“Here lies half the romance of Lord Shaughnessy’s career. Born in Milwaukee, a citizen of the United States, he lived to become not only a citizen of the Dominion of Canada across the border, but most essentially, a citizen of the British Empire. Under his administration the double track branched and extended so as to carry new settlers every year into the farm-lands of Ontario, through the gateways of the West, into the wheatfields of the prairies and beyond the Rockies into the valleys of British Columbia. In building the greatness of the country he served, he helped to build the greatness of his adopted country and of the Empire as well. Himself an immigrant, he realized to the full the vital importance to Canada of a vigorous system of immigration, and his characteristically outspoken comment on the possibilities that might be achieved under the Empire Settlement Act were in marked distinction to the hesitation of some of the political leaders of the Dominion.
“Of Lord Shaughnessy it may be said that he was a living instance of the manner in which the Britons overseas assimilate the many elements of which they are composed. He came to Canada from a foreign country as a servant; he remained to be honoured by the king to whom he gave such loyal allegiance, and to be recognized universally among his fellow-countryman as the first citizen of the Dominion.”
The mantle of Lord Shaughnessy fell upon Edward Wentworth Beatty who, on Lord Shaughnessy’s passing, became President and also Chairman of the Board. A young man not far over the forties in years was Mr. Beatty when he took up the mantle and assumed the high office of the Canadian Pacific Presidency. First of the Canadian-born to occupy this responsible position, he bids fair to measure up fully to all its imperious demands.
There are unthinking people in the world who have a sort of compassionate way of wondering whether a man can fill the place of a great predecessor. But in reality each man fills his own place, and by the full play of his own individuality makes his own contribution to history. Each may do work his predecessor could not have done, and, while keeping up a continuity, each brings a new force into the march of human progress. It may be interesting in this connection to recall and summarize the work of these men who, up to this date, have headed the Canadian Pacific. Hence an extract from an article by the present writer on the subject, in the press recently, may be introduced in line with the statement just made:
“These four presidents were of different types in many ways, and of quite distinctive talents, but they seemed to be specially suited for the work which each was called upon to do in the given period in which he exercised the duties of his high office.
“Stephen was a master of finance, whose authority in that realm was recognized by every one, and whose integrity was beyond question. In executive boldness he was not the equal of some others on the road, but the questions he had to face were largely financial.
“It was the period when the great railway, owing to the terrific cost of construction and practical impossibility of selling land was, financially speaking, gasping for breath. Stephen’s mastery of financial problems and his high repute in the world of business made him the man for the hour.
“So consummate a master of finance was he that before he relinquished the office of President, every dollar loaned by the Dominion Government to tide the Canadian Pacific Railway over the sandbars of construction time was repaid.
“Mr. Van Horne, who succeeded Stephen in the Presidency, was particularly gifted in the powers required for the period when, although the main line was completed from coast to coast, an enormous amount of work was required in creating traffic, constructing branch-line feeders, as well as a large amount of inspection of all lines, the replacement of temporary by more permanent track and bridge equipment and such like. In such work Mr. Van Horne had no equal.
“Mr. Shaughnessy, who came next, brought to the Presidency his brilliant business gifts, the experience through which he had passed as Purchasing Agent in the critical days, as well as extraordinary foresight and withal a determination to maintain the financial stability of the road.