I
f K
Nab Stata Historical Soeiatj
The Frontier
#
\ g^H . *
TOL. LIX. O’NEILL, NEBRASKA, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 16,1939. No. 40.
FIFTH AND FINAL CHAPTER OF
HOLT COUNTY’S EARLY HISTORY
Written By Early Pioneers
4 History of Days Gone
By In Holt County
(Continued From Last Week.)
In many parts long d i s
tances stretched between resi
dences many of which were of
prairie sod. Near Thursday noon
we came in sight of a beautiful new
church and priests residence near
it. The young priest was very
cordial when we asked for dinner. A
good dinner was soon ready to
which we did ample justice. Bidd
ing our hospitable host goodbye
we proceeded and that night found
entertainment with a farmer who
was pushing the work of corn husk
ing. A good nights rest with
breakfast and we were off again
in a slight mist, driven by a north
west breeze which increased until
near noon when it changed to snow.
A Nebraska blizzard was upon us.”
Fortunately a near by farm
house furnished shelter and food
4 the stable sheltering three horses.
The blizzard continued into the
night. In the morning the snow
had ceased falling but was still
drifting badly. Before noon we
learned that our kind host had no
shelter for his cows while our
horses were in his stable, so after
dinner we drove on. We were oblig
ed to trample down several deep
drifts to enable our team to pull
the carriage through them. We
drove twenty-six miles before we
could find shelter for our horses,
where we were entertained by two
young bachelors, who gave us the
best they had. Slept well in a soft
bed of shavings in the cellar of a
new house that they were building.
Sunday morning was cold but we
drove eight miles where we spent
the day and night. We expected
to reach my new homestead on
Saturday but the storm had delay
ed us but on Monday night we were
on the Verdigris eight miles from
home. The weather was becom
ing pleasanter so we drove over
the hills nearing the Middlebranch.
My boy, aged ten, whom I had left
sick came running over the snow
drifts with his sister, who was a
little older, to greet us. Ours was
a happy reunion, proving that God
is good.”
Rev. Balin was one of those de
termined pioneers who risked
everything for a purpose, to bring
the word of God to a new country
in order that Christian religion and
fellowship should be preserved.
After he had built the O’Neill M. E.
church, in October 1883, he became
County Superintendent of Public
Instruction and served in that ca
pacity for two and a half years.
Jmes H. Riggs, publisher of the
O’Neill Frontier said that, “Bart
lye Blain may justly be called the
Father of the Schools of Holt coun
ty.” In that period he formed 120
school districts and changed the
boundary of 40 others. He preach
ed his last sermon in July 1915, at
the age of 83 years and died at
Page, Nebraska, October 17, 1918.
Thus ended the long and useful
career of a man whose devotion to
his fellow men never allowed him
to shirk dedicating his lifetime ef
forts to their spiritual and educa
tional developement, in the days
when our west was new, and need
ed his help.
Father Cassidy goes on and says,
“In October, 1877, Rev. John T.
Smith was installed as the first
resident pastor of St. Patrick’s
Parish, and took up his abode at
the farmhouse of John Cronin,
likewise residing at the residence
of Dennis Doly, and J. P. O’Donnell
in O’Neill.
During the year 1879, the nrst
parochial residence in the parish
was built by Father Smith. It was
a frame building, 18x30 feet, one
and a half stories high and cost
$1400.00 It was erected on block
four, city of O’Neill a little west
and adjacent to the church building
(which had been built in 1877), the
last half of said block for the pur
puse of a site for the church and
parsonage, together with some
other settled lots in the townsite,
which were to be converted into
funds, the proceds of which were to
be applied toward building the
church.
At or about the time that Mr.
Fahy donated the lots for church
and residence purposes, General
O’Neill and Patrick Hagerty do
nated all of block number (here
Father Cassidy does not give the
number) O’Neill and Hagerty’s
Addition to the City of O’Neill, for
a catholic cemetery.
Temporary official organization
of the parish was effected in the
year 1877 and two trustees were
selected and appointed.
In the fall of 1880, Bishop O’Con
nor visited the parish for the first
time, and administered the Sacra
ment of Confirmation to ninety-one
persons.
