t^ IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) 1.0 t ™- IIM I.I t 1^ 12.0 L25 lllll 1.4 1.6 ^^^ -c^ ^' '/ >^ Photographic Sciences Corporation 23 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, NY. 14580 (716) 872-4503 « iP iV Si. k '^^ :\ "% V <^ ^ V <> ■"%" ?v r/. '/. '^ .»'g', bt fure the Historical and Scientitic Society of Manitoba, read the f(.l- lowin^f inteiesting biographical sketch of a remarkable man of lied Kiver of old : — In the winter of 1S82, while staying in Lon- don, which the subject of this sketch med facetiously to call "'the wen of the world," the writer treciuently met a retired old gentleman ' often known as ".Judge Thom," who had ' more than forty years befijre made iiis entree to Red Kiver Settlement as first recorder of Kupert's Land. At the time of meetmg in London the judge had entered upon his eightieth year, lie was tall, and though walking with a, slight stoop, was of command- ing presence. He was what people usually call a man of marked individuality. His opinions were all formed ; he had views on any matter that came up for disciission ; and was very fond of a talk with a passing friend. In conversation with tlie old gentle- man it would be at once noticed that he hid a large fund of information, and to any 'isitoi- from Manitoba It was surfirising to see how the lapse of ."{0 years' absence from thecountry had tiot effaced a line from memory in regard to the affairs of all the families ot that time resident in Red River. In t'a^t .fudge Thom had a marvellous mind for details. Some would no doubt have called him lo(|uacious, but to most he was a very interesting man. Dr. Thom's broad Aberdonian accent had not been greatly softened by his colonial resid- ence, nor by his subsequent sojourn in Lon- | don. In speech and ideas the Judge was a j strong miiii, and it will be our pleasing duty this evening to give the outlines of his some- what eventtul life, which ended a little more than two months ago KAKLV LIl-K. Adam Thom was born in Aberdeei* on the 30th of August, 1802, and had the remem- brance to the last of hav'.ng seen in his tiiird year the great rejoicing that took place after Nelson's great victory at the oattle of Trafal gar, October 21st., 1805. Indeed .fudge Thom Was of opinion that a certain weakness of eyes, fr(jm which he suffered all his life, was a re- sult of the illuminations tliat took place in connection with that great event. In the year ISli), young Thom being, as he himself says, "of the same age as .Joseph ii\ the pit on hi( way to the pre.- and others at the headipiarters of the company, and sailed by the company's ship early in 1833 to come t)y way of Hudson Bay to the scene of his future labors. Voung Thom seems to have at once entered on the study of law in Montreal, and with such diligence, that according to hii own account, having his time shortened by oneyrar because of his rlegree, he was admitted into the profession of law in the year 1830. A POLITICAL WlilTEK. To any of Mr. Thorn's friends it was e\i- dent that there was in him to the end of his life a strange restlessness of disposition. It agrees completely with this that he should mt h■^\e settled down to the routine of a lawyer's life. His disposition led him to take great in terest in juiblicatfairs. He was in mental charac- teristics something of an independent thinker, and yet his conclusions were usually rather staid and ordinary. Hi» mental bias was evidently that of a radical, while his social 180488 2 (liH|)()!(iti(iM lt-' have returned to Oreat Britain in the autumn of LSIW, where he spent the winter in London. KEt'OltPEU .\T KEl) KIVKK. In 1885 the Hud.son's Bay company received back from Lord Selkirk's heirs the transfer of the district of Assiniboine, which had been sold to the Earl in 1811 As the |)0|)u- lation of the settlement had grown by this time to about r),000 souls, it was deemed wise to have established some simple form of legal institutions. A council (if fifteen members apjiointed by the Hudson Bay company met at Fort Garry on the 12th of February (if that year and passed certain ordinances. Among these was one dividing thesettlnment into four districts, and estabiinhiiig a (lU.irterly court (it summary jurisdiction in each of these v iinpe- tent to ()ilisliment of a court of appeal sucii as had been decidetl on, and the tnct tli it the( Jovernor of the colony was sometimes a trader and at other times a military olticer led the com- ))any to consider the necessity of appointing A trained lawyer to adjudicate in such cases as might arise, and to gi ,e legal advice to the company in its complicated business. Ale.x- antler Koss argues at .