The Ronan pioneer., 1917-05-25
PRICE OF FLOUR
RECALLS RIOTS
COST TODAY Is HICuEp r,,,>,
All ANY TIME SINCE THE
VIGILANTE DAYS

"hen Virginia City Peonle Wen,
'orced to Pay $15O Per Hupdrad
Moo Formed and Collected Ever,
round in Town and Sold It at n,t.
OF $3G Per Hundred.
flour, selling at eight cents ma,
pound IN Montana today. is hipbe,
,llah at any time since the SOS whar
the famous Virginia City flour rio,,
LOOK place and for several davs the
Town was In the hands of a citizens
committee, which commandeered ov.
cry pound of flour in the stores and
sold II TO the citizens at 36 cents no,
pound. AS the storekeepers had w,
,ne price up to $3.50 per pound the
lower price was considered verv rna.
sonable. ou very fea-
lhe flour riots took place in the
spring OF 1865. The winter had
oeeh hard one with very deem SNOW
as well as cold weather. Freightino q
between Salt Lake City and Mon7
tana had been almost entire1v s,,.
pe4Ieu =, +,,a because of the heavy drifts
IN !he snake River mountains. One
.1 IRAN G. OF many wagons, all loaded
WIN Hour, arrived at the foot of the
snake River divide, but there was
no 1eed for the oxen and they died hv
the dozen N'eu ~
Ia the meantime, provisions were
gettlng scarcer and scarcer in Vir-
slnla City. Flour was boarded like
gold dust, while potatoes. beans and
other foods were almost exhausted
Fotatoes were selling for 25 cents
per pound A's
Goes to $1.5O Per Pound.
me latter part of February saw
the 1irst rise in flour, the price
Jumping from 25 cents a pound to
~ cents. 1t keeping up till 81 a
pound was reached, and finally
Sl.oo. The price was beyond the
reach of most people and the streets
pegan to be thronged by anxious
men, while mutterings were heard
against the men who had the f1onr
corner. ~
Then word was passed nm and
down Alder gulch that the citizens
were going to rise against the flour
dealers. The crowd organized in Le-
vlathan hall, S. r. Blake being chair
man. A flour sack nailed to a mole
was thelr banner and they marched
up and down the streets. Some of the
rioters had the idea that the upris-
Ing meant the sacking of the camn
ana three men entered a clothing
store and began picking out suits of
clolhes. a. messenger was sent for
Nell HOWE, one of the chiefs of the
vlgllance committee. Neil appealed
WIN pistol, remarking: "Gentle-
men, this uprising is to get flour and
pay reasonable price for it; it is not
TO sack the town. The first man that
steals from a store or saloon will he
shot or hanged. The same men that
fought for law and order a few
months ago are prepared to fight for
it now" '7'i' Aoi
The clothing was dropped and
word passed through the crowds that
death would be the price of pilfering
Colonel w. F. Sanders and Others
addressed the crowd, advising an or
derly search for flour, and standing
IN with the men for all that was
right and fair. Search parties or
ganlzed and started off to hunt in
stores and cellars for hidden flour.
Search Sanders House.
me rumor was passed around that
a wagon loaded with flour had gone
TO Colonel Sanders residence ad an
armed party went to the house.
Mhefe they were met at the door bv
Mrs. Sanders. She invited them to
search the place, and said if they
louhd more than a pan of flour they
were welcome to it. The party left,
put returned the next day when Mrs,
Sanders was away and searched in
vain for hidden sacks. Other houses
were searched, and when more than
sack was found, it was taken.
Guards watched the town night and
day to see that no flour was hauled
away and a couple of loaded wagons
were overhauled and brought back
to Virginia.
Some stores were barricaded and
guarded by men with shotguns
but the patrols moved along quietly,
saying they wanted no trouble but
must have flour. The flour was ga
thered from all sources and stored at
Leviathan hall. 1t was then distri-
buted at a rate of $36 per hundred.
Only Is pounds per man was allowed
to be taken, and this amount finally
was reduced to ten pounds. A sack
of golddust would be handed in to
the weigher, but the rush was so
great that no more time was taken
for accurate weighing, and the man
who walked away with his ten
pounds of flour also carried a con-
siderably shrunken purse.
Starvation Feared.
For three days the white flag
waved and the mob held possession
Of the town, but there was no dis
turbance and nothing taken save
flour. A party of men with pack
horses started for the Snake River
range to shovel road through to
the flour train, but the snow was
too deep and they returned discour-
aged. AS the SuDply became scarcer