The church now in use in the par
ish at O’Neill (meaning the one j
prior to the present one and re
placing the first small 18x36 ft.
one), was erected during the ad
ministration of Father Smith in
1884, and cost about five thousand
dollars. It is 40x100 feet and has
a seating capactiy of four hundred
people, being heated by a hot-air
furnace. During the progress of
construction, a violent storm oc- j
curred which razed the building to
the ground, partially destroying
the work which had been accom
plished, and inflicting considerable
damage generally. Again a short
time after it completion, it was
damaged, being wrenched andj
twisted from its foundation, during
the visit of another furious hurri- j
cane.
During the administration of the
parish by Father Smith, Reverends
Thomas Cullen and P. Brophy were
associated with him, part of the
time in general parish work as
regular assistants and resided with
him at the parochial residence.
At the time of Father Smith’s
administration the parish was in
a flourishing condition, it being
possessed of a large, commodious
church building, a handsome paro
chial residence, a fine organ for the
cial residence, a fine organ for the 1
church services had been purchased
and paid for, and an excellent!
choir, which had been organized
amongst the members of the parish
and existed for a considerable
time. The parish was entirely out
of debt, in fact had a balance of
$430.00 to its credit in the treasury.
There were one hundred and sixty
five families enrolled upon the
parish register, and a large Sun
day school was organized and in
good working order, showing a good
average attendance of pupils.
In the month of July, 1886, Fa
ther Smith was transferred to
Cheyenne, Wyoming, and the
writer here of, then pastor at Raw
lins, Wyoming, was assigned to this
jurisdiction to succeed him.
Upon assuming charge of this
parish I at once set about to in
crease the seating capacity of the
church by adding ten new pews,
thereby enlarging it to a capacity
of five hundred. The church being
without a tower or other receptible
for a bell I caused to be erected in
the fall of 1886, in the center of
the front of the church a substan- ^
tial tower 12x12 at the base and!
I ninety feet in height to the top of
j the large gilded cross by which it
' is surmounted. Thi3 addition gave
I to the church a decidely handsome
! and improved appearance in con
junction with the utilitarian pur- :
pose it was intenied to serve. A
■ bell was then purchased and placed
j in this tower. The new bell with
the iron frame in which it is set
weighs four thousand pounds, and
' was tolled for the first time for the
early mass of Christmas 1886. The
! cost of the those very necessary
improvements amounted to $1125.
00 for the tower and $594.00 for
the bell.
November 9, 1886, St. Patrick’s,
church, O’Neill, Nebraska, was
regularly incorporated under the
laws of the State of Nebraska, at
1 Omaha, the incorporators being
Rt. Rev. James O’Connor, Bishop
of Omaha, Very Rev. R. A. Shaffel,
Vicar General, Rev. Michael F.
Cassidy, pastor and Patrick Hager
! ty and John McBride laymen. The
officers are a president, secretary
and treasurer. The Bishop being
ex-officio president, M. F. Cassidy,
i the pastor, was selected treasurer,
' and Patrick Hagerty, layman, was
appointed secretry. Article two,
of the articles of incorporation
limits the indebtnedness of the
corporation to ten thousand dol
lars.
In the summer of 1887, Bishop
O’Connor again visited the parish,
and administered confirmation to a
class of 172 persons and the fol
lowing year, the Jesuit Fathers
held a very successful mission of
eight days in the month of Sep
tember. During this year also
(1888) the parish attained to the
greatest membership the enroll
ment of families agregating two
hundred.
David Fitzgerald, of Lincoln,
Nebraska, donated to St. Patrick’s
Church, O’Neill, two beautiful
statues of the “Blessed Virgin,”
and “St. Joseph,” in the summer of
1888.
Now the parochial residence in
use proving inadequate for the de
cent accomodation of the pastor and
assistant and the numerous visiting
clergy, it was decided to remove
and sell the same and replace it
with one which would compare more
fully with the importance and dig
nity of the parish, and adequately
meet the accomodations and re
quirements of a modern residence.
Acordingly in the summer of 1888,
the old residence was removed and
later in 1890, was sold for nine
hundred dollars and the present
residence, a frame building, 45x54,
two stories high with attic was
erected on the site formerly oc
cupied by the old one at a cost of
$3500.00.
