davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1931-10-30
UNITED FARMERS LEAGUE DOINCS

The United Farmers League
meeting and demonstration in
Plentywood October Is was so sue
cessful all the nearby towns and
counties have been inspired with
enthusiasm for the cause.
Mother Bloor's organizing trip
with the acting state oragnizer OF
the United Farmers League, Rod
ney Salisbury, was really one of
the most satisfactory. most mill
tant campaigns ever organized in
eastern Montana.
Beginning with the regular
meeting of the U. F. L. 1T Re-
serve aSturday afternoon, Oct. II
then on to Navajo In the evening
over in Daniels county = the
school house was packed TO its ut
most capacity. Many new mem
bers joined the U. F. l.. and a
brand new county organization
was formed with Fred Holmdahl
as the county organizer, with a
good executive committee.
On Sunday evening another act
i've bunch of new members Joined
at the Dahle school house near
Froid. The new organization cleo
ted James Ostby as their secre-
tary.
Monday evening we went across
the line to Alkabo, North Dakota
where the county organization of
Divide county U. F. L. had organ
lied one of the biggest and best
meetings of the trip. In the big
community hall with q dance aft
er Mother Bloor' saddress on The
Farmers Struggle for Existence.
At Alkabo the. immigration eff
GERS investigated Mother Bloor's
past and present, wanted to know
"What she was going to talk
about" where she came from"
if she "came from America, etc
They probably thought she was an
English subject and longed to de-
port her to Canada. The mass Of
big husky farmers from Westby
Alkabo, Comertown. U. F. L. ra
Their discouraged further action OF
their part.
On Tuesday evening. Oct. 20 the
Comertown members covered then
selves with glory by filling the
big consolidated high school to thu
doors and windows. Every win
down was full of farmers. Ate
the meeting many new member
joined the Comertown U. F. L. 4
big supper was served. Nearly al
the chickens available are beinI
killed now in eastern Montana an,
N. w. North Dakota as there is n
more feed. So for a while W
shall eat all the chicken we ca
then if they do not die first W
shall begin on the turkeys.
The next day after the Conner
town meeting we drove to Opheir
on the invitation Of Charles Jos
Ign. There We organized stron
committee-over 25 new member
at an afternoon meeting in tn
big school house. In the evenin
we wound up our weeks campaig
with record meeting at Peerles
in the community house. 1t wa
one of the most inspiring meeting
of the entire campaign = packe
hOuse-truck loads of farmers al
rived from every direction. On
big car full came from Nava!
with the county organizer, Ere
Holmdahl, who acted as chairma
of the meeting. Fifty-five men
bers joined the U. F. L. includin
the county chairman and secretar
of the Farmers Union.
A car load of potatoes donate
by Red River Valley farmers ar
The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1931-10-30

dug and loaded by u. F. L. mem
bers of Mountrail county North
Dakota had arrived at Peerless for
free distribution few days before
the meeting.
At Opheim and Peerless we
promised to return on Oct. 31st.
At Opheim at one o'clock and at
Peerless at seven o'clock sharp as
there viii be dance later in the
evening.
Mother Bloor's dates for this
week are as follows:
Monday, Oct. 26, Minot.
Tuesday, Oct. 2T, Noonan, N. D,
Wed, Oct. 26, Crosby.
Thurs, Oct. 29th. Fortuna.
Friday, Oct. 80 Westby.
Saturday, Oct. 81, Opheim al
one p. m and at Peerless at p
m.
Everybody Welcome.
Subject at all meetings. Farm
ers and the Present Economic anc
Political Crisis"
At Peerless and Opheim the sub
! ject viii be "The Workers anc
Farmers Of the Soviet Union"
The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1931-10-30
BOSSES PANIC
CONTINUED from Front Page,

Newspaper value if Won -
but used for bank credits inc. ~" a,
,same-eyen a half billion Is ~ s9s
a pebble IN the hole the uan;. my
made in the credit dam. uSs
4. Equally startling was a.
fact that in 20 days the un;s ~
States had lost 100000, OOO
gold, potential basis for aIr..aa
so billions in credit. FOREIGN S"
curity holders saw the M nr.s =
American financial house to-!
ing and rushed to get ont 1 fSs
under. Every steamer ca IN
gold and the flow goes on nv
first half billion is we'll lost n nn'
haps. The second billion vii h..
deeper significance.
5. That the Hoover hsrl.-
crowd knows there will be nj =
provement for the worker in 1ooo
is shown by their concern for y.
railroad bond holders. During y.
year, some $234, 100000 Of rs M
road bonds will come due and y.
roads will not be able to me-:
most of them. Therefore Hoovs.
may ask Congress for a Gdolss
for the bond holders-only he viii
not cali it that. Here again n.
significance is the effect on craJ.
it. The bonds are held BY the
banks, they are carried on fhs
books at a fictitious value. How
much will they be worth when ths
railroads fail to pay and the banI
Idepositor wants his money. AZ
servers are asking.
Indications are seen that the
panic has just reached its acuts
stage. More millions of worker,
rather than fewer are likely n
face wage cuts, lay-offs and mf.
fering. Meanwhile the country
awaits the first blizzard. wonder.
ling whether the workers again
this winter will freeze and starv,
lquietly when revolt would brinr
warmth and food and-one waT
or another-jobs.
The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1931-10-30

