A staggering steer, honest folks and derby excitement

100 years ago

Jan. 13, 1916

3,500 lb. steer

Biggest Steer in the World Shipped from this Valley

to Stock Show

On Sunday evening the north bound train took out the biggest car of beef in one piece that perhaps has ever been seen. Hunter, Casteel & Hunter of this valley were the shippers and the big steer went out to the Denver Live Stock Show, where he will be on exhibition for a time.

Experts measured this animal and estimated his weight between 3,400 and 3,500 pounds. The next largest steer was about 3,300. This big fellow is about seven years of age and his breeding is mostly Shorthorn. Quite a crowd was at the depot to see him when the train pulled out Sunday evening. He was fattened principally on grains and alfalfa and it was no easy task to bring him up to his present weight. Had this animal more muscle and bone he could easily have reached 4,000 pounds.

G.H. Barkhurst on Brush creek rasied this animal until he was five years old on a partnership plan, but finally sold his interest in it to Hunter, Casteel & Hunter, who finished him off and are now exhibiting him in Denver.

75 years ago

Jan. 16, 1941

Must enroll this week for engineering course at Wyoming U.

There is still room in the University of Wyoming engineering drawing course for more students if they enroll within this week, according to R.D. Goodrich, College of Engineering dean. Work in the course, which is part of the national defense program, got underway last Friday with 13 students. Earl Mowry, local young man, and electrical engineering graduate of the University, is assistant instructor in the course. The course is intended to prepare men to meet the shortage of engineers in fields essential to national defense. To be eligible for the work a man preferably should have had one or more years of engineering training in college or high school mechanical drawing training.

No tuition is being charged but students have to provide their own transportation to Laramie and be able to provide their living expenses. They will buy their own texts and provide their drawing instruments, though the latter may be loaned by the department under certain arrangements.

50 years ago

Jan. 13, 1966

You Still Find Honest People in This World

Though we all know there are still honest people in the world, it’s encouraging to come across examples of it occasionally. Such an incident occurred here last week.

Friday, E.D. Douglass of Greybull, an employe of the Husman Bros. construction company which is working in this area, found a ladies purse lying on the road on Highway 130 east of the river bridge. He brought it to town and turned it in to Anderson’s Sinclair service station where investigation proved it belonged to Mrs. Robert Young Sr. Besides identification and other items, the purse contained more than $50 in cash.

When notified, Mrs. Young said she hadn’t even missed the purse yet. She said she plans to reward Mr. Douglass upon his return here.

25 years ago

Jan. 16, 1991

Yes, Virginia, they really do tag fish

Over the past nine years, Saratoga Ice Fishing Derby officials have heard more than one remark about whether or not there really are tagged fish in the lake.

The answer to the question is an overwhelming “YES!”

Ralph Bartholomew, one of the founders of the derby, said, “Nothing would please us more than if someoen caught Superfish.” He said derby organizers have been hoping against hope that some lucky fisherman would land the big one.

He noted that the Chamber has been paying out insurance premiums on the big fish since the Derby’s inception and said they would really like to see someone catch the big fish so the insurance company could pay back some of the premium money.

In a show of good faith, Derby organizers have even changed the way prize money is paid out. $5,000 in prize money is now guaranteed to be awarded. If no one catches Superfish this year, a $5,000 pot will be split among fishermen catching 1991 tagged fish. If only two people catch tagged fish, each of them will receive $2,500. But if all 100 1991 tagged fish are caught, they will each receive $50.