The Frontier
VOLUME 66.—NUMBER 36. _O’NEILL, NEBRASKA, THURSDAY, JANUARY 16, 1947._PRICE 5 CENTS
Hardware, Grocery Swept by Costly Fires
Holt Woman May
Have Polio Cure
#* —
Mrs. Bertha Urban Will
Demonstrate Theory
in New York City
DOCTORS BAFFLED
EWING—Mrs. Bertha Urban, of
Ewing, baffled a group of Oma
ha medical people recently in a
demonstration of what she thinks
may lead to a cure for infantile
paralysis. The credence the Om
ahans placed in Mrs. Urbans
strange theory soon will send the
Holt county woman to New York
City to present a more thorough
demonstration before a highly
specialized group of doctors in the
famous Knickerbocker hospital, a
research center for polio.
The Omaha demonstration was
" conducted at St. Joseph’s hospital,
one of Nebraska’s polio centers, j
Reluctant to discuss her theory
for a possible polio cure prior to
the Omaha demonstration, Mrs.
Urban has since reconstructed the
story of the development of her
plan. , ,
Until recently, Mrs. Urban has
operated a “lying-in hospital at
Ewing where she cared for num
erous cases of a variety of types.
She says that she frequently
found it useful to trace and fol
low the patient’s nerves with her
fingers and in some instances find
where nerves were infected or a
seat of trouble. Also, after locat
ing the vital spot, she frequently
was able to relieve the patient s
suffering.
As news of her work spread,
interest was created and in De
cember she accepted the invita
t tion to demonstrate her nerve
trachig before the professional
audience in Omaha. She spent
three weeks in Omaha, during
which time her work was also
brought to the attention of Mayo
clinic specialists, through whom
the Knickerbocker airangement
was made.
A small girl who had been suf
fering with polio for sometime
was used during the demonstra
tion at Omaha. Mrs. Urban
traced the nerves in a way that
was unfamiliar to the doctors, and
she succeeded in locating what
she termed a “trouble spot.”
Some of the doctors, attempting
to follow the “feeling,” were un
successful.
Since the demonstration-treat
ment, the little girl victim is re
ported to have shown a marked
improvement.
Mrs. Urban says that she has
t already received considerable
criticism because of her “theory”
and her belief in it, yet she is
surprised and pleased that an au
dience has been arranged for her
in New York CLy.
E WING YOUTH HURT
IN EXPLOSION
EWING—Jack Sisson, 8, son of i
Mr. and Mrs. Robloy Sisson, of
Ewing, is in a Norfolk hospital
with injuries received in a dyna
mite cap explosion.
A piece of glass, hurled by the
explosion, penetrated his abdo
minal wall, damaging the intest
ine. He was operated upon Tues
day and attendants said his con
dition Wednesday was "fair.”
1 The accident occurred on the
Ewing schoolground just before
afternoon classes convened. One
report was that the cap exploded
in a bonfire, another that some
boys exploded the cap in a bottle.
Snow Flurries in Order
Twice During Week
Snow flurries were in order
early Monday and today (Thurs
day)—the only snowfall of the
week.
The week’s weather summary,
based on readings at 8 a.m. daily,
follows:
Date Hi Lo Moist
January 10 - 52 24
January 11 - 56 33
January 12 - 36 26
January 13 - 32 24 .04
January 14 - 39 15
January 15 38 5
January 16-15 5 T
O'NEILL HOSPITAL NOTES
Mrs. Helen Downs much im
proved. . . Mrs. Noble doing nice
ly. . . Baby Ruda. daughter of
Mr. and Mrs. Pete Ruda, of Bris
tow, improving. . . Mrs. James
Beck, of Stuart, is much im
proved. . . Felix Sullivan is im
proving.
MARRIAGE LICENSES
Dale R. Mitchell, 26, and Lo
retta S. Taylor, 21, both of Amel
< ia, January 4.
Lyle W. Luber, 22 and Verna
June Chase, 26, both of Dorsey,
January 16.
FORD SLASHES ON
CURRENT MODELS
The Lohaus Motor company to
day (Thursday) was in receipt of
a six-page telegram from the
Ford Motor company in Dear
born, Mich., announcing immedi
ate price reductions on current
Ford models.
Moving contrary to the general
industry trend of recent months, (
the decrease amounts to as much
as $50 on some models.
The cut, first to be announced
by any car maker since the war
ended, apparently forecast Ford
expectations of greatly increased
production volume this year.
