j
#
Xeb. State Historical Society
The Frontier
. —_ ____—--— —•— ——
VOL. LVIII. O'NEILL, NEBRASKA, THURSDAY, AUGUST 19, 1937. No. 14
THOMAS BARRETT,
i ONE OF EARLIEST
PIONEERS, IS DEAD
Funeral Services Will Be Held In
The Catholic C-hurch Here
Friday Morning.
Thomas Barrett died at the home
pf his sister, Mrs. Alice Minton
in this city last Tuesday morning,
after an illness of several months
of ailments incident to old age, at
the advanced age of 75 years. The
funeral will be held from the Cath
olic church in this city Friday
jnorning at 9 o’clock and burial in
Calvary cemetery.
Thomas Barrett was born at
Minauk, Michigan, June 20, 1862,
and was a little over 75 years of
age at the time of his death. His
family moved to Illinois, locating
near Peoria where they remained
Until 1875 when they moved to
this county, Mr. Barret’s father
taking a homestead about three
miles north of this city where the
family resided for several years.
iThomas had seven brothers, all of
■whom preceded his in death. The
only member of his family living is
his sister, Mrs. Minton, with whom
he made his home for the past few
years, he having remained a
^ bachelor. *
Outside of his sister, who sur
vives, we think that Mr. Barrett
was possibly the eldest pioneer in
ithe county. He had been a resident
of the county, with a few excep
tions, for sixty-two years and wit
nessed the development of not only
(this county but the entire state of
Nebraska. Tom was a pleasant
>and agreeable man but the past few
years his health had been such that
he was able to get around very
litttle.
4-H Achievement Day
Set For August 28th
Three hundred and fifty 4-H club
(members from Holt county will
meet at the high school building
in O’Neill on Saturday, August 28,
Tor their county-wide achievement
day. Premiums will be awarded
dinners in team demonstrations,
(judging contests, clothing, sewing
(and cooking exhibits, forestry ex
hibits, style show winners and
health contest winners.
‘ Winners in these events will
(represent Holt county at the state
fair in Lincoln Sept. 5 to 10. The
I public is invited to attend the con
tests at the high school building
during the day.
■
Holt County
Educational Notes
f The annual Holt county pre-open
ing day, for rural teachers is to be
held in O’Neill at the public school
building Friday morning, August
27, at 9 o’clock. This pre-opening
day will take the place of one day
of institute which the law requires
all teachers to attend each year.
W. A. Rosene of the State De
l'partment of Public Instruction will
' be present at this meeting and will
speak to the teachers upon subjects
concerniVig the new certification
law and the Nebraska course of
study. Mr. Rosene will be glad to
answer questions on these subjects
at that time. Anyone who is not
a teacher but would be interested,
is cordially invited to attend the
meeting.
The county superintendent hopes
to become more acquainted with a
'great number of Holt county school
teachers so that they may each be
come a personality rather than
■just a name as has seemed neces
sary during the summer months.
iThe date may seem a little early
for some teachers but on the other
hand, since some schools are to be
gin August 30, it is not early for
them. Each teacher will be given
her box of supplies and instruc
tions. Please make a very definite
effort to be there to start your
school year right. The superin
tendent will also try to notify each
teacher personally but if neither
the teacher nor director has noti
fied the superintendent’s office of
their contract, it may not be able
to do so. Nevertheless, it is felt
\ that all teachers can know the time
and place of this meeting.
Each teacher in this county must
have her certificate registered in
the office of the county superin
tendent. so bring your certificate
with you if you do not already
have it registered.
The educational exhibit for the
school year 1936-37 has been judged
by a committee and placed on dis
play in the exhibit hall on the
court house grounds. This build
ing will be open Saturday, August
21, from 12 o’clock noon to 5 p. m„
also during the afternon of pre
opening day.
Free high school tuition certific
ates are being mailed to high school
students this week. It will be our
practice to mail ihese certificates
to students in August after the levy
is made for that fund in July as
provided by law.
I wish to thank the district of
ficers for their cooperation in sub
mitting all necessary information
needed in compiling the annual
county report to the state office of
public instruction. There are many
things the state office wishes to
know about our 197 schools in Holt
county but we’ve answered all the
questions and balanced all the
columns. Thank you again.
