Part 70

Mr. Arnton entered the city council but retired before completing his term. For some years he was a director of the Canadian Bank of Commerce and his name was an honorable one on commercial papers. He was at one time president of the Irish Protestant Benevolent Society and was a man of generous spirit, giving freely of his means to the poor and needy and extending a helping hand to the unfortunate. He was survived by six children, when on the 13th of November, 1894, he passed away at the age of sixty-two years, leaving behind the memory of a well spent life, fraught with many good deeds.

HOWARD WINTHROP PILLOW.

Howard Winthrop Pillow is the Montreal manager for the British American Bank Note Company and is vice president and one of the directors of that corporation. His position as one of the younger business men of the city is enviable. He was born in Montreal, May 9, 1883, and is a son of John Alexander and Annie Elizabeth (Hillyer) Pillow. He attended Bishop’s College School at Lennoxville and for two years was a student in McGill University. With liberal education to serve as the foundation, he has gradually worked his way upward, the exercise of effort developing his latent powers and talents. He is now bending his efforts to administrative direction and executive control as the manager at Montreal for the British American Bank Note Company, a position to which he has attained by individual merit. He is the vice president and one of the directors of the company and as such occupies a prominent and enviable position in business circles.

On the 1st of October, 1906, in Boston, Massachusetts, Mr. Pillow was married to Miss Lucile E. Fairbank, a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. L. G. Fairbank, and they now have one child, Lucile Marguerite.

Mr. Pillow is a well known club man and much of the nature of his interests and recreation, aside from business, is indicated in the fact that he belongs to the St. James, Montreal and Beaconsfield Golf Clubs, the Automobile Club of Canada, the Montreal Amateur Athletic Association, the Montreal Jockey Club, the Royal St. Lawrence Yacht Club and the Heather Curling Club.

XAVIER ARTHUR ROBICHON, M. D.

High on the list of Montreal’s best known surgeons appears the name of Dr. Xavier Arthur Robichon, who is a descendant of one of the old French families of the province of Quebec. His great-grandfather, the first of the family to come to Canada, was in early life a captain of French vessels. After arriving in this country he established an iron foundry near Three Rivers, in the province of Quebec. The Doctor’s grandfather also followed the business of an iron founder at that place and Nicolas Treffle Robichon, the father, was a successful merchant at Three Rivers. He married Trenche Montague, who since his death has resided in Montreal. Their children are: Nicolas Raoul, a civil engineer of Montreal; Xavier Arthur; George Henri, an advocate of Three Rivers; and Mastai, who died at the age of seven years.

Dr. X. A. Robichon was educated in a preparatory school in Three Rivers, and at the Christian Brothers Ste. Ursule school at the same place, followed by a five-years’ classical course at St. Joseph College at Three Rivers, his classical studies being completed in St. Mary’s College in Montreal, where he spent four years and where he was graduated with the Bachelor of Arts degree, receiving the medal of the governor general and the prize of excellency.

Upon the broad foundation of literary learning Dr. Robichon erected the superstructure of professional knowledge. Immediately after the completion of his course at St. Mary’s he began the study of medicine at Laval University, graduating summa cum laude in 1906, with the degree of M. D. The following year he spent as interne in Notre Dame Hospital of Montreal, gaining the broad practical experience which only hospital practice can bring. During the succeeding two years he specialized in the study of surgery in Paris, France, and in the summer of 1909 he entered upon active practice in Montreal as a general surgeon, since which time he has devoted his attention exclusively to professional duties of growing volume and importance. Throughout this entire period he has also been assistant demonstrator of anatomy at Laval University. He is a member of La Société Médicale de Montreal, and he has his office at No. 335 St. Denis Street.

On the 18th of September, 1907, Dr. Robichon was married by the archbishop of Montreal, Monseigneur Paul Bruchesi, to Miss Flora Salvail, daughter of Dr. Salvail, of Helena, Montana, and they are parents of five daughters, Claire, Jeanne, Alice, Lucienne and Estelle. Family and professional interests divide Dr. Robichon’s time. Upon his home and his practice his interest centers, and laudable ambition in the latter connection has brought him to a high position, experience, wide reading and research constantly developing his skill until he is now one of the foremost surgeons of the city.

DUNCAN MCDONALD.

