Chapter L: Joseph Theophile Decary (1)

L. Joseph Theophile Decary, an architect of pronounced ability and prominently known as a water color artist, was born at St. Jerome, Quebec, September 21, 1882, a son of Jean Baptiste and Marie Theolinde (Lauzon) Decary, natives of Lachine and St. Jerome respectively. When the north was open for settlement in 1876 the father went to St. Jerome to establish business as a jeweler and has there since resided. He is of the eighth generation in direct descent from Jean Decarys, who came to Canada with Maisonneuve in 1642. The name has since been variously spelled Decary, Decaire and Descarries.

L. Joseph Theophile Decary, whose name introduces this record, pursued a commercial course in St. Jerome, leaving the school there in 1900. He afterward spent a year in a pharmaceutical establishment and a year as a telegraph operator at St. Jerome Junction on the Canadian Pacific and Canadian Northern of Quebec Railroads. When nineteen years of age he left home, without funds, to go to Boston, hoping there to find the opportunity which would enable him to develop his latent talents in drawing. From an early age he had displayed considerable ability in that direction and believed that his line of life should be determined thereby. After reaching Boston he secured a situation in an architect’s office which brought him a salary of two dollars per week. He learned quickly and won the confidence and assistance of Guy Lowell, architect, who sent him to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Boston in October, 1903. There he followed a special course in architecture until 1905, and he now holds a degree from the association of architects of the Province of Quebec Architects’ Association. Following his return to Canada he opened an office in Montreal, where he has since practiced his profession, his ability gaining him a large clientage. He made the architectural design and plans for the Ecole des Hautes Etudes Commerciales of Montreal for Messrs. Gauthier and Daoust. His talent has been further developed in the field of fine arts as shown in his exhibitions in water colors at the season exhibit of the Art Association of Montreal in 1910. He is a member of the National Gallery of Ottawa.

On the 23d of April, 1906, at Point St. Charles, Montreal, Mr. Decary was united in marriage to Hattie G. Blanchard, a daughter of Captain J. B. Blanchard and widow of John Weatherburn. In his political views Mr. Decary is a liberal and is without political ambition or aspiration. He finds pleasant association with men of similar professional talents in the Technology Club of Lower Canada and interest and recreation through his membership in the St. John Yacht Club, of which he was vice commodore in the year 1913.

ALEXANDER DRUMMOND STEWART, M. D.

Dr. Alexander Drummond Stewart, a successful physician and since 1903 connected with the department of the interior of the port of Montreal, is a native of Toronto, Ontario, and acquired his preliminary education in the public schools of that city. He studied medicine in McGill University, graduating with the degree of M. D. in 1888. Since that time he has been continuously in practice.

Dr. Stewart opened his first office in Richmond, Quebec province, and he continued there until 1898, building up a large and representative clientage and in addition to its conduct serving in an able way as medical officer for the Grand Trunk Railway at that point. From Richmond he came to Montreal and in this city is now a successful practitioner. Besides conducting his extensive private practice he is medical officer of the department of the interior of the port of Montreal, an office to which he was elected in 1903.

Dr. Stewart married Miss Emma Christie of Lachute, Argenteuil county, Quebec, and they have become the parents of a daughter, Bessie. Dr. Stewart is a member of St. Paul’s Presbyterian church. He belongs to the Outremont Golf Club and the University Club. Along professional lines he is connected with the Montreal Medico-Chirurgical Society, and he keeps in touch with the most advanced medical thought, remaining always a close and earnest student.

JOHN MITCHELL.

John Mitchell, deceased, who was for thirty years a produce merchant of Montreal, was born at Dufftown, Scotland, in 1830, and his life record covered the intervening years to the 23d of November, 1904. His is a history of intense and well directed activity along the line in which he engaged. Educated in Scotland, he came to Quebec when sixteen years of age, having a brother, Robert, in this province. He made his entrance into business life as an employe of a Mr. Symes, a merchant; but after a short time he left the city of Quebec for Montreal at the solicitation of his uncle, Alexander Simpson, who was manager of the Bank of Montreal. Mr. Mitchell embarked in business in connection with others as a wholesale dealer in molasses, sugar and grain in the West Indies, but the business failed and for a short time thereafter Mr. Mitchell was a resident of Chicago, Illinois. Later he went to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, but soon returned to Montreal and here engaged in the produce business in which he continued for thirty years, or until his death. He lived a quiet life, being modest and unassuming in manner, and his uprightness and his honorable qualities won him the admiration and respect of all.

Mr. Mitchell was married to Margaret Turner of Keith, Scotland, and they became the parents of two children: John Alexander, living near Edmonton, Canada; and Alice Margaret, who is a member of the editorial staff of the Montreal Weekly Star. In 1871 Mr. Mitchell was again married in the cathedral of Montreal to Miss Elizabeth Scott, a daughter of Dr. Alexander Scott, who came from Keith, Scotland, and practiced in Montreal, but died when his daughter, Mrs. Mitchell, was but five years of age. In later years Mrs. Scott lived with her daughter until her death. The children of Mr. Mitchell’s second marriage were four in number, of whom two are living: Walter Scott, a resident of Sorrento, Notch Hill, British Columbia; and Charles Stewart, who is with the Ogilvie Flour Mills Company of Montreal.

