RENE A. J. PIGEON
René Alphonse J. Pigeon was a student in the University of Ottawa, completing his studies there in 1907. He afterward studied mechanics and electricity and entered upon his professional career as draftsman in the office of Fetherstonhaugh, Dennison & Blackmore, patent solicitors at Ottawa. After a year he was promoted to the position of manager of their Ottawa office and was in the employ of that firm for four years. In 1912 he left them to establish himself in business in Montreal as a member of the present firm of Pigeon, Pigeon & Davis. Previous experience and thorough collegiate and professional training have well qualified him for the responsibilities, activities and duties of the profession. He is a typical young man of the age, alert, enterprising and progressive and is now at the head of a large, growing and successful business.
In the life of the Catholic church of Canada Rev. Joseph Nazaire Odilon Dupuis occupies a foremost position as inspector and visitor of a number of parish schools which are attended by over thirty thousand children. He was chosen to this important office in 1913 by twenty-seven school commissions in Montreal which are formed into an association, and has done fruitful work in promoting education in the city.
Rev. Dupuis was born at Montreal on the 16th of December, 1871, and is a son of Nazaire Dupuis, founder of the commercial house of Dupuis Frères, and of Alphonsine (St. Onge) Dupuis. He pursued his classical studies at the College of Montreal and in June, 1890, entered ecclesiastical orders. He was ordained priest by Monseigneur Fabre on August 30, 1896. From 1896 to 1899 he studied at the Canadian College of Rome, Italy, returning from there with the degree of Doctor of Theology, bestowed by the propaganda in 1898, and the degree of Doctor of Canon Law, bestowed in 1899 by Apollinaire College. From 1899 to 1900 he studied at the Catholic Institute of Paris and at the Sorbonne. In the latter year he returned to Canada, becoming vicar of the Church of St. Jacques at Montreal, where he remained until 1902, when he was attached to the congregation St. Louis de France, remaining until 1904. He was appointed almoner of the Convent of the Sisters of the Sacred Heart of the Sault au Récollet, where he remained for about nine years. At the same time he acted as chaplain at the Crèche of the Sisters of Miséricorde. In 1913 he was chosen by twenty-seven school commissions of Montreal, formed into an association, as a visitor and inspector of all the schools under the control of these commissions, having under his jurisdiction thirty thousand children divided over forty different parishes and eighty-two schools. Rev. Dupuis was one of the founders of Lafontaine Council of the Knights of Columbus. He is life governor of Notre Dame Hospital and is professor at Laval University and the author of several lecture papers. He has been heard as a preacher in nearly all of the churches of Montreal. Rev. Dupuis is a great lover of fine arts and literature and spent his last holidays in Italy and Spain, paying especial attention to the masterpieces of those countries.
Harry Hayward Henshaw, whose name was well known in electrical circles died in Montreal, his native city, May 15, 1908. He was born in 1865, a son of Joshua Henshaw, who for many years was paymaster with the Grand Trunk Railway. His mother bore the maiden name of Jane Fayrer and in the family were two sons and a daughter: Charles G., now living in Vancouver; Harry Hayward; and Lady Williams Taylor.
After pursuing his education in Montreal schools, Harry Hayward Henshaw obtained a position with the Grand Trunk Railway and afterward spent twenty years with the Royal Electric Company, gaining intimate and comprehensive knowledge of the various phases of the business, during the two decades of his identification therewith. When the Royal Electric Company became a part of the amalgamation forming the Montreal Light, Heat & Power Company he became secretary and treasurer of the new company, remaining thus for many years, on the expiration of which period he became manager of the Allis-Chalmers Company, manufacturers of electric machinery. He had been with them for only a few months when ill health forced him to resign. Throughout almost the entire period of his business career he was connected with electrical interests and came to be a leading figure in electrical circles.
In Montreal in 1895 Mr. Henshaw was married to Florence Thompson Christie, a daughter of Peter M. and Margaret (Thompson) Christie, the latter being a daughter of Edward Thompson, a prominent citizen of Montreal serving as alderman from the Centre ward and rendering the city much valuable service. He was mainly instrumental in the widening of Notre Dame Street during his term of office, and in recognition of his efforts for this work he was publicly presented with a handsome silver service on Christmas Day, 1859. The paternal grandfather of Mrs. Henshaw, William Christie, came to this city at an early day and was active in the soap manufacturing business until late in life when he retired. He was a prominent church man, being for forty years an elder in St. Paul’s church. To Mr. and Mrs. Henshaw was born a daughter, Margaret Fayrer. Mr. Henshaw was a member of St. James Club, Forest and Stream Club, and the Royal St. Lawrence Yacht Club. He belonged to the English Cathedral church and was interested in all that pertained to the city’s development and progress, along material, social and moral lines. His life measured up to high standards of manhood and citizenship and commanded for him the respect, confidence and good-will of those who knew him.
George Creak, senior member of the firm of Creak, Cushing & Hodgson, chartered accountants, was born and educated in London, England. His parents were George and Maria Creak, of Clapham, London. For many years he was secretary and treasurer of the Merchants Cotton Company, began practice as a chartered accountant in 1895 and is now at the head of the above firm.
