SOUTHWESTERN
BREEZES
By Romaine Saunders
-
The sad old world is in need of
a touch of humor. A gent down
in Seward county contributes his
bit in closing a communication to
the state railway commissipn:
“This is my 13th time on earth in
human form to work wonders. Ij
have a book pending copyright to
prove my claim to 13,000 years of
continual life from one body to
another. Please hold Ruby station
open.”
One of those ponderous trucks
that resembles a red barn in mo
tion was out from O’Neill a day
last week for a load of cattle from
the Theo. Moss herds, to be taken
to feed lots down about Laurel.
Mr. Moss says buyers from that
section inform him they find that
cattle raised in Holt county are
the most profitable of any that go
through their feed yards.
In the household library there
are one or two of the books com
piled by the high priest of a relig
iious group, representatives of
which are in hot water most of the
time for their contempt of the flag.
I find these publications neither
sensible nor scriptural—rather
gross perversion of scripture. They
were in Holt county a few years
ago, but left no impression in this
neighborhood. Every individual
has the right to their convictions.
The aim of this group seems to be
to ridicule the faith and forms of
other religious bodies rather than
to impart the consolation and hope
of a new spiritual light to a dark
world.
High winds, interrupted by light
showers here and there, high tem
peratures falling again to a com
fortable degree, clouds and blis
tering sunshine has been the July
weather program in southwest
thus far. Some grain has been
harvested, corn is in the making,
hay indicates a half crop and pas
tures are below normal. Range
cattle continue in good flesh, but
the flow of milk for the cream sep
arator has been greatly reduced in
recent weeks, due to some extent to
the activity of the flies.
While their men “hob-nobbed”
about town, a large delegation of
ladies from this section contribut
ed their presence and presents at
a nuptial shower in honor of Miss
Ethel Clemmens and Mr. Henry
Traever, at the home of Mrs. Ber
tha Johnson in Atkinson a day last
week. The lucky young lady is a
daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Clem
mens, who reside on a ranch near
Amelia. Mr. Traever is a son of
Mr. and Mrs. George Traever, also
of Amelia. The senior Mr. Trae
ver was well known at O’Neill a
half century ago, still many resid
ing there who remember him. For
many years George has been one of
the worth while citizens of this
section. The young couple are to
make their diome near the groom’s
parents.
An early pleasure after the ar
rival of Mrs. Saunders and myself
to our “country estate” was a vis
it from Mr. and Mrs. Luther Saun
ders of Hampton, Iowa. We are
cousins but have had no contact,
in memory or in person, since we
were very small boys in Green
county, Wisconsin, to which section
our ancestors came from Pennsyl
vania nearly a century ago. Such
a visit has incomparable compen
sation but is of no interest to the
reader. Lute—as Mr. S. likes to
be addressed—looks after collec
tions and other business for an im
porter of Belgian horses at Hamp
ton and has been coming to O’Neill
and Atkinson for some time, there
being one of these imported horses
near each of these places. Import,
ation has been discontinued be
cause of the ravages of Adolph
Hitler. They say this war is none
of our affair. Importers, expor
ters, producers, consumers and
workers are finding that maybe it
is.
Lee Crawford and daughter,
Mrs. George Castile, of Pittsburgh,
Pa., accompanied by George Meals
4-H Club Members Will
Attend Camp at Long
Pine Next Month
Holt county 4-H members are
reminded of the district 4-H club
camp which will be held at Long
Pine, August 1 to 3. The camp
which has become an annual event
attracting about 150 boys and
girls is a regular 4-H activity un
der the supervision of Extension
Service specialists from the state
4-H club office. 4-H camps are
continuously becoming more popu
lar in Nebraska and more effort is
being made to make them more
enjoyable and profitable. Every
day will be completely filled with
4-H club activities and recreation
with excellent supervision at all
times.
