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James and John Fletcher XI. Hon. J. R. Sutherland XII. Mervin Cody XIII. G. L. Mackay, D.D. . Page 9 l8 26 42 SI 65 73 81 89 103 109 121 126 136 ' ■ .' : VI CONTENTS Sketch Paub XIV. Prof. Donald Mackay, B.A., Ph.D. 149 XV. Nelson Janes 157 XVI. D. S. BuRDicK 160 XVII. John Griffiths . . -171 XVIII. Thomas Oliver, M.P. . . .177 XIX. Hon. James Sutherland, M.P. . 188 XX. Rev. Charles W. Gordon, B.A. ("Ralph Connor") . .198 XXI. Rev. Alexander S. Macleod, M.A. 205 XXII. Capt. John M. Ross . . . 208 XXIII. Dr. a E. Matheson . . .218 XXIV. John S. Mackay . . . .226 • LIST OF ENGRAVINGS Page Clan Mackay . Zorra Clergymen Zorra Doctors . . Zorra Lawyers The Murray Family The Ferguson Family Rev. Donald McKenzie . Rev. G. Munro, M.A. Rev. E. D. Silcox . Rev. G. C. Patterson, M.A. James Wood . A. M. Sutherland . Prof. H. J. Cody, M.A. . George Mackay Thomas Adams George N. Matheson Hon. D. Mackay . Dr. James Fraser . i8 26 42 51 65 73 81 89 [' vu Vlll LIST OF ENGRAVINGS fiit Paul Murray and his son John James and John Fletcher Hon. John R. Sutherland Mervin Cody Rev. G. L. Mackay, D.D. Prof. Donald Mackay, Ph.D. . Nelson Janes D. S. Burdick John Griffiths Thomas Oliver, M.P. . . Hon. James Sutherland, M.P. . Rev. C. W. Gordon, B.A. ("Ralph Connor") Rev. A. S. Macleod, M.A. Capt. John M. Ross .... Dr. A. E. Matheson .... J. S. Mackay ...... pAca 103 109 121 126 136 149 160 171 177 188 198 205 208 218 226 w I I . ^• »• -x r ^ 5 3 ^K - 7 * ' ."- 5 §.js;5"-i •so Si. '< s - o n ^ a" '-jfei K y .Tit • 3.2| • 2 .« -' N O > JO 5^ O > > > i y. — X P \ f 3 ff- R5 ■I 3 r ^^•-.■r S L — s^• -I J! 3-n lis? i 2 3 a.. P^ 3 ^ :.« < £ • « JO m 02 O a ^ I «- — — «< Cesser 3 C ' ? :?! ft S • P •5c' »5. li'-*. ft 2 S « ^ S £ iJ S ^" ?ig — _ 2 re .- r - a. ass? c ?^- " ■ o I— P ^ (• ss* ■ re " ? 2.5* re 5 ■"r ^re re !^ ^2» -J J? ^ tt t: ,„ oi • cr. ^ .-*- ***■ C2 I _• re - £. » ^ re 2 - !i " ft re tr ■» K ^ ft JTS" ft a. --St; 3* 3 V re • re re - ^ p 3 2?; •S:g ' P res re 2, a.5o ^ p ' ■ " * -, A GROUP OF ZORRA LAWYERS, WITH A ZORRA PROFESSOR AND TWO ZORRA GOLD-HUNTERS. i * r^&^^^ 2 i-i 1 ■ ■- ■ 'm / 4 ^ V 3 v/ It ^ri ^^^^r ' ft;^ 1 t ^ ' ' #"''.^^1 f 1 I I ":- ■ . "> i f ^^^^^RT.'v'. ^ r A L 1 1 ^^ [^ j #"'" • '] 'h. 1 ■5 ,^ '^ 1. John McCorquodale. 2. J. Sutherland MacKay. 3. John Mathetton. 4. Hu^h Matheaon. 5. John S. MacKay. 6. Walter MacKay. 7. Hugh Morriuon. 8. James Sutherland. 9. Prof. G. L. MacKay. ] 6. 1 9. ; Joh I i A TVl'ICAL ZORRA FAMILY OF THE CLAN MURRAY, Consisting of father, mother and twelve children, all living except the father. 1. George Murray. 2. Mrs. Neil MacKay. 3. John R. Murray. 4. Mrs. (Judge) Crumpacker. 5. Hugh Murray. 6. Hector Murray-. 7. Mrs. A. U. Murray. 8. A. U. Murray, deceased, '92. 9. Alex. Murray. 10. Wni. Murray. 11. Mrs. W. L. M. Sackrider. 12. Donald Murray. 13. Mrs. John Thurlow. 14. Norman Murray. / I A WELL-KNOWN ZORRA FAMILY. 1. Win. B. Ferguson 2. Alexander Feivuson. 3. Hugh Ferguson. 4. Mrs. Wm. y ' ' . —' Stewart. 5. George Ferguson. 6. Andrew Ferguson. 7. John Ferguson. f 1 >♦ REV. DONALD MACKENZIE KOK THlKTV-KKiHT YEAKS I'ASIttK l)K /.OKKA CHL'KCH r REV. G. MUNRO, M.A. FOR EIGHTEEN YKAKS I'ASTOR OF ZOKRA CHURCH i' f KKV. K. I). SILCOX My pastorate in Kmbro extended over fourteen of the happiest years of my life. A more loving, devoted people I have never met.' Ml REV. (;. C. PATTKRSON, M.A. I'ASTOK OK ZOKKA CoNCiKKliA TION •'■.'.' ZORRA BOYS AT HOME AND ABROAD INTRODUCTORY By Zorra, in the following sketches, is meant a little district in Oxford county, Ontario, some ten miles square, composed of part of East and part of West Zorra, and containing a population of about fourteen hundred. It was settled about the year 1830, chiefly by Highlanders from Sutherlandshire, Scotland. Within the last forty years there have gone from this district over one hundred young men who have made their mark in the world. With most of these it has been the writer's good for- tune to be personally and intimately acquainted ; and companionship with some of them has been to him a pleasure and a benefit. Three of them are to-day millionaires, or within sight of that 9 10 ZORRA BOYS coveted goal ; three are senators in the United States ; two are presidents of colleges, one in England and one in the United States ; one is a professor in an American college and one in a Canadian college; another was appointed to a professor's chair but death intervened ; one was a member of the Dominion Parliament, and after him, a second ; and on his death, a third was elected, and he is to-day a member of the Dominion Cabinet ; one is at the head of the largest departmental store in the world ; one is a liberal patron of the fine arts ; one is the most famous missionary in the world, while two others are intimately associated with him in the same work ; one is " Ralph Connor," the popular author ; one is an inventor of wide reputa- tion ; several are prominent lawyers ; two or three dozen are physicians, and about twice that number are clergymen. Of the latter, six have the degree of B. A., four that of M.A., two Ph.D., and nine D.D. It is not intended to include all these in the following sketches ; this were impracticable, but it is believed that a brief, unvarnished account V' INTRODUCTORY XI of the career of some of them may be an inspira- tion, not only to the young men of Zorra to-day, but to men everywhere struggling against diffi- culties, and earnestly engaged in the conflict of life. Such sketches will also be to many a pleas- ant souvenir of early days, when " Hearts were light as ony feather, Free frae sorrow, care and strife." When we speak of the boys abroad, we make no comparison unfavorable to the boys at home, some of whom, as we shall see, are filling high and useful positions in the land. Still, it is the absent one who is most frequently thought of and spoken about, and news concerning him is as water to a thirsty traveller. The end of the nineteenth century finds us living at high pressure, and engaged in a keen competition for wealth, position or subsistence. The indolent, the weak, the intemperate must go under. Never were tact, push and principle more necessary to him who would succeed in life. In the " Zorra Boys at Home and Abroad " we have success illustrated by example. Born in humble though Christian homes, reared amid 4- .; - ■ ! ia ZORRA BOYS hardships and sometimes want, they were un- consciously trained by a stern but kind Provi- dence in those habits of temperance, economy and hard work which have brought them to the front in almost every department of life. What is success ? It is not wealth, learning or power, although these may be included. It is the building up of a pure, strong, noble charac- ter. The man who overcomes selfishness, indo- lence, wastefulness, and becomes kind, industri- ous, frugal, is a success, though he may not make much money, or be a great man for people to look up to with wonder. Success has been rightly defined as consisting in " the proper and harmonious development of those faculties which God has given us." The present is an intensely materialistic age, when, in the mad rush after gain and worldly