Lord Strathcona and Mount Royal 325 



that he should, on November 7th, 1885, have driven home 

 the golden spike, which symbolized the completion of the 

 gigantic enterprise, accompanied by the clan slogan, 

 "Hold fast, Craigellachie. " The company further hon- 

 ored him afterwards by calling the highest peak of the 

 Selkirk Range of Mountains, through which the line 

 passes, after him, "Sir Donald," Her Majesty, the late 

 Queen Victoria, having, in 1886, conferred upon him the 

 knighthood of St. Michael and St. George. 



Donald A. Smith's interest in educational matters 

 dates from the time when the British Association for the 

 Advancement of Science held its annual meeting in 

 Montreal, on the invitation of the Natural History So- 

 ciety. He was then brought in contact with eminent 

 educationalists and was inspired by their enthusiasm. 

 But it is an interesting fact that his first donation to an 

 educational institution was made in response to an ap- 

 peal from his minister, Rev. Dr. Barclay, on behalf of the 

 Trafalgar Institute, to which he gave $10,000. This 

 appeal set his mind aworking regarding the necessity of 

 better educational facilities for women, which ended in 

 the erection and endowment of the Royal Victoria College 

 for Young Ladies. His later services to McGill University 

 as its Chancellor and the munificent benefactions made 

 to the institution from time to time the people of Mont- 

 real are proud to call to mind, as well as the present to 

 the city of the splendidly equipped and endowed Royal 

 Victoria Hofpital, the joint gift of himself and his kins- 

 man and our former fellow-citizen, George Stephen, now 

 Lord Mount Stephen. But Lord Strathcona 's interest in 

 education and his benefactions on its behalf were not 

 confined to Canada, his adopted country. During the 

 period of his sojourn in Great Britain, as High Commis- 

 sioner for Canada, he became successively Lord Rector 

 and Chancellor of Aberdeen University, to the finances 

 of which he made handsome contributions, the banquet 

 which he provided for the faculties and graduates of the 

 university during the period he filled office therein, be- 



