THE GOLD FEVER AMONG THE BRETHREN-. 301
however, that these rates represent the prices charged to passing eaiigrants, for at this period the wages of laborers did not exceed $2 per day, and of skilled mechanics $3. The saints prided themselves upon their honorable dealings with these strangers, and the moderate prices demanded, though frequently charged with swindling. *° They could afford to part with their produce, because they had learned to dis- pense with many articles which among other com- munities were considered necessaries. For men who had fed during their first winter in the valley on hides and roots, it was no great hardship to dispense for a season with a portion of their provisions, their grain, beef, and butter, their coffee and sugar, in return for which they received such value.
It was not of course to be expected that while thou- sands of California-bound emigrants were passing each year through the Mormon settlements, the saints should themselves entirely escape the gold fever. In November 1848, several small parties of the battalion found their way to Salt Lake City,^^ some of them bringing considerable quantities of gold-dust, which, as they relate, had come into their possession in this wise.
In September 1847 about forty of the battalion men arrived at Sutter's Fort in search of employment and were hired by Sutter to dig the races for a flour mill about six miles from the fort and for a saw-mill some forty-five miles distant.'*^ The latter work be- ing completed in January 1848, and the frame of the
30 to 40 cents, prints for 25 to 50 cents, and jeans for 75 cents to $1.25; while a bottle of ink cost $2, and a ream of writing-paper $10 to $12. Deseret News, Nov. 6, 1852, where it is stated that on some classes of goods traders realized from 200 to 10,000 per cent profit.
- " ' I saved straw that spring and braided forty hats. . .1 made one to order
and sold to an emigrant at the usual price, $1. He was surprised at its cheap- ness, but in all our dealings with emigrants we took no advantage of them. I took boarders at five or six dollars a week.' Mrs Richards' Rem., MS., 36.
- ^ Others had already arrived in June and Sept. of this year. Utah Early
Records, MS., 30-1.
- Their pay was to be 12^ cents per cubic yard, with rations and free pasture
for their stock. Tyler's Hist. Mormon Battalio