The camp offers many boys and
girls their only opportunity for a
few days of vacation which is
needed to make farm life more en
joyable. All 4-H members and
leaders are invited to attend the
camp, (which is operated on a co
operative basis, each member pay
ing $2.50 for transportation, board
and lodging for three full days).
Each club leader has received an
application blank which should be
returned to the county agent’s of
fice this week in order that reser
vations and transportation may be
arranged for those desiring to at
tend.
Many boys and girls who have
attended camp in past years have
indicated that they plan to attend
again, but there are several new
campers needed to fill the Holt
county quota for this year’s camp.
and his mother, Mrs. Hannah
Meals, of Atkinson, visited at the
home of the compiler of this col
umn Sunday. Mr. Crawford was
an early day settler near Atkin
son. He went to Pittsburgh in
1895, where he has since resided,
but makes frequent visits to rela
tives here. He and daughter, and
her husband arrived at the home
of Mr. Crawford’s nephew, George
Meals, a day last week and depart
ed Monday of this week for Seattle,
Wash., whem he has a son living.
Maybe dependence on the dis
penser of the “abundant life” has
made us helpless. There was a
time if we didn’t have roast turkey
we got along on corn bread and
potatoes. If rain was needed some
thing was done about it. Who re
members when? And a lot of
things come drifting out of the
mists of the past. There were dare
devils around O’Neill like “Old
Buster” and Ed Hershiser to load
boxes of dynamite sticks onto a
wagon, sit on the boxes and drive
out northwest of the cemetery
where crashing explosions, to fair
ly awake the dead, were set off in
voking the pleasure of the fickle
thunder birds. And there was the
scientific gentleman, who sat for
days in the cupola of the old court
house wooing the brazen heavens
with chemical incantations, while
Tom Golden, Charley Millard and
others placed tin cans about town
to catch the resultant ramiall. Also
the bond pr oposition to irrigate
all the counties from Cherry to An
telope. These interesting activi
ties were “knocked in the head" by
copious rains and the season fol
lowing Frank Campbell summed
up the happy aftermath by saying,
“the people have raised something."
That was an age of self-reliance
i when men hustled for a livelihood.
The spring and summer floral
bloom had disappeared from the
prairie by early July. Weeds where
flower and vegetable garden grew,
fences down and buildings faded to
silver grey are the result of long
absence. But the landscape is
| spread out in the same alluring
charm as when we put padlock to
the doors and left for the capital
city nearly two years ago. Cotton
woods and willows and elms, fruit
j bending the boughs of apple trees,
! birds and wild life of the outdoors;
the glow of early dawn, the danc
ing heat waves of midday, the calm
of evening, stars glowing in silent
splendor when darkness has spread
a mantle over the quietude of night
on the prairie—such will always be
home to the prairie bred.
Republicans Hold Enthus
iastic Meeting Here
Wednesday Evening
Kenneth S. Wherry, chairman of
the republican state central com
mittee, Mrs. Ella E. Wagner, vice
chairman and director of the wom
en’s division, Joe Wishart, secre
tary of the finance committee, were
in the city Wednesday evening and
were greeted by a bunch of local
republicans at a dinner at the
Golden Hotel that evening. The
meeting was fairly well attended,
representatives of the party being
present from Rock and Brown
county, as well as Holt. A good
sized delegation were present from
Atkinson and the extreme heat of
the day and other unforseen cir
cumstances, prevented a larger
attendance from our sister city on
the west.
The officials of the state com
mittee expressed confidence in the
outcome of the election this fall.
They were convinced that Nebraska
was going republican with a sub
stantial majority and that the
nation was also going republican.
While none of those present at
the meeting were original Willkie
men, they are all now unani
mous for him and firmly convinced
that he will be the next presi
dent of the United States. Chair
man Wherry, who attended the
national convention, said that our
candidate had a very magnetic per
sonality and that he captured the
support of all the delegates with
whom he came in contact, with
his ability to answer any and all
questions put to him without equiv
ication or evasion. We can assure
our members of the state com
mittee that Holt county will join
the band wagon this fall and will
give a real majority for Willkie
and McNary and the entire repub
lican ticket.
