El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1916-08-12

! Of the the ups and downs Of the Klon-
! dixie in those early days Men came
aires, and millionaires lost fortunes as
well as made them Gold was really
shipped out by the ton. and in the city
Of Dawson il was spent by the ounce
was what in slang phrase Is known as
I wide open"
There were scores Of saloons. gam
bling houses and dance halls and they
all made money In one dance hall L
women were employed a $50 per week.
and they received in addition IS per
cent commission on the drinks and
cigars sold through their blandish-
ments- Another saloon had six act
resses TO dance al $3.50 a week and
IN many Of the halls the women re-
celVed A dollar for dance OF five
minutes. and one girl stated that her
par commissions for the first week
amounted 10 $3.50 The gambling
houses had emnloyes who were paid
from slS TO $50 a day and SIS was
the wage Of bartender
Soup 81 n Bowl
have before me a CODY Of a bill
Of fare OF one OF the old restaurants
with the prices attached. A bowl OF
soup cost a dollar. and a bowl of mush
and milk us \ dish Of canned to-
matoes cost 81. a slice of Die rs cents
and a sandwich with coffeet or tea
SI-zS- Beans. coffee and bread were
-, a plain steak $3.50. and a porter
One OF the leading restaurants. which
haa seating capacity of 30. en-
ploNed three cooks. one OF whom re-
esiVed 500 per week. and the others
81 per hour The walters were hotb
men and women. the latter receiving
SlOu per month That restaurant was
held IN tent % by 40 in size. and
me rent for the tent was $500 per
Common Laborers Paid SO n Day.
From an old bulletin of the United
states department Of labor have
otner prices and wages at Dawson in |
1895 Carpenters were receivinc SIS
and common lahOrers SO per day
skilled woodworkers got 81 a day and |
Jolrneymen tailOrs $50 per hour The !
ordinary charge for a sacque suit was
SIPS. BARRIERS made from SIS to $40 |
a day, each receiving 65 per cent Of the I
receipts OF his chair. Four such shops |
were IN operation, and their prices !
were y shave. $3.50 for a hair cut |
during that winter newspapers
Drought in over the trail sold for s. |
apiece weekly newspaper was !
started. known as the Yukon Mid
night sun. which cost SIS year. and !
4 little later the Klondike Nugget was |
ISSUED weekly. and single copies Of IL |
cost 90 cents. Job printers got $3.50 (
a hour. and the charge for printing |
=
a thousand.
Banks Are Opened.
Ranks were soon established and I
they did big business in buying gold I
aust and putting their notes into cir
Culatlon- The first eight days after /
II opened its doors the Canadian Rank /
OF commerce bought 81 800 600 worth OF !
god dust 1t paid Sl4 an ounce upon 4
the receipt of the dust and the balance.
rs Ger IAN charges. after assay The !
BANK OF British North America also /
mad a branch. Both these institutions /
are stun in Dawson and they are buy
ing gold dust today
Not long ago the old building In
winch the Canadian Bank Of commerce
mad Its offices was burned to the /
ground and one Of the clerks asked
permission TO work over the ground as
4 gold claim. He wanted the waste
from the assay office and also the
dust which had fallen on the floor
from time to time in the purchase OF
gold His request was granted and
his panninE paid thousands OF dollars I
While cashing a draft at the Bank
or British North America the ether |
day l saw them sending away a ship !
ment OF gold. II had come in TO them !
in the shape of dust and nuggets and |
been melted to bricks There were
10000 worth Of these about three feeI
square The bricks were Of a light I
yellow color. and some were almost
V mite on account OF the percentage OF I
silver mixed with them. Their aver
age value was SIS an ounce They
were Of various sizes. from that of q !
big cake OF laundry soap down to a !
AXE OF milk chocolate. lifted one OF
the larger ones. It weighed a little
more than L pounds and its value was
$4,000. Later I saw the bank clerk put
he bricks into canvass bags and label
them for export by registered mail
Leaving the bank I dropped in at the
offices Of the Northern Commercial
and watched them make up
/ shipment OF gold dust and nuggets
10 be sent to the States. The gold
Tiled two satchels. and II was worth
altogether in the neighborhood OF
$780, II was put Up in half dozen
pound salt sack such as is sold in our