Mr. Creak is a member of the Association of Accountants of Montreal and is a fellow of the Dominion Association of Chartered Accountants. He is a Freeman of the city of London and is a member of the Goldsmiths’ Company, as were his father and grandfather before him. Mr. Creak belongs to the Anglican church and is a member of the Mount Royal Club, the Canada Club, the Art Association of Montreal, the Montreal Hunt Club, and the Board of Trade.
Since entering business life William Ernest Findlay has devoted his attention uninterruptedly to the insurance profession, and his success is due to his close application, indefatigable energy and thorough understanding of every phase of the business in which he has so long been engaged. Montreal claims him as a native citizen, his birth having here occurred April 26, 1867, his parents being Captain Jonathan D. G. Findlay, R. N. and Mary (Forbes) Findlay, both now deceased. The son acquired his education in the model and private schools and, as previously stated, became connected with the insurance profession upon his entrance into business life. He was manager and inspector of the Northern Life Insurance Company and in 1906 was advanced to the position of general secretary, which he later resigned to devote his entire attention to his other interests. In his connection with the Northern Life he did much to shape the policy of the company and direct its activities, and its success is attributable in considerable measure to his efforts, sound judgment and ready understanding of the different phases of the business. He is now chief agent for Canada of the Niagara Fire Insurance Company of New York, and also for the province of Quebec for the Springfield Fire and Marine Insurance Company and is an authority on fire prevention and underwriting.
On the 8th of February, 1897, Mr. Findlay was married to Laura Brockwill Grier, a daughter of William Grier, of Montreal, in which city they have since resided. Mr. Findlay has an interesting military chapter in his life record, having in 1891 been appointed second lieutenant of the Sixth Regiment Fusiliers. The following year brought him advancement to the rank of captain and in 1904 he became a member of the Corps Reserve. He holds a first class certificate from the Royal School of Infantry. He is a justice of the peace and commissioner of the superior court. He is a life member of Royal Victoria Lodge, No. 57, A. F. & A. M., and a director of the Montreal Amateur Athletic Association. He is honorary secretary-treasurer of the Canadian branch of the Royal Caledonian Curling Club and has always been much interested in athletic affairs.
Church activities vied with business interests in claiming the attention and energies of Walter Norton Evans, who died on the 23d of October, 1896. He was born at Wolverhampton, England, in 1837, and after pursuing his education there, came as a young man to Canada. His father, Samuel Norton Evans, also a native of England, crossed the Atlantic to the American continent and spent the last years of his life in retirement in Guelph, Ontario. In business circles Walter N. Evans made for himself a creditable place. He became cashier of the firm of Frothingham & Workman, and was one of the executives of the Thomas Workman building. His identification with the above interests covered a period of nearly a third of a century. His name became a synonym for reliability as well as energy in business circles. Men came to know that they could depend upon him, that what he promised he would do and that he would improve his opportunities not only for his own benefit but for the welfare of those things in which he was concerned.
In 1864 Mr. Evans was married in Montreal to Miss Nora Hunter, a daughter of the Rev. Stephenson Hunter, a minister of the Unitarian church of England. They became parents of five children: Nevil Norton Evans, professor of chemistry in McGill University; Mabel Norton, who is Mrs. George. C. Wright, of Ottawa; Dr. Percy Norton Evans, professor of chemistry in Purdue University, at Lafayette, Indiana; Lillian Norton, the wife of Professor Henry Martyn MacKay, head of the civil engineering department at McGill University; and Miss Gladys Norton Evans, at home.
Mr. Evans was deeply interested in affairs of public moment, kept well informed concerning the claims of vital interest and gave his indorsement to many measures that are a matter of civic virtue and civic pride. For many years he was prominently and actively connected with the Unitarian church and for a long period served as superintendent of its Sunday school. High were the ideals which his life activities embodied and the name which he left to posterity is an honored one.
Hon. Laurent Olivier David, senator and journalist, possesses a statesmanlike grasp of affairs that has enabled him to handle important public questions in a manner that has largely influenced public opinion. Prominent and active, however, as he has been in the field of journalism and in politics, literature is perhaps his real life work and his writings will endure for years to come, especially the important historical volumes of which he is the author. A native of Sault au Récollet, Quebec, he was born March 24, 1840, a son of Major Stanislas and Elizabeth (Tremblay) David. He pursued his education in St. Therese College and after thorough preparation for law practice was called to the bar in 1864. While yet a law student he entered the field of newspaper publication in the founding of Le Colonisateur, to which he was a contributor. He would undoubtedly have won prominence in the practice of law had he continued in that field, but the trend of his mind was rather for the discussion of public questions of vital significance and far-reaching importance. He was particularly interested in the question of the impending confederation which so altered the destiny of the Dominion. It was during the period of his early manhood that he became associated with Sir Wilfrid Laurier, and the friendship then formed between them has since existed. There was little indication at that period to show that Laurier, the young lawyer, who was forced to practice the most rigid economy, would in future years, as prime minister, guide the destinies of his country. Long after he had risen to prominence Mr. David became his biographer, his history of the eminent liberal leader being marked by delicate sympathy, inner knowledge and keen and subtle appreciation of character.
