The Frontier VOL. LIV. O’NEILL, NEBRASKA, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 1934. No. 39 JOHNSON ORDERED TO SCOTTSBLUFF TO TAKE CARE OF RELIEF WORK Had Hcen Here Since Latter Part Of October Taking Care Of Relief And CWA Work Here. Max Johnson, who has been the di rector of federal relief in this county since November 1, 1933, has been transferred to ScottsblulTs and left for his new post of duty Wednesday after noon. On Tuesday evening Mr. John son received a telegram from Randall C. Biart, state director of federal re lief, directing him to turn his office over to Miss Dorctha Grady and to leave at once for Scottsbluffs and to take charge of the office there. Mr. Johnson came here on October 29, 1933, and on November 1st took charge of the federal relief in this county. For a time he had. CWA activities in the county, as well as the relief work, and was one of the busiest men in the entire county. His record here proved him to be a man of splen did executive ability and his handling of the many intricate problems that confronted him won for him the praise of his superiors and the plaudits of the people here who were familiar with his work. A would-be local politican was con tinuously howling about Mr. Johnson's actions in giving work to some repub licans and stated on the streets on several occasions that he would have his “scalp.” The howling of this dis gruntled one did not affect Mr. John son in the least and he continued tak ing care of the matters that confronted him with ability and dispatch, irres pective of political or other influence. He made a splendid record and the people of this city and county regret that he was transferred to another county, but his transfer was a pro motion and he goes to his new field of labor to iron out many difficulties that have confronted several directors who have had charge of the office there. And Max will straighten them out and run the office as it should be run. Congratulations and good luck Max, is the wish of your many Holt county | friends. , Still At It Sunday there was a great game of baseball out on Mullen Field and the only thing the players objected to was the lack of gate support and the heat. ‘“It beats the devil,” one kid said, “how hot it gets here.” Well, boy, it gets hotter than the devil there, too, so go on with your games. The game Sunday was by the East Minors and the South Sluggers, nines thut have been contesting for suprem acy all winter. Out on Mullen Field there is no Rose Bowl but there may be one by next winter if the CWA boys have the heart and enough money East Minors 2, South Sluggers 18 was the way the final score read after the game. The East battery was R Porter and Jack Brittell; South—Mar vin Van Every and R. Loy. Home runs—R. Loy four, M. Van Every four. There should have been many more home runs, one of the players reported, but one boy ran a spare leg in a badger hole, another thought he heard an airplane and a third thought he heard his mother calling him, which was true, although he didn't care, yet he knew he was to get three spankings at one time for not putting water in a milk cow and failure to carry in a couple of tons of wood with which to fire up the supper cookstove. Just south of the river bridge south of here and west of the highway is one of the finest “makings” of a swim ming. skating, boating and fishing hole youngsters ever saw and many have expressed the wish water will be turned into it and left for a per manent pond. The bottom is perfectly level. Earth, taken from it is being used to grade the highway. It is not known to what use this depression is to he put but if left to the youngsters there would be no doubt about the use of the hole. East Saturday afternoon on the field near the Jess Scofield oil station, boy* of the sixth grade played foot ball with the boys of the fourth and fifth grades of the public school. The score reported is 120 to 12 in favor of the sixth graders. The boys re ported no broken lames but many handly bent. The fourth-grade student daughter of Mr. and Mrs. C. C. Blakeley, of Albion, accidently swallowed a three inch lead pencil. No distress was complained of by the girl but she is under the observation of a doctor. Final Corn Loan Date Set February 28 is the final day for corn loans. Fnal papers must be mailed, not later than midnight Feb ruary 28, 1!