pleasure, home life is at a low ebb, the religious education of the young sadly neglected, and the sanctity of the Sabbath trampled under foot. We would seek to com- bat this dangerous tendency of our day by exhibiting men born and reared in homes where God was honored, the children instructed in the INTRODUCTORY 13 Scriptures, and the Sabbath observed as holy unto the Lord and honorable. While the fol- lowing sketches will introduce the reader to some " boys " who have acquired considerable wealth, yet, so far as known to the writer, they have done it by honorable means. Their capital has been energy, economy, tact, industry and Christian character. Their money is not laid up, but laid out, and their beneficence is a benediction to many poor and needy ones. A few of those of whom we shall speak, though poor in material things, are rich in faith — millionaires in qualities that go to constitute a noble Christian life. One of them thus writes to me : " I never enjoyed material prosperity. The Lord saw best that I should not ; for when I prospered financially I almost invariably suf- fered spiritually." The example of such men, rich or poor, is an honor to the memory of our pioneer fathers and mothers, and ought to be an inspiration to the young men and. women of to-day. Perhaps no son of Zorra would refer to the humble circumstances surrounding his entrance f[ 14 ZORRA BOYS into life as a positive disadvantage. To the brave, apparent hindrances are real helps. *' Ad astra per aspera" No man was ever rocked into a strong character in a hammock. Life is a battle. We must conquer difficulties, or difficul- ties will conquer us. It is with us, as with the Highlanders in battle, when their chief called out to them, " Lads, there they are. If ye dinna kill them, they will kill you." " There's always room at the top," someone says. "Yes," I reply, "but no man ever reached the top sitting in a cushioned Pullman car." Think of the early struggles of Lincoln, Grant, Garfield. Call to mind the fact that of the seven Dominion premiers we have had since Confed- eration, nearly all were developed through the struggles of early life. One was a shoemaker, another a printer, another a stonemason, an- other an errand boy. Self-indulgence is a curse to anyone. The greatest misfortune that can happen to a boy is to have all his wants supplied without any effort on his part, so that he grows up in a life of luxurious ease. Such a INTRODUCTORY 15 misfortune did not overtake the Zorra boys, and for that they have reason to be thankful. In the following sketches we may occasion- ally refer to the failings, foibles and amusing experiences of the boys, for these are not with- out their lessons ; but it was undoubtedly, in a large measure.their stern Puritanical training that sent them into the world armed against the seductions of easy, luxurious indolence. They were taught firmly to believe in an All-supreme Ruler, to take the Bible as the infallible rule of their faith and practice ; to regard every experi- ence in life as coming from the Most High, and to feel their responsibility to Him for every act of life. This made them strong, devout, suc- cessful. " I have been," said Gladstone, " in public life fifty-eight years, and forty-seven years in the Cabinet of the British Government, and during those forty-seven years I have been associated with sixty of the master-minds of the country, and all but five of the sixty were Christians." So far as known to the writer, no Zorra boy to-day is ashamed of either the porridge or the m i6 ZORRA BOYS ; I Catechism on which he was reared. On the contrary, many readily testify how much they owe to the wholesome physical and mental pabulum of boyhood days. The Indian motto is : " Don't walk if you can ride ; don't stand if you can sit down ; don't sit down if you can lie down." Different is the motto of the typical Zorra boy : " Don't sleep when you ought to be awake ; don't stay awake with eyes closed and hands folded ; work with your hand«, think with your head, and love with your heart, and never forget that character is capital." If it should be objected to the following sketches that they are partial and imperfect, in- asmuch as I do not publish the faults of my friends, I have only to reply that I plead guilty, to the offence, if offence it be. There are so many ready to point out faults, that I may be excused if I prefer to look on the sunny side of life. Don't look for the flaws as you go through life, And even when you find them 'Tis wise and kind to be somewhat blind, And look for the virtues behind them. INTRODUCTORY «? . Alexander the Great had an ugly scar on his forehead, received in battle. When an eminent artist was requested to paint his portrait, he said : " If I retain the scar it will be an offence to the admirers of the monarch, and if I omit it, it will fail to be a perfect likeness. What shall I do?" He hit upon a happy expedient. He sketched the monarch leaning upon his elbow with his forefinger upon his brow covering the scar. There was the likeness, and the scar hidden. Thus I would study to paint with the finger of charity on the scar of a brother, hiding the ugly mark, and revealing only the beautiful, the true and the good. P.S. — A number of these sketches originally appeared in the Montreal Witness, and were copied extensively by the press of the Dominion. At the request of many friends they are now collected, revised, and published in permanent form. f Sketch I JAMES WOOD; OR, HOW A ZORRA BOY BECAME THE FOREMOST COMMISSION MERCHANT OF CHICAGO. ^5 Of few of her sons is Zorra more justly proud than of James Wood, with whom we begin our sketches of " Zorra Boys at Home and Abroad." The accompanying engraving conveys a fair idea of his strong, manly physique. In stature he stands six feet two and a half inches ; weighs two hundred and thirty pounds ; is broad-shouldered, full-chested, straight as an arrow, with muscles knit together like whip- cords, and nerves like steel springs ; his grand head well set upon massive shoulders, and covered with a thick coat of glossy brown hair ; his eye melting blue, his features clearly cut, and his whole countenance beaming with the strong manhood which it represents. Though i8 >^ JAMKS wool) COMMISSION Ml'liCllA.N 1, CIIICAC.O k, .