butcher shop, and resolved to establish
one. Although he was entirely unfamiliar with the trade, he had no appre-
hensions regarding the success of the undertaking as he had absolute confi-
dence in his ability as a business man to promote the development of the
enterprise. That he did not overestimate his qualifications is evidenced by the
present thriving condition of the business, which is one of the most prosper-
ous commercial enterprises of the town. At the expiration of three years he
took in a partner and has ever since been identified with the meat business.
Subsequently he purchased a farm of three hundred and twenty acres, to the
cultivation of which he gives his personal attention. He engages in diversified
farming, his fields being largely planted to grain, and in connection with this
he is raising cattle and horses. Energy and the intelligent concentration of
effort have won for him the usual rewards and as a result he is now numbered
among the prosperous business men and substantial agriculturists of the dis-
trict.
In Hamiota on the 14th of November, 1900, Mr. Stewart was married to
Miss Elizabeth Riddell, a daughter of John and Margaret (Fairbairn) Rid-
dell, the father a pioneer farmer of Oakner, Manitoba. Of this marriage have
been born three children, as follows: Vance F. and Bessie, who are attending
school; and Andrew W.
356 THE STORY OF MANITOBA
The parents are members of the Presbyterian church. Fraternally Mr.
Stewart is a member of the Ancient Order of United "Workmen, the Canadian
Order of Foresters, and he has also taken the degrees of the blue lodge in the
Masonic order. His political prerogatives he exercises in support of the men
he deems best qualified for the offices, irrespective of party affiliation. He has
always taken an active interest in civic affairs and served for five years in the
village council, while in 1912 he was elected mayor. He is president of the
Hamiota Agricultural Society. In the discharge of his official duties Mr. Stew-
art is evidencing practical judgment and good business ability by exercising
his privileges to promote various needed improvements and advance the vil-
lage's development along lines of benefit to all.
ROBERT McPHAIL.
Since 1892, Robert McPhail has owned and operated a fine farm of six hun-
dred and forty acres on section 17, township 11, range 18, Brandon county,
and in ten years has gained an important place in agricultural circles of the
district. He is a native of Ontario, born in Lanark township, January 22, 1867, a
son of Peter and Elizabeth A. (Gavin) McPhail, the former a pioneer farmer in
Ontario. He came to that section in 1852 and died upon his farm in 1894, when
he was fifty-two years of age. He is buried in the Humesville church cemetery.
His widow and thirteen children survive him and all are in comfortable cir-
cumstances.
Robert McPhail attended the public schools of his native section and laid
aside his books when he was fifteen years of age. Since that time he has earned
his own livelihood, working first in the lumber woods, where he was active for
about seven years, and then coming to Manitoba, where he began farming. He
took up a homestead claim which was uncultivated, broke the land and began its
improvement, continuing the work of development until he had it in an excellent
condition. Upon this property he carried on mixed farming for two years and
then purchased eighty acres of his present farm. When he had the soil broken
and the property under cultivation he built a fine barn and a modern residence
and also other necessary outbuildings. In 1910, he added three hundred and
twenty acres to his holdings and is now one of the extensive landowners in this
part of Brandon county. He is also a great horse fancier, making a specialty
of breeding and raising Clydesdale horses, for which he received at several ex-
hibitions first prizes, and at the last Provincial Fair won the championship and
a handsome reward.
Mr. McPhail is a devout adherent of the Presbyterian church. He is a loyal
supporter of the liberal party and while not active politically his cooperation
can always be relied upon in movements which have for their object general
advancement and progress. He has, moreover, the ability to make his public
spirit effective, and his activities have been useful and valuable as factors in
local expansion.
THOMAS L. ARMSTRONG.
Thomas L. Armstrong is one of the most prominent and enterprising farm-
ers of the Hyndman district. He owns a very fine property of four hundred
and eighty acres on section 32, township 14, range 22, and there engages in
general agricultural pursuits, specializing in the raising of grain. He was
born in Dundas county, Ontario, in 1868 and is a son of Samuel and Matilda
(Robinson) Armstrong. The father died February 3, 1891, and is buried in
EGBERT McPHAIL
THE STORY OF MANITOBA 359
Dundas county. His wife survives him and makes her home with her son,
Thomas L. Armstrong.
In the acquirement of an education Thomas L. Armstrong attended public
school in Dundas county, Ontario, laying aside his books at the age of fifteen.
He afterward spent about seven years in his father's employ and then man-
aged the home farm alone for thirteen years. At the end of that time he
came to Manitoba and purchased near Hyndman the farm which he now oper-
ates. This has been placed under a high state of cultivation and fine crops
of grain annually reward Mr. Armstrong's care and labor. He has remodeled
the residence and made various improvements in the way of substantial build-
ings and keeps everything in a good state of repair, so that he is numbered
among the leading and substantial citizens of this section of the province.
In Dundas county, Ontario, on January 3, 1894, Mr. Armstrong married
Miss Mary E. Adams, a daughter of Charles and A visa (Roycroft) Adams.
The father died in May, 1908, and is buried in Dundas county, where his
widow makes her home. Mr. and Mrs. Armstrong have two children, Samuel
Rae and Fred A.
Mr. Armstrong is a conservative in his political views, and fraternally is
connected with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, having been through
all the chairs of the local lodge and being now a member of the grand lodge.
For the past twenty years he has been steward of the Methodist church and is
a man of many excellent traits of character, whose life of upright and honor-
able business activity has won for him the respect and confidence of all with
whom he has been associated.
MURDO A. WHIMSTER, V. S.
