VOL. LX O’NEILL, NEBRASKA, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 14, 1939 NUMBER 31
BIG FIRE THIS AFTERNOON THREATENS
O'NEILL'S LARGEST INDUSTRY
Hay Barn, Just West of Tri State Hatchery Burns
^ And Endangers Entire Tri State Plant
Firemen Extinguish Flames On North and West Side of Hatchery |
Building With Little Damage to The Building
The fire alarm sounded about
1:3ft this afternoon and it was dis
covered that the Pat O’Connor hay
barn, just west of the Tri State
Hatchery was on fire. The fire had
gained great headway before it
was discovered, and from the start
it could be seen that the building
was doomed. The hatchery just a
few feet east also caught on fire
and it looked for a time as if it was
doomed, but the fire department
soon had the fire there under con
trol, without a great damage to
that part of the Tri State plant.
Men were kept on the roof of the
Tri State Main plant all afternoon
to watch for flying sparks.
There was a lot of hay in the
barn, just how many tons we have
been unable to learn and it will
bum for several hours, which will
necessitate keeping a close watch
there all afternoon and probably
tonight. At the time of going to
press we have been unable to as
certain the amount of damage to
the hay bam and contents and to
the hatchery. The damage to the
latter will not be learned until the
goods stored therein have been in
spected, after the danger of fire has
been eliminated. O’Neill citizens
are rejoicing that the fire was no
worse.
The fire started in the grass at
the southwest corner of the hay
barn and burned to and into the
bam. The barn was insured, but
we have not learned the amount
* carried, but we have been unable
to learn whether the hay stored
therein was insured or not.
Real Pioneer Celebrates
80th Birthday at Home
Northeast of This City
Sunday, December 10 was the
eightieth birthday of Mrs. P. J.
Lansworth, a pioneer Holt county
settler, and in honor of the event
nine of her thirteen children gath
ered at the family home in celebra
tion. Mrs. Lansworth, one of the
few left of the true pioneers of
Holt county, is hale and hearty, do
ing practically all of her own work,
1 raising chickens, in fact does the
regular routine work of a farm wo
man.
Coming to Holt county from Mil
waukee, Wis., more than sixty
years ago, Mrs. Lansworth has en
dured all the hardships connected
4 with taming the wilderness, build
ing a home, raising a family in a
land where only the fittest survive.
Mrs. Lansworth still makes her
home in the same section in which
is located the original homestead.
Many interesting experiences can
Mrs. Lansworth relate of the early
days, of Indian scares, bitter cold
winters when deep snow and bliz
zards kept the settlers imprisoned,
and personal contact was made
afoot through the deep drifts.
Many and oft were the times Mrs.
Lansworth was called to the bed
side of a sick neighbor, and no night
was too dark or cold for her to re
spond when the call came. Many
a mother, when her hour of child
birth approached, was cheered and
comforted by her presence when
4 roads were impassable and a doc
tor was unable to reach his pa
tient.
Through all the years Mrs. Lans
worth has remained cheerful and
optimistic, with a firm faith in the
future. She believes that good,
even better times lie ahead, and
that it behooves us to “stand by”,
and keep faith until the adjust
ment is made.
The sons and daughters who cel
ebrated with her are: John A, Har
ry O, Addie L. Wrede, Mrs. Chas.
Manson, Mrs. Goldie Liddy, Mrs.
Nell Boshart, Mrs. Pearl Widtfeldt,
all of O’Neill, Nebr.; Mrs. Claire
Van Hove, Bristow, Nebr.; Mrs.
Grace Mammerlun, Butte, Nebr.;
the four children not present are
Peter J. Pr., Seattle, Wash.; Isa L.
Brundage, Omaha; Robert Lans
% worth of Tekamah, Nebr., and Mrs.
Mabel Kerns. King City, Mo.
Open house was held during the
afternoon and evening, and many
neighbors and friends called to of
fer good wishes.
