Image provided by: University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries, Lincoln, NE
About The frontier. (O'Neill City, Holt County, Neb.) 1880-1965 | View Entire Issue (July 8, 1948)
The Frontier VOLUME 68*—NUMBER 9_O'NEILL. NEBRASKA. THURSDAY, JULY 8. 1948 PRICE 7^CENTS. THOUSANDS WITNESS FIREWORKS EXHIBITION . . . Several thousand persons witnessed the Country club’s an nual display of fireworks Sunday night. John H. McCar ville, The Frontier’s photographer, made this tricky shot showing sparkler wheels glowing (lower left foreground) and sky rockets exploding. The clubhouse outline may be seen. MRS. GEARY FETED ON 84th BIRTHDAY Gift and Card Shower Makes Her ‘Feel 20 # Years Younger’ INMAN — Mrs. Etta Geary celebrated her 84th birthday anniversary Wednesday, June 30, at her country home south west of Inman. Many of her friends and relatives dropped in to help her celebrate. Ice cream and cake were served. She received many gifts and about 50 cards from he rela tives and friends. This was a surprise to Mrs. Geary and she said it made her "feel 20 years younger." Etta Hopkins was born at Hope Bartholomew county, Indiana, June 30, 1864, and came to Nebraska to live in 1904. She taught school in Indiana and Nebraska for about 15 years and it was while ^ teaching in what is known as South Valley she boarded in the Geary home. On Septem 24, 1904, she was united in marriage to George Geary at Columbus. Ind., at the Pres byterian manse. They came to Inman to live on Mr. Geary’s farm and she has made her home here since. Mr. Geary was the father of 3. sons and' 1 daughter by a previous marriage and she helped to raise children. Mrs. Tom (Jessie) Hartig un lives on a farm south of the Geary farm, Calvin lives at Lyons, Reginald is with Mrs. Geary, and Haddin and his family live on an ad joining farm. Mr. Geary died on February * 12, 1936. Mrs. Geary says she enjoys surprises. Their friends sur prised them on their 10th and 20th wedding anniversaries and she has had many birthday sur prises. Her nephew, James Hopkins, whose birthday also occurs on June 3, and who was 64-years -old, was a special guest. Leaving for Lincoln Monday will be Mr. and Mrs. E. F. Quinn and grandson, Jerry Verzal. They expect to be gone a week. ‘Name’ Band Coming to Legion Ballroom Art Kassel and his famous ! Kassels in the Air orchestra ! will appear at the American Legion ballroom here Friday night under Legion auspices. Glen Wade, Legion command er, said “the booking of the Kassel orchestra was a rare op portunity to bring one of the ‘name’ bands of the nation to O’Neill.” The O’Neill date is a “fill-in” while the orchestra is hopping from Watertown, S.D., to St. Joseph, Mo. Kassel has been featured in leading dance spots in the land and has been a radio network favorite for several years. School Chief Points to Inequalities’ There are 2.835 elementary school districts in Nebraska with 10 or fewer pupils enrol led according to reports filed by county superintendents with State Superintendent Wayne O. Reed. Of these, there are 850 that have 5 or less pupils in attendance. The average en rollment of the 4,605 elemen tary districts in operation is 11.7 pupils and the average enrollment per teacher is 10. 9. However, there are 514 high school districts with 108,127 elementary pupils enrolled These elementary schools have an average enrollment of 210.3 pupils per district and 28.8 pu pils per teacher. Reed said these enrollment nequalities between rural and urban elementary districts point the way for a study of the school reorganization prob lem to be undertaken by the legislative council, research body for the state legislature. The state superintendent said this was the principal factor which led to the re districting program adopted by Kansas 4 years ago. “We know,” said Reed, “from studies made that the larger the administrative and fiscal unit for schools the less the in equality among units in the ability to suport education, in tax burden and the quality of instruction provided.” Youth, 17, Victim of a Rare Bone Disease, Seeks a Chess Partner I ' EWING — One of The Fron tier’s Ewing readers this week received a letter from a 17 year-old Royal Oak, Micha youth, Earl Bell, who is a pa , tient in St. Mary’s hospital at Rochester, Minn. Young Bell, who is afflict ed with a rare bone disease, is seeking a chess partner and has asked a Ewing man for help in finding one. "If you happen to know any one around Ewing who Is a good chess player and who would be willing to play some correspondence games with me, please tell them to get in # touch with me right away,” he wrote. “The more you find the mer rier I’ll be. They don’t ex