The Heritage Corner, Springhill Record
Sept. 5, 2007
Sept. 5, 2007 – Civic Report 1910
Along with Lieut. Col. E.A. Porter the town council of 1910 had the same councilors except for one. George Pepperdine was replaced by Hibert Mills in Ward One. The Chief of Police, G.L. Smith, was given an Assistant William A. McPherson.
F. G. Morehouse was still the Principal of the public schools and Annie McPhee as assistant. Vice Principals were Miss Alice Swift and Miss Georgia Hall. Other teachers that year were: Annie G. Murray, Teresa McPhee, Effie Roney, Beatrice Watt, Della O’Brien, Fannie O’Brien, Anna J. McKenzie, Reta Bent, M.E. Hanna, Laura McPherson, Grace Crowe, Lillie Hunter, Minnie Elliott, Mabel Hall, Jennie E. Ross, Jean Russell, Mabel Sproule, Essie Sproule, Isabella Chandler, Bertha O’Brien, Augusta E. Paul, Isabella Burden, Leona McPherson, Ethel McDonald, Margaret Fraser, Anna H. Parsons and Clara M. Tabor.
In 1910 the financial situation in Springhill was not very good due to the continuing strike at the Springhill mines.
The streets commissioner chairman, Thomas Piggot, stated that if the town ever got over its present labor difficulties, particular attention should be paid to the streets because nothing impresses a stranger so much or is more indicative of a town’s progressiveness, and our have certainly been going down the last few years. When there is a heavy rain the water from Pioneer Street runs down to Elm Street then to Victoria and on to Church Street to John Wilson’s store and then on down Main Street. I was recommended that these streets as well as Mechanic, Chapel and Pleasant should be drained with tile pipes.
The Poor Commission again stated that the sane, who are poor, should not be housed together with the insane in Pugwash. It was suggested that the four towns whose expenditures for the maintenance of the poor varies from $1000 to $1500 yearly should band together to fix the problem.
The police commission for 1910 went over budget because of the special police that had to be used.
The E.E. Light Company were willing to change the terms of their contract with the town to reduce the cost of lighting the streets and changed the capacity of the lamps from 32 to 16 candle power and reducing the cost from $20 to $12.50 for a saving of about $650 a year.
The new high school was completed so the need to house students in the YMCA and the Orange Hall were no longer needed. School attendance was up from last year but the number of daily attendance could be better. It was suggested that a good sharp truant officer should be hired. Attendance at the new high school in 1910 was 88 up from 81 the year before.
Dr. M.J. Wardrope, Health Officer, stated there was less typhoid fever than usual, with one death. There were also a few cases of diphtheria with one death and some mild type cases of scarlet fever with no deaths. There were a few cases of small pox among the men who came to work in the mines but they were all in the same house and strictly guarded.
Dr. Wardrope again urged for the extension of the sewerage system as soon as the financial situation of the town permitted.
There were three fires in Springhill in 1910: the dwelling occupied by Malcolm Beaton with no damage, James Caine’s dwelling had slight damage and on September 6 th a fire at Spragues Shoe Store. The damage at the store was $100 from fire and smoke.
The Fire Chief, A.L. Somers, noted that one of the rubber coats was destroyed and there was positive proof it was done by someone in no way connected to the fire department. He urged locks be put on the doors be arranged so that the fire station be accessible only to firemen and proper authorities.
Mr. Somers also praised the men of the Springhill fire department. In competition with the best brigades in the Maritime Provinces they proved equal and in a great many cases surpassed the best of them.
