Books
Dusting Off the Old Ones was published in 1961 by W. B. Clarke, Miles City, Montana.
A Great Horse Country
Along about 1907, when the Milwaukee railroad was building into Miles City, the local Chamber of Commerce issued a thirty-six page booklet or pamphlet titled "In the Heart of the Yellowstone," which was intended to give information for homeseekers. Inasmuch as it is only natural that folks like to read what others have written about them, it is also only natural that the present population of a city like to read what has been written about that city in the days gone by. Our story to-day is quoted from that pamphlet, and as the weeks roll by, we will try to tell you further what "Buck" has said about our town in this booklet and in others of his writings.
"The raising of horses for the eastern market is one of the important industries of Custer county, as is shown by the assessor's figures which show over twenty thousand horses on the range at the present time. Many people have an idea that native horses are small and scrubby and judge them by the undersized Indian ponies that are often sold in the East as western range stock. Such is not the case, for the native stock is bred up from blooded stallions and is full size, strong and hardy, and fetches a top price. Miles City is the greatest primary horse market in the northwest and its great monthly horse auctions during the season attract hundreds of buyers from all parts of the country. The stock yards where these sales take place cover ten acres of ground. Horses are brought here from all over Montana to be sold at auction and last year over 25,000 were sold.
Horses are easily handled, are good rustlers for grass on the open range and need no protection in winter. They always stay on the home range, are rounded up annually and the owner identifies his animals by their brands."
"The raising of horses for the eastern market is one of the important industries of Custer county, as is shown by the assessor's figures which show over twenty thousand horses on the range at the present time. Many people have an idea that native horses are small and scrubby and judge them by the undersized Indian ponies that are often sold in the East as western range stock. Such is not the case, for the native stock is bred up from blooded stallions and is full size, strong and hardy, and fetches a top price. Miles City is the greatest primary horse market in the northwest and its great monthly horse auctions during the season attract hundreds of buyers from all parts of the country. The stock yards where these sales take place cover ten acres of ground. Horses are brought here from all over Montana to be sold at auction and last year over 25,000 were sold.
Horses are easily handled, are good rustlers for grass on the open range and need no protection in winter. They always stay on the home range, are rounded up annually and the owner identifies his animals by their brands."