Neb. State Historical Society S
The Frontier
VOL LVI O’NEILL, NEBRASKA, THURSDAY, MAY 28,1935. No. 1
_____
O’NEILL REALATOR
* MAKES $40,000 CASH
REAL ESTATE DEAL
M. O. Howard Makes Sale of Ten
Thousand Acres of Land To
Charles Peterson.
Holt county real estate, long a
drug on the market like the real
estate in every county in the state
and every state in the union, is be
ginning to show activity.
Last week M. O. Howard, of this
city, as representative of the Lin
coln Joint Stock Land Bank, of
Lincoln, sold 10,000 acres of Holt
county real estate to Charles Peter
son, one of southern Holt’s largest
stockmen, for $40,000 cash on the
line.
There are five different ranches
in the tract of land sold to Mr.
Peterson. One of the tracts, the
old Payne & Sargesson ranch
northwest of Stuart, contains about
7,000 acres and at one time was
one of the best equipped ranches
in the county. The other ranches
acquired are the Clark ranch
south of Atkinson, the Hershel
ranch in the same territory and the
two Allen ranches.
Mark Howard has been in the
real estate game a long time and
does not make much noise, but it
is evident that he is right on the
job. This is the largest real estate
deal made in this county for several
years and the fact that a man could
dispose of so large a tract at one
time is quite a feather in his cap.
Mr. Peterson has been one of the
large landowners in the south
^ western part of the county and has
been that section’s most successful
stock men for years. That he has
faith in the future of the county
and the cattle business is evidenced
by this purchase and we predict
that he will more than double his
money thereon and that hot in the
far distant future.
0 Emmet Residents
Living On Fish
Guy Cole was down from Emmet
Wednesday. Guy says that the
residents of Emmet are living on
fish these days. The Elkhorn at
Emmet is out of its banks and has
flooded McGinnis’ lake, permitting
the fish therein to get out on the
meadows where the little folks
have a lot of fun catching
them, without the use of hook or
line. He says that it is not only
the little folks that are having the
fun as several of the grown-ups can
be seen at all hours of the day
down on the meadow catching fish.
In fact he admits that he himself
went down Tuesday evening and
picked up a three pound bass, with
out in any way violating the game
laws.
When Guy was reminded that
Roger might sue them for the
value of the fish taken, as they
came from his lake which is a pri
vate one, Guy replied that Roger
would be lucky if some of the in
habitants of Emmet did not sue
him, because his fish were eating
up their grass. So there you are.
Cutworm Control
Demonstrations
The presence of cutworms in
large numbers has caused many
people to make inquiry as to
effective control should they prove
dangerous later on. Because of
of this fact, O. S. Bare from the
Agricultural College will be pres
ent in Holt county, Wednesday,
May 29, to hold three meetings on
cutworm control.
Cutworms, the same as grasshop
pers, can be effectively controlled
if proper methods are used at the
right time.
Meetings will be held as follows
*to which the public is cordially in
vited:
9:30 A. M., Stuart, Ramm Broth
ers farm.
1:30 P. M., O’Neill, Otto Lorenz
farm.
4:00 P. M., Page, B. H. French
farm.
Mrs. Egger Thwarts
k Attempted Hold-Up
* A would-be hold up artist tried
to gain entrance into the home of
Mr. and Mrs. Egger last Tuesday
evening about 9:30. Mr. Egger
was not at home and when a knock
came on the door abut 9:30 Mrs.
Egger opened the door to find a
man standing there with a gun in
his hand and who promptly inform
I
ed here that it was a “stick up.’’ j
She grabbed the gun, forcing it
down and away from her and man
aged to get the door closed. She
then called the police and Chief
Calkins w'as on the ground in about
five minutes but the would-be rob
ber had made good his escape.
Cheif Calkins, assisted by Mayor
Kersenbrock, — to whom the at
tempted robbery was at once re
ported—combed all likely places in
the city for the next six hours,
but were unable to get the cul
prit. Officials have an idea, how
ever, who the party was and it will
be just “too bad’’ if he is again
caught in this city.