The family attend the First Presbyterian church, of which Mr. Mitchell was a devout member. He was also one of the founders of the St. James Club and one of the original members of the Thistle Curling Club. While quiet and unassuming in manner, the circle of his friends was almost coextensive with the circle of his acquaintances, a fact indicative of an honorable and well spent life.

BARUCH BLOOMFIELD.

In the history of Judaism on the American continent the name of few deserve equal prominence with that of Baruch Bloomfield, scholar, educator and philanthropist, actuated at all times by the highest spirit of humanitarianism and moral force. He was born in Russia. He had liberal educational advantages for his time and throughout his life was a close and discriminating student. Crossing the Atlantic to the new world, he settled first in New York, where he engaged in teaching for about ten years. He was one of the greatest Hebrew and Talmudic scholars of his time. About 1870 he removed from New York to Montreal, which city remained his place of residence throughout the rest of his life. His family is one of the oldest Jewish families in Montreal, having been represented here for close to a century. For a quarter of a century prior to his demise he was a representative in Montreal of the German Jews in Jerusalem and was a prominent member of the McGill College Avenue synagogue to which he rendered great services at various times. A part of his life work was the collection of funds which he forwarded to the Holy Land, and to the cause he was himself a most generous contributor.

Mr. Bloomfield was united in marriage to Miss Dora Albert and they became the parents of five sons, four of whom still survive, Abraham, David, Harry and Samuel, together with the mother. In 1901 the family were called upon to mourn the loss of a daughter and sister, Jessie, whose death was an irreparable blow to the household. It was while still grieving over the loss of this daughter that Mr. Bloomfield went to New Orleans, called there by the sudden illness of his son, Moses, who was traveling through the south for a Canadian firm. He was a young man of twenty-five years and was looked upon in the community as a model young man of sterling character, of the highest honor and integrity, and of ideal purity in life. The father hastened to his bedside and every possible thing was done to restore him to health, but a few days after the father’s arrival Moses Bloomfield passed away. This death following so closely upon the death of the daughter was more than Mr. Bloomfield could bear. He died almost literally of a broken heart, passing away in New Orleans on the 31st of December, 1901, aged fifty-six years. The sudden demise of father and son has been greatly deplored by the entire Jewish community and especially by the Shaar (Hashomayim) congregation to which they belonged. A beautiful memorial service was held at the McGill College Avenue synagogue. The remains of father and son were interred in a cemetery in New Orleans, but at the memorial service in Montreal hundreds of their friends gathered to pay the last tribute of respect and to thus honor their memory. In his address Rabbi Bernard M. Kaplan said: “We have assembled in this House of God from all parts of the city to mourn a great and grievous loss which we have sustained by the untimely demise of two most virtuous, most pious and most respected members of the community, a father and son who under the most pathetic circumstances found their graves in a strange land. The son, while yet in the freshness and bloom of life, expired in the embrace of a loving father who had traversed almost a continent to gaze once more upon the innocent and serene countenance of his child.” Rabbi Kaplan said that some would mourn more deeply the loss of the young man--his associates and friends who were closely connected with him--while to others the death of the father, which had come as a more telling blow, yet by all the death of each would be felt, for each was a man largely ideal in his home relations and in his relations to his friends and to his congregation. Mr. Bloomfield was a most devoted and loving father as well as a most kind, considerate and affectionate husband. “He not only loved his wife, but true to the teachings of the Talmud, of which he was a great student, he honored and respected her. His family life was an inspiration to every lover of ideal home life. His modest home was a veritable sanctuary whose atmosphere was permeated by serene peace, true purity, and sincere piety. And, again, every one who appreciates gentleness of manner and gentleness of disposition, purity of life and purity of thought, faith in God and faith in humanity, devotion to religion and devotion to every other duty, sincerity of speech and sincerity of action, must lament the loss which the community sustains by the death of Baruch Bloomfield, for he embodied all these qualities and many more. He loved peace and pursued it. He loved Hebrew learning and devoted his life to it. He loved Judaism and made great sacrifices for it. He loved charity and gave it. I approached him myself several times on matters of charity. Not only did he contribute a great deal more that I thought his means allowed him, but what is more, he gave his share with all his heart and soul--so much so that he reminded me of the proverbial romantic Hebrew charity which meant not only the giving of money but also the giving, so to speak, of the very heart with it.

“For a period of twenty-five years Baruch Bloomfield, from time to time collected and forwarded considerable funds to the Holy Land. It was the supreme passion of his life to step some day on the Holy Land. His wish like that of Moses has not, however, been realized. He died on this side of the Jordan. But, friends, there was no need for Baruch Bloomfield to go to Palestine in order to be on holy land. I say in all sincerity, that the ground where so pure and so pious a man as Baruch Bloomfield stood, studied or prayed, was holy. It was sanctified by the holiness of an ideal Jewish life. Yea, the very ground wherein his body, the shrine of so beautiful a soul is deposited is positively holy. Baruch Bloomfield was an ish kaddish, a holy man in the traditional sense of the term. A truly holy man sanctifies his surroundings.”

SIR THOMAS GEORGE RODDICK, M. D., LL. D., F. R. C. S.

