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About The Alliance herald. (Alliance, Box Butte County, Neb.) 1902-1922 | View Entire Issue (March 25, 1921)
Official Taper of Vox Butte s .4' TWICE A WEEK TUESDAY AND FRIDAY Official Taper of the City of AUianc VOLUME XXVIII. (Sixtet. Tages) ALLIANCE, BOX BUTTE COUNTY, NEBRASKA, FRIDAY, MARCH 23, 1921 FIRST SECTION NO. 2U PRAIRIE FIRE SOUTH OF CITY CAUSES LOSS HAY STACKS ARE BURNED AND HOUSES THREATNED Dozens of Autoloads of Alliance Men Assisted in Keeping Blaze From Spreading A prairie fire that spread rapidly 'over several miles of territory south -of Alliance late Thursday morning was finally got under control, although with considerable difficulty, the high wind making the work exceedingly difficult. The blaze apparently started near the tracks on the Denver line, five "or six miles out of Alliance, and the .cause is believed to have been sparks from an engine or hot ashes or .oals from a firebox. The fire gained amazing headway, : and by the time the alarm had reached . Alliance, practically every farmer and rancher in the neighborhood was busy in helping to get the flames under con trol. Dozeps of automobiles filled with Alliance business men, went to the ;scene of the blaze and the men assisted in beating out the flames, which de Toured every hay stack with which it came in contact and in two or three cases threatened houses. At 3 o'clock, t'ue blaze along the sidelines was reported under control, and it was belie ved the lead could be headed off with the men who were on hand to help. Some ofv those who rushed to the scene had never had any experience in fighting prairie fires, and were amazed at the speed with which the blaze got over the ground. A number of the old timers told some tales of how dis astrous such blazes were in the early days and how they spelled bankruptcy for a number of stockmen. It takes a big force of men to cope with one successfully, and in the days when the county was young fire fighters weren't so numerous as they are now. Aidgd by a good wind, it was said, a prairie fire can make better speed than an ordinary race horse, and several .hazarded a guess that an automobile would be kept on the move to keep its gas tank away from the flames. Altogether, the southern end of the fire burned over some five hundred acres of meadow and pasture. Among the louses reported were 150 tons of hay on the Hall & Graham ranch, the larger part of it alfalfa; Mrs. Shank- lin, about 75 tons; Odell & Schill, 23 tons; Pete Workman, 20 tons. There were other scattering losses. The fire altogether covered some two sections, and was fully a mile in width. Lions Club Holds Its First Annual L Election of Officers The Alliance Lions club, organized in this city a month ago, held its first annual election of officers at its reg ular noon luncheon Thursday. The temporary officers were all re-elected, as follows: President W. R. Harper. Secretary K. R. Hamilton. Treasurer Charles Brittan. Edwin M. Burr was elected vice T)ersident and J. S. Rhein, L. H. High land, Charles Brittan, Frank Abegg and J. W. Guthrie were chosen as a board of directors. H. D. Hacker made the address of the meeting, speaking to the club members on the wage question as it affected the members of the affiliated crafts. He explained the national agreement, and argued against any reduction of wages. Three members of the Boy Scouts organization, Verne Laing, . Howard Cogswell and Oliver Overman attend ed the dinner as guests of the club The first two started the men toward the feed trough by a spirited execution of the army mess call on the bugles, Verne Laing later contributed a cor net solo and Oliver Overman a piano selection during the luncheon. Bunah Commandery I Knights Templar, 1 Elects Qfficers r Bunah Commandery No. 2,Knight Templar, held an annual election of of ficers Tuesday evening at its asylum in the Masonic Temple. Ira E. Tash was elected as eminent commander K. A. Reddish, generalissimo; M. Hareraves. captain-general: 7' V, Irish, recorder, and Reuben K. Knight treasurer. The new officers will be in stalled in May. MORE ROOMS NEEDED FOR VISITING TEACHERS The chamber of commerce secre tary today sent out a long and loud S. O. S. for assistance. The citizens of Alliance haven't come through in the matter of furnishing rooms for the avalanche of teachers which will descend March 31, April 1 and 2. It is imperative that every pos sible room in the city be listed with the chamber of commerce, or a whole lot of teachers will not be provided for. To date there have been 44 rooms placed at the dispositin of the teachers. Forty-four will care for eighty-eight teachers. Fully five hundred teachers will