The Frontier
V0L LX O’NEILU NEBRASKA, THURSDAY, JANUARY 4,1940 NUMBER 34
THE YEAR 1939 GOES INTO THE RECORD
BOOKS AS THE DRIEST IN 20 YEARS
Only Fourteen Inches of Precipitation Falls Here
During the Entire Year; Very Dry During the
Past Three Months; Crops Suffer
The year 1939 brought many<
things to Nebraska, among others
the longest dry spell for many
year s, and the lowest total rainfall
in Holt County for the past twenty
( years, with a total rainfall of only
14 inches. The only exception to
this year might be 1921, when only
13.89 were recorded, but no record
was kept during the month of De
cember in that year, as the rain
guage was stolen. But the farm
ers and stockmen in this county
are facing the new year with con
fidence, and hoping that this year
will see abundant rainfall, and
consequently good crops.
Following is a complete table for
the past twenty years, showing the
total rainfall in that length of time.
The years, 1919, 1920, 1921 and
1922 are not complete, in that one
or two months are missing, because
the rain guage was stolen at some
time, during each of the four years.
Precipitation
The following not complete:
Year Amount
1919 .20.34 Nov. short
1920 .30.24 Oct. short
1921 .13.89 Dec. short
1922 .19.06 Nov. & Dec. short
Records could not be kept during
these months as rain guage was
6tolen.
Year Amount
1923 . 21.10
1924 .- 22.14
1925 14-87
3926 . 21.94
1927 24.1 L
1928 ..-.. lO-63
3929 ... 31.80
1930 ... 18-00
1931 .. 16-05
1932 . . 22.58
1933 .. 16-67
1934 .-.— 15-40
1935 .--- 21.43
1936 14-42
1937 .— - 20.93
1938 .-. 10-54
1939 . 14-00
The weather for the past week
has been very cold, with light snow
falling a few days during the week.
High Low Prec.
Thursday . 15 -2 .02
Friday v. 25 -6
Saturday . 20 9
Sunday . 22 -5 .01
Monday . 29 -5
Tuesday . 16 -14
Wednesday .. 13 8
On Thursday morning the wea
ther guage registered eight below
at 8:00 a. m.
•: ‘ I :
Fire Destroys Landmark
In Omaha Today
Fire destroyed the Henshaw
^ Hotel in Omaha this morning caus
ing a loss of about $200,000. About
one hundred guests were registered
In the hotel that night among
■whom were Mr. and Mrs. F. J. Big
lin of this city. They all got out
of the hotel safely, but most of
them lost their personal belong
ings,, which were left in the rooms.
Frank Biglin was interviewed by
Foster May shortly after they got
out of the building and his inter
view was on the air again today on
the man of the street program.
New Business Firm Here
Mr. and Mrs. J. M. Hayes of Nor
folk, arrived in O’Neill on Wednes
day, and will operate the J. M.
Hayes Agency, which will be lo
cated in the south half of the new’
Hagensick Building, facing Fourth
Street. Mr. Hayes will operate a
loan and insurance agency, taking
personal and real estate loans, and
selling insurance. Mr. Hayes came
to O’Neill from Norfolk, where he
has been for the past four years,
as a special insurance agent, and
he has taken over the insurance
business of the late T. S. Mains.
Mr. Hayes came to O’Neill, because
he believes it to be the best town in
Northeast Nebraska, and we wrish
him much success in his venture.
O'Neill Couple Have Fire
Scare in Omaha Hotel
Mr. and Mrs. Frank Biglin left
Wednesday for Omaha on a busi
ness trip. While in Omaha, they
registered at the Henshaw Hotel,
which, early Thursday morning,
was completely gutted by fire. Mr.
and Mrs. Biglin, who had a room on
the second floor, easily made their
way to the street, by way of the fire
escape, when Mrs. Biglin heard the
noise of the fire engines in the
street below, and awakened Frank.