Elja McCullough, Co. Supt.
Drouth Damaged Corn
Will Make More Feed If
It Is Cut Into Silage
How about constructing a trench
silo or using the one already on
your farm as a means of conserv
ing the damaged corn crop?
With the hot winds and extreme
heat doing untold damage to the
1937 corn crop, the above questions
again become a popular farm topic
of discussion this week. Much of
the damaged corn, farmers believe,
will make from one ton to three
tons to the acre and will have much
value as silage.
By conserving drouth damaged
corn as silage, the carrying capac
ity of the crop is more than tripled.
When left in the field the corn falls
down and deteriorates rapidly.
Where a trench must be dug on
the farm, it probably will not cost
much more than 10 cents per ton
capacity which will pay for the
fuel for the tractor and the nec
essary hired help.
With livestock numbers down
somewhat locally, some farmers
are expected to be reluctant to cut
their small fields of damaged corn
this year for silage. Many have
but a few head of livestock to feed
the silage to during the winter.
However, cattle numbers for the
state as a whole have held up well
recently although hogs have been
decreased greatly.
It is possible that Nebraska
farmers with silage this winter can
winter animals from the range
country on a contract basis to get
some cash value from the feed.
Last Rites Held Friday
For Mrs. Gallagher
The funeral of Mrs. Bridget Gal
lagher, Holt county pioneer, was
held from St. Patrick’s church last
Saturday morning, Rev. P. F.
Burke officiating and burial in Cal
vary cemetery.
The funeral was very largely at
tended. attesting the love and es
teem the people of this section had
for this estimable citizen and prom
inent factor in the early life of this
section. The 'ollowing relatives
from out of the city were in at
tendance at the foneral: Mr. and
Mrs. Albert Baker and son, Dr.
George Baker, Casper Wyo.; Dr.
and Mrs. M. F. Meer, Valentine,
Nebr.; Dr. and Mrs. John Gallagh
er and two daughters, St. Louis,
Mo.; Dr. and Mrs. Joe Gallagher of
Rossford, Ohio; Dr. John Murphy,
St. Louis, Mo.; Mrs. John Erwin
and son, William, Norfolk; Dr.
Frank Gallagher, Nebraska City,
Nebr.
4-H Club Members
Invited To Fair
Members of Holt county’s 39 4-H
clubs are invited to exhibit and
participate in contests at the
Chambers Fair Sept. 7 to 10. Pre
miums are awarded in all divisions.
One feature this year will be the
stocker feeder calf division as this
is the first time this type of club
has been tried. Boys and girls in
the county are feeding over 120
calves and many will be entered in
the Chambers fair.
George Harrington arrived in the
city Tuesday evening to spend a
few days looking after business
matters and visiting friends in the
old home town. George is now
located in the nation’s capitol and
has been spending his vacation on
the west coast with his mother,
sisters and brothers.
ANTHRAX IN THIS
COUNTY HAS BEEN
ABOUTCLEANED UP
Sleeping Sickness In Horses Has
Also About Run Is Course.
Losses Quite Numerous.
Dr. H. L. Bennett informed us
this morning that anthrax has been
about wiped out in the county. He
said there might be an isolated
case or two but the epidemic is
over.
He also said that sleeping sick
ness, which cost the lives of a large
number of horses in the county, had
run its course and it was about
thru in the county and he was not
looking for any more fatalities
from this disease in the county.
Week Ending August 7
Shows A Large Decline
In All Types Accidents
The State Department of Public
Instruction and the Nebraska Press
association are glad to report that
during the week ending Aug 7,
1937, there was a decrease in all
kinds of accidents in Nebraska.
During the week ending July 31,
there was a total of 405 accidents in
which 339 people were injured or
killed, while during the week end
ing Aug. 7, the accidents decerased
to 331 in which 274 people were
injured or killed.
During the week there were 105
'motor vehicle accidents in which
105 people were injured, two dis
abled and seven killed. A pedes
trian died as the result of injuries
suffered July 17 in an automobile
accident. Tne girl was crushed
between an automobile and a build
ing, one small boy was killed when
hit by a truck, a young man died
after being pinned beneath the car
when crowded from the road, three
were killed in collisions, and one
died after being hit by lumber
falling from a truck when he had
stopped to fix a tire.
