The Madisonian. (Virginia City, Mont.) 1873-1915, 1895-11-23
A STORY Of THE FAIRLY DAYS
Flour Riots Of the
!. Sixties.
A reid by Patrick Ae6ovsSn-Tobac-
CO on = Parity with 60ld-HoW Fay
HavPiugton Laid tie Formations Of
Butte Bank =

day and in reminiscent mood. He was
looking for a tobacco cure and that
brought back to his mind the days
when everybody in these parts were
gold bugs. On one occasion he gave
In ounce of gold for a pound Of tobac-
co. The fact TINT he did it has moth
ing whatever to do with the present
monetary question but If that wasn't
a Is to l proposition, what is. One
ounce Of gold for, sixteen ounces Of to-
bacco and he was mighty glad to make
the trade
Then the mood was fairly on and he
told of other matters, finally leading
up to the famous bread riots, concern
ing which many in Virginia will re-
member because of actual participa-
ton. Notwithstanding the fact that it
is a repeater Mr.. McGovern's version
will be interesting.
The year of the big storms, when the
freighters were tied up about half way
between Virginia and Salt Lake City
corners were numerous and prices
proportionately high. That is the
year when Harry Warrington bulled
the candle market by purchasing a
dozen boxes. Harry will tell the gen
tie reader all about it on the slightest
provocation. Fay Harrington, then in
the heyday of his youth, made a stroke
of Napoleonic ~tinanceering and laid
the foundation of the wealth of the
Silver Bow National Bank Dy orner
ing all tue matches iu town, in cOnse-
qucnce of which birthstone went out of
sight.
The local merchants formed a -four
trust. The combine was so successful
that flour, which in the fall, was slow
at SIS per hundred weight, rOse to the
neighborhood of ST. per pound. There
was a sufficient supply OF -four TO last
until spring, and the various members
of the combine, in order to keep the
price up, had -four Coached" in every
! conceivable hiding place. As the price
NSlAt W ei4D pbcl oSNiiS ~ WIZ So
ting bread bat once q day rebelltd
and resOrted to s0ciaiistic methods. \
mob Of about POO visited one establish.
mont, and demanded -four at q reasOn
able price. Sh0tguns behind a barri
ca0e Of -four drove them away, Abou'
q week later they organized in Nevada
'Nhny ha1+n1 of Nl1t N1oCnypIp'- o1 hi n
near'the old lrickyard, and to him i
seemed that the procession extended
clear to Junction, three miles below
They were out for -four, and for bloc,
if they didn't get it.. They wanted t
know of McGovern if he had any ilou
and he told them he had three sacks
unlocking the cabin door and telling
them to help themselves. They evi
IDENTIFY didn't expect SO generous
8 proposition, and told him to keep hi
flour, but wanted him to accompan
. them to Virginia, where they propo.
ed to ''clean up" every store in town
:. McGovern didn't so but the crowd die
:, and what they did subsequently is
' matter of history. Every store in tow
was forced to give up the preciou
bread-stuff. but received credit for
from the peoples committee. whic
sold the flour to al corners at about
g cents q pound, while consumers rejoice
at the fall flour had taken and the hi
tells added the cuisine bV furniShin
bread twice and in some instances tire
y times a day, without raising the pric
of ~board-SlS per week.
The flour riot was a bowling success
and there are many men in Nirgini
and Montana who participated in it.
Close COnnCetiOnA With the n