The Frontier
VOL. Ltt. O’NEILL, NEBRASKA, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 1932. No. 39
“I hope I shall always possess firmness and virtue enough to maintain what I consider the most enviable of all titles, the character of an ‘Honest Man." ”
BANKERS’ CASES
Underway
BEFORE THE COURT
>*-—
After twice being postponed, the
much discussed Flannigan lawsuit, a
retrial of the former case which re
sulted in a hung jury, opened in dis
trict court Monday morning. The
two defendants, John and James Flan
nigan, asked for separate trials. A
jury was drawn Monday and James
Flannigan was put on trial Tuesday.
The jury is composed of the fol
lowing
H. R. Rouse, Joseph Winkler, R. M.
Tomjack, E. H. Farnsworth, John Mc
Nulty, James Beck, Ralph Bauman,
Geo. Syfie, Orin Campbell, G. C. Sig
n.an, John Hugh and C. E. Hiltz.
In the opening statement to the
jury, Attorney Stahlmaster for the
state, among other things, said the
prosecution expected to show the de
fendant Jim Flannigan’s connection
with the efforts to secure a hung jury.
Judge Harrington made the state
ment of what the defense expected
to prove. They expected to show that
the Stuart bank was allowed to re
main open when the state banking
department knew it was insolvent.
Judge Dickson a number of times
ruled on statements as to whether or
not they should go before the jury.
A statement of the defense that the
state hanking department “never made
a legal examination” of the bank was
ruled out and the jury instructed to
disregard the same.
The taking of testimony got under
way Tuesday afternoon. It is thought
the trial will continue until Monday
or Tuesday of next week.
Sharpening the Paring Knife
State Journal: A survey of gcnral
property tax conditions in Nebraska
was unanimously approved here Mon
day afternoon by representatives of
nineteen state organizations meeting
under the direction of Fred H. John
son of Lincoln, former auditor in the
state department of trade and com
merce.
“We are all agreed that the pre
sent burden is too heavy,” leaders of
the move stated, “and that a statewide
survey is necessary to determine
whether this burden may be lifted
more easily by an income tax or a
retail sales tax. In no event do we
propose to allow anyone to use the
survey as a political horse.”
While no definite plan has yet been
evolved, Johnson and other Lincoln
representatives are expected to ccnfer
Tuesday in the matter. A report on
the findings will be presented to the
next meeting of the group, date for
which has not been set. Final action,
it is believed, will be drafting of a
reduction plan to present at the next
legislative session.
O’Neill Hi Close Winner
O'Neill won an unusual game last
Friday by a score of 24-21. At the
end of the game the referee annuonced
a score of 19-18 in favor of Bassett,
but on a check-up of both score books
it was found each team had made 19
points. Then in the presence of a few
spectators the members of each team
threw off the tie. Hunt made one
free throw to match Potrazzs marker.
Then in the second throw off O'Neill
made 4 while Bassett made 1.
Charlie Meyers brought up his aver
age to eleven points a game by scor
ing fourteen points. Hunt also came
through in the game. The entire team
played a cleaner game than usual.
Basset’s second team turned the
O’Neill seconds back by 16-6.
Friday evening the O’Neill high
school team clashes with the St.
Mary’s team, which beat the hill top
per in a previous game by 15-9.
THE CHURCHES
Presbyterian
Rev. H. D. Johnson, Pastor
Sunday School 10:00—Mr. Geo. C.
Robertson, superintedent.
Morning Worship 11:00—Subject,
“Making America Christian."
Young People’s Christian Endeavor
0:45—Mr. C. E. Yantzi, leader.
Evening Service 7:30—This service
will be under the auspices of the Ma
sonic Lodge. They are to provide a
speaker whose subject will he George
Washington.
We hope that the weather and other
conditions will permit a good attend
ance.
