t
MM
VOLUME XXVII.
SENDS A WIRE
TO GOVERNOR
J. C. McCorkle Favors Increase In
Land Valuation By State
Ikxvrd
. J. C. McCorkle Monday morning
sent a telegram to Governor S. R
, McKelvie, Informing his excellency
that "The same land owners in Box
Butte county who are protesting
against valuation by state board of
equalization averaging $11 per acre
are refusing to sell their land for
less than from $50 to $125 per
acre."
In effect, this telegram is an ef
fort to nullify the efforts of the coun
ty commissioners to secure a lower
valuation, for assessment purposes.
of Box Butte county lands. The
state board last week raised the per
acre valuation from $8.55 to $11.11,
an increase of approximately 30 pe,r
cent. Two or the commissioners, ac
companied by Attorney Eusrene Bur
ton and several landowners. aDDeared
before the state board last Friday
and presented reasons why the new
figure was not equitable, as compar
ed with other counties in tie state
They were given no Intimation as to
whether their protests would have
any result. However, the work of
equalization was scheduled to be
completed yesterday and the final de
cision may be expected at any time
Mr. McCorkle'a point of view is
that of the real estate agent. He
feels that the new figure of $11.11
more nearly represents the average
selling price of land than the lower
figure. Th ereal estate agent finds
tiat prospective buyers are hard
critters to handlevanyway, and are
quick to seize on every excuse that
can be offered. The big discrepancy
between assessed and actus values
puts a hard problem up to the real
estate man. ' ',
Attorney Burton, who made, the
argument for Box Butte county be
fore the state board, based his plea
for a reduction on tie fact that the
real estate transfers did not furnish
a proper basis for computing aver
age land values. He told the board
that Box Butte county is but. 10 per
cent farming land, the remaining &
per cent being used for rrazinfl pur
poses. The transfers were almost
solely of the better class of land. In
Sheridan county, which was not rais
ed, fully half of the land is tilled,
and the grazing land in that county
Is as rood or better than in this coun
ty. In Garden county, which was
given a decrease, the same condition
obtained.
One member of tie board inter
rupted to say that Box Butte county
soil was better, and would be culti
vated in the future. Mr. Burton sug
gested that If the state board were
dealing in futures, Sioux county,
which was plastered with oil leases,
was deserving of a much higher in
crease than Box Butte, and Sheridan
county, the center of the potash In
dustry, was also likely to be ex
tremely wealthy as soon as the In
dustry regained Its feet. This argu
ment was not answered, neltier did
the Box Butte delegation receive any
great encouragement.
Governor McKelvie has made a
statement in which he outlined the
method used by the board In arriv
ing at a tentative equalization of
land values based on adjusted sales
values. The board takes 68 per cent
of tie adjusted sales values, which
he says means about 50 per cent of
the actual market value.
Governor McKelvie said the total
amount of taxes paid still remains
In the hands of county boards. Only
19 cents of every dollar of taxes paid
goes to the state government, the
other 81 cents being paid in the form
of county and local taxes. The local
taxing boards may reduce levies If
they believe an excess Is to be raised
on the proposed valuation of prop
erty. He emphasized the statement
that the state board Is In duty bound
under tie law to equalise valuations
as between counties and that prop
erty must be listed In accordance
with its actual value as disclosed In
the ordinary course of trade.
The governor Is entirely correct
about the total amount of taxes,' but
the fact remains that the increase In
the amount of money going to the
state, based on figures extending
over the past eighteen months, wiU
amount to at least $10,000 and
probably more.
MARSLAXD PLANS
A BOOSTER TRIP
August 14 has been set apart at
Marsland as a booster day. and a big
all-day program has been arranged.
Among the attractions will be an
address at 11 a. m. by Rev. J. Orrlq
Gould of Alliance, who will speak on
TI1H WEATHER
Fo Alliance and vicinity; Tartly
clours ather with local thunder
storv tonight or Wednesday;
west fK "a oler Wednesday aft
ernoon. - 't
"Community .Welfik. '
A.
In tie afternoon thV will be foot
races for boys, girls and men; four
norse races; a bucking contest, with
prizes ror norses and riders; an ex
htbition of steer riding and a base
ball game, Crawford vs. Ilemingford
for a $100 purse and the champion
ship of Western Nebraska.