-lome length against the need of thi:', but hi.s reasons show he had little comprehenoion of the prinoiples on which alone communities can advance. Sir (ieorge Simpson had met the young lawyer and political writer in .Nf out real, and ou the completion of his et ;: ^t-ment with Lord Durham ottered Mr. Ttioin the new judge- shii) then decided on, and the first recorder of Rupert's Land, or he is also called the President of the Red River Court, left lOng- land, canie by way of Xew \'ork and readi- ed Fort Carry in the spring of l.S.S!). Sir (Jeorge Simps(jn was credited with great shrewdness in making the appointments for the Hudson Bay company. It is evident from the very considerable salary— 1'700 sterling a year— paid the new judge at a time when incomes were ridiculously low on Red River, aw well as trom the unanimous opinion of Ross, Dr. Mountain, Ilev. John Ryers^n. and .fames Hargrave, the historian of the Hudson Bay company, that Adam rh(jm was a man of decided ability, ui>right character, and very e.xtensive reading It would seem to one now that a lawyer who had practiced longer at the bar. and wh" had not been so pronounced as a publicist in Mon- treal, would have made a more impartial judge, but the fact that for ten years he ad- ministered law in the courts without complaint would seem to show that the troubles which arose in the later years of his judgeship arose rather from the inevitable conflict between the com|iany and the people than from any fault of his. Hi.s "alteh E(;o. ' We turn aside for a little to look attiie career 8{ Mr. Thorn's college friend, .fohn Mc' Calluin, who, as we have seen, in 183H came to Red River to establish what to day has become St. Johrj college with its attiliatod schools, and it may be premised that in him we hive one of the truest and most practical men of the old Red River settle- ; ment. With the aid (jf his superior, Rev. I Mr. Tones, buildings were erected between the southwest corner of the present St. John's \ churchyard and the river bank. In the year I lS3(i Mr McCiiUum married the daughter of Chief Factor Charles, of the H. B. Co. The school steadily grew, and five years after its ; founding Rev. .Mr. Jones retumed to Eng- lan(l and Mr. McCallum l oame heacl of the institution, so that when the old frien(Js ; from Aberdeen met at Red River, the one. .I\i(lj(e Thiiiii, wan till' heiul of tlic legal, tlic DtlitT, .McCiiIliuii, iif till' t'(i(i(.'iiti(iiial, int^rt'Kts of tlie wide fxti-iit if liu|i(Tt s I.iiikI. Oriniii ally tht' hDiirdiiiK-^c.'lKMil liiid heeii hcjfiui iiiidfr the iiiis|))ceM (if lliH ( Uiui'ch MiMsiitnary Society, hut at tlit' tiiiif .it tli*- visit of I>r. MuuiitiiHi, l>i>lio|) (if Mniitrt-al, to llid liiver ill 1S44, a tliaiiKe had takt'ii placf, fur tm >*ay^. "It i-< now conduutf'd by Mr. .MeCalliiiii on his own iicfount with tli» help of an alluwam.'e from the comiiatiy. It w really a nice estali- linhliieiit, and the preiijineH atlin hed to it have more neatiitM.s and linisfi than is coinniun in y.)Mnp: and remote Neitlemenis. The yo\itliM have a nei rate (garden for ifuir own airuiHe- iiKMit." Mr. McCalliim had by hin patience and indiii-try taken such a hold on the coin innnity that (Jii the visit of the IllSIIOI' Ol' MONTIIK.M. it vvah deemed advisable to ordain him, which event took iilaceoii7th of fuly, 1K44. Mr. llcC.illuin's dutie.s not only included the suhdol but tor the next tiirec v<'ars the incumbency of the parish church, which then reckoned amonjrrst its hearers all the iieopleof Kildonan. .f ud^e Thom had for several years taken up his abode at Lowei l''ort(iarry, where his wife and children li\ed with liiin. In the year hSKi the British ( Joverniiient being in the midst of ttie contention with the (nitcd States over the < )reK'"i 'piestion and probably on acconntof theenforcementot thecnniianv s claims thought it wise to send out the (Jth Royal regiment to Red River The Lower Kort being reqtiired for the troops Judge Th; first jiurni'y in his diocen^o^etr«e^iy,^^A^i-^n^ company. ,,.