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VOL. LVI. O’NEII.L. NEBRASKA, THURSDAY, JUNE li. 1986. No. 3
' PLANS FOR NEW COURT
HOUSE SHOWN TUESDAY
AT TAXPAYERS MEETING
Plans Call For Three Story Building With Basement
of Brick, Cement and Steel Construction
Measuring 106x70.4 Outside.
$49,500 FEDERAL GRANT ASKED, AND A LOAN
A good sized meeting of Holt
county taxpayers was held in the
court room in this city last Tues
day evening to discuss the pro
posed new court house and the
probability of securing federal aid
for more than half of the expend
iture. Those at the meeting, real
izing that in a very few years Holt
county would have to build a court
house as the present structure has
about outlived it usefulness, were
unanimously in favor of the appli
cation (for a new building now
while the opportunity remained to
get a good portion of the cost from
the federal government as a do
nation.
The plans for the new structure,
prepared by John Latenser & Sons,
architects employed by the county
to draw plans for the building,
were received that afternoon and
were examined by those at the
meeting. According to the plans
the building will be 106x70.4 out
side measurement, of brick cement
and steel, and will cost completed
the sum of $110,000. It will be
three floors with basement, over
half above ground, and jail quart
ers and living rooms for the sheriff
on the top floor, just under the
roof.
In the basement there will be
ten office rooms, besides store
rooms, vaults, corridors and toliets.
On the first floor there will be
fifteen rooms, retunda. vestibule,
vaults and stairways.
On the second floor there will be
the court room, 48.1x40.6. The
judges office; office and vaults for
•
the clerk of the district court; jury
rooms; office for the county judge
and vault; sheriff’s office and office
for the county attorney; ladies
room, corridor and rotunda.
On the third floor, in the central
part of the building, will be the
county jail, with two blocks of
cells, one block in a room 28.8x20
and the other 24.6 20. In addi
tion to the cells there will be liv
ing quarters for the sheriff with
lavatories and toilets, to make it
very commodius living quarters.
Application has been made for
a grant of $49,500 and a loan of
$60,500. Those who have been
looking the matter up are of the
opinion that we might be able to
get a loan of about $60,000, leaving
about $50,000 to be paid by the
county.
If the application of the county
is acted upon favorably by the
government then the next question
will be the matter of voting bonds
by the county to take care of their
part of the contract. It would be
like picking up dollars for the tax
payers of Holt county if they could
get a modern court house erected
in the county at a cost of only $50,
000, or even $60,000.
Now is the time to try and get
this thru as the government is go
ing to spend the vast amount of
money that has been appropriated
and Holt county is certainly en
totled to a portion of it as we will
eventually have to help pay it back.
Let us all boost for a new court
house.
Tornadoes And Heavy
Rains Do Much Damage
In Southern Nebraska
During the past week heavy
rains and a couple of tornadoes
caused great loss of life and prop
erty in the southwestern part of
the state and southwestern Colo
rado. The towns hardest hit were
McCook, Oxford, Alma, Culbertson,
Arapahoe, Ogalalla, Parks, Miller,
Stratton, Franklin and Curtis.
Practically every town along the
Republican river for a stretch of
200 miles suffered more or less
from the raging waters.
According to Senator Bullard, of
McCook, chairman of the district
relief committee the flood covered
a stretch of country 200 miles long
and four miles wide, with a death
loss of 140 and property damage
estimated in excess of $12,000,000.
The heviest loss of life is report
ed to have been in the vicinity of
Oxford. Tuesday evening nine
bodies had been recovered there and
twenty-one others are reported as
missing since Saturday and friends
have given up hope.
Heavy rains of last Tnursday
and Friday were responsible for
the flood. That section had been
very dry all spring, until the past
ten days; a rainfall of over four
inches the forepart of the week
and another of over five inches,
just west of McCook, brought the
flood waters down the Republican
river valley, rendering hundreds of
families homeless.
Governor Cochran was in Wash
ington at the time of the disaster.
As soon as the extent of the dam
age was known the Governor took
the matter up with the federal gov
ernment and asked for relief for
the distressed people in that sec
tion. He came back to Nebraska
Tuesday night by plane, and on
Wednesday flew out over the dev
astated territory. Prior to leaving
Washington he had been given
authority by the federal govern
ment to take care of the needy in
the state, and that the government
would take care of the expense.
Two hundred and fifty national
guardsmen were mobilized and
sent to the devastated area to as
sist in any way they could the
.stricken people of that section.
They were demobilized Tuesday
and returned to their homes.
Red Cross officials say there are
2,000 families in the valley that are
homeless, or seriously affected by
the worst flood in the history of
the valley.
