The Frontier
VOLUME 67.—NUMBER 11.
O’NEILL, NEBRASKA, THURSDAY, JULY 24. 1947.
PRICE 5 CENTS
Holt, Boyd Balk on
Valuation Boosts
The state board of equalization’s plan to increase valuations
on all cattle except milk cows and cattle on feed and business
schedules sent more than a dozen Holt and Boyd countyans to
the state capitol today (Thursday) to register complaints.
Formal protests were filed on the proposed 20 per
cent hike on business schedules and the proposed 25
percent increase on cattle vacations. These protests were
officially made by Holt county officials.
On Saturday, the state board sent notices to 29 counties, in
cluding Holt, proposing increa es of their total tangible personal
assessments. In a press statement. State Tax-Commissioner Rob
ert Armstrong said that the board “felt that assessment figures
were too low,” and 50 counties, including Holt and Boyd, were
notified to appear at Lincoln Wednesday and today (Thursday.)
Holt’s hearing on business increases was h Id Wednesday and
the hearing on cattle increases was held today.
Armstrong told The Frontier that no action will be
taken until sometime next week after th» board has had
an opportunity to make comparisons and analyze the in
formation gathered at the hearinc".
The sessions were held in Gov. Val Peterson’s hearing rooms
and no seats were vacant. Conducting the sessions were Secre
tary of State Frank Marsh, Treasurer Edward Gillette, and Arm
strong. Gov. Peterson and Auditor Ray Johnsen, ether board
members, were absent.
According to the proposal, 25 percent increases on cattle val
uations will be made in 29 counties (including Holt and Boyd)
and 15 percent in other counties.
The schedule upon which the assessment has been made by
the counties were: Calves up to six months, $10; yearlings, $35;
two-year-olds, $45; stock cattle, $60; milk cows, $75; bulls, $125.
The board’s proposed increases in the first 50 coun'ies amounted
to over 13 million dollars for cattle alone.
Cattle on feed and milk cows were not included in the in
crease. Armstrong said the reason is because the cattle on feed
are being assessed at 75 percint of their market value, and the
reason milk cows were not increased was that they are now
being assessed much higher than other classes.
The overall increase in personal properly valuations
in the slate will be 200 million dollars over 1946, Arm
strong predicted. Abstracts from SO counties already
show a tangible property increase of 124 million dollars
over last year.
Four large-scale Holt cattlemen, L. D. Putnam, Thomas
Green and Dewey C. Schaffer, all of O’Neill, and Charley Peter
son, of Atkinson, were among those present at today’s hearing.
County Attorney William W. Griffin and County Assessor L. G.
Gillespie we^e also present.
Boyd county sent C. J. Tomek, county clerk; Walter Sire,
county agent; William Brennan, county attorney, all of Butte,
and Alfred Loomis, county asses or, of Spencer.
Griffin filed a formal protest for Holt county against both
proposed increases.
Tomek presented evidence on cattle valuations in Boyd coun
ty in relation to the approved valuations on farm machine y,
grain, etc., and claimed that the proposed cattle increase was
not justified. Griffin, Gillespie, Putnam and Peterson were
among those from Holt county heard at today’s session. Waiter
Sire spoke at length.
CITY GOLF MEET
OPENS NEXT WEEK
At lea t 25 entries are expected
in the annual city golf tourna
ment which will get underway
next week and continue through
the month of August.
M. J. (“Max”) Golden, winner
of the recent Country club in
vitational tou ney and last year’s
city champ, is expected to lead
the field in the 1947 race.
A. P. (“Scovie’) Jaszkowiak,
who is assisting with arrange
ments, said Wednesday that qual
ifying scores on either nine-or
18 holes must be turned in be
fore August 4. Match play will
begin August 5.
Rules and pairings will be
posted at the clubhouse, Jasz
kowiak said.
Skalowsky to Open
Glass Firm Here
The Skalowsky Glass compa
ny, of Norfolk, an institution
with 30 years’ background at
Norfolk, will open a branch
store in O’Neill on August 1.
The O’Neill store will be man
aged by Kenneth Brooks, who
has been with the Skalowsky
firm at Norfolk for the past four
years. Mr. Brooks is married
and has a family.
The firm is headed by Abe
Skalowsky. His son, Earl, will
be a salesman in this territory,
representing both stores. The
firm will locate in the building
on South Third street presently
occupied by Harvey’s Body
• shop.