About this time also, a strong
and universal feeling existed
throughout the parish, that the
time had arrived for, and the exi
gencies and necessities of the situa
tion demanded the establishment
at O’Neill, of an Academy for young
ladies, wherein should be taught
the higher branches of learning,
music and the arts, the same to be
placed in charge of and conducted
by one of the more popular orders
of instructors to be found among
the sisterhood of the church. Sub
cription books, for the purpose of
raising funds, were therefore
opened to the public, and voluntary
1 contributions solicited, which met
with a generous and prompt re
sponse by the people, fully assur
ing the success of the project.
Meetings and conferences were held
from time to time to devise ways
and means, until the summer of
1890, when matters assumed real
tangible form. In the late summer
of that year, a contract was enter
ed into for the erection of a brick
building, with a 75 ft. front and
45 ft. deep to contain four floors,
viz: Basement, two full stories,
and attic, the same to be equipped
with all modern appliances, and
heated by steam. The building to
be erected on the west half of block
( four, O’Neill City. The institution
l was to be known as St. Mary’s
Academy.
Work on this building was com
menced in the early autumn of that
year, the corner-stone being laid
September 13, 1890. Father John
Jeannette, of Omaha, officiated as
j
celebrant, owing to the recent death
of Bishop O’Connor, and the Epis
copal See being still vacant. Father
Jeanette was assisted by Rev.
t Joseph F. Nugent, of Des Moines,
I Iowa, H. Hoheisel, assistant pastor
and your humble servant, the pas
tor of the Parish. Father Nugent
delivered the discourse. Work was
j pushed along rapidly in the build
ing until the fatal day, February
; 19, 1891, at high noon, when it was
totally destroyed by fire, originat
| ing in the basement, through the
| carelessness of workmen.
At the time of the occurence of
that appaling disaster, $14,000.00
had been expended on the building
and its heating plant. Suit was in
stituted in the District Court of
Holt County against the contract
ors and their bondsmen to recover
the amount paid on the contract,
and a judgement for $14,000.00
and costs obtained. The case was
appealed, by the bondsmen, to the
Supreme Court of the state. That
court reversed the judgement of
the District Court. The suit was
then dropped.
That awful calamity shattered
for the time being, the fondest as
pirations and most cherished am
bitions of the parish, but severe as
the shock was, it did not entirely
annihilate the hopes and determina
| tions of the people to replace the
beautiful structure, that had been
the pride of their hearts for a day,
with another equally as handsome
and substantial, sometime in the
near future.
Along in the winter of 1890-91, a
nice frame church 22x36 ft. was j
erected at Stafford, on the eastern i
side of the parish, at a cost of
$1000.00, the ground for the site
having been donated by Daniel
O’Donnell of that place. This
church is served from O'Neill and
mass is celebrated there once a
month.
On June 28, 1891, Rt. Rev. Bishop
Scannell visited the parish for the
first time since assuming the
episcopacy of the diocese of Omaha
and confirmed a class of 172 per
sons.
In this year alio, that part of
Boyd county being between Lynch
on the east and Butte on the west,
was attached to this parish as a
mission and mass ’ as celebrated at
Spencer for the first time during
that year.
January 1, 1892, Father Havel
berg was appointed resident pastor
of the Boyd County Mission. He
established his residence at Spencer
and continued his charge of that
mission until October 1894 when he
was transferred. Since then the
mission has been attended from
O’Neill. A frame church was built
in Spencer, part in 1892 and part
in 1896. It is 18x56 ft. and cost
$500.00 Mass is celebrated there
once a month.
The Passiomst fathers visited
this parish in the month of October,
1892 and held a very successful
mussion, whih lasted eight days.
Now we come to the widespread
and severe drought that extended
over the agricultural states of the
Northwest in 1894 and 1895.
Father Cassidy says of it, that
it inflicted much suffering generally
and in many instances even sev
ere destitution among the poorer
families of the parish, more es
pecially the outlaying mission of
Boyd on the nortiT
The charity of the well-to-do and
more fortunate, both at home and
abroad, was diligently invoked in
behalf of the suffering poor, and,
I am proud to acknowledge, re
sponded to with noble generosity.
Here he gives long lists of names
of donations and their amounts to
gether with what they were ex
pended for, too numerous to men
tion here.
