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About The frontier. (O'Neill City, Holt County, Neb.) 1880-1965 | View Entire Issue (March 1, 1934)
The Frontier D. H. Cronin, Editor and Proprietor Entered at the Postoffice at O’Neill, Nebraska as Second Class Matter. ADVERTISING RATES: Display advertising on pages 2, 3, 4, 5, (i, 7*. and 8, are charged for on a basis of 25 cents an inch (one column wide) per week; on page 1 the charge is 40 cents an inch per week. Local advertisements, 10 cents per line first insertion, subsequent insertions 5 cents per line. SUBSCRIPTION RATES One Year, in Nebraska $2.00 One Year, outside Nebraska $2.50 Every subscription is regarded as an open account. The names of subscrib ers will be instantly removed from our mailing list at expiration of time paid for, if publisher shall be notified; other wise the subscription remains in force ut the designated subscription price Every subscriber must understand that these conditions are made a part of the contract between publisher and sub scriber. A daily perusal of the press would convince the most skeptical that Sen ator Black was not the only "publicity hound” in congress. Women Can Prevent War War clouds are becoming darker each day and by spring, when robins sing and all nature sings of peace and plenty, war expects Russia and Japan to count their dead in ghastly winrows. Considering results of the World War, and the many others that have ufflicted humanity since the be ginning of human existence, and. the talk of glory and pride and honor be fore the conHicts and the stark sorrow following them, it seems a mystery why intelligent beings have to do this. If this country is attacked or the need arise, the enemy shall find plenty of fight in this quarter, plenty of patriot ism and no regrets, but that does not explain the fact that civilization at times appears as an asinine ass. They say if war is ubolished. the women shall have to do it. Every thing else they attempted has been well done. They mother humanity, -ufft-r. -lave and sacrifice years and years and smile through it all and finally see their sons go out on ghosty fields to trade death with the sons of their sisters. It must be painful to mothers after fighting measels, mumps, diptheria, rickets and scarlet fever and many other diseases for years night and day only to win a fine and robust son who must enter a contest of extermination practically against himself as he steps on the threshold of life’s parade grounds after a score of years of in tense struggle. There must be a lot of crooked thinking in the world to admit the horror of a man at war against him self with so many agencies as earth quake, flood, fire, pestilence, disease and certain death staring every one in the face nt. nil times. There must be something wrong which could be righted. It must be that sooner or later the women of the world will tell the men of the world nothing ever was nor shall be gained through war. If women do not have the power, when united, to erase wars from the earth, each and every one of them know where they can obtain it. ST. MARY’S ACADEMY NOTES We are glad to see all the pupils back in school again. The attendance for the past week was perfect. Every body is busy and working hard. Grade 2 In the second semester the children made their first attempt to write with pen and ink. The litle boys aud girls hope to earn the gold star button in Palmer writing. The following children made the greatest improvement in writing dur ing the past few weeks: William Bren nan, Dale Dailey, Francis Schendt, Donna Gallagher, Marcella McNamara, Eldora Lowery and Margaret Ellen Reka. Last Friday our arithmetic contest in rapid addition was in favor of the boys. The boys had 21 counts and the girls 9. Third and Fourth Grades On Washington’s birthday we had a patriotic program for the other grades. Everyone enjoyed it very much. The children were in costume. The program was made up of songs, poems and a play. Since there are 28 days in February, each one in the class, except two, was a day, having his number on the shield that he wore. "The Making of the Flag," was the first number, with Constance Golden as Betsy Ross and Mary Ann Casey. Corinile Kubitscek ami Winifred Coyne as her maids. Jack Harty was George Washington. Paul Kubitschek the fife player, and William O'Connell the drummer boy. “Hi# Buttons Are Marked U. S..’1 was reciter! by William O Connell anil Paul Kuihifachek told about, "Which General ? ’ February now brought in her days and they in their turn spoke, or the clmes sang song* in their honor. “Why Do We Honor Lincoln So,” by Alfred McNamara; A Story of St. Valentine, Dorothy Davidson; A song of Valentine, The Class; Sing a Song of Washington, The Class, and A Story of Longfellow, Corrine Kubitsehek. The songs, “America, and “America the Beautiful,” were sung and the pro gram ended with the song of songs, our own “Star Spangled Banner.” Fifth and Sixth Grades A project in connection %ith our language lesson was required last week. This project was the issuing of a monthly class paper, or a so-called “surprise box." The name for this paper was almost unanimously chosen to be “Merry-Go-Round.” The members of the editorial staff are as follows: William Biglin, chair man; William Kubitsehek and George Hammond, managing editors, and Robert Miles and Owen Hiatt assist ant editors. Since the project in question was not very small a thing to accomplish, a committee of reporters was also ap pointed. They are as follows: Maxine Harrington, Mary A. Meer, Catherine Finley, Marjorie Cronin, June Carol White and Edward McManus. Watch for a copy