davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The circle banner. [volume] (Circle, Mont.) 1914-1939, 1920-09-17
STATEMENT BY THE
STATEACRICULTURAL
COLLEGE, BOHEMIAN

H Persistent circulation of the re
port that gopher poison is destroying
many game and song birds of the
state has caused the issuance of 6
definite and positive denial from the
Montana State College. The state
ment vouched for by Prof. R. A
Cooley, state entomologist and en-
tomologist for the state college, and
by G.. A. Roosevelt, assistant in the
federal biological survey, is sum-
married. as follows:
There Is not single authenticated
case of the poisoning of game birds
in Montana by poisoned oats pre-
pared under the usual government
formula.
The federal biological survey,
which has charge of administration
OF laws protecting game birds and
other wild life, also is directing the
campaign for gopher eradication by
poisoned oats. 1t is hardly plausible
that such a federal department would
be poisoning gophers and killing at
the same time the birds that it is
created as department to protect.
Domestic chickens, quail, grouse,
ETC., are gallinaceous birds and are
strangely immune from strychIine
poisoning. Chickens have been fed
for 10 days on diet of nothing but
poisoned oats and clean water. At
the end of that time the chickens
were unaffected. Wild quail have
fed upon poisoned oats that had been |
scattered by spring, without a sin
gle quail having died, says the bio
logical survey in a report on gopher |
work in California
Many small birds probably would |
De killed in Montana If poisoned
wheat were used in place of poisoned
'ats. But 1t is we'll known that small |
birds do not care for oats. It is
Known that crows and magpies are
occasionally killed in Montana by
'ating the bodies of the poisoned co.
hers. Three authenticated cases
# the poisoning of horned larks have
zen reported out of a great many ;
asses Investigated. No other song
ird is known to have been killed in
his state by poisoned oats.
Some counties in Montana that !,
ave carried on gopher poisoning
ampaigns for three years report an
lcrease in the number of game !
irds. The president of the Ravalli
ounty farm bureau, in a county !,
here song birds of every variety =
nd description are abundant, does
Of know of a single case of the
oisoning of any game or song birds i.
any other birds excepting crows .
I'D magpies in his county.
Reports that bird life generally in =
ontana Is being destroyed by poi =
IN set out for gophers must be once u
Id for all branded as unauthentic. .,
The circle banner. [volume] (Circle, Mont.) 1914-1939, 1920-09-17
ROAD BUILDING RECORD MADE
IM MONTANA DURING 1920
BY JOHN N. EDY, STATE HIGHWAY ENGINEER.

The situation as regards actual
road building operations is more en-
lcouraging and more satisfactory to-
day than at any previous time in the
history OF the state highway commits
sion. A year ago 81 miles of state
road were in construction at a cost
OF $4,000. Today $50 miles, cost
ing $4,000, are being improved
by contractors or by counties with
their own forces; and of this volume
of work, 1877 miles, representing a
cost of $4,900,000, have been con-
tracted during the 1929 season prior
to September /. The local funds for
this bodybuilding program were
made available through county bond
issues voted in September, 1919.
Since that date and as a preliminary
to actual construction surveys were
made for 823 miles of road and de-
tailed plans for 818 miles.
Prelimfnaries Completed
1t is apparent therefore that all
preliminary engineering operations
have been completed for a consid-
cradle volume of work not actually
contracted. improvements valued at
$436,000 are advertised for bids on
September 8; $118,500 worth of
work is ready for contract and being
held pending arrangements on the
part OF counties to sell bonds or to |
otherwise finance the local share of |
the cost and plans representing |
$102,700 worth of roads and bridges
are being reviewed by the federal
bureau of roads which must approve
all plans for federal aid projects.
Road Put Under Construction
To summarize rather hurriedly,
therefore, the commission has since
1919, placed under con-
structfon or brought to the point
where construction Is contingent only
upon the county's ability to finance, Il
road and bridge projects represent
ing total expenditure of $6,600,000.
The 1920 road building program,
adopted last winter, involved an ex-
,enditure of $5,500,000. There is a [
measure of satisfaction for US all in {
'ealtz1ng that, 80 far as the opera i
ions OF the commission are con- &
'rned, this program has been accom- {
,lished; and we're 1t not for the I'M {
fortunate, though, / believe, tenn {
'orary, inability to sell county bonds, q
tx million dollars worth of state g
Dad work would have been placed r
lnder contract. liz
90 Separate Projects Ii
/ will not say that all construction
perations are progressing as speed
" as we would like. The improve-
1ents represent sc separate projects, t
of which are being built by con- a
FACTORS and 81 by counties. Several u
ontractors are performing their first p
ighway work and several counties .
The circle banner. [volume] (Circle, Mont.) 1914-1939, 1920-09-17