O’Neill Couple Visits
Scenic South Dakota
_ t
R. H. Parker and wife recently
returned from a business trip to
Pierre, the state capital of South
Dakota, and while there drove over
to Deadwood and Lead in the
Black Hills and put in six days
touring the Black Hills. Also
.went through the Homestake Gold
Mine while in Deadwood and visit
ed several of the important scenic
places.
The Rushmore Memorial upon
the side of a mountain where the
faces of Washington, Lincoln, Jef.
ferson, and Theodore Roosevelt are
being carved from solid granite, is
a wonderful sight. It is very dif
ficult to reach the mountain top
and view these almost living mon
uments from that great height. It
is interesting to know that the
face of George Washington meas
ures 60 feet from his chin to his
forehead. Eight persons were
working on the face of George
Washington at the time I was there
and dangling over the forehead sit
ting in small harness saddles or
small crates, these people with air
compressed chisels were carving
away and smoothing the faces into
fine shape. The width of these
faces will average about 30 feet
and about 60 feet long.
One night was spent at the Game
Lodge which was the summer
home of President Coolidge during
one year of his presidency.
Returned home through Hot
Springs. The Mammouth Cave is
one of the interesting caves of the
United states. One large room
contains almost four acres. A per
son can take a two mile trip or a
four mile trip through this cave.
From Hot Springakto Chadron
the pastures are burneikbrown and
from Chadron to Rushvifle and Gor
don they are taking cattle out of
the pastures and the crops are in
very bad shape. The sand hills re
gions from Valentine this way
seem to look very green
NOTICE
There will be a meeting at the
Midway Store Friday night, July
19 to arrange for a place to hold
our annual Old Settlers Picnic and
to transact any other business that
may be necessary.
A. L. BORG, President.
Mary Ellen McManus
Mary Ellen McManus, known by
every one in this mocmunity as
Mamie, passed away at the home
of her brother in this city about
11 o’clock this Thursday morning,
at the age of 67 years. The fun
eral will be held from the Catholic
church in this city next Saturday
morning at 9 o’clock and burial in
the family plot in Calvary ceme
tery.
Miss McManus had been com
plaining of not feeling well for a
couple of days and was very rest
less during Wednesday night. On
Thursday morning she felt better
and her brother came down to the
store, opened up and looked after
business until about 11 o’clock
when he went home and found her
lying on the lounge in the kitchen.
She was dead. A physician was
cvalled and he reached there in a
few moments but he said that she
had passed away. It was a great
shock to her brother, who had been
her daily companion for over fifty
years, hut he will take it like the
man he is.
Miss McManus was born at Ben
ton, Wisconsin, about 67 years ago.
In 1890 she came to this county
and has ever since been a resident
of O’Neill and since the death of
her folks had made her home with
her brother, P. J. McManus. Miss
McManus had never married nor
had her brother and they kept
house together, Miss McManus
overseeing the work in the house
hold and for the past doeen years,
P. J. looking exclusively after his
business interests.
For several years Miss McManus
was a teacher in the O’Neill pub
lic schools then retired from school
teaching and went into the store of
her brother, P. J. McManus as
bookeeper, where she was employ
ed for many years. In fact until
! the past few months^she had been
; an employe of the sfeort.
Miss McManus came to this
county fifty years ago and it has
been the writer’s privilege to have
known her ever since she came
to the county. In our youth she
was one of the young ladies that
traveled around in the crowd with
which we associated and many
good times the youngsters of those
days had in the various dances and
parties they attended. She was a
! charming young woman and had a
host of friends in this city and
county who will learn with regret
of her sudden death. Our deep
1 est sympathies go out to her broth
er, P. J., who, while the eldest in
the family is the only survivor. He
has lost something that cannot be
replaced and faces the future alone.
