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An Appreciation from Winnipeg. “Seest thou a man diligent in busi ness he shall stand before Kings.” In reading in The Statesman to night of the passing of Mr. Robert McLaughlin the above words came like a flash to my mind as applicable in every sense to his life and memory. I am carried back to fifty years ago, when as a little boy I attended the village school in Enniskillen. For many years, three very esteemed men were the School Trustees—Mr. Arch ibald Virtue, Mr. Wm. Bingham and Mr. Robert McLaughlin. Well do I remember what important personages they appeared to us children, as they paid their periodical official visits to the school. ' After hearing recitations and seeing us put through our mental gymnastics, and observing our (temp orary) exemplary conduct, it was usual for at least one of them to ad dress us, complimenting us usually, with a little wholesome reproof added if necessary and always tendering us some wise counsel, spurring us on to greater success and inculcating a wholesome respect for our elders. How well I remember even to this day how deeply Mr. McLaughlin im pressed on us this latter virtue by relating to us the incident recorded in II Kings 28-24 where Elisha is going up to Bethel and as he passed along little children came out of the city and mocked him, crying out af ter him “Go up thou bold head; go up thou bold head’ and as Elisha turned and rebuked them two she bears came out of the woods and “tore forty and two of them’. You can imagine, my Editor, the effect on the younger children who had never read the passage before. I have very pleasant memories of Mr. McLaughlin as a true friend of the children. I have in my possess ion today a picture of his first shop in Enniskillen, with pictures of each member of the staff eight in all, sev eral of whom I recognize—Mr. Mc Laughlin himself, Joseph Dechane, Harry Jewell, Charlie Norris and a litle boy of two or three years—the present Geo. W. McLaughlin, I be lieve, now Vice President of the Great Company in Oshawa. It was a great shop for the little boys for we were often permitted to use the tools to make hand sleds, little wagons, etc., and it furnished us many a bag of shavings for kindling the morning fires on wintry mornings. Robert McLaughlin was a success ful man in every way—in business, in strong sturdy moral character, and eminently so in winning the profound respect and regard of a great constit uency of friends. And so he literally stood before Kings (of men) honored in life and sincerely mourned in death. As to his sons, John J. the eldest, now deceased, was a school mate of mine. The other boys, Samuel R. and George W. now at the head of the great Motor business were small when I last knew them, but it is a pleasure to know they, too, have made good in every way. No finer tribute could be paid to any sons than that paid to them by their father at a banquet tendered to him a few years ago in Oshawa, when speaking of them he said: They have been good boys and have never caused me a sorrow.” Mrs. McLaughlin, the mother of these boys I remember as a splendid woman and most highly respected, too. Thus these Stalwarts of Darling ton, men and women, are passing away one by one, honored and rever ed and leaving behind them the mem ory of an influence and example which is one of the most valuable as sets of the new generation, whose lives, we believe, are perpetuating these same sterling qualities. James N. Hutchison.
Newspaper Details
Bowmanville Canadian Statesman
Bowmanville, Ontario, CA
Thu, Dec 15, 1921
Page 3
Full Page
Clipped by
Anonymous
CA 26 Jun 2026
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Bowmanville Canadian Statesman
