davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current, 1949-08-11
ATTEND INTERNATIONAL
PICNIC AT HUNGRY HORSE

Mr.. and Mrs. Sherman Noel mot
ored to Hungry Horse to the Inter
national l. o. o. F. picnic on Sun
day. En- route they picked up their
daughter and son-in-law, Mr.. and
Mrs. Melvin Heath at Coram.
Some of the Libby folks who
took part in the big affair were
MIR. and Mrs. L. Ohlerich, Clayton
Young and mother, Mrs. Ben Lar
sen. Mr.. and Mrs. H. Hartle and
son, Mr.. and Mrs. Elwood Brown,
MI. and Mrs. John Postlewaite and
sons, Mrs. Nora Williamson, and
Mi. and Mrs. Geo. Rouse.
An international program was
enjoyed. Group singing by Can
adian and United States citizens
was enjoyed with Elmer Robinson
leading the u S. singers. The
Scotch band also participated. One
lady who played in the Scotch band
holds the title of being the best
piper from Scotland. A grand
march was led by the flags of two
ne tons. Movie pictures were taken
as they passed five abreast past the
Rebecca and Jr. Odd Fellows
also registered with I. O. 0. F. and
over 800 had registered when Mrs.
Noel was there.
The Noels motored back to Cor
am with Mr.. and Mrs. Heath. They
home to Libby Monday.
The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current, 1949-08-11
Rexford Man Hurt
In Chute Jump

REXFORD-The following item
was taken from the Great Falls
Tribune of August 4
An injured smokejumper was
brought out of the Kaniksu national
forest on a stretcher tonight by an
6-man first aid crew that para
chuted into the area to rescue him
Lloyd c. Knapp of Colville,
Wash, was taken to a Boomers
Ferry hospital, suffering from a back
injury He jumped into the forest
today to fight one of 90 small fires
started yesterday by lightning. An
companion who jumped
with him told the rescuers his para
chute collapsed, and fell onto some
burning timber on the ground. He
was able to roll away from the
fire. however"
Lloyd is the son of Mr.. and Mrs.
Oak Knapp who lived in Rexford
two years ago while Mr. Knapp was
forest ranger here
The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current, 1949-08-11
Libby SPortsmen
Attend Meeting

E. NJ Boyes, member of the State
Fish and Game commission, left
Tuesday for Helena to attend a reg
ular meeting of the commission. He
will also attend at that time a spec
ial meeting called by Governor John
Bonner to study certain changes in
administration of fish and game
matters that are being considered.
Before leaving Mr.. Boyes stated
to the reporter that he felt con-
fident the fish and game commits
sion would approve of the recon-
mendationS suggested by Libby Rod
and Gun Club and Libby Chamber
of Commerce members and re-
ported in this newspaper last week.
This recommendation is that sports
men be allowed to take up to 500
antlerless deer in a section of the
Fisher river drainage this coming
deer season. Jack SchmautZ and
AIDE Zajanc of the States Restora-
ton Department have been making
a study of game conditions in that
area and elsewhere during the past
two years. They report the area
is badly overStocked with deer, that
the deer browse is thereby being
badly depleted, and good game
management requires that the deer
herd be reduced In view of these
Boyes feels that there
is little doubt the state commits
sion will issue orders complying
with the recommendation of local
groups.
This will be letting down the
bars to some extent on the pro
visions of the buck law. Some
are somewhat opposed to
that in a general way but concede
it may be wise to do so under pres
ent conditions. Those supporting
the buck law argue that conserva-
ton of the deer population is not
the only objective There is factor
Of human safety involved They
believe that when a hunter has first
10 look carefully to see whether or
not he is firing at buck. he is much !
less apt to shoot a brother hunter |
And everyone will admit there IS
TOO much of that being done
It is understood that John Horn. !
president of the Libby Rod and Gun !
Club, and o. L. Gillespie of the Lib /
BY Chamber of Commerce, will also /,
attend the meeting in Helena.
The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current, 1949-08-11
Receives Broken
Neck In Accident

