Wednesday, June 10, 2015
Old Picture of the Day: Florida Trailer
Old Picture of the Day: Florida Trailer: This is another trailer park in Florida. This picture was taken in 1937. These trailers look like they are being used as residences and n...
Old Picture of the Day: Trailer Life
Old Picture of the Day: Trailer Life: Today's picture shows a family living in a trailer. It looks like they have expanded their living space by creating an additional r...
Thursday, June 10, 1915. Cházaro becomes the disputed President of Mexico.
Francisco Lagos Cházaro became acting contested president of Mexico under convention of the Convention of Aguascalientes. Carranza, who had declared himself president, did not recognize the Cházaro government.
Today In Wyoming's History: June 10: 1915 Girl Scouts founded. This was an expansion of the scouting movement started by English Lord Baden Powell, which was a significant movement at the time.
Last edition:
Wednesday, June 9, 1915. Bryan resigns, Wilson sends a letter.
Tuesday, June 9, 2015
The Joy of Field Rations: Bread of the Poilu, Part II
The Joy of Field Rations: Bread of the Poilu, Part II: And now in this post we will resurrect pain ordinaire, and pain biscuit é, the bread that fed the French soldier, or poilu, in two wor...
Coal in the ICU
Mine haul truck on display in Wright Wyoming.
Wyoming has had a long association with coal. The first coal mines in the state date back to the Union Pacific Railroad which, coming through as it did during the 1860s, needed sources of coal to fuel its trains. Mining near the railroad started contemporaneously with the laying down of the tracks.
Coal's been in ill health for quite awhile, and it's been suffering of late along with petroleum oil. More than oil really. This makes a big difference to the state, as the state is funded on mineral severance taxes which have accordingly been declining. And it makes a big difference to coal mining towns, like Gillette. And, of course, the decline in coal fuels some delusional thinking in which "if only" the Federal government wasn't doing this or that, the market would recover.
Well, in today's Tribune, there's a double whammy for coal.
First, Peabody, the legendary coal mining concern, is laying off 250 people in Gillette from a corporate office its closing there. That's a significant thing for Peabody to do, as the area features a number of huge coal mines, albeit ones that have been suffering lately. For an outfit with a history that is coal to signal that it's giving up on its local office is not only a personal disaster for the people who worked there, it's a huge signal of what going on in coal.
If that signal wasn't clear enough, also in today's paper we learn that Rocky Mountain Power, a large regional electrical generation company, has determined to switch away from coal over the next couple of decades. For a power company centered in a coal producing region that owns many coal fired power plants, and its own mines, that's a huge decision. It will be going to alternative means of generation, such as wind. It's announcement wasn't that it's "supplementing", or something, its coal fired plants with alternative means of generation, but that it actually anticipates replacing them. That's a pretty stunning position assuming it was accurately reported, for a regional power generator.
This would seem to be a pretty clear indicator that coal's in a long term decline. And with that, so are the state's revenues. It's not as if coal is going to disappear, but it does seem to be slowly reducing in significance with no likely reversal of that trend in sight. And that reduction in significance has been fairly dramatic and observable.
The expansion of coal mines into the Powder River Basin is something that really came on during my lifetime, and it built Gillette into what it currently is. The decline will likely occur over the rest of my life time, but that it would become so evident, while not really a surprise, is fairly dramatic.
I should note that it's hard to write something like this and not sound as if you are coming off as "anti coal". In reality, however, I haven't said anything of the sort. When I was a geology student, eons ago, my specialty was in coal, simply because it seemed stable while petroleum was in decline. But I was wrong about that stability, and the changes we now see are ones that I've been predicting for some time. Being right about a trend tends to be confused with being partisan in a debate, but it isn't.
Geology classroom, University of Wyoming, 1986.
Wednesday, June 9, 1915. Bryan resigns, Wilson sends a letter.
William Jennings Bryan resigned as Secretary of State due to his much more neutral position on World War One, and more specifically disagreements with the Wilson Administration's handling of the Lusitania incident.
Wilson sent another letter to Germany over the Lusitania, rejecting assertions she was carrying munitions.
Last edition:
Tuesday, June 8, 1915. Germans hold back the French, news hits on Villa defeats.
