The Heritage Corner, Springhill Record

March 7th, 2012

Springhill Businessmen

Springhill Record – Oct. 31, 1930 – Businessmen in Springhill

Dry Cleaning Business Fills Great Need

    It was on August 1st that Mr. O. F. Nelson returning from the States opened up a Dry Cleaning Business in Springhill.  Today Mr. Nelson is more than pleased with his venture.  Opening up in August at the home  of Mr. Harry Green, Upper Victoria Street, the business soon demanded a more central location and is now located on Elm Street, where a new addition is being made to the home to accommodate the growing business.  In the spring the owner plans to add a new steam press and other up-to-date equipment when he will be able to compete with any other dry cleaning plants in the cities.  Mr. Nelson learned the business while in the States where he worked with reliable houses for four years.  Another reason he hopes to have a more up to date delivery service.  He has recently appointed the Fashion Shoppe as downtown agents for the convenience of his customers.

E. Hyatt came to Springhill in the year 1900 from River Phillip.  He worked in the coal mines for eight years and then opened a general store on Elgin Street, opposite the Royal Hotel, where T.B. Ryan is now located.  Following a disastrous fire which swept the building on July 24th, 1920, Mr. Hyatt moved up to his present location.  An interesting reminiscence of his career in Springhill is that of the evening of the fire.  He was burned out at 2 o’clock in the morning but opened for business in his new stand the following morning at 8 o’clock as usual.

D.M. Smith, Mayor of the town and proprietor of a large hardware store came to Springhill in 1884 with his parents Mr. And Mrs. H.J. Smith.  Mr. Smith senior purchased the hardware store in that lot next to the Strand Theatre which is now vacant.  It was operated at that time by Mills & Fraser.  His son took over the business before his father died and has operated it ever since.

D.M. Smith has taken a keen interest in civic affairs and in 1928 was elected Mayor of the town.  He has filled that office very ably and the tremendous progress the town has made in the past few years has been in no small measure due to his aggression.

LYMAN AUSTIN one of the town’s young business men, proprietor of the confectionary store opposite the Post Office is very well known to every household here through his agency of the famous Rawleigh Products, a line which he has handled for the past five years.  Mr. Austin opened his store when he first took over this agency, the quality of whose products, together with his courteous service, has proved very popular in Springhill.

James Hobin, Druggist, who has occupied the same stand in his 21 years of association with Springhill, came here in 1909 from Sydney.  He is a native of Halifax.  On his arrival here Mr. Hobin first accepted a position with Hugh Calkin.  He worked for Mr. Calkin for only one year before taking over the business himself.  He is very well known in the town.

H.S. Terris expresses himself as being highly optimistic regarding town matters.  His own business has quite doubled in bulk in the past two years.  He has high hopes for the future of Springhill, based on personal observation.  First of all there is the general atmosphere of confidence inspired by the outlook.  The Company is showing a confidence in planning large expansions and improvements of which a twenty year contract for electric power is but one.  Business is good.  People are buying property and improving premises even ordering bulbs and shrubbery for spring planting.  All signs, barring unforeseen circumstances point to better and a real town.

The Capital – Mr. A.J. Mason, manager of the Capital has added to the progress and pleasure of the town in no small way.  The people who once knew Mr. McNutt’s Opera House would fail to recognize the changes inside and out which have made the Capital Theatre a model picture house.  A run of first class silent pictures under Mr. Mason’s management was terminated by the installation of an expensive talking machine, one of the first in the Maritimes.  In a short time, Mr. Mason, after many tests and demonstrations, selected and installed and RCA Photophone system for which he holds a shield of merit, the first in Eastern Canada.  Mr. Mason brings a line of excellent talking pictures and is constantly in touch with new ideas, all of which adds to the general atmosphere of prosperity.

Morris Saffron came to Springhill in 1906 and started in business for himself in 1914 – a business which has shown a steady and sustained growth.  For some time, while looking about for a better accommodation for an enlarging stock, he was unable to display to advantage.  As an venture, he purchased the Y.M.C.A. building, intending to remodel it, but found that it would not be practicable, so disposed of it to the Orangemen.  Several months ago he moved across the street to the brick building (the original Academy of Music building, erected by Moses Jones) as Frank Davis vacated it, moving his variety stock across to his building now occupied as the “Selrite.”  It was rather a trying period for each as both buildings were under repair conditions.  However, he is nicely settled now and is better able to handle and display goods.  He has two floors of furniture; showing may choice and beautiful pieces, also other lines of house furnishings and men’s clothing.  Mr. Saffron, although not a native of our country, he is a good and public spirited citizen always ready to co-operate in any undertaking for the good of the town.