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About The frontier. (O'Neill City, Holt County, Neb.) 1880-1965 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 2, 1941)
The Frontier « ' __________ VOL.LXI O'NEILL, NEBRASKA, THURSDAY. JANUARY 2. 1941 NUMBER 34 SOUTHWESTERN BREEZES By Romaine Saunders Our school, probably in common ■with many others, resumed the year’s work Monday after one week’s vacation. Mrs. Bernard Kennedy enjoyed a visit at the home of relatives in Red Cloud during the holidays. Dispatches do not say how many rounds of spaghetti fell into the hands of the enemy with the flight of the Italians. Mr. and Mrs. Geroge Meals and sons, Melvin and Marvin, of At kinson, were visiting out here Sun day. With winter fairly started some ranchers report they have fed half of their hay supply. Those who have winter range keep their herds out as much as possible. This bit of typical Rooseveltian philosophy is attributed to the mis tress of the White House: "At present there is waste everywhere; but then we can still afford to be wasteful.” Is this the time to give heed to the Prophet Nahum? “He that dashes in pieces is oome up before thy face: keep the munitions, watch the way, make thy loins strong, for tify thy power mightily.” “It is better to go to the house of mourning than bo go the house of feasting, for that is the end of all men.” That the stroke of the death angel brings the living face to face with the fundamental fact of life appears to be a strange contra diction. “For that is the end of all men.” Of this gloomy fact we are again reminded in the death of John A. Robertson. And so another friend has fallen. John and 1 had different convictions though the trend of affairs the last several years had led him bo say to me about the last talk I had with him, “We are not far apart.” Men may differ but still retain a common bond of friendship and hold in sac red memory the knowledge of that friend’s manly heart throbs. I know of no better tribute to this, another of my fallen friends than the words of the psalmist: “Mark the perfect man and behold the upright; for the end of that man is peace. Nineteen forty-one; I wonder if New Year’s resolutions have gone out of fashion. There is still hope for mankind if at the end of the year he has a desire to do better. The closing year has its lessons, its bright spots, its tragedies. In the sweep of ages, the passing cen turies, January 1 is just another day and we can’t see one hour ahead of where we stand. But we ■can always look behind. 1 see a hard working woman who washed for us, who never had time to sit •down a moment and rest when she came to our door, who amid grind ing and incessant toil had a smil ing face and seemed to get a lot of fun out of life. There has been a few' bumps on the shin the past .year, but they fade to nothing when I think of that woman stand ing loyally by a semi-invalid hus band and boiling as she does for children and grandchildren. The passing years bring their oppor tunities to lend a hand here and there. Amid smug abundance there are the homeless and hungry. John Smoot, boaster and village character that he was in O’Neill in the long ago, never denied a hun gry and ragged tramp. I no doubt have been imposed upon by pro fessional moochers, but 1 had rath er make a mistake on the side of kindliness than to close the heart -against one in need. I was recent ly riding with some friends when the car left the highway and rolled into the deep snow in the ditch. A truck went by, came to a stop and hacked up to where we were stuck -in the snow'. A strapping young man got out and with a kindly ■mde prepared to pull us back onto Agricultural Extension Has Another Good Year In This County The Agricultural Extension pro gram which is cooperatively car ried on in Holt County by the Ne braska Extension Service and the Holt County Farm Bureau has reached in some manner large num bers of people in all parts of the county. According to annual re port of county agent, Lyndle R. otout, the fact that 100 voluntary leaders were serving without pay to carry on the work in all parts of the county is an indication of the extent to which the Extension Work is reaching the farm people. During the year 1473 people called at the office for information on agricultural subjects while 299 farms were visited in completing 4-H and other programs. 