The Kalispell bee. [volume] (Kalispell, Mont.) 1900-192?, 1900-11-05


system in vogue in Jerome. The dis
count Of 20 per cent on Clark's money
is charged all over the camp.
These coupons will, not be received
to apply on account under any cir
cumstances, and mot good unless
signed and countersigned by the
proper oftlcers of the corporation, \
are printed across the face Of Clark s
peculiar currency. The official ten
ders bear the signatures Of Walter
G Miller, manager" anu H. A.
StrOdthoff, secretary This means
that a man cannot go into the com
pany store with a handful OF Clark
money, which he had to accept at
par through the cashiers window.
and pay off an account with it. BY
this precaution printed on the plaster
Clark makes neat profit. The cur
rency is redeemab4e only in mer-
chandise.
The precaution taken against ac-
cepting the money" in payments of
accounts also guard against the pos
sibllity of men buying up .e shin
plasterS" at 80 cents on the dollar
and turning them in to pay o. an old
account. Accounts can anly be pal ].
in the money Of the government
Every night the timekeepers at the
mines and smelters urn in their
books to Secretary Strodthoff and he
knows every night htw each man who
works for w. A. Clark stands. He
is prepared for the Mexican miner
who comes for his "shinplaster upon
winch he wishes to realize a little
cash, just to see -ow it feels to finger
the real thing. He really doesn't
need it and has no use for actual
money in Jerome, for nearly every
thing he needs or enjoys he must
purchase from the company, anyway,
but he gets tired of Clarn cheap
stuff and likes to see a change. He
gets his plaster" for S. or $40 and
then rushes to a saloon and nego,.-
ates for it's sale There Is not much
demand for Clark currency, even at
the regular discount, but the saloon
man usually buys it with the 20 per
cent off. There are 2S saloons in
Jerome and they must all puy their
beer at the company stare at SIS a
barrel. They use the"plaster,' which
they buy at so cents on the dollar,
to pay for beer which they are com
PEELED to take at So or the barrel.
The saloon men mign. purchase
their beer somewhere else, but
Clark's railroad, which is the only
one running into Jerome, will not
haul it for them.
The money" which Clark has
printed at Topeka is in general cir
culation in Jerome, but everywhere
it is receiver only at a discount.
1t is used by the Mexicans at gam
bling and when they win they are
paid in the same kind of money.
All the restaurants are compelled to
use it or go out of business. The
Chinese run all the restaurants in
Jerome, but one, and they like Mr..
Clarks money because 1t is printed
on pretty paper. 1t is about the only
money in circulation.
A shave in Jerome costs 25 cents
N money or As cents in Ulark's cur
rancy.
Clark's company owns the princi-
pal house Oh ill-fame in Jerome. 1t
is said that Clark's ''shinplasters
pass there as We as elsewhere, but
at the usual discount of 20 per cent,
and is then redeemed at the COM
pany stores in mercnanalse.
AS resu., of this system of finance
there are hundreds of Mexicans in
Jerome who have worked for w. A.
Clark for three and four years with
out drawing a cent of pay on the
regular pay days. The company
store has swallowed all their earn.
ings. The result is that they never
have money enough to take them
out of the peon camp, and they re-
main, the virtual slave of the man
from Montana. They are kept al
ways in debt, or just even, and they
must go on working for their owner
in order to live at all.
AS Clark's company owns every
Thing. sells everything that anyone