Continuing his activity in the journalistic field, Mr. David, in 1870, established and became chief editor of an illustrated weekly called L’Opinion Publique, which he left because he objected to the paper’s supporting the government on the question of the Pacific scandal. He made in that circumstance an important sacrifice of his personal interest. In this enterprise he was associated with Messrs. Mousseau and Desbarats. In 1874, in association with the late C. Beausoleil, M. P., he established Le Bien Public, which he discontinued when the Mackenzie government refused to raise the tariff more than a relatively small per cent, which Mr. David thought insufficient in view of the financial crisis then prevailing. His newspaper career as well as his natural interest brought him into close connection with the important political and other significant questions of the day, and his discussion thereof through the columns of the press did not a little in formulating public policy. His presentation of any subject was always clear and cogent. There was a piquant and compelling force in his style, and the development of his native powers and talents in the field of literature has made him one of Canada’s foremost representatives in authorship. During the brief interval between two epochs in his newspaper publication he acted as translator and assistant clerk of the votes and deliberations of the house of commons during the Mackenzie regime. This was the initial step of his activity in public office. He resigned the position in 1878 and afterward successfully practiced his profession in Montreal. In May, 1892, Mr. David was called to the office of city clerk of Montreal and was one of the revisers who drafted a new charter for the city in 1898.
HON. LAURENT O. DAVID
In the meantime he was taking an active part in the discussion of many questions relative to the provincial and national welfare. Originally a supporter of the conservative party, he withdrew therefrom to join L’Union Nationale, an organization of young men pledged to oppose the confederacy of the provinces. Later he joined the liberal party under Dorion, Holton and Laflamme and was in full accord with their policy on all questions save that of protection to native industries, which he had always favored. For many years he has been an unswerving supporter of Sir Wilfrid Laurier, enjoying his personal friendship and political confidence in a supreme degree. In 1867 and 1875 he unsuccessfully contested Hochelaga (local) at the general election, and in 1878 contested Hochelaga for the house of commons, while in 1891 he contested Montreal East for the house of commons. He sat for Montreal East in the legislature from 1886 until 1890, when he retired because he was not entirely in accord with the policy of Mr. Mercier, his local leader. On the 19th of June, 1903, he was called to the senate by Lord Minto and has since taken an active part in shaping the legislative history of the country along the lines of progressive statesmanship. He moved the address in reply to the speech from the throne in 1905, and his speech was highly appreciated by the whole Canadian press. He has since moved on the subject of senate reform and on the subject of concerted measures for the restriction in Canada of indecent and immoral literature, and other subjects of vital interest to the general public. He declined appointment to the lieutenant governorship of the Northwest and it is said that he would have been appointed judge if he had been willing to accept the charge. He was also offered a judgeship in Montreal and refused.
It would be difficult to determine which has been the most important feature in the life record of the Hon. Laurent O. David. Much of his time has been devoted to authorship, in which field he has had marked influence aside from that which he has exerted in journalism. From his pen have come various important historical works, the titles and dates of publication being as follows: Biographies et Portraits (1876); Le Heros de Chateauguay (1883); Les Patriotes de 1837-8 (1884); Mes Contemporains (1894); Les Deux Papineau (1896), Le Clergé Canadien (do.), condemned at Rome and placed on the Index because of the strong position which he took against the intervention of the priest in political matters; L’Union de Deux Canadas 1841-67 (1898); Le Drapeau de Carillon, a drama (1901); Laurier et son Temps (1905); Histoire du Canada depuis la Confédération; and Souvenirs et Biographies (1910). He has also lately published biographies of Charles Le Moyne and of his illustrious sons, d’Iberville, de Bienville, etc. These biographies first appeared in La Presse but will later be issued in book form. He has frequently addressed the public from the platform on such important subjects as National Unity, A Page of Canadian History, etc., and is recognized as one of Canada’s most graceful and instructive writers as well as a much admired public speaker. The Toronto Club has characterized him as “a man of fine literary attainments and high views of national life” and the Toronto News wrote of him, “a man of sincere and enlightened views, excellent abilities and thoroughly informed upon public questions.”
