THE FRONTIER-O’Neill, Nebr.
CARROLL W. STEWART, Editor and Publisher
Entered the pcstoffice at O’Neill, Holt county, Nebraska,
as second-clasb mail matter under the Act of Congress of March
S. 1879. This newspaper is a member of ^ Nebraska Press
Association, National Editorial Association and the Audit Bureau
of Circulations.
Established in 1880—Published Each Thursday
Terms of Subscription: In Nebraska, $2.50 per ye^r, else
where in the United States, $3 per year; abroad, rates provided
on request. All subscriptions are strictly paid-m-advance.
Why We Should Be Thankful
In recent issues, we have discussed to some extent coming
events in the present year, following the big, outstanding event of
the presidential election. That event was the most important of
1948 both from a political and news standpoint. Many othei
things happened during the period which were of great interest,
but they were eclipsed in popular appeal by the election on Tues
day, November 2.
Well, election is over. It was a triumph for some people and
a disappointment for other people; but that makes no difference
now. It is past now and we leave it to the political analyists and
commentators to discuss and explain. As far as The Frontier is
concerned, we tried to present the facts during the long campaign
fairly and truthfully and let the voters make their own decision.
Now we are willing to abide by their decision.
In recent issues, we have also discussed to some extent vari
ous other events, scheduled to occur in the remaining days of
1948, including Thanksgiving day. Obviously, that is the biggest
event of the period and it is rapidly approaching. It is not as dra
matic and spectacular as a national election, but, in its implica
tions, it is fully as important and we believe it deserves serious
thought and consideration. It is one event which the American
people, regardless of race, color or creed, may wholeheartedly
unite in observing.
In discussing Thanksgiving day, which occurs on the last
Thursday of this month, we have mentioned especially its histor
ical origin and significance. We have pointed out that this an
nual observance, originated among the people, called the Pilgrim
Fathers or the Puritans, who came to this country from England
as a refuge from persecution. That they established a colonial
government and that Thanksgiving was a religious observance,
proclaimed by the governor, in gratitude to God for His mercy
and His protecting care. The early settlers in this country had a
hard struggle—they were beset by all sorts of dangers, including
Indians, hunger, cold, loss of crops, etc.—and they were truly
thankful if they survived these perils.
The fact hat alto been commented on in recent lttuea that
the observance of Thanksgiving has changed to a certain extent
during the passing years. It is still a religious occasion, at
least, in a formal sense. That is the spirit of the official pro
clamations which are made annually by the President and the
governors of the various states but the observance has chang
ed.
Originally, Thanksgiving was a strictly religious occasion. It
was so proclaimed by the governor of the New England colonies
and the colonists observed it as such. On that day, when the har
vest was over, they rested from their labors and attended church.
They assembled in their various places of worship and gave
thanks to God for His goodness and His watchful care over them
during the past season.
That was the significance of Thanksgiving in the early pion
eer days but, as we have pointed out before, it has changed to
some extent during the passing years. It is still observed as a
religious occasion by many people and church services are held,
according to proclamation but, in the minds of many people, we
fear, it has become more of a holiday than a holy day. It is to
large numbers a day of feasting, sport and amusement, featured
football games usualy having important bearing on the national
championships.
Of course, we do not believe that the American people of the
present day should observe Thanksgiving in the same solemn and
austere manner that our New England forefathers did. Times
have changed and it would be impossible for people today to have
the same feeling about the observance as they had. Our forefath
ers had to contend with conditions and perils of which we know
nothing—there was a reality about thanksgiving which it would
be impossible for us to appreciate but, nevertheless, we believe
that the American people should spend more time and thought in
considering the blessings which they enjoy. We of this genera
tion have many reasons to be thankful, too.
The American people should be thankful for lreedom. it
has been purchased at a terrible price—the price of millions ot
brave men killed and wounded in battle but we still have it. We
are still a free people. We have freedom of speech, freedom
of worship, freedom of action. There are many countries in
the world today where that is not true, but it is still true in Am
erica.
The American people should be thankful for progress and
prosperity. Those are phenomenal—the greatest in history—and
no other country in the world enjoys as great opportunities and
advantages at the present time. This nation has grown great
and powerful and it leads all other nations in wealth, industry,
education and achievement.
