Memories

Continuing on with memories on the Frank, Harold, and Ken Beltz families

In 1928 Harold went into the ranching business for himself when he leased the Red Porter place next to his dad, bought four work horses and put in a crop of oats for hay. Shortly after he went to work for J.O. Brownfield building fences. Yes, as you would guess, it was all by hand labor digging holes and whatever was needed. He went home to put up his hay but returned and worked for Brownfield until fall. This brought about buying 20 head of calves from him and trailing them to his place.

In my first article I mentioned “trailing cattle” and Harold gives us two interesting accounts of these adventures.

“In 1916 Charley Maple, dad and I trailed beef to Belle Fourche to the railroad to be shipped to Omaha. Dad used his Model T Ford as a church wagon. I think we had good weather. Dad went to Omaha with the cattle and Charlie and I rode back home.”

The other occasion was in the fall of 1929 when he and Earl Brownfield trailed his father’s, his own and his cattle to Belle Fourche and shipped them to Omaha.

“We used a pack horse to carry our grub and our bedrolls. It rained and snowed every day but one. The wrappers came off the canned goods so it was all guess work as what we would eat. Our bread got so soft we had to eat it with a spoon. Earl and I went to Omaha with the cattle.”

Isn’t it great to have those big cattle trucks for those “trailing” job today?

Oh yes, marriage. On October 18, 1933 Hilda Mills and Harold were married in Broadus by the Justice of Peace. My last article named their children.

He raised a few cattle and also went into the sheep business which was a problem because of the coyotes. He did his own herding and had a sleeping cart beside his sheep wagon, which he pulled with a saddle horse. Kenneth, his son, helped with the sheep in the daytime. Harold also reports of heavy snow and cold weather during lambing time with heavy losses. Every sheepman can relate to that.

Some of you had and will be reminded of a vehicle that Harold comments on.

“In 1947 I bought a new jeep which was the most useful piece of machinery that I had up to now. It served as a saddle horse, tractor, car, truck, and school bus.”

I can remember several individuals who owned one of these jeeps that carried men and equipment through World War II.

One last thought, I remember that Bob Pulse, an Ekalaka barber, and Alvin Tagle of Alzada who was hired by Carter County to hunt coyotes, each had an airplane.

More to come.