Lovers of the Horse 



95 



JOHN LAXTON 



THE jovial disposition of John Laxton is known far and wide, and his cheerful 

 countenance would he missed from any function where the horse is the attrac- 

 tion, lie is a keen judg'e of the noble ecjuine, and has owned at various times 

 some beauties. Among his favorites he singles out Kinney, Newbury. War Paint, 

 Gold Note, Alberta Lady, and Bedlington. 



]\Ir. Laxton. who is Su])ei'intendent of the Consumers' (ias Company, is a familiar 

 figure in Toronto, and he enjoys an envial)lr popularity in business, sporting and 

 political circles. lie has been successful 

 and has accpiired a comfortable compe- 

 tence through hard work as well as good 

 fortune. He was born in Huntingtlonshire, 

 England, November 5th, 1848, his parents 

 being John and Jane (Clark) Laxton. both 

 natives of Huntingdonshire, who were 

 blessed with seventeen children. The 

 father was a contractor of pid)lic works 

 in England, princij)ally in the gas con- 

 struction and railroad building, his first 

 big job being in connection with the 

 construction of the Great Northern Rail- 

 way. Mr. Laxton has followed in liis 

 father's footsteps, and has had a very 

 wide experience. The parents both 

 passed away during the year 1880, the 

 father at the age of 71 and Mrs. Laxton 

 at 67. 



The public school at Yaxley, England, 

 was where young John Laxton secured his 

 early education. He was only fourteen 

 years old when he set out upon a career of 

 hard work. After leaving school he went to 

 London to ac(|uire the details of gas works 

 construction, with such marked success that the firm with whom he was employed, 

 Jolin .Vird & Sons, Belvedere Road. Lambetli. sent him to Moscow. Russia, to work 

 on the construction of the largest gas works ever undertaken in Russia. As this was in 

 18()7, INIr. Laxton was barely twenty years of age wlien he was trusted with so important 

 a mission. Many interesting exj)eriences are told by him in connec-tion with his stay 

 in tlie P^ast, l)ut space will not permit of relating them in this short article. An idea 

 of the extent of the work can l)e gauged from the fact that the mains covered 100 miles 

 of the streets of Moscow. Mr. Laxton had onlv l)eeu there for six months when he 



John- Laxton 



