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About The frontier. (O'Neill City, Holt County, Neb.) 1880-1965 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 18, 1934)
The Frontier " """ VOL. LIV. 0’NEILL„NERRASKA, THURSDAY, JANUARY 18, 1934. No. 35 HOME BUILDING AND LOAN ASSN MAY BE STARTED IN O’NEILL Samuel N. Reep,of Minneapolis, Minn., Looking Over Prospects In This City for Federal Government. Samuel N. Reep, field organizer for the Federal Home Loan Board, Wash ington, I). C., was in the city today and favored this office with a short call. Mr. Reep is the president of the Home Building and Loan Association, of Minneapolis, Minn., and is in the employ of the government temporarily in assisting in the organization of Federal Savings and Loan Associa tions, and it was for the purpose of looking over this city with a view to the establishment of an association here, that Mr. Reep visited the city. The establishment of federal savings and loan associations were provided for in the Home Owners Loan Act, passed by congress in 1933. Mr. Reep was very favorably im pressed with this city as a business center and. believes that this would be a splendid point for the establishment of a loan association. He pointed to the fact that this city has no loan as sociation and that funds for building purposes had to be procured in other cities and that the money paid in on these loans had to be sent out of the city. In order to secure a charter for an association it is necessary to secure thirty subscribers, subscribing to at least $25,000 par value shares, and must pay in cash, upon the grant of the charter, at least $2,500. Officers of the association, including president, secretary, treasurer and members of the board of directors, will be selected from among those who subscribe to rtoek in the association. Mr. Reep left the city this afternoon for the eastern part of the state, but ixpects to return here in a week or ten days and interview the people of the city with a view to the establishment of an association and if our residents are desiring the organization of such an association here, it will be organ ized. State Relief Officers Here For Meeting Six persons from the state relief bureau at Lincoln were in the city last Thursday afternoon and evening and held meetings with the relief workers from the counties of Holt, Boyd, Keya Paha, Rock, Cherry, Brown, Garfield and Blaine counties as announced a couple of weeks ago. Those in the party were: Harry D. Elmore, state relief officer for Ne braska; Margaret Anderson, aupervis. or for family relief in the state;Thelma Barr, from the book-keeping depart ment of the state relief board; Ella B. Grimstead, field nurse from the state relief office; Jack Woods, field director for the CWA who spoke on the CWA at the meeting. Public meetings were held and pri vate interviews were had with the re lief workers from the different count ies represented. The director of fedr eral relief, who was to have been pres ent was unable to come on account of illness. Corn-Hog Meeting Schedule Corn-Hog educational meetings will be held at the following places in Holt county. The corn-hog organization and contracts will be taken up in de tail at these meetings. A great deal of information has been circulated coir cerning the corn-hog program. Come to your nearest meeting place ant find, out the details of the plan. The place and time of the meeting* follow: Paddock Hall, Friday, January 19. Stuart Theater, Monday, January 22 Scottville Hall, Tuesday, Januarj 23. Page High School Building, Wednes day, January 24. Ewing Sale Pavillion, Thursday January 25. „ „ Atkinson .Memorial Hall, Friday January 26. Dorsey School, Sutunlay, Januarj 27. Phoenix Store, Monday, Januury 29 Cleveland Church, Tuesday. Jan uary 30. Amelia Hall, Wednesday, Januarj 31- .. .. L Chambers Hall. Friday, February 2 O’Neill High School Building. Sat urday, February 3. All of the above meetings an scheduled for 1:30 p. in. J. J. Schweitzer, now living at Mil ford, who left the north country hen about twenty year* ago, one day la* week received a wire stating a siste died in Omaha. That day aiiothe sister died at Milford. Local Lions Club Surrenders Charter The local Lions Club have surrend ered their charter, but will continue their organization as a booster club for the city of O’Neill. They have not yet selected a name for the new organization, into which they expect to enlist all the business men of the city. The members of the club de cided that during these times, especi ally, the $4.50 annual dues for each member that had to be remitted to headquarters could be used to benefit the people of our own community and for that reason decided to surrender their charter. ST. MARY’S DEFEATS SPALDING IN THREE BASKETBALL GAMES Spalding Teams Are Unable To Pull One (iame Out of the Fire In Three Starts. Last