Neb. State Historical Society v ,
The Frontier
i VOL. LVII O’NEILL, NEBRASKA, THURSDAY, AUGUST 6, 1936 No. 12
Many Reform
Schemes Are
Now Brewing
by James R. Lowell
A number of issues already have
been formulated in the contest for
electing members of the unicameral
legislature, and bills are being
rounded into shape for presentation
when this history-making body
swings into action.
The child labor fight will be in
the limelight again, and the stand
taken by aspiring legislators on
i this question will have a bearing
on their success in the general
I election.
The Nebraska committee for the
ratification of the proposed child
labor amendment to the federal
constitution has begun reorganiza
tion work which will include zon
ing the state for an intensive cam
paign of education and information.
The proposal drew strong con
sideration from the last legislature,
but failed to wrin approval. It was
first submitted to the states for
ratification June 2, 1924, with no
time limit. Nebraska legislatures
have considered it for a decade, but
the farm element in the legislature
has defeated it heretofore. How
ever, a survey by the American In
stitute of Public Opinion this sum
mer indicates that the farmers are
swinging over to the idea. Twenty
four states have ratified the amend
ment so far, and 22 including Ne
braska have rejected altho they
have a right to reconsider.
Nebraskans who hope to see the
amendment ratified by the first
unicameral session will be inter
ested in reports received by the
children’s bureau of the depart
ment of labor regarding child labor
after NRA codes were invalidated.
A definite return to the use of
child labor in the last seven months
^ of 1935 is disclosed in a depart
ment of labor survey made this
spring. The survey report states:
“The totals number of 14 and 15
year-old children receiving employ
ment certificates in the seven
month period was 55 per cent larg
er than the number receiving cer
tificates during the 12 months of
1934 when the NRA was in effect
in the 12 states and 107 cities in 20
other states for which reports were
received for both periods.
The children s bureau points
out that numerically considered a
total of even 12,000 children ex
changing school life for work may
not loom large in comparison with
the thousands who continue their
education until they become 16.
But the fact that such an increase
as is here shown could take place
during a period when there was
no scarcity of adult labor and im
mediately following the experience
under the NRA is of particular
significance. As a matter of fact
here are approximately 10,000,000
unemployed adults in the United
States today.
States bordering on Nebraska
which have ratified the amendment
include Colorado, Wyoming and
Iowa. Kansas, South Dakota and
Missouri have rejected it but will
doubtlessly reconsider in their next
legislative sessions.
The state P. T. A. and dozens of
other Nebraska organizations have
adopted resolutions urging the
next legislature to ratify the
amendment. A dissenting opinion
has come alone from the Nebraska
Farm Bureau federation which
adopted a resolution opposing the
child labor amendment.
Representative Lusiensk , of Col
umbus, says he intends to sponsor
a bill in the first unicameral leg
islature next January if he is
elected, for the submission of a
constitutional amendment “to the
effect that any measure that is
voted in by the people of the state
* shall be immune from attack thru
the courts; the only method of at
tack will be thru the same method
by which it was enacted.’’
Lusienski also proposes to in
troduce a bill for a constitutional
amendment making power a state
monoply. This is in line with the
influence being exerted by Senator
i Norris.
Included among the bills to be
■ioj auo an ijia\ Xiqsqo.id paanpo.nui
conslidation of the city of Omaha
(Continued on page 4, column 1.)
Mdyor Kersenbrock called the
Council together Monday evening
to meet with F. N. Hennington, of
Omaha, an engineer working over
the state in connection with muni
cipal water supply systems. He
gave as his opinion that O’Neill
would have to reach out beyond the
Elkhorn sooner or later for an ade
quate water supply. The present
wells are adequate for the needs
just now, being no shortage this
hot, dry season, but a growing city
will soon need more water .
Plans Developing
for a Free Day
Something like 100 citizens at
tended a supper in the McDermott
grove south of the river Tuesday
evening, under the auspices of the
Tigers. The matter of a free day
celebration was taken up and plans
made to have a free day during
the last week in August. This is
becoming a permanent thing in
O’Neill, business men here thus
manifesting an appreciation of the
patronage of those from the country
surrounding. Committees were
appointed to work at details, take
care of the financing and set a
definite date.
James P. Marron acted, as chair
man and he has appointed the fol
lowing committees:
General committee: H. E.
