This book offers a comprehensive biography of Donald Alexander Smith, 1st Baron Strathcona and Mount Royal, a Scottish-Canadian businessman who played a significant role in the development of Canada's transportation infrastructure in the later half of the 19th century. Willson's account draws on a variety of primary and secondary sources to provide a vivid portrait of this prominent figure, from his early years in Scotland to his later-life philanthropic endeavors in Canada. This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the "public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.