Neb. State Historical Society
The Frontier
VOL. LV. O’NEILL, NEBRASKA, THURSDAY, MAY 2, 1935. No. 50
| ANCIENT SCHOOL
BOND OF DUSTIN
PRECINCT SENT IN
-*~
Has Accumulated Over $100 In
Interest Since Last Payment
On It Was Made.
A relic of the early days of this
county was received at the office of
the county treasurer last Wednes
day. It was a bond for $390 is
sued by School District No. 10, in
northern Dustin precinct, on No
vember 1, 1889.
The bond was voted for the pur
pose of building a school house and
was due and payable in ten years
after date. Payments were made
on the bond at various times, the
last payment being made on No
vember 11, 1916, leaving a balance
due of $78.41. Interest on the
bond, which draws 7 per cent, from
the date of last payment is now
over $100.
The bond was sent here for col
lection by a resident of Pennsyl
ania.
It is evident that the bond had
been misplaced and that the officers
of the school district were unaware
that the bond was outstanding as
there has not been a bond levy in
that district for many years. The
officers of the district will now
have to make a levy to take care of
the bond.
SCHOOL NOTES
By C. J .McClurg
Their are still a large number
L of teachers in the county who have
not secured their exhibit mounting
boards for next year. Teachers
should call for these any time be
fore school closes.
We are not sure as to whether
we will conduct another study cent
er institute or not. There has been
some dissatisfaction with the pre
sent set-up. It is quite likely that
I it will be conducted in the same
manner as it was last year. There
is a strong possiblity of several
study centers thruout the county.
We will hold our annual Eighth
grade graduation exercises on Sat.,
June 1. It is impossible to hold
the exercises sooner this year due
to the fact that the last Eighth
grade examinations are two weeks
later than usual. It will be im
possible for us to get the grades
out sooner. We are making ar
rangements for a suitable program,
and are not sure at the present
time just who the speaker will be.
I want to again call the Directors
attention to the legal sets. Either
you must call for them or we will
have to mail them to you. We
could cut our postage expense half
in two if folks could be made to
realize this.
The date of the annual school
meeting will be Monday, June 10th.
All books should be balanced be
fore that time so that it will not
delay the regular meeting.
May the 17th is the deadline
date for mailing cards for school
transfers to remain in force. If
you have not mailed in your card
please do so at once, so that you
may continue school privileges
j where you are.
City Again Covered
With Southern Dirt
This section of the state suffered
from a combination of (lust and
rain again last Wednesday. In
this vicinity the air was filled with
dust most of the day, but it was
not nearly as bad here as was the
storm of a week ago, nor as bad
Wednesday as it was in other parts
of the state, according to radio
reports.
It rained a little here Tuesday
night and again this morning, .7 of
night and Wednesday morning, .07
of an inch falling in both rains.
Nearly all the windows down town
were coated over this morning with
a coat of dust, that evidently came
from the plains of Kansas, as there
was no local dust blowing.
Imperial was plunged into utter
darkness at 2 p. m. by billows of
dirt. Big Spring was eclipsed at
5:30 p. m. and by 6 o’clock was in
f the throes of a moderate rain and
a thick dust. Heavy grit clouds
also were reported from Grand
Island, Cozad and North Platte.
Sidney was being dampened by
scattered showers. Other points
along the airlane reported clouds
and overcoats. Visibility in North
Platte and Big Spring was zero.
Light to moderate rains fell at
intervals Tuesday in McCook, Lin
i coin, Grand Island, Kearney, Hast
I ings, Central City, Sutton and
I Seneca. Sand and dust were re
ported from York, Alma, Keene,
Hastings and Seneca.
The forecast for Wednesday was
for showers with warmer weather
in the east and north portions of
the state and lower temperatures
in the west.
Year’s Rain Record
At O’Neill Is High
For Nebraska Towns
Heavy rains and snow of the
past several days have given many
sections of the state far more pre
cipitation to date than for the same
period during a normal year. A
study of the weather bureau’s re
port, a daily chart showing amounts
of moisture in twenty different
towns over Nebraska,disclosed that
ten localities out of the twenty to
date have received normal precip
itation.
