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About The frontier. (O'Neill City, Holt County, Neb.) 1880-1965 | View Entire Issue (April 5, 1934)
The Frontier D. H. Cronin, Editor and Proprietor Entered, at the Postoffiee at O’Neill, Nebraska as Second Class Matter. ADVERTISING BATES: Display advertising on pages 2, 2, 4, 5, <>, 7, nnd 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 lirst 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 at the designated subscription price. Every subscriber must understand that these conditions are made a part of the contract between publisher nnd sub scriber. Economic Highlights One of the moat difficult problems industry and government have faced during the past year is how to finance business expansion. Many industries would like to build and improve plants, believe that conditions justify it. Hut the eternal question of “What shall we use for money?" has been unanswered. Very few private issues of securities have been floated since Mr. Roosevelt took office. The stringent securities uet has prevented the issuance of a number that were planned. And tre mendous governmental borrowing, thru sale of bonds, has taken about all the1 investment capital the nation has been able to provide. Consequently, there has been talk of direct government loans to industry for some time. First tangible mani festation came on March 16, when Jesse Jones, able RFC head and Texas millionaire, sent a bill to the senate. Most of the bill dealt with routine RFC matters—buried almost out of sight, in a sub-section, was as. Time put it, a “whole new world of govern ment money lending.” The proposal would permit any busi ness to borrow RFC funds “for the purpose of furnishing working capital, reducing and refinancing existing in debtedness or making plant improve ments or replacements.” Industries receiving loans would have to be NR A plants, would have to employ ten or more men. The RFC would thus go into general commercial banking on an unprecedented scale. Another similar bill followed Mr.' Jones’ proposal. It is different in this respect—while it would make possible direct governmental loans to industry, it would not create so complete a banking structure, its method would he to set up intermediate credit banks in each Federal Reserve District which would discount or purchase long-term obligations issued by companies to pro duce working capital. Industry’s reaction to either bill is liable to he mixed. Executives would like the money, and they need it. But there will unquestionably he consider able fear that it would give govern ment a remarkable opportunity to further cement its control over in dustrial management. Since the war major labor strikes have been almost unknown. Now spurred by the NRA, with its collec tive bargaining guarantee for labor, the unions are out to organize Ameri can industry 100 per cent. Result is that the entire automobile industry, which lias always been open shop, is threatened with a shutdown. A. F. of L. Automobile Workers’ Union demanded a 20 per cent wage increase —and recognition. The National Automobile Chamber of Commerce replied that it would advise its mem bers to cut hours from 40 to 36 a week and raise wages to compensate, even though pay is now higher than it was in 1920, when changes in cost of living are considered. Ford, which is not a member of the Chamber, an nounced resumption of the $5.00 a day minimum, bringing the entire industry into line so far as better pay is con cerned. when it came to recognition, how ever, matters were not so easy. Gen. eral Motors said that its employe representation plan, thru wihch work ers bargain with executives, was going well, that it had never discriminated against union-labor and so could not be expected to discriminate against non-union labor. The Automobile Chamber became audible again, saying that it would not recognize the A. F of L. The Administration, which has ® strong voice in deciding such matters is left in a tough position. The auto mobile industry is the best example of better business—it can’t afford ti have it disrupteel. On the other hand it is sympathetic to union lalie>r. There will be* many weeks of talking, threat ening arul plain ordinary bltiftiing on all sides before the problem is defin itely solved. A few months ago ‘Vveryhoety’’ ess-; forecasting that this Congress would be as rubber-stamp as the* last—that the President would have no tremble* in running the show. “Everybody” was wrong. The St. Lawrence Water way Treaty is near to the heart of the Administration and the Senate turned it down. And House and. Senate have refused Presidential decrees opposing the soldiers’ bonus and restoration of federal workers’ pay-cuts—both are contained in the Independent Offices Hill. Much of the opposition to the Presi dent comes from within his own party, and whip-snapping by Democratic floor leaders is losing some of its effectiveness. Result will doubtless be strong presure to jam most important Administration hills—especially those containing ‘appropriations necessary