Pat Judge arrived in O’Neill Thurs
day last from New York City. He is
a friend of Henry Cook. He is a brick
and stone mason and was recently at
work on a 110-story building on w'hich
sixty brick masons were at work run
ning the building up at the rate of a
story a day. Sixty-five men fell from
the building during the course of con
struction and were killed.
A remarkable photograph hangs a
mong the art collections in the O’
Neill Photo Co. studio. It is a scene
' at the Tri-State Round-up held at
Belle Fourche, S. D., in 1927. The
! guests of honor on the occasion when
the photo was taken were Calvin and
Mrs. Coolidge, then our president and
first lady. The picture measures six
feet in length by about sixteen inches
in height. A group of riders with the
regulation range equipment, Indiuns
with feathered headgear, the presi
I dent under a broad-brimmed sombrero
land Mrs. Coolidge, officials and func
i tionaries occupy the foreground with
; vast crowds thronging in and around
! an extensive ampitheater. The photo
| graph was taken under the super
vision of Mr. Downey of the O’Neill
Photo Co. and developed at their
studio here, and is a splendid speci
! men of what can be done with the
| camera.
Briefly Stated
Frank Biglin made a business trip
; to Omaha the first of the week.
Abe Saunto has been confined to his
home for a week nursing a case of
the grip.
Pat Boyle was up from the extreme
south side of the county the early
part of the week.
Mrs. J. L. Shanner and her two
sons, Paul and Luther, were over from
Page Thursday last.
Mr. Noble of the Seth Noble lumber
yard has been looking after business
interests here the past ten days.
T. R. Riley from the state auditor’s
office at Lincoln is in the city cheeking
the accounts of Treasurer Conklin.
H. M. Uttley went to Bartlett today,
having several cases in the district
court of Wheeler county to look after.
Neil Brennan is arranging to move
to Norfolk where he will take up
work for a large insurance company.
P. J. McManus yielded to the in
clination—occasioned by a touch of
the grip-—to stay home a day or two
from his place of business.
Mrs. C. J. Malone, Mrs. C. P. Han
cock and son Marlin Dean, and Mr.
and Mrs. J. Edmund Hancock were in
Inman visiting relatives last Friday
afternoon.
Miss Robinson, the efficient assist
ant in the Chapman Style Shop, was
at the home of her parents at Page
Sunday, helping care for her mother
who was quite ill.
The depositors meeting has been
postponed until Wednesday, February
24. It will be held at 3 o’clock in the
afternoon on that date, second floor
K. C. hall.—George Bressler.
Owing to the deep snow which fell
Tuesday and hinders travel, Orville
Griffith is postponing his sale for one
week, announcement of which he
makes in this issue of The Frontier. !
City Clerk Ed Campbell returned
Saturday last from Rochester, Minn.,
where he had been for several weeks
at. the Mayo institution. Mr. Camp- j
bell returned to his work here im
proved in health.
Jack McAllister, unable to furnish
satisfactory bond for the appeal of his
case wherein Judge Dickson imposed
a fine of $250 and a six months’ jail
sentence, was committed to the county
jail Monday by Sheriff Duffy upon or
der of committment from the court.
Miss Meier can handle a scoop as
well as preside at the desk at the
J. P. Gallagher store. She was on the
lookout for someone of the jobless to
come along yesterday looking for a
job of shoveling snow, but none ap
peared. She cleaned the walk herself.
The official committee, appointed
last fall by Governor Bryan, in charge
of relief work in this county is: John
Sullivan, chairman, and Geo. A. Miles
of O’Neill, E. O. Slaymaker of Stuart,
A. G. Miller of Atkinson, John Lans
worth of Agee and Roy Carr of Meek.
Charley Martin was up from the
ranch on the South Fork Monday. He
says that his son, on the Graver ranch
in McMlure township, tells him they
are losing large numbers of sheep this
winter. The losses are among the
aged ewes and is attributed to the
prolonged period that the ground is
covered with snow.
Mail carrier Clausen going north to
Joy and Agpe was stalled on the
route In the storm Tuesday and made
mighty efforts to get through by
shoveling. This strenuous exertion is
killing on the best of ’em, and Mr.
