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About The frontier. (O'Neill City, Holt County, Neb.) 1880-1965 | View Entire Issue (Feb. 20, 1936)
Neb. State Hiatorical Society 4 •• «* ’ ! The Frontier ____-=< VOL. LVI O’NEILL, NEBRASKA, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 1936. No. 40 gm 1 _ SNOW AND A HIGH WIND MAKE NEW ROAD BLOCKADES Period of Extreme Cold Has Had County In Its Grip 36 Days. Low of —32 Reached. Another storm, starting with snow Thursday night, Friday and Saturday, and a strong wind Sun day night and again Monday, blocked all roads in this section of the state, as well as all other points in the state east of here, for the second time within a wreek. Not only were roads blocked but the city streets were also impassible, except with foot power. All trains on the Northwestern were annulled on Monday night and • the passenger train that left Om aha on Tuesday afternoon reached here about 4 o’clock Wednesday morning. The train last night was about two hours late, but Agent Sauers informed us this morning that trains were all running this morning, altho some of them were a little behind schedule. The first passenger train on the Burlington road from Sioux City since Wednesday night of last week reached here last night only a little late and started east this morning on schedule. The passenger train carries a bunch of snow shovelers from this city, taking ten men with them east this morning and they will come back on the freight this afternoon. According to Agent Downey they now expect to have trains running on schedule, provid ing another storm does not muss things up. ^ According to State Engineer Os enbaugh, in charge of this district, at 11 a. m. Thursday, highway No. 20 was open from O’Neill west to the state line. He said that you could get thru tto Om^ha by 'taking 20 east to 14 and then No. 8 out of Neligh. No. 281 is blocked north and south of this city, but he be lieved that they would be able to get it opened today. It was open w this morning as far as Bur well. ' No. 95 from No. 281 to Chambers is again blocked. Despite the en ergetic work of the highway crew it is almost impossible to keep the roads open. Engineer Osenbaugh says that he has 100 men working as snow shovelers in the county. Out of this city 25 and thirty men work every night and the same number in the day time, trying to open roads for travel. Fifteen men are working out of Atkinson as shovelers, ten out of Stuart and ten out of Ewing. At noon No. 8 was open to Ewing. The highway department is han dicapped today as two of their snow plows were broken Wednes day in trying to get thru hard packed snow. The snow ,is so packed now that it takes a lot of shoveling before one of the small plows can get thru the drifts. The weather here has been bit ter cold all week, the thermometer dropping to 32 below zero last Sat urday night, the coldest night in this city in 19 years—the length of time that the bureau here has been looked after by Harry Bowen. The closest to Saturday night was on February 8, 1933 when the ther mometer registered 31 degrees be low zero. Wednesday night made the 31st straight night that the thermomet er registered below zeio, or thirty four days of the last thirty-six, whicfi is setting some recoid. The average temperature in this city for the past thirty-six days, accord ing to Observer Bowen, has been 14% degrees below zero. That is a record that will probably stand for years. About thirty inches of snow has fallen here since the forepart of January. The following' table gives the temperature for each day since Jan. 16, 1936: High Low Mois. Jan. 16 __ 13 —7 Jan. 17 _ 9 5 Jan. 18 _ 6 —12 I Jan. 19 _ 2 —10 " Jan. 20 _ 15 —14 Jan. 21_ 33 1 Jan. 22 _ 33 —18 Jan. 23 _ 9 —17 Jan. 24_ 9 —7 Jan. 25 _ —4 —17 Jan. 26_ 4 —19 Jan. 27. 7 —22 Jan. 28_._ 12 —2 Jan. 29_ 14 —16 Jan. 30_10 —10 ft Jan. 31_ 12 —9 f Feb. 1 _ 10 —13 f Feb. 2 . 8 —4 .06 Feb. 8 _ 10 —7 .39 Feb. 4 .. —4 —22 Feb. 5_—1 —21 Feb. 6_—1 —28 .16 Feb. 7 _—10 —14 .13 Feb. 8 .—14 —25 Feb. 9 .. —5 —22 Feb. 10 9 —19 Feb. 11 -. 4 —13 Feb. 12 .. —1 —15 .06 Feb. 13 0 —14 Feb. 14. —8 —26 Feb. 15 —12 —16 .26 Feb. 16 —10 —32 .17 Feb. 17 .. —8 —16 Feb. 18 . 3 —15 Feb. 19 . 15 —22 Feb. 20 . 