Honor�� Beaugrand

Honoré Beaugrand Was A Soldier In The French Army Volunteering At Seventeen Years Of Age To Help In The Conquest Of Mexico A Colonial War. He Was A World Traveler Journalist Novelist Author Of Folk Tales Editor And Publisher Of Several Newspapers. He Was Mayor Of Montreal From 1885 To 1887. As Mayor He Faced Two Major Problems—Floods In Spring And A Smallpox Epidemic In The Summer. In Both He Was Widely Praised For His Strong Leadership. He Was Subjected To A Litany Of Calumny About His Membership In The Freemasons His Anti-Clericalism His Republicanism (Advocating The American Form Of Government) His Francophilia. However The Truth Is That Beaugrand Was Not A Radical In Politics In Spite Of His Protestations Otherwise. There Is Some Controversy About His Religious Beliefs But Probably On Balance He Was Not A Believer In The Church. He Wanted To Be Buried As Papineau And Doutre Without Final Rites And Ceremony. Beaugrand Was A Great Traveler Visiting The World Over. He Reported His Travels In His Newspaper That Demonstrated His Wide Interest In The History The Cultural And The Economic Development Of The Countries Visited. Early On He Began A Literary Career Recounting His Experience In Mexico And In Fall River. His Novel Jeanne La Fileuse Was The First Social Novel Of French America. He Wrote About Native As Well As French Canadian Folklore Indian-Written Sign Languages Industry Sociology Pottery And Anthropology Of The Numerous Places He Visited.