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THE R.ONAN PIONEER The Oldest Newspaper on the Flathead Indian Reservation Entered as second-class matter May 12, 1910, at the post office at Ronan, Montana, under the Act of March 9, 1879. VOL. IV. NO. 21. RONAN, MISSOULA COUNTY, MONTANA, SEPTEMBER 19, 1913. $2.00 Per Year FIRE DESTROYS BECKWITH AND SCEARCEWAREHOUSES Fire at Ravalli early Tuesday morning entirely destroyed the Beekwath elevator and Scearce warehouse and the Beckwith lumber yard. The fire is said to have originated in the Scearce warehouse and was communi cated to the other buildings and had such headway when discov ered as to prevent saving the buildings. The depot and the livery stable were both in danger and only the arrival of a train at a critical moment and the switch ing of the engine to a position where a stream of water and steam from the engine, saved the depot. It required all the water in the engine tank to save the building and a wire brought another engine to the scene as soon as possible. The Scearce warehouse was sold last week to M. A. O'Con nell and F. J. Reynolds of St. Ignatius, and it was being con verted into an elevator. Mr. Scearce had a small amount of merchandise stored in the build ing, but his loss is fully covered by insurance. Just what the loss to the Beckwith Mercantile Co. will be has not been learned, nor the amount of insurance car ried. One of the most serious losses is that of G. A. Townsend, a farmer southwest of Ronan on Crow Creek, who was loading a car of flax and it was also burn ed. It comes as a calamity to Mr. Townsend. Caska Allen and Frank Car rington were sleeping in the Scearce warehouse, and were awakened only in time to get out a few of their clothes, losing many of their carpenter tools. They were remodeling the ware house into an elevator for O'Con nell & Reynolds, and say the origin of the fire is a mystery to them. Caska had gone to bed about 1 o'clock and at about 3:30 the fire started. He thinks it must have started from the out side, probably in the shavings between that building and the Beckwith warehouse. The Stone-Ordean-Wells Co. lost about 400 sacks of sugar, stored there for local distribu tion, but their loss is fully cov ered by insurance. It has been learned that O'Con nell & Reynolds will rebuild their elevator at once, assuring the farmers a modern method of handling their grain this season. The Beckwith Mercantile Co. will probably rebuild also, re quiring more than one fire to put them out of the running. It has been learned also that only about one-half a car of flax is the loss sustained by Mr. Townsend, but that is bad enough. Frank Carrington lost all his carpenter tools, totaling about $200. worth, and Caska Allen lost part of his, about $50 worth. They were in Ronan this week stocking up again so as to be ready to commence rebuilding as soon as the Northern Pacific gives permission. Raising More Hogs. One of the best indications as to what is being done by the farmers generally on the Flat head in a way to increase the earnings of their farms is that they are commencing to raise so many hogs. Almost every far mer has a number and they all look fine. Considering the fact that many of them are hauling water, some of them several miles to water their stock, it shows a perseverance worthy of mention. Some farmers put in one-half their time hauling water and this is a labor entirely extra from what is generally necessary on the average farm. They are realizing that it will be impossible for them to make both ends meet raising grain for the market and are endeavoring' to raise and get together enough stock to eat all the wheat, oats and barley they produce. Hogs are now selling on the eastern market at from eight to nine cents, according to quality and weight. The local market is around seven cents per pound, live weight. FEATURES OF THE STATE FAIR FOR NEXT WEE t The final meeting of the boari of directors of the Montana Stat Fair before the big exposition o " the week .of September 22-27J brought about the designatioi " of special days for the week o the fair. Monday, September 22, will b known as Children's Day an: Old Soldiers' Day, when boti the little tots of the state any the old time veterans will havy special features devoted to thei entertainment. The wearing o: a small American flag in honor of the war veterans will be par taken in by all fair visitors. Tuesday, September 23, wa: designated as Frontier Day. Shriners' Day and Western Mon tana Day. The pioneers of the state will mingle with those wh< wear the emblem of the Shriner: and special train service wil bring Western Montanans to the big state fair from the land of the red apple. Wednesday will be Governor': Day, Derby