SOUTHWESTERN !
BREEZES
By Romaine Saunders
The task of saving the world
from going to the dogs seems both
thankless and hopeless. “Ephriam
. is joined to idols; let him alone."
I am old fashioned enough to
still write it Neb., but Nebr. is
something of a relic itself, being
about the only thing we have as
evidence of the populist legisla
tion of the nineties. The late
Clyde King, when in newspaper
work, insisted on printers setting
it Neb. in spite of legislators, gov
ernors or postal clerks.
*
That the newspapers supported
the losing side has proven only
that the reading, thinking element
is found outside the great cities,
where the third term got its votes.
~wVnd a constituency of some 22 or
▼211 million voters t? something of
‘which the editors are not ashamed
—that is, that number thought as
the editors did on national issues.
The Riley ranch recently sold five
head of Shorthorn milk stock for ap
even $500.
Nurserymen, as well as the hor
ticulturists at the state univrsity,
say the severe freezeup, which
came at an unusually early date,
has been disastrous to fruit trees
and many varieties of shade and
forest trees. They say the trees
that still had their foliage when
the freeze hit us are killed. Out
this way apple trees and elms
still retain the leaves and if the
experts are right must be dead as
door nails. Flowers will bloom,
birds will sing and grass will be
green again. Then we will see
about the trees.
Messrs. Fredricks, Baker and
Kennedy wielded their shovels in
unison a day last week to remove
a snow barrier a half mile east of
the township line on the mail road
that had effectually blocked traf
fic the previous 17 days, the limit
ed travel during this period worm
ing across fences and through
fields and ranchers meadows and
barn yards.
A lot is being concocted these
days in behalf of we “down-trodden
farmers.” The forthcoming legis
lature will be confronted with the
proposition to exempt the motor
ized farm equipment from the gas
tax. I am for exempting every
thing from tax if it can be done.
The argument is that the equip
ment is used to produce the farm
crops. Or, in simple, understand
able language, it is the farmer’s
means of getting his bi’ead and
butter. The argument could be
carried into many fields. The
truck man operates his truck to
win a livelihood. So also does the
traveling salesman going about in
an automobile. Practically every
use to which gasoline is devoted
wins someone their living. So if
exemptions are to be made on that
score, where is the stopping place?
The first and fundamental need of
the farmer everywhere is favor
able seasons and abundant harvest.
With this he will face the world,
take what the buyer offers for hisj
products, pay what is asked for:
commodities he needs and ask no
favors of anyone.
The New Deal postal authorities'
give- us a monthly change in
style of stamps, some of them
big enough to flag a hand car, but
they haven’t thought of the most
important change—making a two
out of those threes down in the
corners.
The first electric light plant
brought to O’Neill, paragraphs con-1
cerning which are appearing in j
those 50 years ago columns of
O’Neill papers, was more of an
event than the younger population,
which takes everything for grant
ed, can realize. It was installed
in the Short Line round house, at
that time a very large building.
But few of the citizens were suf-;
ficiently sophisticated to know any
Inman Student Honored
At State University
Gerald Sobotka, University of
Nebraska junior from Inman, is
one of the students honored at the
annual recognition banquet of the
I College of Business Administration
Wednesday evening, November 27.
He was recognized by Beta Gamma
Sigma, honorary business adminis
tration fraternity, since his schol
astic average for the year 1939-40
placed him in the upper ten per
cent of his class in the college of
Business Administration.
CARD OF THANKS
We wish to express our sincere
thanks to our many friends for
their help and kindness during the
tragic death and burial of our dear
daughter, sister and fiancee,
Frances, and for the beautiful
flowers.—Mr. and Mrs. James J.
Mullen and family; Mr. and Mrs.
