Nebraska Newspapers

    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.