334 PAST AND PRESENT OF in the lobster-packing business, in which he continued some half dozen years, being the owner of two factories. He then engaged in general merchandise business, in which he was successful until the store was destroyed by fire in about 1883. Shortly afterward he again embarked in the mercantile business, but soon afterward met with reverses and was then appointed postmaster which posi¬ tion he held up to the time of his death, on October 3, 1905. He was the father of four sons and three daughters, of whom the sub¬ ject of this sketch was the eldest. J. E. Gallant was educated in the pub¬ lic schools of Tignish and then learned the drug business with George Aitken , with whom he continued about two years and then went to Summerside and entered the employ of J. A. Gourlay , with whom he remained for some time. He then removed to Charlotte - town and entered the employ of Reddin Brothers and in 1892 returned to Tignish and engaged in business on his own account, in which he continued for some years. He then closed out and removed to the United States, where for a year he was employed in the drug business after which he returned to Tignish and was employed by Charles Dal- ton for some time. He then engaged in the drug business for himself, which he has con¬ tinued most successfully up to the present time. He is a thoroughly competent phar¬ macist and in connection with a .full line of drugs he carries a large and well selected stock of such side lines as usually comple¬ ment a drug stock. He is courteous and obliging in his treatment of customers and because of his evident desire to please all who trade with him, he has earned the good will of everyone who has come in contact with him. On August 20, 1901, he married Gertrude Doyle , the daughter of Patrick Doyle, of Tignish , and they have two chil¬ dren, Ruth and Lloyd. Mr. Gallant is a member of the Prince Edward Island Phar¬ maceutical Association, the Catholic Mutual Benefit Association, the Ancient Order of Hibernians and the Societe des Artesans Canadiens Francaise. Hon . Benjamin Rogers , who has long occupied a leading position in the public af¬ fairs of Prince Edward Island was born at Bedeque , Prince county, on the 7th of Au¬ gust, 1837, and is a son of Joseph and Mar - garet (James) Rogers, natives of Wales , of whose eight children he is the sixth in order of birth. He received his education in the public schools of Bedeque , and upon the con¬ clusion of his studies he accepted a clerkship at Summerside and was afterward employed as bookkeeper for Hon . J. C. Pope until 1858, when he came to Cascumpec (now Al- berton) and commenced business on his own account in which he has since been engaged. Mr. Rogers has ever since attaining his ma¬ jority taken a deep interest in public affairs and in 1878 was elected a member of the Legislative Council, in which he was con¬ tinued by successive re-elections until 1893, when that House was amalgamated with the Legislative Assembly , to which body he was elected in the year last mentioned, and again in 1900. During his last three years' serv¬ ice in the Legislative Council he was presi¬ dent of that body after having been four years leader of his party in the house. He served as a member of the Executive Coun ¬ cil during a portion of Premier Fred Peter 's government and also during the administra¬ tion of Hon . Donald Farquharson . In 1900 he was appointed to the office of provincial