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Neb. State Historical Society
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The Frontier
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VOL. LVII O’NEILL, NEBRASKA, THURSDAY, July 30, 1936 No. 11
Political Ef
fect of a Dry,
Hot Season
by James R. Lowell
The drouth is being analyzed by
the political seers in regard to its
effect on the vote next November.
Some political guessers suspect
the drouth may help the union
party candidate, Mr. Lemke, to
carry his home state and enlarge
his poll in nearby drouth states in
cluding Nebraska. They figure
that bad times will rouse the farm
er-labor wrath, but they really do
not know yet how much money the
new dealers will put into the area
to cool off the wrath
What business wants to konw is
what effect the drouth will be on
farm purchasing power. Offhand,
it would appear to be small on a
national scale.
For one thing, Mr. Hopkins is
going to furnish immediate WPA
jobs to farmers. For another,
farmers in other areas are going
to get some advantage out of the
higher prices.
Thus, relief plus price increases
may keep general farm purchasing
power at a fairly balanced level.
There is only one intangible reason
why it may not. When calamity
strikes, farmers instinctively but
ton up their pocket books, like
everyone else.
At any rate, the situation cer
tainly means shifting of farm in
come from the northwest to the
central and eastern wheat belts.
Meanwhile, in this state, a
double-barreled relief program has
been mapped out for farmers placed
in distress by the drouth.
The program will consist of:
1. WPA projects to employ
farmers.
2. Feed loans and emergency
grants by the resettlement admin
istration.
The relief program can be car
ried out only in counties officially
designated as drouth counties, ac
cording to Governor Cochran.
Mr. Felton, administrator of the
WPA in this state, reports that
he has projects now ready which
will give employment to consider
ably numbers of farmers designa
ted by the relief administration
Governor Cochran originally
asked the federal authorities for
aid for fifteen thousand farmers.
Now he is asking aid for twenty
five thousand Nebraskans.
Plans have been completed at
the Nebraska Agricultural College
% for surveys to determine what
danger Nebraska crops will face
next year from grasshoppers
which have destroyed thousands of
dollars worth of crops this year.
The drouth also has entered into
the realm of sports. It was feared
that last winter’s cold spell would
deciminate the game, and now
drouth is complicating matters.
Any hope hunters may have held
for more liberal duck shooting reg
ulations this fall apparently have
been shattered by the w’ater fowl
losses in the mid-western area.
A high source indicates that a
short open season on migratory
birds with restrictions virtually as
severe as last year is tentatively
planned for this fall.
Although encouraged by the
number of birds which flew north
to the nesting grounds this spring,
an increase which officials attribute
largely to the reduction of the kill
last season resulting from string
ent regulations and poor weather,
government authorities feel this;
gain has been offset by the losses
in the current drouth.
Some organizations, including
the national association of Audu
bon societies have advocated a
closed season this year.
It is known, however, the govern
ment will proclaim a closed season
*,?nly as the last resort.
Recommendations on pheasant
hunting season dates and open ter
ritory will be heard by the state
game, forrestation, and parks com
mission August 11.
POLITICAL OBSERVATIONS
TAKEN ON THE Q. T.
-It has been said around the stat"
house that one does not have to be
a “blank” fool to be state land com
(Continued on page 4, column 1.)
Harold Weier was back to his
duties in the county superintend
ent’s office Monday morning after
a week spent with his parents in
Jefferson county. Drouth and
grasshoppers have left their with
ering and devasting blight over
that community and practically all
between here and there. His ob
servations coobernte the word of
many others that Holt county looks
the best of any community in the
state.
Packers After the
Fat Hogs.
Report of the Atkinson Live
stock Market for Tuesday, July 28:
Hogs: Packer buyers were eager
bidders for all fat hogs and pack
ing sows, with the top price on
choice fats going to 10.40 or with
in 20 cents a hundred of Omaha
for the same day, while the best
packing sows equaled Omaha’s top
at 8.95. Thin sows and feeder
pigs sold at advances of from 75
cents to 1.00 a hundred over a week
ago, most pigs bringing from 6.25
to 9.00, while thin sows cleared at
from 7.00 to 8.25.