The name of Duncan McDonald has long figured prominently in connection with transportation interests. He has displayed a spirit of enterprise and initiative in all that he has undertaken, has operated along broad lines and has carefully planned and executed important projects. He is now devoting his attention to the supervision of various interests with which he is identified following his retirement from the management of the Montreal Street Railway Company. His investments largely have to do with transportation interests. He is president of the Montreal Tunnel Company, which has reached a very active stage in its development, and it is Mr. McDonald’s purpose to give special attention to the rapid inauguration and execution of the work. He is also largely concerned in several real-estate companies that are dealing with central Montreal property, as well as large subdivisions in outlying municipalities. He is the president of the Pre-payment Car Sales Company with offices in the Hudson Terminal building at No. 50 Church Street, New York, this being the operating company for all the various “Pay-as-you-enter,” “Pay-within” and other styles of pre-payment cars that are being so rapidly adopted by the cities on this continent. He is also connected with the International F-A-Y-E Tramcar Company, Limited, Broad Street Place, London, E. C.

Mr. McDonald’s operations in real estate have been of a mammoth character. He was the original promoter of Dominion Park, which in its development and sale has netted a splendid income for the investors, and he is at present vice president of that enterprise. He is also a director of several industrial and transportation companies. He belongs to the Institute of Civil Engineers of France and to the Institute of Electrical Engineers of Great Britain, connections which indicate the recognition of his high standing and notable ability in the fields into which he has directed his efforts.

JOSEPH PHILIPPE LAMARCHE.

Joseph Philippe Lamarche, a well known notary of Montreal, was born in St. Henri de Mascouche, L’Assomption county, Quebec, January 29, 1866. His grandfather, Louis Lamarche, was a farmer of L’Assomption county. His father, Joseph Olivier Lamarche, now eighty-one years of age, was for many years a notary at St. Henri de Mascouche, where he yet resides. He married Helene Mount, a sister of Dr. Mount, of Montreal, and her death occurred in April, 1874. To them were born three children: Joseph Philippe; George, a resident farmer of St. Henri de Mascouche; and Joseph S., a notary of Montreal. The father has been a lifelong conservative in politics and for many years was secretary and treasurer of the municipality of St. Henri de Mascouche. In fact, he has been a prominent figure in political, official and business circles there and is today one of the honored and venerable citizens.

Joseph Philippe Lamarche was educated in the parochial schools of his native town and in L’Assomption College, which he attended for six years, his course there being supplemented by two years’ study in the Ottawa University. During the succeeding three years he was a student in the office of Coultee & Lamarche, notaries of Montreal. In 1890 he won the degree of Baccalaureatus in Legibus. In 1890 he began the practice of his profession in St. Henri de Mascouche, where he continued until 1903, when he removed to Montreal, where he has since successfully practiced. He is thoroughly versed in the principles of the profession and his ability is attested by his liberal clientage.

Mr. Lamarche was married in St. Henri de Mascouche to Marie Rose Lambert, and to them have come four children, Helene, Lambert, Philippe and Rita. In politics Mr. Lamarche is a conservative and at the present writing he is filling the office of commissioner to the superior court for the district of Montreal, his creditable record commending him to the further support and confidence of the public.

SIR JOSEPH HICKSON.

Sir Joseph Hickson, who in 1890 received the honor of knighthood at the hand of Her Majesty in recognition of ability displayed in the management of important and extensive railway interests, is classed with those to whom Canada owes much of her greatness and her prosperity. He was born at Otterburn, Northumberland, England, in 1830, and acquired his education there. Throughout his entire business career he was connected with railway interests, first entering the service of the North Eastern Railway of England and thus gaining his elementary knowledge of railway management and operation. He left that corporation to accept a position with the Maryport & Carlisle Railway, in which capacity he served with credit until 1851, when he went to Manchester and entered the service of the Manchester, Sheffield & Lincolnshire Railway. Promotion rapidly followed in recognition of his capability, indefatigable energy and perseverance, so that after ten years he became assistant to the general manager, in which position his labors engaged the attention of Sir Edward Watkin, chairman of the Grand Trunk Railway in Canada, who proffered him the position of chief accountant of the Grand Trunk in December, 1861.

