1 SUM SW>*'“1
The Frontier
«
.»4. V t %
m
V0L LIX O’NEILL, NEBRASKA, THURSDAY, APRIL 13, 1939. No. 48.
____—^1^^———————■—»
O’NEILL MUSIC STUDENTS PREPARE
PRE-CONTEST PROGRAM
Bands, Vocal and Instrumental Solos, Glee Club
Will Present For Home Folks Their Pre-Contest
I Program at K. C. Hall, Friday Evening
SOUTHEASTERN
BREEZES
By Romaine Saunders
With the idea that present day
needs of Nebraskans arc of more
importance than musty subjects
such as whether or not Wild Bill
Hickok was a bogus hero. Governor
Cochran opposes the use of any
more state funds for the publica
tion of the State Historical Soci
ety’s magazine, Nebraska History.
While the publication is of interest
to a certain group, much of the
matter therein has previously ap
peared in other form through the
regular press channels of the state
and the observations of the edi
7 tor are hardly appropriate subjects
to be tax supported.
A Lincoln woman has found a
way to keep the car going. Un
able to obtain cred't at the gas sta
tion, she used her credit with the
grocer and secured two dozen eggs.
These she took around to a pro
duce dealer and sold for cash, which
fixed her out for a little gas.
Having spent much of my life on
the big prairie, where there is
neither steamboat, navigable
stream nor mountains, I could never
see where the state seal was a fitt
ing emblem for Nebraska. It is
today even less appropriate. The
husky at the anvil swinging a ham
mer represents a pictuiesque, but
| all but forgotten craft, while the
shock of wheat may well be re
placed with a bale of hay, a bunch
of sugar beets or a beef’s head. A
prairie schooner would have been
more to the point than a river
steamer as an early day setting and
some will even dispute the motto:
“Equality Before the Law.”
Ma broke the news to dad, when
he got home. “I’ve been fired from
the WPA,” she said. That was
the start to make it unanimous for
one Lincoln family. Next day dad
told them at home that he had been
“let out.” Then the daughter, then
the son each with a story of being
discharged from their jobs. But
the son’s tale of hard luck was ac
companied with the flashing of a
bottle of red liquor, so the family
also decided to make a drunken
spree unanimous. What this fam
ily’s devotion to the cups may have
^ had to do with the wholesale loss
of their jobs has not been investi
gated.
The pioneers had their virtues.
They also had a fair share of orn
eriness. The homestead period was
not without its jealousies, its feuds,
too often its killings. I recall one
such which occurred in the neigh
borhood where my parents settled.
The name of the victim has gone
from me. The maintenance of law
and order in the county seat at
that time bearing the distinctive
name of O’Neill City, was commit
ted to Norris Ellis. Two or three
settlers from over east were in
town and made the evening hectic
by shooting up the saloons. Ellis
undertook to subdue them, when
they got into a wagon and started
^ out of town on the road then lead
ing to the Northeast corner of
town, over open prairie. Ellis had
authorized a deputy, whose name
I will withhold, to stop them or see
that they got beyond his jurisdic
tion. The deputy pulled the picket
pins to which a pony was lariated,
coiled the rope, leaped onto the
pony and started in pursuit. The
fugitives had taken the road east
from the Cronin corner and were
closely pursued by the deputy, whc
said he fired a few shots into the
air to induce them to stop. One
bullet took deadly effect in the
back of one of them, who fell over
dead. The deputy claimed he had not
intended shooting so as to endanger
life but the pony stumbled and in
the sudden effort to prevent being
. pitched off he had pulled the trig
ger which sent the fatal bullet.
On next Friday evening, April 15,
at the K. C. Hall, the soloists and
a large group of stude«ts from the
O’Neill schools will present to the
public the numbers which they will
enter in the District Music Con
test to be held at Fullerton on April
21 and 22.
The program will consist of num
bers by the band, glee club soloists
and ensembles.
A matinee will be given at 2:00
p. m. for school children.
The evening program will com
mence promptly at 8:00 o’clock.
Your presence will be appreci
ated.