15 —13 Walter V. Roe Dies At Inman Thursday Walter Vincent Roe died at the home of his brother, Cleve Roe, at Inman, this morning after an ill ness of about fifteen months of heart trouble, at the age of 58 years, six months and twenty days. The funeral will be held at the M. E. church in Inman Saturday morning at 10:30 and burial in the Inman cemetery. Deceased was born at Bethany, Missouri, on August 1, 1877. He moved to Inman on March 1, 1907, where he remained for one year and, then moved to Ainsworth where he lived for seven years then moved to Willow Springs, Missouri, where he remained for a short time and then went to Scottsbluffs, Nebras ka, for a few months then back to Inman in 1916 where he had since made his home mith his brother, Cleve, the only surviving member of his family. Organization of Farm Bureau Slowed Down The organization of the Holt County Farm Bureau has been held back along with nearly all other work by the unfavorable weather conditions. As soon as fav orable weather sets in the temp orary board of directors plan to push reorganization work. The 1935 AAA contracts are to be completed by the government and indications are a soil conserva tion program will be offered this spring. These are only two import ant reasons why the county will want to organize. The payment of the old contracts will assure every one that the Federal government will live up to its promise. No Holt county producer will want his records moved to a different county to be completed. No Holt county producer will want to go to an other county to participate in a soil conservation program if one is offered. Information from Lincoln indic ates every organized county under the AAA will continue to keep the county organization going on a membership basis. All interested producers in the county are urged to help with the organization work as soon as it is under way. Food and Fuel Holding Out Near Opportunity A call to Opportunity brought the information from Roy Alder, proprietor of the store and post master there, that the farmers sit uated south of there and who left this city one day last week with bob-sleds of necessities had reached their homes. Alder said he had some fuel and flour and would weather the storm series “if he did not have occasion to share with others.” Alder said he heard that those near Dorsey and Red Bird had battled drifted roads long and had. to give up and that they were get ting low on groceries and fuel. Those in here from Opportunity included Tomlinson, Spangler, And erson, Strong, Wettlauffer, Young and others. Assistance Barred To Beer and Liquor Users At a meeting of the County As sistance Committee held at the court house on February 13, 1936, a resolution was passed barring from all forms of public assistance all persons patronizing beer and liquor stores or frequenting card and gambling rooms. Every citi zen is invited to report such in stances to any member of the County Assistance Committee. Louis W. Reimer, Chairman, County Assistance Committee. Dean Streeter, who froze the fin getrs on both his hands while com ing up town to work a week ago last Saturday morning is reported to be getting along nicely, but it will be some time before he is able to work. We understand that he will lose the finger nails on both of his hands. CONGRESS AS SEEN BY A NEBRASKAN By Karl Stefan The house has finished, debate on the treasury and pos1; office appro pr;nt <>r. bill call1 c for $989,623, s29. There is ai. increase in the amount needed for the post office of over a milion dollars and that is necessary because of additional ac tivities due to so much work. It was passed without a record vote. Members of the house were inform ed that they will have another bill, the Army appropriation bill, over which there will be considerable controversy due to the fact that the army wants more money this year than they got last year. A group in the house which is fight ing against unnecessary expendi tures for the army during peace time is making ready a campaign to cut some of the unnecessary ap priations for our peace time army. Knowing that, the army lobby is al ready busy among members. Who paid the processing tax? And who is going to eventually get the processing tax ? These are questions which are being discues ed every day in Washington by Congressmen who represent farm states. There is today in the hands of the processors of our country, about 8200,000,000 to which many Congressmen say these processors are not entitled. The money was collected from the producers of farm produce, and there are many members who are firm in state ments that the only function of the processors as far as these taxes are concerned are service for the government