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1 . The Frontier
VOL. LVII O’NEILL, NEBRASKA, THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 1936 No. 16
F. G. Gatz, an
Old Settler in
O’Neill,Called
Federiek C. Gatz died at his home
in this city last Friday evening at
about 7 o’clock after a very short
illness at the advanced age of 84
years, G months and 7 days. The
funeral was held Monday morning
a 10:30 from the Presbyterian
church, Rev. William Vahle, Luth
eran minister of Atkinson officiat
ing and interment in Prospect Hill
cememetery, at the side of his be
loved companion of many years,
who passed away last October.
Frederick C. Gatz was born on
Februaary 21, 1852, at Barton,
Germany. When a young man of
18 he came to the United States
and located at Baltimore, Mary
land, where he remained for a few
years and then moved west, finally
settling at Columbus where he was
engaged in operating a meat mar
ket for several years. On October
24, 1880, he was united in marriage
to Elizabeth Engel, of Columbus.
To this union eleven children were
born, seven of whom survive, three
daughters and four sons, and they
were all present at the funeral
services.
The children are: Mrs. F. G.
Clift and Mrs. J. E. Vincent,
O’Neill; Mrs. A. J. Schroed
er, Omaha; William E., Edward E.
and Clinton J. Gatz, of O’Neill and
Charles, of Niobrara. Besides his
children there are several grand
children who are left to mourn the
passing of a kind and affectionate
father and grandfather.
Fred Gatz was one of the real
pioneers of the city. Coming hei'e
with his bride in the spring of 1881
he at once engaged in business and
for over a quarter of a century op
erated the largest meat market in
the city and when he retired from
that business he successfully con
ducted the Western hotel for sevei al
years, retiring from active business
a little over ten years ago- During
the early years of his residence
here he was very active in the affairs
of the city and community, serving
the city for several years as a
member of the city council and
later as police judge of the city.
Fred was a good business man
and unusually successful. Shortly
after his arrival here he built the
old Evans Hotel, now the Western,
and had another building on the
east that he used for his market.
Sveral years ago this building was
rebuilt, remodeled and is now oc
cupied by the Council Oak grocery.
In addition to the business places
erected by him he also built couple
of residences in the city and was
very active in the upbbuilding of
the city he had selected for his
home.
Fifty-five years is a long time for
a man to be a resident of one city,
but he lived to see the little village
that he had selected for his home
in 1881 that contained only a few
scattered homes and less business
places in 1881, become the hustling
and thriving little city it is today,
the best in the Elkhorn valley.
During the years of its growth he
had a prominent part in its devel
opment. He had many friends in
this city and county, and while
he lived to a ripe old age, his many
friends through the county will
learn with sorrow of the death of
this old time pioneer. He has
passed from the stage and the
work of building the city started by
the pionners is left in younger
hands and they hav3 the ambition
and the will to carry on.
THE BUSY HOUR CLUB.
The Busy Hour Club met at the
home of Mrs. John Miller. All
members were present except Mrs.
Ralph Ernst and Mrs. Henry Way
man. Our visitors were Mrs. Mor
ris Harmon and children from
Scottsbluff, Nebr., Mrs. Lowell!
Johnson and baby from O’Neill and
Miss Stella Van Every of O’Neill.
The time was spent on contest
games and visiting. There were
three birthday gifts this month.
A nice lunch of cherry salad, cake
and coffee was served by the host
ess. Our next meeting will be on
September 24 at the home of Mrs.
M. E. Gray.
The twelve-ton jail cages perch
ed atop the court house as labor
ers and masons went to the job
Monday morning represented an
interesting piece 'of engineering
and a week’s work with a daily as
sembling of spectators. Nothing
in connection with building oper
ations on the hill of activity has
created so much interest among
citizens as this job of work getting
the heavy steel structure up to its
place. Cap Uhl had the job in
hand and with a crew of helpers
kept busy all last week fixing up
the necessary rigging and hoisting
the cages. It was fraught with
some danger but spectators were
not allowed within a danger zone
should something give way and the
tons of steel come tumbling.
Atkinson Doctor
Is Again Sued
On August 29 there was for the
second time filed in the district
court of Holt county a suit for
damages in the sum of $25,000
against Dr. William Douglas, of
Atkinson.
