Browning chief. [volume] (Browning, Mont.) 1941-1953, 1942-04-24
By ROBERT A. LAPEYRE

ly all large cities and towns in the
country, serve to keep the modern
business man posted as to his pros
pective customers ability to pay his
credit obligations. A mans credit rat
ing follows him like a shadow wher-
ever he may go to establish his home
1t does not take the creditor long to
find out whether his new customer is
rated as prompt pay, slow pay or mo-
pay and It's up to the creditors to act
accordingly.
But in the early days of the west,
say that period commencing with the
sixties and extending we'll up into the
nineties. a different credit system was
In existence.
Then the settlements were few and
far between and storekeepers, lacking
credit guide, had to rely upon their
own Judgment and experience to de-
termine which of their customers were
good credit risks.
Before the advent of the railroads
and their resultant delivery systems,
fresh supplies needed to replenish the
mercantile stocks we're brought into
the territory by river steamboats, and
overland freighting outfits.
Freight was carried as far as possible
via the river route and railroads, and
from the ends Of the docks and rail-
ways was hauled by wagon trains to
the towns and villages to which 1t
was consigned During the winter
months and the late fall and early
spring period. transportation was at
stsndstill due to weather conditions
which rendered the river and roads
impossible
Bought On Yearly Basis
The steamboats, began arriving at
Fort Benton. head of navigation. in
the late spring after a tedious 5000
mile water journey from ST Louis via
the Mississippi Missouri rivers. The
arrival of the first boats was an event
eagerly looked forward to by both In
dian and white alike. To the redman
it signified new supply Of blankets,
trinkets, firearms and various other
articles Of trade. To the white IT
heralded the arrival of clothing, food
and countless other supplies he needed
Passengers, which added to the pop
ulation of the territory. was another
important feature.
AS the arrival of supplies was on
a yearly basis 1t followed that the
early merchants had to make their
orders large enough to last for the
year, instead of by the day, week. OF
month as of today. Consequently when
they were out of an item they either
had to purchase new supply from
some other store in the territory OF
be short until the following spring
when freight was on the move.
Under such conditions of slow de-
hveries and uncertain stocks, quite
often food supplies and other articles
because Of their scarcity, became ex-
pensive and their resale prices were
raised to high levels. It is recorded
from statements of the pioneers Of
the sixties, that coffee at one time
sold for $110 per pound, rice at &C
cents a pound, flour from $50 to SIPS
per hundred, tobacco So to $l2 a single
pound, can of corn or peaches So
unsweetened dried apple pies 81 each
and other commodities in proportion
A housewife of one of the settlers ran
up a grocery bill amounting to s1,050
In less than three months. The only
food which remained cheap at all
times was meat, as game was abundant.
Particularly noteworthy was the
flour famine at Alder Gulch in the
spring of 1865, when flour sold at
$3.50 a hundred. This was largely due
to the severe winter Of 1864-1865
which tied up all transportation. When
spring finally arrived a wagon train
was sent to Salt Lake City to bring
In a load of flour, but on the return
tourney, the train was attacked by
hostile Bannack Indians, the flour
sacks seized and their contents scat
tered over the ground.
A flour famine resulted during
which a group of hungry and desper-
ate men entered Virginia City store
and began sacking it. Leaders of the
settlement threatened to shoot down
all looters and finally after a parley,
the flour in the stores was taken over
by a committee and sold in small lots
thus preventing the crime of pillage,
as well as satisfying the demands OF
the populace in an honest manner
until a new supply of flour arrived.
The early day storekeepers had those
customers who paid ready cash. But
there were others who were not always
in a position to pay cash. although
good for their purchases later. the
merchant kept their account on MS
books, Some ran a month 10 montn
account. paying up their bill every 81
DAYS Other accounts we're kept on the
ledger for several months-rancherS
and various individuals whose income
came in two or three times yearly.
Still others. namely big cattle and
sheep outfits, paid their bills once a
wear. These generally stocked up with
large order during the summer
months and settled for the account
the following summer, thereby avoid
ing the inconvenience of the rigorous
winter season. Their orders were large
and ran into several figures as it took
an immense stock of supplies TO keep
outfits of their size going for year
Banks were located IN the larger
towns and merchants in the smaller
villages where there were no panks
had to either send or bring IN their
deposits from time to time. Checks
were written freely and cashed by the
storekeepers if they knew their Gus
toner. The banks loaned money to
responsible people but the rate OF in
terest was from 10 to II percent
sometimes higher. consequently II
there was a default in the interest
payments on loan for any period OF
time, it was not long before the ac-