The republican river valley is
one of the richest in the state, its
farm lands being especially valu
able. This flood wiped out all
crops in the territory affected and j
it is so late in the season there is
very little opportunity for them to
replant, as it will take some time
for the water to recede sufficiently
so they can enter their fields.
Highways along the river valley
were also badly torn up with the
flood waters. Railway time tables
were smashed as the flood took out
several miles of track along the
Burlington railroad. For a couple
of days the only way to enter sev
eral of the stricken towns was by
airplane, as other means of com
munication were covered with
water.
Flood waters started to recede
Monday and the work of rebuild
ing is under way.
Mrs. Nate MeGraw and daughter,
Mrs. William McCormick, of Dallas,
Texas, arrived in the city the latter
part of last week for a visit with
relatives and friends here. Mrs.
MeGraw is a sister of William and
Daniel Cronin of this city and made
her home in O’Neill for many
years. About twenty years ago
the family moved to Omaha, where
they resided until a few years ago
when they moved to Dallas, Texas.
They left for their southern home
Wednesday morning.
Willima Cronin returned Tues
day night from Savanah, Mo.,
where he had been receiving medi
cal treatment for the past three
weeks. He got back in time to
have a visit with his sister, Mrs.
MeGraw, who, with her daughter,
Mrs. McCormick were here for a
short visit, from their home in
Dallas, Texas. William is well
pleased with his southern visit and
feels that it was very beneficial to
his health.
Workmen started the later part
of last week getting Fourth street
ready for the paving gang and it
looks as if they would be ready for
the cement gang about the first of
the coming week.
Country Club Notes
The Club House has been decor
ated for the summer season. Cob
Olson was in charge of the decor
ating and he has received many
congratulations from members who
say that the present appearance of
the interior of the club house is
the most pleasing in recent years.
Visitors at the 1935 tournament
will find many improvements at
the Club. The children's play
ground equipment is ready at this
time. The many new trees and.
shrubs are making splendid pro
gress. The decorations in the club
house and the entire well-kept ap
pearance of the grounds will cer
tainly impress the visitors.
The tournament committee has
devised a plan to eliminate confus
ion at the dancing party on June
24. All in attendance must be
registered entrants in the tourna
ment and members expecting visi
tors should arrange for their guests
before the dance. All dues are to
be paid before the date of the
tournament. The officials of the
club report that the membership
for 1935 will be as great as in for
mer years.
Anticipating the usual Fourth of
July celebration those in charge of
that affair have ordered an elabor
ate display of fireworks.
BRIEFLY STATED
Judge R. R. Dickson and L. G.
Gillespie went down to Omaha on
Monday morning to attend the an
nual meeting of the Masopic Grand
Lodge of Nebraska, which was held
in Omaha the forepart of the week.
Edward Kirkpatrick visited at
the home of Mr. and Mrs. Wilton
Hayne at Page Wednesday. He
rode down with A1 Deitchler, Sioux
City Tribune fieldman and came
home that night on the Burlington.
County Clerk Gallagher and the
members of the County Board of
Supervisors went down to Norfolk
this morning to attend a district
meeting of the county clerk’s and
supervisors, which is being held
there today.
Mayor John Kersenbrock and
Supervisor Sullivan drove down to
Lincoln Wednesday, returning that
afternoon. They left here at 6
o’clock in the morning, arrived in
Lincoln, attended to their business,
loafed around a few hours and then
came home, arriving here at 6
o’clock in the evening. No, John
says he has no wings on his car.
Peter Duffy returned last even
ing from Omaha, where he had
been for several days on business
and incidently taking in the races
at the Ak-Sar-Ben field. Pete says
they are having splendid crowds at
the race meet and that several of
his former racers are at the meet
ing and he looks for some of them
to be in the money before the meet
ing ends.
Edward Earley, one of the pione
er residentsofShields township and
quite a student of current events,
has maintained for the past couple
of years that the reason we were
not receiving rains like we did in
the good old days, was on account
of the radio waves, as they were
taking all the electricity out of the
air. We wonder if Ed has changed
his mind.
Jack Jones, about 50, was before
the insane commission last Mon
day, adjudged insane and ordered
committed to the asylum. Ne
braska asylumns are full and there
are now three insane patients con
fined in the Holt county jail, pend
ing receipt of word from the
asylum that they are in a position
to receive them. The patients con
fined in the county jail are: Carl
Crawford, Harry Clements and
Jack Jones.
Mr. and Mrs. J. C. Chapman,
Mrs. Ronald Wolfe and Junior
Baker came up from Omaha last
Wednesday night. Mr. and Mrs.