Coyne, chairman; W. H. Harty,
Lod Janousek, P. J. McManus and
L. M. Merriman.
Finance committee: Ed Camp
bell, chairman; F. N. Cronin and
T. S. Mains.
The committees will report at a
general meeting to be held at the
K. C. hall at 8 o’clock Tuesday
evening, August 11.
Frank Nelson, one of the suc
celsful farmers of the Meek neigh
borhood, went down to Omaha last
Saturday morning for a few days
visit with his father and other rela
tives in that county. Frank’s
father will be 90 years of age in
September and he has always en
joyed good health until the past
few months, when the heat seemed
to affect him and Frank thought it
best to run down for a few days
visit. Mr. Nelson has been a resi
dent of Douglas county over a
half century. Mr. Nelson returned
home Monday night, having found
his father considerably improved
in health.
Miss Margaret Rhode returned
Saturday to her duties with the
force of nurses at St. Joseph’s hos
pital at Omaha, after a visit with
her mother here, Mrs. Bridget
Rohde.
Prices at the At
kinson Sale Ring
Report of the Atkinson Live
stock Market, Tuesday August 4:
Hogs: 1650 head on sale, with
the market generally steady on all
classes except lightweight pigs
which were from 75 cents to 1.00
a hundred lower. Butcher hogs
and sows held firm with the last
week. 180 to 220 pound averages
at 10.20 to 10.35; best fat sows at I
8.50 and 8.85; thin sows at 7.00 to ■
8.00; heavy pigs 7.00 to 8.60.
Medium weights from 5.00 to 6.50; j
lightweights 4.00 to 5.00 a hundred. \
Buyers were present from Iowa,
Illinois and Wisconsin and selling1
at a rapid rate.
Cattle: 250 head sold. Market,
steady on yearlings—cows gener
ally 25 cents lower than a week
ago. Best yeai'ling steers at 4.80,
heifers at 4.50; fat cows from 3.76
to 4.40; cutters at 3.25 to 3.65; !
canners 2.50 to 3.00. There was a
somewhat better inquiry for stock
ers and feeders and some good
fleshy feeding cattle would have
sold well up towards the $6 mark.
Horses: Not enough horses on
sale to test the market.
METHODIST CHURCH NOTES
Sunday school 10 a. m.
Morning worship 11 a. m. Ser
mon subject, “Repentance and
Faith.”
Big out of door meeting on the
lawn by the church in the evening
at 8 o’clock. The band under the i
direction of L. M. Durham will
play again. There will be a short
sermon on “God’s Out of Doors.”
Come in your cars and park close
by if you like and enjoy the service.
County and
City Levies
Are Made
The County Board Tuesday fixed
the following levies for the year:
State General . 1.76
County General fund 2.70
County Bridge fund 63
County Road fund .03
County Fair fund .05
County Judgments .74
Soldier’s relief .03
Unemployment relief .- .50
Mothers’ pension ..— .02
Coyote bounty 02
Court House bonds and
interest .. -34
Total, County levy 5.08
Total State and county 6.84
The county levey this year, for
county purposes, is lower than it
was a year ago. The levy for
this year is 4.74 and to this must
be added .34 for the redemption
and the payment of interest on the
court house bonds, which, of course,
was not in last year’s estimate.
The county levy for last year
was 4.95 and the state 2.15, so that
the total of both levies was 7.10 or
.16 more than the total levy for
this year.
The City Council Tuesday even
ing also fixed the O’Neill levies.
These are: General 5 mills, street
lighting 4 mills, refunding bonds
2% mills water bonds Ms mill, pav
ing bonds Ms mill, 1 mill each for
interest in four street improve
ment districts and 1 mill paving
district 3. Band maintenance Mt
mill. Total 18 mills.
The school district levy for the
O’Neill district is 15 mills, 1 mill
less than last year.
Beauty shop or hat shop are the
natural commercial affinity for the
ladies. The business of dealing in
baled hay seems to be a masculine
perogative but a successful busi
ness woman in O’Neill is in charge
of the largest hay concern in these
parts. Miss Mae Keys, employed
at the J. B. Ryan headquarters, is
efficiently managing the daily ar
rival by trucks and shipment of
large quantities of hay. Her judg
ment of qualities is reliable and
readily classifies loads of bales.
Haulers look to her for instructions
where to unload and also has in
hand the various details of the
office work. The long period of
service testifies that Mr. Ryan re
poses confidence in the business
sagacity of Miss Keys.