Only three places of this twenty,
however, have received less rain so
far this year than last, and in the
most of these cases the difference
is slight. O’Neill and Valentine
show greatest amount “above nor
mal.”
Lincoln, while more than inch to
the good this year so far, is about
two inches behind in comparison
with figures for a normal year.
Rain began falling in central and
west central Nebraska Tuesday
morning. Mail pilots said they were
flying thru showers in the vicinity
of Central City at 10:15 a. m. Tele
phone company reports showed, rain
at Grand Island, Hastings and
other points to the west. Burling
ton officials also reported rain at
Hastings and Sutton Tuesday morn
ing with a shower, followed by a
dust storm at Seneca, Nebr.
The storm had worked its way
east so that a sprinkle fell in Lin
coln about 12:20 p. m. It ceased
shortly after, however. Low here
during the night was 36 degrees,
but bureau officials said the air
was too dry for a damaging frost.
The weather man promises rain
here Tuesday night and Wednesday
with warmer weather in the offing.
Following is the report of the
weather bureau:
PRECIPITATION
This Last Normal
Year Year May 1
Alliance _ 7.94 2.18 3.84
Auburn .. 4.74 2.23 7.39
Broken Bow_ 6.19 1.51 4.52
Columbus _. 5.54 2.05 5.14
Culbertson . 2.77 3.06 4.16
Fairbury .. 4.38 1.59 6.05
Fairmont . 2.77 2.84 5.32
Grand Island 3.13 1.73 5.36
Hartington _ 7.69 4.11 5.92
Holdrege 2.01 1.82 5.04
Lincoln . 3.45 2.18 5.39
North Loup . 5.50 1.72 5.08
North Platte ... 4.96 1.55 3.84
Oakdale .. 6.13 2.24 5.09
Omaha . 2.97 2.45 5.47
O’Neill .. 8.24 3.12 5.45
Red Cloud . 1.80 3.22 4.52
Sioux City _ 7.41 2.59 5.01
Tekamah 4.67 2.70 5.96
Valentine . 6.58 2.61 3.90
—Nebraska State Journal.
Attend Founders Day
Meeting At Wayne
J. D. Cronin, Ira H. Moss, H. D.
Grady and D. H. Cronin drove
down to Wayne last Friday and at
tended a meeting of the Founders
Day Organization for the Third
Congressional district. The meet
ing was a decided success, nearly
every county in the Third district
being represented and many repub
licans from other parts of the state
being present to assist in the pro
gram of entertainment. A meet
ing was held in the afternoon at
the opera house where a round
table discussion of conditions was
indulged in and much enthusiasm
prevailed. One thing the meeting
disclosed and that was that the re
publicans of the Third district have
many able and entertaining lady
orators in the party, many of whom
undoubtedly will be heard upon the
platform during the next presi
dential campaign.
Wheat Meetings To
Be Held Next Week
The wheat allotment committee
w'ill sponsor a series of meetings
in Holt and Boyd counties for the
purpose of explaining the coming
referendum. Meetings will be in
charge of the local committeemen
chairman in each district who will
explain the benefits of the past
program and how the program is
to be handled in the future.
The future of the wheat program
will depend entirely upon the way
the wheat producers vote at the
coming referendum. The wheat
section is very anxious to obtain
as nearly a 100 per cent vote as
possible and those who vote should
clearly understand what they are
voting for.
Meetings in Holt county will be
held at the following places, to
which anyone interested in wheat
work is invited:
Ewing Tow'n Hall, Monday, May
6, at 8 p. m.
Scott Town Hall, Tuesday, May
7, at 1:30 p. m.
Stuart Library, Wednesday, May
8, at 1:30 p. m.
R. H. Parker Will Erect
A New Business Block
R. H.,Parker has decided to build
on his lot just east of his office and
the work of excavating for the
building is expected to commence
this week, or not later than next
Monday.
The building willbe of brick and
tile, 22*6x80 feet, with a 12-foot
ceiling and built up roof, and a
modern up-to-date store front.