(? ! i \ I i P ' JAMES WOOD «f^ in the sixty-eighth year of his age, his step is firm and elastic ; and there is a swing in his gait which marks his movements with dignity and energy. He is a man you cannot meet on the street without an involuntary tribute of re- spect to his fine presence, and a lingering look at his manly figure, as he rapidly disappears out of your sight on his way to his work, in the stock yards. From the humble log-house in Zorra to the fashionable mansion on Michigan Avenue, Chicago, is a long step, but James Wood has taken it ; and he has taken it by means not less creditable to the goodness of his heart than to the cleverness of his head. Canadians who visited the World's Fair in Chicago perhaps saw few things that made a more lasting impression upon their minds than what they witnessed at the Union Stock Yards. This enormous business centre includes no less than 475 acres of land, 320 of which are covered with plank and brick flooring. These yards contain 25 miles of streets, 38 miles of water troughs, 90 miles of water pipes, and 50 miles of sewerage. m i ' 20 ZORRA BOYS y I III The object of the yards is to furnish facilities for marketing all kinds of live stock — cattle, hogs, sheep, horses and goats. The value of all animals marketed there during the year 1899, I find, from the annual report, to be the incon- ceivable sum of $233,711,180; while the bank through which this enormous business is trans- acted shows deposits of over $55o,cxx),ooo. This vast business is transacted by about one dozen different firms, and a Zorra boy is at the head. The firm of Wood Brothers, with James Wood as the leading member, stands first. The following brief sketch of this son of Zorra will be of interest. He was born, January 16, 1833, in Morayshire, Scotland ; emigrated with his parents to Canada in 1834, and lived in Glengarry, Ont., for about one year. He then, with the rest of his family, moved to Zorra, and received his early education in Embro school. While yet little more than a boy, he was made chaplain of the division of the Sons of Temperance in the village. This caused him to think seriously of his own spiritual condition. e-i JAMES WOOD tl «••» ^ I and his fitness to lead others in prayer. The result was decidedly religious views, and an open consecration of himself to God. At first he thought of devoting himself to the Christian ministry, and with this object in view, studied two sessions in Knox College, Toronto. Dur- ing this time he preached frequently and with much acceptai. "3 to his hearers, though never to his own satisfaction. " How did you get along at ? " was asked him after returning from a service in the country. " Well, I preached about half an hour, and told them all I knew, and a good deal I did not know," was the frank and ready response. But his health failed him, and he became con- vinced that he could not stand the close confine- ment of student life. Leaving college, he served an apprenticeship to coach building in London, Ont, with the firm of Lowrie & Campbell, and in recognition of his fidelity and efficiency his time of service was reduced six months, and he was offered the charge of the establishment, which, however, he modestly declined to accept. After this he 22 ZORRA BOYS worked for a time at his trade in Aylmer, Ont. His master failed in business, and Mr. Wood, with that energy and unselfish devotion to the interests of his employer which has always characterized him, got a team of horses and peddled the unsold wagons through the country, and in a short time had them all disposed of, to the great relief of the owner. In this action we see one of the secrets of success in life. The trouble with most young men is that they never think of doing more than they are paid for. They don't put earnestness or enthusiasm into their employer's work. So much work for so much pay, is their motto. But to be appreciated, a young man must at times show his willingness to do more than he is paid for. To the utmost of his ability he must make his master's interests his own. Such men are scarce and, therefore, sooner or later, sure of promotion. Mr. Wood has never failed in business, and has always promptly met every obligation when due ; hence the great confidence placed in him to-day by thousands who have never seen him, and the immense business which he controls extending into nearly State of the Union. 1 a JAMES WOOD 23 We have seen that, early in life, Mr. Wood identified himself with temperance workers, and all his life he has practised total abstinence, not only from drink, but from tobacco in every form. This not only helped to make him a strong, clean man ; but, while he was a poor man, it greatly helped him in bu.siness by pre- venting an unnecessary waste of money. A young man came to a millionaire asking for assistance to start in business. " Do you drink ? " was the first query. " Occasionally," was the response. " Then stop drinking, and at the end of a year come back and report to me." At the end of a year the young man returned and reported that he had not touched liquor for the year. " Do you smoke ? " was the next query. " A little," was the response. " Then stop smoking and at the end of a year report to me." He did so, and during the year the young man said to a friend, " I am not going back again, for I know what he will say to me. He I ! ' 24 ZORRA BOYS will say, ' If you have stopped drinking and smoking you have saved enough money to start in business/ and I have," added he. Ha**^^ work and a dogged determination to succeed also help to account for this Zorra boy's success. Genius has been defined as a capacity for hard work. The Zorra pioneers had little gold o» biU'ci to bequeath their children, but they did tai.A th^m industry and frugality as th« way t. maten,: ■ iccsss. But niore ihan :\:.j •■ - else, early religious training has conduced to James Wood's won- derful business prosperity. His father was an esteemed elder of the Church, and in his home God was honored. James was always in his place in church, and in the Sunday School ; first as a scholar, and then as a teacher and superin- tendent. He early declared his religious con- victions, and to-day he is the main pillar of the 41st Street Presbyterian Church, Chicago ; and his generous treatment of employees, his Chris- tian activity, and large benefactions, are known far beyond his own church and city. We sometimes hear it said that high Christian ■(!■■ . / JAMES WOOD attainment is incompatible with great business ^uccess ; business, we are told, cannot be con- ducted on the principles of the Golden Rule The career of James Wood proves the contraiy, and shows us that real Christianity, not a Phar- 'sa.cal profession of it, cannot fail to develop a good character; and a good character is sure in the long run, to bring a man to the front. " Give us men ! Strong and stalwart ones ; Men whom highest hope inspires, Men whom purest honor fires, Men who trample self beneath them Men who make their country wreath them As her noble sons. Worthy of their sires. Men who never shame their mothers, Men who never fail their brothers. True, however false are others ; Give us men, I say again. Give us men ! " I \ I t f'i Sketch II. ALEXANDER M. SUTHERLAND- A fo Lv !'| if; 'ill OR, HOW A 20RRA BOY BECAME A NEW YORK MILLIONAIRE. In the Strong, well-defined features of the accompanying engraving many of my readers will recognize the full development of the stout, sportive, muscular boy of fifty years ago. He' was then known as Sandy Suthelan (Suther- land), and sometimes as Sandy Benjy, to dis- tinguish him from another Sandy in the same neighborhood. He attended the small log school-house built on the south-east corner of Hugh Anderson's farm, 9th line East Zorra. This was about a mile from his home. He says, " As soon as I was able to walk so far, I was sent to school, and I recollect my father driving a yoke of oxen dragging a log after them, to make a track for me in the snow to the school." 