Prairie History: “So much does one thing depend upon another here”: The Intersection of Labour and Mercantile Commerce in the Daily Journals of York Factory, 1870-1874

by Frank Tough
University of Alberta

Number 04, Winter 2021

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Table 3

No.

Tasks Performed

Type of Labour

Post Servants

Post Servants and Indians

Indians

No. Days Task Referenced

Skilled and Specialized

General

Cooper

Tinsmith

Blacksmith

Carpenter

Boatbuilder

Sailmaker

Sawyer

Dog Driver

Fisherman

1

Serving regales/rations

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

55

2

Making or repairing kettle kegs and casks

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

54

3

Making or repairing tin kettles

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

52

4

Dressing staves for sugar kegs

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

43

5

Making packing cases

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

54

6

Making windows

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

12

7

Making iron tracking pairs

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2

8

Building or repairing boats

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

172

9

Cutting boat wood

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

109

10

Cutting (fire) wood

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

113

11

Sewing sails

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

94

12

Fishing

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

40

13

Hauling wood

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

105

14

Hunting

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

99

15

Repairing dog harnesses

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

21

16

Making door handles and latches

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

10

17

River fishing

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

154

18

Making knives

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

4

19

Making doors

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

53

20

Making sauce pan handles

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

7

21

Making or repairing dog sledges

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

19

22

Making or repairing nets

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

118

23

Making clasps

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3

24

Making hinges

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

9

25

Hauling hay

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

26

26

Travelling for deliveries

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

23

27

Making wood hauling tracks

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

17

28

Making Pomatum boxes

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

5

29

Tying quills

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3

30

Preparing for fishing/hunting

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

4

31

Making candlesticks

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3

32

Making pans

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

68

33

Sweeping stove pipes

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

9

34

Ironwork for boats

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

18

35

Investigating workplace issues

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3

36

Repairing roofs

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

7

37

Repairing guns and traps

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

12

38

Repairing Indian guns and traps

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

9

39

Building and repairing stoves

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

20

40

Digging graves

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1

41

Sundry ironwork repairs

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

36

42

Ice cutting

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

23

43

Hauling ice

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

6

44

Making tin lamps

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

7

45

Clearing snow

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

7

46

Plastering icehouse

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1

47

Making glass cases

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

4

48

Packing fish and venison

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

6

49

Working in store or shop

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

80

50

Clearing wood hauling track

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

15

51

Dressing wood for new house

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

91

52

Stowing wood

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

8

53

Filling shot

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

5

54

Making stove pipes

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

30

55

Making oars

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

18

56

Making cases for furs

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

15

57

Making gun cases

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

4

58

Making dog meat

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

4

59

Making putty

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2

60

Making tea pots

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

18

61

Making hunting skiff

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

7

62

Taking down woodcutting house

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

6

63

Repairing water buckets

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

4

64

Packing

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

20

65

Caulking new house

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

11

66

Making pint porringers

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

16

67

Filling whole pieces

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

6

68

Making drain boxes

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

10

69

Taking inventory of iron

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1

70

Bundling iron for districts

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

4

71

Filling molasses

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

4

72

Making spears (blacksmith)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

4

73

Working in the kitchen

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2

74

Working at Schooner

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

24

75

Working at sundry outside jobs

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

8

76

Squaring wood for partition of new house

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1

77

Making wedges

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

7

78

Making or repairing ironwork for boats

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

28

79

Preparing rafting party

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3

80

Carting manure or soil to gardens

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

16

81

Supplying provision shed

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

5

82

Packing feathers

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3

83

Hauling seine

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2

84

Unloading rafts

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

26

85

Digging gardens

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

18

86

Oiling boat covers

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3

87

Sweeping Fort

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

18

88

Varnishing schooner decks

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3

89

Cleaning blubber house

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3

90

Doing indoor work

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3

91

Piling logs

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2

92

Laying drain boxes

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1

93

Clearing off chips

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2

94

Rafting wood

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

24

95

Preparing wood for repairing ships

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2

96

Making/reparing goose casks

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

17

97

Making furnace

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3

98

River mourings and riggings

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

6

99

Planting turnips

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

6

100

Putting down small ships

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

6

101

Working on schooner rigging

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

4

102

Repairing hay carts

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1

103

Repairing tools

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

7

104

Making blubber boxes

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

14

105

Making waterboard for a new house

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

4

106

Making coffins

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3

107

Building new house

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

98

108

Haymaking

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

50

109

Preparing for travel

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

6

110

Weeding gardens

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

6

111

Whaling

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

10

112

Cutting wood for houses

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1

113

Going off for blubber

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

6

114

Branding stoves

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3

115

Discharging schooner

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

13

116

Working in the gardens

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

6

117

Assisting tinsmiths

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2

118

Painting windows

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1

119

Making firestarts

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

6

120

Repairing river bank face

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

9

121

Loading hay

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2

122

Filling turf around buildings

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

11

123

Putting up a beacon

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

4

124

Travelling for hay

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

14

125

Scraping spar and blocks

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2

126

Working on ballast

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3

127

Pickling geese

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2

128

Loading boats

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1

129

Working mud for new oven

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

4

130

Building and repairing ovens

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

19

131

Hauling up boats

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

15

132

Digging root vegetables

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

8

133

Carrying root vegetables

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

9

134

Tearing down summer mess room

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

6

135

Making drain at sawpile

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

6

136

Sewing or repairing shot bags

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

24

137

Hanging fish

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3

138

Assisting blacksmith

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1

139

Making lanterns

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

6

140

Recovering body from drowning

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

8

141

Mudding houses

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

4

142

Housing cattle

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1

143

Clearing ice house

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

6

144

Slaughtering [unspecified]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

11

145

Preparing and building firewood shanty

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

11

146

Cutting up beef

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

4

147

Making wooden ox sledges

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

6

148

Making or repairing firewood sledge

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

12

149

Making curtain rods

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

6

150

Making brasswork for windows

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

10

151

Dressing wood for dog sleds

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

4

152

Making springs for doors

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3

153

Dressing weatherboards

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

4

Totals 

97

7

8

21

19

8

1

3

2

5

140

9

20

2825

Percent of tasks

83

5

12

 

Percent of actual number days working on tasks

92

2

6

 

Page revised: 22 February 2021