Henry Ford 2d, president of the
company, announced the price re
duction. Ho said:
“This is our ‘down payner.l’ to
ward a continued high level of
production and employment in
the months ahead. We believe
that the ‘shock treatment’ of ;
prompt action is needed to halt
the insane spiral of mounting
costs and rising prices and to re
store a sound base for the hope
ful period of post-war production
we are now entering.”
The price cut came only a few
weeks after Ford spokesmen had
declared the company was losing
an average of $80 on every unit
produced.
H. J. Lohaus said here that
these new prices will be effect
ive immediately.
MRS. CAREY
TAKEN BY DEATH
Mother of 9 Victim of
a Heart Attack;
Buried Sunday
A heart attack at 3:15 a.m. Fri
day claimed the life of Mrs. Fred
L. Carey, 61, an O’Neill farm wo
man who died at the family home
two miles east of here. Mis. Car
ey had suffered an extended ill
ness, relatives said.
Funeral services were held here
at 2 p.m. Sunday in the Metho
dist church and burial was in
Prospect Hill cemeteiy. Rev
Lloyd W. Mullis, church pastor,
officiated, and Biglin Brothers
were in charge of arrangements.
The church was nearly filled with
relatives, and friends.
The late Mrs. Carey, formerly
Lillie Sophine Post, was born in
Iowa on February 12, 1885. At
the age of six she moved with
her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Charles
A. Post, to the Walnut vicinity
in Holt county.
She was married to Fred L.
Carey on November 18, 1900, at
Enterprise. To this union was
born nine children, all of whom
survive.
The family moved fiom the
Middlebranch community to the
olace east of O’Neill in 1945.
Survivors include the widower;
six sons — Claude and Howard,
of Verona, Mo.; Fred, jr., of Mo
netta, Mo.; Glen, of Eugene, Ore.;
Boyd, of Friend, and Ralph, of O’
Neill: three daughters—Mrs. Ber
tha Ramsey, of Verona, Mo.; Mrs.
Myrtle Young, of Wood Lake, and
Leola, of O’Neill.
Pallbearerrs at the rites were
Clarence Dobbins, Felix Hen
drick, Clarence Stewart, F. E.
Butterfield. Carl Hansen and Ed
Stevens; 14 grandchildren, two
brothers, and two sisters.
Matousek Renamed
County Board Head
♦ -— ... .
The Holt county board of sup
ervisors reorganized Tuesday to
administer the county’s affairs
for 1947.
Ed J. Matousek, of Atkinson,
Seventh district supervisor, was
renamed chairman of the board.
A slight pay increase for certain
types of county workers was vot
ed.
Albert Sterns, of O’Neill, was
the only newcomer on the board. !
A Democrat, he succeeds J. C.
Stein, of O’Neill, in the First dis
trict.
Richard Cronin Named
Page at Unicameral
Richard Cronin, 19, son of Mr.
and Mrs. D. H. Cronin and re
cently-returned from the West
coast, has been named a page for
the current session of the Uni
cameral legislature at Lincoln. He
was appointed by Hugo Srb, chief
clerk of the legislature.
JOSEPH M'NICHOLS
BURIED TUESDAY
Well - Known Farmer
Spent Most of Life
in Holt County
Joseph McNichols, 63, who
scent virtually his entire life in
the O’Neill community, died at
4:40 p.m. Sunday at his home two
and one-half miles northwest of
the city.
He had been ill for about two
months, and had been in retire
ment for about the same length
of time, having recently sold his
farm livestock and machinery at
a public auction.
Rt Rev. J. G. McNamara offi
ciated in the last rites held at
St. Patrick’s Catholic church here
Tuesday morning. Interment was
in Calvary cemeterv under the
direction of Biglin Brothers.
A large throng of relatives and
friends attended the last rites.
Mr. McNichols was born at
Ames, la., on January 18, 1883, a
son of Mr. and Mrs. Patrick Mc
Nichols. The family moved to
Holt county when the late Joseph
McNichols was only one-year-old.
On October 15, 1913, he married
Miss Rose McDermott. They be
came the parents of four daugh
ters, all of whom survive their
parents. Mrs. McNichols died on
January 2, 1944.
Mr. McNichols’ father died in
September, 1905, and his mother
died in March, 1938.
Survivors include: Four daugh
ters—Mrs. Wallace O’Connell, of
Atkinson; Mlrs. Leonard Shoe
maker, of O’Neill; Mrs. Gerald
Kleinschmidt, of Los Angeles,
Calif., and Miss Helen McNichols,
of O’Neill; two brothers — John
and Walter, two sisters — Mrs.
