Travelling in the early days was by stage and boat in Summer, the boat running from Sicamous to Enderby, thence by stage to Vernon, and the only method of travelling in Winter was by stage or pack horse. Mail, also, was received by these means of transportation.
The great bulk of trading, at that time, was done with Victoria, which was a greater commercial centre than Vancouver. All merchandise from the Coast was carried by freight trains to Sicamous, transferred there to a small steamer as far as Enderby and thence by wagon to Vernon.
Business conditions and the manner of trading in the early days were entirely different to the present day method. There were no banks in the Valley, all banking being done through Vancouver, cheques often passing around as currency and would have as many as a dozen endorsations before reaching the bank.
Yearly credit was the system of trading. Farmers, ranchers, trappers and Indians paid their accounts once a year after they had received money for their crops and catch of furs; the amusing feature in regard to the credit in these days being that the average customer would ask of his account, simply looking at the total and settling up without checking up. Considerable business was done in the bulk, tea sold by the chest, flour and sugar by the ton, and other commodities in similar large quantities.
Thirty years ago the Valley was passing through a stage of transition from stock-raising to wheat producing.
R. P. Rithet & Co. of Victoria controlled a large flour mill at Enderby, where all the wheat of the district was taken and milled. Wheat then sold as low as $18.00 per ton at the mill, the farmer doing his own hauling. A few years later $28.00 per ton was considered a wonderful price.
During the period under review, very little fruit was grown and it was not until 1892 that the growing of fruit was given any serious thought. At that time, Lord Aberdeen purchased the land now known as the Coldstream Ranch and started fruit growing on a fairly large scale, the land being purchased from Forbes G. Vernon. After him the City of Vernon was named. He was, at that time, member for the Okanagan Valley, also Minister of Labor and Works.
At this period the population of Vernon was about 300 and, generally speaking, were considered prosperous.
A Mr. Gray of Nicola was the largest cattle buyer and a general round-up of cattle was made twice a year, when he would make his purchase from the ranchers and drive the cattle out to the coast or prairie markets.
(To be continued)