Sunday afternoon the St. Mary’s academy basketball players had a sort of field day here on the academy gymnasium floor. Three teams from the academy at Spalding, Nebr., were defeated as fast as they could, get on the floor and go thru their motions. In first team play the local academy boys defeated Spalding academy 35 to 17. In this contest Peter Price, of St. Mary’s, piled up 11 scores without overdoing himself. Second teams then took the floor and when the final whistle sounded the score was 9 to 4 in favor of St. Mary’s. Francis Price, a brother to Peter, proved himself another scoring mach ine at work for St. Mary’s. Alumni teams of both schools took the floor and the result placed another feather in the caps of the St. Mary’s players; St. Mary’s 31, Spaulding 24. At Chambers last Friday evening Chambers and St. Mary’s basketeers matched skill at basketball and the St. Mary’s athletes won, 24 to 10. One cf First White Women In County Still Living Here There is, living in southeast O’Neill | today, a woman who once had a hard time finding what is now the county seat. She is Mrs. Caroline Stebner, I 78. In the year 1856 she was born in Marquette county, Michigan, and in the year 1881 she started driving a yoke of oxen from Wisconsin to the promised land, Holt county. Due to one of her oxen becoming lame at Sioux Falls, she says, she failed to carry out her plans. A team of mules was hitched in place of the oxen and the determined driver cracked her whip until most of the 1 Eagle valley resounded with the echo. Near Niobrara City, one day was | required in crossing the Missouri. Sho was in Holt county six months before she saw another white woman. In order to have John Smoot take her picture here, she rode an Indian pony and finally found the town by following an Indian path. She was on her way from morning until evening. Mrs. Stebner experienced many very unusual happenings, but the one out standing to her still is the long and tiresome pony ride across bleak prairie to reach the magical John Smoot. R. J. McAllister Dead At California Home E. J. McAllister, one of the pioneer residents of this county, died at Com pton, California, last week, following a paralytic stroke. He was about 65 years of age and had been a resident of this county for over 50 years, form erly living north of this city, but for several years having made his home in Atkinson, where he was engaged in the real estate business. “Radio” Brown To Be Here Rev. R. R. Brown, of Omaha, who lias become known throughout the west as “Radio” Brown, on account of his | association with WOW at Omaha where he broadcasts a religious ser vice every Sunday morning, will be in O'Neill on Monday and Tuesday, January 22 and 23 and will apeak at the K. C. Hall on Monday and Tuesday nights. The services will commence at 7:30 with a musical program. On Tuesday afternoon he will conduct a service at the Episcopal church. Fol lowing these services Rev. Paul Berg, pastor of the Christian Missionary Al liance of Norfolk, will begin a series of spiritual meetings in the Episcopal church to continue every night and on • Sunday afternoon and evening, t - Shobert Edwards went to Plainvicw r I Sunday to visit friends and relative I for several days. Mrs. Clark Young; Early Pioneer, Passes Away Mrs. Clark Young, G8, one of the pioneers of the Mineola country, died at her home northeast of this city at noon today, after an illness of three weeks. The funeral will be held Sun day afternoon at 2:30 at the Methodist church in tiiis city and burial will be in the cemetery at Mineola. Obitu ary notice next week. Must Continue Farming To Receive Benefits The corn-hog contract does not re quire that the signer raise any corn or hogs in 1934, but he must continue to farm the land he signs up. He can not quit farming and draw benefit payments for corn and hog reduction. Few farmers will go completely out of corn or hogs even though the corn hog contract permits them to do so. They may need the acreage or the hog numbers for a base in signing up future contracts. A retiring hog producer, one who will not farm at all in 1934, can assign his hog base to a beginner starting to farm in 1934. The new ^ian must live in the same county and must farm as large a farm as the retiring pro ducer farmed in 1932-33. Neither the retiring nor the new producer gets benefit payments on the hog base, but the new producer can raise hogs up to 75 per cent of his assigned base, and then take advantage of the corn part of the corn-hog contract. The man who started to farm for the first time in 1933 may use the one year for his hog base. If he farmed before but had hogs only one year of the two, 1932 and 1933, he must divide his number of hogs by two to get his base. Corn Loan Applicants Must Sitfn Corn-Hog Contract W. H. Brokaw, state corn-hog ad ministrator at the agricultural college in Lincoln