Neb. State Historical Society
The Frontier
VOL. LVII O’NEILL, NEBRASKA, THURSDAY, AUGUST 27, 1936 No. 15
Elmer Merri*
man, Pioneer
of ’79, Taken
Elmer M. Merriman passed away
at his home in this city last Mon
day evening about 11:00 o’clock
after an illness of about one year
at the age of 72 years 8 months
and 1 day. The funeral was held
last Wednesday afternoon at 2:30
from the Presbyterian church in
this city, Rev. Johnson officiating
and burial in Prospect Hill ceme
tery.
Elmer Monroe Merriman was
born at Clifton, Wisconsin, on De
cember 23, 1863. His family came
to this county in the spring of
1879, when Elmer was 16 years of
age, coming here from Granite
Falls, Minn., and he had been a
resident of this county most of the
time since that date. On Septem
ber 26, 1889, he was united in mar
riage to Miss Hannah Walker, the
ceremony being performed in this
city. To this union three sons
were born, who with his daily com
panion of nearly a half century, are
left to mourn the passing of a kind
and affectionate husband and
father. The children are: Floyd
E. and Ralph W. Sioux City, Iowa,
and Lawrence M., of O’Neill.
In the passing of Elmer Merri
man Holt county lost another of
its old time pioneers. Coming
here as a youth with his parents
they located northwest of O’Neill
^ where they resided for many years.
Shortly after Elmer reached man
hoods estate he came to this city
and for several years served as
deputy sheriff of this county, in
the real old trying days. He latex
established a soft drink factory
in this city which he conducted
successfully for many years. He
left hex-e for a time, moving to
Sioux City, Iowa, where he was an
employee of the traction company
for about ten years, then he came
back to his,first love. He lived in
this city for about four years after
his return, then moved to Page for
three years, then back to this city
last April, where he made his home
up to the time of his death.
in ms younger days earner was
greatly interested in sports and
he was a member of the O’Neill
base ball team in th early nineties,
holding down first base, a position
he very ably filled. O’Neill had
a bunch of salaried men in those
days who were real ball players
and Elmer was able to hold his own
with any of them. The old dia
mond was then in the southeastern
part of the city and many an in
teresting contest was pulled off
there, with, the team representing
this city giving a very good ac
count of themselves against all
comers.. In sports, as well as in
everything else he was a good clean
player, one who could taste defeat
without becoming grouchy and one
whom victory did not swell. He
had the happy faculty of making
and retaining friends; always
cheerful and optomistic, looking on
the bright side of life always. He
had many friends in different parts
of the county who will learn with
sorrow of his passing.
The Frontier force joins the
many friends of the family in
tendering their heartfelt sympa
thy in their hour of bereavement.
After some preliminary cleaning
of the grounds last week, work
with the teams excavating for Wie
basement of the post office building
began Monday morning. We un
derstand ten months are allowed
for the completion of the build
ing. An imposing modern build
ing will stand where a land mark
of town stood for over half a
century, marking another step for
ward in the development going
steadily along in the city.
The burning of a patch of weeds
by two citizens out on the Eagle
got that community excited Tues
day and a call for officers to “come
and take them” was sent to O’Neill.
The w'eeds burned out, fire and ex
citement subsiding the idea of hav
ing anybody arrested died out.
►- DISTRICT COURT FILINGS.
August 21—Laura Zimmer vs.
George Zimmer, divorce.
August 22—Bertha A, Thompson
vs. Walter Thompson, divorce.
A spike puncturing a tire as they
drove onto a bridge near Joe
Stein’s place northwest of O’Neill
gave Mrs. Carl Burkhart and three
girls a harrowing experience. The
tire flattened and the car swerved
into the railing, plunged through
and dropped a sheer fifteen feet,
turning in mid air and landing
squarely on its top. Sufficient to
have killed all four, only one of
the girls sustained a slight collar
bone fracture. Mrs. Burkhart is
the wife of the Ford dealer at
Winner. Their car was crushed in
at the top and otherwise wrecked,
and was recovered and brought into
O’Neill by the Mellor wrecking
force.
Elmer Stolte, coa'th at the High
school, came in the first of the
week from the summer spent in
Colorado, California, Oregon and
Washington.
Precint Offici
als in Meeting
About half of the precincts of
the county were '.represented at
the court house Saturday, called
for the the purpose of discussing
ways and means to meet the fire
hazard that has arisen by reason
of the prolonged drouth. Hay,
buildings and other property is in
constant jeopardy and considerable
loss has already been sustained in
various parts of the county. This
meeting Saturday was a gathering
of the precinct officers at the re
quest of the county board.
The meeting resulted in a decis
ion to let each community hand
ling the situation in its own way.