He, who rules over us does every
thing for the best and there may
be better days coming.
i --
Band Concert Program
For Saturday, July 20
March—“Columbian” ......King
Novelty Medley—“Eyes of Texas”
. Hall
Waltz—“American Beauty”....King
Vocal Solo—“Without a Song” by
Youmans; Soloist, Charles Yar
nall.
March—“March of the Steel Men”
. Belsterling
Selection from the Largo of the
New World Symphony—Largo
“Coin’ Home” .Dvorak
Cornet Duet—“Side Partners” by
Clarke; Played by Miss Dorothy
Yocum and Miss Dorothy Low
ery.
March—“Fidelity” .King
Hymn—“Adesta Fideles” .
. Traditional
Small Grain Harvest
About Through
The harvesting of the small grain
crop in Holt county has been under
way for the past week, with the
yield reported in most cases run
ning from 18 to 30 bushels per acre
of oats and mostly of good quality.
The corn, which is rather late, is
beginning to show the effects of
the continued dry weather and the
burning winds from the south. The
cutting of the wild hay crop, which
is one of Holt county’s most im
portant assetts, has also started,
but most reports are to the effect
that there will be less than half a
crop.
Fire Destroys Buildings
On A Farm North
west of O’Neill
Last Saturday night about 10
o’clock, as nearly as can be determ
ined, the farm home on the old
Tom McKenzie place, now owned
by T. J. Gallagher and rented by
Gilbert Benash, burned to the
ground while Mr. and Mrs. Benash
and family were in O’Neill. They
returned home about one o’clock to
find the house completely burned
with the loss of all their household
furnishings and clothing.
On Tuesday afternoon between
three and four o’clock the barn on
the same place caught fire, and it
was completely destroyed, along
with the corn crib and granary.
Mr. Benash was in the field at the
time, and was called by his wife,
who discovered the whole top of
the barn was burning, and he im
mediately attempted to rescue four
horses and one yearling pure bred
bull who were in the barn. He fail
ed to get any of them out and they
along with all of his harness, grain
and feed were completely destroy
ed. Mr. Benash was overcome
with fire and smoke and suffered
burns and cuts while attempting to
rescue the animals.
We understand that the build
ings were covered with insurance,
but that there was absolutely none
on the contents of either the house
or barn. Mr. and Mrs. Benash and
children are at present at the home
of Mr. and Mrs. Frank Benash, par
ents of Gilbert.
BRIEFLY STATED
Dr. and Mrs. F. J. Kubitschek
left Friday morning for St. Louis,
where they will meet Dr. Kubit
schek’s brother, Paul, and he and
his wife will accompany Dr. and
Mrs. Kubitschek on a trip to Mex
ico City. They expect to return
home about August 5th.
Mts. L. A. Burgess entertained
at a bridge party at her home Mon
day evening, honoring her sister,
Mrs, Henry Fowler, of Omaha, Ne
braska. Mrs. R. M. Sauers won
high as did Mrs. Mark Crandall.
Mrs. Henry Fowler was presented
with the guest prize.
. — •
Mr. and Mrs. I. W. Johnson and
daughter left Thursday evening
for Omaha, where they visited rela
tives. On Friday Mr. and Mrs.
Johnson started on their trip to
the coast, leaving their daughter
with her grandparents until their
return.
Mrs. H. J. Bauman, Mrs. John
Protivinsky, daughter, Bernadine,
son John, and Mrs. Howard Bau
man, son Richard, and daughter
Ann, drove to Lincoln on Sunday
where they visited Howard Bau
man, who is receiving medical
treatment at the Veteran’s hos
pital there.
Mr. and Mrs. C. L. Benson came
up from Norfolk and were guests
at the home of his brother, Blake
Benson and family Saturday night.