Mr. David was married in 1868 to Mlle. Albina Chenet, who died in July, 1887. In 1892 he wedded Mlle. Ludivine Garceau. His children numbered one son and nine daughters. Next to his home, he holds dear the public interests and is prominently identified with the Society for the Protection of Women and Children of the province of Quebec. He is deeply and helpfully interested in all measures which seek the betterment of the community, and endeavors to shape the public welfare according to the highest ideals. He is a fellow of the Royal Society of Canada and a knight of the Legion of Honor of France, having been appointed in 1911. He has deep attachment for the institutions of his native land, and it has been said of him that “next to his love of Canada is his love for the flag which protects him and his race in all that they hold dear and precious.” He often gives expression to his admiration for the English constitution and does not cease to repeat that it is the most perfect political system of government made by man. He has membership in the Canadian Club and in the Roman Catholic church. From early life he has been deeply interested in the conservation of the French language and customs, especially since the opening of the Northwest, which event seemed to threaten the extinction of the French-Canadians by foreign populations. Accordingly he associated himself with St. Jean Baptiste and other national societies, and it was as president of St. Jean Baptiste Society that he labored to erect the Monument National. Although considered a sincere patriot by his countrymen his patriotism is not narrow, and he is always ready to admire what is done by other people for the advancement and honor of their nationality. He often repeats that the existence of different nationalities in a country is an element of progress and civilization and that Canada cannot but benefit by the work along different lines of the representatives of two of the greatest nations of the world; that the maintenance of French nationality does not conflict with the keeping of British institutions. In his present position as city clerk of Montreal he has displayed admirable fitness resulting from habits of precision and wide knowledge of the civic situation, combined with the courtesy, urbanity and quiet dignity which have ever been among his marked characteristics. He has enjoyed widespread confidence in this position, discharging his duties without regard to partisanship, and the most malevolent have never dared to assail the integrity and honor of his course. His utterances may stir to public thought and action and then, having accomplished their purpose, are in a measure forgotten. His position as an author, however, is established for all time, and in this connection the Montreal Standard has written:
“As a writer he has gained the highest distinction. Like Keats, he has an instinct for fine words. As Goldwin Smith is in English, so Mr. David, among French-Canadians, is the most exquisite writer of his generation. Perhaps the chief charm of his prose lies in its exceeding clarity, and clearness is the first quality in a French writer. There is no man in Canada today who can better propound a synthesis; that also is a luminous feature of his style. But for elegance and clearness he has among his compatriots achieved a position of unique pre-eminence.”
Since the fall of 1912 Adrien Lafontaine has been engaged in law practice in Montreal. His offices are located at No. 13 La Patrie building and he makes his home at No. 1136 Galt Street, town of St. Paul, Montreal. He was born in the parish of St. Barthélemi, in the county of Berthier, on the 30th of November, 1887, a son of Edmond and Marie Louise (Denis) Lafontaine, the father a well known citizen of Montreal.
Adrien Lafontaine enjoyed a very thorough education. He attended the Academy of St. Barthélemi and from the College of Montreal obtained the degree of Bachelor of Letters in rhetoric and philosophy, studying there during the years 1908 and 1909 with the Fathers of St. Sulpice. He then entered Laval University of Montreal, where he pursued his legal studies and from which he graduated in 1912 as licentiate in law (LL. L.). On the 9th of July, 1912, he submitted to examinations before the chamber of notaries and was thereupon received as a notary, establishing himself as a practicing lawyer on the 30th of October, 1912. His excellent legal equipment gives promise of a distinguished career.
Mr. Lafontaine is interested in a loan company and a mining company. He has been a notary public since the 12th of July, 1912. On March 1, 1913, he joined the Independent Order of Foresters and has been elected to the office of secretary-treasurer of the Préfontaine Court of that organization. Since October 1, 1912, he has been vice president of the Parish Circle of the town of St. Paul. Mr. Lafontaine is prominent among the professional men of the city and has many friends among the younger generation of lawyers. He has already succeeded in gaining a great amount of confidence and good-will among the general public.
James G. Day was born in Montreal, December 12, 1834. He had therefore passed the seventy-second milestone on life’s journey, when called to the home beyond. He was one in a family of nine children, whose father, John J. Day, was born in London, but came to Montreal and was one of the most active men of his time in the city. He was particularly interested in all things pertaining to its welfare and progress and his aid in public movements was of a beneficial character.
James G. Day was educated in Montreal and took the law course at McGill University. He was admitted to the bar in Montreal. He engaged in the practice of his profession until 1866, when he was compelled to abandon it because of poor health. After spending one year in the United States he returned to Montreal and became a member of the firm of Hutchins & Company, wholesale tea merchants, and there continued for a few years. He then engaged in the coal business until his failing health caused him to seek a change. He then located at Troy, New York, and there resumed the practice of law, so continuing until his death, January 6, 1907.
It was while a resident of the United States that he was married in Bloomington, Illinois, to Miss Ellen E. Lewis, a daughter of Dr. William Lewis, who was an English Army surgeon and spent twenty years in the West Indies. He was afterward stationed for a time at Halifax and subsequently removed to Chicago, where he lived prior to establishing a home in Morris, Grundy county, Illinois, where his remaining days were passed. He was very active in his profession, being recognized as an able and eminent medical practitioner.
Mr. and Mrs. Day had three sons: Dr. John L. Day, engaged in the practice of his profession in Westmount; Albert J. Day, who is with Greenshields & Company; and Maurice Baldwin Day, acting manager of the Bourbonniere branch of the Union Bank of Canada, at Montreal.
Henry Miles in 1895 became one of the founders of the firm of Leeming, Miles & Company of Montreal, importers and manufacturers of drugs, chemicals and proprietary articles in the drug and grocery lines. He has since been an active factor in the successful control of the business and to other fields of activity has extended his efforts with equally desirable results. He was born in Lennoxville, P. Q., May 8, 1854. His father, the late Henry Hooper Miles, D. C. L., LL. D., a well known historian and for twenty-five years vice principal of Bishop’s College at Lennoxville, afterward became secretary of the Protestant section of the department of public instruction for the province. He married Elizabeth Wilson, daughter of Dr. William Wilson, of Sherbrooke, Quebec.