The firm will specialize in
store fronts and domestic glass.
Its equipment will be “the b^st
in northcentral Nebraska,” the
owner said.
PICNIC DATE FIXED
EMMET—September 1 is the
date set for the annual Church
of the Epiphany picnic at Em
met, Rev. J. J. O’Brien announc
ed this week.
BUS DEPOT-CAFE
LOOTED OF $119
Cash Taken During the
Night; Investigation
Is Underway
The O’Neill bus terminal and
Tom Tom cafe, both housed in
the same building, were loot-'d
of $119 sometime between 11:15
and 7 a.m. today (Thursday.)
No solution to robbery has
been made. It is believed, how
ever, that a stranger lingered in
the building while it was being
locked shortly after midnight,
end later escaped with the cash
through a rest room window.
Baden Stamp. ticket seller,
discovered the loss when he op
ened the depot Thursday morn
ing. Because the cash drawer
was empty, he assumed that the
proprietor Donald Danbeck, had
taken the cash home after clos
ing the night before.
With Danbeck’s arrival at 9
a.m., the robbery was known.
The rest room window was un
locked. ,
Both county and city authori-,
ties are investigating.
FORMER RESIDENT
DIES AT SPOKANE
CHAMBERS—Howard Clinton
Grimes, a former resident of the
Chambers and Amelia commun
ities. died Saturday in Spokane,
Wash., less than a week after be
ing stricken by an apoplectic
stroke.
Funeral services were held
Tuesday in Spokane.
The late Mr. Grimes left Holt
county about 35 years ago. He
formerly operated a produce
station at Amelia and Chambers.
Survivors include three broth
ers, Clair, Glee and James, all
of Chambers.
400 Persons to Die in
Nebraska Farm Accidents
This is national farm safety <
Someone has said that peo
ple are never too busy to take
out time to remedy dangerous
hazards.
During the current year
there will be 400 deaths from,
accidents and 25,000 injuries
on Nebraska farms. One hun
dred farmers will be killed at
work; 125 members of the
family will be killed in the
home; and 175 will be killed
by livestock.
County Agent A. Neil Dawes
said this week that the 4-H
and home extension clubs are
observing the national farm
safety week, July 20-27, by
# making “a concentrated effort
to make homes and farms a
safer place to live.”
“To prove that accidents
don’t ‘just happen.”’ Mr.
Dawes said, “the 4-H youths
through safety contests are
> searching for and removing
the causes of farm accidents.”
The Holt county extension
service offers these 10 tips for
farm safety:
1. Never grease, oil, un
clog or adjust a machine that
is in gear.
2. Keep tools in a safe place.
3. Don’t wear floppy cloth
ing that can catch in machin
ery.
4. Keep ladders and stair
ways in good repair.
5. Apply first aid promptly,
even to minor injuries.
6. Don’t smoke around tin
barn.
7. Keep all safety devices in
place.
8. Be careful not to startle
animals.
9. Use a staff when leading
a bull.
10. Teach others safe prac
tices.
HOLT LEVY IN
SLIGHT INCREASE
Proposal on Budget Calls
for .30-Mills Boost
Over Last Year
A relatively slight mill levy
increase will be required t ) run
Holt county’s business during
the new fiscal year, July 1, 1947,
to June 30, 1948, according to a
summery of the county budget
released this week by Countv
T easurer J. Ed Hancock. Last
year’s county levy was 3.10
mills; the new levy as proposed
h'r tl ° boe-d of supervisors is
.30-mills higher, or 3.50-mills.
While the actual costs of
running the county will be
considerably higher, most of
the increase will be absorbed
by higher vacations and
reserves in the principal ac
counts.
A hearing on the proposed
budget will be held Wednesday
at 10 a m. at the courthouse
here. Any objections, supg s
tions or corrections will be h ard
by the board at that time. Final
o"' oval of the hudnel wi'l not
be made until after next week’s
hearing.
Hancock is serving for the
third year as Holt's budget-mak
ing authority. He points out
that the county’s he lthful fi
nancial status has enab’ed the
county to undertake another
* or’ operation without the bur
den of a greatly increased levy.
However, because Holt's ov
erall valuations are up nearly
*' o m;, ion doFa s. cm idera
ble more revenue will be de
; —1 ;n comparison with last
year.
The state levy, not yet an
nounced. holds the key to the
present tax picture.
