Frontier
VOL. LIX. - O’NEILL, NEBRASKA, THURSDAY, MAY 11,1939 No. 52.
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SOUTHEASTERN
BREEZES
By Romaine Saunders
| The pool hall is one hangout for
men not yet invaded by women.
About every session the legisla
ture does something with the bar
bers. Two courses are open to the
citizen who objects to an arbitrary
monopoly price on a hair cut. Most
fellows think they would cut quite
a swell with a Buffalo Bill growth
of hair. Should this be objection
able a pretty good pair of clippers
can be had for two dollars and this
added to the safety razor and moth
er’s shears the home barbering can
be made complete.
Residential sections of the capitol
city are garbed in the gay colors of
the May floral bloom and perfumed
with the fragrance of lilac and
peach blossoms. Tall stalks of
iris tipped with flowers of various
shades of incomparable beauty, the
deep-hued tulips, the yellow glow
i of rose bushes laden with number
less dots of gold, the many hedges
of spirea banked in the white radi
ance of blossom time, elm ash and
waving green plumes and the stat
ely poplar pointing its slim fingers
to the sky. Spot of blue grass
where buildings and shrubs and
trees have left a little space for
lawn now clothed in the charming
tint of spring. The state house
grounds are a magnificient panor
ama of emerald vista. Not in
croached upon by towering timber,
a fit emblem of a prairie state. In
the neighborhood where I am tem
porarily camped, tastes vary. Flow
ers, trees, shrubs, showing a nicety
of taste of one householder while in
the next block you run into a gar
den of onions.
I have not turned prophet, priest
nor preacher, political nor religious
fanatic, I have seen something of
life—its fun, its sorrow, and now
looking out over the bedlam of man
kind the conviction cannot be es
caped that the only hope for a
staggering world is in the individ
ual turning to the God of creation
by compliance with the require
ments of Sinai and bowing the knee
to His crucified Christ, and in Am
erica the rebirth of the principles
that led us to national greatness.
It is not a mere lip service which
impells me to say it was with deep
regret Mrs. Saunders and I learned
of the death of Floyd Vequist. Our
acquaintance with him was but re
cent though I had known the fam
ily back to their grandparents.
Floyd carried the mail one summer
out of Atkinson over the route
which serves our community. It
was then we made his acquaint
ance. He was one in a million—
courteous, efficient, going out of
his way to help others and a smile
that captivated all. His was one
of those rare personalities that
make life a little cheerier when
met with.
If my memory is not at fault
this evening, the building The Fron
tier says Cap Uhl picked up and
set to the back of the lot was built
by Billy O’Connor. The old Crit
tic saloon building just south of it
was moved to Chambers by Bard
Hanna and is now in use as the
Newhouse hardware in that town.
Bard can tell an interesting story
about the job he had crossing the
Elkhorn down at Big Hank Mc
Evony’s ford. Denny Cronin knows
where it is as I saw him once there
upset with a load of hay when I
came that way from Inman.
Mr. and Mrs. Henry Lohaus re
turned Saturday from Omaha,
where they were on business and
where they visited relatives. Mrs.
Mark Fangman, of Omaha, a sis
ter of Mrs. Lohaus, retmed with
them and visited over the week
end.
Marriage Licenses
Leslie G. Van Every, of Gering,
Nebr., and Miss Gretchen E. Linitt,
of O’Neill, were granted a mar
riage license in county court last
Saturday.
Eugene Engler and Miss Veron
ica Straka, both of Stuart, were
granted a marriage license in coun
ty court last Wednesday.
'HOPPER MEETING
TO BE HELD TUES.
Early Poisoning Must
Be Done to Control
Grasshoppers this Year
Farmers, business men and any
one else who is interested in see
ing the crops of Holt County saved
from the grasshoppers which are
hatching so rapidly are invited to
attend a meeting from 1:00 to 3:00
p.m. at the auditorium in Atkin
son on Tuesday, May 16.
