Belt Valley times. [volume], February 02, 1922, Image 1

About Belt Valley times. [volume] (Armington, Mont.) 1894-1977

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»Ute
Di Belt Valley Times *
4
BELT, MONTANA, THURSDAY FEBRUARY 2, 1922
VOLUME 28. NUMBER 33
12.00 A YEAR IN ADVANCE
League Assails
Taxation Method
Charges that methods of assess
ment practiced in Cascade county and
other parts of the state are not based
on the statute providing that property
shall be taxed on a certain percentage
of its cash value, which the supreme
court has interpreted as the price a
person would accept for property he
was not forced to sell and the price a
person would pay for property he is
not forced to buy, but are devised by
the assessors largely through the ap
plication of their personal opinions re
garding valuation, were made last
Thursday night at the regular session
of the Cascade County Taxpayers' as
sociation.
By following the rules laid down by
state laws in regard to assessment
and taxation the association is of the
opinion that it would be a simple mat
ter for the individual taxpayer to as
sess himself and thus eliminate much
of the expense attached to the as-!
sessor's office and also bring taxation
to a more just and equitable basis.
The taxpayer could himself determine
the cash value of his property and by
referring to the classification table
adopted by the state legislature in
1919, it would be no difficult problem
fix the amount of the assessment,
it was pointed out.
If this method of individual assess
ment was placed in operation in Cas
cade county, a consequence would be a
reduction in the valuation of the coun
ty and ultimately its reduction from a
first to a fourth or even lower class
county, it was said by H. Norskeg.
chairman of the meeting. He declared
that if property in this county was as
sessed on the basis of what it would be
sold for today, Cascade county would
rate as seventh class instead of sec
ond. He asserted that this condition
could be remedied by the taxpayers
personally following the provisions of
the present tax laws.
The state law classifying property
for the purpose of taxation was as
sailed on grounds that it was unjust
and discriminating, that it operated to
the disadvantage of the farmer and to
the advantage of the person who in
vested his funds in stocks and other
ir.tangible p rope rty that is usually
locked up in a strong box. H. W.
Brown of Cascade, who was a member
of the state legislature that passed
that bill, said he realized that the sta -1
tute was deficient in several respects,
but he added that it came nearer to :
reaching the millions of dollars worth j
of solvent credits that heretofore were i
never taxed.
The committee appointed several j
months ago to investigate, the possi
bilities of having every assessment
list in the county published and thus i
enable the detection of habitual tax Î
dodgers, reported that it had received :
information from several counties in !
which the lists were made public.
The committe reported ,Jhat three j
counties in the state employ the ''hon- j
or system'' of assessment, which is
satisfactory only when the assessment :
lists are published. The committee I
made no recommendations as to action j
in this county.
The office of the county surveyor j
and the county auditor were described i
as unnecessary to the conduct of ;
the county's business, and the associ- j
ation believed that it should open a j
campaign to prevent a
crease in taxation for
poses, which members stated was ex- !
cessive and yet not high enough to
to
further in- I
school pur- 1
satisfy t he educator» of the state.
A large number of peonle took a.d
vantage of the general invitation of
.. ... « . , - e* m
e tar octe y o
Catholic church and attended the card
party given at the Parish hall last
Thursday evening, Seventeen tables
were in use. playing starting about
8:30 o'clock and ending a little after
11. The ladies netted a little over
$56 after all expenses of the entertain
ment had been defrayed.
Following the completion of th*
game a delicious lunch of sandwiches,
pickles, cake and coffee was served
and then the announcement of the
prize winners was made, Mrs. C. E.
Peterson winning the ladies' head
prize, a cut glass vase; Miss Julia Pat-:
tsner the consolation prize, an Ever
sharp pencil, and Mrs. Albert Beaudry
the booby prize, an egg beater. Mr.
Martin had the high score among the
gentlemen, and for his efficiency was
presented With a leather writing cab
inet. Frank Beaudry received the con
solation prize, a safety razor, and Ed
ward Landry, with the low score, a
bottle of catsup. The awarding of the i
prizes caused much amusement. 1
The next party of the series will
be given on the evening of Washing-,
ten's Birthday, February 22, and will
be the last one before Lent.
