The Washington times., 1936-08-06
DISMAL SIGHT
GREETSWR|TER
IN ARID STATE


-four articles describing condi-
tionS In the Nations drought
CenterS as DietUed at first hand
By an International NetUS SerU-
ice staff correspondent as
signed to surrey the States of
IotDG, Wyoming and Montand.J
By LEON w. SHLOSS
BILLING Mont, Aug.
GN.S0.-R cling under the
sledge hammer blows of the worst
drought in her history Montana,
which has suffered many similar
ScourgeS, is at the point of col
lapse.
The following highlights of
Montana'S affliction, gathered
during a motor survey of the
drought counties" serve to strik-
ingly demonstrate the all-embrac.
ing devastation wrought by the
burning western sun:
l. Nearly three-fourths of the
State. an area comprising nearly
100000 square miles, is affected;
2. Forty per cent of the 100000
head of cattle in Eastern Montana
already have been, or will have
to be, shipped out;
3. At least 100000 head of
sheep will have to be disposed of
In similar fashion.
4. Hundreds of Stockmen, some
Of them owners of large herds
and flockS, and of thousands of
acres Of lands, are being forced
to the wall, and will have to go
out Of business.
S. At least 10000 farm families,
heretofore independent, either
must be moved off their places,
or provided with food and clothing
for at least a year.
Water Gone
All of this desolation and hu-
man anguish because there is no
water. The sight of dried-up
springs and streams, riding up in
overwhelming monotony to greet
the travelling eye, creates a deep
feeling of despair and depression.
How must the MontananS feel?
Here is how one Stockman ex.
pressed it:
There's nothing to do but
ship out to the last hOOf, and
make the best of what seems to
be a hopeless situation"
Robert B. Mckee, county agri-
cultural agent here, took a not
cheerful view of the situation. He
said:
Even where there is a little
forage there is no water. Water
holes have disappeared and the
SO-called 'unfailing' streams
have failed. The number of
families which will have to be
cared for very likely will in
crease as Government officials
continue their investigation"
ALL ON RELIEF
Probably the most vivid ex-
ample Of what the drought has
done to the Treasure State was
found in one of the eastern
drought counties" In this
county there are now but 12
families which are not now on
relief rolls or petitioning to be
placed there!
Again, in Montana, but on the
largest scale yet found, the grass
hopper is completing the drought
ravage. These voracious pests
have swept the rangeland reaches
bare, while the sun has burned
them to bricklike hardness. The
hoppers also have attacked the
wheat, of which Montana normally
grows so million bushels.
Harvest Time Dismal
This year, deferred by drought
and hoppers, the wheat crop is
not expected to total 10 million
bushels. More than 10 per cent of
the normal crop is of the hard
spring variety, considered by mil
lers as the finest wheat grown in
the country. Idle harvesting ma
chinery, standing grotesquely in
Stunted wheat growths, give mute
testimony of what is to come in
harvesting time.
Relieving contrasts to the desc.
1ation which has been visited on
Montana are encountered fire.
quently in traversing the scorched
countryside These are the irri-
gated tractS--veritable oases in
desert-which range in size from
the tiny. few-acre tracts reclaimed
privately to those covering miles
that are within Federal reclama-
tion projects. It is on similar prof.
Gets that the Government is EN-.
ploying in steadily increasing num-
berS those unfortunates who have
fallen prey to the drought.
Unofficial estimates place Mon
tana'S ultimate loss by this
drought at between 200 and $50
million dollars.