John Donohoe and Mrs. Patrick
Hickey, all of O’Neill; and four
grandchildren.
EX-NAVAL OFFICER
GETS AIR MEDAL
Lt. (jg) Freeman Lee Knight,
USNR, of O’Neill, has received
a permanent citation for the Air
Medal from Secretary of the
Navy James Forrestal. Lt. Knight,
who is on inactive duty, earned
the award while attached to the
U. S. S. Wasp as a fighter pilot
in Bombing Fighting Squadron
86.
During the war, citations were
temporary, or incomplete, for se
curity reasons, the Navy said.
The text of the citation is as
follows:
"For meritorious achievement
in aerial flight as pilot of a fight
er plane in Bombing Fighting
Squadron 86, attached to the U.
S. S. Wasp, during operations
against enemy Japanese forces in
the Pacific War Area, on March
18 and 19, and from July 30 to
August 15, 1945. Participating in
numerous missions over Wake
Island and Honshu and Kyushu,
Japan, Lt. (jg) Knight pressed
home attacks in the face of ene
my antiaircraft fire to inflict se
vere damage on hostile planes,
airfields and installation. His de
votion to duty was in keeping
with the highest traditions of the
United States Naval Service.”
MR. WALSH HERE
Mr. and Mrs. Pat Harty enter
tained L. B. Walsh of Des Moines,
la., ever the weekend.
KATHLEEN: HELLO-O-O WORLD!*
Little Kathleen Wanser, Holt
county’s first 1947 baby, says
“Hello-o-o, world!”
She arrived In the O’Neill
hospital at 4:20 a.m. on Janu
ary 2—hours ahead of any oth
er contender for the honor of
the county’s first-arrival in the
new year. Her parents are Mr.
and Mrs. Max Wanser, of In
man.
A group of O’Neill business
firms, a self-appointed recep
tion committee, arranged to
shower the first babe with a
variety of gifts in cooperation
with The Frontier.
Kathleen has six brothers
and one sister.
According to her parents, she
is completely oblivious to all
the fuss being made.—O’Neill
Photo Co.
GRISWOLD HERE
ENROUTE TO POST
Ex - Governor and Wife
Plan to Be in Europe
‘For Sometime’
Ex.-Gov. Dwight Griswold and
Mrs. Griswold, enroute to a new
post—in the American occupied
zone of Germany stopped off
here at noon Tuesday and visited
1 briefly with friends.
Mr. Griswold relinquished the
governor’s chair to Val Peterson,
i of Elgin, last Thursday, and he
ajid Mrs. Griswold spent the
j weekend with relatives at Gor
don.
Sworn to New Job
Nebraska’s three-time governor
was sworn in Tuesday night at
Omaha as a civil service, em
\ ployee. He will serve with the
military government in Germany
' in a position comparable to a
t Secretary of the Interior.
The ex-governor jokingly re
ferred to his new job where, as
a civil service employee, he is
not supposed to work more than
i 40 hours per week.
“That will be a change," he
chirped.
Although the ex-governor is
looking forwar-d to his new $10,
000 a year position, he said: “I
don’t think there is a more im
portant job than governor of Ne
braska.”
'Lovely Home'
Both Mr. and Mrs. Griswold are
prepared to stay in Europe for
sometime. As a civil service em
ploye of the War department, he
will accumulate 26 days of leave
a year.
Mrs. Griswold said she had
been assured “a very lovely
home.”
HOSPITAL PUSH
PASSES $50,804
The drive for funds for O’
Neill’s new 200 thousand dollar
community hospital this week
passed the $50,904 mark, it was
announced by L. C. Walling, the
solicitation chairman.
Mr. Walling reported that the
fund was swelled $3,500 by the
solicitation outside O’Neill con
ducted the last week of 1946.
Clarence Ernest, O’Neill faimer
and chairman of the Grattan
township solicitation committee,
canvassed $1,549 in Grattan town
ship alone to take a big lead
among committeemen on the sol
icitation job.
Guy Cole, of Emmet, collected
$910 in Emmet village and town
ship for second-high honors for
the week’s push.
A spokesman for the hospital
general committee said that the
solicitation will continue indef
initely. The year-end push was
prompted because contributions
were deductible from taxable net
incomes.
Adverse weamer ana maa con
ditions hampered solicitation'
work late in U>46, the spokesman
continued. The D-Day for the
rural solicitation—December 20—
coincided with bad weather and
was hampered. A more thorough
canvas of the rural area and near-1
by villages and towns is yet to
be conducted, the spokesman ad
ded.
