The producers news. [volume], August 28, 1925, Image 1

About The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937

Image provided by: Montana Historical Society; Helena, MT

                
OH'OAL
1 _ M ° fJT v^ ,Çrfv
^ •
OP
THE PRODUCERS NEWS
All«--.
,, ;Ci L-ur^ry
r liberty
IS NOT
gA SPEP
from above
p olished Wg *!L
r^tTvin—* N °. 21
NEWS GOES INTO
EVERY HOME IN
THE COUNTY.
f
DOWN
A PAPER OF THE PEOPLE. FOR THE PEOPLE, BY THE PEOPLE
Plenty wood, Montana, Friday, August 28, 1925
Official Newspaper of Sheridan County
SnK Ratpc* Foreign, $3.75 per year
oud. rvaies. ln u. g. t $ 3.00 per year
Entered as Second Class Matter, October 18. 1912. at the Post
office at Plentywood, Montana, Under the Act of March 3, 1870.
•asr
foTmnp ândjyenfs
of Great and Small
Concern.
\L
ir editor'
article
-fcoNOMi
ial columns will be
how the
howing
"economy" bunk
The figures
au
advertise«
•»ut in practice,
th.- article specifically refer
They tell a very
Let us now turn
e & prairies of North Dakota
of yi ashington, D. C.,
"Dumb Cal" who seems to
the political copyright
'Economy."
North UaKota.
■ story.
• ,
We hate to
of the little
strikebreaker, who now sits in
' "iaen.ial chair like a frog in
. Atlantic ocean. But for the sake
* education ox the public it ha?
Cal has just come for
the budget of government
,r the next financial year,
expenditure of nearly
million dollars which is
. of over 300 per cent over
government spent ten years
WOUl
the hypocracy
pre
ie done
with
expei
lor an
It cal
four
an in
the
tVhat i? the reason for ail this in
, a . e - hi 1D10 government ex
amounted to $639,502,470, not
the Postal Service ami sev
other self-supporting depart
) c l.- of government. Of that amount
two-thirds, §432,376, <82, went o pay
for wars past and to prepare for wars
of the future. The last budget pre
cared by President Coolidge calls for
expenditures of $3,115,8 <4,151. -*-his
joes not include the postal service re
cuirements. Of that amount $2,680,
f25,150 will be spent to pay war deb.s
and to prepare for future wars.
Outside the ever-increasing army
swivel chair artists, who
including
eral
decorate government olfices and chase |
about the country, where does this
vast ium money go . u y ou ever i
to think where the fat beys
o put up Cal s campaign expenses 1
. T • if von «olve this
■ vnu will see ' through the
• ? ue! X mi ; on pipu anything
economy
old party voting column next
Talking about parties, the depar-1
ture of the spirit of Bryan for parts
unknown, has lifted a great weight)
from the back of the democratic
c'onkey. Every year that the man
from Nebraska did not get the nomi
nation he succeeded in turning the
Democratic Convention into some
thing resembling a menagerie of wild
animals with the cages open. With
Bryan out of .he way the democrats
are looking forward to harmony and
rotherly love and another opportu-1
nity to feast at the public trough and
another president who will
a"ain bask in the sunshine of the
fat rs and the patronage of the house
of Morgan. We under? and that Mr,
McAdoo i? already casting longing
eye- on the .-oft job in the White
House. He hope? the people will for
get that $100,000 fee he got from Do
r.eny shortly after he quit his job as
Secretary of the Treasury. We are
afraid the public memory i? too long
to allow Mac to MacAdoodle the Unit
ea States. He better move to Eng
land where he can buy a title a la
William Waldorf Astor.
•top
but an
election.
DEMOCRATS LOOK
FOR "HARMONY"
:o
101
KING BERRY'S
UQU1U MUSIC
In another part of the paper a story
appears about how an old time hang
w-on of Berry Stephens' resort was
lamennng the strange way the boss
h noting lately. Evidently afraid of
a visit by Federal men His Majesty
of Scobey is using his famous back
piano as an icebox. The old
box that regaled the patrons of
tbe palace of the wet goods King with
cheerful jazz is now grinding c.ut the
stuff ihat cheers at 75 cents a throw.
