d a cutter. The latter in his twentieth year was stricken with
tuberculosis and died, April 19th, 1907, and I take this opportunity of
again thanking and expressing my gratitude to the Company and the
department for the solicitous interest taken in my dear boy while he
was sick, and at his funeral.

During my lifetime I have been in touch and associated with ladies and
gentlemen, boys and girls, where refinement and culture was an
important factor in their present and future lives. In the Imperial
Army, where I spent so many years as an instructor, the first thing we
would look for from the incoming recruit was his deportment. If he
lacked courtesy, willingness, obedience and other graces that go to
make a good soldier and also a gentleman, he would be placed in a
position to be taught this character building. Again, in my physical
culture work I always impressed upon my pupils the necessity of being
courteous and polite at all times and under all difficulties and
circumstances.

When I entered upon my duties in the stock room I began to feel my way
through this great department and to learn whom I had to meet in my
daily business, but it was not long before I found myself amongst the
ideal of my life, from the manager and his assistants, Messrs. Allward
and Kirby, and from the employees, numbering 350--300 of whom were
ladies. The beautiful, capacious and well-ventilated work rooms,
together with their cheerful environment, made it one of the most
desirable places to work in I have ever seen or heard of. Among the
best friends I made in this great establishment were Messrs. W. Hall,
Johnston, F. Howard, McWaters, Durno and William Day. Of the latter I
learned the following characteristic incident which he would be too
modest to mention: One night during the winter of 1905-1906, which was
extremely cold, Mr. Day, on his way home, was overtaken by a stranger,
a young man, who told him he had not had anything to eat for
twenty-four hours. He had walked from Belleville to Toronto looking for
work; he was poorly clad, not sufficiently to keep the cold from his
shivering body. My friend did not ask who he was or anything regarding
his antecedents. He saw before him a poor destitute young man,
suffering with cold and hunger; he took him to a store and bought him
comfortable underwear, boots and other warm garments, and then to a
restaurant and ordered the best meal they could give, handed the
stranger a dollar and continued