-
Altar Society Card Party
Draws Large Attendance
Miss Agnes Johnson, who is now lo
rated at Glasgow, arrived Saturday)
for a short visit with her mother,
while on her way home from Bozeman,
where she attended the state meeting
minutes, to be relieved again by Bach- Fats. '$he natrons of both places. local church last Hnnday morning.
here. . "..H
of hospital superintendents.
Miss Topsy Turvy
The Epworth league u
Presents a Three
Act Comedy
99 Hi « h School Auditor
ium, Feb. 8, at 8p. m.
It's a Scream!
/
Steady Operation
of Mine Expected
I For the furst time in many weeks the
| mine of the G. W. Merkle Coal com
pany W1 u wo rk full time this week,
: _. ._. . , .
i a " «der having been received from
the Great Northern railway for 4,000
ton» *« delivery this week, the larg
! «st order for a single week since the
j °* the war, and requiring the
putting on oi not only a full day crew
hut a night crew as well and the
1 »eady operation of the mine to fill.
While the Great Northern places its
order for coal only by the week, and
I nothing definite is known at the mine
offices as to the extent of the orders
for coming weeks, it has been inti
mated to them that orders requiring
the steady operation of the property
might be looked for until the first of
April, and if nothing unforeseen hap
pens u is expected that the mine will
I steadily
Orders for the immediate storing of
coal amounting to 90.000 tons in exces*
the current consumption were re
ceived hnday by General Superin
tendent W. K, Smith of the central
district of the Great Northeim rail
way, with offices in Great Falls, from
Great Northern headquarters in St.
aul, and it is supposed that the or
der given the Merkle company is the
«suit of this policy of the company.
The storing of the coal will necessi
tato the use of 2,000 car*.
his movement u in line with that
adopted by many railroads in prépara.
Gon for a possible strike when the |
agreement covering the wages and
working conditions of miners which J
expire April ; 1 . All railroads are pre
1 Paring for the expected emergency by ,
s 'f )nn f coal on. cars or stock piling j
' otouçH to last for a period of six 1
j nionths following the strike,
j Tn® Great Northern in this district j
; J* 1 " store its < i oa * . ' n Great Falls,!
■ Havre and Wolf Point. Most of the!
! f oal wl11 be loaded in box cars, offic-1
J 3 * 8 sa 3G though so far only coal cars
i «ave been placed in use at the local
J * 1111 ® 1 it not being equipped with a
| "O* car loader.
The continued cold spell has also
had » tendency to increase commer
Clal consumption and.the smaller
lU'ue» oi the Belt field have been more:
^ bar î usually busy all week meeting j
t"® local demand and filling orders for!
Great Falls, and altogether there has " 1
ueen more activity in the coal indus-:
try here than at any time since the ;
Grst of last December.
j _
i * ~
j
i
Î
:
in ! Disbarment proceedings against H.
Lowndes Maury, prominent attorney
j of Butte, were instituted in the su
j preme court Friday upon the
is plaint of William R. McLure and T.
: B. Edgar McLure, heirs of the late
I Charles D, McLure for whom Maury
j acted as attorney during his life and
j death,
i The late Charles D. McLure was a
; prominent mining man who was beav
j ily interested in mines at Neihart,
a j where he owned the controlling inter
! trator. These latter properties have
for some time been operated by the
McLure Heirs Ask Dis
barment of H L. Maury
cim
as attorney for his estate after his
I est in the Broadwater and other fam
1 ous mines and the Diamond R. concen
j ^l a,nt alleges fraud upon the part of
.
