Desaulniers, François Sévère Lesieur, B.C.L., Yamachiche, M.P. for St. Maurice, Quebec Province. The subject of this sketch is a member of one of the oldest, most well known and respectable families of the province of Quebec—the Desaulniers having come from France to Canada some time during the seventeenth century (1642), and settled in the district of Three Rivers. He is descended from Charles Lesieur, who was a notary royal and solicitor general under the French government, and of Françoise de Lafond, a niece of Pierre Boucher, the illustrious governor of Three Rivers under the government of M. de Mésy (1663). Mr. Desaulniers is the son of the late François Lesieur Desaulniers, and of the late Marguerite Pothier, and was born at Yamachiche on the 19th September, 1850. He received his education at Nicolet College, an institution to which both church and state are greatly indebted for having produced many citizens who distinguish themselves in the various walks of public life. After successfully passing his examinations, Mr. Desaulniers was admitted to the bar on the 13th January, 1879, at Three Rivers, and is now a member of the legal firm of Desilets, Desaulniers & Duplessis of that city. But his love for journalism was evidently greater than for the law, for we meet him, while studying law, editing the Constitutionnel at Three Rivers, a journal founded by one of the most distinguished French Canadian writers, the late Hon. E. Gérin, legislative councillor. Later on, from 1875 to 1877, we find him in Quebec, as assistant editor of Le Canadien, whilst he contributed several editorials and political articles to the Revue Canadienne of Montreal, to Le Foyer Domestique of Ottawa, as well as to several other papers. Mr. Desaulniers’ political career began in 1878, when he was, for the first time, returned to the Quebec parliament, at the general elections, for his native county, St. Maurice, P.Q. He was elected by a majority of 245 votes over his opponent, L. A. Lord. At the general elections of 1881 he was re-elected for the same constituency by a majority of 110 votes over S. J. Remington. While in the Quebec parliament he was a moderate Liberal-Conservative, and a strong supporter of the conciliatory and moderate policy inaugurated by the Chapleau government. In 1886, at the late provincial elections, Mr. Desaulniers withdrew from the political arena to accept a charge from the provincial government. Upon the recommendation of the Hon. M. de la Bruère, speaker of the Legislative Council, he was, on the 2nd November, 1886, appointed by the Ross government deputy-clerk and clerk of the private bills of the Legislative Council of Quebec, vice J. A. Jodoin, resigned. Lately a vain attempt was made to deprive him of this office, but by a unanimous vote of the Legislative Council his appointment was confirmed. On the 22nd February, 1887, Mr. Desaulniers was returned to the Dominion parliament for his old and faithful constituency of St. Maurice, where he enjoys a well-deserved popularity. He won the contest this time by a majority of 267 votes over his opponent, L. A. Lord. While devoting all his energies to the fulfilment of his numerous duties as representative of the people, Mr. Desaulniers, who takes a deep interest in agriculture, has been unanimously elected for ten years consecutively as president of the Agricultural Society of the county of St. Maurice. He has also been a justice of the peace since 1878. In politics Mr. Desaulniers is a staunch Conservative. He strongly endorses the protective policy adopted some years ago, and is a warm supporter of the Sir John A. Macdonald administration. In July, 1877, he married, at St. Guillaume d’Upton, Marie Aglaé Maher, daughter of Francis Maher, merchant, whose ancestors came from Stuttgart, Germany. They have five children living. Mr. Desaulniers is extremely popular in his own constituency and in the neighbouring counties, where he has often addressed large meetings on all the vital issues of the day, and performed many acts of kindness and liberality—winning, at the same time, for himself the esteem and respect of all by his social qualities, his proverbial hospitality, his sterling integrity, and his devotedness to the public interests.