A serious accident just reported
to this newspaper occurred Sunday,
July 81, a half mile north of Big
creek on highway 81, when a car
driven by George Phelps struck
loose gravel, ran off the road into
deep hole and struck a stump.
A companion, Lillian Foreman, suf-
fered a broken neck and bad scalp
wounds. Phelps only received
decorations and bruises.
A 12-year-old girl, Ria Valesy,
in the rear seat, sustained a broken
collar bone. Karl Lauman, 80, had
bad cuts and bruises. All were
from Kalispell
They were taken to the White
fish hospital. 1t is said Miss Fore
man will recover, according to
Patrolman Bob Riddle.
On Friday, at 8:45 p. m, a car
driven by Herbert L. Coup smashed
into a car owned by Walter Katarzy,
which was parked at the side of
No at the south edge of the city.
Both cars were badly damaged, it
requiring a wrecker to pull them
apart
Sunday morning about 1870 o.
clock Donald Shea of Libby was
involved in a bad accident when
his car went off Shredder hill on
No. south of Libby. He received
a broken nose and cuts across the
face. A girl companion was I'M
hurt Shea was taken to Kalis-
pell to have his wounds dressed.
Further details of this accident are
not available.
The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current, 1949-08-11
Will Show How To
Blost Out bitches

County Agent Frank Robinson re
ports that a representative of the
DUPONT Company will put on a
ditch blasting demonstration on the
Jack Coupe farm at 1000 a. m.
Saturday, August Is.
Mr. Coupe's farm is located about
2 miles above the Yak post office
on the Yak river. This demon
stration is free and is being put
on for the purpose of instructing
farmers in the technique of using
dynamite in m aking drainage
bitches.
After Mr.. Coupe's drainage ditch
is completed he will be able to
cut hay from several acres of ground
that are now too wet to get ma
chinery on. Dynamite can be used
for making bitches where it is not
feasible to put heavy ditch making
bitches blown with
dynamite do not leave piles of earth
on either side of the ditch.
This demonstration is being put
on with the cooperation of the To-
bacco Valley Soil Conservation dis
trict.
The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current, 1949-08-11
LIBBY CREAMERY INSTALLS
NEW COMPRESSOR

Last week the Libby Creamery
had a new 5 5 York Compressor
installed to take care of the grow
ing refrigeration needs in the local
creamery, stated c. H. Doxtater.
this week Installation was
made by Kenney Endicott of Kali
ispell, former manager of the Lib
by Creamery.
This local institution is alert to
the needs of this community and de-
serves the support of the citizens Of
Libby On another page of the
News the creamery has an ad tell
ing of the many food items made in
their plant. Why not give them a
try.
The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current, 1949-08-11
Contracts Let On
Local Road Projects

At a meeting of the state highway
commission held in Helena August
8, contracts for highway work were
let totaling approximately $780,
900. Another letting of contracts
will be held by the commission on
September % which will result in
an expenditure of about $2,5OO,0OO.
Two projects of special interest
to this part of the state were as
follows:
Seal coat oil and cover on 1878
miles of the Libby-Troy road, let
to the Blacktop Co., Billings, for
S18,686.
Grading, crawling, draining and
surfacing ga miles of the Manicke-
Kalispell highway, let to Union
Construction Co., Missoula, for
$2O4, 1873. Widening two bridges on
nicke-Kalispell road, to Kirk
patrick Bros, Kalispell, for $l4,O8l.
The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current, 1949-08-11
Tourist TroveI Is
Heavy This Yeor

This beautiful scenic district is
! finally coming into its own from
the standpoint of tourist travel.
Proprietors Of Libby service sta
tions, garages, hotels, cabin camps.
and restaurants all report that more
tourists are passing through this
year than ever before. Local people
driving over our highways find an
unprecedented number of out-of-
state and out-of-county cars on the
highways.
An unusually large number of
the visitors are from Canada. One
Libby service station man told the
.ceives in business from Canadian
travellers alone as high as $500 a
week.
This travel naturally brings a
pleasing volume of business to local
tourist cabins. One man reports
that his cabins are filled practically
every night and one man recently
remarked in answer to an inquiry
that he frequently could rent out
so additional cabins if he had them.
This same condition is said to exist
al Troy and now and then travellers
drive back and forth between the
two towns in seeking accommoda-
tions for the night
This tourist business is a vel
come support to any community ia
vored by it, There is only one
drawback to it here and that is the
shortness of the tourist season. II
dwindles off quite rapidly after the
opening of school in September and
thereafter is considerably smaller in
volume
The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current, 1949-08-11
Il FIRES CAUSED BY LIGHTNING
STORM; FOREST UNUSUALLY DRY
AND EXTREME CARE IS URGED