Dr. Murdo A. Whimster has been successfully engaged in the practice of
veterinary surgery in Hamiota for sixteen years, and during that time he has
also figured prominently in civic affairs, having served for two terms as mayor.
He is a native of Ontario, his birth having occurred at Blanchard, Perth county,
that province, on the 23d of July, 1860, and a son of James and Mary (Camp-
bell) Whimster. The father, who was a stanch liberal in his political views,
was one of the pioneer architects and builders of St. Mary's, Ontario. In 1871,
he removed with his family to Manitoba, settling in High Bluff, where he con-
tinued to follow the same line of business. Later he acquired some land in that
vicinity and turned his attention to agricultural pursuits. He lived to the ripe
age of eighty-six years, his death occurring in 1898, while the mother sur-
vived until March, 1911. They are buried at Portage la Prairie. The family
is of Highland Scotch origin, but they have long been residents of Canada, the
paternal grandfather having come to this country in 1800 as an employe of
the Hudson's Bay Company.
The education of Murdo A. Whimster was begun in the schools of his native
province and continued in those of High Blutf: and Portage la Prairie until he
was a youth of fifteen years. In common with the majority of lads reared in
the rural sections of Manitoba during the pioneer period, he was then called
upon to assist with the operation of the home farm. He remained with his
parents for several years and then started out for himself, coming to the Ham-
iota district in 1882, where he took up a homestead. For six years thereafter
his energies were devoted to the development of this place, during which period
he encountered the various obstacles and difficulties experienced by the major-
ity of frontiersmen. At the expiration of that time he disposed of his ranch
and returned to Portage la Prairie, where he purchased a farm which he cul-
tivated until 1893. In the latter year he resolved to take up the profession he
is now following, and matriculated in the Veterinary College of Toronto. He
360 THE STORY OF MANITOBA
was awarded his degree with the class of 1896, and immediately following came
to Hamiota and established an office, which he has ever since maintained with
more than an average degree of success. As prosperity has attended the efforts
of Dr. Whimster he has acquired extensive property holdings in this prov-
ince, including a half interest in three thousand acres of land which is rented.
In Hamiota on the 28th of December, 1898, Dr. Whimster was married to
Miss Margaret A. Kirk, a daughter of Samuel Kirk, o'ne of the pioneer farmers
of this district, and to them have been born six children. In order of birth they
are as follows : Mary L., Henry, Margaret, Frank C., James E., and an infant
not yet named.
The family attend the Presbyterian church in which the parents hold mem-
bership. Fraternally Dr. "Whimster is a member of the Independent Order
of Odd Fellows, of which he is a past district deputy grand master, and he is
also past chancellor and commander of the Knights of Pythias. In the Masonic
order Dr. Whimster also holds the honor of past district deputy grand master.
Politically he supports the liberal party and is president of the Liberal Asso-
ciation. He is numbered among the public-spirited and progressive citizens of
the community, where he is held in high esteem as is evidenced by the fact that
he has twice been elected to the office of mayor by acclamation.
WILLIAM GORDON.
William Gordon, who is engaged in the furniture business in Boissevain,
where he is also discharging the duties of county court clerk, has been a resi-
dent of the province of Manitoba for thirty-one years. He came here from
Ontario, of which province he is a native, his birth having occurred in Gode-
rich township, Huron county, on the 4th of September, 1846. His parents
were Murdo C. and Ann (Burrows) Gordon, the latter a native of Carleton
county, Ontario. They settled on a bush farm in Goderich township about
the year 1832, on which they resided until 1883. In the year last named they
came to Manitoba, settling in the Turtle Mountain district, and here the father,
who was a farmer, continued his agricultural pursuits. He was born January 12,
1812, in Sutherlandshire, Scotland, and passed away in 1905, while the mother's
death occurred in 1910. Of their marriage there were born nine children,
as follows: Hannah, who is deceased; William, our subject; Helen, who mar-
ried Hugh McMath, of Toronto ; George and Ann, who are deceased ; John, who
is residing in the United States ; Cameron, a resident of Calgary ; and Chris-
topher and Charles, twins, the former residing in Los Angeles, California, and
the latter in Memphis, Tennessee.
The boyhood and youth of William Gordon were passed in very much the
same manner as those of other lads, who were reared in the rural sections of
Ontario during the pioneer period. After leaving school he gave his undi-
vided attention to the operation of the home farm until he was twenty-five
years of age, when he left the parental roof and started out for himself. He
continued to be identified with the agricultural development, of his native
province until 1882, which year marked his removal to Manitoba. During the
first twelve years of his residence here Mr. Gordon engaged in farming, fol-
lowing which he took up his residence in Boissevain. His property interests
are all located in Boissevain, where he is also connected with commercial activi-
ties, being the owner of a thriving furniture store.
Mr. Gordon married Miss Mary Davidson, and to them have been born five
children, as follows: Roy D. S., manager of the Union Bank of Rosetown, Sas-
katchewan; Ethel E., who married Harrold Gamble, of Boissevain; Norman D,.
manager of the Union Bank of Gessier, Saskatchewan; Murdo William, man-
ager of the Union Bank, of Kelfield, Saskatchewan, and Mabel, who is at home.
THE STORY OF MANITOBA 361
In religious faith the family are Presbyterians, and fraternally Mr. Gordon
is affiliated with the Masonic order and Independent Order of Odd Fellows. He
exercises his political prerogatives in support of the liberal party, and has
served in various official capacities during the period of his residence in Mani-
toba, having been the first clerk of Riverside municipality, the duties of which
office he discharged for seven years. Mr. Gordon is enterprising and progress-
ive in matters of citizenship as well as business, and is held high in the esteem
of his fellow townsmen by reason of his upright principles and honfcst and reli-
able methods of conducting his transactions.
