ALEXANDER RUSSELL, poet, musician and composer, was born at Woodhall Gardens, near Airdrie, Lanarkshire, Scotland, September 10, 1860; he is the son of James Russell and Mary Baird. When he was very young the family moved to Motherwell, where a sister and two brothers still reside: his mother at Canton and two sisters are in this country, Mrs. John Hamilton, in Chicago, and Mrs. James P. Caruthers, in Harvey, Illinois; his father died in Motherwell, April, 1909.

Mr. Russell received his early education at Craigneuk School, near Motherwell; he also attended classes in the manufacture of iron and steel and in machine construction and drawing. He attended the arts classes in the University of Glasgow, 1885-1886. In profession he is a rolling mill superintendent in steel plants, and at present is engaged in a local steel plant at Canton, Ohio, having been engaged previously for five years in the Clairton (Pa.) plant of the Carnegie Steel Company.

At an early age Mr. Russell joined the church choir and studied music; he received the matriculation certificate for both notations from the Tonic-Sol-Fa College, London, and three certificates from

private teachers. He also studied the pipe-organ and played with success. Many of his friends urged him to take up music as a profession, but he preferred music as a hobby, and derives much pleasure from it, always remembering the words of his teacher, that "pleasure is a shy nymph, if you chase her she will flee from you, but go on and do your duty and she will seek you." Mr. Russell does not compose to order; when he reads a poem and, so to speak, falls in love with it, a "something sweetens round the heart and sets the muse a-going." His first song set to music, "How Sweet was Life Langsyne," words by the late Alexander Anderson (surfaceman), Librarian of the Edinburgh University, was published by Kohier & Son, Edinburgh, and took very well; many more have followed to words by Mr. Anderson, Robert Sanderson and others. Mr. Russell has the original copy of the well-known poem, "Cuddle Doon," written and signed by the poet himself.

In April, 1903, he married Margaret Maxwell, daughter of the late James Hamilton, of Maygateshawhead, Carluke; his friend, Alexander Anderson, was best man. They are members of Calvary Presbyterian Church, Canton.