Cattle: In spite of all the dry
weather the cattle market carried
an improved tone, with a slight im
provement in prices.Iowa and Illi
nois buyers were present and some
good fleshy steers would have
brought around 6.00 to 6.25. Best
heavy heifers sold at 4.50 to 5.00—
Canners and Cutters from 2.75 to
4.00, thin yearling heifers at 4.25
to 4.50, thin steers at 4.25 to 4.50;
Bulls at 4.25 to 5.00.
Horses: The demand for horses
is slowing up and prices generally
were lower than a week ago.
Hospital Notes
Miss Ruth Osenbaugh went home
Sunday, July 19.
Miss Agnes Butterfield left the
hospital Friday July 24.
Miss Bernice Race left the hos
pital Wednesday evening.
Lynn Scholz, of Chambers, un
derwent a minor operation last
Monday. He went home the same
evening.
Miss Agnes Butterfield was oper
ated on for chronic appendicitis on
Friday, July 17. She is convales
ing nicely.
Miss Bernice Race, of Middle
Branch, was operated on for acute
appendicitis on Monday morning.
She is doing nicely.
Born, to Mr. and Mrs. Jim Gal
lagher, of Inman, Tuesday a
daughter weighing nine pounds.
Mother and baby doing nicely.
IS THIS THE NEW DEAL AIM?
Much has been promised this
country through “planned econ
omy” in industry and “conscious
control” of agriculture. Results
to date have not been greatly en
couraging. They’ve been at it much
longer in Russia. Among the re
sults in Russia we now find bread
at 40 cents a loaf; butter $2 a
pound; coffee at $4 a pound; sugar
35 cents a pound; cigarettes $1 for
a package of twenty, and so on
through the list of necessities of
life. Perhaps American planners
can bring us to corresponding
levels in time.—Seattle, Washing
to Times.
CARD OF THANKS.
We desire to express our heart
felt thanks to the many kind
friends and neighbors for their
kindness to us and sympathy ex
pressed during the sickness and fol
lowing the death of our beloved
father, the late Zebcdee Warner.
Your kindness and thoughtfulness
in this hour of our sorrow will
ever be held in grateful rememb
rance.—The Warner Families.
DISTRICT COURT FILINGS
Emma Marlow vs. Phillip Mar
tin Marlow, divorce.
Iona Tenborg vs. William R.
Tenborg, divorce.
Art Doolittle vs. C. E. Addison,
injunction. Dispute over hay land.
John K. Bellar vs. Bee Rentsch
ler, et. ah, injunction. Dispute,
over cutting hay.
In the good old days the town
philosopher used to sit all day and
whittle and think. Now the boon
doggler just whittles and lets the
Brain Trust do his thinking.
Heat Wave I
Here Takes
Sudden Chill
The blistering, scorching July
day's dragging their hot and weary
lengths through wreek after week
came to an abrupt end early Mon
day morning in O'Neill when a
rain and hail without much wind
dropped suddenly upon a sleeping
town and scamper was made for
cover by night lodgers on lawns
and under trees. The rain lasted
for some twenty minutes and the
few to arrive early down town took
in the refreshing scene through
the glass fronts as hail pounded
and rain slanted through the hot
air, forming* a river that hurried
down Fourth street. The rain was
accompanied by vivid lightning
that struck in some spots out
through the country.
Most of Holt county was touched
by what amounted to a sprinkle in
places to heavy showers in others.
The official record at O’Neill was
one quarter of an inch though on
lookers would have guessed more.
Perhaps estimates made in other
quarters were a little high.
