The Kalispell bee. [volume] (Kalispell, Mont.) 1900-192?, 1900-11-05
Pays His United Verde Miners I'm Shinplasters WhiC
Discounted At His Company Store
the Mnan,
Workngmen May Expect II Clark
Hand Them.

Dirty Jerome, w. A. Clark's ill
famed mining camp, in Arizona, need
not have been brought into the
present campaign, SO far as those
who are opposing Clark are. concern
eI. Montana Will defeat the disrep
utable man-buyer without finding II
necessary to go outside of Montana
for campaign weapons to use agains;
him
But, in the closing days OF the cam
gaign, as an attempt at grand
stand finish, w. A. Clark himself has
caused Jerome to be dragged in
During the past day or two he has
caused to be scattered broadcast a
vast quantity Of paper which is in
close imitation of what is known as
fiat money, or shinplaster currency
This material has printed across it
the statement that this is the kind
Oh money the Amalgamated Copper
campany will use after election,
payable at it's stores.
This campaign argument" certain.
ly was suggested by Clark himself
The paper he is circulating in Mon.
tana is printed by the same house
that prints the shinplaster money
which, almost exclusively, is the
circulating medium Of Jerome. These
shinplasters are practically the only
"coin of the realm in Clarks Ari-
zona town.
Jerome is the only town on earth
that is owned absolutely by one
man.
That man is w. A. CLARK
This is the only place on earth
where man makes and creates his
own money and circulating meadium
and then arranges to redeem it at a
discount.
w. A. Clark does that in jerome.
He owns or controls all the busi-
ness of the town from his big COM
pany store and bunk house, down to
the saloons and brothels, and all are
compelled to handle his money,
but at a discount of twenty per cent.
This currency of Clark's consists
of paper not unlike those he has
been circulating in Montana during
the past few days, and are made in
denominations of cents to 81. They
bear the signature of Walter c. Mil
Ter, nephew of Clark, and are re-
deemable at Clark's company store
in Jerome, which is conducted in the
name of his brother-in-law, F. F.
Miller.
Every employe of Clark in Jerome
is compelled to use the money-he
has no option in tAe matter. Every
person who does business-legiti-
mate or otherwise-in Jerome must
respect Clarks "shinplasters a
discount of 20 per cent.
By means of Clark's currency
system his Mexican miners spend
nearly all their earnings in his COM
pany store. Scores of these miners
have not in years received cent on
pay day, and pay checks of 10 cents,
25 cents and 35 cents are common in
Jerome.
All that Clark requires in main
a financial system of his own
is the services of printing press
at Topeka, Kan, and the output is
limited only by the capacity of the
presses. Upon the face of these shin
plasters is printed: "Redeemable
only in Merchandise" at the store of
the T. F. Miller company. By means
of these "plasters" Clark has made it
possible to operate his mine and
smelter with very little actual
Between pay days the employe of
Clark may draw these "shinplasters'
from the store as he is encouraged
to do SO to the limit of the earnings
due him. The amount due for board
and hospital fees is held out, but the
employe may draw the balance at
any time, provided of course, that he
takes Clark's money" for it. 1t is
a common practice for the miners
to draw these "plasters" in amounts
of IS and $40 and sell them about
town at the regular Clark discount OF
20 per cent, for actual money. Men
who are supposed to work for 81 OIL
$3.50 day in Clark's mine really get
only $1.6O or So day under the