Friday evening, April 14th, at
7:30 p.m. the music departments
of the O’Neill schools will give a
concert at the K. C. Hall. Mr.
Iverson, supervisor of music in
Sioux City schools, will be present
on behalf of the Vocal Music De
partment.
The following program will be
presented:
Cornet Trio — “Echo Waltz” —
Goldman — H. Graves, W. Melena
and F. Halva.
Girls Sextet — “Trees" — Ras
bach-Harris —; “Grant Me True
Courage” — Bach — M. Osen
baugh, Florence Bowers, D. Claus
sen, L. J. Robertson, Ina Mae
Worth and E. Robertson.
Trombone Solo — “Old Home
Down on the Farm”,Harlow —
Junior Toy.
Vocal Solo — “A Brown Bird
Singing,” Wood; “Little Boy Blue,”
Nevin — Lois Jean Robertson.
Baritone Solo — “Tramp, Tramp,
Tramp,” Goldman — Hugh Me
Mixed Octette — “Homeland,”
Cain — D. Loy, D. Claussen, H.
Graves, R. Harris, B. Jones, E. Rob
ertson, W. Melena and C. Yarnall.
Supervisor of Music in Sioux City
Schools — Mr. Iverson.
French Horn Solo — “Friend
ship,” Weidmark — Junior Harris.
Vocal Solo—“I Love You Truly,”
Bond; “Ope’ Yo’ Han’s An’ Clos’
Yo’ Eyes” — Dolores Claussen.
Bass Solo — “Beelzebub,” An
drews — Philip Yarnall.
Vocal Solo — “Sylvia,” Speaks;
“The Holy City,” Adams — Char
les Yarnall.
Clarinet Solo — Keith Vincent.
Vocal Solo — “Beautiful Dream
er,” Nevin; “The Old Refrain,”
Kreisler — Davene Loy.
Cornet Solo — “Carnival of Ven
ice,” Clarke — Woodrow Melena.
Saxophone Solo — “Beautiful
Colorado,” DeLuco — Bob Mitchell.
Mr. Gansko — Numbers of his
own selection.
Girls Glee Club — “Dear Land
of Home” from “Finlandia,” Sibel
ius; “I Passed by Your Window,”
Brake.
Soloists of St. Mary’s Academy
Trombone Solo—“The Message,”
Brooks — Robert Parkins.
Vocal Solo — “The Dainty Damo
zel,” Hartley — Catherine Finley.
Clarinet Solo — “Showers of
Gold,” Bonllion — Alma Wallace.
Saxophone Solo — “Danse Hon
groise Ring Hagar,” Weidoeft —
Lorene Mains.
O. H. S. Band — March “Colonel
Bogey,” Alford; Overture “Lust
spiel,” Keler Bela; Overture from
“Martha,” Flotow.
The Horriskey building on Doug
street has been renovated and Mrs.
Helen Sirek expects to open the
Elite Cafe within the next few
days, as soon as the redecoration
has been completed. The interior
of the building looks very nice and
Mrs. Sirek has a reputation of be
ing a splendid restaurant woman,
furnishing fine food and at the
lowest possible price. New fix
tures have been installed and a
modern lighting system and when
the work is completed it will be
one of the niftiest restaurants in
this section of the state.
Shootings were not looked into any
too carefully at that day and his
explanation seems to have been let
go at just that.
EWING WOMAN
BURNED WHEN
CLOTHESJGNITE
Miss Mary Leahy, eldest daugh
ter of Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Leahy,
of Ewing was painfully burned
about the arms, chest and face
Saturday when her clothing caught
fire while she was working about
the stove. A physician at once
dressed the wounds. Although suf
fering a good deal her condition is
regarded as good.
58-YEAFTOLD
CLIPPING FOUND
BY W. H. DARTT
Clipping Was Written
By G. A. Dartt, Former
Frontier Correspondent
The following article is a clipping
from an issue of July, 1881 of The
Frontier. The clipping was brought
to the Frontier office by W. H.