have had difficulty in securing exper-
Fenced construction superintendent.
without In any manner relaxing our
supervision OF the work we are doing
everything reasonably possible to
speed up the completion of projects
under way. Just now one of our men
Is devotlng his time to study of the
labor situation, endeavoring to bal
ance the labor demand and supply
through the cooperation of local en-
pioyment agents, contractors and
county agricultural agents. No at
tempt Is being made to draw men
from the harvest fields, where their
efforts are of such vital Importance.
but as harvesting is finished we shall
endetvor to place these men on road
work IL such employment is desired
Good Year Ahead
l feel justified in making the as
sertlon That during the season of
i9Z0, under the direction of the state
highway commission and with the
helpful cooperation of county off,
Gals more miles of high standard |
road will have been placed under |
construction and completed than has
been done in any previous ten years
III tHS HISTORY Oh the state.
Every contract awarded has been
executed by the state only after 1t has
been approved by the local respons-
IDLE officials, not only as to type and
genera details of construction, but
also ~ to the price to be paid for
the WSrk. The fact that % projects
are now being built by counties for
the state is, believe, indicative of
the close cooperation between all in
terestH agencies.
Federal Aid
YOU of course, already know that
Tor allihtghway work in Montana ap-
proximately one-half the cost is borne
by counties or towns, the other half
being paid by the federal govern
nent through the state under the
'rovisiAns Of the federal aid road act.
nave been asked by members OF
mis- ASSOCIATION whether or not fed
'ral aidlfs working out as l had ex-
'ected AID hoped 1t would. / want to
ay fraLkly that In my opinion fed
raj aid TOR highway improvement is
me OF ne biggest things that ever
anne to Montana. Under its provi-
ions and because of its far-reachingl
igniffcanfes, legitimate and needed
DAD bettFment has received an i'm
etus thai would otherwise havAl
cen, II nd attainable, certainly longk
elayed. N
Difficult to Estimate y
1t is hap to estimate the value of
ne federa3aid road act to this state;
nd l truA 1t will always be contin-
cd either In Its present or in an i'm
roved forp. But with the keenest
ppreciatid Of this fact, 1t II only
The circle banner. [volume] (Circle, Mont.) 1914-1939, 1920-09-17
Is GOPHER POISON KILLING W90NTANA'S
SONG AND GAME BIRDS? OPINIONS DIFFER

yHERE statewide controversy raging the question
of whether poison used for killing off gophers in Montana
is also killing song and game birds, and if So what
tent State Game Warden Jake De Hart declares that
large number of song birds and birds have been killed
result of the poisoned grain that scattered fields
kill gophers The Montana Agricultural college Bozeman
time issued statement positively denying that the
gopher poison destroying these birds The accompanying
statements issued by Game Warden De Hart and the Ag
cultural college.
The circle banner. [volume] (Circle, Mont.) 1914-1939, 1920-09-17