4-H club work was the largest and most important single activity carried through the office. Thirty four 4-H clubs were organized with 301 members enrolled. Better than 90 percent of the members en rolled were awarded a certificate of achievement for their work. Numerous state awards were re ceiver! by local 4-H mmbers, eight een competed in the State Fair contests, 4 exhibited at Sioux City Livestock Show and 9 at the Ak Sar-Ben Show. One member at tended the National Club Congress at Chicago. In addition 4-H activ ities in the county included judg ing and demonstration days, 4-H picnic and achievement, two county fairs, and the Holt County Stocker Feeder Show and Sale. Twenty-seven womens piojeci clubs with 378 members enrolled not only offered the homemaker an opportunity to better inform herself but furnished a social gath ering for many groups with limited activities. Lists of available seed in the county were furnished to those re questing such . information and 73 purity and germination tests for seeds were obtained through the office. Test plots of hybrid corn and sorghums and barley were planted by cooperators. Forty-two thousand, five hun dred Clarke-McNary seedlings were distributed and shelterbelt appli cations were received during the year. The Farm Bureau has operated the county agent’s office in the basement of the court house in O’Neill and has received funds for this purpose from the general fund of the county. A person de siring information on agriculture or home economics is invited to in quire at the office which has all the available publications of the United States Department of Agri culture and the Nebraska college of agriculture. These may be ob tained free of charge by calling or writing the county agent’s office in O’Neill. During the year of 11)41 the work will stress 4-H club activiites, wo men’s project clubs, community ac tivities, better crops and livestock and many minor projects. Former O’Neill Resident Dies At Seattle Word was received in this city the latter part of last week that Patrick Gibbons, one of the old time residents of this city, passed away at his home in Seattle, Wash-, just before Christmas, after a short illness. He was about 74 years of age. The Gibbons family were resi dents of this city in the eighties and early nineties, leaving here for the west some forty years ago. Pat was a genial companionable man and had a host of friends in this city and county. He had been en gaged in the insurance business in Seattle for several years. the highway. Incidents, common place and unusual, have gone into life’s record for another year. What is ahead * None know. We do know that on the rainbow is hung God’s perpetual covenant with the generations of earth: “W’hile the earth remuineth seed time and harvest, and coal and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease.” Former Resident Killed In Auto Accident In South Dakota Mrs. Henry Kruse and her nine year-old daughter, Ardith Joan, of Hot Springs, S. L)., were killed Sunday in an auto accident. Other occupants of the car were Mr. Kruse and another daughter, Naomi, but they were not injured. Mrs. Kruse was the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. C. J. Taylor of Op portunity, Nebr. She was born September 9, 1889, at Odell, Nebr. On February 10, 1910, she was married to Henry Kruse at Yank ton, S. D., and for a few years re sided near Opportunity, Nebr. Ardith Joan Kruse was born April 14, 1981, at Hot Springs, So. Dak. Survivors include her husband and seven children, Mrs. Fred Ed wards, Custer, S. D.; Mrs. Stuart Hill, Fred Kruse, Byron Kruse, Mrs. Jack Rooney, Misses Violet and Naomi Kruse, all of Hot Springs, and nine grandchildren, her parents, Mr. and Mrs. C. J. Taylor, five sisters, Maggie Bruce, LaPorte, Colo.; Ethel Siders, of Opportunity; Chloe Henifin, of Bellvue, Colo.; Ida Sorenson, of Boise, Idaho; and Ellen Thomas, Fort Collins, Colo.; and five broth ers, Jack and Ralph Taylor, of O’Neill; Lee at Riverton, Wyo.;l Max, o- Bellevue, Colo.; and Bill of Boise, Idaho. Three sisters and four brothers were in attendance at the funeral which was held j Thursday at Hot Springs. Margaret E. Gray Margaret E. Gray died at the home of her niece, Mrs. Helen Rooney on December 29, 1940, of infirmities due to advancing years, at the age of 8G years, ten months and twenty-five days. The funeral was held Wednesday afternoon at 2 o’clock from the Presbyterian church, Rev. Ohmart officiating, and burial in Prospect Hill cem etery. On February 4, 1873, she was united in marriage to William J. Gray, the ceremony being perform ed at Michigan City, Ind. To this union one son, Harry, was born, who passed away at the age of seven years. She leaves to mourn her passing one brother, E. J. Mack, of Atkinson, and three nieces, Mrs. Helen Rooney, O’Neill; Mrs. Georgia Warneke, of Los An geles, Calif., and Mrs. Edna Mc Master, of Dowagiac, Michigan, the latter coming here for the funeral, j Mr. and Mrs. Gray came to this , county in 1885, coming here from : Detroit, Mich., and had been a resi i dent of the county ever since, a lit , tie over fifty-five years. At the > j age of thirteen years Mrs. Gray ! joined the Methodist church and ; since that time she has been an i ardent church worker. It had been the writer’s pleasure to have known Mrs. Gray for over fifty years and