In the evening there will be i
bowery dance and a free moving pic
ture show. It is probable that an
effort will be made to send a big Al
llance delegation to the festivities, s
SPUD GROWERS
" READY TO GO
Complete Organization of Exchange
At Meeting Here Last
Friday
- The organization of the Nebraska
potato growers exenange wai com
pleted at a meeting held at the court
house in Alliance last Friday after
noon, and attended by a large num
be rof potato growers and ther repre
sentatives. A report on the proposed
organization was presented by a com
mittee consisting of G. A. Boomer of
the extension department, University
of Nebraska; Leo Stuhr, state sec
retary of agriculture, and O. K
Verner of the department of horti
culture of the university school of
agriculture.
The proposed scheme of organiza
tion was debated on tie floor of the
meeting. It was finally decided that
Alliance should be the headquarters
of the new association, and the
management should be in the hands
of a board of seven directors. Capi
tal stock to the amount of $20,000
will be issued, and the exchange will
and bein doing business until 25 per
cent of this is paid up. Shares will
sel lat $10 each and limited to
twenty shares to each stockholder.
Officers of the new .organization
were elected as follows:., ,
President, H. A. MoCouifc of
Bridgeport; secretary-treasurer, Ed
gar Williams of Kearney; filrst vice
president, Jake Pedrett of Kimball;
second vice president, George Lam
bert of Bayard.
Board of directors Fred Miller of
Belmont. Frank Koiout of Rushville,
Virgil Bedding of Minatare and Jake
Pedrett. H. A. McComb. Edgar Wil
liams and George Lambert.
PRESENT STATUS OF THE
ALLIANCE-ANTIOCH ROAD
The monthly report of the Nebras
ka department of public works, for
July, contains the following article
under the rather misleading head of
'Facts. Regarding the Alllance-
Antioch Road." It reads like a dlc-
tipnary, but it is barely possible that
there may be some Information of
value to Herald readers contained in
it! and we feel like taking a ciance.
"The contracts for the construc
tion of the Alliance-An tioch road
known as Project No. 21, were let in
1919. The earth work was let to J
Fred Roberts Construction Coiupanj
of Denver, and culvert contracts wen
let tothe Central Bridge and Con
struction Company of Wahoo. Worl
started early in the spring of 1911
and all culverts were finished durinf
the summer 'and the earth work wa:
carried over through the winter.
"The greater part of the road wai
In good condition tiroughout thi
winter and early spring, but lat
snow and an unusual amount of rati
softened the road considerably s
that it was practically inipassibl
during the month of May of this
year.
"The project is fourteen miles loni
and all but six miles of it Is to fa
surfaced with ten inches of clay an
gravel. Over six miles of the eartl
road have been opened and practical
ly all graded. Five miles have beei
clayed and one-fourth mile graveled
"Nearly one and one-half miles o
the road was relocated, thus givln
a better location and more favorabl
grades. "Tie cost of manipulation of sur
facing material was taken care of b:
frce account. The estimated cos
per mile Is $2100 not including ma.
nipulation of surfacing. Weathe
and labor conditions have undul;
delayed construction.
"The equipment on the job con
sists of fresnos, wheelers, blade
dumps, wagons and elevators, plowf
drags, and the usual small pieces o
equipment
ALLIANCE, BOX DUTTE COUNTY, NEBRASKA, TUESDAY, AUGUST 10,
NEW HIGHWAY
ISPR0P0SED
Meltn Dttiniitort'UI Club Suggests
Road From Alliance to
Kimball
Secretary J. W. Guthrie of tie Al
llance chamber of commerce is in re
ceipt of a communication from A. F,
Dutton, secretary of the Melbeta com-?
niercial club, asking the assistance
of Alliance in securing a highway
from Alliance to Kimball, passing
through Melbeta. The proposal will
be acted upon at the next meeting
of the board of directors, who are fa
vorably inclined toward the project
at the outset.
Mr. Dutton's letter follows:
"MELBETA, Neb., Aug. 4. Sec
retary Alliance Chamber of Com
merce. Dear Sir: The Melbeta
commercial club has been consider
ing plans of attempting to get a hlga
way through this town, and I have
been asked to write you regarding a
highway from Alliance to , Kimball
through here.
"We have the best road through
the hills now that there Is near lere
and with very little more work a
very dependable road could be built.
This would be the shortest route as
well as the best route.
"We would like to hear from you
at once if you consider there would
be a chance to get such a highway,
and we will assure you that we
would do all we could to put it
through.
"Minatare would also be very
muci Interested in such a proposi
tion, for the best route would also be
through Minatare.
"It will only be a short time until
the new bridge will be completed
across the Platte, which has been a
drawback.
