The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1896-02-14
:yaiscrltaneous.
FLOt Il WAS SCARCE.
1T WAS CONSIDERED ALMOST AS VAL.
LIABLE AS GOLD DUST.

| S1.5O Per Pound-FOr Awhile the Fate
of the City Hung In the Balance-How
the People Met the Emergency.
There is a marked difference between
the price of flour today and the point it
reached one season in the early days in
Montana. There are not so very many
| residents of the territory who were here
when flour sold for $40 per 100 pounds
| one day and jumped to 500 per 100
pounds the next day, going even higher
| subsequently. These who were in the
| territory remember that the people took
| the law in their own hands, as they had Il
| way of doing in grave emergencies, and
that, after what was termed by the chron-
iclers of that period flour riot, " the
price came down again. Flour riots are no
longer common in the state of Montana
! The time referred to was the spring of
| 1865, and the place was Virginia City,
which was then the principal city of the
territory. The preceding winter had been
one of remarkably deep snow and cold
weather. The chinook winds were frozen
! out, apparently, for they did not cross the
range into Montana that year, and when
spring came, freighting between the terri
tory and Salt Lake City was almost sus-
pended altogether. The SNOW was so deep
in the Snake river range that it was al
most impossible for the heavily laden
trains to cross ut all. One large -four train
arrived at the foot of the Snake river di-
vide, but the snow WAS deep and the cold
intense. The oxen could find no feed and
they persisted by tho scores where they
were,
In the meantime provisions were getting
suarcer and scarCcr in Virginia City.
Flour came to DO boarded like gold dust,
and was almost rs precious. Potatoes,
beans, and all the substitutes for flour
were almost exhausted. y good proper
ton of tho people were then living ON
beef straight Potatoes were scarce at
% cents per pound, and all other proyi-
sions were held at proportionately high
prices.
The latter part of February saw tho big
rise in flour. Tho prico jumped from S25
to so per 100, and then it climbed to 500
per 100 pounds in another clay. That was
in gold too. For few days the price
stood at 500, and then it began to go up
again.
In short time it had reached $3.50 per
100 pounds. There was no fixed price
during that time but it lluctuated as ru-
mOrs of abundance or tho reverse became
rife on the streets. A portion of the time
it could not bo purchased for love or
money. The streets were thrOnged with
people discussing the situation. and grave
faces We're in every knot on n street corner,
for tho price had then gona beyond the
reach Of most people and what to do was
the problem of the hour. There were ru-
mors that designing men had gotten up
-four corner, and deep muttcrings were
heard against the men who did it,
n few days after the last rise word was
flashed up ard down tho gulch that the
citizens wero going to rise against the
Hour merchants. The crowd did meet in
Loriathan hall. r. 5. Blake was eleooCd
chairman. Hugh McQuaid WAS nomi-
mated for secretary, but he declined, and
the meeting proceeded without one. The
people formed Il line and with IA flour sack
nailed to IL pole for IL banner proceeded up
and down the street, amid considerable
confusion.
Tho impression got abroad then, and
there was some excuse for it, that the
town would be sacked. The men in the
line of march did look determined, and as
yet there had been no intimation except
in tho hall of the purpose of tho gathering.
They marched up and down Wallace street.
During the beginning of the demonstra-
ton three men went into n clothing store
and looked at y suit of clothes.
IF we SEQ what we want, We'll take it
along Iguess" one of the trio remarked
carelessly.
They were men who proposed to take
advantage of the confusion to rob some of
the stores, but they found thoy. had made
mistake. Ono of the clerks was sent out
for Neil Howic, one of the chiefs of the
vigilante committee. Mr.. Howio re-
sponded promptly. Drawing his revolver,
he stepped forward and covered the three
men, with the remark:
''Gentlcmen, this in an uprising to get
reasonable amount of flour for Il reason
ablo price. 1t is not an excuse to sack the
town. Tho first man caught stealing will
be shot or hanged, and none such will es-
capc.'
The ready made clothing fell from tho
hands of the men addressed, and tho word
went around quickly that there would be
no mercy for tho first man who was caught
stealing.
Then Colonel Wilbur f. Sanders and
others then in the city addressed the
crowd, advising an orderly search for
flour, and recommending that a reason
able price be paid for whatever was found,
after making an equitable division Of it
with the men in whose possession 1t might
| be found. The people cheercd the senti-
mont, and parties were organized to search
in stores and cellars for hidden flour.
Taylor, Thompson & Co. had a supply
in their store. They caused the doors to
be barricaded and placed men behind the
sacks, armed with doubled barrolcd shot
guns. Other stores were barricaded, and
preparations were made to resist the pa
| trolls. But the scarchers made 1t plain
! that they did not want to have any trou-
| BILE, and in some instances compromises
were effected. Tho flour was gathered
from all parts of the city and stored in
Leviathan hall The hiding places were
many. There was flour under haystackS,
and in cellars, and beneath the rafters of
buildings, but tho searchers were keen
with hunger, rs they found the most of it,
so it is said. Every place where more than
one sack was found the surplus was taken
| away to the common warehouse.
| The committee met after the search had
been almost completed and decided to al
| low the owners of the flour S36 per 100
pounds which it was voted was profit
| enough. Men formed in line and received
| Is pounds to zach man, at the same price
paid tho owners. After IL few hours the
supply was reduced to 10 pounds to the
man, but even then the supply did not
! held out, ana many went away disap-
| pointed \ party of miners volunteered to
| go out TO the Snake river and try to shovel
II path through for one of the pack trains,
| but the men returned discouraged and un
successful
The supply grew scarcer and scarcrr, and
for awhile fears of starvation were OK
pressed. But the SHOWS melted early and al
last tho joyous Rows was shouted through
tho streets thas IA Hour train was slowly
moving up the gulch. And then, whom
the price dropped to $40 per sack men
paid the price cheerfully, and thought it
was rs cheap ss dirt.-Helena independent.