The Powder River County examiner and the Broadus independent. [volume] (Broadus, Mont.) 1919-1935, 1921-02-18
CAMPAIGN TO
KILL GOPAERS
ARRANGEMENTS FOR BUAIA(!
BAIT THROUGH COOPERATION
COUNTY COMMISSIONERS

AT we'll attended meeting of
farmers and ranchers in Droadus
Saturday afternoon an organization
was formed as the Powder River
County Prairie Dog and Gopher
club with its principal object the ex-
termination of prairie dog and 60
pher pests throughout the county. B.
Cain and Paul Harrison were elected
president and secretary respectively.
A committee of three, Lee Wilson.
S. S. Baker and George Linville, was
appointed to interview the county
commissioners at a special meeting
of the board on Monday, February
81, with a view to having the county
act as clearing house through the
purchase and distribution OF about a
ton of prairie dog bait: that is, to
have the county make the original
purchase of poisoned feed and sell it
by parcels from one or more distrib-
uting points. This will enable the
farmers and ranchers to procure the
bait at minimum expense.
A. f. Oman. biological assistant
with headquarters at Bozeman, has
promised to be in Broadus March 10
to assist in mixing the strychnine
with oats but an effort will be made
to have him here day or so sooner
II all plans are favorable.
Law for Prairie Dog Destruction
For the information of the people
of this county. the Examiner here
with reprints in full the law pertain
ing to the determination of such ro-
dent pests as the prairie dog:
Chapter Sc, Session Laws Of Fiji
teenth Legislative Assembly. IAN act
providing for the determination of
gophers and prescribing the manner
in which the expenses of exterminat-
ing the same shall be paid
Be it enacted by the Legislative
assembly OF the State of Montana:
Section /. determination of go-
piers. The county commissioners of
any county in this state, where there
are gOphers, upon a petition of ten
resident land owners, are hereby au-
thorized and empowered to appoint
some suitable person or persons.
whose duty it shall ne to poison,
kill and exterminate the gophers
within such county, and any person
SO appointed is hereby empowered
and directed to, between March list
and June 1st, enter upon any farm,
railroad right of way, grounds or
premises where there are gophers
and poison, kill and eXterminate the
gophers thereon when the owner or
occupant thereof shall neglect or re-
fuse to do so.
Sec. 2. Notice, How Served. 1t
shall be the duty OF the person so
appointed to give anyone, on whose
premises are found gophers ten days
notice in writing, to poison. kill or
exterminate the same; or il such
land is unoccupied and owned by a
nonresident, such notice shall be
mailed to it's owners address, or II
the address is unknown, posted upon
the land or@nremises where such go
pliers are to be exterm;nated; and
If upon the land or right of way Of
any railroad company such notice
may be served upon Its agent at the
station nearest to sacf land or right
OF way; and if the work Of extermi-
mating same is not done within such
time the person SO appointed by the
county commissioners shall proceed
to poison. kill and eXiermtnate the
gophers on such ;and or premises,
provided that any person authorized
to exterminate gophers according to
the provisions of this act, shall. when
poison is laid ont. use every precau-
ton to prevent the destruction of
domestic fowl or animals, and of
game birds by sucn poison. and no
person shall lay out poison in any
pasture where there is stock, or
within forty rods OF any occupied
dwelling or farm house, without the
knowledge and consent of the own
er or occupant thereof.
Sec. 8. Compensation, Statement
and Voucher to Be Charged Against
Said Land as Taxes, After Due No
tice. Any person SO appointed un-
der provisions of this article shall
receive as compensation the SUM ot
two dollars and fifty cents per day
for eight hours, labor performed In
poisoning and exterminating gophers.
He shall also be reimbursed for all
poison and grain wsed In the perfor-
nance of such work. Such person
shall make sworn statement to the
county of the time put in and the
poison and grain used on each tract
of land, provided that the maximum
charge against any parcel OF land
containing twenty acres or more
shall not be greater in any one year
than at the rate of six dollars per
16O acres. and the minimum charge
shall not be less than one dollar
against any parcel Of land, which
amount shall be paid by such county
oat Of its general fund and charged