Clausen found it expedient to pull in
J to a farm home for the remainder of
j the day and let the storm rage on.
O'Neill Man Named Chair
man for County of Citizen
Military Training Camp
rs~ — -— - — — — --rs I
D. H. Clauson of O'Neill has been
appointed chairman for Holt county
in connection with the citizens mili
tary training camp activities this
year by W. B. T. Belt, civilian aide
to the Secretary of War for the state
of Nebraska.
The citizens military training camp
will be held at Port Crook, Nebraska,
in August, and about 000 young Ne
braskans are expected to attend for
the thirty-day training period.
This camp will be under the super
vision of officers of the United States
army and the officers’ reserve corps,
and is for the purpose of helping
young men to become better citizens
and better Americans, to develop
them physically, mentally and moral
ly, and to teach them manhood and
self discipline.
All necessary expenses, both to and
from the Camp and during the train
ing period, are paid by the govern
ment.
Any boy over 17 years of age, who
is a citizen of the United States and
who is physically qualified and ot
good character, is eligible to apply
for admission to the camp.
A petition was circulated the past
week among republicans in the city
for the placing of the names of the
following on the primary ballott for
delegates to the republican national
convention from the Third congres
sional district: Lyle E. Jackson of
Neligh, Rodney S. Dunlap, alternate;
Allen G. Burke of Bancroft, Hazel
Perrin Reeder, alternate.
William Krotter of Stuart is in at
tendance at the Flannigan trial, navi
gating on crutches. He recently had
one leg broken at the ankle in at
tempting to perform the function of
a lumberjack across in Keva Paitt
county. It happened in cutting out
and removing a big tree when Mr.
Krotter got one leg caught and sus
tained fractured bones in the ankle.
Leo W. Hines will serve one year
in the state penitentiary for burning
a house last November at his farm
home near Page. He also pays back
to the insurance company all money
he had collected for losses at that
time, on the building and furnishings.
He was sentenced in district court
here Monday, having entered a plea
of guilty on January 29.
Mayor C. E. Stout’s petition as a
candidate for re-election has been filed
with the city clerk. There are peti
tions on file now for three candidates,
Gillespie and Kersenbrock being the
other two. L. E. Downey and George
Shoemaker are candidates for mem
bers of the board of education. There
are two members of the board to be
elected. PetiCons are in for Ed
Campbell and l, 1 Quinn as candidates
for city clerk.
Will McNichols, son of the late
Steve McNichols of this city, along
with William J. Bryan, jr., has joined
the free silver revival recently resur
rected in its old haunts in the Rocky
Mountain states. Mr. McNichol- is
now a practicing attorney but, like his
father, politics allure. J. P. Gallagh
er shows us his picture in a recent
Denver Post as one of the 16 to l
champions now raising the old war
cry out in that region.
Mayor Stout got his first appeal by
letter yesterday from an O’Neill M >
man for aid. Her need for provisio is
for the household was set forth in the
letter with the information that they
were out of everything but a little
flour and a few beans. The city has
made no provisions for relief work
as what is needed in that way has been
taken care of by county funds in the
past and this year the governor’s
relief committee, suplemented by Red'
Cross work, has in hand all the relief
work. The mayor said he would see
the Red Cross committee here and ask
that this case be investigated and
the needs supplied.
Relief supplies at O’Neill have got
down to the ragged edge of nothing.
On account of the sorni not many were
in Tuesday from the drouth district
and it is well there was not as there
was nothing on hand to give out.
From now on is going to be the most
trying part of the winter. Everybody
can stand it pretty well up to a cer
tain point—the last weeks of winter
! are the hardest. It’s like taking a
heavy load across a tough stretch of
I road. If they can hang on a few
weeks longer a few days of silent sun
shine and refreshing shower will do
more to bring relief than all other
j agencies combined.