The larger effect was to break
a heat wave of unprecedented sev
erity and long continuance. Corn
fields here and there were bene
fitted but that staple grain crop
as such was burnt to a frazzle
days ago. Hail did some damage
to the few surviving gardens about
town, mostly tomatoes.
Keen interest has held in the
weather but is becoming a some
what threadbare subject. Begin
ning on June 25 with 103 above the
maximum temperature has been at
or above the 100 mark most of
the time. With .17 of an inch of
rain on July 1, .02, on July the 13th
and .25 on the 27th O’Neill has got
along with less than a half inch
precipitation during July, .44 to be
exact. The temperature record for
the month follows:
High Low Mois
July 1 _ 87 58
July 2 _ 97 56
July 3 _107 67
July 4 ..108 75
July 5 _108 73
July 6 _105 70
July 7 _ 98 74
July 8 _100 72
July 9 _105 78
July 10 .105 78
July 11 .. 104 75
July 12 ..101 70
July 13 _102 70
July 14 _100 68
July 15 _106 62
July 16 ._112 70
July 17 _112 70
July 18 _109 83
July 19 .106 68
July 20 _ 97 63
July 21 - 96 58
July 22 _.108 67
July 23 _106 64
July 24 _109 74
July 25 _110 71
July 26 _108 76
July 27 _ 100 65
July 28 ... 94 66
July 29 _ 92 65
July 30 _ 55
Rain most of the forenoon in
the south part of the county was
reported Wednesday A mere I
sprinkle early morning in this com-;
munity.
A NOTE OF THANKS.
We take this means to thank the
O’Neill Fire Department and all
the people who so quickly respond
ed in helping put out the fire that
seriously threatened our buildings
last Friday.
John W. Hickey.
Mike Kirwin came up from
Grand Island last week and went
out on Sunday to Ft. Randall to
see what his brother Jerry had
heard concerning their brotheri
John who was reported to be in a
hospital for an operation at Boise,
Idaho, his home. Mike returned
here Monday and will remain for a
time.
Mrs. II. II Beers, son and daugh
ter, James and Coroline, visited
O’Neill friends the past week.
They are former residents of
O’Neill, Mr. Beers being pastor of
the Presbyterian church -ome voar
ago. Their home now is in Kansas
Jim Carson was up from Page
Tuesday with several others to see
the contractors on the road job
south of O’Neill for the adjust
ment of a mistake in making set
ltement for work done in loading
trucks at the hill north of Page
supplying the material used in con
nection with the highway work.
Hauling was completed a few days
previous and the men paid but an
error occurred in computing the
time.
Legends Approved
for Court House
The county board yesterday
morning approved the following
for the tablets to be installed with
in the new court house. One tablet
will bear the following brief his
tory of the county:
HOLT COUNTY, NEBRASKA
Holt county, the sixty-fifth of
the state, named after Judge Advo
cate-General Holt of the United
States army, was organized by ex
ecutive order of Governor Silas
Garber June 29, 1876. In that
year an election was held (and
Paddock was chosen the county
seat. In 1879 another election was
held and O’Neill, founded by Gen
eral John O’Neill, was selected the
county seat- The first settlers
came in 1870 but the real settle
ment did not begin Until 1873.
Upon its organization all unorgan
ized territory west to the east line
of Sioux county was attached for
election, revenue and judicial pur
poses. The first county officers
took office in January 1877. A
railroad was completed across the
county in 1881, and another from
the east to O'Neill in 1890. The
first term of district court conven
ed August 22, 1879, with Judge J.
B. Barnes presiding. The first
court house was erected in 1884.
The following dedicatory para
graph will appear on a second
tablet:
THE PIONEERS.
Forerunners of civilization;
tamers of the wilderness; builders
of empire. Vision to perceive,
courage to hazard, fortitude to en
dure; patient in adversity, heoric
in calamity. Such was the char
acter and such were the virtues of
Holt county pioneers. To those
hardy men and women who came
to make homes in the unsettled
west and located within the borders
of Holt county, whose deeds, faith,
courage and rugged character are
forever enshrined in the hearts of
their posterity—to them this build
ing is dedicated.
