Montana oil and mining journal. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1931-1953, 1938-02-05

The bread riots at Virginia CITY
in the winter of I864-65 marked
one of the most critical points In
MOntana's history. Had IL not been
for the firm hand OF Neil HOwie,
deputy sheriff, backed by a
stable crowd Of law abiding citi-
Gems, the movement to gather the
surplus flour In the camp and dis
tribute 1t equally among the res
idents, might have developed into
the sacking Of the town by law
less mob.
The bread riots, of course, were
caused by the scarcity Of flour. There
was flour in the camp but the owners
sought to corner the market and get
rich. Even in normal times flour sold
Tor from 20 to 40 cents pound. At
the period mentioned, the price kept
mounting until it reached $3.50 q
pound. Even in camp where there was
plenty Of money, there was no pos
sibility Of everyone being able to af-
ford flour at that price, and scores
lived for weeks upon a diet of meat
straight. Other provisions were also
scarce, potatoes being Is cents a pound.
The situation developed from sew
eral causes, the most direct being that
the deep snow had made it impossible
Tor the freight teams to come in from
Salt Lake City. The rapid growth
Of the region had rendered increasing
amounts of provisions necessary. In
1860 there we're no more than 100
white men in the whole of Montana.
BY the fall of 1864 the gold stampede
had drawn 10000 to the territory.
There were ranchers in the Bitter
Root, Gallatin and Prickly Pear val
leys who raised wheat and what other
food they themselves needed, but they
had neither the roads nor the transpor-
tation facilities to haul any surplus
there might be to the mining camps.
There were small flour mills in those
localities, but their output supplied no
more than the local demands. The dis
lance from the head Of navigation on
the Missouri river rendered 1t difficult
to obtain supplies from there.
Everything was expensive. A cat was
worth 500 in Virginia City because
there was no other way Of getting rid
of the mice that swarmed through the
buildings of the place. A newspaper 80
days old would sell for 81 in gold and
be passed from hand to hand until 1t
was literally worn out.
When. in February, 1855. flour jumped
to $3.50 a hundred pounds, the indig-
nant citizens organized to take control
of all flour that could be found. Hiram
N. Blake, a lawyer, was named chair
man. For many years afterwards he
was a prominent and honored member
of the Montana bar, living at Helena.
A flour sack nailed to q pole was the
banner Of the gathering and behind
1t the crowd marched up and down
the street searching for flour.
Some who thought the uprising Of
fered opportunity for the saclking Of
the camp began to help themselves to
clothing In the various stores visited.
Howie, called by the merchants, adj
dressed the crowd, saying that the
purpose OF the uprising was not to sack
the town, but TO get flour, and that
the first man who stole anything from
8 store or saloon would be immed-
lately shot or hanged.
When more than one sack Of flour
was found In q house it was confis-
Gated Guards were posted to prevent
the removal Of any flour from the
town. After all that could be found
was gathered, the committee allowed
owners 936 hundred for 1t and ra-
toned IS pounds TO the man. The
amount was later reduced 70 10 pounds
but even then the flour was all gone
before everyone had received the al
lotted portion
The remedy afforded only temporary
relief, however, and within q few days
many were again ON o diet Of meat
straight and remained so until the
melting SHOWS opened the trails and
fbe freight outfits who had been forced
~ Camp for weeks were enabled TO
reach the end Of the Journey with an
ample supply Of -four and various
prpvanions.
saawentv-v ear-cld A. n. Troyer, for