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VOLUME XXVII.
ALLIANCE, BOX BUTTE COUNTY, NEBRASKA, FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 1920.
NUMBER 20,
V
CI.
OFFER ALLIANCE
HEADQUARTERS
OF ASSOCIATION
BARTOW mESKMS PLANS
COMMUNITY CLUII
Would Utilize Flood Waters That
Now lo Damage to Make
Millions of Acres Fertile
Judge II. C. Bartow of Fort Pierre,
S.DN, president of the Great Pallns
Irrigation association, at a meeting
of the directors of the Community
club Tuesday evening, offered to
bring the headquarters of the asso
ciation to Alliance provided the club
would pledge its support. Mr. Bar
tow will return to this city within
the next two weeks, at which time it
Is probable that a special meeting
will be called, at which he can pre
sent more complete data on the
project.
In his talk before the directors,
Mr. Bartow unfolded plans for a gi
gantic irrigation project, which
would furnish water for a strip of
land a thousand miles long and
twenty-flve miles wide sufficient for
-over three million forty-acre homes.
The plan is to store up the flood
waters that, upon reaching the lower
Mississippi valley, do millions of dol
lars worth of damage, and by build
ing a huge pipe line, distribute them
over the states of North and South
Dakota, Nebraska and Kansas. Since
the way Is uphill, it would be an en
gineering feat of no small magni
tude, but Mr. Bartow has reports
fro mvarlous civil engineers as to the
feasibility of the project.
The association was formed in
1912, Mr. Bartow said, and com
pleted Its own preliminary survey,
presenting to the senate, through
Senator Newland of Nevada, infor
mation that was sufficient to carry
an appropriation measure through
the senate. The death of Senator
Newland, the Mexican trouble and
the European war all served to de
lay matters, until Mr. Bartow feels
that the work will largely have to
be done over. He plans to finance
the preliminary expense by organiz
ing an association of Interested
people In the area to be affected, and
knows that it can be done, for it has
been done before.
A brief statement of the plan, pre
pared by Mr. Bartow,- follows:
"The object of this association is
to use the water of the great water
shed of the northwest to irrigate a
strip of country down across North
Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska and
Kansas. We find upon investigation
that it is (he crest of the floods that
does the great damage In the lower
Mississippi valley. They have no use
for these floods nor room for them In
the lower Mississippi vaMey, while
we have -lots of room and plenty of
good use for these flood waters up
here near their sources. The Great
Plaints Irrigation association was
started on the 16th day of July,
1912, with the Intention of building
a dam near the mouth of the Yellow
stone, and skimming off the flood
waters that come together near the
mouth of the Yellowstone. The first
plan was to use this water down
across North and South Dakota.
"State Engineer Lee made an es
timate of the cost of putting In a
dam and the building of a pipe 520
miles, which would amount to f
000,000. The strip was to be twenty-five
miles wide and 620 miles
long, making a covering area of a
little over eight million acres and
the average cost per acre about ten
dollars.
"After we organized this associa
tion, we put out a number of men
in the field to get petitioners for gov
ernment aid. During the summer of
1913, I spoke in 183 towns and se
cured about 7,000 petitioners for
this association, at $1.00 each, to
help to defray the expenses of the
reconnolssance survey.
"We made the survey, and found
we would have to build a dam 175
feet high, a sluiceway 150 feet wide
and thirty feet deep, to run this wa
ter Into a natural reservoir that lies
south of the Big Missouri, east of the
Yellowstone, and north of the Little
Missouri, that will hold with a little
fixing 37.000.000 acre feet of wter.
"We found that these 20.000.000
acre feet of flood water would pas
through between these two stone
bluffs every year. We decided that
an Inch a week on any of that land
In North and South Dakota during
the twelve growing weeks will make
a crop, regardless of climatic con
ditions. About the time we got through
with that survey. In the ftV of
Senator Newland of Nevsdi pntrf
us that he had got up a bill called
"The River and Regulation Bill,"
that would cover all of this deal of
ours. It called for ten million a
year for ten years for the Missouri
river above St. Louis.' He Invited
us to throw In with him, and boost
4r that bill with sixteen other nsso
ipns and to help "push It through.
f that time there was a vote
takx 0,the senate, and It won out,
43 to ut It never had been be
fore cov y We had to take our
turn at 4 and about the time
our turn cav r around, Mr. Benton
in Mexico was murdered, we were
pigeon-holed and the bill has lain
there ever since.