actly have to be from around Ewing; they can be from any where. Have them write to me in care of St. Mary’s hospital, room 3-270, Rochester, Minn.” Earl is a student in the Royal Oak high school and has carried on his school work despite his great dif ficulty. Since stricken with the rare disease 4 years ago, he has spent most of the time in casts, braces, doctor's offices and hospitals. Still he has kept up with his studies, has become a chess expert, and has learned to play pingpong. Recently he underwent an operation for a disease that Mayo’s diagnose as “bilateral arthrokatazsis.” He is the son of Mr. and Mrs. George Bell, of Royal Oak. HOLT CORN CRYING FOR MOISTURE Leading Question Is: Where Has All the Moisture Gone? Holt county farmers are hard to please. A fortnight ago they wanted less moisture and an opportunity to work the fields that were too wet to work dur ing the latter part of June. Now they’re asking for more moisture again. The corn is growing rapidly but the sur face moisture is fast disappear ing. they say, and the ground is dry on top. "The leading question is: "Where hase all the moisture gone?" The stock answer runs something like this: It i has been absorbed by a parched earth, intense heat and fast growing crops. Some corn has been laid by, and some rare fields are waist high. But corn in the O’Neill region is considerably short of j corn prospects elsewhere in the state where it is the principal crop and where prospects are among the best in the midwest. Haying i s starting in some localities of the county this week, but County Agent A. Neil Dawes said Wednesday that the haying wouldn’t get underway in earnest until next w’eek. The harvest of small grain is also starting and some ob servers expect it to yield about 70 per cent of norm al. Most of the winter wheat has been a dismal failure be cause of a lack of moisture. The bluegrass crop, likewise, has been unsatisfactory for the same reason. The yield is es timated at only 15 percent of the record 1946 yield. The 99-degree temperature, which was reached at mid day Monday, July 5, was a new high for the season. The weather summary, bas ed on 24-hour periods ending at 8 a. m. daily, follows: July 1_ 85 65 July 2_ 98 70 July 3_ 93 67 July 4_ 93 66 July 5_ 95 69 July 6_ 99 69 July 7_ 97 68 100 4-H Clubbers to Long Pine Camp Over a hundred Holt county 4-H club members and leaders attended the annual 4-H camp at Long Pine June 24-26, ft was announced by County Agent A. Neil Dawes. Velma Abney, of Ewing, and Harold Neilson, of O’Neill, won hon ors for work in leathercraft. WILBURNE BURGER DIES AT INMAN — Lifelong Nebraskan, 82, Buried Tuesday Near Ainsworth INMAN — Funeral services were held Tuesday, July 6, at 2:30 p. m. in the Methodist church at Ainsworth for Wil burne Burger, 82, who died Sunday at Inman. He had been ill for about 2 months. He succumbed at the home of his daughter, Mrs. E. E. Clark, in Inman. Burial was in the Buffalo Flats cemetery near Ainsworth. Mr. Burger was bom on No vember 22, 1865, at Platts mouth, one of the first-born white children in the state. He went to Brown county as a young man and settled in the Buffalo Flats locality where he spent most of his life. He married Rozina Wheeler on October 19, 1889 in Brown county. She died on November 26. 1938. Mr. Burger came to Holt | county in August, 1947, from Ainsworth to make his home near his daughters, Mrs. Lu cille Hutton and Mrs. Ada Clark. Survivors: Son—Thoitias, of Ainsworth; P a ul , of Ains worth; Donald of Ocean Side, Calif.; Daughters: Mrs. Grace Ferguson, of Bremerton, Wash.; Mrs. Florence Merritt, of Au burn, Wash.; Mrs. Floy Barker, of Chadron; Mrs. Hutton and Mrs. Clark, both of Inman. Also surviving are: Brother, Frank Burger, of Long Pine; 21 grandchildren, and 16 great grandchildren. Rev. M. R. Willis was in charge of the funeral rites. Among those going to Ains worth for the funeral were: Mr. and Mrs. E. E. Clark and son. Tommy; Mr. and Mrs. T. D. Hutlon; Mr. and Mrs. Ver non Green and children, of Sioux City; Robert Hutton, of Omaha, and Norbert Clark, of Inman. Beauty Contest Entries Coming In Interest in the American Legion-sponsored beauty con test is gathering momentum, Commander Glea Wade said Wednesday as entries are be ginning to come in, including a number from Atkinson. En tries are also being received from other nearly towns. Simonson post is sponsoring an honorary “Miss Holt Coun ty Legionnaire” to represent the county at the state Legion convention in Grand Island Judges will select the winner at a ball to be held at the Legion auditorium here Thurs day, July 22. Contestants will appear in formats. Entrants must be 17-years-old or over. W'inner of the state title will get an all-expense trip to Mi ami, Fla. All Holt entries must be postmarked by July 15. Appli cation blanks are available at many business houses through out the county. 