Arthur Tomlinson, living three
miles south of Inman, was in town
Monday. He recently threshed a
crop of oats and rye that made
respectively 20 and 10 bushels to
the acre, the oats weighing out
four pounds over or ilG pounds to
the bushel.
To see what a hot sidewalk
would produce as a cooking surface
a spot was brushed clean of dus>.
at a produce center un lower Fourt.i
street aoout the noon hour last
Saturday. A fresh egg was biokou
on the spot and the heat oi the
sun from above and hot cement
beneath did the work of a lior stove
lld'_I
A striking object lesson for!
wild drivers stands crumpled and
crushed at the Mellor garage, the j
wreckage of the tar in which the
cii iver was fatally injured a month
ago when he crashed into the main
tainor on the highway near the
county line southea . ol' Chambers.
No living thing could survive the j
impact that caused he wreckage.
William Grotho, of Emmet, on J
one of the best farm, in Holt
county and himself a master far
mer, in the city re ntly, said the
50 years or more -ie has been in
the county this is the nearest to
nothing for him. Mr. Grothe has
been a prize winner and steady ex. j
hibitor of farm products but says '
he has nothing to go on show this
season, and but little produced for
the needs on the farm.
Garbach Company of Omaha had
a representative in town Tuesday
and put on a demonstration at the
Mellor garage in aeeetlyn welding.
One of the jobs done was the weld
ing of a large beam of the frame
of a truck that had been broken
which would have required the out
lay of a lot of money to replace it
with a new one. The company
sends these experts around to keep
the ga' aee men informed on new
things that can h done with this
firey torch.
Omaha Driver
Crashes Into
Loaded Truck
Fay H. Shriner, Omaha, travel
ing for the Demster Mill Man- j
ufacturing company, crashed into
Mose Gaughenbaugh’s truck going
east with a load of cattle and driven
by Woodrow Gaughenbaugh Tues
day night eight and a half miles
east of O’Neill. Shriner was
brought here with an arm nearly
severed above the elbow. Dr.
Finley put the arm in a cast and
sent him to Omaha by the night
train. He suffered from shock
also, but it was not determined as
to internal injuries.
Seriff Duffy was at the scene
of the accident and says the
Gaughenbaugh truck was well
over to the right of the high
way, the outer wheels just off the
gravel. Mr. Shriner told the
sheriff he was blinded by the lights j
but a test of the truck lights
showed there was no glare.
Sunday night a car driven by
Andrew Fink, of Winnetoon, col
lided with one driven by Andrew
Moler, of Stuart, one and a half
miles east of the Kohler cirner on
the Creighton road. Mr. Fink sus
tained injuries and his daughter
had some teeth broken out.
BRIEFLY STATED
Monday morning’s rain storm
was a new thing to the half-grown
crop of spring chickens. Taken
unawares by descending rain and
hail the young birds were at a loss
what to make of it, but followed
the lead of the old hens as they
scampered for cover.
From Holt to Jefferson county
is a long way to haul loose hay.
Parties from near Fairbury were
here Tuesday after hay and finding
the supply of bales not up to the
demand loaded two trucks with
loose hay and returned. They
had a ton on each truck.
After the cooling hail and shower
early Monday morning bricklayers
were able to go ahead with the
south wall at the court house and
work in comparative comfort, j
There was a cessation on that part
of the building for a time by reas
on of its being too hot to work
there.
Supervisor John Steinhauser,
down early Monday morning from
Stuart, reported a nearby neighbor j
straw pile was struck by lightn- j
ing and a serious conflagration was
averted by a heavy downpour of
rain that soaked the dry earth and
filled the ditches along the roads
with water.
