The Powder River County examiner and the Broadus independent. [volume], March 11, 1921, Image 1

About The Powder River County examiner and the Broadus independent. [volume] (Broadus, Mont.) 1919-1935

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The Powder River County Examiner
Volume III Number 21
and The Broadus Independent
Broadus, Montana, Friday, March 11, 1921
$2 Per Year
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SOM AVAILABLE
a 185 APPROPRIATED BY COUNT)'
COMMISSIONER» FOR POISON
—OATS TO BE PROVIDED
The board of county commission
ers at its regular monthly meeting
this week appropriated $185 for the
purchase of strychnine to be mixed
with oats to serve as a poisonous
bait for prairie dogs and sold to the
farmers and ranchers at cost.
The strychnine has been ordered
from a wholesale bouse and will un
doubtedly l»e delivered here within
a week's time. It will be incumbent
upon the farmers and stockmen to
provide the oats and these must be
of a good, clean grade. Wheat is
not used in preparation of the "bait"
for precautionary purposes.
The warehouse near the court
house will be lised as a storage room
for the oats and it is hoped a suf
ficient quantity will lie on hand to
enable the expert from Bozeman to
proceed with the mixing demonstra
tion when he arrives here. Each
farmer and rancher desiring prairie
dog bait is requested to bring their
oats to the warehouse, labeling the
sacks with the corect weight and
their names. About 1250 pounds of
good clean oats will lie needed for
the bait. It might be a good idea
for those wishing prairie dog liait to
immediately ask for allotments, mak
ing the estimate as low as possible
so that the bait will be distributed
to the many instead of the few. It
is believed that there is yet time
to do much good work in exterminat
ing the prairie dogs before other
feed becomes plentiful.
B. Cain of Broadus was designat
ed by the commissioners to take
charge of the prairie dog extermin
ation work and all inquiries should
be addressed to him. He will not
make trips on this campaign .
It is to be hoped that everyone i
residing in districts infested with !
these prairie dog pests will do his j
share in starting the extermination j
program this spring.
PREDICTS HOUSE
A RED CROSS REPRESENTATIVE
IN POLAND PREDICTS THAT
TRICES WILL BE BETTER
American horse dealers could wish
for no beter market in the world
than Poland, according to Captain F.
I. Johnson of Red Lodge, Montana,
who is now serving with the Ameri-j
can Red Cross commission in War-1
saw. Before the war, Captain John
son was a prominent figure among
the horse breeders in the western
section of the United States. Still
intrested, lie spends tiis spare time
making inquiries abotu the horse sit-)
nation in Poland.
"The number of horses in Poland. "
he says, "lias been diminished by
more than 50 per cent as a result of
the war. The shortage is being felt
almost everywhere. Transportation,
also farming are suffering from this
lack of horses to say nothing of the
army whose losses in animals have
been tremendous. Poland on a peace
basis again will want American
horses of all kinds and this should
open up an excellent market for the
American breeders though business
must wait unti the exchange between
the two countrjes is more favorable,
As in everything eise this prevents
the Poles from buying at once. Re
eently A lie cost of sending Aemrican
horses to East Prussia was figured
at 4.000 German marks a head. This
would be about 17,000 Polish marks.
With the Polish mark at 275 fori
the dollar it can readily be seen how
impossible it is fo* Poles to buy.
"Prior to the war, the horse was
king in Poland. Every family of
consequence had its carriage drawn
by two or three beautiful animals
while the taxi-cal» was the well
known drosky. The horse iporked
the farms, for meehanical farming
was practically unknown. Horseback
riding was popular as was arcing,
some very high class horses having
been bred for the track. American
horse breeders should keep one eye
on the exchange and the other on
fli pnssibilitis in Poland."
RAY BÖRSE MAIL ROUTE
SUBJECT OF CONTROVERSY
Two petitions are in circulation
over the stub mail route extending
from Moorhead to Bay Horse, One
petition asks its abandonment in fa
vor of a new route from Gillette to
Bay Horae and the other petition is
in the nature of « remonstrance to
abandoning the present route.