Dartt, who says that though the
events recorded in this clipping oc
courred in his early youth, he re
members some of them and many
of those mentioned in the article
either are or at one time were
neighbors of his.
Pleasant V alley Pickings
Corn grows.
Rye harvest nearly over.
Flax good, and some pieces ready
to harvest.
Wheat fair; some pieces heavy,
others lighter.
Harry Spindler cut his winter
wheat last week. It was a fine
piece of grain.
Bad place over here for the
young chaps who go sparking Sun
day nights. Some time ago Wheeler
H.- stayed rather late, and
while speeding rapidly onward with
his mind filled with happy visions
of the “sweet bye and bye,” he lost
his way, and was compelled tc
spend the balance of the night or
the broad prairies of Northern Ne
braska.
T> TT A \T _--l_C_i-T_
D1U. 11. n. i! • > XV*. v**v
two years has been engaged ir
farming the fertile prairies of Holl
county, and who of late has
achieved great notoriety as a cor
respondent to The Frontier from
the upper Black Bird, is about tc
leave off the plow and the pen, and
engage in the manufacture of wood
en limbs. All in need of repairs oi
this kind, would do well to applj
at once; chicken legs a specialty.
The storm of the evening of June
30, found several of the Pleasanl
Valley and Leonie people on the
road home from the sing at G. A
Dartt’s. Some, by fast driving
escaped a wetting, while others less
fortunate were thoroughly drench
ed. One young couple who were or
horse back were particularly un
Tortunate. The storm came upor
them in its fury when they were
about half way home. The ponies
refused to face the blast, conse
quently they were obliged to dis
mount and foot it home. The nexi
morning Alphonso might have beer
searching the prairies for a straj
hat, muttering to himself that he
had got to find that hat before Julj
4th, or he would never dare shov
himself at the Black Bird postof
fice again.
The picnic July 4th, on the
grounds of E. P. Hicks, of Leonie
was declared a success by all. The
forenoon exercises consisted oi
prayer, singing, reading, etc., aftei
which all were invited to partake
of the sumptuous feast prepared bj
the good ladies of Black Bird, Rec
Bird, Leonie and Pleasant Valley
and they did eat and were filled
Could those people of the east, whe
imagine we, of the frontier abom
to die of starvation, happened alonj;
about 1 o’clock, they would hav<
changed their minds somewhat, ir
regard to the starvation at least
After dinner, singing, by the Re<
Bird glee club, speaking by Mr
Loyd, Geo. McGowan and Jamei
Weeks; declamations by Vick Squir
es, Ed Norton. In the evening i
dance was held at the residence oi
E. P. Hicks. Taking all in all, i'
was a good, sociable time, enjoyec
by young and old.
Gad.
93-Years Old But Still
Anticipates the Weekly
Arrival of Frontier
The Frontier received A letter
from Mrs. H. H. Mitchell, of Jef
fers, Mont., the first of the week
enclosing an extension of her sub
scription to The Frontier for an
other year. Mrs. Mitchell says
that her aunt, Nora Sullivan, for
many years a resident of this city,
who will be 93 years of age this
next October, is in good health with
all her faculties as good as ever and
that she looks eagerly forward
every week for the arrival of The
Frontier so that she can read of
the doings in the old home town.
HALF CENTURY
ELAPSES AND OLD
TIMER WRITES
18 Former Residents
Inquired After; Only
One Surviving
The Frontier received the follow
ing letter the first of the week
from an old time reader, who has
not been a resident of. this county
for the past half century:
La Porte, Ind., April 8, 1939.
Dear Sir:
As a subscriber ot your paper in
1885 and 188fi am enclosing stamps
for a copy of your good old paper.
Mr. Riggs was the owner at that
time, your postoffice was in the
front of the building, while the
paper was published in the rear.
There was also the Democrat pub
lished in the basement of the corner
bank. I can remember Hagerty,
Hendrickson, butcher, Tom Golden,
Attorney, Senator Kinkaid, law
yer; Judge Lowe, Andy Potter, Tom
Morris, son of the druggist; Char
les Moore; mail carrier to Cham
bers and Sumingsville; Grey and
Mack, grocers; £llsworth Mack;
Cole, the jeweler; the Triggs boys,
George Merritt, blacksmith. What
became of Elmer Brainard, deputy
postmaster; Campbell, hardware;
Jud Grant, restaurant owner. I
would appreciate your reply.
