) ^
The Frontier
LXV O’NEILL, NEBRASKA, THURSDAY, APRIL 19,1945 No. 49
What War Means to Holt County
What war has done to Holt coun
ty man power is seen in the figures
of the local draft board. There are
3,582 persons registered on what is
known as active and 1,676 inactive,
those 45 years of age or more.
Mrs. Clias. McKenna of the local
draft office says there are now 1,287
persons from Holt county now in
military service. They have two
sons in the army, this, with Mrs.
McKenna's connection with the war
effort as secretary of the draft
board here, has brought a note of
congratulation to her from R. W.
^ (Bob) McGinnis, formerly Con
nected with the Northwestern rail
* road and also with the creamery
industry in this county, and now
chairman of the board of appeals
for inductees located in Omaha.
There are also something over
150 Holt county boys in the armed
service in one capacity or another
of which there is no record kept
here.
In a military sense the man
power that is drawn upon in Holt
county sums up to more than 6,000.
In addition to this many of our
patriots have "folded their tents
like the Arabs" and silently or
otherwise stolen away for jobs in
war production localities.
And maybe this is why young
lads from high school show up on
the ranches at haying time with a
condescending air and offer to stack
hay eight hours at a stretch at ?8.
The situation has also brought
i girls, wives, maybe some grand
| mothers into service as clerks, of
I lice assistants and executives, while
I old men look on with tlie helpless
1 ness of imminent senility. There is |
more or less guessing as to what
our fighting hoys will want to do
after Uncle Sam gives them the
farewell salute, but doubtless most
of them will head for home, take
over the jobs of the fair young la
dies, their hands and hearts and
become the fathers of families
headed for another war.
SMALL DOSES
PAST AND PRESENT
By Remain* Saunders
An office man shoveling enow
from his walk is a good example of
awkward inefficiency.
Pension for teachers ie supposed
to do great things in Nebraska. I
wonder if it is not unfair to the
teachers of the state to aseume they
are in the profession for a pension.
Over twenty thousand dollars has
been paid by Nebraska firms the
past three months as “back pay” for
overtime to workers. All this back
pay Nebraska clodhoppers got was
backache from overtime work.
£ Some zealous gent furnishes me
with a little yellow covered affair
setting forth his strange mixture of j
truth and error, pagan philosophy j
and divine revelation. But the
great body of spiritual leaders con
tinue'to “earnestly contend for the
faith once delivered to the saints.”
A misguided gent down in Buf
falo county speaking: “We’re the
majority here, and if we want these
Japs out, isn’t that the way it
should be? Isn’t that democracy?
Don’t it work that way?" Not hard
ly, brother. Republican form of
government, miscalled democracy,
carries neither the right nor intent
for majorities to kick the daylights
out of minorities. If it did the sub
stantial republican majority in Holt
county might ask all the New
Dealers to move out.
This is what the senate war in
vest igating c< namittee out on a
scouting tour for a peek at the man
power problems were told at De
troit: “The manpower problem ex
ists principally because the desire
of a majority of workers to do more
work and get this war over with is
being thwarted by an unrestrained
militant minority group of workers,
stewards and union representatives.
This militant minority is contin
uing its efforts to usurp the func
tions, authority and responsibility
»«f management. This effort is being
aided by policies and actions of
some government agencies and of
ficials.”
The Nebraska T. B. association!
sent to Canton, Ohio, for an execu
tive secretary to replace the retir-|
ing secretary. Delmar R. Serapy
has arrived in Omaha for the Job.
It is not important where one comes
from, the college and university de
grees that decorate him, but can he
do the stuff. Doubtless he can or he
would not have been invited to Ne
braska.