she was one of the finest women in the entire county. It was one of her greatest pleas i ures the past few years, when she made her home in Atkinson, to come to O’Neill and visit the many old time friends she had in this city, and that took in the entire city, for everyone was her friend i and having spent fifty years in this city and immediate vicinity she knew practically everyone. She was a genial woman, one of the hardy stock of pioneers, who was always willing to help those less fortunate and took pleasure in do ing so, without pomp or ceremony. Her death marks the passing of another of the old pioneers who assisted in making this section of the state a better place in which to live. CARD OF THANKS We desire to express our sincere thanks to the many kind friends and neighbors for their many acts of kindness and expressions of sympathy during the last illness and following the death of our be loved sister and aunt, Margaret E. Gray and for the beautiful floral offerings.—E. J. Mack, Mrs. Edna McMaster, Mrs. Georgia Warnke, Mr. and Mrs. .James W. Rooney. Comhuskers of Nebraska Defeated By Stanford In The Rose Bowl Game The Nebraska Cornhuskers met the Stanford team in the Rose Bowl game at Pasadena last Wed nesday afternoon and went down to defeat with a score of 21 to 13, but not without putting up a great game and one that won the team the plaudits of the crowd time and again. After four minutes of play the Huskers made a touchdown and kicked the extra point and the score stood Nebraska 7, Stanford nothing, and the game was four minutes old. Stanford tied the score before the end of the first quarter and it was even up. Ne- j braska scored again in the second quarter, but failed bo kick the extra ' point and the score stood Ne braska 13 Stanford 14, where it! stood when the half ended. In the third quarter Stanford made a succession of passes and were soon down to the Nebraska eight inch line, and another touch down seemed imminent, but the Nebraska line held them and se cured possession of the ball. Ne braska booted the ball out of dan ger, but a Stanford player caught I it on the Nebraska forty and ran the ball down the field for another touchdown and they again convert ed and the score stood Stanford 21, Nebraska 13, which ended the scoring. Nebraska never again threatened but they managed to keep Stanford from again crossing the goal line. According to radio reports and press dispatches it was one of the greatest games ever played in the celebrated Bowl and while Ne braska went down to defeat they went down with colors flying and won glory, even though defeated.. William A. Young William A. >_pg was found | dead in bed in his room at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Rohr where he had been rooming, last Saturday morn ing about 6 o’clock, having passed away during the night from a sud den heart attack, at the age of 63 years, six months and twenty days. The funeral was held Tuesday af ternoon from the Presbyterian church, Rev. Ohmart officiating, and burial in Prospect Hill cem etery. William A. Young was born in Iowa on June 8, 1877. When a young man he came to Nebraska and -on March 10, 1897, he was united in marriage. to Miss Anna Smith in Richardson county. Six children were born to this union, two sons and four daughters, all of whom survive him. The child ren are: Mrs. Kay Robinson, Los I Angeles, Calif; Ernest Young, Van ' Nuys, Calif.; Zella Young, Los Angeles, Calif.; Mrs. Aloda Han sen, Osmond, Nebr.; Leonard Young, Norfolk, Nebr.; Mrs. Ber nice Jewell, Burley, Idaho. He is also survived by four sisters and ; one brother. Mr. Young had been a resident of O’Neill for the past four years, coming here from Osmond, Nebr., but for about forty years he had been a resident of this county and Knox county, living in the north eastern part of the county, engaged in farming. The last four years he had been employed on WPA work. Precipitation For 1940 Over Three Inches More Than 11139 The total rainfall for the year of 1940, as compiled by the local weather station amounted to 17.12 inches, as compared to 14.00 inches for the year 1939, an increase in precipitation of over three inches for the past year. Following is the rainfall by months for 1940: January . 29 February . .69 March .. 2.50! April . 3.26 j May .301 June . 2.79 j July . 1.90 August . .861 September .. 69 ! October . 1.80 November . 