Excavation Shows Holt
County Was Once 'Hie
Home of Many Indians
By J. B. O’Sullivan
(Continued from last week.)
South of the Sullivan farm is the
old Cronin farm where three huge de
pressions in the earth often caused
1). II. Cronin to speculate on the ident
ity of those who seem to have lost a
battle with nature in attempting to
tame the prairies. A nationally known
archaeoligist told Mr. Cronin, had he
excavated the floors of these basins,
he would have found relic material
that would have proved the places man
made and occupied over a long period
of time. Just what these depressions
were used for is not clear in this
quarter. Their situation, size, shape
and proximity to residenee-sizc-hol
lows would suggest they were kivas,
ceremonial rooms, “moving picture”
houses, church, council houses, forts,
communal dwellings, water basins or
clay pits or perhaps something not
even guessed by anyone. They must
be the work of Mound Builders, who
disappeared about 2,000 years ago, but
they are undoubtedly the precursors
of the Indians and may have been
made thousands or hundreds of years
ago. The old ideas of constructions
may have prevailed a long time after
the originators perished. A few ar
rowheads from these pits would yield
a great amount of knowledge of
DKBTS or Dollars—one ran
In' accumulated iin easily as
I he oilier. Which will prove
of I hi' most benefit in the
years to come?
m ;*Jtf
THE
O’NEILL NATIONAL
BANK
Capital, Surplus and Undivided Profits,
$125,000.00
This hank carries no imiebted
ness of officers or stockholders.
—
mighty interesting Holt countyans
whose advent and exit have been hid
den in the mists of time.
Bushels of arrowpoints made of the
iron hoops of whiskey barrels were
traded the Indians and these were so
superior, bending instead of breaking,
that the stone chippcrs ceased their
labors around 75 years ago. One gov
ernment archaeoligist stated one may
see stone points made today in New
Mexico, but it is not known if old
methods are used or what degree of
skill is attained.
John Gructsch, Jr., living on the old
Kimborough ranch 18 miles northwest
of here, has a wonderful collection of
stone things left in fields there by
ancients. John has a few of the finest
ornamental stones, one crystal quartz
bead that is worded, is almost as clear
as water. He has many arrowheads
that are of Pawnee manufacture.
There are several fields on this ranch
that yield bits of pottery, knives,
scrapers and. much broken stuff. There
is much prairie in the vicinity and it
is predicted sometime remains of one
or mare large villages will be found,
perhaps on Honey creek, the Eagle or
at the conjunction of the two. The
Eagle has eaten its basin so deep and
wide in its swift race to the sea, it
must have wiped out nearly every
trace of former occupancy.
A few months ago, William Gruetsch
found a stone, rounded like a bowling
ball, about that size and having two
holes that correspond to finger and
thumb holes on a bowling ball. It may
have been used for some other pur
pose than one might guess. It could
have been used as a pestle in a mortar
to grind, corn and rolled down hill it
would be ideal for scattering enemies.
On the Fritz Green ranch, a few
miles west of the Gruetsch ranch, sev
eral fields promise a great amount of
relic material in the future, when
prairie land is broken. A great many
rough chunks of stone believed used
as war and hunting club heads are
found there. A few show signs of
having been handled with thong and
stick. The culture who used these
must have been close to cave-foljc,
shiftless or very ignorant, or perhaps,
too smart to do work not absolutely
necessary.
Gliding down the Engle valley to the
ranch of John A. Robertson, where ate
two hill-tops that Mr. Robertson sqg
gested may have been man-made,' it
may be stated these have not been
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O’NEILU NEBRASKA
examined but the description available
indicates Mound Builder burials and
there must be many smaller works
in this vicinity.
Out in the Redbird country home
steaders tell of an earthwork wall that
is called an old fort. Time is said to
have obliterated this interesting work
and it is hoped artifacts left in the
vicinity may be found to give clues to
the identity of the folk who seem to
have had big ideas a long time ago.
Reports were made a year ago of
another supposed old fort somewhere
in the upper Eagle section but no
search has been made for this. Forts
in the days before the whites arrived
are believed a rarity, yet there are
ruins known to have been thrown up
for protection. It would appear that
most of the grades, causeways or nar.
row hills built by so-called savages
were for ceremonial purposes. There
are many leads pointing to Aztec in
fluence among th cPawnee and cultures
down south are known to have spent
a great part of their time performing
ceremonials, beheading some prisoner
in style, carving the heart from some
beauty at break of day or casting
selected girls into some black pool in
the bowels of the earth to appease
some god or atone for some shortcom
ing.
Away out south of Atkinson there
is, according to several persons, a
huge sand hill on which lay many
artifacts. These are exposed after
rains and winds. This hill is not
thought to have been built by man,
but the great number of stone things
said to have been found there would
point to an old burial ground. Some
tribes placed their chiefs at the top of
some hill and warriors and hunters
and the stone chippers and so on, on
the sides, the less important near the
bottom of the hill. It is not thought
this was done here. There are no
hills. It does seem strange there are
no mounds near O'Neill while there
are so many along the Eagle.