Very cordially,
S. M. Henoch.
Mr. Henoch’s letter is a mes
sage from the dim and misty past.
The writer remembers Mr. Henoch
very well, but it is the first time I
ever knew he had any other name
than Milt, as that was what he was
called when he lived in this county.
As we remember he came here with
a good sized delegation of people
from La Porte, Ind., and most of
them located in the Chambers val
ley, where they resided for a few
years and at one time had a flour
ishing little town down there that
they called Shamrock, which had a
newspaper for a few years. It was
a real hustling little town but
passed away many years ago.
Mr. Henoch asks about eighteen
former residents in his letter, but
of the number mentioned there is
but one living, Ellsworth Mack, of
Atkinson, and if we remember cor
rectly the Mack’s also came from
La Porte, Ind. The others have
passed to the great beyond, five of
them being buried here, the others
in cemeteries in other sections of
the country. Mr. Henoch must be
in the eighties but he writes a nice
hand and the fact that he wants to
know of the old timers in this city
is evidence of the fact that his
memory is excellent. He would
be treated to a surprise party if he
visited O’Neill today. It has grown
from a little country village to a
city.
The Weather
’ It has been rather chilly and raw
| the past week, with a couple of
snow flurries. Following is the
temperatures for the week:
April 6 _ 43 16
April 7 __ 60 26
* April 8 - 56 25
April 9 _ 62 32
April 10 40 45
' April 11 41 14
April 12 _ - 36 16
CARD OF THANKS
To Our Many Friends:
Words cannot express our thanks
I and appreciation for all the acts of
• kindness and gifts extended to us
i during our great sorrow. These
expressions of sympathy will al
ways be remembered.
Mrs. Mary Stauffer,
John N. Stauffer,
Mrs. Elva Nickels,
Mrs. Lola Calkins,
Miss Ellen Stauffer.
GAS EXPLOSION TAXES UVES Of TWO
YOUTHS HERE EASIER SUNDAY
Accumulated Vapor From Spilled Gasoline Is
Thought to Have Been Cause of Fatal Blast;
Funerals Were Held on Tuesday and Wednesday
Eastern Holt County
Farmer Commits Suicide
James Roy Cunningham ended
his life last Monday morning be
tween the hours of 10:30 and 12
o’clock by hanging himself in the
driveway of a corn crib at the home
of his brother, Lew Cunningham,
north and east of Page. The fun
eral was held Wednesday afternoon
at 2:00 o’clock in the M. E. church
of this city, Rev. Leo D. Carpenter,
Methodist minister of Page offici
ating and burial in Prospect Hill
cemetefy.
Deceased was born at Remsen,
Iowa, on April 21, 1886, where he
lived for several years and then
moved to Lemars, Iowa with his
parents.lHe came to this county in
1911 and had been a resident ever
since.
Mr. Cunningham had never mar
ried and made his home with
one of his brothers most of his life.
At the time of his death he was
living with his eldest brother, Lew.
He seemed cheerful the morning of
his death and when he left the
house was going out in the field
where the boys were working to
see how they were getting along.
But he never went to the field and
when they returned from the field
found his body hanging in the
driveway between the corn cribbs.
He had been dead some time when
the body was found.
Mr. Cunningham leaves four
brothers and two sisters to mourn
his passing. They are Lew Cun
ningham, Ida Stevens, Mary Stev
ens, Leroy Cunningham, Ben Cun
ningham and Donald Cunningham,
all of Page.
Violators ot 1 rattic Laws
Before Co. Judge Malone
Lester McNuff, of Broken Bow,
was before the county court last
Monday on a complaint filed by
Patrolman Russell who charged him
with parking on Highway No. 20 on
April 9, without placing flags as
required by law. He pled guilty
and was fined $25.00 and cos's of
$3.10.