as a collection agency. Letters are being received by members to the effect that those who actually paid, the taxes as pro ducers and consumers are entitled to receive these taxes. Several letters are also coming in from pro cessors and their attitude is a lot different. Some of them want to keep the moi\ey. Especially is that true among the packers who as a group apparently are determined to keep this money which does not belong to them. Some members of congress have written to packers asking if they are arranging to re fund this money to the producers who paid these taxes but they ap parently are not getting any reply to their question. It is generally felt among agriculture authorities and even among some of the pack ers that in the case of the hog pro cessing taxes the hog farmer paid the bill. __ There is a strong sentiment against the reciprocal trade agree ments. Many members are now feeling the need to protect the home market for the home producer. They feel that if there is going to be a tariff which protects manufac tured goods the farmer should be protected. They feel now that the farmer should be subsidized. They also feel that if the government can subsidize ships and railroads and other industry the farmer who raises things we eat ought to have the same protection. Some of them are suggesting a domestic allot ment plan which will give produc ers of surplus crops an equivalent for the tariff. A bill to this effect has already been introduced in the house. Instead of attempting to make the tariff on surplus crops actually effective, this new bill is based on the idea that prices are enhanced by the tariff on protected commodities. This plan is that the producer be given a tariff on the part consumed domestically which is equivalent to the cost. In other words the tariff is used to correct the disadvantage created by it. A Kansas congressman named Clif ford Hope is asking members of the house to support such a bill. Inquiries come in as to the amount of the adjusted compen sation payments to be made to Ne 1 brraska ex-service men. There are 40,233 certificate holders in Ne braska, and the total amount of these certificates is $28,802,190.95 The Third district certificates are |as follows: Antelope, $240 589.34 Boone, $233,184.04; Boyd,$133 427, 92; Burt, $206,666.97; Cedar, $259, 908.00; Colfax, $180,908.75; Dixon, $183,313.70; Dodge, $399,869.41; Greeley, $133,569.33; Holt, $261, 205 40; Knox, $302,368.42; Madison, $411,957.42; Nance, $137,936.20; Merrick, $168,013.82; Pierce, $175, 307.76; Platte, $335,125.79; Stan | ton, $128,554.00; Thurston, $165, 529.77; Wayne, $167,175.26; Wheel er, $36,944.37. _ A question comes to the congres sional office asking if the Arlington National cemetery is open to the public for burial. The answer is “no." Arlington cemetery is set aside for the burial of soldiers who served in the military forces of the United States. This was brought to the attention of those interested, in the cemetery just the other day, i Miss Mary Ann Spencer, treasury department clerk, died in 1919. Having no near relatives she made a will that all the money she had, about $30,000, be used for the re moval of her parent’s bodies from Congressional cemetery to Arling ton cemetery, and for her own bur ial with them in that vault. Since Arlington cemetery never has been open to the public for burial as Miss Spencer thought it would be some time, the trustee of her estate has never been able to carry out the terms of the will. Meanwhile the estate has grown to $140,000, leaving more than $100,000 after paying all legacies and costs. The court ruled the other day that not more than $10,000 should be paid for a vault or monument for the remains of Miss Spencer and her parents, but the monument will not be in Arlington cemetery. Strange as it may seem the painters who paint murals and frescoes in the capitol building get only the same pay as ordinary house painters, but the house painters must be experienced painters, _ Michael McGirr makes daily vis its to this office. Mike comes from Greeley and used to teach school there many years ago. He too says he is going to Nebraska next summer to swap I yarns in the barber shop at Greeley. Redbird To (fNeill By Way of Norfolk Supervisor John Carson came in from his farm home near Redbird Wednesday night, coming on the train via Norfolk, it being impos sible to get here from the north on the highway. John was in O’Neill the first of the week and