Neb. State Historical Society
The Frontier
V0L LVI O’NEILL, NEBRASKA, THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 12, 1935^^_No. 17
ROCK COUNTY MAN
I TAKES COUNTRY’S
LAST HOMESTEAD
Filin* Made In Office of Clerk of
District Court As There Are
No Land Offices Now.
_
Martin E. Lantis, of Rose, in
Rock county, last Monday com
pleted a filing on 120 acres of gov
ernment land in Rock county, in
township 26, range 17. The filing
was completed before the clerk of
the district court as there are no
land offices in the State of Nebras
ka, altho not so many years ago
there were six.
This entry will probably be the
last one made on government land
in the United States, as last Feb
ruary the President issued a proc
lamation taking all public lands
from entry. Mr. Lantis had his
application for this land on file at
the time the order was issued, so
that particular piece of land was
exempted from the provisions of
the order.
Celebrate 80th Birthday
of Mrs. William Hull
At the home of Mrs. William
Hull on Friday, Sept. 6, her eleven
children and their families gath
ered to help her celebrate her
birthday, where a sumptous din
ner was served cafeteria style.
The table decorations consisted
of a bouquet of pink and w'hite car
nations and three large birthday
cakes. Two of the cakes were
baked by the two oldest daughters
for their mother, and one for the
oldest daughter, Mrs. Sarah Nel
son, whose birthday is the 9th of
September.
Mrs. William Hull was born in
the year 1855 in Boone county, la.
She and her husband came to Holt
county 56 years ago and took up
their homestead where she still re
sides, her husband having passed
away in July, six years ago.
She endured all the hardships of
pioneer life and reared twelve
children, all of whom were present,
except one, a son who died in early
manhood.
Those present were: Mr. and
Mrs. Elmer Hull, Redbird; Mr. and
Mrs. Clyde Hull, Paddock; Mrs.
Sarah Nelson and children, Meek;
Mr. and Mrs.Levi Hull, Meek; Mrs.
Alice Miller, Boone, Iowa; Mr. and
Mrs. Arch Hull, Crookston, Nebr.;
William wrho resides with his moth
er at home; Mr. and Mrs. Preston
Jones and family, Meek;
Mf. and Mrs. Cecil Haynes and
family, Parriielee, S. D.; Mr. and
Mrs. Edwin Hull and family, Sioux
City, Iowa; Mr. and Mrs. Leon Mel
lor and family, Redbird; Mr. and
Mrs. Horace Crawford and family,
O’Neill; Mrs. Guy Hull and son,
Redbird; Mrs. Loyal Hull and
children, O’Neill.
The guests departed wishing her
many more happy birthdays, xx.
State Fair Successful
Financially This Year
The state fair held at Lincoln
last wefek is declared by the man
agers to have ben a success from
a financial point, the first success
ful fair, as far as finances are con
cerned, held in the past four years.
A race meet was held in connec
tion with the fair at which pari
mutuel betting was allowed, which
helped to defray the ordinary ex
penses of the fair.
Senator Huey Long Is
Dead As Result of Last
Sunday Night Shooting
United States Senator Huey
Long, of Louisiana, was shot last
Sunday night about 9:15 in the
corridor of the state capitol build
ing at Baton Rouge. Senator Long
was shot by a Baton Rouge eye
specialist and the latter was in
stantly killed by Senator Long’s
bodyguard.
Senator Long was shot through
the abdomen, the assailant shoot
ing the senator in the side as he
walked down the corridor of the
building. The Senator was at once
• rushed to a hospital and an emer
gency operation at once performed.
He lived until 4 o’clock Tuesday
morning, when he passed away.
For several months the Senator
had a premonition that an attempt
would be made on his life and he
had been accompanied by a body
guard whenever he was in his home
state.
The death of Senator Long, in
-- I
the prime of life, removes from
the political life of the nation one
of its greatest characters. He had
exceptional ability as an organizer
and was both loved and hated in
his home state. For several years
he had been the champion of the
poor and oppressed of that state,
and had a great and enthusiastic
following among them. He was
also supported by many of the real
big men of the state, so he must
have had many fine traits of char
acter, to be able to command the
following that he had in that state
for the past ten years.