>34. To date there have been 2fil corn loans completed totaling $109,233.45. If you plan to take out a corn loan do it as soon as possible. Anderson and Enters File For State Senate Senator Crist Anderson, of Bristow, has filed for renomination for state senator for this district, subject to the action of the democratic voters at the primary election next August. He is now serving his second term in this office. Chris had a walk-away in the last election, the Roosevelt landslide helping him to several hundred votes. Democrats in this county are not very well satisfied with his record during the last session and they promise lots of trouble for him in the coming elec tion. If there are several candidates in the field he might win the nomin ation, but the election is another matter. Last week Paul H. Engler, of Bas set, filed, as a democratic candidate for state senator from this district and will contest for the nomination with Crist Anderson. From what we hear on the sidelines there will be at least one more candidate for the demo, cratic nomination, and possibly two. from this county. The pre-primary contest promises to be interesting. Has Excellent Speciman Of Stone Chippers Work A very fine Indian knife of stone lies on the specimen table of Dr. H. L. Bennett, complimentary of Den Hynes, who farms on upper Eagle creek. Those who profess to know something of stone knives say this one is not typically Pawnee and looks like Sioux work. The stone is petrified, white wood with a tinge of pink running thru it. It is about half a foot long and two inches wide. Some call it a belt knife. Mr. Hynes is said to have picked up on his farm a bushel or more of flint tools and weapons and the site may be one of the village places supposed to have flourished on the Eagle long ago. It is possible the Ponca ranged there, some say. McNichols Again In Race Hollywood Inside Facts: The two men on the democratic side of the fence getting all the attention from mass populace seems to be William J. McNichols and Upton Sinclair. They are both expressing ideas which would have been considered radical enough to throw them in jail a few years back. Today, they are basking in the spot light of public favor. Mr. Sinclair is going to extremes in his program while Mr. McNichols is following to a certain extent the program as laid out by President Roosevelt. The campaign is on and it should be a grand show. We will try to keep our readers informed as to the merits of all candidates, their ideas and their ideals. If you wish you may make this column your forum. We will be glad to not only publish the views of those running for office, but the views of any reader who thinks he has a mes sage of public interest. There is another type of “wild man” down in the city of Fullerton. While the D. C. Arrasmith family was away from home recently, someone entered the home and smashed two radios, dishes, furniture, lamp globes and shades and poured kersene over newly washed clothes and smashed eggs and made a sorry mess of things in gen eral. A small boy saw a man heave a washing machine off a porch and that is the only clue at hand. Eggs and kerosene were smeared on almost everything in the home. Farmers report the present winter is the most ideal for the propagation of grasshopper eggs they ever ex perienced or heard of and that a great hatch of the pests is sure to threaten next summers crops, especially in the northern part of Holt county. Most of the farmers are in favor of an air tight organization to comt the hoppers before they get “organized" und out of bounds. According to Harry Bowen’s wood pile, clothing and travel regulator at the court house, the government ther mometer, the highest temperature re corded her Tuesday was «7. not a record, hut causing a day nicer than anything June ever mantled over Holt county. There was no wind and plenty of sunshine for everyone. Large Amount Of Hay Has Been Shipped From O’Neill The wild hay business created here by purchase for distribution in South Dakota drouth and grasshopper strick en ureas continues on a huge scale without precedent. According to Roy Sauers, North western railway agent here, there was more hay shipped out of O’Neill last January than there was any month during the 15 years he has been here as agent. The Northwestern in Jan uary pulled out 184 carloads, most of them large cars, and so far, the first 10 days of February, when these fig ures were obtained, 120 cars were hauled out. About 20 cars a day is the average. Most of the hay is sent to South Dakota but some is ordered elsewhere. Indications are that every wisp of wild hay is to be eagerly sought and shipped. Mr. Sauers also reported that since fares were cut on rail passenger ser vice, passenger travel has increased here about one third. Lota! Hoy Scout Troop Attends Court Of Honor Scoutmaster H. D. Johnson and thir teen Scouts went to Orchard last Thursday night to attend the Scout banquet and Court of Honor. Troop Committeemen Peter Todson and Roy Carroll accompanied them and took part in the ceremony. Mr. and Mrs.' C. F. McKenna furnished transporta tion for some of the boys and attend ed the