H8 A Bridge To The. Past 
     
    
   
   
    
     Previous to the organization of the Bedeque ligg Circle, the “egg 
     
     man" was a Mr. Higgins. He is remembered as the “man with the big hands 
     
     who could scoop up a dozen eggs”. Later, the collector for the Egg Circle in 
     
     a section of Wilmot Valley was Charles Green. Other salesmen called occa— 
     
     sionally and sold their wares, ranging from subscriptions to the Family 
     
     Herald and Weekly Star with Fred Wooley as agent, to the variety of salves, 
     
     spices, flavorings and livestock tonic sold by Robert Affleck, the “Watkins 
     
     Man” or David Murphy, “the Rawleigh Man”. These men coming on a 
     
     regular schedule were soon familiar sights to the residents and were received 
     
     with the anticipation of exchanging the news of the day. 
     
    
   
   
    
     Just as the horse-and-buggy days were fading into the past, a new line 
     
     of merchandising was being introduced by the “mat men”. If the man of 
     
     the house came to the supper table after a busy day at the planting and 
     
     found a bright new tea-cup and plate in front of him, he knew of a certainty 
     
     that the “matman” had made his rounds. If the pantry door was partly 
     
     open, he could probably see the shiny oilcloth on the floor and after his tea 
     
     had been poured, he would hear in detail the transaction that had taken 
     
     place and the number of old mats that had been given in exchange for these 
     
     colorful furnishings. While it was true that the floor covering soon wore 
     
     thin and the cheap dishes were easily broken, yet the excitement of bartering 
     
     and the satisfaction of acquiring something new in exchange for something 
     
     old, was a novel experience for the housewife. These matmen were not 
     
     remembered by name but rather for the shrewd manner used in carrying out 
     
     these trades, and even as they drove out of sight, many a housewife viewed 
     
     with dismay the bare spots on her floors and was left wondering if she had 
     
    
   
   
    
     made such a good deal after all. 
     
    
   
   
    
     None of these salesmen were as exciting or romantic as their 
     
     predecessors; the old-time pack pedlars. The latter came to Wilmot Valley 
     
     in a day when travellers were seldom seen, and brought an aura of mySICI'y 
     
     with their strange unwieldy cases; their heavy dark clothing; {hgif Efgken 
     
     English and their desire to produce. from the depths of their huge “,0“an 
     
     packs, any article that the housewife might require. They were the early sup- 
     
     pliers of small household needs; including needles and thread, scissors, 
     
     elastic. combs, brushes, hair ribbons, and other essential items which were 
     
    
   
   
    
     often viewed with longing in an age of careful spending, 
     
    
   
   
    
     Other occasional visitors to the community came to provide services or 
     
     to do repair jobs. They often came walking carrying the tools of their trade 
     
     on their backs. If the well went dry or the hand pump refused to send forth 
     
     a stream of clear fresh water, Ben DesRoche and his sons, Pete and 
     
     Arthur, were not far away and other experts in this work from outside the 
     
     community were: Joe Reeves, Emanuel Mallett, and Mr. MacDonald.