Powder River Examiner -

Thursday, November 23, 1989

Pilot finds lost hunters

Local pilot Glenn Wash is establishing himself as a true friend of lost hunters.

Twice in the past two weeks, Wash has gone up in his airplane to find hunters who became lost in the rough and unfamiliar terrain of Powder River County.

A Billings hunter spent only a few hours in the dark and cold about two weeks ago, rather than the entire night, thanks to Wash. Again last Tuesday, Wash came to the rescue of a hunter who had been lost throughout the day. That hunter was found just as darkness threatened.

James Pearce, 35, of Billings, became lost in Western Powder River County last Sunday evening. His brother, Tony Pearce, also of Billings, had dropped him off from a vehicle, on Horse Creek near the Frank Hagen Ranch, near dark. Tony Pearce became concerned when his brother did not arrive back at the road as darkness fell and summoned help.

The Powder River County Sheriff’s Department was alerted at about 9:50 p.m., but by the time officers arrived in the area to begin the search, Wash had already found the lost hunter. Pearce had lit a signal fire, which Wash easily spotted from the air.

Tuesday morning, Terry Duffy, 38, (no address available) disappeared at about 8:30 a.m., while hunting in the Prairie Dog Creek area southwest of Biddle.

Sheriff Ken Rogge received word at about 3 p.m. and immediately contacted Wash. The two searchers took off in Wash’s plane shortly afterwards. At about 4:25 p.m., with darkness approaching, they found Duffy.

The hunter had been expected by friends to make contact at a rendezvous that morning, and the sheriff’s department was alerted after Duffy failed to arrive on schedule.

“Glenn has really done a great job for us. We’re all really proud of him and would like to thank and commend him for his help,” Rogge told the Examiner.

Cattle drives could be area’s new industry

The Great Centennial Cattle Drive generated so much interest and excitement that a group is making cattle drives into a viable business… a business that will hopefully be a financial boon to Powder River and to nine other Montana counties.

Following a presentation last Monday by local drive ramrod Slug Mills, Powder River Commercial Club members unanimously voted to put up $5,000 in an attempt to secure a franchise which would allow a local drive to take place.

Montana Cattle Drives are putting together ten drives for next summer, and Powder River County has been about a 90 percent chance of being selected as a site for one of the drives, according to Mills.

“It’s a way to capitalize on the tourist interest that the big Cattle Drive generated,” said Mills. “This drive will bring money in to the local community rather than into the centers of the big drive, such as Billings and Roundup.”

Montana Cattle Drive will “round up” the tourists for the drives, about 200 of them for each of the ten events.

The drives themselves will then be the responsibility of residents of the counties selected, who will be well paid for their efforts.

For instance, Longhorn cattle for the drive will be leased for $100 a head. About 100 cattle will be needed. Those providing wagons, about 20 of them, will be paid. About 80 people will be employed as drovers, outriders, camp helpers, etc., and will be paid $100 a day for their services. Locals will be also expected to provide such services as drinking water, showers, catering for meals, entertainment, feed for cattle and horses, and lodging for the first and last nights of the drive. Organizers will pay landowners $100 per mile right of way and $500 for each campsite.

The Commercial Club’s investment will be returned at the end of the event.

Mills said he will find out if indeed Powder River County is selected as one of the drive hosts, near the end of this month. The drive will then take place during the second or third week in August.

Speech and drama on hold this year

For the first time in over 15 years, the Broadus high school will not field a Speech and Drama Team.

Declining enrollment and a lack of interest in the program are to blame, according to school officials.

“At this point it doesn’t look like we will have a Speech and Drama Team. The coaches (Inge Popelka and Kathy Hawley) made a positive effort but there doesn’t seem to be enough interest,” said school superintendent George Bailey. “Only three students showed an interest and one of them was iffy. With that low a number it’s hard to justify keeping the program going. Five is probably the lowest bare minimum.”

Bailey also pointed to the declining enrollment as an influencing factor.

“Another thing is with our smaller enrollment we can only support so many programs,” be said. There just is not enough bodies out there.”

Popelka, who has coached the program for the past 11 years, expressed her dismay over the loss of the program, which she said is one of the most valuable extracurricular activities available to the students.

“Whatever the students do, if they don’t go to college, it’s something they can use for the rest of their lives,” said Popelka. “Don Bidwell (former coach) would drag in the most unlikely kids. It was exciting to see them develop through the years… to see them gain poise and self-confidence. It’s just amazing what it does for them.”

Popelka said she would continue to work with the few interested students informally this year in hopes that by next year there will be sufficient number to again field a team.