to continuance of present recovery plans—thru Congress, and get an early adjournment. Excavation Shows Holt County Was Once The Home of Many Indians By J. 11. O’Sullivan (Continued from last week.) As to the number of Skidi there was before and when found by the whites, there seems to be a great difference of opinion. One writer says that when Pike visited the Pawnee there was be tween ten and twenty thousand war riors. If this should be correct there may have been a Skidi population of 5,000 or more in the heyday of their existence. Judging from the number of ruined homes and artifacts left near here it is easily believed the hand numbered anywhere up to 10,000. There is no question as to the Paw nee having been extremely powerful a long time ago. Their domain is thought to have extended to North Dakota and they always supported enough warriors to protect their hold ings. In the April-June number of the 1932 Nebraska History magazine is this comment on a book, “Forgot ten Frontier’s" by Dr. A. R. Thomas, oft he Univesity of Oklohoma, the com ment by Dr. A. E. Sheldon: Early maps of the plains region show the Comache tribe (or Padouca as they were called) inhabiting the region of Eastern Colorado and West ern Nebraska as for north as the Nio brara river. These maps were based on the accounts of Indian tribes in Eastern Nebraska and of wandering fur traders. I he t omache and Pawnee were at war for centuries. Pawnee folk lore has many tales of these wars.. But when American explorers such as Major Long's party in 1820, reached the high plain of the North and South Platte the Comnche was gone, never to return. A recent book, "Forgotten Fron tier’s” by Dr. A. B. Thomas, tells in a fascinating way the story hitherto almost unknown, to American histor ians, of the 200 years conflict of the Spanish settlement on the Rio Grande with hostile Indians. In these wars the Com ache sometimes appear as en emies of the Rio Grande settlements, later as their ullies against the Apache. The Coniache movement south toward the Rio Grande is told in the Spanish records. The full reason is not given. In answer to a letter from Superin tendent Sheldon, I>r. Thomas writes under date of March 29, 1922, ns fol lows: "I am highly pleased with your com ments regarding my "Forgotten Fron tiers." I trust that you can find space to mention it in your Nebraska His tory. "Regarding the topic in which you are interested concerning Coniache mi gration, I have come to the conclusion that this movement began at the end of the seventeenth century. The Span, ish historians of New Mexico, that is, the padres who lived there in the eighteenth century, state that Corn aches were unknown in New Mexico in the proceeding century. Shortly after the Spanish Re-Conquest (1890 82) the records show that the Corn ache are visiting the Pueblo region in company with Utes. Just the reason for this migration, I am unaware. Doubtless they hail contact with the Pawnee in the 17th century, since the Comache are generally considered to have lived in the southern part of Wo. oming and the northern part of Colo rado and Utah before they came south to New Mexico. I could find between 1850 and 1720 for my doctorial desser tation at California. Since leaving there in 1927, I have added a few mora and am now preparing that study as my next publication on this field. The material does not give the reasons for this Comache movement though it does record clearly the conflict with the Apaches north of New Mexico. ” Dr. Sheldon comments: “Did the Comache move from the Platte south to the Arkansas and Rio Grande plains because of the wars with the Pawnee or because the stealing was better on the Rio Grande and the Arkansas?” The Pawnee Nation must have been a formidable one to surrounding ones judging from a report made by Col. Dodge in 1825 and printed in the Ne braska History magazine, No. 2, 1927. The report contains the following sen tences: “The Pawnees have been for a long time at war with the neighboring tribes. They have carried, on a pre datory warfare with the Sioux for many years, sending out frequent parties to steal horses and murder any stragglers they may find. They often return with a few scalps and a great number of horses. “The space between the Pawnee houses or lodges is occupied by horse pens, where they confine their horses every night to prevent their being stolen by neighboring tribes, with whom they were at war. “The Pawnees at the time of our ar rival were in rather a turbulent state. The Pawnee Loups hail been stealing the horses of the Pawnee Peels, which bail produced some difficulty between them and the Grand Pawnees. “The Arickaras had been living with the Pawnee Loups all winter, but were scared away by a lying Kansasan, who told them that Colonel Dodge was coming to their village with a large body of troops and would kill every one of them.” n is interesting to note tnat tne Arickara and Pawnee Loups (the Loups, or Pawnee Loups, is the Skidi Pawnee band under another name) lived ull winter together on the Platte river around the