be here dur ing the three days, and 250 rooms are needed. The time is growing short, and it is up to Alliance to care for our guests. If you have a room that will be empty during those three days, or can empty a, room, let the chamber of commerce (phone 74) know about it, and help take the worry out of the secretary's countenance. American Legion Special Dinner to Come Next Friday Someone slipped the reporter a wrong steer, and as a result the spe cial meeting of Alliance Post No. 7, American Legion, was announced for this evening when it should have been slated for next Friday evening, April 1. It is customary in cases of this kind to send out return postal cards calling for reservations, but it is feared that some of the more hungry of the buddies may forget the custom and line up at the Fern Garden wait ing for a mess call that will not be blown. There's a lot of special stuff to come p at next Friday's meeting ,and a big attendance is earnestly desired. Now that everything is straightened out, there probably will be no chance ; for the ex-soldiers to get all het up over a bull for which no one will stand ' the responsibility. There will be two meetings in April the next one being j scheduled for the 15th, when the legion members will entertain veterans of the Civil and Spanish-American " wars. That's going to be some evening. Jack Nation Has a Narrow Escape From Injury in the Yards Jack Nation, Burlington car repair man, had a narrow escape irom seri ous injury late Thursday morning at the rip track. A belt had broken, and Nation was repairing it, when his clothing became caught in the revolv ing shaft, and before the machinery could be stopped, his clothing, with the exception of his coat and shoes, had been removed. In falling, his coat be came caught on a pully hanger and he hung there until he could be extri cated from that perilous position. Aside from being severely shaken up, Mr. Nation was uninjured, although the consequences might easily have been quite serious. Good News for the Golfers Doc Jeffrey Coming to Alliance Dr. Joseph H. Jeffrey of Casper, Wyo., will be in Alliance within a short time, and expects to make his home here and attend to his practice. Among other things, Dr. Jeffrey is a real golf fiend and will be available for instruction or playing at almost any time wnen business doesn t inter fere too much. The doctor has played the Alliance country club course two or three times, and is much taken with its possibilities, and his friends are awaiting his coming with unfeigned enthusiasm. Alliance Students Win Phi Beta Kappa - at State University lhree students from Alliance are listed among the fifty-three seniors of the University of Nebraska to win Phi Beta Kappa honors. They are, Marion Mote, '16; Lester Brittan, 'lfi, and Mil ton Keegan, '13. No other high school in the state had so large a number of representatives on the honor list. The highest percentage in grades for this year's Fhi Beta Kappa list was 9G.0G and the lowest 87.53. F. L. rotmcsil and wife were down from Hemingford Thursday. WYOMING MAN IS RELEASED JHRU HABEAS CORPUS SON FAILS TO HAVE FATHER HELD IN CUSTODY Desired to Gain Possession of Nine-Year-Old Sister, But Court Orders Release The first habeaus corpus action ever brought in Box Butte county court was given in hearing before County Judge Tash Wednesday afternoon. As a rule, the hearing is held before the 'district court, although the statutes 1 provide that the county judge has con 1 current jurisdiction and may try such cases when the district court is not in session. Hiram Sturdevant of Sheridan, Wyo., through his attorney, Lee Basye, was the applicant for the writ. Sturdevant had been arrested Wednes day morning by Sheriff Miller, upon receipt of a telegram from Sheriff U. A. C. Thomas of Sheridan, Wyo. The telegram, which was quite lengthy, recited the following facts: "A writ of habeas corpus has been issued against Hiram Sturdevant by the district court, Sheridan county, Wyo., for the surrender of Olive Louise Sturdevant, a nine-year-old girl, in an action brought by Lester Sturdevant, her brother, and his wife, Georgia Sturdevant, alleging forcible and unlawful taking and removal of such child." The telegram also con tained a minute description of the father and child. At the hearing the circumstances of the case were brought out. Sturde vant, a rugged rancher, who was fear fully incensed over his arrest and was quite plain in expressing his opinion of his detention, came into court at tended bv his dauchter and three small sons. He explained that his older son, near Sheridan, had lived near his homestead, and that the little girl had not only played there a good deal, but had made