He goes on however and says,
“In the month of June, 1896, a
‘League of the Sacred Heart’ was
organized. With much pleasure it
is recorded that the League has
been highly successful from the
start in obtaining members. The
organization is now at this writing,
in a vigorous and flourishing con
dition, having on its register an en
rollment of four hundred members.
Bishop Scanned, in the discharge
of his duties again visited the par
ish October 6, 1896 and confirmed
a class of 155 people of various
ages.
From the first settlement of the
parish to the first day of May, 1898
there have been 1412 baptisms, 189
marriages, and 326 deaths, 286 of
which occurred since August, 1887,
and about 40 previous to that time,
including the pastorate of Father
Smith.
The Sunday Schools of this juris
diction are in a progressive and
satisfactory condition, an excellent
state of discipline being enforced
and Maintained, with little friction.
The average attendance at O’Neill
numbering one hundred, at Stafford
twelve and at Spencer, twenty
five. According to the last census
of the parish taken in October,
1897, there are residing within its
territorial environments, 125 Irish
three German, and four Bohemian
families, who I am exceedingly
pleased to say, faithfully adhere
to the church, through storm and
sunshine, good report and evil re
port. The above statistics do not
include the families belonging to!
the Boyd county mission. About!
34 families worship in the church I
at Spencer. They are mostly Bo
hemians and Germans, with a con
siderable sprinkling of Irish.
Since July, 1886, when I first as
sumed the pastorate of this parish
to the date of this writing, May,
1898, the following priests have
been associated with me in the
capacity of assistants at various
intervals viz: Fathers Charles
Mugan, Julius Debove, H. Hohiesel,
and M. F. Sheehan.”
In the foregoing Father Cassidy
has given a very accurate and
thorough account of the early his
tory and struggles of St. Patrick's
Parish. In this book of 300 pages
he goes on and tells much more of
which I do not have time or space
to set down, bringing it up through
the years from 1398 to 1933, the
time of his passing away from our
midst. For forty-seven years he
had served his people and made
history. In writing of him Father
Leahy says in this book, “His work
is done and of him truly it could
be said: ‘Ece sacridas magnus, qui
in diebus suis placuit Deo.’" The
magnificent Church, the Rectory,
and the great St. Mary’s Academy,
all of which owe their existance to
his inspiration and labor, but more
than these, the strong Faith in
the souls of the people, give rich
and abundant testimony of the
faithful and fruitful Pastorate of
Monsignor Cassidy."
“May he rest in peace.”
May I add again that I am sorry
that I cannot give you the com
plete story which is so interesting
and take you through the many
struggles so aptly told by the be
loved Monsignor up to the time of
his demise.
In conclusion I would like to go
back to 1884. In the Holt County
Banner of January 5, Vol. 2, No.
45 of that year, I found the follow,
ing interesting articles which
might clear up some questions.
It is reported that at the exam
ination of Kid Wade at “Back Ber
ry’s” the Kid told Henry Richard
son, a member of the Brown County
Company, that he was as big a
horse thief as him (the Kid) where
upon Richardson wanted to shoot
him while he was in shackles, but
was prevented from doing so by
Mike Coleman.
o •
Also: The platform of the vigil
anties is substantially this: Any
person on whom suspicion is
thrown, they require that he prove
himself innocent; they are anxious
that he prove himself innocent; if
he does not he is turned over to the
authorities to be dealt with ac
cording to law.
After “pulling” parties on whom
suspicion is thrown they are usual,
ly taken to the “pen” on the Nio
brara River near Paddock. The
“pen” has two rooms in it and into
one of these the men are taken and
examined by a committee ofregula-1
tors and if sufficient evidence is
produced to justify they are taken |
before a justice, he occupies the
other room, and have an examina
tion and are usually bound over.
If no evidence is found to justify
them in holding a person, he is dis
missed without further ceremony.
The vigilanties have no intention
of persecuting any innocent party
intentionally and if there is any
thing out of place in the mode of
proceedure we fail to see it.
St. Patrick’s was known as St.
Joseph’s church in 1883-84, under
Father Smith.
Thank you and I hope you have
found the foregoing very interest
ing. —Dean Selah
4-H Club Winners To
Receive Free Chicks
Marvin Stauffer, of Page, Vera
Grutsch, of O’Neill, and Margery
Rees, of Amelia, were presented
this week with orders for fifty
chicks free from the Tri State
Hatchery in O’Neill. This offer
was given as a result of their plac
ing in poultry judging at the Coun
ty Achievement Day last fall.