^Ms expensive music ought to be ex
j Mlarating. The old timer thinks that
I Berry is
r<v
£ 01 ]
He
getting queer lately,
mav dr/anerate into a soda pop ped
he thinks.
If Bern,' ever did
at we would expect to see him don
a black suit, buy a prayer book and
to Sammy Nyquist's Sunday school
«s?? regularly.
Farmers wheat "profit"
»'II I, NOT PAY TAXES
(By Alfred Knutson.)
r;jrgo. N. D.,—The state agricul
college here has Het^rmined bv
identifie investigation that it cost
■■f North Dakota farmer this year j
p 1 - 12 to raise a bushel of wheat,
• h 'Ti bis it is interesting to figur%
' hat the approximate earnings of
wheat farmer are.
1 he average primary market price
wheat his fall is not likely to
exceed $ 1.45 pc r bushel, so that the
7 tn ? er in North Dakota will earn
Wont? of 33 cents per bushel The
jetage yield per acre for the state
. not go above 12 bushels. On a
^ eat crop 0 f 100 acres, therefore,
Jt „earnings are $396: on 20(1
wps $.92. The average farmer in
of ' vil1 scarcely earn net profits
hls wheat ' lt should be
•ed that m North Dakota wheat
er« rL Pn j Cipal cr °P- and many farm
. i'-epend entirely on this crop for
income.
the C <uS K to the estima te made by
W , epart ment of agriculture at
NÄr D C„ the 3 wheat crop in
134 L K k °^ for 1925 wül yield 102,
b tts ff> shel s. and at 33 'cents per
trs of n. e nei earnings to the farm
Thi s ne state will be $33 704.220.
the halw nt is not sufficient to pay
that tv? k ) axes an( i the back interest
fact lg If_ rmers ow e, and from this
the f ar ,„ may ,get some idea of what
ers here are up against.
"An 'oil'ï? »ESS OPINES
boss * Jrom °ter called on
I'll h«t h w **° was 80 crook
totitg n -tas ..to ..unscrew., his
GAS WAR DROPS PRICES
FIGHT AGAINST CROP GRABBERS ATTRACTS WIDE ATTENTION
*
Shares Report Failure in Sheri
dan County to Their Masters
Blame Producers News for Determination of Farmers to De
fend Their Rights—Farmers Mercilessly Robbed in Other
North Montana Counties.
CROP STRIKE THREATENED FOR NEXT YEAR
Farmers May Refuse to Put In Crop They Cannot Reap—
Native Bankers and Business Men Aroused to Danger—
Tenant Farmer Serfdom Looms as Loan Companies Be
come Overlords of State.
. , . , , . - - ^
1 he Following article, which is reprinted from a L*reat
p a U s paper, shows in an illuminating way what is transpiring
, r rxri , r 8 i
on the farms of Northern and Eastern Montana today.
W ould appear that crop sharks have descended on the state like
r i . , 'i . ..
a swarm of hungry locusts bent upon eating up every green
an d living thing the farmer raises.
it
. ,
men, to this campaign to take the
money ou. of the state, as outlined
h n article, is interesting. Even the
b ankers w p, G reside in Montana have
bannen
mat, ini view oi wnat is nappen
mg now, the farmer will refuse to put
' n a cr °P this spring that he has no
assurance of reaping in the fall. The
references to ihe fight against the
sheridan | ount % hould be
read by everybody. The action of the
1 farmers here in first finding out their
! rights and then maintaining them is
i admired by people throughout thei*'
state. The Producers News has many
| inquiries from people in other coun- !
ties for the issues in which articles ;
| appeared showing the way in which to
1 defand the farm homes from greedy i
j shylocks. The letters to the editor 1
i show that the old American spirit of
resistance to tyranny and wrong still
! survives. The article from Town 1
Topics, which states facts in a con- i
1 servative way, is as follows: |
Gi'eat Falls.—Reports from the Tri
angle and the northeastern part of
tb e state would seem tc. indicate that
representatives of eastern loan com
p an j e3 are trying to get the farmer's
crop by hook or by crook. There are
crews of what have come to be known
as "crop grabbers" operating out of
j every county seat. Their method of
| operation is simple and nearly uni
; form in every instance. After a fore
Article Causes Furore
The reactions of the small business
closure sale has taken place they
serve a notice on the farmer that they
have acquired possession of the land.
