A Cyclopaedia of Canadian Biography: Being Chiefly Men of the Time by Rose

remodel the church edifice into what now appears to be a building thoroughly adapted for the purpose of art education, with the view of making the institution as attractive and as useful as possible under the circumstances; thereby hoping to create a more general interest in the fine arts, the trustees have put forth the whole strength of the means at their command, resulting in the gallery walls being covered with high class work, consisting mostly of examples from the brush of English Royal Academicians and other eminent artists of the present and previous two centuries, besides a very full and complete school outfit of casts from the antique, and drawing examples by leading artists, characteristic of the South Kensington schools. In consequence of the funds being thus exhausted, the institution is now solely depending for its income upon its school fees and a charge for admission to the gallery, but its being thus sustained solely on its intrinsic merits, is a problem now in course of solution. If the experiment succeeds in its aims it will prove to be a new departure in the maintenance of educational establishments of a kindred character. The school is in charge of John Hammond, a native of Montreal, who, in addition to being a professional artist of many years’ standing, has, since his connection with the Owens Art Institution, spent two years in European art study, and his works having been repeatedly hung in the annual exhibition of the Royal Academy of London, and the Paris Salon, gives him rank as among the leading artists of the day. In addition to the patronage from the city and outlying districts of New Brunswick, the school has thus far attracted pupils who have registered respectively from Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, Quebec, Ontario, Maine and Massachusetts. * * * * * =Corning, Thomas Edgar=, Barrister, Yarmouth, Nova Scotia, is of English descent. His ancestors came to America in 1640, and settled in Beverley, Massachusetts. His great grandfather removed in 1764, and was one of the first settlers in Yarmouth. His father is Nelson Corning, of Chegoggin, Yarmouth. Mr. Corning was born at Chegoggin on the 11th April, 1842. He received his early education in Acadia College, Wolfville, Nova Scotia, and graduated on the 6th June, 1865. Besides holding the degree of bachelor of arts, he has been elected a scholar and member of the senate of the University of Acadia. This latter event occurred in 1883. Having finished his classical studies, Mr. Corning entered upon the study of the law, and was admitted to the bar on 30th October, 1869. His thoroughness and practical business turn of mind soon secured to him a fair share of the legal business in Yarmouth, and he now enjoys the reputation of being one of the best lawyers in Yarmouth county. He is head of the firm of Corning & Chipman. In politics he is a Liberal-Conservative, but resides in a constituency which has always been intensely Liberal. However, at the general elections in 1882, Mr. Corning was elected as a supporter of the then Liberal-Conservative government led by the Hon. J. S. D. Thompson, now minister of justice at Ottawa. This government resigned shortly after the elections, giving place to the Liberal government first led by the Hon. Mr. Pipes, afterwards by the Hon. Mr. Fielding. In the House of Assembly Mr. Corning took a leading part in all the debates, and carefully considered every question upon its merits, aiming to give an intelligent vote always. Although staunch to his party, his candor and fairness made him popular and respected by the dominant party. On the dissolution of the house, in 1886, he was nominated by his party. But the secession agitation had begun, and the Fielding ministry went to the country with the cry of “Repeal.” To this issue Mr. Corning presented an unwavering opposition, but the popular enthusiasm was too great for him, and he was defeated in June, 1886, by a majority of one thousand. Since then he has continued in private life, but his integrity and ability will, no doubt, before many years bring him again to the fore in political matters. Mr. Corning has never travelled much outside of his native province. He has held the office of treasurer of the municipality of Yarmouth since 1874. Although one of the largest towns in the province, Yarmouth has never been incorporated, and is still managed in the old way. Nine of the county councillors, elected in the limits of the polling district of Yarmouth town, manage its affairs. Mr. Corning married, on the 25th August, 1880, Jane Alden Baxter, daughter of John Baxter, of Yarmouth. He is a Baptist in religion. * * * * * =Black, J. Burpee=, M.D., Windsor, N.S., was born at St. Martin’s, New Brunswick, on the 15th August, 1842. Dr. Black is of Irish extraction, his father, Thomas Henry Black, having been a native of county Armagh, Ireland. His mother’s maiden name was Mary E. Fownes, and resided in St. Martin’s. Dr. Black received his early education in St. Martin’s, and continued his course in St. John, New Brunswick, and at the Mount Allison Wesleyan Academy, Sackville, N.B. His family were Baptists, but, owing probably to his educational associations, Dr. Black has for twenty-five years worshipped with the Methodists, and has for some years been an active member of their church. Having completed his studies at Sackville, where he made the acquaintance of the lady who afterwards became his wife, he studied medicine at Berkshire Medical College, in Massachusetts, and received the degree of M.D., after finishing his course at the University of Philadelphia. He commenced the practice of his profession in the village of Hantsport, Hants county, N.S., but after residing there for five years removed to Windsor, where he has since resided, and has worked up one of the largest practices in Nova Scotia. Hantsport has been in its growth one of the most prosperous villages in Nova Scotia. It owes the greatest part of its success to the business ability, integrity and enterprise of the Hon. Ezra Churchill, who worked his way up from the humblest beginnings to the position of M.P. in Nova Scotia before confederation, and a senator of the Dominion. When he died, at Ottawa, in the spring of 1874, he owned a fleet of upwards of forty ships of various sizes, and his property was estimated at $800,000. He literally made Hantsport, most of the houses there having been erected under his supervision. His daughter, Bessie, was married to Dr. Black at Hantsport, on the 11th May, 1864. They have been blessed with a family of ten children, nine of whom are living, and one, the eldest, is married. Like his father-in-law, Dr. Black has always been a Conservative in politics, and in some campaigns has taken the stump in behalf of his friends. He has also been freely spoken of as a possible candidate for legislative honors. He was elected a member of the town council of the town of Windsor in October, 1882, and held the position until his time of service expired in 1884, when he was elected warden of Windsor without opposition. Windsor became an incorporated town in the year 1878. Previous to this time its affairs had been administered by justices of the peace sitting at quarter sessions. Its public moneys were voted at a town meeting held once a year. The chief officers were the town clerk, the commissioner of streets, and the collector of rates. During Dr. Black’s period of service as councillor the town was supplied with water from a reservoir on Fall Brook, a stream of water running from lakes on the South Mountain, six miles in rear of the town. The actual length of the water mains is about three miles. The cost of this public work, the greatest yet undertaken by the town, was $48,000, and $8,000 has since been expended in extending the system. Debentures paying five per cent in two half-yearly instalments were issued to raise this sum, which was readily procured, and has proved to be excellent stock, the bonds now selling considerably above par. All parts of the town are supplied cheaply and plentifully with excellent water, while the pressure, 86 lbs., is so great that the town has no need of fire engines, the supply from the hydrants being sufficient to quickly extinguish any fire which has yet broken out. Dr. Black was chairman of the water committee, and the works under his management were constructed for a less cost than that estimated by the engineer—a result very rare in public works. Dr. Black has also been interested in most of the new manufacturing enterprises of the town. On the expiry of his first term of service as warden, in 1884, he was re-elected by acclamation, and held the office until he retired in 1885. He is connected with no secret society except the Masonic fraternity. He was made a Mason in Mount Lebanon lodge, R.E., Prince Edward Island, in