VOLUME XXVII.
ALLIANCE, BOX BUTTE COUNTY, NEBKASKA, FH1DAY, MAY 14, 1920.
NUMBER 43
EIGHT LOSE LIVES
IN CLOUDBURST
Family of Five Drowned While Try
ing to Ecaie to Higher
Ground.
At least eight people lost their
lives In the cloudburst of Tueclay
near Ardmore, Just across the Ne
braska line. One entire family of
five were drowned while trying to es
cape from their home to higher
ground. Had they stayed in the
house they would have been safe as
the house was only moved from its
foundations. The bodies of the fath
er and mother, Mr. and Mrs. P.
Darby, were found lodged against
trees two hundred feet from the
house today. The body of a daugh
ter, Frances, was found two miles
away. The bodies of two sons are
still missing and have not been lo
cated. Three homesteaders, Charles C'ertz
John Langly and Harvey Bell, are re
ported missing and their cabins wash
ed away by the floor. Their bodies
had not been found this afternoon.
Searching parties are making
their way slowly about the flood
stricken country through the
heavy gumbo of the South Dakota
bad lands, hunting for the bodies of
flood victims and for survivors who
may have been injured. Hundreds
of cattle and horses perished in the
high waters which swept down from
the plains into the narrow, winding
arroyas which usually carry water
only a few times each year.
No additional discoveries of bodies
had been made up to noon today, the
eight fatalities reported Thursday
being the only ones known so far. It
is expected that other lives were lost
in districts in the flooded territory.
GUTHRIE SECRETARY OF
CHAMBEROFCOMMERGE
At a special meeting of the board
of directors of the Alliance chamber
of commerce, J. W. Guthrie was
elected temporary secretary to serve
at least until after the race meet.
In the meantime, the directors will
keep their eyes open for a good man,
and with Mr. Guthrie on the Job will
have an opportunity to make a tho
rough investigation of the qualifica
tions of applicants for the position.
J. W. Guthrie has had ample expe
rience to make a success of the Job,
and particularly of the race meet
The directors felt that a local man
would be able to put this feature
across better than any stranger could
do, no matter how gifted a commer
clal secretary he was, and they have
persuaded Mr. Guthrie to listen to
the call of duty and neglect his bus!
ness somewhat for the next month
or so." ..,-.
Rufus Jones, who recently pur
chased a half-interest in a Denver in
vestment brokerage concern, will
probably leave the city the first of
next week to take up the duties of
bis new position.
W. R. HARPER ELECTED
REPUBLICAN DELEGATE
W. R. Harper was again selected
to head the Box Butte county repuo
lican central committee at a meeting
following the county convention
Tuesday afternoon. Mrs. Nellie
Wilson was chosen vice chairman
and F. M. Knight treasurer.
The county convention passed reso
lutions declaring adherence to the
w. k. party principles; and also en
dorsed separately woman suffrage,
prohibition and Governor McKelvle'a
code bill. County Judge Tash acted
as secretary for the meeting. W. R.
Harper, K. L. Pierce of Hemlngford,
Lee Basye, Mrs. Lee Basye, Mrs. Fred
W. Melick of Hemlngford and James
E. Rice were selected as delegates to
' the state convention, to be held at
Lincoln next Tuesday, where the Box
Butte delegation will make an ef
fort to place Mr. Harper on the state
committee.
Women voters took an exceedingly
active part in the convention, among
those in attendance being Mrs. Si.
Thompson, Mrs. J. Hall, Mrs. J. M.
Wood of Hemlngford, Mrs. L. A.
Bowser of Hemlngford, Mrs. Ed Zo
chal, Mrs. R. L. Harris, Mrs. James
Dickey, Mrs. James Kennedy, Mrs.
Nellie Wilson, Mrs. Fred Crawford
and Mrs. Lee Basye.
Mr. and Mrs. S. C. Therber spent
a few days in Alliance the first of
the week. They are moving to Hy
annis where Mr. Therber, Jr., and
father have the contract for building
a large grain elevator.
T11K WEATHER
ALLIANCE, Neb., May 14. Part
ly cloudy east and north; showers
southwest portion tonight and Sat
urday; slightly warmer tonight and
east portion Saturday.