Mr. Clauson will be assisted in his
duties as county chairman by commit-:
teemen whom he will appoint in the
larger towns of the county. Any boy
who is interested in securing further
information regarding the camp may
do so by applying to the county chair
man or any member of the county
committee.
Sixty-one Years Wedded
In Monday’s Omaha World-Herald
this item appeared from Max, Neb:
“Mr. and Mrs. W. W. Mills will cele
brate their sixty-first wedding anni
versary here on February 23. Mr.
Mills is 8(> and his wife 83.
“Married in Wisconsin, they moved
to Iowa by covered wagon, coming
on to Nebraska in 1880. Mr. Mills
was a blacksmith at Meadow Grove
for 20 years.
“Four of their nine children are
living. There are 24 grandchildren
and 15 great-crandchildren.”
Mr. Mills is a brother of R. H. Mills
of this city and lived for a number of
years on a farm, in this county, near
Opportunity.
Richard L. Hamilton of Lynch and |
Gladys Eley of Orchard wore married
yesterday at the court house by Judge
Malone. The young couple were ac
companied by Dr. Tracy of Orchard
and Florence Eley, a sister of the
bride, who were the witnesses. The
party got in their car and drove away
as soon as the ceremony was con- J
eluded.
Floyd Barton and Charley Hicks of
Mariaville, near the Niobrara north
of Newport, on their way to O’Neill
Tuesday drove into a ditch along the;
highway and were stalled. The snow
storm had developed such volume by
miiLafternoon that it was difficult to
see driving on the highway, hence!
their getting into the ditch. After
remaining by the side of the highway
for some time until becoming con-'
cerned about getting somewhere out
of the storm one passerby with a good
Samaritan turn of mind picked them
up and brought them to O’Neill. They
did not know definitely but thought
their car was stalled in he neighbor
hood of Emmet.
The economy league met at the
court house last Saturday in an ad
journed meeting. The weather was J
unfavorable but the court room was
fairly well filled, many of whom were
spectators and listeners. No signi
ficant move was made, the time being
devoted largely to reading of claims
of what various persons performing
services for the county had been paid
the past year. A committee headed
by Mr. Smith of Ewing was named to
confer with or present suggestions to
the county board from time to time.
The league has in mind the auditing
of the county records. This will be
urged upon the county board. The
unpaid personal tax is still a source
of worry.
A snow fall all day Saturday with
but little thaw until the heavy snow |
of Tuesday of this week buries the j
country under another white blanket i
over a foot deep on the level. Some
wind with the snow Tuesday piled up!
drifts that had an effect on traffic. The
Burlington train from Sioux City did
not arrive Tuesday night and no j
busses got in Wednesday morning, j
The highway maintainors were out
early and yesterday morning ciews
of men went to work with shovels.
Opening the highways is a simple
matter but the roads leading into them
will be less simple. With a clear sky
and bright sun today and favorable
weather forecast the snow should soon
disappear.
About Smallpox
During December and January 19
cases of smallpox were reported in
the county next to this, Antelope i
county. Yet, smallpox is a prevent
able disease. It could be completely
wiped out if every one would take the
precaution of being vaccinated. In
counties where universal vaccination
is compulsory, smallpox is unknown.
In the United States there are approx
imately 30,000 cases of smallpox a
year.
Smallpox develops une xportely.
Many times the afflicted person can
not recall having been exposed. The
disease begins with a headache, chills
and fever. Eruptions appear on the
face and spread over the body. As
these break, scars are left which are
greatly disfiguring. Death may accur.
When vaccinating, the doctor makes
a slight puncture or scratch on the
arm or leg and applies the vaccine
which is absobed. The vaccine is pre
pared under the protection of the U. S.
government. The spot becomes red
and swollen. It should not be touched
or dirt allowed to come in contact
with it, as infection many be started
as in any break in the skin. The per
son feels good for nothing and may
have a headache, but that is better
than having smallpox which may re
sult in death or in difigurement—“one
sacr is better than many.”