The earth used there is the most
durable kind of gumbo. Here sands
flit about. Works of sand or loam
could not have endured. But a few
feet down In many places a similar
gumbo is found in generous quantities.
The Indians made pottery of it. A
cigar-box full of potsherds was found1
on the Elkhorn and is intact here to
day. Why is it no mounds have been
found near O’Neill?
it could iihvc Dccn me ancients wno
were at O'Neill had different burial
and construction ideas than had those
who possessed' the1 Eagle valley. Or,
thejK nifty'have JVudt mounds and tHcy
havte tahHi ifftMtHied iby the elements.
A low Hlbtltld Style; perhaps 12 inches
Hl'gh, Wkt* WWndfiWW in Michigan, may
have been made "here. One of this
style would be- hard to locate now.
Bones plowed from the earth would
lead to belief such work had been
disturbed.
Startling artifacts or pieces come to
light frequently, if one spends much
time searching out secrets of unknown
and extinct people. In the Elkhorn
one summer day, William Hammond,
Jr., found an entire arrowhead. Later,
up stream,was found a small cemetery,
perhaps a clue to a very extensive one,
because the ground a mile back from
the water is virgin sod. No one
knows what may be found there when
the ground is broken years from now
when population compels everyone to
farm as intensively as is now done in
China.
Lumps of mixed clay, wood-ashes,
tine sand, or crushed mussclshell or
ground rock, or again crushed pieces of
old pottery for temper, mixed with
water, were found here and for a long
time mystified those who found them.
One day an expert came along and
he explained that the women made
the pottery and after a day at the
kilns they gossiped and while doing
so many formed the habit of nervous
tv working a nodule of unburned pot
tery mixture in their hands, finally
tossing them aside and making for
their permanent lodges, some swim
ming hole, or, to some other task.
These nodules of varying size now are
like rock.
A young iaa named Langan, now nv.
Ing on Eagle creek, exhibited here re
cently a small circular gun-spring of
brass which appears to be hundreds
of years old. From the twists in
parts of this spring it seems some
Indian had fashioned ear-rings. There
were a few nrrowheads, broken, and a
piece of small child’s skull, still bear
ing green paint, in this cache found
north of Chambers several years ago.
(Continued next week.)
M. E. CHURCH NOTES
Services next Sunday at 11 a. m.
and 7:30 p. in. Sunday school at 10
a. m. Epworth Leugue at 6:30. A
cordial welcome at all these services.
Next Tuesday afternoon there will
!>e a gathering at which all the Meth
odist churches of Holt and Boyd
counties will be represented. It will
be held in our own church here at
O'Neill. The pastors of the Spencer
and Chambers churches will speak and
the meeting will be conducted by our
superintendent, Rev. 1'aul M. Hillman,
who will be the chief speaker. Every
member of our church •» invited to be
present, as well as any interested in
j the forwurd movement ot the church.
I The meeting is in connection with the
Church Loyalty Crusade which the
churches of Nebraska are putting on
during the pre-Easter season.
Next Tuesday evening at 7:30 the
Rev. Paul Hillman will preach for us
and open our evangelistic campaign.
This is the first time O’Neill will have
the opportunity to hear him and we
bespeak a large congregation.
Friday and Saturday of next week a
party of our Leaguers will attend the
mid-winter institute at Osmond. To
help meet the expense a play will be
given at the church next Monday even
ing. See notice in another column.
HOME TALENT PLAY
The one act play “Out of the Fog”
will be given at the M. E. church
Monday, February 12. Admission 25
cents. This is an interesting play
centering around the story of two boys
who find themselves confined to the
house on a foggy day, and who think
the entertainment provided by their
mother too tame. So they concoct a
plan w'hich has unlookcd for results.
In addition to the play there will be
other numbers including the Girl’s and
Boy’s glee clubs from the high school.
BRIEFLY STATED
Its a short road that has no turn
over.
Hay haulers report ungraded roads
rough.
John Fuchs,' of Wall, S. D., was
here last Friday.
Several boys are building log cab
ins on the Elkhorn.
Mrs. Maurice Johnson has recovered
good health after a brief illness.
Mrs. Irl Hicks entertained the Delta
Deck Club last Wednesday evening.
Mrs. C. F. McKenna entertained
the Martez Club last Monday evening.
L. V. Rasmussen, of near Harrison,
Nebraska, had business here last Fri
day.
R. O. Anderson, of Ewing, was look
after business matters in this city last
Tuesday.
Even a large crop of wild oats is
assured under heavy and frequent
irrigation.
Mrs. H. J. Hammond entertained a
party with bridge at her home last
Tuesday evening.
E. iff. AHmond, of Auburn, Nebr.,
was in the Holt county seat on busi
ness last week.
Mr. and Mrs. J. L. Kratzert, of
Grand Island, came here to attend to
business last Friday.
Spring poetry: Soon naked trees
shall make graceful boughs to rising
and dancing saplings.
Charles Johnson, of Plainvicw,
was in O’Neill last Sunday calling on
friends and relatives.
According to Harry Bowen, a tem
perature of 59 above zero was regist
ered here last Thursday.
