Celebrating History: Ag aid and turkey clubs

by Emily Mayer

There were many articles in the Havre Daily Promoter this week 100 years ago regarding agricultural interests. Locals were organizing in many ways, trying to find new ways to bring income to an economy that had been having problems for several years, the causes including drought, a glut of various products in the market, and depreciated prices. People were losing their farms; in fact, there are numerous entries in the Legal section of the paper of Sheriff Sales of farms that had gone bankrupt. One of those recently formed groups was the Hill County Development Association, and here is but one of the many ways this organization was trying to help the area’s economy. This article was on the front page of the March 11, 1924, edition of the Promoter:

PIG CLUB AND CORN CLUB NEXT ON PROGRAM

DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATION’S PROGRAM OF ACTIVITY FOR 1923 IN CLUB WORK BEING DEVELOPED

Organization of pig clubs and corn growing clubs will be undertaken at once by the Hill County Development association in conjunction with the county agent.

It is expected that at least ten boys and may be 20, will be interested in the pig clubs and that at least 50 boys will be come members of the corn growing clubs. While the start being secured for these clubs is a little late, it is expected that they will be well under way before the spring is far advanced.

The matter of forming these clubs will be taken up at once by the officers of the association with the county agent.

DENTISTS CONTRIBUTE FOR PIGS

It will be necessary to raise quite a little fund to start the pig clubs going, but it is expected that various business houses, individuals and groups of individuals will provide the means, each taking a unit in the club, which will consist of a sow pig which will farrow next spring. The boy to whom the pig will be sent will have the advantages of studying how to care for it during its growth and then next spring out of his first litter of pigs he will be expected to turn over to the club two pigs, which will be given to other boys.

All of the pigs will be full bloods and while the type and breed has not been selected, it is possible that several well known strains will be used.

The dentists of the city have gone together and promised $30 in cash for the purchase of pigs, thus making the first cash contribution to the pig clubs. Other professions and business houses are expected to follow suit.

ADAPTED CORN PROMISED

The Promoter agreed with the state leader of county agents some time ago to furnish a peck of corn for a large number of boys in the corn clubs and it is expected that other institutions will join in this.

All corn will be specially selected by the county agent and will be secured in Northern Montana, thereby assuring that the seed is the kind best adapted to cultivation in this part of the state.

Speaking of the county agent, on the same page of the same edition came this exciting news:

COUNTY AGENT DUNCAN STARTS WORK IN HILL COUNTY

J. C. Taylor, State Manager of County Agents, Comes to Start New County Farm Developer on the Job

E. B. Duncan, recently engaged as county agent of Hill county, arrived in the city yesterday morning, accompanied by J. C. Taylor, state superintendent of the county agents, and took up his duties as the county agent for Hill county.

Much of the day was spent getting acquainted and in opening the office of the county agent at the court house. He met a large number of business men and a number of farmers and county officials.

Before Mr. Taylor leaves for Bozeman he and the new agent will make a visit to the experimental farm at the fort and to Blaine county to look over methods employed there.

Last night Mr. Duncan and Mr. Taylor spoke before the Kiwanis club and tomorrow night they will speak before the regular meeting of the Development association, which will be held in the Elks’ hall, and Thursday night Mr. Duncan will appear before the Rotary club.

The new county agent expressed himself as well pleased with the Havre field and the possibilities offered here for real development and community work.

There was even a turkey club in Havre, and the newspaper carried this story in the March 9, 1924, edition. I believe more than a few readers of this column will recognize these names:

ISSUING TURKEYS FOR THE BUTTREY TURKEY CLUB

Distribution of units of four hens and a tom turkey to the boys of the Turkey club, which he organized, was commended yesterday by F. A. Buttrey.

Raymond Mountjoy, agricultural instructor in the Havre schools, who will assist in overseeing the operation of the club, assisted in the distribution. All of the boys who received their turkeys were enthusiastic over the possibilities of the club. Most of them were accompanied by their parents and they were pleased at the opportunities offered their sons.

Only a portion of the members received their units yesterday. The remainder will be taken care of right away. Among those to whom turkeys were distributed yesterday were the following:

Leonard Faber, son of Mrs. Margaret Faber of Bear Paw.

Francis Schend, son of Tony Schend.

Hazen Lawson, son of W. D. Lawson.

Roy Staples, sone of John Staples of Cottonwood.

Lester Stuwe, son of A. J. Stuwe of Simpson.

Charles Bullman of Fresno.

Bert Inman of Burnham.

Harold Larson, who lives with his brother at St. Joseph.

F. A. Buttrey shipped a unit of turkeys to Isaac Rugtvedt of Rudyard, who will be a member of the club.

And then there are “those guys” who think Havre is a great place to visit after committing their nefarious acts. I guess Sheriff Timmons was so popular, people would do anything to meet him. This article was found in the March 13, 1924, edition:

TWO MEN ARRESTED HERE FOR CHINOOK ROBBERY CHARGE

William Jones and Oscar Smith, charged with breaking into and robbing a ladies furnishings store in Chinook, were apprehended in Havre yesterday afternoon by Sheriff R. C. Timmons.

A number of the stolen articles were recovered, according to Sheriff Timmons. Smith was found to have a complete outfit for using dope along with a quantity of yen she, the sheriff said.

The Blaine county sheriff arrived in the city last evening and took the tow men back to Chinook for a hearing.

Yen shee is the residue formed in the bowl of an opium pipe by smoking.