"Trusting that we may hear from
you at once, we are, yours respect
fully, r
"A. F. DUTTON, Secretary." t
it
EVANGELINE" AT
IMPERIAL TONIGHT
."Evangeline," dramatized - from
the Immortal poem of Henry Wadv-r
worth Longfellow; will be the at
traction at the Imperial tieater to
night. "Evangeline" is the crowning
achievement of a long line of Fox
successes directed by Mr. Walsh. The
numbere includes "Carmen," "Th
Honor System," "The Silent Lie,"
This is the Life," "The Pride of
New York", and "The Prussian Cur."
Paul Wei gel will be seen as Father
Feliclan and Miriam Cooper takes
the title role. It Is a rare attrac
tion.
"The Paliser Case," with Pauline
Frederick, is the Wednesday feature.
It 1b frankly a melodrama, with all
tie thrills, mystery and entaglements
that may b eexpected in such a play,
but Is thoroughly interesting from
start to finish. Marjorle Allen, in
"Lion Trapping," is an additional at
traction. Thursday's bill includes Mae Mur
ray in "On With the Dance," an In
tensely dramatic production of New
York life. The story concerns the
adventures of a little, pretty Rus
sian girl, suddenly left an orphan
amid the luxury of New York's
art set. Her encounters with men
good and bad, her temporary yield
ing to the lure of a "sofe life, and
her filial redemption in tie big
crisis provide an absorbing plot.
F. A. Bell, who has been conduct
ing the closing out sale of the Bock
Furnishing store for the Western
Sales & Auction company of Omaha,
wound up his campaign here last
Saturday with all the goods sold and
the ex-proprletors exceedingly well
satisfied with his services. Mr. Bell
made use of no othe rnewspaper ad
vertising than Tie Herald and the
success of the sale Is a tribute to the
superior circulation of this newspa
per, as well as to Mr. Bell's abilities
as a sales manager.
A heavy rain which was almost a
cloudburst covered the territory fif
teen miles west of Alliance Sunday
afternoon. The rain lasted for about
two hours, being In the vicinity of
the Hammond ranch and Barrel
Springs. The small bridge on the
Kilpatrlck damn road was washed
out and tourists and travelers to the
damn find it necessary to detour a
listance of a couple of miles, taking
the road one mile north. Crossings
over Snake Creek were also washed
out.
Miss. Ruti Pollard of Lakeside,
had the misfortune to run a needle
'n her hand Friday. A slight opera
Ion was required.
I
SCHOOLS OPEN
SEPTEMBER 6
Thirty Teacher Hare Hern Engaged
lo Date, for the Country
School District
Box Butte county schools will onen
September 6. There is still a short
age of teaciers, especially .in the
country districts, but Miss Opal
Kusseii, county superintendent, ex
poets to fill most of the vacancies be
fore the opening date. Thirty teach
ers have been employed so far.
Their names and districts follow:
District No. 2 Viola Smith.
No. 8 Maude Nason.
No. 5 Miriam Johnson.
No. 24 Letha Baldwin.
No. 25 Clarissa Soutb.
No. 33 Elizabeth Mabon.
No. 49 RoBe Hubbets.
No. 12 Clara Sisley.
No. 15 Frances Brennan.
No. 78 Asenath Schlll. .
No. 10 Grace Carr.
No. 34 -Alice Schlll.
No.
No.
NJ.
No.
No.'
No.
No.
No.
No.
No.
No.
No.
No.
No.
No.
92 Myrtle Reeves.
37 Effle Lusble. .
38 Lettle Lusble.
55 Anna Frelmuth.
13 Delia Swanson.
92 Mable Gibson.
20 Estella Rowland.
31 Mabel Uhrig.
81 Viva Miller.
7 Nellie McDonald.
13 Esther Nation.
19 Minnie Mlkent.
12 Ha Mclnroy.
11 Leah Weaver.
14 Alta Slay ton.
No. 16 Bert la Wilson.
No. 4 Fairy Murray.
C. A. Boiler up of the
Palace
automo-
Market, los a Studebaker
bile by fire Saturday afternoon. The
loss was entirely covered by insur
ance which was carried with 'the W.
L. O'Keefe Insurance Agency.
ALLIANCE LOSES
nisi
TO SIDNEY TEAM
The Alliance baseball team dost a
e&ane at Sidney last Sunday by the
narrow margin of 4 to 2. It was a
good contest all the way through,
and the Alliance bunch feel rather
good over holding down the profes
sional organization to four scores.
The Sidney team draws down a good
salary for pastlmlng, and they have
been doing some fast playing this
season.
Two well-placed hits and a few
bad breaks by the Alliance boys gave
Sidney three runs in the first Inning.