Precinct clerks will call a meet
ing of citizens in the various pre
cincts for Friday night, August 28,
to discuss the matter of fireguards
and make what arrangements they
see fit.
While on a trip to mountain
parks and resorts R. R. Morrison
and party visited Butte, Mont., and
Bob found one of the most enjoy
able features of the outing was
their visit with former O’Neill
people, now and for many years
living at Butte. Among these were
Phillip and Jack Sullivan with
their brothers and sister. Also
Miles Gibbons and his sisters.
Butte, he says, impressed him as
a somewhat rundown mining town
with a rather over-developed pro
pensity for gambling.
Barnum used to say that a suck
er was born every minute, but
even that won’t be enough to pay
all the future taxes the New Deal
is piling up.
Heavy Run at Sale
Ring
Report of Atkinson Livestock
Market Tuesday, August 25th.
Hogs: 1150 head. A broad out
let for all kinds at a very good
price. Light weight pigs were
more popular with the buyers than
any time this summer. The bulk
of the feeding pig:-: were taken by
Iowa buyers with one load going
to Illinois. Best fat hogs sold at
10.75 and 10.90; heavy hogs at 10
to 10.50; fat sows at 8.75 to 9.50;
thin sows at 7.25 to 8.50; best
heavy pigs at 8.50 to 10.00; medium
weights at 7.00 to 8.50; light
weight at 6.50 to 7.00.
Cattle: Receipts 1190 head.
Inspite of the heavy run for this
early in the season, the market
ruled firm throughout on all Stock
er and feeder steers as well as
calves and feeding heifers. Cows
ruled generally 25 to 35 cents a
hundred lower than a week ago.
Competition was keen from the
start and a good steady market re
sulted with the close strong. Iowa
buyers took fully 75% of all the
cattle with a few going to eastern
Nebraska. Choice cows sold up to
5.00 with the best heavy heifers
selling up to 5.50. Most good cows
sold at 4.00 to 4.50; cuters in a
range of 3.25 to 3.85; canners at
2.50 to 3.00; best heavy steers at
5.00 to 5.50; yearling steers at 5.00
to 6.00 with plainer kinds down to
3.75; yearling heifers at 4.50 to
5.35 with some on the stocker order
at 3.25 to 4.00; best steer calves at
5.75 to 6.50; heifer calves at 5.00
to 5.50. Bulls at 4.00 to 4.85.
Milk cows at 30 to 45.00 a head;
cows and calves at 42.50.
I_-^
COMING BACK TO HAUNT HIM
—Reproduced by Courtesy of Buffalo Newa
Killed in Accident
D. H. Claussen received a mes
sage Wednesday from Mrs. Loren
Richardson, of Spearman, Texas,
announcing that her husband, Loren
Richardson, had been killed in an
auto wreck near that city on Mon
day night. The funeral was held
Wednesday afternoon, interment at
Spearman, Texas.
Mr. and Mrs. Richardson, the
latter formerly Gladys Arnold,
were former residents of this city,
Mr. Hichardson being engaged in
the automobile business here for
several years with the firm of
Arbuthnot & Richardson. They
left here about six years ago and
have been living in Texas for the
past three or four years. Mr.
Richardson was about 45 years of
age.
Early they learn the way of their
elders, Knee high to a grasshop
per and not over 5, he asked the
ice man for a bit of ice as that
functionary presided somewhat ar
rogantly at the steering wheel
while he awaited the helper who
was conveying a cake of ice to a
customer. “Haven’t anyice,”was
snapped at the boy. But the boy,
young as he was, had seen some
experience. He peeked in the rear
of the low-swung truck, lifted the
covering and found a bit of ice to
suck on.
P. J. and James McManus, Chas.
McKenna and Henry Grady took
a day out last week to look over
the country to the south. Their
first stop was at Chambers, then
on west to Amelia where each im
bibed freely from the famous flow
ing wells and on around by At
kinson back home. James return
ed Sunday to Chicago still filled
with wonder and amazement at
the development, growth of timber
and countless stacks of hay through
that section of the county.
A new deal politician advised us
the other day that it wasn’t good
policy to change horses in the j
middle of the stream and the only J
stream we could think of was a
stream of federal money.
IS DROUTH DAMAGED CORN
WORTH SAVING?
With utilization of drouth dam
aged corn the farm topic of the
week, many were the Holt county
farmers who were inclined to hes
itate cutting the stunted corn which
not so many months ago looked
like a potential “bumper” crop.
The cost of getting it into the silo
is too great, many thought.
Experimental data from the Ne
braska college of agriculture re
ceived by Agricultural Agent F. M.
Reece, and experience of scores of
local farmers, however, divulged
that probably most of the corn is
worth cutting although shorter than
that which is usually ensiled. Not
only does “fair” silage make good
live stock feed but it is probably
going to be quite valuable as a
feed.
