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Greetings and Welcome to The 405 Coffee Break with O.K. Solberg
New episodes tend to air over the local KMMR radio station @ 5 minutes past 4PM each M-F. And have been doing so, nearly every week since Sept 2018.
I'm D.J. Rasmussen, O.K.s friend since junior high, possibly your neighbor & this websites maintainer, whom strives to get each episode's show notes written, the transcript proofed and the audio posted to the internet within a few hours of that days KMMR air time. NOTE: recently been publishing most new releases by 4:30PM.
Thanks for visiting and I hope you enjoy the time we can spend together.
I want to again welcome you to The 405 Coffee Break. Get your cup of coffee, glass iced tea. I like this cooler weather better than a 104. 109 somebody had. Bottle of water, let's see what's happening.
OK Solberg:Spring wheat $6.33 a bushel. I'm gonna tell you at PAYs a 715, 715lb steer brought $3.80 a pound on Thursday. And an 83lb lamb in Billings fetched $3.47 a pound. But guys, there's more, much more.
OK Solberg:Okay. Okay. Okay. I have something special for you today, and believe me, I won't get the whole story told today. Now, as you're probably aware, we live in Phillips County, Montana. So today, thanks to Dick Dale, I'll be sharing from a book written by Walter Phillips telling the story of his father, B.D. Phillips, the man for whom our county is named.
OK Solberg:Okay. But 1st, let me share a bible verse that seems very appropriate for this theme. Then we'll get into that story. From the Old Testament book of Job, spelled exactly like the job you're doing now. Job 8:8 For inquire please of bygone ages and consider what the fathers have searched out. Again, Job 8 verse 8.
OK Solberg:So let's consider the things the fathers have searched out. Walter Phillips wrote this book in 1968. Walter was 75 years at the time of his writing. Walter was 75 years old. Now his father, B.D. Phillips, was born on 03/09/1857. So pause a moment and take a breath. Let it soak in. B.D. Phillips was born 3 years before the civil war broke out.
OK Solberg:And that there, that helps put a yardstick on history. Now sit up and listen. And I quote, when in school, my father found that he had a natural ability as a runner and broad jump. He could easily beat any of the other boys in school. He continued his interest and participation in athletics into early manhood.
OK Solberg:Upon passing 16, he began to grow and over the next 5 years developed a powerful physique with broad shoulders, 45 inches chest, and a height of 5' 11". His weight increased to 195lbs when in trained condition. In spite of this weight, he was timed at 9.7 seconds in the 100 yard race, which was then practically world record time.
OK Solberg:When my father, B.D. Phillips, was about 21, a professional runner came to Butte. Inasmuch as he had established quite a reputation locally as a 100 yard man, my father was matched with the professional.
OK Solberg:When it came time for the race, which happened to be in the middle of the winter, the stakeholder held some $35,000 in bets. End of quote for now. Just sit back and ponder this for a moment.
OK Solberg:In the year 1878, one year after the railroad came through Siding 54 which became Malta. In 1878 in Butte, Montana, there was a foot race with the stakes at $35,000. I hope to shout and call the doctor.
OK Solberg:Realize with me that 35,000 then would compare to a million dollars plus today. Now, guys, that's a fact. But also remember, it's a mining town. Remember, betting was a way of losing it all or winning a fortune.
OK Solberg:However you figured it, it's a big deal. So now back to the quote. When it came time for the race, which happened to be in the middle of the winter, the stakeholder held some $35,000 in bets. My father knew how fast he was himself. He also had a pretty good idea how fast the professional was, so it was his considered judgment that he could win.
OK Solberg:With the courage of his conviction, he bet all the money he could raise on himself. This included money that he borrowed from the stakeholder who happened to be a friend of his. At race time, there was two feet of snow on the track which was shoveled off. My father won the race. I'm sorry, but that's all he says.
OK Solberg:Back to the quote. His winnings, as I remember, was in the neighborhood of a $10,000. Quite a stake for a young man in 1878. My father took his winnings in currency and in so doing took a tremendous risk. Butte being a pretty tough town in those times, his next problem was to get away safely with the money.
OK Solberg:Immediately, he was questioned by some of the tough elements as when he intended to leave town and where he was going. He told them that he was going back to Deer Lodge in a couple of days. Unobserved, he went to the livery barn and got his saddle.
OK Solberg:He split the sewing in the saddle skirts, inserted the currency and resewed. Late that night, he started for Helena, and arriving without trouble, he deposited his money in the bank, end of, quote, end of today's tellings, but guys theres more, much more.
OK Solberg:I will strive to get a few more stories from the book that Dick Dale loaned me and share them with you tomorrow and later. Thank you very much, Dick. Good stuff.
OK Solberg:I'll close with Go Buckshot. And until next time, as you go out there, remember now, don't be bitter.