Montana oil and mining journal. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1931-1953, 1941-05-17
Filings Success Due to
Scoring His Misfortunes

small Kansas town, made good by the
Stationing of two regiments Of federal
soldiers there. The government decided
to move the soldiers. With the soldiers
went the town. Filing and his partner
were left with a fine stock Of goods.
for most Of which they owed, on their
hands.
About this time the Fairweather
strike of gold in Alder gulch had been
made. 1t was necessary for the Filing
store to move to some place where
there were customers. So he went 70
st. Louis and had a conference with
his creditors. He asked permission TO
take his stock and goods over the over
land trail TO Virginia City His talk
was so persuasive that consent was
forthcoming Forthwith he bought OK
teams and prairie Schooners, loaded his
stock of goods on board, and started
on the long trek through the hostile
Indian country for Virginia City.
His OK train won through, perhaps
because he was with 1t. Trains In front
of him and behind him were harassed
by the Indians and lost men and ami
mails, but every man and every beast
that had started across the plains with
Filing were with him at the journeys
end. More, he had arrived In the new
gold camp at the psychological time.
The camp was rotten with gold dust,
and had enough to eat but Of the
stores such as Filing had brought there
was practically nothing. He did not
have time to unload his goods before
the miners, with long pokes filled with
gold dust, came flocktng TO him 70 buy.
He could charge almost anything he
wanted to. No questions we're asked.
The eager customers paid and went
away. At the end OF two weeks ne
took stock with himself and found
that only the flag end Of the $4,000
stock he had brought was left. In its
stead was over 100000 in gold. His
adventure was a great achievement
and he felt himself on the high road
to fortune.
Loses His Fortune
He took counsel with his PARTNER.
1t was decided that Filing should stay
IN the new camp and sell what re-
manned of the original stock, while the
partner took most of the gold dust
the firm had accumulated east TO pay
off the Indebtedness of the firm, buy
a new stock of goods and bring 1t back
to Virginia City. The partner went
away and never returned. With MIN
went the first fortune Filing made.
Months passed. Then came letter
from one Of the st. Louis creditors adj
vising Filing that his partner had been
In Chicago, spending money lavishly,
but had paid nothing on the firms
Indebtedness. The letter suggested that
the account be settled.
Filing had accumulated probably
500 600 in gold dust from what re-
NAMED Of the stock. He locked up pm. ms
Virginia City store and took the over
land stage for st. Louis. There he met
his creditors, squared his accounts,
and brought back a still larger stock
of goods. He also opened large eS-
tabiishment in Helena and for the next
10 wears did a large business.
In the course Of time Filing became
a gold dust expert. He could look at
a gold sample tell Just what diggings
it had come from and estimate accu-
rately within q few cents It's ounce
value. He began dealing in gold dust.
A year or two after he had engaged
in this business he opened bank IN
Virginia City and became one OF the
biggest gold buyers IN the state. THIS
bank grew into others and at one
time he controlled seven banking IN
situations In Montana. Aside from the
parent bank probably the most notable
of the Filing banks was the Union
Bank & Trust Co., which was organized
by George Ramsey with Filing as It's
principal hacker. He was interested IN
banks in Helena, Red Lodge, Butte,
Pony, Sheridan, Bozeman and several
other centers. He also continued 70
operate his mercantile houses, and at
one time controlled the principal dry
goods house, the principal clothing
store, the principal hardware store In
Virginia City. he. also went INTO sneep
and cattle heavily, and with the de-
yelopment of quartz mining, took his
fling, and a big one at that industry.
The Easton mine. prolific producer
of silver, the Boss Tweed group OF
mines at Pony, besides several gold
properties in Madison county were de-
veloped at his instance.
EIIlng's Big Mistake
he made his mistakes, too. as all
men who play the big game do. For
instance, there were the Hecla mines
In TIE Glendale country. Filing had
been carrying the man who opened
Them up. Finally ne got into the bank
over $50 900 and wanted to turn over
the property in settlement Of his over
draft. Filing refused. The promoter
turned the property ON sale 70 an
Indianapolis company, OF which Henry
Knipperberg was the head, and knip-
perberg took several million dollars
out OF the mines.
Eyeball security did not so with
Henry Filing. He took a chance ano
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rather than ON q mans rating or Sc
cllrity. He believed In the mineral pos
sibglities Of Madison county and loaned
and lost thousands Of dollars 70 pros
pectors for the development on likely
looking leads. On the average he got
his money back and more. he financed
one concern, the Easton Mining Co,
operating q silver property near VIZ
ginia City to the extent Of $4,000 IN
cash. Then he took the property over
Ia payment OF what was due him, AND
In the course Of several years fne mine
1 paid out.
he furnished the money for the OPP
Grafton OF the Boss Tweed group OF
mines, In the Pony district, TO the exc
tent Of over 100000 and was relm-
pursed when the property was sold q
Boston capitalists. He did this partly
because he had faith In the property
but more because he had faith IN MS
good friend. w. w. Morris, the owner
and whom he knew 70 be as clean as
q hounds tooth.
was q PrfnceEy Gambler
Ee could do these things, which was
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