26 » 36 ZORRA BOYS I entered the West End School, Woodstock, at that time taught by Mr. Henry Izard, of whom Mr. Sutherland still speaks in terms of the highest respect. In this school he chummed with John L. Murray and Peter Nichol, both of whom are now well-known ministers of the Gospel. " Many a night," says Mr. Sutherland, " into the wee sma' hours, did John Murray and I wrestle with Colenso's Algebra. John was a better algebraist than I, but I was not easily excelled in Euclid ; for I so thoroughly mas- tered the first four books that all I needed was the number of a proposition, and the number of the book containing it, and I would reel it off like ' The Chief End of Man.' " Leaving school, Mr. Sutherland was soon en- gaged as a bookseller's clerk with William Warwick, of Woodstock. " This," he observes, " saved the County of Oxford the trouble and expense of another poor lawyer, for a lawyer is what I aspired to be." In the bookselling business he continued about two years, and then started a country ALEXANDER M. SUTHERLAND 37 store of his own in the village of Maxwell, County Grey, Ont Before leaving Woodstock his many friends honored him w*th a public supper, where many good thing? were said and happy predictions made concerning the am- bitious and popular young man. At the time of the Fenian Raid, in 1865, the military spirit ran high in Canada, and Mr. Sutherland showed himself a true patriot. He got together a fine rifle company, hired a drill sergeant, and had the men drilled at his own expense. However, the danger was soon over, and their services were not required. Mr. Sutherland says of this, ** I was glad. I would not like to see a lot of reckless fellows like the Fenians shooting in my direction." After this Mr. Sutherland moved to Stayner and then to CoUingwood. Here he amassed considerable wealth, and was well known for his public spirit. Selling his CoUingwood business, he with a few friends bought 2,000 acres of very fine pine land near Barrie. For a while the business prospered, but suddenly, through a change in i^ 38 ZORRA BOYS the American tariff, there came a panic among Canadian lumbermen, and Mr. Sutherland was left without a cent in the world. He thus writes of his experience at this time : " So at the age of forty my entire capital con- sisted of a good, hopeful, cheerful wife, four dear little girls, the respect of my neighbors, and plenty of confidence in myself." We cannot here go into all the ups and downs, the trials and triumphs of Mr. Suther- land's life at this time. He purchased a large interest in the American patent covering the McKinnon stylographic pen, which in Canada was worse than a failure. Mr. Sutherland, however, set his wits to work and improved upon it. Thus improved, he took it to New York, landing in the great city a perfect stran- ger, with a small brass model of the pen and a borrowed $50. All told him his patent would be a failure. " But I went to work," he says, " worked night and day, and within three months I had a good paying business. I adver- tised extensively, and in two years and a half I had agents all over the rest of the civilized 'wLt ALEXANDER M. SUTHERLAND 39 i; world, as well as in every town and city in the United States, and did a large business. "In less than four and a half years I made clear of all expenses a little over $30,cxx), and sold the business to a bookseller in the city for $68,000 more." But the great financial event of his life took place fifteen years ago, when he was swindled into wonderful success. It happened in this way : He was induced to purchase a patent for making illuminating gas of a high candle-power, at the rate of ten cents per thousand feet. But though the model worked well, nothing could make a larger apparatus than the model work success- fully. After experimenting for the greater part of two years, paying expensive men to assist him, he gave it up. He then went to work and in- vented another apparatus for the same purpose, on an entirely different plan. This succeeded, and was the beginning of a career of uninter- rupted and wonderful prosperity. Mr. Sutherland is to-day one of the best known men in Wall Street, New York City. I 'I 8 i sssss 40 ZORRA BOYS ' ill I He is President of the Sutherland Construction and Improvement Company of New York, and president or director of half a dozen other companies, the aggregate capital stock of which runs into the millions, and his contracts run into hundreds of thousands of dollars annually. Being asked, To what do you attribute your success in life ? Mr. Sutherland replied : " When I achieved any degree of success I did it by first laying out a plan, and then with unswerving perseverance working out that plan and no other. Have a purpose and stick to it." Self-reliance is a strong characteristic of this son of Zorra. Depend on yourself, is his motto. He writes : " Once, when a boy, I was thrown into deep water in a river by a much older boy, who was a good swimmer, and I was told to swim or drown. With many awkward flounder- ings, and much spluttering, I managed to keep afloat half the time, till I got ashore. Ever since that time I could swim. " Apart from that time I have never gained anything by taking other people's advice, unless ll^ 1 Ws SI! ALEXANDER M. SUTHERLAND 41 it was medical advice, and that wasn't right half the time." Mr. Sutherland speaks with gratitude of his Christian parents and his religious home train- ing, and concludes with these words, so important to every young man to-day : « I have noticed that those who have come nearest to living up to the Golden Rule have been the most uniformly successful, both as to character and competence." 7 i; Sketch III PROF. HENRY JOHN CODY, M.A.; OR, HOW A ZORRA BOY BECAME A COLLEGE PROFESSOR. What George Howe, the lad o' pairts, was to Drumtochty, Henry John Cody is to Zorra ; and no more proud were the Drumtochtyites of George than the Zorraites are of Henry John. They point to the brilliant scholar of the uni- versity, and the learned professor of Wyclifife College, Toronto, and assure the visitor that he is every inch of him a Zorra boy. True, Henry John has some Sassenach blood in his veins, but he is of good Gaelic stock, nevertheless ; and although he is an Episcopal and doesna' gang to the kirk, this arises from too much affection fo his mother's religion, and so the Celts of Zorra love him none the less. H. J. Cody is the eldest son of Elijah Cody, 42 # m vi r^ ti liv PROF. HENRY JOHN CODY 43 of Embro, whose mother's maiden name was Johanna Sutherland, and who was born in Gol- spie, Sutherlandshire. His mother's name was Margaret Louisa Torrance, a descendant from a good Dublin family, and a member of the Church of England. He was born in Embro on December 6th, 1868. Among his early teachers were Hugh Morrison, now a barrister in Lucknow, and George Jamieson, now Dr. Jamieson, of Lone Rock, Wisconsin, U.S. Of these Prof. Cody says : " Two more accurate and helpful teachers it would be hard to find. I am sure that many of the boys received their first impulse toward a general love of literature and history from the suggestive and broad teach- ing of these men." These were the days of spelling matches, his- tory matches, geography matches, and public school debate^, when every library in the village, public