Volume III - ElectricCanadian.com

426 CANADA.JAMES PATON, Dry GoodsMerchant, Charlottetown, P. E.I., was born in Paisley, Scotland,June 5th, 1853. His parentswere Alexander and Elizabeth (Mc-Kechnie) Pa ton, the former for manyyears a designer of shawl patterns, etc.,his father being a shawl manufacturer.Mr. Paton was educated at the " MooreSchool " and the Paisley High School,and at the age of thirteen, entered theemploy of Robertson and McGibbon,the leading drapers of Paisley, withwhom he remained six years. In 1872,he came to Prince Edward Island, andclerked in Charlottetown for four years,after which he entered intopartnership with Mr. W. A.Weeks, of that city, underthe firm name of W. A.Weeks & Co. In 1888, Mr.Weeks engaging in thewholesale business, Mr.Paton soon became sole proprietorof the business,which he still conductsunder the firm name ofJames Paton & Co., and hassucceeded in building up anexcellent reputation for hishouse. He is a man of tact,judgment and integrity. Heconsults his own interests,as well as those of his customers,by crossing to Britaintwice a year to makehis purchases there, personally,and has crossed theAtlantic over seventy times.The volume of his businessis one of the largest of itskind in the Province, and issteadily increasing. In religion,Mr. Paton is a memberof the Methodist Church,a steward and trustee inhis church, and in politicsis a Liberal. When quite ayoung man, he was president of theYoung Men's Abstainers Union of Paisley,where such excellent work wasdone in the way of evening classes, andwhere he acquired much useful knowledge.He is one of the directors of theCharlottetown Caledonian Club. Mr.Paton has been married twice :first, in1880, to Eva Melcora, daughter of thelate John Anderson, Esq., of Sackville,N.B., who died in 1885 ; and, second,in 1887, to Florence Gertrude, daughterof the late William Brown, Esq., ofCharlottetown. His family consists offour children : three daughters and oneson.