100 years ago

6-23-20

Patsy Parkin
Posted 6/23/20

Taken from the files of the Wheatland Times

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100 years ago

6-23-20

Posted

Taken from the files of the Wheatland Times 

June 23, 1920

Courtesy of Platte County Historical Society 

• It appears that Wheatland will become the hub of a series of state highways crossing east to west and north to south in the near future.

• The Orin Junction base ball team won a hotly-contested battle with the Wheatland team 9-8. Lingle won in an equally close game against Guernsey.

• Divorce motions were granted for Hughes vs. Hughes and Allen vs. Allen, but denied in the case of McClain vs. McClain during this past session of district court.

• Judge Mentzer is being criticized and challenged on the lenient sentence he declared for T.W Cooper, the C&S operator who stole about $3000 from train shipments and sold the goods to local citizens. Young Cooper apologized for his crimes saying that his wrong doings started while in the army and that he is not responsible for his actions. Judge Mentzer sentenced him to 10 years in the state industrial school at Worland, but railroad officials were not happy with that sentence and will take the case to federal court. Cooper is 24 years of age. His mother and sister from near Sheridan attended the trial.

• A severe cloudburst hit the Goshen Hole area where 4 inches of rain fell in 30 minutes with 2 inches of hail in some spots. Heavy damage was done to some seeded fields where wide strips were washed away to hardpan. Heavy lightning also accompanied the storm and 3 of Ralph Carey’s horses were killed by the same bolt. Frank Gray was walking home for lunch in Wheatland when lightning hit a close by tree, knocking him down and scattering his groceries.

• George Burckhalter and Miss Meta Foltz were married. He is the well-known and efficient county agent and she has been teaching near Guernsey.

• A number of Wheatland people enjoyed their first airplane ride when Mr. McKenzie stopped by and offered to carry passengers for the price of one dollar per minute.

• Frank Brown met with sudden death from a shock while handling a broken wire of the city lighting system. Mr. Havens discovered the broken wire with burning ends and called Marshal North who notified city electrician Carl Robbins. Warning all to stay away from the wire, North climbed the pole, but saw Brown pick up the wires and fall to the ground. Resuscitation efforts failed. He was a young man of clean habits and good business ability. His loss is deeply felt.

• The Chugwater Oil & Gas Company struck a gas flow in hole number 3 which flared up and burned the whiskers off the face of Tom Kruse. Indications are that this will be a strong producer with not too much water encountered. This discovery could put the company on easy street.

• The U.S. wheat crop is expected to be scarce this fall. It is hoped that Wyoming will be able to produce 1,500,000 more bushels than it did last year when yields were very poor.

• More than two tons of cream were delivered to the Wheatland Creamery in a single day this past week.

• A small bridge on the C&S line near Uva caught fire, probably from a lightning bolt during the big storm, and was burned beyond repair delaying the passenger train by nearly three hours. A rock slide on the Burlington line caused 75 tons of loose rock and earth to block the track in Wendover Canyon. Trainmen on the eastbound saw the barrier in time and leaped from the train just before the impact. Trains were delayed for several hours.

• Twenty-six hoboes, nearly all I.W.W. (International Workers of the World), drifted into Wheatland and drifted out again thanks to the threats from night marshal Plaga.  The tramps had been put off the train at Uva, and Wheatland was warned that they were coming. Plaga met them at the edge of town and found that 22 of the 26 carried I.W.W. cards. Plaga asked them if they were looking for work and most of them replied, “Not by a d____ sight.” Since they all seemed to have some money, Plaga suggested they buy tickets on the evening train out of town which most refused to do. Instead they walked to the stockyards a few miles down the track and jumped aboard a freight train just preparing to leave. Plaga rounded them up once again and took them two miles south down the track, telling them to hike to wherever they were going.