The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1901-12-20
A GAUDY LIAR.

A GAUDY LIAR.
AS a prevaricator the gentleman
who has suddenly sprung himself upo1
an astonished community as loca
news representative of various outside
newspapers is far and above all othe1
plain or ornamental liars who have
ever made their efforts public. The
reports he has been sending out dur
ing the past few days concerning the
climatic conditions said to exist here
at the present time are about the
most senseless and absurd exhibitions
OF malicious mendacity that could
well be imagined. The bare fou1
inches OF snow that cover the ground
in this county have been multiplied
by him until they attain a depth of
two feet in their shallowest, while
in other places he solemnly declares
snow no less than six feet deep covers
range and city. Wading through the
depths Of the snow which his magma
ton pictures must have chilled the
gentleman, as he AYERS the thermom-
eter last Sunday night registered 20
degrees below zero right here in Bill
lngs and was seeking still greater
depths because of the terrific wind
that was then sweeping everything be-
fore it and chilling man and beast to
the very marrow. The picture of suf-
ferlng on the range and the conse-
quent losses to cattle and sheepmen
that he drew would be touching and
really pitiful had it a grain of truth to
warrant it's portrayal.
Who the man is that has assumed
to send out the rot is not known, and
probably well for himself it is that
his identity remains hidden. Some
OF the men whom he declares are
about to go into bankruptcy because
of the losses they have sustained on
range and farm might desire to have
an Interview with him. What he ex-
poets to gain by his Misrepresentation
and wilful prevaricating cannot be
imagined. No other reason can be ad-
vanced for his course than a wish to
lnjure the community, or, perhaps,
vent some petty personal spite. Here
where the truth is known many are in
to laugh at the fellows fakes, |
but abroad, where the facts are not !
a~scertainable, such lies as he wires
to the world are calculated to be a
detriment to the community and seri-
ously annoy and discommode the rep
resentatives of a very important !
branch of the community's business.
While it is true that last Friday
night was an exceptionally cold one
for this part of the state, the ex-
tremely low temperature registered
prevailed for a short time only, and
the snow Of which he writes in such
horrlfying manner came just in the
nick of time, as it was sadly needed
afford moisture on the ranges and
later on a supply Of water. AS all
the fall which may be said to
only now ended was an excep-
tlonally long and dry one and range
men were beginning to feel some an
.prehension as to the water supply and
hoping for snow. Consequently
when it did begin to fall they did not
become frightened as to the safety of
their herds and f1ocks. At no time
had they reason for believing that the
ANIMALS on the ranges were in any
whatever. They knew that
with the first snow cattle and sheen
would leave the low lands and drift
onto the higher ground, there to Craze
practically e range, as previous
y they a remained in the low places
because of the proximity of water
Any n knowing the least about
The range business is we'll aware of
he fact that with the coming of snow
animals leave the valleys and low
country for the hills and broken
Instinct tells them that there
,hey will always find ample supplies
II grass and the snow provides them
With moisture, making it no longer
Necessary for them to remain in the
'lclnity of the water courses. But
this new correspondent
Gems to be ignorant and
displays his ignorance by wir-