Belt Valley times. [volume] (Armington, Mont.) 1894-1977, 1923-01-04

1 am sure you folks can see the pro-
~cession 1000 miles away. Well, / sold
the critters for s25 per and drove
home in the rain, which happened TO
be our first fall rain and a good one.
1 then went out and bought six
good cows at $125 up to $3.50 each
and am very glad to say they are
good ones. With them / got two more
pure bred Jerseys. I have at last a
good foundation for a Jersey herd.
AS l have to feed straw and molasses,
having no hay last year, / do not ex-
pect to make much from one-hah the
proceeds, but we have a start and by
feeding them spuds and a liberal
amount of ground feed our share of
the proceeds almost keeps us in gro
eeries.
There are many fine herds of dairy
stock in this county. There are Hol-
stems, Guernseys, Milking Short
horns and Jerseys. / have seen some
wonderful producers in all four
breeds but l believe the Jersey APP
peals to me the most.
l might further state that in a
days travel last summer / saw some
well equipped dairy barns and some
nice cattle. Some of them had gold
and silver medals, but of all the herds
/ visited, / saw none that looked any
better to me than N. T. Wilson's barn
and herd did 10 years ago when / had
the pleasure of an hours visit at his
home. His barns and cattle we're
surely very nice as l expect the other
dairy farms in the vicinity of Belt
were also, had | eve had the good
fortune to have seen them.
Now friends. just a few lines in
conclusion, and that is that at times
/ get SO lonesome for the old crowd
cunmEtan-wafkmg bacK-nUme ard
l think old Mount Baker, towering up
in the clouds, and it's surrounding
range of mountains are all that keep
me from going back to Tiger Butte.
However, we are here and with Gods
help we will make good. Could we
have left the old Treasure State with
out owing anyone, we could be more
c%ontented. For me to owe anyone
and not be able to pay is surely hard
on the nerves. So here we must stay
and make good till our friends back
home are paid.
l miss the Sunday afternoon chats
with C. F. Anderson, Mr.. Sheldon
and other old timers, and the many
evening visits from the younger
folks. There is one consolation, al
though we are 1000 miles away, still
we know you wish us well and in re-
turn let me wish every one of you the
best of health and prosperity. To the
Times | wish the new editor the best
Of success. l certainly enjoyed read
ing your editorial last week and it
sure brought me back to that hard
when we had to borrow the
money to buy the feed for our stock.
To anyone wishing to write me, my
address is Custer, Wash, and | hope
to be able to write to a good many OF
my friends during the winter, and we
are surely having winter. / think /
was misinformed somewhat regard
ing the climate here. We have had
good sleighing for the past 10 days,
the thermometer hovers around zero,
pumps are frozen and tempers are
on the raise. Still, what is
without sleighing and what
would this old world be if we all had
our way.
Now | must close. Mrs. Irwin and
he children join me in sending you
All our best wishes for a Merry Xmas
md a Happy and Prosperous New
Year, and while so far away, we are
ylad the same old flag called the
and Stripes, is still your flag
md ours
Most sincerely yours,
J. o. IRWIN,
Custer, Wash.
? S.-Dear Times: Enclosed find 50