Sir Thomas George Roddick, M. D., LL. D., F. R. C. S., was born at Harbour Grace, Newfoundland, July 31, 1846, a son of the late John Irving Roddick and Emma Jane Martin. His father was a native of Dumfriesshire, Scotland, and was for many years principal of the government school at Harbour Grace. After pursuing his preliminary education with his father, and, later, in the Truro Model and Normal Schools of Nova Scotia, Sir Thomas entered McGill University in 1864 in preparation for the practice of medicine, which he intended to make his life’s work. He graduated M. D., C. M., in 1868, and was the Holmes Gold Medallist and final prizeman of his year. Immediately following his graduation he was appointed assistant house surgeon and afterwards house surgeon of the Montreal General Hospital, which position he held for six years. Later, he received an appointment as attending surgeon to that institution and in 1874 entered upon private practice. From 1872 to 1874 he was lecturer on hygiene in McGill University and was demonstrator of anatomy during 1874 and 1875. In the latter year he was made professor of clinical surgery, which position he held for fifteen years, when he became professor of surgery, occupying that chair until 1907. He was dean of the medical faculty of McGill from 1901 till 1908.

In 1896 Sir Thomas was elected president of the British Medical Association, being the first colonial physician ever honored by election to that office, which he held from 1896 to 1898. He presided at the Montreal meeting and was subsequently elected vice president for life of that, the largest and most important medical body in the world.

He is president of the Montreal branch of the Victorian Order of Nurses; president of the Alexandra Hospital for Contagious Diseases; vice president of the Royal Edward Institute; consulting surgeon to the Royal Victoria Hospital and Montreal General Hospital. He was a member of the royal tuberculosis commission recently appointed by the Quebec government; is a past president of the Medico-Chirurgical Society of Montreal, and of the Canadian Medical Association, of which latter body he was recently appointed honorary president. When the Newfoundland Society of Montreal was organized a few years ago he was appointed honorary president. In 1898 Edinburgh University recognized his services to medicine by conferring upon him the honorary degree of LL. D.; in 1903 Queen’s University honored him in a like manner; in 1899 he was elected an honorary F. R. C. S., London. After resigning the deanship of the medical faculty of McGill in 1908, he was appointed a governor of McGill University. He was one of the first surgeons on this continent to employ Lister’s methods in the treatment of wounds.

Sir Thomas’ connection with the militia of Canada dates as far back as 1868, when he joined the Grand Trunk Artillery as assistant surgeon, and was under orders for the second Fenian raid in 1870. He subsequently commanded the University Company of the Prince of Wales Rifles and was appointed surgeon to that regiment in 1885. During the Northwest rebellion in the same year he organized the hospital and ambulance service for the expeditionary force and was in charge of the medical service in the field, holding the rank of deputy surgeon general of militia, was mentioned in despatches and recommended for the C. M. G. For his services on this occasion, and for the Fenian raid, he holds the service medals, and also the long-service medal. He attained the rank of lieutenant colonel in 1900 and is now on the retired list of officers.

Sir Thomas is a conservative in politics and represented St. Antoine division over two parliaments, sitting in the house of commons from 1896 until 1904. His chief reason for entering politics was to exploit a scheme which he had long advocated, viz., that of Dominion medical registration, for which a federal act was necessary. The “Roddick Bill” so-called, passed parliament in 1902, was amended and became operative in 1911. Thus was established a one-portal system for entrance to the practice of medicine throughout the Dominion of Canada. A Dominion medical council was at once organized, of which Sir Thomas was elected first president.

Sir Thomas was married in 1880 to Miss Marion McKinnon, a daughter of the late William McKinnon of Pointe Claire, P. Q. Her death occurred in 1890, and he afterwards wedded in September, 1906, Miss Amy Redpath, daughter of the late J. J. Redpath of Montreal. His religious faith is that of the Presbyterian church.

He is a member of the Hunt Club, the University Club and the Mount Royal Club. His residence is at 705 Sherbrooke Street, West.

Patriotism, courage and generosity have always characterized him, and, notwithstanding the demands ever made upon him in his professional life, he has always found time to take an active part in all movements having to do with the social and moral welfare of his adopted city.

FERDINAND GUSTAVE LEDUC.

Among the representative bankers of Montreal is Ferdinand Gustave Leduc, manager of the Banque d’Hochelaga, and as such enjoys high prestige among his colleagues. He is considered an authority upon financial matters, and that this judgment is not misplaced is evident from the success with which he manages this eight-million-dollar institution. Although he has attained a high place among the captains of finance he is modest and unassuming in his demeanor, ever ready to receive a caller or listen to the most humble of his employes in order to keep in touch with the smallest details of his business and all situations and conditions that might affect the financial world. Mr. Leduc is a native of the province of Quebec, his birth having occurred at Beauharnois on the 31st of March, 1871. He is a son of Michel Ferdinand and Mathilde (Vachon) Leduc and was educated in his native city in 1884, became a student at St. Joseph’s College of Burlington, Vermont. The earliest records of the Leduc family in Canada refer to one Jean Le Duc, born in 1624, a son of Jean and Cécile (La Chaperon) Le Duc. On May 11, 1652, Jean Le Duc, first mentioned, married Marie Soulinié at Montreal and died about fifty years later, on April 19, 1702. This record is taken from the “Dictionnaire Généalogique,” compiled by Abbé Tanguay.