and private, was ransacked for the desired information. The annual public examination, with its recitations, prizes, etc., formed one of the great events of the year. All this was very II ^•t ZORRA BOYS stimulating to the keen, precocious mind of young Cody. New and improved methods of teaching were beginning to be introduced, although the rod was still in evidence, and there were many now happily defunct methods of exercising discip- line. Being made to stand on one foot, or sit between two girls, or wear a fool's cap, were some of these. Perhaps the most memorable one was that called " sitting on nothing." You were against the wall and had to put your foot out to a certain line, almost a foot and a half from the wall, and then put your back straight against the wall. The result was sitting on nothing, and the spectacle of half a dozen boys poised thus against the wall was ludicrous enough. The annals of Embro inform the stranger that in 1880 the first group of scholars from the vil- lage school went up to Woodstock to write on the comparatively new entrance examination to the High School, that all the applicants were successful, and that for years the Embro school headed the county list, to the great pride of the villagers. 7 I ^ PROF. HENRY JOHN CODY 45 Young Cody had a brilliant literary career. In 1 88 1 he went to Gait Collegiate Institute, which he attended for four years, preparing for matriculation examination in the university. The holidays were, of course, spent at his home in Embro. In 1885 he matriculated into the University of Toronto with first-class honors in classics, mathematics and modern languages, and win- ning four schola»*ships — the classical, modern languages. Prince of Wales and general profi- ciency — perhaps as high honors as were ever won by any student on a similar occasion. His university career, thus auspiciously begun, was pursued with fidelity and marvellous success. He took to Latin and Greek like a duck takes to water. The records show that in the first year he won the classical, modern language and general proficiency scholarships ; in the second year, the general and modern languages scholar- ships, the medal for general proficiency, and first- class honors in logic, metaphysics and ethics ; and so on till the fourth or final year, when he swept the boards, coming out without a peer, •'l f. Ifi 46 ZORRA BOYS having captured the McCaul gold medal in classics, first-class honors in metaphysics, the prize for best English essay, and other high honors. The like of it had never been known before, said a Zorra man. His high attainments entitled him to a fellow- ship in classics at the University, but instead of taking it he accepted the appointment of Classi- cal Master in Bishop Ridley College, St. Catharines. After holding this post for some time he returned to Toronto, and completed his theolo- gical course at Wycliffe College. He was after- wards appointed to the chair of Church History in this college, where he is at present. He is also examiner in classics at the University of Toronto, as well as lecturer in Latin. Last autumn he was appointed rector of St. Paul's Church, Toronto, one of the most impor- tant and beautiful Anglican places of worship in the city. Since his installation the congregation has made wonderful prog»jss, and recently a large addition was made to the church edifice to accommodate the increasing numbers of wor- 9 \ PROF. HENRY JOHN CODY 47 shippers. At the dedication meeting, on April 2 1st, 1900, his Lordship the Bishop of Toronto attributed a great deal of the success of the con- gregation to the unusual abilities, earnestness and energy of character and the great personal charm of manner of Prof. Cody. At the same meeting one of the leading laymen of Toronto described him as an able minister, who presented the simple gospel truths and who did not indulge in fantastic ceremonies, or in the presentation of strange doctrines. In April, 1900, he was selected as the representative of Wycliffe Col- lege to the great Ecumenical Missionary Con- ference held in New York. Surely this son of Zorra reflects no little credit on his native township. It will be interesting to trace some of the early influences which helped to make Prof Cody the man he is. Being asked to state these influences he replied as follows : " I. The reverent observance of the Lord's Day. In my own experience that day was never made dreary or oppressive ; but everyone really believed that the Lord's Day had some <» 48 ZORRA BOYS decided authority, and could not lightly be dis- regarded. That feeling lasts and does a man good as long as he lives. " 2. The great amount of Scripture memorized in those days. I am astonished when I recall what feats we accomplished in this respect. " 3. The stimulating character of the general religious atmosphere of both the village and township. Any boy who chose could have had the opportunity of hearing profound and earnest theological discussions carried on at all sorts of odd times. " I remember on the occasion of the re-union of the professional men of Zorra, at the garden party held on the grounds of the late Donald Matheson, hearing Dr. George Duncan and the Rev. John Ross, of Brucefield, arguing ingeni- ously on the subject of election. Each had, as he thought, an impregnable position, and remained in it, fearing to sally forth lest he might be taken captive by his opponent. Dr. Duncan kept asking, ' Did not Jesus taste death for every man?' and Mr. Ross kept replying, 'Jesus will have every man for whom he died.' The PROF. HENRY JOHN CODY 49 theologian, at least, will appreciate the caution of the contestants. " 4. The establishing of the public library at Embro, under the care of Capt. Alex. Gordon, was one of the most helpful and stimulating in- fluences c ' my early days. To that library I owe personally a great debt of gratitude. Here were carried on, almost nightly, the discussions — political, religious, literary — in which the genial captain. Dr. Ross, Wm. Stewart, my father (if it was a political discussion) and others displayed marvellous dexterity, as well as great breadth of information. " 5. The spirit of sturdy independence, and a reliance, under God, upon one's own persistent efforts, could not fail to be helpful to any young man. Any success I have ever met in life has been, by God's blessing, due to downright hard work. " The general early training of Zorra boys in plain living, and a reasonable degree of high thinking, made them self-reliant, resourceful, and determined to push forward. " Some of my most amusing recollections of 4 so ZORRA BOYS old Zorra days are connected with political and other public meetings. Of course their political meetings were tremendously one-sided, as a solid phalanx of Reform voters usually filled the hall. But the few Conservatives in Embro were all the more resolute and vigorous in their cham- pionship of John A. and his doings. There was a time, I think, when the only copy of the Mail which came to Embro post-office was that which my father took. " I cannot close without paying a warm tribute to the splendid influence, intellectual and moral, of the various clergymen who ministered in Embro