year 1835. It looks like the Skidi lived here on the Gal lagher farm north of Mud bridge and the Arikara on the McDermott farm south of town. The material on the Gallagher farm is in such condition one can imagine the place had been occupied a great number of times. Most of the material is very old, its patination or weathering not only showing chemical change discoloration, but there is disentegration of such glassy rock as agate and chalcedony. All the material there appears very old yet here and there is a piece, that, while very old, seems hundreds of years newer than other pieces. It is possible this place was inhab ited by the same tribe many different times and it is possible thousands of years passed between the first and last occupancy. It is ulso possible the people who lived there at the Gal lagher site were the Skidi and that when they lived there one of the later times the Arikara lived at the Gal [ lagher site at the same time, cuusing ; a bond of fellowship which had some [ thing to do with the two tribes living together all winter on the Platte near ' the year 1835 as reported by Colonel Podge. The tribes, the Arikara and Skidi, are the tribes historians claim moved up the Klkhorn "not later than ! 1550 and lived some time in the region I of Holt county.” How long has man lived in Holt county? How long is Nebraska? Un doubtedly the answer would be the same to both questions. Quoting again from a copy of the Nebraska History magazine: “The most important discoveries of the past years have been made at Signal Butte, which is about 22 miles southwest of Scottsbluff, an isolated peak of Wild Cat Mountains. Mr. Thomas L. Green, banker of Scottsbluff, first called at tention to the conditions at this bluff. Excavations under the direction of Dr. W. D. Strong in the summer of 1932 made a vertical cross section of about 19 feet in depth. At least three sep arate strata of human occupation was found, separated by considerable strata of soil deposits, showing no human occupation. The testimony of these inhabited strata indicated to the ex plorers a period perhaps 10,000 years from the time of the first occupation until the present. “These chronologic al estimates are subject to correction >and change, but beyond doubt the site indicates a period running into thous ands of years.” In the same nssue of the magazine Dr. E. H. Barbour is quoted as com menting on the finding of extinct fossil bison in the Custer county region. Professor Meserve, of Grand Island, and a graduate student, found ancient arrow points embedded in the bones of fossil bison from Custer county. The site of the bones at Signal Butte in dicates an old river bed. The finds were just above the Brule clay and were authenticated by witnesses. Earl H. Bell, of the department of anthropology, University of Nebraska, in an article entitled “Ancient Life in Nebraska and the Physical Envior ment,” printed in Nebraska History magazine of January-March, 1933, says: “The questions concerning the pre historic habitations of Nebraska are complex. It is not so much the pur pose of this paper to answer the ques tions as it is to show the progress which has been made and point out the work which must be done before we shall have a complete answer. “Undoubtedly, as has been pointed out by Mr. Schultz and Dr. Van Roy en, the earliest period of human hab itation must have been thousands of years ago. These early Indians have depended on the hunt for their susten ance. Apparently the fauna was much the same then as now. Life then would have been hard in Nebraska, much harder than under similar econ omy, i. e. (hunting) to the east of the Mississippi. Here in Nebraska, espec ially toward the west, we have a semi arid climate with the permanent streams rather far apart and separated by a dry country in contrast to that toward the East and North where the country has an intensive network of streams. Overland travel without the uid of pack animals would have been difficult. “To add to this difficulty the most important game resources of western Nebraska were the large migratory animals. In contrast to this the animals of the east were more sed entary, traveling over rather small beats. Moreover, the animals of Ne braska went in herds. Thus, they were concentrated in widely sepearated regions and constantly shifting at a rather rapid rate. “It will be seen, then, that the major food resources of Nebraska were, to a large extent, inaccessible to the early inhabitant. The population then would have been rather sparse and fare be low that which the natural resources would have permitted had they been distributed in a different way, or if some cultural development had per mitted their exploitation. (Contir.ued next week.) Living in a dug-out like our cave men ancestors, seven children were found south of Beatrice, hungry and in rags, and an effort at finding homes for the youngsters was made. Homes had been found for four of the young cave dwellers hut three girls had not been so provided at last report. THE CIRCUS A service station catering to the dog gone wants of devotees of devotions; affairs of the heart, eye, ooee, pock etbook and gizzard; crooked made straight, two for a nickel and three for a dime. Alimony (all the money) is but an other name for matrimony. Life on The Frontier is just one thing after another, but they haven't caught us yet. Dear Circus: I heard of a woman 50 years old who is in love with a young man only two years old. What do you thing of such affairs? P. S.