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About The frontier. (O'Neill City, Holt County, Neb.) 1880-1965 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 20, 1949)
Beha Infant Wins First Baby Laurels Winnah of the 1949 Holt county baby derby is James Michael Beha, son of Mr. and Mrs. Matthew’ G. Beha, of O’Neill. James Michael was not only the first-born in ’49 in Holt coun ty, but his birth was the first to be reported to The Frontier’s first baby contest editor. • With the honor goes over one hundred dollars in mer chandise prizes provided by 14 O'Neill business firms in co operation with The Frontier. James Michael announced to the world that he had arrived about 7 a. m. on New Years day. He tipped the beam at the O’ Neill hospital at 6% pounds. Dr. J. P. Brown was the attending physician. On that cold, wintry New Years morn, his mother had reached the hospital from the country only a half-hour before the stork arrived. Pressing Master Beha closely for the honors wat the son of Mr. and Mrs. Robert Eacker, of Ewing, who checked in at 6 a. m. on New Years day. The stork’s selection of the Tilden hospital for the birthplace cost the Eacker youngster the first baby hon ors. Contest rules stipulated that the winner of the Holt county first baby contest must be born within the Holt county boundar ies. Little Debra Diane Waldo, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Lloyd Walda, of Amelia, was second in line of eligibles for the heap of , prizes. She arrived at 11:33 p. m. on Sunday, January 2, at the Bar rett nursing home in Atkinson. Dr. N. P. McKee attended. Lit tle Miss Waldo weighed 5*6 pounds. This year’s contest was the third annual sponsored by The Frontier. Kathleen Wanser, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Max Wan ser, of Inman, won the first contest in 1947. A year ago the award went to Mary Ellen Harshfield, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Neil Harshfield, of O’Neill. Mary Ellen was born in Atkinson. James Michael s gift shower will include: A pair of baby shoes from McCarvilles. an infant's hot water bottle from Gilli gan & Stout—Druggists, photographs valued at $12 from the O'Neill Photo Co., including one 8"xl0" tinted enlargement with frame and a dozen 3" x 5" mounted photogaphs. Bowpn’s Ben Franklin store has a surprise package in store for James Michael, while Gillespies will present an electric vapor izer and a child’s electric clock, R. H. (“Ray”) Shriner will present a one thousand dollar life insurance policy with the first premium paid in full, while the Spelts-Ray Lbr. Co. is giving the Beha family 500 pounds of coal. A solid 10-k gold baby ring awaits the lucky little fellow at the McIntosh Jewelry, and Montgomery’s Hardware will present a baskenette. A child’s training chair, valued at $6, is the gift from the Midwest Furniture & Appliance Co., and a knit safety crib-cover is being presented with the compliments of Brown-Mc Donald’s. Gambles are giving a crib blanket and Shelhamer Foods have a case of baby food set aside. The Jonas Furniture Exchange will present an enamel bath tub, a regular $6.95 value, and last, but not least, James Michael will receive a one year subscription to The Frontier. All contest entries were to have been postmarked by 6 p. m. Monday, Januaiv 10. but the baby contest editor decided to delay closing of the contest a week to enable any eligible infants in out lying districts to enter. The weatherman spoiled the plans for The Frontier's photo grapher, John H. McCarville, to make a picture of James Mich ael and his'mother. An appointment was made but the moth er and her famous son were whisked hurriedly to their farm home ahead of the recent blizzard. When McCarville appeared at the hospital to “shoot” the picture his subjects had been dismissed and were racing the new storm to the country. The first baby contest editor ex plained that James Michael’s picture will be published later. 20 Pages This Issue 2 SECTIONS SECTION ONE Page Editorial 2 Romaine Saunders 2 Blanche Spann Pease 3 Sports —.... 