Montana oil and mining journal. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1931-1953, 1938-03-26
Spring Has Arrived i'm Montana,
According to Birds and Flowers

board Of health building q
Helena q few days ago, accord
ing TO reports from the Capita
city. Reason for the report WA
that bEuebirds were building nests In
boxes nailed 20 the ledge OF the win
dow of the child welfare division room
For the last IL years biuebirds have
had prior squatters' rights TO the "birc
home where they raised their family
before heading south late each fall tC
winter in the warmer chimes.
At Great Falls early robins, kite fly
ing, marble games and other harbingers
OF spring were outdOne by two South
side youngsters whom passing motor
lists observed swimming in the Missouri
river few days ago.
We wonder, however, at the thought
during the month OF March whether
or not spring had really arrived TO such
q degree that the Treasure state Will
have no more freezing weather and
raging snowstorms. In the past years
various sections of Montana we're
visited by severe snowstorms as late
as May or June.
It had been a warm, dry spring until
the middle of May IN 1908, when east
ern Montana received several welcome
housings of rain from unsettled
heavens. On May II, the clouds parted
in Billings and the sun focused on the
creeping up to SO. To all indications
spring had arrived. Then came May
20 with a gloomy dawn and a cherries
sky during the daylight hours. A bitter,
penetrating wind hoWled down out Of
the BeartoOth mountains that after
noon as a party of business men board
ed a stage at Bearcreek for q trip over
the hill to Red Lodge.
One Of the passengers was the late
H. M. Allen, Billings lumberman, who
had left this city several days pre-
vious to visit his lumber interests IN
Carbon county.
AS clouds moved by swiftly, dark
ening with the minutes, the little min
ing town took on q cold desolate ap-
pearance as residents scurried TO
kindIe hotter fires.
The stage horses snorted their dis
approval at the sudden change in the
weather. Sure cold for this time of
year" remarked one of the passengers,
turning up his collar as the vehicle
began rolling on its daily journey be-
tween the Carbon county towns.
It was not long before snow began
to swirl past the windows Of the
creaking stage as 1t rocked erraticaly
over the rough road. A terrific wind
pounded against the coach and the
intensity of the snowfall gradually in
creased. Soon the countryside was
blanketed and ebony clouds brought
dusk in the middle Of this spring
afternoon.
Horses Are Halted
The blizzard ragged so furiously that
1t was soon impossible for the horses
to proceed faster than q walk. BY the
time the stage had come within three
or four miles of Red Lodge, 1t slowed
to q stop. Outside the driver used his
whip freely in egging the animals to
go on but their straining bodies proved !
to no avail.
down from his seat and swinging open |
the door Of the coach, said, We're /
stuck. You folks better start walking
If you don't want to freeze to death /
here. This is no snow furry. It's an |
honest goodness blizzard"
The horses were unhitched from the
stage and the driver guided the pas
the snow and wind to the Carbon
county seat. The party arrived there
after several hours of exhaustive bat
ting of the elements.
The storm continued for the greater
part of the night and next morning
Red Lodge residents peered out upon
q landscape laden with 20 inches Of
gnow.
That blizzard was one Of several
that have struck eastern Montana in
May and was by far the worst May
in that area in the history
of the state weather records.
In May, $685. there was trace Of
snow, in 1899 there were eight inches
of snow, in 1917 five inches of snow
and in 1882 another trace.
The 1908 storm was general from
Montana to Iowa. Heavy losses of
sheep and lambs were reported from
Dawson county, where snow fell to q
two-foot depth on the surface and
from five to six feet In drifts. At
Wyo., there was three feet
of snow and great damage. Billings I
a half inch of snow. {
During the week ending May ID, !
there had been an excess rainfall Of
an inch over most of the mountain
districts and ranged from g half inch
TO an inch in the eastern portions OF '
Montana.
Cancel Memorial Parade
There are many Billings residents
who will recall the 1917 snow storm i