In tie third Inning Butler hit to
right field for a two-bagger. Black
was sent in to run for him, and Grlf
fls, the next man up, singled to right
field, scoring Black. Griffls making
two wonderful slides, stole second
and third and came home on a pass
ed ball. Black drove one into right
center for three bases in the fifth in
ning, but died on third.
Plans are being made to bring the
Sidney team here on September 5
and 6. Bayard will play here Au
gust 15, and Ansley, August 22.
' Following is the score for the Al
liance aggregation In the Sidney
game:
R H PO A E
Black 0 2 9 0 0
Brew . 0 10 3 0
Butler 1 2 2 0 0
Hudklns 0 0 0 0 1
Griffls 1 112 0
Edwards 0 0 2 0 0
Bryon .10 0 2 4 0
Nation . 0 0 0 1 0
Fennlng . , 0 0 1 1 0
Totals .2 6 17 11 1
TRAVELING MEN
VISITEDJOT SPRINGS
A large number of Alliance travel
ing men, with their wives and fam
ilies, attended the big joint picnic at
Hot Springs last Saturday and Sun
day, given by the Rapid City and
Chadron lodges of the United Com
mercial Travelers, of which the local
nen are members, most of them be
ing in the Chadron organization.
The Alliance delegation arnved at
Hot Springs just before noon, going
via Edgemont on the Burlington. A
picnic dinner, at which the lodges
were tie hosts, was served at noon
at the Chautauqua grounds, follow
ing which there was a ball game be
tween Chadron and' Rapid City.
Chadron won by a big score.. Fol
lowing the ball game there were
games of all kinds for the grown
folks and for the little folks. The
p20
races were the most interesting. The
necktie race, in. which the women
lied ties for the men, proved per
laps the most Interesting, and there
were many Jealous looks between
husbands and wives at the sight of
another lady tleing a tie around the
neck of the contestants. Saturday
evening a dance was given at the
Evans hotel.
Sunday was spent In visiting the
famous Wind Cave and In the popu
lar plunge. The .guests returned
home Sunday night! A total of 119
men were registered. Their wives
and families brought the attendance
up to nearly 500. It was the largest
affair of this kind ever leld In this
section of the country.
The next event for the Alliance
traveling men and their families Is
the fishing trip to come soon.
COMMUNITY CLUB
PICNIC THURSDAY
Senator W. R. .'Paddy" Miles, a Hand
Concert and Basket Supper
Attractions
The community picnic sponsored
by the Alliance chamber of com
merce will be nela Tnursaay eve
ning o fthls week In the city park.
Senator W. B. Miles, better known
as "Paddy" Miles, will deliver one
of his characteristic talks, taking a
get-together" topic; the Alliance
band will discourse Its best music
and all Alliance has been Invited to
participate. There will be a basket
supper the beginning of the festivi
ties. la the past, tie attendance at
chamber tt commerce functions has
been limited to members, but this is
an effort to Interest every citizen.
It is the forerunner of a most enjyo-
able series of entertainments, and
the committee hopes that the at
tendance will break all known
records.
A Herald representative was this
week privileged to Inspect eight hun
dred ifri of growin corn.-on the
farm of J. C. McCorkle, which stood
from five to eight feet high and was
in the best possible condition. This
I
s the sort of corn ther raise on hlffi
prlctd lapd to the east of us, but In.
this Instance It was accomplished
1th a fraction of the care that Is
usually given to corn. It grows on
what was raw land, six tractors hav
ing turned the sod and five corn
planters completed the Job. There
was no other labor, not even culti
vating. The farm lies eight miles
west of Alliance, and has been
bougit and sold by Mr. McCorkle no murder and of governing his conduct
less than five times in the past ,n accordance with such choice he
twelve years. In that time it has ad- wa9 responsible In law. even if the
vaneed In value rro $5 to $40 per Jury believed from ,'he evidence tiat
acre. 1 th man was not entirely and perfect-
1 - " ly sane.
O. B. Shaffer, employed on the Watts was a farmer, snd B'-annla
Boyd and Rice ranch, 'lad his rlebtia transient employe. Braun'a's story
thumb cut off Friday. Mr. Shaffer
was mowing hay, and had stopped
the team to pull some hay from the
sickle, vi t e horses started up.
His thumb was cut off just below the
first Joint.
Minatare Free Tress: Alliance has)
a nw ordinance that prohibits the!
davblng of oalnt and whitewash on
sidewalks and the city property to
advertise entertainments and such
like. Such things are cheap and dls-!
gusting and should be prohibited in
every town. '
Tie William Rust.. Sr. car was
stolen from the garage at his home
at Tenth and ' Laramie Saturday
night. The thief broke the window
in the door, reached through and un
locked the door. .The stolen car was
a Studebaker Six. No trace of the
thieves has been found.
