Distinctly Montana Magazine

70 D I S T I N C T LY M O N TA N A M A G A Z I N E • FA L L 2 0 2 6 coming months, the Vigilantes would lynch over 20 men. Bruffey saw them hang Jack Slade, a stagecoach driver he met coming west, condemned as a cruel, trigger-happy drunk. One of the fascinating aspects of Eighty- One Years: the food. A mess of trout, fried on hot stones. Cabbage, turnips, and carrots bought from "renegade Mormons." He called frying pan bread and bacon a "satisfying supper." His diet consisted largely of bacon and other pork products, beans, corn, wild game, butter, and flour—vital in mining camps. For flour, Alder Gulch relied on wagons from Salt Lake City. Because of onerous freighting, prices were already high. By March 1865, the Gulch's flour supply dwindled. Wagon teams from Salt Lake lost all their oxen passing mountains of snow and ice in a bad, lingering winter. Bruffey saw stores price-gouge what little flour remained. 100-pound sacks cost $100 (around $2,000 today). One April day, he stood amid his gravel and mining tools. Ten men brandishing guns passed. One waved an empty flour sack tied to a flagpole. "Flour or Blood," it read. Moments later, 200 or more clopped by, like- wise armed. Bruffey hurried to his hut to fetch firearms. They divided themselves into six squads. They appointed "lieutenants." They put Bruffey in charge of the left rear unit. When they reached Virginia City, an upright citizen stopped them. "Go on," he said, "take all of the flour, rice, and beans that you can find, but be men, not fiends. Don't burn the town." With that, they scoured every store, cabin, and cellar for flour. They seized sacks from under oats, in barrels, and haystacks. They marched off with over 80 bags to hand to their "flour commit- tee," responsible for parceling it out to those without. Virginia City's Montana Post wrote, "The whole proceeding was of a novel character." The flour riot, which occurred soon af- ter the U.S.'s admission of the Montana Territory, says much about life under new territorial governance. Law and order purportedly came, but not enough to stop 480 men from com- mitting armed robbery. t t t TEN MEN BRANDISHING GUNS PASSED. ONE WAVED AN EMPTY FLOUR SACK TIED TO A FLAGPOLE. "FLOUR OR BLD," IT READ. Committed to care and service. MONTANA'S PREMIER COMPOUNDING PHARMACY • Bioidentical Hormone Replacement • Low-Dose Naltrexone • Weight Management • Dermatology • Pain Management • Veterinary Medications Creating customized medications for 65 years Made Locally... Shipped to Your Door Insurance Billing—including Medicaid 406.869.0100 www.jurospharmacy.com Call TODAY! Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Adrenal & Thyroid Support | Pain Management Dermatology | Veterinary Medications 406.869.0100 • www.jurospharmacy.com Compounding Pharmacy Insurance Billing-including Medicaid Serving Montana for Over 60 Years J UR S ' O PHARMACY HEALTH & WELLNESS Anderson Specialty Pharmacy is now Creating Customized Medications for Your Unique Needs Same commitment to Care and Service Under a New Name Montana's Premier Made Locally... Shipped to Your Door Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Adrenal & Thyroid Support | Pain Management Dermatology | Veterinary Medications 406.869.0100 • www.jurospharmacy.com Compounding Pharmacy Insurance Billing-including Medicaid Serving Montana for Over 60 Years J UR S ' O PHARMACY HEALTH & WELLNESS Anderson Specialty Pharmacy is now Creating Customized Medications for Your Unique Needs Same commitment to Care and Service Under a New Name Montana's Premier Made Locally... Shipped to Your Door Committed to care and service. Call TODAY! mOntana's Premier Creating customized Medications for Your unique needs COMPOUNDING PHARMACY Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Low-Dose Naltrexone Weight Management Dermatology Pain management Veterinary Medications Serving montana for over 60 years Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Adrenal & Thyroid Support | Pain Management Dermatology | Veterinary Medications 406.869.0100 • www.jurospharmacy.com Compounding Pharmacy Insurance Billing-including Medicaid Serving Montana for Over 60 Years J UR S ' O PHARMACY HEALTH & WELLNESS Anderson Specialty Pharmacy is now Creating Customized Medications for Your Unique Needs Same commitment to Care and Service Under a New Name Montana's Premier Made Locally... Shipped to Your Door 2026 o f BEST M O N TA N A A S V O T E D B Y R E A D E R S O F 2026 o f BEST M O N TA N A A S V O T E D B Y R E A D E R S O F T O P T H R E E E L I T E BEST PHARMACIST BEST PHARMACY BEST COMPOUNDING PHARMACY Flour or blood

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