Have then thy wish, Scott has the
Highland chief say to King James,
and he was confronted with a gang
of mountain brigands. We have
wished for a little more moisture on
the prairie land and here it comes
with a vengeance. A drizzle all day
Sunday merged into a Merry Christ
mas morn Monday with a blinding
blizzard of wet snow. Automobiles,
like sheeted ghosts, moved with
caution and with difficulty and no
one got out into the white world ex
cept of necessity. With a low tem
| perature it would have been some
I thing for further Old Timers to talk
about. Temperature was mild. The
snow, carried before the violent
wind, stuck to everything like pa
perhanger’s paste. On the ranches |
little calves suffered that were out
in the open and there may have
been stock on grazing grounds that
drifted with the storm and got j
j caught in water holes.
“Last night the whole weight of
the moon and stars fell on me. If
you fellows pray please pray for me
—I mean that." Mr. Truman talk
ing. He was speaking to a group of
newspaper “fellows.” Their prayers
may not be of the trained, scholarly
kind, but can be eloquent in simple
sincereity. And probably no class of
men can be or will he a greater bul
work to our new president in all
directed effort to sustain American >
ideals and carry aloft the emblem I
of our cherished traditions. Mr.
Truman comes to the presidency, as!
others before him have come, under,
conditions that try the best there is
in men. And in a sense is not that j
best a recognition of human limita
tions with reliance upon a higher
power? "The whole weight of the
moon and stars.” Drawn into the J
maelstrom of world tragedy the fig-1
ure is striking. And now it de
volves upon a hundred and thirty1
million Americans to help bear the
weight of moon and stars.
Nine below the freezing point; a
chill morning for bare legs thrust
into rubber boots. The sun rose in
celestial splendor, moved with silent
majesty across the blue of heaven,
flooded the frozen earth in warmpth
and light, sucked from its bosom the
treasures in snow and ice to trickle
over the land as living waters . Grass
and grain, tree and budding rose,
earth and void air may drink to the
full. "While the earth remaineth seed
time and harvest, cold and heat and
summer and winter and day and night
shall not cease."
BRIEFLY STATED
■ " 1
Mr. and Mrs. Archie Stone were
over from Verdel Tuesday trans
acting business in the city.
■ ..
Weather Observer Bowen reports
two and five-tenths inches of wa
ter on the O’Neill scene brought by
the mid-April rain and snow.
A son was born Sunday to Mr.
and Mrs. James Coventry of In
man. Mrs. Coventry is a daught
er of Mr. and Mrs. Henry Tomlin
son of O’Neill.
The bill requiring banks to cash
checks at par has passed the legis
lature and if signed by the governor
becomes law. But is there a law re
quiring a bank to cash a check
drawn on another hank?
Mr. and Mrs. Ralph Tomlinson
were up from West Boint Sunday
for a visit with home folks. Mr.
Tomlinson is in the government
revenue service with headquart
ers in West Point.
Dennis A. Cress died Thursday
at Stuart, where he had resided
since retiring as Northwestern R.
R. agent here many years ago to
become connected with banking
interests at that place.
Word comes out of the court
house annex that Monday’s storm
tested the roof construction and
found it not waterproof in a spot
or two. A building that completely
ehut out moisture from Monday’s
storm needed to be sealed like a Jar
of apple sauce.
John Kee of Emmet was a busi
ness visitor Tuesday. Mr. Kee is
getting a considerable acreage of
his place into brome grass which
he finds valuable particularly in
early pasture, affording grazing
ahead of native grass or rye. He
harvests the crop also for the seed.
In the face of a raging blizzard
very many citizens braved it all and
many more would have liked to at
tend the memorial for Pvt. W. J.
Biglin, Jr., at St. Patrick’s church
on Monday morning, when Mon
signor McNamara, the parish pas
tor, celebrated high mass. Pvt. Big
lin, son of Mr. and Mrs. W. J. Big
lin of this city, was killed in action
in Germany more than a year ago.
Harry J. Shelton Sr., president
of the Gruendler Crusher & Pul
verizer company of St. Louis,
spent the week in the city the
guest of Mr. and Mrs. John Mel
vin, parents of his son’s wife,
Mrs. Harry J. Shelton, Jr., also a
guest of Mr. and Mrs. Melvin.