Vincent Mullen, Thomas Hynes.
thing about electricity and that
light plant with it3 humming dy
namos was long a source of inter
est. It even served as a show place
to have on our list of entertain
ment when a guest was stopping in
town. On one occasion it fell to
the lot of my sister and myself to
take into our home a charming
young lady entertainer who had
come bo town for an engagement
under the auspices of a young'
people’s society. We were young
people living alone at the time and
our guest made herself at home
and seemed bo like it as she remain
ed with us a few days. Of course |
we showed her the dynamos and j
those great belts keeping the shafts j
turning. I always had one or more |
saddle horses and the dynamos and
horseback riding with a touch of ro
l mance gave our guest a pretty
good time. We were all “green” as
to electricity those days but most of
us quietly acquired the run of it by
observation, but it remained for a
gent living out north of town some
miles to show what he knew about
it. He came into the postoffice one
day and for the first time saw a
light bulb suspended with a cord.
The bulbs in use were finished with
a point of glass at the bottom. He
examined the bulb with a finger j
touching the point and a question
ing look said: “You touch the
match here?”
The old barn may have disap
| peared long ago. It was built by
the Bridges, who erected both a
large mill and a large residence in
O’Neill. The McClure family oc
cupied the residence at the period j
which comes out of memory’s store- j
j house today. The two older Mc
| Clure boys, Jim and Hay, one other
: youthful desperado and myself were ;
imbued with the idea that Daniel
1 Boone, Buffalo Bill, California Joe
and Dead Eye Dick were the real |
lie men. Only sissies slept in the j
house. That was the mark of the
i tenderfoot. We were products <of
the prairie, but were not quite
ready to go the full length and j
sleep outdoors. Not yet. We would
sleep in the hay loft. Somehow our j
folks consented or else knew noth-i
ing about it. We crawled up to the ■
loft and flopped down without so
i much preparation for bed as to un-!
tie a shoe lace. About midnight
a violent wind hit us. The old
barn cracked and shook. We all ;
scrambled up and made for the loft1
door in the end of the barn to jump j
for our lives. Jim caught me by
the coat tail, crying out, “Wait for;
me!” All landed safe on the
ground, Jim still gripping my
coat. He and his pal concluded
they had enough of the Daniel
Boone stuff and went into the
house. The barn still stood. Hay
and I stood and looked at each
other. “Well, what are you going
to do?” “Let’s go back in the
barn.” Morning came. There was
one little black rascal of a horse
tied in the bain. He was brought1
out and both of us mounted. He
straightened his back, then into a!
hump,vthen into the air the height
of the barn door and came down !
with a jolt that sent us over his
head. But we hadn’t been bluffed
out of spending the night in the
hay loft.
O’Neill High Basketball
Team Getting Ready
For Busy Season
The O’Neill High School gymn
floor was put in shape for the
eoming basketball season last week
and court pratice started Monday.
About thirty-Ave boys are partici
pating in the sport. Anyone in
high schoool who wishes to play
will be given the opportunity to do
so. A squad of about twenty will
be chosen from which teams to
represent the school will be picked.
All other high schol boys will have
the use of the old gym. for four
days a week. Junior high boys
basketball will be in charge of Mr.
Lockman. Tuesdays and Thurs
days girls under the direction of
Miss Miller will play various in
door games.
Season tickets for the ten home
games in the High School schedule
go on sale this week. The first
home game is on Tuesday, De
cember 17, when Stuart plays i
here. O’Neill plays at Spalding
on the 15th and at Albion on the i
20th. After the holidays fifteen
more games and two tournaments
will occupy the boys during Jan
uary, February and the first week
of March.
Contests Filed In Second
District Supervisor Race
Last Friday Eben Grafft, of
Ewing, republican candidate at the
last election for supervisor from
the Second district, which the un
official vote disclosed was defeated
in the district by two votes, has
filed notice of contest in the
county court against the incumbent
W. E. Wulf. In his petition he al
leges that the election boards in
the several precincts through error
counted votes for the incumbent
that should have been counted for
him and asks for a recount of the
votes in all of the precincts.
On Tuesday, December Urd Mr.
Rakow, a petition candidate for
the office at the last election, also
filed notice of contest of each of the
precincts of the district.
