Yesterday's Phillips County News Memories for December 13, 2017

100 years ago

December 13, 1917

The following excerpt was sent by Ray Reed on the departure of the Rainbow Division from New York City: About 3 a.m. on Oct. 15, the Rainbow Division marched away. This was the beginning of an exodus that lasted more than a week. During that time, 27,000 men fully equipped for fighting, embarked."

***

Butterfat was advertised at 48 cents a pound at the Great Falls market.

***

Arthur Cavanaugh was united in marriage Tuesday evening at the Methodist parsonage to May Holgren.

***

The weather man has been handing us a bunch of weather that consists of about every kind that he has at his command. The thermometer has been down to 20 to 26 below.

***

One of the most beautiful events of the season transpired at the Verzatt home when Miss Carrie Verzatt was united in marriage to Raymond Bentzin.

75 years ago

December 10, 1942

County hits new high in production

Phillips County farmers and ranchers are closing the 1942 year with the greatest production the county has ever experienced, according to W. M. Rasmussen, county extension agent.

He said the favorable weather conditions throughout most of the growing season, and increased effort in supplying food for our armed forces and allies, has helped bring about such production.

The 1942 production goals set up for Phillips County of products essential to the war effort were all favorably met. The majority of the goals were exceeded, which shows that the operators are cooperating to their fullest extent in the war effort despite limitations of labor and machinery.

The crop production goals reported from the county office are sugar beets, potatoes, dry beans, corn, flax, rye, oats, barley and wheat ranged from 75.6 percent to 271.2 percent gain. Livestock production and marketing for cattle and hogs far exceed the goal with 140.7 percent and 146.7 percent gain.

Ask farmer to register for mining

Faced with a shortage of critical war materials, produced by western mines and smelters, the nation's war manpower commissions is making a direct appeal to all persons, but especially farmers and agricultural workers whoes harvest work has now ended, to register with the United State employment service for jobs in mines and smelters.

"Every loyal American must make this war his individual responsibility," John R. McCusker, of the war manpower commission, said.

As fall work on the farms and ranches is completed, thousands of men can turn to other occupations for a few months, with the assurance of the war manpower commission that as soon as necessary they may return to do their usual occupation.

County school census reveals loss of 52 pupils

Upon the completion of the 1942 school census, it was found that there was a decrease of 52 children in Phillips County, according to Mrs. Stella M. Peck, county superintendent of schools.

The greatest decrease was found to be in the towns of Zortman and Landusky. This was due to the closing of the gold mines in August of this year. Town districts that show a decrease are Saco, Dodson, and Whitewater. Most of the rural districts had a slight decrease. Malta shows a gain of 103 of which most of them were in the six to 21-year-old group. Loring gained four.

The total census shows 3,117 children in the county, including all from infants to 21-year olds.

50 years ago

November 30, 1967

Capt. Ferguson wins D.F.C.

Capt. Larry H. Ferguson, son of Mr. and Mrs. Wallave Blue of Saco, was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross at a recent ceremony at Chase Field in Texas.

Capt. Ferguson was cited for "heroism and extraordinary achievements in aerial flight" while serving with the Marines in Vietnam. On June 11, 1967, he led a two-plane fight of A-4 Skyhawks on a mission to support the Korean Second Marine Brigade which was heavily engaged south of Chu Lai, South Vietnam.

In the same ceremony, Ferguson was awarded five Gold Stars and one Silver Star in lieu of his eighth through 13th Air Medals.

False alarm Monday

The fire siren that sounded about 3 a.m. Monday was a false alarm. The man who is on duty at the City Hall was cleaning off a desk when he accidently set the alarm off.

25 years ago

December 16, 1992

Stiles to join high school hall of fame

When the first ever Montana High School Association Athlete's Hall of Fame inducts its inaugural calls at a banquet in their honor Jan. 18 in Missoula, a Malta man will be among those honored.

Craig Stiles, Malta, is one of 11 former Montana high school athletes who have been selected for the honor.

Stiles is a 1971 graduate of Malta High School. A three-sport all-state (football, basketball, and track), Stiles gained national recognition when he threw the javelin 244' 10", the best in the nation. Stiles is also the only athlete to be the state champion in the javelin for four years.

An outstanding student-athlete and Montana Athlete of the year in 1969, he was a High School All American track selection.

Poachers beware: 'robo-elk' is on the loose

Poachers beware, that magnificent elk you're taking aim at out of season might not be real - but the consequences are very real.

A Lodgepole man found that out this week as he was arrested on December 11 and cited for "attempting to take simulated wildlife decoy (elk.)"

The elk, which county JOP Gayle Stahl dubbed "robo-elk," was a life-size simulated animal placed there by the Montana Department of Fish and Game.

The man was also cited for shooting from a public roadway and driving while his license was suspended.

10 years ago

December 12, 2007

November was dry

Only .02 inches of moisture was recorded during the month of November, at the Bowdoin National Wildlife Refuge weather station east of Malta.

The high temperature for the month was 61 degrees on Nov. 11 and 13. The low temperature was -4 on Nov. 30.