Merl Baker, of Atkinson, was
another trucker who was before the
county court on Monday charged
with parking a truck on Highway
No. 20 without placing flags. He
pled guilty and was fined $25.00
and costs of $3.10.
Lloyd E. James was before the
county court last Monday on com
plaint of Patrolman Brt charged
with operating a motor vehicle on
the highways while under the in
fluence of intoxicating liquor. He
pled guilty to the charge and was
fined $10.00 and costs, or a total
of $13.10.
First Twins Tall Tale;
Now Conies Four Sets
Last week The Frontier carried
a story of a pair of twin calves
born on the D. Murphy farm north
east of this cay. Now comes Fay
Puckett, who also lives northeast of
this city, with a sheep and lamb
story. Mr. Puckett says th?y have
had four sets of twin lambs this
spring and have lost only one out
of the four sets. Two of the
mother ewes were lambs last year.
All of the ewes are running with
their mothers and as a ewe can
only set the table for two, he is of
the opinion that makes it more out
of the ordinary. He winds up by
saying that to date 'hey have two )
ty-four live lnmb3 from thirteen
ewes. Is there anyone in the county
that can beat this record?
Sisters Re-united After
31 Years Enjoy Visit
Mrs. Jeanette George, of Boston,
Mass., arrived in the city last Sat
urday for a month or six weeks
visit at the home of her sister, Mrs.
A. L. Wilcox. The sisters had not
seen each other for thrity-one years
and it is needless to say they are
having an enjoyable visit.
One of the most tragic accidents
which this city has ever known oc
curred here last Sunday afternoon
about 5:45 when a gas explosion
took the lives of two young men,
Cloe L. Crabb and Arthur L. Stauf
fer.
That afternon both boys were in
the old WNAX filling station, which
is owned and operated by Leo's
father. Emmet Crabb. Several
boys had been in and out of there
during the afternoon, but at the
time of the accident there was but
Stauffer and Crabb present, a Mit
chell boy having left the station
but a few minutes before the ex
plosion.
There is considerable difference
of opinion as to how the explosion
occurred, but as near as we can
find out it was about as follows:
Leo was filling the oil stove In
preparation to starting it, as it
was getting cool. There was some
gasoline spilled on the floor and a
can of gas was setting just a little
ways from the stove. He lit a
match and tossed it on the floor,
which was of cement, to burn the
gas off, which we undesstand is a
common practice, when the explo
sion occurred. The force of the
explosion was terrific and blew out
one of the windows in the room.
Leo was closest to the explosion
and he got the full foroe and his
clothing was set on fire. He got
out the door with his clothes aflame,
dropped on the ground and started
rolling to extinguish the flames. A
gentleman, whose name we have not
learned, was near by and helped
him get his clothes off as he rolled
along on the ground. He rolled
from the front of the bhilding to
let garage, nearly one hundred feet,
near the back part of the Chevro
let garage, nearly one hundred feet,
and by the time he reached there
all of his clothing had been burned
off. Help was secured at once and
he was taken to the hospital, where
re received medical attention, but
he passed away about 11:30 that
night. All of his body, except his
feet, were badly burned. The can
of gas setting near the stove did
not explode but burned.
Arthur Stauffer was the first out
of the building after the explosion,
he went through the east window of
the building, receiving several cuts
from the glass as he went through,
but they were not serious. His
clothes were aflame and Mr. Jan
sen, who came along a few mo
mnts afterward, helped to extin
guish the flames. It was thought
at the time that he had about an
even chance to recover but be died
about three o’clock Monday after
noon.
The citizens of this city were
shocked at this accident, which
snuffed out the lives of two of our
promising young men and the fam
ilies of both have the heartfelt sym
pathy of the people of this city in
which this newspaper heartily
joins.
Leo L. Crabb was born at Wag
ner, S. D., on October 5, 1921, and
at the time of his death was 17
years, six months and four days
of age. The family came to this
city in November, 1935, Mr. Crabb
taking over the WNAX filling sta
tion, which about a year ago was
changed to the Sovereign station.
