DAVID KEARNS.
 

	David Kearns, mayor and manufacturer of Maple Creek, is well known
in business circles here as an upright and reliable business man and
citizen, interested in everything conducive to the progress and develop
ment of this city and district. He was born in Ontario, on the 4th of
July, 1857, a, son of William and Johanna (Sinclair) Kearns. His parents
spent the greater part of their lives on various farms in Ontario, subse-
quently removing to the Qu'Appelle valley in 1884. The father was a
successful agriculturist. Mr. and Mrs. Kearns have both passed away.
	In the pursuit of his early education David Kearns attended the pub-
lic schools of his birthplace and was for three years a student at Albert
College, Belleville, Ontario. In 1879 he entered the Christian ministry
of the Methodist church, in the Niagara conference, was ordained in
1885, and continued to preach the Gospel until failing health, through
throat trouble, forced him to resign his charge. In 1890 he came west
and after spending some time in recuperating with relatives at Qu'Ap-
pelle, he came on to Maple Creek in 1891 and has resided here ever since.
He took up ranching in 1893 and has been interested in sheep, cattle and
horse ranching, giving his principal attention, however, to the latter for
fifteen years.  He did not at any time during these years confine his
interests and attention to ranching, but was always pushing other busi-
ness ventures. He contracted for and installed the Maple Creek water-
works, at a saving to the town of five thousand dollars. He was also the
means of preventing the installation of a sewer pumping station and had
a gravity system installed instead, which has saved the town many
thousands of dollars and much inconvenience. In 1911 he was instru-
mental in organising the Maple Creek Light, Power & Milling Company,
of which he is one of the principal stockholders and of which enterprise
he has been manager ever since its organization. His executive ability
and close application to the smallest details have been dominant factors
in the continued success of the company. He organized the Shaunavon
Light, Power & Milling Company in 1919, and since that date has been
managing both companies.  Mr. Kearns has wide and varied interests,
owns several large farms in the province of Saskatchewan and is an en-
thusiastic advocate of mixed farming and dairying, and he is also a large
stockholder in and a director of the Saskatchewan Creamery Company
of Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan. He has also taken a very lively interest
in the promoting of corn growing in the Maple Creek district and was
the first president of the Saskatchewan Provincial Corn Growers Asso-
ciation.  Aside from his business interests, he has always been active
in local political affairs and was village overseer for many years in
Maple Creek, before the village became a town, and since its incorpora-
tion he has served three terms on the town council and is now completing
his third term as mayor. He has inaugurated and brought to completion
many movements for the benefit of the community and he is esteemed by
all who know him.
	In 1882 Mr. Kearns was married to Miss Phoebe Ann Wright. To
their union four children have been born, one of whom is deceased. The
living children are: T. Lorne, in business in Maple Creek; David Wright,
an electrician in Shaunavon, Saskatchewan; and Lula J., in college in
Regina.  Mrs. Kearns died some years ago.  Mr. Kearns has always
been so busy attending to his political and commercial interests that he
has had little time for social life. He is, however, a man of genial and
pleasing disposition and possesses the gift for making and keeping friends.
He is a self-made man in the truest sense of the word and Maple Creek
is proud to have him for a citizen.




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