Evening star., 1914-04-05
Strathcona, a Story for Boys
by DIR. FRANK CRANE.
Copyright 1919. by Frank Cranso

No. children, the days of fairy stories
are not past. There are Just as wonder
ful careers nowadays as those of Jack
the Giant Killer or Aladdin of the Lamp
Listen. and will tell you the story OF
a boy who did amazing things. and who
has just died at the age of ninety-four.
His name was the commonest name in
| the world. for it was just Smith,
He was born in Morayshire. tiny
village in Scotland. in 1920: SO you see he
lived to be almost hundred And this
mind you, is really truly story, and not
made up.
His family We're so poor that they could
barely get enough to cat. and there We're
not clothes enough for this baby, whom
they christened Donald \. Smith. But
his mother was devout woman and said
The Lord never sends another mouth to
feed unless He sends something to put
into ii.
So the parents welcomed the little boy
and loved him. But his childhood q
| Very hard one. There was little school
! ing to be had in the poor village. and he
had to work as soon as he could todde
about.
When he was seventeen he went to
Labrador which. as YOU know, is even a
colder. bitterer place than Scotland
| There he found employment as a boy OF
all work, running errands. doing chores
having long hours of labor low pay and
very little play.
4 had to endure much, he said in
later years, speaking of his boyhood.
But I was strong and could endure
much. But l knew there was always a
place higher up for man who would
work hard.
Soon he was promoted TO be clerk
for his employers found him willing
cheerful and intelligent He was in the
hire of the Hudson Bay Company. and i,
was not long before he was put in charge
| of one of their trading posts.
| Once. when threatened with blindness
he had to have an operation performed
| on his eyes, and Travelled for weeks
| through the snow to Montreal, with only
| Indians for companions. He arrived, but
/ two of his comrades died of exposure by
| the way.
| He kept on doing his work well. until
| he rose to be head of the great company
| Then he became governor of the terri
| tory.
F! He was the chief figure in building the
| railway that runs across Canada. For
| his work in developing that country
| Queen Victoria knighted him; and h.
. was now called Sir Donald 4. Smith, OF
| the Order of St. Michael and st. George
lord high commissioner of Canada.
| He became wealthy beyond his dreams
| and was known as Canadas greatest
man. SO that the queen raised him to tht
| peerage. and he took a new title, the one
| by which he is best known, Lord Strath-
| coma and Mount Royal.
| Ten universities bestowed degrees upoI
| him. He died worth probably a hundred
/ million dollars.
| lie always kept by him a little. cheap
| battered, leather trunk with d. A. S
| lettered, on it, for that trunk held all hi:
| worldly goods when he first came tt
| America. 1t went with him wherever II,
| Travelled, even after he was very rich
| and until the end.
| You cannot all become Lord Strath
conas, but you can all put in Your hear
| that picture of young Donald Smith
bravely and gladly doing his work. ready
and equipped for opportunity when i
knocked at his door and with kindnes:
to others. yet no pity for himself.
He was d tine lad, and did things quit,
as marvellous in his way as lack tn,
| Giant Killer.