Every epidimic of smallpox proves
that a recent vaccination is complete
protection against the disease.
In Los Angeles in 1926, there were
164 deaths from smallpox. Statistics
gathered showed that of these 144 had
never been vaccinated, 16 had been
vaccinated 20 years before and the re
maining 6 only after being exposed to
the disease. The cost to the city was
estimated at $500,000.
During the last 8 years, Illinois has
had 80,000 cases of smallpox at a cost
to the state of $8,000,000. In the
past 10 years Massachusetts has had
258 cases of smallpox with a cost of
$25,000. Massachusetts requires vac
cination of school children, Illinois
does not.
COUNTY AGRICULTURE
James W. Rooney
County extension Agent
Grasshopper Situation
If grasshopper eggs are down two
inches or more in the soil there is little
danger of them being killed by direct
action of low temperatures, even when
the air temperatures go down to as
low as 29 degrees below zero and the
ground is bare, Prof. M. H. Swenk of
the Nebraska agricultural college at
Lincoln says in his second grasshop
per release for newspapers February
11th. Since low temperatures this
winter have been accompanied by
snow, the soil temperatures where the
grasshopper eggs are located is far
above any point of danger. The snow
has acted as a good blanket for the
eggs so far thise winter, he says.
Probably the winter conditions most
unfavorable for the survival of grass
hopper eggs are when heavy snows
thaw and the surface soil becomes
thoroughly water-soaked, and then
this is followed by cold weather with
out snow, so that the bare surface soil
is frozen in its water soaked condition
and subjected to the influence of low
air temperatures for a considerable
period. Under these circumstances,
surface soil temperatures go lower
and the grasshopper eggs are more
susceptible to cold injury.
The large number of grasshoppers
present in the state in 1931 following
the mild winter of 1930-31 may have
led people to expect that the reversal
of weather conditions this winter
would cause a decrease of grasshop
pers in 1932. Unfortunately the!
scientific data at hand does not jusify J
this conclusion. Professor Swenk
gives in his second grasshopper re-!
port brief summaries of several ex-,
periments that have been run to provej
that cold air temperatures will not I
kill grasshopper eggs that are safely j
laid 2 to 4 inches in the soil. The:
complete report is in the hands of the
county agents of the state and extra
copies are available at the agricultural
college in Lincoln.
Large Attendance at Meetings
One hundred sixty men and women
attended the grasshopper-crops meet
ing held in O’Neill on Thursday after
noon February 11th. The meeting in
the evening at Atkinson was attended
by two hundred men and women.
O. S. Bare of the Entomology de
partment said that the amount of
damage which gresshoppors will do
here in Holt aounty will depend large
ly upon weather conditions and upon
the control measures practiced tty
farmers. Mr. Bare showed a number
of slides which dealt with the grass
hopper situation quite thoroughly.
The grasshoppers which were sent
in to the county agent by John A. Rob
ertson of Joy were identified by Mr.
Bare. He said they were not .he
species that are likely to do damag •
in 1932. The are hoppers which hatch
in the fall and pass the winter in a
partially grown stage.
Mr. Stbwart dealt mostly with the
feed situation. He said that oats and
barley would be located by the crop'
men at the college of agriculture and
could be shipped into the drouth area.
I. is quite likely that several carloads
of oats and barley will be shipped into
Holt county. More information will
be available later on this subject.
Mr. Stewart advocated planting
some barley on the heavier soils of
the county instead of a large acreage
of oats. Barley is worth practically
as much as corn for feed and will
usually out yield oa‘s on a hullfrce
basis.
L. J. Rigwood of the Chicago North
western and Val Krska, colonization
agent for the Burlington gave short
talks at the meeting.
Seed Survey
Over one hundred of the survey
blanks have been returned to the Farm
Bureau office. Most of the men send
ing in these blanks were interested in
seed and feed loans. More detailed
THE HOPPERS LIKE
Rain Cloud
GREETED OUR FATHERS
I*-at
Pat Conley knows somethiig of
grasshoppers as the first settlers here
saw them. His parents, Mr. and Mrs.