1.47 December . .84 Total .17.12 I Livestock Prices Advance Sharply With Reduced Receipts Last Monday The receipts of livestock at the local auction last Monday were lighter than in recent weeks and prices advanced sharply on prac tically all classes. Action was brisk and the undertone was firm. The best steer calves brought $11 .80 with the long run in this class cashing from $10.50 to $11.50. There were few heifer calves rep resented in the day’s run. Yearling steers paid from $y.00 to $10.00, with a number of out standing light weights at $10.40. Yearling heifers sold from $7.50 to $8.25. There were few cows in the run and those that were here showed a sharp advance in price. The hog receipts fell off a little, and the market was strong. Ex treme top on butchers was $0.40 and the bulk of these sold at $0.36. Sows earned an extreme top of $0.25. Feeder pigs brought as much as $7.95. The long end of these sold from $7.00 to $7.75. About 150 sheep were included in the day’s offering. Top on lambs was $7.85. A few ewes brought $11.00 per head but $9.00 to $10.00 caught most of them. Next sale will be held January 6. Tributes To the Late John A. Robertson His sudden passing from the scene of action, where he had lived and labored so long, leaves us be wildered for the moment. Here was a man whose successes in public office and civic activities did not spoil his usefulness as a citizen and neighbor in his own commun ity, but rather he felt that because of those opportunities he was bet tre fitted to serve. Perhaps we didn't realize how much we depended on him—from high school girls, who wanted to phone through his switch to home folks, to older people in business who sought the advantage of his wide experience and development through the school of hard knocks, he was always the same, and if he was ever irked by any of these in trusions on his time with his paper or listening to his radio, he never showed it. To most of us his long residence in this locality made him seem a necessary part. When we went to bed, we expected that no matter what happened to us through the night that the hills and trees and creek would be here in the morning just the same—and we just as much expected Mr. Robertson to be on hand, ready to answer the phone, or tell us where the mail was on a blizzardy day, or how to handle insect pests or advise on most any other problem. We men tion these because they are com mon knowledge to our community. Weightier matters that were taken to him in confidence were kept that way. A common expression of his was, “I’ve been trying for years to keep this part of the country on the map.” The community’s interests were his interests—truly his passing saddens the life of a whole com munity.—A Neighbor. Friend, A Priceless Gift God gave us a friend, a priceless gift, one who was loving, kind and true. To a new neighbor in a strange land, his hand was the first extended in friendly greeting, his smile the first to melt the ice of loneliness, his voice the first to speak a welcome, his hand the first to do a favor. Such a friend was John A. Robertson. It was an honor to call him friend, to walk and talk with him, to profit by his wisdom, to enjoy his ready wit. Earthly contact with Mr. Robert son is gone but his influence will always remain. He has left a fam ily of sons and daughters to carry on the family friendships. Our deep grief of today in the loss of our friend will, in no time, become a blessed memory and we will be proud to have known him.—Art and Maude Auker. CONSUMERS PUBLIC DISTRICT OWNS NEBRASKA PUNTS OF INTERSTATE Deal Was Closed Last Week And New Owners Took Over The Property Saturday Noon, * According to President Charles I B. Fricke of the Consumers’ pub i lie power district of Nebraska, i Saturday the purchase by the dis I triet of the northeastern Nebras ka properties of the Interstate Power company was completed. lie said the purchase price was $2,600,000. The deal was closed ! Saturday with Jackson E. Cagle, general counsel for John Nuveen and Company, bankers, handling the final details. Interstate Power company head quarters are at Dubuque, Iowa. 38 Communities Served The electric power generation, transmission and distribution properties purchased by consumers today serve thirty-eight communi ties in northeastern Nebraska. The sale included all Interstate facili ties in Nebraska. The properties will be operated by the northeastern Nebraska divi sion of the Consumers’ public pow er district. Division neadquarters will be at O’Neill, Nebr. Main of fices of the power district are at Columbus, Nebr. Cagle said negotiations nad been in progress since October. A pur chase contract was signed Novem ber 26, but the village of Creighton, Nebr., obtained a temporary injunc tion, he said, seeking to enjoin the sale. Cagle said this injunction was dissolved December 24. Bonds Offered Publicly The power district on December 13 authorized issuance of a bond issue to cover the purchase. The bonds then were sold outright by it to the Nuveen company, which, Cagle said, would offer them pub licly. The 3 percent bonds, dated Dec ember 15, mature in twenty-five years and were payable sokly from earnings of the properties. Fricke said the new acquisition by the dist.: -t would afford further benefits to the people in the form of reduced rates because the