high professional standing is indicated by the large number
of fine structures which stand as monuments to his skill and
ability, brought to bear at the outset of his professional career
the broad knowledge gained from comprehensive and thorough
training. Montreal numbers him among her native sons, his birth
having here occurred on the 14th of November, 1874, his parents
being E. J. and Johanna (MacBean) Maxwell. In the acquirement
of his education William Sutherland Maxwell, after attending
the Montreal high school, went to Boston, Massachusetts, for
professional training and afterward entered the Ecole des Beaux
Arts of Paris, France. His training was thus received from men
eminent in the profession in America and in Europe, and in 1898
he was admitted to the Quebec Architects Association. Beginning
the practice of his profession he formed a partnership with his
brother, Edward Maxwell, and in his chosen life work he has made
steady advancement, his unfolding powers and increasing ability
gaining for him distinction and success. In 1909 he was elected
a member of the Royal Canadian Academy and in 1908 was chosen a
councillor of the Association of Architects of the province of
Quebec. He is president of the Province of Quebec Association
of Architects for 1914. While practicing his profession in
association with his brother there stand as monuments to their
skill and ability many fine structures not only in the east but
also in the west. Among the works executed by them are the Hotel
Alexandra at Winnipeg, for the Canadian Pacific Railway Company,
the Canadian Pacific Railway station at Winnipeg, the residence
of C. R. Hosmer, the Alexandra Hospital for Infectious Diseases,
the Nurses Home for the Royal Victorian Hospital, the monument
to Lord Strathcona and South African soldiers of which George
W. Hill was the sculptor, the monument to the Hon. John Young,
of which Philip Hébert was the sculptor, the bank buildings for
the Bank of Montreal, Molson’s Bank, the Royal Bank and the
buildings of the Montreal General Hospital. They were also the
architects of the Government House in Regina, Saskatchewan,
the Calgary Hotel for the Canadian Pacific Railway Company, at
Calgary, and the Montreal Art Association’s new building in
Montreal. No more definite indication of Mr. Maxwell’s high
professional standing can be given than the list of these
buildings which have become tangible factors in the improvement
of various cities.
[Illustration: WILLIAM S. MAXWELL]
In May, 1902, occurred the marriage of Mr. Maxwell and Miss Mary
Ellis Bolles, of New York, who is well known in connection with
charitable and philanthropic work, being now a councillor of the
Children’s Aid Society. He is a member of the St. James Club, the
Arts Club, the Pen and Pencil Club and the Kanawaki Golf Club.
The family residence is at No. 716 Pine Avenue, Montreal. Mr.
Maxwell has concentrated his energies upon his profession, and he
has every reason to be proud of the fact that he has been elected
to membership in the Ecole des Beaux Arts Society of Paris. He
was president of the Arts Club of Montreal for 1913 and is so
serving for 1914.
HENRI ROY.
With intense activity well directed, with untiring energy,
business ability, resourcefulness and controlled ambition, Henri
Roy has reached a position of importance in the affairs of La
Société des Artisans Canadiens-Français, of which he has been
secretary and treasurer since 1892.
His influence has affected the policies and the direction of
developments of this great fraternal insurance company of
Montreal, and the years of his connection with it have proven
mutually useful and beneficial.
Mr. Roy was born September 11, 1864, in St. Alexandre, near
St. Jean, Quebec, and acquired his education in the public
schools and in St. Cesaire Commercial College, fitting himself
in the latter institution for the business career which he had
determined upon.
When he left his native city he went to Quebec where for some
years he was connected with a wholesale firm. In 1888 he came to
Montreal and until 1899 was associated with the wholesale house
of Hodgson, Sumner & Company.
Upon coming to Montreal in 1888, Mr. Roy began his connection
with La Société des Canadiens-Français as an accountant,
employing his evenings in this capacity. Advancement came
rapidly, for Mr. Roy proved himself a farsighted, resourceful
and discriminating business man who could be relied upon to
carry forward to successful completion whatever he undertook.
In 1892 he was elected secretary and treasurer of the society,
positions which he has filled with ability and distinction since
that time. The work has made continued demands upon his tact,
his versatility, his administrative ability, and these demands
have been met fully and completely, Mr. Roy being today one of
the most prominent and widely known officials of the company he
represents.
In 1888 when he became associated with the society it had
accumulated funds of ten thousand seven hundred thirty-one
dollars and ten cents, and a membership of one thousand three
hundred thirty-two, limited to the island of Montreal; today
(1914) its accumulated funds are two million three hundred
thirty-seven thousand three hundred eighty-two dollars and
seventy-two cents, its membership numbers thirty-nine thousand
ninety-four and its field of action covers all American territory
where there are French-Canadians.