TED COOPER STOPS HERE
Ted Cooper, formerly of O’
Neill and father of Donna Ray
of national radio fr nv\ visited
friends in O’Neill this week en
route to the West coast. Mr.
Cooper was formerly business
manager for Fred Waring’s or
chestra.
.
VISIT MISSOURI
Mr. and Mrs. George Rector,
and twins, left Friday for Marys
ville, Mo., and returned Sunday.
female Dog Adopts, Nurses Orphaned Pigs
CLEARWATER—An almost made a bed for the helpless
incredible story of how a small, newcomers in a tub near the
screw-tailed female bulldog kitchen range,
named Butch adopted four j Four-year old Butch, who
motherless pigs, nursed them had reared a family of pups two
on their way to maturity, and years ago and was later spayed,
now — two months after the eyed the little pigs carefully for
adoption — continues with her awhile and finally decided they
motherly devotion was told this needed a mother’s care,
week by the J. E. Medcalf fam- She crawled into the tub and
ily near Clearwater. they immediately nestled up to
The beginning of the story their newfound “mother.”
dates back to mid-November Two of the baby pigs had
when the Medcalfs were given been stepped on by their own
four little white orphan pigs. mother and had gashes cut in
That night, Mrs. Medcalf them. Butch, in the natural
Butch and her "babies" ... at first the Clipboard was bare,
now she feeds them regularly.
way, licked the wounds until
they were healed.
Soon the four little orphans
went after their “mother” in
the natural way, because they
were hungry, but the cupboard
was bare. The Medcalfs came
to the rescue with bottles of
warm milk, but after being bot
tlefed the orphans would turn
to their “mother." In a week
Butch was supplying all the
milk for her adopted family.
The family was transplanted
from the tub in the kitchen to a
box in the basement. The lit
tle orphans didn't grow rapid
ly yet they progressed satisfac- I
torily with their “mother” en- I
tertaining them by the hour.
Finally, Butch could no long
er supply enough milk for her
hungry, growing “babies” so
♦h« bottle was brought back
into use.
Now two-months-old, the or
phans are wintering in a com
fortable corner in the bam j
where Butch visits regularly, ,
just as attentive as ever.
How long this devotion will
contiue the Medcalfs are won
dering.
Butch senses that her period
of usefulness will soon be over,
but she contiues to look after
their warmth and does the best
she can in the food department.
After all, she cannot again
become a mother herself.
Coyne Damage May
Exceed $12,000
Two fires, both of undetermined origin, inflicted combined
damage that may exceed $20,000 during a 24-hour period here this
week. Both blazes occurred in the heart of O’Neill’s business dis
trict.
The H. E. Coyne hardware store, which is situated three doors
east of the Golden hotel on Douglas street, was viitually destroyed
in a blaze that was discovered at about 7:45 a.m. Tuesday. The
store burned for more than two hours before the fire was brought
under control by the volunteer fire department. Mr. Coyne con
servatively estimates the damage between $10,000 and $12,000.
The Union store, a food firm at the corner of Fourth and Clay
streets, broke out in flames at 2 a.m. Wednesday and quickly was
brought under control. Damage is estimated at about $7,000.
Manager Attracted by
Recall at Coyne’s —
The Union store blaze was dis
covered by the manager, Ned Al
lendorfer, upon his return lrom
a trip to the country. He was at
tracted to his own firm after hav
ing visited the Coyne hardware
where firemen had been recalled
only an hour before.
The cause of the Union store
fire has not been determined, al
though it is believed to have been
started in the meat department.
The heat, smoke and water des
troyed virtually all the foodstuffs
and damaged most of the fixtures
on the mainfloor of the building.
The firemen succeeded in con
taining the fire on the mainfloor
and little damage was caused in
the basement or in the rear store
rooms.
The Union store is owned by
Ray Shellhamer.
The loss is principally in mer
chandise and fixtures and most
of the damage to the building is
reparable.
Mr. Allendorfer plans to have
the store reopened “within two
weeks.”
BANK DEPOSITS
HIT 12 MILLION
Year - End Statemnts
Show All-Time High
for County Banks
Holt county bankers closed
1946 with a record total of near
ly 12 million dollars, The Fron
tier lea>ned this week following
a study of the year-end financial
statements published upon a rou
tine order from the U. S. comp
troller of currency.
The all-time high is generally
attributed to the war-caused eco
nomic displacement.
More specifically, Holt county
farmers and ranchers have been
receiving abnormally high prices
for livestock, grain, and produce
and this has been reflected in all
types of business.
