AS. STEWART LAIRD, P.L.S., and Warden of Essex county, Essex, Ont., was born in Blenheim, October 1st, 1842. He began his education at the public schools of Blenheim, and continued it at the Grammar school, Chatham. When nineteen years of age, he began teaching school, which he continued for four years near Louisville, Ont. He then entered the office of A. McDonnell, P.L.S., Chatham, and obtained his certificate in 1867. He first located in Maidstone, Ont., where he practiced his profession for five years, and then spent one year in Windsor, finally settling in his present

place. By a thorough knowledge of his business, close and careful attention to the work entrusted to him, Mr. Laird has built up a large and growing business, and is justly regarded as a leading man in his profession. In religion, he is a Presbyterian, and in politics a Liberal. He is also a member of the I.O.O.F., A.F. & A.M. and A.O.U.W. orders. During the past seven consecutive years, he has been reeve of Essex, and is always active in whatever tends to the improvement and prosperity of the town. He was twice married; first, to Miss Adeline Arnold, and second to Miss Mary Beattie, Maidstone, Ont.

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ETER FORHAN, retired merchant, Wallaceburg, Ont., was born December 15th, 1833, in New Richmond, Province of Quebec. His parents, Michael and Alice (Fitzpatrick Forhan, who were natives of Ireland, settled in Chatham, Ont., in 1840, where for many years, Mr. Forhan engaged in ship building, and was afterwards an officer on several of the craft which he built. Their family consisted of three sons and one daughter, namely: Michael, now a leading jeweler of Owen Sound, Ont.; Thomas, a prominent business man and bailiff of Wallaceburg; Maggie, afterwards Mrs. L. Doyle, of Michigan, who died some years ago, and the gentleman whose portrait appears on this page. Mr. Peter Forhan received a fair common school education, and entered mercantile life as a clerk in Chatham. His last employer, Mr. Beatty, selected him from among his clerks to become his partner, and the firm of Beatty and Forhan, did business for two years in Ingersoll, Ont. In 1865, Mr. Forhan opened a general grocery and provision store of his own in Wallaceburg, and although his capital at first was limited, Mr. Frank Smith (now Hon.), wholesale grocer, then of London, reposed implicit confidence in him, gave him all necessary credit, and remained his patron till he retired in 1885, and has been his fast friend ever since. After twenty years of an honorable and successful business career, in which he was ably assisted by his

highly esteemed wife, Mr. Forhan retired from business. He now employs himself in raising valuable standard bred trotting horses on his 200 acre farm, adjoining Wallaceburg. On January 20th, 1862, he was married to Miss Ellen Ouellette, daughter of Peter Ouellette, formerly of Chatham, Ont., but latterly of Bay City, Mich., U.S. Mr. and Mrs. Forhan belong to the Roman Catholic Church, and are liberal and influential workers in their congregation. Mr. Forhan was secretarytreasurer of his church during the erection of the magnificent $15,000 structure which adorns the town of Wallaceburg.

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LFRED HENRY CLARKE, LL.B., barrister-at-law, Windsor, Ont., was born October 25th, 1860, at Manilla, Victoria county, Ont. His father, John Clarke, was a Justice of the Peace for many years, and a member of the Mariposa township council for twenty years. Mr. Clarke was educated at the Manilla common and Grammar schools, and at Oakwood High School. He subsequently entered the law office of McIntyre & Whiteside, Lindsay, and after three years study in that office, went to Toronto, and was one year in the office of Henderson & Small, and a similar

period with Blake, Kerr, Lash & Cassels. He was admitted as a solicitor and called to the Bar in Michaelmas term, 1882, and at once commenced practice in Essex Centre, Ont. After remaining there about eight years, he removed removed to Windsor, in September, 1890, where he still remains, a member of the firm of Clarke, Bartlet & Bartlet. In the Fall of 1891, he was appointed local master of the Supreme Court of Judicature for Ontario, and Deputy Registrar of the Chancery Division, pro. tem., in consequence of the illness of S. S. Macdonell, Q.C., and is also filling the offices of County Crown

