Voices From The Past

October 14, 1921

Major Dowson Says Rain Can Be Made

Major P.S. Dowson, writing to the Examiner from the Cross S Ranch under date line of Beebe, Mont., September 30, endorses the plan inaugurated by the Examiner to interest the government in experimental work for the artificial production of rain. Such a project is entirely feasible in the belief of Mr. Dowson and he bases his conclusions upon the result of scientific experiments conducted by the British government in both Canada and Australia.

Major Dowson is a member of the Royal Geographical Society of England and it is said that he has held a chair in Harvard University.

His letter follows:

“Dear Sirs: I see you are interested in the problem of producing rains, therefore, allow me to call your attention to the fact that in Australia, the western province, a very arid section, experiments are being conducted by the government under the supervision of the chief electrical engineer of the province.

The scheme is to send up a number of box kites with an electrical receiver with wire connections to the ground so to tap the electric cushion of the atmosphere that supports the clouds and let the rain drop.

During the late meeting in London of the Dominion provinces the agent general for western Australia announced these experiments had been so far successful; that on no occasion even with a frozen sky overhead had they failed to produce rainclouds and humidity after flying their kites at a height of 4,000 to 6,000 feet in six hours.

As electric storms are so common in Montana, I fancy this plan is quite worth further investigation as it is based on scientific facts, and a wider extension of the experimental area to this country would be, I should say, quite useful and promising results.

Who knows but the younger generation may add a storage battery to the kite outfit and light their ranches on the rainy days?

Wishing you success,

Faithfully yours,

P.S. Dowson, Major.”

October 11, 1946

Fair Prizes Awarded to Rural School Children

Mrs. Grace Carter, County Superintendent of Schools, received word this week that several Powder River County rural school children had been awarded prizes for exhibits made at the Eastern Montana Fair in Miles City last month. Mrs. Carter sent in entries from the county that were exhibited at the Junior Fair held here last spring. Winners were Billy Lee Stacy, Boyes School, 2nd prize for hand sewing 50c; Harold Barnhart, Epsie School, 2nd prize for crocheting 75c; Sammy Russiff, Olive School, 1st prize for geography notebook 75c; Kathleen Bales, Quietus School, 1st prize for general notebook 75c; Ann Lei, Sonnette School, 1st prize for handmade doll 75c; Georgia Churchill, Stacey School, 1st prize for language notebook 75c.

October 14, 1971

Broadus High School Appears in State Telecast

George Scott and Tim Bass of KGVO-TV, Missoula, were in Broadus Saturday televising a news broadcast on the new high school here. Administrators and teachers in the IMC and museum were each given 30 seconds to tell what they could in their special field. Interviewed were Ray Mace, Dr. Duane Dornack, Mark Novas and Marshall Sullivan.

The two man television crew worked for over three hours Saturday morning to televise a 3 ½ minute newscast. First the cameraman, Tim Bass, “panned” the outside of the building. The “pan” was to be put together later with a short introduction by announcer George Scott.

The camera and equipment was then brought inside the building and set up in the office of Ray Mace, Superintendent. In a 30-second appearance he told of the concepts in teaching that are being used and the advantages offered to the students with the new building. David Heidel assisted in all the filming by adjusting the spotlight so that it would be in the proper place at the proper time.

The equipment was then moved to the auditorium and set up again for an interview with Dr. Dornack. (The reporter and photographer went to the IMC while they were setting up the equipment, got involved in some of the instructional material there, and missed this portion of the broadcast.)

Mark Novas was then interviewed in the IMC and gave a 30-second talk while the cameraman “panned” over half of the center. The equipment was then moved to Mac’s Museum. Marshall Sullivan gave a brief talk on the value of the museum articles in various fields of education while the camera “panned” Indian artifacts, minerals and sea shells.

The television crew was fascinated with the articles in the museum and said they had never seen any such collection in any universities that they have visited. They hope to come back to Broadus later, they said, and do a half hour show on the museum.

After the telecast appeared on KGVO-TV, Missoula, and sent to Chicago where it is hoped it will be used on a national broadcast.

October 10, 1996

Local Alfalfa Seed Harvest Sharply Cut by Great Numbers of Game Animals

By Shirley Stuver

Unharvested game animals have cut deeply into an otherwise ideal season for the development of alfalfa seed harvest. In former years the deer lived on the “dessert” of alfalfa seed, filling up, resting, going for water and coming back to the seed. Now antelope have also moved in to the fields and nothing moves them out while the seed is still standing. Early on, the grasshoppers cut down a quantity of seed plants too.

James Bowers, Sr. said “we have a rare crop shaping up but the harvest will be cut by more than half by deer.” Mrs. Gerald Alderman (Louise) of Edwards Ranch, Inc. said they too are just beginning to harvest and “It looks good but one never knows until the crop is in.”

Mrs. Douglas Randall said they have given up on seed. On the west meadows the deer simply take it. She even has deer sacking out for the afternoon nap on her patio. On the east “Garr” meadows the antelope and deer combine efforts and there is nothing left to harvest.

When the Conservation Reserve Program began, alfalfa seed jumped to an unprecedented high. At the same time deer and antelope population went over the top, developing new range and habits. Now river meadow haystacks have to be fenced against antelope as well as deer and they feed by the hundreds on livestock feeding grounds and come into yards for choice tidbits. As Mr. Bowers noted there are hungry people who could well use the meat from those animals that are living on our seed and hay.

To hay and seed growers there is nothing delightful in seeing a protected game animal with five dollars worth of seed in its belly. The meadows that weren’t cut for seed have been grazed clean by game animals also, as they waited for seed, the irrigated spots being the only green feed around.

But. The weather is warm, skies are generally clear, livestock is fat and ready for market and the rewarding time of shipping and weaning calves is rapidly approaching.

Temperatures at Broadus weather station warmed from 56 over 43 degrees on Monday and 55/35 on Tuesday to 84 degrees on Friday, October fourth, in a report from Carmen Turnbough. Green lawns and shade trees are being savored in the usual way of appreciation for bright October days.

Alfalfa growers contacted were in warm spots and escaped the freeze that hit here and there in September.

An added bright time of enjoying the weather at Stuver Ranch occurred last week with a visit of Michael and Katrina Stuver and year-old son Kelby of Seattle. Michael (son of David and Jean) is an electrical engineer and foreman of a five-man crew at Boeing Aircraft. He said Boeing is short-staffed in every department. They have help wanted ads out constantly and can’t get enough help even in the areas where only low training is needed.