"Since then, Mr. Newland died,
and we do not know how hard his
successor will work for the bill. We
believe the bill has fallen through.
We have been advised lately by some
of our friends In Washington that
the quickest and surest way to get
this bill before congress would be
to reorganize and raise a member
ship of this association to 40,000 rep
resented by all classes and trades of
people, gathering them up all over
the United States and at the same
time raise money enough to make
our own permanent survey. If It
will cost $80,000,000 to put It down
across North and South Dakota, it
(Continued on Page 8.)
WRESTLING COWBOY
L00KINGJ0R MATCH
Charles Johnson of Lewellen, Neb.,
known in this part of the country
as the wrestling cowboy, is looking
for an Alliance match at as early a
date as possible. He has Issued .a
challenge to any Alliance wrestler,
and the limit is off on the question
of weight. Johnson tips the scales
at 168 pounds ringside, but he has
no hesitancy in saying that he would
like to tangle with anyone, although
he prefers a man under 175 pounds.
Jerry Robinson Is Johnson's man
ager, and backers of any mat artist
are requested to get into communi
cation with him, the quicker the
sooner.
The Lewellen man's challenge
reads as follows:
"I challenge any of your local
wrestlers to a bout', best two out of
three falls. I would prefer a man
under 175 pounds, unless it would be
Wheeler; in that case I ask for no
weight limits. ' I 'would like to meet
Cannon In a return match. I will
furnish a side bet if necessary. My
present weight Is 186 pounds ring
Bide. I prefer an early date If
possible."
There's the proposition. Who'll be
the first man to take a chance with
the wrestling cowboy?
TEN MARY PICKFORDS
YOU HAVLNEVER SEEN
Alliance film fans will have an op
portunity to look upon Mary Pick
ford In 'ten new roles, and all of
them in one play, "The Hoodlum,"
the second production from her own
studio. You don't need to know
what It's all about to be interested.
All you need to know is that she
takes the part of a spoiled heiress
who dropped through a coal chute
to real life and adventure. There
are a thousand laughs In the pic
ture and you are at liberty to count
them if you don't believe us. We
can assure you that most of the
movie palaces hike the prices for
Mary's new plays, but the Imperial
will put it on at the low rates. In
addition, there Is a kid matinee at
4:30 which will cost still less. Joe
Martin in "The Jungle Gentleman"
Is thrown In for good measure.
HOME BUILDERS TO
BEGIN CONSTRUCTION
At a meeting of the directors of
the Alliance Home Builders' associa
tion, held Thursday- evening, ar
r r foments were made to procure
plans and specifications of residences.
A onrding to present Indications,
construction work will be begun on
not less than twelve houses within
the next week or two.
HEM I NG FORD SILENT
ON THE TOWER LINE
The city council of Hemlngford
Is maintaining a silence on the ques
t'n of the power line to connect
with the Alliance municipal plant.
Not a word has come from the
neighboring town since the commit
tee asked for and received an es
timate. E. G. Lalng la spending sever?
ays In Omaha this week. In attend
ance at the state convention of r
! clo'hlers.
TO HOLD OFF ON
PHONEFRANCHISE
Coumll Will Wait t See What
Action Constitutional Con
vention Takes
Announcement was made today
that, in all probability, the city coun
cil would delay action on a franchise
for the Nebraska Telephone company
until the constitutional convention
finishes its sessions. The convention
has been considering the state rail
way commission, and the 'prospects
are that they may make some
changes In Its regulatory powers. .
Under the circumstances, senti
ment In the council does not favor
going ahead with a fronchlse with
the prospect that within a few
months the whole thing may have to
be done all over again to make it
conform to the new laws. It might
be that the city councils will have
more power when the -ew constitu
tion is adopted, and the members do
not care to tie themselves up for
twenty years without taking every
precaution they can.
The telephone company has been
operating for several months wlth-j
out a franchise. Representatives of j
the company submitted an ordinance, j
but the council, instead of passing!
It, appointed a committee to make
suggestions. The committee brought
In Its report two or three weeks ago,
and It was the Intention to argue It
out with the company, but the whole
matter, It seems, will be held In abey
ance, until the council knows exact
ly what the situation will be.
