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Show MONTANA RANCHJVIAN GATHERING PIONEER VEHICLES GREAT FALLS, MONT. Charles Bovey, young Great Falls rancher, has found that his vocation and hobby hob-by collecting go well together. No albums or trophy cases will hold the articles that Bovey gathers gath-ers and he finds the spaciousness of a ranch convenient for the accommodation accom-modation of the old automobiles, carriages, fire engines and buildings build-ings he has assembled. Bovey says he has found that much of Montana's history is woven around his unusual collection. The latest addition is the state's first aerial truck ladder. It's the 49-foot Butte aerial truck No. 1, purchased by the Butte fire department in 1913. Bovey brought it here on a railroad flat car it's still the biggest piece of fire-fighting equipment of its type in Montana. Recently he put it in running condition and took it out for a spin. Historic Fort Benton, where Missouri Mis-souri river steamers once ended their up-river runs, has contributed several articles to Bovey's collection. collec-tion. The rancher also has a steam pumper that was bought by Anaconda Ana-conda about 1890. Bovey began his collection with old automobiles, and now has 19, the oldest built in 1902. Bovey has a score or more of carriages, many of them of considerable con-siderable historic importance. Collecting buildings and fire engines en-gines is a bit more complicated than saving matchbook covers. Bovey has visited scores of cities and towns in his quest. Many of the articles he saved from vandals and junkmen; junk-men; some he purchased and some were given to him to help him assemble as-semble his 'museum' of U. S. transportation. |