Image provided by: University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries, Lincoln, NE
About The frontier. (O'Neill City, Holt County, Neb.) 1880-1965 | View Entire Issue (March 11, 1943)
Neb. State Historical Socletj The II .. .. .. .. . .I. — —, ■■ I .. . VOL. LXIII O’NEILL, NEBRASKA, THURSDAY, MARCH 11, 1943 NO. 44 BREEZES FROM THE SOUTHWEST By Romaine Saunders Atkinson, Nebr., Star Route No. 5. Listening to the country-wide tune about rationing, we conclud ed we are a nation given to much eating. A blanket of snow and temper ature sunk to 20 below, the cold est of the winter, started this week off with a different weather picture, blasting hopes of spring. ^ Two boys fight until both have enough, step apart, glare defi ance and resort to blood-curdling threats. The big war has reached the stage of great threats coming from all sides. The beginning of the end? “At the very best,” says a no table preacher, “a person com pletely wrapped up in himself makes a small package.” And when a chemist gets through with one of the great or near great he finds he is worth about six bits. It must have been some such con siderations which moved Alexan der Pope to ask, “Why should the spirit of mortal be proud?” The board of Stratford-on-Avon put into the funeral oration of Mark Anthony over the dagger marred body of Julius Caesar a bit of fundamental philosophy: “The evil that men do lives after them.” Up at O’Neill last week a wasted life ebbed out. At death we are fulsome in our praise of most men for their virtues; silent, dumb before the dead whose life has been worthless. The one who died last week, was accorded a funeral at a morgue, at one time at least recognized that he had missed life’s better way. He ad mitted as much to me. I knew him as a red-headed school boy who would submit neither to home regulations nor the author % ity of the school room. One day, being reproved for misconduct by Miss Agnes Connelly, a teacher of lienient discipline, he walked out never to return. And he present ly shook the dust of the town from incorrigible heels and was seen no more in this community for many years. Returning “home” previous or soon after receiving a rather substantial inheritance from the estate of his deceased parents he was encouraged to es tablish himself in a small bus iness, but a squandered life gave no background for business and stabilized living and the inherit ance was also squandered. The vagabond rarely becomes the pro ductive citizen. Not intending it literally but rather in the sense of country-wide travel, I first greeted him with a not uncommon salutation, “You old tramp!” In sober sincerity he said, “You have hit it the first shot.” I have not seen him in recent years—cannot know what emotions, what asper ations, what longings, what re grets may have at last throbbed out of the wasted years and raised a hopeful vision beyond this vale of tears. The evil that men do lives after them—lives in lessons to instruct the youthful feet to shun the paths which carry the careless on to life’s failures, to ultimate despair. In Bret Harte’s story, “The Luck of Roaring Camp,” a new ^ born babe was fed the milk of a " jenny. Holt county has a citizen with the unique background of being fed as a baby by an Indian squaw. W. C. Gage of the Stock men Hotel in Atkinson was born on the edge of the Rosebud in the Rushville country. Soon after birth his mother contracted a fe-1 ver and for a few days his nour ishment came from a cow. But the cow died. An Indian squaw, nursing a baby of her own, came to the rescue, and with a red baby ( on one breast and a white one on the other did double duty as a nursing mother. Mr. Gage, en- i joying the luxuury of a cushioned rocker at his hotel, a bit of twin- [ kle in the sharp eyes of the prairie bred as he told it, said, “I have that much Indian in me.” His father, John Gage, drove stage from Neligh to O’Neill in the 70’s, that being one lap of the stage route from Wisner, the railroad terminal, to Deadwod. O’Neill consisted of a sod house and twelve bachelor citizens, among whom were John McCafferty, Pat Hagerty, Neil Brennand and John Mann. On one occasion, with two men from Iowa as passengers, when the stage pulled up at the Yellow Banks for a meal and horse feed, there were a number m, of saddle horses at the corral. Charles Wesley Clouse Charles Wesley Clouse died at his home about nineteen miles northwest of O’Neill last Sunday morning,, March 7, 1943, of a sud den heart attack, at the age of 59 years, six months and 15 days. The funeral was held Wednesday' afternoon at two o’clock in the Presbyterian church in this city, with Rev. Vahle of Atkinson