of our first issue March J5th in this column. You will enjoy it—most probably. Grades Seven and Eight Amidst great rejoicing and enthus iasm, the following pupils emerged victorious in the elimination contest in spelling: oral, Lanone Miles, first, and Dorothy Reardon, second; written, Harriet Hammond first, and Robert Lowery, second. Our class had the sole honor of sell ing tickets for the Chicken Dinner, which was given here on Washington’s birthday, for the benefit of the basket ball boys. We hail the pleasure of selling 198 tickets. The following are some of the aims of our classmates. We shall only mention a few : Jean Biglin is most desirous of accomplishing the art of making perfect “Ns”; Margaret Ham mond is aiming at reciting without clearing her throat; Bardy Kubitschek would like to sit in the last seat in the last row. We wonder why! If the real desires of the class in general were voiced they would probably be ‘No More School.” M. E. CHURCH NOTES Our church extends a cordial wel come to any not attending regular church services. Services at 11 a. m. and 7:.'!0 p. m. Sunday school at It) a. m. and Epworth League at p.m. The Protestant churches of O'Neill are planning their pre-Easter activ ities with n view to increasing attend ance at all the regular services of the church, as well as increasing the ac tive membership. A united rally will be held in the M. E. Church next Tues day evening at which time the preach er will be the pastor of the Presby terian church, Rev. II. D. Johnson. The members and friends of both churches are urged to attend and be come acquainted with our aims and plans. The Epworth League at a well at tended meeting last Sunday voted to sponsor an Intermediate League. A committee appointed to nominate a superintendent for the Intermediate Leagce brought in the name of Miss Elva Kee, and she has constented to act. A meeting of the younger boys and girls will be held Sunday to org anize and elect officers. Excavation Shows Holt County Was Once The Home of Many Indians By J. B. O’Sullivan (Continued from last week.) Not one but many whites claim they saw mounted redskins send an arrow entirely thru a buffalo. Flesh is said to he as difficult to penetrate as rub ber like that used in making auto mobile tires. This feat was superb, but it could not have been as exciting to as great a number of persons as another method of capturing an entire herd of buffalo. With horses, the wild boys soon dis covered the buffalo had another very peculiar trait and one it would be hard to explain today. Chased on horse back, the wild cattle of Quivera al ways made desperate effort at out running a horse, then, if successful, going around it, sort of “tagging” the horse out. They are said to have done this time and again in any given chase. The Indians applied this quirk of the animal's nature toward making cap tures. A high log fence or stockade was constructed of logs with a gate left open but with gate-poles handy. Old men and women, children, stumps of trees, brush, anything nnd every thing that would make a makeshift fence was constructed or placed, at the proper time, in two lines, often four miles long, each, one line running out from one side of this gate and the other from the other side of the open ing. At the gate this fencing was perhaps 10 feet apart; at the other end it might he a mile nr lrss. On the proper sort of day, a horse man would locate a herd of bison, ride to a point, leaving the animals between him and the corral, light the grass, and at the right time, after the bison had scented smoke.come yelling on his horae and away went the animals. away from two deadly enemies and toward the slaughter pen. A buffalo skull, bleached, generally was hung on a long pole in this stockade to win the Great Spirit’s favor and find many fat bison in the corral after the chase was over. Should the animals veer to right or left, up went hands, robes, shawls, sticks or anything and yelling and gesticulating turned the beasts back to the desired course. The closer to the corral the more assistants and the better the “fence.” The horseman rode close to the lead ing animals and cleverly dodged from side to side, always ready to run ahead and cause the leaders to run around the horse and thus change the course of the entire herd. Soon the gate bars rattled and the wild cattle of Quivera busied themselves at bunt ing their shaggy heads against well placed timbers. The killers appeared with maul-like hammers or spears and soon the camp was a blaze of glory as each member busied himself at his appointed, part of the work of operat ing a “packing house” on the prairies of Nebraska. A strange find is that reported by several persons to have been made on the old Erb farm east of the Mennon ite church about 13 miles north of O’Neill. Part of a native-grassed piece of land was not broken up until some years ago. A young man came along and obtained a job herding the sheep of James Early, Sr. A few days ago, Edward, his son, said the lad was not much of a sheepherder, hut his Indian artifact finds w'ere astonishing. There* on the Erb farm, he gathered, according to Mr. Early aaboiat two bu.sh .