Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1921-current, 1922-05-05
RANCH HARDSH|PS
REC0UNTED BY WIFE
IN PRESCOTT SUIT
Witnesses Say Defendant Ad
mitted Scott Had Share
in Land.
(Tribune's Helena Bureau.

. bBOvOU0 OS
Helena. May 4.-Stories of hare
work and privations of herself and hus
band on the South Pondera ranch were
related in district court Thursday by
Mrs. w. H. Scott upon direct examina
ton in the suit of her husband against
A. h. Prescott for an accounting Of
their affairs as partners in that ranch
She testified to the work of caring fol
the ranch hands and the herders. OF
raising by hand orphan lambs and poul-
try, of milking cows and looking after
outside work, even to herding sheer
when the ranch was shorthanded, anC
OF looking after the place when her
husband was out in the storms aiding
the herders in protecting their flOcks.
One time. she said, Scott was Out
for 4S hours without food when a
band of sheep drifted in a blizzard from
Brady to Collins and when he had to
tight the herder to keep him from lying
down and freezing to death. She said
that n time, when the railroad re-
fused to carry dynamite for the Bynum
dam over its new line, Scott hauled
the explosive from Brady to the dam
Bought One. Third Interest
She testified that she and her hus-
band performed other services on the
~ LII COuIltCLlOu WIFI Tie curing IOE
sheep and other livestock because he
had purchased an interest in the ranch
and its equipment for $4,000 and that
Prescott agreed to accept 81, 7O1 10.
which he owed Scott for back wages.
as a first payment on the purchase
price OF the O%ne-third interest. She
said she asked Prescott if her husband
should not get credit for interest on
that amount, but he said it was not
customary to allow interest on back
wages.
She testified that neither she nor
her husband could understand why the
note he signed for the one-third inter-
est should be made out for 500, O4O
after the deduction of the 81, 7O1 from
the $4,000, but when the books were
audited in 1917 she learned that Pres
colt had charged him interest upon
S24. 100 from October 1907 up t. the
time the note was signed.
She was not cross-examined by the
defense.
Alfred Thompson testified to a con-
versation with Prescott, near Brady. in
which Prescott admitted that Scott
claimed a one-third interest in the
ranch, but that Prescott claimed he had
not paid for it all as yet.
L. y. Larson, state senator from
Teton county. testified he had known
Prescott for 20 years and Scott since
1906; that he had frequent converse
tons with Prescott as to his relations
with Scott and Prescott had told him
he had sold a one-third interest to
Scott. the ~latter's interest to be paid
for out of the profits of the ranch op-
erations, and that he spoke to Larson
Of Scott as my partner, Scott"
Tells of Conversations
Senator Larson testified that at one
time, in 1915, when talking of buying
out the interest of T. A. NARROW in the
Cooperative Reservoir
Prescott said he would talk it over with
his partner. Scott, and that in Novem-
Der, 1917, Prescott told him that he
and Scott were having difficulty as to
whether Prescott should turn over to
the partnership a certain 16O acres
owned by Prescott personally, but op-
Grated by the partnership, and whether
lands of Scott, also operated
by the partnership, should be decided
to the partnership.
Senator Larson testified that he and
Mrs. Johnson of the American National
bank made a suggestion of compromise. |
which was acceptable to Scott, but
which was rejected by Prescott. and
Larson then advised Prescott he
had better divide up with Scott. at |
time Prescott did not dispute !
the fact that Scott was entitled to a
third interest. Mr.. Larson pro
duced two letters written to him by
Prescott in which the latter referred
to stock in the Teton Reservoir com
pany owned by himself and Scott.