Chapman spent Decoration day
here at the home of Mrs. Chap
man’s parents, Mr. and Mrs. J. H.
MePharlin, while Mrs. Wolfe went
on to Y’alentine to visit her par
ents and Mr. Baker to Ainsworth
to visit at the home of his parents.
Mr. and Mrs. Chapman also visited
at the home of his mother, south
west of Atkinson before returning
to Omaha. They went back Sun
day afternoon.
SHORT ILLNESS OF
HEART/FATAL TO
MRS. M. HUGHES
Funeral Services Held At Catholic
Church Monda> For Pioneer
Resident of County.
Mrs. Margaret Hughes died at
the O’Neill hospital last Thursday j
morning at about 9 o’clock, after
an illness of a few days of heart
trouble, at the age of 72 years.
Margaret Vaughn was born at
Des Moines, Iowa. When a young
lady the family moved to Lancast
er county, Nebraska, where they
lived for a couple of years and then
came to this county in the spring
of 1881 and settled on a farm a few
miles west of this city where they
made their home for many years.
On January 29, 1899, she was
united in marriage to Patrick
Hughes, who passed away in No
vember, 1924. Mrs. Hughes was
the mother of one daughter, who
passed away several years ago.
She is survived by one brother,
Michael J. Vaughn, of Salt Lake
City, Utah, and one sister, Mrs.
Campbell, of McCook, Nebr. Mr.
Vaughn came here for the funeral,
which was held last Monday morn
ing from St. Patrick’s church, in
terment in Calvary cemetery. Mrs.
Hughes’ sister, Mrs. Campbell, had
intedended coming for the funeral,
but the recent flood in and around
McCook prevented her from com.
ing here. The funeral was very
largely attended attesting the es
teem in which the deceased wns
held by the people of this commun
ity.
Mallory Ranch Near I)ani
Made Into Game Reserve
Huge signs have been placed in
various spots about the Mallory
ranch in Holt county, adjoining
the dam, to inform the public that
the famous fishing and picnic ter
ritory is now gi-same reserve and
any trespassing of any kind is pro
hibited. A large number of golden
pheasants have been released on
the place. The streams and the
ponds they run into have been
stocked with trout and bass, and
more will be released in the near
future.—Spencer Advocate.
Former O'Neill Girl
Prefers Plains To
Eastern City Crowds
The charm of living on the
prairies with its entrancing changes
of weather, drouth, flood, winds,
hot and cold, and unsurpassed
freedom and open spaces in which
to live and work is something ap
preciated only by thos< who leave
and reside in the crowded sections.
Some years ago the Frank
Youngkin family, after living in
a dozen cities of the east, came
to this city where the father and
a man named Purcell started a
poultry plant. When the Armour
Creameries entered the field here,
Mr. Youngkin operated a retail
coal business until the family
moved east three years ago.
The children, Dorothy, Eleanor,!
Frances and Andrew, knew little ■
of the east and supposed thejy j
would enjoy living there yet. They
came here when very young and
grew up with the breath of the
west in them. The family home
is now in a suburb near Bethle
hem, Pa.
Eleanor, now 19 years of age,
married May 20 and she now is
Mrs1. John Oldham. Mrs. Oldham
and her husband came straight to
O’Neill as a feature of their honey
moon. Both expressed a desire to
remain hgre. Mrs. Oldham says
neither her mother, brother nor her
sisters are satisfied with living in
the east—“too many people there.”
Mr. O'dham, as well as his wife,
should be an exceptionally valuable
acquistion to this vicinity. He
graduated from high /chool at the
age of 16 and from engineering
college at 20. The cotiple came
by way of the south by automobile
and are temporarily at home at the
service station and cabin camp just
south of town. They arrived here
May 29.
In the east Eleanor was some
thing of a sensation at school since
she was from the west and other
pupils hung an atmosphere of cow
girl aspect about her, electing her
president of a class of .'500 and.
tendering her many other honorary
positions.
Mr. Oldham’s folks reside at
Greenwich, Connecticut. Lately he
has been employed by a nationally
known steel company.
Mrs. Oldham saye she feels that
every member of her family will
eventually follow her lead and come
back to reside in Holt county
should she and her husband decide
to remain.
County Baseball
League Formed
Organization of the Holt county
Town baseball league has been
completed with the towns of Red
Bird, Page, Stuart and Atkinson
represented. Ernest Richter, of
Red Bird, is president, and Charles
Dugan, of Atkinson, is the secre
tary-treasurer, The schedule fol
lows :
June D—Stuart at Red Bird;
Page at Atkinson.
June 16—Stuart at Page; Red
Bird at Atkinson.
