Entrepreneur
Snowball started his working life as a clerk in a dry goods store in Chatham, owned by John MacDougall whose daughter he married. When MacDougall died in 1866, Snowball, at the age of 27, took over the business and expanded it.
In 1871, he was a founder of the Miramichi Steam Navigation Company which soon built and operated six small steamers on the river. On his own account he purchased and operated several others. The next year he built the largest steam sawmill in the Province, milling some 170,000 board feet (400 m³) of lumber per day. He soon opened sawmills in Tracadie, Bay du Vin and Red Bank, operating a grist mill in the last community as well.
Fish attracted his attention as well, and soon Snowball had canneries on Shippegan Island and Miscou Island. In 1879, he sent 200,000 lb. of lobster to the United Kingdom.
Snowball was a tough master, hard working and expecting the same from all his employees. He vigorously put down any attempts to unionize.
Read more about this topic: Jabez Bunting Snowball