The description of the fire was
broadcast by Foster May of the
WOW staff, last night at the scene
of the fire, and was rebroadcast,
by means or electrical transcription
at his regular man on the Street
program at twelve-forty-five to
day. Mr. May interviewed Frank
on this broadcast, wherein he des
cribed how they were awakened
and made their way to the street,
without stopping to take any of
their personal belongings with
them. There were about one hun
dred and fifty guests in the hotel,
and they, with the exception of one
woman, completely overcome by
smoke, and said to be in a serious
condition in an Omaha hospital, es
caped without serious injury. Two
firemen were also injured, al
though not seriously, according to
the radio report.
County Treasurer Has
Land Office Business
The staff of County Treasurer
Ben Winchell has been busy the
past month, collecting approximate
ly $51,187.74 in taxes during the
month of December. Of that
amount, $24,952.68 were delinquent
taxes, which were paid before the
December 31 deadline, in order to
avoid paying the back interest as
fixed by law. On the 29th and 30th
of the month, December 31, being
Sunday, $8,714.98 was paid in, in
delinquent taxes. A great number
of the citizens of Holt county took
advantage of the interest mora
torium and paid their back taxes,
but a great many others did not
and will now be obliged to pay the
taxes and full interest thereon.
The office staff is now busy issuing
the new license plates for 1940, a
large number having been issued
to date.
Soil Conservation Offices
To Remain in O’Neill
At a meeting of the committee
men of the Soil Conservation Asso
ciation of Holt County last Thurs
day, a vote was taken to decide
whether the offices woulld remain
in O’Neill, or be moved to Atkin
son, eighteen members of the twen
ty-five and the board of directors
had petioned. By a vote of 48 to
20, it was decided that the offices
of the association would remain in
O’Neill, and the offices will be lo
cated in the north upstairs rooms
of the K. C. Hall, as soon as they
can be made ready for occupancy.
Mrs. Lena Park
Mrs. Lena Park died at her home
in Page last Monday morning, af
ter a short illness of heart trouble,
at the age of 77 years and one
month. The funeral will be held
Friday afternoon at 2 o’clock from
the Methodist church in Page, Rev.
Carpenter officiating, and burial in
the Page cemetery, at the side of
her husband who passed away in
December, 1926.
Lena Wood was born at Arling
ton, Mass., on September 14, 1862.
She came to this county in 1890 and
since that time had been a resident
of the Page neighborhood. On
September 14, 1890, she was united
in marriage to W. H. Park, the
ceremony being performed at Page.
To this union four children were
born, three of whom survive. They
are: Lyman, George and Harry, all
of Page. A daughter, Minnie, pass
ed away in April 1934.
MARTIN CONWAY
DIES SUDDENLY
Prominent Citizen Called
Last Saturday Morning
Martin Conway passed away at
his home northwest of this city
about 11:20 last Saturday morning,
after suffering a heart attack a
short time before. He was fit)
years. 11 months and 24 years of
age at the time of his death. The
funeral was held from St. Pat
rick’s church in this city, of which
the deceased was a devout member,
on Tuesday morning, January 2,
1940, Monsignor McNamara offici
ating, and burial in Calvary ceme
tery. Despite the intense cold of
the morning, the funeral was
very largely attended, most of the
residents of the northwest part of
Shields precinct being in attend
ance to pay tribute to their depart
ed friend and neighbor.
Martin Conway was born at
Wheatland, Iowa, on January 6,
1870, the son of Patrick and Mary
Conway, both natives of the Em
erald Isle. He grew to manhood in
that section of the state of Iowa
and on October 10, 1900, he was
united in marriage at Panama,
Iowa, to Miss Bertha McAllister.
To this union ten children were
born, nine of whom are living, who
with their mother are left to mour
the passing of a kind and indulgent
husband and father. The children
are: William, Frederick, James,
Mrs. Gertrude Thomson, Raymond
Clare and John, O’Neill; Sister
Mary Quintin, Kansas City, Kans.
and Sister M. Hortense, Plain,
Kans.