Monday, June 8, 2015
Lex Anteinternet: "This land is my land, but shouldn't be your land"...
Grass Creek Oilfield in the early days. At the time of this photo, oil entrants could still patent their claims, in the same way that mining claims could be patented, and indeed as "placer oil claims".
The incredibly bad idea that is circulating on both the Congressional level and the local legislative level that we spoke about here, (and elsewhere):
Lex Anteinternet: "This land is my land, but shouldn't be your land"...: This land is your land This land is my land From California to the New York island; From the red wood forest to the Gulf Stream waters ...
turns out to have even seeped down to the county level.
We learn in today's Star Tribune that, in spite of the fact that the majority of Wyomingites oppose the concept, Natrona County is one of four Wyoming counties that have sent money to an entity called the American Lands Council, headquartered in Utah, backing this bad idea. Big Horn, Lincoln, and Weston also have. Two other counties, Teton and Albany, have gone on record opposing it, and a third, the heavily mining district of Sweetwater County, earlier sent a resolution to the Legislature opposing it.
An interesting thing about this is that it would seem to reflect an ancient split in Wyoming's politics. At least two of these counties, Natrona and Sweetwater, have traditionally been dominated by the extractive industries in terms of their economies, but politically Sweetwater has traditionally been dominated by the rank and file of the mining industry, i.e., the miners. In the 1932 Presidential election a majority of Sweetwater County votes went to the Socialist candidate that year, and the county has tended to be fairly Democratic up until very recently (and perhaps remains somewhat old school Democrat today). Natrona, which is the local petroleum industry center, together with Fremont County (whose local GOP, the only real party there following the demise of the Democratic Party in Wyoming) at this point in time feature politics which tend to reflect the views of the industry itself, although the influence of mining in Fremont County meant that it was actually a conservative Democratic county up until some point in the late 1980s, when mining there shut down and the national Democratic Party began increasingly to loose its conservative wing.
Note, I'm not arguing about this, merely noting that it tends to be the case. History and reality are what they are, so there's no point in arguing about this. Locally, however, the average citizen in Natrona County would most likely be very much against this view, and occasionally the county's sportsmen have really risen up when provoked. This happened in the early 1990s, when that was seen statewide in an effort to privatize wildlife in the state, and it also happened in reaction to the earlier Sagebrush Rebellion, which had very little sympathy in the towns and cities. Indeed, for that matter, the rank and file of the petroleum industry, i.e., the guys on the rigs, if they are local (and often if they are not) are outdoorsmen themselves and aren't really keen on anything that might disrupt that.
One additional thing I should note is that the last time this sort of idea went around it was really spearheaded by the ranching industry. No longer. Agriculture really has more reason to be worried about the Federal government and its regulations than anyone else, and last time this movement expressed that. Since then, however, the real threat to agriculture has become increasingly clear, and that's the sale of ranch land to developers, often out of state, and to very well monied out of state interests. This has caused local ranchers to no longer really conceive of the Federal government as a threat and it further has slowly started to recognize that keeping Federal lands in Federal hands also keeps that land in local ranching hands as well. So, this time, we don't see any angry ranchers in the mix. What sportsmen have long dreamed of, an alliance of sportsmen, conservationist, and agriculture has actually occurred, although in the Taylor Grazing Act era, it took nearly 80 years for it to become a reality.
Anyhow, this story is particularly interesting in terms of Natrona County, as at the same time that the commissioners voted in favor of backing this concept, reflecting the view that what's good for the local industry is good for the county, the county has supposedly been undergoing a major demographic and economic shift which would, in the relatively short term, make that industry much less significant. Indeed, the county is boosting its natural (i.e, sporting and wild) attributes as part of this, which would mean that the residents who are attracted to this county now, as the oil industry goes into a slump, would tend to not be particularly sympathetic with it. Acts like this are therefore likely, in very short order, to be dimly viewed, and the politicians who support them likewise dimly viewed. Something local politicians never seem to be able to grasp is that encouraging new industries, and new residents, means the importation of new political ideas, and those ideas are often totally opposite of their own. As a rule, new residents to Natrona County aren't likely to be from Niobrara County, and are more likely to be from the Napa Valley. Whether this is good or bad can be debated, but a person can't really simultaneously back the county as a good place to live due to its natural attributes while also backing an idea that would possibly imperil them, and then have the people you induced to move look at you charitably.