«„ ^kfaiu. .,fter the publication During the ^v? yf^J^.^-^, tin agitatu.n was of the proclamation a const ^^ leader of going on among t»^« ^Z^^bettev known to the this uproar bore a name Dtv ^^^^ ^^^^^ esent ^ene^ation a. .hat ^^^ .^^^ \.ouiH Kiel. Kiel the e^a ^^^^ ^ ^ Isle a la Crosse, ."^"5^^^ ,;,,(i ^ French half- Knell Canadian f;UVi«. ^^^^ ^^ Lower breed mother. ^ "/^J^'^^iorthwest to enter the Canada, came to the .^ur ^^^ ^^^^ y^.^^s Service of the company. ;^^^^^^ ^^ afterwards a novice in the !^ ''**^';'„^'i5eine, three or foui built a water nuU ,^," ^Kce made a canal nine miles from St. .^P«^*^f '^"^^ married to one miles long to feed i*' J^^^" ^j^re family, and rt the well known L^«i n^df ^^ ^^,^gi,,o„ from this umon spra g ^^^^^^^^^ was a very fame. The miller of the v.is capable man ; had * ^reat 1 ^^^^^ ^g,iM fellow countrymen , and wa thoroughly When popular feel nK nan (juillautne ,^„«edithappene,d tha in ^^^^^^^^ j ^t wa« done, but Sa,.. only was V^\i::i:S Ah the day of trial re '. vive la est libre'. le ''".'"" ^'''^ «eri 01. jne. Judge Uberte." This crisis ^'.^^-"J'^,, George Simp- Thorn, at the ^^^Pg,^?J'7Jon the bench for a sondidnott^ake HM'*''^ ^^^ition a„d his year though be still heian ^ ^^ ^^ attempt :^trS.n^:o::i^clitsdistastefulmono- l>oly (vniKH C.VSKS •' O'l'llKH l.A.-ir.-. ^ The co..sUtutK>n of the «^}^^j;%^;JX^^^ „,ade it b e un .^^,^,,, and asso- sent himself and for tr *-_« business, cuued magistrates o "^^'y^ alfair a very About a y:^\*i^" in which what would complicated cfse.'^mf,;" ^^^iety j,^„rt (iarry be called the leade.^o soc^ >^^ ^^^ ^ ^ were involved. l^^^^^^J ^fticer of the pen- officials. Gapt. I os.«ta ^ipfamat.onof sioners, brought an aaum ^^^^ ^^^ f^ character against I rader / „,„,eting h'S aud two other pers-ns tor ^^^^_j f the name dishonorably wt; ^^j. Governor ^;rtleuian in charge o rtC^^^^^^^^^ .^^^^^^ lunpson and •{"<*«'' J ,""'„„ the occasicm ^case Pri^?^'^l\' ae." -i^bom took his seat jf the trial -'u^R'- "• fV,„uah apparently i'^'" *t .3": re oSvernoi Caldwell, u.uch to the d^^lj^^^^^^^^^^ ^^,, approval of Gov After this, tor a year w. j^^ ^>,,,i Sin.p-^on, therecorder du n^^ ^^ j,,^ ^,„rt jXeThoiuwasapp.)... 1^^^, I so con- tuhthe ^'^T ''tfth. time o his departure tinned to act until th'^tm. ^^ ^^^^^_ ^^^^^ .^an ' for England. Ktcoru. iw>n. wax WftM Anti over, { re- TI.H 1 diiy, i/iiif-et 1 livin •I nil nil ,, and jliurcn, ,b- ccaHion, cliciited sHinK by roundud (larry. .ok their ;,.nH then ain«t the iriiiK that uxir, and ,,.y would then t'lok i.and with 5 declare bre" — s, the tnal .• ()rii»()nerrt while the cdtiimtrce ^, I Vive la ne. JndKe •oitse SiHip- bench for a ;,n and hiH the attempt ^tefidnio""' Fort (iarry currier to ab- iior and awso- \,e business, aliaiv a very w'liat would ^tFortUarry of Company !■ uf the pen- (lefaniation of y and hi-^ wife J nnecting Ins family "f the iry. Governor uined into the t\H' occasion took his seat h api)ai''"'^''!.y ernoi C;ildwell. .p,,rovalofGov , sit. In lf'->i ,rk >f t*'« '^ '"'■'^ Iv and so con- , Vis departure other cases than thoHfl mentioned are foimr' i day in proceed- IHKH. I'p to the year iSi'.i the work 'loiiH liy tfiiilKe Thom seeiiis to huvc l»'en Very Mati><- facl(;ry and elhcH'tit Col. (^roftoii te»tilied that in lsl7 the Uui\\ liusinesM waj* done in a peifei!tly smooth and MUccessfnl niiinni'r. In is|S .)ii(l^{e Thorn (li'liM-icd iiulKtiient on tlie (.^.ilder cnse, iiuolviTi>{ the iuriiilijtinn of the I liidsoii's l'>ay r? by way 'if York ['"actury saded from th It port in the company's ship "The I'lince of Walen" on Septend.er 'J(l, iMol.wJtfl his wile and t\Ko sons. ( )n the ves.sel there was the Arctic explorer I )r. I!:ie, who had just found the Hr-it traces of .Sir .