in my time — the Rev. Gustavus Munro, M.A., the Rev. John Salmon, M. A., and the Rev. E. D. Silcox." ' ■ 1- ]\' i« C.EORGE MACKAV iU: i Sketch IV GEORGE MACKAY; OR, THE YOUTHFUL STANDARD-BEARER. If SO far in these sketches I have said little directly of the religious life of some of Zorra's young men, it has certainly not been because of scarcity of good material. But having in " Pioneer Life in Zorra " dwelt largely upon this aspect of the life of the district, I did not wish to repeat myself here, though the task was tempting enough. In this sketch, however, I present a few things concerning the religious life and the triumphant death of a young man of lofty purpose and noble character, who was early called to his reward, but whose memory will long be fragrant in Zorra. George Mackay was born on May 27th, 1856. SI I n 52 ZORRA BOYS He was the son of Mr. and Mrs. Donald Mac- kay, and was one of a family of eight, seven sons and one daughter. Four of the sons were dedicated to the ministry of the Presbyterian Church. His brothers, Hugh Mackay, of Broad- view, N.W.T., and Angus Mackay, of Lucknow, Ont., are well-known ministers to-day. His brother William died in i8ii. George, like all Zorra boys, received his prim- ary education in the district school. After attending for some time the High School at St. Mary's, he went to Upper Canada College, and entered Toronto University in 1874- In the summer of 1875 he taught school and preached a few times. In February, 1 876, he con- tracted a heavy cold, which brought on pleurisy, and necessitated his leaving college and seek- ing rest at home. Thinking that a trip across the ocean might benefit him, his father took him in the month of June to visit friends in Scotland. While there he gained some strength, but on returning, got overheated in Montreal, drank too freely of cold water, suffered a relapse, 1 GEORGE MACKAY 53 I 7 and scarcely reached his home when he was stricken with typhoid fever, and after an illness of ten days passed away on August 25th, 1876, in the twenty-first year of his age. Young in years, he was ripe in grace, and is it not natural for the ripe fruit to fall ? Young or old, have they not run long enough who have reached the goal and won the prize ? Some of George Mackay's letters and death- bed sayings have been preserved. Though never hitherto published, I venture to say they would do no discredit to John Newton or Robert Murray McCheyne, if published along- side their wonderful words. Such clear views of evangelical truth, such depth of Christian experie.ice, and such an all-absorbing spirit of devot on, combined with deep tenderness and humility, are seldom found in one so young. On August 3rd, 1874, in a letter to his bro- ther Hugh, who had recently entered the Chris- tian ministry, he says : " Dear Hugh, — I suppose you will be think- ing that I ought to be more mindful of you than I have been since I left you in Toronto, but I 54 ZORRA BOYS must say that I am kept so busy that I can scarcely get time to do anything but work, work. I mean phy^Mcal labor. However, I can assure you, that whci^. I come in from work every night, perhaps very tired and wearied out after a hard day's toil, I never forget to call you and your work to mind, and to present the desires of my heart to our common Father in heaven, that prosperity may accompany your labors, and that you may indeed feel the assist- ance of His Holy Spirit directing y^u in all things. Dear Hugh, I often think what a responsible position yours is, and the great account you will have to render at the final day of retribution. Oh, the need of being closely united to the true Vine from which you may draw enough to supply all your need ! " Writing to his mother from Toronto, he makes reference to the recent marriage of his sister as follows : " My Dear Mother,— ■ am sure you will be feeling a little lonely since Tena left you ; and who can blame you, for we can all testify that she has been to you a kind and dutiful daughter ; ■ / , V 1' GEORGE MACKAY 55 and the fact of her being separated from you, to become more closely connected with an- other, cannot but leave an aching void which can only be filled by daily intimacy with the Friend who has promised that His kindness shall never fail. We need not expect to have earthly friends who shall last us all our lifetime. Those who are our most intimate companions to-day may to-morrow forsake us. But I hope you will enjoy spiritual life more than ever, and seek to devote all the health and strength God may see fit to grant you, in His own service and to His own glory. I think you have been a Martha long enough ; turn a new leaf now and become a Mary. You will realize more happiness in old age than you have done hitherto, by ascend- ing betimes, with the eye of faith, the heights of Pisgah, and viewi-g the beautiful homr, bright and fair, that lies beyond the Jordan. I hope you are all well. Give my regards to father and all, and believe me to be, " Your loving son, " George." 56 ZORRA BOYS Under date " Knox College, Toronto, Janu- ary 24th, 1875," he writes to a cousin about whose spiritual interest he felt much concern. He says : " Oh, if there is anything that rejoices my heart, and gives me moments of true happi- ness, it is to see one whom I love becoming a lover of the Saviour, and thus enjoying the same happiness, partaking of the same fulness of love and grace, and above all, cherishing the same blessed prospect of eternal bliss as myself. I have made trial both of the world and of Christ, and oh, what a contrast ! Alas ! that I should have filled out fifteen long years to no purpose, satisfying self and Satan, when all my time was ^ue to Him who died that I might live. Alas ! that I should have so long lived on the husks of the world, when in the Father's house there was plenty and to spare, Ala*^ I that I should have lived naked and destitute of raiment, when during all these long years Jesus was offering to me the spotless robe of His own righteousness. " Oh, if you have not yet received Christ into your heart, let me entreat you as one who loves li !! i GEORGE MACKAY 57 !! , S your soul, to receive Him now ; and then you will have something for m'! 