dis-1 trict is a non-profit agency required by law to use any surplus for such reductions. The new owners took over the local office and equipment of the Interstate Power Company in this city last Saturday noon and the plant is being operated by the new owners. It is said that there will be no change made here and that all employees will retain their old positions. Linis A. Fisher Linis A. Fisher died at his farm home northeast of this city last Friday at the age of 75 years and six days. The body was brought to this city, prepared for burial and on Saturday morning taken to Norfolk where the funeral was held Saturday afternoon. Deceased was a native of Illinois, being born in that state on Dec ember 21, 1865. He came to Ne braska when a young man and on February 27, 1889, he was united in marriage to Miss Addie David son, the ceremony being performed at Table Hock, Nebr. Two children were born of this union, one of whom survive and with the mother are left to mourn his passing. The daughter is Mrs. Myrtle ltudesill, of Rapid City. S. D. Mr. Fisher was a traveling sales-j man for twenty-seven years and made this territory for the Deering, International and John Deere com panies, and made his home at Rap id City, S. D. He purchased a farm north of Page and in 1922 he quit | the road and since that time made j his home on his farm. « CARD OF TJHANKS We sincerely thank all good 1 friends and neighbors for their as 1 sistance and sympathy, and for the i many flowers. — The Robertson | Families. Mr. and Mrs. Francis Curran an nounce the birth of a baby daugh ' ter on Sunday, December 29. I O’Neill Merchants Enjey Good Holiday Business O’Neill merchants all agree that they enjoyed a splendid holiday business, that is the volumn was much greater than last year, or for several years, but most of them say they do not know how they come out until they get through invoicing, which most of them will complete this month. The O’Neill merchants are de serving of the patronage of the people of this section. They have large stocks of goods, giving their patrons a wider selection, and this appeals. Then again this year the merchants of the city have used the columns of the local newspapers to a greater extent than ever before in informing the people of what they have in stock and the prices charged and good attractive ads are always appealing. Many resi dents of surrounding counties are now taking the O’Neill papers in order to watch the messages in serted therein by the local mer chants and a large number of cars from surrounding counties can be seen on the streets here nearly any Saturday, weather permitting. We hope that 1941 will bring even greater rewards than did 1940. IxMipold Steskal Leopold Steskal died at the home of his daughter, Mrs. Walter Mc Nichols in this city about 6 o’clock this morning after an illness of several weeks, at the age of 63 years, eight months and twenty three days. The funeral will be held from St. Patrick’s church on Saturday morning at 9 o’clock and burial in Calvary cemetery. Leopold Steskal was born in Germany on April 9, 1878, and came to the United States with his parents when he was but a few years old. The family lived for a short time in Butler county and then came to Holt county in the early eighties and he had been a resident of the county ever since. On April 15, 1902, he was united in marriage to Miss Mary Segar, the ceremony being performed in Atkinson. To this union eight children were born, three sons and five daughters. The children are: Mrs. T. M. Harrington, Mrs. Walter McNichols, O’Neill; Mrs. George Urlaub and Leo, Omaha; Mrs. Henry Brock, Colorado Springs, Colo.; Joseph, O’Neill; Dennis, Omaha; Mrs. Chauncey Arnold, Omaha. He also leaves to mourn his passing twelve grandchildren, three sisters and one brother. His wife passed away twenty-one years ago. For several years Mr. Steskal farmed northwest of this city and then later worked in blacksmith shops in this city and also operated one for himself northwest of this city. He was a good hard worker and had a host of friends in this city and county. Change Is Made At First National Bank of O’Neill A transaction was completed on December 31, whereby Edward M. and Mrs. Ed F. Gallagher acquired all the stock and interest of Hugh J. Birmingham in the First Nation al Bank, of O’Neill, and at the same time disposed of all their stock and interest in the Emmet State Bank, of Emmet, and the First National Bank, of Atkinson, to Mr. Birmingham, who will de vote his full time and attention hereafter to his banking interests at Emmet and Atkinson, and to his cattle and ranch holdings. The officers of the First National Bank, of O’Neill, for the year 1941, elected at a meeting of the direct ors, are as follows: Edward M. Gallagher, President; Edward T. Campbell, Vice President and Cashier; Joseph A. Mann, Vice President.
