Montana oil and mining journal., 1940-03-30
Two Eyewitness Accounts
Of Virginia City Flour Riots

a damage of about $4,000" he re-
tana. Nor was he too well satisfied with
his surroundings.
Plenty of new men came, but they
were not miners. They did the best
they could. But what a time we had
making miners out of corn and hog
raiserS from Iowa, and pumpkin pliers
from Missouri I hired Jim Lane and
John Brown, Jayhawkers from Kan
SaS. They did not know how to mine,
wanted was enough money to last
them until they could get somewhere
else.
whisky and tobacco were scarce
and the price was high. Early IN the
spring our flour was scarce, forcing the
price to 81 a pound. The common talk
of raising the price to $125 or $50
per hundredweight caused much alarm.
A meeting was called near Ryan's store
in Nevada City; about 500 people at
tended.
"Mr. Shinn was chosen as chairman.
The merchants were charged with de-
manding exhorbitant prices for their
flour. He told the people that the roads
were impossible to Benton, and that
the roads to Salt Lake were snow and
mud covered, while several freighters
had lost all Of their oxen in trying to
force the snow-bound passages Of the
mountains; the owners lay In their
teamless wagons waiting for help that
was not likely to come.
"Mr. Shinn advised great caution.
Mr.. Wilson Butte, MIR. McDaniels, and
were sent as q committee to inter-
view the merchants with a view to-
ward persuading them to resctnd their
arbitrary demands. We first went TO
Jim Ryan, who listened closely to what
had been said before the committee.
He was willing to hold the price down
on his present supply. as had been sug-
geSted, and named a price of $45 a
hundred pound sack, which, he said,
gave him a fair profit on Salt Lake
flour.
'The next merchant we visited was
r. 0: Bailey; he ordered US out, and
said he wouldn't be dictated to by a
riff-raff of miners. Brannen 81 Wy
rook, the third place visited, had about
so sacks on hand. Wyrook abused us
He bluntly told us that he
was there with goods to sell, and that
he would fix the price. wrote in our
report the suggestion that they let him
keep his flour, which he certainly did;
he kept it until 1t became wormy.
"Cohn, a Jew, pleasantly told us to
a sack as long as 1t lasted. The next
was John Gormley, who had about 200
sacks on hand. He was armed to the
teeth He ordered us out and told us
to stay out told him I hoped I
would live to see him in want, which I
did in less than five years. I saw him
mending old gum boots for a living,
although he made a great effort to
accumulate wealth with his ill-gotten
ray10frla 11a 11rCffeytaf
plains
In my report I gave the names Of |
those visited and what each one said I
saw Ryan prosper and die with I
plenty. Cotn also did well. I was sorry |
FOR the others.
"As late as May IS, 1865, no flour
mad arrived on account of the bad I
condition Of the roads. Our fare was
0eefSteak straight for every meal How /
ever, we soon had some vegetables |
Bill HargraveS and went to Mr.. Ryan 4
and told him we were out Of flour. He /
had sold all he had, so that night he /
vent to Virginia City and secured a /
'ack for us, for which we paid him /
'98. and carried 1t home.
but that was later. The above
mentioned meeting was held on Sun
anne down the gulch with an empty
Tour sack on q pole, with the words
Flour or Blood printed on the banner.
n q few minutes they returned up
he glilch about 200 strong, all in mil
tary order.
Il said to Cooper and Turner, What
hall we do2 We will go alongl' said
cooper. And Turner said, Let's an go'
Il had about 30 men and my broth
r-in-law about IS men to add TO the
anks. We went to our cabins and got
aIr arr1& revOlvprg and rifles rTF1gnOr |
0oked bad to me.
I'VE were soon In Nevada town, over
900 strong Captain johnson was ap-
'otnted as leader. I, with my men. was
tationed ON the left to cover the left
ear. The captain rode ahead. COM
handing all 10 follow IN regular order