The Powder River County examiner and the Broadus independent. [volume] (Broadus, Mont.) 1919-1935, 1920-11-26
WHERE THE COWBOYS
MAKING LAST STAND
IN THE POWDER RIVER COUN.
TRY-lNCIDENTS OF RECENT
ROUNDUP ARE RECALLED
(By j, F.. IeWfs.)

(By j. r. I.ewis.)
"A wild two days in the widest
country on earth. Bring your tents
and roundup bed and sleep on the
banks of Powder river" read the
posters announcing the annual round-
up at Broadus, the county seat of
Powder River county. Many followed
instructions an Numerous tents
dotted the valley. Many didn't need
any bed--they danced all night at
"Shorty's" garage, which was packed
to the doors.
Powder River county. in south
eastern Montana, has q name that
will live in story, a name suggestive
of things wild and picturesque. and
one which, at least at the present
time. fits the county, which has not
a single mile Of railway nor an in
corporated town within it's limits of
"a niles in width and 60 miles in
length. Broadus. on Powder river.
is 80 miles by stage from Miles City,
the railroad oint from which all mail
and merchandise is hauled overland.
The surface of the country is broken
and hilly and it is essentially cattle
country.
Powder river is the home of the
bucking brOnc and the Gasting, fear
less cowboy who meets him in NOR
tai combat. Wild west stunts are
staged in the east. bat they are
merely staged. In the Powder river
country one can see The real thing,
which is Homething altogether diff
ferent from the staged imitation in
Wild west shows.
Wild steers and Wild horses that
were bad actors. without number,
We're turned loose i'll the arena and
the boys rode them or tried to. Many
We're thrown and some We're carried
unconscious from the field. When
the announcement was made that
The next horse VII be rode by the
Broadus preacher it made the Wis
itors sit up and take notice. Express
sions of surprise We're heard----not be-
cause Il preacher was going to mount
a wild bronc, but TO learn that
Broadus had a preacher. He appear
ed in full costume with spurs and
cnapps and all the other regalia. He
rode bareback and the horse bucked
and plunged with the widest aban-
don, but the sky pilot proved to be
a stayer and won the rlaudits of the
multitude. Billy Sunday. the baseball
evangelist. is not in it with the
Broadus preacher. Baseball is tame
and mild in comparison With riding
an outlaw bronze.
This preacher. whose name is H.
X. Waters, is a live wire and typical
OF the community. he runs a pic
ture show through he week. and
breaches in the same hall on Sun
days and during the Roundup had
the hall filled with cots for the ac-
commodation Of those who could not
get sleeping quarters elsewhere.
Boys who have always instinctiyely
avoided preachers think Waters is
all right and pay him what they con-
slider the highest compliment that
eau be put into words by saying,
WHY, YOU would. / know he was a
preacher.
Broadus is husky yearIing. On
January /. 1919. before Powder
River county was created. all there
was to the town was d little country
store and few other buildings.
mostly log Shacks. Now hlere are
two banks, two general stores with
big stocks of goods, grocery store,
drug store. restaurant. -four mill.
lumber yard and various other lines
of business. There are two doctors
and two lawyers. The newspaper.
the Powder River County Examiner.
is run by Hugo Camplin. real
newspaper man. The office has Il
linotype and is we'll equipped, gem
orally. The Powder River hotel. un-
4 M Il
would be considered a first class hos
telry in city OF five or ten thou
san. It is handsome two story
building with 20 rooms and modern
throughout. and was erected at a
cost OF approximately $4,000.
Theyu have city water from arte-
sian wells the deepest being some
thing less THAN 500 feet in depth,
and the water can not be beat. 1t is
is soft and tests almost 100 per cent
pure.
Rroadus claims to be the cham
pion long distance town. II is sort
OF wild -westy.' the spirit and at
mosphere of the west prevailing. II
you like the west you will like Pow
der River county and the people you
meet there, the average citizen. the
preacher. and the poetess, and wild
Bill of Powderville. who drives you
to the railroad and tells of the olden
days, and you will he influenced by
the Call of the Wild"
Powderyille, 80 miles below Broa.
dus, is the oldest town on the his.
toric river. It was stage station
between Deadwood and Miles City
over 40 years ago. Here the curious
passerby. standing beside the score
Of more of unmarked graves on Boot
Hill, muses. on the towns wild and
CORY past. Some kipling of the wesi
could find here a fertile field fOI