The shrill shreak of the fire
alarm Tuesday forenoon brought
the idlers of the street to their feet
and aroused the fire boys to their
usual alertness. Arriving at the
point of alarm with all fire exting
ushing equipment it was found to j
be a burning pile of rubbish at the
New Deal station.
The ultimate outcome of the
complaint against Delbert Graham
for chicken stealing was he wa;
taken to Lincoln to serve a year
in the penitentiary because of
pleading guilty to having received
the chickens knowing they -were
stolen. The value of the flock in
volved was stated to be $3.85.
Christ Yantzi, Christ Sweitzer
and Mr. and Mrss. Menu Yantzi
were here from Milford the first
of the week to attend the funeral;
of Mrs. Erb. They were residents
of this community years ago and
old friends of the Erb family.
Christ Yantzi is a brother and
Mono a nephew of Joe of this city.
Professor Durham is keeping up
the interest in the school band dur
ing the summer months. Forty-six
boys and girls compose the band.
Saturday evenings they give a con
cert in the open air at Fourth and
Douglas streets, an attentive crowd
always assembling for the occas
ion. On Sunday night an open air
concert was held at the Methodist
church and will be repeate 1 again
in two weeks.
An occasional yellow-bellied
grasshopper wings his way into
O’Neill from distant parts or drifts
in with the wind. Hoppers are
gregarious and great feeders but
only a chance outlaw or maverick
of the band has floated in so far.
Mrs, Nellie Freeborg and two
children, of Mead, Nebr., are
spending two weeks with relatives
here. Mrs. Freeborg is a niece of
Mrs. George Bay.
Chambers Man In
jured by Saw.
A distressing accident was re
ported, Wednesday from Chambers.
Vernon Harley, in a blacksmith
shop of the town, was caught by a
buzz saw' and an arm nearly
severed.
Our information is he was taken
to the Wilson hospital at Stuart
where the arm was successfully
sewed together with Chances for a
complete recovery. The cause of
the accident, as our informant
stated, was the unintentional
throwing of a switch which put
the saw in motion as the young
man had reached over the saw for
some tool.
The Horiskey building on Doug
las street is undergoing some re-;
pairs and being reroofed.
Joe Miller, of Stuart, was in the
city Monday. Mr. Miller has been
a resident of Holt county since
1880 and enjoys talking over things
of the past. A discussion has
been going on of late in O’Neill as
to the year in which the North
western railroad was built. He
says the rails were laid through
Stuart the late fall of 1881. H
was then the Fremont, Elkhorn &
Missouri Valley railroad. It was
taken over by the Northwestern
system early in the present cent
ury.
Frank Phelin has served about
as long an unbroken term in busi
ness in O’Neill in the barber trade
as anybody in this section of the
state. Frank came here thirty
three years ago and has been man
ipulating the shears and razor ever
since. He put in twenty-eight
years in one building on Fourth
street but a few years ago moved
to Douglas street with his shop.
Youthful heads that Frank clip
ped when he first came here are
now yielding grey locks to the snip
of his shears.
Edward Gallagher was among
several O’Neill people to go to
Atkinson an evening last week
for the opening of the bathing pool.
He speaks highly of the success of
this pleasurable undertaking and
feels that O’Neill should make
similar provision for swimming as
there is the same river water here.
A paid instructor has been put on
job at the expense of the town,
teaching youngsters how to swim,
and Mrs. Gallagher is taking their
children to Atkinson for the bene
fit of this instruction.
The east front of another land
mark of long standing has been
stuccoed over, sealing up forever
a familiar thing of the past. Dr.
Carter has had the front part of
the old building adjoining his office
done over in dark stucco. In an
earlier period it was the place of
business of O’Neill’s most pictur
esque characters, John Smoot the
barber. John was a friendly fel
low, a decided personality that in
terested everybody and this old
building as it was stood as a re
minder to the old timers of a char
acter of other days.
