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It is interesting to learn from the interviews contained in this Storyline that many Jewish immigrants chose peddling because it allowed them to make a decent living, work independently and observe the Sabbath. For others, peddling was a way to make a living until they could set themselves up in something else. For Lazarus Greenberg and Louis Gunner, it was their chosen profession for over 30 years.Louis Gunner was a peddler who dealt in scrap metal, rags and other items that could be recycled. He made his way out of Lowertown by horse and wagon on his route which took him to Hintonberg and the Glebe purchasing scrap from his valued customers before depositing his load at Baker Brothers in the LeBreton Flats. Mr. Gunner never learned to drive a car. He used his horse and wagon to complete his route in all kinds of weather, until he retired from peddling in his 70's. While he led a simple life, he was not a simple man. He was heavily involved in synagogue affairs and lived according to deeply held religious convictions.
Lazarus Greenberg became a customer peddler in 1915 after working for a short time in a furniture store. "That's what I could do, I had no trade. What can I do, if you want to observe Shabbos, you become a peddler. At that time there were about 20 peddlers in the City and they were making a living". He purchased a licence from City hall for $10.00 and went from door to door with a suitcase full of dry goods such as pillow cases and dish towels, which he would sell to the lady of the house on credit. She would pay .25 cents a week until the item was paid off. Over the years, he built up a good customer base selling to one generation and then to the next. Later, he worked with Caplan's and Freiman's Department stores selling furniture. If a customer showed Greenberg's business card at one of these stores, they could purchase items on his account. The customers would pay Mr. Greenberg back at an agreeable rate and the stores moved their merchandise.
Lazarus Schecter came to Canada from Romania in the early 1900's. He supported his family of eight by picking up recycling materials. According to his grandson Sam Gelman, "he had a horse drawn carriage and he would start out in Centre Town and head over to Hull and do a circuit there and go south to Billings Bridge and back down Bank Street, going door to door collecting merchandise." After peddling for some time, he was able to open a recycling depot on the Hull side, close to where the Casino is now situated.
The Torontow family came to Canada over a period of several years beginning with Joseph who arrived in 1904. When the family moved from Montreal to Ottawa a few years later, two of the sons went into peddling. Sam Torontow was a fruit and vegetable peddler who used a truck to deliver his merchandise. His nephew Martin Saslove worked for him on Saturdays when he was around 12 years old. He used to give his Mother his pay of $1.00 for a 14 hour day. Every penny mattered in those days and Sam Torontow didn't let anything go to waste. Sam's brother Moe (Moses) also worked as a fruit and vegetable peddler but he used a horse and wagon. Moe was hit by a car and badly injured while on his route which would have resulted in a serious loss of income.
Toby Appel started out as a customer peddler in 1938 when he was 26 years old. He opened a credit account with Caplan's Department Store which allowed him to offer credit to his customers. Business was better during the depression because he could give people good terms that they could afford to pay such as $1.00 or $1.00 per week. Eventually, he moved out of peddling to purchase a Ladies Wear store on Rideau Street called Rae's. Mr. Appel always felt that he was lucky in business; he had "mazel".
Abe Lieff recalled in an interview with Shirley Berman that his father travelled up to Renfrew with Vevel "William" Freedman with a horse and wagon around 1907. He was there to trade tinware for scrap and skins which would be salted down when they arrived home before Shabbos. They would stay away for days eating hard-boiled eggs and "kichel" or hard biscuit. Mr. Lieff recalled that "at the corner of Nelson and Murray was a rag shop owned by a Frenchman - maybe named Leroux. It disappeared in the 20's. Peddlers brought their rags there. There were also the shops of the Florence family, the Saxe Brothers and before them, the Pullens."
Author Norman Levine describes his father's route out of Lowertown from Murray Street in the first chapter of his book entitled Champagne Barn, "the white horse pulling the high red wagon, over Rideau, along Nicholas Street, by the jail, over Laurier Bridge and across the Rideau Canal, to the first street with my father's customers - Gloucester". This Storyline presents only a small sample of stories about the many families who were involved in peddling, at least in the earliest days in Ottawa. The Lists of Peddlers included at the end of the Storyline provides a better idea of just how many Jewish families depended on peddling for their livelihood.
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Louis Gunner, peddler20th Century, Circa 1955
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Lowertown peddler Alex Wiseman with Sol and Anne Carlofsky20th Century, Circa 1922
Corner of Dalhousie and Water Street (now Bruyere), Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
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Saul Tanner with his horse Blackie peddling fruit on Bank Street20th Century, Circa 1925
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Lazarus Schecter family20th Century, Circa 1920
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Torontow family20th Century, Circa 1910
Credits:Pittaway
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Toby Appel20th Century, Circa 1961
Credits:Newton
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Rae's Glynmore Store showing Closing Out Sale and Rideau Street construction20th Century, Circa 1982
106 Rideau Street, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
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Lists of Peddlers Compiled from City of Ottawa Directories20th Century, Circa 1955
PEDDLERS List Compiled by J. Levin circa 1950
1885-1890
Dover, John15 Papineau St.