PHILIP KERR.
Having attained the advanced age of eighty-one years, Philip Kerr has
withdrawn from the active work of the fields, but still makes his home on his
ranch, which is comprised of a hundred and sixty acres of fertile land, and
is located in township 13, range 23, Hamiota district, where he has resided
since 1880. He is a native of Scotland, having been born in Aberdeenshire on
the 4th of May, 1832, and a son of Alexander and Margaret (Phillips) Kerr.
The parents have long since been deceased and are buried in Scotland. The
father devoted his life to agricultural pursuits.
Reared in the home of his parents, Philip Kerr was educated in the local
schools of his native land, following which he assisted his father with the
cultivation of the farm. Soon after attaining his majority he took passage
for America on a sailing vessel, the voyage occupying six weeks and two days.
He landed at Montreal, going from there to Ontario county, Ontario, where
he worked out for a time. Later he settled on a farm in Blanchard township,
which was partially cleared, and there pursued his agricultural career until
1880, when with his wife and family he removed to this province. Upon his
arrival in Hamiota district, Mr. Kerr filed on a homestead on which he has
ever since resided. His early experiences were very similar to those of the
other pioneers, and he encountered innumerable difficulties and obstacles in
promoting the development of his land. All his grain had to be hauled to
Brandon, which was forty miles away, and there he also did his marketing.
As the roads in many instances were little more than wagon tracks across the
prairies, and it was still the day of ox teams, the marketing of farm produce
involved many hardships and long, tedious journeys. Prices were low at
that period and frequently Mr. Kerr sold his wheat for twenty-five cents per
bushel, the returns from his grain fields oftentimes barely yielding the family
a living. With improved transportation facilities conditions became better
for the agriculturists, and year by year he enjoyed better success. As oppor-
tunity afforded he increased his holdings until he held the title to a section of
land, four hundred and eighty acres of which he has divided among his sons,
retaining only a quarter section for himself. From time to time he has added
to the value of his place by the erection of substantial buildings, fences and
various other improvements, his being one of the attractive properties of the
community. His fields have been brought to a high state of productivity and
now annually yield harvests that well repay for his early years of labor.
In Blanchard township, Ontario, in 1855, Mr. Kerr was married to Miss
Elizabeth Kerr, a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. William Kerr, and to them were born
thirteen children. In order of birth they are as follows: William, who is
ranching in this district; Elizabeth, who is at home; Margaret, .the wife of
John MacMillan, a ranchman in this township ; Mary, who passed away in 1900
and is buried in the Scotia cemetery, the deceased wife of Thomas Morrisson;
Helen, who married Hugh Frazer, of Winnipeg; Jennie, who is at home;
Martha, who became the wife of W. C. Frazer, who is ranching in this dis-
362 THE STORY OF MANITOBA
trict; Alexander, who is operating the home ranch; John P., who is ranching
in the Outlook district; Isabella, the wife of George Rankin; Charles, who
is engaged in the practice of medicine at Maple Creek, Saskatchewan ; Esther,
who married George Lorimer, a ranchman of Saskatchewan; and Mabel, the
wife of George Arthur, an implement dealer at Pope, Manitoba.
Mr. Kerr is an elder in the Presbyterian church, of which his wife and
family are also consistent members. He supports the liberal party in politics,
and while Me has never figured prominently in local affair^ is not remiss in
matters of citizenship. He is interested in all movements affecting the farm-
ing communities and was for many years the president of the Hamiota Agri-
cultural Society, and still holds membership in this organization. Mr. Kerr
is held in favorable regard in his locality, toward the progress and develop-
ment of which he has substantially contributed during the long years of his
residence and is accorded by his fellow townsmen the respect and esteem he
merits by reason of his honorable and upright life.
JOHN WEMYSS.
Among the enterprising and public-spirited men of Neepawa, who have not
only striven to make this city a business center but a desirable place of residence,
by reason of its educational advantages and the moral standard they have en-
deavored to establish, must be mentioned John Wemyss, who for more than
twenty-five years here has been engaged in the practice of law. He was born in
Glasgow, Scotland, on the 18th of August, 1861, and is a son of the late Robert
and Catherine Wemyss, also natives of Scotland, the father having been born in
Edinburgh and the mother in Fifeshire. The paternal grandfather, John
Wemyss, likewise a native of Edinburgh, was a lawyer in Kirkcaldy, Scotland,
and the father of Sir John Wemyss, Bart. The name Wemyss is pictish for
cave-dweller, and in his history of Scotland, Burton gives an account of these
people prior to the advent of the Celts, so the family consider that they are
descended from the aborigines of Scotland. Robert Wemyss was for many years
successfully engaged in the mercantile business in Glasgow, and became a man
of great wealth, much of which he lost before his death. Upon his retirement,
in 1880, he came to Manitoba. This was not his first visit to Canada, however,
as his business had frequently called him here and he had made more than forty
trips across the Atlantic. For a time he was located at Winnipeg, but having
acquired extensive realty holdings at Reyburn he later removed there, making
his home with his son until his death, which occurred in 1903, at the age of
eighty years. He was a man of scholarly tastes and high mental attainments,
and his later years were largely devoted to reading and writing and he was a
frequent contributor to the Winnipeg Tribune.