Ferdinand G. Leduc early displayed an interest in the banking business and in 1886, after leaving the academy in Vermont, entered upon a position with La Banque Jacques Cartier, with which institution he remained until 1899, becoming well acquainted with all the details as regards investments and credits and the multitudinous duties and responsibilities connected with the management and direction of a large financial establishment. Since 1899 Mr. Leduc has been manager of the Banque d’Hochelaga, his extraordinary ability finding recognition in this important position. The bank has a capital and reserve of about eight million dollars and is one of the strongest financial institutions in the Dominion.

On the 14th of January, 1894, Mr. Leduc married Miss Corinne Bisson, a daughter of E. H. Bisson, a prominent man along various lines and well known as a member of the provincial parliament. Mr. and Mrs. Leduc have three children: Louis Philippe, aged seventeen; Gabrielle, aged twelve; and Jeanne Aimée, aged ten. The family affiliates with the Catholic church.

Mr. Leduc takes a deep interest in the metropolitan development of Montreal and is ever ready to extend or place at the disposal of the general public his time or means in order to promote worthy public enterprises. Although he has not cared to actively participate in public life, he has done much to promote the growth of the city in his private capacity. Personally he is approachable, kindly and dignified--a gentleman of pleasing manners and fine appearance, combining with grace of manner an American demeanor of democracy which readily makes for him friends who are devoted to him on account of the substantial qualities of his character.

FREDERICK ERNEST THOMPSON, M. D.

Dr. Frederick Ernest Thompson, who since 1890 has been in continuous practice of his profession in Montreal, his signal ability commanding for him a distinguished place in medical circles and a wide and representative patronage, was born in the city of Quebec, Quebec province, and acquired his early education in the grammar and high schools there. He followed this by a course in Morrin College and after completing this entered McGill University from which he was graduated M. D. in 1890. He still remains a close and earnest student of his profession, keeping in touch with its most advanced and modern thought.

Dr. Thompson began practice in Montreal in the fall of 1890, and his ability attained instant recognition. Since that time constant study and research and steadily widening experience have broadened and developed his powers, and he is today one of the most successful and prominent physicians and surgeons in the city where he makes his home. In the latter line of work he has become especially proficient as his position in the department of obstetrics and operative surgery on the staff of the Women’s Hospital plainly shows. He is a member of the Montreal Medico-Chirurgical and the Canadian Medical and British Medical Associations, and a fellow in the Edinburgh Obstetrical Society, and his ability is widely recognized in professional circles.

PROFESSOR CHARLES EBENEZER MOYSE.

Professor Charles Ebenezer Moyse, a member of the faculty of McGill University since 1878 and since 1903 dean of the faculty of arts and vice principal of McGill, needs no introduction to the readers of this volume, for his fame and ability as an educationist and writer, both of verse and of prose, have made his name a familiar one from coast to coast. He was born at Torquay, England, March 9, 1852, a son of the late Charles Westaway and Mary Anne (Jenkins) Moyse, the former of Torquay and the latter a daughter of John Jenkins, of Exeter. He was educated first of all at the Independent College, Taunton, and subsequently at University College, London. He obtained the Bachelor of Arts degree of the University of London in 1874. He was university exhibitioner in English and also headed the honor list in animal physiology. His career as an educationist has been a successful one from the outset. He was appointed headmaster of St. Mary’s College, Peckham, and while filling that position was elected in 1878 to the Molson professorship of English literature at McGill University, Montreal. In 1903 McGill conferred upon him the honorary degree of LL. D. In the same year he was appointed dean of the faculty of arts and vice principal. His position in the university at once indicates his high standing in the profession. He was editor in chief of the McGill University Magazine, now the University Magazine, for five years, and has for many years been president of the McGill College Cricket Club, a fact which indicates that his interest is not merely along literary lines.

Professor Moyse has ever been a close and discriminating student and has found his greatest pleasure as well as his chief activity in roaming through the fields of the world’s literature and finding companionship with the men of master minds. The result of his labors has, in part, been given to the world in a number of published volumes and articles. In 1879 he brought out a volume entitled “The Dramatic Art of Shakespeare,” and in 1883 “Poetry as a Fine Art.” In 1889, under the pseudonym “Belgrave Titmarsh,” he published a volume entitled “Shakespeare’s Skull,” and he published in 1910, a volume entitled “Ella Lee; Glimpses of Child Life,” consisting of poems reminiscent of his childhood days in Devonshire. In 1911 appeared “The Lure of Earth,” a volume of poems of a more serious character. He has also written various poems and literary articles which have appeared in the leading magazines of the day.

In June, 1883, Professor Moyse wedded Janet McDougall, the eldest daughter of John Stirling of Montreal. Mrs. Moyse has been deeply interested in a movement for providing playgrounds for children in Montreal, her efforts in that direction being untiring, and she is now a director of the Parks and Playgrounds Association. Professor Moyse has been a close student of all the interesting problems and significant questions of the day and absorption in books has never made him neglectful of the duties and obligations of citizenship. His social nature finds expression in his membership in the Thistle Curling Club and University Club. He has been characterized as “a highly cultured man who has had a brilliant career as an educationist.”

GEORGE HAGUE.

Respected by all who know him, no man occupies a more creditable position in banking circles than does George Hague of Montreal, who for many years was prominently identified with the management of important financial affairs. He has been equally well known by reason of his active support of benevolent and philanthropic objects and by his interest in phases of public-spirited citizenship. He was born at Rotherham, Yorkshire, England, January 13, 1825, a son of Mr. John Hague, and comes from an old family of bankers, as some or other of his relatives have for generations back been connected with the leading bank in the town. Mr. Hague has passed the eighty-ninth milestone on life’s journey and his career has been one of usefulness and honor.