WINNERS CHOSEN IN
DECLAIM CONTEST
The annual declamatory contest of
the Alliance high school was held at
the Imperial theater Wednesday eve
ning, and winners were selected in
three classes to represent the school
at the district contest, which will be
held later.
There was a marked Improvement
in the class of selections presented
by the contestants, and the work of
each one showed the results of care
ful training. It would have been a
difficult task to select any one as the
best, and the judges needed all the
time that was allowed them to com
pare markings and arrive at a deci
sion. In the oratorical class, Robert
Lawrence, with "A Plea for Cuba,"
was given first place, and Edward
Morrow, who presented "The New
South," was given Becond. Madeline
Zediker, with "Rock of Ages," won
first place in the dramatic, second
place being awarded to Ruth Stan
ton, who read "The Sould of the
Violin." In the humorous class,
Asenath Schill, who gave "Aunt El
nora's Hero," was given first, and
second place was given to Ruth
Scott, with "Mandy's Organ."
The Judges were: Superintendent
Wright of the Hemlngford schools,
County Superintendent McFadden of
Cheyenne county and Superintendent
Bailey of Dalton.
A LITTLE ACTIVITY
IN POLICE COURT
After fully ten days of inactivity,
wlfout a single case to consider, the
police court Friday morning disposed
of two In rapid succession.
. Ben Edwards of South Alliance
was fined $10 and costs on a charge
of disturbing the peace by discharg
ing firearms. Edwards shot a horse
belonging to him about 10 o'clock
and was arrested and fined with very
little loss of time.
A Mexican taken in charge by a
Burlington special agent, who said
he had broken quarantine regula
tions by entering a bunk car contain
ing flu patients, was released after
examination.
Earl Friday afternoon, Frank Dev
ereau received a fine of $5 and costs
for violating quarantine regulations.
ALLIANCE MEETS
CRAWFORD TONIGHT
The Alliance high school basket
ball team will meet the undefeated
Crawford high school basket tossers
at the high school this evening, and
the chances are the leaders of the
neighboring league will be glad the
game doesn't count after the eve
ning's entertainment Is over. The
AlMnnre tenm playing mighty well
these davs, considering the break In
th lineup caused bv Captain Joder's
Illness.
The Alliance grl team will leave
for Crawford tomorrow and play the
Crawford girls tomorrow evelng.
KEEPING UP WITH
f GORDON MILLER
Wounded Soldier Hns Horn Search
ing for Ills Aunt In Various
i, Nebraska Clths
Once more Gordon Miller is heard
from this time at Lincoln. Ever
since Gordon hove In sight on our
horizon, he has kept moving. To
date, he has hit Alliance, Srottsbluff
and Lincoln, but it Is likely that he'll
bob up again before long some place
else, as the last word from the cap
ital city was to the effect that he hns
again dropped off the face of the
earth.
Knowing what we do about the
awful price of carfare, we were In
clined to wonder Just how Gordon
could travel so far on the $20 that
represented his sole capital when he
was discharged from Walter Reed
hospital In Washington, D. C. At
least that was his story In Alliance,
and we're not disposed to be critical.
He may tell his story any way he
wants to tell It. So far as in known,
he secured no money here, but the
mystery of funds Is solved.
The . Scoltsbluff chapter of the
Red Cross, which shares the regular
Scottsbluff antipathy toward any
other place on the map and th city
of Gerlng in particular, furnished the
ticket to Lincoln. . Miss Ganson, Al
liance Red Cross secretary, had com
municated with the county chapter
at Oerlng, but the Scottsbluff branch
consulted no one. They dug up the
carfare without any Inquiry. Miller
didn't Include Gerlng in his Itinerary
Gordon's story Is practically the
same as he told in Alliance. There
are minor variations in detail. For
example, while here, he said that his
two brothers were serving with the
Canadian troops. Now it appears
that one brother was killed by his
side at Verdun and the other a lieu
tenant in aviation, fell In No Man's
Land in an airplane accident.
The injury to his wrist, according
to latest reports, was due to a bay
onet thrust while defending a com
rade In -a hand-to-hand encounter.
For this he was decorated for brav
ery. The Alliance story was that he
had received this in a fist fight at
Verdun, although other wounds were
due to shrapnel.
???He Is still seeking Jhls aunt, Mrs.
Anna Connors, but she has man
aged so far to move Just a day or
two ahead of blm.
