Voices From The Past

January 5, 1923

Railroad Line is Mapped on Paper

Foreign to the present agitation for a railroad project from Casper, Wyo., to Miles City, Mont., or a proposed railroad from Belle Fourche, S.D. to Broadus is still another proposed railroad route that is projected along the entire course of Powder River.

Pamphlets containing maps and blueprints have been received here showing the route to start from Medicine Bow on the Union Pacific in Wyoming and then following a northward course to Casper, Salt Creek, Teapot Dome, Sussex, Arvada, Broadus and Terry and connecting near the Canadian boundary with another projected railroad that extends from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, to Vancouver, Canada, on the Pacific Ocean. There are some who believe there is a possibility of some connections between the promoters of such a railroad line from the Union Pacific in Wyoming with the agitation for a proposed railroad line from Salt Creek oil fields of Wyoming to Miles City.

The prospectus and maps were compiled by J.M. Wiley for the Hemispheres Engineering Company of Los Angeles, engineers for the proposed Gulf Lake, Superior & Pacific Railroad Company, export grain route.

Mr. Wiley was in Broadus in August last year and personally investigated the feasibility of such a proposed railroad from Wyoming down Powder River and on to the Canadian line. The descriptive literature of such a route states that many practical oil men and eminent geologists believe a great oil field will be developed between the Big Horn mountains and the Black Hills and in conformity with this theory there are two oil structures located on Powder River, one on Cache Creek in Powder River County and the other in the northwestern corner of Campbell County, Wyoming, on Powder River. The entire distance of such a railroad as mapped on paper is through potential oil structures and proven fields.

On the occasion of his visit to Broadus last year Mr. Wiley was enthusiastic over the possibilities of oil development on Powder River and unhesitantly predicted that one of the greatest oil fields in the world would be proven in fields south of Broadus and in northern Wyoming in fields either adjacent to Powder River or bordering on that stream. Mr. Wiley is a practical oil man and has almost dedicated his life work the study of oil structures. He is no amateur in seriousness to investigate the possibilities of this country both for railroad and oil. He is a man of elderly years, well read and is purported to oil concerns with millions of dollars capital. Mr. Wiley was among the first practical oil men to enter the oil fields of Mexico and it was largely due to his explorations and advice that one of the largest oil fields in the world was discovered there.

Sunflowers are Preferred by Both Cattle and Horses

“As a forage, sunflowers are preferred by both cattle and horses,” said George Rule of near Broadus who is making good in diversified farming methods. “Recently I experimented with feeding different grains to cattle and horses,” said Rule. “Throwing a bundle of wheat and a bundle of oats on the ground, the cattle were well engaged when between them I set out a bundle of sunflowers. The stock on both sides abandoned the grain and started eating the sunflowers and continued until the last particle was gone. Cattle will take to sunflowers in preference to other kinds of feed but with horses sometimes they must be educated to the sunflower diet. This past year I raised sunflowers that great to a height of 15 feet and they are always a sure crop even under adverse drought conditions. They are not subject to attack by grasshoppers. Experience has taught me to cultivate sunflowers the same as with corn and to cut them when the lower leaves just start to turn brown in color.”

January 2, 1948

Broadus Independents Won Game Last Friday

The Broadus Independents defeated the College Boys in a basketball game played at the high school gym last Friday night by a score of 37 to 28. The Independents were far in the lead at the end of the first half but the College Boys came back strong in the second half. Players for the Independents were Neiman, Yarger, Bone, Klein, Janssen, Nalley. For the College Boys, Taylor, Jesse, Miles, Burton, Christianson, Capra, Heidel, Nisley, Stiles, Smith. Referees were Smith and D. Heidel. Scorers L.A. Pemberton and G. Huckins. Timer Chelsea Coburn.

January 4, 1973

Carter County Sees Uranium Play

Carter County has many crews working to prove up on the some thousands of uranium mining claims filed in the area. Several crews are working in the Alzada area of Carter County and the courthouse of Carter County is busy filing mining claims from such companies as Kerr-McGee, American Nuclear Corporation and Montana Nuclear Corporation.

Sounds as if there will be a good deal of activity come spring.