Natural Dams Formed
By Wind In Dry Creek
Last fall several duck hunters
reported that out in Carr’s pasture,
12 miles southwest of O’Neill, wind
which whipped in here from South
Dakota last spring and summer had
scooped out sand dunes near Dry
creek in this pasture and had
dropped the sand at several points
in the creek basin, forming dams
that held all the creek flow back
and resulted in formation of lakes
up to nine feet deep, 60 feet wide
and one-half mile long.
Holt county is known the world
over for production of things con
trary to the hard and fast laws of
nature, yet this construction work
of nature, especially her alleged
conservatii a of water when she
kept her oceans in miserly fushion
last summer when pumps wheezed
and vegetution charred as tho to
be at least worth close investiga
tion before it should be given the
world as fuct. A personal investi
gation resulted in finding the facts
given herewith.
A visit was made to Patrick
O’Connor, veteran hay man just
north of th<* Carr pasture. Pat ad
mitted the part of the county ho
has lived in almost half a century
is mysterious, ghosty, a section
where almost anything may hap
pen to man and beast. The scenery
there is exceptionally fascinating,
especially to those whose sprits are
swnyed by the charm of the desert.
Carr’s is not all a shrieking des
ert. Mr. O’Connor said the pasture
is about three miles squure and
the part interest here lies in a nar
row strip running thru it from
southwest to northeast, a few
dunes flanking the creek. Most of
the acreage is the finest grazing
ground in the world.
As soon as one enters this great
cattle pasture there is a sense of
an uncanny atmosphere. Hardly a
sign of civilzation can he seen on
any side. Once a party of O’Neill
hunters became lost there with the
sun shining and traveled in u circle
several hours before direction were
properly identified.
The elaborate works of nature,
thru the agency of winds, are in
the west part of the pasture. Hunt
ers say there are others on south
west, lip the creek.
Dry creek, normally about seven
feet wide, six inches deep and sel
dom if ever dry in summer in
Carr’s, has been dummed by wind
blown sand ut one point so thoroly
no water has run in the creek bed
below for about one mile. Only
this lower dam was inspected.
Down the creek about one mile
water springs from the ground and
the creek is near normal. The sand
dunes on the north have been lit-1
erally gutted by violent winds. On
the south bank of the creek, about
a city block awuy from the dam,
the winds performed an operation
on a round sand due dome that
must be seen to believe it possible.
This dome, containing perhaps
several hundred tons of sand, must
have been a gopher, badger or coy.
ote hole in its northwest side. There
the winds entered and, finding a
way out on the top, carried, off a
hundred tons or so of the sand,
leaving a largo natural basin and
a one foot hard sand wall five feet
high, nice and even and with the
original, though perhaps enlarged
hole, one foot in diameter, still
there.
Mr. O’Connor says the nature
built dams will be washed away as
soon as spring floods occur.
The lower dam is so wide and flat
pictures failed to show the extent
of the work. It is flat and takes in
a 100 yard wide basin and vegeta
tion, tho sparse, give the impres
sion the ground has not recently
been disturbed, altho new earth
there in places must be up to 10
feet deep. A fence nearby tells the
story. The posts run into an edge
of the dam and u few inches of
their tops show. Some of tho posts
and wire are buried entirely.
Southwest of the lower dam tho
winds have dropped sand on the
pruirio where it lays like drifted
snow. An automobile nosed in on
an old trail and came to a stop in
a foot of the stuff. The hills fflom
whence this sand came are torn
like some giant went on a rampage
with the intention of destroying
the earth.
Down the creek, south side, were
high hills. Winds have cut the
loose stuff from these, leaving
houses, garages, stores or what
ever one’s imagination fancies.
Strewn about them are broken
knives, spears, scrapers, toma
hawks und pottery pieces of some
race that enjoyed the puradise lost
hundreds or thousands of years ago.
One of tho most deadly sink
holes in Holt county is in this pas
ture at the northeast side. Wild
ducks rest on this place and hunt
ers by day often shoot birds down
only to see them flounder out where
Charter No. 6770 Reserve District No. 10
REPORT OF THE CONDITION OF
The O’Neill National Bank
of O’Neill, in the State of Nebraska, at the dose of business on
December 31, 1934.
ASSETS
Loans and discount# . .. $ 63,106.21
Overdrafts _.„.------- 66.88
United States Government obligations, direct
and-or fully guaranteed . 224,264.00
Other bonds, stocks, and securities . 83,396.84
Banking house, $3,200.00. Furniture and
fixtures, $1,600.00 4.800.00
Real estate owned other than banking house. 1.00
Reserve with Federal Reserve Bank . $179,936.46
Cash in vault and balances with other bunks — . 167,780.39
Outside checks and other cash items 629.46 338,246.30
Redemption fund with U. S. Treasurer and
due from U. S. Treasurer .... 2,600.00
Other assets . 2,762.09
Total Assets... $719,112.32
LIABILITIES
Demand deposits, except United States
Government deposits, public funds,
and deposits of other banks_ $327,311.91
Time deposits, except postal savings, public funds
and deposits of other banks____ 114,432.82
Public funds of states, counties, school districts,
or other subdivisions or municipalities_ 57,816.38
United States Government and postal savings
deposits ........ 1,576.26
Deposits of other banks, including certified and
cashiers’ checks outstanding ... 37,085.76
Total of above five items:
(a) Secured by pledge of loans
and-or investments .„.$ 38,427.81
(b) Not secured by pledge of loans
and-or investments .. 499,773.29
(c) Total Deposits ..... $638,201.10
Circulating notes outstanding .. 50,000.00
Capital Account:
Common stock, 500 shares, par $100
per share ...... 50,000.00
Surplus . ._ ..... 50,000.00
Undivided profits—net . 30,911.22 130,911.22
Total Liabilities $719,112.32
MEMORANDUM: Loans and Investments Pledged to Secure Liabalities
United States Government obligations, direct
and-or fully guaranteed ...$ 86,000.00
Other bonds, stocks, and securities... 10,000.00
Total Pledged (excluding rediscounts) .. $ 96,000.00
Pledged:
Against circulating notes outstanding $50,000.00
Against public funds of states, counties, school districts
or other subdivisions or municipalities . 46,000.00
Total Pledged ... ._ $ 96,000.00
State of Nebraska, County of Holt, ss:
I, S. J. Weekes, President of the above-named bank, do solemnly
swear that the aboye statement is true to the best of my knowledge
and belief.