Leo attended the O’Neill public
school and was one of the gradu
ates of the class of 1938. Since
his graduation he has been assist
ing his father and brother in the
service station. Leo was a like
able young man and had a host of
friends in this city, being a particu
lar favorite with all of the young
folks, all of whom were shocked
when they learned of his tragic
death.
Leo is survived by his father and
mother, Mr. and Mrs. Emmet Crabb
of this city, and two brothers and
one sister, who are left to mourn
the passing of an affectionate son
and brother. They are, Verle, Dor
ance and Donna, all of O’Neill.
The funeral was held last Tues
day morning at 10:00 o’clock at the
Methodist church, Rev. Wright of
ficiating, and burial in the ceme
I
BANKERS MEET FOR
BANQUET AT
GOLDEN HOTEL
Judge Carter of Nebra
ska Supreme Court was
Speaker of Evening
The North Central Nebraska Re
gional Clearing House Association
held their semi-annual meeting in
O’Neill on Monday at a seven o’
clock dinner at the Golden Hotel.
About forty members of the asso
ciation in this district were present,
as well as the members of the local
bar association who were present
as guests of the organization.
Judge E. F. Carter of the Ne
braska Supreme Court of Lincoln,
made the principal address of the
evening, giving a very interesting
discourse on the “Constitution of
the United States." Judge Carter
was introduced by the Honorable
Judge R. R. Dickson, Judge of the
District Court in this District. J.
J. Harrington, a member of the
local bar association also addressed
the gathering.
Turkey Clinic Held Here
Wednesday Pronounced
A Big Success
The Turkey clinic at the K, C.
hall last Wednesday was well at
tended and is said to have been a
pronounced success by those re
sponsible for holding the meeting.
About forty turkey growers from
various parts of the county were in
attendance and listened with at
tention to the addresses delivered
by the two speakers. We under
stand there are several thousand
turkeys in the county at the pres
ent time and that the crop this
coming year will^>e the largest ever
grown in this section of the state.
The O’Neill Hatchery was responsi
ble for getting the clinic in this
city and Mr. Leidy is naturally
elated at the success of the meeting.
NOTICE OF SALE
The Welton residence property,
in the same block with the O’Neill
Public School, will be sold on May
8. 1939, at 2 o’clock p. m., at the
Court House. This is a very desir
able residence property and any
one interested in purchasing it
should get in touch with
NORMAN GONDERINGER
47-2 at office of Emmet Harmon
Mr. and Mrs. F. H. Dishner re
turned Tuesday night from Colum
bus, where they spent Easter Sun
day at the home of Mr. and Mrs.
Ivan Kinsman, and from Omaha,
where they had been on business.
i --———
tery at Wagner, S. D. The fun
eral here was largely attended and
a large number of O’Neill friends
accompanied the funeral cortege
to Wagner, where they were joined
by a large circle of friends in his
native city who were present to
pay their last respects. Rev. Wright
accompanied the body to its final
resting place.
Arthur L. Stauffer
Arthur Laverne Stauffer was
born near Opportunity, Nebr., on
May 31, 1922, and was 16 years,
ten months, and nine days old at
the time of his death. The funeral
was held Wednesday morning at
10:00 o’clock from the Methodist
church, Rev. Leo D. Carpenter,
Methodist minister of Pags, offici
ating and burial in Prospect Hill
cemetery. The funeral was a
very large one. many people being
unable to gain admission to the
church. Deceased was a Junior in
the O’Neill High school and a mem
ber of the O’Neill High School band
and his classmates as well as the
members of the band attended the
funeral in a body.
Arthur is survived by his parents,
Mr. and Mrs.' John Stauffer and
three sisters, Elva Nickels, Lola
Calkins and Miss Ellen Stauffer,
who are left to mourn the passing
of a kind, affectionate, loving son
and brother.
Arthur was quite a favorite of
his fellow students and his tragic
death was a shock not only to the
pupils of the O’Neill High, which
he attended, but also to the stu
dents in the High School of St.
Mary’s Academy, with all of whom
he was well acquainted.