Mrs. Lanswortli was the recipi
ent of many beautiful and useful
gifts, as well as gifts of money,
from heT children, and friends and
relatives from a distance were most
generous with gifts, cards, and
good wishes. Truly it was a great
day in the “House of Lansworth.”
All join in wishing this worthy
citizen many more happy birth
days. * * *
Frontier Readers
Please Pay Attention
Several of our readers have call
ed within the past two weeks, ex
tended their subscription and took
advantage of our offer of two
years subscription, paid in advance
for the sum of $3.00.
While many have called and set
tled up there are still a large num
ber of our readers who are in ar
rears and we hope that they will
drop in during the next two weeks
so that we can get their accounts
settled up. It takes a great deal
of money to run a newspaper like
The Frontier and our bills have to
be paid in order to keep running.
We have been very lenient with our
readers during the drought years,
but there comes a time when it is
necessary to gather in some of the
outstanding money in order to keep
going. For it is as hard for a
newspaper man to keep his head
above water as it is the fariper and
stockman.
Former Local Federal
Employee Indicted For
Defalcation in Office
Richard A. Bishop, collector ol
internal revenue in this district for
about two years and who was re
moved from office about a month
ago, was indicted by the federal
grand jury at Omaha this week on
the charge of embezzeling $118.00
of government funds, in small a
mounts over a period from October
12, 1938, to October 11, 1939. He
will probably be tried at the next
term of U. S. court at Norfolk.
Boys, Watch Your Step
O’Neill, as yet has not reacted to
the spirit of Christmas, at least in
so far as external decorations are
concerned. Talking with several
people, who last year, decorated the
outside of their homes with
wreaths and colored lights, and
placed Christmas trees outside, we
understand that every night, the
colored lights were stolen from the
trees, and in many cases, even the
decorations were tom off, and the
trees overturned. This year they
are going to request the police
force to watch particularly the out
side trees, and any offenders caught
will be prosecuted to the full ex
tent of the law. It certainly seems
too bad, that when the people of
the city are ready and willing to
spend time and money to decorate
their homes, that some thought
less children will attempt to des
trroy property that does not be
long to them. The people of the
community should all work to
gether, and make O’Neill a beauti
ful and well decorated place for
the holidays.
Bob Parks, the young son of Mr.
and Mrs. Harold Parks, who was
seriously injured when thrown
from a horse a few weeks ago, has
recovered sufficiently to be re
moved from the hospital to his
home.
O'NEILL HIGH SCHOOL TEAM OPENS THE
BASKETBALL SEASON WEDNESDAY
Plays Spalding First and Second Teams in O’Neill
High School’s New Gymnasium
O’Neill High School opens the |
1939-40 basketball season this Fri
day playing Spalding’s first and
second teams in the new high
school gymnasium. The home boys
have a new set of warra-up suits
which will make their appearance
add to the sparkle of the new court.
The pep club girls are hoping that
their new costumes will be here and
can be used in the first game.
O’Neill High’s basketball ma
chine will be built around two let
termen, Leo Valla and Ralph
Brown. Promising material in
cludes Meredith McKenna, Harold
Calkins, Don Lowery, Ned Porter,
Ted Sirek, John Osenbaugh, Pat
Mitchell and Keith Vincent. As a
group the squad is shoi t and quite
inexperienced. One third of the
boys in the varsity squad are
freshmen.
Two games next week will com
plete the local schedule before the
holidays. Next Tuesday the boys
will travel to Stuart and on Fri
day. December 22, Albion will be
entertained on O’Neill’s floor. This
will be the third game on the tour
being made by Albion. They will
play Valentine, Ainsworth and then
O’Neill on a week from this Fri
day. The games this year prom
ise plenty of excitement and en
tertainment. Join in the cheering
and pull for your team. There is
plenty of room for everyone—plen
ty of color—plenty of light—let’s
go.