Terrance McCarthy, of Francis
precinct, charges malcorrection of
a fractured forearm and dislocated
elbow, sustained in an automobile
accident September 1, 1934, and
wrhich Dr. Douglas dressed.
Some months ago a similar action
was dismissed by plaintiff’s attor
ney, Emmet A. Harmon, shortly
before the hour set for trial. It
was understood at that time the
case was to be revived and the at
torney has just now filed his papers
in the second action.
No answer has yet been made by
the defendant.
A heavy truck plunged to an
8-foot drop early Friday morning
from a bridge on the highway in
the east part of the county and
was badly wrecked, but the driver,
Joe Lutes, in what seemed a mir
acle escaped injury. A wrecker
from the Chevrolet garage in
C’Meill brought the smashed, twist
ed and broken wreckage in. Ac
cording to reports, the driver had
fallen asleep at the wheel.
Some splendid specimens of
melons are coming from the Nio
brara valley in northern Holt this
season. It takes hot weather to
grow good melons and that brand
of weather has been on tap for
some months. Very large and j
choice musk melons have been brot
to O’Neill stores from that terri
tory for the past two weeks. A
few garden spots out that way are
fixed for irrigation.
Details of the
Texas Auto
Death Crash
The following account of the
death of Loren L. Ricahrdson in
an automobile accident in Texas is
from a Texas newspaper:
“Two resettlement administra
tion officials, injured in a highway
crash near here late Sunday night,
remained in a Hereford hospital
for treatment tonight.
“They are T. L. Taylor and W.
P. McNab, both of Spearman, who
were hurt in a collision which
claimed the life of L. L. Richardson
also a resettlement employe in the
Spearman division.
“Richardson, his body mangled
badly, died instantly when the car
in which he rode and that of W. C.
Nix smashed about a mile west of
Hereford on highway 60, He was
about 46 years old,
“McNab, legal counsel for the
Spearman resettlement office, re
gainsd consciousness today, after
his condition had been adjudged
critical. Taylor received only
minor injuries. Both are resting
easily, hospital attendants said.
Nix, driver of a ilght sedan, and
his wife and two children were un
hurt.
“Witnesses said the crash occur
red as the Nix machine angled
across the highway on a side road.
The Spearman men, with McNab
at the wheel, were traveling tow
ard Hereford from Clovis.
“Their automobile struck the
bumper of the Nix machine and
careened more than 150 feet, toss
ing its three occupants clear. It
was demolishd, but th Nix car
was undamagd except for the
bumper.
Richardson’s body was sent o
Spearman. Funeral arrangements
had not been completed tonight.
The crash victim was resettle
ment supervisor for four Panhandle
counties—Moore, Hansford, Sher
man and Hutchinson. He is sur
vived by his wife, Mrs. Gladys
Richardson, and by a son and
daughter, Arnold and Helen. The
family had lived in Spearman two
or three years.” *
Mr. and Mrs. Ralph Oppen are
spending the week with relatives
at Rushville.
Marriage Licenses
August 31—Logan H. Johnson,
21, of Hastings, and Varinna Dri|
kill, 23, of Stuart.
County officials, in charge of the
old age pensions, were given a jolt
when the wife of a 93-year-old citi
zen of the county, herself 78, hand
ed back the pension warrants and
told them they didn’t want it. The
pension 'had been granted upon
the representation of others with
the passive consent of the aged
couple but on consideration they
decline to be recipients of official
bounty. The old lady, with the
dauntless spirit of the pioneer—
which they are—said they had
made their own way all through
the years and would be happy con
tinuing to do so to the end. The
couple reside on the farm today
they took as a homestead 50
years ago, planting the whips of
sf cuttings that now are great saw
logs towering to the heavens.
Making 281 Fit
As Military Road
The boom of exploding dyna
mite charges at intervals Saturday
and Sunday at the river south of
town was the blowing out of some
perfectly good bridges so bigger
and better might be built. It is
part of the program of highway re
construction on the southern out
let. Engineers in charge conclud
ed the bridges were not wide
enough for present day traffic. A
temporary structure has been put
up to allow traffic through that
way now, the highway having been
opened after being closed for many
weeks for the oil surfacing.
The completion of resurfacing,
rebridging and so on south of
town will find a responsive chord
among the general group of car
and truck drivers who have been
having a sweet time of it crossing
the Elkhorn at the old McEvony
bridge a mile east. Nearly every
day one or more are stalled in
the deep sand encountered at the
river on that route.