Carl Rockey, president of the Alli
ance fire department, received a tele
graphic request today from A. T. Sib
bit t, mayor of Hyannis, requesting
the loan of six links of Are hose. Mrl
Sibbitt stated that a Are Thursday
evening at Hyannis six links of hose
were cut by parties unknown. Mr.
Rockey replied stating that it was
impossible for the Alliance depart
ment to grant the request, being
somewhat shy on hose themselves.
SPECIAL MEETING
TO TALKERANCHISE
City Council Will Again Meet With
Representatives of Nebraska
Telephone Company.
The city council, at Its regular May
meeting, held at the city hall Tues
day evening, decided to hold a special
meeting some time within the next
two weeks, at which time represent
atives of the Nebraska Telephone
company will have another suggested
franchise to present. E. K. Halde-
man of Grand Island, commercial
manager for the Grand Island dis
trict, was present at the meeting, and
requested the council, at the time It
took up the occupation tax ordinance,
postpone action until the new fran
chise was ready. The council granted
the request.
An ordinance was introduced Tues
day evening imposing an occupation
tax on the telephone company. City
Attorney Metx, who drew up the or
dinance, had left the amount of the
tax blank. At a previous meeting,
Councilman Harris had suggested
that $100 a month ought to be about
the right figure, but no sooner had
the clerk finished reading the docu
ment than he announced that he had
changed his mind. He had talked
with business men and reproson'n-
tives of the company, and believed
now that amount was a trifle high.
It would amount to about 5 per cent,
Mr. Harris said, on the company's
gross revenue. This is more than the
city of Omaha receives.
Comparative figures on the occu
pation taxes charged by different
cities in the Grand Islanl district
were given, and the matter was dis
cussed at some length, Mr. Halde-
man's proposal putting an end to
telephone talk for the session.
Mr. Haldeman said that the fran
chise he would prepare would take
care of most of the suggestions In
the report prepared by Councilman
Johnston and City Attorney Meti,
and he believed he would be able to
present reasons why the few poin'r
omitted should not be pressed. He
said that the council and the tele
phone company were really not so
very far apart, and that he believed
it would be possible to draw up a
franchise that would be acceptable
to both.
CITY PHYSICIAN HAND
MAKES RECOMMENDATIONS
City Physician G. J. Hand, at the
Tuesday meeting of the city council.
made recommendation that the city
pass three or four ordinances that
were needed. Undertakers, he said.
should be required to report nil
deaths on regular blanks. During
the past month, the doctor stated
he had received several Inquiries con
cernlng deaths, and that with the
present lack of system there was no
way to trace it.
The Lackey trial, Dr. Hand said
had caused him to think of other or
dinances that should be In force. He
urged the council to require physi
cians to make immediate report In
detail of all deaths about which
there were questionable circum
stances. Another Guggestion waa
that druggists keep a record of all
poisons sold. At present the state
law requires this, but he did not be
lieve that it was being done.
The recent flu epidemic had shown
the need of another regulation
Physicians should be required to re
port all contagious and infectious
diseases to the city physician Imme
diately.
Another recommendation was that
the council make arrangements to
empower the city physician to instl
gate action in insanity cases. Dr,
Hand mentioned one or two instances
where no action had been taken, an
said that some kind of an ordinance
with teeth in It would put him ni
position to demand action, with some
hope of getting it.
WASHOUTS KIT
RAILROADS HARD
No Les Than Thirty Reported Rc-
tween Alliance and lljtemont
Through Tronic Delayed
Through traffic on the Burlington-
Casper line to Billings, which waa ex
pected to be restored today, will be
delayed until sometime Saturday on
account of the overturning of a
bridge pier near Silesia, Montana,
during Thursday night. Burlington
through trains had been routed that
way from Alliance In the hope of get
ting through today.
No more attempts wui be maue to
ransfer passengers by automobile at
Silesia, as was done Thursday when
hree hundred and thirty-five pass
engers were hauled flrteen mjles,
over fjrty automobiles being used.
The trip took several hours each way
through the almost Impassible roads.
Telegraph service between Alli
ance and Hat Creek, Just west of
Ardmore, has been established by a
crew of daring linemen who tra
versed the flooded district from
Crawford west, repairing breaks and
stringing temporary lines where the
poles and wiring had been washed
away.
Rain continues to fall over a large
portion of the flooded district. Many
people are remaining at Alliance,
waiting for an opportunity to reach
points west of Crawford.
