Reminiscences of a Raconteur, Between the '40s and the '20sHam, George H. (George Henry)
History
Reminiscences of a Raconteur, Between the '40s and the '20s
Ham, George H. (George Henry)
Canada; Ham, George H. (George Henry), 1847-1926; Journalists -- Canada -- Biography
unconsciously got into so much of the white light which beateth about
the throne.
Sir William Whyte came to the C.P.R. in its early days, and after
filling several important positions in the east, went to Winnipeg, where
he was Vice-President, in which position he exerted a wide influence
throughout the west.
Then there was Robert Kerr, who as a boy was connected with the old
Northern Railway of Toronto, and in 1884 entered the service of the
C.P.R., with headquarters at Winnipeg and afterwards at Montreal,
filling the position of passenger traffic manager. He was the son of
Capt. Kerr, an old steamboat man of Toronto, who was in command of the
favorite _Maple Leaf_, which plied on Lake Ontario, and with whom I
sailed as a non-paying passenger many a time. Robert Kerr served with
great distinction during the civil war, fighting for the North. Mr.
James W. Leonard, who passed away in April, 1919, was another old-timer
who is not forgotten. In his youth he was connected with the old Midland
Railway of Canada, and afterwards with the Credit Valley, and in 1880,
when it was absorbed by the C.P.R., he became a superintendent and
afterwards general manager of the road. Mr. Charles Drinkwater was
secretary of the railway in 1881, and in 1908 rose to be assistant to
the president. In his youth Mr. Drinkwater was secretary to Sir John
Macdonald, and gained an insight into parliamentary matters that were of
great assistance to him and to the company in matters of legislation in
Ottawa.
* * * * *
A. C. Henry, who succeeded Mr. Shaughnessy as purchasing agent, was with
the company from its beginning, and died at a comparatively early age,
and when he died there was general regret for he was highly esteemed.
One of the oldest employees of the company was Charles Spencer, who in
1864 was a conductor on the Brockville & Ottawa, and naturally was taken
over by the C.P.R. when that road was purchased by the company. He was
for years on the Montreal-Ottawa run, and was a great favourite with the
travelling public. It was not until 1913 that he was pensioned, and he
died at a ripe old age five years later. He was father of Charles and H.
B. Spencer, two men who were closely connected with the C.P.R. Charlie
became general superintendent and resigned in 1905 to accept a higher
position in the Canadian Northern, and died some years ago, but Harry,
who commenced work with the Canada Central (now C.P.R.) in 1870, as
telegraph operator and assistant agent at Ottawa, is still on duty as
superintendent in his native city. W. J. Singleton was another of the
early workers, being agent at Ottawa, in 1882, and afterwards
superintendent until 1909, passing away early in 1911.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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