May 6, 1896, Mr. Roy married Miss Celina Canty of Bathurst, New
Brunswick, and to them have come a family of eleven children,
seven of whom are living, Berthe, Pierre, Olive, Jeanne, Celina,
Louis and Victoria.
Mr. Roy is well and favorably known in Montreal, where for more
than a quarter of a century he has made his home. His success
and the standards by which it has been obtained have gained for
him the respect of his business associates, and his sterling
qualities of character the esteem and good-will of many friends.
LUDGER GRAVEL.
Ludger Gravel is well known in business circles of Montreal
as a dealer in carriage maker’s and blacksmith’s supplies, as
president of Société des Artisans Canadiens-Français and also
as a successful manufacturer’s agent, connected in this way
with some of the most important industrial concerns in Canada,
the United States and Europe. The industry and the spirit of
enterprise, progress and initiative which have brought him
success have also been factors in his conduct of his extensive
interests and place him today among the men of marked ability and
substantial worth in this community.
Mr. Gravel was born in 1864, at St. Raphael, Ile Bizard, Canada,
and acquired his education in Montreal, beginning his business
career immediately after laying aside his books. He was for eight
months with Thomas Wilson & Company of this city and at the end
of that time became connected with P. P. Mailloux at 223 St.
Paul Street, with whom he remained over twenty years, rising
during that time to a position of weight and responsibility
and proving himself a farsighted, capable and progressive
business man. Having shown his worth and his capability, Mr.
Gravel eventually engaged in business for himself, establishing
the extensive business which he now conducts. Under his able
management this has become a large and important enterprise and
it is still growing, for Mr. Gravel is constantly extending the
field of his activity and forming new commercial relations. In
addition to his retail business he is also acting as exclusive
agent in Montreal for a number of manufacturing firms in Canada,
the United States and Europe, and his important connections
along this line are conclusive proof of his prominence and high
standing in business circles. Among the firms which he represents
may be mentioned the following: Ontario Asphalt Block Company,
Ltd., Walkerville, Ontario; The Standard Paint & Varnish Works,
Ltd., Windsor, Ontario; The Frank Miller Company, New York, New
York; Windsor Turned Goods Company, Ltd., Windsor, Ontario; The
Conboy Carriage Company, Ltd., Toronto, Ontario; The Neverslip
Manufacturing Company, New Brunswick, New Jersey; Sem. Lacaille,
Nominingue, Quebec; Meilink’s Home Deposit Vaults, Toledo,
Ohio; Propriétaire de l’Huile Balmoral; James Boyd & Brothers,
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; and Jacob Maas & Company, New
Orleans, Louisiana.
Mr. Gravel became connected with Société des Artisans
Canadiens-Français in 1903 when he was elected a director, and
his ability and executive skill soon commanded for him a place
of power in this organization. He was made second vice president
in 1904 and first vice president in 1906 and in 1910 was elected
president, a position which he has held since that time. The
demands which it has made upon his energy, his enterprise
and his executive ability have been completely met, and the
fortunes of the society under his hands have been constantly
prosperous. He has been a member of the Chamber of Commerce since
its organization and at present is one of its directors. His
membership in mutual, charitable, antiquarian, social, political
and sporting clubs is extensive and in a number of them he holds
official position. However his business never suffers from these
connections and his time and attention are so distributed that he
proves a valuable member in all of the organizations.
On May 26, 1891, in Montreal Mr. Gravel was married to Laura Roy,
the daughter of Alfred Roy. Of the fourteen children born to
Mr. and Mrs. Gravel, six are now living as follows, Olympe, L.
Pierre, Germaine, Emelia, Lucette and Simone.
With the extension of his interests Mr. Gravel’s powers have
continually developed, his insight has deepened, his view
broadened and with the passing years he has become a man of
power and prominence, finding in the field of business the best
scope for his interests and activities. He is a devout member of
the Roman Catholic church and his upright life which has been
guided by its principles, has brought him prominence, substantial
fortune and the respect and esteem of many friends.
SEVERIN LETOURNEAU, K. C.