He left England for the new world in the following January and made his way to Montreal, where he continued to reside until called to his final rest. Here his ability and power soon gained further recognition and he was made secretary and treasurer of the company, in which capacity he continued until the resignation of C. J. Brydges, managing director of the Grand Trunk, in 1874, when Sir Joseph Hickson succeeded as general manager of the road and system. The policy which he inaugurated was soon felt as a dominant power in active management and cooperation. One of his first acts was to sell to the federal government the line between Point Levis and Riviere du Loup and with the proceeds of this transaction he changed the old gauge of the road to the standard gauge of American lines and thus effected connection with Sarnia and Chicago. The wisdom of this move was soon manifest as it opened up a new field of enterprise to the company and marked the beginning of that policy of affiliation and connection which resulted to the benefit of both countries before Sir Joseph Hickson ceased to be an active factor in the control of an immense system embracing five thousand miles of track in the United States and Canada. Sir Joseph served as general manager until 1890, when he retired from his arduous position after receiving, early in that year, knighthood from Her Majesty, the late Queen Victoria, in recognition of the ability which he had displayed in the management of the Grand Trunk Railway System and of the valuable service he had rendered in developing Canada and her resources. Under his management the road had been rapidly and substantially improved and extended, connections with other lines being formed which have proven of great value in later years. Perhaps the most valuable work which he undertook and accomplished was the establishment of the direct line to Chicago wholly under control of the Grand Trunk system. By this master stroke was secured the best paying portion for carrying freight and at the same time gave to Canadian steamship companies a large amount of the freight which they carried across the Atlantic. It was while Sir Joseph Hickson occupied the position of general manager that the length of the road in its main and collateral lines was extended from one thousand three hundred and eighty-three to three thousand four hundred and eighty-seven miles. In railway management he studied each vital question from every possible standpoint and with almost judicial accuracy passed judgment upon the important matters at issue. He was largely instrumental in carrying forward the great engineering undertaking known as the St. Clair tunnel, which was completed in 1890 at a cost of three million dollars. His work elicited attention from one end of the country to the other, and he became one of the foremost representatives of railway interests on the American continent.

On the 17th of June, 1869, Sir Joseph Hickson wedded Catherine, the eldest daughter of the late Andrew Dow of Montreal. Mrs. Hickson is a native of this city and was educated here. She has been prominently identified with the Montreal League for the Prevention of Tuberculosis and was one of the promoters of the Royal Edward Institute in 1909 and an active supporter of various other similar bodies. She is also the vice president of the Montreal branch of the Needlework Guild of Canada and has been termed by one of the city papers “a queenly hostess.” Sir Joseph and Lady Hickson had two sons and a daughter. The eldest, Joseph William Andrew Hickson, was educated at McGill University, winning the B. A. degree on completing the course in mental and moral philosophy in 1893, while in 1896 his alma mater conferred upon him the Master of Arts degree. He won the Ph. D. degree in 1900 at the universities of Berlin, Freiburg and Halle. He was lecturer and tutor in the philosophical department of McGill University from 1900 until 1905, assistant professor of psychology and lecturer on philosophy at McGill from 1905 until 1909 and has since been assistant professor of metaphysics and logic. He is a contributor to the University and other magazines and reviews, is a councillor to the Economic and Statistical Society, is a member of the University Club and a member of the board of management of the House of Industry and Refuge. He is an enthusiastic mountain climber and a well known clubman, belonging to the Mount Royal, University and Political Economy Clubs of Montreal and the Alpine Club of Banff. The second son, James Claud Hickson, graduated B. A. from McGill in 1895 and, receiving the B. C. L. degree in 1898, is now engaged in active practice as a member of the law firm of Hickson & Campbell. He was created K. C. in 1909 and is a life governor of the Montreal General Hospital. He is well known as a clubman, his membership being in Mount Royal Club, Canada Club, Montreal Hunt Club, Royal Montreal Golf Club, Montreal Curling Club, Lafontaine Club, Montreal Jockey Club, Montreal Racquet Club, Royal St. Lawrence Yacht Club, University Club, and Constitutional Club of London, England. The daughter, Miss Mary Elizabeth Hickson, is well known as an author, having early contributed tales and sketches to the magazines. She is also the author of two charming stories of French-Canadian life, “Madame Janvier’s Church” and “The Call of God.”

