Zorra Boys at Home and Abroad, or, How to Succeed

William Alexander MacKay (1842 - 1905)

By Zorra, in the following sketches, is meant a little district in Oxford county, Ontario, some ten miles square, composed of part of East and part of West Zorra, and containing a population of about fourteen hundred. It was settled about the year 1830, chiefly by Highlanders from Sutherlandshire, Scotland.

Within the last forty years there have gone from this district over one hundred young men who have made their mark in the world. With most of these it has been the writer's good fortune to be personally and intimately acquainted; and companionship with some of them has been to him a pleasure and a benefit.

It is not intended to include all these in the following sketches; this were impracticable, but it is believed that a brief, unvarnished account of the career of some of them may be an inspiration, not only to the young men of Zorra to-day, but to men everywhere struggling against difficulties, and earnestly engaged in the conflict of life. Such sketches will also be to many a pleasant souvenir of early days, when

"Hearts were light as ony feather,
Free frae sorrow, care and strife."

(summary by W.A. MacKay (1900))

Genre(s): Biography & Autobiography, Self-Help

Language: English

Section Chapter Reader Time
Play 00 00 - Introductory MaryAnn
00:10:55
Play 01 01 - Sketch I. James Wood MaryAnn
00:09:25
Play 02 02 - Sketch II. Alexander M. Sutherland ravenotation
00:21:14
Play 03 03 - Sketch III. Prof. Henry John Cody, M.A MaryAnn
00:10:14
Play 04 04 - Sketch IV. George Mackay J.S. Kenney
00:16:34
Play 05 05 - Sketch V. Thomas Adams Christine Blachford
00:07:33
Play 06 06 - Sketch VI. George N. Matheson Christine Blachford
00:07:42
Play 07 07 - Sketch VII. Hon. Donald Mackay J.S. Kenney
00:09:27
Play 08 08 - Sketch VIII. Dr. James Fraser TriciaG
00:17:33
Play 09 09 - Sketch IX. Paul Murray Amy Gramour
00:07:09
Play 10 10 - Sketch X. James and John Fletcher J.S. Kenney
00:14:13
Play 11 11 - Sketch XI. Hon. J. R. Sutherland David Lawrence
00:05:41
Play 12 12 - Sketch XII. Mervin Cody ravenotation
00:13:06
Play 13 13 - Sketch XIII. G. L. Mackay, D.D. MaryAnn
00:15:18
Play 14 14 - Sketch XIV. Prof. Donald Mackay, B.A. ravenotation
00:09:51
Play 15 15 - Sketch XV. Nelson Janes Sean McGaughey
00:04:19
Play 16 16 - Sketch XVI. D. S. Burdick TriciaG
00:13:28
Play 17 17 - Sketch XVII. John Griffiths TriciaG
00:07:12
Play 18 18 - Sketch XVIII. Thomas Oliver, M.P. Christopher Maust
00:10:23
Play 19 19 - Sketch XIX. Hon. James Sutherland, M.P. Christopher Maust
00:08:21
Play 20 20 - Sketch XX. Rev. Charles W. Gordon, B.A. ("Ralph Connor") JimOCR
00:10:28
Play 21 21 - Sketch XXI. Rev. Alexander S. Macleod, M.A. JimOCR
00:04:41
Play 22 22 - Sketch XXII. Capt. John M. Ross TriciaG
00:13:01
Play 23 23 - Sketch XXIII. Dr. A. E. Matheson TriciaG
00:10:01
Play 24 24 - Sketch XXIV. John S. Mackay Sean McGaughey
00:03:48