Provo Project

as reported by the Hot Springs Star

WASHINGTON, Feb. 9 (AP) - Regional defense housing officials have been urged by Senator Bulow (Dem., S. D.) to investigate housing facilities in the Rapid City and Provo, S. D. areas.

At the suggestion of housing officials here, Bulow wrote to Holgar Arnson, regional co-ordinator at Kansas City, that a member of his staff be delegated as soon as possible to make a thorough study.

Bulow said the investigation should be undertaken with the view to designate defense housing areas and recommend constructing, if necessary, of defense housing facilities. Both projects, he said, would employ a considerable number of persons and the available housing facilities would fall short of meeting the demand."

The senator declared that Rapid City, Hot Springs, Edgemont, and Provo were the communities chiefly involved.

When a Ford News writer visited the city room of one of Seattle's big dailies. He asked what the newsman considered the outstanding defense project in the northwest. Half a dozen heads rose from sheets of copy scattered across desks. A typical newspaperman's discussion commenced.

Nominations were for projects scattered from Alaska to northern California, but the consensus was for the Umatilla ordnance depot, which has figured little in defense news to date. This fact may not, however be attributed to its lack of importance, color or news value. One news man pointed out, "The project is located at Hermiston in northeastern Oregon, as wild a country as one will find in the United States. News is slow getting out."

That statement explains why folks have heard little about the great Hermiston ammunition dump the army is constructing in the rolling desert country east of the precipitous Cascade mountain range that blocks an easy approach from the Pacific coast. For defense purposes the geographical advantages of its location are obvious.

The undertaking is unusual for its size as well as for construction methods utilized. On a site comprising twenty-six square miles of rolling land formerly part of an expansive sheep range, 1,000 ammunition storage magazines are being erected. Methods utilized in building these so-called igloos are patterned on those associated with mass-production systems of automobile manufacture.

Each phase of construction is assigned to an individual crew which moves from igloo to igloo until its portion of the job has been completed on each of the hundreds of units.

Design of the igloos is simple; their construction is sturdy. Each is built of reinforced concrete. Inside width of the magazines is twenty-five feet; depths vary from sixty to eighty feet. Shaped like half-buried drain-tiles, the arch roofs rise thirteen feet above the ground. The only entrance is through a heavily braced steel door.

To maintain an even year-round temperature the igloos are covered with earth to a depth of two feet at the roof top. Before covering, each magazine's concrete roof is surfaced with five layers of heavy roofing paper separated by applications of hot tar.

Work is done in stages on this project. As soon as graders have leveled the earth where the igloo is to be, carpenters lay wooden form boxes for cement foundations. Twenty-four hours after the cement has been poured, carpenters return to move the wooden forms onto another piece of recently leveled ground.

The speed attainable with such construction methods is indicated by the record established on the Hermiston project. The army's constructing quartermaster, Major Harry R. Schuppner, pointed out that when the constructors on this job poured two dozen igloo arches in twenty-four hours, they doubled the previous record for such work

Five days after the foundations and floor of the magazine have been laid, metal workers erect heavy steel forms used to reinforce the cement roof and end sections. Close on the heels of the steel gang is another cement-pouring crew which completes the arch and ends of the igloo.

Cement batches for igloos are mixed in three big plants built at the project. More than thirty-five Ford trucks, with the load compartments divided into two sections - each of which holds the ingredients for one batch of cement - transport the mixture to cement mixers operating at each igloo on which cement is being poured.

Though the igloos are the key units of the Hermiston project, they do not comprise the entire construction in this enormous undertaking. In order to complete the job, miles of railroads and highways are being laid; warehouses and office buildings erected. To maintain the ammunition dump a complete utilities system is under construction.

Viewed from the air the project looks like a vast acreage of mole-hills, with the earth-covered igloos laid out in rectangular blocks. Each block embraces fifty to 100 igloos, and it is separated from adjoining blocks by oiled highways and railroad tracks used for transporting ammunition to each storage magazine.

Totaled, the quantities of materials to be used at Hermiston are tremendous. In one day, 3,545,000 gallons of water have been consumed in mixing and curing cement foundations. More than 351,400 cubic yards of concrete aggregate will be required to finish the job; 361,500 barrels of cement and 9,310 tons of reinforcing steel for the project will be unloaded from the long freight trains hauling a steadily growing stream of materials to Hermiston.