Two of the injuries were caused
by skidding, two by tire blowouts,
tene by a mechanical defect, twenty
four by drivers losing control of
their cars, two by cars being ditch
ed by passing cars, forty-one by
collisions, six by cars striking ob
structions, eight by cars striking
pedestrians, two by cars striking
bicycles, two by cars striking mo
torcycles, one by a car being driven
by an intoxicated driver, one by
blinding lights on a car, one by
driver striking a parked car, one
by fire, and eleven others from mis
cellaneous accidents such a catch
ing a hand in a car door, tumbling
from a car, etc. There were two
hit-and-run drivers during the
week.
The two disabilities were caused
by two automobiles colliding and
by two automobiles and a wagon
colliding.
Four drivers of cars which figur
ed in accidents were reported as
being intoxicated. One driver was
asleep.
The other public accidents de
creased to 108 during the week, in
which sixty-one were injured and
five killed. Two of the deaths were
caused by drowning, one by a fall,
one by a man accidentally drinking
a quantity of sulphuric acid, and
one by an airplane which occurred
July 25.
Five persons were bitten by dogs
during the week, two were injured
in fires, eighteen by falls, thirteen
during play, and two by firearms.
Twenty-one injuries were from mis
cellaneous causes such as cuts, be
ing overcome by the heat, being
struck by lightning, etc. One man
was injured by a street car as he
was riding on another street car
with his arm protuding thru the
window.
During the week ending July 31,
115 accidents occurred on the farms
in Nebraska while during the week
ending Aug. 7 there were only |
sixty accidents in which thirty-nine
were injured, two disabled and two
killed. One child was drowned in a
water tank at his farm home. The |
body of a farmer who was drowned j
July 29 when he went to a pasture*
to bring in the cattle was found *
this week. One man suffered a
fractured skull when he was bounc-!
ed out of his wagon by a runaway
team and a child was injured ser
iously when he fell to the floor of
a granary. Seven of the injuries
were caused by machinery, eleven
people were injured by horses or
cattle, twelve were injured by falls,
and nine by other accidents. One1
man was severely shocked by a bolt
of lightning, a boy stepped in a
hole and fraetured both bones of
one of his legs while going after the
cows, and another was injured when
climbing from a hay rack.
Thirty-two accidents occurred in
the industrial field, with twenty in
jured and six disabled. Three men
were killed by* trains. Two of the
disabilities were the result of falls,
two men were pinned beneath
trains, one railroad employe was
critically injured when at work, and
one woman was run ovyr by a
train. The injuries were caused by
accidents w-ith machinery, falls,
burns, an explosion, and a car be
ing struck at a railroad crossing.
One girl was struck by lightning
while working, an electrician was
injured when he came in contact
with a high tension wire, and a slab
of cement fell on a man.
Twenty-six accidents occurred in
homes during the week. Nineteen
people were injured and two girls
died, one as the result of burns
sustained as she attempted to light
an oil stove and another as the re
sult of burns suffered July 20 when
starting a fire with kerosene which
ignited some gasoline in a can
nearby. The injuries were from
fires and burns, falls and other
Causes. Two very small children
caught their hands in washing
machine wringers, one lady ran a
nail into her hand, one suffered a
broken toe when the cellar door
fell on it, two were injured by
lightning, and one received a frac
tured foot when helping t(j move
a piano in her home.
Want Edward and Wally Glassware
Souvenir cups and saucers and
glassware and chinaware made
long before Windsor abdicated the
English throne and made especially
for his coronation have arrived in
W'ashingtoin and are gobbled up as
fast as they appear on the counters
of Washington stores. The shop
keepers here say that these souv
enirs of Windsor are “forbidden”
in England, and no more will come
here, so the souvenir hunters who
have been following the adventures
of Edward and Wally are paying
premiums for these novelties.
Bob Feller is Washington Hero
Bob Feller of Vanmeter, Iowa,
whose dad taught him how to pitch
baseball behind the barn on the
farm is the hero in Washington.
