Zebulon Alton Lash

1846 - 1920  (73 years)

• Name	Zebulon Alton Lash
  Born	15 Sep 1846	St. John's, Newfoundland
  Gender	Male
  FindAGrave	https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/213002676
  Eby ID Number	Waterloo-488181
  Died	24 Jan 1920	Toronto, York Co., Ontario, Canada
  Buried	Forest Lawn Mausoleum, Toronto, York Co., Ontario, Canada
  Person ID	I488181	Generations
  Last Modified	7 Nov 2024

  
  

  Family	Elizabeth Anne "Bessie" Miller,   b. 17 Mar 1845, Dundas, West Flamborough Twp., Wentworth Co., Ontario, Canada ,   d. 13 Feb 1912, Toronto, York Co., Ontario, Canada  (Age 66 years)
  Married	31 Aug 1871	Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada
  Last Modified	12 Nov 2024
  Family ID	F299902	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

• Notes

  Z. A. LASH SUCCUMBS PARALYTIC STROKE Was Prominent as Commercial Lawyer and Financier. By Canadian Associated Press. TORONTO, Jan. 25. - Z. A. Lash. K.C., of this city, died Saturday night, following a paralytic stroke of ten days ago. The late Zebulon A. Lash was a prominent commercial lawyer and financier. He was a member of the law firm of Blake. Lash, Anglin & Cassels, of this city. He was presisdent of the Great Northwestern Telegraph Company; vice president of the Canadian Bank of Commerce; vice president of the Mexico Tramways, company; vice president of the National Trust Co.; vice, president of the Brazilian Traction. Light & Power Co. and a director in a number of business concerns ineluding the Bell Telephone Co. of Canada; British American Assurance Co., Western Assurance Co., Western Canada Flour Mills Co. and The Canadian Northern Railway Co. Mr. Lash was born in Newfoundland and was in his 74th year. He was a graduate of the University of Toronto, He was called to the Ontario bar in 1868. He was Deputy Minister of Justice from 1876 to 1882. Three sons and a daughter survive him. The Ottawa Journal Mon, Jan 26, 1920 Page 9 _______________ Z. A. LASH PASSES AWAL AN EMINENT COUNSEL Outstanding Figure in Legal, Financial, and Railway Circles in Toronto. HAD WIDE INTERESTS Found Time in Busy Professional Life to Devote to Literature. The death of Z. A Lash, K.C.. LL.D., was not unexpected. Two weeks ago he had a paralytic stroke, and had been sinking steadily. He died quietly late on Saturday night at his home, 59 Admiral road. He was in his seventy-fourth year. Sir Edmund Walker's Tribute. One of the strongest tributes to Mr. Lash was paid to-day by Sir Edmund Walker, C.V.O., who was a personal friend of the eminent lawyer for many years. "Mr. Lash." said Sir Edmund, was one of the greatest Canadians of this or any other time. Not only did he stand at the head of his profession, but he did many things for the people of the Dominion for which he received no reward of any kind, and he kept on doing them all through his life as a matter of course. He had more varied capacities and more strength in each capacity than any other man I have ever known. "In my opinion." continued Sir Edmund, he was the best lawyer Canada. His knowledge of banking law and company law was exceptionally keen. He had a marvelous memory and I have been told by some of his associates that he could dictate many pages of matter without the necessity of having to change a word. The drafting of the Pledge Receipt was one of the most important improvements made in the Canadian Parking Act and to this Mr. Lash brought all the richness of his rare ability. By the Pledge Receipt Canadian banks were empowered to lend money on raw material to manufacturers and thus afford them asistance such as banks of no other countries can render. Was a Diplomat. "Mr. Lash was more than a lawyer he was a diplomat in the best sense of that word. Not only Governments, but individuals, were repeatedly brought together and disagreements smoothed out to the advantage of both parties, His character and ability were such that I have repeatedly known him to act for both parties in a transaction and give the fullest satisfaction to both. Sincerity Carried Conviction. "M- Lash's manner in carrying on negotiations was altogether his own. His evident sincerity could not help but carry conviction, and I have known him to literally force the facts out of the contending parties and then make them both accept and abide by his finding His language was at all times clear and incisive. He had the best understanding of what ordinary language ordinary English, in its simples words really meant and by using the simple every-day word commonly used by everybody, he could build an argument which could be understood and ferreted without any difficulty He was one of the most liberal men, whether with money or in his relations with other men, but he could be made exceedingly angry by meanness or double dealing. An Excellent Companion. Apart from business and the professional world, Sir Edmund told The Star that Mr. Lash would be missed by all those with whom he used to associate, when on holidays "He was an excellent companion" said Sir Edmund, "and inside of one hour after leaving his office and proceeding on a holiday he could throw away all care and become once more a boy. He was an excellent camp cook and raconteur, as well as one of the handiest men to have around when broken fishing poles had to be mended or other camp problems solved. He could make a salmon or a trout rod as stout and true as any made by any craftsman, and his familiar old black bag containing the tools to mend anything in camp will be remembered for many years by his old associates. I do not know all that Mr. Lash kept in the black bar, but I do know that whenever a fishing rod broke or a net was torn, îã repairs necessary to any camp paraphernalia, the black bag of Mr. Lash could supply the cord, gum, and other material which would save a man's day on the Godbout River. A Hard-Working Man. "While Mr. Lash