Plentywood herald. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1908-current, 1927-08-12

some OF the richer places among the plac-
ers of California. Every man who could
WELD q pick and shovel carried with him
a poke" or buckskin bag, full of gold
dust. 1t was the medium Of trade, a
legal tender that was accepted every
where.
Filing speedily became an expert on
gold dust. From the texture and color
OF the dust he could determine Just what
about the content of black ruby" sand,
a by-product that afterwards developed
into the Montana ruby, a red stone Of
modest value, and a distant cousin OF
the more aristocratic pigeon blood" ruby.
Secure in this knowledge he bought gold
dust, and speedily became recognized as
one Of the foremost gold brokers In the
new 'diggings." And all his life, al
though he engaged in many other under
takings. he bought gold dust. a most
profitable undertaking. AS the years
went on and the values became more
fixed thar they were In those marvellous
early days of Alder, Filing went into the
banking business, and the little parent
bank at Virginia City. which still oper-
ates In Virginia under the management
OF q son, Karl Filing, was for a time the
financial capital of Montana. 1t was al
ways possessed Of unlimited money, and
usually carried in its vaults a large
amount of gold dust.
There came a time, years later, when
Montana was In the throes of financial
panic, and banks we're going down every
where. The banks Of Helena we're in a
precarious situation. They needed mon
ey to tide them over until the frenzy was
passed. They held a meeting and decid-
ed that Henry Filing, the magnate Of
Virginia City, was the only man in Mon
tana who could save the situation. They
asked him to come to Helena and con-
fer.
The committee that met this man who
q generation before had come to America
as an immigrant, were the financial ar
istocrats of Helena at a time when Hell
n was supposed to have more money
per capita than any other city In the
United States. They entertained him at
a banquet that would have warmed the
cookies of the heart OF a great Roman
captain who had won a province for
Rome. Big men In the financial world
fawned on him. Finally In the small
hours Of the night, after the flowers had
faded and the wine had ceased to sparkle,
the spokesman of the bankers told Filing
how much money they must have to save
the Helena banks. The sum was a large
one, and the listeners held their breath
while Filing was rising to respond.
tentlemen,' ne SAID, as ne looked
around the distinguished gathering, II
have the money you need, and you can
have 1t II you can give me the security"
There were protests of course, but ELL
Ing was firm, and In the end prevailed.
He went back to Virginia City with the
capitol Of the state in pawn to him, ship
ped the much need money to Helena, and
nourished them until the return Of good
times. This was just one incident OF his
colorful career. All his life he was a
knight OF finance, playing a big game,
and winning nearly always. He estab-
lished other banks, one in Helena. one
In Bozeman, and when he died was In
control OF seven major banking institu-
lions In Montana. He mined and farmed
and went into cattle and sheep raising
heavily, and it was very seldom that he
lost.
But always he stuck to the little bank
In Virginia City. the whole building Of
which would be lost In the lobby OF any
modern Montana banking house. He was
importuned to go to larger places out
preferred to remain In the place where
he had made his start. There he sat,
day after day, go miles from the nearest
railroad, and those who wanted his fl
nancial assistance, had to go. perforce,
to him. Until Butte came into being and
tho groSt fortunes Of such men as Mar
U DAILY and William A. Clark began TO
o~vershadow everything else Filing was
first overload OF the local world.