'ch to live, and when life's battle is ending, and you are about to exchange the mortal for the immortal, you can sing— ' I'll soon be at home over there, Por the end of my journey I see ; Many dear to my heart over there Are waiting and watching for me.' " His last illness, as already indicated, was short in duration, but it was very rich in Christian experience and testimony. To his father, who was sitting beside his bed, he said : " Oh, father, you have been so good to me. You have done so much for me, and i have been so bad to you." He then address' his Father in heaven and said : " I will ask God's forgive- ness first. Fither^ I have sinned against Heaven and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son ; make me as one of thy servants." After praying to God for some time in this manner, he turned again to his earthly father, and confessed his many sins to him. "Oh, father, I have been so stubborn, strong-headed and 58 ZORRA BOYS " self-willed. I have disobeyed you so often. Will you forgive me, father?" The father assured him he had nothing hard against him in his mind, but if he had done anything ill, he had forgiven him long ago. He then burst forth in expressions of gratitude to God for such a father. In speaking about himself he expressed deep humility, and his utter unworthiness of any of the least of God's mercies. " Oh, the love of God," he said, " Christ dying for sinners, poor lost sinners, Christ dying for worms ! What an ocean of love is seen here. May we all, blessed Saviour, be drinking largely out of this ocean which is free to the vilest sinner." Observing his sister standing beside the bed, he said : " Oh, sister, do not rest one moment satisfied without a real union with Christ. I do not know but that you knew Jesus long before I did ; but do not rest until you are sure of a real union — a lasting union e listing between your soul and Chr.'st. Do not rest satisfied with an outward confession of sins, but may the blessed work of the Spirit be carried on to perfection within your soul. Walk in the ways of love, 11 1/ f t •A I GEORGE MACKAY 59 >i^ joy, peace, long-suffering, meekness, holiness and truth, for these are the fruits of the Spirit." At another time he spoke to his sister Tena alone, and said : " Remember, dear sister, that in times of prosperity you need to be very watch- ful. You are very apt then to set your heart on the things of time and sense. You are apt to be allured from the straight and narrow path, and to forget your God. You require more grace at such times to keep your heart. Do not let anything here have the room in your heart that Christ should have. I believe God will be with you, and keep you, and preserve you. I trust 3^ou are united to the Lord Jesus Christ by living faith, and that He will never leave you, nor forsake you." At another time, speaking about growth in grace, he said : " I believe decidedly we ought to be making progress in the divine life every day we live. We ought to be getting closer to God in love and likeness every day." He then repeated the verse : " Nearer, my God, to Thee." He often mourned over how little he had done for Jesus. On one of these occasions, he i; '! 60 ZORRA BOYS said : " Have we not enlisted as soldiers under thy banner, the blood-red banner of King Emanuel, and should we not be doing some- thing? Is it possible that there is one idle soldier in the army ? There are precious souls perishing around us, and so many millions throughout the world. Should we not try to rescue the perishing? We have even many friends and relatives who are far from Christ. Let us speak to them lovingly, and try to win them by love that we may give them no offence." On one occasion he repeated a verse that his cousin John gave him, and seemed to be greatly pleased with it. It was Ps. xliii. 5 : " Why art thou cast down, O my soul ? And why art thou disquieted v thin me? Hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God." *' John gave me that verse," said he. He then prayed for him, and afterwards for all the family, that God would bless them, and make them a blessing to others. He spoke some time about , who had infidel views. " Oh," he said, " he !l GEORGE MACKAY 6i I has such good natural qualities ; he seems to be so meek, kind and agreeable ; I feel so sorry that he should hold such views. To live without God and die without hope is too awful to think of. I often thought I would write him a letter, but I could never get courage to do so. I hope he may yet be brought into a knowledge of the truth. May God bless all the family." Seeing his brothers and sisters standing around him weeping, he exclaimed : " Do not shed a tear for me. I love you all ; you are so good to me, but I would rather depart and be with Christ, which is far better than to remain with the nearest and dearest friends here. Our light afflictions are but for a moment, and work out for us an exceeding and eternal weight of glory." He often prayed for patience to bear his trouble, and to be resigned to the will of God. On one occasion he said : '* I pray not that thou wouldst take me out of this affliction, but that thou wouldst give me grace that 1 may b;iar it patiently." Again he said : " For my part I would rather go, but for your sakes 1 would like 62 ZORRA BOYS il to stay." He then gave some reasons for wish- ing to go, enumerating a list of the qualities of this earth, and also a list of the qualities of the "home over there," and told his friends to contrast the two. Speaking to his father about faith in God, he said : " Would it not be dishonoring to you, if I would not believe you ? It would be mean and unworthy. So it must be very dishonoring to God not to believe what He says. I do think unbelief is the great sin." At one time he repeated very emphatically: " I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of sin for a season," and then, as if addressing David, he said: "Well might you say that, David. I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the palaces A sin." On another occasion he repeated the first verse of the thirteenth chapter of Zechariah, and asked : " What did the clause ' To the house of David and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem ' mean?" It was explained to him that this indicated provision made in Christ for the king 1^ I**- \ GEORGE MACKAY 63 and for the common people, high and low, rich and poor. He was greatly pleased with the explanation, and requested that the whole chapter be read to him. To his aunt, who was attending him, and to v^hom he many times expressed his gratitude for her .,reat kindness, he remarked that she looked so much like his dear mother, who had died two years before, and then added : "Auntie, is it not right that we should use every means in our power to induce our friends and relatives who are far from Christ, to come to Him ? " " Oh, Tena," said he to his sister, " what an awful thing it will be if even one of our family will be lost in the great day." As the end drew near the pearly gate seemed to stand ajar, and he had a transporting vision of the Golden City. " Oh, the glory ! " he ex- claimed, "of the heavenly land. It passes our finite comprehension. The great things that God hath prepared for us, eye hath not seen nor ear heard, nor mind conceived, but," continued he, his countenance glowing with celestial radiance, " these things are not unknown to us I 64 ZORRA BOYS even here, for God hath revealed them to us by His Spirit." Of few are the following lines more descrip- tive than of George Mackay : "E'er since, by faith, I saw the stream Thy flowing wounds supply, Redeeming love has been my theme, And shall be till I die. "Then in a nobler, sweeter song, I'll sing Thy power to save. When this poor lisping, stammering tongue Lies silent in the grave." i^ "^z i^HiiiiiiMi^ 3y 0- IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-S) /. % 1.0 I.I l^|2£ 12.5 |5o ""^ M^H " lis 1110 2.2 1-25 III! 1.4 IllllJi^ T /^ •> .