They departed Thursday1 for their
homes in St. Louis. Mr, Shelton’s
company makes equipment for
such jobs of construction work as
the Burma road and the Alaska
highway.
There was a general response
from the community to a hastily
arranged memorial service at the
public school auditorium last Sat
uurday, held as a tribute of the
citizens to the memory of Mr.
Roosevelt, the sixth of American
presidents to die in office. It is
on such occasions that partisan
politics is or should be forgotten
and the memory of the fallen lead
er cherished as president of the
whole nation. Judge Harrington
made the principal address and a
number of the clergy of the com
munity graciously gave of thc:r
time to contribute to the occasion
when a nation, was in mourning.
The promulgators of the federal
corn loan program have it doped
out. They suggest that corn grow
ers put the surplus crop In hock
with Uncle Sam and take his bonds
in the seventh war loan. It don’t
spell much for Holt county one way
or another. If all got the corn in
this county they could find use for
there would be no surplus here.
Maybe the fly in the ointment down
in the "corn country” is dry hous
ing in which to store it. Take a
trip down that way and you will
see piles of golden ears out in the
open. An emptying of the sky in
rain and snow like dropped on us
Sunday and Monday is good for the
ground, but not for the piles of corn
exposed to the elements.
I
: S«*t. Simmons
18 Yrs. in Army
First Sgt. Phil Simmons of the
U. S. Army who is spending his
furlough with his wife in Lincoln,
came up last Thursday night for a
few days visit at the home of his
sister, Mrs. Robert Coak and with
his many old-time friends in his
old home town. Sgt. Simmons left
O’Neill eighteen years ago and
shortly thereafter he enlisted in the
U. S. Army and has made soldiering
his lifetime work. He evidently has
made good as he holds the highest
non-commissioned office in the
army. He was in the Pacific theater
of action for about three years, go
ing there from the Hawaiian Islands
where he was when the war broke
out. He participated in several of
the engagements with Jap troops
and emerged from the conflicts
without a scratch. He has many
medals and ribbons which any man
would be proud to wear. He will
return to duty the forepart of May,
returning to the Hawaiian Islands.
.^
Algebra to the Rescue
' \
Fresh from the culture of
the class room the beardless youth
came with spade in hand to bring
to naught the work of nature’s
mighty elements. There it lay a
white mocking mass to obstruct
traffic on a busy thoroughfare.
Cars rolled into it and puffed and
groaned and wheezed to get out.
He cut loose with the shovel; the
shavings of snow flew for a min
ute in the wind when he leaned
on the handle,an heritage from
the PWA. Moving to the oppo.
site side of the street the process
was repeated. Then a passerby
caught him pcfd*fed on a limb of
a tree. “What are you doing up
there?” “Oh, I was trying my
algebra on the problem of mov
ing this snow.” All of which is j
certified to by Pat McManus.
Next-of-Kin of
War Prisoners
Thirty-five relatives of Holt coun
ty prisoners of war and boys miss
ing in action attended the next of
kin meeting in O’Neill on Wednes
day.
Lt. Madeline M. Allan, army
nurse recently returned from 30
months In Santa Tomas prison
camp told of life in the camp and
answered numerous questions con
cerning her experiences.
Miss Gernes, Red Cross field rep
resentative, then took up the ques
tions on the German prison camps
and advised the next of kin to keepi
writing letters to the boys.
The boys whose relatives attended j
the meeting are:
Pvt. Bernard Bannister
Sgt. Richard Ballwitt.
S/Sgt. Lloyd G. Brady.
S/Sgt. Paul Brau.
2nd Lt. Donald W. Dunhover.
S/Sgt. Will. D. Fink.
S/Sgt. Avery F. Gaddie.
Stanley J. Lambert.
Sgt. Vernon E Lane.
