Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1921-current, 1922-05-12
PROPERTY VALUES
ISSUE IN P0NDERA
RANCH LITIGATION
Testimony Thursday Devoted
to Worth of Land and
Chattles.
(Trihune's Helena Bureau.)

Helena, May 11.-Additional testi-
mony as to the value Of the holdings
of the South Pondera Ranch company
at the time w. II. Scott was evicted
from the ranch was brought out
Thursday in the trial of the case of
Scott against A. X. Prescott in district
court. John McGregor. who was en-
ployed as sheep foreman by the j. b.
Long company from 1906 until 1920
and is now ranch manager of the
Beartootb Livestock company. with
over 5000 sheep in his care, testified
that in March, 1918. al the time of the
break between Scott and Prescott. he
was running six bands of sheep near
Stanford and was familiar with the
selling price of sheep at that time.
Sheep High In 1920
McGregor said he was interested
with a friend, who was trying to buy
a band of three-year-old ewes at that
time. and that such ewes, well wintered,
fine wool sheep. were worth SO a
head. He said they experienced diff
Guilty in locating a band such as they
wanted; that they looked n band of
two-year-old ewes. small boned, rather
scrubby and poorly wintered, for which
the wner wanted $50 a head.
He placed the value of fine wool
ewes, five to seven years, at S15 a
head. and, if none were older thar
five years, they were worth SIS. He
wintered, would shear 10 pounds of
wool in 1913 with wool worth So to 90
cents: that individual sheep might
sheer higher. and he had known of
whole bands shearing as high as II
pounds.
He set a value of $13 on yearling
ewes.
TO Larson of Choteau was recalled
and Intercepted as to the value of
shares of stock in the Teton Coop
erative Reservoir company because Of
the fact that 81 shares are part of the
assets of the Scott-Prescott firm and
affected by the litigation. He said
stock originally purchased in 1915
from L. A. NARROW had brought $3.50
a share and there had been quite a few
assessments since. so the actual cash
in these shares is now about
$3.50. and with interest figured on the
original assessment, would bring the
actual cost in excess Of $500 a share.
He fixed 5000 as a reasonable selling
price as of March 10. 1918, basing that
price on what he thought would be paid
by a person who could use it. He said
80 per cent of the stock was
optioned about two years ago at $3.50
n share and that if the stock had not
been pledged to carry land. a reason
abie market would be provided at $500.
Using Reservoir Water
On cross-examination it was brought
ont that the reservoir would hold from
10000 to $4,000 acre feet of water
and that the Brady Irrigation COM
pany. Mr.. Cowgirl and Mr.. Malone have
been using water out of il right
along: He testified that the
had the flood water rights on the Teton
river and III ordinary years could store
Hood water and the winter flow and
that the defendant. Prescott, had told
h!m that the intake ditch is now run
ming water into the reservoir at its full
capacity.
w. B. Linlay, public accountant. was
the stand for the continuance of his
cross-examination and testified that as
Of March 10, 1918, the cash receipts
IF the firm was $36S,S21 and the dis
1862 GA. He said that in
making his trial balance of that date
found that the book inventory value
the sheep and all livestock was car
lied at $500. but that he had car
used the inventory and corrected it as
o the various kinds of livestock and
,dded the market value of hay, grain
other supplies so that when so cor
-ected it totaled $59.33O more than
hat carried on the firms books, he
said: This made the total resources
1892, 139.
Interest on Balances
Asked about the item of interest on
'redit balances due Mr.. Prescott from
he firm, he stated that during the
irst year of operation the books
Prescott had advanced consid-
'rabie money upon which, under his ;
he was paid at the rate of
per cent, but that later on COM
nencing with July, 1919, the credit
switched to the favor of the
irm. The balances thereafter fIuctu- J
tied, sometimes one way and some
ines the other way. From October, /,
917, until the time Scott was put off ,
he ranch. the credit balance in favor
# the firm ranged from $4,000 to
The cross-examination of
lr. Finlay will be resumed Friday (,
morning. |.