Martin Conway was a real man
and one of the best citizens of this
county. In his death we feel that
we have lost a real friend for about
every Saturday, when he usually
came to town, he nearly always
called at this office and we swapped
yams about current events and the
possibilities for future political
events. Last Thursday afternoon
he was in the office and spent a
half hour looking over the old files
of the Frontier, for he loved to read
of the early days of this county
and the pioneers who carved this
country out of the wilderness. He
remarked that day that one of the
most loved things be liked to read
were the stories of the days of the
long ago and said that within a
week or two he would drop in and
again go over some of the old files
and read of the early days of the
county.
Mr. Conway came here in 1914,
coming here from Dixon county,
where, as I recall he told me, he
lived about fourteen years, moving
there from Iowa. On his arrival in
this county he purchased a half sec
tion of land about twelve miles
north and two west of this city,
where he resided up to the time of
his death. Martin’s faith in this
country and its future prosperity
was unfailing, which is attested by
the fact that about three weeks
ago he purchased at referee's sale
a half section of land near his
place, to give him more farming
land and pasture. He was a good
business man and even during the
depression he made money. He
and his boys were indefatigable
workers and they farmed extens
ively and made it pay. Martin
Conway’s word was as good as
Uncle Sam’s Bond. He was not
a good mixer and made friends
slowly but once he had a friend he
was his for life, for he possessed
the characteristics that welded men
to him, once they got to know him.
Men of his type, ability and char
acter would be missed even if they
lived in the largest city in the
world, and he will be missed in this
county, not only in the precinct
where he lived for so many years,
but all over the county, mainly due
to his interest in the civic and
financial affairs of the County.
The following out of town rela
tives and friends were in attend- j
anee at the funeral: Peter Greiner,
Panama, Iowa; Frank Croghan.j
Woodbine, Iowa; Mrs. Eugene
Kane, Panama, Iowa; Bernard, Joe,
Catherine and Mary Sullivan, Pan
ama, Iowa; Mrs. Alice McCloud
and James Conway, Hartington,
Nebr.; Mr. and Mrs. Emil Kilgard,
Tekamah, Nebr.; Mrs. Madeline
Linnick, Hartington, Nebr.; Art!
Work of Tearing Down
Old Court House To
Commence Soon
The approval of the tearing down
of the old court house as n WPA
project has been received, and work
on the dismantling will start as
soon as all the present occupants
have been moved to the different
quarters, according to the Chair
man of the County Board. Walter
Smith of Stuart. The County
Agents office has already been
moved, and they are now located in
the assembly room in the basement
of the new court house, where they
will remain indefinitely. The of
fice force of the soil conservation
will be moved into the north rooms
of the K. C. Hall, and they will
move just as soon as the rooms can
be made ready for them, probably
some time next week. The WPA
office and the County Assistance
office will move into the office
space over the J. P Gallagher store,
and they will also move either the
last of this week, or some time the
fore part of next week. It has not
yet been determined for sure, just
where the Commodity Department
of the State’s Assistance Bureau,
or the Recreation Department will
be moved to, but some place will
piobably be decided upon this
week.
The present plans are that a new
building will b« constructed irom
the material of the old building,
and will be but one story in height,
so constructed to accommodate all
of the various departments and
bureaus that headquarter in
O’Neill. Two locations for this new
building have been discussed, the
comer lot where the county wood
pile is now located, and the site
just across the street from the
Methodist Church, but the location
is at present, just tentative, and
has not yet been settled.
- i. .i.i —..>*»■ ■ — — -
Mrs. Nora Griffin
Mrs. Nora Griffin passed away at
her home north of this city last
Monday night, after a short illness,
at the age of 60 years, two months
and six days. The funeral was
held Wednesday morning at 9
o’clock from St. Patrick’s Catholic
church, Father Parr officiating and
interment in Calvary cemetery.
Nora Glynn was born in county
Galway, Ireland, on October 25,
1879. She came to the United
States when a little girl and lived
at New Haven, Conn. She came
to O’Neill in the spring of 1906 and
on April 25, 1906, she was united
in marriage to Thomas Griffin, the
ceremony being performed in this
city. Two children were bom to
this union, one son and one daugh
ter, but both died in infancy. She
leaves to mourn her passing, her
husband, two sisters and one bro
ther.