of ficiating and burial in Prospect Hill cemetery. Charles Wesley Clouse was born in Missouri on August 22, 1883. When he was seven years of age his parents came to Holt county, in 1890. He had been a resident of the county ever since, living practically all the time in tha northeast section of the coun ty. On July 8, 1906, he was united in marriage to Miss Leah Gallen tine, daughter of one of the pio neer settlers of the northern part of Holt county. To this union one daughter was born, Mrs. Della Johnson, now at home. Mr. Clouse had not been in very good health for several years, be ing a sufferer from dropsy. His wife has been very ill for several weeks and Mr. Clouse was sitting at the side of her bed when he had the fatal attack and found dead by his daughter, Mrs. John son, about 4 o’clock in the morn ing. We understand that he was in town Saturday and claimed to be feeling fine. Charley was a good citizen and a hard worker until illness com pelled him to take things a little easier. He had a host of friends in O’Neill and Holt county who will regret to learn of his passing. Uncle Sam Now Wants Your Brass And Copper Spurred by the War Production Board’s recent action in uncover ing 600,000 pounds of allegedly hoarded brass and copper in Om aha, government salvage officials served notice this week they are intensifying all efforts to obtain vital metals to keep war plants at peak operation during 1943. “Nebraska has set the pace for the nation in salvaging scrap dur ing the last year, and the eyes of the nation will be focused on this state again during 1943,” WPB aslvage officials stated. “Although copper has been de clared to be the number one crit ical metal of the year, the urgent need for iron and steel scrap and other metals which Nebraskans so generously turned in last year remains the same this year. Ev erybody should start their collec tions now.” Speedy action by WPB officials in requisitioning the non-ferrous scrap in Omaha and sending it within the next few days to cop per plants is expected to result in the uncovering of other piles of dormant scrap throughout the nation. Requisition papers were served; by the United State’s Marshal’s office on March 3 to acquire the warehouse-stored scrap from the Western Smelting and Refining Company, operated by Alpim & Son of Omaha, and by the next morning it was being loaded in train cars. Through this action Nebraska is expected to start the flow of hundreds of tons of hoard ed scrap metals into war produc tion. Mr. and Mrs. Gerald Graybiel and Miss Ruby Weisman went to Grand Island last Saturday to meet Corporal Cletus Sullivan of Camp Carson, Colo. He returned with them and is visiting rel-1 atives and friends here. j John threw back the warning to his passengers that they might be ! in for a robbery. They had met up with the Doc Middleton band.' The stage was not molested, but' Middleton learning that the peo ple where they had just stopped for a meal needed a horse, gave them one of the best in his string,! with the curt instruction, “Take good care of that horse.” Men heeded when Middleton spoke. He stole from those who had plenty and gave to the needy of whom he learned. John retired from the stage to settle farther west, where his son, W. C. Gage, now the genial proprietor of the hotel at Atkinson, was bom. W. C. had an uncle, Dave Dullaghan, who organized and headed a lay out of ten yoke of oxen with wagons loaded with corn and provisions and drove one thous and turkeys from Stanton to Deadwood, selling the turkeys, grown fat by the way on insects, to the miners. Deadwood, the witchery and rough glamor now faded, at that day was the El Dorado of fortune and adventure hunters. The Frontier’s Price & Ration Guide i ■ -----— Rationing Shoes: Stamp No. 17 of War Book 1 is valid for one pair of shoes until June 15, 1943. Stamps are interchangeable among mem bers of the family living under the same roof. A few styles in casual types may be purchased without shoe ration stamps. Gasoline: No. 4 coupons of all A books valid for 4 gallons. All holders of B and C ration books expiring within 30 days may make application for renewal by mail to local board. Request by post card Gas Renewal Blank R-543, or pick up one at your fill ing station. Transport Gasoline Ration Re newals: Second quarterly renew als due March 31. Holders of Cer tificates of War Necessity should MAIL their certificate now to their local War Price and Ration ing Board. Coupon books and cer tificates will be returned to the applicant by mail. Tire Inspections: Holders of B, C, and T gasoline books must have had their tire inspections completed by February 28. For local