Mr. Parker says that work on
the building will be rushed and
completed as soon as possible, as
there is a tenant waiting to move
in as soon as the building is ready
for him.
Lumber dealers are figuring on
several other buildings in this city
this spring and it begins to look as
if the year 1935 was going to be a
good one for this city. Several
new residences are contemplated,
some by prospective owners and
others by some of our financial
giants, who will build them as in
vestments.
Give Dinner For
St. Mary’s Cardinals
The Tigers Club last Tuesday
evening entertained the St. Mary’s
basketball team with a dinner at
the Bauman cafe. The Cardinals
made a splendid record for them
selves on the floors of the different
teams in this section of the state
and the Tigers thought they were
entitled to a little recognition from
the businessmen of the city, hence
the feed which was thoroughly en
joyed by all the members of the
team as well as the others present.
Pioneer Lady Nears
The Century Mark
Mrs. Anna Kubichek, of Harold,
S. D., mother of Frank Kubichek
of this city and Mrs. Mary Winkler
of South Dakota, and great grand
mother of Miss Catherine Timlin,
of Casper, Wyo., and Barbara Ann
Hancock, of O'Neill, celebrated her
ninety-seventh birthday anniver
sary on March 3rd of this year.
The aged lady is still in very good
health and her numerous friends
and relatives wish her many more
happy returns.
The Nebraska House of Repre
sentatives pased one liquor bill and
sent it over to the senate. The
senate discarded it and passed one
of their own and sent it over to
the house. The house promptly re
jected the senate bill and a confer
ence committtee was appointed in
both branches to draft a new liquor
law. Senator Frank Brady, of At
kinson, is a member of the confer
ence committe from the senate and
with him on the committee are
Senators Ragan of Platte and Sen
ator Sullivan of Omaha. The con
frees are now busy drafting a new
liquor bill and whether it will be
more successful in mustering enough
votes in either branch to pass, re
mains to be seen.
Residents of this community who
have attended the successful run
ning races held in Walthill during
previous seasons, will be interested
in knowing that the fourth annual
season will open there with a three
day meet on May 23, 24, and 25.
Walthill will be the first town in
Nebraska to offer a program of
running races under the new pari
mutuel law and it is said that most
of the well known horsemen of this
and neighboring states are mani
festing an interest in the coming
meet.
During the month of April lic
enses were obtained in the office
of the County Treasurer for forty
eight new cars, making 124 new
automobiles that have been regis
tered there since January 1, 1935.
It begins to look as if this was
going to be an exceptionally good
year for automobile dealers.
I WHAT’S DOING IN
THE LEGISLATURE
By Janies R. Lowell
An air of solemnity pervaded the
state house last week after the
sudden death of the veteran legis
lator, Trenmore Cone, of Valley,
stormy petrel of the house of rep
resenatives in which he had served
five terms and was going on his
sixth. He was 67 years of age.
This was the first funeral ever held
at the capitol.
Records show that death is no
stranger in legislative circles dur
ing the biennial sessions. In 1933
two legislators were called by the
grim reaper. James E. Qinn, Elk
horn farmer, has been named as
Cone’s successor in the house,
Quinn’s being the second new face
this session. Just recently N. J.
Ludi, veteran Wahoo editor, was
selected to finish out the senate
term of Dr. Joseph F. Kasper of
Prague, who was convicted of re
ceiving stolen property.
The house got back in the har
ness last Friday and is now work
ing on the liquor bill passed last
week by the senate. The lower
chamber is expected to do consider
able plastic surgery on the maasure
which Governor Cochran asked the
senate last week to junk in favor
of the bill worked out by the house
and sent to the senate several
weeks ago. The senior law-makers
turned down the governor’s sug
gestion in no uncertain manner.
The bill, as it passed the senate,
provides that sale of liquor is to
be legal in all cities and villages
except where 30 per cent of the
voters sign a petition within 30
days after the bill becomes a law,
requesting the matter be submit
ted to a vote of the people.
The various phases to be voted
on include sale of beer, either by
the drink or package without dis
tinction; sale of hard liquor by the
drink; sale of hard liquor by the
package. Any or all of these pro
posals can be voted on at the one
election providing that a separate
petition is submitted for each pro
posal to be voted on.