As construction activities wee accelerated during the past summer, the influx of workers swelled the population of nearby Hermiston from a normal 800 persons to more than 8,000. Work progressed around the clock seven days a week, and the influx of workers continued.

To combat the housing shortage which developed, the contractor on the project has built 100 small model homes. Most of them were erected at Hermiston - six miles from the ordnance depot - on a site donated by the city. The remaining homes were erected on the project.

Having already witnessed the great housing project for workers established on Grand Coulee dam several hundred miles north in Washington, residents in the northwest were not surprised to see a similar undertaking at Hermiston. For single men on the job there, barracks have been built and a tent camp added. Each structure is equipped with electric lights and heating units, while bath facilities are provided in specially designed buildings nearby. The barracks and tent camp provide accommodations for 2,200 men.

A FEDERAL INVESTIGATION of housing facilities in the Provo defense area has been initiated by Congressman Francis Case and Senator W. J. Bulow. The Star has received a letter from Mr. Case, written Feb. 5, in which he relates his interest in this problem. This week Mr. Bulow gave out a story to the Associated Press in which he said he had urged defense housing officials to make the investigation.

Mr. Case's letter, in part, follows:

"As I think I indicated in a previous letter, I asked the defense housing co-ordinator to make a survey to determine whether the area around Provo should be placed on the defense housing critical area list. I recall out lining the various types of defense housing aids that are available.

"Under date of Feb. 3, Winters Haydock, regional co-ordinator, in the central office here, advised me that the survey will be made by Holgar W. Aronson, assistant regional co-ordinator at the Kansas City office.

"Mr. Aronson has recently been assigned to the Kansas City office. Before he left Washington, I had a conference with him, and gave him a picture of the area so that I think you will find him very co-operative and anxious to help meet any housing problem that may arise. I assured him that he would get full co-operation from the public officials, materials men, and service agencies in the surrounding community.

"I think you will understand that when an area is designated as a critical area for defense housing, that it opens the way for the dealers to get nails, lumber, cement, etc., and also opens the way for such federal financing as may be needed. It does not insure that the job will be done, but it is a necessary step."

Steady progress is being made on the Provo defense project, The Star learns from an authoritative source. No unforeseen difficulties have arisen in the arrangements now being completed for the start of actual construction.

Rumors current here that the project had been thrown overboard because of lack of adequate water supply in the area have been termed groundless. No tests have yet been made for water. Edgemont, located several miles north of the project, has adequate water supply, and officials are confident that a sufficient supply of water can easily be found at Provo

The name of the contractor who will build the depot has not yet been announced by the government. Very likely the announcement, when it is made, will come from Washington.

The government's administrative staff here will probably be greatly enlarged in the next two or three weeks. The plan is to have more than 150 government employees at work here and at Edgemont and Provo at the time construction starts. These will be in addition to the thousands which the contractor will employ in actual construction.

Mrs. A. D. Gow returned home Wednesday from California, where she had been the past two weeks to visit her son and to attend the wedding of her oldest son, Kenneth. Mr. and Mrs. Leonard Rickard, who had been staying in their home while she was gone, returned to their home on Wednesday.

Nearly all of the Merrie Group members attended extension club at Mrs. M. Kern's at Rumford last Wednesday. They report a good time.

Mrs. M. S. Dunbar entertained the ladies' aid Thursday. The day was quite stormy, but a good crowd braved it and attended. Quite a number of the members were ill, but all are better at this time.

John Hoar went to Hot Springs Saturday and brought his wife and infant son home from the hospital.

Mrs. Allan Coates and children spent Friday in the home of his father, Fred Coates.

The many friends of Mr. and Mrs. Ray Milligan are congratulating them on their new twin girls, whom they adopted a few weeks ago.

The Merrie Group extension entertained their husbands Saturday evening at the Rumford schoolhouse. Card playing was their game, after which a lunch was served which the ladies had brought. All report a good time.

Mrs. Fred Coates and son, Freddie, had dentistry work done at Edgemont Saturday afternoon.

Mr. and Mrs. Frank Piel and family and his mother went to Hot Springs Sunday on a pleasure trip.

Ed Heiser and Robert Soske went to Rapid City Wednesday to take their physical examination for the army. Robert passed, but Ed did not.

Mrs. Wilbur Louis came down from Upton, Wyo., for a visit in the home of her father Wednesday.