tenn whereby hay of good quality
may be purchased for the entire
county.
To the end that this plan may
be completed, it is necessary that
farmers place their orders togeth-
er with a cash deposit before the
hay can be ordered. 1t was adj
visable to work out this plan of
buying hay in order that COMPETE
ton may be reduced to the mini
mum, and also in order to keep
the price of hay from going high
er. Those farmers who wish to
place an order for hay may call
at one of the following places and
fill out the order blank and pay
the deposit:
Dagmar store; Westby, Peter Mil
Ter; Comertown, C. N. Rostad;
Dooley, H. Stenseth; Outlook.
Henry Valdez; Antelope, 0. b.
Hoven; Reserve, Farmers Elevator
Co.; Medicine Lake. Ed. Powers;
Redstone, John Albers; Plenty
wood, county agents office.
Those who wish to secure hay
and have not yet received their
feed loan check are requested to
fill in an ordr as soon as posi-
bic, preferably before Friday, and
as soon as the check is received
to pay the Necessary deposit even
though it may be some time after
the first of November. This will
enable the county hay purchasing
committee to estimate the number
of tons needed for the county
The following delegates have beer
elected to serve on the county hay
purchasing committee from tht
various communities:
Dagmar, Gonius Laursen; West,
by, John Shoal; Comertown, R. P
Fitzgerald; Outlook, Art LELAND
Medicine Lake, Enoch Land; Re
serve, Lars Angvick; Antelope, O
B. Hoven.
AS close as can be estimated
upland hay will cost in the neigh
borhood of SIP per ton at sta
lions in the county, and alfalfa il
the neighborhood of SIC per tol
delivered. These are the amount
that will be necessary to pay a
deposits, although if the hay j
purchased for less a refund vii
be made and if the cost is NOR
per ton it will be necessary to pa,
the additional amount. Those VIII
, wish to purchase hay should al
range to place their order as 500
as possible.
The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1931-10-30
MONTANA FAVORS
CORPORATIONS

The Northern Pacific land
grant gave the company every odd
section of land for 30 miles on
each side of the Iine.ir Baker,
where the trial was beginning, is
So miles from the Northern Pacific
road. 1t would seem that no pros
pective jurors would be tenants Of
the railroad. l, foolishly prided
myself on having a good working
knowledge of the old N. P. land
grant. The night before the trial
/ learned that by a later act Of
Congress in eastern Montana this
land grant had been extended to
SIXTY miles on each side of the
road. People in Idaho and else
where had fought the railroad off
of land as mineral and therefore
not within the grant. Montana
has always been weak headed
where corporations are concerned
so Congress just donated out of
Montana land enough to equal
what people elsewhere had shown
was never in the grant. Funny to
relate much of this new land do
mated, has mineral natural gas)
under it and in all sales the rail-
road is reserving this mineral and
selling some of the land as high
as $40 the acre. when the original
grant provided that should it al
be sold to settlers at $3.50 the
acre. A half dozen of the panel
otherwise fine jurors. had to be
challenged even at Baker as being
tenants of the railroad defendant.
The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1931-10-30
LITTLE 4 CONFER
ENCE In MEETING

