Volume 2 - ElectricCanadian.com

166 HISTORY OF THE BANKof the earlierriver, and were thus able to take advantagebreak-up of the ice in the river. They consequently reachedDawson about a week ahead of the canoe party, and openedat once, but the river rose and flooded the city, forcing themto close their office. The canoe party arrived as the floodsubsided, and thanks to the care with which everything hadbeen arranged beforehand, were able to open in relativelycomfortable and secure premises, whereas the others had only atent. The staff of The Canadian Bank of Commerce hadbrought an assay plant over the passes with them, and had itin operation, buying gold dust and making shipments andconsequently securing permanent and valuable connectionslong before the other bank was in a position to reap the benefitfrom similar facilities, for its staff had brought no assay plantwith them. In addition, for a long time the others were forceddaily to carry all the gold dust they purchased to and from thepolice barracks. Had The Canadian Bank of Commerce, withthe large quantity of gold dust it had constantly on hand,notwithstanding fairly frequent shipments, been forced tofollow a similar practice, the task would have been a monumentalone. These conditions obtained until both bankscompleted their permanent quarters, and then once again theforesight and prudence of this bank were vindicated. Itsquarters were hi the Government Reserve adjoining the policebarracks, while the office of its competitor was in the heart ofthe city. When one of those disastrous conflagrations whichon more than one occasion destroyed a large part of Dawson,swept the city in April, 1899, they lost their office and learned totheir sorrow that their fire-proof vault was not worthy of itsname. During the first season of slightly more than threemonths The Canadian Bank of Commerce made four largeshipments of gold, the last of which 1was shipped on the samesteamer that carried the first shipment of the other bank, theonly shipment they made that season.No time was lost in the erection of a permanent building'Sec plate 23, facing page 162.