Voices from the Past

August 24, 1923

Investigate Bones

To investigate and find an immense deposit of bones, an excursion is planned Sunday forenoon to the vicinity of the Peerless coal bank on Sand Creek that will be participated in by residents of Broadus and people living in the vicinity of the coal mine. Cars will leave Broadus about 9 o’clock in the forenoon.

The event will be in the nature of a picnic for the residents of Broadus and folks living in the vicinity of the coal mine, even to distances of 15 to 20 miles. The plan is for everyone to bring lunches with them and to enjoy a repast in common. Those who are able are urged to bring ice cream. It is already estimated that a large crowd of men, women and children will attend and of course all are welcome. Many admirable places abound in the vicinity for an ideal picnic ground and in addition many of the natives will be given their first opportunity to inspect the thirty-foot coal vein.

While the women folks are becoming acquainted and the children are frolicking in play the men will seek out the hidden deposit of bones. There is no myth regarding this deposit for they have actually been seen by A.W. Devasher and Tom Doyle and perhaps others but for the most part residents in the vicinity and in Broadus never knew of the deposit until only recently when Mr. Devasher happened to comment upon the curiosity. It is his belief that the bones are those of a large herd of buffalo that went to their destruction in the vicinity when they were driven over a 25-foot sheer cut bank or probably had drifted before a blizzard. It has been ten years since Mr. Doyle witnessed the bone deposit and even now he expresses a belief that some of the bones might be those of humans for some of them had washed out of the bank and were observed to be smaller than from dumb beasts. Both Doyle and Devasher agree that the bone deposit is of considerable magnitude, and that its location is from one-quarter to one-half a mile north and west from the Peerless coal mine. According to them there is an outcropping of the bones about half way down a cut bank, indicated that a cave-in had covered the dead animals. The country in that vicinity is rough and broken and by many called the “Bad Lands”. Gumbo Butte on the Bert Maynard place is in the vicinity, and Chester Hopkins also is a resident on a level piece in the vicinity.

The investigation Sunday forenoon many develop historical interest as well, for tradition has it that in the early ‘80’s government troops fought a pitched battle with Indians about half a mile from the coal bank and that the bones might be from the washed-out burial grounds of men and beasts.

The Broadus people will return here about 2 o’clock in the afternoon to witness the baseball game between the boys’ teams of Broadus and Doyle Creek that promises to be even more interesting and exciting than a game between men’s teams. Each team now has one game to its credit and the game Sunday will be hotly contested to determine the winner of the “rubber”.

August 23, 1973

Mrs. Bessie Cain Honored By Her Family

When Mrs. Bessie Cain, long-time pioneer resident holds a reunion, it is more like a convention and this was very much in evidence last Sunday when Mrs. Cain and her fourteen living children got together for their family reunion. In all total, Mrs. Cain and her children and their children and their children number 183. There were 105 present Sunday for the get-together. Mrs. Cain and her children ranched in the Volborg area for many years where some of her children still reside. Her children attending the party included Mike, Bullet, Roy, Short, Buster, Tat, Joe, Jess, Myrt, Nanie, Gertie, Ruth, Onie and Edith. One son, Oscar, passed away last winter. Mrs. Cain is now 85.

August 20, 1998

Round Robin Showmanship Contest Results Announced

By Saturday afternoon of the Fair, 4-H livestock showman are hot, tired, and ready to call it a Fair. That is why the Round Robin Showmanship contest is a true test of perseverance. Participants first qualified by winning Champion or Reserve Champion Showman with one of their livestock entries, earning the opportunity to compete in the contest. They then were evaluated as they demonstrated their skill showing beef, sheep, hogs, horses and dairy.

Grand Champion Senior Round Robin Showman for the second consecutive year was Lyndsey Trucano, with Wende Gianino receiving Reserve honors. Lyndsey received a beautiful plaque in memory of Jim Phillips, sponsored by Dave and Pat Gardner and a cash award sponsored by Mary and Owen Rumph. Grand Champion Junior Round Robin Showman was a delighted Lynelle Brimmer. She received a traveling trophy sponsored by Lawrence Giacometto and a cash award sponsored by Powder River Farm Bureau. Reserve Junior Showman was Marlee Trucano.

Other showman who competed in the Round Robin included: Seniors - Heidi Butts, Kelly Madsen, Stacey Fortner, Carsten Phillippi, Adam Dice, Jessica Reaves, Meghan Phillippi and Latrisha Stradtman. Juniors - Brittany Dice, Cris Landa, Justin Madsen, Amanda Dinstel, Austin Phillippi, Shannon Janssen and Krista Minow.