This meeting is being sponsored
by the Atkinson business men in co
operation with the county agent
will have as its guest 0. S. Bare,
Extension Entomologist from the
Nebraska college of agriculture,
who is in charge of grasshopper
control in Nebraska. Mr. Bare is
probably the best informed person
in the state as to the latest meth
ods of grasshopper control and
anyone who doubts the effective
ness of poison bran or has been
mislead to believe that birds are
poisoned should be in attendance
and hear an authority give proof
of the facts.
With the hopper infestation
about half as large and a month
earlier this year it is imperative
that some cooperative effort be
made by farmers to combat the
pests now instead of waiting until
July to start acting.
OMAHA BOOSTERS
HERE LAST MON.
About sixty-five Omaha business
men on their annual good will tour
arrived in the city last Monday at
10:25 on a special train from Oma
ha and spent an hour visiting with
friends and customers in this city.
Headed by the high school band
the students of the O’Neill;
high school and St. Mary’s Acad
emy marched to the depot and led
the procession up into the city.
Most of the residents of the city
and a large number from the coun
try were in the city to meet the
“Good Will” special. After reach
ing the corner of Douglas and
Fourth street the audience was en
tertained by the Dan Dusdenes
band, while the Booters in the party
party went into the various busi
ness places meeting their custom
ers and other old time friends in
the city. One of the most popular
men with the Boosters was Bill
Wiseman, formerly a reporter on
the Omaha Bee, now publicity man
for radio station WOW. Bill had
a lot of souvenirs for the little folks
and was liberal in their distribu
tion so that on his way to the train
he was surrounded by a crowd of
youngsters, who thought him the
most remarkable man with the
boosters. They left here at 11:25
for the west and a good-size dele
gation of O’Neillites were at the
train to bid them good bye and the
fervant invitation to come back
again.
On sizing up the large delegation
of school children in the parade one
of the boosters remarked that one
thing was clearly demonstrated by
the parade and that was that there
was no race suicide in O’Neill.
The Weather
It has been fairly warm the past
week, but very little moisture. We
had a little shower last Saturday
evening that gave us .26 hundredths
of an inch of moisture and on Sun
day a little sprinkle that netted .02
of an inch, making .28 hundredths
of an inch for the week. It is dry
practically all over the state and a
general rain is badly needed to in
sore crops this season. Following
is the chart for the week:
H L M
May 4 _ 89 53
May 5 - 85 57
May 6 _ 80 52
May 7_ 77 41 .26
May 8 74 47 .02
May 9 —-. 84 47
May 10 -- 83 50
Total precipitation for May, .33
of an inch.
Total precipitation since Janu
ary 1, 1939, 4.12 inches.
Frank Coad, of Omaha, returned
to his home on Wednesday after
spending several days here on busi
ness and visiting friends.
Chief of Police Coyne
Has Serious Accident
Chief of Police Thomas J. Coyne
met with a serious and painful ac
cident last Tuesday night when he
tripped while stepping upon the
walk from the street, falling and
breaking the knee cap on his left
knee. He was taken to Omaha
Wednesday morning for medical
treatment.
Tom has had some hard luck the
past few years. About three years
ago he was in an automobile acci
dent in which his right leg was
broken and he was laid up for over
a year and now this accident to
the other leg. A broken knee cap
is a severe injury and one that is
liable to leave him crippled for
years. The leg will have to be
kept in a cast for many months,
which will prevent him from work
ing. Chet Calkins has been put
back on night duty and the day job
will probably be left vacant for a
time. Tom’s many friends here
hope that he will have a speedy re
covery from his accident.
HOLT FARMERS
PRAISED AS GOOD
BOOKKEEPERS
The College of Agriculture at the
University of Nebraska .is again
willing to summarize Farm Fam
ily Record Books for the year 1938.
Holt County is glad to report
that the following families have
complied with all bookkeeping re
quirements, and have kept complete
and excellent records of all farm
and home business for thepast year.
These books will be sent to Lin
coln before May 15th, and the ma
terial from these records will be
used for a statistical report at the
Agricultural College.
