Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1911-09-06
MoNrANA IS NoT So Bad oFF
Two Writers Take Exception to
Recent Published Statements

Two Writers Take Exception to
Recent Published Statements
EDITOR CENSOR: your issue OF
the 18th inst, is an article written
at Stoddard signed by Observer II
is quite amusing to one who lives I'll
this part of Montana. They are now
harvesting and threshing the second
crop since have lived here. Farming
/ in this country is practically e " .
Around this place the first crops were
raised five years age, and the flrst hve
years there has been no failure. have
Travelled the length Of this state and
have failed to see any bleached bones.
1t is a fact that there have been some
very hard winters from reports in the
last twenty years, and where there
were large herds of thousands OF cattle
and sheep there have been times that
| the stock men lost heavily, but let
"Mr. Observer" stop and think what
would become Of herd of cattle of say
ten thousand head, roaming in Wiscon-
sin without shelter and no feed except
what they could dig up from under the
snow, as the case has been heretofore
in this state. But with the losses during
these hard winters, have never hear
of stock man going broke in Mon
tana.
Hail did some damage to crops in the
vicinity of Yates, this season, but most
of the crops damaged were insured.
Arthur Barley, one of our large farm
ers, Just received draft for over four
teen hundred dollars for hail damage
to his crop, and he will still thresh
around thirty thousand bushels of grain.
We do not need any eastern capital to
boom this state. It has plenty of cap
ital, and the soil that will produce more
for any one who has little backbone
and willing to work, he is sure Of sue
cess. But there are one or two things
that Stoddard has US skinned on-sand
burs and clam fishing. They are scarce
in this country. If "Mr Observer"
will come out to Yates and stop off for
few days ! will take him in an auto
mobile and give him run of hundred
miles and show him fields of grain in
place Of bleached bones, and will
guarantee that the trip with me will
not cost him one cent. ! would only
| be pleased to prove to him that my
statements are absolutely true.
With best regards to all my Wiscon-
sin friends, am, Yours truly,
C. E. WARD.
Yates, Mont, August %, 1911.
EDITOR CENsoR:-I notice a letter ii
your paper of August 10th, signed Job.
server, replying to a letter of Elk
Sheriff, c. E. Ward of Yates, Montana
There are few questions that l woulC
like to ask "Mr. Observer. I"
First: He states that the grass is
if anything, very short. Does he know
that Custer county, Montana, is in the
short grass district, and does he, Mr.
Observer, expect to see Buffalo gras:
grow three feet high!
Second He states that there is nc
hay or crops worth mentioning. | dc
not think that Mr. Observer observed
very closely as /, myself, own fifty
head of registered Short Horn cattle al
Ismay, Custer county, which are under
the management of Joseph Hunt. The
cattle are all fatter, will gamble, ev,
en- the mich COWS, than any steers In
the locality where Mr.. Observer lives
AS to the feed, we have hay enough Il
feed them all winter steady in case we
need to, but we do not expect to feed
at all, as the range is fine.
Third: He states that the lnterna
tional Harvester Company's agents d.
their harvesting in the spring. Does
he expect them to spend their time set
ting on the back porch or hanging
around the saloons until the crops arr
all harvested and then get out and of
fer to sell the farmers their machinery
Fourth: He states that the bleacheC
bones on the hillsides tell sorry story
Does he expect to travel through az
old stock country, where hundreds Of
thousands of cattle are allowed to roam
and not see the bones of few deaC
animals, when they are left to care fol
themselves on the range during winter
and summer?
Fifth: He states that irrigation i:
the only salvation. Now, Mr.. 0bser,
yer, if you will go to Ismay, Montana,
| will show you crop of two hundred
acres of flax that we raised on the dry
land farming system that went eight
bushels per acre. Very light, will &C
knowledge, but we have the crop con.
tracted at SO per bushel for seed flax
This was raised at the following ex.
pense: Rolling, breaking, discing and
seeding $3.50 per acre. Harvesting
anu tuISHuiIR were tel uHueT dnOLHGl
contract at 81 so per acre, making 8
total expense Of S. per acre; leaving q
net profit of SIC per acre. | bought
the land that this was raised on for SIT
per acre and have been foolish enough
to invest the above profits in more dry
land Of Montana.
will acknowledge that crops are
light in the west, especially in parts OF
South Dakota and in some sections they
have no wheat at all, but the wheat
around Ismay went from seven to thirty
bushels per acre. The corn crop is GO
ing TO be fair and the potato crop 8
! bumper
Now, Mr.. Observer, would like Il
have you let the readers of the CENsoF
know in what way you have invested
your cash that will beat investing il
Montana dry farming, as land sharks
agents and spectators, as you say, are
always ready to learn how to make
some easy money. j. w. CURRY.
Ismay, Montana, August 2S.
| DIR. and Mrs. W. L. Butt hav,