June 23—Red Bird at Sautr;
Atkinson at Page.
June 30—Atkinson at Red Bird;
Page at Stuart.
July 7 — Stuart at Atkinson;
Page at Red Bird.
July 14 — Atkinson at Stuart;
Red Bird at Page.
July 21—Page at Atkinson; Stu
art at Red Bird.
July 28—Red Bird at Atkinson;
Stuart at Page.
Aug. 4—Red Bird at Stuart; At
kinson at Page.
Aug. 11—Page at Stuart; Atkin
son at Red Bird.
Aug. 18—Page at Red Bird; Stu
art at Atkinson.—Graphic.
RED CROSS ASKING
FUNDS FOR FLOOD
RELIEF IN STATE
Ask Holt County To Raise $310
To Aid Republican Valley
Flood Sufferers.
Last Monday morning Dr. L. A.
Carter, president of the Holt coun
ty chapter of the American Red
Cross received a telegram from
St. Louis appealing for aid for the
flood sufferers of southern Nebras
ka. The telegram stated that the
Red Cross had sent into Nebraska
$10,000 for the immediate relief of
the sufferers of the flood and that
the Holt county quota for the relief
was fixed at $170.
Tuesday morning Dr. Carter re
ceived another telegram stating
that the damage to the southern
part of this state was much heav
ier than was at first estimated,
therefore calling for more relief
than originally figured, and in
creased this county’s quota from
$170 to $340.
Tuesday morning Donald Stan
nard, whose mother, Mrs. D. Stan
nard, is head of the local chapter,
started out with a subscription list
to raise money for the relief fund.
During the drouth in this sec
tion a few years ago the people of
the Republican river valley sent
several carloads of feed and grains
to this county and our people
should respond liberally to this
fund now in the hour of their need.
If you do not happen to see the
collector you can make your dona
tion direct to Dr. Carter or to the
Red Cross treasurer, F. N. Cronin,
in the O’Neill National bank. Ac
cording to the daily press the dev
astated territory covers a strip
three miles wide and 200 miles
long and thru a densely populated
area, so that thousands of people
are homeless.
CARD OF THANKS
We desire to express our heart
felt thanks to the many kind
friends and old time neighbors for
the many courtesies extended dur
ing the illness and burial of our
belovedsister.Mrs. Patrick Hughes.
Your kindness will always be grate
fully remembered.—Mr. and Mrs.
M. J. Vaughn and family.
Uniforms have been ordered for
the O’Neill High School band.
The band is composed of fifty
members and with the leader it
makes fifty-one uniforms that have
been ordered. A portion of the
cost of the uniforms will be paid
by the school district while the
business men of the city will put
up the balance. Every youngster
in town will want to join the band
when he gets a glimpse of the nice,
natty uniforms.
W. J. Froelich came out from
Chicago last Thursday night and
spent the week-end with his family
here, returning to Chicago Monday.
HEAVY RAINS IN EASTERN
PART OF COUNTY DAMAGE
BRIDGES AND LIVESTOCK
Rainfall Of Over Four Inches In Vicinity of Inman
And Page And On North W ashes Bridges And
Fences Away And Drowns Poultry.
WASHOUT AT INMAN DELAYS RAIL SERVICE
The month of May went out in
a blaze of glory as far as moisture
is concerned and the rain storm ou
the last day of the month did con
siderable damage to bridges, farm
buildings, fences, chickens and hogs
in the northeastern and eastern
part of the county.
South of this city the Elkhorn
river overflowed its banks, as did
also Dry Creek and the South Fork.
The meadow land south of O’Neill,
along the river, was covered with
water for the first time in years,
reminding old timers of how it
used to be. While the Elkhorn
overflowed we have heard of no
damage from its raging waters.
The rainfall was much heavier
north and northeast of here and
directly east of O’Neill than it was
here. Supervisor John Carson says
that they had five inches at his
place and that about forty bridges
in his district were taken out by
the flood. Louse creek, ordinarily
a very quiet little stream became
a raging torrent and caused im
mense damage to farms, and in
some instances farm buildings, as
its raging torrent rushed down
ward toward the mouth of the
stream.
Mr. Carson estimates that it will
cost Holt county at least $20,000
to replace the bridges and roads
that were washed away with the
flood. John has lived in that sec
tion of the county about fifty years
and he has never seen as much
water as there was in that section
last Saturday morning.
Oscar Newman, who a short time
ago put in a fine dam and stocked
his pond with fish, was compelled
to let the waters out of the dam
to prevent serious damage to his
home and buildings. Even this
was not sufficient and his farm
yard was covered with a couple of
feet of mud and debris that was
carried down the little stream
with the flood waters.