S/Sgt. L. R. Mossman.
1st. Lt. Stephen W. Price.
S/Sgt. Richard J. Shearer.
Pfe, Dale E. Stauffer.
Cpl. Ralph J. Young.
Camp Fanin, Texas: Pvt.
George O Cole, whose home ad
dress is Emmet, Nebr., has been
made an Acting Squad Leader
at the Infantry Replacement
Training Center here.
A member of Company A, 54th
Battalion, 11th Training Regi
ment, Private Cole’s leadership
ability won quick recognition in
his basis training cycle and he i
now leads the twelve men in his
squad during field maneuvers
He is the son of Mr. and Mrs.
Guy Cole of Emmet,
Dr. R. F. Magirl and Rev. Tim
othy O’Sullivan came up from j
Jackson to attend the mass cele
brated Monday morning for Pfc.
W. J. Biglin, Jr.
I BRIEFLY STATED
James Golden la out from Omaha
while he awaits call for induction
into the U. S. navy.
Mr. and Mrs. Dean Streeter and
Clyde Streeter visited at the home
of their mother in Brunswick Sun
day.
Wm. Bella and wife are visiting
home folks here, Billy being on
leave out of New York from duties
in the merchant marine.
George Tracey was fined a dol
lar and cost of $3.10 in county
court on conviction of driving the
highways without a driver’s
license.
Miss McCullough of the county
superintendent’s office was in Lin
coln and Omaha for a few days con
cerning educational matters. She
returned Tuesday.
Melvin Haynes from down Page
way, in town Thursday making a
few purchases, leaves Sunday for
Washington, D. C., where he will
enter government work.
The O’Neil Womans’ Club will
meet at the home of Mrs. Hugh
Ray on Friday, April 27. Mes
dames Scott and Anderson will
lead an interesting program.
At fifteen points In Holt county
on Friday, the 20th, the eighth
graders in the schools will be given
their spring examination for ad
vancement or exclusion to high
school.
Chas. Shannon of Winner, S. D.,
tarried in town overnight Friday
on his way to Hastings to Join the
working force at the great navy
setup being devt loped at that south
Nebraska point.
The largest real estate mortgages
involving Holt country land the past
few weeks were two such for $8,000
each. Many releases have been ef
fected. The largest for $4,000. The
largest transfer of property was for
$14,000.
Nebraska is to have an open
! season far deer hunting, Holt
county with a sizeable bunch of
white tails not being in the hunt
ing zone. Most of the deer in
this county roam the hills, grass
valleys ond timbered sections in
Swan and Josie precincts.
—
Mrs. Dennis Murphy with her
friend, Mrs. Stone, made The Fron
tier a visit Tuesday. Mrs. Murphy,
recently received a letter from her
eon, Pvt. Daniel E. Murphy of Com-;
pany B, 93rd battalion, I.R.T.C., at]
I Camp Maxey, Tex. He has no com
plaint about army life, but wants
the news from home.
Bernard Rohde T-5 Avn. Engi
neers, returning from thirty-four
months overseas in the Pacific
i Theatre of Operations will ar
' rive on or about April 13, at
Fort Leavenworth prior to reach
ing his home at O’Neill,
where he will visit his parents,
Mr. and Mrs. R. J. Rohde, north
of the Eagle.
S. Sgt. Merrill C. Hicks, who
has been eleven months overseas,
is returning from Italy and is ex
pected to arrive at FortLeaven
worth, Kansas, about April 12, on
his way to his home in this city,
i to visit his parents, Mr. and Mrs.
jc. S. Hicks. Sgt. Hicks is a
| member of the 15th Air Force
| a ball turret gunner on a B-17.
He has completed thirty-five com
bat missions and has put in 239
I hours of operational combat
flying. (Since the foregoing was
, put into type Sgt. Hicks has ar
1 rived in the city.)