Indeed, one of the original drafters of the act that passed the State Legislature to study transferring management of the lands did not specifically mention it in his post legislative success sheet. That he'd omit it should not be regarded as an accident. He's from this county, and he's no doubt already gotten an unhappy earful from sportsmen and conservationist. He's likely to keep getting one, in spite of not mentioning this in his recent sheet.
Now, I'm not seeking to pick on the oil industry here, and the national industry didn't ask for this at all and is probably regarding it as absurdly naive. The local industry hasn't openly supported it. So this tends to be a bill backed by the locally naive, who have so poorly thought this all out that should it pass, in the future they'll look very poor indeed. But they may look very poor in the short term as well. With Natrona County changing its economy rapidly, Sweetwater County returning to its traditional politics, and Fremont County, where one of the major backers resides, is involved in a huge struggle with the Democratic Wind River Reservation which may shrink the practical impact of the county politically. Riding the crest of this waive may end up getting some of the riders drowned. That tended to be the case a couple of decades ago, the last time this happened.
And if they do drown, perhaps its somewhat deserved. One of the penalties for riding the waive of trends is not being able to recognize the swell behind them. And one of the penalties for failing to have learned history is not grasping when something fundamental has changed. The Taylor Grazing Act brought in an 80 year history of slight antagonism between agriculture and conservationist in this state, or perhaps more accurately between ranchers and townsfolk, over the public land. But that struggle has now really ended. The state was built by agriculture, but it hasn't done much to assist and support it over the years, and various counties, including Natrona County, certainly have not. The petroleum and mining industries have been the heavy employers, but they tend not to be local and are buffeted by the swings of the international economy. The political swing to the right nationally and locally in recent years didn't really reflect much of a change on many key local issues, and all politics is local. The Democratic Party in Wyoming may not be dead, but it's a mere shawdow of its former self, but those who looked to middle of the road Republicans and Democrats for protection of public lands are still there, but are seemingly being ignored. Last time that happened, they rose up and slapped the politicians who forgot that.
Teusday, June 8, 1915. Germans hold back the French, news hits on Villa defeats.
Just the day prior, a rosy report was given regarding Villa's position. Now the truth was coming out.
The advertisements on the last page were interesting:
Interesting to see Harley Davidsons advertised with bicy cles and sporting goods.
The Germans regrouped to slow the French advance and recaptured their second line by the end of the day at Hébuterne.
Today In Wyoming's History: June 8: 1915 Hoyt Hall at the University of Wyoming named for John Hoyt, UW's first president and a former territorial governor. Attribution: Wyoming State Historical Society.
Last edition:
Monday, June 7, 1915. Reinforcing Gallipoli. Leaving Mexico.
Sunday, June 7, 2015
Lex Anteinternet: UW Foundation intent on cashing-in gift of Y Cross...
This past week the respective Wyoming and Colorado university benefactors (or actually the Colorado one, in what I read) of this substantial ranch land gift indicated that, having prevailed in their lawsuit with the donor, and having failed to reach an accommodation that would have otherwise helped preserved the donor's intent, announced that it's going up for sale.
And people wonder why the Wyoming average citizen and sporting public is skeptical about the state acquiring the Federal domain.
Lex Anteinternet: UW Foundation intent on cashing-in gift of Y Cross...: UW Foundation intent on cashing-in gift of Y Cross ranch We've commented on this before , but an ongoing "boo hiss" is in or...Well, once again, but Boo Hiss.
And people wonder why the Wyoming average citizen and sporting public is skeptical about the state acquiring the Federal domain.
Monday, June 7, 1915. Reinforcing Gallipoli. Leaving Mexico.
The French 2nd Army attacked German positions around Hébuterne, France to support the 10th Army efforts further north at Artois.
The Dardanelles Committee met in London and decided to reinforce the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force of General Ian Hamilton with three divisions from Kitchener's Army.
British pilot Reginald Warneford of No. 1 Squadron shot down a Zeppelin over Ghent, Belgium in hte first instance of an airship being taken on in that fashion.
Foreigners were leaving Mexico.
Last edition
Saturday, June 6, 2015
Sunday, June 6, 1915. Switzerland approves a war tax. The Great War comes to Wyoming.