Plans Complete For
Celebration In O’Neill
On Memorial Day
Plans have been completaed for
the annual observance of Memorial
Day, Thursday, May 30, under the
auspices of the American Legion.
The program will be held at the K.
C. Hall commencing promptly at
10:30 a. m. W. B. Quigley, Valen
tine attorney, is to be the principal
speaker. The O’Neill High School
Band, under the leadership of Prof.
Durham, will furnish music for the
occasion. Following the program
at the Hall the usual exercises will
be held, at the cemeteries where the
graves of Veterans of all wrars will
be decorated.
Flowers to decorate the graves
are requested and will be grate
fully received by the committe in
charge. Also, more flower girls
are needed. Persons desiring to
contribute flowers and young ladies
who desire to serve as flower girls
will please get in touch with Roy
Carroll, Chairman of the committee.
Mayor Kersenbrock has request
ed all stores and places of business
to close promptly at 10:30 A. M. for
the exercises.
WHAT’S DOING IN
THE LEGISLATURE
_
By James R. Lowell
More germane to the average
Nebraskan right now than the dy
ing kicks of the legislature is the
subject of the weather which holds
forth bright prospects of good 1935
crops in practically every section
of the state.
T. A. Blair, government meteor
ologist at Lincoln, says that rain
fall up to this week has been gen
eral enough to foster strong hopes
that not only will Nebraska have
moisture enough for crop and pas
ture needs, but that Kansas and
Oklahoma too may benefit with
the result that the hot winds that
played havoc with those Nebraska
communities that did have pros
pects of a corn crop last year will
not be so likely to come scorching
their way up from the south.
Nebraska sections benefiting
most from the rainfall according to
Mr. Blair, are those situated north
of the Platte river the entire legnth
of the state.
Bright spots in the South Platte
region include the southeastern
section from Fairbury over to Au
burn and parts of the McCook
area. Things look least hopeful in
the Red Cloud vicinity where ap
proximately 2.5 inches of rain had
fallen, or about a third less than
for the same period a year ago.
Exceptionally good moisture con
ditions prevail around Alliance,
O’Neill, Broken Bow, Columbus,
Hartington, Elgin and. Albion, and
South Sioux City.
The Elkhorn river region, al
ways a favored section of Nebras
ka, holds the rainfall record for
the first four and a half months
of this year. O’Neill has had 9.77
inches, the greatest amount regis
tered at any of the 20 weather
stations reporting to the Lincoln
meteorologist.
(Continued on page 4, column 2.)
|U. S. Senate Sustains
Presidents Bonus Veto
The president vetoed the Soldiers
Bonus bill last Wednesday and im
mediately therafter the house of
representatives passed the bill over
his veto with a vote of 322 to 98.
All of the Nebraska Congressmen,
except McLaughlin of Omaha, voted
to override the veto. It came up in
the Senate Thursday and the veto
was sustained, the vote standing
54 for the measure and 40 against.
As it takes two thirds of the sen
! ate membership to pass a bill over
! a presidential veto the bill lost by
j eight votes.
NEBRASKA SOLONS
PASS THIRD LIQUOR
BILL OF COMMITTEE
—~
Liquor By The Drink \\ ill Not Be
Permitted Until Cities Hold
Elections On The Issue.
I After nearly five months of biek
I ering the Nebraska legislature fin
j ally passed a ilquor law on Wed
j nesday afternoon, the brainwork of
I the third conference committee.
From the remarks made by some
of the members it stands no higher
in the estimate of the membership
than did the other two that were
rejected, but they are tired and
want to get away. The following
account of the bill and its pro
visions istaken from this mornings
issue of the State Journal:
Liquor went over the top Wed
nesday when House and Senate ad
opted conference committee report
No. 3, the former 74 to 21 and the
upper branch 25 to 3, both safely
above the required two-thirds vote
to sustain the emergency clause,
which makes the measure effective
upon approval by the governor.
Since the latter said in advance he
proposes to give his approval, le
galized liquor is just around the
corner. Because of the extreme
length of the bill a full day will be
required to enroll and engross,
which means that is may not reach
the governor before Friday.
