Memories of the Old Store
By Franklin
& Lorraine Lebans
In the early years when Mr. & Mrs. (British Nathaniel) Underhill
were running the store, they would order a puncheon of molasses, a barrel of vinegar, one of salt pork, one of corned beef
and salt herring. There would be kendals of cod fish, wooden boxes of 
smoked digbies (digby cod), raisins and dates as well as dried apples and prunes. They also ordered 50 lb. Bags of coarse
salt, 100 lb. Bags of white sugar and brown sugar, bags of oatmeal, corn meal, beans and oats (for horses).
All of these items would be sent up from Newcastle on the freight train,
which made a trip to Fredericton every second day.
There was a train siding close by their house and store, which made it
very convenient for their supplies to be delivered.
They had practically everything in their store. Mrs. B.N. had a glass
showcase with needles, thread, yarn, etc. She also carried yards of pretty cotton print for making aprons. In the showcase
also were straight pins, hairpins and hairnets. She said no woman had the right to cook or make butter without having a hair
net over her hair. She had all the items necessary for daily living in those days including yeast cakes, oil lamps, toilet
soap and talcum powder.
Each family could get their supplies and pay for them at the end of the month. She kept a record of each item in a big "Bear"
scribbler and it was always 100% correct.
Included among their supplies were scribblers, pencils and slates as
the school was close by. An exciting thing for the children were big red suckers that sold for 1¢ each, also chewing gum which
was often referred to as "boughten gum" (as opposed to spruce gum from the trees). All the various varieties of tobacco were
available also as well as nails and rabbit wire at 5¢ a roll.
45-gallon drums of kerosene for oil lamps were sent down from Swims in
Doaktown on the freight train's return trip to Newcastle from Fredericton.
Later on in years they carried soft drinks, root beer, ginger ale and
lime rickey which sold for 5¢ a bottle.
They owned a lovely Guernsey cow named Bess that would come to the fence
near the house each time to be milked. Mrs. B.N. milked her and made marvellous butter. She was a nice salesperson, a terrific
worker and a great neighbour.
Mr. and Mrs. B.N. owned a Plymouth car for years but it always looked
the same because of their loving care of it.
The little store was a wonderful place to gather in the evenings
to swap yarns and gather the current news. There were more logs hauled and more horses traded 
there than any place in the county.
This all occurred in the building which is now Darlene's Tea House.
- Franklin & Lorraine Lebans, Barnettville