His early education was acquired at Morgate Academy, in his native town, where his proficiency in mental arithmetic placed him at the head of the school when yet a mere boy. His school days over, he entered into active connection with financial interests as an employe of the Sheffield Banking Company. He remained in Great Britain until 1854, when he came to Canada, having accepted the position of financial manager of a firm of railway contractors. Two years later he became accountant at the head office in the newly organized Bank of Toronto. The steps in his orderly progression are easily discernible. He advanced from one position to another which brought upon him larger responsibilities and duties, each, however, finding him adequate to the demands made upon him. He was appointed manager of the Bank of Toronto at Cobourg, Ontario, and in 1863 succeeded the late Mr. Angus Cameron as cashier of the bank, in which capacity he remained until 1876. It was during this period that Mr. Hague’s influence was felt in some of the most important legislation affecting banking interests in Canada. The government had brought in two measures in succession, for the regulation of the currency. To the first, some of the western bankers were inclined to agree, but Mr. Hague conceived its operation would be prejudicial to the interests of a bank like the Bank of Toronto, and the finance minister was prevailed on to make it optional instead of compulsory. Only one bank consented to embrace its provisions, and, for some years, matters went along undisturbed. The second measure was far more dangerous, and was wholly compulsory. It was founded on the American currency plan, which was then at the zenith of its popularity, and had not yet developed any of the unfavorable features which afterwards transpired. This Canadian government measure, many bankers, particularly from Ontario and Nova Scotia, concluded would be utterly unsuitable to the circumstances of Canada, and they determined to give it strenuous opposition. Mr. Hague was appointed secretary of an informal association for the purpose, and the contest was maintained through two or three sessions of parliament. There were powerful influences at the back of the government in favor of the measure and the contest was a very determined one. At length when Sir Francis Hincks had been appointed finance minister, a satisfactory compromise was proposed, accepted, and its provisions incorporated in the Dominion note act, and the Canadian bank act, which both shortly followed.

Previous to this every bank was worked under a separate charter, but now these various charters were amalgamated under one compendious act, the preparation of which occupied the leading bankers and lawyers in the house of commons for several months. In these discussions Mr. Hague naturally took a leading part, along with Mr. E. H. King of the Bank of Montreal. Hon. Mr. Lewin, of the Bank of New Brunswick, Hon. Edward Blake of Toronto, Mr. Peter Jack who represented the banks of Nova Scotia and, of course, the finance minister. This act, together with the Dominion note act, has been at the foundation of Canadian banking ever since. During the progress of these discussions Mr. Hague was offered the general managership of the Bank of Commerce, as well as one of the higher positions in the Bank of Montreal. Both however were declined.

After the exacting labors entailed by this contest, Mr. Hague concluded that the time had arrived when he might fairly carry out a project that he had cherished for many years, viz., to devote the remainder of his life to religious and philanthropic work. In preparation for this he resigned his position in the Bank of Toronto and made other arrangements for a change in his mode of life. Upon severing his connection with the Bank of Toronto, the directors of that institution presented Mr. Hague with a service of plate and a handsome sum of money, in consideration of his efficient services to the bank as well as for his most valuable services to the banking interests of Canada generally.

Subsequent events proved that Mr. Hague’s preparations for retirement from the banking business were premature.

A cloud had been gathering over the commercial and financial position of Canada for some time back, and it was never darker or deeper than in the opening months of 1877. The records of failures and insolvencies grew to alarming proportions, fully four times the usual average, and the losses of the banks told on them severely. The general manager of the Merchants Bank of Canada having resigned, the directors of that institution offered the position to Mr. Hague and pressed upon him to accept it.

It was like taking command of a ship in the midst of a storm, but he felt it his duty to undertake the task, but did so with a full understanding that he should be at liberty to devote a reasonable amount of time to religious and philanthropic work. It was several years before the financial cloud passed by, and of the strenuous labors of bankers at that time it is needless to speak. Suffice to say that Mr. Hague held on to his post with careful attention to the matters he had stipulated for, and only retired after twenty-five years more of service, at a ripe old age, and having in the meantime assisted in the decennial reviews of the banking act that transpired from time to time according to its provisions. At the time of his resignation as general manager in 1902, the directors of the Merchants Bank presented Mr. Hague with a valuable piece of solid silver, gold plated, and made a handsome provision for the remainder of his life.

Whilst general manager of this bank, Mr. Hague was several times requested by the American Bankers’ Association to address its annual meeting, and took an active part in preventing the adoption of silver as the basis of the finances of the United States. He also drew up a paper in which a strenuous protest was made against the adoption of silver as part of the basis of the currency of the Bank of England. This had been urged by a school of financiers known as bi-metallists, but Canada has always stood solidly on a gold basis, and so has England remained.

When the Bankers’ Association of Canada was founded, Mr. Hague took an active part in company with Mr. Wolferstan Thomas, Mr. Duncan Coulson, and other bankers in drawing up its constitution, and was chosen its first president. Since his retirement from banking circles he has been honorary president, an office to which he was reelected at the last annual meeting of that association.