Many Held at Alliance
Substantial progress is being made
n bridging the washouts oetween
Crawford and Edgemont. Three pile
lrlvers are working incessantly, one
at the west end and two at the east
end of the flooded district. The
men nra wnrlrlntr two twelve-hour
shifts while the officials directing the
work, hofh at the ncene of oneratlons t
and at Alliance, have been without
sleep for many hours and are work-
- '
ng until they are
ready to drop
from exhaustion.
Burlington officials predict that
trains will be again running through
the main line by Tuesday of next
week, although they are unable to
definitely ascertain the amount of
damage done to the line east of Ard
more until it can be reached by in
spection parties. The heavy waters
are gradually subsiding.
Rusy Making Repairs
Repair work has been proceeding
rapidly all day on the two bridges
which were put out of commission at
Silcsia, Mont., twenty-five miles
south of Billings. They expect to
have this line repaired again by
sometime Friday morning and In an
ticipation of this are ordering all
through passenger trains sent via
Caspei'.
There are several washouts near
Hill City, S. Dnk., on the Deadwood
line of the Burlington. Heavy snow
the Black Hills has been hindering
the repair work to some extent. The
Rapid City, Black Hills and Western
railroad, running from Mystic to
Rapid City, will probably be out of
commission for a period of thirty
days, so bad was the damage done
by the floods.
With the clearing of the skies and
the temporary cessation of rainfall
(Continued on page 8)
WELL, WHO
(With Apologies to
, Alliance
Oh, the grimy mud, the slimy mud, the mud that makes you swear,
The cheesy mud, the greasy mud, that filters through your hair.
Oh, the ruddy mud, the muddy mud, the mud that gets your goat.
The sliding mud, the gliding mud, that sprays your pants and coat.
on, tne aanic, dank mud, the rank,
blame;
e'll wish him well (we will like
COUNCIL TALKS OF
" A CITYMANAGER
Impossibility of Offering remmncnt
Job Stand In Way- Mayor
Hodgcrs Ineligible
The city council again took up the
question of a city manager ut the
Tuesday evening meeting, after a de
lay of several weeks. The question
was brought up at the April meet
ing by Mayor Rodgers, who stated
that the demands made upon his
time were too great for the salary
the position paid. He offered at that
time to give up his whole time to
the Job, and declared that the salary
paid former City Manager Smith was
acceptable. Councilman Harris
raised the question of eligibility, an!
the matter was turned over to City
Attorney Metx for an opinion. There
after during the month the council
met five times, but the city manager
problem was not discussed.
Councilman Harris again brought
up the matter Tuesday by asking the
City Attorney to read the law in the
case. Mr. Metx quoted section 4872
of the statutes, to the effect no mem
ber of the council could hold any ap
pointive office, or any office created
b the council during his tenure.
This seemed to settle the question.
Mr. Harris said that the city was
faced with the same old problem. A
definite head was needed for the
city's business. At this time, when
thousands of dollars are being spent
for public improvement, and when
the city's light and water plant was
a big business in Itself, a" competent
man was needed to give his whole
time tq these various activities. Mr.
Harris thought the city manager
should be a practical electrician, be
Cause 01 me importance OI lUttl
branch of the city's activities,
There was considerable discussion
bv the members of the council, the
majority of whom conceded tho need
. ill i 1 r I
ui u rettuuiiaiuiH iicau. iuuuvuiuau i
Sturgeon thought there was a de- lnK he recognized in her a school
mand ou the part of the cltixens. teacher of former days, and said that
Councilman Moore believed that it
was unnecessary to go outside of
Alliance for a competent man. He
ld lhat lf tne former city manager I
- .! . V Jl Jtt M. I
win u prucucm uiuu, uo uiuu t wio i
for-any more of that kind. -
Councilman Harris finally settled
the argument that he had started
by saying that the question of per-
luanency of employment was a bar
to the council taking any Bteps.
Under the law, the council cannot
; enter into a contract with a city man-
ager for a period longer than Its in-
cumbency, which is less than a year,
He didn't think that a really good
man would consent to come here
with no prospect for a permanent po -
Billon. "He might be perfectly sat-
isfactory to us," Mr. Harris said,
"and be fired within an hour after
the new council took the oath of
office." He regretted that a city
manager should be subject to the!
whims of whoever might be in office,
but the council was powerless. And
right there the discussion ended.
