A Few Veterans.
Another veteran was Sir Mackenzie Bowell, that grand old man whom everybody liked. He entered the House in 1867 and continuously sat for Hastings until he was elevated to the Senate, became Premier, and was in harness until called away by death at a ripe old age. He was genial and kindly and had a host of friends, amongst whom he counted many Roman Catholics, although at one time he was Grand Master of the Orange Lodge of Canada.
Sir Mackenzie was publisher of the Belleville Intelligencer, now successfully carried on by his son, Charlie. In the early ’90’s, he took a trip over the Intercolonial in a private car, and I happened to meet him at Truro, N.S. He complained of the lack of newspapers, and I asked him if he would like a copy of the Intelligencer of the previous day’s date. He expressed his great delight at the possibility of getting a real live newspaper, and with due gravity, I handed out a copy of the “yesterday” Intelligencer—only it had been printed twenty odd years before. I had found it amongst some old papers that had been sent me, but Sir Mackenzie read it with great interest.
John McMillan, who represented South Huron for many years, was born in Dumfriesshire, Scotland. Although he came to Canada as a lad the Doric was always on his tongue, possibly due to the fact that he had settled in the essentially Scotch section of Ontario. He was a first-class farmer and stock raiser and attained affluence through his activity in the export cattle industry, of which he was one of the pioneers. Pressure of Parliamentary duties, and stalwart sons grown to manhood, induced him to pass over the export cattle trade to the latter, with the result that John did not make as frequent trips across the Atlantic as in the earlier days of the industry. After a lapse of 15 years Mr. McMillan made what proved to be his last journey to the Old Land, and told the story of his visit to Dumfriesshire to Mrs. Sedgwick, wife of Mr. Justice Sedgwick, the following session. This was the only social call he made during the Parliamentary term. In Mrs. Sedgwick he found a lady who sympathized with Scotland, which meant everything to John. In her genial way over a cup of tea one afternoon, she asked Mr. McMillan if he had found many changes in the Old Land on his recent visit. “Aye,” he answered, “I foond that mony of my auld freends had passed awa’.”
“And those whom you met and told about Canada, what astonished them most?”
“Aweel, Mistress Sedgwick, I am boond to say that they were vera mooch surpreezed at mah Amurican occent.”
After John McMillan passed out of Parliament the recollection of his genial presence and kindly nature lingered long with those who knew him.