The complaint after being filed, was
j referred the court to Attorney,
General W. D. Rankin for investiga
j ^T 6 * 0 ^** an y ^ urtbe, '. proofeed'ngs
coa ,? K
In a8Ki ng i or the disbarment of
j Maury, the complaint charges him, :
in a general way, with the misappro
j priation of funds, the appropriation
stock of the Cascade Mines and
Mm» to his own benefit, and over
charges for legal services, totalling
something over $200,000. I
- i
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-
. A.on r i * a t»-. a • . i
e rcss nmpaten re
ceived in Great Falls yesterday slated ,
that Ralph H. Bemis. for nearly 20
years editor and manager of the Belt
j Valley Times, had been nominated for ;
the postmastership of the Belt office '
by President Hardin* and that the !
nomination was before the senate fori
confirmation. It has been known J
i since the first of the year that the |
1 nomination of Mr. Bemis had been j
recommended to the president by Con- j
gressman Carl Riddick, and since that
time his appointment has been ex-[of
pec ted at any time. Mr. Bemis is to-[Belt
day receiving the congratulations of.
Miss Margaret Young came over
she is employ-d,
visit with friends
j Cascade Silver Mines and Mills, of
j which Mr. Maury is president, and it
j is in connection with his operations
with these properties that the com
his many friends.
-
from Helena, when»
Saturday for a short
Boy Scouts Enter*
tain Young Friends!
j xhe Boy Scouts of Belt are display
j ing a great deal of activity undar the
leadership of Scoutmaster I*o. C.
! Graybill and are holding regular meet -
. ^ *, tn Sio.. ln Je basamen t of
j the * u ditorium. These meetings are
held Wednesday evenings and the boys
delaying enthusiasm and pro-i
| Las Friday evening the Scouts
entertained their young lady friends
^ a party at the auditorium, which
; was chaperoned by Mr, and Mr*. J. W
| Leiand. Mrs. W. H. Fluhr, Mias Jos
pbj e n Adams, L. L. Walker and Scout
master Graybill. Each of the 22 mem-,
0 f troop had invited a young
j a( j y> an( j f rom 7 : 30 until 10 »'clock
jj ames were enjoyed, after which a de
i icious i unch was se rved by the boys,
j n a( j,jition to the regular Scout
program, the chief interest at
presen ^ ; s j n basketball and the boys
are doing excellent work under the
f supe^iaion of Wm. Fluhr who is act-j
, j ag an d assistant scout-'
mas t er The two troops have a fast
baaketba n team an d a schedule of
<, arne8 j 8 being arranged. A double
\ header game will be played here on
p e b i7tb between the first team and
fj ra t team of the Great'Falls Boy
Sc 0U t 8i and a game by picked teams
un( j er 90 pounds in weight.
Following are the members enrolled
in the troop . Henry A dams. Mike
Becker, Irvin Blais, Chas. Boboth,
Byrne, George Fisher Leslie
j-j ewe n Clarke Irwin, Myron Johnson,
| Henry Larbin, Jay Leiand. Tony Lo
h Vernon May, Robert Nohl, Gust
J chas Remington Chas Robin
8on MauritI Shoberg. Joe Woytoski,
, Wood, ^ K enne< ly, Frank
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Local Celebrities
rs
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STAR POWCfcfc OP*
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SlPeUNE
f
Large Crowd Turns Out Saturday
Evening to See Basketball Games
A large crowd gathered at the
High School auditorium last Saturday
evening to witness three basketball
games which had been arranged for,
and were well repaid for their efforts,
seeing one of the fastest, snappiest
games ever played on a Belt floor
j when the local town team and the
1 Court of Honor team of Great Falls
: met. And it might also be added that
it was one of the cleanest games ever
witnessed here, J. R. Culver who re
fereed the game, insisting that it be
played strictly in accordance with the
rules and finding it necessary to
: call but few fouls, while the players
themselves showed no desire to rough
it. The game resulted in a victory
for Belt by a score of 16 to I3„ it
being said that this is the first time
the visitng quintet has met defeat his
I yegr, and they have met some of the
i fastest teams in the state. The game
| demonstrated that Belt has a town
team that can meet any of them and
do credit to themselves. The attend
| ance showed that Belt citizens afe
r, ' ad V to support such basketball, and
! it is hoped we may have more such
games.
i Belt won the first basket, followed
„bortly by the visitors, and from thatj.by
, time on it was anybody's game up to;
the time the final whistle blew. While
Belt players possibly made for them
; selves a greater number of opportun
' ities for basket shooting, the fast,
! snappy guarding of the visitors in
most instances prevented them from j
J scoring, while the work of Will and j
| George Hubber spoiled the counting |
j results of many a nicely earned try
j for a basket by the visitor*.
