 He worked as "a wood chopper, lumberjack, railway laborer, farmer, log maker and manufacturing lumberman" prior to establishing his own lumber firm, M & T. Murray, with a mill in Martin's Siding in 1902.By 1952 the company operated three mills in Barry's Bay, Combermere, and Madawaska.Founded with his brother Michael, the duo partnered with John Omanique in 1912 to form the Murray and Omanique Lumber Co.