Sharp increases in estimated
general fund and road and
bridge fund requi ements wi’l
be noted in a study of the t ble
elsewhere on this page.
“Most of the general fund in
creases are in the supplies,’’
Hancock said.
Flood damage this summe'
caused extensive damage to the
county’s highways and the in
creased maintenance and repair
requirements will not begin to
solve the road problem, the offi
cials said.
ATKINSON BOOSTERS
COMING THURSDAY
Atkinson’s hay days boost
ers, accompanied by a band,
will appear in O'Neill’s busi
ness section at 8 p m. next
Thursday, it has been an
nounced by the advertising
committeemen.
The annual Atkinson cele
bration will be held August 4
and 5.
The boosters will be at Em
met at 1:20 p.m. the same day
as the O’Neill visit.
NO BAND CONCERT
There will not be a concert by
the Municipal band Saturday
night, it has been announced by
Director Ira George. However,
there will be a practice August
1 and the group will march and
play in the streets on August 2.
MARRIAGE LICENSES
Lowell William Lane, 21, and
Norma Jean Fox, 19, both of
Page, July 24.
Budget and Levy Comparisons
Requirements Levies
Funds
leieral fund —
Bridge fund — —
B idge-road .
’ond ...._JL _
load dragging . .
Unemployment relief
Soldiers’ and sailors’ relief „.
bounty fair .
Mothers’ pension
Tax sale foreclosure
Inheritance tax __
Mail route graveling .'
Veterans’ service comm. ...
Postwar road machinery „
1946
$ 95,025
. 19.000
20,000
75,700
3,500
. 9.500
400
2,000
500
1,000
5,375
1947 *1946 **1947
$106, 35
40.000
31.000
77,500
14.800
13.000
2 40
.20
2.500
1,071
10,000
2,526
8 000
2.20
1.06
.50 .14
.10 .10
* This is the actual levy for the last fiscal year.
** Proposed levy for the new fiscal year. (May be revised down
ward before adopted pending action by the state board of
equalization. (See stofy in upp r-lefthand corner.)
POLIO OFFICERS
ARE RESIGNING
Holt Chapter Must Select
New Leaders in
Annual Meeting
A complete new staff of offi
cers will have to be elected at
the annual meeting next Thu s
day of the Holt county chapter
of the National Foundation for
Infantile Paralysis. All of the
present officers have filed their
resignations, eff^cive on that
date.
The meeting will be held at
the assembly room in the Holt
county courthouse at 3 pm..
Secretary James W. Rooney, of
O’Neill, said.
No specific explanation for the
mass resignations was offered,
but one member of the executive
committee, who declined to be
quot d, predicted that "it would
take a bad epidemic of polio in
the county to wake everyone up
so that they will take an act ve
interest in the chapter.”
Secretary Rooney said, "It is
the desire of the retiring o'fi
cers that there be a large atten
dance at the annual meeting.”
Reports of expenditures, ap
proved by the executive com
mittee. will be made. Seven in
fantile paralysis victims have
been aided by the chapter dur
ng the past three years. A to
tal if $3,448.82 has been spent
for surgery, med cal assistance,
hospitalization and transporta
tion.
Statement Issued
Concerning the mass resigna
tions the retiring officers issued
re following prepared state
ment: "Contributions from the
eople of Holt county have been
generous in past years. Those j
who have solicited funds have
contributed freely of their time. I
With the exception of the o-,i
cers and the executive commits
tee members, very few people
have ever attended the annual
meetings.
“All contributors to the annual
fund-raising drives are consider
ed members,” the statement con
cluded.
The retiring officers are: Mrs.
Dewey C. Schaffer, O’Neill, pres
ident; Mr. Rooney, secreta y;
and E. C. Quinn, of O’Neill,
treasurer.
SALON OPENS
Donna Humpal and Melcina
Martin, beauticians, this week
announce the opening of the O’
Neill Beauty Salon on Saturday.
Their salon wil be located on
Douglas street, directly across
from the M & M cafe.
LAND SQUABBLE
TO BE SETTLED
Leaseholders Will Be
Heard at Lincoln
on August 11
The members of the Holt
County School Land Leasehold
ers association are in a quandry.
They have been advised by
the state board of educational
lands and funds that the board
will grant a hearing to a H >lt
delegation on August 11 in
which the delegates will pro
test what they consider to be a
"sharp increase" on the valua
tion of Holt’s 77,000 acres of
school lands.