On Sunday they with Mrs. Alice
Benson, Mrs. Rhoda Sargent and
Mrs. Maude Fuller were guests at
the Frank Griffith home.
Mrs. Guy Cole, Mrs. Catherine
Reiser and Miss Ruth Harris drove
to Sioux City on Monday and spent
the day there visiting friends and
relatives. They returned home in
the evening, and Jimmie Bridges
returned with them, and will spend
a few weeks in Emmet visiting at
the home of Mr. and Mrs. Cole.
Holt county’s only representa
tive at the 4-H conservation camp
in Chadron this week is Bill Rees
of Amelia, who is a guest of Chas.
S. Horn of the Federal Cartridge
Company of Minneapolis. The
camp is held for the purpose of
teaching 4-H members and adults
to practice conservation of natural
resources.
Many Holt county people will be
interested in learning that the Ne
braska college of agriculture has
published a new circular No. 63 en
titled “Buffalo Grass for Lawns,”
which gives the latest information
on how to use this type of grass
for farm and city lawns. This pub
lication may be obtained by writing
Lvndle R. Stout, County Agent, in
O’Neill.
They Listened To Their
Master’s Voice
The one-man democratic party,
and that man New Dealer Roose
velt, has about concluded their de
liberations in Chicago, or he has
concluded them for the delegates.
Hitler, Mussolini or Stalin never
had a greater hold on a body of
men than the president of the
United States had on the demo
cratic national convention.
For the first two days of the
convention even the newspaper
writers, who have been friendly to
the New Deal, were unanimous in
their opinion that the convention
was a dud, no interest, no enthusi
asm. They had not received or
ders from their master. Finally,
in a grandiose movement on Wed
nesday he sent a message to the
chairman, Senator Barkley, one of
his henchmen, that he was not a
candidate for the nomination and
that he was releasing the delegates
pledged to him. What a grand
movement when half a dozen of
his cabinet members were in Chi
cago promoting his candidacy and
urging his nomination. If he did
I “not plan it that way” it would not
be so. He was finally nominated
Wednesday night. On Thursday
his supporters received word that
he wanted Henry Wallace as the
candidate for vice president and
the delegates, no matter what they
think personally, will acquiesce
and it will be Roosevelt and Wall
ace for the fall campaign. As the
campaign progresses we will have
more to say about this convention
and the man that pulled the strings
and handled the delegates.
F. F. A. Meeting
The F. F. A. held their regular
meeting, Saturday evening at the
school house. The last meeting
was not held, due to weather con
• ditions. Several members were
absent. The condition of the new
school house lawn, which was plant
ed by the Vocational Agriculture
students, was reported on by Mr.
Mathis. A camping trip was also
discussed. The officers and ad
visor plan to attend a meeting of
state and chapter officers. They
will learn new ideas and ways to
organize a chapter.
The Alpha Club
Evelyn Simonson was hostess to
the Alpha Club on Wednesday,
July 10. Fourteen members ans
wered roll call with, “What’s New
in Groceries.”
The program consisted of a vo
cal solo by Grace Borg, and a des
sert demonstration by Margery
McNulty.
Following the program a “How
| Smart Are You?” quizz was held.
Perle Widtfeldt received highest
rating. The next meeting will be
at the home of Minnie Boshart on
August 14.
Mrs. Francis Kennedy, of Central
Falls, Rhode Island, and Mrs. W.
M. Maxwell and daughter, Ro
maine, arrived in the city Monday
and spent a couple of days visit
ing at the home of Mrs. Maxwell’s
parents, Mr. and Mrs. Sherm En
nis. They left Wednesday for
San Diego, California, where they
j will join their husbands, who are
| officers in the United States Navy.
Miss Jane Mains, tormerly ot
this city, now of Denver, has been
j selected to be a special guest of
the Denver Post on an excursion
: trip to Cheyenne, Wyoming, on
Frontier Days, July 23, with all
■ expense paid. Governor Carr, of
i Colorado, and Wendell Willkie, the
republican presidential candidate
will also be on the special train.
j Congratulations, Miss Jane.
