A Cyclopædia of Canadian Biography Brief biographies of persons distinguished in the professional, military and political life, and the commerce and industry of Canada, in the twentieth century

Part 68

Chapter 683,609 wordsPublic domain

=Mackenzie, Daniel D., M.P.= for the riding of North Victoria, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, is one of the most prominent representatives of the Liberal party in the House of Commons, and served as Parliamentary leader of that party following the death of Sir Wilfrid Laurier in February, 1919, until the return to the House of Hon. W. L. M. King, the leader elected by the National Liberal Convention which assembled in the summer of the same year. He was born on January 8, 1859, at Lake Ainslie, in the heart of the Highland Scottish settlements of that island, the son of Duncan and Jessie (McMillan) Mackenzie. He was educated at the Public Schools and at the Sydney (C.B.) Academy, and became a barrister and attorney-at-law, practising at North Sydney. He early became prominent in politics, and has been a most successful candidate. In nearly a score of elections, municipal, provincial and federal, where he has been a candidate, he has never met defeat. He served as Commissioner of Schools for Cape Breton for a time, and was elected ten times to the Municipal Council of North Sydney, serving as Mayor for five years. He was elected to the Nova Scotia Legislature in 1900 as a Liberal, and again at the general elections of 1901. Prior to the general elections for the House of Commons in 1904, he resigned his seat in the Legislature to become a Federal candidate and was elected. He resigned, and was appointed Judge of District No. 7, County Court of Nova Scotia, on February 16, 1906, continuing in that office until October 15, 1908, when he retired and became again a candidate for the House of Commons. He was elected, and was equally successful at the general elections of 1911 and 1917. When the House assembled after the latter contest, he was the chosen desk-mate of Sir Wilfrid Laurier, then leader of the Opposition; and on the death of that statesman was elected by the Liberal caucus to the Parliamentary leadership. At the National Liberal Convention of August, 1919, he unwillingly allowed his name to go before the delegates chosen to elect a leader, yielding to pressure from his Scottish friends in Nova Scotia, but on the election of Mr. King extended to the latter his heartiest co-operation and support. At the conclusion of the regular Parliamentary session of 1918-9, he had the honour of seconding Sir Robert Borden’s resolution of thanks to the Canadian troops who had fought and died on the battlefields of France and Flanders. In religion he is a Presbyterian, and on January 28, 1891, he married Miss Florence N. McDonald, by whom he has one son, Charles Russell Mackenzie, born May 5, 1895. His home is at North Sydney, C.B.

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=Coristine, Major Stanley B.=, is a member of the Board of Pension Commissioners for Canada, with headquarters in Ottawa, and had a distinguished career in the great war. He was born at Montreal, Que., the son of James Coristine, a prominent business man of that city; was educated at the Royal Military College, Kingston, Ont., from which he graduated in 1906, and also took a course at McGill University, Montreal. After graduation he was for a time connected with James Coristine & Co., Ltd., but on the outbreak of the war immediately offered himself for service overseas, and on September 10, 1914, was gazetted Captain of the 5th Royal Highlanders of Montreal, becoming Adjutant of the regiment on October 1 of that year. On permission being granted to organize the 42nd Battalion, R.H.C., he was appointed adjutant for the period of organization and when the Battalion went overseas was at his own request placed in command of a company. The 42nd Battalion was transferred to France in October, 1915, and took part in much heavy fighting. In June, 1916, during the heavy fighting at Ypres, known as the “June show” he was seriously wounded and after two months in hospital was sent home to Canada. In April, 1917, he was discharged as permanently unfit for further service at the front, and in May of that year was appointed Secretary of the Pensions Board of Canada. He showed a very exceptional capacity for dealing with the problems which came before the Board, and his military record gained him the confidence of the many injured soldiers with whom his duties brought him in contact. In 1918 he was appointed a Commissioner to fill the vacancy created on the Board by the resignation of Major J. L. Todd, and the choice was generally approved in military circles throughout Canada. He is a Protestant and a member of St. Paul’s Lodge, A.F. & A.M. His recreations are golf and tennis, and he is a member of the following clubs: St. James and University, Montreal; Rideau, and Country, Ottawa. In 1909 he married Nina, daughter of John McLean, Montreal, and has three sons: Philip, born 1910; Edward, born 1912; and James, born 1918.

