Volume III - ElectricCanadian.com

MEN CANADA. '53JAMESDUNCANDENNIS,dry goods merchant, Yarmouth,N.S., was born February i8th,1845, in the village of Carleton, YarmouthCounty, N.S. He is the son ofLeonard and Abigail (Hilton) Dennis,of Puritanic Loyalist stock, whose ancestorswere among the first settlers ofthe county. Mr. Dennis received onlya limited education in the countryschool-house of his district, before hewas seventeen years of age, at whichtime he went to Yarmouth, and afterspending nine months at the day andnight school of Mr. John Mclver, anda couple of terms at the YarmouthSeminary, he entered as clerk in thegeneral store of Messrs. Dennis &Doane, where he remained until 1867,when he became partner of the drygoods establishment of Viets & Dennis,which continued until 1891, when itwas destroyed byfire. Since then hehas conducted business on his own account.Mr. Dennis' business is nowrightly considered the largest and bestequipped of its kind in the province.The Princess Block, which is nowowned solely by him, is a three storiedbuilding, with front of wood, stucco,and marble. It is forty-three feet frontand seventy-five feet from front to rear.The buildingisfitted withplate glass, elevators, andall other modern improvements,and isaltogethertastefully fitted up, and presentsan imposing appearance.He imports directfrom England, Ireland, Scotland,Berlin, Paris, Saxony,Brussels, and no expenseor trouble is spared to meetthe demands of his numerouscustomers, and itgoeswithout saying, that heknows how to reach thepublic by judicious and welltimed advertising. Mr. Dennis'manner towards his employees,and his kind considerationof them, is alsoworthy of note. His successis due to the applicationof the sterling principlesinherited from his parents,and the habits of industryand carefulness in which hehas been trained. In religion,he belongs to the CongregationalChurch, and hasheld the office of deacon for anumber of years. He has twosons and three daughters.