several extended stays w th with them. The son claimed, he said, that when the little girl's mother died I -v. t - i .1 t:..u : i - v: self and his wife to care for, and they had refused to surrender her when he decided to leave the county. He had, apparently, taken her over their pro tests, and they were attempting to de prive the father of his daughter. He was on his way to Denver at the time he was arrested, and had planned to take the Denver train. He employed an attorney and brought an action for release on a writ of habeas corpus. Judge Tash, in announcing his deci sion, announced that the only ques tion that was up to him to decide was whether the father was unlawfully in custody. Mr. Sturdevant, under oath, testified that he was the father of the girl, and that she had never been taken from him by any order of a court, by letters of adoption or other legal pro cedure. His wife died three years ago. Sheriff Miller testified that there was no warrant for his arrest or other (legal bar to his release, and that he was simply being held upon the re quest of the Sheridan sheriff. Judge Tash held that the Wyoming man was being illegally deprived of his liberty and ordered his release. The court de cided that it had no call to go into the details of the quarrel between father and son. Mr. Sturdevant ami his family took the next train to Denver. ' Officers Find Cherry Wine at Pierce Home Several containers filled or partially filled and labeled "Cherry Wine" were taken by Sheriff Miller and his depu ties from thejiome of James A. Pierce, 19 Missouri, when it was entered un der a search warrant Wednesday af ternoon. Since the prohibitory laws do not prohibit a reasonable amount of liquor in one's dwelling house, it is not likely that a complaint will be filed. To Entertain Farmers at Monday Luncheon of Chamber of Commerce At the next Monday luncheon of the Alliance chamber of commerce, each member has been requested to bring with him a farmer friend. A speciu program has been prepared for th1 occasion. It is desired to interest the farmers in the work of the organiza tion. J. D. Emerick went to Hemingfoi' Wednesday. LLOYD THOMAS TELLS OF LIFE AT TULSA, OKI. FORMER EDITOR TOURING THE SOUTHERN OIL FIELDS Weather Almost as Warm as at Alii- inc Has Shucked Heavies for B, V. D.'a TULSA, Okla., March 20. Tulsa, the oil capital of the world, and after a stay here of a week I have begun to thing it rightly named, for it is a city of bustle and go,ji city built by young men. With Tulsa as it is now, with the oil industry in a state of deep de pression, what must it be in "before the war" times? They tell me that ten vears ago Tulsa was a town about the size of Alliance today it boasts of 80,000 people, everyone of whom must own an auto of some kind, for the pedest rian here has less chance for safety of life and limb than he does on Michi gan avenue in Chicago a former Chicago citizen who is now a prom inent Tulsa business man told me that it is much easier driving an auto in Chicago than here and I know from experience that it is easier to drive in Kansas City. Here it seems that traf fic rules are unknown the fellow that gets there first gets across or gets smashed, for smashups are frequent. While out driving this afternoon, Mrs. Thomas and I saw three cars in a smashup on a bridge over the nearby river. But they do have traffic policemen on some corners who do their best anil who hold traffic down in a semblance of order. In driving here you've got to hit the pace for if you don't some fel low smashes into you from behind. Over 400 oil companies make their headquarters at Tulsa and the great Cosden refinery, as well as many smaller ones, are located in and about the city. The Cosden refinery covers many acres and is a mass of smoke stacks, oil trains and the many huge aggregations of refinery machinery needed for a plant of its kind. Around the city are group in "tank farms" hundreds of storage tanks, the aver age sizevof which is 55,000 barrels capacity. Residents tell us that it is a great sigh to see one of these huge tanks burn, as they are occasionally struck by lightning, but during our brief stay here we nave not had the pleasuure (?) of seeing an oil fire, al though we have had a short rainstorm almost every afternoon cr evening. It rains so darned easy down in this country nice, clear weather and all at once boom, bang ,and rain in torrents. By the time you get your storm cur tains out and on the car the sun is shining. brightly again and all need for them is past. The Cosden oil interests have built a skyscraper here that is undoubtedly the most elaborate and ornate I have ever seen it is marble and brass throughout, equipped with