Some delay will be necessary
while a state commission is being
appointed and puts its regulatory
house in order. Other delays are
mandatory because the require
ments as to fitness to sell liquor
which will reguire investigation
and study. As to liquor by the
drink, this commodity is legally a
month or more around the corner
since even in Omaha they must
first call a special election and
vote it in before they can have it.
This means a 20 per cent petition,
based on the vote at the last gener
al election, publication and vote.
After that the applications must
be considered. Bootleg will hold
sway for a consideable period.
Those wets who opposed adoption
of’ the so-called dry report, claim
that this bill is a bootlegger’s ha
ven because of its tight restric
i tions.
High Spots of the Bill.
Universal sale of liquor by pack
age with no option until April 30,
1037.
Sale by drink only on vote of
electors prior thereto.
No license for sale of liquor, by
drink or package, outside corpor
ate limits of cities and villages.
Only exception is that state com
mission may grant package license
in four counties, in sand hills,
either having no incorporated vil
lage or in which county seat not
located in an incorporated town.
Commission may grant package
sale if such village has twenty-five
or more people.
Separation of sale at retail of
beer and liquor altho one licensee
may hold both licenses. In such
event liquor and beer shall be sold
in separate and distinct rooms.
Outside cities and villages only
beer by the drink to be licensed.
Near beer licensed and taxed
same as beer, tho holder of beer
license may sell near beer. Prohi
bition against spiking. No defini
tion of beer as to alcoholic content.
No alcoholic liquors, except beer,
shall be sold at retail on Sunday.
As to beer, that is left to local
governing bodies.
Closing hour on sale of liquor
12 o’clock midnight and opening
6 a. m. with municipalities per
mitted to shorten as much as they
pleased at both ends.
Beer law passed two years ago
re-enacted.
State control commission to con
sist of three members to serve six
years and receive $4,000 annually.
Secretary to be paid $3,200. Of
fices of commission to be located
in Lincoln.
Bonded warehouse requirements
practically the same as in previous
conference reports. Provides that
there be affixed to each original
package a bonded warehouse
stamp indicating that gallonage
tax shall have been paid.
License Provisions.
License provisions also same as
in former report. Distillers, $1,000;
brewers, $100 to $800, based upon
average daily capacity with $500
to be paid where there is no ex
perience table; wine manufactur
ers; $250; liquor wholesalers, $500;
beer wholesalers, $250; beer, on
sale license, $10 to $100, according
to population; beer, off-sale, $25;
liquor retail, $250; package liquor,
$150; beer, outside coi porate limits,
by drink only, $25; railroads, $100
and $1 per car; nonbeverage users, i
$5 to $250.
No alcholic liquor to be fur- J
nished at retail on credit.
Privilege gallonage tax, 3 cents
on beer, 5 to 15 cents on wine and
50 cents on liquor.
Inspection fee eliminated.
No prohibition against standing
or sitting while drinking.
O’Neill Group Attends
Highway 281 Meeting
Friday At Spalding
A good-sized delegation from
this city drove to Spalding last
Friday to attend a meeting of the
281 Highway Association which
had been called to meet in that
city to discuss the proposed mili
tary highway coming north on
Highway 281 from Grand Island
through O’Neill and on through
Butte, up into South Dakota. The
following attended the meeting as
delegates from this city: Judge
J. J. Harrington, T. J. Coyne, John
Sullivan, M. H. McCarthy, S. J.
Weekes, H. E. Coyne, D. S. Conard,
Peter Todsen, E. M. Gallagher, F.
J. Biglin, Harry Reardon and J. A.
Mann,
The delegation, returned home
Friday evening and said they had
a splendid meeting at Spalding
with about 75 representatives in
attendance from practically all the
towns along the Highway.
According to late reports from
Washington the war department
i» not contemplating making any
change in the military route thru
the state, north and south, but if
a change is contemplated the boost
ers for Highway 81 will find that
there are also a few live wires
living along Highway 281 who will
use their best efforts to try and,
prevent being discriminated
against.
