he reached Bear River. The first morning in their new home was not quite what they were used to. They had to cope with the deafening noise of the train passing near their residence. It made the whole house rattle. However, it was a reliable alarm clock for an early start to the new day. The house and store were combined, and that was a great disadvantage, because if people needed groceries after hours, they came knocking at the door. This was something that Lazarus did not appreciate; he was very obliging, and never refused anyone.
The store had a counter from where the customers were served. Every purchase was recorded in a counter book and, the total realized manually. There were no cash—registers or calculators at that time. Many items were sold in bulk, and had to be measured out according to the customers requirements. The molasses and kerosene were purchased in ninety—gallon drums, and had to be lowered into the basement for storage. From there, it was pumped up to the store. One full crank of the pump would fill a gallon, and was an easy way of measuring. On one occasion, a number of young people were in the store awaiting the arrival of the train. When the train arrived, everyone left, and Lazarus went to supper. When he returned, he found the floor covered with thick molasses. Someone had turned on the tap before leaving the store. Lazarus never complained to anyone about the mishap.
The store was adjacent to the train-station; so, often travellers assembled in the store after the train’s departure. During the Christmas season, many were a real nuisance because they would be in a gay mood with a bottle in their pocket. When they ran out of spirits, they would buy “Silver Tip,” a beverage available in the store at that time. Often, Lazarus offered to drive them home, but to no avail. There was a wood stove in the store, and Lazarus was in constant fear that they would get too close to it. On one occasion, someone did succeed in
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