Indications are that Miller, occa
sionally using another name, has
been traveling about the country us
ing this table wherever he goes,
changing the details at will, but hold
ing to the general story. A letter
from Edward McLean, Red Cross
agent for the mountain division, with
headquarters at Denver, contains
further Information:
"Your letter of January 29, con
cerning the aboe-named man, has
been handed to me, and beg to state
that any beliefs put in the stories of
this man are worse than wasted. He
travels under two or three different
names, and the Walter Reed hospital
has no report of man nor is there any
army records of him, and there are
reasons to think the roan has never
been in the service.
"Story about family's death Is ab
solutely false. A letter from Detroit
states that man has given 555 High
street, Detroit, Mich., as his -home
address, and made some statements
there of loss of family at one blow
somewheres in an automobile wreck.
The man has never lived in Denver
and has no parents here, and we
have had no contact with him in any
shape, form or fashion, except the
letters which have been mentioned.
"See no reasons to believe about
dishonesty on the part of the map's
aunt for the whole story is false.
There Is absolutely nothing that can
be done and I hope you have not
made this man any loans."
SANDHILLS THE PLACE
FOR CATTLE RAISING
Ray Hammond, who grew up in
Hamilton county a few years before
The Herald's owners attained that
distinction, was In Alliance Thurs
day morning and made this office a
visit. It had been some years since
we bad a visit with him, and we lis
tened to a lot of interesting ex
periences. Hammond sold out In Hamilton
county shortly before the last big
raise In land values, and had a try
at the Scottsbluff Irrigated country.
He finally decided that, no matter
how profitable It was, ne preferred
ranching to farming, and let go of
his holdings at a big advance. Then,
for five or six months, he had a look
around. He visited North and South
Dakota, Texas and two or three other
places, and Just a few months ago
selected the sandhills as the best
place In the world to raise cattle. He
Is now the owner of a big ranch, forty-five
miles out of Mullen and the
BHtne distance from a rnllroad, where
he Is curing for about a thousand
head.
He Is outspoken In his enthusiast"
for the Alliance Packing" company
For years, he says, he has shipped
his cattle to more or less dliiant
markets, and you can't tell him a
thing about shrinkage and other
evils of long hauls. He has figured
it out that, although he ninety-odd
miles out of Alliance, he ran drive
his cattle In overland and save time,
freight money and shrinkage loss.
The Alliance concern plans to pay
Omaha prlro. and he Isn't a bit
backward about saying that he can
see fatter profits in the stockraislng
game than iver before.
USE FIREMEN'S HALL
FORlFLU PATIENTS
At a special meeting of the board
of health held Thursday evening, it
was decided to take over the fire
men's clubrooms in the city hall tem
porarily and establish therein quar
ters for Influenza patients. There
will be separate wards for both men
and women, and competent nurses
will be in charge. The authorities
wish It understood that patients will
be expected to pay a nominal charge
of $3 per day for attendance, and
this fee will not reimburse the city
for the expense to which It Is being
put. Medical attendance will also be
paid by the patients.
These quarters will be available to
every physician In the city.
The city physician Is asking for
the co-operation of every person In
the city, both in the matter of re
porting cases and In observing the
quarantine rules. The term of quar
antine Is a short one, and It works
no particular hardship on those af
fected to strictly observe the regula
tions. There has been no particular In
crease In the number of cases during
the past three days. The physicians
of the city have been able to take
care of the patients. There have
been no deaths reported, and, In fact,
every case to date has been mild.
: Th situation, In Alliance Is not at
all alarming, and there Is no indica
tion that it will be necessary to close
the schools or Interfere with busi
ness. YAMA YAMA DANCE
IS THE LATEST ONE
W. R. Harper, chairman of the en-1
tertalnment committee of the
ance eikb loage, is mating a recoru.
Every little while or ortener ne
comes out with something new and
this time it's to be a Yama Yama
dance. The uninitiated don't know
exactly what kind of a dance this is
to be, but the members of the order
are In a fair way to find out, at least
by Tuesday, February 10, on ths eve
ning of which day the event will take
place.
So near sb we can discover, a
Varna Yama is a variety or masquer
ade. At least costumes are required.
