The first detachment of 20 Mounties, who arrived in the Yukon in 1895, must have found the Yukon surprisingly quiet. After building Fort Constantine, their new headquarters, they spent most of their time on daily duties, and keeping warm.
For an ordinary constable, life inside Fort Constantine was organized according to military routine. Reveille was at 6:20 a.m., roll call at 7 a.m., and lights out at 11 p.m. During the winter the men spent two days a week cutting wood. For his services, a constable earned $1.50 a day, the cost of a drink in a Fortymile saloon!
A man could be punished for misconduct such as having dirty weapons, sleeping in, and being insubordinate. Cst. Angus McKellar was fined $10 (the equivalent of 20 days' salary) for being brought in drunk and missing roll call on New Year's Day 1896. The men were also required to drink three ounces of lime juice every day during winter to combat scurvy.
For the officers, life was a little easier. They had separate quarters and could bring their wives and children with them. They each had an enlisted man to perform servant duties, and were allowed to keep 10 per cent of the customs duties they collected.
The tedium of life at the fort was broken by the occasional dog sled patrol to the creeks, where the miners paid their dues without protest.