John Wemyss is the eldest in a family of five sons and three daughters. He
was reared amid an environment which was in every way highly desirable and
given the best advantages. His preliminary education was pursued in Larch-
field Academy at Helensburgh and also Glasgow Academy, following which he
matriculated in the Glasgow University, being awarded the degree of Master
of Arts with the class of 1883. The same year he came to Manitoba, settling in
Winnipeg, where he studied law in the office of Bain, Blanchard & Mulock. At
the expiration of three years he had completed his professional studies, and
successfully passed his examination for the bar, being granted his license in
1886. In April of the next year he came to Neepawa and established an office
which he has ever since maintained as a general practitioner. Mr. Wemyss is
not only thoroughly grounded in the principles of jurisprudence, but he pos-
sesses the keen discernment, fine analytical powers and retentive memory so
essential to the successful barrister. In the preparation of his cases he exercises
the extreme care and precaution of the far-sighted man who is sufficiently widely
*
THE STORY OF MANITOBA 365
informed on all phases of the law to appreciate the advantages accruing to a
quick-witted opponent through the carelessly constructed phrase of an argument.
During the long period of his connection with the legal fraternity of Neepawa
Mr. Wemyss has succeeded in building up a large clientage, and is recognized
as one of the representative members of his profession in this district.
On the 13th of September, 1893, Mr. Wemyss was married to Miss Maggie
Harrison, a daughter of the late D. H. Harrison, an ex-member of the Norquay
cabinet. Of this marriage have been born three children, as follows : Robert
Harrison^ a student at St. Andrew's College, Toronto; John Notman, who is
in school; and Norma.
Fraternally Mr, "Wemyss has attained high rank in the Masonic order, and
is one of the promient members of this province. He is a past grand master of
the province, past head of the chapter and past provincial prior of the Knights
Templar. He is also a past grand master of the Independent Order of Odd
Fellows, having held that office when the provinces of Manitoba, Alberta and
Saskatchewan were included in the district, which was the largest, but not most
populous, in the world. All public questions, particularly those pertaining to
education, enlist the attention and interest of Mr. Wemyss, who for many years
has been a member of the local school board. Some of Neepawa 's finest school
buildings have been erected during the period of his incumbency, while the
board has but recently purchased a site for a collegiate institute, where he hopes
to soon see under course of construction a building which will be an acquisition
to the community and add greater distinction to its educational system. Mr.
Wemyss has also contributed toward promoting an interest in athletics and other
healthful and beneficial forms of amusement and was largely instrumental in
building the fine tennis courts belonging to the local club. He has not confined
his private interests to his profession, but has been identified with various local
industries, including the Fusee-McFeetors Company, Limited, sash and door
manufacturers, of which he is vice president, and he is a director of the Neepawa
Manufacturing Company.
Mr. Wemyss would be a desirable acquisition to any community, as he is
not only a worthy representative of his profession, but he is a man who main-
tains a high standard in all of the relations of life, and recognizes a duty to the
community and society at large which he strives to meet by giving the best
possible public service under all conditions and circumstances. He is widely
known arid held in favorable regard by his neighbors and fellow townsmen, who
have had ample opportunity during the past twenty-five years to thoroughly
test the worth of his character and have found him to be trustworthy and reliable
and deserving of their confidence.
ROBERT MCDONALD.
Robert McDonald owns four hundred and eighty acres of land located in
township 14, range 23, Hamiota district, where he is successfully engaging
in grain farming. Huron county, Ontario, was the place of his birth, and his
natal day the 13th of March, 1864, his parents being Robert and Frances (Gal-
lagher) McDonald. The father was one of the pioneer farmers of Ontario,
where in his early manhood he acquired a tract of brush land, which he grad-
ually brought to a high state of productivity. In 1877, he disposed of his
interests there, and with his wife and family came to Manitoba, where he went
through practically the same experiences in pioneering as he encountered in
Ontario. He was a man of many excellent qualities, retiring in his nature,
and while not remiss in matters of citizenship never figured prominently in
local affairs, preferring to spend such time as was not devoted to his work
with his family. His energies were concentrated upon the development of his
farm until his death, which occurred on the 7th of May, 1897. The family
366 THE STORY OF MANITOBA
is of Irish extraction. Since the death of the father the mother has made her
home with our subject.
The education of Robert McDonald was acquired in the public schools of
his native province, which he attended until he was a lad of fourteen years.
In common with the majority of youths who are reared in the country he early
became familiar with the duties of an agriculturist and after leaving school
gave his undivided attention to the operation of the home farm. He remained
with his parents and was associated with his father until the latter's death,
since which time he has continued his agricultural pursuits alone. Mr.
McDonald is enterprising and progressive in his methods and in his under-
takings is meeting with the success which usually rewards these qualities. He
annually plants about three hundred and twenty-five acres of his land, the
greater portion of it being sown to grain, realizing . therefrom good returns.
His place is well improved and kept up, everything about the premises indi-
cating the exercise of systematic methods and close supervision in its manage-
ment.
Mr. McDonald is a member of the Church of England, in the faith of which
he was reared, and his political support he accords to the conservative party.
He is held in high esteem in his community, toward the development of which
he has substantially contributed through his able management of his own affairs
no less than through his active cooperation in promoting various public move-
ments which have for their object the betterment of local conditions.
ROBERTSON ROSS.
Robertson Ross has for over thirty years been identified with the agricul-
tural development of township 13, range 24, in the vicinity of Pope, where he
owns a quarter of section 20. His life record was begun in Aberdeenshire,
Scotland, on the 17th of March, 1849, his parents being Robertson and Eliza-
beth (Ironside) Ross. They passed their entire lives in Scotland, where the
mother passed away on the 23d of April, 1854, and the father on November
22, 1897, and are buried in the St. Fergus cemetery.