This notice is usually gotten up in
legal form and the impression is
sought to be conveyed that it was is
sued from the local district court.
Their next move is to approach the
farmer and ask him to sign a con
tract giving them one-fourih of the
crop. This is usually accomplished by
gmng the farmer the confidence man
rush act. Once they have seemed
the signature of the unfortunate
farmer their whole demeanor change!*
and they proceed to exact their pound
Continued on page 4)
McKEE AND LANGER
SUED IN DISTRICT COURT
Complaint by Karlson Claims Three Notes Endorsed by De
fendants, Were Not Paid as Agreed—Complaint Alleges
Defendants Took Crop Off Patterson's Land, Which Was
Mortgaged by Karlson.
, , „ , . ,. , . ,
A suit has been filed in the district
court in which Karl J. Karlson. of
Outlook, makes McKee & Langer de
fendants in an action concerning
t h r ee notes which the plaintiff alleges
should be paid to him but which he
says he did not receive. The defend
ants, according to the complaint, were
guarantees of the notes to Karlson
over their signature.
Tire notes were first made out by
George H. and Margaret Patterson
to Karlson. They were subject to a
mortgage on the lands of Patterson,
which was in turn subject to a first
mortgage. It is alleged in the com
plaint then that Patterson abandoned
the land and that McKee took P°sses
sion of it and started to ? rab . "^, d J d
grab the crop. McKee is alleged to
have taken the crop from these lands
for a long time and when pinned
down by Karlson is alleged to have
entered into an agreement with Wm
that in consideration of him (Karl
son) not foreclosing his mortgage
against said lands, McKee is all eged
to have entered into an agreement to
P»ÿ the notes in question and to guar
antee their payment with his endorse
ment in writing on the back thereof,
Karlson alleges that he demanded
payment of the notes from
at "divers and various times before
the commencement of the action but
that defendants would not pay.
As a result of the failure of McKee
and Langer to pay the notes this ac
tion is instituted and judgment is de
manded from the court.
There are two notes for five hun
dred dollars and one for $30.00 to
gether with interest.
*
Delc.ra Roslyn Anderson, 3 years
old, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Carl
Anderson of Dooley, passed away
Thursday morning after a few days'
...
US. ..... . , , , . , m, „
, The hltle girl was taken sick Tues
with influenza and thelittle bo y
'vas unable to withstand the ravages
of the disease.
. funeral wdl be held today (Fn
^ay) at 3.00 ©clock at St. John.
church, and burial will be in St.
0 ;'.! 18 c€1 T ie ,^ rjr ' A , ,
Mr ' and ^rs.
sympathy of all in the loss of their
lltlle äau ^ F ier :
Mr._ McElroy of .Minneapolis ar
rived in Plentywood yesterday 7 to visit
his brothers here. He is now stay
ing with John McElroy of this city .
He states he saw Sen. Taylor and
other Montanans in Minneapolis and
reports th at they are doing well.
30,000 LESS FARMS IN U. S.
The number of farms in the United
States decreased 30,000 ast year,
while cropped <l|nds decreased 1,200,
000 acres, according to a survey just
completed by the U. S. Department
of Agriculture. Idle acreage, exclus
ive of summer fallow land, was es
timated at 25,000,000 acres.
ANDERSON BABY
DIES AT DOOLEY
-
Plot To Discredit Sheriff Salisbury Fails
)
former residents of this community
but wbo have been living at Terre
Haut Indiana ^ past four years ,
arrived in the city £ his week * for a
tbe p rank Guenther home,
H W that he doestn't think
f Ir ? diana and ex ts to make
Ms future home some £ here in this
section of the little old green earth.