In the Lennoxville grammar school their son Henry Miles pursued his preliminary education, which was supplemented by study in the high school of Quebec and in the Laval Normal School of the same city. His early business experience came to him through association with the firm of Lyman, Sons & Company, of which he became manager and managing partner, his association with the house continuing from 1870 until 1895, when he separated his interests and in the latter year organized the firm of Leeming, Miles & Company of Montreal for the importation and manufacture of drugs, chemicals and proprietary articles in both the drug and grocery lines. After continuing for a considerable period as managing partner he was elected to the presidency of the company on incorporation. He is also engaged in the manufacture of medicines as proprietor of a business conducted under the style of Dick & Company and he is publisher and editor of the Montreal Pharmaceutical Journal. Even this does not compass the extent of his business activity, for he is president of the National Hydro-Electric Company, Ltd., and managing director of the Carillon Construction & Development Company, Ltd.
HENRY MILES
Moreover, Mr. Miles is actively and helpfully interested in organizations for the benefit of trade and business conditions. He is a member of the Chambre de Commerce, was treasurer of the Montreal Board of Trade in 1897-98, was vice president in 1899-1900 and in 1901 became president. The present magnificent Board of Trade building stands as a monument to his energy. He is still an active member of the organization, and since 1901 he has been president of the Montreal Business Men’s League, which has been instrumental in effecting many municipal and other reforms. He is likewise president of the Proprietary Articles Trade Association of Canada, secretary-treasurer of the Montreal Industrial Exhibition Association and in 1900 was a delegate to the International Commercial Congress at Philadelphia. In 1905 he was honorary treasurer of the Hon. John Young Monument Committee. Aside from all these interests of a semi-public character his activities have been salient features in the attainment of success for other organizations and for the public good. He has filled the office of justice of the peace and is consul in Canada for Paraguay. He was one of the founders of the Montreal Philharmonic Society and for a time was director of Trinity church choir, both of which indicate his deep interest in music. He represented the Montreal Board of Trade at the funeral of King Edward in London, England, in May, 1910. Fraternally he is a Mason and an Odd Fellow, in sympathy with the purposes of those organizations. His religious faith is that of the Anglican church, and he was for many years warden of Trinity church and the Church of St. James the Apostle. He has also been a member of the synod. His political belief is that of the liberal party. He belongs to the Canada, Montreal and Country Clubs, and those who meet him in these different organizations find him a social, genial companion. He has been a thorough and discriminating student of many questions that pertain to Canada and her welfare, carrying his researches far and wide. In 1880 he was the author of the Prize Questions in Canadian History, having won the first prize, and in 1900 he published an Address on Commercial Education, indicating deep insight into and thorough knowledge of the question. He made the customs’ tariff a special study for years and has written much on that subject.
Mr. Miles was married in 1875 to Miss McGregor, of Montreal. Nature endowed him with qualities, which developed through persistent energy and laudable ambition, have brought him into prominent relations. Inheriting the strong intellectual force of worthy ancestry, he has developed his talents and his powers not only in the control and enlargement of important business interests, but also along lines in which the general public has been the beneficiary.
Rev. David Benson Rogers, since 1911 rector of St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, Montreal, was born in Watford, Ontario, and is a son of John B. Rogers of that city. He acquired his preliminary education in the public schools there and after graduating from the Watford high school entered McGill University from which he was graduated with the degree of B. A. and with first class honors in mental and moral philosophy, in 1906. Continuing his studies he received the degree of M. A. in 1909 and in the same year that of Licentiate in Theology from the Montreal Diocesan Theological College. He was made deacon in the Episcopal church in 1908 and received full orders in 1909 and in the former year was appointed assistant in Grace church, Montreal. In this position he did sincere and earnest work until 1911 when his ability and zeal were recognized in his appointment as rector of St. Luke’s church. He possesses true religious zeal, is earnest, God-fearing and unostentatious in the discharge of his duties and has already accomplished a great deal of consecrated work among his people whose love he holds in large measure. He is moreover a man of initiative spirit and administrative ability, and under his able management the business affairs of the church have been carried forward in an orderly and systematic manner.
On the 19th of April, 1911, Mr. Rogers was united in marriage to Miss Florence Ethel Hurd, eldest daughter of Henry Hurd of Montreal. Mr. Rogers is widely and favorably known in Montreal among his own people and among those of all denominations, and his influence is felt as a potent force in the moral development of the community. The doctrines which he professes he consistently practices, and at all times his life has been actuated by high and honorable purposes and characterized by kindly actions and consideration for others. He realizes fully the obligations which devolve upon him and finds it a privilege to bring his fellowmen to a knowledge of truth and an understanding of those principles of life which bring men into more harmonious relations with the divine law.
Charles H. Maguire, who figured prominently in insurance circles in Montreal, was born in Quebec in 1858 and died at The Glade, Boisbriand, province of Quebec, July 31, 1907. His father was Hon. Judge Maguire of the superior court of Quebec, a very able and distinguished citizen and jurist, who was born April 15, 1810, and died July 5, 1880. He married Miss Frances Horan, also of Quebec.
Their son, Charles H. Maguire, was educated in the seminary of that city and for a few years was connected with the bank there, thus receiving his initial business training. About 1897 he came to Montreal and engaged in the insurance business as a member of the firm of Esinhart & Maguire, which succeeded the late Walter Kavanagh as chief agents for the Scottish Union & the National Insurance Company of Edinburgh. They also became chief agents for the German-American and the Rochester German Insurance Company, conducting an insurance business of large proportions, his name becoming a synonym for successful achievements in insurance circles.