The Grattan township corn-hog
meeting was held Saturday in the
public school building here.
Mr. and Mrs. Wilton Hayne, of
Page, visited Sunday here at the home
of Mr. and Mrs. Roy Johnson.
Reports of robins being seen here in
town and country were made Sunday.
The evidence could not be corroborated.
Peter W. Duffy, Holt county sheriff,
was at Lincoln several days last week
on business in connection with his
office.
About 52 friends partook of an
oyster supper at the Lett Johnson
farm home west of town last Thurs
day evening.
Tom Edwards, who injured his back
lifting a chunk of coal about ten days
ago, obtained considerable relief the
last few days. As he swung a large
piece of coal, another lump on which
his foot rested, turned, causing undue
strain on back muscles.
(First publication January 11, 11134.)
SALE BY SPECIAL MASTER
I'NDER DECREE
FORREST LEAR,SPECIALMASTER
NORFOLK. NEBRASKA
PUBLIC NOTICE is hereby given
that by virtue of an order of sale is
sued out of the District Court of the
United States for the District of Ne
braska, Norfolk Division, and in pur
suance of the decree of said court
rendered at the September 1933 term
of said court, to-wit: On December 7,
1933, in an action therein {tending
numbered 252-E<]uity, wherein The
Penn Mutual Life Insurance Company
is plaintiff, and Hamid M. Diers, Elsie
P. Diers. Alma M. Diers, Nels C.
Christiansen, and Lydia Christiansen,
are defendants, whereby the mortgage
involved in said action on the prop
erty hereinafter described was fore
closed, I, Forrest Lear, as Special
Master of said Court, by virtue of the
authority in me vested as such Master,
will sell at public auction to the
highest bidder for cash, at the Court
house in Holt county, Nebraska, in the
City of O’Neill, Holt county, Nebras
ka, at the usual place where sheriff’s
sales of land, are made in said county,
on the 14th day of February, 1934,
at 11:00 o’clock in the forenoon, the
following real property described in
the bill of complaint and decree in
said cause, situated in the County of
Holt, and State of Nebraska, to-wit:
The Northwest Quarter (NWVA),
and the West Half of the North
east Quarter (W^NEIA) of Sec
tion numbered Twenty-one (21),
Township numbered Twenty-seven
(27),North, Range numbered Nine
(9), West of the 6th P. M., con
taining in all 240 acres, more or
less, according to Government
Survey in Holt county, Nebraska,
to satisfy the lien described in said
decree as follows, to-wit:
In favor of the Penn Mutual Life
Insurance Company, in the sum of
$5,330.50, with interest thereon at the
rate of ten pe» cent (10%) per annum
from the 7th day of December, 1933,
and to satisfy the sum of $75.68 costs
and the accruing costs, all as pro
vided by said decree and order of sale.
Said sale will be held open for one
hour.
FORREST LEAR,
34-5 Special Master.
(First publication Feb. 1, 1934.)
NOTICE OF FINAL SETTLEMENT
Estate No. 2305
In the County Court of Holt county,
Nebraska, January 30, 1934.
In the matter of the Estate of John
Moler, Deceased.
All persons interested in said estate
arc hereby notified that the Admin
istrator with the Will annexed, of said
estate has filed in said, court his final
report and a petition for final settle
ment and distribution of the residue
of said estate; and that said report
and petition will be heard February
21, 1934, at 10 o’clock A. M., at the
County Court Room in O’Neill, Ne
braska, when all persons interested
may appear and be heard concerning
said final report and the distribution
of said estate.
C. J. MALONE,
County Judge.
(County Court Seal) 37-3
LOST ANI) FOUND
Strayed—White face yearling steer,
weight about 400—Lee Taylor, Op
portunity. 38-1
HELP WANTED
Man Wanted to supply customers
with Well Known Baker Products in
Holt county. Business established.
Car required.—Write S. F. Baker &
Co., Keokuk, Iowa. 38-4
FOR RENT
Three rooms.—Mrs. Viola Morgan.
For Rent or Sale—The Charles
Wrede ranch. Consists of 1,800 acres.
See John or Charles Wrede. 35-4p
FOR SALE
Two hundred and fifty egg (Super
Hatcher) Incubator, good as new;price
$15.00. Inquire at this office. 37
Washing machine motor; used radi
ators for Dodge, Star and Chevrolet
4-cylinder; also rebuild generators for
any make car; 4-wheel trailer.—At
Vic Halva’s Shop. 38-lp
Give you eyes a
“New Deal.” Get new
glasses now before
prices advance. See Perrigo Optical
Company at Golden Hotel, Saturday,
February 10. 37-2
Diamonds-Watches-Jewelry
Expert Watch Repairing
0. M. HERRE—Jeweler
In Reardon Drug Store
[ W. F. FINLEY, M. D.
Phone, Office 28
O’Neill :: Nebraska
DR. J. P. BROWN
Office Phone 77
Complete X-Ray Equipment
Glasses Correctly Kitted
Residence Phone 22-1
I)r. F. A. O’CONNELL
DENTIST
GUARANTEED WORK
MODERATE PRICES
O N KIM, :: NEBRASKA