The Ironware Store

The warm May sunshine melted the ice on the Yukon River. Paddle wheelers, along with riverboats, plied the river in the late spring, bringing supplies to Dawson in the Yukon Territory. One paddleboat was pushing an exceptionally large barge, which was fully loaded with ironware products manufactured by, and shipped from, a foundry near Portland, Oregon. These products were in big demand in the growing city of Dawson. The barge was carrying stock for a new ironware store, Samuel’s Cast Iron Creations, which an entrepreneur by the name of Samuel had built and opened last summer. The products sold there were so popular, he had sold out of the contents from two previous shipments within days of receiving them. Not having anything left in his store to sell in the fall, Samuel had travelled to Seattle to spend the winter. Samuel’s brother, Dave, had travelled to the foundry near Portland, Oregon and ordered the equivalent of two barge loads of goods from the company. The first part of that order was being delivered now, in late spring, with the remaining items being shipped in the latter part of summer. Samuel had met the first load of his goods in Whitehorse and was accompanying the barge on its four-hundred-mile journey up the Yukon River to Dawson. The trip from Whitehorse was long, boring, and dangerous. The river currents were strong and large pieces of debris, washed from the shorelines, were floating in the water, creating navigational hazards. Hitting a stump or a large tree in the river could damage, or even sink, a boat. If this were to happen, there was little chance a man could survive in the currents of the mighty Yukon. The paddleboat, with its wheel churning, rounded a corner on the river. A hundred yards in front of the boat, was the dock where they would be putting in. The captain of the paddle wheeler yelled for his crew to get ready to dock the boat. A flurry of activity signalled they were ready to assist with the difficult maneuvers the captain needed to make. The paddleboat and barge needed to be safely guided into their proper spaces along the docks. The dockhands on shore, along with the deckhands, were able to successfully dock the vessels, securing the crafts without damaging the docks. Samuel was the first passenger to depart the paddle wheeler. His return trip to Dawson from his winter home in Seattle had been long and difficult, with little food to eat. He would be glad to return to his house in Dawson, which he had not seen since the fall. He met with the dockmaster, who told Samuel the barge needed to be emptied within three days. Samuel told the man they would begin working on that task in the morning, as he planned to hire the same company who had moved his goods from the barge to his store last year. The dockmaster assured Samuel the company was still in business, which was good to hear. Before going home, Sam decided to visit Wendy and Jason, good friends of his who lived a short walk from Dawson. He was hoping Wendy would offer to feed him while he was there, as he knew Wendy always had food available for unexpected company or starving individuals sent to her home for food. As Samuel approached the front door, he was greeted by Jason’s dog, King, barking loudly. This made Samuel miss his own dog, Spearmint, who had been living with a neighbour in Dawson while Sam was in Seattle for the winter. Jason opened the door to a smiling Samuel, the men embracing, glad to see each other. Jason invited his friend into the house, who was immediately hugged by Wendy. The couple’s son, Kuzih, was also elated to see his friend, Samuel, climbing onto his lap the moment he sat down. Wendy offered to cook some food for Samuel, knowing he must be hungry. Luckily, a constable from the Dawson office of the North West Mounted Police had dropped off a deer he had shot yesterday. He had asked the couple to take what they needed and share the remaining meat with any Indigenous families who needed help securing food. Soon, Samuel filled his hungry stomach with venison Wendy had prepared for him. After eating his fill, he graciously thanked the couple for their hospitality and got up from the table to walk home. He asked Wendy and Jason if they would like to work for him tomorrow at the store, helping to unload goods and place the merchandise where it belonged. The couple agreed to meet Samuel at his store at noon. Heading to the movers, who he hoped to have on the job early in the morning, Samuel wished Wendy and Jason goodbye, telling them he would see them tomorrow.