License for Electricians
The council passed an ordinance
providing for the licensing of elec-
triclans doing wiring within the city.
The license fee Is set at $75 per year,
(Continued on page 5)
IS TO BLAME?
Jack Warren Carroll)
rank mud; there's Just one guy
h 1) and 's his name.
I CITIZENSHIP SCHOOL
:1 II.U 11,11 lliv.ltl.ll
Miss Margaret Sehaffner of Chi
cago, recently returned from ambul
ance service overseas, will hold a
citizenship meeting Thursday, May
20, at tho Baptist church.
Three meetings will be held In the
morning and afternoon for women;
evening, a mass meeting for men and
women to discuss the proposed
changes in the constitutional amend
ment. She comes under the auspices
of the League of Women Voters.
Women of all organizations are
urged to be present.
A picnic lunrh will be served at
noon. Come and bring your lunch
and enjoy a social time at the noon
hour.
On page 7 of this issue of Tho lltr
nld will be found a more extended
account of Miss Schaffer's woik.
HAGERTY CASE ON
IN DISTRICT COURT
Will Probably Occupy the Rest of
the Week- Tom Rubls
Discharged
i After four days, the case of Ha
gerty vs. Hagerty still occupies the
attention of district court, with
Judge Bayard Paine of Grand Island
presiding. The time has been occu
pied with an account extending over
a period of twenty-two years. It U
expected that the case will occupy
the rest of the week, at which time
Judse Pulne will leave for Thvdtord,
where the Halsey bank cane is set tor
trial next Monday morning at -9
o'clock.,
One Juror was excused this morn
ing, after he had listened to :ho tes
timony for the other three days. He
bad entered the box with the idwi
that he knew nothing of the case ori
"e principals, Dut wnen Mrs. i. u.
Tin pprlv went nn tho atnrm this tiirirn.
-- o- - l
be no longer desired to serve. Th?
case wiu De . Lnitaea witn eleven
Jurors, ' ' , .
The Hagerty case involves some-
U I.. 1 1 1 fP AAA .1 I 1 -. . ....
uuug uu fiu.uuu, vuu im one vt mw
I most important that has come up in.
some time. Both of the parties i'i-
terested come from Morrill county,
and the ranch in the case Is locatod
I in that county. The case is tried in
Box Butte because there is nothing
but personal property involve! and
John Hagerty, the father, removed'
to Alliance and lived here at thi tune
of his death. J. D. Hagerty, the son,
sues for $34,000, claimed to bo uu'i
him during the period for which h3
l managed the estate, while Mike Jlu
gerty, another son, disputes the
claim and Bets up a counter claim of
I S46.000. Judge Paine tried to in-
duce the principals to submit the
lease to a referee, but they declined
F. E. Williams of Bridgeport und
I A. W. Lane, former United S ates
I district attorney at Lincoln, repre
Bented J. D. Hagerty, and Burton &
Reddish represent M. H. Hagerty.
VV. R. Mets assisted the latter in ee-
I lectlng the Jury
Tom Rubls Discharged
Tom Rubls, whose trial on the
charge of sodomy was to come up at
this session of the district court, was
discharged and bis $2,000 bond ex
onerated by Judge Westover, who ar
rived here Wednesday and who has
been holding a second session of dis
trict court in his office while Judge
Paine has been trying the last Jury
case. The state made a motion for a
continuance, which was overruled,
the Judge holding that inasmuch as
the state had made no effort to se
cure its witness, no subpoena having
been issued and the sheriff not hav
ing made a trip to Sidney to look for
him, while Rubis was ready for trial,
it was unfair to the defendant to de
lay the case.
Judge Westover will take the
bench as soon as the Hagerty case is
completed, and the prospects are that
court will be in session all next week,
Alex Kosclskl, deserted from the
United States navy, surrendered at
the local recruiting office yesterday
and is now confined in the city Jail
awaiting the arrival of Omaha offi
cers. Kosclskl was stationed at Goat
Island, deserting September 18,
1919, being persuaded, he says, by a
companion. Since that time he has
wandered all over the west, dodg
ing the officers, and finally decided
to face the music.