ration boards to issue cer tificates for tires, tubes or re-cap ping services, commercial vehic les must be inspected and approv ed by authorized OPA inspector every 60 days or every 5000 miles, whichever is attained first. Hold ers of A gasoline ration books have until March 31. Fuel Oil: Period 4, each one unit coupon is valid for 11 gal lons until April 12. Period 4, each ten-unit coupon is valid for 110 gallons until April 12. Class One and Two coupons for Period 5 are valid for 11 gallons on March 8. Incubators and Brooders: All operators of incubators and brood ers may obtain all needed fuel oil1 and kerosene for capacity produc-! tion of the equipment. Increased poultry and egg production is es sential to the war effort. Dairy Rooms and Separator Houses: Operators may obtain all needed fuel oil for heating this space. Coal Burning Heating Stoves: Rationing boards will consider applications for permission to pur chase new coal burning heating stoves to replace or supplement oil-burning heating equipment. Sugar: No. 11 coupon, War Ra tion Book 1, valid until March 15 for three pounds of sugar. No. 12 coupon valid March 16 to May 31 for five pounds of sugar. Coffee: No. 25 coupon, War Ra tion Book 1, valid for one pound of coffee from February 8th to March 21, inclusive. Canned Fish, Shell Fish, Can ned Meats hermetically sealed by heat cannot be sold to anyone un til March 28. Processed Foods: Consult Point Value Charts at grocers and in newspapers for points to be sur rendered from War Book 2. A, B, and C blue coupons good for March purchases. Prices Butter: Priced on percentage mark-up basis. Nebraska maxi mum for 90 score butter in pound and half-pound cartons, 55 cents; parchment wrapped, 54Vfe cents. Eggs and Egg Products: Under price ceilings at retail and whole sale. Hatching eggs exempt. Robbit Meat: Brought under price ceilings. Maximums — live white, 24c per pound; live color ed, 22c per pound; dressed rab bits, wholesale, 44c per pound; re tail, 55c per pound. Fresh Vegetables: Ceiling pri ces established for: Tomatoes, green and wax snap beans, car rots, cabbage and peas, at no higher than seller’s highest sell ing or offering price from Febru ary 18 to 22. Lettuce and spinach price set at highest selling or of fering price during period from February 19 to 23. Soy Beans: Ceilings set at pro ducer level as well as at other levels. Top grades to sell at $1.66 per bushel on the farm. Country elevator to add 4 Vi cents per bushel to price paid producer. Onion Sets: 1942 crop placed under ceiling prices. All sellers limited to highest selling of offer-1 ing price during period from Feb-1 ruary 10 to 15. Eye Glasses: When sold to the user, and certain services involv ing examination and refraction of eyes, now subject to the general maximum price regulation. Farm Sale Combinations: Sell ers not permitted to sell farm ma-1 chinery not under price control in combination with controlled items except when the uncontrolled item is especially designed to op erate with the particular controll ed machine. In those cases, before Mrs. James A. Brennan Mrs. James A. Brennan died at her home northeast of O’Neill last Friday evening, at 9:15 o’clock, after an illness of four months of anemia, at the age of 76 years and 15 days. The funeral was held on Monday morning from St. Pat rick’s church and burial in Cal vary cemetery at the side of her husband, who passed away onj February 14, last. Elizabeth Jane Casey was born in Scranton, Pa., on February 20, 1867. When she was twelve years of age her parents came to Holt county and located northeast of O’Neill, where she grew to wom anhood. On January 8, 1889, she was united in marriage to James A. Brennan, the ceremony being performed in Omaha, Nebraska, where they lived for about one year and then came back to O’Neill and had been a resident of the county continuously since. Eight children were born of this union, four sons and four daugh ters, of whom seven survive and all were present at the funeral services except two, Frank J. Brennan, of Iowa, and Dr. Louis V. Brennan, of Memphis, Tenn. The children are: Mrs. M. J. O’Laughlin, Omaha; Walter L. j Brennan, O’Neill; Frank J. Bren nan, Iowa; James E. Brennan, O’Neill; Mrs. L. W. Higgins,: Omaha; Bessie D. Brennan,1 O’Neill; Dr. Louis V. Brennan, Memphis, Tenn. She is also sur- J vived by several grandchildren and one brother, Christopher' Casey, of Omaha, and eight grandchildren, as follows: John Robert Brennan, aviation cadet, I Jackson, Tenn.; William James | Brennan, second class seaman, I Farragut, Idaho; Bernice, Vir- j ginia and Eugene O’Laughlin of Omaha; Terry, Joe, Mike and Dick Brennan of