Ron Laidlaw: Alex Burgon - Montana Cowboy

There was a good attendance at last week's meeting of the Rotary Club when President Sandy Bannerman welcomed guest Linden Warburton.  They were treated to an interesting illustrated talk by Alex Burgon entitled "the Montana cowboy".  Alex has had an interest in cowboys since he was a young lad in Berwick visiting the cinemas to watch cowboy films.  He had a lifetime experience as a Master Blacksmith and, it was inevitable, that he would want to experience the life of a cowboy and, indeed, has had four holidays in Montana which he spent on a working vacation on a real ranch on the wide, open prairie living and working with real cowboys. Montana is a huge State and includes Yellowstone National Park which Alex visited along with a visit to Little Big Horn which was the site of General Custer's Last Stand in 1876.  He described life on the ranch which catered for 16 working guests at a time riding out with the cowboys rounding up the steers and the buffaloes.  They even put on a real rodeo show.  Amongst the hazards he experienced were rattlesnakes and grizzly bears which it was adviseable to give a wide berth to.  His talk elicited many interesting questions after which Past President Ron Laidlaw gave the club's vote of thanks.