In the first half, resulting in a score
8 to 6 for the visiting quintet,
to-[Belt depended upon long distance tries
for the basket, but in the second half
changed their tactics and used short,
snappy passes to gain basket throwing
opportunities. with good results.
Bachen went out in the second half,
Norman Gillette going in for a few
Pneumonia Claims
Raynesford Man
adopted son of Mrs. Adeline Owens of
the Raynesford section died • in this
■. 0 , .. , . .
Sun**? evening, the cause of h.a
death being pneumonia. He was
brought here a week ago Sunday from
his home at Raynesford and taken to
j the Graybill hospital, with little hopes
of his recovery, though on Friday he
showed some signs of improvement
which gave hopes of his recovery.
; However, that evening another change
! for the worse came and it was known
that he could nol? live.
Owens went to Camp Lewis with
' the first contingent from Cascade
j county, but was taken with pneumonia
land was discharged as unfit for ser
; vice on his recovery, returning then
! to his home near Raynesford, Since
| then he has never been in good health,
and on two former occasions since his
discharge he has been ill with the di
scase which finally caused his death.
'A year ago last November he was
married to Miss Nonah Haney 0 f
Raynesford. He has always been one
of the popular young men of the Ray
nesford section and his death will
bring sorrow there to his many
friends. Particularly is the sym
pathy of the community extended to
the young widow and to the aged
woman who raised him from infancy,
The funeral was held yesterday af
temoon from the local M. E. church,
the Rev Mr. Snow of Raynesford. of
ficiating the services being largely
attended by friends from his home
town and comunity. approximately 80
tickets being sold at the Raynesford
station for Belt. Interment was made
jin Pleasant View cemetery,
Gordon Owens, aged 29 years, the
en, who finished the game. The lineup
Belt Position Court of Honor
Spogen forward McManus
Bachen forward Roe
Fluhr center Mullen
Hubber guard Baier
Hubber guard Dimpkc
Two preliminary games were play
ed, the first between the Boy Sc-_;
and Sophomore and Freshman High
school basketball teams, resulting in a
victory for the former by a score of
18 to 88 . This game demonstrated
that Belt has some good material com
ing up and if some of the members of
the contesting teams remain in school
until they reach their senior year, the
Belt High school should have a good
team. Then came a long delay while
a hurried search of the city was made
for five athletic suits of extreme
waist measure, and five of more than
ordinary length, for a game between
the Fats and the Leans had been ar
ranged among the down-town office
and store forces. Then out upon the
floor came the two teams, affording
as much amusement to the audience
as do the clowns at a circus upon their
; first entrance. The lineup, with the
same regard to positions as shown
thatj.by the players was as follows:
Fats— Hilmer Dahl, center; I^orne
MeConkey, Walter Weir, Arthur Sam
uelson, George Schultz,
Leans— N. H. Nelson, center; W, R..
Call, C. H. Provin, T. M Messelt, John
S, Pearson.
j Most of the Fats showed evidence
j of having some time in the long ago
| handled a basketball, and it is also
alleged that a couple of the I .cans had
also examined one in days long since
past, but whatever may have been the
efficiency of the different players at
one lime or another most of them
show<d a decided lack of practice and
the antis went through brought loud ;
neals of laughter from the spectators, j
But dispite the lack of practice, an
occasional basket was made, the final.
