Chapter 6

Moore, Politician and Financier

It was only natural that Moore’s greatest ambition was to represent Stanstead county as Federal Member at Ottawa. It has been commonly agreed that he could have carried the constituency in the past with relative ease. He remained absolutely loyal to the Hon. C.C. Colby, however, and as long as his friend was in office Moore refused to even consider a nomination.

In 1898, however, with Colby no longer politically active, Moore ran, and was elected. This was the pinnacle of A.H. Moore’s career. It was, to him, the culmination of 40 years of labour and devotion to the community he loved. Starting from a poor, almost primitive settlement of 200, he had seen banks, stores, power plants, lumber mills, cotton mills, and railroads spring up under his magic touch. Now with a population of 3,500, Magog’s future looked increasingly bright. But his happiness was short-lived becasue in the next general election, through the vote of the citizens of Magog, he was defeated. This was the reward he secured from his fellow citizens for taking them from an unknown hamlet to a thriving industrial community, known throughout Canada because of the products it manufactured. This defeat broke down the ambition and every other desire of Moore. He eventually went into liquidation and died despondent in 1911.

Mr. Moore was a financier. In using his initiative, energy, brain and wealth, he created railroads, power plants, industries and communities. In doing so he created for himself more wealth than any other local individual. Many of the things he created still live in one form or another, and, despite ups and downs seem likely to continue to grow through the centuries.