was an enthusiastic fisherman," continued Sir Edmund. "he was one of the hardest working men I ever knew. His Intellect could bear up longer under continued strain better than any other man of my acquaintance. I remember one time when he received word from Ottawa at six o'clock in the evening that a new bill would have to be prepared to take the place of one that had already been submitted. Mr. Lash immediately got busy, and without going out of his office for dinner, he worked long into the night. He was very fond of chocolates and other sweetmeats and on this particular night they were his only sustenance. Early the following morning the new bill was completed and ready to be submitted to be incorporated into law." "Mr. Lash was the truest and most constant friend any man, could have," said Sir Edmund in conclusion. "He did a countless number of kind things that the public could never know and will never know about. In my opinion, Canada has lost, in the passing of Mr. Lash, not only a great lawyer, but greater man whose niche cannot be filled. He had a place peculiar to himself and now that he has gone from us I am satisfied that it will remain unoccupied " His Unfading Optimism. To the general public Z A. Lash was an efficient and brilliant lawyer, but to his intimate friends he was a warm-hearted friend, whose presence brought good cheer and whose conversation and stories gathered from a rich experience never failed to bring a ready response. Mr. Lash was always cheerful, and he had an railing sense of humor, and this was readily vouched for by many friends and acquaintances throughout the city yesterday. Speaking to The Star to-day. Sir William Mackenzie said that he never met a more optimistic man than Mr. Lash, "The harder any question was the better he liked the contest." said Sir William. "I never knew him to be completely baffled on any question, and when it came to a matter of pure law. his clear-eyed conception of jurisprudence seemed to find a ready solution for any problem. He always found a way to attain his end, and this held good whether it was law or a long planned for holiday." "Mr. Lash mixed more sense with his legal opinions than any other lawyer I ever came in contact with. The language he employed in all his legal documents was couched in simple words, which any layman could understand. In all my experience with Mr. Lash. dating back over twenty years, the characteristic that most impressed me, was his remarkable vision. He could see obstacles in advance years before they ever confronted his clients, and things that other men could not see nor dream of he took precautions to provide against. I believe that Mr. Lash, more than any other corporation lawyer, foresaw the tremendous development of the Dominion, and this is borne out in the carefully drafted documents to which he gave his personal attention. On the personal side he was one of the finest characters I have ever known, entrusted friend and a reliable counselor. Great Man, Intensely Human. Sir Donald Mann stated that Mr. Lash's good qualities were probably not realized as much by the general public as they should be, "He was the greatest legal draftsman I ever knew, and I always found him to be fair and courteous at all times. The language he employed was so plain that the average man on the street could easily understand it and get the meaning. But while he was a great lawyer, he was also a great man, and was Intensely human. He had a strong sense of humor, and was always ready for a good joke and fond of telling a story to mustrate a situation." "His one hobby, if such it could be called." continued Sir Donald. "was fishing, and he would spend hours at a time making his own fishing poles and fishing tackle. He had a workshop at the back of his house, and here he would work over his flies, etc., as enthusiastically as a boy. I really believe that a good haul of fish gave him as much enjoyment as a satisfactory legal decision. He also took considerable interest in duck shooting, and during the last year or so, proved that he was still an excellent shot. He loved exercising in the open air, and up until his recent illness always walked down to his office in the morning from his house. I never knew a man more devoted to his wife and family, and I know that they were lovers to the end. Everybody knew him as a great lawyer, but those of us who were intimate with him knew him as an even greater man." Fondness for Drummond's Poems. W. H. Moore told The Star that Mr. Lash was a great admirer of the late Dr. W. H. Drummond, and took much pleasure in reading and reciting his habitant poems. "He liked verse and literature which had to do with the open air, and people living in the open air," said Mr. Moore. "He was fond of relating stories which had a humorous setting concerning his friends. One of them, which he related, had to do with the late Sam Blake. The story as Mr. Lash told it, always listened very, very funny. It seems that some years ago there were two San Blakes residing in the city-one an eminent King's Counsel, and the other a prominent bookmaker. One day the telephone rang at the Blake residence, and a voice over the wire inquired if Mr. Blake was going up to Barrie that afternoon. The reply was to the effect that Mr. Blake was not. 'Well. continued the voice, 'I just wanted to know if he had made arrangements for the 'privileges for the meeting. The member of the Blake household definitely assured the questioner that Mr. Blake had no intention of going to Barrie, nor of attending any meeting. Isn't that the home of Sam Blake, the bookmaker" continued the voice. 