The date for the hearing is
January 6, but we understand that
the date will probably be set ahead.
County Judge Reimer has dis
qualified himself from sitting in
the case, as he is the nephew of
Mr. Wulf, the incumbent, Mr.
Wulf’s sister is Judge Reimers’
mother. The county board will
appoint some one to hear the case
and it will probably be an attorney
from the county.
Fred Lorenz
Fred Lorenz diecT^in the O’Neill
hospital last Saturday after an
illness of but a few days of a
stroke, at the age of 09 years, two
months and twenty-three days. The
funeral was held from the Pres
byterian church in this city Tues
day afternoon, Rev. Ohmart offi
ciating and burial in Prospect Hill
cemetery.
Deceased was born in Germany
on September 7, 1871, and came to
this country when a young man ■
and settled in Hamilton county,
near Giltner. Here he was united
in marriage to Miss Fredericka
Dieckmann on February ,‘i, 189,'l.
Nine children were born of this
union, seven sons and two daugh
ters, two of the sons dying in in
fancy. leaving to mourn his pass
ing five son.- and two daughters.
They are: Fred W. Lorenz, Page;
Mrs. Bertha Ernst, O’Neill; Carl
Lorenz, Inman; Oto Lorenz, O’Neill
William Lorenz, Hay Springs,
Nebr.; Mrs. Marie Ernst, O’Neill;
Elmer Lorenz, Seattle, Wash., all
of whom were present for the
funeral services.
Mr. Lorenz came to this county ,
in 1909 from Hamilton county and ;
purchased a farm northwest of
this city where he lived for many
years. About ten years ago ne
purchased the place west of town,
where he had made his home the
past ten years. He was a good
former and despite the depression
and poor crops he managed to
make a little every year from his >
farm operations. He was a good
citizen and had a host of friends
in this city and immediate vicinity j
and his passing will be regretted
by niarfy outside his immediate
family.
Less Livestock Receipts
Bring Barely Steady
To Tx)wer Prices
Rough weather conditions coupl
ed with a less active demand and
a bearish tendency on the river
markets affected price levels at the
local livestock auction last Monday.
The real good quality cattle suffer
ed very little, if any, but the less
attractive kinds were fully 26c off
in face of light receipts.
The extreme top on steer ealves
i was $10.95 with the top load bring
| ing $10.65. Bulk in this class
ranged from $9.96 to $10.50. Best
1 light weight heifer calves sold at
$9.45 and the best full load brot
$9.90. Bulk of the fairly good
heifer calves cashed from $8.50 to
$9.15.
Yearlings were in rather light
supply and, generally speaking,
the quality was only fair to good.
Prices ranged mostly from $8.00 to
$9.00. Cow receipts were under
that of recent weeks, yet, a plenti
ful supply was here. Good beef
[ cows brought from $5.50 to $6.26
with a few ranging upwards to
$6.50. Feeding cows sold from
$4.50 to $5.25. Bull brought from
$5.50 to $6.05.
Hog receipts were lighter than
they have been during the past
few weeks. Top butchers reached
$5.55 and $5.50 was the popular
price paid for this class. Sows
sold mostly from $5.40 to $5.45;
lights reached an extreme top of
$5.60; bulk of these sold around
$5.50.
The next regular sale will be
| held Monday, December 9th.
' '11. ■
Jolly Star Club
The Jolly Stars met at the home
i of Mrs. E. J. Revell on Wednesday,
November 27, for the Novembr
I lesson. The meeting was opened
by giving the flajf salute, after
w'hirh the business meeting was
held. Mrs. E. J. Revell reported
paying SI.20 at the O’Neill meeting
for our Club’s dues, which were
repaid her from the club treas
ury. Mrs. Verna Revell led in
singing the November song, “Soft
Now The Light of Day,’’ after
which reading work was taken up.
Mrs. Verna Revell was chosen read
ing leader and it was decided bo
1 send to the State Library commiss
ion for our books.
