The Heritage Corner, Springhill Record
November 16th, 2016
March 8, 1938 – Parrsboro Record – Old Citizen Passes On
Springhill, N.S. – March 4th -
Mr. George Bell, a highly-respected citizen of this town, passed away at his home, Church Street on Sunday morning February 27th after an illness of three weeks, having suffered a paralytic stroke from which he was unable to recover.
Mr. Bell was a native of England. He was born in Worksop, Nottingham in April 1869. Worksop, is located in Sherwood Forest, where he played as a boy, and always he liked to repeat the old stories of Major Oak and Robin Hood, learned in his early days. At 15 he joined the Imperial Army as a Bandsman (playing the French Horn) and saw service with the York-Lancashire Regt. Three years in 1887 he came with his regiment to Halifax and on March 2, 1888 he married Miss Bessie Hart of Halifax. Yesterday they would have celebrated their golden wedding anniversary.
In the year following he was ordered to the West Indies where he served for another year with his regiment before receiving his honorable discharge from the Army.
Mr. and Mrs. Bell came to Springhill and he secured work in the old East Slope. He continued to be interested in band work to the end of his life. For eleven years, he served as Bandmaster of the 93rd Regiment Band, and also of the Orange Lodge Band. In subsequent years, he continued to give unsparingly of his time and interest toward maintaining the efficiency and high standards of the Springhill Band.
After many years, underground Mr. Bell left the mines and was placed in the Machine Shop where he continued to work until a year ago when he was retired by the Company on pension. On the occasion of his retirement he was honored by a number of his former associates of the Machine and Boiler Shops, when he was presented with gifts and an address from which we quote: “As the years roll on there will be many to hold the job you have held, but we doubt if ever there will be one with the same unique qualities and sterling qualities, who will fulfill every duty with the same responsibility as you have done. There is only one George Bell.” He enjoyed excellent health and it is recalled that on his 65th birthday, he walked to Oxford a distance of some 15 miles, with his dog “Pal” to test his strength, and was little fatigued. He has always been popular with his fellow-men, a man of very kindly instincts, ever thoughtful of his family and a good and
He is survived by his wife and family, two sons and a daughter: William Bell, who ran the diamond drill at the Moose River rescue, Frank Bell of the Springhill Fencebusters team, and Edith, Mrs. Herbert Gibson, all of Springhill; also, one sister Miss Elizabeth Bell who has made her home with Mr. and Mrs. Bell for many years.
The funeral was held on Monday.
In Group Picture
Friends of Gnr. Jack Cormier of the R.C.A., formerly of Anderson’s Barbershop were delighted this week to recognize his smiling countenance, shown in this weeks Toronto Star Weekly. Possibly there are other boys in the group who will be recognized by friends. Such pictures are heartening in the extreme and go far to relieve undue anxiety back home.
Springhill friends were interested in the following new item which appeared last week:
Sussex, N.B. Feb. 29 – Residents of this little town were surprised today when they saw a “Snowplane” invented by William Danson, local theatre projectionist, who believes the strange vehicle can reach a speed of 100 miles and hour on a hard snow or ice surface.
The machine’s body resembles that of an airplane. A motor operated hardwood propeller draws the Snowplane on steel runners.
“Billy” Danson was born here. He is the second son of Mr. and Mrs. Colin Danson (Frances Jones) and many friends here will be wishing him the best of luck with his invention.