Lightning on the evening of Aug.
Is started 81 fires on the Kootenai
Forest. Seventeen of these fires
showed up by the evening of the
following day, with four showing
later as hangover fires. The Koo-
tenai Forest has not been as dry as
other forests in Western Montana
and Idaho. However, drying wealth
er the last 10 days has sharply in
creased forest fire danger to a point
comparable with other National
Forests in the Region.
OF the 81 fires, 4 occurred on the
Yak, on the Fortine, on the
Troy, on the Libby, on the
Fisher River, 2 on the Warland
and | on the Rexford ranger dis
trictS. The largest fire, on Crazy
Man creek in the Libby ranger dis
trict, reached "a acres.
An aerial patrol has been insti-
tuted to supplement the regular
lookouts in the detection of fires.
Russell Deist has been flying For
est Service observers the past week.
Earl Welton and Ranger Hand have
been acting as the aerial fire de-
tectors and have several fires to
their credit.
Campers, fishermen and picnick
ers are cautioned to be particularly
careful with fire as we are, at this
time, nearing the peak of risk of
fires starting from campfires and
smokers.
The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current, 1949-08-11
Anniversary Is
Enjoyable Affair

A reception honoring the fiftieth
wedding anniversary of Mr.. and Mrs.
Frank E. Bateman was held Sun
day, August Z, on the lawn of the
John Knudson home. Nearly a
hundred friends and relatives were
present for the affair
Mrs. Bateman's dress was a COM
plete surprise for she wore the we'd
ding dress of her granddaughter,
Mrs. Melvin R. KnudsOn, nee Melba
Joice With the white dress she
wore a large purple orchid.
Featured at the reception was a
three-tiered wedding cake, baked
by Mrs. c. Brad Joice, nee Gladys
Bateman and decorated by Mrs.
Leverett B. Fisher, a friend of the
family from Spokane, Washington.
The cake, topped by a so" in gilded
icing was decorated with yellow
roses and gold leaves and heart
shaped icing inscribed with the let
ter "B".
Mr.. and Mrs. Bateman were mar
ried SO years ago, August 9, 1899,
in Spring Valley, MINI.
Mr.. Bateman has been employed
by the ]. Neils Lumber Company
ever since he came to Libby, over
80 years ago.
Present at the reception was the
great-grandsOn, Mark
Knudson, year old son of
Mr.. and Mrs. Melvin r. Knudson
who represents the fourth genera
ton of the Bateman family.
Here for the celebration from out
of town were the Bateman's son
Owen, and Mr. Batemans brother
and wife, Jim Bateman and their
Mrs Ralph Peterson, all
from Billings, and their daughter
and husband, Mr. and Mrs George
Taber, Great Falls.
From Spokane, Wash, were Mr.
and Mrs c. Bradley Joice Mr.. and
Mrs. Leverett B. Fisher and son
Arthur and Mr. and Mrs Robert
Klieiver. Mr. Klieiver came from
Bonners Ferry, Idaho.
Before the reception a family
dinner was held at the Surprise
cafe, and at which additional guests
we're Mr.. and Mrs. John Knddson
and out of town friends
The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current, 1949-08-11
Tragedy In
Forest SdddenS
Libby People
Some of Victims
Were Known To
Local Residents
SMOKE JUMPERS
OFTEN WORK HERE

The common topic of converse
ton the first of this week was the
terrible tragedy that befell a group
of young smoke juTnpers-parachut-
iStS-while fighting a forest fire in
the mountains northeast of Helena.
People have been shocked by this
tragedy and have been wondering
how it was possible that IS out of
Is young smoke jumpers were
caught in the flames they went to
fight and burned to death. The
explanation is that the men all
made successful jumps into the dis
trict and then a sudden change of
wind brought the flames over them
before they could make their es-
cape.
Tragedy SaddenS Local People
The shock has been felt with
special sorrow by a few Libby
people. Most of the young fire
jumpers were university students
and several of them were known
personally while at the university by
Elmer Hersel. now employed in the
office staff of the j. Neils Lumber
company of this city Another man
touched by the tragedy is Thomas
Walbridge, a professor in the school
of Forestry at the State University
in Missoula. He also knew a num-
Der of the boys who were students
under him and who lost their lives.
Prof Walbridge is employed this
summer in the engineering depart
ment of the Neils company and he
and his wife are camped here on
Rainy creek.
When news of the tragedy first
reached Libby, rumors were cur
rent on the street that the crew
of smoke jumpers who had worked
in this district the past week were
among the victims of the Helena
tragedy. William c. Guernsey, To-
cal forest supervisor, stated how
ever that that report was incorrect
and none of the boys working here
were numbered among the victims.
That crew is still occupied in this
area, stated Mr.. Guernsey. How
ever, two young men who worked
here last summer lost their lives
in the Helena tragedy, says Mr..
Guernsey.
Smoke Jumpers Work Here
A crew of $50 smoke jumpers are
working over Region of the forest
state Mr.. Guernsey. A
of those young men have
been combating fires in the Koo-
tenai forest this season. They were
here last week and have jumped |
onto local fires. At times they |
landed on the local air field, where
they were visited by a number of !
Libby airmen and to whom they !
explained in detail their
and how they work.
These young fire fighters who drop
out of the skies to combat fires in
areas are a highly i'm
portant factor in fire fighting. Their
work is of unusual interest to all
people living in the midst of the
forests and whose economic life is
so dependent on the preservation of
the forests.
Equipment Protects
The equipment each man wears
IS designed to give him all possible
Each jumper wears
The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current, 1949-08-11
Wild and WooIIy
Will Be This Show