—
Acheivement Day
The Annual Womens’ Project
Club Achievement Day will be
held on Tuesday, April 24, at
O'Neill in the High School audi
torium. The program will s.rrt
at 2 p. m., and the public is cor
dially invited to attend. There
will be a line program, and many
interesting exhibits on foods,,
labor savers, sewing and Christ
mas ideas. Following the pro
gram a tea will be served.
This is the climax lothe year’s
Project Work and members and
Niobrara District Church Group
The Niobrara Presbytery was
held in the cny, the opening ses
sion starting at 2 p. m. on Tues
day and the final session closing
at 4 p. m. on Wednesday. All
churches in the Niobrara district
were represented by clergy and
lay members, seventy in all.
One of the outstanding features
! was at the Tuesday evening din
ner hour in the basement of the
; Presbyterian church, all sessions
1 being held in the church, when
Mrs. Lampe of the Korean mis
sion gave a talk in which she
told in some detail of the work
of the mission through the years
of its history. In the evening
Maj. Henry S. Thompson, army
chaplain at present on duty at
the Fitzsimmons government hos
pital at Denver, held the attention
of an audience which filled the
church auditorium as he told of
his work as a chaplain, one of a
total of 12,000 ministering to the
soldiers and sailors.
Maj. Thompson said that the U.
S. military establishment has had
chaplains for 170 years, adding to
that branch from time to time and
is calling for 800 additions to the
service. Maj. Thompson expressed
the view that war in Europe will
continue another year.
The address was garnished
with simple and touching stories
of personal experiences that go
deep into the souls of men and
bring them face to face with the
fundamental fact of life—the end
of the trail..
The Presbytery meets again in
September, the church at Carrol
in Madison county" being the next
meeting place.
The snccess of the gathering in
O’Neill to a great exetent was due
to the planning and work of Rev.
Mr. Scott and his congregation.
friends from all over the county
will be there. Miss Dello Lewis,
District Home Economics Agent,
will be in charge of the leader
ship recognition and installation
of new members in an impressive
candlelight service. Mrs. G. H.
Grimes of Chambers who is
County Chairman, will be in
charge of the afternoon program.
The program is made up entirely
of local talent. All persons in
terested in extension work are
invited as guests.
REAL ESTATE TRANSFERS
Ethel A. Stuart et al to Kathryn
and J. E. Van Cleave, lots 5, 6 and
7, block 11, Ilallock’s second add.
Stuart, $3,000.
Oscar A. Hammerberg and wife
to Russell L. Rossman, part of
SW'4 8W14, 28-30-14, $2,750.
William W. Griffin, referee, to H.
L. Bennett, EV6 34, NW>4, NW>4,
NEtt 35, SEti 27-30-11, $8,700.
Catherine Gunn et al to Andrew
Wettlaufer NW>4 6-30-11, NE*4
1-30-12, $8,761.30.
Andrew Wettlaufer and wife to
Aaron Boshart, NW1/*, 6-30-11,
$782.08.
Commercial Mutual Surety Co. to
Herman I^eo and Elsa Marie Dim
mitt, NW»4 19-29-9, $3,600.
Otto E. Clevish and wife to Wil
liam A. and Bernadine N. Strong,
lot 2 and wtfc lot 6, block A Mil
lard's add., O’Neil, $1,900.
Ralph E. Fitzsimons, Ex., to Ethel
M. Fitzsimons, SE’4, N^ 23, SV6,
SMi 24-31-10 and land in Thayer
county, $11,300.25.
C. W. Marquardt et al to J. L.
Pruden, part of SW'/i, SWl4 4-26-9,
$360.
Edith E. McClenahan et al to
Joyce V. Harkins, N1^ 18-26-12,
$12,300.
Federal Land Bank to Albert W.
Stevens NE>4 8 31-12, $1,000.
A. B. Hubbard, sheriff deeds to’
Holt county, lots in O’Neil, $48.33; j
! lot in Atkinson, $48.58; nondescript
;31 and 32 in NW>4 NW>4 29-29-11,
$147.29.