Court of Honor. This Scout gathering proved to be one of the best in this district. The North Central District, of which Rev. H. D. Johnson is chairman, has been developing these meetings for the past two years and they are proving to be a great stimulus to Scouting. The local boys received a large number of awards. Ralph Johnson, Robert Gunn, Willis Bachman received merit badges. William Maxwell re ceived his First Class badge. Robert Williams, Willis Bachman and VirgiJ, Johnson received their Second Class badges. Hugh McKenna, Charles Herrick, Richard Loy and Howard Graves received, their Tenderfoot badges. Besides the O’Neill Troop Creighton and Orchard were represented. A total of sixty-five boys and forty men were present at the banquet. Hospital Notes Mrs. Lyle MeKim, of Opportunity, was operated on for acute appendicitis on Monday. W. F. Harris, of Page, was in the hospital from Sunday until Tuesday for Radium treatment. Harold Summers, of Page, under went an operation on Mondoy for hernia. Mrs. James VanEvery underwent a major operation Tuesday morning. Mrs. Lloyd Brittell, of Inman, is doing nicely at the present time. Should they put robiijs, and those who see the first one in spring, under the NR A blue eagle’s wings? I O’NEILL BASKETEERS ADD TWO MORE WINS THE LAST WEEK-END St. Mary's Defeats Ewing Friday, And Public School Takes Two From Lynch Saturday Night. Last Saturday night two teams of basketball players came here to take the scalps of the O’Neill boys but the invaders had poor luck. The result of the first team game was O'Neill 14, Lynch, 12. At the end of the second attack, played by the second teams of the two towns, the score read O’Neill 18, Lynch 6. The games were played in the gymnasium of the public school and the spectators filled the seats almost to the limit. On the academy floor, last Friday night, the St. Mary’s ucademy team took the Ewing high school digesters by a score of 33 to 13. The second teams of the schools entertained the crowd and at the final whistle, Ewing had 12 points and the academy team 8, Elmer Stolte, public school coach here, refereed both the games at the academy. Security State Bank At Atkinson Will Liquidate The stockholders of the Security State bank at Atkinson have decided to liquidate the bank and at the close of business on February 10, ceased their functions as an active bank De positors of the bank will be paid in full and the bank will be kept open for the payment of money to deposi tors and for the collection of money owed the bank, but no deposits will be received. The officers of the state banking department have given the officers of the bank until December 1, 1934, to liquodate the affairs of the bank. The deposits of stockholders in the bank will be held until all other depositors have been paid in full. Holt County Man Loses Finger Joint in Buzz Saw Butte Gazette: William Robertson, who has been working on the Sol Fried ranch, got in an argument with a buzz saw Monday, and the saw won the discussion. He was brought to Butte and the wound treated. He lost the first joint of one finger but it was thought that the rest of the finger could be saved. Wednesday Mrs. John Lull, now of Hot Springs, South Dakota, and Mrs. Mary Brown, of Portland, Oregon, came here by automobile from Omaha where they had been visiting. Both are former residents of O’Neill. They are staying at the Maurice Johnson home, Mrs. Brown being a sister of Mrs. Johnson. Thursday afternoon the visitors went to Page for a visit with friends and relatives and they planned to return here for a visit of indefinite period. They had been in Omaha two weeks. John Barton, of Laurel, was in the bargain conter of the northern part of the Great Plains last Saturday. Corn-Hog Contract Sign-up Progressing The Corn-Hog reduction contract sign-up is well under way. Each township has shown unusual interst. To date 119 contract have been signed. Sign-up days are as follows: If there are any changes in these places, each precinct will be notified. Grattan township at the Golden hotel Friday and. Saturday; Shields at Shields town hall Friday and Satur day. February 19 — Saratoga-Coleman, at the Phoenix school; ltock Falls at the voting place; Paddock at the Pad dock town hall. February 20—Scott, at the Scott town hull; Steel Creek, at the Dorsey school; Willowdale at the school, Dis trict 96. February 21—Verdigris, at the Odd Fellow’s Hull; Iowa, at the Bowen’s school. February 22—Ewing and Golden, at the Ewing town hall; Deloit, at St. John’s hall. February 2J—McClure and Lake, at the Martha school; Conley, at the Leh mann school; Shamrock and Chambers at the Chambers town hall. February 24—Shamrock and Cham bers at the Chambers town hall; Wy oming and Fairview at the Amelia