4 Churches __ 5 Society 5 Drew Pearson _ 6 A. Stroller _ 7 Classified 7 Real Estate Transfers _ 7 Future Subscribers 8 Sick & Injured _ 8 NOWADAYS Magazine Section John L. Parker 2 Toni DeLay 4 Mark Finley * 5 Tamara Andreeva 6 Harry E. Neal 7 Marion Simms 8 Tillie Kams-Newman 9 Mortimer Norton 10 P. D. Keating 11 ‘Voice’ in Special Storm Broadcast “The Voice of The Frontier” went on the air at 4 p. m. Tuesday with a special five minute broadcast of up-to-the minute storm news in the O’ Neill region. The program was sponsored by the Corkle Hatchery and the news was gathered by The Frontier’s facilities. Special broadcasts are her alded in advance by radio stat ion WJAG—780 on your dial— in order that the maximum number of people may hear the report. ‘“The Voice of The Frontier” program regularly is heard at 9:30 a. m. on Mondays, Wed nesdays and Saturdays by re mote control over the Norfolk station. The O’Neill programs originate in The Frontier buiIdling. News, marketes and entertainment are featured on these broadcasts. 1HE Frontier JL North-Nebraska s Fastest-Growing Newspaper SECTION I x’ PAGES 1 TO 8 VOLUME 68—NUMBER 37 O'NEILL, NEBRASKA, THURSDAY. JANUARY 20. 1940 PRICE 7 CENTS STUDENTS READY TO TAKE ‘OFFICE’ Political Activity at Ewing Features Campaign Promises Two Holt county high schools already this week have com pleted their "elections” in con nection with the American Le gion-sponsored boys’ and girls' student government program. The newly-elected "officers” will serve in their respective | capacities in the Holt county courthouse on Monday, Janu ary 24, after taking their ' “oaths” from Justice Carter of the state supreme court. Schools that have completed their elections are Ewing and St. Mary’s academy (O’Neill). Purpose of the program is to teach county government by having the students par ticipate in all the steps taken by a regular candidate in winning an office and per forming for one day the du ties of the office. Roy J. Lang, oi Lincoln, who heads the state student govern ment program and works in co ; operation with the state depart ment of the American Legion, will be in O’Neill to help with hte all-day program. He will be assisted by Mrs. John Davidson, of O’Neill, district II American Legion ladies’ auxiliary presi dent; Miss Elja McCullough, Holt county superintendent of schools and Holt student gov ernment chairman, and Glea H. Wade, retired Simonson post commander, who is vice-chair Ulctll. Elections are being conducted along two-party lines, Nation alists and Federalists. Voting booths are setup and the stu dents vote on printed ballots. All derails are patterned exact ly after the conventional county elections. All high school students par ticipate in the balloting but only juniors are eligible for office. .When the student officers function in their respective po sitions they will be working alongside their regularly con stituted counterparts in the courthouse and in the court house annex. At noon Monday the Ameri can Legion ladies auxiliary of Simonson post will furnish and serve a meal to the county government students. This will take place in the Legion audit 1 orium. Dakotans Win Berths in Academy Election — Three South Dakota boarding pupils at St. Mary’s academy won “offices” in the student government balloting. These include: Patty White, of Gregory, who will serve as county treasurer; Mary Ann Laur, also of Gregory, who was successful in her campaign for county superintendent of schools, and Willis Gran, of Mission, S. D., who won a berth (Continued on page 5) Again this week The Fron tier begs its readers to ov erlook the absence of con siderable news from its corps of correspondents. Sev eral of this newspaper’s special writers have not been heard from for several weeks. Implement Dealer Tours Factories Lloyd Collins, head of Lloyd Collins Implements — O’Neill John Deere store, last week toured three John Deere manu facturing plants together with a trainload of other John Deere dealers from Midwestern points. Leaving Omaha on Sunday, January 9, the group first went to Moline, 111., where they spent two days visiting the harvester works, spreader works, plow works, planter works. On Wednesday, January 12, the delegation went to Du- j buque, la., to visit the new Moael M tractor factory, which sprawls oyer 740 acres of in dustrial site. Here they wit nessed a private advance show ing of the new model MT tri cycle type and MC trolley type John Deere tractors. Next day they went to Wa terloo, la., to tour the factory which produces the John Deere tractor models, A. B, D, G and R. WARREN BECK, 40, DIES AT NORFOLK Bloodclot Resulting from Broken Leg Proves Fatal to Atkinson Man ATKINSON — Funeral ser vices were held at 2:30 p. rru Tuesday at the Seger funeral home in Atkinson for Warren Beck, 40, son of Dave Beck and the late Mrs. Beck. He died Saturday in a Nor folk hospital as a result of a bloodclot, which followed a broken leg. Because of the snowstorm