Mrs. August Coleman of Edgemont was a business caller here Wednesday.

Louis Rickard returned home from Denver Sunday morning, where he had been to consult a doctor about their little girl's eyes. Monday they took her to Hot Springs to see Dr. Olsen about her. Their many friends are hoping some one can do her some good.

Word was received here Sunday that George Timberman had passed away Saturday evening. It was six months ago that his wife died. He had no near relatives and had been living with some of her relatives since his wife died.

Art Honadel and sons, Howard and Harold, went to Custer Thursday night to attend the fiddlers' contest. A few more started, but it was snowing quite hard, so they turned back.

The county board of health, consisting of Dr. S. G. Bailey, States Attorney H. M. Lewis, and Public Health Nurse Myrtle Yoast, met Monday evening with Major John C. Lowry, head of the Provo defense project, to discuss anticipated problems of housing and sanitation in connection with the project.

Twelve clerical inspectors and employees, to be employed on the defense project at Provo, arrived here Wednesday and Thursday and will make their residence here, at least temporarily.

Two of the men, Mr. Abel, time and material checker, and H. J. Poston, civil engineer, were accompanied by their families. They came here from Burlington, Ia., arriving Thursday afternoon.

Clerical workers arriving Thursday afternoon from Burlington include Miss Zenta O. Shoemaker, Miss Lillian Landes, H. C. Billinger, R. V. Adolphson. and Miss Marian Ersland. Miss Anna Marie Tant, also of Burlington, arrived here Wednesday afternoon. Other workers arriving Thursday included Charles Greggs and E. Barg of Mt. Pleasant, Ia., and Roy Andrews and Gordon Yordholm both of Rockford, Ill.

The clerical workers are residing at the Evans hotel at the present time.

Major John C. Lowry, head of the Provo defense project, accompanied by Mrs. Lowry and two children, left Sunday for Amboy, Ill., where he has been transferred in charge of another defense project.

Major Lowry and family came here several weeks ago and have been residing at the Evans hotel. His successor here has not been announced.

CHADRON HAS BEEN trying awfully hard to get a government defense project. The citizens had their eyes on the munitions depot which was awarded to Provo. They made a strong bid for it, but for some reason or other, they were passed up by the war department.

The Chadron chamber of commerce then sent its secretary to Washington to see what he could get for the town. An unverified story is that he tried to switch the munitions depot from Provo to Chadron. He got $100 a week for the five weeks he was away, but returned empty-handed.

The Chadron Journal gives this report on the Provo project:

"Congressman Coffee, in a letter to City Attorney Crites, states that there has been no question about the establishment of the ammunition storage plant at Provo, S. D. Mr. Coffee says that this matter was settled in December, and there has been no change in plans since that time. Rumors have been going about Chadron that possibly that project could not be completed at Provo. However, according to Congressman Coffee, the rumors are without foundation.

"Congressman Coffee states that this project at Provo will cost around $18,000,000. Mr. Coffee suggests that Chadron's chamber of commerce folks keep in close touch with Colonel Richardson Steele, district engineer at Fort Peck, who is in charge of the project at Provo, for the reason that doubtless Chadron will be called upon to provide housing facilities for several families.

"Work will start on the Provo project around the first of April. There will be 200 carloads of material a day going to Provo during the construction period, and after the project is completed, 100 carloads of ammunition will be moved into it daily."

A change of business was made here Tuesday when Mr. Todnocker of Martin, S. D., purchased the liquor store, which also included confectionery and soft drinks, from Andrew Wasserburger. This is the first sign of interest here due to the boom days predicted here because of the government project to be started at Provo soon.

Weather has been very changeable during the past ten days. Today the snow is blowing and it is quite cold.

Mr. and Mrs. Joe Trotter and Mr. and Mrs. Archie Howe attended the stock sale at Chadron last Tuesday. It was very cold and windy, so there was not much of a sale.

Fred Coates and C. O. Johnson were at Hot Springs Thursday on business. Charlie had some land up for sale.

Report that C. K. Calland had two car accidents Thursday while going to Hot Springs. he was not hurt, but he had to leave the car to be repaired.

Mr. and Mrs. Ralph Scott and sons were down from their home near Minnekahta for a short visit in the home of her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Roy Robison.

Ray Fales finished putting up ice. Quite a number of the neighbors assisted him with it. He is ready for the ice trade next summer.