2 INJURED HERE WITH FIREWORKS _ I Large Truck Rolls Over at Ewing in Principal Traffic Accident A 10-ton semi-trailer truck left the road a mile and a half east of Ewing Friday—the principal mishap in the O'Neill region over the long ^Fourth of July weekend. The driver, James Tange man, of Omaha, escaped with a few minor scratches, but the cab of the machine was a to tal loss and there was heavy damage to the trailer and to the cargo of feed- The outfit rolled over into the ditch. Dean Streeter, O'Neill bar ber, suffered second degree burns when a Roman candle backfired, injuring his right hand. Mr. Streeter was en- 1 lertaining a niece when the accident occured. Jerry Rotherham, 5, son of John Rotherham, of O’Neill, was also treated for fireworks burns. A firecracker exploded in his hand Sunday evening. A Gregory, S. D., couple fig ured in a mishap near the Rob ert Donohoe place near O’Neill. Their machine went into a ditch, going out of control af ter striking loose gravel. None was injured. John Westerbeck, of Atkin son, fell early Monday from a dirt grader while working on the Atkinson-Stuart airport and was brought to the O’Neill hospital in an ambulance. His condition is “fairly good.” Music Pupils in Recital at Inman INMAN—Mrs. Jame Cronk presented her piano pupils in a music recital at the Metho dist church Wednesday eve ning, .June 30. The following participated: Larry Sawyer, Carolyn Wat son, Dale Coon. Dick Coven try, Sammy Watson. Roland Hansen, Kay Coventry, Janet Chase, Marilyn Gallagher, Ed ith Gallagher, Luetta Coon, Ila June Coon, Rita DeLong, Beverly Smith, James Gronk and Jimmy Sawyer. Mrs. Eby Entertains — Mrs. Merle Sprague and daughter, Marilyn, of Stockton, Calif., Mrs. Harold James and daughter, Lena May, of Os born, Kans., and Mrs. Roy Richards, of Atkinson, were guests June 26 at the homes of Mrs. Della Eby. Ray Eby and Mrs. Bennett Gillespie, Mrs. Sprague and Mrs. James are nieces of the late E. J. Eby. The F rontier s Jack and Jill L CORNER JEANIE KAY FOREMAN THE BIG 3 . . . The Fron tier’s Jack and Jill Corner honorees this week are des ignated as the big 3. The pert little miss (above) is J e a n i e Kay Foreman, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Frank Foreman, of Emmet. She will be 3-years-old on August 16, has 2 older broth ers and a sister. But wait— she also has 2 nephews! Opposite Miss Foreman is Master Larry Gokie, who was a New Year’s eve arriv al a year and a half ago. His parents are Mr. and Mrs. Joe Gokie, jr., of O’Neill. Larry likes best of all to ride on the tractor with his pop, but he’ll settle for a chance to be out-of-doors. Larry is a blond and, you guessed it, he has blue eyes. The other handsome fellow is Jimmy Lee Schmidt, son of Mr. and Mrs. Raymond J. Schmidt, of Atkinson. He was born on the Fourth of July a year ago. Jimmy con tracted eczema at 3-months old, had to have his hands tied at night so he wouldn’t scratch himself. Came his LARRY GOKIE JIMMY LEE SCHMIDT teeth and the crawling per iod and the eczema disap peared. He has blue eyes and light curly brown hair. The high spot of Jimmy’s day is a “horseback” ride on daddy’s knee, and not in frequently he drops off to sleep in the “saddle”. Jim my thinks bananas are tops in the food department.— Photos courtesy the O'Neill Photo Co. Beha Family in Holiday Reunion Mr., and Mrs. Joseph Beha and family, who live in Min neapolis, Minn., arrived Satur day, July 3. for a week’s visit with Mr. Beha’s mother, Mrs. Nellie Beha, and other rela tives. They were guests Monday at a family dinner held at the home, of Matthew Beha, a brother. Other guests included Nan, Paul and William Beha brothers and sister of Joseph and Matthew, and their famil ies, Mrs. Elizabeth Parr, of Elgin, Mrs. Matthew Beha’s mother, was also present. Another get - together was held Tuesday evening at the William Beha home in the form of a “cookout.” _ • Mr. and Mrs. John Melvin departed Wednesday, July 7, for a visit in St. Louis, Mo., at the home of their daughter, Mrs. Harry Shelton, and Mr. Shelton. Mrs. John Harrington and Jimmy and Marline returned to Chicago, 111., June 30 after visiting Mrs. Thomas Donlin and other relatives. Nominees for Soil Honors Are Sought Louis Bernholtz, chairman of the Holt soil conservation dis trict, and County Agent A. Neil Dawes, have announced that Holt county farmers, ranchers and businessmen have until July 31 to make nominations of farmers in the permanent agriculture soil conservation