Subscribe
Share
Share
Embed
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. Hey, Hunter. Are you listening? Get your cup of coffee, glass iced tea, bottle of water. Let's see what's happening out there,
OK Solberg:Grandpa Jim. Spring wheat $6.43 a bushel, 550lb steer calf contract them for fall delivery, $4.90 to $5, and a 100lb fat lamb in Billings $3.05 a pound to $3.15 a pound. But guys there's more, much more.
OK Solberg:You know, I've been feeling guilty. Guilty of living in the past and I gotta prove to you that I don't live in the past. I have for your education and entertainment some clips from the Phillips County newspaper dated 07/12/2023.
OK Solberg:Now if that isn't a current event in Orvin's life, then I don't know what is or what would make you happy. Look here on the front page. Well, look at that. The First State Bank is celebrating its 120th year in operation. Now from the article, it looks like a street dance was had and door prizes were drawn for.
OK Solberg:The big prizes were awarded to those who had stayed around for the final drawings and the prizes were worth hanging out for. Happy they stayed for the evening and thus enjoying their door prizes were Kathy Olson, winner of a 50 inch TV, Tony Ziegler won a quilt, no, won a grill, and Jolene Amistoy won a 9 cubic foot freezer with a 1/4 of beef.
OK Solberg:Congratulations to the winners and to the First State Bank. On the sports page, we see Regan Stewart as Phillips County athlete of the week. Regan won the junior golf tour competing in Conrad, Choteau, Fairfield, and Shelby. Turn the page. Oh, look at here. I also see Kevin Koss with assistance from RSA was able to move an old poorly placed barbed wire fence to a more logical location.
OK Solberg:The article written by Kayla Walker begins, there's been entire books written on the history of fencing in the West. Now when I turn to the page that reads from the archives, I find it interesting that a 118 years ago, and that would be a 118 years from 2023, which puts it into the year 1905.
OK Solberg:It reads, some parties of parties had maliciously and wantonly cut and destroyed 9 miles of fence on the B.D. Phillips property. The wire had been snipped between each post and the fence was completely ruined. A thousand dollar reward was offered by Phillips for the miscreants. There the quote ends.
OK Solberg:Hey, guys. I wanna not live in the past, but I just have to say I read about that in the book, Dick Dale loan me, written by Walter Phillips, son of B.D. Phillips. Listen. And again, I quote, the last major fencing job was that of fencing my father's holdings on Main Alkali Creek about 7 miles south of Malta.
OK Solberg:This had always been a favorite stopping place for livestock shippers and freighters and even after the fencing livestock shippers and freighters were permitted to make the same use of main alkali provided that they didn't take unreasonable advantage of the privilege. My father had always extended this privilege on any of his holdings provided that users kept their livestock out of the hay meadows.
OK Solberg:And for many years after my father's passing, this same practice was continued by Ben and myself. One night, all four wires of the new fence were cut between every post for a distance of 7 miles. My father immediately repaired the fence splicing the same galvanized barbed wire and stretching it back in place.
OK Solberg:The fence was as good as ever but had a very unusual appearance with all the splices between every post. The problem now was to prevent repetition and try to catch the culprits.
OK Solberg:My father hired Jack Teal, a longtime law enforcement officer at Glasgow and gave him Frank Baker and Pete Jarvis as assistance. All were deputized and armed with high powered rifles equipped with telescope sites designed for night shooting. They set up a permanent camp on Main Alkali.
OK Solberg:Three transients were turned up in Malta as suspects, but not enough evidence could be found to warrant arrest. Jack Teal let it be known that it might be healthier for the suspects to leave for other parts, which advice they soon heeded.
OK Solberg:It developed that the fence cutting was an act of pure vandalism. The fence patrol was continued about 3 months and then discontinued. There was no further trouble in this regard. End of quote. End of story.
OK Solberg:Is that something or what? I try to stay current and still get sucked back in time from Kevin Koss moving a barbed wire fence to B.D. Phillips getting his fence cut on Alkali Creek.
OK Solberg:I just guess I'll have to say this program was brought to you by barbed wire. Whether it's today or a 121 years ago, it says it's the only thing standing between you and the pasture, and it's got a point.
OK Solberg:Listen to a bible verse from Proverbs 25:28 A man without self control is like a city broken into and left without walls. Now I like that. A fence is like a wall of sorts. Proverbs 25:28
OK Solberg:Now for sure we know B.D. Phillips had a problem with some miscreants. Now all we have to do is find out if it was 7 miles of fence like Walter said or 9 miles of fence like the newspaper said.
OK Solberg:Any guesses? Anyone? Anyone?
OK Solberg:So until next time, as you go out there, remember now, don't be bitter.