VV. C. Crumley, who lives ten
miles east of this city and a half
a mile north, says they must have
had a cloud burst in his neighbor
hood. He set out a gallon fruit jar
Friday eevning before the rain and
the next morning it was running
over, and he said he did not know
how much escaped. He is convinced
they had at least 6 or 7 inches
there. He said that his garden
was under four feet of water and
fence on his farm and on the farm
of R. H. Murray, and on the Grass
farms was taken out and part of
it swept away with the flood of
water. Every hollow and slough
in that section is now filled with
water.
Peter Rodybush, who formerly
lived just southeast of this city,
but traded his farm for one two
miles east of Page a year ago, lost
all of his outbuildings, all of his
hogs and chickens. Water was up
around his house and the founda
tion damaged slightly. .
The garage of John Finch, Mid
dle Branch, washed away. A store
building at Middle Branch that
was 15 feet upon low water mark
had a porch torn off and washed
away.
Dave Bowen, northeast of Page,
lost a large number of chickens
and some hogs. Mrs. Trowbridge,
living just east of Page, is re
ported to have lost 500 young
chickens, just about ready for
market.
Highway grades in the vicinity
of Page, on No. 20 were cut half
in two in the low places by the
wash of flood waters thru the gul
leys. Logs up to 18 inches in
diameter had been washed up onto
the highway just east of Page,
indicating that over a foot of water
had been running over the road
sometime during the night. At the
sale pavillion in Page water had
flooded in forming a body of water
of lakelike proportions.
At Inman one of the worst floods
ever remembered in that section
visitedthemlast Saturday morning.
It is estimated that more than four
inches of water fell there the night
before and a large ditch west of
town broke out, running over and
flooding the town. Row boats were
used on the streets Saturday morn
ing. Basements and cellars were
full of water and hundreds of
young chickens perished. Many
fine gardens were totally destroyed.
Northwestern passenger train No.
14 was detained at Inman all day
Saturday as there was 1,000 feet
of track washed out just east of
town.
According to Weather Observer
Bowen, 32 hundredths of an inch
of rain fell in the early evening of
May 31, bringing the total for the
month to 4.47 inches. A heavy
rain fell about 10 o’clock that even
ing, an another rain from 2 to 3:30
o’clock, bringing the total for two
rains to 2.40 inches, which is cred
ited to June 1.
On June 4 we had .04, and on the
5th of June .01, bringing the total
for the month of June to 2.45
inches and the total for the year,
up to June 5, Of 14.91 inches, or
only .49 of an inch less than the
rainfall for the entire year of 1934,
or oidy 1.76 inches less than the
rainfall for the entire year of 1933.
Joe McNamara, who has been an
employee of the Interstate Power
Company in this city for the past
six years, has been transferred to
Valentine, where he becomes assist
ant to the manager of the Valen
tine station, and expects to leave
for his new post of duty the first
of the week. Mr. and Mrs. Mc
McNamara have made manyfriends
during their residence in this city
who hate to see them and their esti
mable family leave, but wish them
prosperity and happiness in their
new home.
Last Sunday afternoon, while re
moving a pump from the gravel
pit on the George Shoemaker farm
south of this city, Frank Carpenter,
an employee of the Abel Construct
ion company of Lincoln, got the
thumb of his right hand caught in
the gears and had it torn off at
the second joint. He came to this
city and had the injury dressed, but
he will have a sore hand for several
days. Carpenter is a resident of
Lincoln and is about 45 years of
age.
Jerry Kirwin, farmer just over
the Boydcounty-South Dakota line,
was in O’Neill Monday visiting
friends and relatives. Jerry is a
former O’Neill resident.
CORN HOG WORK
PROGRESSING
The Holt county corn-hog listing
sheets have been sent to Lincoln
for review by the State Board of
Review. As soon as they are re
turned the Group I contracts will
be typed up and presented to pro
ducers for their final signature.
Group I contracts are those cover
ing the same land as last year.
Those in Groups II and III will be
somewhat slower, since there will
probably be some adjustments
made.
Quite a number of inquiries have
been made requesting permission
to plant corn for fodder, but to
date this has not been granted.
Grain sorghums, Canes, and any
other crop may be grown, however,
without any limitation, as far as
the corn-hog contract is concerned.
Mr. and Mrs. Zack France, of
Norfolk, pioneer residents of the
northeast section of this county,
were visiting old time friends in
the Dorsey neighborhood and in
this city the latter part of last
week and the first of this. They
returned home Tuesday.
Miss Marjorie Dickson is con
fined to her home this week with
an attack of the measles.