—
Mr. and Mrs. Ralph Leidy left
| Wednesday morning for St. Louis,
Mo., where they will attend the
annual convention of the Inter
national Baby Chick association,
| which will be held in that city next
week. On their way down they
will visit some of the manufactur
ing plants with which they do
business in Iowa and Kansas. On
; their way home they will also visit
l manufacturing plants in Indiana
and Kentucky. They expect to be
■ away from home for about ten
| days or two weeks.
A Large Delegation of
Atkinsonites to Be Here
Next Monday Night
A delegation of Atkinson Boost
ers, numbering about 300, will be
in the city about 7:30 next Mon
day evening and will spend the
evening in O’Neill boosting for
their Hay Days and Diamond Ju
bilee on August 1, 2 and 3.
The auto caravan will leave At
kinson shortly after noon and
headed by the Atkinson High
School Band of 65-pieces, will vis
it Emmet at 2 p. m.; they will pass
O’Neill on their eastern trip and
will be at Inman at 3 o’clock; Clear
water at 4:15, then on the home
ward trip at Ewing at 5:30, then
to O’Neill which they will reach
about 7:30 and they will be here for
several hours and promise to put
on a real show in the capitol city.
Arrangements were under way for
a special train to advertise the
event along the Northwestern rail
way from Long Pine to Norfolk,
but the deal fell through and the
auto caravan will take the place of
the special train. More modern
and more up to ^ate.
County Music and Read
ing leaders Will Meet
Here Next Tuesday
The special summer training
meeting for project club presidents,
music leaders and reading leaders
will be held in the O’Neill Public
School on Tuesday, July 23.
The morning session, starting at
10:00 A. M. will be a joint session
for a'l new presidents, music lead
ers, and both the retiring and new
ly elected reading leaders who do
not take office until October 1. The
entire county chorus will be pres
ent to receive special help in prep
aration for the State Fair massed
chorus sing and to rehearse for the
program to be given at the Atkin
son Hay Days. In the afternoon
three separate meetings will be
held so each person can attend
only one section. As far as poss
ible the elected officers should at
tend in preference to substitutes.
The new and retiring county
chairman and the group chairman
will be in attendance and the train
ing will be in charge of Mrs. Ethel
Bowen and assistants from the Ex
tension Service at Lincoln. Ar
rangements are being made for a
covered dish luncheon at noop and
an attendance of over one hundred
ladies is expected to start off the
new project club year.
Former O’Neill Natives
Back For A Visit
Mr. and Mrs. Floyd Kelley, of
San Diego, Calif., were in the City
today visiting their many old time
friends in the city of their youth.
Mr. and Mrs. Kelley left here about
thirty years ago and since that
time have been residents of Cali
fornia and this is their first visit
back to the old home town. Before
leaving for the west coast Mr. Kel
ley was an employee of the First
National bank of this city and
Mrs. Kelley was the daughter of
Alexander Boyd, one of the old
time carpenters and contractors of
this city. They expected to leave
Friday on their journey westward.
The Weather Hot and Dry
Whew! but it's hot, and still is.
We are unable to give the correct
temperature as recorded by the
official weather bureau, but the
unofficial thermometers around
town recorded anywhere from 105
to 108 on Wednesday and today
seems just as hot. O’Neill received
a nice shower early Monday morn
ing, but other than that we have
had no moisture. We are under
the impression that the weather
man has become discouraged and
is going out of business, as we
were unable to locate the weather
reports this morning, and there is
a large sign, posted just inside the
front door of the court house,
which states that a slightly used
rain gauge is for sale.
Miss Ann Harty left Wednesday
for Grand Island, Nebraska, where
she will visit at the home of her
uncle and aunt, Mr. and Mrs. C. E.
Cronin, for tho next week.