Thomas Conley, were with the Gen
eral John O’Neill colony which tame
here in 1874. He was born in 1881
and has lived all his life in Holt
county. His parents homesteaded
where the cemeteries now are, but
later went into the Dry Creek valley.
The grasshopper pleague in those
days devastated the few crops and
gardens, denuded the trees and de
voured the grass. With each shift of
the wind they arose in a cloud and
moved to other spots. The clouds of
hoppers were so dense the sun was
| obscured as if a black rain cloud were
! spread across the heavens. His father,
Tommy Conley as everybody knew
him, a wirey little man peaceful and
industrious but who if occasion re
quired could “whip his weight in wild
cats,” n ; the neighbors used to say,
on one occasion had a luxuriant gar
den. He worked through the forenoon
among the vines and vegetables.
When he went to the house at noon
the garden showed promise of prolific
production. When he returned after
dinner not a sprig was left—the hop
pers had devoured everything. The
pioneers met discouragement and
hardship with fortitude. In many re
spects they saw privations that later
generations know nohing of, and yet
■ they survived.
Nebraska and Kunsas were devasted
! at that time by grasshoppers. That
; was over fifty years ago. There have
I been none since in Nebraska until
j last year. If the hopper pleagues are
j spread out a half century apart there
is nothing to worry about from that
j source for the immediate future.
Surveyor Norton says he indulges
I a hair cut once in five years, qualify
ing the statement with the technical
phrase of the profession which is
on federal sanction, “more or less.’*
I He acquired the practice of perform
ing his own tonsorial art^work fifty
years ago when barbers were not as
plentiful as now. It was a case of
example and not precept. Down in
the tall grass and flowing well belt
hair grew li^e hay on the meadows.
A neighbor found the shaggy growth
an annoyance. A glass propped on
each side, one in front and the house
hold shears in hand he cut his own
hair, to the satisfaction of all con
cerned. Mr. Norton was a spectator.
He saw the possibilities in the idea.
When he got home he took the shears
and gave himself a haircut without
mirrors to look into. A life-long habit
was formed. Perhaps that explains
the Buffalo Bill locks of our venerable
county surveyor.
Chambers Sun: The School house
in the Summers district burned down
last week. The cause of the conflag
ration is unknown, there had been no
school there for a week, owing to so
much illness.
Inman Leader: Mrs. John Krantz
and Earl Krantz came up from Nor
folk Sunday afternoon. Mrs. Krantz
is making arrangements to sell the
personal property and rent the ranch
south of Inman. She expects to go
to ('hadron, Neb., where she will make
her home with n sister. Earl Krantz
is assisting in settling up his father’s
business before returning to his home
J in Vermont.
Atkinson Graphic: Raymond M.
Crossman, prominent Omaha attorney
and former Atkinson school boy, wiir
come back to the school here from
which he graduated 29 years ago,
to deliver the commencement address
to the class of 1932. . . . Mr. and
Mrs. John Harrington and family have
moved to Colome, S. D. Mr. Harring
ton was aperator of the C. & N. W.
station here. His place is taken here
bv R. .1. Krska. who has moved here
with his familv. Mr. Kr~1'-a is a
brother of J. J. Krska of Atkinson.
1 information on seed and feed loans
will probably be available the last of
next week. Anyone interested in a
feed and seed loan should fill out the
seed survey blank which was included
in the letter on the grasshopper-crop
meetings. If your name is on file in
'he Farm Bureau office you will be
sent the seed and feed loan informa
• ion as soon as it is available.
Federal Feed Loans
The last date that Federal Feed
Loans applications can be made is
February 29th. Details of the loan
were published in the county papers
in the issue of February 4th or Feb
ruary 11th. The members of your
local committee are listed in these
papers. Details can also be secured
from this office.