Mr. Maguire was also active in interests of the city and his devotion to the public welfare was manifest in many tangible ways. He was fond of outdoor sports, especially those of an aquatic character. He always adhered to the religious faith in which he was reared—that of the Catholic church.
Mr. Maguire was married twice. In Quebec he wedded Miss Mountain, who is survived by two children: Eustace J. Maguire, now living in Denver, Colorado; and Sister Mary of the Annunciation, of the Congregation of Notre Dame. In Montreal, in 1904, Mr. Maguire wedded Henrietta Kavanagh, a daughter of Henry Kavanagh, who was born in Carlow, Ireland and came to Montreal in 1838.
Louis J. Loranger, a man distinguished by scholarly attainments and a wide knowledge of commercial law, is practicing at the Montreal bar as the senior partner in the firm of Loranger, Loranger & Prud’homme. Born on the 22d of September, 1870, the eldest son of Hon. Louis Quesime and Marie Anne Rosalie (Lafranboise) Loranger, of whom more extended mention is made elsewhere in this work, in the city which is still his place of residence, he has here since remained, and the record of his progress is a familiar one to many of his contemporaries, who recognize the fact that native talent well developed and opportunities carefully improved have brought him to his present creditable position as a representative of the legal profession. He was a student in St. Mary’s College of Montreal and afterward in Laval University, from which he received the degrees of B. A. and M. L. A., a special examination later bringing him the LL. D. degree. He was called to the bar on the 10th of January, 1894, and for eighteen years was a partner of Mr. Justice Beaudin. Their practice was extensive and of a most important character. His present position as legal adviser to La Chambre de Commerce and to the Citizens’ Association and the Association of Architects indicates his rank among the foremost members of the Montreal bar. He is also vice president of the International Law Association and a member of the council of the bar. He was made a king’s counsel in 1910.
Mr. Loranger is a conservative in politics and is president of La Jeunesse Conservative. He belongs to the Conservative Club, Le Club Cartier, the Union Catholique and L’Alliance Nationale. The name is today an honored one in legal circles not only in Canada but throughout America, for he has a wide acquaintance among the eminent representatives of the bar south of the border.
Walter Kavanagh was one of the best known representatives of insurance interests in Canada. For a quarter of a century he had been chief agent for the Scottish Union & National Insurance Company, for which he did a large business. He also held the chief agency of the German-American company and recently had been appointed to the same position with the Rochester German Insurance Company.
Mr. Kavanagh was of Irish extraction, of which he gave evidence in his brightness, warmth of heart, geniality and lively wit, which will long be remembered by those who were his social associates. As an insurance agent he was full of energy, aggressive, and thoroughly in earnest in promoting the interests of the companies he represented. It is but natural that such success as attended the efforts of Mr. Kavanagh should have created heart burnings in those who had not the ability to reach his plane in the insurance world, and that his position should have been at times jealously envied it is superfluous to mention, for there were many who tried to emulate his success and many who sought to rival his popularity. Mr. Kavanagh died November 22, 1905.
The world has little use for a misanthrope. The worth of the individual is largely judged by what he has accomplished in behalf of his fellowmen and, as a modern philosopher has put it: “Not the good that comes to us but the good that comes to the world through us is the measure of our success.” Judged by this standard Francis Wolferstan Thomas was a most successful man. Along strictly business lines, too, his advancement was continuous until he stood among the prominent representatives of banking interests in the country, the growth and development of The Molson’s Bank of Montreal being attributable in large measure to his efforts and sound business judgment. He was born at Moorwinstow, Cornwall, England, January 9, 1834, and was educated at King Edward VI School in Sherburne, Dorsetshire. It was the family wish that he should enter the priesthood of the Anglican church; and later he was intended for the army, but before a commission was procured he came to Canada, arriving here in October, 1851. He came of ancestry honorable and distinguished. His paternal grandfather was the Rev. Thomas Thomas, a fellow of Oxford and vicar of Tidenham in Gloucestershire. He married Elizabeth Wolferstan, of Hartland, Devon, and their family included Rev. Francis Wolferstan Thomas, who became rector of Parkham, North Devon. He married a lady of the ancient and important family of Shearrue, whose seat is at Woodlands, Cornwall. They were the parents of Francis Wolferstan Thomas.
The latter came to Canada with the intention of following agricultural pursuits, but gave up that plan and turned his attention to engineering, securing temporary employment with the Grand Trunk Railway Company. Soon afterward, however, he sought other employment and his native talents and training gained him recognition in appointment to a position in the Bank of Upper Canada. A year later James Stevenson, the cashier of the Quebec Bank, who was then managing the Bank of Montreal, offered Mr. Thomas a position, which he accepted. He was afterward rapidly promoted in recognition of his ability and the rapidity with which he mastered the various phases of the banking business, until in 1865 he was appointed manager of the London branch of the bank in western Canada. In 1870 the position of cashier in Molson’s Bank was offered him and after carefully considering the subject of making a change he at length accepted, and the continuous growth and development of the bank from that time until his death testified to his ability, resourcefulness and initiative. He occupied a commanding position in banking circles, his opinions being largely accepted as authority upon all vital questions of the financial world of Canada. He was also a director of the Canadian Life Assurance Company. His high standing among the financiers of the country is indicated in the fact that in 1896 he was honored with the presidency of the Dominion Bankers Association, and he was also a member of the council of the Montreal Board of Trade and chairman of the bankers’ branch of the Board of Trade. He was likewise a director of the Montreal Cemetery Company.