Memphis, Tenn.; j Mrs. Mary O’Malley, a niece, of O’Neill, Nebr. Mrs. Brennan was another of the old-timers of Holt county. She came here with her parents on March 17, 1879, irom Scranton, Pa., sixty-four years ago the sev enteenth of this month. Like all of the old-timers of the early days she endured many hardships and privations in the early days of this county, when settlers and neighbors were few and far be tween. But she and her husband, -who passed away only a few weeks ago, persevered, raised a splendid family of sons and daughters, surmounted all diffi culties and for several years have been in comfortable circumstan- j ces. Mrs. Brennan was a charm ing lady and had a host of friends in O’Neill and surrounding terri tory. She had been in serious con- [ dition for the past two months and her condition was such at the j time of the death of her husband she was not informed that her loving companion of fifty-four years had passed away. Drive On Cattle Grubs Is Needed In War Effort County Agent Lyndle Stout has announced the start of a cam-! paign to control the cattle grub. The pest of cattle causes the loss of millions of pounds of meat and milk each year. The control of the pest is neither costly nor difficult. While all the damage to this year’s animals cannot be prevent ed, there is still time to prevent further loss of meat, milk and leather. The grub in the back develops from eggs laid seven or eight months ago by the heel fly. The larva travels through the animals until it reaches the back where it emerges as a grub. It is at this point that control measures are applied. The treatment takes the form of dusting, spraying or scrubbing with cube or derris powder, injecting benzol or hand extraction. Directions for the five. types of remedies have been pre pared and may be obtained by writing for Extension Circular 1427 on “Cattle Grubs” at the county agent’s office in O’Neill. GETS PROMOTION Relatives received word the first of the week that Lawrence Rouse, son of Mr. and Mrs. How ard Rouse of the Meek neighbor hood, and who is stationed at Stockton Field, Calif., had been promoted from corporal to ser geant. Lawrence has been in the armv for one year. The many Holt county friends of Sergeant Rouse extend sincere congratu lations on his advancement. the sale can be made, a ceiling price must be determined for the uncontrolled machine by using the same formula used to estab lish the ceiling price on the con trolled machine. COMMERCIAL CLUB ENTERTAINED RED CROSS OFFICIALS The O’Neill Commercial Club held a very interesting meeting last Tuesday evening. It was the regular monthly meeting of the Club and at this meeting the Club had as their honor guests the lo cal officers of the American Red Cross. After the wants of the inner man had been satisfied, Chairman Cronin turned the meeting over to Paul Beha, chair man of the War Fund Drive. Mr. Beha makes a good presid ing officer and he, after a short talk, introduced Mrs. J. P. Brown, chairman of the Home Service Committee, who made a short talk regarding the activities of her committee. Mrs. H. L. Lind berg, secretary of the Holt Coun ty Chapter, responded to a call and made a report of the funds coming through her hands during the past year. Mrs. David Stan nard, who is, arttt has been for several years, chairman of the lo cal chapter, responded to a call and replied briefly, thanking the citizens of the city for their support of the Red Cross in its various campaigns. J. A. Mann, chairman of the Holt County Chapter, responded briefly and urged on, the people the necessity of giving liberally to the call for funds during the War Drive Campaign next week, and told briefly of the help given the res idents of the county following ca lamities during the past year. Mrs. Steinmeyer of St. Louis, Mo., a representative from the na tional headquarters of the Amer ican Red Cross, was then intro duced and delivered an address, outlining the organization, func tioning and needs of that organi zation during the coming year. The Red Cross is the only organ ization that has governmental permission to work on any army post, naval training station or air base. It maintains a field director right on the ground wherever any man in uniform is stationed. Whenever the service man is faced with emergencies this field director acts as go-between be tween the individual and either his commanding officer, or ar ranges contact with conditions back home. The 1943 quota for blood plas ma has been raised 40 per cent over last year. This blood bank has been instrumental in saving a great many lives and much suf fering among our injured service men. The Red Cross rendered val uable service and spent large sums of money in relieving strick en families of Nebraska during eight major disasters in 1942. Under the Congressional char ter granted the American Red Cross it is a quasi-governmental agency. It receives no federal funds, but its books are audited quarterly by the army and navy, and the results of their audit pub lished. Whatever the needs may be, the functioning of our Red Cross is done absolutely and en tirely on voluntary subscriptions from the citizens. The quota set up for O’Neill and vicinity is $3,000, and we are advised that this is a very conservative quota. Get prepared for someone to call on you for your donation, and help to put O’Neill over the top in our drive for one of the most worthwhile and humane projects known to mankind. A Former O’Neill Boy Is Promoted To 1st Sergeant Staff Sergeant Albert J. Rum mel, who is stationed at the West ern Signal Corps Replacement Training Center at Camp Kohler, Calif., has been promoted to the rank of First Sergeant, according to ar> announcement by Brigadier General S. H. Sherrill, Command ing General. First Sergeant Rum mel, a resident of O’Neill, is the son of Mrs. Florence C. Rummel of O’Neill. Camp Kohler is the Signal Corps’ newest replacement train ing center and thei only such post on the west coast. The Signal Corps is responsible for installing, operating, and maintaining the Army’s vast communications sys tem. By whatever means neces sary—radio, telephone, telegraph, teletype, flags, rockets, or runner —the Signal Corps’ mission is to “get the message through.” Jack Kersenbrock arrived to day from Chicago, 111., to visit his parents, Mr. and Mrs. John Kersonbrock. He leaves the 25th of March for Omaha, for his pre induction examination for the United States Army. Planning A Garden Many families in Holt county are planning a vegetable garden this spring for the first time in many years. The county agent’s office in O'Neill is endeavoring to furnish timely information thru the season which will assist es pecially those who are attempt ing a garden without recent ex perience. This information is tak en from experiments at the Ne braska College of Agriculture. With this year’s necessity of producing food at home, many families will be wondering how large a garden should be large enough to provide an ample sup ply of vegetables for the family during the growing season and enough in addition for canning and storage for the winter months. An area of 100x150 square feet should take care of the needs of a family of five, but the size should be varied according to ge ographical location. If the garden is to be irrigated, the rows should be spaced 16 to 18 inches apart and the space between the rows kept free of weeds. If a family consists of more than five persons this same plan may be used, but the length of the rows should be increased 25 feet for each addi tional person. The garden area does not pro vide sufficient potatoes or navy beans for the family. The latter might be included if space is available, but it is better to plant potatoes in an area apart from the vegetable garden. Ground that is used for potatoes one year should not be planted to potatoes again for five years. Project Club Achievement Days March 19 and 20 Home Demonstration Project Clubs will hold achievement days in Chambers on Friday, March 19, and in O’Neill on Saturday, March 20. Two achievement days will be held this spring in order to re duce travel. Arrangements are be ing made by Mrs. G. H. Grimes of Chambers, county chairman, and group chairmen Mis. E. A. Bouska of Atkinson, Mrs. Alfred Drayton of O’Neill, and Mrs. E. R. Carpenter of Chambers. Similar programs are being ar-1 ranged for each day, with bus-! iness meetings and exhibits in the mornings. Covered dish lunch eons will be held. The afternoon programs will include music from local schools, reports of the year’s work, the leadership recognition i service by Miss Della Lewis, dist- j rict home demonstration agent., Each meeting will feature Newton W. Gaines, of the Extension Serv ice, who is known to a great many Holt county people. Both achievement meetings are planning a social hour following the afternoon program when re freshments will be served, and those in attendance may have an opportunity to see the exhibits and visit with friends. Special in vitations are issued to outside guests as well as all project mem bers. Inman Boy Graduates From Training School Robert J. Harte, 23, son of Mr. and Mrs. M. E. Harte of Inman, graduated this week from the 16 week training course in the school for machinist’s mates at the serv ice school of the U. S. Naval Training Station at Great Lakes, 111. He is now eligible for ad vancement to a petty officer rating. The graduate awaits assignment to the fleet or to an advanced service school for additional in struction. He will serve under veteran petty officers in his spe cialized field, and may obtain a rating as soon as he is able to pass the qualifying examination. Nineteen of the forty-nine spe cialist trades used in the Navj are taught in the service school at Great Lakes. The Weather This section had a couple of nice snows during the past week, j amounting in all to about six i inches. The moisture content of these snows will be of vast ben-' efit to the ground, as there has^ been very little moisture for sev eral months. The mercury drop-1 ped below zero for three nights straight, and gave warning that the time for planting spring gar dens had not yet arrived. March 5_30 4 March 6_7 -10 March 7_11 ' -17 March 8_18 -16 March 9 ..45 18 March 10_19 0 March 11_30 0 Precipitaion .41. O’NEILL SCHOOLS WILL SPONSOR MUSIC CONTEST The O’Neill schools will spon sor a music competition-festival to be held on Friday, April 16th. In the absence of the regular dist rict contest, O’Neill school offi cials decided to send an inquiry to neighboring schools to ascer tain if there were sufficient inter est to warrant a festival type of contest at those places. The re sults showed that schools as far east as Osmond and as far west as Bassett would send a total of more than three hundred contest ants, and replies are still being received. At this type of music meet stu dents may play or sing for rat ings, criticism, or both at the wish of their director. Judges of inter state reputation have been se cured. The adjucator for the in strumental division will be Prof. Edward F. Kurtz, head of the mu | sic department at the Iowa State j Teacher’s College, Cedar Rapids, , Iowa. The vocal division will be j judged by Prof. Paul McCollin, head of the voice department of Morningside College, Sioux City, Iowa. Negotiations are in prog ress to secure a piano judge of like caliber. Citizens of the O'Neill commu nity are showing their usual en thusiasm and support for the fes tival. Individuals and civic groups have indicated maximum support. They believe with Dr. Knute Broody, of the University of Ne braska Extension Division, “that band and choral clinics conducted by recognized experts should be held in several centralized points over the state.” Any school interested in secur ing information concerning the festival may contact Ira George, | supervisor of music, at O’Neill. |St. Mary’s Presents The Wishing Well For the annual St. Patrick’s day program, St. Mary’s will pre sent “The Wishing Well,” a ro mance of Old Ireland. It is the | story of the joys and woes of Lady Mary Donnell, the last of an old but impoverished noble family. Due to financial difficul ties she is forced to take in lodger who turns out to be Sir Terence O’Grady of Hitchcock Court, in cognito as Terance O’More. No reen, Mary’s niece, is a regular match-maker, but definitely dis likes Mary’s suitor, Squire Baxby, the villain. The plans of the city vamp, Maureen, are foiled by No : reen, Terence, and—believe it or not, the Fairies. All ends well in the Wishing Well. Come and see. Characters Sir Terence Fitzpatrick O’Grady, of Hitchcock Court - ___James Golden Lady Mary Donnell, present own er of Falls Park Manor _ Margaret Ryan Noreen, Mary’s niece _ ...Clarice O’Bryan Squire Baxby, of Shereton Castle, their neighbor... Joe Biglin Darby Duffy, an old servant at Falls Park Leonard Engler Nora, his wife, housekeeper ... . . Betty Flood J Kathleen O’Mara, maid.. Sheila Taffee I Dan Tryon, groom..... Bob Wallace Maureen McGibney, a designing coquette from Dublin ___ Maxine Winkler Molly O’Toole, accomplice of Maureen’s Patty O’Donnell Felix Murphy, tight-fisted lawyer of Dublin. Ed Campbell Fairy Queen and fairies: Bonnie Hynes, Helen Harty, Mary Lois Kelly, Mardy Birmingham, Wil ma Olson, Loraine Simonson, Lenore Small, Judy Martin, Su zanne Moss. Chorus: Boys’ and Girls’ Glee ! Clubs. Irish Tunes: Mr. Ira George and St. Mary’s Band. ! Accompanist Alvara Ramm I Stage-crafter Ed Martin Everybody welcome. Wednes day, March 17, at 8:45 p. m. Marriage Licenses Arthur Donat Seger and Fern Marie King, both of Stuart, on March 8. Dolar L., Turgeon and Rose E. Pike, both of Bijou Hills, S. D., on March 6. Frank G. Mlanrek of Ewing and Helen Zetocha of Stirum, S. D., on March 8. Raymond C. Cook of Palacios, Texas, and Dorothy Mae Hiser ote of Spencer, Nebr., on March 9. Sergeant Earl R. Hunt of Camp Howze, Texas, returned on Mon day, after attending the funeral of his mother, Mrs. D. D. Hunt.