On Saturday, Oct. 10th member
schools of the Little Four Confer
ence held their annual meeting at
Redstone. All members with the
exception of Whitehall were pres
ent. Whitehall signified its inten-
ton of not competing this year.
That school was the league cham
pion last year. The business meet
ing consisted of a discussion OF
various factors which caused some
friction last year. Remedies were
suggested and some of them ac-
cepted. Following are some OF
the resolutions adopted:
1. The placing of an umpire on
the playing floor was 10 be OPP
tional with the visiting team.
2. Admission for league games
was set at 25 cents and Is cents
for this year.
8. Free admission to the visit
ing team is to be given to eight
players, the principal and the
coach.
4. Dooley is to schedule with the
league members but under the
rules the leagues constitution can
not be eligible for a conference
rating until a fully accredited
member of the state athletic asso-
citation.
s. The conference is to make APP
plication for recognition by the
Montana state high school athletic
association
Mr.. Boyd of Redstone and Mr.
Skor of Outlook were reelected as
chairman and secretary respective
Ily. The latter part of the meet
ing was turned over to schedule
making. Following are the games
as schedules.
November Comertown at Flax
vile.
Nov. 10 Flaxville at Comertown
Nov. Ia F1axville at Dooley.
Nov. z Comertown at Redstone
Nov. 10 Redstone at Comertown
Nov. 20 Redstone at Dooley.
Dec. 8 Dooley at Flaxville.
| Dec. a Dooley at Redstone.
Dec. IL Outlook at Dooley.
Dec. 10 Flaxville at Outlook.
Jan. 8 Redstone at Outlook.
Jan. Is Outlook at Comertown.
The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1931-10-30

agents and secret service men.
Judge C. 81. Loud of Miles
City and Judge C. ]. DOus-
man of Baker were employed
to sit by e. M. Halls side thru
the case. They were both so
edged out of activity by Hall
that it seemed their appear
ance at all was to lend respec-
liability TO the defense.
The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1931-10-30
SWINDLE DEAD
AND THE DYING

Young lawyers with cases a
gainst railroads pending in
small towns should heed an
incident happening to us. In
Wibaux the same person is
agent for the Railway, West
ern Union Telegraph Co., and
Express Company. On the
hearing for change of venue
it appeared that this man had
promptly informed the rail-
roads attorneys whenever any
express package went between
Cotton and myself. Of course
no kilograms containing con-
fidential matters are ever sent
by experienced lawyers thru
such an office. With all the
horror expressed by our Bar
Association through its (annu-
al pass) tip-taking vice pres
idents, at lawyers soliciting
business that association has
not yet condemned the action
of railroad agents in swind-
ling dying Or unconscious men
into signing fake releases. The
Federal Court records of Butte
furnish an instance (Busby v.
Milwaukee, where judgment
for $20,00O.OO was rendered
and affirmed and paid against
a release in writing for $4,000
which Busby had been trick
ed into signing. If any young
lawyer thinks that all rail-
road attorneys are above read
ing any of his confidential tel
egrams, he is too green for
work in this state.
JUSTICE FAR FROM SCENE
OF MISDEEDS-
Forty-two cases remained q
Wibaux. Motion for change O
place of trial were made by tn
railway on the ground of loca
prejudice. If you ruin just a fey
people, they may sue you wher
they live. If a great corporation
ruins an entire city, it may fore
the unfoFtunates to seek justic
far from the scene of its misdeeds
on the ground of local prejudice
I'm many states jurors may b
called from other counties for sue
cases but not in Montana.) Judg
Felt granted changes Of venue i
the first seven cases for trial a
Baker, So miels across from Wi
baux. The trial of the first cas-
was fixed for September 28th. Ba
ker is in Fallon county on tn
Milwaukee line and by rail iron
Wibaux is about 100 miles.
COMPANY FAITHLESS+
The railway lawyers prOmis-
ed In open court at Wibaux
that there would be no can
vass of FallOn County citizents
for jury service before the
trial This promise may have
been kept but as soon as the
venire was drawn a gentleman
representing the Webb Pub
fishing Co. getting out a his
tOry of FallOn County," was
visiting the venire men dis
cussing the case.
DRILL
WITNESSES
Two weeks before the trial
the railway rented the theatre
IN which to drill the witness
es; it tried to lease the entire
hotel; its cohorts moved on
the town six days before the
trial commenced; two official
cars were sidetracked during
the trial; during the trial
there we're at least 10 claim
The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1931-10-30

In must have come from a spipot
carelessly left running.
NO WALL
OF WATER
Many witnesses testified TO see.
ing the waters steadily rise on the
embanment from nothing but the
swollen creek and that there was
no wall of water but the wall of
water was finally kicked out of
court by sucking colt. Massey.
rancher, less than a mile above
the bridge, in the city limits of
Wibaux, had mare and sucking
colt standing at 5 a. m. in the low
ground right where the great wall
of water 2 feet high was suppos-
ed to have passed at $50 a. m.
The colt stood safely by its mo-
theirs side at the same place all
day.
One great expert witness,
Murray, general manager for
the Oregon Railway Co. testi-
fled that even after this dis
aster he would have left the
old SIS foot bridge stand there.
However, the jury on viewing
the premises found a new 200
foot bridge. 1t should have
been there 80 years before it
was built over Beaver Greek.
Of course, after such evil
dence for the plaintiff and
such a farcical defense the
verdict was unanimous and a.
gainst the railroad.
During the trial, two official
cars of the N. P. remained on the
siding. The railroad hired the the
atre for running night school for
witnesses, had probably with ex-
perts, claim agents. witnesses and
attorneys, seventy-five persons in
attendance. 1t must have cost
100000 to lose the case. There
are SO more like it for trial.
The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1931-10-30
HAY PURCHASES