*ls of arrowheads alone. When he left le took the collection with him and he place was almost forgotten as be ng very prolific in yielding relics. What was going on at the Erb 'arm? A great battle. It would not have been impossible, but it seems jnlikely. It may have been a fine Mace to drop antelope, grouse, or some animal we never heard of that became •xtinct. Those who were on the field, lave the impression the place is a huge burying ground. It would be interest ing in this quarter to know if a ship had been broken out of most of the arrowheads found there, if the surface indicated great age since manufacture, the size, shape, kind of stone of the heads and if any other artifacts are to be found there. If many were un broken and nothing else lies there, one could picture a fine flat high spot to bag some desired animal herder to bring down elsewhere. School child ren in that vicinity could, spend inter esting hours gathering any piece*fi>f foreign rock found there, or at any other point in Holt county, for that matter. It would be nice to know who tamed Holt county before we arrived, who carried wood and water and was generally a little slave to the rest of some family. One of the rarest, and reported to have been sold to museums for as high as $500 each, is a piece called bird stone, of stone, and fashioned to look like a bird. It has been reported here often that August H. Brown, of Hast ings, Nebr., found the only birdstone ever to come to light in this state. Mr. Brown is a field worker for an in surance compaify, a friend, of the Hammonds here, and one of the best authorities on things Indian one could hope to meet. He started his artifact studies as a hobby. While out on Apple creek, northeast Holt county, looking up earth works, burials and village sites, Edwin Alder kindly took time out to show many specimens of the wild, crab apple tree which have been there since the home steaders arrived. The homesteaders said they were growing there when they came and they noticed none were found on other creeks in the vicinity and that the nearest point where other wild crabs was sonte 200 miles away. In the 33rd annual report of the Bureau of American Ethnology, 1911 1912, is this paragraph on the crab apples of Apple creek: “The crab apple was used for food by the tribes having acquaintance with it. The Omaha and Ponca knew it as being found in the Otoe country along the Missouri, in the southeast part of Nebraska. They said it is found no where west or north of this except on one creek which flows into the Nio brara river from the south at about the line between Knox and Holt counties, 150 or 200 miles from any other locality where trees of this species grow. This would seem to indicate a case of plant migration by human agency, the occasion being the dropping in camp, in some place fav orable for germination, of fruits or viable seeds brought with camp sup plies obtained on a trip of consider able but not at all unusual distance to the southeast.” It is interesting to note that Indians raised a species of watermelon, and why none are found here in a wild state must he laid to severe winters, late and early frosts of spring ami fall, or to insect enemies nr lack of cultivation where this is necessary to survival. The watermelon was found growing wild in the south along creeks ami other suitable places. That they were raised in Holt county there can lw> no doubt. One of the peculiar uses to which the melon was put was in the captur ing of wild duck and other waterfowl. A pond was used in this work which a man could wade its entire bredth and length. Ducks must have been an eye-sore at the time and not as wild as we find them today by constant bambardment of shotguns. As the young ducks swam about on this lake, they became familiar with many floating melons from which the edible portion had been skillfully re moved. The rinds bobbed about on the water and proved to he harmless to the fowl. When the Indians thought it about time for some roasted duck, a few skilled hunters slipped into the lake just before daylight. Over their heads hung halves of the largest melons and. thru slits cut therein the ducks were watched. Slowly came the “melons,” naturally bounding on top of the water and in time the ducks were w-ithin a few feet, perhaps playfully pecking a melon or green or dozing in a hot sun. Out stole an Indian hand under the water, the bird’s feet were grasped, and the duck “dived” before it could squak alarm. Under the water a duck lost its head, and the slaughter continued until pots could be filled to overflowing. (Continued next week.) A vote on the ex-soldier’s bonus was assured by house members who signed a petition to force a vote on March 12. The petition became operative against a presidential warning that now is not the time for payment of a bonus. A grasshopper war fund of $2,000, 000 was reported out and is. included in the agricultural bill by the national house. The amount asked, was pruned $247,000. The fight on grasshoppers is to be in the Dakotas, Minnesota, Wy oming, Wisconsin, Idaho, Montana and Nebraska. Two hundred youngsters from 11 South Dakota towns at the Epworth League meeting at Alexanderia in sisted they should not bear arms under any circumstances in any war at any time anywhere. Of the 200 members, 105 belong to the Mitchell league. The declaration was made following an ad dress by Dr. II. C. Culver, Mitchell Methodist minister, who talked on World Peace. Verne Sanke’s ranch in Buft'alo county, on the Crow Creek Indian res ervation, is subject to mortgage fore closure which is being held up by the suicide of the owner and jailing of his wife on complicity charge involving the kidnaping of Charles Boettcher II, capitalist, of Denver about a year ago. The ranch now is barren, the stock having been sold, by Mrs. Sankey. Sankey called his place a turkey ranch. It lies on a well-wooded stream. The International Harvester com pany at Chicago, made increases in wages to 22,000 workers affecting 12 plants and averaging about CVa per cent increase or within 97 per cent of the 1929 level. A sand storm in