Dr. Cook has a family of five surviving children, all of whom are now grown up to man’s and woman’s estate. One of his daughters is the wife of Andrew Thomson, of Quebec, president of the Union Bank, of that city. Two of his sons—William and Archibald Cook—are eminent members of the Quebec bar, in large practice, and the former is a Q.C. His youngest daughter is the wife of Edward Greenshields, a merchant in Montreal, and a director of the Montreal Bank.
Macdonald, Hon. John, Toronto, Senator of the Dominion of Canada, is one of the most enterprizing and successful of the merchants Canada is proud of. He is a Scotchman by birth, having been born in Perthshire, in December, 1824, and when a mere lad came to this country. He received his educational training, first at the Regimental School of the 93rd Sutherland Highlanders, in which regiment his father served; subsequently at Dalhousie College, Halifax, and then at the Bay street Academy, Toronto, which at that time was conducted by the late Mr. Boyd, father of Chancellor Boyd, of Ontario. In this academy our future senator had the honor of winning the medal for classics. After leaving school, he chose the mercantile profession, and leaving Toronto, entered the employ of C. & J. Macdonald, general merchants at Gananoque, where he served for two years. Returning to Toronto, he took a position in the mercantile house of the late Walter McFarlane, on King street east, who at that time was doing perhaps the largest business in Upper Canada. After working in this establishment for about six years, he was compelled, through failing health, to give up his situation, and seek change of climate. With this end in view, he sailed for Jamaica in 1847, and, after resting for a short time, entered the mercantile house of Nethersoll & Co., the largest on the island. Here Mr. Macdonald remained for somewhat less than a year, when he returned to Toronto. In 1849 he commenced business on his own account, in a shop on Yonge street, near Richmond street, and made the then bold attempt to establish there an exclusively dry goods business. The venture having proved a success, in 1853 he moved to larger premises on Wellington street, not far from his present warehouse, and here was laid the foundation of the present large wholesale importing house of John Macdonald & Co. After a period of nine years of successful business in this warehouse, Mr. Macdonald removed to larger and handsomer premises on the south side of Wellington street, which after a while proved too small for his ever-increasing business, and a few years ago he was compelled to enlarge these premises, which he did by adding another pile of buildings, which now occupies the ground formerly covered by the North American Hotel and the Newbigging House on Front street. These premises were bought at a great outlay of capital. They have a frontage of 100 feet, with 140 feet in depth, and are six stories high. About one hundred men are employed, including the buyers in the British and American markets, and the establishment is, without doubt, the largest of its kind in Canada, and will compare favorably with any of the wholesale houses in the largest cities in the United States. Mr. Macdonald, realizing the idea that the world had claims upon him outside his warehouse, entered public life as member for West Toronto, in the Legislative Assembly of Canada. His opponent on this occasion for parliamentary honors was the Hon. John Beverley Robinson, late lieutenant-governor of Ontario, whom he defeated by a majority of 462 votes, and then sat in parliament until confederation was accomplished. At the next general election he was defeated for the House of Commons by the late Robert Harrison, who afterwards became chief justice of Ontario. In 1875, a vacancy having occurred in Centre Toronto, a constituency established in 1872, Mr. Macdonald was invited to become a candidate, and having consented, he was returned by acclamation. In 1878, however, when the national policy cry was raised, and people imagined they could be made rich by Act of Parliament, Mr. Macdonald was defeated by Robert Hay, by a majority of 490 votes. In politics Mr. Macdonald has always been what may be styled an independent Liberal, discarding party views when they seemed to trammel his settled convictions. He opposed the coalition of 1864, and voted against the confederation of the provinces. This attitude towards party, when its claims conflicted with duty, he clearly defined in his reply to a request asking him to be a candidate in 1875. He promised to give the government a cheerful support, but declined to promise more; and, to the credit of the requisitionists, they conceded to him in advance a perfect freedom of judgment in deciding upon all questions. Mr. Macdonald takes a deep interest in all public questions, and is never afraid to speak out boldly when the occasion demands it. During the exciting debates that took place in the Board of Trade during the fall of 1887, on the question of commercial union with the United States, he was present, and made his voice to be heard. Indeed, he has the honor of being the author of the resolution which carried, and was the means of allaying the political feeling that was beginning to show itself in that important body. The resolution alluded to was as follows: —
That this Board desires to place on record the conviction that the largest possible freedom of commercial intercourse between our own country and the United States, compatible with our relation to Great Britain, is desirable.
That this Board will do everything in its power to bring about the consummation of such a result.
That in its estimation a treaty which ignored any of the interests of our own country or which gave undue prominence to any one to the neglect or to the injury of any other, is one that could not be entertained.
That in our agricultural, mineral, manufacturing, and our diversified mercantile interests, in our fisheries, forests, and other products, we possess in a rare and in an extraordinary degree all the elements which go to make a people great, prosperous and self-reliant.
That these are fitting inducements to any nation to render reciprocity with Canada a thing to be desired, and such as should secure for us a reciprocal treaty with the United States of the broadest and most generous character which, while fully recognising these conditions, would contain guarantees which would prove of mutual and abiding ad vantage to both nations; but that this Board cannot entertain any proposal which would place Great Britain at any disadvantage as compared with the United States, or which would tend in any measure, however small, to weaken the bonds which bind us to the Empire.
Education has claimed some of Mr. Macdonald’s time, and for some years he has been a senator of the Provincial University, Toronto, a visitor of Victoria College, Cobourg, and a member of the High School Board. In all religious and moral movements he has lent his aid, and is always ready to help everything calculated to elevate humanity, by tongue, pen and purse. Mr. Macdonald is a member of the Methodist church, and had it not been that his health failed him when a young man, and on the advice of his physician, he would have studied for the ministry, and to this church he has for many years devoted much time and talents. He has long been a member of the executive committee of its General Conference, and treasurer of the Missionary Society. Outside of his own denomination he has taken a conspicuous part in the work of the Evangelical Alliance, the Bible Society, the Temperance reform, the General Hospital, and the Young Men’s Christian Association, and has been twice elected president at the united convention of Ontario and Quebec. Mr. Macdonald has been a director in several business companies, and was, at the last annual meeting of the Board of Trade, elected a member of its executive council. In 1887 he made the handsome donation of $40,000 towards the erection of a new city hospital, as a memorial of his daughter Amy, who during her lifetime took a very deep interest in this kind of charity. And since then he has also donated a large sum of money to enable his church to carry out its scheme of establishing a university in Toronto. Mr. Macdonald has written two very interesting brochures, “Business Success,” originally a lecture, and a practical address to “The Young Men of his Warehouse,” both of which should be in the hands of young men. In November, 1887, he was chosen a senator of the Dominion, a choice which reflects great credit on Sir John A. Macdonald, and which has been approved of by all political parties. Mr. Macdonald’s career is a striking instance of what energy and perseverance, combined with integrity and uprightness, may accomplish for a young man just starting upon life’s battle.