The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1917-07-15
Gold Dust and Creenbacks
in Montana's Pioneer DAYS
By Harrison A. Trexler, Phi. D.
Montana State University.

90 had a set of models called test
stones a collection Of samples of gold
from the various gulches by which
they could better value the dust. Tho
gold from each gulch had been as
sayed. and its value could be exactly
given II its guich was correctly 10
Gated"
Al Stores Had Scales.
A. d. Richardson. who visited Mon.
tana in 1865. says that gold dust was
then the currency of the territory. He
saw scales for Weighing It in all Of
the stores. He claims that Is per
cent was wasted In Weighing for small
purchases. and that the boys Of vir-
ginia City washed the store sweepings
which sometimes nettcd them five dol
lars a day each. ("Beyond the Miss
issippi. from the Great River to the
Great Ocean," Hartford. 1867. p. 400
When Bishop futile arrived In Viz
ginia City in July. 1867. he found that
every one carried a buckakin pouch
for gold dust. He says that all Of It
was examined by the banks before Il
was accepted. ID. s. Tuttle, ID. D..
"Reminiscences Of a Missionary Bish-
op." New York. 1906, PIP. 1880
Silver Bow Dust Poorest.
According to Judge Woody the dust
was worth from s12 to SIS an ounce.
the poorest coming from silver Bow
| creek. near the present city OF Butte.
The latter was mixed with silver
malgan, and was worth about el1 or
Sl3 an ounce. Dust from the better
gulches OF Bear creek and Gold creek
brought from SIC to sls. Granville
Stuart claims that the dust from
Highland gulch. south Of Butte. was
the best dust in the territory. being
| worth nearly $40 an ounce. A dust
from Florence. Idaho. was mixed with
n gold colored sand, and was there
fore decelving. 1t was worth about
| 50 an ounce.
During the sixties. articles not only
Of large but even of small value ware
purchased with gold dust. judge
Woody recounts that for a dollars
purchase the ~meschant -teok 4 penny.
weight ana three grains Of dust.
Whiskey was then Is cents drink.
The bartender charged for II seven
grains OF dust. "Of course" smiled
Judge Woody. "these were not the OK
act equivalents. but the dealers want.
ed to play SAFE" Granville Stuart
claims that the saloonkeepers Of tho
old day swindlcd the poor miners
wretchedly. THE miner would order
a whiskey. which cost Is cents" said
Mr.. stuart, land would pour his dust
in the blower, which would be lying
on the bar. The bartender would
apologetically say that his scales were
out of order. which was often not true.
But the miners were too often drunk
and said nothing. The bartender
would then take a pinch Of the dust
between his thumb and finger al pay
for the drink. He thus took from 50 70
rs cents for q 25.cent drink
Used Even in Seventies.
Gold dust was long popular ~
money In Montana. An old banker,
Mr.. q. A. Wolf. president Of the West.
ern Montana National bank Of Mis-.
soula, claims that It was quite com.
monty used as money as late AZ the
seventies. Silver was scarce through
out the United States at the time.
, Fractional currency. or "shinplastsra.' =
| were In quite general use, but there
was little other money OF small de-.
> nominations. "We had shinplAstefs
, for 10 and Is cents by tho handfuls.
but little other change In the gold
days." stated Mr. J. c. Lehsou, q prom
| incnt Montana banker.
/ Until the late sixties. national bank
, notes did not reach tho territory
United States notes or 'grcenbacks'
. were unpopular. As O result gold dust
D continued to be the great vehicle o.
exchange In Montana.
War Made Paper Risky.
There were reasons why greenbackl
: were oven more unpopular In tn
gold camps than In other parts OF tn
: United States. Tho continual nuctu'
alton Of their depreciation a. the nortl
met military reverse or success mad
them risky form Of property. In tn
east the daily press gave quotation
Of srecnback values and consaquenu
the receiver Of them was certain .
! least OF their immediate value. Blu
mail between tho isolated camps a.
tho financial centers was often de
layed. and even mail by the ''pou
q post" was literally weeks In reachin
. Bannack. Virginia City. Helena an
other camps. The M0ntanan Of tn
sixties was therefore loath to Accey
money oven whose Immediate valu
: he did not know. II was the probes
It OF speculation experienced in the 60
o plus lack Of knowledge Of preses
r. quotations.
d Montanans Largely From South.
q An additional reason for the distru
n Of greenbacks doubtless lay In the "a
al that tho large southern population
al tho Montana Of that day Was opposl
to the national governments ~
~ money on principle. Although Ora,
rd vile Stuart does mot believe u
TX southern feeling affected the value
en- greenbacks. II Is hard 70 SEQ how q
IN many confedcrates who came to Mo-
tana could have been human and y
have looked askance at the oirculAtl(
Of the money with which their enem1
10 were carrying ON the VA. ,Tae ~
@ war was In full swing rAfq, ~ a
n miners came and many ee9eee4N
I'd. floclssd TO the gold deldA IesD -
- A