Western news and the Libby times. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1920-1933, 1929-07-11

ana weeds ana Olner deDrlS were
elinging almost to the tops of these
cars, showing the depth the water had
reached. Fences were q mass of mud,
straw and weeds. Sidewalks and the
sides of houses and stores were sim
ilarly coated. 1t could be plainly seen
thatA-the water had reached a depth
of some six or seven feet right through
the business and residence sections of
the village. That meant a depth of
S5 or 40 feet in the bed of the creek
A few houses and barns had been
raised from their foundations and
floated away and dropped. AS we
passed through, almost month later,
workmen were still hauling away de-
bris, and housewives could be seen at
work in their yards cleaning furniture.
With six feet of water sweeping
through a village the damage to mer-
ehandise, stocks, houses and furniture
must have been great.
The flood was the result of cloud
burst above the town, the area for
several square miles daining into the
one channel, that of Beaver creek. 1t
came upon the village without warn
ing and quickly. The wonder is that
more lives were not lost, only two
or three having been drowned.
AS we proceeded on our jorney we
became interested in noting the signs
many of them humorous-that were
posted along the highway as one en-
/ tered various towns. We were asked
to s.Drive Slowly. Let the children
live Others read, I'VE love our chill
dren," and "Speed limit ID miles pei
hour. Speed cop on duty all hours
One reminded us of Oylear and Shelf
field. 1t read, Caution. Drive slowly
The town is full of Fords."
The returning traveller is almost
| always asked about roads. On tht
whole, we were fortunate. We struci
some muddy highway and some thai
was rough. While Montana has 4
bad reputation regarding its high
ways, our worst experience occurred
in western North Dakota. About
o'clock one evening we drove ontt
what was apparently new grade
that had been graded and left to set
tie for several months and thatN wa.
lust about ready to be gravelled
4 Apparently heavy rain had strucl
that grade a few hours before GU
arrival. and as result it was coatet
with about six inches of goo-ey, site
ky, slippery Dakota gumbo mud. W
I slithered and slid through that TO
II miles with the car threatening t
go off the grade every few minute
!, and missing the plunge by inches
That slowed US up considerably an
we failed to make our destination
, Dickinson-that night But aside fror
, that we had no really bad road, wit
the exception that some stretche
were rough.
Montana probably merits its ba
reputation as to roads compared Wit
other states, but it is making rapi
l progress in correcting that bad reI
: utation. After striking the yellow
7 stone Trail at Missoula and proceed
9 ing eastward, we passed project ate
$ project where work was either
: progress, where crews were bein
: moved onto projects and camps estal
\ lished, or where the grade had bee
d finished and was awaiting gravellini
$ This new work in every instance ha
t been planned so as to eliminate O
t highway that was long and curvin
: and billy, thus reducing the mileap
d and making a much better grade. W
: should Judge from the work we sa
in progress eastward from Missoul
S taken in connection with highway thu
/, is already finished, that another yea
d or two will see a gravelled and pave
: highway clear across the state fro
d the North Dakota line via Miles Cit
d Billings, Butte and Missoula. Ever
7 few miles in that district finds acre
/ on some sort of road work.
d On the return trip we could no
n considerable Improvement in certa
q sections. Some projects we had NJ
g been allowed to travel over going cas-
i ward had been finished and opened /
G the time we returned, making a COZ
r siderable difference in the route.
oil Coming northward from Nilsson
d one travels on a paved or gravellt
It highway much of the way to Kali
e pell. There is one rough stretch for
short distance along the way al
coming around the end of Flathef
e lake a few miles out from Kalispe
n there is some unimproved mileag
IS that is not bad, however. Then out
x Kalispell toward Libby, the gravellt
g highway at Nolar hill, McGregor lal
a and Elk hill reduces materially Il
! unimproved road and makes the goir
Z pleasant.
It On our route across North Dakoi
e we found considerable unimprovt
It highway, but that state is doing mus
y work and will soon have a standal
g. highway from Medora to Fargo.
q Minnesota and Iowa one finds pa
e ing and gravelled roads everywher
But the improved highway has i
4, drawbacks. After slithering throue
e the II miles of mud in western Mort
e Dakota, we finally struck lor
e stretch Of gravel. Setting my foot !
+ pressure that held the car at abo1
e as mile speed-as fast as. Mrs. Rov
It would allow US to travel-with n
t. hands idling grasping the wheel al
d1 aiming at points apparently mil