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It has been too long a custom to regard as proper subjects for biographical literature only persons who have figured in political life. In preparing the present work, any man or woman who has, in any conspicuous way, contributed to the moral, intellectual, industrial or political growth of the country, has been deemed a suitable person for these pages. To the heroism and uncomplaining industry of the men who hewed out homes in the wilderness, and little by little overcame the obstacles of nature, are we indebted now for our thriving cities, and for our wide stretches of cultivated lands; and to omit a record of their labors, and select only for permanent record the deeds of those who came upon the scenes when the rugged work was done, would be singularly unjust. We have had, and still have amongst us, men of great genius in engineering skill, and in mechanical contrivance; and it was fitting that a brief record of their lives, and what they accomplished for the community, should be handed down in the history of our common country. The same may be said of men prominent in every branch of commerce, of our notable divines, our eminent judges, our great lawyers, our talented medical men, and those who have contributed to the educational growth of the country. These it was considered were worthy of place side by side with the men who chose political careers, and have won more or less distinction therein. There is to be said in justification of all these records, that even the history of the man in an obscure village is a portion of the history of the country, and the aggregate record of “Representative Canadians” may be regarded in a young country like Canada, as a full historical account, in every sense, for the period covered by the biographical matter in the volume. Men are forever drifting down the slow stream, and most of their deeds like themselves, pass into oblivion; it is well while the opportunity is at hand to save as much of the record as possible for posterity. The labor, the time, and the pains spent in securing data for the sketches herein contained have been greater than would be believed; and the more so since accuracy of statement of fact, and the chronological order of incidents, have been so rigidly aimed at. Dates and facts have all been verified either by reference to the best published authorities, or to the persons themselves. For the most part, the call for the coöperation of the public in furnishing data for the records has been cordially responded to. As for the literary portion of the work, no pains have been spared to make that equal to the other features. To make the volume complete in the historically “representative” sense, memoirs of the most illustrious of the dead of this country will be found in its pages. The enterprise has been tedious, laborious and expensive; but if it will supply a record that the country should not let die; if it preserves the names of worthy men and women whose deeds deserve to be remembered, it surely will have well repaid the time, the anxiety, and the pains that have been expended upon it. A work of this kind could not be else than tedious; and, therefore, since its commencement, several changes have taken place: some of the persons in its pages have died; others have passed from one office to another, and dropped from public places; but with these latter exceptions and some other minor ones, each memoir, it is believed, will be found to be an accurate record up to the present date.

GEO. MACLEAN ROSE.

Toronto, March, 1888.