Severin Letourneau, who has advanced beyond the ranks of the many
and stands among the able and successful few in the practice of
law and in liberal leadership, is a native of St. Constant, born
on the 23d of May, 1871. His preliminary education acquired in
the Jacques Cartier Normal school, was supplemented by a course
in Laval University, in which he completed his law studies and
was graduated with the class of 1895. In July following he was
called to the bar and at once entered upon active practice of his
profession in which he has made continuous progress. Advancement
at the bar is proverbially slow and yet, no dreary novitiate
awaited Mr. Letourneau, who, during the eighteen years of his
practice has won a high reputation by reason of his broad legal
knowledge and the skill and ability in which he handles his
cases, mastering the points in evidence with the precision of
a military commander who marshals his troops on the field of
battle. In 1906 he was appointed king’s counsel. He is today
practicing as a member of the firm of Pelletier, Letourneau &
Beaulieu, advocates, with a clientage that is extensive and
important.
Mr. Letourneau is prominently known as one of the leaders of
the liberal party and as the liberal organizer for the district
of Montreal has justified his appointment by the series of
brilliant successes that have been scored for the liberal party
in and around the city. He has rendered to his party service as a
tactician and he is now sitting for Hochelaga in the provincial
legislature, stanchly supporting Sir Lomer Gouin in his policy of
progressive legislation. Mr. Letourneau is also a member of the
Montreal Reform Club. He is a man of unfaltering determination,
carrying forward to successful completion whatever he undertakes,
whether in the field of law or politics. He stands stanchly for
the right as he sees it, and his position is never an equivocal
one.
CHARLES HAVILAND ROUTH.
Charles Haviland Routh, insurance broker, occupying a position
among the foremost representatives of insurance interests in the
Dominion, has in this direction, followed in the footsteps of his
father, the late John H. Routh, who was for a quarter century
agent at Montreal for the Western Assurance Company. Haviland L.
Routh, grandfather of Charles H. Routh, was also prominent in
insurance circles, being Canadian manager for the Royal Insurance
Company. Charles H. Routh was born and educated in this city
and throughout the period of his identification with business
interests has been connected with the insurance profession. He
is lacking in none of the qualities requisite for advancement
and success in his chosen calling, which has brought him a wide
business acquaintance. He is, however, perhaps, more widely
known as a yachtsman, having for some years been commodore of
the Royal St. Lawrence Yacht Club, of which he became a charter
member in 1891. Several times has he successfully defended the
Seawauhaka Cup and there are those who feel they know Mr. Routh
at his best when he is acting in that capacity, because of his
resourcefulness and the joy he feels in the sport. The Toronto
Telegram wrote of him; “He has been pitted against the best
skippers and the best boats that the United States can produce,
but has remained the same level-headed sailorman in all his
contests.” Aside from his connections with the Royal St. Lawrence
Yacht Club, he belongs to the Montreal Club and the Montreal
Curling Club. He is enthusiastic in his sports and equally so in
anything that he undertakes, his energy and interest carrying him
forward to the point of success whether it be along the line of
business or of pleasure.
JOSEPH LEON ST. JACQUES.
In no profession does advancement depend more surely upon
individual merit than in the practice of law. Comprehensive
knowledge of legal principles must constitute the foundation for
success which can only be won at the cost of earnest, persistent
effort and study. Recognizing this fact, Joseph Leon St. Jacques
has closely applied himself to the mastery of the principles
of jurisprudence and to the preparation of his cases, with a
result that he now has an extensive and representative clientele.
He practices in Montreal and has spent his entire life in the
province of Quebec, his birth having occurred at St. Hermas,
in the county of Two Mountains, July 13, 1877, his parents being
Joseph and Cazilde (Lafond) St. Jacques, the former a farmer of
St. Hermas. The grandfather, F. X. St. Jacques, was born at St.
Augustin, in the county of Two Mountains and resided for many
years in Ottawa, but is now deceased. The great-grandfather was
Captain Eustache Cheval dit St. Jacques of St. Augustin, who in
1837 remained loyal to the crown and in 1838 was presented a
sword in token of the recognition of his loyalty by Her Majesty,
Queen Victoria. The ancestors of the family have the name of
Cheval as well as St. Jacques.
[Illustration: JOSEPH L. ST. JACQUES]
In the acquirement of his education Joseph Leon St. Jacques
attended the Jacques Cartier Normal school from which he was
graduated with the class of 1897, obtaining the academic diploma.
He later entered Laval University in which he completed his
course in 1901, winning the degrees of LL. L. and LL. M. The
same year he was admitted to the bar and entered upon practice.