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=Watson, Senator Robert=, moved from Ontario to Portage la Prairie, Manitoba, in 1876, where he built a mill, and later built another mill at Stonewall. He prospered, became popular, and was well received and appreciated by the entire community, irrespective of politics. Owing to his enterprising activities, his generosity, and his sympathetic and tangible conduct towards those less fortunate than he, he was soon elected to the Municipal Council, and as a councillor was instrumental in the adoption of municipal measures that aided in a marked degree the progressive and harmonious state of affairs in that thriving town. The Provincial Government and the Province’s representative in the House of Commons had been Conservative from the time, July 15, 1870, the Province entered Confederation, and with the return of the Conservatives to power at Ottawa in 1878, and Hon. John Norquay as Prime Minister, President of the Council, and Provincial Treasurer at Winnipeg, and four Conservative spokesmen for the Province occupying seats in the House of Commons, the young Province was but a helpless political toy in the hands of those who were elected to, and should have, looked after its best interests. Suffering for want of proper railway facilities, the situation became unbearable. Led by Hon. John Norquay, Provincial railway charters were being issued, only later to be disallowed by the Dominion Government, all of which, while the public was being led to believe differently, was fully understood and agreed upon beforehand by both Governments. Something had to be done to save the Province, and to place it on a higher plane. An agitation arose, several indignation meetings were held and finally, in the town of Portage la Prairie, the Provincial Rights Party was born, and Robert Watson, Portage la Prairie’s millwright, became the ideal candidate of the party to carry the banner for Marquette at the general Dominion election. In each of the five Manitoba Dominion constituencies (a new constituency for the Province had been created by the Dominion Government), a Provincial Rights Party candidate was nominated, and three of the five were elected, Winnipeg and Provencher, with Captain Thos. Scott and Joseph Royal, remained Conservative, but Lisgar, Marquette and Selkirk, with A. W. Ross, Robert Watson and Hugh Sutherland, became Provincial Rights constituencies. Out of these three, however—Ross, Watson and Sutherland—from and including 1882 and 1887, Mr. Watson was practically the only Liberal member in the House of Commons west of Lake Superior, and he is just as true and reliable to-day as he was when he first entered political life in 1882. Senator Robert Watson is the son of the late George Watson, of Edinburgh, Scotland, who came to Canada in 1847, and his wife Elizabeth McDonald, of Inverness-shire, Scotland. He was born at Elora, Ontario, April 29, 1853. In 1876, he moved to Manitoba, and was elected to the House of Commons for Marquette at the general elections in 1882, 1887 and 1891. He resigned to accept the portfolio of Minister of Public Works in the Greenway Administration, 1892, and was elected at the general elections of that year to the Legislature for Portage la Prairie, and again at the general election of 1896. At the general election of 1899 he was defeated. January 29, 1900, he was summoned to the Senate. July, 1880, Senator Watson married Isabella, daughter of Duncan Brown, of Lobo, Ontario. He is a Presbyterian, and his home address is Portage la Prairie, Manitoba.

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=Sutherland, Fred C.=, Stock Broker, 12 King St. East, Toronto, was born March 17, 1880, in West River, Nova Scotia, and received his education at Pictou Academy. He entered his present business in 1909 and became actively engaged in the development of Northern Ontario’s natural resources, being instrumental in bringing in hundreds of thousands of dollars for the advancement of mining interests in the districts of Porcupine, Kirkland Lake, West Shining Tree and Fort Matachewan. The firm of F. C. Sutherland & Co. is one of the largest of its kind in Canada, besides its large and finely appointed head office, having branch offices in Montreal, Boston, Springfield, Buffalo, Detroit and New York. He has surrounded himself with a staff of the most capable mining experts, and his sound judgment, based on first-hand information has proven of great value to his large clientele of investors. Though his time is constantly in demand by his clients and the investing public as well as in directing both internal and external affairs of his extensive interests he is invariably genial and unruffled, having the happy faculty of being able to divert his attention rapidly from one subject to another yet keeping closely in touch with each till disposed of. He is a member of The Board of Trade, the Lambton Golf Club, a Protestant, a Unionist in politics and the possessor of an unusually pleasing personality.