the body was not interred im mediately after the funeral service in which Rev. W. C. Birmingham, of Atkinson, of ficiated. The late Mr. Beck was born and reared in the Green Valley community. His father was un able to be present for the fun eral. Survivors include: Father. Sisters—Mrs. Ralph (June) Ga pin, of Reagen Wells, Tex.; Mrs. Vernon (Grecchel) White head, of Albion: Mrs. Owen (Inez) Hayes, of Atkinson; and Mrs. John (Gladys) Baker, of Crawford. Brothers—Orville, of Springfield: Lloyd, of Sheri dan, Wyo., and Merrild. Man, 70, Found Frozen to Death Marsh Van Dover, about 70, O’Neill farmer who lived alone one mile south of the Siders school in the Opportunity com munity, was found frozen to death about a half-mile from his home Wednesday. One of the neighbors found the body and was unable to determine how long the aged man had been dead. Twice married, he is surviv ed by two sons, Everett, of O’ Neill, and Ephriam, who is in a Veterans hospital. One son, I William, and one daughter,! Mrs. Frank (Zona) Reynolds, ] preceded him in death. Mr. Van Dover lived at j Plainview and Niobrara before coming to Holt county 25 vears . ago. JOHN RAMM, 54, STRICKEN FATALLY Retired Stuart Meat and Livestock Man Heart Victim STUART—John Ramm, 54 year-old retired Stuart meat market operator and livestock man, died suddenly Sunday about 3:30 p. m., when stricken with a heart attack. He had ventured out to shovel snow, turned only one scoopful, and was stricken. Funeral services were or iginally scheduled for Wed nesday in St. Boniface Cath olic church at Stuart, but have been postponed until today (Thursday). The rites will be held at 10 a. m. with Rev. A. J. Paschang. church pastor, officiating. Interment will be at Stuart. The late Mr. Ramm was in the meat business at Stuart with several brothers for sev eral years. He was a veteran of World V/ar I and a member of Charles Carroll of Carroll ton council of the Knights of Columbus. Survivors include: Widow Anna; daughter—Alvara, of Stuart, former St. Mary’s acad emy student; brother—Albert Ramm, of Stuart. Unconscious Man, Snowbound. Rescued ATKINSON—Lewis Slay mak er, 86-year-old Atkinson farm er, was finally reached by a doctor and a rescue party about 3:45 p. m. Wednesday afternoon at his home where he lay critically ill. Suffering from a lingering illness and unconscious ofl and-on thus far this week, an appeal for help was made on Tuesday. A snowplow and s'hovelers worked feverishly in the face of Tuesday’s storm to reach the Slaymaker place, tour miles southwest of At kinson, but were unsuccessful By Wednesday afternoon the i place was reached—the last leg i of the trip being made by a j Caterpillar tractor drawing an automobile, and Mr. Slaymak ; er was' removed to Atkinson. ja — Private Fox’s Remains Return EMMET—The body of Pfc. James I. Fox returned recent ly from the Pacific area aboard the Army Transport Sgt. Jack J. Pendleton. There were 4,504 bodies aboard the vessel which reach ed a West coast port. Private Fox’s next-of-kin are his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Rob ert Fox, of Emmet. James I. Fox, 25, was killed in action March 2, 1945, on Leyete. He entered the army October 6, 1941, spending three years overseas. Survivors include: Parents, brother—Richard; sisters—Mrs. June Newton, of Emmet, Mrs. Dorothy Kramer, of O’Neill. One infant brother preceded him in death. Biting Cold Strikes; Mercury 17 Below Region Still in Winter’s Grip as Fresh Storms Add Misery North-Nebraska again Tuesday was visited by a blizzard anc weatherbeaten residents of the O’Neill region lost count of th< number of storms that have struck this Winter. Tuesday’s storm was accompanied by biting cold and a stronf wind. During the afternoon gusts of wind mounted up to and 35-miles-per-hour. according to observers at the Municipa! Airport. Surface visibility was zero. At eight o'clock Wednesday morning the official temper ature in O'Neill was 17-degrees below zero—the coldest mark of the season. The mercury tumbled from 17 degrees above zero to 17 below in 24 hours. High wind whipped a relatively small quantity of fresh snov together with old snow. By mid-afternoon all highways weri practically blocked. Several hardy motorists succeeded in run ning the blockade but by nightfall all traffic was again at i standstill. Because the wind was filling in cuts as fast as plows coult clear them, the state highway department withdrew all its equip ment in the O’Neill region until Wednesday morning when th< wind