Voices From The Past

August 25, 1922

Grain Threshing Getting Started

Mrs. E.A. Hudson of the Coalwood country is the first from Powder River County to market this summer’s wheat in Miles City. J.V. Shirmer, truck freighter, on Tuesday took a load of wheat to Miles City for Mrs. Hudson that brought 88 cents a bushel. This wheat averaged 56 pounds to the bushel. The freighter charges 45 cents per hundred for freighting wheat from Volborg to Miles City, 55 cents from Coalwood and 65 cents from Broadus.

E.W. Viertel was occupied this week in threshing for Mrs. Hudson and Mrs. E.E. Leihy and Henry Kolka and John Lemson were threshing for G.W. Allen and sons.

August 22, 1947

Powder River is Among Leaders

Powder River County ranks 79th among the counties of the nation in the production of alfalfa, according to a report issued by the Department of Commerce at Washington.

Nine Montana counties are among the 100 leading alfalfa-growing counties in the United States, according to figures from the 1945 Census of Agriculture issued by Director J.C. Capt, Bureau of Census, Department of Commerce.

These nine Montana counties reported 285,318 acres of alfalfa harvested for hay in 1944. This was 41 percent of Montana’s 694,492 acres and two percent of the Nation’s 14,977,233 acres in this crop.

August 24, 1972

Examiner Editor Wins Five Awards in Contest

Georgie Vandever, managing editor of the Powder River Examiner, was the winner of five awards at the Montana Press Association Convention held in Miles City last week. Mrs. Vandever received two second place awards, two third place awards, and one honorable mention award.

The two second place awards were presented to Mrs. Vandever in the Use of Pictures and Community Service categories. The two third place awards were in the Special Issue and Advertising Idea and Presentation categories and the honorable mention was in the Editorial of Column Writing category. This was the first time Mrs. Vanderer had entered the state competition and had entered Examiners into each of the eight categories for weekly papers under 1500 circulation.

Mrs. Vandever began her career with the Powder River Examiner over ten years ago when she was hired as a linotype operator by Examiner Publisher, Aubrey Larson. She graduated from that position to advertising, layout and makeup, casting, commercial printing, operation of the presses, reporting and photography.

In June of 1968, the Examiner changed over to offset printing and a little over a year later, Mrs. Vandever was named Managing Editor when Larson moved to Circle to operate the Circle Banner. She has been in charge of the Broadus office since that time. Larson has since purchased the Hysham Echo and Jordan Tribune and operates the central office in Miles City where he makes his home.

The Tobacco Valley News of Eureka was the big winner in the under 1500 circulation division in state competition. It won five of the first place awards with the Culbertson Searchlight receiving two and the Northwest Tribune of Stevensville and the Liberty County Times of Chester each receiving one.

Mrs. Vandever was in Miles City for the convention and accepted her awards at the Awards Luncheon at the Red Rock on Friday.

August 21, 1997

Amber Smith, 14, Takes Working Horse Show Title

Fourteen-year-old Amber Smith and Blue, her ten-year-old gelding Quarter Horse, claimed the prestigious Powder River County Working Horse Show title and the coveted hand-tooled saddle donated by Broadus Boot and Tack and T.A.W., Inc. of Miles City following day-long competition here Friday.

Amber, who finished the show with 74 points, is the youngest competitor to ever hold the title. She is the daughter of John and Lana Kay (1995 title winner) Smith of rural Broadus. Amber also finished as High Point Youth at the Show.

Second place went to Darold Wolff and Bobbie, who finished with 72 points. Larry Clements and Dun Dee garnered 70 points in the close competition for third place. Wendy Badgett and Spearmint finished in fourth place, with 69 points.

Other competitors and their point tallies included: Julie LaPlant and T.C., 48; Austin Clements and Vandy, 39; Tracy Anderson and Floppy, 36; Sheldon Portwine and Kate, 32; Bob Scoles and Mid Jet, 26; J.J. McDowell and Cup Cake, 16; Nancy Turnbough and Paint, 9; and Leal Brimmer and Teddy, 2.

Individual event winners were as follows:

Western Pleasure: first place, Darold Wolff on Bobbie; second, Amber Smith on Blue; third, Wendy Badgett on Spearmint; and fourth, Austin Clements on Vandy.

Reining: first, Darold Wolff on Bobbie; second, Larry Clements on Dun Dee; third, Wendy Badgett on Spearmint; and fourth, Bob Scoles on Mid Jet.

Cutting: first, Larry Clements on Dun Dee; second, Wendy Badgett on Spearmint; third, Amber Smith on Blue; and fourth, Darold Wolff on Bobbie.

Barrel Race: first, Julie LaPlant on T.C.; second, Amber Smith on Blue; third, Sheldon Portwine on Kate; and fourth, Wendy Badgett on Spearmint.

Pole Bending: first, Amber Smith on Blue; second, Larry Clements on Dun Dee; third, Wendy Badgett on Spearmint; and fourth, Austin Clements on Vandy.

Steer Stopping: first, Wendy Badgett on Spearmint; second, Darold Wolff on Bobbie; third, Bob Scoles on Mid Jet; and fourth, Amber Smith on Blue.

Heading: first, Darold Wolff on Bobbie; second, Julie LaPlant on T.C.; third, Amber Smith on Blue; and fourth, Larry Clements on Dun Dee.

Heeling: first, Darold Wolff on Bobbie; second, Larry Clements on Dun Dee; third, Amber Smith on Blue; and fourth, Wendy Badgett on Spearmint.

Halter: first, Dun Dee, shown by Larry Clements; second, Blue, shown by Amber Smith; third, T.C., shown by Julie LaPlant; and fourth, Spearmint shown by Wendy Badgett.

Amber took time to compile the list of winners for the Examiner also. Usually that task, along with organizing and running the show, is delegated to the previous year’s winner. A no-show there, however, resulted in the event being run as a cooperative effort among others who simply stepped in at the last moment and volunteered their services.