A three-member commission
would administer the law, but a
license could not be granted until
the applicant had first obtained a
permit from local authorities.
There would be no liquor sold on
Sundays or during polling hours on
election days. No licenses would
be granted to establishments sit
uated outside of a town or city.
This feature is intended to keep
the sale of liquor away from
roadhouses on the outskirts of a
town which had voted dry. A re
tail license would cost $50.
The house boosted the ante in
the unicameral bill and is now
houlding out for 50 members, the
maximum number under the pro-,
posal voted on by the people last
fall. The senate had set the num
ber at 48, but the unicameral com
mittee of the house put it down to
43, only to have the representatives
vote 64 to 25 to hike the number
to the limit. In the 50-member ar
rangement, Douglas county gets
eight members and Lancaster
county four. Each would have had
one less under the 43-member plan.
The average population of the 50
districts would be 27,066, altho
Otoe county would rate a repre
sentative with only 19,696 popula
tion, Districts which would have
more than 32,000 population but
only get one representative include
the following groups: Stanton,
Cuming and Colfax; Seward and
Saline; Nuckolls* Webster and
Franklin; Gosper, Phelps, Kearney
and Harlan.
Counties aside from Douglas and
Lancaster which would constitute
single districts include Otoe, Dodge,
Saunders, Gage, Madison, Adams,
Hall, Custer, Buffalo, Lincoln and
Scottsbluff.
The house made up somewhat
for the time it wasted on the liquor
bill by shoving thru the budget
bill in near-record time. The sen
ate is expected to show speed in
handling this bill also, as when it
gets the gubernatorial signature
the end of the session is not far
distant.
The general budget outlined in
the bill is approximately $37,000,
000, including $11,539,454 from
property tax funds. The house
added only $7,000 to the allotments
recommended by the finance com
mittee, and knocked $76,610 from
j Governor Cochran’s recommenda
• tions.
The claims and deficiencies bill
has been reported out on general
I file in the house. It totals only
$50,000 considerably less than two
years ago, and $20,500 of it will
go to newspapers of the state to
cover the cost of printing the three
constitutional amendments approv
ed by the voters in last fall’s
election.
The board of control predicts
that some real trouble is going to
start popping if work is not found
for inmates of penal institutions,
particularly the penitentiary and
the men’s reformatory. Egged on
by this threat, the house is show
ing favorable attention to a bill
proposing to create a state prison
industries fund, of $280,000. Sug
gested plans for creating work in
clude setting up shirt and shoe
factories.
With the coming of the NRA,
factories in which inmates were
formerly employed were discontin
ued. —
Remindful of the good old days
of 1928 and 1929 when every vil
lage was acquiring an airport and
a number of aircraft maufacturing
| plants had sprung up in the state,
is the aeronautics bill just passed,
by the senate.
The measure would establish an
aeronautics commission of five
members appointed by the govern
or to supervise flying facilities and
enforce rules and regulations per
taining to aviation in the state. It
would license airports and air
schools at the annual rate of $2
a year.
Four cents of the per gallon
state tax would be transferred, to
finance the commission, from all
gasoline bought by airplane com
panies and other plane owners for
use in the ships. The committee
would be permitted to purchase a
plane for the state. The secretary
of the commission would be an ex
perienced flyer.
Governor Cochran says he thinks
the bill is deserving of passage but
he has his doubts as to what the
house may do to it, especially in
view of the opposition of good road,
enthusiasts who don’t want to see
the four cent tax converted from
roads to flying.
United Air Lines is objecting to
the tax on aviation gasoline and
has threatened to move its Omaha
terminal across the river to Coun
cil Bluffs. Friends of the aero
nautics bill hope to be able to
amend the measure in the house
so as to tax aviation gasoline only
two cents a gallon.
Another indication that the leg
islature is becoming air-minded
was the action of both houses in
passing resolutions asking Presi
dent Roosevet and Secretary of
War Dern to give favorable con
sideration to Nebraska for one of
the contemplated new interior base
stations for development of mili
tary aviation. Senators and. con
gressmen from this state have
been furnished with copies of the
resolutions and requested to use
their influence in securing one of
the new air bases.