F. WOLFERSTAN THOMAS
In 1861 Mr. Thomas was married to Harriet Amelia Goodhue, a native of London, Ontario, and third daughter of the late Hon. George Jarvis Goodhue, M. L. C., and a representative of one of the distinguished families of Salem, Massachusetts. Nine children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Thomas, of whom four are living. Mrs. Thomas ably seconded her husband in his many philanthropic and beneficent efforts. She has served as manager of the Ladies’ Benevolent Society for thirty-four years and was its treasurer for nineteen years; she was first directress of the Mackay Institute for Protestant Deaf Mutes and the Blind; first directress of the Church Home; and president of the Montreal School of Cookery, founded by the Princess Louise. Both Mr. and Mrs. Thomas held membership in the Church of England. Probably no other man in the city led such an active and useful life in respect to charities and public movements having to do with the upbuilding and welfare of Montreal. For years he was a prominent member of the Good Government Association. He was also a director of the Art Association and was a member of the council of the Board of Arts and Manufactures. No good work done in the name of charity or religion ever sought his aid in vain. He was a member of the committee of managers of the Montreal General Hospital and of the St. John’s Ambulance Association, and thus he reached out in helpful spirit toward the unfortunate. He was treasurer of the Church Home, treasurer of the Protestant Hospital for the Insane, treasurer of the Andrews Home, treasurer of the Murray Bay Convalescent Home, president of the Mackay Institute for Protestant Deaf Mutes and the Blind, and vice president of the Canadian Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. In 1894 he was elected president of the Montreal General Hospital and the following year was chosen president of the St. George Society. He was for many years an exemplary representative of the Masonic fraternity and was district deputy grandmaster of the London district. One of his most successful accomplishments was the erection of the Montreal General Hospital Jubilee Training Home for Nurses in 1897. While eminently successful in business, he regarded his banking interests as but one phase of life, and it never was allowed to overshadow his duties to his fellowmen. It would be more just to say that it was a deep interest in mankind rather than a sense of duty that prompted his active support of and cooperation in the many movements with which he became allied—movements which seek to ameliorate the hard conditions of life for the unfortunate, to advance the interests of science, to promote civilization and uplift mankind.
Mr. Thomas passed away on May 18, 1900, and the Montreal Star in an editorial said: “In mourning the death of Mr. F. Wolferstan Thomas, Montreal sorrows for the loss of one of her most prominent and useful citizens. A successful banker Mr. Thomas was, as the growth of Molson’s Bank under his guidance shows; but he was more than that. He was a citizen in the fullest sense of that much abused word. At every point he bore the duties that attach to citizenship duties, that far too many busy men neglect. Then he was a philanthropist, as his long and valuable services in connection with the General Hospital, the Mackay Institute and the other establishments founded for the succor of the sick and suffering abundantly demonstrate. The mere list of the associations for the good of his fellowmen with which he was actively connected, make up a long paragraph. As his sympathies enrolled him among the forces which ease the grind of life for the unfortunate, so his stanch integrity and keen judgment classed him with those who made for honest government and just laws.
“His influence for good—both the good that smiles in charity and the good that is stern against aggression—will be missed in the community; as his tall straight figure will be missed from the streets and from such assemblies of citizens as gather for deeds of brotherhood and public benefit.”
Rev. John C. Brophy, pastor of St. Agnes’ Catholic church in Montreal, exemplifies in his beneficial, upright and useful life the high ideals of the priesthood he represents and has become a force in the spread of Catholic doctrines and the promotion of Catholic education among the people of the city.
St. Agnes’ parish was organized in 1905 of English-speaking people, and the services were held first in a room in St. John Baptist church. Later the congregation, which has grown continually since the foundation of the parish, gathered in a hall in St. John Baptist Market where they listened to the wise counsel of the founder and first parish priest, Rev. W. J. Casey. He died May 13, 1912, and was succeeded by Rev. John C. Brophy, the present incumbent, who has proved a worthy follower in his footsteps. Father Brophy has about five hundred Catholic families under his charge and has already accomplished excellent work among them, holding their love and respect in large measure. He has taken a great interest in the cause of Catholic education and has carried forward the work along this line, begun by his predecessor, by his able superintendence of the Olier School for boys, and the Sacred Heart Academy for girls. This latter institution is under the direction of the sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary.
Father Brophy’s life has been one of earnest and consecrated usefulness, for he constantly exemplifies in his actions the high doctrines in which he believes. A man of good business ability, he has proved an excellent administrator of the business affairs of his parish, and his example of spiritual attainment and self-sacrificing labor may well serve as an inspiration to his people.