—
July 22 was the birthday anni
versary of two pioneer residents
of this county, William Harvey
and Clyde Hull. On that evening
sixty-two of their relatives and
friends—mostly relatives — sur
prised them. They came to the
farm home of William Harvey with
well filled baskets and enjoyed the
day visiting and playing horse
shoes under the mammoth elm
trees. Before leaving for home
the guests wished Bill and Clyde
many more happy birthdays and
also expressed the wish that they
would be nble to participate in
many, many birthday parties for
both of them.
Mrs. J. Erb,
Early Settler,
Passes Away
Mrs. Jacob Erb died at her home
about ten miles northwest of this
city last Saturday afternoon about
four o’clock, after an illness of
several months of infirmities due
to old age, at ihe age of 80 years
and 7 months. The funeral was
held last Monday afternoon, ser
vices in the home, Rev. P. O. Os
wald, of Beemer, officiating and
burial in the Mennonite cemetery.
Deceased was born at Wellesley.
Ontario, Canada, on December 25,
1855, and there she grew to woman
hood and in February, 1879, she
was united in marriage to Menno
L. Erb and six years later they
came to this county, in 1885, and
took a homestead northwest fltf
this city where Mrs. Erb made her
home up to the time of her death.
Seven children were born of this
union, six of whom are living, who
with her aged husband are left to
motrn the passing of a kind and
affectionate wife and mother. The
children are: Chris, Menno and
John, Beemer; Mose, Shickley;
Mrs. Rachael Greiser, Beemer,
and Dave, O’Neill. Mr. Erb passed
away in 1915 and in September,
1916, she was united in marriage
to Jacob Erb, who survives her.
Mrs. Erb was one of the pioneers
of this section of the county, being
one of the many families that came
from Canada in the early eighties
and located northwest of this city.
Her first husband was a prominent
member of the colony of Mennon
ites that lived in that neighborhood
and they took an active part in
the civic affair* of the community
and county. She was a good
neighbor, wife and mother and had
a large number of friends among
the older settlers in that part of
the county.
The following out of town rela
tives were present for the funeral
services: Mr. and Mr^. J. O.
Greiser and family, Beemer; Emo
Oswald and Ben, Beemer; Mr. and
Mrs. John Erb and daugter, Beem
er; Mose Erb and Lloyd Kennell,
Shickley; Mrs. Simon Birkey, Ban
croft; Mr. and Mrs. C. K. Erb,
Beemer; Chris Schantz, Beemer,
and the following old friends of
the family, Mr. and Mrs. Tony
Langland, Lake Andes, S. D., and
Mr. and Mrs. Julius Kerler, Wis
ner, Nebr.
PLEASE REMIT: $2,120!
When you total your current
bills on the tenth of next month,
it would be a good idea to add an
item that you may not realize you
now owe—your share of the nation
al debt, which is a first mortgage
on your earnings, your business
and your home.
On the first of July the total
governmental debt stood at the
record figure of $53,000,000,000,
of which federal debt accounts for
$34,000,000,000 and the local debt
for $19,000,000,000 It averages
$424 for every man, woman and
child in this country—$2,120 for- a
family of five.
As an obligation it comes ahead
of your grocery bill, dentist bill,
or rent. It will have to be paid—
by your children or their children’s
children, if not by you. The only
source of governmental credit is
your property. The only source of
governmental revenue is the ex
traction of money from your pock
et, through taxation, to pay gov
ernment bills.
The national debt is constantly
growing, and some authorities an
ticipate it will be increased by ten
to thirty per cent within the com
paratively near future. If the cit
izens of this country permit con
tinued and unrestrained prodigality
in government, they should, not
kick about following the Pied Piper
to the poorhouse.
When you are talking during
these hot, withering days about
the crops the government paid the
farmers to plow under, remember
that the fellow who really paid is
the American consumer, and this
includes the man on the farm as
well as the fellow in the city.
L. 0. Gillespie had business in
Atkinson Tuesday.