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=Taylor, Lt.-Col. Hon. George= (Gananoque), the second son of the late William Taylor and his wife Ann Graham, both of the north of Ireland. Was born at Lansdowne, County Leeds, Ontario, March 31, 1840, and has been for years one of the most popular figures in the public life of this Dominion. Educated in the Public Schools of Lansdowne, the Hon. Mr. Taylor began life in the mercantile business as a clerk in a country general store at the age of eleven years, where he worked for £1 a month, and continued with the same firm as partner over twenty-five years. On retiring from the mercantile business above mentioned, the Hon. Mr. Taylor re-organized the Ontario Wheel Company, to manufacture carriage wheels, and has been President of the Company for thirty years. He has been Reeve of Gananoque for seven years, and Warden of the United Counties of Leeds and Grenville, of which he was County Auditor, 1881. Was first elected to the House of Commons as a Conservative candidate for the County of Leeds in the general elections of 1882, and was re-elected at every general election held since up to 1911 when he resigned his seat to create a vacancy for Sir Thomas White, who had been appointed Minister of Finance in the Borden Cabinet. During his long parliamentary career Hon. Mr. Taylor was chief Whip of the Conservative party for twenty-five years under Sir John A. MacDonald, Sir John Abbott, Sir John Thompson, Sir Mackenzie Bowell, Sir Charles Tupper and Sir Robert Borden. Shortly after his retirement from the House of Commons, on November 17, 1911, the subject of this sketch was summoned to the Senate, and since his appointment to the Upper Chamber has taken an active part in its deliberations. On retiring from the House of Commons, he received a handsome testimonial of esteem from his colleagues. Hon. Mr. Taylor, during his career in public life, has always received the good will of all classes of citizens. He is the soul of good humor, broadminded, generous and a liberal gentleman, and has been called “The John Hampden” of this Dominion. He is the Honorary Colonel of the 156th Battalion of Leeds and Grenville and President of the Peace River Land Company and a member of the following societies: Orange, Masonic, Oddfellows, United Workmen, Royal Arcanum and Foresters. Senator Taylor was married on September 10, 1863, to Margaret Ann Latimer, daughter of James and Ellen Latimer and ward of Major James Kirker of Gananoque. They celebrated their golden wedding Sept. 10, 1913. Mrs. Taylor died Mar. 12, 1917. Mr. Taylor afterwards married Lilian Coleman, daughter of the late Mr. Anson Clark Coleman and his wife Hannah Witton, of Delta, both Canadians of English descent.

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=Richardson, John= (Toronto, Ont.), was born in Scarboro Township, County of York, Ontario, in 1843, on the farm of his father, the late Ezekiel Richardson. He received his education at the Public School, Scarboro Village, at the Grammar School, Markham Village, and at Victoria College, Cobourg. After completing his education he returned to his old home and engaged in the business of farming until 1894. Early in life he took an active interest in public affairs in his native township. In 1875 he was induced to accept nomination and was a successful candidate for a seat in the Township Council and was re-elected for nineteen years consecutively, three years as Councilman, two years as Deputy Reeve and fourteen years as Reeve. In 1885 he was elected Warden of the County of York, the highest municipal position in the County. The City of Toronto and the County of York are united for judicial purposes. Mr. Richardson was for many years Chairman of the Legislation Committee and as such had much to do with framing legislation beneficial to the Metropolitan City and County. In December, 1894, he retired from the Reeveship of Scarboro, he having been elected by the constituency of East York as their representative in the Ontario Legislature, which position he held for ten years, being re-elected in 1892 and 1902. He was a Liberal in politics and was a supporter of the administrations of Sir Oliver Mowat, Hon. A. S. Hardy and Sir George W. Ross. In 1902 he lost his health, the strenuous life of a politician was too severe for him. In 1904 he was compelled to forego his political ambitions and withdraw from political life. In December of that year Sir George W. Ross, then Premier of Ontario, appointed him to the position of Clerk of the County Court of the County of York, which position he held until his death. Mr. Richardson’s father emigrated from the North of Ireland in 1824, and settled in Scarboro. In 1831 he married Miss Mary Hunter, an English girl. Their descendants being five sons and four daughters. James and Ezekiel, who were ordained Methodist Ministers, and Joseph and Samuel, who graduated in medicine, now deceased. Three sisters survive—Mrs. A. Barber, Bowmanville; Mrs. E. Draper and Mrs. H. Aylard, of Toronto. He was a Director of the York Fire Insurance Co., a member of the Acacia Lodge A.F. & A.M., and a Methodist in religion. He was a philanthropist, in a quiet way, many owing their success in life to his generosity. By his honest and straightforward actions in both his political and private life, he won the confidence and respect of the community at large. Mr. Richardson died at Toronto, in September, 1914, after a very active career.

