Fergus County Democrat. [volume], April 11, 1905, Image 1

About Fergus County Democrat. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1904-1919

Image provided by: Montana Historical Society; Helena, MT

                
Fergus County Democ
Vol, I. No. 35
LEWISTOWN, FERGUS COUNTY, MONTANA, TUESDAY, APRIL 11, 1905.
WILLIAM FERGUS
PASSED AWAY
Mr. Fergus Died Last Friday Morn
ing After Several Months of
III Health.
WAS WELL KNOWN AND RESPECTED
By His Attractive and Hospitable
Personality He had Gained
Many Friends.
William Fergus died at three o'clock
last Friday morning at his home on
Box Elder after several months' grad
ual decline of the vital powers brought
on by old age. Mr. Fergus was 72
years of age at the time of his death
and has been since 1882 identified with
the history of Fergus county.
He was the brother of the Hon.
James Fergus and is of scotch decent,
being born in Lanarkshire in Scotland,
where for many years he made a liv
ing by farming leased lands. His
parents were Andrew and Christine
Fergus, a branch of the Fergus fam
ily who were so prominent in Scotch
history during the latter end of the
sixteenth century.
In 1862 Mr. Fergus Married Miss
Helen Hamilton in Lanarkshire and
she helped him build up his fortunes
in Montana by her practical assistance
and sympathy until her death in 1892.
There are eight children, four sons
and fours daughters, left to mourn the
death of a parent whose kindness of
heart was proverbial; they are: Mar
garet, Mrs. John B. Rauch; Christine
H., Mrs. David Hilger: Agnes P., Mrs.
L. Latidru, Mrs. Nellie Romanstead;
William, Robert, James and Andrew.
The children were born in Scotland
and it was in 1882 that Mr. Fergus ac
companied by his entire family, sailed
from . Glasgow for the unknown reg
ions of the great western states of
Americr. After a pleasant voyage
they journeyed to Bismarck and from
thence to Claggett. The latter part
of this trip was made on a river boat
on the Missouri and on their arrival
they were welcomed by James Fergus
who had already acheived a good start
in the section of the country which
now bears his name. The location of
the present family residence on Box
Elder was secured by purchasing the
improvements from one Nelse Strever
who relinquished his rights fora nom
inal sum. The family worked togeth
er harmoniously and by dint of hard
work and steady application, built up
what is today a magnificent property,
consisting of, in the neighborhood of
10.000 acres.
The ranch of William Fergus &
Sons, on Box Elder, Dog creek and
Armells is one of the largest stock
ranches in the state of Montana. In
the neighborhood of 19000 sheep, 400
head of horses and six hundred head
of cattle are run on the many thous
ands of acres owned by the company
and the success which has attended
Mr. Fergus ffom his first arrival in
Fergus county is the direct result of
his business acumen and vigorous per
sonality.
Mr. Fergus was known to every old
timer in the county and state and
his death is deplored by many friends
who knew the value of his friendship
and personal worth. With true
Scotch hospitality his doors were open
to his friends and his liberality in
personal and church matters is to
well known to need comment.
Though not actively intrested in poli
tics Mr. Fergus always had the ihter
ests of the county and state at heart
and has lent valuable aid in the build
ing up of the county especially in the
section in which he lived.
Both Mr. and Mrs. Fergus were
members of the Presbyterian church
faom early childhood and the funeral
services were conducted at the home
of the family on Box Elder. The
Rev. Quickenden, pastor of the Pres
byterian church of Lewistown con
ducted the services and the mortal
remains of Mr. Fergus were interred
in the family cemetery.
In the neighborhood of seventy
people attended the funeral ceremon
ies at Box Elder on Sunday afternoon,
including all the children of the de
ceased with the exception of Mrs.
Landru who is now in Florida. The
entire neighborhood turned out to
pay the last respects to William Fer
gus who. was generally beloved by
those with whom he came in contact.
The services were conducted by the
Rev. Quickenden of Lewistown and
the Rev. Kerr of Kendall. The choir
of the Presbyterian church of Lewis
town rendered several musical selec
tions while a very impressive solo was
sung by Mr. Beasly. Those who
went from Lewistown to attend the
funeral obsequies were: David Hilger
and wife accompanied by D. J. Hil
ger and Miss Maud, Mr. and Mrs.
John Rauch, Mr. and Mrs. Sam Phil
lips, Miss Doherty, Miss Phillips, Mr.
Beasley and wife, Mrs. A. Johnson,
Mr. and Mrs. Chris. Wiedeman, Os
wald Lehman, Mrs. Darrow.
The pall bearers were: William,
James, Robert and Andrew Fergus
four sons of the deceased. A choral
service was held in the large parlor
and a magnificent funeral oration was
rendered by the Rev. Quickenden.