In the meantime, however, after leaving the normal school, he
had devoted some time to teaching. He began practice at Lachute,
where he had a few criminal cases, including the trial of Robert
Day, a murder case. After six years of practice in the country
district he came to Montreal and entered into partnership with
Mr. Gustave Lamothe, K. C. The firm of Lamothe, St. Jacques &
Lamothe has an extensive clientele, especially among religious
interests and municipal corporations. He is also a director of
some financial enterprises.
On the 19th of May, 1906, at St. Hermas, Mr. St. Jacques was
married to Miss Albertine Lafond, a daughter of Mathias Lafond,
a merchant and prominent citizen of his municipality. There
are four children in the St. Jacques family; Jacques, Jules,
Gustave and Alberte. The religious faith of the family is
that of the Catholic church. In politics Mr. St. Jacques is
a conservative and has taken an active part in the political
campaigns of Argenteuil and Two Mountains, being a recognized
leader in conservative ranks. He has ever preferred, however, to
concentrate his energies and efforts upon his law practice, which
is now extensive and important, placing him with the leading
representatives of the Montreal bar.
GEORGE HASTINGS.
George Hastings, who was born at Petite Cote, Quebec, in 1817,
died in July, 1865. His father was Thomas Hastings, who came from
Lexington, Massachusetts, to Petite Cote, where he bought land
and settled some time before the birth of Mr. Hastings. In this
connection it is interesting to mention that Petite Cote is now
divided into Fairmount and Rosemount and is a part of the city of
Montreal. The land is now mostly divided into building lots that
command good prices.
Thomas Hastings, father of George Hastings, had married Cynthia
Baker, of Burlington, Vermont, and they lived for many years
in their home at Petite Cote, where their five children, three
sons and two daughters, were born and brought up. The sons’
names were: George; Thomas, who is mentioned elsewhere in this
work; and Horatio, the youngest, who died unmarried in 1899. The
daughters were Mrs. Clark Fitts and Mrs. Ryan.
George Hastings, of this record, married in 1847 Margaret
Ogilvie, a sister of A. W., John and W. W. Ogilvie, whose careers
are mentioned at greater length in another part of this history.
Mr. and Mrs. George Hastings spent their entire married life in
their home on a farm at Petite Cote. There their ten children
received the training of their early lives. Of these children six
were sons and four were daughters. Thomas, the eldest, married
Jane Kydd, formerly the widow of William Nesbitt. They reside
at Rosemount boulevard and have no children. William, the next
son, with George, the third son, after considerable business
experience established The Lake of the Woods Milling Company.
The former married, in 1884, Georgina Ure, of Montreal. He died
in 1903, leaving his widow and two sons, who live in this city.
George managed the western branch of the business, from which he
resigned in October, 1913. He married in 1886, Margaret Anderson,
of Ayr, Ontario. They live in Winnipeg and have a family of two
sons and two daughters. Robert, the fourth son, is with The Lake
of the Woods Milling Company and lives also in the west, making
his present home in Qu’ Appelle. He is unmarried. Alexander, the
fifth son, was also connected with The Lake of the Woods Milling
Company. He died in St. John, New Brunswick, where he had charge
for several years of the local branch of the company. He married,
in 1898, Maud Anderson, of Montreal, and his widow is living.
Their only child died when one month of age. John Clark, the
youngest son, died unmarried in 1883. Helen Watson and Cynthia
Baker, the two elder daughters, died in 1912, the latter in
January and the former in May of that year. The third daughter,
Frances, married Francis Jordan, of Goderich, Ontario, in 1885.
Mr. Jordan died in 1907, but his widow, son and daughter are
living. Maria, the fourth and youngest daughter of the family,
is living and unmarried. The family have always been connected
with the American Presbyterian church. The Hastings are well
known among the old residents of Montreal, for it is almost a
century since Thomas Hastings settled upon the farm which now is
a portion of the metropolis.
JAMES ALFRED DALE.
In educational circles the name of Professor James Alfred Dale
is well known. His ability has gained him prominence and his
position as a leader among the educationists of the country is
indicated in the fact that he was honored with election to the
position of treasurer of the Dominion Educational Association.
Since November, 1907, he has held the Macdonald professorship of
education in McGill University. A native of Birmingham, England,
he was born in 1874, the eldest son of J. A. Dale. He attended
King Edward VI School at Camp Hill, and afterward entered the
Mason University College, now the University of Birmingham, and
subsequently became classical exhibitioner in Merton College at
Oxford, which conferred upon him the Master of Arts degree.