asked agricultural ag^nt Booney to caution all farmers in th; county who are thinking of taking out the corn loans between now and the first of March to make sure that they can comply with the corn-hog contract. Sample copies of the con tract are now available and some of the administrative rulings have come into the agricultural agent’s office. In signing up the corn loan note, the farmer agrees to enter into the corn-hog contract and to reduce his corn acreage at least 20 per cent and his hog numbers 25 per cent below the average of the last two years. Landlords and tenants who rent for share rent should each make certain that the other party is willing to sign the corn-hog contract before anything is done to get a corn loan. All farm operators should look over the corn hog contract and make sure that there is nothing irregular in their own per sonal cases to keep them from sign ing up the contract before they take out the corn loan. In signing the corn loan the farmer accepts the money under the condition that the government will take over the corn on August 1, providing the mark et price of corn is less than 45 cents and also providing that the farmer signs the corn-hog contract and com plies with its regulations. If the farmer cannot sign the corn-hog con tract, the government may require him to pay back the money or to turn the corn and make up the difference be tween the open market price and 45 cents per bushel. Should the price of corn go up above 45 cents on the market, the farmer of course, can pay back the money and, keep or sell the corn. Give Shower and Dance A shower, card and dance-to-mid night was held last Saturday evening for an enterprising young couple who may be among the married coupler soon. The alfair was at the home of ! Mr. and Mrs. Joseph McNichols, north west of town. Among those present | were the following and their wives: P. V. Hickey, James Fleming. Jack (Juig, James McDermott, John Hickey, | J. H„ T. J. and T. F. Do nohoe. Martin Stanton, Thomas Edwards and Frcc 1 man Arbo. Also present, James Carney, Emmet and Jimmy Soukup. Peter Donohoe, John McNichols, Catherine Stanton, Hn*el Rreederhaft, Art Doody, Mrs. Jo-uph Cuddy. Mrs, Mary Za trow and daughter, and Mr-. Esther Cole Harris, There were about 70 pre ent, a great number being children of high school age. The St. Patrick's Catholic church Sodality society is ottering a dance and card party at tin Knight of Coluinbu ball tomorrow evening. ENTERTAIN THREE PIONEER MOTHERS AT AFTERNOON TEA Mrs. O. F. Biglin, .Mrs. J. I*. O'Donnell and Mrs. J. J. Met'afferty Enter tained By Their Daughters. A very unique and pleasant after noon was spent at the home of Mrs. 0. F. Biglin last Thursday when three pioneer mothers and their daughters met for a pleasant hour. The mothers: Mrs. O. F. Biglin, Mrs. J. P. O’Donnell and Mrs. J. J. McCafferty. The daughters: Anna O’Donnell, Gene vieve Biglin, Mrs. F. N. Cronin and Mrs. R. E. Gallagher. A delightful three course luncheon was served by Mrs. Biglin’s daughters during which Mrs. Cronin slipped quietly from the room, returning short ly arrayed in her mother's wedding gown, a gorgeous midnight blue taffeta affair of bosque style waist and gathered skirt, with double knife pleat ed flounce around the bottom, crinoline lined, so that when it touched the floor it stood by itself, a marvel of workmanship in design and antiquity. Over a half century old and yet as fresh as as it came from its bed of tissue as though it had been assemb led a week ago. So great was the admiration and delight of the guests that she again disappeared and came back into the room* this time modeling a frock of her grandmother’s, a beautiful deep royal purple of Victorian Imperial style, of rare lovliness and charm breathing of the long ago—reminding one of gossamer and old lace. Many interesting tales of the rough frontier of civilization were related by these three pioneer women as they gazed across the tea cups into tne space of yesterday, recapturing in memory many instances long since thought forgotten. To Mrs. O’Donnell goes the prize for outstanding memory as she recalls back to the time when O’Neill was just a whistling post along a wagon trail to the hills and there was but one well to supply the town’s demand and also the terriffic prairie fire that came roaring and sweeping down on them from across the river, eating acre after of acre of the best grass land, leaving nothing in its wake but dust, smoke and cinders and yet how a handful of grim, undaunted settlers, by their courageous, industrious work and toil, saw raised from the waste land this prosperous little city of O’Neill, with its flourishing ranches and farms outlying, second to none for its size in any land, with its schools, its churches and. its splendid citizens. If you wish for a pleasant after noon just try grouping a few people of