Belt Valley times. [volume] (Armington, Mont.) 1894-1977, 1922-11-02
MUD SINGING VS.. DIRT FARMING

Several democratic daily newspapers of Montana, notably
among them being the Lewistown Democrat-News and the Helena
Independent, have inaugurated a new and vicious campaign
against Congressman Carl w. Riddick on the grounds that he is
not a dirt farmer as he claims, and does not at this time own
any land in the state. Taking this statement as their basis they
charge further, that Mr.. Riddick has never had any reason for
claiming he was a real farmer.
The Argus has taken the trouble to make some inquiries re-
garding these charges from the records of Fergus county and from
interviews Win people ACQUAINTED WIZ Nr. hiooick aiialrs, ana
finds the facts are substantially these regarding the farming ex-
perience of Mr.. Riddick:
Mr.. Riddick came to Fergus county about IL years ago, a poor
man, and took up some land in the north central portion of this
county, near Christina. The first year he was on the land he Sc
railroad which was building north out of Lewistown. He was with
out funds, or practically so, and ID j. Burke, the general contractor
earning he paid Mr.. Burke and succeeded in getting a little stake
for himself. He branched out in the farming business and in 1918
he had acquired an equity in a considerable body of land and
seeded, that year, more than 14OO acres of wheat. 1t was a fine
crop, promised a yield of about 90 bushels to the acre and at the
proper time Mr.. Riddick placed binders in the field to cut it. These
binders worked just half a day when along came a hail storm and
moved down every foot of the crop, even destroying the loose
bundles, which had not been shocked. The binders were taken out
of the field and not another acre of the crop was cut. The follow
ing year Riddck borrowed sufficient funds to again seed his big
tract and he, with every farmer in the Judith Basin country, and
nearly the entire state, suffered a complete and absolute failure
from drouth. Succeeding years brought other calamities and Rid
dick was obliged to turn the main body of his land back to the
original owners, the Cook-Reynolds company of Lewistewn, who
generously accepted the return of the land, and surrendered to Mr..
Riddick his notes. There were yet the machine companies to set
tie with, and in the year 1921, while Mr.. Riddick was busy in
congress, his attorney in Lewistown, Judge e. Cheadle, effected
a settlement with the Advance-Rumey company, and the last
tract of land he owned went to that company by the terms of the
settlement.
Mr.. Riddicks farming experience was that of thousands of
other unfortunate farmers in the state of Montana. With success
almost assured he stood by in 1913 and saw himself practically
ruined in a very few minutes by a disastrous hail storm, and the
ruin was made complete by succeeding calamitous years.
Now the Argus would like to ask its readers and the voters of
the state OF Montana whether or not 1T is their belief that a man
who has had such experiences should be criticised and traduced
by such soft berth fellows as Bill Campbell Tom Stout, Burton X
Wheeler and Senator Thomas j. Walsh?
While Mr.. Riddick was going through this soul-blighting ex-
periencA Mr.. Wheeler was accepting the deeds Of a business prop
erty in Butte, which is said to bring him in a revenue Of $4,000
per annum. Mr.. Wheeler got rich quick. Mr.. Riddck, already
poor, was utterly ruined, even quicker.
The farmer, and in fact, nearly every other man who has been
trying Il farm or do business in Montana during the last five years