Reared in an humble home, the early advantages of Robertson Ross were
naturally limited. He attended the common schools of his native land until
he had attained the age of thirteen years, when he laid aside his text-books
and became self-supporting. He first hired out to a farmer, in whose service
he remained for three years, at the expiration of which time he became a shoe-
maker's apprentice. He continued to follow this trade for seven years, fol-
lowing which he again turned his attention to agricultural pursuits and hired
out to a farmer. This occupation engaged his energies until 1880, when he
resolved to come to America and establish a home for himself, feeling assured
one of his energy and enterprise would meet with better opportunities here
than were to be found in the more closely congested sections of the old coun-
try. April 5th, of that year, marked his arrival in the province of Manitoba,
where he has ever since made his home. In 1882, he filed on his present home-
stead, which during the intervening years he has not only brought to a high
state of productivity, but has greatly increased its value by the extensive and
substantial improvements he has made thereon. Mr. Ross is now engaged in
the cultivation of four hundred and eighty acres of land, three hundred and
twenty of which he is renting from the Grand Trunk Pacific Railroad
which he had previously sold to the company. His fields are planted to such
crops as he deems best adapted to the soil and in connection with their culti-
vation he raises such stock as is needed on his place. He keeps twelve horses,
eight head of cattle, six hogs and about a hundred and fifty fowl.
Hamiota was the scene of Mr. Ross' marriage on the 22d of September^
1885, to Miss Elizabeth Anderson, a daughter of Charles and Rebecca (Robb)
THE STORY OF MANITOBA 367
Anderson, natives of Scotland. The father passed away in Aberdeenshire on
the 25th of January, 1859, but the mother was residing in Kirkton, Ontario,
at the time of her demise, which occurred in the fall of 1882. To Mr. and
Mrs. Ross has been born one daughter, Elizabeth Ann, who is residing at home
with her parents.
The family are consistent members of the Presbyterian church, and the
political allegiance of. Mr. Ross is accorded to the liberal party. He attributes
such success as has come to him to his unremitting energy and constant appli-
cation, and also to the able assistance his wife has rendered him by her com-
petent management of the household affairs. The family is held in high regard
in the community where they reside and have a large circle of friends, the
majority of whom are acquaintances of long years standing.
J. H. HOUCK.
J. H. Houck is one of the most extensive dealers in live stock in Hamiota,
with the business interests of which city he has been actively identified for over
twenty years. He belongs to that enterprising and public-spirited class of
citizens who, while engaged in attaining personal success, yet find time to
share the work and responsibility connected with the local government and is
now discharging the duties of reeve in the rural municipality of Hamiota and
is also provincial police magistrate. Mr. Houck was born in the vicinity of
Stratford, Perth county, Ontario, March 25, 1868, and is a son of Hiram P.
and Jane (Hosford) Houck. The father, who was one of the pioneer agri-
culturists of Perth county, passed away in January, 1893, at the age of sixty
years, and was buried in Harrington cemetery, Ontario. He was of Pennsyl-
vania-Dutch extraction and belonged to a United Empire Loyalist family.
The education of J. H. Houck was obtained in a district school near Fair-
view, Ontario, which he attended until he was a lad of fourteen years. His
energies were thereafter devoted to assisting his father with the cultivation of
the home farm until 1891, when he came to Manitoba. Here he engaged in
the buying and selling of live stock and the same year he established a meat
market, and though entirely unfamiliar with the business and not experienced
in commercial activities, he made a success of the undertaking. The greater
part of his attention was devoted to the other branch of his business, however,
which developed so rapidly that he was later compelled to dispose of his mar-
ket. He is one of the largest pioneer stock dealers in the district and has
bought and shipped thousands of cattle throughout the country, particularly to
the west. While thus engaged he has also been interested in the agricultural
development of the country and has acquired the title to three hundred and
twenty acres of land, which under his supervision has been converted from
a wild state into highly cultivated fields. He has still further increased the
value of his ranch by the erection of substantial buildings and various modern
conveniences. He also owns his residence in Hamiota, which he erected.
In Hamiota, on February 27, 1893, Mr. Houck was married to Miss Nellie
Milne, a daughter of James and Margaret (Adams) Milne. The father was
one of the pioneer agriculturists of Middlesex county, Ontario. He passed
away in 1901 and the mother in 1902 and both are buried near St. Mary's in
the North Presbyterian cemetery. To Mr. and Mrs. Houck have been born
seven children, as follows: Jennie H. and Gladys, who graduated from the
local high school and are now teaching; and Roy, Yelma, Lloyd, Irvin and
John, all of whom are attending school.
The family attend the Presbyterian church, in which the parents hold
membership, and fraternally Mr. Houck has taken the degrees of the blue lodge
in the Masonic order and he is a charter member of the Canadian Order of
368 THE STORY OF MANITOBA
Foresters. In his political views he is independent, giving his support to the
man he deems best qualified for the office. At the present time he is serving both
the rural municipality and province in a public capacity and is discharging his
duties in both connections in an efficient and capable manner.
THOMAS HARRISON.
A history of the business and commercial development of Neepawa would be
incomplete if it did not include the biography of the late Thomas Harrison,
whose enterprising spirit, well organized methods in the conduct of his personal
affairs, and vital interest in all matters pertaining to the community well being,
were for many years dominant factors in promoting the city's progress. Al-
though six years have elapsed since he was called from the activities of life, he
was a man of such strength of character and forceful personality that the ideas
he maintained relative to many public questions and the business standards he
established made too deep an impress on his fellow townsmen to be readily for-
gotten, their influence still being felt in local circles.