HI SCIItL MUG
MUST BE ACCREDITED TO CON
TINUE—ENTIRE COUNTY TO
BENEFIT BY HIGH SCHOOL
The regular session of the Broad
us Chamber of Commerce Monday
night was largely devoted to the lo
cal high school project and as a re
sult resolutions were adopted re
questing recognition from the state
board of education for the institu
tion as an accredited high school. It
was asserted that the high school is
doing standard work and complying
with all requirements required by
the state board. School District No.
79 is maintaining the high school
this year at its own expense together
with financial assistance fron» the
townsite fund. Next year it is pro
posed to convert the local high school
into a county high school and thus
mtrke it possible to continue this
branch of education. Unless proper
credits be given for this year's work
it would be impossible for the local
district to further finance the high
school and would he disastrous to
educational advancement within the
county at large. High school stu
dents from outside points are now
attending the local tn. titution an 1
if given the required recognition the
educational advantages will become
more pronounced.
The Chamber of Commerce took no
definite action with regard to the
County Unit law.
Several members were out of town
btit despite their absence the attend
ance at. the meeting was good. Tim
banquet served by the hotel was
quite fitting to the occasion.
Inspiring Advice
To Homesteaders
"Stick to your homestead and
you're sure to win," is the advice
given to newcomers t»y R. J. Harlan
residing on Pilgrim ertek. twenty,
miles from Broadus. And lie knows
whereof he speaks. No homesteader
ever started business under more ad ■
verse conditions than Mr. Harlan hut
by persevering and working he says
he is satisfied with his present lot.
Coming into the country eleven
years ago absolutely "broke." Mr.
Harlan tiled on his homestead, and
it was three long years before he had
acquired a team and farm machinery.
In that time he had occasion to go
to Miles City throe different times,
walking the distance each way. over
a hundred miles. Other "hikes" were
made to Broadus and Powderville.
From personal experience Mr. Har
lan states that absolute crop failures
are unknown here, that something i*
sure to come out of the ground if the
seed is planted. While not as pre
tentious as some places, he says his
home is the dearest place on earth
to him and cherished us such. "I
am my own boss,** he continued,
"and that counts a deal in this day
and age.'
Mr. Harlan added that the inspir
ation to tile on a homestead here
came after he had made and spent
tidy little sinus, and continuing glich
procedure he coldn't see anything in
the future but eventual distress and
poverty.
Mr. Harlan added that a wise pol
icy' to pursue is to plan to cross the
bridge before it is crossed, in other
words to look into future conditions
as far as two years hence and be
prepared.
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EASTER MOM
GAUGE FOR BAND
To get the Powder River baud
started properly arid to maintain it
will require some financial assist
ance and one of the means decided
upon to raise money i s through a
dance to be held at the Broadus
school house on Easter Monday,
March 28. Selections will be render
ed at that time by the band and mu
sic for danéing will be supplied by
tlie large orchestra. There will be
no raise in the customary prices
charged for admission and supper
and all proceeds will be applied to
the band fund. The adies of Broad
us and vicinity will attend to the
supper details.
The band already has enrolled
several experienced players from
over^the county, giving it the status
of a county organization. Several re
hearsals have already been held un
der the direction of Director A. B.
Norris and at these it was demon
strated that a good band is possible
if it Is given the necessary support.
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Uomparcd with previous assem
blies less new or experimental leg
islation was pssed by the Seventeenth
session than has been the case in
years, in the opinion of legislative
observers. Aside from new subjects
such as oil, that demanded new lég
islation, most of the time of the as
sembly was devoted to remedial leg
islation and improvement of exist
ing statutes. A total of 354 bills
and memorials were passed by »the
assembly and transmitted to the gov
ernor.
While a grist of bills was intro
duced proposing constitutional amend
ments, only one bill received the
necessary two-thirds vote of each
house and was transmitted to the
governor, lie lias approved it. This
is H. B. 22 by Cavanaugh, submit
ting to f ile electors at the next elec
tion an amendment authorizing the
legislature by a general or a special
law to provide a rurm and plan of
government for counties or for cities
and counties under such form or plan
as the assembly prescribes.