A playlet on using home resour
ces was given by Mrs. Floyd Revell
and Mrs. Verna Revell, after which
they presented the lesson on same
subject Using form 15 they had
the members figure their food needs
for a moderate cost good diet.
Methods for caring for milk, eggs,
meat and of canning and storage
of fruit and vegetables were
taught.
Our club president, Mrs. C. V.
Cole, Mrs. Charles Russell and
Mrs. Hazel Hibbs are making
plans for a Christmas party to be
held sometime before Christmas. :
We had as our guest Mss. Kich
I aid, field lady of the AAA, who
j told of the work and plans of the
AAA. Her talk was very interest
: ing and much enjoyed by the mem
bers.
Our hostess served coffee and
sandwiches. Five members were
present at the meeting. Our Jan
uary meeting will be held at the
home of Mrs. Robert Miller.
West Side Project Club
The West Side Project Club met
November 19 at the home of Mrs.
L. O. Johnson, with Mrs. J. P. Mil
ler assisting hostess. Twelve mem
bers and two guests were present.
After a delicious dinner the les
son on, “Using Home Resources,”
was given by the leaders, Mrs. J.
W. Hickey and Mrs. Len Shoe
maker.
The Christmas party will be held
December 16 at the home of Mrs.
Len Shoemaker.
CARD OF THANKS
We desire to express our heart
felt thanks to our many friends
for their many acts of kindness to
us following the tragic death of
our beloved son and brother.—Mr.
and Mrs. J. M. Brophy, Mary, John
Brophy and Mr. and Mrs. Tim
Brophy and family.
St. Marys Wins Season’s
First Basketball Game
St. Mary’s basketball team journ
ed to Atkinson on Tuesday night
and met the St. Joseph’s Academy
team in the first game of the
season, emerging victorious with a
30-14 score.
Junior Shoemaker, of St. Mary’s,
led in the scoring with ten points,
while Kubart, of St. Joseph’s was
their high point man.
The next game for the St. Mary’s
Cardinals will be played in the new
High school gymnasium on Mon
day, December 9, with the Fairfax,
S. D., team. From all reports,
Fairfax has one of the best teams
in southern South Dakota, and this
game promises to be a real test for
the St. Mary’s outfit.
Interstate Power Selling
Their Nebraska Property
According to the Dailies the
Consumers’ Public Power district
is negotiating to purchase the Ne
braska facilities of the Interstate
Power company of Dubuque, la.,
C. B. Fricke, district president, dis
disclosed Tuesday.
The federal power commission
set December 16 for a hearing in
Washington on the power com
pany’s application for authority to
sell. The price was estimated at
$2,581,906. Fricke explained that
a hearing before the commission is
necessary because ownership of the
utility company is not in Nebraska.
Towns served by the Interstate
Power company are in the north
cast section of the state.
Presumably bonds would be is
sued in the same manner as the re
cent purchase of the Elkhorn Val
ley Power company of Scribner and
the electrical power properties of
the Central Electric and Telephone
company at Scribner. Whether the
Consumers’ district will take over
operation of the Interstate Power
company, enter into a lease-pur
chase agreement with another dis
trict or deal directly with the towns
concerned has not been determined.
Mathew Y. Brophy
I
Mathew Y. Brophy was born at
Lindsay, Nebr., on November 15,
1915. He moved to Fairfax, *5.
D., with his parents at the age of
one year and spent most of his life
there. In 1928 his parents moved
to Winner, S. I)., Here he attended
St. Mary’s school for three years..
In 1931 his parents moved back
to Fairfax where he lived until
1936. He was graduated from the
Fairfax High school with the class
of ’36. In the fall of that year
he moved with his parents to Stuart
and here he worked on the reads
and in the Stuart bakery. He
moved to O’Neill on July 31, 1940,
where he lived until his sudden
death. He was 25 years and 15
days old at the time of his death.
