- 1899, Friday January 13, The Almonte Gazette front page
?b?Death of Mr W.G. Neilson, M.P.P.?/b?
A Busy and Useful Life Ended in its Prime
? Biographical Sketch ?
The Funeral a Splendid Tribute to a Popular Young Man
When the GAZETTE went to press last week Mr W.G. Neilson, of Calgary, member for North-East Kootenay in the British Columbia legislature, was lying at the residence of his brother, Mr John Neilson, 11th line Ramsay, Hopelessly ill from oedema of the lungs. He had returned with Mrs Neilson from Montreal on Tuesday, January 3rd, after being in bed for a week with grippe, and during the drive out into the country he caught cold. His condition became so alarming the on Thursday Dr Roddick, of Montreal, was summoned for consultation with the attending physicians. Dr R. arrived by the Soo train at 2:53 on Friday, but two hours earlier Mr Neilson succumbed, to the regret of a host of warm friends, not only here and in the far west, but wherever he was known. Although he had been a resident of the west for the past twelve years, the grief exhibited by the people of Almonte and around his old home in Ramsay at his untimely death was as great as if he had been a continuous resident of these parts. The late Mr Neilson was born in Ramsay in 1862, and was in his 37th year. After attending the Almonte high school for a number of years, he left home in 1881, at the age of 19, and for a year he was engaged as rodman in the engineering department of the construction of the Kingston & Pembroke railway. In the spring of 1882 he went to Winnipeg, and the quick and ready business turn which was one of his strongest characteristics soon secured him an important position ? that of having charge of the forwarding of supplies from Winnipeg to the end of the C.P.R. track. A letter about this time from Mr Burdick contractor, to the late Mr James Neilson (father of deceased), show the high esteem in which he was held by his employers. Mr B. congratulated Mr Neilson on having such a noble son, and says he has unlimited confidence in him and entrust him with all his business secrets. Later on Mr Neilson was given full charge of all the stores in the mountains, amounting at times in value to half-a-million dollars. Mr Neilson remained in the employ of the C.P.R. contractors until connection was made with the Pacific end of the line. In December, 1885, he came east and was married on January 13th, 1886, to Miss Jennie Anderson, of Prospect, Beckwith. In the spring of 1886 he went west again, and had charge of all the supplies, etc., for Ross & McDermott, contractors for the erection of snow-sheds on the C.P.R. line in the Selkirk Mountains. On the completion of this contract in December, Mr Neilson came east again, and took up house in Almonte, where he lived until the spring of 1887, when he received an appointment on the "International Railway of Maine," or what is sometimes called the C.P.R. short line. His work there, as in previous years, was at first connected with supply department, but he afterward had charge of the tracklaying on the Brownville Division. On the completion of the short line in December, 1888, Mr Neilson returned to Almonte, where he remained until the spring of 1889, when he was appointed secretary-treasurer and superintendent of the offices of the Columbia River Lumber Company, with headquarters at Beaver, British Columbia. He was also postmaster at Beaver, and justice of the peace. In 1891 he was appointed manager of the C.R. Lumber Company, with full charge of the whole business. This position he held at the time of his death, and during his term of management the business increased greatly. His employers, Messrs Ross & Mackenzie speak in the highest terms of Mr Neilson. At home, and among his old schoolmates and neighbours, Mr Neilson was always known as a bright, happy, manly, modest fellow ? one of the kind with a ring of the true metal; and as a business man his career was characterized by honesty, trustworthiness and more then ordinary business talent. That the people among whom his lot was cast were not unappreciative of his ability was shown by his election last June as the representative of one of the Kootenays in the legislature, and while here he was anxiously looking forward to his first session in that body, being ambitious to serve his constituents to advantage; but Providence ordained that he should never take his seat there, and he died the very day set apart for the opening of the new legislature, Another mournful reminder of "what shadows we are and what shadows we pursue." ....... The funeral took place on Sunday at 2 p.m. from the homestead in Ramsay to the eighth line cemetery. It was one of the largest ever seen in this neighbourhood, in spit of the disagreeable weather..........We join this whole community in tendering Mrs Neilson and family, the aged mother and the brothers and sisters of the deceased our deepest sympathy in the sad a sudden sorrow through which they have been called to pass.
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1862 - 1899 (36 years)
