g^ Lovers of the Horse 



was wiven sjeneral sii()ervision of the work. In the same year, after a nine months" stay. 

 the work came to a standstill owin,«>- to laek of fnnds due to the failure of Overend (S: 

 (iurnev. and he returned to England. The h'u^ faihire was attributed to the (ierinan- 

 Austrian War which was then in progress. Mr. Laxton was not destined to remain 

 lone in his native countrv. however, for earlv in 1868 he was sent l)ack to Moscow to 

 c-omplete the work, and he returned to England when it was finished in 18()9. Then 

 he was dispatched to similar work in Edinl)urgh. Scotland, and after being at that for 

 nine months he was recalled to England. By this time the al)ility of the young man 

 had so asserted itself that he was ])laced in charge of a number of im})ortant under- 

 takinfjs in various parts of England, and he so earned the confidence of his em])loyers 

 that thev made him general superintendent of their outside construction work. After 

 ninevearsof expei"ience. which had liceu of nuitual benefit, the necessity arose for the 

 firm .sending a man of Mr. Laxton's capabilities to P^rankfort-on-Main. but life wa.s 

 "■rowino- too strenuous and he decided that it was in his own interest to take a rest from 

 work, so he came out to Canada, landing at Quel)ec. This was in 1S71. He went 

 on to Toronto and has resided in the Queen City ever since. He was just the 

 man the Consumers' (ias Company wanted, and he is about completing his thirty- 

 five vears of service with that corjjoration, and is ai)])arently good for many more 

 vears of activitv in the interests of his company. At present Mr. Laxton with his family 

 resides in I'arkdale. the fashionable jiortion of the west end of Toronto. 



The pojiularitv of Mr. Laxton in his a(l()|)tcd city is attested by the fact that he 

 ha.s served as a public school trustee for the old town of Parkdale, and for the city 

 of Toronto after the amalgamation. He has on many occasions been a.sked to become 

 candidate for the City Council, and for the Provincial and Federal Parliaments, but 

 hr prefers to be a worker, and has for years l)een president of the Conservative Associa- 

 tion of his district, as well as a prominent member of the AHiany Cluli. During his 

 career of u.sefulness he has shown marked ability as an inventor, having l)rought out 

 maiiv much-needed imj)rovements on old styles of lighting. He patenteil the cond)ina- 

 tion gas and hot water stove in 1887. which followed up his patent of a combination 

 gas and coal stove a couple of years ])reviously. 



Mr. Laxton is interested financially in a number of prominent institutions in 

 Toronto and is also connected w ith the principal athletic clubs, to any of which he is 

 a valued member on account of the keen and practical interests he takes in athletic 

 events. He has been connected with the Masonic Order since bS(>4, and is a member 

 of numerous other fraternal societies, lie is a member of the Church of P^ngland. 

 He was married Se])tcml)er '•2!)th. ISIl. to Isabella McC^uillan. daughter of the late 

 Edward McC^uillan. who was a farmer at NMiitchurch, Ontario. The union was bles.sed 

 with nine children, two of them boys. 



in conchi>ioii let it be said that there arc thoiisandN of cili/ens who will agree that 

 John Laxtcju and his j)ros|)erity form a .shining exam|)le for the young men of to-day. It 

 was energy an<l [jcrseverance that put John Laxton in the position he enjoys to-day. 

 and is it any wonder that a man of his personality and attainments is mighty fond of 

 the noble hor.se? It could liardlv be otherwise. 