The attractive suburb of Westmount is largely the monument to the business enterprise and progressive methods of Thomas Campbell Bulmer, now deceased, who was almost a lifelong resident of Montreal, and for a long period an active factor in its business circles. He was born at Three Rivers, Quebec, in 1846, and was educated in the public schools there and in Montreal, being brought to the latter city when a youth of ten years by his father, Thomas Bulmer, who was a native of Yorkshire, England, and on coming to Canada settled at Three Rivers, but in 1856 removed to Montreal, where for many years he was active as a contractor and builder. He married Anna Phoebe Fearon, also a native of England.
When his school days were over, Thomas Campbell Bulmer served an apprenticeship to the book binding trade, became proficient as a workman and in 1868 joined Henry Morton and Charles Phillips in a partnership under the style of Morton, Phillips & Bulmer. The business developed and grew until the firm occupied a prominent position among stationers, blank book makers and printers. A few years prior to his death Mr. Bulmer withdrew from that connection, in which he had realized a handsome profit, to engage in the real-estate business at Westmount. He was recognized as the father of that beautiful suburb, having been one of the first men to foresee the value of that section as a residential district. He was actively engaged to the time of his death in its improvement, development and upbuilding and made it one of the beautiful suburban districts of Montreal.
Mr. Bulmer passed away on April 7, 1902. For many years he had been an exemplary representative of the Masonic fraternity and had been equally faithful as a member of the Anglican church. Sterling motives and high principles guided him in all of his relations and made him an upright man, so that he left behind him not only the substantial rewards of earnest, persistent labor, but also that good name which is to be chosen in preference to great riches.
Napoleon Giroux, a native of Montreal, where he was born August 12, 1863, is a successful merchant of this city, where he has also other property interests. He conducts a book and stationery store, which he owns. He is a son of Carolus and Mary (Hayes) Giroux, the former a carpenter-contractor.
Napoleon Giroux received his education in the Jesuit College and the University of Ottawa. He chose the book-selling line as his life vocation and became a clerk in an establishment of that character. He later made himself independent and now owns one of the most profitable stores in the city of this character.
On the 13th of October, 1884, Mr. Giroux was married in Montreal to Miss Rose Anna Galipeau, a daughter of Louis and Vitaline (Gariepy) Galipeau, the former a contractor-builder. Mr. and Mrs. Giroux have five children: Charlemagne; Albina, who married Joseph Casgrain; Eva; Emile, who married Miss Juliette Jalbert; and Hubert. Both Mr. and Mrs. Giroux are popular in social circles of the city. The former is public-spirited and has always taken a deep interest in municipal affairs, public honors having come to him in his election to the office of alderman of the city of Montreal, in which capacity he has served since 1902. Both he and his family are devout communicants of the Catholic church. He is president of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul of the parish of St. Pierre and also belongs to the Cercle St. Pierre. The success which Mr. Giroux has achieved as a bookseller must be ascribed to his discriminating taste as a man of letters. His excellent education has well prepared him for carefully selecting his stock of books, and his gracious and kindly demeanor to his patrons is continually adding to the list of his satisfied customers. Mr. Giroux has widened his views upon life and enhanced his classical education by extensive travels, having visited Europe on various occasions.
In the ranks of civil engineers and architects of Montreal Joseph Emile Vanier has constantly forced his way to the front until he is today widely and favorably known as a specialist in municipal engineering and architecture. He was born at Terrebonne, P. Q., January 20, 1858, a son of the late Emilien and Lucie (Soucy) Vanier, the former at one time a produce merchant of Montreal. In his youth Joseph Emile Vanier became a pupil in the Jacques Cartier normal school and attended successively the Commercial Academy and the Polytechnic School of Montreal, a department of Laval University. He was graduated therefrom with honors with the class of 1877, and entered upon the practice of his profession in which he has since continued, making a specialty of municipal engineering and architecture. He has given special attention to public engineering projects in the cities and towns surrounding Montreal and has been retained as expert engineer by the Dominion and Quebec governments. He is secretary for the Architects Association of Quebec, and he designed the New Polytechnic School of Montreal in 1904. He was elected president of the Montreal Polytechnic School Association in 1910. He is a member of the Society of Civil Engineers, a member of the Société des Ingénieurs Civils de France and a member of the society of Architects of the Province of Quebec.
The Montreal Gazette says that Mr. Vanier has ever been “a credit to his province.” He believes in “Canada for the Canadians,” and this has been the policy upon which he has worked in behalf of public interests. His religious faith is that of the Roman Catholic church. He maintains his residence in Montreal in the winter seasons and has a summer home, Beauverger, at Ste. Rose, P. Q. In club and sporting circles he is also well known. He belongs to Club Canadien, Club Lafontaine, the Fish and Game Club, the Engineers Club and the Automobile and Aero Club of Montreal.
Among the recent additions to the Montreal bar is Pierre Louis Dupuis, who has already gained a reputation which many an older practitioner of law might well envy. He was born in the parish of La Longue Pointe on the 3d of September, 1887, a son of Louis Napoleon Dupuis, former merchant, one of the founders of Dupuis Freres, Limited, and for some time controller of the city of Montreal. The mother, who bore the maiden name of Melanie Levesque, was a daughter of the late Pierre Thomas Levesque, whose ancestors rendered valuable services to the province and Dominion in judicial and legislative capacities.