The services at the graveside were
conducted by the Rev. Kerr. Floral
offerings were profuse and plentiful
and the deceased was placed in a mag
nificent state casket furnished by
George Creel who assisted in the
funeral preparations. The funeral
cortege left the house for the private
cemetery at 2:30 P. M. This burying
ground is situated in an extremely
picturesque spot about three hundred
yards frem the house and is protected
by a large grove of quakingasp trees.
The funeral throughout was one of
the most impressive ceremonies which
ever took place in Fergus county and
was a fitting sequal to a life which
has been a lesson to humanity and a
benefit to those who came in contact
with the broad and tolerant personal
ity of the late William Fergus.
FLOUR MILL OF LARGE CAPACITY.
Judith Basin Milling Co. Has Let Con
tracts to Put Up Larger Plant.
The plans and specifications of the
new milling plant to be erected by
the Judith Milling Co. shows the new
plant to be one with a large capacity
and provided with every modern im
provement.
The elevator is to have a 50,000
bushel capacity, while the mill is
capable of turning out 250 barrels per
day. A side track will be run from
the main line of the Montana Rail
road and will end with a Y and a
switchback at the plant. The new
plant will occupy a position fronting
Main street and to the city side of the
present buildings.
The contract for the axcavating and
foundation has been let to John Laux
while Jeff Tubbs secured the contract
for the erection of the mill building.
Owing to a technicality the elevator
contract is not yet let. The milling
machinery will be supplied by Barnard
& Leas from their large supply works
in Moline. The old buildings will be
used for storage purposes.
THE NORMAL SCHOOL BONDS.
Tenders for the Purchase of State
Lands Rejected.
Helena, April 0.—Rejecting all bids
submitted in response to its advertise
ments for the sale of $75,000 normal
school bonds, the state land board at
its meeting today decided to buy the
issue in behalf of the state, on a basis
that will yield the state four per cent
net.
The bonds, which were authorized
by the recent legislative assembly in
erder to erect additional buildings at
the Dillion institute, are based upon
the land grant made by the national
government to the state upon its ad
mission, and are to run for 20 years,
but may be redeemed at the end of
ten years.
The board also rejected several tend
ers for purchases of state lands, in
cluding offers from Elizabeth J. Mc
Daniels for a half section in Cascade
county, that of Thomas Gibson for a
quarter section in Gallatin county,
that of T. H. Brockey, of Oregon, for
three lots in Flathead county; and
that of H. E. Hugman for a section
adjoining the town of Moore, in Fer
gus county, the bids being $10 an
acre. The court also rejected two
bids for a quarter section in Cascade
conuty, described as the southwest
quarter of section 16, township 20
north, range 4 east, and withdrew the
land from sale.
A Daredevil Ride
often ends in a sad accident. To heal
accidental injuries, use Bucklin's Ar
nica Salve. "A deep wound in my foot
from an accident." writes Theodore
Schuele, of Columbus, O. ''caused me
great pain. Physicians were helpless,
but Bucklin's Arnica Salve quickly
healed it." Soothes and heals burns
like magic. 25c at Delzell Drug Co.
guaranteed.
EINE FARMS ON
SPRING CREEK
i
i
Spring Creek Farming District One
of the Most Fertile Local
ities in the County.
ON EAST FORK AND CASTLE CREEK
This Portion of the County Is Thick
ly Settled and Unusually
Well Cultivated.
The Big Spring creek farming dis
trict stretching to the south east of
Lewistown for seven miles has not its
equal in the county for farming pur
poses while on the low lying benches
to either side is some of the best
grazing land in this section of the
state. The land on the creek bottom
has been cultivated for many years
and consists of a rich black soil which
will raise anything which will grow
in the northern portion of the con
tinent.
From the town limits to the source
of the creek, where the big spring
gives forth many gallons of water
each minute, the lands are fenced
and comfortable farm buildings can be
seen at short intervals. The creek
is full of magnificent mountain trout,
whitefish and other finny denizens of
our mountain streams. Many a
speckled beauty has been captured in
Big Spring creek which would tip the
scales at from two to three pounds.
A fairly successful effort has been
made to breed quail in the brush on
the river bottom and though they
are not yet plentiful yet they are fre
quently heard and sometimes seen
by the disciples of Isaac Walton
while pursuing their peaceful pas
time.
Henry Suprenant cultivates a small
farm almost within the city which
yields bountifully of crops of all kinds
while the ranch and farm operated
by Frank Day is notoriously one of
the best in the district. Jake Har
mon and John Borgli own fine farm
ing land further up the creek and
both gentlemen own coal mines from
which a large part of the coal supply
of the city is procured. Mr. Harmon
also runs a bunch of cattle which
reach marketable shape early in the
season as the result of the fine range
in that vicinity. Alfalfa and all va
rieties of fodder are raised in pro
fusion in this fertile district while
winter wheat is grown with phenom
inal success in this locality. The
breaking of the sidehills and the
benchlands is very noticeable this
spring and almost every farmer in
this district is preparing a small
patch of land for winter wheat.