— The young man is her son.—Mrs. X. Y. Z. Answer: An Pll lick love-f-heir do you judge? That is what keeps the old bawl rolling around. Wish you would quit kidding. You get one’s goat. Dear Ringmaster: (Or Cheap?) I hate the Frontier worse already every day. I notise you do not ball out the rich and prase the poore annie monj. quit sending me the sheete as i found a way of getting holt of one free each week.—S. P. Answer: O. K. S. P. We have our faults and you have yours. You might pay up something on the back sub scription and when you hold another public sale we should, be pleased to have wou call so we may bid on print ing your sale bills. At least S. I’, walk down our side of the street so we may not forget what you look like. r — Spring must have sprang a leak and that’s snow lie to the extent of about six inches twice recently. There was an old man named Insull, And he was wiser than Hull, Saying, let their be light So 1 can take flight And live as an innocent gull.” An uncle pulled the strings andwaited; Mouse traps were set nnd baited, An L of a joke The devil and ’Sull are related! Scattering grass hop poison over eight states is going to raise the chickens with the dickens, is it not? Dickens with the chickens then. Come on everybody, all in favor of eating up the spring fries before that time hold up your hands! They use six shooters for coat hang ers out vest. Too warm for ice skating and too cold for swimming is a boy’s idea of what everything is nothing and noth ing is everything mean. A new kind of pie, appeared'here at one o’clock last Saturday. It disap peared at 1:01. v With tigers growling on the Elkhorn and wild men doing so on the Eagle, Holt county may become a pop-pop popular resort to those who like axe citement. Sand cherries are said to grow anly in the sand dune area of Nebraska. Who ever heard of a mind-your-own business week? What paper is published at Hay Point? Oh, yes, they have a press there; but it’s a hay press. This may be said in favor of a de pression: there are no twins. There is more bull fighting in this country than there is in old Mexico. Almost every issue of any daily paper chronicles defeat of some farmer. Nine tenths of all litigation should be forestalled by meditation. Is the game of marbles nature’s way of getting the young squirt lined up for cannonball days ahead? And fighting for dollars according to the rules of the game? Search me. The last one looked like a wagon wheel while it was being earned but shi’unk to nothing while spending it. Mrs. Clara C. Clayton has appealed to the federal government on behalf of the children of Fred Kiart living on jungle land north of Blair on land, legally in Nebraska but geographically in Iowa. The children have no school, a plight long dreamt of but seldom realized. The cost of transporting the children to school was found prohib itive. Pupils everywhere envy the Kiart kids, with birds starting to sing and fish biting like the dickens and swimin’ holes warmin’ ‘n everything. Nebraska Production Credit Districts Established; Officers Ready to Make Loans Nebraska farmers and stockmen who are interested in a Production Credit loan can easily locate the association that will serve them best by the above chart. By writing the secretary treasurer In the specific district, those interested may obtain the information desired. Production Credit loans are now available in Nebraska, E. R. Heaton of Omaha, president of the Production Credit Corporation, an* nniinecd. The secretary-treasurers of the local associations attended a school of instruction In Omaha last week. Dixon, Dakota and Thurston counties are included in the Sioux City district and will be serviced from Sioux City by J. N. Schulenberger, secretary-treasurer. FOR RENT Ranch known as the Bodurtha Place, 400 acres located 4 miles southwest of Ericson in Wheeler county, good house, well, barn, etc. Last year cut about 7~> ton.s of hay (not all cut over), about 48 acres of crop land. (Tempor arily occupied by a Mr. Hewitt.) FOR RENT Ranch known as the Williams Ranch, 1,020 acres located 22 miles northwest of Ilurwell in Loup county (7 miles north oi Valley View), 7 room house, 2 windmills, cattle shelter, barn, fenced 000 acres bottom hay, balance pasture. Occupied by Mr. Henkin (vacant April 1). « AGENTS show your customers and phone or w’ire collect. AMOS GRANT CO., 212 So. 10, Omaha, Nebraska. IT is not the monthly hills that worry so much as the lack of money in hank to meet them. THE O’NEILL NATIONAL BANK Capital, Surplus and (Jndi\ided Profits, $125,(moo This bunk curries no indebted ness of officers or stockholders.