Costs of cutting the corn and
getting it into the silo are varying
throughout the state. One Seward
county farmer hiring all labor,
tractor and ensilage cutter report
ed costs ot $1.00 per ton. He fur
nished his own binder. Use of
field cutters increases the cost per
ton.
Even at a cost of as high as $2
to $2 per ton apparently is not ex
cessive in view of the value per ton
of the feed. If a farmer has to
pay $20.00 per ton for alfalfa, sil
age is worth $H.OO per ton with
$45.00 per ton being paid for cot
tonseed to supplement silage. If
alfalfa costs $25.00 per ton, the
silage on a comparable feed basis
is worth $11.50 per ton.
Those whose lives are untouched
in any other way by anything sav
oring of religion were given an
opportunity last evening of listen
ing to a sermon by a strange but
vigorous street preacher who held
the attention at the bank corner
for an hour or so. The late Col.
D. A. Doyle advised to always
listen to the man with a message.
Deputy Sheriff Bergstrom left
Monday noon for Wichita, Khnsas,
to take into custody John Carl, in
volved in this county in alleged
theft of cream. He consented to
come here without requisition.
BRIEFLY STATED
Abe Saunto was a Sioux City
visitor the first of the week. He
i3 arranging to make his hoipe
there, the the boys having taken
over the store here.
Mrs. Rose Shoemaker, of Winner,
S. D., left for home last Friday
after a visit of several days at the
home of her mother, Mrs. Cather
ine Matthews and with other rela
tives and friends here.
Charles Slattery is down from
Wyoming to look after some inter
ests here. The drouth hit them
intensely and he disposed of all
stock on the place, as many others
had to do for lack of feed.
The Misses Virginia and Jennie
Lou Dwyer returned to their home
at Omaha Monday after a two
week’s visit here, the guest of their
aunt, Hrs. Hugh Coyne. Miss
Vern Coyne returned with them.
Bert Powell had a sale Saturday
of furniture and other items.
Tuesday he and family started west
to try their fortune in Oregon.
Bert has been a resident of the
county all of his 48 years but de
cided to try his luck elsewhere.
Mary Luber was before the board
of insanity Monday and adjudged
a subject for the hospital at Nor
folk.The institution being full at
present the patient was given into
the custody of the sheriff, who
took the patient to Council Bluffs.
Smoke of a prairie fire with a
blistering sun Monday d;'ewr the
attention of many citizens toward
the southwest. It was reported
later the fire was at the Peterson
ranch down in Fairview precinct
and that thirty stacks of hay were
burned.
A shrill fire alarm before day
light Saturday morning aroused
the firemen from their beds to
rush to the rear of the Harty Laun
dry where a coal house containing
a car of coal had nought fire. By
diligent work for a few hours the
fire was put out.
Last Friday night fire destroyed
the barn at Janies Soukup's place
northeast of town, the old John J.
| Kelly farm. Supposed to have
been struck by lightening. A cow,
some harness and hay nnd feed
went ,with the barn. Lightning
started a fire in the pasture and
the neighborhood gathered to put
it out. Rain set in and they all
started for shelter when the barn
burst into flame. A colt was also
killed in a pasture on a farm near
by. The rain is said to have
amounted to about one inch in that
locality and much heavier farther
out to the northeast. At O’Neill
.16 of an inch fell.
The boxes of supplies for the 186
school districts in the county were
made up Tuesday at the superin
tendent’s office and stored in the
school exhibit building for the
teachers to secure as wanted.
Downeys See
Gov. Landon
Mr. and Mrs. L. E. Downey were
down at Grand Island and took
in the great public reception for
Governor Landon upon his stop
there during his trip across Ne
braska. Mr. Downey says it was
no boisterous hurrah but an impres
sive gathering of a crowd of
splendid looking citizens with an
apparent interest in and desire to
know the best thing to be done to
restore life to a normal plane in
troubled America.
A number of speakers were on
the program. Mr. Landon was
the main attraction and as his train
came to a stop he was escorted at
once to the platform. Mr. Dawney
was favorably impressed with the
Kansas governor, he appearing to
be a shrewd man of business with
an inticing combination of the
happy mental make up and a kind
ly attitude toward all.
They encountered some hard
going on the return trip, running
into a severe storm near Spalding
that held them up for a time.
Martin Stanton had a sale of
his personal property last Mon
day afternoon and this afternoon
the family will leave for Holly
wood, California, where they will
make their future home, providing
things turn out as planned. Mr.
and Mrs. Stanton have been resi
dents of this vicinity practically
all their life and they have many
friends in this section who wish
them happiness and prosperity in
their new home. The Frontier will
visit them each week and keep
them posted on events in this
section.