In the meantime, howev r,
Hugh Dillon, the state survey
or and agent for the slate
board, has ordered the Holt
county tr asurer to increa e
the valuations 70 percent, ef
fective July 1.
Ir i L. Watson of Tnman, p es
ident of the Holt organization,
termed the hearing a “mcck
ery.”
It’s like going into court with
the jury’s decision already hand
ed down and on the tecord,” he
said.
The controversy 0 ,-er the val
uations in Holt began in June
when Dillon told an audience ol
i leaseholders hero that the valu
ations would be increased 84
percent. Formal cornptaints fol
lowed the announcement and
before leaving O’Neill Dill n
told Watson that he would le
vise the overall increase
downward to 70 percent. T.ie
proposed increase followed an 85
percent hike in 1945 and anoth
er four years earlier.
Officers of the Holt associ
lion went to Lincoln for a
scheduled hear'ng July 11 and
discovered the 70 percent in
crease had been already ap
proved by the board.
As a result of the trip, Board
Secretary Henry Bartling, of
Lincoln, said that a new hearing
will be granted August 11. At
that time protests from Cherry
county will also be heard. Cher
ry counts over a quarter-million
acres of school land.
County Treasurer J. E Han
cock. in commenting on his in
structions from the state capi
tol, said he intended to with
hold the new valuations from
the Holt county books until af
ter the August 11 hearing.
An increase of 333 thousand
dollars in school income can
be expected from the increases
that were made over the state,
Bartling explained.
HARVEST GETS UNDERWAY
This scene has been reenacted rco~es of
times during the past week in t e O’Neill re
gion as the harvest gets under way. Despite
reversals from a late s"r:ng, fr st, w nd, hail
and floods, Holt’s small Train crop is gener
ally good. This photograph was t k_n in the
Elkhoin river valley.
George A. Coventry . . .
hemes.e^ded in Canada.— O'
Neill Photo Co.
GEORGE COVENTRY
BURIED AT INMAN
i
Holt Resident Since 1904
D'es Friday in
Family Home
INMAN — George A Coven
try, 76, a longtime resident of
♦he Inman vicinity, died rt 10
p.m. Friday at the family home
he.e. He had been in good
health until that day.
F neral s r i s wfre held
at 2 pm. Monday at the resi
dence in Inman with Rev, E. B.
Maifcy, of Glerwn'd, la., f r
merly of Inman, officiating. In
terment was in the Inman ceme
tarv under the d r^c ion of Gar
field lodge AF&AM 95, of O’
Neill.
■ Born at Schuyler on Febuary
20. 1871. Mr. Coventry grew to
manhood in Nebraska and went •
to Alberta, Canada, in 1891 tj j
home t“ed He and the former
Miss Mina Jane Smith were mar
ried at the home of the bride’s
parents, near Olds, Alberta, on
December 23, 1896. They began
housekeeping on a homestead
"ear there and in June, 1904,
;they moved to a farm six miles
south of Inman.
Back to Nebraska
In the fall of 1913 the family
moved into Inman where Mr.
'’nvontry resided until his death.
Between 1914 and 1918 he was
a partner in the Watson & Cov
entry store.
The Covent; ys became the
parents of two sons and three
daughters. They are: James
and Kenneth Coventry, both of
Inman: Mrs. Sherman Grazier,
of Jefferson City, Mo.; Mrs.
James McMahan and Mrs. Ken
neth Smith, both of Inman.
Survivo s. besides the widow,
five children, 17 grandchildren
and two great-grandchildren,
include four sisters: Mrs. Janne
Sprecker, of Los Angles, Calif.;
Mrs. Mary M-ipes, of Fremont;
M s. Je si° Brdlhart, of Hast
ings. and Mrs. Carrie Tompkins,
of Albion.
The Lte Mr. Coven'ry and his
"dfe celebrated their golden wed
ding anniversary in December.
1946, with an open-house affair
and a family gathering At that
time both were enjoying "ex
cellent health.”
Pallbearers at the interment
rites were J. E. Davis, A. B.
Hubbard, A. E Bowen, H. L.
Lindberg and Clinton Gatz all
of O’Neill, and Karl L. Keyes,
of Inman.
C. J. TOWLE NEW
C&NW RAIL AGENT
C. J. Towle, of Albion, is the
ne’” n^ent here for the Chicago
and North Western railroad com
pany, assuming his new duties
Wednesday. He succeeds A. B.