Governor Cochran has signed S.
F. 78, requiring the licensing of
real estate dealers and agents,
establishing uniform regulations
and practices in the buying and
selling of real estate for commis
sions, fixing annual fees at $5 each
for brokers and $2 apiece for ag
ents, and making the secretary of
state the real estate commissioner
of Nebraska. The bill goes into
effect January 1, 1936.
Other bills signed by the gov
ernor include one appropriating
$10,000 for an investigation and
audit of the state treasrer’s office,
one permitting counties to levy up
to one-half mill for blind pensions,
one removing discrimination against
Negroes and Indians as court wit
nesses, one assessing the cost of a
trial held under a change of venue
against the original county, one
permitting the incorporation of
commerce as non-profit organiza
tions, and a bill to permit guard
ians to refinance mortgages on the
homesteads of incompentent per
sons.
A legislative investigation finally
accomplished something, when the
investigating committee prying in
to the conduct of the secretary of
state’s office found that the office
is passing up considerable revenue
for the state by failing to properly
assess non-profit corporations hav
ing capital stock, lack of adequate
supervision of loan companies, et
cetera. Much of the blame was
placed on poor record keeping and
on the lack of a sufficient field force.
Hospital Notes
Mrs. Ed Cornelus of this city,
came in Tuesday morning and was
operated on the same afternoon for
ruptured appendix. She is conval
escing nicely.
Mrs. Arthur Wertz, of Oportun
ity, who was operated on for acute
appendicitis a week ago Monday,
is leaving for her home Friday.
Pete Duffy went home last Sat
urday.
John Lynch, who has been in the
hospital since last November, left
for his home in Boyd, county Wed
nesday morning. Mr. Lynch will
be greatly missed by the hospital
staff.
The hospital will again celebrate
National Hospital Day May 12th.
Watch for program next week.
Alice Sexsmith And
Clarence Selah Win
In Medal Contests
The Historical medal contest was
held at the Presbyterian church
last Monday evening, the contest
being engaged in by members of
the Presbyterian and Methodist
churches of this city. The contest
was won by Alice Sexsmith. Other
contestants were: Rebecca Haskins,
Ruth Evans, Ruth Leach, Adalene
Kee and Maxine Barnes.
A Patriotic Medal contest was
held at the Methodist church on
Tuesday evening, by the younger
members of the same congrega
tions. Clarence Selah was tne win
ner of this contest. Other contest
ants were: John Luben, Mervin
Kee, Ralph Johnson and Max
Hough.
Those taking part in the pro
grams in connection with the con
tests were Myrle Burge, Rev. A. J.
May, Melvin Pilger, Betty Harris,
Maude Henderson, Clara Cole, Mrs.
C. Johnson, Archie Bowen, Rev. H.
D. Johnson and Louis Cambre, and
members of the choirs of both
congregations.
Will Return Here
To Enter Business
I.od Janousek came up from Om
aha last Sunday and spent a couple
of days looking after business mat
ters and visiting old-time friends.
Mr. Janousek wasa resident of
this city for about five years, leav
ing here two years ago this spring
and moving to Omaha.
He engaged in the restaurant
business in Omaha for a year and
a half, disposing of his business
there last fall, since which time he
has been taking things easy and
looking for a possible location to
re-enter business. He says that he
has visited many towns in different
sections of the state but says that
he found none of them that he
thought business was as good in as
in this city, and he decided to move
back to O’Neill.
He entered into a contract with
R. H. Parker while here and will
be the tenant of the new building
that Mr. Parker is going to con
struct on Douglas street. Lod’s
many O’Neill friends will be glad
to see him return to this city.
This morning H. F. Beckman, of
the A & B drug firm, purchased
from the Home Savings & Loan
Association of Lincoln, the resid
ence on the corner of Frst and
Seventh streets, now occupied by
William Cuddy. As Henry is still
single it looks as if he might be
contemplating taking on a life part
ner, but he insists that he has faith
in the future of this city and that
ho purchased the house as an in
vestment and not because he had
any serious matrimonial intentions.