McClelan, Hon. Abner Reid, Senator, Riverside, Hopewell, New Brunswick, was born where he now resides, in 1831. He is the youngest son of the late Peter McClelan, who was for a considerable period a justice of the peace, and of the common pleas, in the county of Albert. His paternal ancestry were Irish; but his mother (Robinson) was descended from the Clarkes, of New Hampshire. A. R. McClelan was educated at the district school, and at the Mount Allison Wesleyan Academy, of which he was subsequently one of the Board of Governors. In 1854, Mr. McClelan was elected one of the representatives of his native county in the New Brunswick legislature, and continued to hold the position till the union, in 1867. He is liberal in politics, and united with the Hon. Charles Fisher, the Hon. S. L. Tilley, and other Liberals of that day, in the overthrow of the Conservative administration, and in the establishment, on a firmer basis, of the rights of all under the responsible system of government. Mr. McClelan was an ardent supporter of the treaty of 1854, which secured free reciprocal trade with the United States. In addition to other reforms, he succeeded in obtaining amendments to the law of inheritance, including the removal of the rights of primogeniture, and in providing postal regulations for the better observance of the Sabbath day. His efforts were always employed to obtain a fair and equitable distribution of the public appropriations, and the county which he so long represented derived considerable advantages thereby. In 1865, he was an unsuccessful candidate for the speakership of the Assembly. During that year he helped to lead the opposition against the government formed to oppose the union, and on the resignation of the ministry, he accepted a seat in the new administration with the portfolio of public works, which he held till the union, when he was called to the Senate. He advocated the construction of the railway from Shediac to St. John, now a part of the Intercolonial, and subsequently the establishment of branch lines, including an ample subsidy for the Albert Railway, which was guaranteed by the Dominion government, upon the special request of the friends and promoters of the road. Mr. McClelan at the outset urged the government which he was then supporting to subsidize a short line to Hillsboro’, which was done, and the road afterwards extended to Hopewell. He prepared and introduced the original Act of Incorporation, assisted in securing the aid of the Dominion guarantee, and asked for and obtained a loan of rails to facilitate a branch line to Hillsboro’. As a member of the Dominion parliament, Mr. McClelan has continued on the side of liberalism and free trade, believing and affirming that the policy of protection is not based on equitable principles, that it is generally injurious in its tendencies, and especially detrimental to the smaller provinces by the sea. Though formerly in mercantile business, the Hon. Mr. McClelan has partially retired therefrom, owing to delicate health. In the Senate, it may be added, he is a man of much usefulness, for he gives to public questions a thoughtful and impartial study. To the broad interests of Canada, the Hon. Mr. McClelan has been always loyal, and there is nothing hollow about his patriotism. He is married to Anna J., eldest daughter of W. J. Reed, of Harvey, New Brunswick.
Clemo, Ebenezer, Inventor, was a native of London, England, and came to Canada in 1858. He was, although young, a person of great genius and ability. On his arrival in Montreal he was reduced to such necessity, that he applied to John Lovell, publisher of that city, for employment as a message boy; but Mr. Lovell knowing his acquirements, engaged him to write a couple of books. Hence “Simon Seek,” and “The Canadian Homes,” which appeared in the same year. Not works of the highest standard of literature certainly, but evincing much talent, and giving a good insight into Canadian character and life. He was the inventor and discoverer of making paper pulp out of straw, an industry which has grown to great proportions since his day; and when engaged in erecting machinery for the manufacture of such paper at Morristown, New Jersey, died in 1860, at the early age of thirty.
Fullerton, James S., President of the Osgoode Literary and Legal Society, Toronto.—Mr. Fullerton is a native Canadian, having been born on April 3, 1843, in the township of South Dorchester, Elgin county, Ontario. Early in life he formed a taste for the law, and finally came to Toronto a student. He studied with N. G. Bigelow, John Leys and Beverly Jones, and ten years ago he was admitted to the bar. He had the honor of taking third and fourth year scholarships. He has now practised his profession for a decade, and is senior partner in the firm of Fullerton, Cook & Miller. He has had more of the successes of life than fall to the lot of most men. His practice has steadily increased, and it is said in legal circles that in three years he has only lost a couple of cases—and those it was well nigh impossible to win. His reputation for office work is great, and his unusual capabilities for making a jury think as he thinks have given him considerable counsel work to do.
Begg, Alexander, Dunbow Ranch, North-West Territory, Canada, is a native of the parish of Watten, Caithness-shire, Scotland, and was born 7th May, 1825. He is a son of Andrew Begg, farmer, and Jane Taylor, of Houstry, Dunn, Watten. His father was also miller of the mill of Dunn until about fifty years ago, when it and similar small oatmeal mills throughout Caithness were discontinued. The work of kiln-drying oats, formerly done by every farmer at home on his own kiln,—the winnowing of the shelled grain after it had first passed between the mill stones, and the sifting of the meal had to be done by hand; but about that time was transferred to larger mills erected by each proprietor for his tenants. The modern mill was furnished with a fanning mill to clean the shelled oats, and sieves which sifted the meal thoroughly. A kiln was also attached for the use of the tenants, who were bound each to bring his grain to the mill belonging to the estate on which his farm was situate and pay toll there. Mr. Begg received his elementary education at a somewhat celebrated select school, taught by William Campbell, near his father’s house at Backlass, Dunn. Up to the age of eighteen he assisted on the farm and attended the Watten parish