Another added feature to the
basketball games this year will be
the school band. The band will be
there in uniform for each home
game to add music and zip.
No dull moments—come out for
the games—give the school your
support—help the boys in the
game—thoroughly enjoy yourself.
Two lettermen from last year,
Ralph Brown and Leo Valla, form
the nucleus around which this
year’s O’Neill High School basket
ball team will be built. Bill Ryan,
a third year veteran, may be able
to play the second semester when
his arm, broken in football, has
mended. The squad has been divid
ed into two groups, one of which
will play intramural games, and the
other from which the first and sec
ond teams will be chosen. Boys in
the latter group are: Brown,
Bruegeman, Burgess, Calkins,
French, Leach, Lowery, Kirwan,
McKenna, Mitchell, Osenbaugh,
Porter, Sirek, Valla and Vincent.
Three games will be played before
the Christmas vacation; Spalding
here on Friday, December 15, Al
bion here on Friday, December 22,
and the third game at Stuart on
December 19.
FOOTBALL
Ralph Brown was elected honor
ary captain of the 1939 O’Neill
High School football team at a
meeting of the lettermen, Monday.
Nineteen boys played enough dur
ing the past season to earn their
“O”. Of these, twelve will have
completed eight semesters of school
in May, leaving seven veterans
around whom to build the 1940
team.
1940 lettermen are:
Bill Allendorfer
Bob Allendorfer
Ralph Brown
Alvin Bausch
Warren Burgess Freshman
Harold Calkins Freshman
Zane Cole Junior
Joe Grutsch
Meridth McKenna Freshman
Dale Matula
LaVern Morrow
Louis Reimers
Ted Serek Junior
Bill Ryan Junior
Lloyd Snyder
Leo Valley
Donald Vequist Junior
Dick Wyant
Phillip Yarnall
Ross Welton was down from At
kinson Tuesday.
PROMINENT MAN
PASSES SUNDAY !
Had Been Resident of
County For Over Half
A Century
Frank P. Hunter
Frank P. Hunter died at his
home north of Star last Sunday
morning at 3:20 a. m., after an
illness of about six months of ean
ceer, at the age of 56 years, 8 j
months and 14 days.
Frank Hunter was born in Cedar
county, Iowa, on March 26, 1883.
The following year his parents,
Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Hunter, came
to this county and settled in the
northeastern part of the county,
where Frank lived practically all
his life. On March 14, 1908, he
was united in marriage to Miss
Carrie Carson, who with his moth
er, one brother, William, of North!
Bend, Oregon, and one sister, Mrs.
William Brady, of Calgary, Alta., j
Canada, are left to mourn the pass
ing of a kind and affectionate hus
band, son and brother.
Frank Hunter always appeared
to be enjoying the best of health.
Large, heavy set and always with
a smile on his face he appeared j
the personification of healthfull
ness and vigor. But he had not
been well for the past year and a
fall last spring is supposed to have
aggravated the malady which fin
ally called him.
The writer had known Frank
Hunter practically all his life. We
never knew a finer man on this
mundane sphere unless it was his
father, the late Joseph Hunter.
They were both of the same type,
friendly, with a hearty smile and
handshake fpr their friends. They
had no enemies, for men with their
easy, peaceful and kind disposi
tion do not make enemies. If they
had enemies the enmity was always
on one side for the Hunter’s enter
tained no enmity for any human
being. They were men among men
and everyone was their friend.
In the death of Frank Hunter we
feel that we have lost a friend of
many years and we will miss his
visits to this office when he would
drop in and we would discuss the
current events of the day as well
as the days of long ago, that came
within his memory. He was in
the prime of manhood and seemed
to have many more years before
him, but the Lord thought other
wise and we all have to bow to his
call. Frank Hunter will be missed,
not only by his immediate relatives
but by everyone in the county who
had the pleasure of his acquaint
ance, for in his death a real man
passed from this earth.