An attractive little nook has just
been finished at the McMillan &
Markey bakery. A small room off
of the north end of the main din
ing room formerly a pax-t of the
kitchen has been converted into
dining quarters done in blue and
white, with a touch of bright colors
on the tables. The moon and stars
on a deep blue floor covering add
to the decorative scheme, which
with the furnishing, is the work of
a decorator from the Lincoln Fix
ture company at Lincoln. The
lighting is artifical and the current
turned on discloses under a soft
glow an artistically appointed
place that will have its appeal to
ladies of the community for social
gatherings.
July 4th corn sold for 40 cents
a bushel. A month later the price
had risen to $1.25 a bushel and
nobody was selling any at that.
Milk prices l-aised within a week
4 cents. Cream, for a brief spell,
delighted the owners of cows and a
separator by selling at 40 cents
sagged back again to 33 cents.
Such is the instability of the mar
kets.
"
There seems to be more and bet
ter tramps every day—better in
that the up-to-date version of the!
Weai y Willie has considerable snap
and keeps his attire in a fair state
of cleanliness. More because the
empty flat cars in the ordinary
train will not accommodate them
all. The overflow sit with legs
dangling from the open box cars.
Mr. and Mrs. Cecil Brown and
son, Wayne, came up from Custer
county Thursday last for a visit
at the home of Mrs. Brown’s father,
R. II. Mills. All left Monday for a
fishing trip to the Niobrara.
STILL ANOTHER REMEDY!
/ EVERY TIME
l that clock tick*.
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lleproduced by courtesy of Los Angeles Times
STREET SCENERY
Will Graves, out the other morn
ing a little after sunup with bucket
and brushes washing the glass
front, says he ha* to get it done
early to be ready for the daily
rush of business.
In a trailer attached to a car
with Buffalo county license plates
passing through the streets recent
ly was loaded boxes, a bed, a
bundle of straw and a cow. Going
places to find more fruitful con
ditions.
A roofless coupe of ancient
structure and flapping fringes of
once substantial finishings rushing
gayly down the street with happy
strains of music from a radio en
cased somewhere within, may be
said to be optomism personified.
Weather-worn, wrinkled, be
whiskered, bowed and grey—a vic
tim of famine, indolence or ignor
ance—a discouraged, worse than
that—whipped— farmer said: "I’m
going to let them have that d—
farm, come to town and get a pen
sion."
A rift in monotonous swich of
an endless car traffic through the
streets came just for a moment as
a fine span of bay mules stepped
fancily up the hill on Fourth. Even
they were hitched to a rig with
pneumatic tires. The driver had
the attitude of one who felt he had
something worth drawing the lines
over.
Three feminine figures occupied
the rear seat of a public convey
ance. The one in the center
struck a match which flared into a
blaze and was applied to the little
white fag held between seasoned
lips, while nervous glances and hes
itant movement indicated that, com
mon as it has become, just as soon
the man of the street didn’t see.
The late make of automobiles
are splendid for appointment, im
parting that aristocratic air to the
occupants, but for service in carry
ing a load get an old Ford. The
top removed from one of these
earlier makes of the touring type,
the driver was able to load eighteen
or twenty heavy oak posts in the
hack seat and proceed to his destin
ation just like he was handling a
two-ton truck.
A check on the cars crossing
Douglas street going south or
north is being made to ascertain
what per cent of the drivers stop
their cars before proceeding across
the street. Traffic on Fourth
street was being checked yester
day. At Sixth on Tuesday, a street
with but little traffic, HO cars were
counted, about 10 per cent of which
were brought to a stop at the in
tersection. Most drivers are tak
ing the sign “Stop” to mean slow
ing down the car. Nearly 100
cars an hour pass the intersection
going noth or south at Fourth and
Douglas.
A modern maid or matron swung
across Douglas street at Fourth.
Bare arm swaying like the pende
lum of a ten-foot clock and partly
bare legs striding with the sweep
of a marathon walker, a female
counterpart of Icabod Crane in all
but the figure. Not under a hund
red and eighty, she moved with
the air of one who proposed to get
there without being hampered by
the niceties of public decorum.
According to an Associated Press
report, which we have not verified,
all the personal property of Clar
ence Greeley, 18 miles southeast
of Chambers, was destroyed by fire.