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=Doughty, Arthur George, M.A., C.M.G., Litt.D., LL.D., F.R.S.C., F.R.C.I.=, Archivist for the Dominion of Canada, is perhaps the greatest living authority on Canadian history, and a scholar of international repute. He was born at Maidenhead, England, on March 22, 1860, the son of William John Doughty. He was educated at the public schools, Maidenhead, Lord Eldon College, London, New Inn Hall, Oxford University, and Dickenson College, Carlisle, when he was awarded the M.A. degree in 1890. Ten years later he became Docteur de Lettres of Laval University, Montreal, and in 1912 received the Honorary Degree of LL.D. at Queen’s University, Kingston, Ont. As a young man Dr. Doughty contemplated entering the Church, and was engaged in religious work at All Hallows Mission, Southwark, London, and in other institutions. Circumstances, however, altered this intention and in the nineties he came to Canada and was engaged for a time in commercial pursuits at Montreal, utilizing his leisure for literary work. In 1897 he was appointed Private Secretary to the Minister of Public Works at Quebec, and in 1899-1901 served in a similar capacity with the Provincial Treasurer of Quebec. In the latter year he was appointed joint librarian of the Quebec Legislature, and on May 16, 1904, became Dominion Archivist and Keeper of the Records for Canada, with headquarters in the Archives Building, Ottawa. His indefatigable labors in that office have raised it to very large importance. In 1907 he was appointed a member of the Canadian Historical Manuscripts Commission, and in 1908 a member of the literary committee of the Quebec Battlefields Commission. In 1909 he became a member of the Dominion Geographic Board. One of the greatest historical services he has been able to render Canada was at the conclusion of the great war in 1918 when he went to Great Britain and France and secured a magnificent collection of war trophies as the permanent possession of Canada, to be apportioned among various Canadian cities. Dr. Doughty early acquired rare skill as an illuminator on vellum and decorated the book presented to the present King and Queen on their visit to Quebec in 1901. He is also an expert in shorthand, and has published an edition of Tennyson’s “In Memoriam” in that script. At the same time he has been prolific in many forms of literary effort, as the following list of publications shows: “The Life and Works of Lord Tennyson,” 1893; “Rose Leaves,” 1894; “The Song Story of Francesco and Beatrice,” 1896; “Nugæ Canoræ,” 1897; “The Site of the Battle of the Plains of Abraham,” 1918; “The Siege of Quebec,” in six volumes, 1901-2 (written in collaboration with George W. Parmalee); “The Struggle for Supremacy,” 1905; “Documents relating to the Constitutional History of Canada” (with Prof. Adam Shortt), 1907; “The Cradle of New France,” 1908; “Index and Dictionary of Canadian History” (with L. J. Burpee), 1911; joint editor of “Canada and Its Provinces,” in twenty-two volumes; joint editor of “Documents Relating to the Constitutional History of Canada from 1791 to 1818,” published 1914; Editor of General Knox’s “Journal of Campaigns in North America,” published in three volumes by the Champlain Society, 1914; “The Acadian Exiles,” 1915; “A Daughter of New France,” 1915. Dr. Doughty has also contributed to the Encyclopedia Brittanica, Encyclopedia Americana, the Catholic Encyclopedia, and to many magazines and historical journals. His lighter efforts have included the libretto of a comic opera “Bonnie Prince Charlie.” He is a member of the Canadian Society of Authors, Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, Fellow of the Royal Colonial Institute, Fellow of the Royal Historical Society of Great Britain, and a member of the Literary and Historical Society of Quebec. In 1905 he was honored with the decoration of C.M.G. He married, first, Bertha Van Kehrweider, in June, 1886, who died January, 1910; secondly, Kathleen Rathbun Browne, daughter of George A. Browne, Montreal, in June, 1911. In religion he is a Roman Catholic, and is a member of the Rideau Club, and the Ottawa Golf Club. He resides at 490 Wilbrod St., Ottawa.

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=McFall, Robert James, B.A., A.M., Ph.D.=, of Ottawa, Ont., is one of the best known economists and statisticians of Canada. He was born at Somerset, Nova Scotia, on January 7, 1887, the son of Rev. Thomas McFall, a Reformed Presbyterian clergyman, and his wife, Anna Lyons. His education was remarkably complete. After studying at the public schools of Nova Scotia he went to Geneva College, Beaver Falls, Penna., graduating with the degree of B.A. in 1912. This was followed by post-graduate courses at Glasgow University, Scotland, and Columbia University, New York City. He took a scholarship at the latter institution in 1913, and in 1914 captured the Garth Fellowship in Political Economy—a much-coveted honor. He received the degree of A.M. in 1914 and Ph.D. in 1916. For two years, 1915-17, he had charge of the work in Transportation and Commerce in the Department of Economics at the University of Minnesota, and in 1917 returned to Canada to become Chief of the Internal Trade Division, Dominion Bureau of Statistics, at Ottawa. In August of that year he also became statistician of the Canada Food Board, an office he held until February, 1919. He served also as Cost of Living Commissioner from May, 1918, to August, 1919, when the work of this office was merged in that of the Board of Commerce. During his tenure of office as Cost of Living Commissioner Dr. McFall proved most efficient and won high encomiums for his fearless performance of his duties. Among his publications is a valuable treatise on the transportation question “Railway Monopoly and Rate Regulation,” published in 1916 by Longmans, Green & Company. In addition to various official reports he has written numerous magazine and newspaper articles on the subject of transportation and food supplies, for American and Canadian publications. He is a member of the American Economic Association and of the Canadian Club, Ottawa. In religion he is a Presbyterian, and in politics, independent. On September 29, 1917, he married Marjorie, daughter of Rev. E. S. Carr, D.D., Peoria, Ill., and has one daughter, Alice, born November 6, 1918. His residence is at 353 Frank St., Ottawa.

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