the propaganda for rodent poisoning
has been peddled day in and day Out
| for the past three years, and witness
the condition of the damaged grain
crops destroyed by insects, resulting
no doubt, from the use of poisoned
grain taken up by the singing and
insectivorous birds, as well as many
of the game bird family.
upon a recent visit to northern
Montana l took up with the mana
ger of the largest irrigation project
in Montana, the question of gopher
poisoning and what effect the use of
poisoned grain had upon the bird
family. The gentleman informed me
that in sections where the cruel and
inhuman practice had been put into
effect he had found hundreds of
dead birds, singing and insectivorous,
strewn upon the prairie. Today in
this wonderfully productive agricul-
tural district, these ill-advised peo-
pie, having sown to the wind they are
now reaping the whirlwind, as all
small grain crops are found to be
damaged largely by insects. and yet
our friends will tell us we are misin-
formed-strychnine and small grain
will not destroy the bird family.
Farmer Loses Hogs Il
"a few days ago lady resident of
Cascade county called at our office |
and informed us that we were doing |
a good work, and asked US to con-
.inue the publication of all the proof
We could secure, as she thought the
practice of distributing the poisoned |
,rain infamous and cruel. This kind
ady called to our attention the ex-
they had had upon the ranch
IS result of the distribution OF poi
oned grain. These people had a |,
cry fine canine who came in contact
With the poisoned birds and became
ute i'll, and to relieve the animal of
is misery he was killed, and his
cad severed from his body and sent .
D Bozeman college for examination.
he good lady was informed that her j.,
ct canine had strychnine poisoning. /,
he hogs upon the ranch became !;
luch distressed, and would indulge
/ squealing and running about the :
orral all night long. A veterinary ]
lrgeon was called in, and upon in ;
he was satisfied that the ,
-ouble was strychnine poisoning. .
ermit me to say, when you can DIS :
ess the porker with the gopher food :
D not tell me it will not injure the g
rds.
Permit me to quote to you in =
rmation given US by the agricu1tur-
department, Washington, d. c.,
at through the ravages of insects
e loss to agricultural interests is
per cent, and that loss of 10 per-
Mt would mean more than one bill
N dollars to the farmers of the
lited States. BY way of COMPARE
n, 1t is claimed we have 500 COL
ses and universities in the United
ates, including buildings and en-
wments the value exceeding $780, RI
5000. The loss to agriculture in &C.
3 United States through the raw 4,
es of insects in single year would hj
place the buildings and endow- si
,nts we're they from any cause des- ro
,yed and leave unexpended $780, of
0,000-a sum sufficient to create in
d endow 500 additional colleges Inv
d universities. til
biologists tell US most young of
DIS while in their nests are fed co
on insect life, and that each one FIR,
lily consumes an amount of animal to
ID in the shape of insects equal to tn
The circle banner. [volume] (Circle, Mont.) 1914-1939, 1920-09-17
DNficult to Estimate

1t is hap to estimate the value OF
the federal aid road act to this state;
and l truA 1t will always be contin-
ued either In Its present or in an i'm
proved forp. But with the keenest
appreciatid Of this fact, It u only
Gunnison news-champion., 1920-01-23
WILL HAVE TO EXPLAIN
SALE OF DISEASED
MEAT TO DEALER
| aOnlan.

laonlan.
c. J, Fawkes, a resident of Pitlin
Mesa, will appear before the deputy
district attorney AT Delta, soon, to eS-
plain his purpose in disposing of dis
eased meat. Complaint was lodged
against him the first of this week
when il became known that he had
slaughtered and sold TO local meat
market COW he had bought for 4
nominal sum, the animal being afflict-
ed with 4 disorder of malignant nat
ure and apparently incurable. On
being questioned by the officers con-
cerning his conduct in the transaction,
Fawkes al first disclaimed the deed but
later admitted the allegation. The Of
fense. one Of the most repulsive imag-
Unable, is punishable in this state by
fines ranging from $3.50 TO $1,000 and
jail sentences Of six months. Whcth-
r criminal proceedings will be insti-
uted against him is TO be decided by
he district attorneys office after the
hatter is officially brought up.
Gunnison news-champion., 1920-01-23

Though treat my family with kind
ness and consideration, and though
exercise the fairest justice and integ-
rity IN all my dealings with my fellow
men but do not actively enter into the
work that falls TO every citizen to be
done. | am as concerns my status as 4
citizen, only as sounding brass, or a
tinklIng cyInbal.
The conduct of affairs of govern
ment involves large amount of
knowledge, thought, and application
on the part of him on whom rests the
responsibility of governing.
Under a political system in which
the duty Of governing is assumed by
q few while the masses have but the
one duty, to obey, there. sasiFerSs:.sy'
little little reason ioT oTpessk individual's be-
coming hiSkZnNd in the principles of
s.ssaa.efafc To be good man in such
a state may well be considered as
equivalent with being good citizen.
But in country where the burden
and duty of governing falls equally
upon every citizen, it is highly impor-
tant that every person be informed a.
TO the theory of his government, the
means to be employed to secure prop
r governmental functioning, and the
manner in w!iict IL himself becomes
an essential part of the whole system.
To have this information is not suf-
..cient; the good citizen recognizes
me Importance of his taking an active
part in the affairs of government
1t would not be difficult TO find in
any community in our nation exam
PIES of men whose conduct in family,
i'eighborhood, or city, in society or
bIsiness is above criticism, yet, who
al e not OILY o.d oitlzena, bat are real
menace to our republican institutions.
There are many men who are SO
"irtuous that they shrink from contact
with what they look upon as the con-
Eliminating work of politics. They
remain away from the primaries; they
refrain from voting; they leave
refrain from voting; they leave the
hard, and possibly unpleasant work of
tthe citizen to be done by others. As
far as such men by thei rsilence can
DO so, they are leaving the ship Of
state to drift upon the rocks Of indiff-
Perence, into the shoals of destructive
policy and class interests
By all means be good man in all
your life relations; but at the same
time be good citizen by eagerly per-
forming the duties fastened upon you
ty such a Status.
Gunnison news-champion., 1920-01-23
tannh nnd News Of Stock-Items
RIIVII vIIII kvt1IIu about Stoekme,-Foloving
4vtIIIllI lIII vkflIIVIIr Piow and Shove-Dy
ANuuUA uuU xSuucU Of
DO You BRAND YOUR BUTTER,
BY J. I. Bartlett (ohio)