Only his livestock was saved. His
house, barn, grazing land, 60 tons
of hay and 160 acres of meadow
grass were destroyed and the dam
age was estimated at $4,000. The
Frontier’s Pleasantdale items tell
of a considerable loss by fire at
Andrew Johnson’s, near Emmet.
Othef places throughout the county
have been menaced by fire, citizens
promptly turning out to save prop
erty and control the fires. It is
also reported that St. Joseph’s
church at Atkinson was struck by
lightning Saturday night, causing
damage amounting to $200.
I
To Employ Farm
Help on Roads
Out of the crash of farmers’
hopes for a fruitful season may be
born some road construction work
in this county. M. G. P. Nissen,
representative for Holt county of
the resettlement administration,
says his office at O’Neill has been
advised that funds are now avail
able for emergency drouth aid.
Just what this means is clear only
to those doling it out. As near as
we can ascertain it will mean more
government loans.
Representative L. G. Gillespie
has been carrying on correspond
ence with the WPA at Lincoln to
get action on the road out of Ewing
to connect with the Elgin road and
to ascertain if it can be built with
farmer labor. His inquiries has
been met with the following letter:
Lincoln, Nebr., Aug. 3, 1936
L. G. Gillespie, O’Neill, Nebr.
Dear Sir: In answer to your let
ter of the 1st, relative to assigning
farmers to road projects, in my
opinion, the project south of Ewing,
that you mention, can be taken
care of with this class of labor.
However, before we will be able
to assign any farmers to WPA pro
jects, the counties will have to be
designated by the Department of
Agriculture as drouth counties,
and farmers will have to be certi
fied to us by the resettlement be
fore we can assign them to work.
Yours very truly,
D. F. Felton,
State Administrator.
It is understood that drouth suf
fering farmers will be given jobs
on the road construction work ir
respective of previously being on
relief rolls. Details of the plan are
available at the resettlement ad
ministration headquarters in
O’Neill.
A pile driven by Hank Mc
Evony— “Old Hank”—something
like fifty years ago for the bridge
once spanning the Elkhorn south
of the McEvony place was brought
into town the other day. Timber
experts call it Russian mulberry.
The stick is about five feet long,
8 or 9 inches through, in a perfect
state of perservation and heavy as
so much iron. The stick will be
worked into firewood by an O'Neill
householder.
Celebrate Their
40th Anniversary
Last Wednesday Mr. and Mrs. H.
W. Tomlinson celebrated their for
tieth wedding anniversary. On
Tuesday evening all of their child
ren and grandchildren gathered at
the Tomlinson home and proceeded
to celebrate the anniversay. The
evening was pleasantly spent play
ing cards and eating ice cream and
cake, and in all three lines “Hank”
shines. The following children and
grandchildren w'ere preseot: Mr.
and Mrs. Glenn Tomlinson, Mr. and
Mrs. Arthur Tomlinson and son,
Virgil, of Inman; Rodney Tomlin
son; Mr. and Mrs. William Turner
and children, Chambers; Mr. and
Mrs. Henry Bruhn and children;
Mr. and Mrs. James Coventry and
children, Inman; Ralph Tomlinson.
The following friends were also
present to assist in the celebration:
Miss Mary Richter and Mr. and
Mrs. George Mitchell, O’Neill, and
A. E. Rhodes, of Lenox, Iowa.
Mrs. D. H. Cronin returned Wed
nesday night from a six wtek^’
visit with relatives at Nebraska
City and with friends in Omaha.
Mrs. Cronin did not enjoy her visit
very much, however, as she was
under the care of a physician most
of the time she was away.
Mrs. E. H. Whelan arrived in
the city last week from her Los |
Angeles home for a few weeks’
visit w'ith her brother, T. A. Quilty
and her sister, Mrs. John Golden
and with other old-time friends in
the city.
SUMMERS-CANADY.
Harold Summers and Miss Edith
Canady, both of Middlebranch,
were united in marriage at the
Methodist church in O’Neill on
Wednesday, August 5, at 11 o’clock,
with the pastor, Rev. A. J. May.
officiating.
There were twenty-five of the
near relatives of the contracting
parties present. Following the
ceremony the party went to the
home of the grandmother of the
groom, Mrs. M. A. Summers, where
a bounteous dinner was served.
Mr. and Mrs. Summers expect to
go to the Black Hills for a honey
moon trip.
THOMAS J. MURPHY.