Marvin Stauffer will also receive
100 setting eggs as a prize for his
j placing in judging at the state fair.
Another Coyote Hunt
Will Be Next Sunday
Another coyote hunt will be
held next Sunday afternoon north
1 of this city. This hunt will start
five miles east and one mile south
of the Midway store at George
Hanson’s; then three miles north
to the John Glaze ranch; then three
miles east to Redbird creek; then
j south past the Scottville hall to the
Joe Schoolmeyer corner; then west
to Hanson’s, the point of begining.
The hunt will start promptly at
2 o’clock. Last week they succeed
ed in getting one coyote. Those
who desire to attend the hunt if
they go four miles east of the Mid
way store there will be a man
stationed on the corner there who
will tell them where to go.
Ex-Residents Organize
An O’Neill Club In
Washington, D. C.
Washington, D. C.—Former resi- j
dents of O’Neill who now reside in
Washington met at The Kenesaw
for dinner last evening and organ
ized the O’Neill, Nebraska Club, of
Washington, D. C. Those present
were: Mr. and Mrs. James H.
Hanley, George M. Harrington,
Donald Gallagher, Madeline Ullom,
Mr. and Mrs. P. F. Ward, Mr. and]
Mrs. Luther W. Barrow (Barbara
Boyle), Grace Campbell, Honorable
and Mrs. Henry C. Luckey, and
Mr. and Mrs. John J. Harrington.
Maxine Harrington, Mr. and
Mrs. Thos. J. O’Brien (Ruth How
ard), Dr. and Mrs. W. P. Hynes,
Commander and Mrs. James Car
ney, Mr. and Mrs. T. W. Lanigan,
Mary McGee, Grace McHugh, Hel
en Martin, Marguerite Doyle, Mr.
and Mrs. James M. Buckley.
Donald Gallagher was chosen
president, and Marguerite Doyle,
secretary of the club.
James M. Buckley, Indianna
newspaperman and author who is
writing a story dealing with the
life of General John O’Neill, gave
an interesting lecture on the career
of the founder of O’Neill. Mr.
Buckley pictured O’Neill as a man
of charm and tall, soldierly bear
ing, a man who was described even
by one of his enemies as impres
sive.
From his very earliest career,
O’Neill had to fight, Buckley said,
and “no one ever got a better
chance to fight or enjoyed himself
more doing it.” Born in Dungan
non, Ireland, in 1834, a few weeks
after his father’s death, O’Neill
early lost a mother’s care, his
mother taking her elder children
and coming to Elizabeth, N. J.,
leaving John, the baby of the fam
ily, in Ireland. When O’Neill was
fourteen, the terrible potato famine
of 1848 forced him to come to
America, and the boy made the long
trip alone on a sailing ship of the
type which transported emigrants'
at this period.
After discussing O’Neill’s charge;
at Buffington Island, Ohio, in July,
1863, which may well have proved |
the turning point of the Civil War
in the Middle West, Buckley dis
cussed in detail the three invasions
of Canada which O’Neill attempted
in 1866, 1870, and 1871, on behalf
of the Fenian cause. In 1866 he
made the gallant invasion from
Buffalo which resulted in the battle
of Ridgeway.
Although the invasion was ulti
mately unsuccessful because ofbhe
application of neutrality laws by
the United States which kept Fen
ians eager to join O’Neill inactive |
on this side of the border, O’Neill
won such reputation at Ridgeway
that he was chosen general of the ,
Fenians a few years later.
The many romantic and thrilling
stories of the less-known invasions
of 1870, and 1871, which O’Neill
led as General, Buckley discussed
in detail. The story of how
O’Neill’s private Judas, Henri Le
Caron, worked against the Fenian
movement while holding one of the
key offices in the organization, was
I told. Also mention in some detail
was O’Neill’s dash across Minne
! sota and North Dakota into Mani
toba in 1871, in the hope of arous
ing the French half breeds to re
bellion against Great Britain be
fore news of his arrival could alarm
British authorities. The Fenian
leader had no way of knowing that
the man with whom he was eating
breakfast in a little restaurant was
a British agent, intent on reaching
* Manitoba ahead of him.
