Volume III - ElectricCanadian.com

244STEELECURRY,City Comptroller, Winnipeg,Manitoba, was born in Sydney,C.B., in 1852, and was educatedat a private school. He enteredthe service of the Glasgow andCape Breton Coal and Railway Co., atan early age, and at the time of the company'ssnspension ; owing to the severedepression in the coal trade in 1874,occupied the position of cashier andpaymaster. In June of that year, hejoined the North-West Mounted Policeat Toronto, and served under ColonelFrench in the celebrated march to FortWhoopup and return. This, at thetime, was claimed to be the longestcontinuous march of a military forceon record, the distance covered being2,200 miles. The North-West wasthen to a large extent in a rough state,and many privations and hardshipswere experienced during the march.In June 1875, Mr. Curry resigned fromthe N.-W. Mounted Police, and wasappointed commissariat officer for theC.P.R. surveys in the Lake of theWoods district. Two years later, hewas transferred to Winnipeg, as accountantin the office of the paymasterand purveyor. On the retirement ofMr. Nixon, Mr. Curry was placed inas accountant andchargepaymaster at Winnipeg,and continued in this officeuntil the final winding up,in 1884, of the Governmentbusiness in connection withthe C.P.R., being latterlyemployed in the Departmentof Railways at Ottawa, adjustingGovernment contractclaims. In Aug., 1884,he was appointed auditor ofthe city of Winnipeg, andsubsequently city comptroller,which position he nowfills. Mr. Curryis a memberof the trading firm of Brown& Curry, Edmonton, Alberta,a director of theNorth-West Fire InsuranceCo., and is identified withvarious local institutions.He is one of the largestholders of Winnipeg realestate, and has unboundedfaith in the future of Manitobaand the North-West.His early experience inthat new country, has enabledhim to render valuableservice in opening up itsvast resources.