the most costly and finest in everything, with a beautiful bungalow on top, used once in a while as living quarters by the oil magnate whose name it bears. Some of the new residence districts in the citv are devoted almost exclu sively to the home of newly made oil millionaires, some of whom of course are wondering whether or not they will remain in the millionaire class if the present financial depression con tinues. In fact. I imagine that per haps a few, but a few, of the $50,000 and $100,000 homes could be purchased at a slisrht discount. And yet there is a real estate boom on here an tne lime we passea Dy one newlv opened addition this after noon where they were selling lots by the dozen to customers who were con tracting to pay from $500 to $1,000 for a lot and this addition was five miles from the business center of Tulsa. One of the first citizens we met after arriving in Tulsa was our own uustv inarveyi nnouea, nu wu city editor of The Alliance Herald for a couple of years. Many neraici read ers will remember him. He came to Tulsa about five years ago and is now one of the hieh "mucky mucks" in city politics being private secretary antii general manager to the mayor ana De ing the star reporter on the city's leading newspaper the Daily World, which runs a battery of eleven lino type machines and which has kindly, very kindly, seen fit to give us a few inches of favorable mention since our arrival here this latter of course due not to any news value in our visit, but more so to the kindly feeling evidence by our former city editor who is re garded here 1 find as one or me com inar voung men of Oklahoma." They have all kinds or amusements here but I believe the most interesting are the daily "dog' races," held at the fair grounds just outside the city lim its. This sport was something new to us but we find that it is a popular sport here and that the populace get a much interested' as our George Mollring, Doc Maxfield and Joe Vaughan have in the past in horse races. The man who has a hound that wins the derby and who can back his "steed" with cold, iron men, is ususltv prosperous. f"ij nr tf rnnru Imrrpil from the 1 1 A,,tr nw rimi'sp. for it is said that some unscrupulous ones have messed up dog races in the past by introducing a cat in the middle of a thrilling race. Woolly dogs are also barred for the hounds are liable to mistake a woolly dog for the hare and find out their mistake too late. We leave Tulsa early in the morn ing we will regret leaving for we have enjoyed our visit greatly in the oil metropolis, although we look for ward with pleasure to our coming trip along the excellent highways south ward through th famous oil fields to Oklahoma City, Marietta, Houston and perhaps Galveston, before starting northward to Alliance. And last but not least as to the weather we've changed our woolens t B. V. D.'s, discarded our vest and are looking around for a straw hat. We lost four pounds last week thought we'd sweat off more'n that. But if it s this hot in March, what in'ell would it be in August? LLOYD C. THOMAS. 250 Head of Cattle to be Sold at Auction in Alliance Saturday One of the largest auction sales, if not the largest, to be held in Box Butte county, will be held at the AUl- ....1. I.. I : : ia unce kuhk vnnin ut-KiumiiK lu on Saturday, March 2(5, at which time Col. H. P. Coursey, assisted by Col. E. Bliss, will dispose of nearly 250 head of cattle, together with some other property. The cattle offering consists of 121 head of cows, three to six years old; 24 head of two-year-old steers; 8 head of three-year-old steers; 15 head of yearling steers; 19 yearling heifers; 1 head of calves and five three-year-old registered bulls. In addition, the auctioneers will dis pose of forty-one head ot mixcn horses, 240 acres of corn and 400 tons of hay. The offering should bring the biggest crowd that ever attended a public sale in Box Butte county, and the two auctioneers are now using every means to strengthen their voices in preparation for a day of strenuous selling. Alliance B. P. 0. E. Turn Out in Jlonor of District Deputy One of the largest meetings of Alli ance lodge No. I, B. P. O. Elks since-the state convention was held here last June, occurred Wednesday evening, when over two hundred gath ered to honor District Deputy Grand Exalted Ruler Otto F. Walter of Columbus. Three candidates were in itiated. Following the ceremonies, a wrest ling exhibition between Pete Sauer and George Barnes was given, after which the wrestlers demonstrated the various holds. It is strongly su.pected that the large crowd attended because of the . rumor that Irene and her troop of dancing gazelles would be present. A fake telegram of regrets