Samuel Phillips owns a large ranch
a short distance up the creek from
Lewistown and winters in the neigh
borhood of 8,000 head of sheep. This
is a fine stock ranch and an adequate
amount of feed is raised in any kind
of a year owing to the facilities for
irrigation. The James Sullinger
ranch is in the direct vicinity of the
big spring and is one of the best
places on the creek. It was origin
ally a natural hay meadow and raises
fine crops each year.
Charles Wright lias purchased con
siderable land in this vicinity during
the past two years and owns many
acres of land which he is cultivating
to its entire capacity. A short dis
tance from the Wright holdings is
the plant of the Citizens Electric
Light Co: one of the most up to date
lighting plants in existance in the
state.
Oats and wheat will average forty
bushels to the acre, while alfalfa and
timothy run as high as three tons each.
On the east fork are a number of tine
ranches, among which are the places
belonging to Doctor AVillard, Perry
Heath, E. R. Frame, Phil Lang, Lin
coln Lang, Walter Downing and
Dorme Jackson. Judd McWilliams
is located on Marcott, while Ernest
Busch lias a tine ranch on the same
creek.
Mainly cattle are raised in this sec
tion, which is contingent to excellent
range and the best of water. The lo
cality is extremely fertile and consid
erable success has been experienced in
the growing of winter wheat. Gar
den truck of all varieties has been
raised with success, while the hay
crop is an exceptionally good one.
The district is well cultivated and
thickly settled and shows every evi
dence of a general prosperity.
Toward Castle creek and in the vi
cinity of Castle butte is some of the
prettiest country that can be encoun
tered in Montana. Timber, water
and an abundance of rich bottom
lands make it an ideal farming and
ranching district. The ranches are
well improved and cropped to their
full capacity every year. Well bred
bunches of cattle and horses are scat
teried over the grazing lands and the
farm buildings are of a nature which
denotes a continuous prosperity.
Heavy crops of grain and thousands
of tons of fodder are harvested in this
locality each year and the short haul
to the timber makes the improvement
of the ranches, comparatively speak
ing, an easy matter.
The root crop throughout this en
tire section of the county is unusu
ally good and some of the finest pota
toes raised in the state are grown on
the farms of this portion of Fergus
county
One of the most pleasant drives that
can be imagined is from Lewistown to
Castle Butte and the scenery along
the route cannot be excelled by any of
a like nature in the state. The roads
have been improved considerably dur
ing the past few years and a drive
through this rich and beautiful farm
ing district will long be remembered
by those who have taken the trip.
PRAISES OUR
NEW TEACHER
Minto Pubiic School Board Regrets
to Lose Prof: A. C. Crane Who
Will Be Here Next Year.
SUCCEEDS PROFESSOR SILL0WAY
Excellent Choice of the Board of a
Successor to the Present
Popular Superintendent.
The following from the Minto, N.
D.) Journal, referring to Prof. A. C.
Crane, the gentleman selected by the
board of trustees of the County High
school as the successor of Prof. Sil
loway as principal the school, will be
of interest to our readers, and, partic
ularly to those who are patrons of the
school:
"At the school meeting held Tues
day evening, the school board consid
ered the matter of faculty for the next
school year.
The subject has been in the minds
of the members of the board for seve
ral weeks. Tbe board appreciates the
fact that the Minto schools have at
tained a standard of excellence that
has not only been to them a matter
of great satisfaction, but we venture
to say that not a patron of the schools
is there but what has congratulated
himself that our city schools as they
are now governed and constituted,
are the pride of the city and of each
individual home. Especially does the
board feel a just pride and satisfaction
in the splendid success of the schools.
During the past three years, under
Prof. Crane's management, the record
has been constant improvement, and a
look ahead to the goal of perfect sys
tem of education, until today the
schools of our city heve attained a
position in the first rank among the
schools of the state.
To the splendid ability of our sup
erintendent, A. G. Crane, does the
board give credit for this achievemeut
and to a man do the patrons of the
sceool second this opinion. He lias
done a grand work in education, and
has demonstrated a capability that
we doubt can be duplicated in this
state. Well may he congratulate him
self that his fitness is proven beyond
peradventure. A wider field, more
open to advancement, is presented to
him, The district is not financially
able to offer inducements that will
keep him here for another year. He
declines the best offer that the board
is able to make and will next year be
superintendent of the County High
school in Lewistown, Montana.
Frightful Suffering Relieved,
Suffering frightfully from tbe viru
lent poisons of undigested food, C. G.
Grayson, of Lula, Miss, took Dr.