score being II to 14 in favor of the
out
Charge Hall With
Bratley's Murder
of
to
j made * n Pleasant View cemetery,
Th * cause of the attack on Bratley
I b > Hal1 18 «till unknown, though it
bas b*cn established that Hall was
I drunk on the night preceding. He
1 Bratley had not been together
! during the evening, the latter going
i b ' 8 Stanford home and retiring be
Imidnight, according to accurate
information obtained by his father,
Wm. M. Bratley of Belt, who went to
j Stanford the latter part of last week
J;*? investigate the matter, so the trou
couId not have over anything
^ am< ' up that night,
, Hall, according to what the father
f at felt very badly
when be came to a'realisation of what
, bad done,. Upon George's request
G*at his wife be brought to town,
Ball volunteered to drive out after
beI ; though the day was a stormy one,
a nd did so with the consent of the au
thorities. He seemed anxious to do
anything in his power for the mjurtd
mai '- The story of hi* being mentally
unbalanced, the effects of being gass
France, are denied in Ge
**** W "' Bratley but those who
, kn «? hi ™ do aa V that h * 18 always
looking for trouble when he is dnnk
The funeral of George W. Bratley,
who died in Great Falls a week ago
Monday evening as the result of
attack upon him by Ed. Hall at Stan
ford on the morning of January 19,
was held at the local M. El church
last Thursday afternoon at 2 o'clock,
the Rev. A. P. Aiton officiating. The
services were largely attended by
friends of the family. Interment was
HK
in
Hall
has been taken to Great Falls
and placed in the Cascade county jail.
A charge of first degree murder has
been filed against him by County At
torney J. B. Muzzy of Judith Basin
county, and it is expected he will be
brought to trial this month.
2.8.14 ARE ELIGIBLE FOR JURY
DUTY IN CASCADE COUNTY
Rraidents of Cascade county eligible
for jury service this year number 2 ,
834, according to the certified liât filed
in the office of Clark of the Court
Alex Remneas last week by the jury
commission, which is composed of
County Commissioner Ben C. Johnson,
County Treasurer Fred C. Andretta
and County Assessor Harold M.
Mady. There are 333 more names on
the list than on that prepared by the
commission last
Minnie Forstrum Claims
$5,500 Damages Doe
W. F O'Leary of Great Falls,
attorney for Miss Minnie Forstrum
of this city, has filed an action in the
district court asking for alleged dam
ages of $8,500 from Mrs. C. L. Hack,
shaw, a former employer of Miaa For
strum. The complaint alleges that
Mrs. Hackshaw acted with intent to
injure the name and character of the
plaintiff in causing her arrest on De
cember 1 of last year on a charge of
petit larceny.
Miss Forstrum was formerly em
ployed as s clerk in Mrs. Hackshaw's
bakery, the latter accusing the girl of
stealing 18.00 from her purse while
she was absent from the store, A com
plaint was filed against the girl in the
justice court of P. J. Shields in Great
Falls, and the girl arrested and taken
to the county jail where she spent two
days before being brought to trial.
When the case finally came before
Justice Shields it was dismissed on the
grounds of insufficient evidence. The
complaint also alleges that on Novem
ber 29, Mrs. Hackshaw assaulted the
plaintiff by pointing a gun in her
direction, and $500 damages is asked
on this count, $5,000 being for injury
to name and character.
No date has been set for the hear
f
a
[this vicinity are fortunate in having
; an opportunity of hearing him.
j *
A door has been cut through from
th&Jßlark Diamond Cafe to the WB
..... . . .. . ..
mg. but it is expected that when the
case does come to trial a number of
witnesses will be called from Belt.