from Irene was read, and a deep sigh passed over the entire lodge room. Commissioners and County Clerks Form An Organization George Duncan, Box Butte county commissioner, was the only delegate from Box Butte county to attend the meeting of county commissioners, clerks and highway commissioners held at Chadron last Monday, at which time an organization was formed which will be known as the western Nebraska association of these officials. In the election of officers, the chair man ol the boaru 01 commissioners of Cherry county was made president, and the county clerk of that county secretary. The association will hold meetings yearly to discuss the prob lems perculiar to these offices. Dr. Minor Morris to Give Health Lecture For Alliance Women Dr. Minor Morris will give the first of a series of health talks to the wo men of Alliance at the Salvation army hall from 4 to 5 p. m.. Tuesday. These meetings are sponsored by the cham - ber of commerce and it 13 planned to have the various physicians of the city speak on some phase of health and hvgiene once a week. Dr. Morris will take for his subject: "Health Prin ciples." Mrs. Howard Reddish returned Tuesday evening from Iea1, S. D., where she has been visiting her sick mother. Grace Shean left Friday night for Colorado Surincs. to visit her sister for a few dajs. BURLINGTON IS TO ADD 1,500 MEN TO FORGE ADDITION TO BE APRIL 1 MADE ON Maintenance of Way Forces To Increase for Summer, Says General Manager W. F. Thiehoff, general manager at the Burlington railroad, announced Wednesday that the number oC mala tenance employes on lines west ot Omaha would be increased by approxU mately 1,500 on April 1, according ' Thursday's Omaha Bee. "We wish to get our maintenance work under way for spring and sum mer business, said Mr. IhiehQff. Had we succeeded in reaching an . agreement with representatives of la bor during our conference in Chicago Tuesday, we would hav taken on about 3.000 men." Mr. Thiehoff attended the Chicago conference Tuesday. It was impossible to reach an agreement on proposed wage reductions April 1 on th Burl- Inirlnn. nml the mnttpr u-ill he t-eferrcA - wftritf tn th lahor hoard, h it. Reference of the matter to the board, which 9 in ession at Chicago, is mad possible under the transportation aet An 8'i cent an hour, or approxU mately an 18 per cent wage cut, waa, proposed by the railroad, which planned to make the reduction effec tive April 1. Failure to obtain ih agreement of labor representative will delay the wage reduction and; make it impossible to. take on tha usual number of maintenance em ployes for the summer work, Mr Thiehoff said. Alliance Boy is Now With Marines at Guam In South Sea Island ; The South Sea islands, which hav always held a charm for young men in. search of adventure, have recently been visited by Hubert L. King, form erly of Alliance, who is serving with) the marines in Guam, one of the larj est islands of the Southern Pacific Hubert, who is a son of Mrs. Me- vina King (P. O. box 497), joined tba. marines last October at Seattle, Wash. He received his military training at Mare Island, Calif., and shortly after ward left for Guam. The Island of Guam was ceded to th American government by Spain short ly after the Spanish-American war. It is a typical tropical rsland of th South Seas,' with a population of about 14,000, of which the great mapority are the native Chamorros. The ma are stationed there to protect AmerU can interests in the Pacific. District Governor to Visit the Alliance Rotary Club Tuesday William Coppock of Council Bluffs, la., governor of the Sixteenth district of Rotary club, embracing Iowa, Ntv braska and South Dakota, will maka his oWicial visit to the Alliance Rotary club on next Tuesday evening, wherv he will be entertained by the club members at a dinner at the Alliance hotel Fern Garden at the regular hour. 6:15 p. m. This will be a special meeting of the club, and will be held in addition, to the regular Wednesday night eta sion. The Wednesday meeting will b ladies' night this week, and a special program has been arranged by th. committee in honor of the occasion. Fire Department Makes a Run to Thiele Drug Store The fire department was called if. the Thiele drug store about 6 p, m. Tuesday. A trash burner, encouraged lby the wind, had attempted to spread over too much territory, and there waa danger that the rear end of the build ing would bum. The fire truclc ar rived on the scene within three min utes, and was on its way back before, very many people had located th, blaze. Mr. and Mrs. W. K. Smith of AntU och are visiting with their daughter, Mrs. Dewey Donovan. Mrs. Mewhirter returned hom week's visit ii Wednesday from a Omaha.