Books
Dusting Off the Old Ones was published in 1961 by W. B. Clarke, Miles City, Montana.
Early Auto Proving Grounds
In the early days of the automobile in this community, there were two places to try them out, one for speed and one for horsepower. In order to get this story across to you, we will have to tell you that you must visualize a straight road running from the old Tongue River wagon bridge out to Fort Keogh, and you will have to visualize a road up the Yellowstone hill to the left of the present highway which took in a part of the road to the Dr. Elting place, for in the days we refer to, those were the regularly traveled roads, and the road to Keogh was especially the autoist's "dream" because it was straight and well maintained by the officers at the fort. Anyone wishing to test the car for speed would take it out on the Keogh road and give it an opportunity to go as fast as it could. There was a line of telephone poles along this road and quite a few cars were "wrapped around" one of these poles. There are folks in Miles City today who had one of these experiences.
But the real test of the car when it was put to climbing the Yellowstone hill. If it made it on high, it was real car. The next test would be to take it out the Pine Hills road and see if it could make the Government Hill on high. Of course, this hill was not the excellent paved and graded road that it is today. We will have to acknowledge that there have been improvements made, both in the automobiles and the highways. But, as it was in those days, so it is today--there are drivers who do not respect the right of others, think only of themselves and do not do enough of that. The most inexpensive thing in driving is courtesy, and if everyone who drives a car were courteous, there would be fewer accidents on the highways.
But the real test of the car when it was put to climbing the Yellowstone hill. If it made it on high, it was real car. The next test would be to take it out the Pine Hills road and see if it could make the Government Hill on high. Of course, this hill was not the excellent paved and graded road that it is today. We will have to acknowledge that there have been improvements made, both in the automobiles and the highways. But, as it was in those days, so it is today--there are drivers who do not respect the right of others, think only of themselves and do not do enough of that. The most inexpensive thing in driving is courtesy, and if everyone who drives a car were courteous, there would be fewer accidents on the highways.