Mr. Harrison was a native of Middlesex county, Ontario, his birth having
occurred in the month of October, 1837, and a son of William and Elizabeth
(Smibert) Harrison, who were likewise of that county. The Harrison family is
of English extraction, but for more than a century they have been residents
of Canada. The grandfather, William Harrison, accompanied by his brother
Millner, emigrated to Canada in early manhood and took up his residence in
Middlesex county. Millner Harrison engaged in the mercantile business at St.
Marys, Ontario, and ultimately became a man of wealth and one of the foremost
representatives of the commercial interests of that section. He had a son, Dr.
David Harrison, who later figured prominently in the early history of Mani-
toba, having at one time been premier of this province, while for many years
he was minister of agriculture. To him were born two sons, who for some years
have been identified with the . business interests of Vancouver, George being
manager of the Merchants Bank of Canada, while William is successfully en-
gaged in the drug business in the same city. William Harrison, the grandsire
of our subject, was one of the pioneer agriculturists of Middlesex county, where
he acquired extensive tracts of wild land, which he developed and improved,
converting it into one of the finest farms in the province. The property is still
in the possession of the family and is now the home of a granddaughter and her
husband, Mr. and Mrs. Charles Hudson, who occupy the house erected by the
grandfather.
The boyhood of Thomas Harrison was passed on the family homestead in
Middlesex county, his education being obtained in the public schools. In his
early manhood he engaged in the business of contracting, specializing in bridge
building and grading, in which he was associated with his brother William.
Later he went into the general mercantile business and also dealt extensively
in Ontario lands, acquiring large holdings which were cultivated under his per-
sonal supervision. He was a man of marked resourcefulness and foresight and
possessed the ability to organize and direct the development of a variety of
business enterprises at the same time. In 1875, he took a prolonged trip through
Manitoba, hoping thereby to improve his health, and was very favorably im-
pressed with the country, for which he prophesied a most promising future,
both agriculturally and commercially, recognizing it as the gateway to the great
northwest territory. He returned to Ontario, where he continued his business
activities, but in 1880 made another visit to this province, and again in 1882,
at which time he invested" heavily in land in the Neepawa district. His affairs
in Ontario still continued to engage practically his entire attention until 1886,
however, when he disposed of his interests there and removed west with his
family, settling on his land near Neepawa. During the succeeding five years
THOMAS HAEEISON, SR.
THE STORY OF MANITOBA 371
his energies were very largely devoted to the improvement and development of his
holdings, comprising a large tract of wild land. In 1890, however; he bought
out the lumber business of John Law, removing the business to Mountain and Mill
streets, where he owned a lot two hundred feet deep with a frontage of a hun-
dred and sixty feet. In addition to this corner he owned about an acre and a
half of land in the heart of the city and a hundred and thirty-four lots within
the corporate limits of the city of Vancouver, which is now very valuable prop-
erty. In common with the majority of men who engage in large interests and
direct their activities along various lines, Mr. Harrison met' with misfortunes
now and then and sustained some quite heavy losses, but his was a character
which seemed to gain strength from such experiences, his failures but serving
as stepping-stones to yet higher achievements. He gave his personal attention
to every detail of his business, handling his varied interests unassisted and with
comparative ease, by reason of his well denned purposes and systematic methods.
His powers of endurance were as great as his capacity for work, and although
he led a life of intense activity and business energy, he never gave the im-
pression of being crowded or overburdened by his manifold duties.
Mr. Harrison married Catherine Owen, and to them were born the following
children: Wilbert G., a member of the firm of Harrison & Sons; Charles E.,
who is connected with the operating department of the Canadian Pacific Kail-
road; Thomas E., who is looking after the extensive realty interests of his
father's estate in Vancouver, of which city he is a resident; William H., who ac-
quired his education in the public schools of Neepawa and Wesley College, Win-
nipeg, following which he engaged in teaching for a time and then went into
business with his father and now looks after the financial interests of the estate ;
Wilfred 0., a graduate pharmacist^ who formerly conducted a drug store and
is still a member of the firm of Harrison Brothers, druggists, of Winnipeg, but
now gives his attention to the business of real estate and building; and Vera,
the widow of Jack E. Cochran, and Cassie, teachers in the schools of Neepawa.
Despite the exactions of his large personal interests, Mr. Harrison was not
remiss in matters of citizenship, but took an active interest in all things affect-
ing the city or the well being of its residents. He served for some years in the
city council, and was instrumental in adopting and successfully putting into
operation many movements which have redounded to the highest interests of the
community. He also held the office of street commissioner, in which capacity
he gave most efficient service, his incumbency having witnessed the inauguration
of the street -paving movement. Public-spirited in matters of .citizenship, diligent
and enterprising in business, conducting his transactions in a manner which left
no doubt as to his probity, Thomas Harrison was in every respect a man of
exemplary character, and when the word went forth announcing his death on
the 21st of March, 1907, it meant not only the bereavement of his family and
a large circle of personal friends, but a loss which affected the vital interests
of the city where he was widely known and accorded the respect ever merited
by men of high standards and honorable motives.
HARRY P. NAYLOR.
The field of business is limitless and its opportunities are open to all, but
there are certain elements indispensable in the acquirement of success. Energy
and enterprise must supplement persistency and perseverance and when to
these is added everyday common sense, guided by resistless will power, the
result is certain. Possessing in large measure these requisite qualities, Harry
P. Naylor has become well known as a dealer in lands, handling property in
various sections of Manitoba and the west. He was born in Lindsay, Ontario,
March 17. 1872, and is a son of William and Rebecca (Irwin) Naylor, both of.