a pound OF good dairy butter.
please, said the customer.
Dow's is fifty cents and Denman's
Is sixty the storekecper explained
briskly. Which will you have-Den-
mans -
No. the customers tone was con-
elusive" We had pound OF Den
rnans's butter the other night worst
! ever tasted
How did you know il was Denman's
buiter- Ars. Denman doesn't PRINT
her name on her butter. Her butter
l. always extra nice"
You told me yourself the stuff was
Denman's- Give me Dow's.-
Which hoored the storekeeper. He
handed out 4 pound OF the 80 cent but
ter.
The explanation Of this was simple.
The storekecper had over reached
himself. as storekeepers sometimes do.
He had sold for Denman's butter wha.
was really the product of less com
pstent buttermaker. He had done the
same thing before. He viii doubtless
do II many times again And newt
ably he will pay heavily in injured
good will for his poor business judg-
ment.
But there is another angle to the
incident. IL revealed the ugly thing
that was happening to the Denman's
reputation, innocently entrusted to
the grasping merchant. What this
good farm woman gained at the sepa-
rator and churn, she was losing be-
cause she overlooked a simple little
thing-the branding of her butter
oidfashioned New Englanders still
make butter with COWS, sheaves. initi-
ais and the like moulded in the but
ter itself. distinctive farm brand
which no dealers chicanery can re-
move. Many butter makers in other
parts of the country where the brick
is the usual butter form. do not use
printed butter wrappers. Some 9th
ers do not use printed wrappers or
stamp, but simply write the name on
slip of paper and place il beneath
the wrapper. Such slips, of course,
can be easily removed or lost.
Where stamp and pad are used,
the imprint is often smutted out and
when ii reaches the
consumer.
The farm making poor butter has
no particular ground for advertising
it. There are a good many in this
class, SO many, in fact, that excellent
butter-makers in self-protection brand
their butter unless they deliver it in
person to the consumers. The print
ed wrapper is ordinarily the best pro-
lection. The cost of the printing is
negligible; the protection is complete;
the advertisement of great value. The
home butter-maker whose product al
ways sells at a premium on the local
market has something to point to
with pride. Such reputation attain
ed only with great pains, can be de-
stroyed in month by dishonest
dealer unless the producer safeguards
il.
Gunnison news-champion., 1920-01-23
WHAT SHALL WE DO
WITH OUR BCRROS!
Field and Farm

r icld and arm
IS yet no suitable commercial use
has been found for the burro. These
hybrids are too small in size and lack
ambition, so that they are Of little use
for draft purposes IL Is wonderful,
however. what handships these jacks
viii endure They are especially suit
able 20 thrive on our dry, and ranges
and ~~ill pack their weight whenever
saddlei up right At the present time
il would seem that the cheapest eco
nomical Use of these animals would be
TO cross the jenets with large stations
This could be done by means Of arti-
fieal impregnation and the results
should be small hinnies of much great
er value than the burro. II Is doubt
full If this cross would be OF greater
value than that of horses. On this
account the burro, though cheap and
hardy, would not make as good re-
turns on the range as horses, cattle or
sheep. They are also n nuisance on
the range, for the jacks often kill
calves. They grab calf by the neck
in their mouth and strike them against
their fore feet. Burros are also
troublesome around salt stations, for
they delight to remain there and they
drive the cattle away. We have but
little use for the burro in Colorado,
outside of the tourist season, now that
the mining business has been all shot
TO pieces.
Gunnison news-champion., 1920-01-23
Tardy Bowels, Inert Liver

