Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-03-10
HID GOLD IN HIS OLD BOOTS.
A Montana Merchant Thus Got It
Safely East.
From the Anaconda standard.

From the Anaconda standard.
Henry Filing came to Montana In the
early sixties. Then greenbacks We're prac-
tically unknown Ia Virginia City. Gold dust
was the circulating medium, and every
counter and bar was equipped with gold
scales, and instead of being dollars and
cents, the reckoning medium was ounces
and pennyweights. Every miner had his
buckskin pouch instead of pocketbook, and
generally this pouch had several ounces. of
gold dust In it, for those were the days of
plenty in Alder Gulch and all other parts of
the territory which is now known as Mon
tana.
When his stock of goods sold out Mr..
Filing decided that it would be a good in
vestmeHt If he should make trip overland
to the states, purchase a new stock of
goods and continue in the clothing bust
ness. He had about $4,000 in the best gold
dust to his credit in the banks then estab-
lished in Virginia City. and a question
which bothered him Sorely was now to get
this money to civilization without losing it..
for road agents often disputed the right of
way with the stage coaches, and they lew
led frequent tributes on the passengers,
sometimes stripping them to the hide.
Wells, Fargo & Co. made a practice of ship
ping gold dust east for the miners, but this
was expensive, the ratio for insurance be-
amount carried. This meant a great deal
OF money to man, even in those days. and
Mr. Filing thought he could find a way to
get his money to Omaha which would beat
thai scheme all hollow.
After considering the matter in its differ
ent phases he finally expressed the money
TO his own order as far as Salt Lake City,
taking passage on the same coach. To Salt
Lake City the express rate was not so high,
and practically the danger zone of road
agents was passed after this point was
reached, the Portneuf canyon and Beaver
canyon. in Idaho, and the section along the
Beaverhead valley between the Pete Daily
ranch and Williams Junction In what Is
now Montana, being the most dangerous
Mr. Filing and his gold dust arrived in
Salt Lake City without incident. For some
reason the road agents had not learned that
the coach carried great amount OF treas
ure and no attempt at a holdup was made,
though more than one of the passengers
breathed hard and had his heart in his
mouth when some unexpected stop was
made during the dark hours of the night,
for the coach Travelled night and day ana
as fast as four or six horses could bowl IL
along, and ii made an average speed or
about ten miles an hour.
After a days rest in Salt Lake City the
journey was resumed Mr.. Elllng had al
ready secured his gold dust and, as 1t was
strictly against the rules or the company
to carry gold IN the baggage, he was in a
ouandary for a while as to the manner In
which he could get that gold 10 Omaha
The express company knew ne Hau tiIe
dust and knew he was going on to Omaha.
so they were watching him. The morning
the coach was hitched up and drove around
TO the hotel after him he wandered into the
back yard of the hotel and spied pair OF
boots not too badly worn, which some one
had discarded.
These gave him an idea. His gold dust was
in two packages, and securing stout DUCK
skin string. he tied the two boots together
by their ears, and putting part of the god
ir+o either bootleg he threw them into the
bottom of the coach with the remark that
his boots hurt him. and that he was taxing
the old ones along so that he could chahse
If his feet got to hurting him too badly
Nobody had a suspicion that there was
$40 600 in those old boots, and Mr.. Elllng
kept them under his feet night and day I'M
IN no reached Omaha. When coaches were
changed he generally carried the boots
across his arm. and retiring, to some con on
Jenient room would actually change his
boots. in this manner hoodwlnklng the ex-
nress messengers, the driver and every one
else as TO the amount of money ne was
carving with him. and he got q great oeai
of sympathy from the rest OF the passsh-
gers on account OF the pam no Was Suliei
ing from his tender rect.