The funeral was held last Wed
nesday afternoon at 2 o’clock, serv.
ices in the church at Dorsey and
burial in the Mineola cemetery, a
short distance from the home where
Frank lived for the first few years
after his folks came to this county.
Rev. George Longstaff, of Juanita,
Nebr., an old friend of the family,
officiated at the services. The fun
eral was one of the largest ever
seen in that section of the county,
attesting the high standing of the
deceased among the people in
northeastern Holt.
The Frontier force joins the
many friends of the family in this
city and county in extending con
dolences to the bereaved family in
their hour of sorrow.
Vocational Agriculture
Boys Are Initiated
On Monday evening, December
11, the Neligh F. F. A. Chapter in
itiated the O’Neill Chapter.
The Neligh officers and advisor
gave an initiating ceremony, and
then gave the O’Neill Chapter an
informal initiation. Thirty-five
members were initiated separately
to the degree of Greenhands.
After the initiation the Neligh
officers gave some very interesting
talks on the work they have done,
and the work they are going to do
The initiation and talks were
very much appreciated by the
O’Neill Chapter. This will help
them to get a better start, and to
know what an older chapter has
done.
Refreshments were served by
some of the O’Neill F. F. A. mem
bers.
O’Neill Stores to Be Open
Until 9 o’clock P. M., All
of The Coming Week
Beginning Monday night, Dec
ember 18, until Saturday night,
December 23, inclusive, the stores
of O’Neill will remain open until
9:00 P. M. to accommodate those
who are unable to do their shopping
during the day.
i)r. L. A. Carter Visits
Old Home Town in Kansas
Dr. L. A. Carter drove to Pawnee
City last Sunday, returning home
Tuesday evening, after visiting a
few days with his sister, Mrs. Lisco
and old acquaintances there. While
at Pawnee City, Dr. Carter drove
to Mahaska, Kans., where he prac
ticed medicine twenty-eight years
ago. It is but a few miles south of
Pawnee City. Doc says he had a
great time visiting in his old
Kansas home last Monday. He said
that he met many of his old pa
tients, but very few he was able to
recognize and none of them rec
ognized him until he told them who
he was. Twenty-eight years makes
quite a difference, but Doc says that
he had a very enjoyable visit and
is glad he made the trip.
CARD OF THANKS
We desire to extend our heartfelt
thanks to the many kind friends
and neighbors for their many ex
pressions of sympathy and assist
ance rendered during the last ill
ness and following the death of our
beloved mother, the late Mrs. Cora
Meredith.—Owen R. Meredith, Lu
cille Mayne, Ruth McCaffrey, Cora
Hiltabrand, Mabel McKenna.
At the regular meeting of Gar
field Lodge N. 196, A. F. and A. M.,
held last Thursday evening in the
lodge rooms the following officers
were elected for the ensuing year:
L. G. Gillespie, W. M.; A. E'. Bow
en, J. W.; C. W. Porter, secretary,
S. J. Weekes, treasurer.
THE LAST OF THE REAL PIONEERS PASS®
AWAY AT HIS HOME LAST SUNDAY
Henry Bauman, Who Came to This County In
1876 With A Colony From His State Passes Away
He Was The Last Survivor of the Colony; Some of Whom
Settled in This County, While Others Settled in Madison County
Henry J. Bauman passed away
at his home in this city last Sunday
afternoon about 4 o’clock, after an
illness of a little over three years,
at the age of 86 years, 11 months
and 7 days. Funeral services were
held Wednesday morning from the
Catholic church, Rev. Peter Burke,
of Plainview officiating and burial
in the Catholic cemetery at At
kinson.
Henry Joseph Bauman was born
in Wayne county, Penn., on Janu
ary 1, 1853. He lived in his na
tive state until 1876 when he came
to this county. Shortly after his
arrival in the county he took a
homestead west of Atkinson where*
he lived until 1894 when he dis
posed of his farm and moved to
Madison county, where he lived un
til 1917 when he came back to this
county and lived near Stafford un
til 192?. when he cam** back to this
city which had been his home since.