Dover, Henry15 Papineau St.
Dover, William 74 Nelson St.
1891
Cohen, Jacob33 Daly Ave.
25 Clarence St.
1895 - 1900
Aaronson, Aaron269 Clarence St.
Adler, Morris294 St. Andrew St.
(Grocer - 391 Rideau St.)
Baker, Louis283 St. Andrew St.
Cramf, Abraham37 Rose St.
Caplan, Aaron37 Rose St.
Levin, Moses334 St. Andrew St.
Rosenfelt, Louis40 Notre Dame, 277 Water
Rosenberg, Louis115 Broad St.
Smith, Bernard (Barney)281 Murray St.
Veschler, Moses143 St. Andrew St.
Valinsky, Samuel224 Clarence St.
1900-1905
Aaronson, Samuel307 Church St.
Addleman, David350 St. Andrew St.
Benjamin, Max 390 Clarence St.
Black, Moses128 York St.
Clare, Asher290 Water St.
Epstein, Solomon230 Clarence St.
Engleberg, Abraham273 Water St.
Finkelstein, Leo102 Murray St.
Held, Meyer45 McGee St.
Lang, David207 Clarence St.
Lewis, William 286 Water St.
Nidewich, Solomon27 McGee St.
Richter, Simon 266 Murray St.
Roodman, Moses21 Rose St.
Shapiro, Max292 St. Andrew St.
Segal, Abe159 King Edward Ave.
Sobcove, Isaac69 Redpath St.
Stein, Max350 St. Andrew St.
1905-1910
Archansky, 311 Clarence St.
Cadish, Joseph 390 Clarence St.
Goldenberg, Jacob23 Rose St.
Goldman, Nathan282 Water St.
Greenberg, Jacob286 Water St.
Glatt, Myer283 York St.
Lewis, Jacob361 Murray St., 470 St. Patrick
Liberman, Myer276 Church
Rachlin, Jessop 40 Notre Dame
Wershof, Aaron496 St. Patrick St.
Wiseman, Alex 189 Cumberland St.
Zertkov, Harry228 Murray St.
1916
Barret, BenjaminSt. Patrick St.
Budnoff, SamSt. Patrick St.
1907 OTTAWA CITY DIRECTORY compiled by Max Bookman
Bosofski, Mya51 St. Joseph
Caplan, Aaron40 Notre Dame
Catreen, David 155 Broad
Clare, Asher294 St. Andrew
Clayment, Isaac21 Rose
Cohen, Myer182 Water
Dutchman, Harry14 George
Dworkin, Louis 302 Murray
Greenberg, Charles564 St. Patrick
Lechorin, Benjamin284 Water
Lifshitz, Bernard247 Clarence
Morris, John38 Bolton
Peasaisky, Michael31 St. Joseph
Polowin, Oscar 250 Bell
Rudman, Lazar 240 Murray
Segel, Isaac161 York
Viner, Lewis313 Clarence
Willinsky, Joseph9 St. Joseph
1908 CITY DIRECTORY compiled by Max Bookman and Mrs. Pat Binder
Abramovice, Mendell478 St. Patrick
Archansky, Maurice311 Clarence
Backer, Lewis343 Murray
Badnoff, Abraham261 St. Andrew
Behensky, Abraham184 Water
Brozowsky, Myer302 Murray
Cadish, Joseph 390 Clarence
Claman, Isaac9 St. Joseph
Cohen, Samuel 182 Water
Corn, Myer128 George
Dover, Wm268 Murray
Ellenberg, Moses110 Cumberland
Feller, Solomon157 York
Glad, Myer223 Clarence
Goldenberg, Jacob23 Rose
Goldman, Nathan282 Water
Greenberg, Jacob286 Water
Harris, Philip489 St. Patrick
Horwitz, Max152 Nelson
Jacobs, Sigmond369 Dalhousie
Jacobson, Michael278 Church
Lang, David207 Clarence
Lecoff, Max180 Water
Lewis, Jacob470 St. Patrick
Liberman, Mya 388 Clarence
Nathanson, Benjamin19 St. Joseph
Nathanson, Nusin280 Water
Nidwitch, Solomon27 McGee
Palmer, Moses106 Richmond Rd.
Progosh, Samuel9 St. Joseph
Rachlin, Jessop 40 Notre Dame
Richter, Simon 266 Murray
Ruben, George 45 St. Joseph
Segman, Archibald397 St. Patrick
Salvina, Samuel 278 Church
Schafer, Samuel7 St. Joseph
Sobcove, Isaac290 Water
Sugarman, Hyman20 Nicholas
Yasmar, Joe479 St. Patrick
Credits:
Lists compiled by J. Levin and Max Bookman
Lists typed by Estelle Gunner
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