—*
HERE FROM INDIANA
Mr. and Mrs. Harold Guenther,
A law in Virginia requires pedes
trians to walk on the left hand side of
highways where they may watch ap
proaching danger instead of being run
down from behind. Sounds reasonable.
[
A Warning!
;iW,
■■ * - ,
3®
w
I*:
I
%
.
m
'A-,
M
lip
ËmÊè
S •;
m
w
T^'jtoo.vt fcRj i
This boy, Everett Adams, 17» °f
Wilmington, O., confesses murder
of A. R. Clawson, Lodi, N. Y., who
gave him a lift in his
in Missouri. The boy, 'broke,
shot Clawson and threw the body
in a ditch. Now he faces tnal at
Sedalia, Mo.
'Shake up in Montana
Prohibition Forces
Elias Marsters, Enforcement Director of Idaho, to Rule Mon
tana, Wyoming and Idaho District With Headquarters in
Helena — Idaho Was Dry as Bone Under His Adminis
tration.
Denver.—Elias Marsters, appointed as prohibition direc
tor for district 19 with headquarters at Helena, Mont., at pres
ent is federal prohibition director for Idaho. His new post
will be the supervision of federal prohibition enforcement in
Wyoming. Idaho and Montana.
The new director is well known in*
Idaho where he broke up several old
time bootleg rings. He is totally im
mune from politics. In fact he has
been known to jump on republican
politicians who sought to use their in
fluence with him faster than anybody
else. As a result of his operations in
Idaho that state is as dry as the pro
verbial bone.
liquor cases.
liquor also was hard to get at Salt
Lake City, while at Anaconda, like
Scobey, "anybody could get it.
War on Bootlogger
in a statement announcing the ap
pointments, Assistant Secretary An-1
drews said the new prohibition forces'
energies, will be directed along three
Dry Idaho
The mayor of Anaconda, who tour
ed thi-ough Idaho, and part of Utah
to Salt Lake, upon returning to his
own home town, made report that
Idaho is so dry that liquor cannot be
obtained in some of its towns, in
cluding Idaho Falls ami other import
ant places, and that a man who was
in possession of a bottle of liquor at
Pocatello was fined $500. The mayor,
who was accompanied on the tour by
his wife and the fire chief and the
latter's better half, brought the glad
news to the city council, to whose
members he is reported to have said:
"Certain laws are not openly violated
in the cities we visited as they are
in Anaconda."
The mayor seemed to think that the
effectiveness cf Idaho city enforce
ment was due to xhe fact that the
police and city courts handle the
The mayor said that
YOU CAN'T BLACKMAIL ME,
SHERIFF TELLS GANG EMISSARY
u
jy
Amazing Story of Treacherous Attempt to Besmirch Charac
ter of Man Gang Cannot Control—Conspirators Cower in
Terror as Daniels County Farmers Become Enraged at Ne
farious Plot.
PENDING LAWSUITS WORRY AL LAWRENCE
Williams Alleges
Wright to Sue for False Imprisonment
Lawrence Solicited Bribe While Lawrence Says It Is the
Other Way—Funny Scobey Mixup to Be Aired in Court.
Driven to desperation by the terrific exposures of the
many sinister recent happenings in Scobey and angered by
the publication in the Producers News of the intention of the
Federal district attorney to prosecute Berry Stephens early in
September, the old gang in Daniels county pulled another
katzenjammer stunt last week.
The Frame-Up
Like all the frame-ups emanating
from a dive the people saw through
it at once to the intense chagrin of
its perpetrators. This time the venom
of the gan£ was directed at Sheriff
Salisbury. The first inkling that
something raw was to be pulled at
Scobey was conveyed to residents of
this city when Berry Stephens put in
several calls for Sheriff Salisbury
Thursday evening of last week. The
sheriff was busy mopping up wet
places at Outlook at the time and
driving Goldbrickers who had landed
there to fleece the farmers, in the
general direction of Scobey, which is
a rendezvous for underworld charac
Next morning he
ters at this time,
was visited by an individual who told
him that he better go to Scobey and
fix things up with Berry Stephens at
and thereby prevent a big ex
once
posure.