Vol. Ill 1 7
372 THE STORY OF MANITOBA
whom were of Irish parentage and came from County Antrim, Ireland, to the
new world. They are now residents of Detroit.
After attending the public schools of his native city Harry P. Naylor con-
tinued his education in the Victoria University of Toronto and is numbered
among its alumni of 1891. Soon afterward he was admitted to a partnership
in the firm of James Naylor & Sons of Essex, Ontario, and remained in that
connection for five years, on the expiration of which period he removed to
Chatham, Ontario, and became a partner in the firm of Thomas Stone & Com-
pany, with which 1 he was also identified for half a decade. The year 1904 wit-
nessed his arrival in Winnipeg and for two years thereafter he was engaged
in the real-estate business here. He also became interested in a general mer-
cantile enterprise at Glenboro, Manitoba, and after disposing of his real-estate
business he bought out the Bertram plant, a large machinery factory of
Toronto. For four years he was thus identified with industrial concerns, at the
end of which time he disposed of his holdings in the east and returned to
Winnipeg, where he has centralized his interests, although he has operated in
lands in various sections of the country. He has dealt largely in Peace River
lands and he is a director in many land syndicates of Manitoba and of the west.
On the 17th of December, 1892, Mr. Najdor was married, in Chatham,
Ontario, to Miss Jennie W. Sheldrick, of that place, and they have five children :
Leland A., Albert, Alvina, Jack and Isabelle. The family attend the Methodist
church and Mr. Nay lor 's membership relations -extend to Wellington Lodge,
No. 46, A. F. & A. M., of Chatham, Ontario, and to Prince Rupert's Lodge, No.
1, of Winnipeg. Both his father and grandfather are past masters of Well-
ington Lodge, No. 46. The family have thus been well known in Masonic con-
nections for many years and their lives have exemplified the beneficent spirit
of the craft which is based upon the universal brotherhood of mankind. In
politics Mr. Naylor is a conservative, but has never sought office as a reward
for party fealty. He knows that business success is only obtained at the cost
of earnest, persistent, and intelligently directed effort. He has, therefore, made
it his purpose to study closely the real-estate market and few men of Win-
nipeg are more thoroughly informed concerning property values not only in
this city but throughout the west. His efforts are an element in the coloniza-
tion and settlement of Manitoba and other western provinces and he attacks
everything that he undertakes with a contagious enthusiasm productive of
results.
JOHN McCOUBREY.
For sixteen years John McCoubrey has been engaged in diversified farm-
ing and stock-raising in the vicinity of Crandall, where he owns four hundred
and eighty acres of land located on township 13, range 24. He was born in
North Shields, England, on the 24th of November, 1874, and is a son of John
and Isabella (Addison) McCoubrey. The father, who was an engineer by
trade, was for many years employed in the government ship-yards at Gibraltar,
where he held the position of foreman. There he passed away in 1901, but
the mother is still living. To this worthy couple were born five sons, all of
whom attained maturity and became engineers.
In the acquirement of his education John McCoubrey attended the Martyrs
public schools at Glasgow, Scotland, until he was a lad of thirteen years. He
then went to work for an engineering company, in whose employ he remained
for five years, during which time he continued his education at night school.
In 1892 he resolved to come to Canada to pursue his career, and on November 3,
of that year, he arrived in Manitoba, which he had selected as his place of
residence. For two years thereafter he hired out to farmers in this vicinity,
and then went to herding cattle on his own responsibility. He likewise fol-
THE STORY OF MANITOBA 373
/
iibwed this latter occupation for two years, but at the expiration of that time
purchased a hundred and sixty acres of prairie land and turned his attention
to agricultural pursuits. He diligently applied himself to putting his tract
under cultivation, and as his harvests grew more abundant he was able to
increase his acreage by the purchase of adjoining lands. He has brought to
a high state of productivity four hundred acres of his holding, which he is
cultivating in addition to a hundred and sixty acres of rented land. Besides
the cultivation of his extensive fields Mr. McCoubrey is raising stock, keeping
thirteen head of horses, about sixteen head of cattle, fifty swine and a hun-
dred fowl. As he is directing his undertakings in a practical and intelli-
gent manner he is meeting with a good measure of success from both lines,
each year witnessing an improvement in his circumstances and an advance
in his career as an agriculturist.
At Hamiota on the 26th of May, 1903, Mr. McCoubrey was married to
Miss Margaret Mackie, a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Louis Mackie, natives of
Scotland, where the mother passed away in 1901. Of this marriage have been
born two daughters, Nora M. and Clara E.
The parents are members of the Presbyterian church. Mr. McCoubrey
gives his political support to the liberal party. He has led a life of diligence
and capably directed activity during the period of his residence in Crandall,
as is evidenced by the appearance and condition of his ranch, which clearly
manifests close supervision and the exercise of systematic methods in its opera-
tion. From time to time he has added further to the value of his property
by the erection of various buildings, including his comfortable residence and
substantially constructed barns and the introduction of many modern con-
veniences, all indicative of the spirit of enterprise and progress he exhibits in
anything he undertakes. Recently Mr. McCoubrey was appointed special
traveler and mechanical expert for the Emmerson-Brantingham Implement
Company, in which position he finds occasion to make use of much of the
knowledge which he acquired along engineering lines.
GEORGE S. FRASER.