Hospital Notes
Miss Leola Rodger, 14, of Orch
ard, Nebr., was operated on Thurs
day for fibroid tumor. She went
home the following evening.
Charles, the 14 year old son of
Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Cooper, of
Page, was brought in Tuesday suf
fering from a skull fracture and
lacerations received when a horse
he was riding ran with him and
threw him. He is resting as well
as could be expected at present.
Mr. and Mrs. J. M. DeLong and
Mrs. Griffin and son, R. L. Griffin,
of Coquille, Ore., arrived here Mon
day afternoon for1 a visit at the
home of Mr. DeLong’s nephews,
Floyd and Roy DeLong, living
southeast of this city. They are on
a tour of the country visiting rel
atives in various states. From here
they will go to Illinois, then down
to Arizona, Arkansas and Cali
fornia then on home visiting rela
tives in the various states. Mr. De
Long is 91 years of age but is as
spry and active as a man of 50. He
must have discovered the famed
fountain of youth in Oregon, where
he has lived for the past fifteen
years.
Mr. and Mrs. Henry Grady and
I sons, Harry and Billy, returned
last Friday from a three months
visit with relatives and friends at
Casper, Wyoming, and in the Big
Horn moutains 100 miles north of
Cosper. Henry says they had a
very enjoyable outing, as part of
the time they lived in a cabin, and
nearby was a fine trout stream and
that he had lots of fun catching
fish as w'ell as eeating them. The
fact that it was the first real vaca
tion Hank had ever had, added to
the enjoyment of the outing.
Mrs. W. J. Froelich and Mrs. C.
E. Stout, W. J. Froelich and Mrs.
Nellie Froelich drove down to
Sioux City last Monday, where Bill
took the train for Chicago and Mrs.
Nellie Froelich took the train for
Rochester, Minn., where she will
spend the week with her daughter,
Mrs. Edward Campbell who is in
a hospital there recovering from
an operation. Mrs. Campbell is
getting along nicely and is ex
pected home the end of the week.
Phyllis Dean Chapman, who had
been visiting at the home of her
grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. J. H.
McPharlin in this city, and with
her grandmother, Mrs. Withers, in
the southwestern part of the county
for the past three weeks, left for
her home in Omaha Tuesday after
noon. She returned home with
Miss Koenig, of Omaha, who had
been visiting relatives in Boyd
county.
Mrs. Harry Reardon received a
message last Sunday afternoon an
nouncing the death of her father,
J. E. Hasburgh, at Tacoma, Wash
ington, that morning. He was 74
years of age and had been an em
ployee of the Milwaukee railroad
for many years, retiring on account
of ill health about a year ago. The
funeral was held Tuesday and Mrs.
Reardon was unable to attend.
Mrs. P. V. Hickey, Mrs. J. B.
Donohoe and Mrs. T. F. Donohoe
entertained twenty old time neigh
bors and friends at dinner Thurs
day at the home of the latter, hon
oring their mother, Mrs. Catherine
McNichols on her 76th birthday.
Five of the guests were 75 years
old. It was a complete surprise to
Mrs. McNichols. A very enjoyable
day was spent by all.
GAMBLE’S SCORE AGAIN!
The middlewest’s greatest as
sortment of Radio Values. 12 Mod
els to choose from—Over 100,000
Coronados in use. Farm Set, com
plete with batteries and tubes,
$21.15.—Adv.
BRIEFLY STATED
Henry Beckman went over to
Bloomfield last Monday afternoon
to take in Children's Day at the
Knox county fair, returning in the
early hours of Tuesday morning. '
Mrs. V. C. Johnson and her son,
Virgil, in response to a message
left Monday for Scottsbluffs, Nebr.,
where Mrs. Johnson's daughter,
Mrs. Morris Harmon, was reported
ill.
Mr. and Mrs. Tom Edwards and
daughter, Cecilia, were at Ponca
CCC camp last Sunday visiting
their son, Shobert. On ^he way
home, relatives at Plainview were
visited.
Mrs. Judson Meyer, of Wisner,
came up last Tuesday afternoon
for a couple of weeks visit at the
home of Mr. and Mrs. Leo Manne
felt. Mrs. Meyer is a sister of Mr.
Mannefelt.