Through the agency of the county
agent's office, J. G. Haney, agricul
turist for the International Härtester
company, has been secured to give an
address at Belt on Wednesday even
ing, February 16. Mr, Haney is a
clear, forceful and interesting speaker
who has a real message for all who
nr « interested in agriculture. It had J
been the hopes of those in charge of
the short course that Mr. Haney might
bo secured as an instructor during the
course, but so general has been the 1
demands upon his time that it will not I
be possible for him to be in Cascade j
county during March. Because of the j
(Fmand for his services the people of ;
I. H. G. Farm Expert to
Lecture Here Feb. 15
Logging Creek as
a Summer Resort
it
an
19,
by
Nature did her best to make the
vironment* of Logging creek a de
sirable and enjoyable place to be
jected for a week or two summer out
ing by the most critical lover of out
door life and in its virginal state
there is little to be desired by thoee
who find pleasure in the open daring
the summer months, when a tent, a
fishing rod or a camera and a few
utensils necessary for preparing sub
sidence is all that is required by the
true nature enthusiast. However,
there are quite a large proportion of
summer vacationists who prefer to
carry the comforts and pleasures of
town life into the wilds with them,
or are willing to pay for them whea
provided by someone else, and it is to
supply this want that a company has
been formed to make certain improve
ments (?) in the Logging creek neigh
borhood.
Associated in he company are W. C.
Blomquist and Fred Wright of Belt,
and George Poettar. owner of the
ranch at the mouth of Logging creek,
Mr. Blomquist is the owner of a mod
ern hunting lodge and summer home
located six miles up lagging creek.
The proposed improvements include a
large dancing pavilion to be built
the slope just west of the Logging
creek station and several cabins to
be built on the flat above the east
bank of Belt creek and easily accès,
sible from the station. These cabins
will be rented to those desiring to oc
cupy them daring the summer months.
Amusement features will be pro
vided, including a golf course, tennis
courts and such other features os sug
gest themselves. A big summer hotel
is also a possibility in the near fu
ture. At present a crew of men are
getting out the logs for the construc
tion of the pavilion and cabins, which
are to be built in the approved style
of western rugged ness
The completion of the proposed
road from Monarch to connect with
the Lick creek road will provide a
route to Logging creek station acces
sible to automobiles and also a route
that possesses attractions in scenery
unexcelled in Montana, Over the
route »• proj e ct ed a sum mer day's—
dirve from Belt would include a cir
cle of less than one hundred miles,
taking one through some of the best
farming country of the state, over
hills that command wonderful and in
spiring views of mountain and plain,
and through canyons of grand and
magnificent proportions, through
groves of cottonwood and forest* of
evergreens, alongside tumbling moun
tain streams of clearest crystal in the
shade of towering peaks, while many
parks put forth numberless invitations
to tarry and spread the out-door
lunch.
on
lunch.
DEARBORN COUNTY D1V1
SIONIST 8 AGAIN ACTIVB
as
the
to
of
of
Several carloads of Cascadeiter
motored to Ft. Shaw Jaat Saturday
attend the county draision meeting
there. On account of the severe cold
weather not much of a crowd was
So reads the heading of a letter writ
sented from Shaw and full of enthus
iasm, the Sun river boys are all
willing to work stronger than ever for
a new county. Another meeting will
be held at Simms tomorrow (Satur
day) night. All that can should at
tend these meetings.—Cascade Cour
later.
local M. E. church some 12 years
and now Sunday school missionary
lar
But Small Attendance
at Short Course Meet
Only two persons besides Supt. Cul
ver and A gruculturist Beach of tha
High school, attended the meeting
called Tuesday evening for the form
ulating of plans for the Farmers'
Short Court« dated for March 9, 10
and n With the apparent lack of in.
| u. re « t on the part of the towns people,
about the only thing that could be
done was to try to ascertain whether
those engaged in farming would be
largely enough interested to in-sure
an attendance at the sessions which
would warrant going ahead with the
plans. This it is planned to do on the
occasion of the appearance here of
J. G. Haney, the International Har
vester company agricultural expert,
on February 15. Circular letter* will
be sent out to 600 people in this sec
tion urging an attendance at the
Haney lecture and at that time an ef
fort will he made to determine
whether or not the farmers want th«
Short Course.
J Mr. Haney has drawn large crowds
at every plàce where he has appeared,
He talks on farm diversification and
bis lectures, which is illustrated by
several reels of pictures, according to
press reports, is thought by thone ac
tually engaged in fanning to be w«B
worth hearing. The hour of Mr,
Haney's lecture will be announced
Rev. P. W. Hayes, pastor of th*
*e: