i
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VOL. LXI O’NEILL, NEBRASKA, THURSDAY. JANUARY SO, 1941 NUMBER 38
SOUTHWESTERN
BREEZES
By Romaine Saunders
Along with the inability to keep,
track of the growing billions of,
•federal debt, the public has also|
forgotten that starting in ’33 we
were to be led “out of the red with
Roosevelt,”
Raymond and Ford Garwood
moved a large herd of cattle from
the ranch down at Swan Lake to
feeding grounds up in the Inez
neighborhood a day last week.
With the slaughter of four hogs
and a beef the Fredericks family
are wintering with an ample meat
supply.
Elmer Fix pulled his saw and
grinding outfit to the James ranch
Thursday for a job of fuel sawing
and feed grinding.
A young baseball performer has
been signed up to put his fast
balls over the home plate next sea
son for $30,000. Just about take
oare of the payroll of the entire
high school teaching staff of Holt
county.
The top administrative head of
WPA in Nebraska receives $5,500
annually; on down through 113
others the annual pay ranges
from $4,400 to $2,160 at the bot
tom. No—the bottom is around
$600 which goes to the man with
the pick and shovel who does the
real work.
We will have to admit the “weak
ness of democracies” as exemplified
by our big town gunmen is petty
larceny in comparison to the jobs
| of the lords of totalitarianism—
not merely a lone payroll messen
ger their victim, but whole nations
—bodies, souls, money and prop
erty.
Sun and stars have been obscur
ed during much of January. Pink
tints of early dawn, the yellow and
gold of sunset, the gleam of dis
tant stars, has for days been
shrouded with mists and fog. But
these emblems of gloomy desola
tion have touched the southwest
with artist finger and decorated
tree and bush and grass blade with
cold but delicate beauty. Snow,
in “silence deep and white” lies
across valley and hill. Hoarfrost
makes ropes of wire fences and
hangs in heavy cluster everywhere,
fsnow, mist, fog have settled over
the prairie like a moist blanket
from which is wrung a goodly
quantity of water as warm days
follow winter frosts.
On my last business visit to
■O'Neill, early in January, 1 had
thought to get around to see J. C.
Harnish, having for twenty years
been a near neighbor of the family.
' Weather conditions became threat
ening, so it seemed best to hasten
homeward while traffic was open.
And so that opportunity to rem
inisce with an old neighbor is gone
forever. Selkirk, Harnish, Cor
bett. Evered, Smoot, Meredith,
Baldwin—that was the neighbor
h*>od of whom only Mrs. Harnish
and her daughter Ruth remain. We
were just across the street and
though but a youth on whom life’s
darker shadows had not yet fallen,
an admiratoin for Mr. Harnish de- j
veloped from observing the in-1
dustry, the thoroughness, the!
methodical, and moreover artistic
management of the simple affairs
of the home premises. He gave
encouragement by precept and ex
ample to we obstreperous youth in
the ways of industry, sobriety,
learning and spiritual aspirations.
John O’Malley would discover a
•gold mine of interest in a letter 1
lately reeived from John Brennan
out at Salt Lake City. Mr. Bren
nan, happily unincumbered by j
great learning, has what is more
important, a heart; and this with
a peculiarly distinctive analytic
strain combined with a droll humor,
a shocking disregard of all rules
<of orthography, punctuation, syn
tax cm’ rhetoric, make his letters of J
A
O'NEILL GIRL SINGS
WITH URGE CHOIR
Miss Ruth Harris, daughter of
Mrs. Esther Oole Harris, of O’Neill,!
will be a member of the Morning- j
side A capella choir which will
leave on its annual trip Thursday,
January 30. The group, directed
by Paul MacCollin, head of the
Morningside Conservatory of Mu
sic, will make the two-weeks’ trip
in two busses, singing high school
and miscellaneous concerts during
the day as well as presenting even
ing concerts under the auspices of
Methodist churches.
The high spots of the tour are
Northwestern Missouri State
Teachers College, Maryville, Mo.,
on Friday, January 31; University
of Oklahoma, Norman, Okla., on
Wednesday, February 5; North
Texas State Teachers College lo
cated at Denton, Texas, on Thurs
day, February 6; Texas Christian
University, Fort Worth, Texas on
! Friday, February 7; Southern
Methodist University, Dallas, Tex.,
on the same day; Southwestern
Missouri State Teachers College,
Springfield, Mo., on Tuesday, Feb
ruary 11; University of Missouri,
Columbia, Mo., on Wednesday,
February 21; Wyandotte High
School, Kansas City, Kansas, on
Thursday, February 13. Other con
certs will be given in churches and
schools in various cities including
Shreveport, Louisiana; Oklahoma
City, Oklahoma; and Joplin, Mis
souri. The choir personnel num
bers sixty, including Mr. MacCol
lin and choral sections.
Seed Prospects Scarce For
1941 According To
Holt County Agent
Scattered returns on a question,
wire to locate available seeds for
1041 planting which will be com
piled in the office of the county
agent, Lyndle R. Stout, indicates
that seed for spring planting will
be scarce this year. First reports
show tiat nearly three farmers
wish to purchase seed for each one
that is planning to sell some.
Due to the early freeze last fall
much of the sorghum seed failed
to mature and as a result is of
poor germination. Spring small
j grain is also in demand. Farmers
j having a supply of any seed for
| sale are being reminded to list it
! at the county agent’s office in or
i der that it may be easily located.
Seed testing for purity and
germination is another free service
carried on through this office which
serves not only as a protection to
the purchaser but enables the owner
to comply with the state law which
requires that all seed sold must
nave been tested and labeled.
vast interest. John speaks very
highly of his Mormon neighbors
and asks me to treat them as
I friends of his should their mission
aries call at our door. 1 try to
j treat all fellow travelers on the
highway of life with the courtesy
due a lady or gentleman, whether
they are propogatihg hairtwain
ideas or just the common run of
ev*ery day sensible people who
stand for decent living and honest
dealing; so send them along, John.
Of their well-organized relief work
John remarks: “They may have the
wrong idea in saving souls but
they have a good idea on saving
bodies.” It would be a happier
world if we would say nice things
of our neighbors. He tells of Mrs.
John Dugan (nee Lilly Brooks) and
other relatives going to Montana to
attend the burial of her half broth
er, James McCarthy, who many at
O’Neill will remember. He was
jailer for a time when the late
Chas. E. Hall was sheriff. “It looks
like God lets some people live long
enough to find out that their
earlier ideas were all wrong.” This
as introductory to a typewritten
page dealing with the Barret Scott
lynching in which he concludes, as
many will concur, that Scott was'
an innocent victim. John assigns
me an impossible task for this
column—that of warning young
suckers to keep out of the clutches
of loan and installment sharks.
Suckers delight to get caught and
warnings are useless.
Keep Ua Out Of War j
Urges County Pioneer
War is terrible and listening to
the people discussing the prospects
of America entering into another
terrible, destructive World War be
fore we have fully recovered from
the last one, twenty-one years ago,;
doesn’t seem to meet with the ap
proval of the multitude, who have
tasted the bitter dregs of the last
tragedy. The progressive em
phasis on material until we have
developed on one hand a race of
sub-men, living below the level of
the human, and on the other hand
a set who without any conscious
deceit, affirm as good everything
they do, who refuse to accept di
rections from any quarters who
make their lives independent, and
who have become deficient in giv
ing attention to anything outside
of themselves and their pleasures;
in other words have become un
teachable, more interested in seek
ing truth than finding it .
At the present time the young I
men, the choice and the flower of
America, are about to undergo a
grinding process necessary in the
! transformation of a civilian into
a man of arms. They are taking up
a heavy load and are beginning to
realize the mighty task that is be
fore them. True they gladly
welcome the present opportunity
to build up our navy, air force and
army, and believe it necessary in
self defense when Hitler decides
on making a successful invasion of
either continent, North or South
America. Before he is ready to
| police and dominate the world we
I will be equipped to entertain him
; and give him one of the biggest
surprise packages he ever got in
his life. In other words we can
[ afford to keep out until war comes
to us and it won’t be like crossing
the English Channel from Calais
to Dover. The chances in his favor
i would be too big a risk. Last time
; when the war was done the boys
| came home resolved that they were
: done with any more European en
tanglements and we all agreed with
them. The way the peace confer
I ence turned out, war did not settle
anything but apparently seemed
I to hatch out a bunch of dictators to
| crush the rest of Europe.
What happened in Europe may
! happen here and will happen here
j if we lose sight of the underlying
! principles of that great document,
the Constitution of the United
j States, which is our proof to the
world that it can’t happen here,
j Perhaps it would be well for us to
re-read that Constitution together
with the Declaration of Independ
ence and rekindle in our hearts an
appreciation of the fundamental
[ principle which is its core and sus
’ tabling power. I am afraid that
some men in America are in dan
ger of acting as if America’s sys
tem came into being almost auto
maticly and can be sustained with
out constant rethinking of the rea.
son for its existence. Many are
under the illusion that America is
I so great geographically, so vast in
material resources, that these
things would support us and insure
our stability.
We all have a right to an in
dividual opinion, and our sympathy
is with the Allies, and we realize
Great Britain has taken up a heavy
load and it is our duty to do every
thing we possibly can to lighten
that burden, to console and com
fort the brave hearts that are
putting up a terrible battle for an
existence, but I do think it is a
grave mistake for the United States
to try and pacify Europe, Asia and
Africa with American soldiers.
Edw. S. Early.
CARD OF THANKS
We wish to express our sincere
thanks bo the many kind friends
and neighbors for their many acts
of kindness and assistance given
us following the death of our be
loved mother and grandmotR«r.
also for the many beautiful floral I
offerings. The kindness shown us i
will never be forgotten.—Mr. and
Mrs. F. E. Keyes, Murl, Lorin and
Cecil, Mr. and Mrs. A. M. Clark and
La Mars, Mr. and Mrs. E. C. Clark
and Zada, Mr. and Mrs. Ermond i
Keyes, Mr. and Mrs. Clarence Han
sen.
ERADICATE OBNOXIOUS WEEDS j
ttNQWCCO . INFESTATION .IN i NEBRASKA.
inn MTM«rtt «■ NMUM '*•» l*«m
Nebraska is well under way on
the fourth year of its state-wide
noxious weed eradication program.
Based on education, organization
and prevention, the state campaign
has been getting results. In gen
eral, the Weed program is directed
at Bindweed which is considered
the most serious and destructive
weed in the state. A recent survey
shows that more than 415,000 acres
of Nebraska land is infested with
bindweed.
Through regularly organized
bindweed districts, farmers are
trying to reduce this infested acre
age and are making headway. There
are sixteen district established in
the state at the present time. They
comprise a total of 1,511,080 acres.
The districts range in size from
0600 acres to 566,000 acres and are
distributed quite uniformly over
the state.
Landowners in Cuming and Per
kins Counties established their or
ganizations on a county-wide basis.
Petitions to establish other similar
districts are now being circulated
in a number of other counties.
The districts are administered by
local supervisors ejected by land
owners within the organization.
The State Department of Agricul
ture assists the organizations in
making plans for their operations,
in making surveys and in other
ways. Although the weed law
makes provisions for compulsory
eradication measures, the work in
all districts has been done on a
voluntary basis and in a cooper
ative manner.
The state weed law is adminis
tered by the State Department of
Agriculture and acts upon sug
gestions of the State Weed Advis
ory Committee. The methods of
eradicating bindweed and other
noxious weeds recommended by the
State Department of Agriculture
are those outlined and developed by
the Department of Agronomy of
the Nebraska Experiment Sta
tions.
An intensive educational pro
gram is being constantly carried
on by the State Department in co
operation with the Agricultural Ex
tension Service of the College of
Agriculture. County Agricultural
Agents have assisted greatly in the
local educational work.
Many Holt County Auto
Drivers Are Liable To
Be Before The Court
The office of the County Treas
urer reports that as of January
30, 1941, they have issued 3,100
licenses plates for this year, which
leaves approximately 2,700 plates
yet to be sold. 1940 license plates
are illegal after the first of Febru
ary, and motorists driving with
1940 plates are subject to arrest
and a fine. It appear® that a great
many Holt county residents are
going to have to hurry to get their
new plates before February 1.
The treasurer’s office reports that
last year they had sold approxi
mately 400 more plates at this
time, but that weather conditions
last year were much more favor
able than this year.
Mrs. Anna J. Clark
Anna J. Dickinson, daughter of
David and Catherine Dickinson, was
born at Indian Springs, Martin
county, Indiana, January 8, 1868,
and passed away at Inman, Nebr.,
January 23, 1941, at the age of
73 years and 15 days.
She came to Nebraska with her
parents in 1884 to a homestead
south of Ewing, Nebr. When her
parents returned to Indiana, she
remained in Holt. county, and has
spent practically all her life in
this vicinity.
On May 5, 1887, at Inman, Nebr.,
she was united in marriage to
Kalph J. Clark, who preceded her
in death on September 28, 1911.
To this union were born three
children, one daughter, Mrs. Estella
Keyes, of Inman, Nebr.; and two
sons, Albert M. Clark, of Wait
hill, Nebr., and Edgar C. Clark, of
Harrison* Nebr. Besides these she
leaves to mourn seven grandchild
ren, one great grandchild, other
relatives and a host of friends.
In her childhood she became a
member of the Presbyterian church
and was still a member of this
church at the time of her death.
When we’ve ended our combat and
struggles on earth,
When the fire’s gone out and cold
in the hearth, _
May we find at sunset in Heaven
above,
A spot so quiet and full of
love. ***
REI) CROSS NOTES
The response to the call of the
Red Cross for Volunteer workers
for refugee sewing, knitting and
crocheting has been most gratify
ing. In Holt county units have re
ported from Stuart, Emmet, Cham
bers, Inman, Ewing, Paddock and
six clubs in O’Neill have volunteer,
ed for sewing and knitting. Atkin
son and Page are still to be heard
from although individual work has
been done in each of these towns.
In O’Neill the production will be
carried on through the various
clubs and by individual workers.
Any club or individual wishing to
volunteer please call your local
chairman.
The following is the organiza
tion for Holt county:
General Chairman, Mrs. Dave
Stannard; with the chairman of
their respective groups as follows:
Mrs. Bessie Earner, Stuart; Mrs.
Robert McGinnis, Emmet; Mrs. Al
ma Ferrier, Chambers; Mrs. Wal
ter Jacox, Inman; Mrs. Brion, Ew
ing; Mrs. Axel Borg, Paddock; Mrs.
Harold Lindberg, Secretary; F. N.
Cronin, Treasurer.
During the absence of Mrs. Stan
nard, Mrs. F .J. Dishner will take
her place as chairman. Saturday
has been designated as general
meeting day for issuing supplies
and receiving finished garments to
be packed for shipment before
March first, meeting to be held at
the Golden Hotel until further no
tice. We hope to have one hun
dred workers in this county to
carry on the work. If the spirit
moves you to help in this worthy
cause, call the chairman of your
nearest branch. Your help will be
appreciated.
Most of the overly vociferous
persons favoring our immediate
entry into the war are beyond the
age of conscription or enlistment.
Wendell Willkie hfcs gone to
Great Britain. Wonder if he is
going to check up on Harry Hop
kins?
If Mussolini doesn’t know how
to get out of that hole in Albania
why doesn’t he call on Dick Tracy j
for advice?
9 ---
Nebraska Advertising
Commission After New
Defense Industries
Nebraska will continue its ef- \
forts to secure new defense indus
tries through the pages of nation
ally circulated business magazines,
according to an announcement by
the Nebraska Advertising Com
mission. Full page advertise
ments, headed “Safe for Defense
Industries,’’ will appear in the Feb
ruary issues of Nation’s Business
and Business Week, magazines
which are widely read by promin
ent business men and national de
fense officials throughout America,
and which will be on the news
stands about February 1. Featur
ing Nebraska’s strategic location
and natural protection against
coastal bombing in time of war,
these advertisements point out that
Nebraska lies over a thousand air
miles from either sea coast, hun
dreds of air miles from the two in
etrnational boundaries to the north
and south. Business leaders who
are assisting in the location of de
fense industries are invited, thru
these advertisements, to write for
a copy of Nebraska’s new “De
fense Brochure” which gives com
plete information about Nebraska’s
advantages for defense industries
and military operations.
On The Sidelines
By Observer
Well, well, so now we have to
look at the city dailies to get the
low-down on what's going on in
our own town. It seems as though
between now and the last time
you read this column that the old
rivalry between the two town
schools was again pulled out of the
moth-balls and that O’Neill defeat
ed St. Mary’s by a score of 30-27 in
an overtime game. From our
viewpoint we would say that must
have been quite a game, but when
and where was it played, and why
didn’t anybody in this vicinity know
anything about it until they read
it in the dailies. We can imagine
that Yehudi was high scorer for
O’Neill while Nobody’s Baby play
ed a bang-up game f r St. Mary’s.
All week we’ve heard, “Well, 1
knew that Observer didn’t know
anything about picking games.”
Well, I must say it sure doesn't
look as though I have luck on my
side, in reference to the Butte-St.
Mary’s game which incidentally
came out 55-34 with Butte taking
the honors.
But from our viewpoint Butte
was hot. Every time they took a
step over the half way line they
were a scoring threat and when a
team does that then they really
have what it takes. But from this
point in the season we’d say they
have nothing to worry about when
the “B’ ’Tournament comes along
in March or April.
Last week at Atkinson once again
a St. Mary’s team lived up to its
reputation and became runners up
in the Atkinson Grade Tournament.
It was the St. Mary’s Grades who
came ofr the floor defeated 34-7 by
a strong Valentine team.
Sidelines
Once again both O’Neill Grade
teams will go into Tournament
competition when they go to low
ing on February 5-0, for their an
nual tourney.
Orville Lewis, who has starred
on the Alliance High team for the
past few years has enrolled in the
O’Neill High School.
The O’Neill Grades turned back
the Ewing Grades Tuesday after
noon to the tune of 21-0.
Sports-Comings
Jan. 31—St. Mary’s over Elgin.
Febr. 1—Ainsworth over O’Neill.
Feb. 3—Atkinson over St. Mary’s
(I hope we’re wrong).
Feb. 6—St. Mary’s over Sacred
Heart (Norfolk).
Unfortunate
The British, a misanthropic local
business man remarked this morn
ing, haven’t yet been able to hit
Hitler’s personal headquarters in
Berlin, but whenever they draw a
bead on the treasury in Washing
ton they hit the jackpot every time.
—Jack Harris in the Hutchinson, j
Kan., News.
BLUEJAYS WIN ONE
AND LOSE ONE
Last Friday, O’Neill defeated
Creighton in basketball 23-16 at
Creighton. Taking a lead in the
first period the Blue and White
squad was ahead 9-5 at the quar
ter, 14-7 at the half and 21-13
starting the final period.
Don Lowery made good on five
free throws in six tries and carried
two field goals to lead O’Neill’s
scoring.
After three games away frotn
home, O’Neill plays Ainsworth at
O’Neill this Friday, January 31.
Ainsworth is one of the leaders in
the North Central Nebraska con
ference and features two sharp
shooters in Richardson center and
Gruhaugh forward. O’Neill’s Jun
ior High team will play St. Mary’s
in the preliminary game starting
at 7:30.
O’Neill (23) fg ft pf
Lowery .3 5 0
French .... 0 12
Vincent ..3 1 2
Burgess ..0 0 1
Leach ...0 0 4
McKenna . „1 0 1
Cole .-.0 0 0
Calkins .10 2
8 7 12
Creighton (16) fg ft pf
Higgins .2 3 0
Carder ..0 0 0
Hladik ...1 0 2
Hazphplug .. 0 0 2
L. Burt . 10 3
J. Burt..2 12
0 4 9
I
A rousing last quarter gave At
kinson a 20-24 win over O’Neill’s
baskecball team last week. At
kinson served first but after Mc
Kenna's fielder tied the count,
O’Neill went ahead and lead 7-3 at
; the quarter. A mental lapse by
I O’Neill in the last minute of the
half gave Atkinson two baskets to
cut O’Neill’s advantage to 13-10.
The third period ended 16-16 and
until the middle of the final quar
ter it was nip and tuck. Then At
kinson connected for a couple of
long goals and O’Neill dropped be
hind.
A big second quarter gave At
kinson’s second team the prelimin
ary game 28-18. Playing evenly
for most of the first quarter
O’N'eiH’s passing went bad and
Atkinson built up a ten-point lead
that O’Neill couldn't overcome.
O’Neill (24) fg ft pf
French .1 4 0
BurgesS .0 0 0
Lowery . 5 0 2
Vincent . 0 1 2
McKenna . -2 0 2
Leach .0 0 0
Mitchell .. 1 1 3
Calkins .0 0 1
Cole . 0 0 0
0 6 10
Atkinson (29) fg ft |»f
McKee .3 1 4
Schultz . 0 0 0
H. West .4 0 4
Seibkin . 3 0 1
Babcock . 1 1 2
Pock .0 1 1
W. West .1 0 0
Millet .0 0 »
I Smith .—...1 0 1
i
13 3 13
Marriage Licenses
Marriage licenses issued recent
ly by the County Judge include:
Walter Fressler of Ogallala, and
Genevieve Dierks, of Ewing, on
j January 24
Earl Sybrant of Bassett, and
Phyllis Brown, of Bassett, on Jan
uary 29.
Lester Fernam of Naper, and
Fern Brauslaugh, of Butte, on Jan
uary 24.
Plhilip Bohnet of Burke, S. D.,
and Shirley E. Alexander of Naper,
on January 18.
Edwin Elmer Kahn, of Bone
steel, S. D., and Alta M. Whealy
of Herrick, S. D., on January 18.