In the intervening years, since his retirement to the present time, Mr. Hague has given his attention to literary and philanthropic work and has become widely known by reason of his contributions to the press and his cooperation in many organized charitable and benevolent projects, especially the Young Men’s Christian Association.

He has written many articles which have appeared in the financial papers and also reviews on banking and philanthropic subjects. He also published a valuable treatise, entitled Banking and Commerce. His published works include, Some Practical Studies in the History and Biography of the Old Testament.

Another phase of his activity has brought Mr. Hague not only into close connection with many charitable and benevolent movements, but also with projects of vital importance to the city and its material, intellectual and moral development. He is today a governor of McGill University, vice president of the Montreal Diocesan College; a governor of the Montreal General Hospital, and a director of the House of Industry and other kindred organizations. He is vice president of the Canadian Bible Society and was at one time president of the Young Men’s Christian Association, to which he has been a generous contributor.

Some years ago, after an era of extravagant expenditure of the city council during which the debt of the city was doubled in five years, an association was formed for maintaining a watchful oversight over the finances of the city. This was called the Good Government Association, and many of Montreal’s most prominent citizens became members of it. Of this association Mr. Hague was chosen president, and under its auspices an efficient check was placed upon extravagant spending by the Montreal Corporation, through an act of the legislature, brought in by Mr. George Washington Stephens. Mr. Hague often went to Quebec on the business of this association which has now, however, been dissolved and superseded.

At a certain period of our parliamentary history, when the late Sir John Abbott was premier, a great outcry was made as to abuses in connection with the civil service. A Royal commission was appointed for examination of which Edmond Barbeau and J. M. Courtney, deputy finance minister, were members. Of this commission Mr. Hague was appointed chairman. The examination was very thorough and extended over several months. Every department of the service was overhauled and at its close a series of recommendations were made, all of which tended to correct abuses and promote efficiency, and, which if adopted, would have resulted in a large annual saving to the country. Some of these were adopted, but others unfortunately were not, and another commission became necessary later on.

Mr. Hague still has financial interests in several corporations, being a director of the Guarantee Company of North America, and others of a similar character.

Mr. Hague has never been an active politician, but his connection is with the liberal-conservative element, his support being given to the Chamberlain policy. No movement tending to promote civic virtue or civic pride has failed to receive his indorsement and support. His interest in public affairs is that of a broad-minded, public-spirited citizen, looking beyond the exigencies of the moment to the possibilities and opportunities of the future. His religious faith is that of the Anglican church, in which he has been a most active worker for many years.

Mr. Hague has been married twice. In 1852 he wedded Sarah Cousins, a daughter of Mr. Joseph Cousins, a manufacturer of Sheffield, England. Her death occurred in 1900 and in March, 1902, he wedded Mary Frances Mitcheson, a daughter of the late McGregor Mitcheson, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He is now past the eighty-ninth milestone on life’s journey, but in spirit and interest seems yet in his prime. The Canadian American has truly styled him, “A high-minded Christian gentleman, public-spirited and always at the front in every philanthropic movement ..., never knew a fairer man or one more actively unselfish.” All this indicates that his life was never self-centered but has reached out along lines of constantly broadening usefulness and activity for the benefit of the people, seeking rather the welfare and benefit of the many than the advancement of self. His life has indeed been one of signal usefulness.

WILLIAM ROBERTSON.

Insurance interests found a prominent representative in William Robertson in Montreal, who was largely a pioneer in the work of adapting English companies to the business methods pursued on this side of the Atlantic. A Canadian by birth, his native town was Lachute, province of Quebec, and his natal year 1847. His father, Dr. William Robertson, a graduate of the Edinburgh Medical College, settled in Lachute when a young man, there establishing himself in practice, but later removed to St. Andrews East, where he continued actively in the profession until his death, greatly endearing himself to the community by the willingness to which he responded to the call of the sick, even though it meant a self-sacrificing ride of from sixty to seventy-five miles. His patients had the utmost confidence in him and his professional efforts were a blessing to the inhabitants of that, then scarcely settled district. He married Miss Mary A. Tierney, of Ireland, and they had two sons and three daughters, the surviving son being Dr. Patrick Robertson of England. An uncle of our subject was Colin Robertson, who won fame in the northwest.

William Robertson pursued his education in the schools of St. Andrews East and from his youth up was an underwriter, having begun business when quite young by entering the insurance office of Simpson & Bethune of Montreal. Such was the reputation which he won for superior business qualifications, for executive power and administrative ability, that in 1873, when but twenty-six years of age he was elected as representative for Canada of the London & Lancashire Life Assurance Company. The duties of this office he filled most acceptably for about seventeen years, or until his life’s labors were ended in death. He projected many changes and improvements in the methods of the English offices, transacting business on this side of the Atlantic. He made thoroughly Canadian in spirit and activity, the London & Lancashire Company in the Dominion, bringing about its popularity and success. He carefully organized and systematized the business here, with the result that the London & Lancashire Company became one of the strongest insurance companies of the country.

In 1871 Mr. Robertson was married to Miss Helen I. Barnston, a daughter of George Barnston, who throughout his active life was engaged in the Hudson’s Bay service in British Columbia and in the northwest country. He came to Canada in 1821 and retired, after many years service with the Hudson’s Bay Company, spending the remainder of his days in a well earned rest in Montreal. His wife was Miss Helen Mathews of England. Mr. and Mrs. Robertson became the parents of two children, who are living: Dr. William Graeme Robertson of England, who is attached to the White Star service; and Helen M. C., at home.