Attorney and Mrs. Douglas
Cones, daughter and little grand
daughter, of Pierce, were in the
city last Monday on their return
home from a visit with friends in
Brown county.
Mrs. Grant White and children
moved last Sunday to Bristow, Ne
braska, where they will make their
future home. Mr. White is station
agent for the Northwestern rail
road at Bristow.
According to reports from Wash
ington the newly created potato
control act was expected to be put
into operation by December 1. On
that date a three-fourths of a cent
a pound tax becomes effective on
potatoes sold in excess of farmer'
allotments.
What to do with alley weeds has
been demonstrated by Clarence
Cunningham in south O'Neill.
Clarence shaved off the ground on
his side of the alley, getting most
of the roots and leaving nothing
for snow to catch in to water more
weeds next summer.
Frank Gallagher left Tuesday
morning for LaCrosse, Wisconsin,
where he will spend a week visit
ing his uncle, Dr. E. E. Gallagher,
and will then go on to St. Louis,
Mo., where he will enter St. Louis
University for his final year in
the medical college.
Leslie, son of Mr. and Mrs. Jas.
Van Every, of Opportunity, ar
rived here from Gordon last Sun
day and Mr. and Mrs. George Van
Every of this city took him to the
home of his folks. Leslie was to
return to Gordon Tuesday night or
Wednesday morning.
Edward Kirkpatrick reported
while looking for wild grapes and
plums he found a tree bearing darl
berries like choke cherries and on
sampling them he found them “hot”
enough to heat a flat iron. Maybe
they are choke cherries still hot
after the heat of this summer.
Henry Hunteman and son, Gab
riel, of Plainview, came up last
Wednesday morning to attend t'Ke
funeral of William Hagensick.
The Hunteman family were resi
dents of this county for many
years, leaving here about five years
ago and moving to Pierce county.
James Harrington returned last
FridaymorningfromGranite Butte,
Mont., where he had been visiting
an uncle, M. T. Sullivan, for ten
days. His uncle was quite sick
while he wras there and a couple of
days after his return James re
ceived word that he had passed
away.
The Ladies Guild of the Presby
terian church will serve a chicken
dinner in the basement of the
church on Thursday evening, Sep
tember 26, 1935. Serving will
commence at 6 o’clock and the
price for a real feed will be 50
cents. You are all cordially in
vited to attend.
Rev. and Mrs. A. J. May left for
Omaha Tuesday morning to attend
the annual conference of the Meth
odist churches of the state, which
is being held there all week. They
expect to return home next Mon
day. Sunday services will be con
ducted at the Methodist church
next Sunday by Rev. D. S. Conrad.
THE NEBRASKA
SCENE
by James R. Lowell
As the winter season draws
close, a sentiment not noticeable
during the autumns of 1933 and
1934 is evident in Nebraska per
taining to federal relief.
When the FERA was new the
great majority of Nebraskans
found a sense of security in the
fact that the federal government
was on the scene with millions of
dollars to stem the tide of human
destitution.
By September 1934 some mur
muring against the colossal ex
penditures for relief was heard,
but it was pretty well drowned out
in the chorus of thankfulness raised
to federal agencies by persons
helped thru the drouth.
Now, however, the people are
failing to enthuse very much over
the prospect of “being saved” thru
another winter. They are as apt
to wince as to smile appreciatively
when PWA and WPA millions are
mentioned. Political observers say
the trend of sentiment in Nebraska
is unmistakably toward retrench
ment in expenditures, and they
predict that President Roosevelt
will give heed to that trend when
congress convenes next year.
Meanwhile a sizeable army of
officials and employes of alphabet
ical relief agencies is girding its
loins for the coming battle. This
army is so large that $25,000 a
month just about covers the travel
expenses of the generals, majors
and captains who have travel priv
ileges.
Despite the overhead and hitches
resulting from trying to shape up
huge administrative organizations
in a few weeks time, prospects are
bright for the unemployed, the
majority of whom undoubtedly
want to work.
Altho the WPA has failed to
contribute to tho employment sit
uation as yet, except where several
hundred admir.”.native employes
are concerned, applications for ap
proximately $4,500,000 worth of
projects had been sent to Wash
ington up to this week. Regional
WPA officials declared that the
FERA will end November 1, and
that the WPA must be ready to
take over the job of providing
work for the employables by that
time.