"They Cannot Blackmail Me"
The sheriff, who knew he did no
wrong, laughed in this emissary's
face and remarked, "Why let them
expose all they want to, they cannot
blackmail me." Speculation was then
rife as to whether they would accuse
the sheriff, who takes his orders from
the farmers of Sheridan county in
stead of from a Scobey bootlegger, of
the theft of the Crown Jewels, or the
dynamiting of the Welland Canal or
(Continued on last page)
an, Jack McGowan and YVilliam Mc
Clammy. The liquor was taken to
| Wolf Point for evidence.
definite lines of attack — smuggling,
illegal manufacture and illegal diver
sion.
Poplar, Aug. 25.—Assistant Coun
.
'
night marshal of Poplar, raided the
house, a lodging
For many weeks the selection of
this staff of officiajs has been the
stumbling block in placing into oper
ation the sweeping reorganization
program that has practically shorn
Roy A. Haynes of his power as pro
hibition commissioner.
ARREST POPLAR
PROPRIETOR ON
LIQUOR CHARGE
ty Attorney Arlie M. Foor, Under
sheriff Charles Council, Ford Monroe
city marshal, and Warren Vasko
Poplar rooming
house kept by Steve Deal, arrested
Deal and seized a quantity of moon
shine whiskey and beer Thursday.
Deal was taken before Justice of the
Peace Fred Turner, who held him un
der $2,000 bond for a hearing. His
bond was furnished by Felix McGow
'Way Overweight <
.»
».
When Jack Dempsey appeared
before the N. Y. Boxing Commis»
$ion» immediately upon return
from his honeymoon nip to Eur
0 pK he was plainly overweight
^ facing an ordeal in training
down if he is to meet Tunney and
Wills, as he promised tbe**C 0 »
mish" to do.
r
WESTLAND MAKES
ANOTHER 2 CENT CUT
Scobey Concern's Latest Move May Force Continental to
Follow Suit All Over Montana—Lowest Price in Plenty
wood Is Now 27Vz Cents Retail and 25 Cents Wholesale,
INDEPENDENTS AND STANDARD OIL CUSH
battle for Supremacy Rages While Consumer Gets Gas at
Prices Ranging From 13.9 Cents at Wichita to 23 Cents
at Rapid City, S. D.—Montana People Pay Highest Price
in Country.
The repercussions of the terrific gasoline war now raging
throughout the United States between the Independents and
the Standard Oil Company are beginning to be felt in Sheri
dan County. Closely following the editorial published in
ast week's Producers News, showing the cut in prices in
South Dakota and other points, the Westland Oil Company
slashed prices two cents per gallon Wednesday.
Price Drops
A Westland station at Plentywood
was selling gasoline at 27^ cents per
gallon retail shortly after the rep
resentative of that company made the
announcement of the reduction of
prices to a Producers News reporter.
At the same time the retail prices in
all but one of the local garages was
32% cents per gallon. The whole
sale price of gas sold by the West
land was reduced to 25 cents per
gallon.
Continental Expected to Follow.
Westland
As this price brings the price of
gasoline lower than the price charged
by the Continental Oil stations in
Montana, outside of Butte, it is con
sidered probable that there will be a
further reduction by the Continental
which is the Standard Oil Company
in this state.
While the price of gasoline is be
j n g revised downwards in Montana
there is a bitter fight between the
various c.il interests throughout the
United States with the result that
consumers are getting gas at some
thing near fair prices.
Pr5rp In Minot Dron* 2 Cents
The price S gasohSn Mbtto
ine p k , ,,
day was reduced1 t. Jjt?; a gallon
? nd a °" e
m the pnee of kerosene^
J. P. Beaton, m ag . .. -
(Continued on page 4)
Wants To Get Away
From High Taxation
William E. Endersby and R. N.
Endersby of Whitetail, Daniels coun
ty, called at the county assessor's of
fice Wednesday. They have land on
both side of the Sheridan and Daniels
county line.
