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BAN THE PEDDLER

There travels from St. Peters Bay a tall and brusque man,

He trades his eggs for goods, you know, the people call him Ban; He is free from work on Sunday but he comes along on Monday With a wagon full of sundries, don't you know what I mean?

He has tea and sugar plenty and lots of cottons too,

He has brooms to advertise himself, and what he says is true: He has tablecloths and wrappers and grease and other matters Fit for women. men, and gaffers, don’t you know what I mean?

He has drawers too and lenders, the best you ever saw,

He has hats of felt well finished, and some of chip and straw:

His manners they are manly, and I believe he must have candy,

And a lot of things that are handy, they can be bought from Ban O'Hanley.

He sports among the girls, though his love may not be strong. When he marries he will find he can’t wear his hair so long;

For in married life there's scuffles where a lot of people scuffles That often ends in rabid ruffles, don't you know what I mean?

PRA’IT’S STORE

There have been four stores owned by the Pratt family over the years. The first store was built in Dundas. According to George Mclnnis in the mid 18805, Charlie Pratt built a store on the east side of the Cardigan road just below the Sparrow Road which burnt in the early 1890s. (18) The third store was built at the base of the Bay Hill and was later owned and operated by Albert Quigley.

The fourth and final store built by Charlie Pratt was established in 1904 on the south side of St. Peters Bay. Pratt's store was a family business. Charlie worked with his son Chester, and Charlie’s wife Annie also made a significant contribution to the store with her milliner business. Annie made annual trips to St. John to her suppliers, Brock and Patterson, which she considered to be her vacation. During one of these excursions, she was stuck for three weeks in the Strait on the Stanley and “had the time of her life.” (19)

Charlie Pratt had peddling wagons travel throughout the Countryside bringing goods to people who could not make it into the Bay to shop. As was the custom of the day, much of his business was based on bartering. Bartering turned out to be a big business and, by 1910, Charlie had four warehouses built for his store.

Ronnie Maclnnis of St. Peters recalled a story about Charlie Pratt,

Which relays that the problem of shoplifting has been around for quite Some time:

A local man by the name of Baker was very well known for his shoplifting tendencies. One day Mr. Baker proceeded to steal a

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