Attorney T. I). Mounts, of At
kinson, accompanied by an aged
civil war veteran, Mr. Patterson,
of Tonquah, Oklohoma, were in the
city Friday. Mr. Patterson is in
his 89th year, an interesting gent
leman to talk with. He served as
a spy in the Union army in the
civil war, which entailed many
hazardous experiences. He wore
the badges of military honors be
stowed from Grand Army days
until the present.
Miss Ava Clare Donohoe, who
had been visiting her aunts, the
Misses Anna and Agnes Donohoe,
for several days, left yesterday
morning for her home at Bonesteel,
S. D. Miss Donohoe had just re
turned from a visit at the home of
her brother, Dr. Edmund Donohoe,
at Fort Dubois, Pa.,
Hospital Notes
Mrs. Gladys Green, of Chambers,
went home last Friday.
Miss Frances Sands went home
last Monday.
Mrs. Martin Stanton was in the
hospital a few days this week for
i medical treatment and rest.
Ray Patras, 3-year-old son of
Amos Patras entered the hospital
Monday afternoon for medical
| treatment.
Irecenia Mullen, daughter of Mr.
and Mrs. Henry Mullen, had her
tonsils removed Tuesday. She
went home the same evening.
Earl Hatton jr., son of Mr. and
Mrs. Earl Hatton of Chambers,
underwent a minor operation Tues
day. He returned home the fol
lowing day.
September 1
Set Apart As
Booster Day
On Tuesday, September 1, 1936,
! the citizens of ONeill and those of
the thriving village of Chambers,
will join in a boosting trip to the
surrounding towns, advertising the
O’Neill Free Day and the Chambers
Fair which will be held in Chamb
ers on the 8, 9, 10 and 11 of Sep
tember.
The Chambers Boosters, who
will consist of at leasst 25 cars,
will be in the city at 8 o’clock Tues
day morning to join with theO’Neill
bunch and start on the trip. The
Combination of Boosters will be
headed by the O’Neill High School
band and will leave here shortly
after 8 a. m., and head west, man
aged and controlled by members of
the committe of free day boosters.
The first stop will be at Emmet
then Atkinson and Stuart and back
to O'Neill and then on to Inman,
Page, Ewing, Clearwater, Neligh,
Elgin and then on to Chambers,
where the combined tourists will
entertain the citizens of our south
ern city and then on home.
The managers of the local cele
bration are anxious to have as
many cars in the Booster trip as
possible, and we should have at
least 50 or more cars, filled with
good O’Neill Boosters. Any of
our citizens who will furnish their
cars and go on the trip are urged
to get in touch with Mayor Ker
senbrock of J. P. Protivinsky and
let them know how many you can
accommodate in your car and the
number of people who will be with
you, so they cpn get an idea of how
many people will go on the trip.
Let us make this a real Booster
Trip, so get together, join hands
and it will be a real success and
the Chambers-O’Neill Booster Trip
■ will long be remembered as the
outstanding event in the year 1936.
O’NEILL PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
School will open Monday, Sep
tember 7, 1936, as announced in
The Frontier two weeks ago.
Registration of students in the
O’Neill district will be on Thursday,
September 3, 1936. Please be reg
istered on time in order that others
from out of the ditstrict may regis
ter.
Registration of students from
out of the district will be Friday
and Saturday, September 4 and 5.
There are quite a large number
of people from out of the district,
who wish to send their children to
school in O’Neill, but they need to
find places to board and room. A
few folks want places where their
children can w’ork for their board
and room.
The farm crop has been cut short
and any way that we can help
locate these young folks without
too great an expense will be appre
ciated.
O’Neill folks who will have rooms
or will provide room and board
please call, Roy W. Carroll, Super,
intendent of schools.
' i
In district court Monday in an
action of Mary Ruth Kreger vs.
Edwin Ruthman Kreger Judge
Dickson committed defendant to
jail until such time as he comes
across with $20 covering alimony
payments for July and August.
The parties were divorced June 27
last and Mrs. Kreger allowed $10
per month alimony toward the sup
port of two children. The court
found this order had not been com
plied with by Kreger and had him
committed to jail.
The assistance committee met
at the court house Monday. On the
15th of the month, the date of the
■ last pension and assistance pay
ments, there were 260 old age
! pensions paid in this county total
ing $4,002.78 and 36 dependent
children received $929, a total for
this county of $4,931.78 under the
so-called assistance set up.
Miss Mayme McManus was taken
seriously ill last Friday and was
Very low for several days but is
reported somewhat improved.
Mrs. J. Roblyer, of Atkinson, ac
companied by Mrs. Hitchcock, were
in the city yesterday.