different generations. It will prove entertaining and educational. xxx County Fair Board Elect New Officers The Holt County Agricultural So ciety and Fair Association re-organ ized at the regular meeting January 15th, with the following line-up: George H. Coleman, Inman, president; Joe McNiehols, O’Neill, vice president; John L. Quig, O’Neill, secretary-treas urer; Fred Robertson, George Agnes, Margaret Davidson, Ray Calvert, all of O'Neill, and William Graver, of Ewing, directors. The dates for the 1934 fair were set for September 4th, 5th, 6th and 7th. Mashes Finger Piling Logs Last Thursday afternoon while Charles and Ray Lawrence were blast ing giant cottonwood trees apart for use as fuel, Ray suffered a mashed finger on his left hand. In piling a length of tree the lug slipped, landing on the finger, which he may be unable to use for several weeks. The Lawrence brothers, operators of the Thomas Carlon homestead just south of town, say they have one pile of cottonwood logs they estimate at a weight in excess of lt>0 tons. After seasoning one year, the fuel is to be sold to fuel consumers here next winter. NUPTIALS Ti miner man-Singlr man Fred Timmerman, 27, son of Mr. and Mrs, (Jus Timmerman, and Ciretu Single man, 2t». daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Joseph SingUman, were married here last Saturday afternoon by Rev H. D. Johnson, of the I’resbyterim church. Thi* couple will make a hom» oa a farm eight miles northwest of Royal, Nebraska. Kdward Adam*, the Chamben banker, wa - looking after husim >* ir this city lu*t Saturday. O’Neill High Cagesters Take Two From Butte, Losing One To Spencer The first ami second basketball teams of Butte came to O’Neill Wednesday evening und when the smoke of battle had cleared it was found O’Neill had won both games, the first 11 to 10 and the second team contest 16 to 8. Spencer took the O’Neill public school basketball team to a cleaning last Friday evening on the O'Neill floor, to the tune of 27 to 11. Reserve teams of the public school and St. Mary's academy here helped entertain the spectators, the academy team winning. Conditions Don’t Show Improvement for Farmer We read continually in the daily press that times are improving for the farmers thruout the country and that they are much better than they were a year ago, but many farmers in this section fail to see the im provement. One in particular is ol the opinion that times are a long way from being as good as they were a year ago, as far as the farmer is concerned. This particular farmer, living north of this city,about ten days ago shipped 21 head of hogs to market. They were all good clean Poland China shoats and weighed 2,170 pounds, or an average of 103% pounds each. These hogs sold on the Sioux City market for $2.25 per hundred, or a total of $48.82. Out of this total he had to pay $6.51 for trucking; yardage, bed ding, at 42 cents, etc., including one bushel of corn at 00 cents, $5 4J; com mission $5.25, or a total of $17.17. leaving him a balance for his hogs of $31.65, or a little less than $1.51 for each hog. During the time that this particular farmer hud these hogs on feed he fed them 200 bushels of corn, which at the local market price, was worth $0H in addition to the other feed he fed them, so he received $34.35 cents less for the hogs than he hart expended in j raising them, to say nothing about his labor. It is easy to see that the farm ers of the country will not even be able to exist, let alone pay off their indebtedness, unless price conditions increase materially. That the farmer is worse off today than he was a year ago is proven by the fact that the above mentioned farmer could purchase nearly twice as I much with his $31.05 a year ago as | he can today, the price of everything j that he has to buy having greatly in j creased in value, while thnt which he ! has to sell has been decreasing. O’Neill (Jets Organization of Holt County Ited Cross At the annual meeting of the members of the Red. Cross, held at At i kinson last Thursday afternoon, Dr. I L. A. Carter, of O’Neill, was eleceted ! president; George A. Miles, of O’Neill, | secretary and F. N. Cronin, of O’Neill, j treasurer. The headquarters of the I .organization will be in this city for ! the ensuing year. The following were elected as direct | ors for the ensuing year: M. Hunter, Page; D. A. Criss, Stuart; Mrs. Alma Farrier, Chambers; Elwin Smith, In man; James Butler, Ewing; Mrs. D. Stannard, O’Neill; H. A. Snyder, At kinson. Broken Elbow Mending Junior, 9, son of Mr. and Mrs. John Allen, was removed from Norfolk last Monday to his home here and he is at tending school. His arm, broken in the elbow joint in a fall off a pony here December 22, is encased by a steel splint that permits moving the arm joint daily to prevent permanent 1 stiffness and to allow adjustments. For days it looked like junior might