Left to mourn are his parents,
Mr. and Mrs. J. M. Brophy, one
sister, Mary, of O’Neill. Two
brothers, Tim, of Newport and
John, of St. Petersburg, Florida.
John is a seaman in the navy. All i
members of the family were pres-,
ent for the funeral except John,'
who could not be reached.
Out of town relatives and close
friends in attendance at the funeral j
were: Mr. and Mrs. Phillip llerde,
Schuyler, Nebr.; Mrs. Minnie
Green and family, Bartlett, Nebr.;:
Mr. and Mrs. Emery Spagler,
and son, Albion; E. B. Brophy,,
Albion; Mr. and Mrs. Tim Brophy,
Newport; Maurice Wolff, Fairfax,
S. D.; A. L. Lewis, Lynch; Mr. and
Mrs. Lewis Zobrist, Fairfax, S.
D.; Mr. and Mrs. Howard Beck,
Newport; Mrs. Bruce* Shald, Mr.
and Mrs. John Jardine, Jimmie and
Mary Jardine, Arley and Berna
dette Kruger, Anna Weivel, Mr.
and Mrs. Joseph Wallinger, all of
Stuart; Stub Seger, of Atkinson;
Henry Salmon, Baker, Nebr. be
sides a host *of friends from Stuart,
Atkinson, Fairfax, S. I)., and
O’Neill. ***
Lutheran Services
Sunday’s service at the Episco
pal church will begin at 3:30 P. M.
Sunday school at 3:00.
R. W. Fricke, Pastor.
FOUR YOUNG PEOPLE LOSE THEIR LIVES
WHEN CAR HITS PARKED TRUCK
Accident Happened Last Saturday Morning 0«
Highway 20, About Mile West of Atkinson
One of the most tragic accidents
in the history of this section of
the state was that last Saturday
morning when an automobile
crashed into a truck loaded with
grain on Highway No. 20 one mile
west of Atkinson and burst into
flames and the four young people
in the car perished.
The occupants of the car, all of
whom were killed, were badly
burned. They were: Mathew
Brophy, 25, of O’Neill, an employee
of the McElvain beer parlor; A.
W. Johnson, 24, O’Neill, an em
ployee of the Tri State Produce
company; Frances Mullen, 20, a
rural school teacher north of At
kinson and who had been employed
in this "city the past summer;
Buelah Rogers, 26, O'Neill, a cafe
employe.
The four were on their way
home from a dance at Stuart
when the accident happened. Clyde
F. Hagen, of St Joseph, Mo., was
the driver of the parked truck and
he told the officers that the auto
mobile in which the four were rid
ing, driven by Miss Mullen, crashed
into the rear of his truck and im
mediately hurst into flames. He
said the fire was so hot that he
was unable to get near the burning
vehicle and that he heard no cries
| for help or screams, so the possibil
' ities are that they were immdiatly
killed by the impact of the car
with the truck.
County Attorney Cronin, ex
officio coroner of the county, held
an inquest in Atkinson last Satur
day afternoon at which ten wit
nesses were examined. The jury
brought in a verdict exonerating
the driver of the truck'as witnesses
testified that his truck was prop
erly parked and that he had Hares
out behind the truck, as provided
by law.
An undertaker from Wausa,
where Mr. Johnson’s parents re
side, went to Atkinson Sunday
after his body and it was brought
to this city and services were held
in the Biglin mortuary at the re
quest of his fiancee, an O’Neill
girl, and the body was then taken
to Wausa for interment.
The body of Miss Rogers was
taken to Wynot, Nebr., where her
parents reside and the funeral was
held there Monday afternoon.
Frances Mullen was buried in
Atkinson last Monday morning,
funeral being from the Catholic
church.
The body of Mathew Brophy
was brought to this city Satur
day afternoon by the Biglin ambu
lance and his funeral was held
from the Catholic church Monday
morning at U o’clock, Rev. Father
Parr officiating and burial in Cal
vary cemetery.
