Part 39

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.

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.

Mr. Montgomery is the owner of Lakeside Stock Farm at Philipsburg, Quebec, the home of some of the finest Ayrshire cattle and Clydesdale horses in the Dominion. Modern in its improvements, with fine natural advantages, this farm contains two hundred and fifty acres of the finest arable soil; for which most of the eastern township farms are noted, as well as ample additional acreage to meet the requirements of a successful stock farm.

Mr. Montgomery has for more than twenty years been extensively interested in farming operations, and from time to time has added to his holdings, in the eastern townships, which now comprise more than seven hundred acres. It was more than ten years ago that he started in to breed the best in pure-bred Ayrshire cattle, and while finding all the recreation and entertainment sought by a gentleman farmer, the project has been conducted on a business as well as a scientific basis with gratifying results. Stock from Lakeside Stock Farm have successfully contested in the show ring with the best herds in Canada. Equally as high class are the Clydesdale horses owned and bred at this farm.

In 1913 Mr. Montgomery completed his beautiful country residence on Missisquoi Bay near Philipsburg. Modern in its appointments, the structure is of field stone up to the ground floor, above which it is of Elizabethan style, and from its site overlooking Lake Champlain, comprises one of the most attractive homes in that section.

In June, 1909, was celebrated the marriage of Mr. Montgomery and Miss Gwendoline Baptist, a daughter of the late John Baptist, of Three Rivers, P. Q. Mr. and Mrs. Montgomery have one son. In religious faith Mr. and Mrs. Montgomery are Anglicans, while socially they are well known in the best circles of the city. Mr. Montgomery has membership relations with the Mount Royal, University, St. James, Montreal and Montreal Jockey Clubs, as well as the Quebec Garrison Club. His profession is constantly making greater demands upon his time and energies, yet he finds opportunities for other obligations and duties and for the pleasures of life, thus maintaining a well balanced character.

JOSEPH PHILLIPE BEAUDRY.

An excellent example of the aggressive type of a business man, and one well known in real-estate circles of Montreal, is Joseph P. Beaudry, manager of the Beaudry Realty Company, No. 402, McGill building.

Mr. Beaudry comes from one of the oldest families in the Dominion, dating back to 1629, and the numerous branches of it probably could be traced back to show relationship, where, in many cases at this time, no family connection is supposed to exist.