school. Subsequently he attended the Normal School at Edinburgh, from which he received a diploma qualifying him as a teacher. This he utilized by teaching at Cluny, Aberdeenshire, until 1846, when he emigrated to Canada. Soon after his arrival at Belleville, where some of his school fellows had formerly emigrated, he taught school in the townships of West Huntingdon and Madoc, and afterwards at Oshawa. There he met J. E. McMillan (now sheriff in Victoria, B.C.), and joined him in publishing The Messenger, the first newspaper published in Bowmanville. After a couple of years he sold out to Mr. McMillan, and purchased the plant of the Cobourg Sun, removing it to Brighton, Ontario, and published The Sentinel, the first newspaper published there. He afterwards started The Advocate at Trenton, also the pioneer newspaper of that place. Shortly afterwards he disposed of his interest in the printing business, and visited his native land. On his return to Canada he received an appointment in the customs, serving at the ports of Morrisburg, Port Dover, Brockville and Cornwall; and in 1869 was promoted to be collector of customs and inspector of inland revenue for the North-West Territories, accompanying the lieutenant-governor, Hon. Wm. McDougall and party, as far as Pembina, when the French half-breeds under Riel stopped their advance, compelling their return. To conciliate certain parties, another collector of customs was sent out to Fort Garry after Riel’s flight to the United States. Mr. Begg was transferred to the Inland Revenue department, but being dissatisfied at being deprived of his position without any fault on his part, he left the service of the Dominion government, and accepted the office of emigration commissioner in Scotland for the Ontario government. In that work he was remarkably successful, and during several years continued to send out a superior class of emigrants. Owing to a change in the emigration policy, only one agent for Ontario was retained for Great Britain, at Liverpool. Mr. Begg then turned his attention to the establishment of a temperance colony in the Parry Sound district. The township of McMurrich was chosen as being then without any settlers. A grist mill, saw and shingle mills were erected by him at Beggsboro’ in 1874, to encourage the settlement; and although by a decision of the Provincial government, that settlers, other than strictly temperance men, could be admitted to the colony, it became and still continues a prosperous settlement. Whilst engaged in opening up roads through the wilderness and fostering the colony, Mr. Begg became editor and joint proprietor of the Muskoka Herald, published at Bracebridge; and soon afterwards commenced in Toronto the publication of the Canada Lumberman, a paper devoted to the interest of lumber dealers. This paper was purchased by a Peterboro’ firm, and has attained a leading position in the lumber trade. Next we find him, in 1879, at the World’s Exposition in Paris, where he had on view, and received prizes for, a landau carriage from London, Ontario, and a sleigh from Orillia, at which latter place his family have resided since their return from Scotland. He also brought across the Atlantic with him from the Muskoka lakes, a number of live black bass, the first ever brought alive across the ocean from the new to the old world. Some of the bass were deposited at Dunrobin, the seat of the Duke of Sutherland’s family in Scotland; some in England, and a few more taken across the English channel to Paris, for which latter he received a medal from the Paris Société d’Acclimatation. In 1881 Mr. Begg made a tour to the North-West by way of Chicago, St. Paul and Bismarck, as the Toronto Mail correspondent; taking the steamer up the Missouri to Fort Benton, the head of navigation, the Northern Pacific Railway not having been completed farther than Bismark at that time. The journey onward and northward from Benton to Fort McLeod was made by team and on horseback, camping out by the way. His Excellency the Marquis of Lorne reached McLeod from Battleford and Calgary on his tour across the continent at the same time Mr. Begg arrived from the south, so he had the opportunity of meeting the governor-general and party, and of including in his correspondence the earliest written news of their arrival there, and the enthusiastic reception given them by the Bloods, Piegans and a party of Indians (Blackfeet), under Chief Crowfoot. From McLeod, Mr. Begg proceeded to Morley, where one of his sons (Magnus) was farm instructor of the Stoney tribe of Indians on the reserve there. Magnus has since been promoted to be chief agent at the Blackfoot reserve. From Morley, Mr. Begg rode up Bow River to the foot of the Rockies, where an advance party of the Canadian Pacific Railway engineers were at work to ascertain if the railway line could be located by that route. Returning to Calgary, he proceeded north to Edmonton and St. Albert; then eastward to Battleford, Prince Albert and Duck Lake, on to Humboldt, Fort Qu’Appelle, Fort Ellice and Brandon, which latter place the Canadian Pacific Railway had just reached. At Humboldt he was obliged to sell his saddle and pack horses and take the stage, as winter had fairly set in, and travelling alone was no longer safe, especially without stopping places for the night. Next year, Mr. Begg returned to the North-West by the same route, taking one of his sons (Robert) with him to establish a sheep, cattle and horse ranch (Dunbow) at the confluence of High river with Bow river. This summer (1887) another of his sons (Roderick) joined him on the ranch, which is now well stocked and flourishing. His sons, Alexander and Peter, have recently been engaged in the Eastern States in connection with a printing establishment; another son, Ralph, is attending the Military School in Toronto, whilst the sixth, Colin, is studying at the High School in Orillia, where Mrs. Begg and five daughters yet reside. This autumn Mr. Begg was appointed emigration commissioner by the government of British Columbia, to arrange with the Crofter fishermen of Scotland to settle on the western shores of the island of Vancouver, to develop the valuable deep sea fisheries of the Pacific. On this important mission he left Canada in October, having formulated a scheme which will, he considers, solve the difficulty which has hitherto prevented the Imperial government from advancing funds to assist the emigration of the Crofters.