They just won't let you put .'pep"
into your work or play. Sick head
ache comes from retaining waste mat
ter and impurities in the body.
Feel right for anything-make the
liver lively, the bowels FUNCTION regu-
iariy. with DR.. Kings New Life Pills.
Smoothly yet positively they produce
results that cleanse the system and
make the liver and bowels respond TO
the demands of n strong. healthy body.
Siill 25c.-at all druggists. Try them
tonight.
Gunnison news-champion., 1920-01-23
NECLECTING that
COLD OR COUGH?
Why, when DR.. Kings New
Discovery 20 promptly
checks il

IT'S natural you don't want to be
i careless and le, that old cold Gr
cough drne on or that new alta <
develop seriously. Not when you G. D
get such a proved successful renee y
as DIR. Kings New Discovery.
Cold. cough. grippe, Group does not
resist this standard rcliever 7ery long.
Its quality is as high today as II al
ways has becn-and it's been CROWN:
steadily In popularity for more than
nifty years. Coo. and Sl.20 bottle
at all druggists. Give 1t trial.
Gunnison news-champion., 1920-01-23

Saguachc CrcscoUt:-The grazing
pnrmi,'"rs Of the Saguachr Park diyi-
sion OF the CD-lctopa forest held q
meeting IN SugIachr On Saturday and
unanimously voted 10 select a com
mittec 20 act as an Adusory Board TO
the forr-, service In matters pertain
ing TO running stock on their division.
The object is TO bring abou; a closer
cooperation with the forest service in
matters OF range management.
Gunnison news-champion., 1920-01-23

The Colorado State Board of Immi-
grafton is making preparations to
revise its rainfall map, with d view
of showing more accurately and de-
finitely the average rainfall in the
agricultural districts of the state.
The rainfall map which has been used
for some time shows the following
yaritions in average annual rainfall:
Ten inches or less, 10 to Is inches, l5
tos20 inches, 20 to 25 inches, and 25
inches and over. Ii has been found
that these intervals are too large to
show accurately the distribution OF
rainfall in the non-irrigated farming
districts OF the state, especially in
the eastern and northwestern Sec
tions- To remedy this difficulty the
map will be revised so as to show
smaller variations in rainfall. especial
IL between 10 and 20 inches. The
rainfall map now in use has been OF
great value TO persons seeking loca-
tions in the agricultural districts of
the state, and il is believed that the
new map will be Of even greater value.
II will not be available for distribu-
tion for several months.
Gunnison news-champion., 1920-01-23
SEN ERE WINTER ON
THE NORTH FORK
Iiolrhkl. a.n

Thl, section ha. certainly had its
share Of cold wra,h'r this winter.
PcFhaps there ha. bron more below
zero weather than ha- ever been cN-
pcrIencal 10 the valley Vet II is the
finca, kind Of winter weather. Far
mcrs say IN" stock are doing very well
and eating their feed without any
waste. There is some talk that fruit
has been injured by the extreme cold,
but We do not believe 1t. a. that is talk
cd most every year, yet We have TO al
ways fight the Rio Grande for cars to
haul our fruit to market. Not time
TO squcal yet.
Gunnison news-champion., 1920-01-23

With the timber Of the United
States rapidly nearing depletion the
people Of this country are turning
their eyes toward Mexico. That coun-
Try has considerable timber similar to
that found in the United States, and
has immense tropical forests besides.
ThrrC . 4 general prevailing opin-
ION among farmers that cut worms
make horse nics. This is erroneous
Cut worms and army worms are some
times parasiti9ed by large Tachinid
flies. which to the casual observer.
somewhat resemble the horse fly. The
1achinid hy Is one OF natures means
cf CUnto.lrg the army ct worms.
Gunnison news-champion., 1920-01-23

Maize and the potato are found
growing Wild and seif-propagating in
Spanish America, althO they are IN a
form not recognized by the casual OBJ
server.
Gunnison news-champion., 1920-01-23

True literature, like happiness, is
ever Il by-product; II Is the half
conscious expression Of a man greatly
engaged in some other undertaking; il
is the song Of one working. David
Grayson.