A Cyclopaedia of Canadian Biography: Being Chiefly Men of the Time: A Collection of Persons Distinguished in Professional and Political Life, Leaders in the Commerce and Industry of Canada, and Successful Pioneers
History
A Cyclopaedia of Canadian Biography: Being Chiefly Men of the Time: A Collection of Persons Distinguished in Professional and Political Life, Leaders in the Commerce and Industry of Canada, and Successful Pioneers
in the fall of the same year he sailed for America to visit a wealthy
uncle who lived in Alabama. Having taken his passage _via_ Quebec, on
his westward journey, he was induced to stay over at St. Thomas,
Ontario, and take a position in the Canada Southern Railway Company. Not
having realized his expectations, he abandoned this service, and for the
next two or three years he was engaged in various pursuits, such as
bookkeeper for Rich & Mitchell, wholesale druggists, St. Thomas, and for
Messrs. Kain, of the same place. In 1877 he bought out a jobbing
business, and in the following year sold this out and removed to St.
Catharines, to take charge in that city of the extensive piano-forte
business of A. & S. Nordheimer, of Toronto. On this branch being closed,
Mr. Hunt received the appointment of city ticket agent for the Great
Western Railway Company in St. Catharines; and since he has extended his
business of ticket-selling so that he now represents every railway and
steamboat line in Canada and the United States, and the extensive
tourist system of Thomas Cook & Sons, of New York and London, England.
Mr. Hunt has been prominently identified with the Masonic order for many
years. In 1866, while at the Cape of Good Hope, on his way to India, he
was initiated in Royal Alfred lodge of the Grand Lodge of Scotland, a
very aristocratic lodge, Prince Alfred, after whom it was named, with
many officers of the military and civil service, being members. While in
St. Thomas he was instrumental in forming a company that built one of
the finest Masonic halls in Canada. He established Elgin lodge, and was
its first worshipful master; was also first principal of De Warrene
chapter of Royal Arch Masons, and assisted in establishing Nineveh
Council of Royal and Select Masters, and was one of its Illustrious
masters. Since his residence in St. Catharines he has taken an active
part in city improvements, and helped in getting an electric light
company established, and is now the manager and secretary-treasurer of
this company. Mr. Hunt has also been for the past five years manager of
the Grand Opera House; and is manager of Hendrie & Co’s. cartage agency
for the collection and delivery of freight for the Grand Trunk Railway.
He represents the Baltimore & Ohio Telegraph Company, the Commercial
(Mackay-Bennett) Cable Company, and all the transatlantic steamboat
companies, as well as the Canadian Pacific Telegraph Company, and
Dominion Express Company. Mr. Hunt is a strong supporter of the
Episcopal church. He has been twice married, his first wife having died
a few years after his arrival in Canada, leaving two children. Six years
afterwards he married the second daughter of the late Charles Norton, of
St. Catharines, and by this marriage he has had two sons and two
daughters.
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Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
A Cyclopaedia of Canadian Biography: Being Chiefly Men of the Time: A Collection of Persons Distinguished in Professional and Political Life, Leaders in the Commerce and Industry of Canada, and Successful Pioneers — John Shaqi
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