O’Neill Native Son Ranks
High In Nation’s Capitol
“While preparation for defense
goes on at an ever increasing rate,
the government is not forgetful of
the welfare of the veterans who
joined the colors in past emergen
| ties. At the great Mount Alto Hos
pital on Wisconsin Avenue in
North Georgetown, all equipment!
; known to medical science is in
j stalled a.i ! functioning daily to
make wai on disease am ng those
who formerly served in the armed
forces of the nation. . . .
Under the direction of Dr. Will
iam P. Hynes, Chief Radiologist
and Director of the Cancer Clinic,
Mount Alto has taken a promin
ent place among the few truly
great X-Ray treatment centers in
the world today. The batteries of
electrical apparatus now in use
there testify to the fact that the
United States is a nation that
places humanity above war.
Eight hundred patients a month
go through this department, and it
is significant that each case re
ceives the personal attention of i
Dr. Hynes, who is accredited in
scientific circles with being one of!
the foremost living authorities in
the field of radiology and the
treatment of cancer.”—Washing
ton, D. C., Press, November 16,
1H40.
Dr. Hynes was born and reared
in O’Neill, being the son of Thom
as Hynes who was one of the orig-1
inal settlers. His mother was a
sister of the late pioneers, Wm.
and John Fallon. Mrs. Mike En
right of O’Neill is his cousin. Dr.
Hynes is 50 years of age and al
though he has been gone for many
years many O’Neill people well re
member him.
Clerk Did Not Open The
Verdigris Ballot Box
County Clerk John C. Gallagher!
left Monday for Lincoln, Nebraska,,
where he was to appear before the
Supreme Court on Wednesday,
December 4, regarding the Verdi
gris precinct election returns.
.... .. *
CARD OF THANKS
W’e wish to take this means of
expressing our thanks to the many
friends for their expressions of
sympathy and assistance during
the illness and death of our father.
Also for the many floral offerings.
—Lorenz Children.
Cornhuskers Will Play In
The Rose Howl Game
The Nebraska University foot
ball tenm closed its regular season
last Saturday when they defeatd
Kansas State on the Lincoln grid
iron with a score of 20 to 0. The
Nebraska boys never were in
danger throughout the game, hav
ing the boys from our sister state
to the south completely outclassed
in all departments. Sport writers
and football coaches say that the
l'J40 team is the greatest that
ever represented Nebraska.
Sunday afternoon Nebraska re
ceived an invitation to play Stan
ford in the celebrated Hose Bowl
game in Pasadena, Calif., on New
Years day and the offer has been
accepted and now sport lovers of
Nebraska are bowl crazy. The
state was allotted 5,000 ticl^pts
for the game and they were all
sold out Tuesday night. It is esti
mated that from 7,000 to 10,000
people from this state will be in
the stands to cheer for Nebraska
when the game gets under way.
This promises to be a great game
and we really believe that Nebras
ka can take the pride of California,
which would be some laurels to add
to their Big Six championship.
This is the first time a Bix Six
team has been invited to the Rose
Bowl and you can bet that all of
th other teams in the Bix Six will
be rooting for Nebraska.
Mr. and Mrs. C. J. Gatz and Mr.
and Mrs. Henry Lohaus returned
Saturday from Detroit and Chica
go, where for the past two weeks
they visited friends and relativs.
On their return trip they drove
home two Mercury cars for which
they had received orders prior to
their eastern trip. They report
having had an enjoyable trip and
a lovely time in Detroit.
Mr. and Mrs. S. J. Weekes re
turned last Sunday from Roches
ter, Minn., where Mr. Weekes had
been receiving medical treatment
for the past seven weeks, practi
cally all of the time in the hospital.
John is sure looking good and was
back at his desk in the O’Neill
National Wednesday. He says,
that while a little weak from his
long stay in bed, he is feeling
better than he has for several
months and it will only be a little
while until he gets his strength
back and then he will be his old
time self, a fact that will be pleas
ant news to his many friends in
this city, county and state.