Day and Beaver. head Day. Governor Sam V, Stewart will lead the stock par. ade in the afternoon and in the evening will be the guest of honor at the governor's reception and ball at the capitol. The big State Fair Derby, offering $1,50( will be run in the afternoon, be. ing the feature running race of the week. Beaverhead enthusi asts will come to the fair on the "Beaverhead Special" and by proper boosting will put the southwestern county conspicu ously on the map. Thursday will be Northern Pa cific Day and Elks' Day, when the officials of the "Route of the Great Big Baked Potato" will visit the fair and when the mem bers of the horned tribe of fra ternaldom will evoke fun from the fair amusements. Friday is Better Babies Day, Milwaukee Day and Automobile Day. Judges in the Better Babies contest will announce the prize winners on Friday, and medals awarded to be presented to the winning babies. Officials of the Milwaukee, St. Paul & Puget Sound will be on hand and car owners of the state will bring their machines to Helena for the official Automobile Day. Saturday is given over as Great Northern Day, Commercial Day and Homesteaders and Dry Land Farmers" Day. Twenty execu tive officials of the Great North ern will be on hand and Louis W. Hill will meet the non-irri gating farmers and homesteaders in whom he has shown so much interest. The Montana travel ing men will be given over Sat urday as their day which has been called Commercial Day. The official bands that will play during the week are the Gateway City Band of Living ston, the Boston and Montana Band of Butte, and the Great Falls Black Eagle Band. They will furnish martial tunes and classical and popular airs, and will add spice to the many out door free attractions that will include the aviatrice, seven vau deville acts, and featureful wild west stunts. SEASONABLE SUBURCAN EMOTIONS. NOW I LOvE THE d SOUNDS OF SUMMER, STHE 81R05,ThE RUsTLUN6 I LEAVES, TrE 1 ro 1 o-Bradley in Chcago News. e f I913 DRAIN CROP ABOUT THRESHED S The Mission valley grain crop e is almost threshed. A trip over U the country reveals the fact that during the past two weeks, while I there has been ideal weather for threshing purposes, the great f bulk of the grain has been put through the machines and is now either in sacks or stored in gran _ aries on the farms. There are some pieces of flax yet to harvest but much of this is ready for the thresher. Some localities are reporting good yields of wheat and oats, others fair and some very light. So far only one farmer, Fred Rouillier, has threshed his flax and reported the yield, his crop go ing 18 bushels per acre. It is said that Mr. Rouillier lost much flax by cutting it with a mower and raking into windrows, shattering and losing much by this method. Those familiar with flax raising say he must have lost 500 bushels, very materially reducing his aver age per acre. Most of the grain in the valley this year is of an excellent quali ty and will bring the top price. Some pieces were affected by the dry weather and the berry will be shrunken, but these instances are not many. Prices have advanced during the past two weeks several cents per bushel and considerable oats and wheat is being marketed, either for shipment or local con sumption. The acreage of fall wheat sown this year is much less than here tofore, owing to the continued dry weather prevailing. Summer fallowed land has been so devoid of moisture as to deter many from Iseeding and the acreage will be light. Fall wheat shows the ef feet of no rainfall, the grain com ing up very uneven in many fields. Other fields look as good as usual. There will be much spring grain sown next year according to present indications, the plow ing being done this fall and the seed sown early in the spring. Farmers believe this will be bet ter than to risk late fall seeding. Up to this time little fall plowing has been done, harvest and threshing taking the farmers time. The good weather has per mitted them to do this work and the lack of moisture making plow ing a difficult matter. Rain is needed very much over all the reservation. BEN RAYMOND FARM HOUSE BURNED WEDNESGA' The Ben Raymond farm house located north of town about two miles north of town was entirel: destroyed by fire Wednesda: afternoon. JuIt after noon the flames were noticed from Rona? and in a very short time th4 building was consumed, making a big fire for the time being The building was of five or si rooms and was occupied by Clar ence Beckhorn and family, Mr Beckhorn being away from homi at the time. Very little of th4 furniture was saved and the lost is almost total, there being n( insurance. The origin of th< fire has not been learned. Misfortune does not com< singly