Because of the industrial development of the district and its growth in population, and wealth, the towns do a large wholesale and retail business. Thompson and Sutherland Limited, founded in 1872 and incorporated in 1911 with a capital of $350,000, is one of the largest wholesale and retail hardware houses in Eastern Canada. The business was founded in 1872 by A.C. Thompson. Shortly after he was joined by Mr. Hector Sutherland, who is still its active head.

The firm not only conducts a store in New Glasgow, but also has branch stores in Stellarton, Westville, Glace Bay, Sydney, Sydney Mines, and North Sydney, besides operating a foundry in the latter place, manufacturing stoves, ranges, hot air furnaces, and hot water boilers, which, with hardware, builders and plumber's supplies, they sell not only from their own stores, but also to other retail dealers, employing in their operations more than 100 persons and doing a business of more than $1,000,000 annually.

The Rhode Curry Co. Limited, of Amherst, N.S., and the largest construction company in the Maritime Provinces, also has a branch warehouse in New Glasgow in addition those in Halifax and Sydney, carrying flooring, sheathing, sashes, doors, building paper, cement, flue linings, and building supplies of all kinds. The company also operates a woodworking factory and a structural steel plant for the fabrication of the structural steel utilized in their extensive building operations largely confined to the Maritime Provinces, where they have erected the Post Office buildings in St. John, N.B., Amherst, Antigonish, and Pictou, N.S., and the government railway buildings at St John and Moncton, N.B., besides many other public and private buildings.

John J. Grant, wholesale and retail building material merchant and contractor, conducts a lumber yard, carrying a million and more feet of lumber, besides shingles, laths, doors, windows, mouldings, pickets and other building materials. He represents the Canada Cement Company and has the sole agency for the Brantford Roofing Co., and employs about fifty people. He has erected such buildings as the Bank Of Nova Scotia, Chambers Block, in New Glasgow, and the dormitory of St. Francis Xavier College at Antigonish, besides other large buildings in and out of town.

The town has also a number of wholesale lumber dealers and mill operators, including such firms as J.D. & P.A. McGregor Ltd., Rood & McGregor and Grant and Campbell, who largely export the product of their mills to the English Market.

One of the largest wholesale and retail drygoods houses in this section of the Province is that of McCulloch & Company of which Mr. H .B. McCulloch is sole proprietor. The firm handles dry goods, ladies' and childrens' ready-to-wear clothing, carpets, curtains, and house furnishing goods, besides conducting one of the most up-to-date ladies' tailoring departments in the Province, under the supervision of Mr.Milne, a ladies tailor of wide experience.

Wm. McIntosh and Co. conducts the largest of all millinery stores in Eastern Nova Scotia, the business having been built up on the principal of giving the latest styles and most reliable goods at moderate prices.

Vineberg, Goodman & Co., another prominent firm, handle dry goods, ladies' ready-to-wear clothing, house furnishings, millinery, boots, shoes, men's clothing and furnishings, trunks and traveling bags, and do a large mail order business extending far beyond the limits of the country; while Douglas & Co., C.L. Beck & Co., McCulloch and Co., and McConnachie & Co., and other dry goods firms, do an increasing business.

The only wholesale grocery house in Pictou County is that of R. McGregor; & Sons Ltd., established as early as 1843. The offices and shipping rooms of the company are located in the J.D. and P.A. McGregor Ltd. Building on Provost Street, opposite the post office, in addition to which it utilizes some six warehouses comprising 25,392 square feet of floor space, handling groceries and other provisions sold throughout the eastern part of Nova Scotia.

McKay Brothers have one of the finest meat stores east of Montreal. Windows display and show counters, are artificially cooled and its three refrigerating rooms have steel tracks, on which the meat is brought from waggons and carried as needed to the market.

The firm also conducts a sausage making plant. They own a modernly equipped slaughter-house, killing about sixty head of cattle a week, besides sheep and poultry, all of which they sell at retail in their own market and at wholesale to a large number of meat dealers throughout the country.