King's New Life Pills, "with tbe re
sult," he writes, "that I was cured."
All stomach and bowel disorders give
way to their tonic, laxative proper
ties. 25c at Delzell Drug Co., guaran
teed.
OPENING OF
JUDITH CLUB
Popular Institution Opened Last
Friday Evening When an Ele
gant Lunch Was Served.
ROOMS FURNISHED LUXURIOUSLY
Every Appointment of the Club Up<
to-date and Extremely Com
fortable.
The opening of the Judith Club
took place on Friday night on which
occasion a first-class lunch was served
to about seventy-live of the members
who wese present and the evening was
spent in a pleasant social manner
amid the comfortable surroundings of
the club.
The membership of the club has
run up to 120 and it will probably be
double that number before the expir
ation of the summber. The furnish
ings and supplies have been purchased
and will be paid for out of the mem
bership receipts already in the treas
ury, there being sufficient to leave a
substantial margin.
The Club Rooms were fitted up by
the Lewistown Furniture Company
and the work in every respect is first
class. The walls of the various rooms
are covered with a first quality of
landscape wall paper with picture
moulding and very picturesque bord
ering. They are undoubtedly among
the best fitted up rooms in the state
and will fill a long felt want among
the business men of the city who care
to have quiet and comfortable place
to read the latest news and talk with
their friends after business hours.
The rooms are furnished in a man
ner which gives stability as well as
elegance and comfort to the aspect of
the establishment. The furniture,
which was put In by the Lewistown
Furniture Co. is of quarter sawed pol
ished oak with leather upholstering.
The floors of the library and private
writing room are covered with ele
gant Wilton rugs furnished by the
company while the tables in both
rooms are of solid quarter sawed oak
with a hard polished finish.
In the billiard room there is a small
but up-to-date buffet where liquid re
freshments of all kinds can be pro
cured; this department is directly un
der the management of Chas. Read,
formerly of the Montana Club in Hel
ena. A number of elegantly leather
upholstered card tables occupy part of
the floor space; these and the chairs
were furnished by the Lewistown
Furniture Company who also pro
cured the Brunswick-Balke-Callender
billiard table which has been pur
chased by the club. The pool table
formerly owned by the Lewistown
club has been installed and there is
no doabt but that these two tables
are the best in the city.
The reading room is the acme of
comfort and v.he library table is cov
ered with a profusion of the best ma
gazine literature of the day. The
big dailies are in evidence on the table
in the writing room and this section
of the club would certainly tempt a
man to read who is not addicted to
spending his evenings in so quiet a
manner.
It is proposed at an early date to
partition the main room so as to make
the billiard room separate from the
buffet and the partition has already
been ordered through the Lewistown
Furniture Co. The hallway is fur
nished with a settee and an antique
umbrella stand, while the floor is cov
ered with a high grade of linoleum es
pecially procured by the Lewistown
Furniture Co. for that purpose.
The electric lighting is simply per
feet, while a modern lavatory has
been installed at the club. A private
telephone booth has been put in for
the accomodation of the members.
The floor of the billiard room will be
covered with rubber matting which is
being obtained through the Lewis
town Furniture Co. The ensemble of
the club rooms is excellent and it
provides an excellent place to while
away an idle hour or to take visitors
to the city for an evenings' entertain
ment.
Remember, the Democrat and the
best state map ever published for less
than the price of the map, $3.00.
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terest of his property.
William Corley has moved his fam
ilV to Zortman.
F. L. Wilson returned from Minot,
N. I), last week.
B'rank Barnes was over from Gilt
Edge last Sunday.
Berry Decker from Gilt Edge was
here last Sunday.
Ben Dougherty lias moved to his
ranch east of town.
Hilda Callahan was sick last week,
but is now improving.
Mrs. Anna White spent a few days
in Lewistown last week.
John Colander is at work on the
boiler at the Maginnis mill.
Mrs. A mien has taken charge of the
boarding house at Collar gulch.
Robert McMillan has moved into
the house vacated by Mr. Corley.
Frank Lackie, who lias been in Al
berta for the last year, has retuned
home.
Joe Beilis, manager of the mine at
Collar gulch, left for the east last Sat
urday.
E- I). McKay of Bloomington, 111.,
has purchased an interest in the min
ing property owned by F. L. Wilson
and W. W. Lackie. Mr. McKay spent
only a few days here but is to return
soon. He stated that men will soon
be at work on the property.
Johnny Crabtree, one of the infant
sons of Mr. and Mrs. E. II. Crabtree,
died last Sunday evening. The child
was apparently getting well, when he
took worse Sunday morning and died
in tne evening. The bereaved parents
have the sympathy of the entire com
munity.
Spring millinery will be held at
prices which defy all competition dur
ing the ten-days' sale at the Power
Mercantile Co.