school; Swan and Josie at the Pfund school. February 26—Holt Creek and Fran cis at School District 210; Green Val ley at School District 20!1. Spelling Contest Friday Night At Public School Pupils of Holt county schools are to gather Friday at the public school auditorium here for the annual spell ing contests. Judged by the intense application pupils have studied the combinations of P’s and Q’s recently some contestants are sure to be deci sively defeated here tomorrow night. The spelling shall be under way by seven o’clock, evening. Prices 108 Years Ago Hot Springs, S. D., Star: An Ohio newspaper unearthed a copy of a news printed over one hundred years ago, which contained a list of articles of food with the prices prevailing at that time. S. R. Gattly saw the account and handed it to the Star. Here they are, prices of household commodities during the winter of 1825-1826. Eggs, 4 cents a dozen; butter, 8 cents a pound; sugar, 10 cents a pound; coffee, 31 cents a pound; bacon, 6 Vi cents a pound; whiskey, 25 cents a gallon; tea. $1.50 a pound; wheat, 40 cents a bushel; oats, 15 cents a bushel, corn, 25 cents a bushel; muslin, 20 and 31 Vi cents a yard; calico, 36 cents and 50 cents a yeard; flowered wall paper, 4Vi cents a yard; salt, 2Vi cents a pound. Paul and Art Forrest and Alfred Blake, of Hanopolis, Kansas, spent several days in the Holt county seat last week. Highways to Kansas were reported in fair condition. Bert OldSy Holt County's Fresh Air Fiend, Moves From His Out-Door “Home” To Omaha—With Objections! _ V Last Friday morning Sheriff Peter Duffy and a newspaper worker under took an expedition to the canip of the stranger who has been on creeks in the vicinity of where the Eagle creek pours into the Niobrara river. Recent ly the man had been living on the farm of Frank Searles. Mr. Duffy reached the Searles place about 9 o’clock in the morning, and about 9:30, six men in a wagon reached the camp of the so-called “wild man” of northern Holt county. The other four men were Chester Ross, Frank Searles and Orville and Cecil Miller. The sheriff had decided to bring the stranger here and take him to the government concentration camp for homeless men at Omaha. Breakfast was on the fire as the party of six in team ami wagon drew within haling distance of the hermit. His greeting was rather friendly, yet he hung his head and nervously forked a piece of stubborn fat-pork around, as he said something about bothering a man when he did get something to i cat after going without several days. A month ago he gave his name as Bert Olds, with no permanent home. The neighbors he found in northeast Holt county nre the finest in the world. Now and then they supplied the stranger with food and he was even induced to cut wood for one of them in i t turn for things he needed. A camera brought into piny a« he ate did not bother the man. He sus t--- w pected trouble though, and h;s huge police dog reared and scratched at the six as if it sensed an end to a happy home. The dog was left with a neighbor. Mr. Duffy waited long and patiently for the man to finish breakfast. He said he planned to wash, but the day was a bit cold and he might gather firewood, instead. Breakfast over, Duffy made his speech, telling the “wild man” what he had to do—place him in a camp ac cording to the orders of the govern ment. Things began to happen righ there, and from then on until the Holt county jail was reached, thru ques tioning and the man’s own affability, his life story highlights were brought out, a bit here and a bit there. Bert Olds said he’d rather not tell his age because at times lie had worked on railway sections and there is an age limit and he wanted to pro tect himself. He said he tried hard to he a Christian but that he met so niuny selfish, mean, low-down and ornery folk he often cut loose and gave cards and spades to the mule-drivers of Missouri, L and high water, Peter and Muses in the bull rushes and dunder and blit7.cn. He said he had been jailed many times, had seven dogs <>f his taken and shot, hud been jailed at Valley City, North Dakota, for operating a five* gallon whiskey still, never married, owned several teams and wagons and lost them thru the cupidity of crooked or overly sharp traders. Duffy asked him if ever he had been in O’Neill before. “Yes,” he said, “remember walking in there from ■lorthwest llolt county with all tin. coyote skins I could waddle under, almost, looking for bounty money.’ Boys said they saw such a roar, here several years ago near the Emil Bniggs blacksmith shop where someone tried to tease the man with a sorry outfit. One of the first things Duffy was told was that the north part of Holt county was put under a curse right now for apprehending Olds and that it would not again rain in that section of the country. The four farmers in the capture party laughed. To make it any drier would, indeed, require the services of a miracle man, and he might have to wait a long time for his pay at that. Olds told of putting curses on var ious parts of the country and on per sons, the thing working with deadly monotony, hut Duffy, after waiting patiently a half hour, ordered the her mit to make ready and get in the waiting wagon. The wagon was taken to the camp because the creek had to be forded. The camp was southwest of the Scarlcs residence, on the south side of the Eagle, about one mile from the house. A small campfire burned on a huge (Continued on page U, column four.) FARMERS SHOULD NOT SPEND MONEY TO GET CONTRACTS MADE OUT * * Private Aid Would Be A Waste, As Contracts Would Have To Be Checked By Clerks. No farmer in the state of Nebraska need pay anyone a cent for special services in making out the corn-hog contract and forms, W. H. Brokaw, state corn-hog administrator, declared at Lincoln today. Rumors that men are setting up offices to help their farmer friends for a nominal fee have reached state headquarters and are the cause of the warning being re peated at this time. In each county the agricultural col lege extension service and the county officials have set up a county head quarters with an agricultural agent in charge. Farmers have elected a temp, orary committee to help with the sign up program. This committee now has the help of a local committee in each precinct. The county committeemen and the agricultural agent have trained a small group of men in the details of filling in the contract and, forms, and meetings have been held to help the farmers make out their own work sheets and statements of evidence. The services of the trained clerks, the local committee, the county com mittee, and the agricultural agent are free to the farmers wanting to sign eonracts. Whatever expense there is attached to the contract signing days will be borne by the county corn-hog control association as an organization. . It will come out of the benefit pay ments due the farmers who sign con tracts when the budget of expenses of the association is made up by the permanent board of directors and then approved at Washington. Should in dividual farmers ignore all this ser vice which is available without direct cost and spend their money to get “expert” advise on the contract, their contracts and forms must be checked and approved, anyway, first by their precinct committee and then by the elected permanent county allotment committee before the papers will be •sent to Washington. Thinks Bert Olds Should Live To Be 200 Years Old Regarding the man who has been living out doors on Eagle creek in northeast Holt county most of this winter, the man Sheriff Duffy placed in a hobo camp at Omaha last Friday, the Associated Press, in one news story, had this to say: “Out in the great open spaces of Nebraska, 62-year-old Bert Olds was living in a tent, leading neighbors to believe he would freeze to death. So they had the sheriff bring him to a federal shelter in Omaha. “I can’t sleep a wink,” he protested, “I can’t breathe. I need to be out doors." He said he had lived outdoors ever since he was 19 and “never froze yet.” A medical examiner looked him over and said he would “live to be 200.” Bert thinks he’ll go back to his fresh air. An eight pound boy was born Sun day, February 11, at San Antonio, Texas, to Mr. and Mrs. Russell Wein gartner. Mrs. Weingartner is the former Margaret Leach. She is a daughter of Mr. anA Mrs. Edward M. Leach, farmers, three miles east of O’Neill. Mrs. Weingartner taught the school near ihe Leach farm for several terms. The baby, in this case, proved a birthday present. On February 11 Mrs. Weingartner became 25 years of age. The child was named Jerry Ed ward Weingartner. Russell is ge ologist in the employ of anoilcompany. Mr. and Mrs. Donald Shoemaker left the last of the week for Gregory, South Dakota. He goes out under one of the largest creamery companies of Omaha and he will be stationed, at Gregory for a while. With the gov ernment loaning money to farmers to buy dairy stock with and also sl.inpirg thousands of tons of hay and g'ains into the state, South Dakota looks for ward to a rapid pick-up in the cream ery business. The condition of the wound in the left hand of J. K. Ernst, which was seriously cut in a buzz saw accident Februury 1 at his farm a few miles northwest of here, is satisfactory and now it is likely the fingers may be saved. The blade ripped its way just , below the thumb to a point almost ! half way across the hand, starting Ion the thumb side. Mr. Ernst has j been making daily trips to the office {of his doctor in this city.