Representative L. G. Gillespie
was up from Lincoln last Saturday
looking after business matters and
interviewing his constituents. He
says that they have fixed the date
of adjournment as May 8. The
legislature has now been in session
four months and none of the major
problems before the session have
been taken care of, so if they com
plete their labors by May 8 they
I will have to move a lot faster than
they have the past four months.
Miss Ruth Hoffman, who has
been bookkeeper for the O’Neill
Production Credit corporation for
the past year, tendered her resig
nation effective May 1st.
! O’NEILL PAIR HAVE
BEEN MARRIED FOR
HALF A CENTURY
_
1 Mr. and Mrs. E. W. Sargent Hold
Open House For Friends At
Their Home Tuesday.
Mr. and Mrs. E. W. Sargent, of
this city, held open house last Tues
day afternoon and evening to their
many friends in celebration of their
Golden Wedding anniversary. Hun
dreds of their friends from this
city and the northeastern part of
the county, where they made their
home for many years, called dur
ing the afternoon and evening to
pay their respects to these Holt
county pioneers.
Edson W\ Sargent and Mrs.
Rhoda Dartt were united in mar
riage in this city on April 30, 1885,
Rev. Bartley Blain officiating. At
the time of their marriage Mr.
Sargent had a farm northeast of
this city, near Meek, where the
newly weds took up their residence
and lived for many years until they
moved to this city in the spring of
1917.
Mr. and Mrs. Sargent are the
parents of three children, one son
and two daughters. The children
are: Leon M. Sargent and Mrs. G.
E. Burge, O’Neill, and Mrs. B. C.
Shove, Adrian, Mich. Mrs. Sargent
was the mother of two sons by a
former marriage, Ed. Dartt, of
Wall, S. D., and Will Dartt, of
Bend, Ore. In addition to their
immediate family they have 24
grandchildren and 14 great grand
children.
Mr. and Mrs. Sargent are among
the real old pioneers of this county,
Mr. Sargent coming here in 187'J
and locating in the northeastern
part of the county, Mrs. Sargent
coming to the county a short time
afterwards. During their married
life in this county they have seen
the county blossom and bloom with
bountiful crops; seen the county
fill up with thriving and industrious
people until the plains were dotted
w'ith little homes.
They also passed thru the drouth
and hot winds of the nineties when
many of the early settlers left that
portion of the county and moved to
other sections. Then after the
drouth and hard times came years
of peace and plenty.
During the hard times, they, like
the other old timers of those early
days, did not sit down and wait
for someone to hand them some
thing, but they persevered, worked
hard and finally success crowned
their efforts when nature smiled
again upon the land and the
country was blessed with bountiful
crops.
The people of those early days
endured hardships that would crush
the spirit and the hopes of the
present generation. They looked
upon hard times as a matter of fact
and tried faithfully, during the
prosperous years, to provide for
the lean ones that were sure to
come, and in most cases they suc
ceeded. How much better the pre
sent generation would be if they
emulated the example set by the
early day pioneers.
Mr. and Mrs. Sargent have many
friends in this city and county who
extend greetings on their Golden
anniversary and wish for them con
tentment and happiness for many
years to come.
CARD OF THANKS
To our friends and neighbors,
and all of those who assisted us in
any way, we express our sincere
appreciation for your kindness,
sympathy and beautiful floral trib
utes to our dear son and grandson.
John Pat.—Mr. and Mrs. John Con
ard, Mr. and Mrs. P. W. McGinnis.
Mr. and Mrs. John Anspach and
Mrs. Clara M. Cole.
The Gatz Brothers are building
an addition to their ice and storage
plant just south of the Burlington
tracks that will better enable them
to take care of their increasing
business. The addition is 18x30,
with 20 foot posts, and it will be
used as a storage house for beer.
The addition will be to take care
of two carloads of beer and was
made necessary on account of their
increased sale of this beverage.
The Lepco company, which op
ened an auto supply store on Doug
las street in the building formerly
occupied by a grocery store, closed
up Wednesday night and the owner
left for his former home in Pierce.