S. J. WEEKES, President.
Sworn to and subscribed before me this 4th day of January, 1935.
[Seul] MARJORIE DICKSON, Notary Public.
My Commission expires June 5, 1935.
Correct—Attest: Emma Dickinson Weekes, E. F. Quinn, F. N.
Cronin, Directors.
/This bank carries no indebtedness of officers or stockholders.)
t
they cannot get them. Attempts at
wading are met with several feet
of sticky black mud and several
tragedies were averted only after
long and hard work fighting out of
this mud. Animals have been fast
there for hours and now they do no
wading in the place. A few years
ago the hole came close to swallow
ing a saddle horse and a boy.
A fine grove of trees, believed
volunteers, has grown up just east
of this sink-hole and on east to the
McCarthy land. Some of the finest
duck ponds in Carr’s of a few years
ago are gone but compensation is
found in those back of the sand
dams.
BREEZES FORM
THE SOUTHWEST
■Continued from page 7.)
Tom Bakor sold 30 head of 300
pound calves to a buyer from Pend
er last week. The steers of the lot
brought four and a half cents and
the heifers four cents. A few days
previous a horse buyer from Ord
put up a little less than $140 for
one of Tom’s fine work horses.
Two new families have taken up
their abode in this community dur
ing recent weeks. Mrs. Bertha Van
Lorn has leased her place to a
family by the name of Young, who
came here from Kansas and have
stocked the place with Polled An
gus cattle. Mrs. Van Lorn disposes
of her personal holdings by sale to
day—Thursday—and it is rumored
a romance is connected with her
leaving. She had one of the best
ranches in this section ana has had
the sole care and management of
its operation which she has done
very creditably, and will be missed
in this neighborhood, but her many
friends wish her the best there is.
The family of Ernie Hall, from the
neighborhool of Basset, have come
to the John Bower ranch of 1,800
acres and Mr. Hall will be associ
ated with Mr. Bower in the opera
tion of the ranch. #
Many wagon trails were cut
across the prairies in the days of
early settlements. A few of these
are of historical significance. The
old timers around O'Neill will re
call the homesteaders of the 80's
referring to “Custer’s trail.” This
was said to be the route of Custer’s
army going west and meandered
across the country just north of
the “Michigan settlement” north
east of O’Neill. An old military
road winding across the east edge
of Swan precinct from north to
south is still well defined in places.
It was the artery of travel for the
military forces between Ft. Randall
at the north end and Ft. HartsuT.
near Burnell, at the south end. This
latter fort was abandoned abou:
1884 and Ft. Randall in South Da
kota some ten years later. At the
time of the movement of troops
across this section there was either
the need of precaution that they did
not run into an ambush of war
riors or the country was much und
er water. The trail follows the
ridges, apparently the higher the
better, and at some spots along
the ror.te deep blow-outs of shift
ing sands nark whe-j the wheels
of the military trains of a by gone
generation have passed. About a
mile west of this trail and one and
three-quarters miles south of the
north line of Swan precinct is Clear
lake. About its shores are found
many evidences of a once numerous
population of Indians. Many flint
arrow heads have been gathered
here, mostly small ones used for
shooting birds, which leads to the
conjecture that Clear lake was a
favorite hang-out for ducks and
geese, ..whither the Indians came on
hunting trips. High bluff-like em
bankments on the northeast of
what must have been a consider
able body of water would give the
wary hunter a fine opportunity to
approach unobserved, and one may
visualize the doughty red skin
squintting along his arrow shaft
ready to twang the bow string and
knock the head from an unsuspect
ing duck, or possibly bring down an
antelope.
Charles N. Thompson had a sale
of stock and personal property at
his 7-section ranch last Thursday,
cattle selling from $30 to $41—a
lone cow bringing the latter figure.
Thus closed one of the most pic
turesque careers of the southwest.
Mr. Thompson is 90 years of age
but he is by no means a helpless
old man. He drives a car about
the country, handles heavy stuff
like a 40-year-old and seems always
in good health. His wife died eight
years ago but he has continued to
reside on the ranch much of the
time by himself, though of the 13
sons and daughters, many of them
live near by. He came to Holt
county in 1880. For a short time
resided in the Inman neighborhood
but soon came to the S(van lake
I country where he has lived and
| toiled for over 50 years. A photo
graph taken by A. H. Corbett at
O’Neill a quarter century ago
makes an interesting family group
of fifteen—parents and children.
They drove to O’Neill from the
ranch, over 40 miles, in wagons in
the dead of winter to have the
picture taken, and the undertaking
required two days.
Doris Carpenter, after an opera
tion performed some weeks ago at
the Dr. Wilson hospital at Stuart,
for a cyst in a bone of one of her
arms, and from which she had
suffered much for many months, is
now completely recovered and is
able to carry on her school work
at Amelia with regularity, and free
from the pain and suffering it had
long caused her. R. S.
▼
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Across the Street from Public Library
O’NEILL, NEBRASKA