We congratulate these fine book
keepers and appreciate their co
operation.
Anderson, Floyd D., Chambers;
Brittell, C. E., Chambers; Brittell,
F. S., Inman; Brown, Leo C., Cham
bers; Cunningham, Ben C., Middle
branch; Doherty, J. E., Chambers;
Doud, A. T., Ewing; Kemper, O. T.,
Page; Laney, J. W., O’Neill; Lip
ton, John, Atkinson; Morton, Chas.,
Opportunity; Murphy, John, O’
Neill; Ressel, Harry E., Chambers;
Schroder, Sherman, Atkinson; Tag
gart, L. W., Chambers; Terivil
leger, L. W., Atkinson; Walter, A.
A., Chambers; Wilkinson, W. J.,
Atkinson; Wiseman, Doyal D. Or
chard, and Wiseman, Oto A., Page.
MUSIC -STUDENTS
ARE ATTENDING
NATIONAL^ MEET
Both Academy and High
School Students Enter
Contest at Colo. Sp’gs.
Miss Berndette Brennan, accom
panied by Mrs. 1'om Brennan, Miss
Eileen Dufly, Miss Catherine Fin
ley and Miss Alma Wallace left
Tuesday morning for Colorado
Springs, Colorado, where Miss Fin.
ley and Miss Wallace, who are stu
dents at St. Mary’s Academy, will
take part in the national music
contest which will be held there this
week. Mrs. Charles Yarnell also
left Tuesday morning accompan
ied by Miss Elizabeth Henry, How
ard Graves, Woodrow Melena, Fred
Halva, and Charles Yarnall, Jr.,
for the same contest. Mr. Graves,
Mr. Melena, Mr. Halva and Mr.
Yarnall are all students of the
O’Neill Public School, while Miss
Duffy and Miss Henry are teachers.
Miss Duffy is the music teacher in
the local high school, and much
credit is to be given to her and also
to Ira George, band instructor, as
this is the first time that any stu
dent from O’Neill has won superior
rating in the State contest, and be
fore they are eligible to enter the
National Contest, they must rate
Superior in the State Contest.
These contestants are very grate
ful to the business men of O’Neill
who gave financial assistance to
help defray a part of the expense
of the trip.
WINS $200 PRIZE FOR LETTER
IN RADIO CONTEST
Mrs. W. J. Hammond of this city
was announced as second prize win
ner in the contest sponsored by the
House of Gurney over radio station
WNAX at Yankton, S. D. Mrs.
Hammond wrote a forty word letter
completing the following sentence:
“I wish I had $650 to remodel my
home, because,” The second prize
amounted to $200 and Mrs. Ham
mond was announced as the winner
over the radio at noon on Tuesday.
Mrs. Hammond says that although
she has been entering various con
tests for years, this is the first
time that she has ever won a prize,
but that now she is so encouraged
that she feels she can go right out
and win another, and is preparing
to enter any and all contests in the
future.
The Nebraska Scene
By the Lowell Service
Lincoln — Participants in Ne
braska’s spectacular power embro
glio suddenly came to an agree
ment last week. Critics of the
hydros and the public power dis
tricts were permitted to make in
ocuous amendments to LB 168 and
LB 170. By agreement LB 185,
the most hotly contested measure,
was booked for slaughter. Those
behind the scenes say there is a
tale to tell.
For more than five years close
students of national defense prob
lems have asserted that the power
industry, private and public, was
totally inadequate should condi
tions abroad demand full time pro
duction of the necessities of life
to say nothing of war time demand
for ammunition and war supplies.
Recently it was reported by army
engineers that the power industry
was only 36 per cent efficient. Dur
ing the last two weeks a commit
tee, appointed under direction of
congress, determined that it would
take 2 billions to expand the pri
vate power systems and the public
power plants to 100 per cent ef
ficiency.