(olm Franklin ; and also Rev. .lohn Ryersoii, who has left a writtiii account of the voynKe, which proveil to he tedious and (laiiKeroUM, taking nearly six weeks to London. In the second year after his return .Fucl^e Thom received the de- gree of LL.I>. from his own unlver^ity a* Atieroeen in recognition of his attainments. He appears to have lived at Fidinburi,'li and Tonpiiiy in what miifht seem lo be his dfclin iiig years, but removed to fondon in I.s70and took up his abode in his wi-W known rt sidfiice, 4'.> Torrinuton .Srpuire, a score of years lon^'er. The family of his dt'iiaited friend were a con Htaiit care to him. l<'or tlifiu he always show- ed a pa KN<'IKs. The Bishop of Mont,real, on his visit to Fort Garry in lS4t, mentions that at that time lte:!order Thom "was deefily entraged latterly in liiblical studies." In 1M21 at Aberdeen he had joined the Hebrew clas«, an ext aordinary tliim,' for an aspiratiu to the legal |)rofessi'in. But like numbers of ^''eat 8tud"nts he had become involved in the seemingly hopeless ma/.esof the interpretation of the j.rophecies of Scripture. In ISITlie completed for i)ublication his work on the tytiical character of what he calls "Abra- ham's 4;50 years." An active mind like that of .Judtre Thoni must have something,' on whicli to work. In not liaMnx enou^jh to Hll ui> his time anrl utilize his ener- gies, he must have some abstruse line of study. His mind seems to have had a b-Mit toward? mathematics, and his inclination and probably early*training led him to be. a minute study of the Bible, e\en in the original tongues. As showing his bene toward figures, the writer remembers .fudge TKom saying that he never trot into a London omnibuH — many of whose figures run up into London I years the thousands without resoh ing the number into its factors, and combining tie in in e\ery possible manner. Nuthing delighted him so much as to g) t an appreciative IJMtener and to refer for an h Mir at a time to the inarMllou.^ events of history and to show that th-'y were not isolated, liut were part of a great system of developlm nt. MLS IIUK.\T IIOIUIV. His reverence anil his mathematical bias at length settled on Mil idea which completi'ly mastered him, and made him in his later years a perfect arithmetical enthusiast. There is lying before the society his large octavo work of ;I00 pages printed by lieminglon it <'o., lioiidoii, and which contains his elaborate theory. This work has his essay, which he calls "Kmnanuel," in a " pentaglot minia- ture," i. e, in English, {''rencli, German, Italian and Spanish. In the preface it is stateil that a lady, evidently one of the Mc- Calimn family had placed the means at his disposal for printing an edition for gratuitous distribution to friendsand leariiKl bodies. The dedication of this strange work runs thus : "To .Miss K. .1. M.. The Self-iliinliiK' Donor of Kliiniainu'l's Polyglot AiitoliioL'ni|ili.v To Mie Appriiiiriate l,ilirarii s All rniMid the dlolie." .\n invesciKatioii of the work shows Uiat his idea is that 'M and 'M, which he in some way regiirds as the alternative numbers represent ing the length of our Saviour's life on earth, are normal units of all the great events of history. Of course, though he so thoroughly believed in his theory and in its very great value, vft it may easily be seen that it is only a serie.s of arbitrary groupings and fanciful idetititications. The wonder is that a mind of such strength could have wasted itself on a [)ath so fruitless and so extravagant. l..\s\- D.ws. In summing up the life of the tirst judge of Rupert's liaiid, it is eviderit we are dealing with a irian of great activity and capaiity. He was perfectly at home in the (Jreek and fjatin classics ; he was a Hebrew scholar, and well acffuainted with our own literature. He was well versed in law, and gave his ofiinions with fullness and decision. An active newspaper writer in his earlier days, tie always main- tained a lively interest in public idfairs. It was his misfortune to be crushed between the two strong forces jf a great trad- ing coiiifiany's interest and the natural aspirations of a iieople after freedom. \o