recognition group. Names of farmers dofng sojj conservation work, worthy of special honor and recognition may be sent in or left with the county agent or soil con servation service office, they have explained. Entry blanks may be obtained from Mr. Dawes, or from L. F. Brede meier, unit conservationist. Nominations will be made during July and judging of these farms will be done in August. “Three farmers will be se lected to represent our district in competition with other soil districts in this area,” Mr. Bernholtz said. “The Holt dis trict will be out to win one oj the area plaques and the $300 state award,” he added. Graham, Page pitcher, is shown (above) tak ing a healthy swing that missed. A record crowd witnessed the game. (See SPORTS on page 4.)— Photo by John H. McCarville. PAGE BATSMAN GOES DOWN . . . Danny Helmer, O’Neill hurler, set down 18 Page batsmen via the strikeout route Sunday, July 4, as the Rockets blasted Page 7-2. Darrell 3 MEN TO BE ON NEW DRAFT BOARD President Truman Will Make Appointments Under New Law The new draft law, which was tossed about considerably during the late session of Con gress, soon will be translated into action in Holt county with the appointment of a 3-mem ber draft registration board. Brig. Gen. Guy N. Henninger, of, Lincoln, Nebraska adjutant general who headed the draft machinery during World War II, said this week that the names of the draft board mem bers for each county will be submitted by Gov. Val Peter son to President Truman, who will formally make the ap pointments. This procedure was embodied in the new draft law enacted by the late Con gress. General Henninger said if the nation drafts a quarter of a million men during the first year as unofficially re ported, this would mean Ne braska would furnish about 2,225 men. On that basil. Holt county would be asked to supply fewer than 40 men the first year. Approximately 165 thousand men in Nebraska between the ages of 19 and 25 would be re quired to register. Three Nebraskans who are being submitted for approval to head the draft program are: Col. Frank B. O’Connell, Lt. Col. Francis Drath and Maj. Lee Leggett, of Utica. Colonel O’Connell, now in Japan, head ed the wartime draft. Colonel Darth, a former editorial writ er for the Nebraska State Jour nal, is now a University of Nebraska instructor, and Ma jor Legget is secretary to Gov ernor Peterson. Each county will have a draft board under the present plans, and Douglas will have 3 boards and Lancaster 2. Capt. Roger M. Thompson, of Grand Island, Army and Air Force recruiting officer for the O'Neill region, said this week that many 18-year olds mistakingly believe that a 1-year enlistment will com pletely dicharge their new obligations. “It should be made clear,” he said, “that upon completion of a 1-year enlistment they will be transferred to a re serve component for 6 years, possibly subject to a month of active duty yearly, or 4 years in an active unit.” Captain Thompson added that “three years is the short est enlistment period which will completely discharge the draft obligation.” Series of Deadlines for Veterans in 1948 Keith Abart, Holt county ser vice officer, this week pointed out a series of 1948 “deadline dates” of interest to war vet erans and their kin. July 31 is the last day that "lapsed term” national service life insurance can be rein stated without taking a phy sical examination. It is also the last day a beneficiary, who started receiving national ser vice life insurance payments prior to September 30, 1944, ?an change the option settle ment. August 31 is the last day on which application may be made for terminal leave pay, and December 31 is the last day for personnel and veterans of ill U. S. armed forces to bring their respective alien spouses into this country on permit marriage contemplated. HOLT COUNTY EDUCATIONAL NOTES By El]a McCullough County Superintendent The regular state teachers' examintaions will be held in the O’Neill public school build ing, Saturday, July 17. They will begin at 8 a. m. Arithme tic will be the first subject. Here from Sioux Falls— Mr. and Mrs. Eugene F. Stanton and children, of Sioux Falls, S. D., spent the Fourth at the home of his parents, Mr. and Mrs. A. F. Stanton. Mr. Stanton returned Monday. His family remained for a longer visit. PATROL TO MEET There \yill be a Civil Air Patrol meeting at the Holt :ounty courthouse annex base ment Tuesday evening in prep aration for a trip to Norfolk. Mrs. Emmett Moore and rommy returned Tuesday, July 5, after attending a family re union in Lincoln. They were gone 3 days. Mr. and Mrs. McCoy Rhodes, of Cody, visited at the Hugh Ray home from Saturday until Monday.