Siveright and Co., importers of Earthenware, China, Glass, Lamps, Fancy Goods and kindred lines, occupy a three story modern brick and stone structure with a frontage of 85 feet on Provost Street, the leading business thoroughfare, erected by them and entirely used for their extensive wholesale operations in Eastern Canada. All purchases are made by their buyer who goes direct to the makers in the United States, Great Britain, the continent and Japan. This house has been established for twenty years and has steadily grown, including among its customers a number of the largest crockery buyers in the Maritime Provinces.

Muir Brothers, established in business since 1911, occupy a two story brick store besides a warehouse 50 x 70 feet, and wholesale and retail flour, feed cornmeal, seeds, hay, oats and provisions, in addition to doing a growing retail grocery business.

Nickerson and Company Limited, a leading wholesale fruit firm of Halifax, conduct a branch in New Glasgow . It is the only distinctively wholesale fruit warehouse in this section of the Province, and because it fills a real need, is doing a large and increasing trade.

James McArthur, established in 1882, does a large retail trade in groceries and provisions, and an extensive jobbing business in garden seeds, hay, oats, flour, sugar, and provisions, while J.F. Doull, who has conducted a retail and jobbing grocery store for the past forty years, and S.M. Lockhart & Co., enjoy a large trade.

The Two Barkers Limited, of Amherst, N.S., have grocery stores in New Glasgow and Stellarton, Mr. O.R. Fraser, the manager represents Barker, McLean Limited of Amherst, for Pictou and Antigonish counties, owners of one of the largest garages east of Montreal, who have the sole dealership of the Overland cars and trucks for the Province of Nova Scotia with the exception of Hants and Halifax Counties.

One of the finest business blocks in New Glasgow is the "Fanjoy," erected in 1913 by Fanjoy's Limited, who also conduct a branch store in Sydney. The building is three stories 90 x70 feet and has three stores on the lower floor, two of which are utilized by the firm, selling all kinds of men's and boy's clothing and furnishings, trunks and bags, with a general line of men's supplies.

J. Fisher Grant, who began business in 1882, recently erected a modern two story brick building 30 x 60 feet to carry on his increasing trade in men's and boy's clothing, hats, caps, and furnishings.

The shoe store of H.L.P. McNeil, is one of the town's landmarks, having been established about sixty years ago. The firm carries one of the heaviest stocks of shoes in the county. They specialize in shoe specialties including the "Royal" and "Gold Bond " shoes for men, and the "Queen Quality" for woman, among the three best shoes in the market, and for which they are the New Glasgow agents.

Adam C. Bell's Pharmacy known as the "Rexall Store," is one of the oldest drug stores in Pictou County and Carew and Fraser well and favorably known are the sole agents for the well known Nadruca drugs, both of which, as well as T.H. Cochran's and others, are modern in equipment and services, while W. W. Osborne, located in the same block as the latter, conducts one of the finest billiard parlors in the town. N.W. Mason is a retail and wholesale manufacturer of ice cream and candies. A.B. Philip and D. Silliker & Co., tailors, each enjoy a large patronage, while Ross and Company and Moriarty's conduct up-to-date clothing and mens' furnishing establishments.

One of the most important stores in Stellarton is the wholesale grocery and provision house of B.D. Rogers, founded in 1872. The premises occupies some 8000 square feet of floor space wholesaling and retailing groceries, biscuits, fruits, confectionery, and fancy goods, selling to more than one hundred and fifty stores in this section of the Province.

Another large firm is Hattie Brothers, manufacturers of heavy team wagons, carts and sleighs, and dealers in farm implements, harness and vehicles, including "Nova Scotia" buggies and wagons. The firm are also the distributors for the International Harvester Co. for the Province of Nova Scotia, handling the Deering and the McCormack farm machinery, their location in Stellarton giving them special advantages of distribution to all parts of the Province.

Campbell Bros. of Stellarton are dealers in hardware, stoves and kitchen ware, and do a large business. Munro Bros. in addition to conducting a grocery store are grain brokers, and own a mill, manufacturing cornmeal, and feed which they sell locally both at retail and wholesale, while A.E. Hayman, does an extensive tinsmithing, plumbing, heating and general jobbing business, while C.R. Paige runs an up-to-date barber shop.

A. & A. Chishlom, general merchants of Trenton, do a large grocery, dry goods and general retail business. The Trenton Meat Market, owned by A.H. King, does a growing meat, provision and fish trade, both taking a leading place among the districts' retail establishments.