The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-03-19
CANADA'S RICHEST man
Lord Strathcona a Controlling Fac
for in Great Enterprises.
At His own Expense He Equips,
Pays. and Sends to South Africa
n Troop of Rough Riders His
Extensive Possessions Scattered
From Labrador to Dawson City.


strathcona Horse. over 400 strong. which
sailed from Halifax for Cape Town on
Thursday. have been raised. ACQUIRED. and
will be transported to and maintained at
the seat of war at the personal expense Of
Lord Strathcona. The troop is made up
almost entirely OF Westerners. and includes
members and former members of the
mounted police gentlemen ranchers. cow
boy cattle punchers, hunters. and plains
men. 1t was recruited over an area of
million square miles. a NUMBER of its mem
bers coming a thousand miles over the ice
from the Klondike in order to enlist. II is
officered by Lieutenant Colonel Steele, OF
the Mounted Police, who started for South
Africa as second in command of the West
ern squadrons of the Canadian Mounted
Rifles, but was recalled TO take the COM
mand OF this force. 1t is the best equip
ped force that has yet been sent from
Canada, Lord Strathcona's agents having
spared no money in supplying everything
that could be suggested as desirable for the
purpose The men Travelled in special trains
with sleepers and in their voyage TO South
Africa on the Monterey they will live like
lords. Lord Strathcona is paying more than
twice the regular army rates TO the mem
bers of the force. The total cost Will, at
the least calculation. run far over 81. 000.-
0OO, and it is not improbable that it viii
go as high as S2,000,000.
Large as this amount is il will not trou-
BILE Lord Strathcona to meet 1t. He is by
far the richest man in Canada. He is the
controlling factor in the greatest three
money making institutions in Canada-the
Canadian Pacific Railway, the Bank OF
nn.- nv
A majority of the stock of the last named
company is said to be held by Lord Strath
coma. The Hudson Bay Company owns, by
Government grant, one-eighth OF all the
land in the Canadian Northwest In every
township OF sixteen sections 1t owns two
full sections of 600 acres each. 1t has, FUR
thermore, an interest in every town site In
the West. The best quarter of the city OF
Winnipeg was originally in its possession,
and ii owns much of ii yet.
This company has immense stores in all
the Western towns and cities, and does
the cream Of the retail trade, while fur-
Their North it has virtual monopoly of
the fur business.
Lord Strathcona is one of the largest
owners of Canadian Pacific stock, which
has trebled in value within the last four
years In addition he has numberiess
other interests in insurance and loan COM
panies II NAV be an encouraging thought
for many to ponder that Lord Strathcona
was well on in life before he emerged
from the crowded ranks of the compare
lively poor men. He is now in his
eightieth year, and he was nearly sixty
before his great opportunity came He
was born plain Donald A Smith his ma
tive place being little village in Elgin-
shire in North Scotland. He came 10
Canada in his twentieth year Is a clerk
in the service of the Hudson Bay Com
pany. and spent nearly quarter OF a
century in the wilds Of Labrador. He
gradually rose in the service, and when
about fifty years Of age reached the highest
post in the company's service, that of chief
factor and chief commissioner. This car
ried with il a handsome salary and an
interest in the profits of the company.
As chief commissioner he was stationed
at Fort Garry (now Winnipeg when the
Red River troubles broke out in 1870 and
first came into the public eye by the tact
with which he sought, though unsuccess-
fully 20 moderate the passions which ulti-
mately led to bloodshed and rebellion. He
was appointed commissioner by the Do
minion Government to treat with the
rebels. and played noble part in bring
ing peace TO the distracted land. 1t is
perhaps coincidence that it was in the
suppression of this outbreak that Lord
Wolseley and Sir Redvers Butler first won
their spurs. Lord Wolseley. then plain
Colonel Wolseley, commanded the Red
River expeditionary force, with Captain
Butler as adiutant.
Five years later opportunity knocked at
Mr. Smiths house and was recognized with
the eye of genius. A close personal friend
of Mr. Smith was ]. ]. Hill, who doing
a freighting business between ST. Paul and
Winnipeg. The two friends compared
notes and came to the opinion that<ihere
was a chance 10 make an immense Maui by
capturing the ST. Paul. Minneapolis and
Manitoba Railway. which radiated from
ST. Paul over the States of Minnesota and
Dakota. 1t was built by Amsterdam capt
talists, but the panic of 1873 knocked the
bottom out of the enterprise, and its bonds
commanded simply nominal sum in the
markets of the world. Messrs. Smith and
Hill knew that with the return of pros
perity, which they believed TO be at hand,
the road would become a profitable prop
erty. But how were they with compare
lively limited funds to buy up the road? In
this dilemma Mr. Smith bethought himself
OF cousin, who. leaving the north OF
Scotland a few years after he had had
rapidly climbed TO wealth in Montreal, and
was at that moment president Of the Bank
OF Montreal
George Stephen was accordingly consult
ed: he entered into the plan with enthu-
railway was bought up for, comparatively
speaking, a trif1ing amount Within eight
cen months the stock of the road was over
par and Messrs. Smith, Hill. and Stephen
were milIionaires several times over. Ii
was afteTward plain sailing for all three.
MIR Hill is now the railway dictator of the
Northwestern States, George stephen Is to-
day Lord MountStephen, and Mr. Smith Is
Lord S,rathcona of Glencoe. Argyllshire,
nd Of Canada
title was conferred on the last named on
the occasion of Her Majesty's Diamond
Jubilee.
Lord Strathcona has been since 1895
High Commissioner of Canada in London,
but he is frequent visitor to Canada,
and regards his mansion in Dorchester
Street. in this city, as his home. He has
three lordly residences in Great Britain
one in Cadogan Square. London; another
al Khebworth, the former home of the
Lyttons and a third in the glen of Glen
zoe. list of Lord Strathcona's bene-
factions would fill column. They aggre-
gate many millions. He and Lord Mount
Stephen built the magnificent hospital. the
Royal Victoria, in this city. at a cost of
81 0oo, 600, and Sc apart $500 600 rs an
endowment. Nee University, OF which
he is chancellc aas been the recipient
OF his bounty on many OCCASIONS. Begin
ming sixteen years ago with a grant of
E10, 600 in aid OF female education, ne has
gone on giving from year to year, until
the total Of his gifts passes the two mill
lion mark His latest gift was the Royal
Victoria College for Women, which he has
built, equipped, and endowed. Lord Strath-
coua is a man OF affairs, and has had little
time for indulgence in lighter pursuits,
but he has made hobby of picture gath
eripg and of the collection of rare Oriental