Applications under the PWA
program had passed the $2G,000,
000 mark when the deadline was
reached last week. At least half
of the projects submitted should
be approved. School and college
improvements account for $7,000,
000 of these applications, while
flood control and irrigation pro
jects are second with nearly $6.
000,000.
Word from Washington that a
$2,116,890 loan and grant probably
will be made available to the North
Loup public power and irrigation
district, brings to $41,500,000 the
total sums recommended by the
government for Nebraska’s pro
gram of river resources develop
ment
Much of Nebraska’s unemploy
ment relief will come thru road,
building and grade-crossing elim
ination, but this work is necessari
ly curtailed during the winter
Heavy grants from the WPA along
with continued aid from the United
States bureau of roads have en
abled Nebraska to launch the most
extensive program in state history.
The state highway department
has shaped a $12,500,000 road and
bridge construction program for
the next 12 months. Grade separa
tion work will total $3,550,000.
Highways built under the regular
federal aid grants will account for
$5,162,000, of which half will come
from the state 4-cent gasoline tax.
Highway construction under the
WPA will account for $3,800,000.
A special emergency grant of $1,
040,000 for reconstruction of high
ways and bridges in the Republic
an river valley brings the actual
proposed 12-months’ outlay for
highways to $13,550,000.
With completion of projects now
underway or advertised for bids,
the state will have 950 miles of
paving, in addition to 641 miles of
oil mat surfacing, 5,777 miles of
all-weather gravel and 740 miles
of unsurfaced earth highways.
Restrictions under the WPA
highway construction program are
that 50 per cent of labor be drawn
from relief rolls, and 50 per cent
from a preferred list submitted by
| the federal re-employment service.
Word from Washington that $2,
j 000,000 has been set aside from the
$4,000,000,000 work-relief fund to
help farmers scale down their
debts, means that Nebraska will
get enough to pay expenses incur
red by voluntary farm debt adjust
I ment committees which were set
| up under C. W. Bryan's last ad
j ministration.
There are 88 locul committees in
! the state with 352 members, and
their purpose has been to seek
means of averting financial dis
aster to hard pressed farmers. Lust
year they considered 651 cases and
succeeded in averting 167 fore
closures as well as obtaining 102
loan extensions. The work will
now be administered thru the re
gional resettlement administration,
one of the newest alphabetical re
lief agencies to make its appear
ance in Nebraska.
The RRA has set up regional of
fices in Lincoln to supervise the
work in four states, including
Kansas, and the Dakotas. The ag
ency aims to put needy farmers on
their feet by making loans based
on farm and home management
plans' where “good risks” are con
cerned, and second, by resettling
families whose location apparently
makes self-support impossible.
Additional news from the relief
front includes the return of WPA
Administrator Felton to his job
after a visit to the Rochester,
Minn., clinic, and his second lay
off because of ill-health since his
appointment last summer; and the
announcement that four Nebraska
counties have been classified as
drouth-stricken. The counties are
Harlan, Franklin, Webster and
Nuckolls, and the RRA is making
plans to come to the assistance of
farmers in that area.
Inside State House “Dope”
Senator R. C. Regan, of Colum
bus, a recent visitor to the gov
ernor, is of the opinion that the
state got a dead horse when it ac
cepted the federal government’s
gift of the old Indian school at
Genoa.
“They are going to lose money
on it this year and I doubt if it
will ever be a paying proposition,”
he declared. “Half of the furni
ture has been moved out already,
and the crops are just about a
failure.”
State Fire Marshal Davis, while
giving out information to the ef
fect that “fire losses were small
for the first half of 1935," and “fire
hazards are being eliminated,” has
failed to give to the press the in
formation that the number of fires
and losses thereon so far this year
in Nebraska are about double the
amount for the same period a year
I ago.
In the initial six months tms
year, 1,121 fires were reported. The
reported loss was $528,900. Em
ployes in the fire marshal’s office
said figures were not available for
the period last year.