Mrs. Griffin was a charming lady
and had a host of friends in this
city and community and her sud
den death was a shock to friends.
She had a pleasing personality and
liked company and about once a
year she and her husband enter
tained a bunch of friends from this
city and these parties were always
eagerly looked forward to by those
who were favored by being invited
to attend.
The Frontier joins the many
friends of the family in extending
condolence to the bereaved hus
band in this hour of sorrow.
CARD OF THANKS
We desire through the columns
of The Frontier to express our sin
cere appreciation and heartfelt
thanks to the many friend-, and
neighbors for uto'r expressions of
sympathy and helpfullncss follow
ing tht sudde 1 death of our belovc I
husband and father. Your kind
ness to us in our hour of sorrow
will ever be held in grateful re
membrance.—Mrs. Martin Conway
and children.
and Albert Billiter and William
Schuster, Plainview, Nebr.
We have lost a warm personal
friend and the people of Holt
county have lost a friend and
champion. Wish we had more men
in the county of the calibre and
mentality of the late Martin Con
way. The editor of the Frontier
desires to join the many hundreds
of friends of his over the county in
extending to the bereaved family
their sincere and heartfelt sym
pathy in this, their hour of sorrow.
FIRE THREATENS
BUSINESS SECTION
Extinguished Before It
Had Gained Headway
Fire, which started in the base
ment near the furnace, about 11:15
last Monday night seriously dam
aged the stock of the Clover Leaf
Store just north of the Golden Ho
tel, Most of the damage to the
stock and building was caused by
smoke. Both the building and the
stock were covered by insurance.
Mr. Hanna, owner of the grocery
store and meat market, informs us
that he carried $3,000.00 insurance
on the stock and fixtures and that
an invoice taken last Sunday dis
closed that he had in the store on
that date a $2,000.00 stock. He
said that it was hard to estimate
the amount of damage to the stock,
it all being badly smoked. Some of
the canned goods, outside of dam
aged wrappers, are probably all
right, while some of the stock is
absolutely ruined and of no sale
able value.
There is an adjuster now in the
city for the insurance people and
Mr. Hanna says that as soon as the
loss is adjusted that he will have
the interior of the store redecorat
ed, put on a fire sale and open up
again about January 20 with a new
stock of goods.
Luckily the fire was discovered in
its incipiency or it might have been
a disastrous blaze.
Frontier Readers Have
Our Sincere Thanks
The following Frontier readers
have paid arrearages and extend
ing their subscriptions to the paper
during the past two months: Mrs.
E. B. Carter, Dean Streeter, Chet
Calkins, H. R. Holcomb, W. J. Froe
lich, Lee Downey, Charles Ross, H.
E. Donohoe, Carrol O’Neill, Mon
tana Jack Sullivan, E. Borg, Mrs.
V. M. Searles, Charles E. Berger,
D. D. Harrington, W. G. Kraft,
Stoff Brothers, J. W. Black, State
Highway Department, S. M. Ohm
art, J. R. Sullivan, Fred Cronk,
Maj. F. M. Brennan, Cyril Peter,
L. M. Merriman, Edward Adams,
Arthur Rouse, Curtis Smith, new;
Melvin Smith, new; Forrest Smith,
William Wells, John A. Robertson,
Emmet Sleight, Charles Sanford,
Mrs. Charles Wrede, Rev. C. A.
Byersdorfer, D. E. Bowen, F. C.i
Watson, H. E. Radaker, W. A. El
lis, William Storts, John Juracck,
George Davies, If. B. Burch, Ray
Siders, William Langan, A. R.
Wertz, Orton Young, J. K. Ernest,
Paul Nelson, J. J. Dusatka, A. J.
Kurtz, R. E. Moore, Henry Krier,
Mary Horiskey, Albert Kaczor,
Guy Cole, Marie Steinberg, J. P.