>>' Hiotographic Sciences Corporation 23 WfST MAIN STREiT WEBSTER, N.Y. I4S80 (716) 873-4503 A 6^ ^ T THOMAS ADAMS Sketch V THOMAS ADAMS; OR, THE GREAT SHIPOWNER OF DETROIT. A ZORRA boy who dearly loves the old town- ship, and whose great delight it is royally to entertain any of its people who give him the opportunity, is Mr. Thomas Adams, of Detroit. In a recent letter to the writer, he says : " The impressions made upon my young mind during the years I spent in Zorra, by contact with the practical, persevering, industrious and self-deny- ing character of the people of that time, have been my ideal through life ; and to my Zorra education I attribute in great measure what success I have attained. Young men. whether remaining in their Zorra homes, or casting their lot in strange lands, will comir.'t no mistake in making Zorra ethics of the forties their standard." 5 65 66 ZORRA BOYS Providence has been kind to Mr. Adams, en- trusting him with a large amount of this world's goods, and seldom has wealth been committed to more worthy hands. A total abstainer, in- dustrious, thrifty and God-fearing, success in business was assured him from the start. At first he worked for a time in Col. Dent's distil- lery, Embro ; but he soon concluded that making whiskey was not the work for him. The event that brought him to this conclu- sion is worthy of note. A companion and fel- low-worker had recently moved from the dis- tillery in Embro to that in Stratford. One morning he was found dead under circumstances that clearly indicated that he fell a victim to strong drink. Notice of his death reached Embro on Saturday, and he was to be buried the following Sunday. Thomas Adams, along with John Cody, Michael and Edward Brophy, and a few other young men, started early Sun- day morning and walked from Embro to Strat- ford and back, thirty-two miles, in order to attend the funeral. The funeral service was conducted by the late Rev. Thomas McPherson, THOMAS ADAMS 67 who took occasion faithfully to admonish his hearers against intemperance, and quoted the scripture warning, " No drunkard shall inherit the kingdom of God." The sermon was a searching one, and together with the mournful occasion, made a deep impression on the minds of the young men from Embro. " On the way home," says Mr. Adams, " we discussed the whole matter, and some of us pledged ourselves to have nothing more to do either with the making or selling of whiskey. This determina- tion in no small degree shaped my future career. Next day I informed my master that I was leaving the whiskey business. He tried hard to laugh me out of such a * foolish notion,' as he called it ; but he did not succeed, and to my firm decision on that occasion I trace, in a large measure, my success in life." Leaving Embro, he went to Buffalo, where he worked as a day laborer. His wages were very small, but from the first he determined to lay aside a little for the rainy day — an example to the young men of to-day. From Buffalo he went to Detroit, where he I a ZORRA BOYS , (J- apprenticed himself to a brass-founder, named Silas N. Kendrick. Mr. Kendrick was a man of generous spirit, and the relation between master and servant was a peculiarly happy one. Mr. Adams writes : " My apprenticeship agreement with him was for forty cents a day for the first year, sixty cents per day for the second, and seventy-five cents for the third. Th*; second month of the first year I was paid fifty cents per day to the end of that year, at which time I re- minded Mr. Kendrick of the beginning of the second year, expecting to be paid the sixty cents, according to the original agreement. He replied, * After working hours this evening, come to the office.' I expected to get a good fatherly talk- ing to as well as the sixty cents per day. Well, I got the first, after which he said : * Thomas, how much do you think you are worth to me ? ' I replied, ' I wish I was worth one dollar a day to you.* After a few moments of silence the cheering reply came, ' Thomas, you are worth it, and you shall be paid it.' That moment," continues Mr. Adams, " inspired me with richer feelings than any event of subsequent years." THOMAS ADAMS 69 Well would it be to-day if all masters and servants practised the golden rule like Kendrick and Adams. Having served his apprenticeship, Mr. Adams continued to work with Mr. Kendrick as a journeyman until he was, through his industry and thrift, in a position to start in business for himself. Selling out the brass works, he, ^.'th two others, purchased an interest in a sailing vessel. Then as financial conditions justified, the company went on, purchasing and building, until their fleet consisted of nine steam and sail crafts, sailing between Duluth and Cleveland, Buffalo, etc. At present Mr. Adams is sole owner of the steamship Adams, capable of carrying one hun- dred thousand bushels of corn, or three thousand tons of ore or coal, and the contract building price of which was $132,000. Mr. Adams has a retentive memory, and he delights to relate the incidents and experiences of " Auld Lang Syne," some of which we will here give. Speaking of the kind, self-sacrificing spirit which so generally characterized the 70 ZORRA BOYS i pioneer fathers, he says : " No one could be more earnest in that direction than Mr. J. Cody, father of Mr. E. Cody, of Embro, who, when the village doctor refused to personally administer relief to cholera-stricken sufferers, did all that lay in his power for them, knowing well the danger involved. The exposure resulted in his death ; he laid down his life for others. He was as great a hero, and showed as much moral courage, as any Canadian lad whose blood has drenched African soil." Mr. Mervin Cody, brother of John Cody, now living near Sarnia, in the eighty-fifth year of his age, enjoying the calm evening of a religious life, forms a link connecting the present and the past Zorra. " Some few years ago he favored me," says Mr. Adams, " with a social call. Our conversation turned upon those of Embro who had gone to their eternal rest. In our minds we started on a walk through Commissioner Street, which was then, in 1844, all there was of the village. Beginning at Mr. Laycock's mill, we questioned ourselves about as follows : ' Where was Mr. Laycock ? ' Answer, ' Dead.' * Where i THOMAS ADAMS 71 was Theron iHallock ? ' Answer, ' Dead.' And so on through the street. Asa Saunder, John D. Dent, John Cody, Donald Mackay, Mr. Rust, big and little Angus Mackay, Walsh, Taft, Gordon, John Mackay, Young and others whom I cannot now call to mind, all dead ; very few of that period now remain. " Boys then, as now, were sometimes unmind- ful of the exclusive rights of owners to their oWn melon patches. That indiscrimination led to a raid by some Embro boys on a bright moon- light night, about eleven o'clock, on Mr. Mervin Cody's melon patch, near the barn. Just as they were about to help themselves to the melons a dim light was seen in the barn. Sub- sequently a voice was heard in prayer. The boys scampered and remained hid in and behind the shed, until Mr. Cody had gone from the barn to the house. A consultation was then held by the boys, with the resolve that Mr. Cody's melons, under the circumstances, were not the kind of melons they wanted, and they returned to Embro, not with the melons, but with a good lesson that in after years, I am constrained to Kxiiam n \ mK >>4mfrrvmim Ma-jiL-iyitiJi •