O’Neill relatives received word
last week of the death of Thomas
J. Murphy at Fort Scott, Kansas,
on July 2G, 1936, after an illness
of a few weeks of gastric ulcers,
aggravated by heart exhaustion.
He was buried at Fort Scott on
July 29.
Thomas J. Murphy was born at
Marysville, Mo., on February 24,
1882, and was a little over 54 years
of age at the time of his death.
The family moved to this county
about thirty-five years ago from
Johnson county, Nebraska, and
lived on a farm northeast of this
city for several years. Tom farm
ed the old home place and for a
time was employed in this city, and
was supervisor of several road
building jobs in this county fifteen
and twenty years ago. About ten
years ago he left here and went
to Rawleigh, Kansas, where he lived
for a few yeprs and then to Kansas
City, Mo., for several years. For
several years he had been in the
employ of the Truman Smith Con
struction company and was with
a crew laying a pipe line near Fort
Scott at the time of his fatal ill
ness. Tom was a large, robust and
good natured man and had a host
of friends in this city and vicinity
who will regret to learn of his
death. He never married.
Deceased leaves three brothers
and two sisters to mourn his pass
ing. They are: James T., Omaha;
David, Tecumseh; Joe, Kansas
City, Mo., Mrs. Margaret Shaunss
eey, Tacoma, Washington, and Mrs.
M. P. Sullivan, of this city.
Congressman
Visits O’Neill
the Past Week
To the few that knew of his
presence in the city was brought
in vivid and gasping horror the
scene of a battle field in northern
China on Monday evening by Con
gressman Karl Stefan who drove
in that afternoon unannounced
from the west. Divested of the
glamour of military trappings on
parade the real business of war
was thrown on the screen in motioru
picture.
Mr. Stefan, accompanied by Prof.
Peterson, of Elgin, came in during
the late afternoon. He had with
him pictures secured on the trip to
the Orient when he went with the
group of senators and congressmen
who were guests of the Philipinos
at the inauguration of their new
form of government as an inde
pendent people. He is making a
tour of the Third, district just now
to get in touch with conditions as
they are and talk over matters with
constituents in various parts of the
district who have business with the
federal government.
Mr. Stefan announced he would
have an informal meeting in the
evening at the Golden and show
some pictures. Wi h but a short
time to pass the word around the
attendance was not lai-ge but a
goodly number of prominent citi
zens were present;
The story of thePhilippineinaug
uration in motion pictures was put
on the screen after a talk by the
Congressman giving the history of
the connection of the United States
with the Islands and the events
that have developed into the pres
ent relationship with them where
by they are given a period of ten
years to determine their ability for
self-government. The United
States commission went to this in
auguration at the invitation and
expense of the taxpayers of the
Philippines. Japanese commercial
interests are dominating the busi
ness of the Islands, Mr. Stefan
says, and he feels it is not unlikely
that this will be extended in time
to the ultimate control of the
whole group. The Islands are
without defense from without and
any great power can take them
over. Their relations as to trade
with the United States continue as
they have been, products from the
Islands coming here duty free.
Very little of United States manu
factured goods find a way into the
marts of trade over there as Japan
is supplying everything from need
les to automobiles.
Many interesting pictures were
shown, from the raw natives in the
distant hill sections to the modern
cities.
Moving on to China’s battle-torn
scenes, strewn with the fallen
soldiers, belching cannon, hurrying
infantry and galloping horses Mr.
Stefan said Japanese influence is
taking hold in that vast country
and if in the future the keen little
people from the flowery empire get
the untold millions of China under
efficient organization there will be
“a real yellow peril and God pity
the white race.”
In addition to the pictures on the
screen and some photographic
views of shocking scenes of viol
ence in Chinese cities where men
were beheaded, Mr. Stefan drew
some vivid word pictures of things
witnessed in the Orient, a world
without moral standard as known
here. He saw a Chinese slave
sale, where withered and repulsive
old men with their long finger
nails and honey hands claw over
the naked bodies of young girls
from 12 to 14 years of age being
sold into slavery.
Mr. Stefan and Prof. Petersen
left Tuesday morning for Boyd
county.
W H. Allen, of Newport was in
the city last Friday and favored
this office with a pleasant call and
ordered The Frontier sent to his
address hereafter. Mr. Allen is
one of the pioneer business men of
the Rock county towri, having been
in business there for nearly forty
years. He is confident, too, that
Nebraska will soon again come into
its own and be blessed with bounti
ful crops.
