From the files of the Platte County Historical Society

Patsy Parkin
Posted 1/10/18

Taken from the files of the Wheatland World 

Jan. 11, 1918

Courtesy of Platte County Historical Society 

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From the files of the Platte County Historical Society

Posted

Mr. J.A. McGill of Wheatland  and Miss Ora Blevins of Fort Laramie were married in Gering.

The town council is calling for a bond election to raise funds for a second power unit at the electric plant.

As expected, the saloonmen of Guernsey and Hartville have started proceedings in the district court to compel county commissioners to issue licenses for the four saloons in Guernsey and the two in Hartville.

An enthusiastic meeting was held to organize a unit of Home Guards. With all available Wyoming National Guard soldiers serving in the war, the state is left without any military protection at all. Should riots of any magnitude occur, insufficient police forces would be unable to cope with them. There are many enemies scattered everywhere across our country inciting strikes, burning manufacturing establishments, destroying feed supplies, and hampering the efficiency of the United States in her military endeavors. It is hoped that at least 100 patriotic Platte County men will join the organization.

According to current estimates, with 1,500,000 U.S. soldiers now engaged in war duties, the number of army nurses must be increased 1000% in the next year to at least 37,000.

A visiting lawyer from Idaho has provided the newspaper editor with more arguments for Prohibition. He says that since there is such a reduction in criminal cases now that the state of Idaho is dry, many lawyers, saloon men, and liquor dealers have had to find other, more reputable, avenues of business or have left the state altogether. He says the only thing needed to convert a wet man into a dry man is to place him in a dry state or community and let him experience the difference in the moral atmosphere of the place—which is what is expected to happen in Guernsey and Hartville now that their saloons have been closed down.The local Women’s Christian Temperance Movement continues to strongly voice their regret at the commissioners’ decision to allow two bars to stay open in Wheatland.

E.V. Burke, the state humane officer, has been in Wheatland trying to find homes for the seven children of George Simmons who is presently a county patient at the hospital. The children had been living alone at their home two miles northwest of town with the oldest, 15 years of age, in charge, but more suitable habitation must be found until the father becomes sufficiently recovered to care for them.

Local families are starting to receive cards and letters from their boys now stationed in France

Great Western Sugar assures all local farmers who subscribe to planting beets this season that they will assist in all possible ways to secure enough laborers to assist with the growing and harvesting of the crop.

Edward Bear of the Big Muddy Field was engaged by Edward Morgan to taxi him to a dance in Glenrock in his Hudson Super-Six automobile. Instead, Mr. Morgan highjacked the vehicle and headed south.  Platte County Deputy Sheriff W.C. Edwards spotted the stolen vehicle at the Uva bridge and fired a shot across the hood which did not stop the thief.  Mr. Ed Wedemeyer notified Sheriff Roach that evening that he had found the abandoned vehicle in his pasture. It was later learned that Mr. Morgan had hiked to the Rodney Darst place and took breakfast there after claiming to be on a hunting trip. No further trace has been found of the car thief.