have a stiff arm or lose part of the member, the break was so serious. Receives Checks For Boyd County Farmers Agricultural Agent J. W. Rooney has received 92 checks, totaling $3,311.00 which he will distribute to farmers of Boyd county, who signed the wheat reduction program, at Butte and I.ynch next Saturday. This is the first payment, (’hecks for the Holt county farmers, who signed the wheat reduction program have not been re ceived yet. but they are expected any day. Tildcn Bake Shop Closed The Tildcn bake shop, which has been operated tn this city for the past year, closed up last week. Miss Harti gun, who had charge of the bake shop, ha* gone to Tilden where she has a > position in the bakery. ESCAPE FATAL INJURY AS CAR DEMOLISHED IN COLLISION WITH TRUCK John Kersenbrock and Family Have Lucky Escape In Accident 20 Miles South of O’Neill. Miraculously, the John Kersenbrock family and an 18 year old niece, Miss Ruth Kratavil, of Osmond, escaped instant death last Sunday night at. 11:30 at a point about 20 miles south of here and a few miles south of the Edward Porter filling station on high way 281. The Kersenbrock car, a Studebaker eight sedan, on which was registered 21,000 miles, costing $1,657, was re duced to worthless junk in a collision with a truck. Kersenbrock and his family had been to Lincoln and were traveling north and toward, O’Neill. The machine was making about 40 miles an hour. A truck traveling south hugged the left side of the road, when he should have been over on the other side, and Mr. Kersenbrock endeavored to make a quick swing around it. His machine struck or the truck struck his machine, tearing through it. The truck swerved went into a ditch, through a fence and into a pasture where it was halted. The name of the driver is believed to be Robert Schurscht and his home is said to be at Spalding. Mr. Kersenbrock said he was told the trucker had been about £0 miles west of Valentine and had no sleep Saturday night, Sunday nor Sunday night, apparently leaving him in an extremely drowsy condition. On the truck was a tractor, disc and harrow. John says he awoke to find blood gushing from a forehead cut. He pro nounced himself dead and again be came unconscious, awakening to find himself the coldest he had ever been. I’assersby gave the five injured per sons a ride to the Porter station. Girls with basket ball players from Spalding, who played three games 1 here at St. Mary's Academy Sunday, noticing lights and much activity at the station as they traveled south, stopped and. at once rendered first aid to the injured. Mr. Kersenbroek says the work of the girls is something he shall re member with pleasure as long us he lives. He added that he plans to make a special trip to Spalding, identify each of the girls and thank them. Those in the automobile were John Kersenbroek, his wife, two sons, Dale and Jack, about 12 and 14 years old, and. Miss Ruth Kratavil, 18 of Os mond. All were shocked and all suf fered cuts and bruises and wrenched muscles. John and his son, Dale, were cut on the forehead; the muscles on John’s left arm from elbow to wrist wrenched loose; Mrs. Kersenbrock was cut slightly and Ruth Kratavil suf fered. a bruised forehead; Jack received an injured leg and is in his bed until the extent of his injuries can be deter mined. He may be injured internally. The injured were placed under the care of Dr. W. F. Finley as soon as they were brought to town. The wrecked machine was brought here by the Mellor Motor Company wrecker and hundreds who have seen the car admitted it the most complete ly ruined machine they have seen. All admit there rwust have been a miracle to permit five persons to live after riding in a car so twisted and skeletonized. After the wreck John found the key of the car in a pants pocket. He does I not know how it got there. In a shirt ; pocket he found two pieces of glass. He cannot explain how they got there ! through a sweater and overcoat. About the time the girl nurses from I Spalding were dressing and washing the wounds of the injured, at the Porter ! station, another type of human being I was working on the wreckage. The heater, horn and brass shift-gear knob was stolen and an effort at re ; moving the three tires was not suc , cessful only because the unknown could not muster enough power. Mr. Kersenbrock said he carried in surance on his car. He said that he I had passed thousands of cars between Lincoln and (Irand Island without danger, then smashed on one of the lonlient stretches of highway in Ne braska. Hundreds of persons called Monday to offer John and family cm grain lations on their escape from death, His telephone kept him on Ihe jump. Farmer* telephoned congratulation#. | John says that "the Lord must have t had His arms around me that time." Ash Wednesday falls on February 14, Palm Sunday on March 25, and i Faster Sunday on April L