Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1889-02-14
FLUSH TIMES IN FRISCO.
xtravagant Prices That Prevailed in the
Early Gold Mining DAYS.

Early UOlu Mining Days.
A man you'd pay $500 for horse
worth So month before, ride it 10 the
next camp, turn it loose and buy another
when he needed one, providing he could
scrape from the ground the cost of the
animal more easily than he could pay for
the feed or one for a week or two. Again,
it is i elated that on the EuIarc plains an
emigrant sold his cart and pair OF oxen
to Frenchman for 5000. The gold was
weighed on improvised scales and the
emigrant fancied the Frenchman was
cheating him.
On reaching Suffers fort he weighed it
and found 1t worth $1,000. Of articles
in continual request sales are reported of
-four at $500 barrel, and of sugar, coffee
and pork sc $500 for the same bulk. A
pick, shovel, tin pan, pair OF boots,
blankets, a gallon of whisky brought
500 each. Eggs were 50 each; drugs in
liquid form, 81 drop; pills 81 each; a
doctors visit, 500 or $50 or nothing; a
cooks wages, $25 a day; the hire of a
wagon and team, $50 day; the hire of a
rocker $3.50 3 day. A box of sardines in
1S4S cost at CoIima store, SIC; pound
of hard bread 81; bottle of ale, SIS;
total $50 for modest luncheon.
the great market and port of entry, San
Francisco-this too, when the food was
abundant at the source of supply, the
cost accruing mainly from the difficulty
of conveying it. At the city hotel you
paid 81 for meal consisting of small
slice of boiled beef, Indifferent bread aud
worse coffee. Now aud then a guest
would buy potato fer % cents. At
Wards hotel plate of soup cost 81, an
omelette 81. The price of a room without
board was $3.50 a week: for one of g
dozen or fifty hunks IN a lodging room
you might have to pay $50 weekly.
Offices and stores were leased for sums
ranging as high as $4,000 a month. A
cellar twelve feet square could be had
for law office at $3.50 a month; for desk
room of five feet 40 the end of counter
the price was 800. A moderate charge
for board and lodging of the humblest
kind was $50 month. On the other
hand prices of wine were low, com par ed
with those of food and malt liquors, ow-
ing to large importstions. Thus,
although ale, porter and cider were
quoted at 81 bottle, sclaret, sherry Rnd
Madeira stood at 81, 81 and 81 respective
ly, while champaig and old port could be
made l. piut bottles at 81 so and ST 20.
Wniskey and brandy were very low; so
were raisins and cigars.
Naturally the rise in value of San
Francisco real estate would be aualagous.
More than one Instance is recorded of
property selling at $4,000 or NOR which
two ears before cost SIS or S16. To q
sailor names Hicks the gold excitement
recalled the unwilling purchase IN Yerbs
Bueaa of lot which on coming back IN
1S49, he found worth fortune. His son
sold half ii some years later for nearly q
quarter of b million. There Is another
story of let sold for $4,000, which two
years earlier had been bartered for a
barrel of whiskey. Some interesting
data bearing on the building of San
Francisco, re presented in the state
ment" of ID E. Williams (page 1851 who
opened carpenters shop In 1S49Y In
November of that year he paid S12 8
day to any one who could handle a saw
and hammer. BUildings now costing
$4,000 were then contracted for at SOL
600. The cost even of sidewalks may be
inferred from the fact that me laid from