Harp has arranged for a supply to
arrive from Denver for everyone who
hasn't time to figure out one for him
self, and they will be on hand at the
hall for folks who prefer to wait and
see what happens. No dancer will
be allowed on the floor unless In cos
tume. It'll be a generous affair, and
there'll be a grand assortment of
get-ups and disguises
The entertainment committee has
been working overtime getting up
programs that will entertain, and
they are expecting a full-slxed crowd
to do Justice to this one. There are
a lot more of just such entertain
nients under consideration, and pros
pects are that the Elks will fully en
Joy themselves in the best year of
their history.
SILVER GRILL CAFE
HAS CHANGED HANDS
The first of next week the Silver
Gnll cafe goes under new manage
ment, the business having been pur
chased by a Hastings man with con
f derable experience in the restau
u.ui game, who expects to make a
number of changes.
The Grill will be closed Monday
and Tuesday of next week, and dur
ing these days a force of workmen
will be busy making It look different
lit will open up Wednesday morning
I a new place, changed In appearance
and personnel.
TOM RUBIS IS
ARRESTED ON A
SlRIOMARGE
ttlLL 1)11 TRIIJ) FOK A CHIMB
...AGAINST NATURE
l a so Continued for a Week
Hail Placed at :l,OlM) by
County Judge Tash
and
On a complaint filed in county
court Tuesday of this week warrant
wa liud for the arrest of Tom
Rubls, a young Greek who has been
r.i LuBlr.. in thh cl:j until recent
ly, on a charge of sodomy. The state
Is detaining the principal witness In
the case, and other witnesses will be
called.
Attorneys for the defense asked
for a continuance at a preliminary
hearing Friday morning, and County
Judge Tash Bet the trial for 10 a. m.
next Monday. Ball was set at $3,
000, which has not yet been
furnished.
The complaint alleges that the of
fenses were committed on Monday
and Tuesday of this week. Tuesday
evening Rubls left town, telling some
of his friends, it Is said, "that he was
In bad." Chief of Police Nova Tay
lor kept the wires hot for hours and
finally located him In . Scottsbluff.
The chief went over to the sugar city
and returned with his prisoner
Wednesday evening.
Mitchell and Gantz are the attor
neys for the defense and Eugene Bur
ton Is representing the state.
TO HOLD CHAUTAUQUA
SIX DAYS IN JULY
Fifty-eight business and profes
sional men of Alliance have signed
the reuired guarantee, which means
that the Standard Chautauqua sys
tem will put on a six-day program In
this city some time during July.
Dates for the event have not been
definitely arranged, although It Is
likely that It will take place during
the early part of the month.
The men who have sponsored
the movement will form themselves
Into a chautaqua association and the
booster spirit always ."'present for
better things for 'Alliance will put
the proposition over. A number of
men may have refused to sign the
guarantee, but this does not mean
that they are opposed to the Chau
tauqua Idea or that they will with
hold their support from It..
No one disputes the fact that the
Chautauqua brings to a city some
Inlant wtilnti It vnnU ha i a rH In n A-v
, ,. Tt,..
Alll-jwho have lnterested themselves in
this project have no hesitancy
In
saying that they will make li go,
KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS
INITIATION SUNDAY
Alliance council No. 975, Knights
of Columbus, will hold an initiation
Sunday, February 8, at which a class
of between fifty and seventy-five will
be given all three degrees. State
deputy E. II. Whelan will be among
the visitors, and there will be dele
gations from nearby cities.
In the evening, at the armory, a
banquet will be given to the members
of the council, visiting knights and
their ladles, at which the following
will respond to toasts: State Deputy
Whelan, Thomas Morrow, W. R.
Met z and W. P. Miles. J. W. Guthrie
will be toastmaster.
TO HOLD CLERK-CARRIER
EXAMINATION FEB.
14
The United States civil service
commission announced that on Feb
ruary 14, at the postofflce in Alli
ance, Neb., an open competitive ex
amination will be held for the posi
tions of clerk and city carrier. The
initial salary will be $1,000 a year,
to which has been added a tempo
rary Increase of $200 a year, mak
ing the salary $100 a month. For
substltute service the rate is 50 cents
per hour. Applicants must have
reached their eighteenth but not
their forty-fifth birthday on the date
of examination.
CITY HALL IS NOW
A LONELY PLACE
The city hall seems lonesome the
past few days. City Manager Smith
Is at home, quarantined, a victim of
the epidemic, and Mrs. Grace Ken
nedy, city clerk. Is 111 from a cold.
E. O. Campbell is IFn charge of the
whole works.