Highway 281 is made adequate
for a military road. This necessi
tated the enlarging of bridges over
the Elkhorn.
CARD OF THANKS.
We desire to express our heart
felt thanks to the many kind neigh
bors and friends for their sympathy
and assistance rendered during the
illness and following the death of
our beloved husband and father.
Your kindness to us in our hour of
sorrow will ever be held in grateful
remembrance. Mrs. E. M. Marri
man and sons.
Remember the good old days
when a man well dressed wore a
coat and vest in July and August.
Twenty Cars
Join Booster
Day Caravan
Twenty automobiles loaded with
boosters, clowns and musicians
headed west out of O’Neill around
9 o’clock Tuesday morning to visit
the towns west in Holt county to
let that section know O’Neill will
have a free day celebration and
that the Chambers fair opens sim
ultaneously next Tuesday. Chamb
ers contributed a large share to
the delegation. They returned to
O’Neill for the dinner hour and
then took in the eastern part of the
county and western Antelope.
O’Neill and Chambers each con
tributing two humorous characters,
those from the south dressed as
“hay seeds,” while the O’Neill pair
were attired as clowns. Some
clowning while all were assembling
to make the trip furnished enter
tainment for the citizens on the
sidelines. Two air planes winged
in from Chambers and circled over
the town and headed on to the
northwest.
The O’Neill hand played and
loading of automobiles began.
With the blare of auto horns the
processioin was away
At Clearwater a heavy rain was
encountered that stalled three of
the cars for a time.
Ten miles west of Elgin the
Archie Bowen car run into a bunch
of horses as they drove over a
rise in the road, the horses just
ahead of them and so close Archie
was unable to stop before getting
in among the horses which he says
he either had to strike or run into
a deep ditch. One horse sustained a
broken leg. No one in the car
was hurt but the car had to be
pushed home and it is thought to
be damaged beyond repair.
The trip on the whole was a suc
cess, with O’Neill Free Day and the
Chambers fair thoroughly adver
tised in the territory visited.
Mrs. Dora Alexander Talley,
Omaha, Nebr., national president
of the Woodmen Circle, was chosen
vice president of the National Fra
ternal Congress at sessions of the
congress in New York city last
week. Mrs. Talley formerly head
ed the president’s section of the
congress.
The fraternal congress is made
up of representatives of some 85
fraternal life insurance associations
throughhout the country.
Through the courtesy of J. B.
Mellor the news gatherer was given
a ride an evening recently to the
Tom Griffin place a mile north of
town, where Ralph Mellor has a
flock of turkeys numbering be
tween 2,500 and 3,000. A group
like that make a sight worth see
ing. They are kept on feeding
grounds to the northeast of the
farm buildings where are also
roosting quarters and such shelter
as a turkey cares for. They are
kept thrifty, shining coats of feath
ers, red tops and active by plenty
of feed and water troughs and such
a mob eats something.
A cabin on the grounds occupied
by a night watch with a minature
arsenal and the police dogs to safe
guard the flock by night.
As It Went At • J
the Sale Ring
Report of the Atkinson Livestock
Market for Tuesday, September 1.
Hogs: Receipts 800 head. Mar
ket generally 50 cents a hundred
lower on all classes except some
sows which were generally steady
with a week ago. In the absence
of any real top hogs the best price
paid was 10.60. Best sows sold at
8.60 to 9.00; thin sows at 7.00 to
8.00; lightweight pigs at 6.00 to
6.50; medium weights at 6.75 to
7.50 and 90 to 110 pound pigs at
8.00 to 9.00.
Cattle: Receipts 1296 head.
Market very active, with Iowa and
Illinois feeders taking the bulk of
the good stocker feeders at fully
steady prices with a week ago.
The cow market on all kinds except
the cheaper grades looked from 15
to 25 cents a hundred lower. Calves
and choice yearling steers 25 cents
higher; 200 cows and calves from
Spencer, Wyoming, sold at an aver
age of $46.50 a head. Choice
yearling steers sold at 5.50 to 6.25;
fair to good ones at 5.00 to 5.35;
plain kinds from 4.00 to 4.65; heavy
fleshy two-year-old steers brought]
6.00 to 6.36. Yearling heifers at
4.25 to 5.00; on the stocker order
3.75 to 4.00. Best fat cows at 4.50
and 5.00; cutters at 3.25 to 3.85;
canners at 2.50 to 3.00; bulls at 4.00
to 4.40.