Delta Gunn and Clarence
Selah Winners In Nat’l
Better Housing Contest
The County Contest of the
National Educational Better Hous
ing Contest was held in the 0 Neill
High School Auditorium Friday
evening, May 17.
The winners of the first prize of
$10.00 were Delta Gunn and Clar
ence Selah, both of the O'Neill High
school. The winners of the second
prize of $2.50 were Myrtle Brown
and Dale Sterns, also of the O’Neill
High school.
The judges of the contest were
Warren J. McClurg, principal of
the Inman High school and Michael
Horiskey of O’Neill.
The essays were very interesting
and copies of the winning essays
will be sent to Omaha to be entered
in the state contest.
Hospital Notes
Miss Wilma Chicken, of Inman,
went home last Saturday feeling
fine.
George Tamasek, of Dorsey,
went home Wednesday evening.
Mrs. Ed Cornelies and Mr.
Warner are both feeling much
better this week.
Bellin-Calkins
John Beilin and Mrs. Lottie Cal
kins, both of this city, were united
in marriage last Monday evening
by Rev. A. J. May of the Methodist
church, in the presence of a few of
the immediate friends and relatives
of the contracting parties.. Their
friends extend congratulations.
Mayor John Kersenbrock pre
sented the O’Neill high school band
with a beautiful banton last week.
When the members of the band get
their new uniform and the drum
major parades down Douglas at
the head of the band, swinging his
baton, he will the envy of every
boy in the city. But, by the way,
why wouldn’t the Mayor make a
good drum major?
TO ADVERTISERS AND
CORRESPONDENTS
The Frontier expects to
go to press next Wednes
day afternoon instead of
Thursday, so the force can
properly observe Decora
tion Day. Please get copy
in early.
COUNTY RESIDENTS
JOYOUS IN AMPLE
MOISTURE SUPPLY
Rain Fall of First Five Months of
1935 Near Total Precipitation
During Year of 1934.
The past week has brought joy
i to farmers and business men in Ne
| braska and thruout the entire
: country. In fact the past two
weeks have been ideal, a lot of
moisture, 1.79 inches falling here
since the 17th. It was a slow driz
zle and every drop went down into
the soil so that now the subsoil is
wet clear to the bottom, and pros
pects at this time of the year were
never better .
With the rainfall Tuesday even
ing and night the total precipita^
tion, according to the records kept
by Harry Bowen at the court house,
from January 1, 1935, to June 22,
at 6 a. m., amounts to 11.47 or 3.93
inches less than was received dur
ing the entire year of 1934.
The rainfall during the month of
May is as follows:
M iv 1 .05
Mav 3 .02
Mav 8 .09
Mav 11 1.01
May 12 .26
May 14 .01
Mav 15 .07
May 18 .36
Mav 19 - -80
May 20 . .62
May 20 .62
May 21 . 19
May 22 .01
The precipitation so far this year,
up to Wednesday morning, May 21,
was as follows:
January _ __— .51
February . . .85
March .66
April 5.97
May 8.48
Total 11.47
The precipitation during the year
1933 was as follows:
January .60
February ... _ .40
March ...... 1.80
April 1.24
May 2.52
June .75
July 2.75
August 4.53
September 1.17
October .00
November .43
December .48
Total 16.67
During the year 1934 it was as
follows:
January . .45
February .34
March_ 2.11
April .- -06
May '-::1
June . 4.86
July 1.90
August 1.08
September 2.00
October .59
November .87
December . .35
Total 15.40
O’Neill Lady Celebrates
Eighty-Second Birthday
Mrs Elizabeth McMillan, one of
the pioneer residents of this county,
will celebrate her 82 birthday to
morrow, Friday, May 24. Mrs.
McMillan was born in Canada and
came to this county fifty years ago
this month. For several years the
family made their home northwest
I of this city, moving to O'Neill
about thirty-five years ago, where
| she has since made her home.
| For spveral years her home has
been on east Douglas street, her
sister Mrs. Allen living with her
for the past twenty-five years.
