New; Year Greetings
From one of Vancouver's Most Up-to-Date Stor^
QUINNELL'S
SMART LADIES WEAR
775 Granville St.
MArine7546
The House of Jose
We Extend New Year Greetings To All Oiir Members and Friends
Poalei Zion Organization
Vancouver Section
We Extend NEW YEAR GREETINGS to our customers and friends.
RDDDALL BARBER SHOP
535 Georgia St. West
(Randall Bldg.)
Shoe Shine
A
Happy New Year
DAVID SPENCER
LIMITED
VANCOUVER
by
E. C. Woodley, Quebec City
(Reviewed by Martin Wolff) In view of the fact that the firm of Joseph and Compmy, Lt. has reached the dignity of an existenct. of a century and a half, it has been thought fitting that the record of its achievements ond some accownt of the men who have guided its destinies in the publication of a volume entitled THE tiOVSE OF JOSEPH IN THEh LIFE OF 0UEBEC, which appears in both English and French editions.
The Hoiise of Joseph tells the story of one of the pioneer Jewish families of Canada. This is not Mr. Woodley's first entry into.historical writings and his perUnent and delightful style brings before us a pageant of passing years of a conunercisil house from small beginnings to an imi>ortant position in the present business world of Canada.
In a remarkable succession of father to son there pass before us five enerations from Henry Joseph, the nephew of Aaron Hart, the first English Jew to come to Canada, to Edward C. Joseph and his son W. . Joseph wJio are carrying on the business today.
We are told that Henry Joseph made his home: in Berthier in the : early days, and. from th^e carried on hia commerce with the settlers and Indians to the furthest trading -■ posts by means of fleets of canoes.
• Water routes were the chief means - of transportation and Henry Joseph
chartered ships for direct trading with England. He may be regarded as one of tihe foimd^s of Canada's merdiant marine. His untimely death due to the plague closed a colourful career.
• We can visualize the Quebec of i'over a himdred years ago when ■it was a walled garrison city. Ab-'raham Joseph took up his residence rat Payne's Hotel in Upper town i where he associated with a number of men who became his firm ..frioids and entered whole-hearted-*ly into the life of the community. ; Like his father, Abraham Joseph was keeidy int&ested In 'jShTppihg' and we can imagine him standing on the ramparts and gazing down
. on the broad blue St. Lawrence River and watching incoming and outgoing ships discharging their cargoes and passengers on the busy wharfs. It is fortunate that he kept extensive diaries whidi would form a voliuninous book of fascin-lating readmg. Perhaps at a later date Mr. Woodley would transcribe the story there depicted, but at least he gives xis a glimpse of thV
NEW YEAR EDITION
picturesque life at that time.
In the winter the city was isolated due to the freezmg over of the river and lack of other transportation; but there were social functions and theatres that made the time pass pleasantly enough. Bets were freely made as to dates of first arrivals and last departures of ships and Mr. Joseph noted these carefully in his diaries.
In March 1846 he married Sophia, daughter of Samuel and Sarah (Hart) David, of Berthier and he hdd fow sons and seven daughters. He settled down and became prom-inent in the comihercial life of the city, and his home betame the scene of many brilliant social gatherings.
In 1864 Quebec was the scene of an historic conference of delegates from different parts of Canada to consider Confederation, and. Abraham Joseph, then President of the Board of Trader was chairman of a banquet tendered to the defle-gates by the merchants of Quebec. He was extremely patriotic arid took a lively interest in the political developments.
A coteries oif friends consitsing of Sir John A. Macdonald, the first POremier of Canada, Lord Monk. William^ later Sur Meredith, Sfa: Adolphe Caron, and Abraham Joseph spent the summers at St. Patrick, a: little French Canadian settlement on the south shore of thp St. Lawrence River, .three milds west of Riviere du loup; "Les Rochers", built by Sir Joihn 4-Macdonald was worthy of its nam4. Perched high up on a rocky crag, and surroxmded by trees, it wak emblematic of Ihe high ideals its owner always had for Canada. Nearby was '.Strawberry Cottage'-' the home of Abrahom Joseph; an$ other notables who spent the sural mer at St Patrick were Sir Joseph Pope, Lord and Lady Dufierii^, and Sh" Thomas and Lady Shaugh'j-nessy who bou^t "Les Rodhers*' after Sur John's death in 1891.
I i
There was no sepaarte post office in St. Patrick until J879. hut a mail bag with a: ^lit iii it was'himg each day on the fence near Strawberry Cottage. Mr. Joseph and Judge Meredith who both ke^ horses and carriages- took", turns in conveying the bag to the Post .Office.
It is noteworthy that Mr. Joseph . who was active in organizing the Stadacona Bank in 1873 contributed from his personal funds, in order to pay in full for the obligations of the bank when it closed its doors (Contmued 6n Page 37)
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