JAMES A. HARRIS.
 




	Prince Albert numbers among her foremost business men and enter-
prising citizens James A. Harris, secretary-treasurer of the Rural Mu-
nicipality of Russia. He was born in Leicester, England, on the 29th of
June, 1882, a son of Enoch and Ellen (B~rd) Harris, the former a native
of England and the latter of Kildare, Ireland. The father lived in his
native country throughout his life.  He was a shoe finisher and silk
weaver by trade and eventually engaged in the manufacture of shoes on
his own account. He was very successful and was living retired at the
time of his death in 1890. Mrs. Harris died in 1917.
	James A. Harris received his education in the public schools of Lei-
cester, England, and after putting his textbooks aside worked in a box
factory for about twelve months. He then became a stoker or fireman
and enlisted in the army at the age of fifteen years. He saw service in
Egypt, South Africa, and Zululand, remaining in the army six years.
For the next three years he was engaged in coal mining and then clerked
in a real estate office for a time. In 1907 he came to Canada and located
at Bromptonville, Quebec, where for six months he was employed in the
pulp works.  At the termination of that time he went to the United
States for a few months and then returned to Quebec and located at Thet-
ford, being employed in the asbestos mines for two years. In 1910 he
came to Prince Albert and for two years worked at the city hall as care-
taker. He then acquired a homestead six miles north of this town. and
operated that land until the outbreak of the Great war, when he again
enlisted and became a member of the Twenty-eighth Battalion. He was
transferred to the Princess Pat.Regiment in 1914 and went overseas in
January of the following year. He was wounded in that year and soon
afterward received his honorable discharge from the army. Returning
to Prince Albert he went on the farm for a few months, regained his
health and re-enlisted at Prince Albert, becoming a sergeant instructor.
He was active in that capacity at Regina, Camp Hughes and Toronto
until October, 1918, when he was again honorably discharged from the
army. He then accepted a position with Pat Burns & Company and a
short time later worked in the office of the Rural Municipality of Russia,
with Mr. H. W. Reid.  Subsequently he received his appointment as
secretary-treasurer of this municipality and has since been active in this
important position. Mr. Harris still owns the h9mestead.
	In August of the year 1903 Mr. Harris was married to Miss Laura
E.Briggs, a native of Stoney Stanton, Leicestershire, England.  To
their union four children have been born: Louis, Myrtle, Ivy and Harry.
Mr. Harris is a Liberal in his political views and he was reared in the
faith of the Anglican church. He is a member of the Great War Veterans
Association and the Imperial Veterans in Canada.  Mr. Harris is an
enthusiastic boxer and prior to coming to this country was very active
in that sport.  He likewise did much boxing while serving with the
Twenty-eighth Battalion and won the boxing championship of that bat-
talion. Mr. Harris is a man of keen insight and determination and well
merits the position he has gained among Prince Albert's foremost citizens.

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