The disorganized condition of the
transportation facilities also vexed
the national defense committee. Out
of their deliberations there came a
national gridiron plan for the co
operative generation and distribu
tion of electricity. Every city,
town and hamlet, if this scheme
goes into effect, can buy energy,
either through a private power
plant or municipal setup, for the
cost of generation and distribu
tion. The actual profit on the
energy would be made by the re
tailing agency which might be
privately owned or publicly admin
istered at the option of the com
munity served.
Manifestly under this method of
procedure, none of the bills before
the Nebraska legislature solved any
real problems. Eastern holding
companies notified Nebraska com
panies to cooperate with the hydro
electric plants. The hydros were
required by federal authorities to
furnish the electricity to private
companieis, rural power districts
and municipalities on a fair and
satisfactory basis.
It was also madeplain that any
lobbying expenses incurred in Ne
braska would have to be paid by
the officials involved and would not
be saddled on to the rate paying
public. Legislators, representing
Omaha and other steam plant cen
ters, were told that, in event a coal
shortage, no fuel would be avail
able for steam plant as long as
hydros could supply the power at
fair and equitable rates. This rul
ing would put the critics of Omaha
and Lincoln on the spot in case of
a coal-miner’s strike if the private
utilities in these centers did not
cooperate with the hydros.
It also became apparent that the
water power in Nebraska would
have to be conserved and developed.
There was a hasty resurrection of
the hydroelectric plans of North
and Middle Loup districts and of
ficial prodding of the management
of the Ak-Sar-Ben project at South
Bend.
(Continued on page 4)
Gets Gas and Oil And
Pulls Gun When Payment
Is Demanded
Wednesday evening, about 9:30,
two young men driving a new Ford
V-8, with a South Dakota license,
stopped at the Lowery—Conard
filling station, just south of the
Northwestern railroad tracks, on
Highway 281 and ordered their car
filled with gas and oil. As soon
as the car was filled they started
to drive away and Ernest Lowery,
who waited on them jumped on the
running board, demanding pay
ment, when the driver pulled a gun.
Lowery jumped off and immediate
ly reported the matter to Sheriff
Duffy. The state patrolmen started
south after the men and drove south
about 100 miles and called towns
along the road to watch for them,
but no trace of them was found.
If they are caught, they will prob
ably be taught a lesson on gas pil
fering and gun pulling that will
last them for some time.
WORK STARTED ON
NEW TWO STORY
BUILDING HERE
New Building to Front
Both Douglas and 4th
Street; Hagensick Has
Rental Prospects
The work of excavating for an
other new building was commenced
Tuesday morning. Cap Uhl fin
ished the work of excavating for
the new Gatz building, across the
street from this office, Monday af
ternoon and started on the new ex
cavation Tuesday morning.
The new building is being built by
Elmer Hagansick on the corner of
Fourth and Douglas street. It will
be an “L” shaped building around
the old Nebraska State bank build
ing, now owned by Elmer. The
east side of the building will be
22x76 and the building on the south
side of the old building will be
221/£x26. It will be two stories high
and will be built of cement blocks,
with brick fronts on Douglas street,
with an entrance and front on that
street, and brick front on Fourth
street with an entrance also. The
ceiling in the lower room will be
ten feet and that on the upper
floor eight feet. This building
will be a valuable improvement, not
only to Douglas street but also to
Fourth street.
Mr. Hagensick says that he has
not as yet rented the building but
he has had several applications and
that he will have no difficulty in
securing a desirable tenant.
CMTC APPLICANTS
MUST FILE SOON
Omaha — More than five thous
and young men have already ap
plied for attendance at the Citizen’s
Military Training Camps to be held
in the Seventh Corps Area this
summer. This is seventy-five per
cent of the procurement quota, so
that all who wish to go to one of
these camps must apply at once if
they are to be considered for at
tendance before the recruiting cam
paign closes.
According to Major John H. Rod
man, CMTC officer for the Seventh
Corps Area, the War Department
intends that every community be
represented with its proportionate
share of trainees in camp, but, if
the young men in some towns fail
to apply within a reasonable time
then the quotas for those towns are
allotted to other communities.
