Community 141

the new Town Hall and Fire Station. Later, a fire bell was hung in the building at a cost of$200. Before that time, a bell in one ofthe churches was rung to alert the town to a fire. A gasoline fire engine was added to the hand

pump engine in 1913. There was only one fire call in 1912 and three calls in both 1913 and 1914.

During the War years, Souris was served by alcohol type lamps. They were hoisted up fifteen to twenty foot poles each evening at dark by the policeman and taken down each morning. It could be a hazardous job. Angus MacDonald was badly burned on one occasion. His comment: “The dumed old arkerhol exploded!”1‘~"‘

In 1912, four lamps called Best Lamps were bought by the Town from Canton, Ohio, and installed as an experiment. These proved highly success- ful and a number of private citizens bought them and installed them at their own expense. Those placed on public streets were maintained by the Town. Souris had nine such lamps at the end of 1914.

Dr. Alfred H. Smallwood, a local dentist known as Doc by the Town, served twenty years on the Town Council and was mayor from 1939 to 1946. His main concern was the establishment and maintenance of a town owned power plant. After 1918, one was set up in a warehouse north ofthe railway between Church and Prince Avenues. It was operated, at various times, by Jimmy Poole, Eck McCormack, Bernie Dugas and Angus Lavie, all compe- tent mechanics.

l’huto by Morley S Acorn Courtesy Pictures of the Past by [Awards

Vincent MacIsaac’s Grocery Store and Ice Cream Parlour on the left. (Homemade ice cream was made with the aid ofa gasoline-powered engine.) Ding- well’s Meat Market and Garage on the right.

Note the first type of electric street lamp on the pole.

The first, one-cylinder diesel fired generator was used only at night and shut off during the day. It supplied all the electricity needed until electric appliances such as washing machines and refrigerators came into general use. When the town demanded electricity in daytime hours, a new two- cylinder motor was installed—much, much bigger than the first one. It