Buckley told the club that he in
j vited contributions on the early
days of the city of O’Neill and the
1 adventures of O’Neill in Nebraska
from old settlers of Holt and
Greeley counties. Buckley ex
plained that he hoped to write a
complete and colorful life of O’Neill
the man, and of the history of the
town which has lived after him and
perpetuated his renown. Buckley
said that any information which
[ O’Neill residents would like to fi
nish will be gratefully received at
the office of the Capitol Hill News
[ Service, 214 Massachusetts Avenue,
NE., Washington, D. C., Apartment
| No. 304.
After Mr. Buckley had finished
his discourse, Dr. W. P. Hynes
produced a copy of the first news
paper ever published in O’Neill and
! read many interesting items. This
paper was The Holt Record, pub
lished in 1879. James H. Hanley
and Peter Ward recalled pioneer
days. George Harrington and John
J. Harrington reminded those pre
sent of the intense bond of friend
ship and loyality that exists be
tween O’Neill people everywhere.
John H. Slack
John H. Slack was born March
14, 1866, in the state of Missouri
and passed away at his home near
Dorsey, Nebraska, February 9,
1939, at the age of 72 years, 10
months and 25 days.
He was united in marriage to
May Phelps, July 24, 1897. To this
union six children were born:
Howard and Forrest Slack and
Martha Hiscock, of Dorsey, and
Maude Huber, of Lynch, who with
their mother are left to mourn his
passing. The other two children
preceeded him in death. He is also
survived by three step-children:
Lloyd Phelps, of Redbird, Wilbur
Phelps, of Deep River, Iowa, and
Elsie W'ilson, of Dorsey. Two
j brothers, Vene Slack, of Omaha,
and Robert Slack, of Collinville,
Oklahoma, and one sister, Mamie
Gephard, of Pasedena, Calif., be
sides a host of other relatives,
friends and neighbors.
He was a kind and loving hus
band and father and will be great
ly missed by all who knew him.
He was a member of the Pene
costal church and was true to his
faith. The funeral was held last
Sunday afternoon from the Dorsey
church, burial in Dorsey cemetery.
—XXX
Card of Thanks
We sincerely wish to thank our
many friends and neighbors for
all their kindness and good deeds
done for us during our hours of
sorrow and we especially wish to
thank all for the beautiful floral
! offerings.
Your kindness will never be for
gotten.
MRS. JOHN SLACK,
and FAMILY.
—
James Leslie Summers
James Leslie Summers was born
at Page, Nebraska, April 13, 1938,
and passed away at O’Neill, Ne
braska, February 9, 1939, after an
illness of almost a month.
He leaves to mourn his passing,
his mother, father, one sister and
four brothers, Grandmothers and a
host of relatives and friends.
Card of Thanks
We wish to thank those who were
so kind during the sickness and
death of our darling baby.
MR. and MRS. L. G. SUMMERS,
j and CHILDREN.
A. L. Horn Takes Over
West Side Conoco Station
A. L. “Pug” Horn, who has been
the manager and driver of the
O’Neill-Ainsworth and O’Neill
Grand Island Bus Lines here for
the past six years has leased the
Conoco filling station, in the west
part of town, which was formerly
operated by A. W. Tibbets. Mr.
Horn wil continue as manager of
the Bus Lines for the present, but
' will no longer drive, giving all of
his time to the operation of the sta
tion. Pug is well known in O’Neill,
and all of his friends here, as well
as along his bus route will wish
him success and prosperity in his
new venture.
I O’Neill Woman’s Club
The Woman’s club met at the
home of Mrs. F. E. Parkins. Mrs.
Parkins gave two musical numbers,
The Brown Waltz and the Minuet
Waltz. Mrs. J. D. Osenbaugh re
viewed the “Song of Years,” by
Bess Streeter Aldrich. Mrs. Harold
Lindberg led in the discussion.
The club will meet in March at the
home of Mrs. Ira George.
-:
Does Not Pay To Be
Ahead Of Time In
The Nation’s Capitol
In the city of Washington, D. C.,
it is the early bird that gets it in
the neck. In its issue of January
28, 1939, the Washington Star tells
about a 71 years old negro who was
arrested on January 27 for having
a 1939 license plate on his auto
mobile. The law in that city fixes
the date for the change of license
plates as February 1.