Frank Nelson to A. L. Borg,
SWV4, 2-31-11, $5,000.
Peter F. Morgan and wife to Carl
and Alice Seweon, SWA SEH part
NH SEH all of SW'4 south of pnl>
lie road, all in sec. 25-29-12, $12,000.
Aloysius O. Uerding and wife to
Clara Francis Pettijohn, lot 11,
block 2, Western Town Lot Co., first
add. Stuart, $1,500.
A. B. Hubbard, sheriff deed, to
Louis W. Reirner, NEH NEU 32
28-9, $137.58.
C. M. Stevens and wife to Lon
geen D. Mudloff and wife, NEH
1-28-10, $2,600.
Fred F. Beckwith to Rex and Min
nie Beckwith, SW'4 7-29-12, $3,000.
W. J. Hammond and wife to
Harry E. and Clara M. Ressel, SH
17, NH 20-27-12, $4,500.
Louise A. Mittendorf to Walter A.
or Alda A. Tuart, lota 1, 2, and 3.
block 11, I hillock’s 2nd add, Stuart,
$350.
Peter C. Tushla and wife to Lil
lian Purnell, part of SE'4, SW'4,
29 30-14, $2,800.
Merle A. Richards end wife to
Ida Alt’s, part of NWH, SW'/4, 29
30-14, $3,000.
J. J. lierigan and wife to Sam and
Midlie Rinke, NWH 18-25-10, $1,600.
A. B. Hubbard, sheriff's deed, to
Robert II. Johnson, EH. NWH, EH
lot 3, lot 4, Sec. 6-32-11, $600.
Lions Club Has
Plans
The O’Neill Lions Club plans
to continue with the improve
ment of the City Park this year
in cooperation with the City
Council. One feature of the im
provement plans this year is a
flower growing contest. The
Lions Club is offering a prize to
any local organization or club for
growing the best bed of flowers
in the Park. Any organization
interested in entering the contest
should contact President Darlin
Lockman, Secretary Don Crosier
or A. E, Bowen, chairman of the
Civic Improvement Committee.
The details and amount of
prize offered will be developed
and announced later.
The Lions Club wishes, to point
out that this is a city park and
is for the citizens of O’Ntill and
community. The Lions Club is
interested in improving the Park
and making it beautiful for the
benefit and enjoyment of every
one.
The Lions Club is cooperating
with the Churches and other or
ganizations in the clothing drive.
Clothes can be taken to the
churches where they are sorted
by the ladies, or deposited in one
of the receptacles located
throughout town.
The city has found a way to
block the jaywlalkers—when* it
snows. Just move the snow to
the center in an unsurmountable
wall, open at the crossings, and
you have them.
The story came from across
the Pacific. A bomber crashed
and a member of the crew was
hopelessly trapped in the flaming
wreckage. After a number of
(flutile attempts to rescue, an
officer among the horrified spec
tators, unable to stand the vic
tim’s screams any longer, stepped
up and ended the doomed man's
life painlessly with his service
45. The officer was later exon
erated at a military trial.
WILD AND WOOLY 4-H CLUB
Our club met at the Simpson
home April 15th.
The meeting was called to order
by vice president Louis Piers-on.
| All members were present exes pt
three.
Demonstration were brought up
and discussed. Mach member lias
pledged to carry a small garden
project.
At our next meeting Ijouis Pier
son and Dale Closson will discuss
! tin prevention and control of Pink
eye.
Our leader, Estelle Thomas, will
; also give a demonstration on mak
ing a rope halter.
After the meeting a nice lunch
was served by Mrs. Simpson. Our
visitors were Miss Johnson and
Mr. and Mrs. Albert Marsh.
Our next meeting will be held
at Louis Pierson’s, May 13, 1945. at.
3:30 P. M.
Don Simpson, News Reporter
Dr. Fisher, Dentist. 43-tf