A R. Honnold, well known Scotts
bluff attorney, was in Alliance on
business on Monday. Mr. Honnold
formerly held an important execu
tive position with the United States
reclamation service, before taking up
private practice.
C. M. Looney, local oil magnate,
made a business trip to the North
Platte valley the first of the week.
He returned this morning and expects
to leave for southern points tomor
row. Chas. F. Gruenlg of Omaha, and
P. J. Michael of Ilemingford, direc
tors of the Wyoming-Northwestern
Oil Company, were in the city on
Friday attending a special meeting
of tie board,
Mr. and Mrs. H. W. Alexander of
Omaha, visited friends la the city
Friday of last week. They left Fri
day night for Wisconsin where they
will spend a couple of weeks on the
lakes.
No. 73
WAISNER
FOUND
DEAD IN FIELD
Ilemingford Man Suffers Stroke of
Apoplexy While Cultivating
Potatoes
Ed Waisner, fifty years of age, was)
found dead in a potato field three
miles southwest of Ilemingford about
5 o'clock last evening. He had last'
been seen by 'lis cousin, Ed Mabon,
by whom he was employed, about two
oMock In the afternoon, when he
was engaged In cultivating potatoes.
The body was discovered when th
horses were not Iced near the en
trance to the field.
It 1b probable that Waisner suffer
ed a stroke of apoplexy and fell
fro mthe cultivator. It Is evident
that tie horses dragged the body ful
ly a mile to the end of the field be
fore stopping,- but there was no indi
cation that they had run away.
Dr. McEuen of Ilemingford, who
was called, after an examination of
the body, said that apoplexy was th
probable cause of death.
County Attorney Lee Bayse was
notified, but decided that, under th
circumstances, no Inquest was neces
sary.
JUROR ASLEEP
DURING
Roy Joseph Braunia, a young man.
serving a life term at the state peni
tentiary, for the murder 'of John,'
Watts, a Morril county farmer, ha
appealed to the supreme court for
new trial. Braunla's attorneys give
as one reason why this . should be
granted that during the trial one of
tie jurors was guilty of mlacondust
In that he slept most of the time and
paid no attention' to what was going
on in court the remainder at the
trial, says the State Journal, t
Other allegations Include the cus
tomary ones of errors of the court
that prevented a fair trial, errors la
giving and refusing instructions, In
sufficiency of the evidence and In
sufficiency of the information. It la
-claimed that the court led the Jury
-rong by telling the members that it
is not time tiat constitutes me dis
tinction between murder lu. the first.
deree nd murder in the second de-
gree, and that momentary premedita
tion is sufficient. Error is also claim
ed in the instruction in which the
court told the jury that if Braunia
knew right from wrong and was cap
abl eof choosing to do or not to do
was thpt WV'a had abused him for
failure to follow his' instructions,
with reference to o "r. "f the
horses, and that fearinp for hjs life
he had got a rifle and killed him.
The state prentd evldnceto show
that after the row wlti Watts.
Braunia qu't ard went to the barn.
He eot a rifle and when Watts show.
ed up around the corner of the barn
he shot and klllM hl-n. This was
'on the 8th of last April. He was
tried within a month.
Braunia had to run out of Morrill
county at night by the sierlff to
avoid a lynching, and spent the,tlme
between the killing and the trial in
the city and county Jail at Alliance.
His attorney claimed self-defense, as
well as that the, man was Insane. He
asserts that what the man did, any
way, was not murder In the first de
gree, one element of which Is pre
meditation, but that tie killing was
in hot blood, his mental and nervous
condition being such that the excite
ment of the quarrel in the fields con
tinued and controlled htm for a time
and that while In thlj state he com
mitted the murder.
J. C. McCorkle, Alliance land man
and better known as "Mac," to his.
hundreds of acquaintances in this
part of the state, has again proven
himself to be tie ehamplon weather
prophet and is awarded the title of
"heap great medicine man" by th
local order of good Indians. For th
seventh consecutive year "Mac" has
picked out one day in August on
which It has rained and thereby won
enough Stetson hats on wagers to
keep him going for another year. A
year ago "Mac" wagered a number
of his acquaintances that It would
rain on August Ttl of this year,
which was last Saturday. It rained '
heavily. .
- Miss Evelyn Rose of Denver, Is th
gnest this week of Mrs. W. H
Harper.