In order that those farmersl
who desire to purchase hay or
roughage,it was decided that each
group should elect a farmer on a
county hay purchasing commit
tee. This committee will meet at
the county agents office at Plen-
tywood on Friday, October 80 at
2:3O p. m. At this meeting they
will endeavor to work out sys-
The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1931-10-30
NO PRIVACY FOR
PRESIDING JUDGE

During the trial Judge Land
and Hall spent all the recesses
In the chambers of the presid-
ing Judge. Hall gave Judge
Felt a brief without giving
opposing counsel a copy. OF
course, as soon as Judge Felt
learned of this, he gave us
the original brief to read. FL
nally the counsel for the rail-
road so infested Judge Felt's
chambers that he had to move
out into the court room to do
any studying.
Halls conduct reminded one o.
the remark made by Butte law
yer while Stark was on the Su
preme Bench. He was compliment
ed on an argument he had mad,
against Hall before the court. H
replied. "That is just the begin
ning-Hall and Stark are member
of the Wednesday Evening Bridg
Club: the main argument will oc
cur there"
The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1931-10-30
RAILROAD WINS "a OF 81
CASES IN HIGH COURT

The unfortunate began to con-
suit lawyers. Quietly these would
advise that the case was clear
enough. Negligence, even crimi-
nality, breach of statute law was
easily proved. The witnesses were
clear and of best repute. But the
lawyers realized full well that the
fight would be not only against
one member of the Grand Alliance
but against all. Trivial excuses
were given by various lawyers in
Glendive and elsewhere. A sam
pie from one attorney was that he
had "roomed with one of the
Walker brothers at Notre Dame
University, and the Walkers rep
resented the Northern Pacific at
Butte" Others said that in a print
ed circular it appeared that the
railroads had won 81 out of 81
cases before the Supreme Court;
that any Judgment gotten by an
ordinary litigant would be reversed
in Helena.
(Nothing was mentioned to eli
ents about this circular being a
campaign folder which actually
cured the evil pictured; moderniz-
ed the court, defeated one justice
at the polls, defeated another JUS
tice in the republican primary, ant
drove him from the state.)
These people looking for
lawyers soon learned the power
of annual passes given as
hush up tips to the legal pro-
fessiOn. They also began to
realize that unless good num-
Der joined the fight the rail-
road would OverpOwer one or
two daring ones. The statute
of limitations for such actions
stwO years. In January of
this year, the people began to
realize that they must get
busy quick or their rights
would be lost. Many of them
consulted Thomas c. Cotton,
County Attorney at Wibaux.
No one lawyer can conduct a
trial involving the questions
involved here. Mr.. Cotton re-
quested me TO join him. On
viewing the scene and realiz-
ing the Grass negligence of the
railway l cheerfully agreed to
help. Sixty-One suits were
commenced. Others wanted to
sue but were afraid because
leasing on the right of way,
or feared a raised in rates as
shippers.
Then the underhand work of
claim agents began. ISLANDERS
of Cotton were spread. The
railroad miniOns claimed he
had solicited the lawsuits when
everybody had been anxious
to bring suit for Is months
and many had been looking for
lawyers to bring them. 1t was
even said that because he had
previously ridden on a pass,
he was bound as long as he
lived never to sue a railroad.
For many years, l have had
offered more work than one
man can do. / was accused
also Of soliciting business.
Fortunately, no one knew that
IN 1894 / rode on a pass from
Chicago to Omaha, so no claim
agent accused me of bad faith
in suing a railroad.
The worst form. however, o
trying to bludgeon these peopl
The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1931-10-30
FEED MEETINGS


plement. Practically all of the
elevators in the county have a.
greed to assemble orders for cot
tonseed cake and handle same on
a very small margin in order that
it may be convenient for the farm
ers to obtain this concentrated
food
The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1931-10-30
Wibaux Flood Trials