George S. Fraser, who is the owner of a farm of six hundred and forty
acres located on township 14, range 24, has been identified with the agricul-
tural development of Hamiota township for twelve years. He came here from
Georgetown, Halton county, Ontario, where his birth occurred on the 22d of
May, 1863, his parents being William and Jane Ann (Clarke) Fraser. The
father, who was one of the pioneer agriculturists of Ontario, passed away on
the 25th of June, 1909, and was laid to rest in the Hamiota cemetery, where
the mother, whose death occurred in February, 1907, is also buried.
The boyhood and youth of George S. Fraser were passed in a manner very
similar to those of the other lads with whom he was reared, there being little
in their community to vary the uneventful routine of rural life. In the
acquirement of an education he attended the common schools until he was
old enough to take the place of a man in the fields, when he laid aside his text-
books and turned his attention to agricultural pursuits. He remained at home,
assisting his father with the operation of the home place, until 1898. In May,
1900, he came to Manitoba and bought six hundred and forty acres of land
in township 14 and began farming for himself. Unremitting labor and con-
stant application have enabled him to bring three hundred and fifty acres of
his farm to a high state of productivity. His principal crop is grain, and
as he has made a careful study of the various conditions controlling the growth
and development of the cereals he is specializing in, his fields annually produce
abundant harvests of a superior quality.
374 THE STORY OF MANITOBA
*
In 1898 MT. Fraser was married to Miss Ada McKane, a daughter of James
and Marjorie (Beggs) McKane, pioneers of Ontario. Of this marriage have
been born four children, as follows: Marjorie J., Janet M., Eleanor A. and
Dorothy R.
The parents are members of the Presbyterian church. Mr. Fraser takes
an active interest in all movements organized for the benefit of the farmers
and is an enthusiastic member of the Grain Growers Association and the
Grain Growers Grain Company. His political support he gives to such can-
didates as he deems best qualified to protect the interests of the majority,
irrespective of party affiliation. In the development of his ranch Mr. Fraser
has not confined his attention to promoting the productivity of his fields, but
has given much thought and consideration to its general improvement, as a
result of which he has one of the most attractive places in the community.
His residence, barns and outbuildings are substantially constructed, and the
two first named are provided with all of the modern conveniences, including
electric lights. The grounds about his residence are 'tastefully laid out and
well cared for, the appearance and condition of the place generally suggest-
ing thrift and prosperity. His success Mr. Fraser attributes to the hard
work and united efforts of himself and wife, who has most ably supported him
in everything he has undertaken through her capable and efficient manage-
ment of the household affairs. They are both estimable people and are held
in favorable regard by their neighbors and fellow citizens, among whom they
number many close friends.
ROBERT J. McQUAY, SB.
The activities of Robert J. McQuay, Sr., have been one of the greatest
forces in the agricultural development and upbuilding of the Dauphin dis-
trict, where he has resided for many -years and where he has developed an
excellent modern farm from an uncultivated wilderness. Since 1900 he has
owned four hundred and eighty acres on section 9, township 26, range 19,
the attractive and prosperous condition of which gives little evidence of its
undeveloped and arid state at the time it came into his possession. Mr.
McQuay was born in Cartwright, Ontario, December 27, 1850, and is a son of
William and Catherine (Foster) McQuay. The father was in his early days
a police officer in Dublin, Ireland, his native city, and he emigrated to America
in 1847 and became one of the pioneer farmers of Ontario. He gave his sup-
port to the liberal party and was a stanch supporter of its doctrines. He
died in 1891, at the age of eighty-three, and was survived by his wife for five
years. Both are buried in the Innistook cemetery.
Robert J. McQuay received his education in the public schools of Cart-
wright, Ontario, and pursued his studies until he was twenty years of age,
although during the latter part of this time he assisted his father with the
farm work during the summer months. This work he kept up until he was
twenty-eight and then bought a farm in Ontario, which he cultivated and
improved until he came to Manitoba, Here he took up a homestead claim of
uncultivated land and by hard work and good management brought it to an
excellent condition. This farm he has recently given to his eldest son. When
he bought his present property only forty acres of it had ever been under the
plow. With characteristic energy he set himself to break the soil, which soon
responded to his labor and care in abundant harvests. Mr. McQuay not only
developed his fields and fenced his place but also put up substantial build-
ings and a modern residence. He has today a well improved property, indi-
cating in its attractive appearance the careful supervision of the owner. Upon
it he carries on mixed farming and is also interested in stock-raising, keeping
thirty-two head of 'cattle and eighteen horses and a large herd of swine.
THE STORY OF MANITOBA 375
Mr. McQuay was married in Inverness, Quebec, October 15, 1878, to Miss
Catherine McKillop, a daughter of James and Catherine McKillop, the former
a pioneer farmer of Inverness. Mr. and Mrs. McQuay have seven children:
John, who is residing in British Columbia; William A., a farmer on section 1,
township 26, range 20; Robert J., Jr., who is assisting in the management of
the home farm; Mary Idella, a graduate of the Dauphin Collegiate Institute
and a teacher in the public schools; Thomas E., who is operating the farm
next to his father's; Oliver W. Gladstone, a graduate of the Dauphin Col-
legiate Institute and who is now assisting his father with the work of the
home farm; and Elsie May, who is attending school. The family are members
of the Methodist church and Mr. McQuay is one of the stewards of the local
organization.
Mr. McQuay gives his allegiance to the liberal party but has never been
active in politics. He is interested in the development of agricultural methods
and standards and keeps himself in touch with the progress which is being
made along this line by his membership in the Grain Growers Association.
He has been a resident of Manitoba since 1898 and most of this period has
been spent upon his present farm, which is now a valuable property. Industry
and determination have constituted the basis of his success, enabling him to
so conduct his farmin
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