left here Monday afternoon for home. He got as far as Lynch by car and had to stay there for a day when his folks came after him with a bob sled. John, who is one of the old timers in the northwestern part of the county is firmly convinced that he never saw snow drifted as bad ly over the roads in the county, and surrounding counties, as it is at the present time. 1936 Snowbound (With ( ream) “Tell me not in mournful numbers Life is but an empty dream.” Tell me, rather, Oh you wise ones What to do with all this cream. Veal's ago we read in “Snowbound” The touching poem of Whittier’s dream, He left us “fence posts draped with snow,” But no advice regarding cream. At first we filled a great big can, And then we filled the other. A five gallon jar next was filled, ^Lnd wish we had another. Six little crocks setting around, And each one full of cream; With snow blocked Toads for miles and miles It is enough to make one scream. What next among our wares to fill Could mortal mind discern? But happy tho’t! OUr eyes espied That great big bulging churn. But now, Oh Sphinx, please spare our life, When by your riddles we are grilled. Open our eyes to paths anew When that chun with cream is filled. —Mrs. Art Auker. School or No, Told By Bell Superintendent R. W. Carroll, of the public school, announced the bell there is to ring at 8, 8:15 and 8:30 when there is to be school and for the afternoon sessions it will ring at 12:30, 12:45 and 1 o’clock. If you do not bear the first of each of these series of three bells there will be no school. The order was issued last Friday. The ar rangement is designed to prevent needless trudging when weather is dangerous. APPLICATIONS ARE BEING TAKEN FOR OLI) AGE PENSIONS Application Covers Every Phase of Applicants Life In A Long List of Questions. Miss Roberta Arbuthnot, Holt county assistance director, states that applications for old age as sistance are now being taken at the icounty assistance office which was formerly the Nebraska emergency relief office. Below are listed the most import ant questions which all applicants should be able to answer before presenting themselves to the com mittee to make out the application. This will greatly facilitate handling the large number of applications and will also assist the applicant in not having to return two or three times to bring the informa tion desired. Name of applicant. Age and birthday of applicant. (Birth Cer tificate) Length of residence in Nebraska. Relatives able to sup port applicant. Deprived one-self of property to qualify for old age assistance. Sums earned by applic ant year previous, 12 months from all sources. Land owned by ap plicant. (Legal description) Personal property owned by ap plicant: Automobile; household goods and furniture; livestock and poultry; grain and other crops; cash on hand or in bank; Insurance policies: Paid up policies, cash val ue; cash surrender value of all pol icies; annual amount of premiums (by whom paid); policies payable to; Notes, securities and judgments owned by applicant. Other person al property or sources of income of applicant or kin in applicant’s home. Soldiers’ relief. Workmen’s compensation. Insurance benefits. Wages earned. Otherpersonal prop erty or income. Indebtedness of applicant — to whom and amounts. Itemized list of living expenses per month. Name 3 references—not relatives— address and occupation. If applic ant owns real estate, the following questions must be answered: Legal description of real estate; In whose name title recorded; Dat: real estate acquired—from whom and cost; Is land held in fee, in common or joint tenancy; Descrip tion of dwelling house; Is property occupied by applicant or tenant. Liens: Holder and amount o' mortgage—past due interest; Hold er and amount of mechanics liens; Assessed valuation of real estate— amount; Delinquent taxes-amount; Holder of tax certificate, if any; Water rentals; Insurance on prop erty; Judgments, amounts, dates, owners; Foreclosure suits; Otic1 encumbrances; Yearly repairs and i upkeep; Does real estate produce1 income—amount; Income from real j estate preceeding 12 months: (Jross value of real estate; Net value. Below are requirements which must be met in order to secure old \ age assistance which it must be understood is assistance and not an old age pension. 