Mrs. C. E. Hoar spent Friday with her sister-in-law, Mrs. Dunbar, while Clyde helped Ray Fales with his ice.

Leonard Rickard helped his brother, Louis, put up his ice the first of the week. Bill Terry trucked it from the Berkshire dam.

Frank Downey was a caller here Monday en route with Leland Fritz to Ardmore.

The many friends of John Fegan are sorry to hear of his illness, and he is at Edgemont, taking baths at the Pitman bathhouse. He was a neighbor in this vicinity a good many years ago. Hope he soon will be well again.

A proposal to organize all the labor to be employed at the Provo defense project was discussed Tuesday night at a meeting at the city hall, attended by Hot Springs and Edgemont carpenters and several city officials.

Two American Federation of Labor officials - one representing the carpenters' union at Rapid City and the other the truckers' union there - were present to discuss the unions' plans.

One of the questions brought up was whether Hot Springs could get union charters for the union men to be employed at the project. It was the consensus that the workers at Provo will have to belong to the union, but it was hoped that the locals might be formed here in order to keep the organizations close to the project and the union funds in charge of local men. Whether this can be done, however, is doubtful, it was said, and it may be that the men will have to obtain memberships in Rapid City locals.

The plan is to organize all skilled and all common labor at the project, under the A. F. of L. It is estimated that a thousand carpenters alone will be employed at Provo during the construction of the munitions depot, and since all carpenters who do not now belong to the union will need to pay a fifty dollar initiation fee, the union treasury will benefit considerably because of the project.

Farmers and others who obtain work as carpenters at Provo will be asked to join the union, it is said.

Common labor at Provo will be organized into a hod carriers' union, under present plans. One estimate is that 10,000 to 15,000 common laborers will pass through the project before it is completed.

A PROVO WOMAN, in Hot Springs Thursday, remarked there is more excitement in Hot Springs about the defense project than at the site where it will be constructed. She reported she could see little or no activity there as yet, but she had no doubt things would soon begin to pop.

There have been plenty of indications recently that government men and others are busy making plans for the project.

Federal housing authorities have been here looking over the housing situation, presumably to see if any thing is needed to be done to provide more homes for workers.

Sanitation experts are here, to see what, if anything, should be done about the water and sewage disposal situation. It is said that an extension to the Hot Springs sewer system is in the offing. Edgemont may be called on to provide a chlorinator for its water system.

The school facilities of Hot Springs and Edgemont also have been given the once over, we hear. A government man told local school officials that arrangements might have to be made here to handle 500 additional students next fall. Such an increase might require the students to attend classes in shifts, as there is not enough seating capacity at present to take care of such an increase.

Labor organizers have had their eyes on the Provo project for some time. The A. F. of L. hopes to sew it up for its unions, working the project in conjunction with the bombardier base at Rapid City. The two construction jobs will call for thousands of workers, skilled and unskilled. All will be organized. The headquarters for the unions probably will be in Rapid City, where locals are now maintained. Union officials may hesitate about establishing locals in Hot Springs which might dry up after the Provo project is built. In fact, the carpenters' union is said to have a long standing rule against permitting a local to be established for a single project.

All signs point to real action soon on the Provo project. In fact, about the only thing which can stop it would be a sudden and dramatic end to the war. Such a thing is out of the question.

PIERRE, March 2 (AP) - President Albert J. Maag of the State Federation of Labor said the American Federation of Labor will seek union shops on two large military projects to be started in South Dakota and declared jurisdictional questions "have been settled so there will be no work stoppages and there will be no strikes."

(One of the military projects is believed to be the Provo project.)

Several thousand men are to be employed on the installations, and Maag was asked during a telephone interview from his Huron office about union plans of organization. He said the A. F. of L. would seek a union shop agreement with the contractors when the work was awarded.

He said that under that system, "anyone can go to work without a union card, but he is to join after twenty days' employment." When he joins, the worker starts paying initiation fees and monthly dues in installments, Maag said.

Asked about the initiation fees, he said, "There will be no increase in initiation fees and dues above those prevailing now in this area."

Initiation fees would range from $50 to $6 on that basis, he said, and dues would be around $1.50 to $1.25 a month. He said A. F. of L. locals already in the area will be augmented by locals established on the jobs.

When the Provo project is completed, which may be by the first of next year, most of the excitement hereabouts will be at an end. It will not require a large body of men to keep it in operation. It will be largely a storage proposition.

