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In 1943 a Saint John chess player read a newspaper article about a millionaire in Ontario throwing money out a window. He told his friends and they decided to write to the eccentric philanthropist asking him to donate a trophy for the New Brunswick Chess Championship. To their amazement, a large Birk’s box was delivered to Maurice Elman’s home on Elliot Row. Within was a silver trophy! Included was a note stating: You can have this trophy if you name it the Andy Wheaton Cup. The players gratefully accepted the trophy although they had no idea who Andy Wheaton was. Over time, even the name of the eccentric donor faded from memory.
Introducing Mr ‘X’:
“We were at the Beatty Hotel in Saint John. Harry goes out to get some air and sees a woman with three children struggling with her bags to put them in a cab. He says to the doorman, “Get over there and help her!” The doorman says, “Who do you think you’re talking to?” Harry says, “You!” POW!! So I get a call about ten o’clock at night: The boss is in jail again.” – from Building An Empire by T. Charland
Harry Falconer McLean was nearing 60 when this incident occurred in late 1942. With guts, gumption, and gallons of whisky, he made a fortune blasting tunnels and laying railway track from Flin Flon to Guysboroug. He did it faster and better than anyone else, taking jobs others considered impossible or too dangerous to do.
Born in Bismark North Dakota in 1883 to Canadian parents, Harry had a pioneering and poetic disposition. He spent his life extending the frontiers of civilization with a poem in his heart. That poem was Kipling’s Sons of Martha, about the doers of the world. Harry could be short with words, “Railway men don’t talk about things,” Harry would often quip, “we build them.”
Combining business acumen with hard labor, Harry worked his way to the top. Beginning with the Cooke Construction Co, he soon branched out, starting the Dominion Construction Company. Most of his jobs were in Canada. He worked building a section of railway line in northern New Brunswick in 1913. It was there that he met Andrew (Andy) Wheaton. Andrew and his brother William had their own Moncton based construction company and were hired on as sub-contractors. This was before McLean started Dominion Construction; when he did however, Andy Wheaton became one of his top men.
Always a generous man, Harry would look after the needs and the families of anyone who got hurt on his jobs, and he did not want any recognition for it. He was especially sympathetic to wounded soldiers. It was in ’43 that he became known as Mr ‘X’ for handing out 100 dollar bills to soldiers. He paid a reporter to keep his name anonymous, but it leaked out and Harry was flooded with requests… So begins our story.
Thanks to Harry Falconer McLean we have the Andy Wheaton Cup, but the question remains: who exactly was Andrew Wheaton?
Introducing Mr ‘X’:
“We were at the Beatty Hotel in Saint John. Harry goes out to get some air and sees a woman with three children struggling with her bags to put them in a cab. He says to the doorman, “Get over there and help her!” The doorman says, “Who do you think you’re talking to?” Harry says, “You!” POW!! So I get a call about ten o’clock at night: The boss is in jail again.” – from Building An Empire by T. Charland
Harry Falconer McLean was nearing 60 when this incident occurred in late 1942. With guts, gumption, and gallons of whisky, he made a fortune blasting tunnels and laying railway track from Flin Flon to Guysboroug. He did it faster and better than anyone else, taking jobs others considered impossible or too dangerous to do.
Born in Bismark North Dakota in 1883 to Canadian parents, Harry had a pioneering and poetic disposition. He spent his life extending the frontiers of civilization with a poem in his heart. That poem was Kipling’s Sons of Martha, about the doers of the world. Harry could be short with words, “Railway men don’t talk about things,” Harry would often quip, “we build them.”
Combining business acumen with hard labor, Harry worked his way to the top. Beginning with the Cooke Construction Co, he soon branched out, starting the Dominion Construction Company. Most of his jobs were in Canada. He worked building a section of railway line in northern New Brunswick in 1913. It was there that he met Andrew (Andy) Wheaton. Andrew and his brother William had their own Moncton based construction company and were hired on as sub-contractors. This was before McLean started Dominion Construction; when he did however, Andy Wheaton became one of his top men.
Always a generous man, Harry would look after the needs and the families of anyone who got hurt on his jobs, and he did not want any recognition for it. He was especially sympathetic to wounded soldiers. It was in ’43 that he became known as Mr ‘X’ for handing out 100 dollar bills to soldiers. He paid a reporter to keep his name anonymous, but it leaked out and Harry was flooded with requests… So begins our story.
Thanks to Harry Falconer McLean we have the Andy Wheaton Cup, but the question remains: who exactly was Andrew Wheaton?
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