The breakdown follows:
First National Bank of Atkin
son, $2,922,669.02.
O’Neill National Bank, $2,681,
372.97.
First National Bank of O’Neill,
$2,653,386.53.
Farmers State Bank of Ewing,
$1,169,897.78.
Tri-County Bank of Stuart, $1,
104,402.22.
Chambers State Bank, $966,
054.47.
Emmet State Bank, $355,807.86.
These totals represent roughly
12 million dollars. Adding the
deposits of two cooperative bank
ing associations will boost the to
tal to over the 12 million
mark.
Big Banking Meet
Scheduled at Omaha
How country banks can serve
more people, finance more farm
ers and develop more prosperity
in their area will be studied in!
a conference of the bankers of 11 ]
Western states to be held in Om- i
aha on February 20 and 21. It i
will be attended by hundreds of'
country bankers.
The American Bankers associ-•
ation will sponsor this conference
and C. W. Bailey, president of
this nationwide group will be the
key speaker. The Nebraska
Bankers association is assisting
in arranging details and it is ex
pected that out of this general
meeting will come a practical
program of benefit to every sec
tion where country banks serve
the farming community.
1 his national organization of
bankers is determined to empha
size the importance of the coun
try banks’ role in both agricul
ture and small business in the!
midwest.
Banks of the following midwest
dates will be represented: Indi
ana, Iowa, Michigan, Wisconsin,
Minnesota. Missouri, Nebraska,
Kansas, Oklahoma, North Dako
;a and South Dakota.
Rumors of ‘Combustion/
Dynamite’ Discounted —
The fire at the Coyne store was
discovered when the plateglass
windows in the front were blown
out onto the sidewalk. John Mc
Manus, a passerby, barely escap
ed injury from the explosion.
The fire alarm was sounded by
the phone from the adjoining M
& M cafe where breakfast custo
mers were interrupted.
Mr. Coyne expressed the theory
that the blaze started in the base
ment near the front of the store
FIREMEN RECALLED
The firemen were recalled to
the Coyne hardware at 1:45 a.
m. Wednesday when Police
Chief Chester Calkins discover
ed still-smouldering floor mops
during one of his periodic
checkups that night.
in the vicinity of the furnace. He
doubts, however, that the furnace
was the cause because there had
been no coal fire in the stove the
preceeding night.
The heat generated in the
building was so intense that all
the wooden fixtures in the base
ment and on the mainfloor were
destroyed as well as most of the
merchandise.
Flames, Smoke Geyser
Flames and smoke geysered
from the building for several
hours after the windows were
blown-out and the fire was fan
ned by a draft through the build
ing.
/ Harrison Bridge reported that
he had passed the building at
about 7:10 a.m., and remembers
distinctly that he looked through
the building. He expressed to
Mr. Coyne the theory that the fire
must have started after that time.
Water poured onto the blaze
measured nearly four feet in
depth in the basement. The wa
ter was later pumped out into the
street.
A great deal of the merchandise
not damaged by the flames and
heat was damaged by the water.
Weather Raw
The flames were fought in a
temperature of about 15-degrees
above zero.
Mr. Coyne discounts the usual
round of rumors regarding the
cause of the fire. Among these
were “spontaneous combustion
in a coalbin,” and the “explosion
of dynamite.” Mr. Coyne said
that it was obvious that the blaze
started in the opposite end of the
building from the coalbin and the
few pounds of blasting powder
stocked survived the file undam
aged.
Mr. Coyne plans to sell the sal
vageable merchandise at a later
date and then reopen the store.
He says he has already received
applications from 15 persons to
assist with the salvage woik.
Loss Partially Insured
The loss is partially covered by
insurance. The annual inventory
had only begun and the owner
said it would be difficult to im
mediately dete. mine the extent of
the loss.
The building has been the scene
of two previous fires, one of
which was also considered a ma
jor fire in the city’s history when
the general merchandise stock of
the Abdulla store bu ned about
20 years ago.
Goes to Funeral of
Infant Grandson
Mrs. Albert Marsh has departed
for Robert, 111., to attend the fun
eral services for a three-months
old grandson. The infant’s par
ents are Mr. and Mrs. James
Marsh. The mother is the former
Cecelia Edwards.
Visits 111 Granddaughter —
Mrs. R. R. Reed, of Orchard,
spent the past week in the J. C.
Bazelman home visiting her
granddaughter, Connie Jo Bazel
man, who has been ill for several
weeks.