James Alfred Dale has remained continuously in the educational
field, being lecturer on literature and education in connection
with the Oxford Extension Delegacy from 1902 until 1908, and
also to the universities of Liverpool and Manchester. In
1902-3 he was tutor in the Borough Road Training College, and
in November, 1907, was called to the Macdonald professorship
of education in McGill University. The steps in his orderly
progression are thus easily discernible and he stands today
among the eminent educationists of the Dominion, his ability
being acknowledged by colleagues and contemporaries. He has the
power of imparting clearly, concisely and readily to others the
knowledge that he has acquired, and on the lecture platform he
is a most interesting and entertaining as well as instructive
speaker. He was a delegate to the convention of the Dominion
Educational Association of Victoria, British Columbia, in
1909. He has served as treasurer of the association and was
secretary of the convention held at Ottawa in July, 1913. In
May, 1911, he was appointed a member of the council of public
instruction for the province of Quebec, and he has come to be a
member of most of the committees on Protestant education in the
province. Soon after coming out, he was elected president of the
Protestant Teachers Association of the province of Quebec and on
relinquishing office in 1912 was elected first vice president.
His studious habits have made him a man of scholarly attainments,
and he is continually seeking out new methods that will render
his service as an educationist more effective. His ideas have
received the indorsement of prominent contemporaries in this
field of labor and have been adopted to the benefit of various
institutions of learning. He agrees with Kant that “the object
of education is to train each individual to reach the highest
perfection possible for him” and that spirit has been manifest
throughout his professional career. He has endeavored in his
teaching to develop capacity and to impart knowledge which shall
prove of practical benefit and value throughout life. He was
instrumental in founding the University Settlement of Montreal
in 1910 and has been its president since that time. This was the
first settlement in the city, and its success is to be measured
not by itself but by the influence it has exerted in the general
movement toward social reform. He has taken a prominent part in
movements for adult education and was one of the first members
of the committee of the Workers’ Educational Association, which
has succeeded in grouping together over twenty-five hundred trade
unions, cooperative societies, etc., and educational bodies in
England. At the present time every university in the country is
undertaking working-class education under the auspices of the
association. At the formation of the City Improvement League he
was appointed its first honorary secretary but was compelled by
pressure of work to relinquish the active duties of office. He
edited the proceedings of the convention of the League in 1910.
As literary correspondent of the Canadian Club he is editing its
proceedings for the third year.
In 1904 Professor Dale was married to Miss Margaret Butler, a
daughter of J. Holden Butler, of Birmingham, and they reside at
No. 771 University Street, in Montreal. Not only as an instructor
in the classroom and as an enthusiastic advocate of extending
educational facilities to all is Professor Dale well known. His
contributions to the literature of the profession have made his
name a familiar one not only in this country but throughout the
American continent and in Great Britain. He is the author of
many articles which have appeared in various publications and
which have treated of literary as well as educational subjects,
and he has published in Germany a volume entitled History of
English Literature. His name was suggested in various quarters
when British Columbia was looking for a president for its new
university. A modern philosopher has said: “Not the good that
comes to us but the good that comes to the world through us is
the measure of our success,” and judged by this standard the life
of Professor Dale is a most successful one.
GEORGE HUGH ALEXANDER MONTGOMERY, B. C. L., K. C.
George Hugh Alexander Montgomery is one of the most successful
members of the Montreal bar, of which he is an ex-councillor.
He has successfully pleaded cases in all the courts of Canada
and before the privy council and has for some years occupied
an enviable place at the bar of this city. He was born at
Philipsburg, P. Q., February 5, 1874, a son of the Rev. Hugh and
E. M. (Slack) Montgomery. The family being one appreciative of
the benefits and value of education, liberal opportunities in
that direction were afforded him, and after attending Bishop’s
College School at Lennoxville, P. Q., he entered the University
of Bishop’s College, where he pursued a classical course and won
the Bachelor of Arts degree in 1893. Four years later he was
graduated with the B. C. L. degree from McGill University, having
thus thoroughly qualified for the active practice of law, which
he had determined to make his life work. He became an advocate in
1898 and since that time has successfully followed his profession
in Montreal, his clientage being one of growing importance and
volume. Since May, 1905, he has been solicitor for the Montreal
Light, Heat & Power Company, and has had many other important
professional connections. In 1909 he was created king’s counsel.
His work in the courts has shown him to be largely a master of
the principles of jurisprudence and also possessed of the power
to present his cause clearly, cogently and logically. His ability
as an advocate is acknowledged by contemporaries and colleagues.