The increase in fires this year
can not be attributed to the weath
er, as last year’s drouth was much
more conducive to fires than this
season. The only logical explana
tions are that incendiarism is on
the increase in Nebraska, or that
the state fire marshal’s office is
succeeding in procuring a more
complete coverage in reporting
fires than last year, or both.
Incidentally, more farm fires in
this state during the first half of
1935 started from oil stoves and
kerosene lamp explosions than any
other one cause. The number was
30 in a total of 248 farm fires re
ported. The records also show that
farmers lose a great deal more in
proportion from blazes than do
! their urban neighbors. This is
mainly because the farmers carry
less insurance.
The appointment of A. L. Haeck
er, of Lincoln, as state dairy in
spector and assistant to Director
Banning of the state department
of agricultureand inspection, marks
a pleasant but rather startling de
parture from political etiquette,
j The starting thing is this—Haeck
er is a republican, and the pleasant
| aspect is that he probably is bet
i ter qualified to hold the job than
i any other man available in the
' state. He founded the dairy de
partment at the state university.
While receipts of the liquor com
mission totaled only $152,950, or
approximately $37,000 below the
July figure, the August receipts
are highly pleasing to the state of
(Continued on page 5, column 4.)
The Weather
High Low
Thurs., Sept. 5 7G 43
Fri., Sept. G 78 62
Sat., Sept. 7 .. 71 48
Sun., Sept. 8 74 82
Mon., Sept. 9 80 45
Tues., Sept. 10 _ 82 49
Wed., Sept. 11 87 49
Will Open Wholesale
And Retail Fruit And
Vegetable Mart Here
W. H. Barnhart, of Atkinson, has
| rented, the Ryan building on Doug
las street, formerly a grocery
store, and will open up a wholesale
fruit and vegetable market therein
the first of the coming week, as
soon as some repairs that arq
being made on the building are
completed.
For the past year Mr. Barnhart
has been running a wholesale fruit
and vegetable market at Atkinson
dnd has made a splendid success of
the business there. He intends to
continue to operate his Atkinson
store as well as the store in this
city. Mr. Barnhart says he decid
ed to open up business here on ac
count of its railroad facilities, as
with two lines of road it is much
more convenient for him to get his
fruit delivered. Shipping fruit
and vegetables here in carload lots
he should be able to make attract
ive prices to the people of this sec
tion. The Frontier welcomes him
to the business ranks of O’Neill.
Postmaster M.R. Sullivan
Taken To Stuart Hospital
Postmaster M. R. Sullivan has
been under the weather the past
couple of weeks and the latter part
of last wreek he was taken to the
hospital in Stuart for treatment.
Word from Stuart is to the effect
that he is getting along nicely.
The genial postmaster has many
friends in O’Neill and over the
county who hope that he will be
able to return home shortly and
resume his position as head of
Uncle Sam’s local mail system.
Black Widow’ Seems
On Increase Here
One day this week Tom Edwards
and Lloyd Godol worked at board
ing up doors part way on a coal
shed wesrt, of the Northwestern
depot in preparation for storage of
coal for the Seth Noble lumber co.
Edwards opened a door, long closed,
and there found a spider’s web en
tirely over the entry-way. Dang
ling on the web was a large, glossy
black spider atid on it‘s lower part
a bright red hour glass shaped de
sign.
Godol inspected the deadly spider
then found a Mason fruit jar con
taining several pickled apples, the
container perhaps discarded by
some hobo, and with the jar in one
hand and the lid in the other he
flecked the spider into the jar. Sev
eral persons then inspected the
first black widow to come under
their eyes.
There is no doubt but wnat tnese
spiders have increased greatly here
this summer. Their venom is said
to be more than one hundred times
poisonious than is that of a rattle
snake. Three widows were killed
recently near the Burlington round
house. Their habitat seems to be
a dark shed, closet, basement or
cluster of weeds, brush clump or
other shaded retreat where they
spin extensive webs and jump on
prey up to two feet away. Under
the web where Godol captured his
specimen were the shells of numer
ous bugs of large size.
PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH.
Sunday School 10:00, C. E. Yant
zie, Superintendent.
Morning worship 11:00, “Need
less Yokes.”
Evening service 7:30, Young
People’s Choir and gospel singing.
You are invited.
H. D. Johnson, Pastor.
CARD OF THANKS.