Among other accomplishments ot
the legislature as revealed in the
bills passed may l>e enumerated re
organization of authority in state de
partments centralization of author
ity in state and counties, more checks
on expenditure of public moneys, a
big agricultural, livestock, and irri
gation district program, codification
of the laws and simplification of the
civil and criminal practice, oil legis
lation for r gulation of the state's
newest industry, revision of the fish
and game aws, amendment of the
banking laws, amt many measures
dealing-with miscellaneous subjects.
Reorganization of state depart
ments includes transfer of the legis
lative reference buieau to the state
law library; reorganization of the
stat highway commission by abolish
ing the commission of 12 men and
substituting one salaried commis
sioner and two advisory commission
ers on a per dietii basis: reorganiza
tion of the state game and lisli com
mission: consolidation of nine de
partment hoards or bureaus, into a
new department of agriculture, labor
and industry: reorganization of the
livestock commission and giving to
the sanitary department the inspec
tion of dairies.
Measures providing for greater
centralization of authority include
the creation
ion oï
thr
office of state
d^i'1
it.
This officer will
ami (
:<cl n
Mv» marge, sub
' statt
bcv*
ra of examiners,
tying
for
all state depart
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tnents and state institutions. A great
reduction in the overhead cost of the
state is expected. Another measure
gives the state board of examiners
power to fix the number and com
pensation of all clerks, assistants and
stenographers in state offices. A sim
ilar meaure applies to county boards
of commissioners.
Among other measures designed to
place more check on the expendi
tures of public moneys is a bill that
makes the treasurer the treasurer of
every state board department, bu
reau or institution, and requiring de
posits of all receipts by them with
the treasurer twice a month. Anoth
er is the revision of the budget law
covering state expenditures, and the
passage of a measure providing a
budget system in all counties. Still
another bill limits the size of bond
issues for county schools, according
to the classification of the county,
and regulates the distribution of the
moneys. One of the ,-iost important
checks on expenditures is that bill
requiring a petition of 20 per cent
of the qualified electors who are tax
payers to authorize the voting upon
the issuance of any school, town or
county bonds.
The agricultural, livestock and ir
rigation district program is p, t-liaps
the biggest program put through the
assembly. It includes bills on the fol
lowing- subjects : Consolidation of
nine boards or departments into de
partment of agreiulture: reorganiza
tion of livestock commission: auth
orizing incorporation of agricultural
co-operative corporations; collective
buying and selling by agricultural
corporations or districts: authorizing
special levies in counties for exter
mination of insect pests and dis
eases; authorizing special county
bounty levies; permitting quarantine
within state by governor for insect
pests; fixing standards on hay and
apple boxes; amending hail insur
ance law to provide for different
rates on a zoning Bystem; bills re
mitting penalties for delinquent tax
es, redemption of property, foreclos
ure of property and like measures
calculated to aid the producer who
has not prospered in the past few
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years; rerecorditig of brands, amend
ment of laws relating to estray
stock, slaughtering cattle and similar
measures; amendment <bf irrigation
and drainage district laws; permit
ting irrigation districts to issue fund
ing bonds; making irrigation district
bonds legal investments; requiring
better bookkeeping in irrigation dis
tricts.
Among other measures relating to
ihe judiciary that passed are the
codification bills, publication of the
revised codes of 1921, permitting
designation of district, judges as su
preme court commissioners to assist
u prerae court in clearing its calen
dar: revision of the civil and crimi
j nal practice toward simplification to
j reduce expense and time required:
j attaching Jefferson county to judi
j cial district formerly containing only
Lewis and Clark county; making all
laws take effect July 1, unless otker
wise provided.
Oil legislation includes making
Pipe lines common carriers, relating
to leases for oil and gas on state
owned lands, plugging of oil wells
when abandoned, and the ike.
The only change made in the
preset law for creation of new coun
ties raised the valuation that must
be left in the old county, and that
the new county must have.
One of the few experimental acts
of the assembly was the enactment
of a law imposing a poll tax of S3
on bachelors, tlio proceeds to go into
the county poor fund. This tax is in
additin to the $2 road tax.
Banking legislation includes a
raise in the salary of the state ex
aminer. reducing reserve require
ments of state banks, permitting the
state banks to accept drafts and deal
in acceptances: placing building and
loan associations under supervision
of state examiner.