Let us give thanks!
* ★ ★
Every American citizen has abundant reason to be thankiul
even if he was disappointed in the result of the election.
★ ★ ★
A. Stroller writes the editor that he is enjoying himself in
the Southwest, but that he misses the old home town.
★ ★ ★
Now the analyists are busy trying to figure out the reason why
all their election forecasts were wrong.
★ ★ ★
The important question of the hour—have you got your
storm windows and storm shed on?
★ ★ ★
All the big type in the newspaper offices of the country was
used up in the election extras.
* ★ *
This is a good time of year to take both a retrospective and
prospective view of life.
★ ★ ★
President Truman isn’t exactly a great orator, but he is sure
ly a good campaigner.
* ★ ★
Nobody has more reason to be thankful this year than the
people of Nebraska.
★ ★ ★
No, we absolutely refuse to predict the result of any kind of
a contest.
★ ★ ★
t Be thankful whether you have turkey for Thanksgiving or
M R- H. SHRINER
f & Torna<t?- Trucks 8c Vracior. Personal Property
L INSURANCE Livestock
REAL pTATRLOANS, FAIM SERVICE, RENTALS
I Automobile O Neill Phone 106 Farm Property
The Real Issue at Paris
«w*uEDo»w«v
Prairieland Talk —
Relief Stores in Picture Often in
Struggle to Prosperity on Prairieland
By HOMAINE SAUNDERS
LINCOLN — Stories come
from the far-wrecked sections
of Europe of the short rations.
America has done much to re
lieve hunger, clothe * the un
clothed, and continues the
flow of supplies.
An American tells of taking
dinner in a section of Europe
with a family — father and
mother and four children. The
dinner consisted of potato
soup, mostly water, and bread.
One child asked for bread.
How many slices have
you had?" asked the moth
er. The child said he had
three. That was all he could
have.
Too bad—the heritage from
their once ambitious national
leaders. But our own revered
pioneers of Holt county and
other sections of Nebraska
have seen times of short ra
tions or none at all. Pioneers
have sat down to a meal of
potatoes, and thanked God for
them.
A pioneer woman of the In
man community saw no hope
for a bit of. Thanksgiving
feast. All she had was some
dried cherries brought from
Iowa. All her nearest neigh
bor had in her home was a
little flour and a cup of color
ed sugar used to decorate
cakes with. Their combined
resources of dried cherries,
colored sugar and a few cups
of, flour were brought togeth
er and the "feast” prepared.
It had been a hard, with
ering season, famine-haunt
ed settlers faced the dreary
outlook but held their heads
high. The late Father Cassi
dy. for half a century pastor
of S t. Patrick's. secured
funds from the Lord only
knows where and drove out
. through the communities
north of O'Neill where dis
tress seemed likely to over
whelm them all, stopped at
one needy home after anoth
er and left with each a size
able piece of money, with
the encouraging word that
help would continue to be
supplied.
Relief stores were in the
picture more than once in the
struggle to find the way to
prosperity on prairieland.
There was the pioneer woman
out on the Eagle who shed
tears because sne had so little
to set before three men who
asked for a meal. There was
the pioneer woman in what is
now the Page community who
wept because there was not
the price of a stamp in their
possession to mail a letter.
There are those today in
Holt county who have known
the value of a cornbread din
ner, and now at four score
years retain manly vigor,
stately and venerable dignity
because of simple living at
the start on the highway of
life.
Something to talk about,
since political “issues” are out
of. the way, floats in from the
9and bars and reefs along the
Platte with a 500 million dol
lar inspiration coasting on the
tide. Irrigation schemes and
schemers are blooming out a
fresh. These schemes involve
designs on the shrinking wa
ters of the Platte, the more a
bundant flow of the Elkhorn
and what might be left in the
Loup and Cedar for inundat
ing eastern Nebraska. Just
who will furnish the dough
for all this will be a later con
sideration. In the territory
thus envisioned they are now
bloated with corn and wine,
RANDLEMAN CLEANERS
Has Been Sold . . . and Will Now
Be Operated Under the Name of
Sullivan Cleaners
We Are Now in a New Location
First Door East K. C. Building
★
All New Cleaning and Drying
Equipment
We are able to handle all silk,
woolen and synthetic materials
and all fur-trimmed garments.