very often, as Mr. Beck horn's family has been sick mosi of the summer and he has lose two valuable colts and one mar< of his team. Leon News After a respite of two weeks, the Worth While society met al the home of Mrs. Marcy, with large attendance. The business session was a long one and the ladies finally decided to entertain the gentlemen at a chicken piE supper on Oct. 10, instead of the harvest home supper previously announced. During the social hour the hostess served delicious refreshments. Mrs. J. Llewellyn, Mrs. M. Llewellyn and Mrs. J. C. !Denny were guests of the so ciety. Mrs A. W. Nelson will entertain the society next week. The school opened last Monday with a large enrollment. Miss Rich is assigned to teach the high school course and Miss Bertha Ellis will teach the grades. The patrons of the school are justly proud they will have a high school course this year and great credit is due the enter prising members of the school board. They work harmoniously at all times for the betterment of the schools and the results are manifest. Next Sunday evening instead of the regular lesson, a temper ance program will be given under the direction of Norah Newett and Bethel Bennett. Miss Nellie Billings who has made an extended trip to Seattle and Tacoma, arrived home last week. Born, to Mr. and Mrs. Frank Lee, on Sept. 1, a daughter. 'COSI OF LIVING STILL SOADINE The cost of living on June 1I was appropimately 60 per cen higher than the average betweer n 1800 and 1900, more than 3 pe cent higher than it was a yea] Sago and nearly 15 per cent highe than it was two years ago, say; x a Washington dispatch. Investigations of retail price; in 40 cities conducted by expert; e of the bureau of labor shov e prices at practically the sarm s level as last November, when th< o high records of the last quartei 0 of a century were reached. Of 14 articles investigated, al e except sugar showed a marked I advance; bacon, which led in the t soaring, went up 128.5 per cent. t Other articles showing remark able advances were: Pork chops, 111 per cent; round steak, 102.5; smoked ham, 84; hens, 78.7; sir loin steak, 75.2; rib roasts, 75 lard, 66.5; cornmeal, 57.3; pota toes, 44.4; butter, 41.3; eggs, t140.8; milk, 38.4, and flour, 28.6. Bacon advanced 16.2 per cent ,!during the year; smoked ham, 14.1; pork chops, 13.4; hens, 11.8; eggs, 11.7; round steak, 10.1; sirloin, 9.8; lard, 7.2; rib roast, 6.8; butter, 5.8, and milk, 4.1. The other four declined as fol lows: Potatoes, 31.9; sugar, 15.2; wheat flour, 7.7, and corn meal, 3.0. These figures were taken by experts and are accurate in every respect. Married Cards are out announcing the marriage of Miss Celia May Myers to Mr. Fred A. Hughes. The wedding took place at the residence of the bride's parents, Mr. and Mrs. J. S. Myers, on Mud creek, Sept. 17, Rev. John G. Ross of the Methodist church officiating. They will be at home to their friends after October 1, 1913, Christian Sunday School Glacier View school house every Sunday at 10 o'clock a. m. The season for big eggs seems to continue all the year on the Flathead. Mrs. Sam'l Higham brought in one the other day which weighed just 3 3-4 ounces accurate weight and it contained only one yolk, That is going JSomeO. FEW RAILROAD FACILITIES DETRIMENT TO MONTANA What Montana needs mor than anything else at the pres ent time is better railroad facil ities. says the Butte Miner in i leading editorial. The Miner says further: In spite of the fact that within the past few years a new trans continental railway has beei built across the state, and this road and others have constructer numerous branches, it is stil true that, in spite of this, rail road construction is lagging be hind the development and actua necessities of the commonwealth It is probable that no mattel how enterprising the transpor tation companies entering thit state might be, they could not keep pace with the remarkabk growth of Montana during the last few years, so that the rail. way corporations are hardly tc be blamed for being a little be. hind in their extension work. A few weeks~ago the Minet gave it as his opinion that there was no line in this state that was - as badly needed as one bringing the Flathead country in closet connection with Butte and the southwestern and southeastern portion of the commonwealth. Since making that statement this newspaper, after a more thorough and closer investiga tion, is still more firmly con vinced regarding the absolute t correctness of its former declar i ation. Not only that, but anyone who crosses that portion of the Flat head reservation which was thrown open to settlement three years ago, cannot help believing that some railroad will be obliged for selfish, if for no other