W. I. Blaine of Grand Island, per
haps the largest horse dealer in the
United States, is in Alliance this
week, being stranded here br the
to 1 washouts.
The Hermlil S2.50 a year.
PROGRAM FOR
TliEJjRADUATES
End of the School Year Find
Twenty-Five Ready for
Commencement.
The city schools will close Friday
May 21. The opening event of the
closing week will be the Baccalaur
eate sermon at the high school audi
torium on Sunday evening, May 16.
The Class program will be given
Tuesday, May 18. the combined city
and county eighth grade exercises,
Thursday evening. May 20, and the
Senior Commencement Exercises Fri
day evening, May 21. The public is
cordially Invited to attend all these
exercises. There will be no charge
for admission.
Class Program.
The following Class program will
be given at the high school auditor
ium. Tuesday May 18 at 8. p. m.:
Welcome Address, Glen Joder.
Class Poem, Madelalne Zedlker. '
Class Song, Leah Weaver.
Violin Solo, Helen Woods.
Class Prophecy. Asenath Schlll.
' Class History, Ruth Uawes.
Class Will, Russell Mann.
Class Statistics, Eva Simpson.
Duet, Selected.
Farewell Address, Ray Edwards.
Baccalaureate Service.
High school auditorium, 8 p. m.
Sunday, May 16.
Male quartette, Messrs. Walker
Lamon, Thomas and Chaffee.
Scripture reading,--Dean A; II.
Dixon.
- Vocal duet, Mrs. Thomas, Miss
Acheson. - .. -
Prayer, Rev. M. C. Smith.
Vocal solo. Miss Simmons. ,
Class Sermon, Rev. Stephen J.
Epler.
Vocal Solo, Miss Grassman.
Benediction, Rev. J. O. Gould
Eighth Grade Program
To be given at the high school
auditorium, Thursday, May 20, 8 p.
m.:
Gypsy song. City 8th Grades.
Welcome to spring, City 8 til
.... ,9 .
uiauci. r
Invocation, Rev. A. J. Kearns
Mammy's voice. Picked voices from
city 8th grades.
Address, Rev. W. C. Rundin
i Welcome Pretty Primrose, City 8th
grade girls,
, Presentation of Diplomas.
The Garden by the Sea, City 8th
grades.
Benediction,
Rev. Stephen 3.
Epler.
(araduntion Exercises.
To be given at the high school
auditorium. Friday, May 21st., 8 p,
tn
Piano, Miss Grace RpacM.
Vocal duet, Mrs. Duncan, Miss Wil
liams. Invocation, Rev. M. C. Smith.
Violin solo, J. P. Mann.
Address, Chas. A. Payne. Univer
sity eitensJon lecturer tor the Uni
versities of Wisconsin, Minnesota
North Dakota, Indiana, Ktw.sus and
Nebraska.
Vocal duet, MisEes Dye and Young.
Presentation of diplomas, Judge
Jas. 11. Hewett.
Awarding of scholarship honors.
Vocal quartette, Messrs. Walker,
Lamon, Thomas and Chaffee.
Benediction, Rev. A. J. Kearns.
Candidates for (iraduatlou.
GIRLS
Abegg, Mildred Newhlrter, Leila
Baker, Katherlne Reeves, Lessie
Bauers, Rose Schill. Esenath
Carr, Grace. Simpson, Eva
Hawes, Ruth Stephens, Margery
Lunn, LaRhea Weaver, Leah
Lunsford, Alberta Woods, Helen
Zedlker, Madelalne (
BOYS -
Brennan, Clinton Gavin, Harold -
Cusick, Joe
Donovan, John
Joder, Glenn
Lee. Scott
Mann, Russell
Rominger, Wray
Edwards, Ray
Fuller, Horace
TRAINS PUT ON
NEW SCHEDULE
There will be a change made In the
trains schedules here effective oo
June 1st. This schedule is expected to
be a great improvement over the old
one. On the Alliance and Edgemont
divilslon number 43 will leave Alli
ance at 1.25 p. m. and number 44 at
4.50 a. m. There will be a new train
added to this division number 85
which will leave Alliance at 4.15 a.
m. On the Seneca and Alliance di
vision number 43 will leave at 9.45
a. m. and number 41 at 1.10 a. m.
there Is also a new train added to this
division number 39 due to leave at
10.15 a. m.