Texas cost the Wheat growers of that state $1,000,000 with wheat at present prices. Following the suicide at St. Louis of August A. Busch, Adolphus Busch, third oldest son, was elected presi dent of Anheuser-Busch, Inc., by the directors. Young Busch now heads the family as well as numerous busi ness interests of which Anheuser Busch, of beer making fame, is the chief corporation. MEN grow rich by the slow aceiiiiiiiliitioii of money, ami poor by its<|iiieli dissipation. THE O’NEILL NATIONAL BANK Capital, Surplus and Undivided Profits, $125,000.00 This bank carries no indebted ness of officers or stockholders. ___ STURDY PIONEERS Two lives well lived could be used as a title for the above picture which represents beauty, comfort and satis faction. A lot of history could be written from what either the man or the tree might say because both have seen many variations in climate and in general conditions. Whether this tree was planted by the man in the picture or by someone else who had faith in the future, it is serving a very worth while purpose. During the last three of four years many of Nebraska’s grand, old trees have been cut for fuel, sometimes by land owners, but more often by others who could only offer their labor in return for wood to warm their homes. Trees which have reached their matur ity could certainly be used for no bet ter purpose. However, those of us who are now enjoying the benefits of early tree planting have a tree plant ing duty to perform if our children are to enjoy these same benefits. Nebraska is known thruout the world as the “Tree Planters State” because of early day activities in this phase of development and because Arbor Day originated in this state. Trees have played such an important part in the development of this whole Great Plains area that their numbers should be increased rather than de creased. Nebraska needs trees to pro tect farm homes, livestock and fields from the damaging effects of wind, for controlling soil erosion, and for general beauty and shade. Trees planted for these purposes can also be utilized for rough lumber, posts and fuel. Every farm in Nebraska should have from three to five acres in farm woods to produce fuel and construction materials, both of which are needed every year. During the last nine years, 32,000 farmers in Nebraska have made wind break and woodlot plantings from stock furnished by Agricultural Ex tension Service, University of Nebras ka, under the terms of the Clarke McNary Act of 1924. This project makes it possible for farmers to secure forest tree seedlings and transplants at the cost of handling, packing and shipping. Approximately six milllion trees have been set out thru this pro gram during the nine year period, and in spite of some very adverse seasons, the average survival has been 63 per cent. » Application blanks for the seedlings and transplants can be secured from Agricultural Agent James W. Rooney in O’Neill. Nebraska News Items Yankton bridge is falling down, or may be left high and dry if the fed eral government cannot be prevailed on to finance control of the Missouri river channel, say South Dakotans. The bridge cost $1,250,000. Engineers estimate it should cost $225,000 to hold the river channel where it is and that temporary work need not cost more than $20,000. The Missouri is gnaw ing land from the Nebraska side at a rapid rate, threatening a length of highway No. 81. Taxes that must be paid to save her home caused Mrs. Caroline Segebartt, of Scottsbluff, Nebr., to save $250. The other day she started for the courthouse and before reaching that institution she found she had lost her pocketbook and the $250. A very unusual thing happened on the Platte river a few days ago. There was, according to L. R. Rudd, an engineer of Grand Island, a flood of the Platte because the river was too low. The river was very low, he said, causing many sand, bars to form. Then ice caught on the bars, forming a sort of dam, the river rose and caused a small flood. When the water became high enough, it carried away the ice and the flood was at an end. New channels also were cut and these caused much of the water to escape. The ice was slushy and impossible to dislodge by the use of dynamite. According to recent releases by state CWA administration officials a few days ago there were jobs created numbering 28,500 and divided as fol lows: 20,470 county and municipal, state highway 4,054, airport 801, fish and game 179, county administrative and state, and CWS administrative and geodetic jobs totaling 28,500. An old grudge is thought responsible for a shooting affray on the streets of Nibrara last Monday night in which Norman Roth, 35, met his death. Tom and. Rex Snyder were jailed pending investigation of the shooting. Fve slugs from .32 caliber revolvers en tered the body of Roth. The Snyder brothers were jailed at Center. They are not married and have made their home with their father west of Nio brara. Sweet Wife: When we were first married I used to awaken Nick with a kiss every morning. Mike: And now? Mrs. Nick: After three months he bought himself an alarm clock. Attorney Sylvian Allyn’s son had been ill, and on arriving home he askedofhiswife: “How’s poor Moses?” Mrs. A: “Very bad, indeed, Sylvian. He won’t take an interest ...” Sylvian: “What? Won’t take any interest? Then he must be dead! ’ -by PHOENIX • \ou'U love these Phoenix "Doggy” hosiery colors! They’re so friendly with all the new Spring costume colors. Others are Cullie, Setter and Crryhound. Made of Certified Silk, all Phoenix Hosiery has the "long mileage” foot aud Custom-Fit Top, * | OO ANTON TOY O’NEll.l., NF.I1RAHKA