Proponents of the proposed court say that it will be needed when the Provo project is built, to handle the increased volume of crime anticipated.

Mr. and Mrs. Gale Krouse arrived Sunday evening and have rented an apartment in the Bering building. Mr. Krouse, who is with the land acquisition office here in connection with the Provo defense project, has been working on the Fort Riley extension project in Kansas.

Miss Margaret Piel was a passenger to Edgemont Tuesday and had some teeth extracted. Her father went up for her in the evening.

Mr. and Mrs. Charlie Stearns, Ray Fales and Joe Trotter started to Hot Springs Tuesday, but the car broke down and they spent the day at Edgemont, and all went again Wednesday on business. Mrs. Trotter kept the little Stearns sisters.

Miss Norah Taylor spent Tuesday evening in the home of Mrs. Joe Trotter.

Mr. and Mrs. Charlie Stearns and family were supper guests at the Joe Trotter home Thursday evening.

Mr. and Mrs. Charles Stearns, Mrs. Dunbar and Mrs. Joe Trotter transacted school business at Hot Springs Thursday.

Joe Trotter, Charlie Johnson, and Charlie Stearns were transacting school business in Hot Springs Friday.

The ladies' aid donated $5 to the Red Cross at their last meeting.

Mr. and Mrs. Harry Porter and children were evening visitors at the Joe Trotter home Saturday.

Miles Inman brought his house moving rig up the first of the week to move the Softwater schoolhouse into Provo. Lew O'Connell assisted him.

Mr. and Mrs. Leonard Rickard spent Sunday at West Mule Creek, visiting Miss Tina Noble and her sister, Jansjie.

Mrs. George Coates entertained at a birthday dinner for John. Mr. and Mrs. Orval Bond and children from Newcastle, Mr. and Mrs. James Coates and children from Burdock, Mr. and Mrs. Elza Bond and son, and Mr. and Mrs. Leslie Coates and children of Edgemont.

The proposition to establish a municipal liquor store was completely "snowed under" by voters of the city of Edgemont in a special election Tuesday, according to report today by Commissioner C. J. Bowell, in Hot Springs on official business.

The vote was 89 for and 249 against.

The issue of establishing a municipal liquor store in Edgemont came up shortly after it was known that the Provo defense project would be built. Campaigning for and against the question has been strong for the past two weeks.

WASHINGTON (AP) - Duplications of work that could be done at Miles City, Mont., is one reason advanced by agricultural department officials for discontinuing a bureau of animal industry experiment station at Ardmore, S. D.

(A story has been current for sometime that the Ardmore experiment station buildings will be used in the Provo defense project.)

(The Star has been asked to reprint an article from the Tulsa Tribune, written by Roger Devlin, telling about the activities at a government defense project at Pryor, Okla. The article is timely because work is expected to start soon on a project at Provo:)

PRYOR, Okla. - You can figure it out with a pencil and paper. Take the number of employees - 13,000 - multiply them by the average wage - $30 or more - and what do you get: $390,000 in hard, itching-to-be spent cash, poured out from the Oklahoma ordnance works every week.

Dump that much money into Mayes county, watch it wash up like a golden flood against banks, against hotels and rooming houses, against drug stores, grocery stores, clothing stores; let it channel out along the highways and railroads even to Tulsa on the west, Muskogee on the south, Vinita and Miami on the north and east - and you've got a boom.

And spell it with a capitol B, please.

That's why, every Friday night and every Saturday, long lines form outside the two banks in Pryor, formed by workmen cashing their weekly pay checks. That's why every Saturday night dozens of grocery stores are sold to the walls.

And that's why, so we won't forget that some evil comes with good, you'll pay just about double for almost anything you buy.

You want a three-room furnished apartment for yourself, your wife and kids? you'll pay $100 to $120 a month, plus your bills.

You are a bachelor, and would be satisfied with one of a score of cots in a big, barny room? Prepare to pay $5, $8 or $12 a week.

"It's just that the old law of supply and demand operating," says Charles M. Barde, advertising manager for Jake Proctor's Pryor Daily Democrat.

"Somebody who has lived in Pryor all his life is paying $25 a month for a house. Along comes someone else and offers the landlord $35. Some body else bids $50, then $60. First thing you know, rents are out of sight."

