A Cyclopædia of Canadian Biography: Brief biographies of persons distinguished in the professional, military and political life, and the commerce and industry of Canada, in the twentieth century
History
A Cyclopædia of Canadian Biography: Brief biographies of persons distinguished in the professional, military and political life, and the commerce and industry of Canada, in the twentieth century
Canada -- Biography
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=Mackintosh, Charles Herbert= (Ottawa, Ont.), was born in London,
Ontario, in 1843; a son of the late Captain William Mackintosh, county
engineer of Middlesex, Ontario, and Leonora Sophia, daughter of Colonel
Dickenson of Jamaica, West Indies. Captain Mackintosh came to Canada as
an attaché of the ordnance branch of the British Army. Mr. Mackintosh
has led an unusually active life, succeeding in making his way, unaided,
to positions of honor and influence. He was educated at the Galt Grammar
School (Tassie’s), and Caradoc Academy (Middlesex Co.), two well-known
institutions at that time. When the Prince of Wales (afterwards King
Edward VII) visited Canada in 1860, an ode of welcome from the pen of
Mr. Mackintosh, then a youth of seventeen, was presented to His Royal
Highness. Two years later, under the title of “Fat Contributor,” he
wrote for the London “Free Press,” a series of articles,
characteristically entitled “Hurry-Graphs.” These attracted wide
attention, and the entrance of the young writer into journalism was a
foregone conclusion. He relinquished the study of law, and became,
first, reporter, and soon afterwards city editor of the “Free Press.”
Believing that the early history of pioneer life in Upper Canada should
be heard from the lips of those who had passed through the ordeal, Mr.
Mackintosh organized a Committee, the result being a Pioneer Banquet, at
which 400 old settlers from local and distant points were in attendance.
Col. J. B. Askin, one of the early pioneers acted as chairman, Mr.
Mackintosh, as the youngest Canadian, acting as Secretary. Subsequent to
this, he assisted in promoting the Western Fair, which to-day has
expanded to noticeable proportions. His journalistic career was marked
by rapid progress. In 1864 he was city editor of the Hamilton “Times.” A
year later he founded the “Dispatch,” of Strathroy, which he conducted
until 1873. In 1868 he married Gertrude Cooke, daughter of T. Cooke,
J.P., of Strathroy. In 1871 he founded the Parkhill “Gazette,” which he
controlled for some time, while still managing the “Dispatch.” In the
same year, he unsuccessfully contested North Middlesex as Conservative
candidate for the local legislature. In 1871 he visited Chicago during
the fire, and wrote a description of the terrible event; 60,000 copies
being sold in two weeks. He was also elected a member of the town
council of Strathroy, in which capacity he exhibited talents, which
afterwards showed to better advantage in a wider sphere. Believing in
himself, as all men do who come to the front in human affairs, he
proceeded to prepare for a higher sphere in public life which he was
destined to fill. Deciding that the protection system which had long
been established in the United States, deserved consideration in Canada,
he accepted the position of managing editor of the Chicago “Journal of
Commerce.” While resident in the western metropolis, he studied
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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