Neuenswander, who held the po
sition for several months but re
linouished the job to return to
Atkmson.
'Hie unfavorable housing situ
ation was given as the reason
for the decision.
Mr. Towle has spent the past
vears at Albion. Previous- i
'v. he had been stationed at
Newport.
He is married and has two j
sons, Gerald. 25, of Norfolk, and
"' 'an, 20 of Lincoln, a student |
t the University of Nebraska. ,
His. Towle is here with her hus
)and.
Hail Strikes 3d
nr* • • t r
i ime in Year
Corn Crop Virtually
Wiped-Out Between
O’Neill and Eagle
A combination wind and hail
storm struck the territory north
of O’Neill late Saturday, reduc
ing crops in isolated areas in
northern Holt and Boyd coun
ties. Some farmers suffered hail
loss for the second and third
time this season.
In Boyd county a half-doz
en localities reported greater
damage than in either of two
previous storms.
Among those hardest hit by
hail were the fa: ms occupied by
Sam Robertson, William Lang
an, E. W. Reed, and Lloyd Wha
ley, and Garret D. Janzing.
Some of the small grain was
pounded so badly that farmers
have abandoned plans for cut
ting. In a corridor st:e‘ching
from six miles north of O’Neill
to Eagle creek the corn crop is
virtually wiped-out.
The hail was accompanied
by a high wind that assumed
the violence of a small twist
er. At the Dave Bellar place
the barn was wrecked and the
house was damaged. Shing
les were torn from the build
ing and a wall was smashed.
At the Janzing place a large
cattle shed was removed com
pletely from its foundation and
the debris was strewn over a
quarte -mile. John Piuss lost
two buildings and the Henry
Winkler house was damaged. A
large barn on the Bernard Pon
gratz place was destroyed and a
windcharger was toppled down
at the Casper Winkler farm.
There were varied reports of
damage to windmills and fences.
Many stacks of alfalfa were
blown down and owners of hay
stackers have reported losses.
The city of O’Neill escaped the
path of the storm. The wmd
struck here at 9:30 p.m. and a
| rain followed, netting .23-mch
es. Boyd county was visited by
rain twice during the night and
the official gauge at Butte re
ported 1.10-inches.
The week’s weather summary,
based on 24-hour rtadings at 8
a.m. daily, follows:
Date Hi Lo Moist.
July 18 _ 85 54
July 19 - 77 54 .40
July 20 .. 84 60 .28
July 21 79 50 .33
July 22 ... 77 53
July 23 . . 75 59
July 24 . 81 60
Totals __l..1.01
ORCHARD YOUTHS
ARE INJURED
ORCHARD—Ronnie Wirth, 14,
son of Rev. and Mrs. P. J. Wirth,
is in a Sioux City hospital with
severe injuries, and Gordon Wal
ton, 13, son of Mr. and Mrs.
Leonard Walton, suffered a se
vere cut on the top of his head
when the two boys were bounc
ed out of a truck while enroute
home following a swimming ex
cursion.
The two youths were in the
back end of a paint truck driv
en by Melvin Dixon.
Young Wirth suffered a frac
ture of his right leg between the
hip and the knee and was badly
battered and bruised. He is also
suffering from shock and blood
loss.
Young Walton was taken to
the Orchard hospital for treat
ment.
Rev. Wirth is known in O’
Neill, having served for many
months as vacancy pastor at the
Christ Lutheran church.
WADE RENAMED
LEGION HEAD
Glea H. Wade, O’Neill fruit
salesman and a veteran of World
War II in the Pacific. was re
elected commander of Simonson
nost 93 of the American Leg on
in the annual election of officers
field Friday nieht.
Wade was wounded four times
during three years with the 37th
infantry division.
Others named were: Ned Por
ter, vice - commander; Fan'ds
Murphy, sergeant-at-arms; P. R
Harty, chaplain.
Elected to the executive com
mittee were Leo Carney, John
Grutsch, Stephen A. Price, El
gin Ray, and Melvin Ruzicka.
The officers will not begin the
new year until after the annual
state convention.
Friday’s meeting wras held in
the clubrooms at the Legion’s
new hall on Douglas street. Al
though not yet completed, the
election was the first formal use
of the building.
Mr. and Mts. J. L. McCarville
returned Tuesday after a three
days’ buying trip to Omaha and
points in Iowa.