Yesterday's Phillips County News Memories for July 25, 2018

100 years ago

August 1, 1918

Clifton M. Jordan, who homesteaded 12 miles south of Malta, was reported missing in action after serving more than a year in the U.S. Army.

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A Commercial Club meeting was devoted to a discussion of endeavoring to secure lower freight rates on all feeds from eastern points to northeast Montana. "The entire meeting would lead one to believe the Commercial Club is taking a new lease on life and that we may look forward to many good things from the organization in the future."

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Dick Thompson, who has been in the army about three months, has arrived overseas.

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Nemy Turpin, son of Mr. and Mrs. E. E. Turpin, has been in action in France.

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Willford Bell had enrolled in the tri-county teacher's summer school.

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Chautauqua dates are August 20-22.

75 years ago

July 29, 1943

Dodson man was bitten by rattlesnake second time

G. J. Arnold, the father of Joe Arnold of Malta, was bitten on the ankle by a rattlesnake Tuesday afternoon while waiting at the flag stop of Survant for the eastbound Skidoo. The train not being due for nearly 30 minutes, Arnold stopped a passing car and was taken into Dodson. Dr. K. Hamilton had to drive to Malta to obtain serum and it was about an hour before Arnold was treated.

The 72-year-old rancher, who lives nine miles west of Dodson, was recovering nicely this morning. It was the second time he had been bitten by a rattlesnake.

Herder who left flock released on bond

Frank Keaster, who was arrested in June for abandoning a flock of sheep, pleaded not guilty to the offense in district court Tuesday and was released on bonds to appear at the next session of district court.

Keaster was employed by the Hensen brothers when he is alleged to have walked away from the flock. He is about 50 years old and has been herding for a number of years.

Not guilty plea made by knife artist

Antonio Marafo Arreola, one of whose alias is Herrera, appeared in district court Tuesday morning and pleaded innocent to second-degree assault charges.

Arreola is charged with stabbing J. M. Oxarart, Content stockman, in a quarrel in a local bar. Oxarart was hospitalized for about a week with a knife wound in the right side.

Bail bond was fixed at $1,500. The Mexican, who came to Malta from Chinook where he had been employed in the sugar beet fields, is still in jail.

Men and women in service to be honored

A committee of six men, two each from the Phillips County post of American Legion, the Malta Commerical Club, and the Malta Kiwanis Club, will meet in the near future to consider recognition for the men and women from Phillips County who are now serving in the armed forces.

The committee was named by President J. H. Lesselyong of the Commercial Club, and Commander J. J. Land of the Legion. J.O. Nelson and E.A. Parker will represent the Legion, Fred L. Robinson and Lichiel Edwards the Commerical Club and James T. Harrison and J. J. Sulivan, the Kiwanis Club.

There are more than 600 men and women from the county now serving in some branch of the armed forces, it is understood.

Editor's Note: The population in Phillips County in 1940 was 7,892, accruing to "Number of Inhabitants Montana" in the 1950 census, meaning that approximately 7.5-percent of this county's population was a member of the armed forces.

50 years ago

July 25, 1968

Bud Hasler saved the life of Harlem youth

Bud Hasler received just a regular thank you note in the mail the other day but was pleased to read the note written inside. The young writer stated he was feeling good enough to work and had hauled some bales one day. And it ended with the words "thanks a million."

The young man was Bobby Jendro, a teenager from Harlem. On July 7, Jendro was with a group of young people from Harlem enjoying a picnic and swim at the Kirkaldie pool on Big Warm Creek south of Malta. The Hasler family were also picnicking there that day.

In the middle of the afternoon, the Harlem group discovered that Jendro was not with them. They began diving and searching the pool and found him at the bottom of the pool center in about nine feet of water. They brought him to shore and he was not breathing. They estimated he had been in the water for about five minutes.

Bud Hasler began giving him artificial respiration and it was about 20 minutes before he got any sign of life from the boy. He continued to work on him until he was breathing regularly before his friends drove him to the hospital in Fort Belknap.

Wins Bronze Star

Roy E. Taylor received word this week that he had been awarded the Bronze Star Medal for heroism as a result of action on Nov. 15, 1967, in Vietnam.

The citation accompanying the medal reads "For heroism, not involving participation in an aerial fight, in connection with military operations against a hostile force in the Republic of Vietnam. Sgt. Taylor distinguished himself by exceptionally valorous action on 15 November 1967 while serving as a squad leader in Company C, 1st Battalion, 7th Cavalry during a search and destroy mission near Hueng Loo, Republic of Vietnam.

"When his unit was heavily engaged by an unknown sized enemy force, Sgt. Taylor rushed forward firing as he ran and succeeded in eliminating one of the key enemy positions. He then moved to the location of a wounded comrade and pulled him back to safety."

Roy E. Taylor is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Hugh Taylor of Malta and a 1964 graduate of Malta High School.

25 years ago

July 21, 1993

Flooding in Dodson

Phillips County had its own version of Midwest flooding Tuesday night when a terrific storm blasted the area with anywhere from .7 to four inches of rain.

Three inches of rain north of Dodson was too much for a dam on the Nicholson Ranch. It broke, sending a wall of water down Dodson Creek and into the town.

In the words of Charlie Kienenberger, "It took the fences out coulee to coulee coming out of the hills."

The two culverts under Highway 2 were unable to handle the flow, and flooding resulted on the north side of the highway, as well as some low spots around town, including the county yards.