Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-09-25

of remarkable talent, always in demand
for speeches at banquets and other pub
lie occasions, and used to describe with
vivid elouuence the glories and the wealth
OF the Canadian prairies. His predictions
concerning the future of this country
were considered fantastic in those days,
but every word of his prophecies has been
more than fulfilled and. although his
dreams were beyond credulity. they did
not encompass one-haf of the actual
realities that exist today.
On Inspecting Tour.
Two or three years after his return
from the telegraph survey Mr.. Taylor
was sent up into western Canada in the
interest of Jay Gould to look over the
country and report to the Northern Pa
clflc Company concerning the prospect of
securing traffic for that road from this
part of North America. His reports were
printed. but unfortunately the edition
was very small and copies are now very
rare and valuable. / cannot locate but
one in the entire city of Winnipeg, and
that has been mislaid The industrial
commission composed of the business men
Of Winnipeg might reprint that book as
an example of American prophecy.
Mr.. Taylor was the intimate friend of
Mgr. Tache. the first archbishop of west
ern Canada. and man who exercised
great influence in those days. He was
organized a rebellion of French Canadians
and Indians in the northwestern prov
inces against the confederation-the pres
ent form of government of the Dominion
of Canada. which occurred in the early
seventies. Riel was hanged in Winnipeg
and his body is buried in the churchyard
of st. Boniface on the opposite side of the
river.
/, Taylor was the friend of every citizen
of Canada. He knew everybody in the
Red River valley, and was universally
beloved. He was thorough student, an
encyclopedia of facts. and impressed
everybody by his sincerely. his dignity,
his kindly disposition and his broad
views. He appears in the portrait as a
| refined. white-haired gentleman in a
frock coat. white tie, dignified pose
and serene and amiabe expression Of
countenance.
Introduces Wheat in Canada.
Mr.. Taylor was the first man to demon
strate that wheat would grow in Cana
da. He sent seed year after year to
every part of the Dominion west of the
great lakes. and the farmers would re-
turn samples of the harvest to him regu-
| larly in order that he might proclaim the
possibilities of wheat culture which have
| been fulfilled many fold beyond his pre-
dictions. He sent seed to a missionary
at Port Revolution on Great Slave lake,
| in latitude ~ degrees-SOO miles north of
| Winnipeg who demonstrated that wheat
could be grown there. although everybody
| but Taylor pronounced the suggestion
preposterous.
\ Mr.. Taylor's fad was botany. He wrote
a great deal on that subject. He knew
every flower on the prairies of western
Canada and was familiar with their
habits. Il was his custom in the spring
to gather the first wild flowers that we're
seen in Winnipeg. He would start out
early in the morning to the hooks where
/ he knew they might be found. and when
he brought his basket full of blossoms
home would leave clusters at the doors
of his chosen friends Today the first
| wild flowers that open their eyes in the
neighborhoOd of Winnipeg are gathered
and laid as tribute of affection before his
portrait in the corridor Of the city hail.
Mr.. Taylor remained as consul at Win
nipeg until his death in an accident on a
railroad train near Pembina. The entire
population followed him to his grave.
An Energetic Official.
There have been many consuls general
since Taylor's time. but none more ener-
getic and active in promoting and de-
Tending the interests of his fellow -coun-
trymen than the incumbent of the Office
DIR. John E. Jones of Washington. D. c.,
where he is better kno$n as "Nimpo'
Jones. and his acquaintance ia almost
universal. Jones is a medical doctor by
/ education, but was enticed into journal
/ ISM and for years was connected with
The Evening Star. He remained with The
Star until his appointment to the con-
suar service during Mckinley's admin
| istration. Since he came to Winnipeg he
has been a guide and guardian to hun
dreds of thousands of Americans who
| have crossed the line to worship that
| tickle goddess fortune upon the prairie>
Of Manitoba, Alberta and Saskatchewan
Jones Office is n busy place and more
| things are happening there perhaps than
/ in any other American consulate.