He came here the other day with
the Cleveland Indians, but was not
scheduled to pitch. The manage
ment however, wanted a crowd and
the Indians put Feller in the box.
He fanned nine Washington bat
ters and the Indians won the game
12 to 2. Feller was the great at
traction. He pulled 25,000 people
into the ball park. The 18-year
old Iowa farm boy had a time get
ting out of the park. Men, women
girls and boys by the hundreds
crowded the gate to get his auto
graph.
New Yorker Hears of Gesundheit
Band
Congressman Frank Cowther of
New York who visits relatives in
Nebraska each year has heard of
the Gesundheit band of Pierce, Ne
braska. The New York statesman
who is the greatest authority on
tariff in Washington i3 also a musi
cian and has a hobby of collecting
old violins. He has about twenty
of them. Among them are violins
made by old masters. Some of
the instruents are worth thousands
of dollars. The other day he brot
an old German violin into the Third
district office and is lending it to
the office force to take back to Ne
braska in order to allow Charles
Turek of Pierce to play on it. Tur
ek is the leader of the Gesundheit
band and is also an accomplished
violinist.
Farm Members Want Farm Leg
islation
The Housing bill which was pass
ed by the senate is coming to the
house this week. So is the wage
hour bill which the senate passed
and which the house has amended
so that the bill will have to go to
conference after the house is thru
with it. Farm congressmen are
anxious for another bill before
they go home. That is some kir.d
of a farm bill which would in some
(Continued on page 4, column 4.)
GEORGE BOWDEN
DIES AT HOME OF A
SON IN MINNESOTA
Remains Brought To This City And
Funeral Services For Deceased
Held Here Wednesday.
George Bowden died gt the home
of his son, Harold, at Truman,
Minn., last Sunday night of a heart
attack, at the age of 75 years, 6
months and 14 days. The body was
brought to this city and the funeral
was held in the Methodist church
Wednesday afternoon at 2 o’clock,
Rev. A. J. May officiating and burial
in the Marquette cemetery north
east of O’Neill, close to the old
homestead of the deceased.
Mr. and Mrs. Bowden went to
Minnesota July 7 to spend a few
weeks visiting at the home of their
son. Mr. Bowden was in fairly good
health. Sunday evening they had
company and he enjoyed visiting
with the callers and was appar
ently in his usual health, which
had not been very good for the past
two years, but his condition was
not considered serious. He had a
heart attack during the night and
passed away in a few minutes.
George Bowden was born in Fill
more county, Minnesota, on Feb. 1,
1962. He spent his earlier years in
Minnesota and came to this county
in the spring of 1881, coming here
from Martin county, Minn. After
his arrival in this county he took
a homestead about 13 miles north
of this city where he resided for
several years. In the fall of 1882
he went back to Minnesota and on
Nov. 17, 1882, he was united in
marriage to Miss Della Burtch, a
resident of Martin county, Minn.
Ten children were born of this
union, eight of whom survive, five
sons and three daughters. The
children are:
Clyde, Guy, Mrs. Lillie Wettlauf
fer and Mrs. Susie Claussen, of
O’Neill; Chester, Yuma, Colo.; El
vin, Denver, Colo.; Harold, Tru
man, Minn. He also leaves twenty
five grand children and ten great
grandchildren, and three brothers,
Ernest, of Valentine; Sam of Park
Lake, Iowa, and Freeman, of Spirit
Lake, Iowa.
George Bowden was quite active
in the business life of this city a
quarter of a century ago. While he
maintained his residence on the
farm he bought hogs on the O’Neill
market and during war times he
bought hundreds of hogs in this
city for which he paid $20 per
hundred. He kept this business up
until after the war when the supply
of hogs decreased and he spent his
time on the farm until financial
adversity decended upon him and
then he moved to this city, retiring
from business affairs.
George Bowden was a good cit
izen and had a host of friends in
this city and vicinity.
The following out-of-town rela
tives were in the city to attend the
funeral: Mr. and Mrs. George
Smith, Winnebago, Minn.; Mr. and
Mrs. Freeman Bowden, Spirit Lake,
Iowa; Mr. and Mrs. Ernest Bow
den, Valentine, Nebr.
