- ?b?Obituary - John Bryson?/b?
Ottawa Journal - January 20, 1896 -
Death of John Bryson - The Conservative M.P. For Pontiac Passes Away - But Forty-seven Years of Age - A Representative of the County Since 1882 - Sudden Attack of Disease on a Recent Lumbering Trip with Mr. Alexander Fraser
John Bryson, Conservative M.P. for Pontiac county, died at Fort Coulonge yesterday morning. The news was received in Ottawa with surprise and by many with deep regret. Few public men in the Ottawa Valley were better or more favorably known than the late Mr. Bryson. His death was very sudden, so sudden indeed that many friends did not know of his illness previous to the announcement of his death.
A week ago last Tuesday, accompanied by Mr. Fraser of this city, Mr. Bryson left on an inspection of his lumber business on the Coulonge river. Mr. Fraser speaking to The Journal this morning regarding the trip, stated that Mr. Bryson was in good health when they started. The distance to the limits was ninety miles from the mouth of the Coulonge river. After three days drive they reached the shanties. On Friday they went out and inspected the logs that had been cut, Mr. Bryson feeling in the best of spirits.
That evening Mr. Bryson took ill in the shanty. Saturday he was no better and Sunday he was worse. Fearing that Mr. Bryson was in the first stages of typhoid fever or some serious disease, Mr. Fraser says he urged him to start for home. Fixing Mr. Bryson up comfortably in a sleigh, the homeward journey was begun Tuesday morning. They reached Mr. Bryson's home at Fort Coulonge on Wednesday afternoon, at five o'clock. Medical attendance was at once procured. Dr. Klock, who was the medical attendant, saw that Mr. Bryson's illness was chronic and that death could not be averted, suffering as he was from heart-failure. Mr. Bryson lingered on until early yesterday morning when he expired.
Mr. Bryson was born Nov. 30, 1849, the second son of Hon. George Bryson. He went into the lumbering and farming business and did well, but always showed a liking for public work. He became Mayor of Mansfield in 1882, and in the same year was elected to parliament in the Conservative interest. The vote was Bryson, 1,047, N. McCuaig, Liberal, 931, and W. Somerville, Independent, 293. At the general election of 1887, he was again successful, defeating Thos. Craig, Liberal, by 1,681 to 966.
In 1891, there was another three cornered contest. Mr. Bryson was opposed by Thomas Murray, Liberal, and H. McLean, equal rights, and the vote resulted: Murray 1,100, Bryson 795, McLean 787. But, Mr. Murray, being unseated, Mr. Bryson defeated him in the by-election the following year.
Mr. Bryson was connected with a number of private enterprises. He was president of the Pontiac Telephone Company, and a director of the Crow River and Coulonge Boom Co.
He was twice married. His first wife, married in 1874, Miss Mary Bryson, daughter of Thomas Bryson, M.P.P., of Fort Coulonge, died some years back. Less than two years ago, Mr. Bryson married Miss White, of Montreal, who survives him, as well as two children, one boy seventeen years of age, and the other a girl aged seven months. One of Mr. Bryson's children, it will be remembered, was asphyxiated with her grandmother while visiting friends in Montreal. Mr. Bryson was a prominent Presbyterian.
The funeral will take place to-morrow afternoon, at two o'clock. A special train will leave Aylmer for Fort Coulonge on the arrival of the Ottawa 9:30 train tomorrow morning to attend the funeral of the late John Bryson, M.P., returning after the funeral.
|
1849 - 1896 (46 years)
[1] 