1. Recipient must be 65 years of age or over. 2. Recipient must have been a resident of the state of Nebraska ; five years during the nine years im mediately preceding applications, and have resided continuously in the state one year preceding ap plication, or have been a resident of Nebraska 25 consecutive years and one year immediately preced ing the application. 3. During 12 month preceding application all income including use of own sup| ( es produced must have been less than $:?60. All prop erty income (including homestead) computed at five per cent of value 4. Amount granted is average monthly income subtracted from and prorated in proportion to money available and individual need o' applicant. Not less than $5.00 can be granted. 5. Recipient cannot be an ;n mate of a state institution, p ison, or jail. Temporary care in a hosp ital is excepted. 6. Recipient has no relative able to support him, who has legal responsibility. 7. Recipient has not deprived self of any property for purpose o' being eligible. 8. Payments benefit individual who is the recipient. Spouse an ’ dependent are not considered as be ing p’onerly entitled to recipient’s assistance. 9. Payments made are a le^a’ claim agains* the estate and wil’ he satisfied after recipient’s immedi ate dependents are deceased. Under the regulations, more than one member in a family may re ceive old age assistance. Ea~h re cipient or applicant is considered a a separate individual. The same income should not be figured fo more than one member of a femilv A representative of the RoP County Assistance committee wil’ go to each town in the county as soon as possible for the purnose of taking applications for old age assistance in that part of the I county. Word will be sent to the member of the Holt County Assist ance committee as to the day ap plications will be taken in each town. Farm Homes A Haven To Those Stranded On Roads In The Country Last Friday night many parties were stranded at various points and continued blizzardly weather has slowed everything, even news is coming in days and weeks late. One party was marroned last Thursday night at the Clyde Nuton farm home. Those there were: Mrs. F. P. Bouthe, Mrs. Art Clute and Howard Sicffert, and the fol lowing reached the Nuton home on a Red Start truck—Art Clute, man ager of the Haley-Neeley Co., Nor folk, all of Norfolk. Also maroon ed at the Nuton place were snow shovelers Clement Cuddy, Fred Calkins and Earl Switzer, all of O’Neill. At another farm home one mile west of Nuton’s were the following: Phil Dempsey, Richard Bowden, Ernie Harris, Roy Johnson, Chas. Stermer, Lou Wyant, Nor Devall, “Red” Young and a Mr. Peterson. All walked to O’Neill Friday and all reported best of care and are profuse in thanks to their hosts. St. Mary’s Wins Over St. Joseph’s 31 To 9 On the basketball court at St. Mary’s academy in this city last Wednesday evening the Cardinals walloped the quintette from St. Joseph’s Hall, of Atkinson, by a score of 31 to !>. The game was fast and furious and held the at tention of spectators thruout. High point man for the local school was Francis Soukup, with 18 points. McDonough, small but able to take more than his share of the load, I was second with 8 counters. Mc j Nally counted the remainder. Scott center for the St. Joseph’s team, was removed from the game near its finish for too many fouls. 4-H Baby Boef Clubs Should Be Organized Improved feed conditions coupled with the exceptionally favorable financial report of baby beef mem bers in 1935 indicate that there will be more boys and girls feeding calves in 1936 than ever before in Nebraska. A total of 26 calves are now or feed in Holt county. This com pares with seven for 1935. Name of the clubs organized are: Sout' Fork Baby Beef Club, Chambers; Martha Calf Club, Chambers, and Ridgeway Calf Club, Atkinson. Requirements as to age of 4-H baby beeves and length of feed for animals shown at the Nebraska State Fair and the Ak-Sar-Ben have been greatly relaxed which should add some enthusiasm to both shows. The high quality of both shows, however, will be main tained as sifting committees will remove all unfinished, wasty, ex cessively large or coarse cattle from the entries before the show is judged. Walter Tolman, animal husband man at the Nebraska college of agriculture and assistant state 4-H leader, recommends that club mem bers select high quality calves which will be 12 to 18 months of age at the time of showing and start them on feed seven to eleven months before showing in order to produce beeves which will meet the show requirements. Younger calve especially steers, need