★
Mr. Robert Randleman is in charge
of this plant and will continue to give
the same high-grade service.
★
DUANE OQQ ^or Delivery and Pickup
rnunn 000 Service Twice Daily
Jim Sullivan, owner
Former Employee of Rasley s Cleaners
of Norfolk for 5 Years
which happily shows no need
of increased production attain
ed, if it can be, at so heavy a
cost.
• • •
Measured in service render
ed by a lone individual to a
tribe of Nebraska’s first set
tlers, probably John L. Web
ster, a lawyer in Omaha of a
generation now out of the pic
ture, stands alone. In the
month of March, 1879. Stand
ing Bear, chief of the rem
nants of the Poncas holding a
little strip of country along
the Niobrara river, was placed
under arrest by General Clark
under orders of the War de
partment for the purpose of
removing the Poncas to In
dian Territory.
This strip of country then to
be alloted to the Sioux. Stand
ing Bear and his band were
started on the trail to the Ter
ritory.
At Omaha a stop was
made for a few days when
Webster became interested
in the rights of the Indians,
went into Federal court for
a writ of habeas corpus, and
secured the release of the
Indians from military custo
dy, carried the case further
and had their ancestral
home in Nebraska restored
to Standing Bear and his
band.
Lawyers and citizens in oth
er sections of the country
took up the fight and brought
to the American Indian a con
stitutional standing before the
courts. The Sioux eventually
came into possession of the
Ponca territory when that
tribe consented to go to an
other reservation. Then the
Sioux in turn faded from the
northeast Nebraska picture
and pale faces have taken
over.
• • •
Of the 737,000 stock holders
of the Americn Telephone &
Telegraph Co., 390,000 are
women. . . . For its size, the
ant is the choice of nature in
the endowment of brains. . . .
The pronghorn antelope is the
speediest thing on four legs,
bouncing along with ease at
70 miles per hour. . . . Tru
man is 64, Barkley 70. They’ve
been telling us this is a young
man’s world. . . . Four boys,
six girls, Nebraska products
all, seniors at Wesleyan uni
versity in Lincoln are in the
“Who’s Who” of American col
leges. . . Gum chewing has
become a 19 million wads of
gum a year proposition. . . A
painting 16,000 feet long shows
the scenery from the headwa
ters of the Mississippi to New
Orleans and had made the
artist todate $200,000.
Mr. and Mrs. C. E. Worth
and children spent Sunday
visiting Mrs. Worth’s brother,
Roy W. Karr, of Spencer. They
also visited in Pickstown, S.
D.
Mrs. Gertrude Howard left
Thursday for Lincoln where
she spent a few days on busi
ness.
TEST YOUR I. Q.
1. What are the four main
islands of Japan?
2. What was the Colossus
of Rhodes
3. For what famous trial is
John Peter Zenger noted?
4. What rock is known as
“the rock of 900 uses”?
5. What is the highest
point in the United States,
excluding Alaska?
ANSWERS
1. Honshu, Kyushu, Shiko
ku and Hokkaido.
2. It was a brass statue of
the Greek sun-god Apollo,
about 109 feet high, built by
, Charles of Lindus on the is
land of Rhodes about 280 B. C.
3. In August, 1735, in New
(York City, Zenger was acquit
I ted of charges of libel in crit
icising the administration of
Governor Crosby. The trial
established a precedent for
the freedom of the press
which our country enjoys.
4. Gypsum.
5. Mt. Whitney in Califor
nia, with elevation of 14,495
feet.
O'NEILL LOCALS
Miss Connie Lou Williams
spent the weekend in Ains
worth visiting friends.
Armistice day dinner guests
of, Mr. and Mrs. Robert Al
lendorfer were: Mr. and Mrs.
Walter Wells, of Butte; Mr.
and Mfs. Fred Wells and son,
Roy Wells, of Padronai, Colo.,
and Howard Wells, of Denver,
Colo.
LIPSTICK RED
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