Volume 2 - ElectricCanadian.com

168 HISTORY OF THE BANKfrom twelve to fifteen hours a day. From present appearancesthe branch will prove profitable. The greatest drawbackto this place is the enormous price which has to be paidfor every article. People outside cannot believe that suchprices exist. I will give you a few samples: Land values$40,000 paid for a small lot on the main street. Rents theground floor of a building about 25 by 40 feet rents at $10,000for seven months, for a saloon. A Mr. Rutledge has a buildingmade of slabs, with ten rooms eight of which he occupieshimself, and he rents the two other rooms for small stores(very small) at a rental of $12,600 per annum. Small logcabins rent at from $200 to $400 per month. 1 Wages ateamster with a team of horses gets $100 per day. Domesticservants (women) get $100 per month and their board.Ordinary clerks in the North American Transportation andTrading Company's store get $125 a month and their board.Gold-dust weighers in the saloons get $20 a day. Labouringmen get $15 a day. Provisions of all kinds are sold atenormous prices: beef, $1.25 per pound; eggs (case), $18 perdozen; flour, $12 per sack of fifty pounds; butter in tins, $2per pound; potatoes, $1 per pound. 2 You now pay from $3to $5 for a dirty, uncomfortable meal at a restaurant, and infact there is nothing that can be bought for less than fiftycents no matter how small it is. Lumber is $400 perthousand. Wood runs from $30 to $60 per cord, and most ofthe things people in Ontario consider absolutely necessary forkeeping house with are unpurchasable." At this time broomsand whisks could not be procured, and candles, until theup-river boats arrived, sold for a dollar each. There was agreat scarcity of many essential articles. A substantialcooking range commanded a staggering price, and even ifone was willing to be bled, could not always be procured.When the scows arrived from Lake Bennett they would bemet on the water front by small traders and others eager toIThese premises were of course in most desirable locations.'Fresh potatoes, brought in by the first scows, were sold readily at $5 per pound.