Forest Field Day Wjll
Be Held Near Halsey
Tree lovers in Holt county were
advised this week that the annual
statewide forest field day at the
Nebraska national forest at Halsey
will be held Sept. 19. V. J. Day
harsh, superintendent, asked county
agricultural agent F. M. Reece, to
notify local people of the coming
event.
Last year several hundred peo
ple gathered at Halsey, located
northwest of Broken Bow, for the
picnic. Scores of counties were
represented and a larger crowd is
expected this year. A 4-H demon
strdtion team is tentatively sched
uled to appear on the program. In
addition to a short speaking pro
gram, a tour of the forest is plan
ned for the afternoon.
The Weather
It has been very hot and dry all
week, with just a trace of moisture
amounting to .03 of an inch, which
fell Tuesday night.
Farmers from different sections
of the county say that the extreme
heat of the past two weeks has
been very hard on the corn crop and
that unless we have a good heavy
rain within the next few days, ir
reparable damage will be done to
a crop that was so promising three
weeks ago.
Reports from different sections
of the state are to the effect that
the corn crop all over the state has
been severely damaged, some going
so far as to say that the expected
corn yield for the year has been
cut at least fifty per cent.
Following is the weather chart
for the past week:
High Low Mois.
Aug. 12 93 60
Aug. 13 97 64
Aug. 14 100 65
Aug. 15 106 73
Aug. 16 104 77
Aug. 17 98 68 .03
Aug. 18 98 67
Cattle Prices Firm; Hog
Prices Show Break of 50
To 75 Cents At Atkinson
Atkinson, Aug. 17.—Cattle were
in better demand than a week ago
at Tuesday’s auction and ultho all
river markets show a decline of
50 to 75 cents a hundred for the
week, local prices ruled firm and
in some instances a little stronger
than last week. Buyers from Iowa
and Illinois were more numerous
than at any time this season. No
real choice cattle were offered.
Representative sales:
Fleshy feeding steers 8.50 to 9.26
Good quality yearling
steers at 7.00 to 8.00
Fair to good yearling
steers at 6.00 to 7.00
Fleshy heifers at 7.00 to 8.00
Fuir to good heifers 5.50 to 6.75
Best fat cows at 7.00 to 7.50
Good butcher cows 6.00 to 6.50
Medium to good cows 5.00 to 6.00
Canners and cutters 3.25 to 4.50
Bulls all weights at 5.00 to 6.00
The hog market reflected the
break that has been in progress all
around the circuit recently and
prices ruled generally 50 to 75
cents a hundred lower than a week
ago. Top hogs sold at 11.65 to
11.90; best sows at 9.75 to 10.15;
wet sows at 8.75 to 9.65; pigs of
all weights at 10.00 to 14 00 per
hundred.
Next auction, Tuesday, August
24, at 1 p. m.
Bowen-Luben
Sunday morning at 7 o’clock in
the Page Methodist church, Miss
Eugenia M. Luben became the bride
of Roger D. Bowen of Page. The
bride was beautifully attired in a
pink organza and lace dress and
carried a bouquet of white roses.
She was attended by her sister,
Dorothy Luben, who wore a dress
of baby blue taffeta. Robert Lucas
of Chambers was best man.
The bride is the eldest daughter
of Mrs. Nora Luben of Atkinson,
and is a graduate of the O’Neill
high school, class of 1937. The
groom is the only son of Mr. and
Mrs. D. R. Bowen, prominent farm
ers of Page, and is a graduate of
the Page high school, class of 1932.
He also attended an auction school
in Minnesota.
The bridal couple left shortly
after the ceremony on a honey
moon trip to Lincoln, Nebr., and
points east. They will make their
home on the groom’s farm six
miles east of Page.
Biglin’s Have New Hearse
The Biglin untertaking establish
ment is the owner of a new hearse.
The old one had been in operation
by the firm for the past ten years
and the boys are strictly up-to-date,
so they purchased a new one. The
new hearse is on a Studebaker
chasis, the same type as the old
one, with a Superior body, but is
longer and a little wider. It is
the latest thing in vehicles of this
character. Frank Biglin and J. A.
Mann went to Sioux City Sunday
and brought the hearse home.
Alpha Club
The Alpha Club entertained the
members of the Presbyterian Guild
at a picnic dinner Wednesday, Aug.