Their home has long been one of
the beauty spots of the city on ac
count of the profusion of beautiful
flowers and the splendid gardens
they raise, even in dry weather.
Mrs. McMillan is the mother of
two daughters, Mrs. Anna Kirwin,
| who makes her home with them,
| and another daughter, Mrs. Marie
Ross, who lives in Detroit, Mich.
Relatives are planning, a fitting
| celebration of Mrs. McMillan’s
j birthday.
Says Prod. Credit Ass’n
Not A Relief Agency
Correcting an impression that
seems to be common in this vicin
ity, James W. Rooney, secretary
treasurer of the O’Neill Production
Credit Association, of O’Neill, said
that the association is not a tem
j porary “emergency” or “relief” or
ganization and does not loan gov
ernment funds.
According to Mr. Rooney, some
persons here have confused the
PCA with the county emergency
! crop and feed loan office.
| The secretary-treasurer explain
ed that the O’Neill Production
Credit Association is intended to
provide for the farmers of t^is
territory a permanent source of
low-interest, short-term credit for
agricultural purposes. The inter
est rate is 5 per cent a year. Funds
are obtained fro*r private invest
ors through the Federal Intermedi
ate Credit bank of Omaha.
Adequate security is required
for every PC A loan. Mr. Rooney
| declared, and every borrower is a
| stockholder and has a voice in the
association’s affairs. Eventually
it is expected the entire production
credit system will be owned by the
farmer borrowers.
The O’Neill PCA serves farmers
in Boyd, Garfield, Holt and Wheeler
counties.
Entirely separate are the county
emergency crop and feed loan com
mittees. They have been set up as
temporary governmental agencies
to care for only those farmers who
cannot obtain credit elsewhere for
the purchase of seed and feed.
County Board Holds
Special Meeting To
Prepare Application
The County Board met in special
session last Tuesday to complete
their application to the federal
government for a loan and grant to
assist in erecting a court house.
They are figuring on a building to
cost $110,000.00 complete. The
firm of John Latenser & Sons, of
Omaha have been engaged as ar
chitects to prepare plans for the
building, which will accompany the
application to Washington.
In preparing the application it
was necessary to furnish many
figures as to the condition of the
county’s finances. One set of
figures gave the assessed valuation
of the county; another gave the
amount of taxes collected; another
the amount of delinquent taxes for
the years 1931, 1932 and 1933.
From these figures we find that
for the above years there it still
unpaid, $134,911.03 on Holt county
real estate and $34,840.07 on per
sonal property, making a total of
$lfi9,751il0 taxes for the above
three years that are unpaid. The
non-payment of these taxes ac
counts in a large measure for the
financial stringency of the various
county funds.
Find Ample Rain In
Southern States
Mr. and Mrs. Ira H. Moss and
W. J. Hammond left last Friday
morning on a little business trip
to Amarillo, Texas, returning home
Monday night. Ira says that there
is water all over that country now,
as they had from 4 to (5 inches of
rain in the Texas panhandle within
the past week. They crossed the
Republican river at Alma, Nebr.,
then went south thru Kansas to
Texas. Ira says that after they
got about 100 miles south of the
Nebraska line there was nothing
but sand and deserted farms for
the next 100 miles in Kansas. That
section was once thickly settled but
the drouth and windstorms drove
most of the settlers out. Ira says
that it was impossible to tell a
plowed section from a pasture, it
all looked about the same. Now he
says the whole country is covered
section to come back strong. In
coming home they were compelled
to go about 500 miles out of their
way in order to get passible roads.
Martin-Wilcox
Charles E. Martin and Mrs. Ruby
M. Wilcox, both of Chambers, were
, united in marriage at the county
court room last Monday afternoon,
> Judge C. J. Malone officiating, in
the presence of a few of the im
mediate relatives of the contract
i
, ing parties.
The groom was for several years
, one of the prominent ranchers of
j southern Holt until this spring
when he disposed of his personal
property, rented his ranch and
moved to Chambers to take life
, easy.
The bride has resided in Cham
- bers for several years and is well
' known and highly respected for her
’ splendid qualities.