Mann, John Green, Dr. E. E. Gall
agher, Lyman Robertson, Missj
Mary Cullen, F. N. Cronin, Charles
Grimes, R. E. Osborn, Nick Bog
nor, Arthur Auker, Ed Menish, O.
E. Clevish, Arthur Cowperthwaitc,
I). L. Spellman, Harry Shaugh
nesscy, Arnold Zuehlke, W. G. Be
ha, C. E. Linn, D. H. Hansen, John
J. Schmohr, Mrs. P. J. Lansworth,
H. R. Rouse, Leo Burival, J. D. Os
enbaugh, Walter C. Young, New;
Leo Mullen, F. J. Biglin, W. J. Big
lin, George Herzog, A. R. Bell, Mrs.
J. C. Reynolds, John McNichols,
George Bay, Mrs. T. S. Mains, An
na O’Donnell. A. E. Bowen, Fred
Conway.
The editor of The Frontier is
deeply grateful to its many readers
for their liberal response to our ap
peal for funds to keep the “home
fires” burning. We still have a
large number on our books who are
in arrears. In order to assist them
in getting square and as there are
a large number of readers whose
subscription expires during the
month of January we have decided
to extend our offer during the
month of January. That is, that
during the month of January we
will send the Frontier to all new
readers who pay two years in ad
vance for $3.00. The subscription
price has not been reduced, it is
still $2.00 per year, but all readers
who pay arrearages at the regular
rate can get an extension of their
subscription for a period of two
years for the payment of $3.00.
This offer does not apply to read
ers living outside the state of Neb
raska.
OF INTEREST TO THOSE SEEKING
KNOWLEDGE OF EARLY HISTORY
The Following is Taken From the Files of The
Frontier Which Appeared in The Issue
of December 25,1884; O’Neill Was Growing.
A Prosperous Year for Holt County
ami Its County Seat.
The money invested in improve
ments in O’Neill foots up to nearly
$90,000. The amount of business
done, over $1,000,000. O’Neill is
the best town of its size in Neb
raska.
The year 1884 has witnessed a
grand series of improvements
throughout Holt County, more no
ticeable and valuable than those
made any other year since its set
tlement. The farmers have pros
pered without exception, and today
the evidences of plenty are mani
fold. The granaries are full of the
products of the farm, and though
at present the prices are not great
and the time of course close, the
prospects are most excellent,
j To The Frontier, which for four
and a half years has been an active
factor in assisting and encouraging
the county’s growth and settle
ment, there is indeed great satis
faction to chronicle the fact of our
prosperity. We have seen the sod
houses give way to the more sub
stantial frame structure, the land
broken and brought under subjec
tion, the crop garnered and mar
keted and the poor man assume i
position of independence and thrift.
Take the county over und there is
,indeed cause for great joy and con
gratulation. Holt County is an em
pire in itself. From a desert (so
called) it has in a brief half dozen
years advanced to one of the most
important counties in .be state
w‘h a population of nctu'y twenty
thousand people—whi. today enjoy
the benefits of good schools,
churches, society and other fa.cili
lies for enjoyment that the favored
sections of the east do. The
Frontier extends to all the people
of our grand county a hearty
“Merry Christmas” and a cheery
“Happy New Year.”
The year about to close has been I
a prosperous one for the county
seat. It has been more than doubled i
in size and population, and we be-1
lieve has outstripped all other
towns of its size in the Elkhorn
Valley in the amount of business
transacted and the amount of mon
ey expended in building. We have
taken great pains to look up these
two items and present them in de
tail. In preparing these lists we
have avoided exaggeration, and if
anything have placed the figures
low of course we cannot speak of
each improvement in detail—that
would require too much space—but
we are too proud of the two brick
blocks just erected not to specially
mention them.