An O’Neill cream dealer got
caught by state inspectors a day
last week short-weighting and was
taken into justice court where he
pled guilty and was assessed a
fine.
Clyde Keller went to Royal Tues
day night to take Mr. and Mrs.
Orval Roach to that place.
» m
Knock ! Knock !
Who’s There?
Le Vine.
Le Vine Who?
LE VINE DRESS SALE AT ANTON TOY’S!
It is really A FINE SALE! All Le Vine
Dresses are being sold at sacrifice prices.
Those formerly sold at $16.75, $19.75, $24.50,
$29.75, now in three groups 4.95-7.75-9.75 Come Early
No Credit*™™ ANTON TOY
None on Approval Quality Merchandise
*2
Cream Cans
Stolen Going
at 40-Mi. Gait
Deputy Sheriff Bergstrom went
to Lincoln Tuesday with Vernon
Strong and John Carl, sentenced
Saturday by Judge Dickson to each
serve a year in the state reforma
tory for men. They were convict
ed of or rather pled guilty to a
charge of grarid larcency and the
sentence carried also the assess
ment of costs of $8.75 each. The
grand larcency charge was based
on the theft of ten cans of cream
belonging to the Borden Produce
Company of this city, which took
place some months ago.
Carl told one of the most remark
able stories ever related on the
witness stand in court in this
county. In all they stole 14 cans
of cream. Spectacular in the ex
treme. A truck load of Borden
Produce cream enroute between
O’Neill and Page was overtaken by
Carl and Strong, the latter taking a
position astride the hood of their
car and Carl handling the steering
wheel. By fine calculation, a keen
eye and steady control of the gas
flow he worked the car up to the
very rear of the truck when Strong
climbed on the truck opened the
back door and set the cream out on
the rear platform of the truck,
then closing the doors of the truck.
Carl then drove their car up until
the hood of their car was under
the platform of the truck.
Strong then, after closing the doors
of the truck, got on the hood of
the car Carl was driving and he
reached up and grasped a can of
cream in each hand and drew them
to him as he sat on the hood.
The car was then stopped and they
loaded the cans in the car and shot
ahead to repeat the trick when they
caught up with the truck.
This was testified to and that
they got six cans of cream at one
time, eight at another, the truck
traveling, at each time the cream
was taken, 40 miles an hour.
Hospital Notes
Ray Patras, 3, was dismissed
from the hospital Wednesday.
Miss Thelma Lienhart, 17, of
Chambers, had her tonsils removed
last Thursday and went home the
following afternoon.
Gary Penisten, 5, son of Mr. and
Mrs. M. C. Penisten, had his ton
sils and adenoids removed last
Thursday. He went home the same
evening.
Miss Clara Shoemaker left Tues
day for San Diego, Cal., for a few
weeks vacation. She will also
visit relatives in Colorado before
returning home.
Francis Belzar, 11, of Opportun
ity, was brought in Tuesday, suff
ering from cuts received when he
fell from a corn binder. He is
resting quite comfortably at pres
ent.
Miss Loretta Burke, student
nurse of St. Catherine’s hospital
in Omaha, and her sister, Mary,
also of Omaha, were visiting their
aunts at the O’Neill Hospiial
during the week. They left Thurs
day for their home at Coleridge
for a visit before returning to
Omaha.
J.
A complaint was filod in county
court Monday against Mary
Bausch on a charge of abortion, the
information being drawn by County
Attorney Cronin and signed liy
Mary Sands who charges the de
fendant with an illegal operation
upon her person. Defendant was
brought into court yesterday and
her attorney, Emmet Harmon,
asked for a continuance, which was
agreed to by the state and the
court. Preliminary was set for
Wednesday, September 9, at 10
o’clock and the defendant released
on $500 bond.
A. T. Crumley, living about ten
miles east of O’Neill, says they
harvested over 4,100 bushels of rye
from 410 acres, but other crops
sire about a failure for him. They
marketed a truck load of rye at
Orchard the first of the week at
15 cents a bushel, the load bring
ng $210.