1 Their many friends tender them
l hearty congratulations.
NOTICE
All stores and places of business
are requested to close promptly
! at 10:30 A. M., Thursday, May 30,
‘ for the annual Memorial Day ex
r ercises.
JOHN KERSENBROCK,
Mayor.
CALF THIEF TAKES
OWN LIFE RATHER
THAN A SENTENCE
Alvin Odren Uses Shotgun On Self
When Permitted To Enter
House For Clothing.
Rather than submit to arrest on
the charge of calf stealing, Alvin
Odren, 22, killed "himself at the
home of Mr. and Mrs. John Cleve
land, southeast of Opportunity,
about 8:30 last Saturday morning,
using a .410 gauge shot gun.
For the past month several farm
• ers have complained about losing
calves from their pastures. Two
head were taken from the pasture
of Mrs. Jardee, a widow living in
I the Opportunity neighborhood; a
! couple from the farm of Den
Murphy, living northeast of this
I city, and a couple more from the
farm of Joe Pritchett, living in the
Opportunity neighborhood.
Investigation by the sheriff’s
office disclosed the fact that Odren
had sold two calves at the Atkinson
sales pavillion on Tuesday May 7.
This was the day after the two
calves were taken from the farm
of Mrs. Jardee. On May 14 he
sold four head of calves at the
pavillion sale. Murphy’s calves
were taken the night of the 13th
and those from the Pritchett farm
on the same night.
With this information in his pos
j session Deputy Sheriff Bergstrom
I started last Saturday morning for
: the Cleveland farm home to ques
| tion Odren, the latter being a son
of Mrs. Cleveland by a former mar
! riage. Bergstrom told Odren that
I he would have to arrest him unless
| he could explain where he got the
calves he had sold at Atkinson the
forepart of the week and last week.
Odren said that he had bought the
calves from Henry Butterfield and
they started for Butterfiield’s place
to verify his story. When half
way there, Odren in his car and
Bergstrom in his, Odren stopped his
j car, halted Bergntrom and asked
what the penalty was for cattle
rustling in Nebraska. The deputy
sheriff gave him the desired infor
mation and then Odren told him
that he was guilty of taking the
Pritchett calves and said that he
had used the proceeds to make a
payment on his automobile.
They then returned to the Cleve
land home and Odren asked if it
was possible to keep his mother
from knowing anything about it.
The deputy sheriff told him that ho
did not thing it would be possible.
He then asked permission to go to
the house to bid his mother good
bye and to get some clothing,
which permission was granted, and
he entered the house. In a few
moments two loud reports were
heard and a little girl ran out and
said that Alvin had shot himself.
When Odren entered the house
he went upstairs, got the shot gun
and fired one shot and missed; then
he went down stairs, fired again,
the charge striking him one inch
above the left eye, tearing the top
of his head away.
County Attorney Cronin made a
visit to the farm, in company with
Sheriff Duffy, viewed the remains
and decided that no inquest was
necessary, at is was clearly a case
of suicide.
The body was taken to Orchard
that afternoon where the funeral
services were held last Sunday af
ternoon at the United Brethem
church. Burial was made in the
Orchard cemetery.
CARD OF THANKS.
We wish to give our thanks to
all uur kind neighbors and friends
for the kind words spoken to us,
and for the help they offered. Also
to Rev. Vahle for his sympathic
words and to the choir. Especially
do we wish to extend our thanks
for the beautiful flowers that were
sent us in our bereavement, the
tragic death of our dear husband,
father, son and brother. Your
kindness will never be forgotten.—
Mrs. Eugene Luben, Eugenia, Dor
othy, Esther and Robert; Mr. and
Mrs. Luben Sr.; Mr. and Mrs. Wm.
Luben, Jr.; Mr. and Mrs. Louis
j Luben.
W. E. Stewart, the new FERA
work director for the counties of
Holt and Boyd, moved his family
to this city last Sunday from Bur
well, where they had lived for the
past year, while Mr. Stewart was
FERA work director for three
counties in that section of the state.