Belt Valley times. [volume] (Armington, Mont.) 1894-1977, 1924-07-10


pioneers Of Azonsana'a gonnger days
fought fheIr way % sureeaa and pros
perity BY dint Of hard work and good
business Judgment,
Here is the pefsonaI story OF Hugh
Rogan, OF Helena, who is one 81 the
pioneers OF the Prickley Pear or Hell
ena valley. and VINO now has an ex-
ceIIent Ss0-acra improved farm. which
alone is worth more than $4,000.
Il came to Helena from Ken0sha,
Wis, IN 1879 and had to ride $50 miles
By stage 70 get here said Mr.. Rogan.
'sThe Northern Pacific railway had not
yet built in. I went to work on
ranch Ia the Prickley Pear valley at
| $50 a month. Ranch work was the
onls kind OF occupation one could get
unless he wanted to be miner. There
were no Industries.
Zone Of the most picturesque sights
Of those early days we're the bull and
mule teams which hauled freight into
the valley. You could hear the clear
tinkiing OF their bells as they CAME
over the mountain ranges and into
Last Chance Gulch.s
I'm the spring OF 1882, my brother
and bought an 80-acre farm with
good water right for $500. We paid
5000 down and had to pay Is per cent
interest on the balance OF 81 200. The
country was dead. The only buyers
we. had for what we raised were the
miners we had pretty hard shedding
at the start and We began TO wonder
whether we would ever be able to pay
what we owed on our farm.
after the railroad came, the whole
countryside sprang into activity. Build
Ings started to 60 up. New settlers.
began to come In and the price Of land
increased. The things we had to bring
in from the east dropped away down In
price and we got better price for
what we raised because the railroad
could take 1t to places where there
was a market for IT, We realized In
those days what railroad meant to
the country. Why. the railroad prac-
tlcally made this country
I'VE buckled down to work and then
thought another 50 acres for s900.
This time the interest was only u per
cent. think the coming OF the rail-
road had something to do with that.
Men who had money were more willing
to lend It to us pioneer farmers be-9
cause they knew that with the rail-
road to help as market our produce.
the chances were good that we would
be able TO pay. Money was easier to
get and naturally the interest was
lower.
1T wasn't so hard to pay for the 30
paid for it mostly by raising COWS
and milking them, After had that
paid for. I bought 525k acres with a
good water right After had paid for
this, had Just 81 left. remember
the day very well
TN summer we got 40 cents pound
and IN winter we got so cents. There
weren't many milk cows IN the state
then. The rancherS didn't take any
trouble to milk cows and 70 the market
Was good and people were willing to
pay a good price for fresh butter.
I'VE continued dairying until 1890
md then decided 70 branch off into
more general farming Since then
have farmed about as do now except
hat I'm getting older and don't cult
rate as much land. In 1923 had
lbout 20 acres Of potatoes, 90 acres OF
llfaTfa, 25 acres Of garden peas and
lbout % sores Of grafn.
.grhis is great country for potatoes.
We have from a foot TO a foot and 4
lalf OF sandy loan son throughout the
'ricliy Pear valley. Some places it's
hree feet deep. and we usually get
leavy potato yields / was the first
armer 10 grow the Melted Gem potato
d this locality. / boasht the first
ushel OF seed and It cost me $54.50
aid down at the depot in Heienai
rom chat one bushel Of seed dug
80 bushels Of potatoes that tail. I
rev these potatoes Tor four years and
aptnred the Helena market. ! have
rown potatoes since 1882 and the
verage yield IL about 125 70 $50 100
ound sacks to the sore.
my crop rotation plan is 70 grow
sfAaa1t@H WV HH&< ~ @44& AkfEHA 3tA4AAA lux
I've or six years. always DO az much
III plOwiHs an possible ana turn the
IND entigeag over bottom side MP. I
At bieafy pf manure on ths land,
bout 80 TORS 10 kha acre IN every
We years Mnch Of this manure / get
" the hauling
Il grow Tufkeslsn alfalfa very sue
sssfulIy. seeding bekwesn IS and 20
Dunds 70 the acre. For nurse crop
use bronze gFass and oafs I sow IL
Dumds OF bronze grnas and 90 pounds
cats 70 ire aere. fsrsf rm1xinR me
20 with shovel am tgae Krmnary floor.
sow lhe mixture frosn tee dsin b0x
va use the grass seezaR Ger ghe Al-
lfa- The first yemF wee q eood crop
oatB and she seeond year ses nay
op Of naked hax. the first cutting
me 20 anE she seeom6. September 4.