'Well, replied a feminine member of the Blake household, 'Mr. Blake writes books, but we never knew that he was known as 'the bookmaker before."" Mr. Moore paid a great tribute to Mr. Lash's wonderful grasp of details, and his remarkable memory. "He always did his utmost to avoid litigation," said Mr. Moore "and I believe he settled more difficult cases without other lawyers being present than any other man. He seemed to be able to see both sides of the case in greater degree than most practitioners could and in legal circles he had the reputation of being inclined to mercy rather than strictly just. As a legal draftsman, I doubt very much whether Canada has his equal. He enjoyed his work, his holidays, his friends, and his family, and his death cannot but be deeply felt by all who knew him." A close personal friend relates the following interesting story of Mr Lash: "As I heard the story," said he, "there had been a movement on foot to eliminate some of the directors from the board of a certain company. The contest was one for control of the company, and it looked for a while as if the 'new blood' might succeed. However, after the proxies had been counted, it was found that the old directors had been returned to a man. Mr. Lash then related to some of the directors, the story of how two men had gone into a New York restaurant where colored waiters were employed. One man ordered ham and eggs, and his companion said, 'Bring me ham, but 'eliminate' the eggs.' In about half an hour. when their patience had all but vanished, the waiter returned with two orders of ham and eggs, and in response to a question gave the excuse that 'he had hunted all over the doggone kitchen, but he could not find the "eliminator" nowhere, ïî-how."" "The recent situation," concluded Mr. Lash, with a dry smile, "is something like that." The Toronto Star Mon, Jan 26, 1920 Page 8 ________ Zebulon Aiton Lash, K.C., LL.I F.R.C.I., president of the Great Northwestern Telegraph Co. and senior member of the firm of Blake, Lash. Anglin and Cassels, barristers and solicitors, was one of the best known members of the Canadian bar, enjoying a national reputation both as a pleader and as counsel. He was an outstanding figure, not only in legal circles, but also, and probably preeminently, in the financial and railway world, having been vice-president of the Canadian Northern Railway and a promoter and director of Mackenzie, Mann and Co., Ltd. Mr. Lash was born in St. John's, Newfoundland, in September, 1846, the son of William Lash. At an early age he went to Dundas, Ontario, where he received a grammar school education, and afterwards to Toronto University. The law had been his favorite study since youth, and at the age of 22 he was called to the bar. He first became junior partner of the law firm of VanKoughnet and Lash, and later of Beatty, Chadwick and Lash. His qualifications became so well known that in 1876, when but thirty years of age, he was appointed Deputy Minister of Justice at Ottawa. This post he held until 1882, when he resigned to enter into partnership with the late Hon. Samuel Blake and Mr. Cassels, this being the beginning of the firm which is to- day one of the best known in Canada In 1897 Mr. Lash was created Queen's counsel. In 1883 he was elected a bencher of the Ontario Law Society, and was re-elected at every subsequent election until he became permanent bencher by statute. In 1883 Mr. Tash also served as counsel for the Dominion Government in the Mercer escheat case before the Privy Council. Associated With Mackenzie & Mann. Early in his legal career, which was one of remarkable brilliance from the onset. Mr. Lash became associated with William Mackenzie and Donald Mann, the association continuing throughout the greater part of his lifetime. It was he who introduced Messrs. Mackenzie and Mann to Toronto, at Board of Trade banquet in the 90's, and he was long credited with being the financial genius of the Mackenzie- Mann organization. He was for some years chief counsel for the C. N. R. Mr. Lash, although previously Liberal in his political sentiments, proved himself one of the most out- spoken opponents of the proposed reciprocity agreement in 1911. Íå again came to the fore in 1915 in connection with the inquiry Into the Manitoba graft scandal, when he upheld the right of a telegraph company to destroy records of telegrams passed between individuals, rather than let them fall into the hands of a Royal Commission. He had previously been elected president of the Great Northwestern Telegraph Co. in 1913, and in that year he also became a Fellow of the Royal Colonial Institute. Mr. Lash had the reputation of being one of the most finished elocutionists at the Canadian bar, and made a hobby of reciting during nearly the whole of his lifetime. His talents in this direction were generally recognized. and his recitations were a popular feature of fashionable social gatherings. His Many Interests. Mr. Lash was formerly lecturer and examiner in commercial and criminal law for the Law Society of Upper Canada; he was vice-chairman of the Board of Governors of Toronto University, and a trustee of Toronto General Hospital, toward the building of which he contributed $10.000. He was also solicitor for the Canadian Bankers' Association. Mr. Lash married the daughter of Judge Miller, of Galt., Ont., and has three sons and one daughter. He was a Presbyterian in religion. Mr. Lash was vice-president of the Canadian Bank of Commerce; vice-president of the Mexico Tramways Company; vice-president of the National Trust Co.; vice-president of the Brazilan Traction, Light and Power Co, a director of the British American Assurance Co, director of the Western Assurance Co., director of the Western Canada Flour Mills Co., vice-president of the Quebec and Lake St. John Railway. The Toronto Star Mon, Jan 26, 1920 Page 8

  
  

• Event Map

  Born - 15 Sep 1846 - St. John's, Newfoundland Married - 31 Aug 1871 - Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Died - 24 Jan 1920 - Toronto, York Co., Ontario, Canada Buried - - Forest Lawn Mausoleum, Toronto, York Co., Ontario, Canada  = Link to Google Earth