Plans are now completed for the
fourth annual rodeo that is to be
staged Saturday and Sunday, Aug.
Is and IA, at Eureka by the To-
bacco Plains Rodeo association. This
has become one of the most popular
events in the midsummer enter
tainment season and always draws
a large attendance from the north
end of the county as well as from
this entire district.
This rodeo is advertised as The
widest 2-day show produced in
Montana" It will include bareback
riding, calf roping, wild COW milk
ing, pony express, saddle bronc rid
ing, bull riding. bull DIGGING, half
mile free for all, half mile kids
pony race. If you would like to
enjoy a touch of the old-time wild
and woolly west, plan to attend.
The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current, 1949-08-11
Continued on Page Six
Liquor and Speed
Piles Up Cor

That liquor and gasoline still do
not mix very we'll was again demon
ytrated when the mixture was re-
sponsible for an auto accident late
Friday afternoon, near the Swamp
creek ranger station on highway
No. 2 about 20 miles south of Lib
by. The car, a 1885 Ford, was driv-
er by Ray c. Beasley, who was
accompanied by John Starr his son
Andrew, Indians, and Marvin Kelly.
It is said all were under the in
fluence of liquor The car belonged
to John Starr.
The car, travelling at a high rate
of speed, ran off the highway, broke
off a telephone pole, ran through
a three wire fence, broke off three
fence posts, and finally stopped
Only slight injuries were received
by Kelly and the STAIRS.
According to the report as given
by the sheriff's office, Andrew Starr
got into the wrecked car and was.
able to drive it off, leaving the
other three men stranded on the
highway. They were later picked
up by Undersheriff Richard Gibbs
and lodged in the county Jail here.
Bob Riddle, highway patrolman, in
vestigated the accident, learned that
Starr had passed through Kalispell
with the car and later learned that
he had showed up at an Indian
camp below there. He was brought
back to Libby and also lodged in
Jail.
Charged with drunken driving,
Beasley was fined $50 and given a
6O-day Jail sentence. Andrew Starr
was fined $40 on the charge of
driving without a drivers license.
Kelly was booked on a vagrancy
charge and given his choice of ser
wing a 30-day Jail sentence or leav-
ing the county. He chose to leave.
John Starr was released without
charge.
The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current, 1949-08-11
Unemployment Is
High In North End

D. O. Mount, in charge of the
state employment office for Lincoln
county, reports quite an increase in
the number of unemployed in the
Eureka district, caused by the shut
ting down of most of the tie mills
in that district. Most of the shut
downs took place about the first of
the month and were caused by the
Great Northern disseminating the
buying of ties. The G.. N. reports
that it has enough ties to take care
of its 1850 needs and hence there
will be no more buying by it dur
ing the remainder of this year. It
is understood. however, that the
railroad contracts a year ahead for
ties and will be in the market in
1850 for the following years sup
plies. II is said the company is
still taking ties out of the Hungry
Horse district from the timber that
is being removed because of the
building of the Hungry Horse dam
and reservoir.
Mr.. Mount expects to go to Eur
eka the 10th to look into the I'M
situation there. He re-
ports quite a number of transient
workers going through here and
stopping at his office, ranging from
20 to SO a week.
Even with our present increase
in unemployment, we are still bet
ter off than most of the counties of
the state" said Mount. Il can see
this from reports that I receive reg
ularly covering the labor situation
fLroi1ohOut Montana
The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current, 1949-08-11
Hero S Body
Brought Home
OnnGernnanY
OrvilIe M. ChilsOn To
Rest in Conrad
Cemetery, KaliSpell
WHILE ON
MISSION OF MERCY