Miscellaneous lulls of importance
include a stringent, blue sky law,
0.000 additional appropriation for
veterans' welfare commission; giving
veterans or their widows preference
in public employment; providing 7
per cent interest on state warrants;
permitting sale of beverage alcohol:
prohibiting minors under age of IS
''rom loitering around pool or bil
liard halls; requiring railway and
railroad companies to reimburse em
ployes for property losses sustained
by moving of terminals: requiring
prompt settlement on smelter re
turns by lessors or lessees; repealing
price fixing power of trade commis
sion: making life imprisonment the
maximum penalty for robbery.
Beef Prices
Bound to Raise
The cattle countries of the great
northwest are undergoing a tremen
dons change, according to Fisher B.
Weaver of Wolf. Wyo., owner of a
large ranch in that section. Prices
of beef are bound to go up even
more, and it is unlikely that they*
will ever again return to pre-war'
figures, owing to the present lack of
interest in cattle raising, according
to Mr. Weaver, says the New York
Times.
"The big ranches are passing, " he
said. "The average ranch now will
not run more than 700 head of cat
tle, as against many thousands in
the old days. Horses are being raised
in greater numbers than cattle. How
ever, when tilings get settled, more
beef will be produced than ever be-1
fore, but it will be ted. This beef will
bring a much higher price. 1 doubt
if it will ever go any lower again,
bur tile quality will be improved.
"There was a day when the cattle
were driven south in the winter and
came back north in the summer, but
now* the rancher is limited as to area
almost entirely by the necessity of
being next to a federal forest re
serve.
"There isn't edough, laud on which
to run a big hunch of cattle without
using these reserves."
MITZELL S TWO CHILDREN
DIE IN SOUTH DAKOTA
Word was brought lo Broadus yes
terday reporting the death of the
two younger children in the family
of Andrew Mitzell who recently left
this county for some point in South
Dakota. It was also stated that an
other child was hopelessly ill. Orig
inally there were seven children hi
the family.
CHURCH GOES M
BROADUS TO MAINTAIN CHURCH
OTHER COMMUNITIES SERVED
UPON SPECIAL REQUEST
Arrangements were made Wednes
day night in a meeting of the towns
people at the Powder River hotel to
place the Broadus Community church,
on a business basis and thus insure
its permanency and the retention of
Rev. H. K. Waters as the local min
ister.
In the future Mr. Waters will de
vote his entire time to the Broadus
church work except euch appoint
ments from outlying districts that
may be requested from him for mid
week services, marriage or funeral
ceremonies when they will be expect
ed to meet his entire expenses.
In order to perpetuate the church
work tsarted in Broadus last sum
mer it was necessary for local citi
zens to subscribe monthly pledges of
a certain amount, and the sum thus
promised is satisfactory to Mr. Wa
ters.
One of the largest items of ex
pense for the minister has been elim
inated by the above arangements,
referring to the maintenance and re
pair of the Congregational service
car. This machine has been the
object of Mr. Waters' time anil at
tention and a considerable expense,
and dispensing with its use will be
a forward step in retrenchment of
finances and a greater efficiency in
the work of the minister.
Survey
Road To
Pumpkin Creek
file board of county commission
ers at their meeting this week or
dered the road surveyed from Epsie
to the Sand Creek school house
where connections are made with the
main road loading to Broadus. Last
fall the road was ordered surveyed
from Pumpkin creek to Epsie and as
this work was delayed County Sur
veyor Fuukenbusch will lay out the
two surveys at the same time. It is
understood that rights of way have
been secured covering nearly the eu
tire stretch of about 20 miles. In
the past to traverse this road in some
places little more tuan a trail meant
opening and closing about 28 gates.
This road when thrown open to traf
fic will provide a shorter route from
Pumpkin creek to Broadus and will
be extensively used.
There was no action taken at the
session just closed toward disposing
the county warrants for funding
bonds.
.JURY CALLED FOR APRIL lit
Snbpoenaes for the jury panel of
To names have been mailed all over
the county, notifying the recipients
to appear in Broadus on April IP.
