Mr. Fleming's connection with some of our most stupendous public works has been the means of making his name known in every corner of the Dominion. Though not a Canadian either by birth or education, he is permanently identified with Canadian enterprise, and his name is distinctly and permanently recorded in our country's annals. He was born at the seaport and market-town of Kirkcaldy, in Fifeshire, Scotland--a distinction which he shares in common with the illustrious author of "The Wealth of Nations." His father was an artisan named Andrew Greig Fleming. His mother's maiden name was Elizabeth Arnot. The families to which both parents belonged have been settled on the shores of Fife for more than a century, and the names of Fleming and Arnot are common there at the present day. The subject of this sketch was born on the 7th of January, 1827. In his childhood he attended a small private school in Kirkcaldy, and afterwards, when he was about ten years of age, passed to the local grammar-school. He displayed much aptitude for mathematics, and made great progress in that branch of study. When he was still a mere boy he was articled to the business of engineering and surveying, and after serving his time began to look about him for suitable employment. He was fond of his profession, and conscious of his ability. His prospects were not such as to satisfy his ambition, and in 1845 he emigrated to Canada, and took up his abode in the Upper Province. For some years after his arrival in this country his prospects did not seem much more alluring than before. There was comparatively little employment of an important character for a man of Mr. Fleming's attainments in those days, and he made but slow headway. He resided for some time in Toronto, and took an active part in the founding of the Canadian Institute, "for the purpose of promoting the physical sciences, for encouraging and advancing the industrial arts and manufactures, for effecting the formation of a Provincial museum, and for the purpose of facilitating the acquirement and the dissemination of knowledge connected with the surveying, engineering, and architectural professions." Soon afterwards--in 1852--he obtained employment on the engineering staff of the Ontario, Simcoe and Huron Railway, the first section of which (from Toronto to Aurora) was opened to the public on the 16th of May, 1853. Mr. Fleming took a conspicuous part in the work of construction, and in process of time was promoted to the position of Engineer-in-Chief of the line. He remained in the employ of the company (the name of which was changed in 1858 to that which it has ever since borne--the Northern Railway Company) about eleven years. During much of this period he also did a good deal of professional work in connection with the Toronto Esplanade, and other important enterprises. In his professional capacity he visited the Red River country, to examine as to the feasibility of a railway connecting that region with Canada.