The Glacier reporter. [volume] (Browning, Mont.) 1953-current, 1954-04-23
historical Library esr,,,
Liquor and Oil
Bring Erratic
State of Affairs

lhNtAol usiN va WV slSAN~ VIZ
center of interest in local circles
during the past week, and both
problems have presented q mixed
and complicated situation, rife
with rumOrs and uncertainties
that have kept both topics in the
wildly speculative state. with no
definite announcements or COM
mitments so far arrived at.
The sale of intoxicating liquors
on the reservation has made some
progress, and developed numcr'
Gus complexities that are yet to
be untanglcd. The Minyard bar.
the license having been previous.
" approved in the name of Vera
NIinyard. opened for business last
Saturday under the name of
"Minyard's Bar" at the location
just across the street from the
Yegcn hotel. and formerly Occu.
pied by the Minyard pool hall
The novelty of being able to buy
liquor over the bar. with no re.
strictions on any segment of the
population. attracted large
crowd at the Minyard place all
during the day and night up to
two o'clock Sunday morning clos
ing hour. Much to the surprise
of many who had made dire pre-
dictiOns of lawlcssneSs once the
legal sale of liquor was started.
there were fewer disturbances
than usual. according to tho
Browning police department. and
not one arrest was made Satur.
day night. which is most unusu.
al. One or two incidents of i'm.
bibcrs failing to observe the stop
signals. and took on a few too
many. were reported. but these
were quietly given the "bum's
rush" and escorted to the wide
Opcn spaces. but without undue
display Of force.
Last Friday the State Liquor
Control Board met in Helena and
formally approved four appli.
Giants for retail liquor licenses,
the successful applicants before
the state board being Vera Min.
yard. the Yegen hotel. Joe Lewis
and Thomas Rodgers.
The Minyard application was
filed several months ago. and II
is understood the state board was
influenced by the time Of the I'll.
ings. other things being equal.
Minyard had proceeded on the
assumption that their license
would he approved. and had re.
modelled the building and put In
modern fixtures In preparation
for an early opening II and when
the license was issued. The other
applicants made no such previ.
Gus preparations. and II will be
some time before any one Of them
Is ready for operations. regard.
less of future developments.
The Tribal Council has taken
the position that their list Of ap.
proved applications was not Civ.
en- due consideration by the state
board. and q formal protest Of
the proceedings has been sent In.
Liquor Store Possible
That a state liquor store will
h. established in Browning at an
early date Is indicated in q news
dispatch under q Browning date
line and credited rs an AP re.
lease published IN Thursdays
Great Falls Tribune. which con.
tains a garblcd and misleading
account of the liquor situation
here. Most Of the sOcalled in
formation was misleading. but
the statement that the liquor
store Is To be established was
credited directly To Director Of
the State Board. John f.. Man.
ming. and may be authentic.
on Situation Unchanged
Numerous meetings and CON
fcrcnrcS have been held during
the " eek on the oil development
situation. but no definite accom-.
plishmcuts have been announced.
AZ n meeting last week the rri'
bal Council appointed u planning
committee. Ia come up with some
def ute plan on or before May
LIST To expedite the start Of ac.
tual drilling operations. hut so
Ear no final action has been
taken.
Numerous meetings Of tho Tri.
bal Council and the planning
committee have been held. ut
which representatives Of several
Of the major oil companies have
been present. and plans discuss
cd for getting some kind Of dc.
vclUpmcnt program under way.
but no announcement have been
made. No word has been received
from Washington rs to what ac'
tiOn. u any. will h. taken on the
Tribal Council request that the
sale Of leases on SIX blocks Of
land on the reservation. cOtnpris.
Ing n total Of more than lOO.OO
acres. by the Union oil Company.
b. postponed.
II IL understood that various
proposals have iHcn submitted