In a conversation with Deputy As
Olson, William Endersby stat
sessor
IDLE HOUR" FIGURES
IN COURT ACTION
«
Poolhall Is Target in Abatement Proceedings Started by Erick
son—Alleges Sale of Intoxicating Liquor.
County Attorney Erickson made out and filed a complaint
asking that tjre frame building, now occupied by George
Wright in the city of Plentywood, be abated as a nuisance with
the clerk of the district court last Tuesday.
This is the second shot taken within*
a few days by Sheridan county offi
cers against places where liquor is al
leged to be sold. The complaint is
directed at Lena R. Ford, owner of
the building as well as George
Wright. The place run by Wright is
called the Idle Hour Poolhall and is
situated on Main street, Plentywood.
The complaint alleges:
"That the said defendant, George
Wright, is now using and keeping said
last described premises as a common
nuisance, to-wit: as a place where
intoxicating liquors are kept for sale,
sold and otherwise disposed cf in vio
lation of law, and not for sacramen
tal, scientific or manufacturing pur
poses, and that the keeping for sale,
and otherwise disposing of intoxicat
ing liquors in violation of law is the
principal business done and carried
on therein.
"That said defendant, Lena R.
Ford, administratrix of the estate of
J. A. Ford, deceased, now has, and
at all times herein mentioned has had
full knowledge that the said defend
ant, George Wright, was and is using,
occupying and keeping said premises
last described for the purpose of
keeping, for sale, selling and other
wise disposing of intoxicating liquors
therein in viciation of law as herein
before set forth.
"That the said last described prem
ises is a common nuisance of great
At a hearing before Judge Paul in
Chambers a divorce was granted Ger
trude Johnson of Plentywood, from
her husband, William Johnson last
week. The plaintiff charged desertion
cruelty and non support. The com
plaint upon which the decree of di
vorce was founded alleges:
"Said defendant has treated the
plaintiff with extreme cruelty by the
infliction of grevions mental suffering
upon the plaintiff by said defendant,
by a course, of conduct toward the
plaintiff which justly and reasonably
is of such a nature and character as
to destroy the peace of mind and hap
piness of plaintiff and to entirely de
feat Proper and ligitimate objects c£
carriage and to render the contin
uance of marriage relation between
^ plaintiff and defendant perpetual
ly unreasonable and intolerable to the
plaintiff in that dm ing all of said
period of time defendant addressed
and used towards plaintiff vile, pro
fane, abusive and insulting words and
epithets and has called the plaintiff
obscene and abusive names and other
vile profane obscene and insulting
language." - .
There were no children involved in
this marriage.
JUDGE S. E. PAUL
GRANTS DIVORCE
Decree Separates Gertrude Johnson
From Her Husband—She Charged
Him Viles Profane and Abusive and
Failed to Provide for Her Support.
ed that the taxation on the land he
had in Sheridan county was much
lower than he had to pay in Daniels
He expressed himself in
county.
favor of annexing a strip of Daniels
county to Sheridan county.
"The taxes up there are out of rea
he said. "If I cannot get away
"
son,
from them any other way I will have
house moved on to the land I own
my
99
in Sheridan county.
8 th.
injury to the public, which injury is
irreparable and cannot be compensat
ed in damages.
The complaint then goes on to re
quest the judge to issue an order to
abate the place as a common nuisance
and directing the sheriff to close up
same.
hearing at the next term of the dis
trict court.
ff
The matter will come up for
FIGHT CARD AT F.-L.
TEMPLE SEPTEMBER 8
Eastern Montana fight fans are
looking forward with much anticipa
tion to the coming 10 -round bout be-,
tween Harry Blivens of Grand Forks
and K. O. Harrington, local ring ar
tist. .
The American Legion has secured
the F.-L. temple for the battle which
will be staged Labor day—September
Both men are in excellent condi
tion and since each has several feath
ers in his scalp lock the hattle prom
ises to give the fans all they are look
ing for.
Ift addition to the main event there
will be some interesting preliminaries.
Blivens is matched for a 10-round
fight with Battling Gamer at Outlook
Saturday night, which probably will
have some bearing on the Labor day
bout.