Barde went through the boom days in Tulsa years ago, when oil was the magnet that drew thousands to the city. Today in Pryor it is jobs in the powder plant four miles south.

"But it's exactly the same," says Barde. "Friday and Saturday night in Pryor is just Friday or Saturday in a boom town.

Pryor was caught flat-footed for weeks after the powder plant boom started, but is beginning to catch up. It is on its toes when the day shift moves out of the plant on Friday afternoon - pay day.

The banks, which have closed at their normal 2 o'clock, reopen with full staffs at 4:30. Long lines of men waiting to exchange their slips of paper for cash are still in front of the banks at 7 p. m.

Grocery stores lay in extra supplies of every article, and have plenty of cash on hand, too. A few of them will cash checks. The mad rush to the shelves begins as soon as the workers reach town, and from then on until closing time, every store is a seething mob.

City officials, Mayor Thomas J. Harrison in particular, are working hard to keep things under control. A $160,000 water and sewer project for the city already has been approved. City ordinances have been passed to regulate sanitation and morals.

"We don't even allow public dances within the city limits," says Mayor Harrison. "We're doing everything we can to protect the better class of people from the worse."

The Mayor and his council are hopping that a government housing project will relieve the rent situation. It has been promised.

"And," said Harrison, "the boom will taper off gradually. Competition will drive prices down to sensible levels. The high rents will stimulate private house construction. We estimate there are 1,300 trailers in and around the city which will handle many of the transient workers, so that when the peak employment period passes, we'll be left with a sound basis for the future.

Mayor Harrison took some cheer from the fact that many of the plant workers are farmers from in and around Mayes county, "not people who are here today, gone tomorrow," he said. "When the jobs are gone, They'll be back on their farms again."

Farming has been the main support for Pryor in the past.

Whether the boom has been as well handled outside as in Pryor is open to debate. Scattered along U. S. highway 69 past the powder plant entrance and down to Chouteau are scores of honky tonks and a dime-a-dance joints. They are the places where men can spend their pay checks in a hurry, if they wish.

And they're well patronized on Friday and Saturday nights.

Beer is sold for 15 and 25 cents. Two slabs of bread and a slice of cheese to go with the beer cost another quarter. Everything else is in proportion.

Moving in and out of the crowds of workmen are waitresses, with a constant plea, "Gimme a nickel for the juke box." As a nickel is dropped into the music machine, the girl places a check opposite her name on a sheet of paper. At closeup time, she gets 20 per cent of the money she has fed into the slot - plus any tips she may make on the side.

Most of the pleasure district is to the east end of Chouteau, astraddle state highway 33. It is inside the city limits, but white-haired Mayor H. V. Grant, from behind the counter in his new drug store, admits he's practically powerless.

"We raid 'em now and then," he says. "But what we're most interested in is getting some money so we can build up this town. If the government would just approve some loans, we could clean up the situation.

"We've got to have water, and we've got to have sewers, and when we get them, we can start cleaning."

Felix Neff, acquisition project manager for the war department, returned Monday from Kansas City, Mo., where he spent the past ten days looking after business matters. Mr. Neff, who has been in charge of local land acquisition office in connection with the Provo defense project for the past two months, left today for Denver, where he will look after business matters in connection with an extension project. Gale Krouse, who came to Hot Springs Sunday from Fort Riley, Kan., will be in charge of the local office. Miss Elsie Ferguson will remain in the office as stenographer.

James A. Edwards, chief clerk for the war department in the local land acquisition office in connection with the Provo defense project for the past two months, and Miss Jayne Andre, stenographer, left today for Sidney, Neb., where they will be employed on a similar project, which is in the initiatory stages.

Nellie M. Edgerton to Fred Coates. s 1/2 sw 1/4, section 15; n 1/2 nw 1/4, section 22-10-2.

The declamatory contest was missed last week. Anice Hoar won second place at Edgemont.

Rev. Light of Edgemont was a caller here Thursday morning.

At the township meeting last Tuesday the school district purchased the town hall and new officers were elected.

The Soft Water schoolhouse was moved into this part of the district and will be connected to the other one. M. M. Inman doing the work.

C. K. Calland of Burdock came down to tear some of the outside sheds down and move them to Edgemont, where he has purchased some lots and where he is going to move his house.

The Soft Water Telephone company had a meeting Tuesday evening.