Mr. Robertson was active as a faithful member of St. James Episcopal church, in which he served as warden and he also belonged to the St. James Club. His keen sagacity enabled him to recognize the different spirits of the business circles in the old world and in the new, to adapt himself to changed conditions and to work along lines of new world progress. Thus he became a recognized leader in insurance circles occupying a prominent position until 1889 when he went to Denver, Colorado, for his health, there passing away on the 26th of February, of that year.

CHARLES P. HEBERT.

Charles P. Hébert, the first president of the wholesale grocery firm of Hudon, Hébert & Company, Ltd., of Montreal, was born in the pretty little village of St. Charles on the Richelieu river, and when a young man made his way to the city which was ever afterward his home. Here he began business in a small way and by energy and industry soon built up his establishment. In 1883 he became a member of the firm of Hudon, Hébert & Company. The business was originally established under the style of E. & V. Hudon and subsequently was conducted under the name of V. Hudon and later became J. Hudon & Company. In 1906 it was incorporated as Hudon, Hébert & Company, Charles P. Hébert becoming the first president of that corporation. They are wholesale grocers and wine merchants, the premier establishment of its kind in the Dominion, importing directly from manufacturers in Europe, China, Japan, Asia Minor and the United States. They employ one hundred and seventy people in their Montreal establishment and have twenty-five salesmen constantly visiting all Canada, selling their goods from the Atlantic to the Pacific to the amount of five million dollars annually.

Mr. Hébert always took a deep interest in Montreal’s charitable institutions. He was president of the board of management of the Notre Dame Hospital and was also connected with other benevolent organizations and projects. He served as a member of the council of the Montreal Board of Trade and filled honorable positions in that body, including those of vice president and member of the board of arbitration. He was one of the directors of the City and District Savings Bank and also a director of the Masson estate.

Mr. Hébert died at his home at No. 117 Champ de Mars, Montreal, July 17, 1906, and was survived by a widow and six children.

After the death of Mr. Hébert Mr. Joseph Hudon was elected president of the corporation and on his death in 1908 Mr. Albert Hébert, son of Charles P. Hébert, succeeded to the presidency, and following his demise in 1911 Mr. Zéphirin Hébert, also a son of Charles P. Hébert, became president of the company.

REV. ALEXANDER CHARLESON MANSON, PH. D., D. D.

In Presbyterian circles in North America the name of the Rev. Alexander Charleson Manson is well known and since the 19th of April, 1912, he has been pastor of the Taylor Presbyterian church of Montreal, one of the largest organizations of the city. A native of Thurso, Scotland, he pursued his education in the schools of Edinburgh and of Winnipeg, Manitoba. Studying theology, he won his Doctor of Divinity degree at the University of Chicago and he first served as superintendent of missions of North Dakota. Later he accepted a pastorate in Duluth, Minnesota, and afterward became pastor of the Eleventh Presbyterian church in Chicago, Illinois. From that city he went to Detroit, Michigan, in response to a call from the Second Avenue Presbyterian church and left that city to come to Montreal on the 19th of April, 1912, where he entered upon his duties as minister of the Taylor Presbyterian church, which was organized July 23, 1876, with Rev. J. J. Casey as its first pastor. He continued in that position until March 16, 1882, and was succeeded by the Rev. Thomas Bennett, who remained in charge from the 1st of December, 1885, until December 31, 1897. His successor was the Rev. W. D. Reid, who continued in charge until 1912, when Rev. Manson became pastor. The present edifice of the Taylor Presbyterian church was erected in 1893, at a cost of about sixty thousand dollars. There is a membership of nine hundred and thirteen, with a Sunday school of four hundred and fifty members, and the Junior Christian Endeavor Society is the largest in the city. There is a strong Sunday Afternoon Club, a First Company of Montreal Boys Brigade and a Ladies Athletic Club as auxiliary organizations to the church. In fact, the church work has been thoroughly systematized in every department, and splendid results are being accomplished. The church is in touch with the broader idea that the best Christian service can be accomplished with better physical and mental as well as moral development. Much attention is paid to the social life, and yet nothing for a moment overshadows the foundation work of the organization, which is the salvation of souls. Rev. Manson is a fluent, earnest speaker, who studies life and its problems and with notable clearness shows the relation of modern day conditions to the lessons that have come down to us through the ages from the moral teachers of the past.

Rev. Manson was married June 24, 1889, to Miss Mary Elizabeth Ferguson, of Hamilton, Ontario, and their children are: Berith Du Val, of New York city; and Vera Charleson, Allena Conklin, and Leslie Worden, all at home. At this point it would be almost tautological to enter into any series of statements as showing Rev. Manson to be a man of broad intelligence and genuine public spirit, for these have been shadowed forth between the lines of this review. Strong in his individuality, he never lacks the courage of his convictions but there are as dominating elements in this individuality a lively human sympathy and an abiding charity, which, as taken in connection with the sterling integrity and honor of his character, have naturally gained for him the respect and confidence of men.

REV. THOMAS JOSEPH MACMAHON.

One of the most able Catholic educators in Quebec province, a man sincere, straightforward and reliable in the discharge of the duties and obligations of life, most earnest and consecrated in his work as a priest of the Society of Jesus, is Rev. Thomas Joseph MacMahon, rector of Loyola College in Montreal. He has been connected with this institution since 1912 and, constantly following high ideals and guiding his actions by sound and practical judgment, has been an important factor in its later development and growth.