reason, to tap this wonderful grain pro ducing country. The miles and miles of waving fields of grain encountered on the stage trip from Ravalli to PoIson surrounding Ronan tell their own story of the immense tonnage that awaits any railroad that has sufficient enterprise to tro tiftor it. ine i iatneau reservation ield is a rich prize held out to any transportation company that has sufficient get up to go after it. Here is a large area of most - productive land raising many thousands of bushels of grain every year that has no railroad t facilities at all, and it would not be surprising that while it is cry ing for one railroad today that just as soon as it has one line built other competing roads, jealous of their rival's business, will also build into this section. That is the usual prodedure. Frequently a district may be held back for want of transpor tation facilities for some time, when of a sudden one company will start construction work, which is an immediate signal for other companies to do likewise. Kalispell is badly in need of another railroad, for owing to changes made in the Great Noi - thorn line, it has been left on a branch of that system. Ever since the Milwaukee built across this state, it has been re ported that that company would construct a line up the Blackfoot and Swan lake country into Kal ispell, but after extending a few miles from Bonner work was stopped on this extension and its completion is still hanging fire. Both these lines are needed badly and as far as the road across the Flathead reservation is concerned, the railroads with in striking distance of this won derfully fertile section that have failed to build in there, are vir tually guilty of an economic and industrial crime. Quite a number of local men e have been drawn to serve as - jurors in Judge Patterson's di - vision of the district court, and yesterday the notices were re ceived by registered mail inform ing them of the fact. Those for whom notices have been sent are W. H. Reichard, Dwight Large, - Thos. Hergevin, C. A. Swanson, 1F. W. Cammack, J. L. Ozmun and A. M. Sterling. As the lat ter is postmaster, he will prob ably claim the exemption and be excused. A petition asking for the sub mission of the question of loan ing state school money on farms in Montana and a workmen's compensation act, can be signed at the Pioneer office. These laws will be initiated under the direct legislation act and will be voted on at the next election by all voters. Come in and sign the petition. Mrs. Mose Deleware and Miss Edna Hull are in Spokane this week attending the fair. Potato Growing Contest The pupils of the Missoula county schools were invited last spring to engage in a potato growing contest and on Tuesday those from the vicinity of Ronan who entered this contest, had their product judged. Superin tendent Logan had previously written to Stanley Scearce, Rev. J. G. Ross and C. F. Rathbone, asking that they aet as judges who were to select the best ex hibit for the county contest which takes place at Missoula next week. There being only two contestants, and two being needed to fill the number allotted the reservation, both were rec ommended for the contest, The potatoes shown were of the Early Ohio and White Bur bank varieties. They were of even size in each exhibit and while not as large as usually grown on the reservation, this evidently not being a potato year, they were very nice indeed. In the corset cover contest, Miss Kate Titus was the judge and her duties were even less ardous than befell those in the potato contest, there being but one contestant. Mrs. Rinehard, county super intendent, was present and sent all the exhibits to Missoula as entered in the county contest. HAULING PUPILS TO SCHOOL COMMENCED The trustees of district No. 28, have six wagons in service at the present time hauling the pupils to many of the schools of the dis trict. Of this number two are at Arlee, one at St. Ignatius, one at Leon, one at Crow creek and the other in Ronan. Almon Adamson has the con tract here and his route takes in the territory south of town five miles. This method of conveying pupils to and from the schools is working out nicely in every com munity where it has been tried and it tends to centralize the schools. It obviates the neces sity of many additional schools and enables the pupils to enter the grades in which their learn ing demands and besides is a saving in the annual expenditure. With graded schools at one cen tral point better results are obtained and the idea will prob ably grow until at some future date all the rural schools will be graded schools just the same as in the towns, with the pupils all conveyed to and from schqol. That is the tendency of the times at least.