We wish to express our most
sincere thanks to our many friends
for their sympathy and kindness
extended to us at the death of our
beloved husband and father; we
wish also to thank them for the
many beautiful floral offerings.—
Mrs. C. W. Hagensick and Child
ren.
Clyde Streeter returned last
Monday night from Lincoln, where
he underwent a tonsilectomy oper
ation in the Veterans hospital.
LAST RITES HELD
WEDNESDAY FOR
BILLY HAGENSICK
Was One of the Real Pioneers of
The County, Having Lived
Here Since 1884.
Christopher William Hagensick,
known by everyone as “Billy,” died
at his home in the northeastern
part of the city last Monday morn
ing about 6:45, after a short illness
of a heart affliction brought on by
a dropsical condition, at the age of
79 years, 5 months and 10 days.
The funeral was held Wednesday
afternoon from the Presbyterian
church. Rev. H. D. Johnson officiat
ing, burial in Prospect Hill cem
etery. In honor of this old pioneer
most of the business houses of the
city closed during the funeral ser
vices.
William Hagensick was born at
Clater, Iowa, on March 29, 1856.
When a young man the family
moved to Lincoln, Nebr., and there
on March 19, 1882, he was united in
marriage to Miss Anna Neuman.
To this union five children were
born, four of whom, three sons and^
one daughter, are left with the
mother to mourn the passing of a
kind and affectionate husband and
father. The children are:
Edward, Elmer and Mrs. Selma
Traney, of O’Neill, and Oscar, of
Sioux City, Iowa, all of whom were
present at the funeral.
In addition to his immediate
family he is survived by four
brothers, J. C. and Fred, of Lin
coln; Henry, of Sioux Falls, S. D.,
and Lewis, of Clater, Iowa,
Billy Hagensick wa3 one of the
real old pioneers of the county. He
came here in the year 1884 and the
next spring homesteaded a quarter
section of land thirteen miles north
of this city, where he lived for
seven years, conducting a country
blacksmith shop on the farm and
taking care of the needs of his
neighbors in that line while he re
sided on the farm.
In 1891 he moved, to this city and
opened a blacksmith shop on lots
now occupied by part of the Seth
Noble lumber yard where he con
ducted a shop for many years,
then moved across the street where
he successfully carried on the busi
ness for a number of years, until
his retirement from active work a
few years ago on account of failing
health.
He was a good citizen and had a
host of friends in this city and
vicinity. In the early days of the
county he took quite an active part
in the civic affairs of the county
and served as postmaster of Joy,
Nebr., something like 50 years ago,
when the office was located west of
the Spencer highway.
Another landmark has gone and
his passing will be regretted by
many of his old time friends in
this vicinity.
A Birthday Party
Tuesday, September 10, 1935,
was the 76th birthday of Grandma
McNichols, and a few of herfriends
and well wishers gathered at the
home of her daughter, Mrs. T. F.
Donohoe to help her celebrate the
event.
Those present at the gathering
were: Mrs. Thomas Markey, Mrs.
John Hickey, Mrs. Joe McNichols,
Mrs. P. V. Hickey and son Pat,
Mrs. Alice Minton, Mrs. Myron
Sparks daughter and two sons,
Mrs. James Brennan and daughter,.
Mrs. D. J. Cronin, Mrs. Hannah
Donohoe, Mrs. Merzig, Mrs. Hzrb
Jansen, Mrs. T. J. Donohoe, Miss
Anastasia Carney, Mr. and Mrs.
J. B. Donohoe and three sons, Har
old, Walter and Eugene.
The folks gathered about 11
o'clock a. m. and at 12 o’clock
sat down to a table loaded with
spring chicken and all the good
things that go with it. In the
center of the table was a beautiful
birthday cake with 76 candles on
it. The cake was made by Mrs.
Joe McNichols and Mrs. T. F. Dono
hoe. Grandma McNichols was
presented with many beautiful
presents, as a token of esteem and
in remembrance of her anniversary.
The afternoon was spent in vis
iting and a nice lunch was served
at 6 o’clock, after which the guests
departed for home, after wishing
Grandma McNichols many more
years of useful life. ***
A large delegation of the citizens
of Hiis city are taking in the fair at
Chambers today.