The Bell Telephone company is putting in new poles and soon will have a telephone in the store to accommodate the public until they get a building of their own.

A. W. Gow has been moving his outbuildings to Marietta, where they intend to move.

Mrs. Rosa Pierce, who is at the hospital at Edgemont is about the same.

Mr. and Mrs. Byron Eitemiller and son, Elmo, were here from Greeley, Colo., for a visit in the homes of relatives, Sunday and Monday.

Willis Preston of North Platte, Neb., was a caller here Thursday. He stopped to see M. S. Dunbar. The men used to be schoolmates in the sandhills of Nebraska, and did they talk for sometime!

Mr. and Mrs. C. E. Hoar spent Friday at Dunbar's. The ladies canned meat while the men visited.

Mr. and Mrs. M. S. Dunbar and Dean Sturdivant went to Clifton, Wyo., Sunday for a day's visit in the home of their daughter, Mrs. Orin Shuck, and family.

John Coates was transacting business at Clifton, Wyo., Saturday. He was on the lookout for a place.

Mr. and Mrs. C. K. Calland from Burdock and Mr. and Mrs. Clarence Calland from Hot Springs were out to C. K.'s place, looking things over as they are preparing to move their house.

Spring must be here. Quite a number of the folks have little chickens.

Mr. and Mrs. C. O. Johnson entertained at a Sunday dinner, Mr. and Mrs. B. H. Eitemiller and son, Elmo, Mrs. Wickersham, Mr. and Mrs. Bud Hand and children, Mr. and Mrs. J. M. Johnson and family.

RAPID CITY, March 12 (AP) - The United States army engineer's office at Fort Peck, Mont., today announced the awarding of a contract to the South Dakota state cement plant here in the amount of "less than one million dollars" to furnish and deliver all cement required for the construction of the Rapid City airbase and the Black Hills ordnance depot at Provo.

"We are not allowed to say exactly the amount of the contract or number of barrels of cement required for the job," plant officials said, but they indicated that the plant will "take it in stride."

"We are prepared to furnish this cement according to contract and at the same time take care of commercial demands, and have, at the end of the year, a sufficient surplus to care for unusual demands either by commercial users or any further major construction," it was declared.

The plant has in the past employed a program of 50 per cent capacity, officials said, but this year will work close to full capacity.

HERE'S THE LATEST on the doings at the Provo defense project, as culled from this week's issue of the Edgemont Tribune:

"Two carloads of steel forms, used in the construction of 'igloos,' were unloaded in Edgemont Friday and are being stored here to be used in the near future in connection with the defense project near Edgemont."

"Folks in Edgemont and vicinity will not have to worry about going dry, judging from the number of liquor and beer licenses granted at the last meeting of the city council. Four off-sale liquor licenses and two beer licenses were granted. Liquor licenses were granted to Elsie Plumb, Nick Hoffman, J. P. Walsh and Louise Wykoff. Applications for beer licenses were granted to Stuart Faulkner and Elsie Plumb."

"A big mass meeting will be held in Edgemont Friday evening for all those interested in working on the Provo project, and the public in general. The meeting is being arranged by L. L. Price, business agent for the carpenters' union of Rapid City."

"Defense project workers coming to Edgemont in trailer houses to make their 'home' while employed at the Provo defense construction, a few miles from here, will have the privilege of using free trailer camps in the city, and will be charged only $1 per month for water, according to plans discussed by the city council in session Friday evening. Plans now under consideration call for utilization of the fair grounds as a free trailer camp, also property across the river in Cottonwood, which would also provide considerable parking space. The city dads seemed to be all of one mind in treating the defense workers right, and making conditions as comfortable as possible for them, as an inducement to make Edgemont their 'home' while working here; in fact, so good that they will actually hate to leave here when the project is complete. - and many will want to make their permanent homes in Edgemont. The matter will be taken up with the fair board and arrangements will be made for the piping of city water, and other necessary arrangements."

SIOUX FALLS, March 16 (AP) - Condemnation proceedings to obtain approximately 3,619 acres of land in Fall River county for use in establishment of the Black Hills ordnance depot at Provo have been started by the government against Preston L. Ellis and sixteen other defendants.

A judgment directing the defendants to surrender possession by today was signed by Judge A. Lee Wyman. The government has deposited $18,885 in the register of the federal clerk of courts office here to meet compensations.

Defendants have thirty days to answer proceedings.

 

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