The Allies reorganized at Gallipoli and beat back an Ottoman offensive.
The French Army captured the main road leading to Neuville-Saint-Vaast, France.
The Swiss population overwhelmingly approved a war tax, the first time which a Swiss referendum passed in every canton.
Today In Wyoming's History: June 6: 1915 British commissioners began to purchase remounts in Wyoming. The purchase of horses for British service in World War One created a boom in horse ranching which would continue, fueled both by British and American service purchases, throughout the war, but which would be followed by a horse ranching crash after the war.
U.S. Army Remounts, Camp Kearney California, 1917.
Last edition:
Saturday, June 5, 1915. German forces retook Przemyśl.
Friday, June 5, 2015
William G. McAdoo, Former Secretary of the Treasury – 1919
William G. McAdoo, Former Secretary of the Treasury – 1919
From when 78s were a means of mass communication. Really weird to think of people buying or recording a political speech such as this, let alone one by somebody who was the "former Secretary of the Treasury".
From when 78s were a means of mass communication. Really weird to think of people buying or recording a political speech such as this, let alone one by somebody who was the "former Secretary of the Treasury".
Saturday, June 5, 1915. German forces retook Przemyśl.
German forces retook the lost Austro Hungarian fortress of Przemyśl.
British forces repulsed a major Ottoman counter attack at Gallipoli.
Women obtained the franchise in Denmark and Iceland.
The U-14 was sunk in the North Sea by the HMT Oceanic II.
The HMS E-11 slipped back through the Dardanelles.
Last edition:
Friday, June 4, 1915. Bring Your Horses.
Labels: 1910s, 1915, Animals, British Army, Equine Transportation, French Army, Gallipoli, Indian Army, Ottoman Army, World War One, Wyoming
Thursday, June 4, 2015
Friday, June 4, 1915. Bring Your Horses.
British, French, and Indian forces made a third and final attempt to capture Achi Baba on the Gallipoli peninsula but were repulsed. Both side, sustained heavy casualties.
World War One was impacting Wyoming's economy:
Thursday, June 3, 1915. Battle of León.
Wednesday, June 3, 2015
Thursday, June 3, 1915. Battle of León.
Troops under the command of Constitutionalist Álvaro Obregón fought those under Pancho Villa at León, Guanajuato in Mexico.
Obregón lost his right arm in a grenade attack but Villa was decisively defeated in the battle.
The British Indian Army defeated Ottoman troops on the Tigris between the towns of Amara and Qurna, Mesopotamia (now Iraq).
Austro Hungarian troops drove the Russians back to the Dniester.
Last edition:
Wednesday, June 2, 1915. Wilson: 'Form a Government'.
Tuesday, June 2, 2015
Wednesday, June 2, 1915. Wilson: 'Form a Government'.
President Wilson was growing irritated at the inability of Mexico to form a government.
The French commenced a pre attack three day barrage on German defenses around Neuville-Saint-Vaast, France.
Armenians began a month long resistance against the Ottoman Empire due to the genocide using a fort in the Giresun Province of Turkey. The uprising was sparked by news that the genocide was coming their way.
Ceylon's Governor Robert Chalmers declared martial law in the colony to arrest violence between Muslims and Buddhists.
Last edition:
Tuesday, June 1, 1915. Przemyśl.
Monday, June 1, 2015
Visiting the battlefield
"Last Stand Hill", Little Big Horn.
Now that's a dispiritiing thing for a writer to admit, but it's quite true. You just can't. Yet some try to do it.
Fetterman Fight battleground.
Relatively recently work took me on a trip which put me within easy driving range of a very famous Civil War battlefield. I'd read about it many times before, but I'd never seen it. Quite a shock to actually see the field, it wasn't really what I'd expected, even after having read the books, seen it depicted in film, and having reviewed the maps many times. Seeing, I realized what a desperate confusing affair it was, and what the overall conditions must have been like.
Likewise, there's several Indian Wars battlefields I'm quite familiar with, and several of those are repeatedly written about, not always very intelligently. The prime example of that would be the Battle of the Little Big Horn, which is oddly subject to a lot of discussion about "why did this happen?". Well, visit the battlefield and what happened is pretty obvious.
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