On April 18, 1882, he was united in
marriage at Atkinson, Nebr., to
Miss Anna Alsworth. Nine child
ren were bom of this union, five of
whom with his beloved wife are
left to mourn the passing of a kind
and affectionate husband and fath
er. The children are: Mrs. J. P.
Protivinsky, Eugene, Howard and
Ralph, O’Neill, and Lloyd, of Wor
land, Wyoming. He iB also surviv
ed by a sister, Mrs. Barbara Spit
zer, Scranton, Penn.
Mr. Bauman was a splendid cit
izen and neighbor. Until he suf
fered a stroke, about three atul a
hall' years ago, he was down town
every day greeting his old time
friends and neighbors. He was a
ST. MARY'S ACADEMY BASKETBALLERS
SEEM HEADED FOR THE TOP
The Boys Have Played Two and Won Two With
Impressive Scores in Both Games
St. Mary’* baskctballers opened0
the season in the new High School
gymnasium last Wednesday even
ing with a victory over the Butte
High School team with a score of
39 to 21. This was the first game
played in the new high school gym
and was the first home game for St.
Mary’s. Their first game of the
season was played at Norfolk, in
which they were also victorious.
Kubicheck led the victors with
eight points, while Adkins rang up
nine for the losers. s£ Mary’s
led from the opening moments of
the game and held the lead
throughout. At the half the score
stood 20 to 6 in fvaor of St. Mary’s.
St. Mary’s second team also won
their game against the Butte sec
ond team with a score of 24 to 15.
Following is the score of the first
gam e:
St. Marys (39) FG FT PF Pts
G. Hammond 3 1-10 7
B. Kubitchek . 4 0-0 2 8
J. Shoemaker . 2 1-3 1 5
B. Biglin 2 1-1 1 5
F. Hickey . 2 0-0 1 4
B. Shoemaker . 2 0-0 2 4
P. Kubitchek . 0 0-0 0 0
B. Price .2 1-1 3 5
Kersenbroek . 0 1-1 2 1
Porkins 0 0-0 0 0
Miles . 0 0-0 0 0
Butte (21)) FG FT PF Pts
O. Johnson . 0 0-4 0 0
Couch . 0 1-10 1
D. Anderson 0 0-1 1 0
L. Anderson .0 0-0 1 0
Armstrong 3 1-4 3 7
D. Johnson .... 0 0-0 0 0
Tomek 0 0-1 1 0
Frieker . 2 0-10 4
Adkins . 4 1-2 1 9
Froelich ........ 0 0-0 1 0
Mr. and Mrs. H. W. Tomlinson
left Thursday morning for Tor
onto, Kansas, where they will spend
several weeks on business. En
route to Toronto, they will visit
relatives and friends at Omaha,
Nebraska, and Lennox, Iowa.
Christmas Program of
St. Mary’s At K. C. Hall
Sunday, December 17th
Sunday, Dec. 17, 1939 at 8:00 p. m.
A one-act play, “Christopher’s
Candle,” and a comedy, “Christmas
at Casey’s” will be presented by
the dramatic class under the direc
tion of Mrs. F. J Kubitschek. The
casts are as follows:
CHRISTOPHER’S CANDLE
Mrs. Casey, the mother
. Constance Biglin
Mr. Casey, the father Bob Parkins
Their Children: Mary, Marjorie
Mains; John, Junior Shoemaker;
Kathleen, Eileen Kelly; Denny, Ed.
ward Campbell.
CHRISTMAS AT CASEY’S
Christopher, a little boy
.. John O’Neill
Cynthia, his mother .
. . Kathryn Finley
Donald, his father .
. George Hammond
Maggie, his nurse Ramona Dancey
Peggy, a young neighbor ..