11, at Mrs. Minnie Boshart’s. In
the afternoon they were entertained
with a play entitled “Our Way,”
put on by the club members. Due
to the absence of one of the mem
bers Mrs. Grace Auker of Wayne,
took part in the play. Readings
were given by Anna Marie Ham
merlin and Delores Van Hoove.
Miss Inez O’Connell, the efficient
and accommodating deputy clerk of
the district court, leaves tonight
for great Falls, Mont., for a visit
with her brother, Lawrence O’Con
nell. Accompanied by her brother
they will visit Glacier National
park and will spend some time
fishing in Canadian lakes. She ex
pects to be away two weeks.
LIVESTOCK DISEASE
CAUSES CANCELLING
CIRCUS DATE HERE
Danger To Circus Animals Brings
Sorrow To Many Younsters
In This County.
There were a lot of disappointed
young folks in this and surround
ing counties last Tuesday, when
the big circus that was billed to
show here last Tuesday afternoon
cancelled their O’Neill date. The
date was cancelled late Monday
night and we understand that the
circus management notified most
of the towns that they had billed in
this section of the cancellation.
But, notwithstanding this notice,
an enormous crowd of people was
in the city for the show and the
disappointed look upon the faces
of the young people you would
meet on the street evidenced their
feelings. It is estimated that 2,500
people were in the vicinity of the
depot when the circus train pulled
into O'Neill about 1:30 Tuesday
afternon, coming here from Coun
cil Bluffs on their way to Chadron.
The writer was at the train and
had the pleasure of meeting the
manager of the show, whose name
happens to be Cronin. He said that
for the past five years he had been
trying to bring his show to O’Neill
and this year he thought he had
accomplished his task, when they
were compelled to cancel their en
gagement here on account of the
fear of the dreaded anthrax and
sleeping sickness, which had been
raging among Holt county horses
for the past two weeks.
Monday was a very busy day
here for one circus employee. It
was Mr. Knudson, one of the ad
vance men of the show. He came
here to make final arrangements
for the show, which was to ap
pear here the next day. He had
not been in town long when he
heard of anthrax and sleeping sick
ness among the horses of the coun
ty. He investigated the matter.
He was informed, so he told us,
that there were hundreds of cases
of sleeping sickness in the county
and also of anthrax. He also learn
ed that a horse had died of sleep
ing sickness in a pasture adjoining
the lot in which the circus was to
show, and that put the finishing
touches to it as far as the show
appearing in O'Neill was concern
ed. He at once wired his boss, the
manager, at Council Bluffs, and the
date here was cancelled, to the dis
appointment of hundreds of young
folks as well as hundreds of older
people.
The management of the show
expressed hope that they would be
able to make O’Neill next year, as
Mr. Cronin said he had not given
up his desire to bring his show here.
The officials of the show are a
pleasant and fine appearing set of
vmen. The manager was anxious to
find out from his different aides if
they were sure that all bills that
had been contracted for in this
city were paid, as they did not want
to leave the city until their obliga
tions had been setled. The train
was here about twenty-five minutes
and during that time the train was
inspected, on the outside, by thous
ands of people. The size of the
show can be estimated from the
fact that it took 44 large show cars
to handle their equipment, and they
carried on their payrolls 700 people.
Marriage Licenses
Emil Kotas and Miss Floretta
Houton, both of Atkinson, were
granted a marriage license Aug. 1G.
Myron McClure of Long Pine,
and Miss Bessie Urwin of Creigh
ton, were granted a marrige license
in county court Aug. 16.
Mike Bonenberger of Atkinson,
and Miss Velma Johnson of O’Neill,
were granted a marriage license
Aug. 17.
Dr. and Mrs. J. P. Gilligan and
son, John Jr., and his brother,
Bennett, arrived in the city Satur
day evening from Nebraska City
and stopped in the city that night.
They were on their way to Chad
ron where John’s mother now re
sides. They expect to return the
end of the week and will stop here
for a couple of days visit before
going on home.
Mary and Kathrine Murphy of
Lincoln, spent the week in O’Neill
visiting at the home of their uncle
and aunt, Mr. and Mrs. W. G. Beha.