Page 45 - A Visit with Dave Epstein

ISSUE : Issue 35

Published by Ronald Caplan on 1983/12/1

Sydney to Sydney--5 miles--from 1927 to 1935. Johnny Jessome worked for the Post. We had that swim 6 or 7 years. I used to have a real holiday for Cape Breton. They used to race the first Wednesday in August. And the steel company used to give us a big boat. Then, I had baseball. And I had my own team, the Dave Epstein Tigers. (You yourself, you were playing sports?) Oh no. I was promoting--Dave Epstein, Dave Ep? stein, Dave Epstein Tigers, Dave Epstein Tigers. (Because when you say promoting, it's not only promoting the sport, it was advertising.) No, no, no. I was interested in the young people. My mind is always in? volved with people, I love people--that was my policy, always was. I didn't care so much for the business, but that's how I built myself up. Johnny Miles--he ran for me once. Michaelson, Hannigan, Demar--all stars, stars, stars. I promoted a walkathon, walking 21 miles. Mrs. Corbett, she was 76 years old. She walked. She had a farm. And she milked 16 cows. And then she walked. That was in 1929. And she finished the race. Then I followed up with other sports up till a- bout 1940. (Apart from sports, you had new methods in advertising.) Yeah. My mind was always--I used to go to bed--what shall I do? I used to advertise quarter of pages, half of pages, 3 or 4 times a week, in the Post and in the Record. "Meet me face to face." And I was the first one that had my pic? ture in the paper. My picture was always in the paper. And I used to put, "Meet the old boy--Dave Epstein--the old boy him? self." That was my slogan. "Meet me face to face." Then, I had road signs. I put up 350 signs. I used to say the mileage from the car. Had a fellow that worked with me in the store. He was a genius, he could do any? thing. We used to get in and go and drive away, and put signs in different places. In those days there were no road signs. (What would these signs say?) "So many miles to Dave Epstein." "Dave Epstein wants to see you." And an arrow pointing the way. Used to come to a nice corner and say, "That's a good comer." 20 miles, 15 miles. Now, there was a boat came in--you know where the City Hall is now--that was a wharf. A boat came in, the S.S. Beothuk. Druker Insurance COMPARE RATES. YOU COULD SAVE. Agency Ltd. Toll Free 1-564-6000 Charlotte St., Sydney . . . 562-5504 Mayflower Mall 564-1818 IN EMERGENCY: Awie Druker, F.I.I.C. 564-6615 or Ted O'Leary, F.I.I.C, Glace Bay 849-4083 WILL INSURI VIRTUALLY ANY CAR, HOUSE OR BUSINESS Stubberfe Convenience Stores Main St., Sydney Mines Pierce St., North Sydney Florence The Challenger Restaurant Ope Sydney Mines Daily; 9.30 a.m. to Midnight Fri. & Sat.; 9.30 a.m. to 2 a.m Comfortable Dining, and Take Out Food (736-2033)

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