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County Division
Measure Killed
The bill to create three now coun
ties in the slate, after passing the
house of the Montana legislature,
was talded in the senate. These
three counties were to be known as
Cruse, Red water and Joe Brown.
T.oeal interest in the proposed cre
ation of Joe Brown county was man
ifested inasmuch as a portion of
Powder River county along its west
ern border was to be sliced off and
included in the new county,
compbeing, -tothearea. lirdlu Imlln
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Another Heir
Becker Estate
Another claimant to the
000,000 Becker "estate" in Philadel
phia, came forward at Evanston, 111.,
this week. He is the Rev. George
Edgar Sharp, retired Methodist min
ister, who declares that his share
should he §6,000,000.
The Becker "eotnte" is supposed
to comprise 500 acres in the heart of
Philadelphia, leased from Col. Jacob
Becker for 99 years. These leases
are about to expire and, according
to heirs, the buildings on the land
will become their property.
Harvey Long, residing on land
near Broadus, is one of the 2,000
recognized heirs, to this vast estate.
COURTI MIGHT BUILD
PERMANENT BOAR
COMMISSIONERS BELIEVE BET
TER RESULTS INDEPENDENT
OF FEDERAL AID
1 lie board of county commission
ers contemplate the purchase of a
track layer and grader from Custer
county for the purpose of building
permanent roads in this county with
the issue of §150.090 road bonds.
Should such action ho taken the
county would act independently of
the state highway commission and
without complying with prescribed
specifications would not receive tho
federal aid of a like sum.
However, investigation of the dif
ference in the costs might more than
justify the commissioners to pursue
such a proposed course. It develops
that the graveled road out of Miles
F » y was built by Custer county at
au expense of s.1,125 per mile while
under state and government jurisdic
tion the cost would have been five or
six times as much, meaning that five
or six miles or permanent road could
be built by the county to one miio
under the state supervision. While
roads under state and federal super
vision perhaps have lesser grades and
a deeper foundation, it is believed
much money is needlessly expended
in overhead expense that would bo
curtailed under county supervision.
And again should the road bonds oe
sold and work commenced under
state supervision the money to fi
nance the,project would be deposited
in outside banks, in a measure dis
criminating against local institu*
tions.
The commissioners want an ex
pression of opinion from the coun
ty's people in regard to this proposi
tion before definite action is taken.
TO DRILL FOR OIL
A-W.V MAY OIL « O. TO RE THE
FIRST TO EXPLOIT TIMS
COUNTY'S FIELD.
Miles City.—As a trail breaker for
capital of eastern independent oil
operators, the Anna May Oil com
pany of Miles City, backed by New
York capital, lias been officially
born. Articles of incorporation of
the now company have been filed
with .County Clerk and Recorder F.
F. Rohling.
Miles City has been designated us
the principal place of business of the
new company, which is incorporated
for a term of 4 0 years. The capital
stock is placed at §1 50,000, divided
into 150,000 shares of §i each.
A board of four directors has been
maned and consists of the following
members: Anna May Coykendall,
Beim Yan. N. Y.: Louis A. Hirsch,
John \\\ Pawelson and Harold Sut
liff, all of Rochester, N. Y.
Leases have been secured by the
company in Powder River county, it
is stated, and drilling will probably
be started early in the spring.
Oil Leases on Box Elder
Many oil leases are being taken
on the Box Elder between Sykes and
Piniele. principally by John W. Hud
son. who represents a Miles City
company composed of twenty Custer
county capitalists. The terms of the
leases call for lour wells within 16
months, one within 12 miles of
Sykes, one within 3 2 mies of Lute
Mahnken's place, one within 12
miles of Alzada and one within 12
miles of Boyes. These prospect
wells will be spudded in it a suffi
cient number of leases can be se
cured.
$6,923.50 STATE
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Slate school money to the extent
of §6.923.50 has been received by
Powder. River county and reappor
tioned to the different school dis
tricts of the county on the basis of
§6.10 for each child between tho
ages of 6 and 21 years. According
to the apportionment made to this
county there were only 1,135 chil
dren of school age In the county for
1920 f.s taken from the school cen
sus. A report is current that some
error was made in submitting the
correct figures of the county's
school population for last year and
that the number was in excess of
that used for the apportionment.