Germs every man, woman and
child In the state. 1t was the last
word of dishonor to our common
wealth. The claim agents infest-
ing this little town threatened that
NO MATTER WHAT THE YER
DICT OF A JURY WAS OR
THE JUDGMENT OF THE LOW
Err COURT WAS, IT WOULD
BE REVERSED IN PHE SUI
PREME COURT.
They pointed with pride of a.
chievement of their attorneys in
days now fortunately past, to "a
victories out of 81 railroad cases
as a record of that court!!!!i
The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1931-10-30
Continued from Front Page)

ed then over the unfortunate
people who lived on the other
side (nOrth) of the fill doing
immense damage to the beau
tiful residences there. In less
than an hour after the fill
gave way, automobiles were
running on the main streets.
The Red Cross sent in $751;
000.0O in bury the dead, clean
mp and avoid a pestilence,
feed the hungry, left in the
wake of 81 years of criminal
breach of law by the North
ern Pacific. The railway con-
tributed not a dollar to re-
pair the havoc its Economy"
had wrought.
Railway officials shortly Wis
tied the scene. They did not
stay hong. The violent Ian
guage or angry CITIZENS mg-
ing m their ears was too
strong. Then It came to mind
that 8 years befoe this flood
the Town Council and Mayor
had demanded a bigger bridge
for the safety of the town.
Then men remembered that
General Manager RapOlie of
the Northern Pacific system
had, on complaint of the
Chamber of Commerce twelve
years before, promised to en-
large the bridge. The harsh
words of the people justly con-
demning these fellows for the
disaster produced NO checks.
The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1931-10-30

Jan. % Outlook at Fav,,n
TENTATIVELY 'axNlle
Jan. 20 Ooutlook at Reds+o
Feb. 5 Comertown at OntIOu1'
To Be Arranged
Dooley at Outlook; Redstou
Flaxville and Flaxville at PsSnte at
The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1931-10-30
BRENTWOOD JUDGE
DISQUALIFIED

Cotton stood firm. and the eli
ents stood firm. Judge Iieper,
the equal of any lawyer or judge
IN Montana, in learning and abil-
ity, of long and distinguished SER
vice on the district (aud by invi-
tation frequently on the Supreme)
bench treated the 500 million dol
lar roalroad just like any other lit
igant. He announced over the
simple request for delay, unsup-
ported with the showing of cause,
by the counsel, a day of trial. 1t
go shocked the great lawyers from
the capital city, to find a mere
request to a Judge insufficient that
E. M. Hall filed a disqualifying
affidavit against Judge Lieper.
(The only one I have ever heard
of against him. Judge Lieper
called in Judge Paul Of Plenty
wood. Judge Paul also, though
he had probably never heard of
the cases, acted as though the
railway in court was Just the same
as anybody else. So a disqualify-
ing affidavit was used on him. He
called in Judge Felt and no dis
qualifying affidavit was filed "a
gainst him by the railroad. Of
course, the plaintiffs filed none.
They wanted a trial. Any fair
minded fearless Judge was salts
factory.
The cases involve claims of
| SPIT, 100000 in the sixty-One
suits. Notwithstanding the
jOinder of section fOremen and
rOadmaster, equally culpabIe
with the railway, 10 of them,
Gall that involved more than
$4,000 were removed to the
Federal Court at Billings, $50
miles from Wibaux. Motions
: to remand were made last
June. If these are granted,
trials may be had at Wibaux
or close to it. If they are de-
MED the plaintiffs will all have
to bring their witnesses at an
expense of $50 each, to Bill
mgs or use unsatisfactory and
still expensive dispositions.
The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1931-10-30
HIDING 80 YEARS
OF MISCONDUCT

The plaintiffs evidence dur
ing the trial proceeded smooth
ly. The flood sufferers were
unusually fortunate in prOcur-
ing a local engineer, Mr..
Lyman, who had been engag-
ed after graduating at Iowa
university in building rail-
)rOads and operating them in
the Central States and also in
Cuba and South America. And
MIR. Lyman was fortunate boo
In having a case TO analyze
which was true to the COM
plant, and where all the YES
tiges of the old bridge and
THE fills and contour showed
80 years of criminal negligent
conduct of the railroad. Ly-
mans apparent superiority
over the great foreign experts
that followed was partly due
to his wide experience, accnr-
ate mind, deep study, but it
was also due to the fact that
the railroads defenses were
sham in every respect. (NO
matter how brilliant lawyers
and claim agents may be they
cannot entirely hide 80 years
of misconduct in the engineer
ing Department.
The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1931-10-30
DEFENSE GOES
TO PIECES

The defense broke TO pieces on
the first witness for the railroad.
The company defended on two
grounds (a) that there had never
been any serious floods beforehand
to warn it of a flood like that of
1929, (b) that a great wall of wa
ter seven feet high had come down
the valley and ruined Wibaux be-
fore it rose on the railroad fill.