Community Life

debt is owed to them for their hard work and dedication.

Two other general stores and egg grading stations in the area were Waddell's and Canfleld’s in Crapaud. In Victoria, the main store was run by Mynard MacNevin. All of these businesses served Argyle Shore and surrounding communities. The Crapaud Creamery was also a main centre for business. The cream cans were put at the end of the farmers’ lanes on a wooden stand, truck high, and were picked up by the “cream man”. He drove a truck and, as a rule, there was a man in the back who loaded the cans. Some of the men who did this work in the area were Jack hlacKinnon from New Argyle, Bobby lVlacNevin from DeSable and Kenny MacDougall from “The Shore”. A note would be attached to the can to order butter and flour, which came in 100 pound bags, and animal feed. These items would be dropped off at the farmer's stand with the clean and sterilized cream cans. Any money owed came monthly by cheque.

Traveling salesmen or peddlers used to come to the individual homes to sell their wares. There was the fish man, the meat man (Carl Potts), and the Rawleigh and Watkins men to name a few. Milton MacRae from Bonshaw sold Watkins products for many years. In winter. he traveled by horse and sleigh. The children loved the Watkins and Rawleigh products like instant pudding mixes and drink crystals of many flavors. Some salesmen would travel from Charlottetown by horse and covered wagon. Albert Dow and his father, Jameal, peddled goods and wares starting in the early fifties. They carried various items like clothes, vanilla, spices, china, silverware, etc. One person remarked that these closed in wagons were like department stores. He said “It was like magic, the salesman would open the case and everything would be there!“. After electricity came to Argyle Shore, Stewart MacKay from Charlottetown, traveled throughout the community selling large appliances like refrigerators, stoves, television sets etc. He also sold some furniture from his store in the city. As late as 1967, one couple bought flooring—tile for their new home from a traveling salesman. Up to this time and later, it was not uncommon for car salesmen to travel from Charlottetown to sell cars and trucks. Farm machinery and parts were also often sold this way.

Ordering from the catalogues, Batons and Sears, was another

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