100 YEARS AGO - FEBRUARY 1925, Part II:

100 YEARS AGO - FEBRUARY 1925, Part II: February 1925 was busy around the world. Headlines in the Jefferson Valley News that month included Income Tax Returns Must Be Filed By March 15; President Pays Sincere Tribute To Newspapers; Walsh To Pay Supreme Penalty This Saturday (he was sentenced to death in the murder of Al Johnson in Renova); and 3 Killed in Auto Plunge at Jefferson Island; and, for the first time in U. S. history, the Presidential Inaugural Ceremonies To Be Broadcasted. Other notable things that happened outside of Montana included Sears, Roebuck & Co. opened their first department store in Chicago; 138 miners died in an explosion at Dortmund, Germany; a performer killed another in the play Hell's Bells when handed a loaded gun by a prop department person; and a 6.2 magnitude earthquake struck in the St. Lawrence River in Quebec. Local headlines were focused on sports, who died, and who was going where. The following news items are taken as written from the February 1925 editions of the Jefferson Valley News. The photo is an ad for the volunteer fire department's masquerade ball.

3 KILLED IN AUTO PLUNGE AT JEFFERSON ISLAND: All Meet Death When Ford Auto, Driven Without Lights, Leaves Bridge Near C.M. and S.P. Station. The victims of the heart-rending affair were Mrs. Cebe Shrauger and her son, Jake Borden, and Mrs. John Douglas, all well-known and respected residents of this city and Jefferson Island. Mr. Douglas, who works at the Mammoth mine, came down to witness the game (at Cardwell High School), expecting to meet his wife at the gymnasium. Upon investigation, he learned that the three had started for the game, and the worried man began a search. Walking along the road between Jefferson Island and Cardwell and peering on each side of the three bridges on the way with lighted matches, he finally located an overturned automobile on the south side of the bridge nearest the former place. He ran to the depot and sought the assistance of Jas. Campbell and also of Shadan Lahood, at the latter's store.

MOISTURE REPORT AT THE DAM: For the month of January 1925, there were 13 inches of snow at the Pipestone Dam and one inch of moisture. The comparative figures for the past two years are: 1923 precipitation, 10.17 inches; 1924 precipitation, 7.86 inches. There was practically no rain in the summer of 1924. The snowfall at the dam, according to government reports, totaled 21.10 inches for 1923 and for 1924, 61.03 inches. A comparison of the January figures with past records indicates practically normal precipitation.

THE SHERIFF WILL GET YOU IF YOU DON'T WATCH OUT: During the past week, Sheriff John W. Mountjoy and all other peace officers of the state have received from Secretary of State C.T. Stewart, notices calling their attention to Section 1750, Paragraph 1, of the automobile registration law. This law provides that license fees on all cars are due January 1 and that any owner driving a car after that date will be subject to arrest and fine.

TALES OF THE OLD TIMERS: Major Brooke arrived at old Whitehall in 1868 to run the state station for Gilmore and Salisbury. He found that the station had been built on public land, and he homesteaded it and lived there until the death of his wife when he moved to town. He and John Tebay controlled the range north of the river, the Major running his stock to the west and Tebay keeping his to the east, and at one time the Major had a large area fenced west and southwest of Whitehall. At the zenith of his livestock operations he had both cattle and sheep and more than a dozen men in his employ. With the advent of the railroad, the Gilmore Salisbury stages were discontinued. Jake Christman, who lived where Jefferson Island is now, DeFrance and Bricker, and the Quinn brothers ran stock on the south side of the Jefferson River. Sam Wade, who lived on the Wade ranch also ran some stock with Major Brooke. There was little farming in the valley at that time, and the agricultural development of the valley and the early-day farmers will make another story in which the names of many well-known pioneers figure prominently.

ITEMS OF THE TOWN: Jas. Collins, who was a victim of pneumonia at the home of his sister, Mrs. L.F. Lepp, in this city, was removed to his home on the Upper Whitetail last Friday. He is getting along very nicely.

An enjoyable time was experienced by all who attended the Masonic Card Club party last Thursday night. About 40 were in attendance. The prize winners were: Best lady, Mrs. Tidball, best man, Alex Metzel, and consolation for lady, Mrs. Edith Young.

Thieves were abroad in the valley Friday night. They visited the Lineberry ranch and stole at least $50.00 worth of fine turkeys and chickens. In the past two years, there have been numerous thefts committed in this community, among the things that were stolen being clothing, blankets, vegetables, wheat, fat hogs, shop tools, cattle, and horses.

The South Boulder Electric Light Co. had their annual meeting last Wednesday. Officers for the year were elected, Roy Robinson president, O.G. Shenk vice president, Chas. L. Kyle sec-treas., Jake Lieb and Chas. Koestlin were reelected on the advisory board.

The Whitetail school bus broke down Tuesday while on the way home and as Mr. Chamberlain was unable to repair it in time for school Wednesday morning, he had it hauled in, children and all, much to the delight of the passengers.

Stagelines of the valley are very much interested in the proposed legislation at Helena, especially in the bill fixing the tax on gasoline at 6 cents. Such a tax will naturally increase rates to an appreciable extent.

Albert Altenbach of Waterloo visited friends in Whitehall one day last week on his return from Bozeman, where he was a guest at the Vocational Conference. Albert attended high school here last year and is well known by the name of "High Pockets."

The Manhattan American is boasting about the amount of honey produced in that end of the Gallatin Valley. Wait until the return comes in from the Jefferson Valley beekeepers. There "jest ain't nuthin" that Manhattan can beat us at."