The Holt County Bank building
occupies the southeast corner on
Main and Fourth streets. It is 24
x 51 feet in size, two full stories
high. The first stoi-y is 14 feet in
the clear, the second 12 feet. The
first floor is used for banking pur
poses, and is divided into a large
business office, a director’s office
and a closet. A fire and burglar
proof vault, 5x8 inside, built of
heavy Holt County rock is built
from the ground up to the second
floor. In this vault is the time lock
money safe, and all the books and
records. It is absolutely fire and
burglar proof. Every convenience
for the business is provided in the
banking room. It is elegantly fur
nished, and we believe we are safe
in claiming it to be as fine a bank
as there is west of Omaha. It is
indeed, a dandy, and David Adams,
the cashier, and E. W. Adams, his
assistant, should be happy in hav
ing so delightful quarters in which
to transact business—of which
they do a vast amount.
The upper floor is divided into
three rooms. The front room is
14 x 20 feet in size, the rear rooms
15 x 15 each. They are being ar
tistically finished off, and are fine
enough for a Duke or Lord. They
will be used exclusively by Senator
Kincaid for law dispensary. Mr.
Kincaid has a very large library,
and one room will be used exclu
sively for this purpose. The sen
ator can afford to be proud of his
new quarters. No lawyer has
finer.
A cellar made of rock is a good
feature of the building. It is the
full size of the building and will be
found just the thing for many pur
poses. At present it is not in um.
The wood work on the block was
done by Mullen Bros., the briek
work by Clark and Homan undar
the contract let to G. T. Nevflla,
the painting by A. B. Burroughs,
J. H. Clark, and John Hallcran, the
plastering by Robert Loucks, The
[entire job is decidedly creditable
to all the parties interested.
The O’Neill State Bank building
is located on the northwest corner,
on Main and Fourth streets, ahd
when completed will be decidedly
the most elaborate and costly build
ing in Holt County. It is 50 a <50
feet in size. The first floor is is
feet in height, the second 12 feet.
The banking robfrt will be in • cor
ner of the building, and is 28 x 48
in size, divided into two rooms. It
is now being finished off in the beet
style, hard woods being used, aad
in fact no expense whatever spared.
The vault is of the best, and runs
from the ground to the roof, giving
plenty of accommodation not only
to the bank but to the occupants of
the upper floor. Native rock is
sed in its construction and is cer
tainly is proof against fire and
burglars. To the east of the bank
ing room is a fine store room, 22 x
C>0 feet in size This is not leased
as vet, and is the boas room in the
county. Facing on fourth street at
the rear of the bank room is a daisy
of a little store room 22 x 28 feet—
(just the place for a small business
lef any kind. Probably there is n*
better basement in the state thas
( under this block. It is built of
heavy rock and perfect in all ways.
One portion runs under the store
room and the L, and then a di
vision is made and a room fixed Up
tnder the bank room and the sa^pe
jn size. It is 12 feet in the clear,
and when finished will be a fine
room for almost any purpose, as It
U well lighted by large windows.
The upper floor is divided into eight
(Continued on page 4, column 1.)
Congressman Dies From
Auto Accident Injuries
Congressman George Heinke, of
Nebraska City, died in a hospital
at Morrilton, Ark, Tuesday night
as the result of injuries received
in an automobile accident near
there on December 28. He was 67
years of age and was serving his
first term in Congress. He was a
republican and was strongly op
posed to the spending of pubBc
money. A special election will be
called in that district to select his
successor.
Former Collector Pleads
Guilty in Federal Court
Richard A. Bishop, 41, former
collector of internal revenue at
O’Neill, appeared before Federal
Judge J. A. Donohue at Omaha on
Friday of last week, and plead
guilty to the embezzelment of
$81.00 of federal money at O’Neill
last August, while serving as dep
uty collector. Judge Donohue de
ferred sentence.
F. F. A. News
The vocational agriculture and
home economics students were giv
en a demonstration on the retail
and wholesale cuts of a hog.
Mr. Mathis, the vocational agri
culture instructor gave the demon
stration. The demonstration show
ed how most of the meat could be
used. The retail and wholesale
cuts look better and will keep much
better.
The hog weighed about 190
pounds nad was owned by Mr. Cote
of Emmett
The students thought they learn
ed much more by watching than b>
reading about it. ***