. Betty McNally
Jim, her friend.Bob Early
Abigail, an old woman
Mary J. Iler
Ruth, a young wiuow .
Eileen McKenna
St. Mary’s band under the direc
tion of Mr. Ira George and the To
nette Band will furnish the in
strumental music.
A group of fifty grade children
in choral gowns, singing Christmas
anthems, will be a special feature
of the evening.
LuAnn Iler, Patti Kaiser, Kath
leen Flood, Jackie Davis, and Bob
Wallace will be soloists while Bar
bara Birmingham and Paul Stein
play a duet, “Up on the House
Top” on the tonette.
A torchlight procession will be
held by the choral group, singing
“Adesta Fideles,” a two-part chor
us will be sung by Grade Five, and
the Choir will sing three-part chor
uses.
good mixer and enjoyed meeting
and visiting with old time friends
and they all enjoyed meeting and
visiting with him. He was very fa
miliar with the early days of the
county and state. He lived a long
and useful life but he will be miss
ed, not only by his immediate fam
ily but by all of the old timers of
the county, for he was acquainted
with practically all of them.
The funeral was a large one, at
testing the esteem in which the de
ceased was held by the people of
O’Neill and vicinity and a large
number of cars accompanied the
hearse to the Atkinson cemetery.
COUNTY RESIDENTS
FOR EDUCATION
O’Neill Sent Sixteen of
the Forty-One Students
From This County
Among the forty-one students
from Holt county who are regis
tered at the University of Nebras
ka this year, fifteen are attending
the University for the first time.
Four of the new students from
O’Neill are freshmen in the Col
lege of business administration.
They are: Henry F. Reimer, Wood
row D. Melena, Hugh F. McKenna
and James R. Herre. Robert E.
Clift is a freshman in the college
of Engineering, and Jacques C.
Kersenbrock is a freshman in the
College of Arts and Sciences.
Billy J. Morgan and Olive Mae
Stuart, freshmen in the College of
Agriculture, are the new students
from Stuart. Bonnie N. Bemholtz
and Ida Mae Noble, both of Page,
are also freshmen in the college
of Agriculture. From Ewing come
M. Marie Rockey, freshman in the
[School of Journalism, and Julian
K. Spittler, sophomore in the Col
lege of business administration.
Marjorie R. Moore of Inman and
Zelma M. Waldo of Amelia are
freshman and sophomore, respect
ively in Teachers College.' Robert
E. Jungman of Atkinson is a first
year student in the College of En
gineering.
Wallace French, of Lincoln,
freshman in the college of Engin
eering, was graduated from Page
high school in 1938.
Of the forty-one students from
Holt county, sixteen are from
O’Neill. Ewing follows with eight
Atkinson with seven, Inman, Page,
and Stuart with five each, Amelia
with three, and Chambers and Era
met with one each.
Some 6771 students are regis
tered at the University this year,
one of the largest enrollments in
the history of the institution. Thir
ty-three states are represented and
nine foreign countries—Hawaii,
the Philippines, Germany, South
America, Puerto Rico, Canada,
Egypt, Switzerland and Italy.
Former Employee Dies
In A Lincoln Hospital
Kenneth H. Strout. a printer who
was employed in this office for five
weeks this fall and who left here
sick on November 13, died in a hos
pital in Lincoln Sunday, December
3. He was taken sick here on No
vember 10 and his folks came up
from Seward on Monday and took
him to Lincoln, where he entered
a hospital. He was a world war
veteran and his . experiences over
seas did not help his health any.
He was 43 years of age and an
extra good printer.
A “Nativity” tableau will close
the program during the singing by
all of the “Prince of Peace” ac
companied by St. Mary’s Band.
Mrs. Thos. Brennan is the accom
panist for the evening.
The bleachers for the grouping
have been kindly loaned by the
O’Neill Photo Company and the
Seth Noble Company.