Father MacMahon was born at Hamilton, Ontario, December 12, 1874, and received his primary education at the Catholic separate schools in that city, later attending Hamilton high school and St. Mary’s College, Montreal. Entering the Society of Jesus in 1895, he was sent to St. Louis, Missouri, where he received a long Jesuit training in philosophy and theology, after which he returned to Montreal, where he was ordained to the priesthood in 1910. Father MacMahon then went to England for further training preparatory to taking the position of prefect of studies at Loyola College, a post which he assumed in May, 1912. He proved a capable educator and an excellent disciplinarian and in 1913 was advanced to the position of rector of the college. This is a large and growing institution conducted by the Jesuit Fathers for English-speaking Catholic boys and has an enviable reputation throughout eastern Canada for the thoroughness of its training and the comprehensive courses of study offered. The high standard of efficiency, traditional in the school, has been maintained under Father MacMahon’s able management and the institution has made a creditable growth during the period of his incumbency. He has made himself thoroughly conversant with the affairs of the college and is rapidly pushing forward the work on the construction of the new buildings at Notre Dame de Grace, Sherbrooke Street, Montreal West, where the institution will be moved within the next two years.

Besides being an able educator and a farsighted and reliable business man, Father MacMahon is known also as a preacher of rare ability and power and has filled most of the pulpits in Montreal and the vicinity in a creditable manner. He has made his talents, powers and abilities forces in the spread of the Catholic religion in this province and has accomplished a great deal of beneficial and lasting work among the students of Loyola College and the people of the city. He has their love in large measure, while his upright and honorable character and his life of service has gained him the respect and esteem of people of all denominations.

ROBERT WARD SHEPHERD.

An age of intense commercial activity calls forth the powers of men who can grapple with new conditions and utilize the opportunities that come with successive changes. Adequate to the demands of the hour, Robert Ward Shepherd occupied a central place on the stage of business activity at Montreal for more than a half century. The high ideals which he cherished found embodiment in practical effort for their adoption. He was no dreamer, for his theories were such as could be put into successful execution and his business record balanced up with the principles of truth and honor. As the president of the Ottawa River Navigation Company, he was known to thousands of people in Ottawa valley and he also figured in financial circles as vice president of the Molson Bank.

Of English birth, Mr. Shepherd came to Montreal immediately after his arrival in Canada and soon entered into active connection with the Ottawa River Navigation Company, then under the presidency of Sir George Simpson. For some years he was captain of one of the boats of the line but was called into the office to fill a position demanding executive force and keen discrimination. He was made manager and from that post rose to the position of president, in which connection he continued until his demise. Under his guidance the business of the Ottawa River Navigation Company continuously developed along substantial lines, and progressiveness was as manifest in the care of its patrons and the equipment of its vessels as in any other line or field of business. Those who met Mr. Shepherd found him genial, courteous and obliging, and at the same time he possessed the keen sagacity and clear reasoning so indispensable to the successful conduct of any enterprise. Becoming interested in Molson’s Bank, he was elected vice president and director, filling the former position for more than twenty years. In all business affairs he was clear-headed, farsighted, and the record which he left behind him for integrity and sterling worth is one which might be envied by all.

Mr. Shepherd was married to Miss Mary C. de Les Derniers of the province of Quebec, and they became the parents of nine children: Robert W., who died in 1912; Miss F. A. R.; Dr. Francis J.; Sherringham A.; A. Maude M., who is the widow of Haldane Haswell; Esther E., who married Dr. W. A. Molson and is now deceased; Beatrice H., who married Arthur Henshaw; Mary R., the widow of George R. Robertson; and de Les Derniers. The mother passed away in 1902, having for seven years survived Mr. Shepherd, whose death occurred August 29, 1895, when he was seventy-six years of age.

Mr. Shepherd was a member and one of the founders of St. George’s church and in his Christian faith was found the root of his activities in behalf of his fellowmen and of the principles which governed his life. He belonged to the St. James Club and was greatly interested in art, acting as vice president of the Art Gallery of the city. He was one of the committee of management of the Montreal General Hospital; was a member of the committee of management of the Mackay Institution, and a generous supporter of the Protestant Hospital for the Insane. He gave freely of his means to various charitable institutions which seek to ameliorate the hard conditions of life for the unfortunate. Duty and honor were his watchwords and justice one of his strong characteristics.

JUDSON ALBERT DECEW.

Judson Albert DeCew, chemical engineer, whose identification with leading chemical societies in this country and the United States attests his higher professional standing, was born in Waterford, Ontario, on the 14th of December, 1874. He is descended from Captain John DeCew, a United Empire Loyalist, who served in the War of 1812 and in whose house, at DeCew Falls near St. Catharines, Ontario, Lieutenant Fitzgibbon and his soldiers were quartered, when Laura Secord gave the warning which enabled them to capture the United States forces under Colonel Boerstler. Mr. DeCew’s parents are Thomas Howard and Valdora (Beemer) DeCew, both of whom are living at Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario. He was married on August 20, 1913, to Mabel Marshall, daughter of John Marshall, educationist, of Weyburn, Saskatchewan. She is a graduate in arts of Queen’s University with the class of 1910.