the longer feed periods. Heifers and older steers can be fattened in a shorter time. It is not too late to organize a Baby Beef club and anyone inter ested should get in touch with the agricultural agent. Pasture Contest Application blanks are available for the 1936 pasture contest, at the agricultural agent’s office. All en tries must be in by April 1. Fif teen hundred dollars in prizes or awards and there are no strings attached. Records are to be kept of the number of stock pastured the amount of seed planted and how it was handled in general. If 10 or more compe'e in the county a substantial award is made to the county organization sponsoring the contest. Anyone interested i* urged to secure their application as soon as possible. CHARLES WREDE, A PIONEER IN THIS COUNTY, IS DEAD Funeral Services Will Be Held In This City Friday Afternoon At Methodist Church. Charles Wrede, Jr., died at his home northeast of O’Neill last Sat urday evening at 6 p. m., after an illness of several months at the age of 66 years, 3 months and 28 days. The ^funeral will be held from the Methodist church in this city Friday afternoon at 2 p. m.. Rev. A. J. May officiating and bur ial in Prospect Hill cemetery. Charles W’rede was born at Iowa City, Iowa, on October 16, 1869. When he was about five years old the family moved to Butler county, Nebraska, where they resided until 11881 when they came to this coun ty and located northeast of O’Neill where the deceased had made his home since that time, or nearly fifty-five years. Charles grew to manhood in this county and on July 28, 1898, he was united in marriage at A gee, Nebr., to Miss Addie T.answorth, daughter of a pioneer family of that section. To this union four children were born, two sons and two daughters who, with their mother, are left to mourn the pas sing of a kind and affectionate husband and father. The children are: Mrs. Vivian Martin, O’Neill; Clarence, O’Neill; Mrs. Gertrude Easton, Fremont, and Earl, O'Neill, all of whom are here for the funer al of their beloved father. There are eight grandchildren and five brothers and six sisters to mourn his passing. Charles Wrede was one of the substantial citizens of the county and one of our real pioneers. Com ing here as a little boy of 12 when this country was a vast wilderness he saw it grow to become one of the leading counties in Northeast ern Nebraska. He was a hard worker and by strict attention to business and his ability as a cat tlemen he became one of the most prosperous farmers and ranchmen in the county. He was a man of strong convictions but was abso lutely square in his dealings with his fellow men. He always took an active part in the civic affairs of the county and his particular locality and was regarded as one of the stalwart men of the Meek neighborhood. Hi. passing will not only be regretted by his family and immediate rel atives but by a large circle of friends and neighbors in different parts of the county. The Frontier joins the many friends of the family in extending sympathy to the bereaved in their hour of sorrow. Nadine Elkins D’es At Sioux City, la. Last Thursday, February 13, in a Sioux City hospital occurred the death of Nadine Ruth Elkins, IT months old, who had been living wi:h Mr. and Mrs. L. E. Dowd at Sioux City. The child expired of an attack of pneumonia. Nadine was a daughter of Clyde Elkins, rancher, .13 miles south of O’Neill. She leaves her father, six brothers and two sisters. They are Vernon, Stanley, Eldon, Donald, Gordon, Harold, Arline and Bernadine. The mother died September 3, 1935, of cancer at the age of 38, the burial made at Chambers. Nadine Ruth was born September 12, 1934. The family home is near Waller’s lake. The fire department was called to the residence of D. H. Cronin last Wednesday about noon. Sparks from a chimney set fire to the roof of the kitchen and when discovered by Mrs. Cronin had burned two holes thru the roof of the kitchen. Prompt response by the fire de partment succeeded in extinguish ing the fire without serious damage. Had it not been discovered when it was it might have been a very destructive fire. We desire to ex tend our thanks to the Fire Depart ment for their prompt response and their efficient handling of the blaze after their arrival. Junior, 13 son of Mr. and Mrs. John Vanderlinden seriously sprain ed the little finger of his right hand in a basketball practice at the pub ’ic school gym last Friday evening when a ball struck it.