The Seventh Corps Area consists
of the states of Minnesota, Iowa,
North Dakota, South Dakota, Ne
braska, Kansas, Missouri and Ar
kansas. Camps will be held July
6 to August 4 at Fort Leavenworth,
Kansas; July 11 to August 9 at
Fort Crook. Nebraska, Fort Des
Moines, Iowa, Fort Snelling, Minne
sota, Fort Lincoln, North Dakota,
and Jefferson Barracks, Missouri;
and July 20 to August IS at Camp
Joseph T. Robinson, near Little
Rock, Arkansas. A camp for col
ored applicants will be held at Foit
Riley, Kansas, from July f> to Aug
ust 4.
HIGH SCHOOL JRS.
FETE SENIORS AT
BANQUET TUES. EYE.
The Juniors of O’Neill high school
gave their annual banquet for the
Seniors, Tuesday, May y. The ban
quet had a Spanish Rancho setting.
The gym was decorated in Span
ish La Fiesta style. Bright colors
were in evidence everywhere. On
either end, a balcony was erected.
An old open well was in one corner.
It was covered with moss and cling
ing vines and flowers. A huge
fireplace was in the opposite cor
ner. Colored fiesta dishes were in
the windows. On the east, a hill
side was covered with grass and
flowers. Cactus, saddles, guns,
and guitars were in evidence.
The tables had a Spanish atmos
phere, decorated with bright can
dles and dishes. Favors were
small bells, lanterns, and large red
and blue bandannas. Nut cup were
the shape of small tin cups. Menu
and program enclosed in a small
cowboy hat. Western songs were
sung between courses, ^
Toasts were given by Mr. Alder,
Bill Allendorfer, Jane Jeffrey, De
lores Claussen, Buck Hunt, Mr.
Thompson and Mrs. George. Phil
Yarnall being toast-master. Da
vene Loy sang "Mexicali Rose” and
Ralph Brown and Maybelle Osen
baugh gave a very effective Span
ish dance. “Little Sir Echo’’ was
sung by a group of Senior boys.
After a delicious meal, all went
to the auditorium to dance. The
auditorium was decorated with red
and blue which are the Senior col
ors. The biggest surprise was
Rollo Sissel and his swing band.
XXX
HOLT CO. FAMERS
PREPARING OWN
WINDBREAKS
Far-sighted farmers of Holt
County are taking advantage of a
new company that has sprung up
in Page, Nebraska, and are plant
ing hundreds of trees as wind
breaks and shelter-belts for their
acres. *
According to Don Harmon, of the
Harmon Tree Service Co., he and
his men have sewed and planted
over half a million seedlings ani
saplings since the last week of
March. Practically all of these
trees have been placed on farms in
Holt County, however, a few were
planted by him in Knox County.
Harmon says that they have orders
for another 50,000 young trees
which will be planted in the next
few days to close their season for
this year but he expects to plant
over a million trees next year, as
he already has orders that will get
him off to a fine start.
Harmon says that he would have
been able to plant considerable
more trees, but was unable to se
cure sufficient help. Since the
last week of March he has had
twelve men busy practically all
of the time.
Recreation Center Will
Hold Open House
An invitation is extended to ev
erybody to attend the ‘Open House’
at the Recreation Center on Friday,
May 19th, from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00
p.m. when it will be open for all
those who desire to see the many
and varied as well as interesting
exhibits made by the children’s
own hands, showing the progress
of the various activities throughout
the past year. In this the parents
of the children will be interested
and proud. A program will be
given in the evening at 8:00 p.m.,
part of which will be a puppet show,
the puppets themselves having been
made by the children; a one act
play being the first one produced
by the Dramatic Club and other
members, planned to interest both
old and young.
This is an event that the parents
should not fail to attend, as it will
bring home to them the good that
the Recreation Center is accomp
lishing for their children. Admit
ance free to all.