Sir Joseph Hickson served as justice of the peace for Montreal and was interested in several banking, commercial and industrial enterprises which he represented on the directorate. He was appointed by the Dominion government as president of the royal commission on the prohibition of the liquor traffic. He stood for all those interests which are effective forces in the progress and upbuilding of city, province and country, and the position which he filled was one of influence and honor.

HERBERT BROWN AMES.

Herbert Brown Ames, a deep student of the science of government and avowed in his opposition to misrule in public affairs, has, through his practical efforts, the result of keen insight into situations, been instrumental in bringing about various needed reforms and improvements. His public addresses, too, have aided largely in shaping public opinion on the side of right and order, and thus his value as a citizen can hardly be overestimated.

He was born in Montreal, June 27, 1863, his parents being the late Evan Fisher and Caroline Matilda (Brown) Ames, both of whom were born in the United States. After mastering the elementary branches of learning Herbert B. Ames became a student in Amherst College, of Massachusetts, from which he was graduated in 1885 with the Bachelor of Arts degree. He afterward studied the French language and literature in France, and made his initial step in business circles as a representative of the wholesale firm of Ames-Holden, Ltd., of Montreal, with which he was actively connected until December, 1893. He is still a representative of that corporation and one of its directors and is likewise a director of the Dominion Guarantee Company, the Great West Life Insurance Company, the Royal Victoria Life Insurance Company, and a number of other prominent business concerns. As a merchant he has established a reputation that places him in a prominent position among the leading and representative business men of the city. His efforts in that direction would alone entitle him to distinctive mention in the history of Montreal, and yet this is but one phase of his activity. He is perhaps even more widely known because of his connection with efforts put forth in opposition to misrule in municipal affairs. He was particularly active in that direction during his service as alderman from 1898 until 1906, during which time he promoted and advocated many reform measures and projects, always working along conservative lines. He was chairman of the municipal board of health from 1900 until 1904, and again his service was of notable value to the city. He had previously filled the position of secretary of the Good Government Association and was president of the Volunteer Election League, which bodies effected many reforms in civic administration. His name is widely known, and in fact he has been heard in many centers as a lecturer on Canadian political history and on problems of municipal government. He has been a frequent contributor to the press, and among his notable articles are: The Machine in Honest Hands, published in 1894; The City Below the Hill, A Sociological Study, published in 1897; The City Problem; What is it?, in 1901; and The Housing of the Working Classes, in 1907. These show wide research and deep insight into existing conditions and point out various practical methods of improvement.

Mr. Ames was appointed a member and protestant secretary of the council of public instruction for the province of Quebec in 1895. The following year he was elected to the presidency of the Young Men’s Christian Association of Montreal, and the extent and importance of his work is further indicated in the fact that he is a governor of the Montreal Dispensary and of the Society for the Protection of Women and Children. He delivered an address in London, England, before the chamber of commerce on trade interchange in 1904, and was presented with a silver bowl by the same body in acknowledgment of his personal services in connection with the visit of that organization to Canada in 1904. In 1909 he went as a delegate to the Imperial Commercial Congress at Sidney, New South Wales, and as a member of that body moved for the appointment of an advisory imperial council to consider questions of imperial interest, especially those tending to promote trade between the various parts of the empire.

Since the general election of 1904 he has sat for the St. Antoine division of Montreal in the house of commons in the conservative interests, and in March, 1909, succeeded in securing the appointment of a committee for the revision of the assets of the Dominion. He is a very active worker in support of conservative measures and movements, and his life work indicates his recognition of the fact that education along broad lines and political activity are the sources of a country’s power and the foundation upon which is builded its business. He was appointed one of the representatives of the house of commons at the coronation of King George in London in 1911.

In May, 1900, Mr. Ames was united in marriage to Miss Louise Marion Kennedy, a daughter of John Kennedy, C. E. They occupy an attractive home at No. 26 Ontario Avenue, Montreal. Their religious faith is that of the Presbyterian church, and Mr. Ames holds membership in a number of the leading clubs of the city, including Lafontaine, University, Montreal, Royal St. Lawrence Yacht and St. James Clubs. He is a man of indefatigable energy and unquestionably a force to be reckoned with in the public life of Canada. Even those opposed to him politically recognize that he is a man to be trusted, that what he promises he will do. His position is never an equivocal one and in his entire career there is no esoteric phase.