The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-03-19


strathcona Horse. over 400 strong. which
sailed from Halifax for Cape Town on
Thursday. have been raised. ACQUIRED. and
will be transported 10 and maintained al
the seat OF war at the personal expense Of
Lord Strait cona 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. Il was recruited over an area Of
million square miles, a NUMBER Of its mem
bers coming thousand miles over the ice
from the Kloudke in order to enlist. II is
ufficered 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. II is the best equip
ped force that has vet 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 viii live like
lords Lord StrathcOna is paying more than
twice the regular army rates 10 the mem
hers OF the force. The total cost VIII. at
the least calculation. run far over $1,000
Gee. and il Is not improbable thar il VIII
10 as high as s.. GOO, zoe
Large as this amount is it viii not trou-
bic Lord Strsthcona to meet it, 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
Montreal and the Hudson Bay Company
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 il owns two
full sections OF 500 acres each. II 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 it owns much Of il 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 a virtual monopoly Of
the fur business.
Lord Strathcora is one OF the largest
owners of Canadian Pacific stock which
mas trebled in value within the last four
years In addition he has numberiess
other interests in insurance and loan com
panies. II may 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 wear. and he was nearly sixty
before his great opportunity came He
was born plain Donald A. Smith. his ma
tive place being a little village in Elgiu-
shire in North Scotland. He came 10
Canada in his twentieth year e a clerk
in the service Of the Hudson Bay Com
pany. and spent nearly a quarter OF q
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 companys 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 Cnow 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, TO moderate the passions which ulti-
mately led to bloodshed and rebellion. He
was appointed commissioner by the Do
minion Government 10 treat with The
rebels. and played a noble part in bring
ing peace 10 the distracted land lt Is
perhaps a coincidence that b. was in the
suppression Of this outbreak thar Lord
Woiseley and Sir Redvers Butler first won
their spurs Lord Wolseley. then plain
Colonel Wolseley. commanded the Red
River eNpeditionarv force with Captain
Butler as adjutant
Five years later opportunity knocked al
Mr. Smiths house and was recognized with
The eye Of genius. A close personal friend
Of Mr. Smith was J. J. Hill. who was doing
a freightiug business between ST. Paul and
winnipeg The Two friends compared
notes and came to she opinion thaythere
vas d chance 10 make an immense 1auI By
capturing the s. Paul. Minneapolis and
Manitoba Railway. which rsdiated from
ST. Paul over the States Of Minnesota anu
Dakota. lt 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 10 be az hand
be road would become a profitable prop
erty But how were they with compare
lively limited funds to buy up the road Do
this dilemma Mr. Smith bethoughr himself
81 q cousin. who leaving The north OF
Scotland 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-
siasm. and supplied the needed capital; the
railway was bought up FOR. comparatively
speaking a yrifing amount Within eight
cen months the stock Of the road was over
par. and Messrs. Smith, Hill. and Stephen
were milliuuaires several times over. 10
was afterWard plain sailing for all three.
Mr. Hin is now the railway dictator Of the
Northwestern States George stephen Is to-
DAY Lord Mount-Stephen, and Mr. Smith Us
Lord Strathcona Of Glencoe Argyllshire
and Mount ROYAL Of Montreal. Canada The
title was conferred on the last named on
The occasion Of Her Msjestys Diamond
Jubilee
Lord Strathcona has been since 1895
High Commissioner Of Canada in London.
but he is a frequent visitor 20 Canada,
and regards his mansion in Dorchester
Street. in this city. as his home. He has
three lordly residences iu Great Britain
one ia Cadogan Square. London. another
az Khebworth the former home of the
Lyttons. aud a third ia the glen OF Glen
coe. list Of Lord Strathcona's benc-
factions would M q colImn- They aEgre-
gate many millions. He and lord Mount
Stephen built the magnificent hospital. the
Royal Victoria. Ia 'hie city. at a cost of
s 000 600, and sf auart $500 600 as an
endowment No University Of which
be is chancellC .as been the recipient
o. his bounty OIL many OCCASIONS Begin
ming sixteen y'ars ago with "a grant of
FI0 000 lu aid ar female education bee f8s
gone on giving from year To year until
the total ~ his gifts passes the Two mil
lion mark. His latest gift was the ROYAL
Victoria College Tor Women which De- has
built equipped. and endowed. Lord Suath-
soma e a man of affairs, and has had Ltrle
time TO- Indulgence lu lighter pursuits.
tut be has made o. hobby ~ picture gath
aring end of The collection OF rare Oriental
vases his Safsuma display being slpe-