CITY HIGH SCHOOL
SENIORS GRADUATE
HERE MAY 25
Robert Clift chosen Val
edictorian and Bette
Ritts Salutatorian
The following are the members
of the 1939 graduating class of the
O’Neill high school as furnished us
by Superintendent Alder. It will
be noted that the graduates are
classified in five divisions, College
Prep, Normal Training, General,
Secretarial Training and Commer
cial. Some of the students who
took Normal Training were former
graduates, while six of them are
also graduates in this year’s Col
lege Prep Class. Following is a
list of the graduates:
College—Leone B. Bolzer, Rob
ert E. Clift, Fred Victor Halva,
Verna M. Herman, James Robert
Herre, Harold L. Hunt, Howard M.
Jeffrey, Jane Jeffrey, Robert Low.
ery, Hugh F. McKenna, Donald D.
Mitchell, Ralph R. Porter, Roxanna
Mae Puckett, William A. Randall,
Fern Eleanora Riley, Bette Ritts,
Wanda A. Spangler and Dorothy
Young.
Normal Training—Leone B. Bel
zer, Jane Jeffrey, Hazle L. McKim,
Irene Moler, Fern Eleanora Riley,
Bette Ritts, Wanda A. Spangler,
Evelyn L. VanEvery and Dorothy
Young.
General — Everett D. Bowen,
Alexander A. Chmiel, Ross E. Har
ris, Jr., Eugene L. Lawrence, Wood
row Melena, Demaris Murray, An
drew W. Schacht, Doris Maizie
Stearns, Dale R. Sterner, Anton
Toy, Jr., Marvin G. VanEvery,
Robert Williams and Thomas R.
Wyant.
Secretarial Training — Veva E.
Aim, Jeanette Marie Drueke, Beat
rice I. Harris, Beatrice L. Jones,
Miriam Kubichek, Richard J. Loy,
Dorothy W. Ross, Hazel Mae Rouse,
Martha E. Switzer, Mary M. Welsh
and Lyda Wilkinson.
Commercial — Ethel Johanna
Bennett and Charles E. Yarnall,
Jr.
Valedictorian, Robert E. Clift.
Salutatorian, Bette Ritts.
The class colors are red and blue
and the class flower is the Amer
ican Beauty Rose.
They selected as their motto —
Finished? No! Beginning.
Class Officers — Jane Jeffrey,
president; Harold L. Hunt, vice
president; Miriam S. Kubichek, sec
retary, and Robert E. Clift, treas
urer.
Their sponsor is Warren Thomp
son with F. E. Alder as co-sponsor.
The baccalaureate sermon will
be delivered Sunday, May 21, at
the Presbyterian church, by Rer.
William I. Bell.
Class night, Monday, May 22, at
8 p.m., at the high school audi
torium.
Commencement exercises at the
K. C. Hall on Thursday evening,
May 25, at 8 p.m.
FORMER HOLT COUNTY
RESIDENT DIES IN CALIF.
Holt county relatives received
word last Wednesday morning of
the death of Mrs. Frank Gatenby
in California, at the age of 36 years.
Mrs. Gatenby was born at Star,
Nebr., and she grew to womanhood
in this county. In September, 1903,
she was united in marriage to
Frank Gatenby, formerly residing
northeast of this city. They moved
to the west coast several years ago.
She leaves to mourn her passing
her husband and two sons, her
father and mother, Mr. and Mrs.
H. R. Sprague, for many years resi
dents of this county, but now living
in Cherry county, six brothers and
five sisters. They are: Glenn,
Page, Nebr.; Raymond, Kansas
City, Mo.; Kenneth, Winfield, Otto
and Donald, Valentine; Mrs. Albert
Peterson, Portland, Oregon; Mrs.
Ray Noble, Star; Mrs. Everett Gat
enby, Kansas City, Mo.; Mrs. Max
Taylor, La Porte, Colo.; Mrs. Harry
Roseler, O’Neill.
Mr. and Mrs. Charley Reka drove
to Sioux City on Sunday where
Charley entered St. Vincent’s hos
pital there for medical treatment.
Mrs. Reka returned home Sunday
evening.