The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

I | 100â€"Yearâ€"Old Store At Bir | 1 | Is Tumed Over To Veteran | L. se t : ige wl h s [ se B ce $ % & Mamoe e nc t oc d gg’&%“v"%wi‘i%%% oc . y . ce c ks se \%&ti’% s e l i Vgfig@?@&fifi d | %&Qfifi“&%\fi& C | ::::_;:,:::,._b;\...\‘?. w Li wl ‘"“"""“'P""“"""'"""“m“’*""" x$ % & .. ~ i i2 _ id ce e 5. uio in k srtiur!t, _ x _ sa o ul ds oo anit e ssloomeonainnne § lz uy â€"â€" jav â€" _ â€"â€" U â€" m tss t C n ie c fioen is 9l '»’--'f,:f":!:?f""%&:‘4:=-,/.’;1~.5:=$;&-_:?--",%35*_»:‘:&:-‘_,:-.?5;:::3;1; en it n ns coaine o niniest onnairanaiene en t .. dEIR oo e en en e io in ie ons onl acaon ie ied A CENTURY‘S SERVICE TO BIRR COMMUNITY will not be interrupted for the Birr gore pictured here, but will continue "business as usual" when Etheld Harris hands over the reins on July 1 to Capt. Jack Legg, veteran of ‘six years in the service, , four of them spént overseas. AFTER operating his store at the level, but a good horse could Birr for more than 37 years pass it climbing a hill!" of its century‘s service to that * t O# 0 community, Etheld Harris is to In "the horse and buggy days," hand over the reins to Capt. Jack it was not uncommon for the Legg on July 1. storekeeper to sell 50 or 60 bugâ€" | Capt. Legg, a veteran of six gies a year, and about the same ‘ years‘ service, four of them overâ€" | number of light harness sets. seas, will take over the complete He saw handâ€"style metal pumps business with the exception of replace the older style wooden the chopping mill. , pumps, and recalls the year Mr. Harris reminisces freely | when 100 of the "newâ€"fangled about his years at the store and pumps," were put into operation the joys and sorrows, laughs and in the small community. f * tears, and just plain living which Less than a week ago George have been tied up about those few Smibert had repaired a pump ‘buildings could make an excellent which Mr. Harris had sold him ; setting for a John Buchan novel. more than 30 years ago. | . fr @ (u%. % During his first year Mr. Harris The corner building of the ran what was termed im those group, situated on No. 4 highway days "a general store," but he deâ€" at the intersection of the 13th cided to branch out. He took on concession of London Township, the implement business. was once a hotel. The original ® . (% * "Birr Hotel" property was deâ€" He purchased the Lumsden stroyed by fire more than a cenâ€" property, which at one time held tury ago and the present strucâ€" a shoe factory and repair shop, ture was erected some 50 years and a locksmith plant operated ago. C by a Mr. Lumsden. Some years Back in the days when the later he purchased the Birr Hotel men did the family‘s drinking, | property operated by people callâ€" and liquor was a matter of both ed Birr. In spite of a desire on quality and quantity, the "liquor | the part of some to suggest that . cellar" of the store. was well | the family gave the community stocked and the hotel‘s bar was its name, this is denied by highly regarded. Still on view | others who maintain it is named is the ‘"liquor cellar door" where | for a village in Ireland. ; inebriates were "rolled out," long The hotel was converted into before Mr. Harris tenure of ‘ a community hall and was known office, as owner of the building. | as "Birr Winter Gardens." It The modern dwelling adjoining | is now used as a storage depot | the main part of the store reâ€" | and apartments. The hotel barn placed the outmoded "liquor was renovated into a chopping cellar," which was torn down. and rolling mill, but was deâ€" ’ ¢ ;* #" . % stroyed by fire a year later. | Mr. Harris‘ immediate predeâ€" | */~ *) A L cessor was George Porter, who | In .only five weeks the mill was had operated the store for some l rebuilt and in operation again. three years, and records indicate | Five years later additional eleâ€" that the property had previously | vator space was constructed.. Toâ€" changed hands often. | day the mill is Diesel operated, Years ago, when Mr. Harris has _ modern â€" machinery . and‘ «entered the business field, he | cleaners, and & 20â€"ton scale drove to London once a week without weights. â€" to make his purchases and dray Mr. Harris also entered the his heavy merchandise with a | lumber and builders supplies | team of horses. _ As time and | business, with more than 600 feet transportation evolved the genâ€" ' of covered lumber shed rooms. eral» merchant progressed from | In 1938 he added a coalâ€"handâ€" teams and lorries, to the use of | ling gideline to his enterprising presentâ€"day gasolineâ€"motivated | establishment, and also provided trucks. i the community with a convenient Mr. Harris recalls with a | planing mill to combine his cenâ€" chuckle his first carâ€"a oneâ€"cylâ€" } tury-o?d business and buildings inder 1910 Brush car, which is | with ultra modern equipment long since extinct (and forgotten | and methods. | both by modern manufacturers / To safeguard his substantial | and / drlvex:s), with its wooden | investment Mr. Harris provided axels, carbide lights, and chainâ€" | fire protection with a 35,000 galâ€" ‘ drli‘ve apparatus. lon reservoir, a 500â€"foot line of Yes," he laughed, "it would | steel pipe and hose. Pumping _Eo a nice 25 miles an hour on _ equipment is adequate, he claims.