Attorney and Clerk of the Peace for Essex county. In 1886, he received the degree of LL.B., from Toronto University. In religion, he is a Methodist, and in politics, a Liberal. He is also a member of the Windsor Board of Education. While at Essex Centre, he devoted considerable attention to Free Masonry, and in 1889-90, held the office of district deputy grand master for Erie district. Mr. Clarke is very popular among the legal fraternity of Essex county, is a hard worker and painstaking in the cases entrusted to him. He brought to his profession, honesty, talents and indefatigable industry, and therefore, when he was elevated to his present position, he possessed a clear intellect, a well trained judicial mind, and a sound understanding of law. In 1888, Mr. Clarke was married to Miss Maggie, daughter of D. Z. Gibson, Esq., of Brantford, Ont.

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OHN WALTER TUCKER, B.A., principal and proprietor of the Montreal Collegiate Institute, Montreal, Que., was born May 2nd, 1858, at Sorel, Que. He is the son of George H. and Mary Ann (Leith) Tucker, both of whom were of Scottish descent. He received his education at the Sabrevois Mission School, McGill Normal School, and McGill University. While attending the McGill McGill Normal School, he received his Academy diploma and won the Earl of Dufferin medal. He graduated from McGill University in 1881, with first rank honors in classics and carried off the Henry Chapman gold medal. He received the appointment of first assistant in the Senior School of Montreal, and when a vacancy occurred in the High School in 1882, he was promoted to it. He remained as assistant in the High School until June, 1891. At this time there was some trouble in the school through the changes made in the curriculum, whereby the classics were being forced out of the school to make room for the so-called modern side, which Mr. Tucker thought was already fully recognized in the High School and Senior School of the city. On this account, he retired from the staff of the High School, and set up a private school on the old line of classics. In September, 1891, the school opened in a suitable building erected by himself with the aid of his friend, Mr. George Bishop. The roll contained 325 names. At the end of June, the

first boy on the list of successful pupils for the annual examination of McGill, was from the Collegiate Institute. Notwithstanding the fact of the opening of the new High School in Montreal, the second year found the Collegiate Institute with 400 boys, and this institution of learning is doing grand work for the boys of Montreal. Mr. Tucker is a member of the Church of England, and is a Liberal in politics. He was married, December 22nd, 1884, to Elizabeth Anna, daughter of Louis Lemoine and Elizabeth Tucker. They have a family of three sons and two daughters.

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EV. LOUIS ÉTIENNE AVILA VALOIS, Montreal, Que., was born in that city, October 16th, 1835. He is the only son of Simon Valois and Josephine Emmelie Latremouille, both belonging to ancient French families, the Latremouille descent going as far back as the First Crusade, and their coat of arms can be seen in the room of the Crusade, at Versailles. He was educated at the school of Benjamin and William Workman, Montreal, at the Montreal College; and after eight years of classical study, he went to the Montreal Theological Seminary. Two years later he

went to Paris and from thence to Rome, where he graduated. He was ordained priest October 28th, 1859, (in the church built by his father) by the Right Rev. Bishop Bourget, then Bishop of Montreal, a large number of the clergy and laity attending his ordination. In the remarks made by the Right Rev. Bishop, he stated that the Rev. Valois was an only son, and that his father, like Abraham, gave him up to the glory of God, on the very altar that he had built. He was then made chaplain of the church and to the Sisters of the Holy Name of Jesus and Mary, and filled the appointment for over six years. Pope Pius the IX., wrote an autograph letter, praising the father of the Rev. Valois, for what he had done for the glory of God and the salvation of souls, by erecting a "Noble Temple," and imparted to father, son and family, his apostolic blessing. In 1867, he went to Europe, where he remained for over three years, continuing his studies, and performing some duties in Paris, at the Church of the Madelaine. In Rome he was kindly received by His Holiness in private audience, and great favors were granted him. He was present at the Ecumenical Council of the Vatican, in 1869 and 1870. On his return from Europe, he and his sister erected a church and a monastery, for the Carmelites, which were consecrated in 1880; since then he has devoted his time to that community, and is now caring for his aged mother, who is now ninety-three years of age, 1893.