Orville Milton Chilson was born
December 10, 1915 at Fingal, N.
Oak. At the age of one year, he
Rockford, N. D., where they lived
until June, 1918, when they moved
to Zap, N. Oak. Orville began
school there. In 1925 the family
moved to Buelah where Orville at
tended the public school and grad
uated with the class of 1884
Because of his outstanding work
in school, he won a scholarship in
music and attended the McPhan
Conservatory of Music in Minneap-
oils for a year studying voice and
orchestration. In 1895, he went TO
New York City to continue his
studies in music as he was an ac
complished singer However. after
two years he enrolled in the New
York College of Embalming and
upon graduation he obtained a Ii
cense to practice in that state.
He was married to Miss Marjorie
Werner of New York City on June
IS, 1888. They had no children.
In January, 1912, he and his wife
came to Buelah to become associated
with his father. Fl o. Chilson in
the undertaking business as he was
a licensed embalmer in North
Dakota also. He was located at
Hazen for several months and then
became manager of the undertaking
of the Anderson Fur
niture and Undertaking Firm in
' alley City
IN the early part of l943. he en-
listed in the medical corps of the
u S. Army and after eight months
of training, he was sent overseas
and was stationed in England until
the invasion of Norm andy in which
he took part After four days of
action with the allied troops in this
invasion, he was wounded and hos
oitalized in England for six weeks.
Upon recovery and discharge from
The hospital. he rejoined his outfit
and proceeded with the army across
France. through Belgium and into
Germany.
He went through the battle at
Aachen, Germany, and was some
where in the Hurtgen Forest in
Germany when last heard from by
us family. The last letter he wrote
hat was received bv his father was
lated November rs. 1914. On De-
.ember 8, 1914. his family was noti-
led by the War Department that
he was reported missing in action"
was heard about him other
han missing in action" until Octo-
,er. 1945. when official notification
vas received by his wife and his
PARENTS that he was killed in action
It Schevenhutte, Germany, which
S located about ten miles east of
Aachen. He was last seen bv his
omrade entering a mine field to
reat several wounded soldiers. No
etails regarding his death are
valuable He was buried in the
S. Military Cemetery at Mar
raten, Holland. His remains are
ow being returned home and in
erment will be made in the family
IT in the Conrad Memorial Gene
cry at Kalispell on August 10. $3.50
m. Rev VIM c. Stearns of Lib
Y will officiate and the funeral
i'll be conducted bv the Wagon
r & Campbell Funeral Fome
larence Cunningham viii be solo
t.
He is survived by his wife who
asides in New York CITY; his father
O. Chilson his mother Mrs
label Chilson: and a sister. Mrs
ack Flemmcr, all Of whom reside
/, Tihbv
The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current, 1949-08-11
WILL BUILD TRAP
FOR TRAP SHOOTERS

John Horn, president of the Lib
by Rod and Gun club, states that
the club is arranging to build a
on the clubs grounds near the air
port They will begin work on it
next Sunday morning at 1890 o.
clock, states Horn, and he extends
a special invitation to all those in
terested to show up at that time
and help in the work Remember
the time-next Sunday morning at
1890 o'clock
The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current, 1949-08-11
BUILDS NEW BRIDGE
ACROSS GRANITE CREEK

County Commissioner James Ma
honey reports that the county has
just completed a new bridge across
Granite creek in the area south of
the city and also a new stretch Of
road three miles in length The
new road connects with No at
the foot of Whiskey hill Mr. Ma
honey states the road and bridge
will serve a number of ranchers in
that district and reduces a 10-mile
drive necessary to get into Libby
to three miles.
The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current, 1949-08-11
CLOSING DATE FOR CONTEST
is SATURDAY, AUGUST Is

Two couples have already signi-
fled their willingness to act as the
principals in the public marriage
ceremony that is planned for the
Labor Day-Fair celebration. The
committee wishes it announced that
any couple willing 70 take part in
this event should file their names
with The Western News not later
than Saturday evening, Aug. Is. A
drawing to determine the lucky
couple will be made at that time.
The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current, 1949-08-11
SEE WILD GAME IN
TOP OF MOUNTAINS

Two Libby men, E. M and L. C.
Leir, reported having seen a num-
Der of mountain sheep. and goats
while fishing Saturday in Sky lake
at the head of Flower creek. They
saw two large rams at a distance
of about 400 yards. A number of
goats were also seen, all the animals
being apparently in good condition.
The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current, 1949-08-11
ANOTHER NEW BUSINESS
FOR THIS CITY

Elsewhere in this issue is an
nouncement of a new business en-
terprise for this city. Virgil Meyers
and Karl Doubeck of Troy are
opening an establishment here to
be known as the Coburn Electron-
les, radio techniciars. Read their
adv. in this issue and watch for the
date of their opening and the loca-
ton of the new enterprise