had subsided. Early Wednesday the principal routes were reopened and b: late Wednesday night the main highways and all secondary high ways—except highway 108 to Page—were reopened. Several busses were annuled between O’Neill and Sioux City Grand Island, Ainsworth and Bonesteel. S. D. The O’Neill-Nor folk line operated late but made the trips. The week was one of the worst in O’Neill rail history. North western mainline service was interrupted West of O’Neill for ove 34 hours. By late Wednesday Burlington officials were still un certain when their two derailed locomotives, abandoned si: miles East of here, could be righted and the roadbed restored fo I traffic. A rotary snowplow from a Rocky mountain division Mon day started West from Sioux City to O'Neill. Crusts of ice gave even the powerful rotary trouble aplenty and by Wednes day night the plow had only peached to Osmond. The Northwestern’s service interruption took place betweei midnight Saturday night and 10 o’clock Monday morning. Then was no Eastbound passenger-mail train Saturday night or Sun day night and no Westbound train on Sunday morning. Monday’ Westbound train reached O’Neill but backed out of town to Nor folk. Later in the day service was restored. The interruption was caused when a snowplow got stud Saturday morning in a snowdrift West of O’Neill, near the R.vai place. Later, trains were running considerably behind sehedul because of adverse weather and because trains were again run ning into the stricken Gordon, Chadron and Crawford areas afte over 10 days without rail service in that sector. The Burlington hasn't had a train in O’Neill since Decembe 28, and officials decline to say when service will be fully restorec Meanwhile, O’Neill’s "airlift” continued at full speed thi week. Planes have been operating continuously throughout th daylight except for a breather during Tuesday’s storm. Plane land at the Seger Oil & Transport Co. on O’Neill’s East edge. N« ture of their trips vary from routine aerial errands to mercy mis sions. Opening of two principal roads in the O’Neill community er a bled a number of farm families to get to town and replenis their larders Thursday, Friday and Saturday. But late Saturda most roads were again blocked by wind and some snow. The Sa> urday and Sunday storm, however, was of less severity than Tue: day’s blizzard. Neither storm rivalled the memorable earlie ones except in frigidity. Their effect, however, was almost as crippling even though th cargo of snow was not as heavy. The job of digging out from under the earlier snow had onl begun and the fresh snow and wind simply added misery to an al ready miserable situation. Livestock men were still not certain of their losses. Report of losses varied but few stockmen were ready to make defimt statements. Most were agreed that losses were principally amon younger animals. The combination county-city snowplowing equipment Mon day attempted to reopen the Opportunity road but was not a successful as it had been five days before. On Wednesday th equipment started to work North from the Ernst corner on th' 1 Menonite church road. Historic Flood of 1873 Resulted from Melting Snow (Editor’s note: Most oldtimers agree that this Winter’s snow in quantity, at least, rivals all others in their lifetime. Men who know the Elkhorn river pre dict dire happenings in the valley next Spring with the right twist in the weather. Even a routine Spring thaw will, most certainly, send the river out of its banks as is its custom. Joel Parker, lifelong Holt countyan, tells the following story about the Flood of 1873 and gives some of his advice to the present dwel lers in the valley:) By Joel Parker This story is written for the benefit of families living near the Elkhorn river. There has been lots of snow so far this Winter. With the snow has come lots of speculation about Spring floods in the valley. No doubt there are many people living in the va ey who have no knowledge of the high waters in the Spring of 1873. I'd say they'd better fix in their minds the high spots and learn to swim, because a similar situation might again come about. To tell the story of the flood of 1873, I must take you oacK two years earlier. In the early Spring of 1871, H. H. McEvony, Bill In man and Bill’s father left Sauk county, Wisconsin in a covered wagon and headed West, looking for home steads. They crossed the Missouri river at Sioux City and continued on Wisner. At Wisner, the end of a rail line, they turned northwest—up the Elkhorn river. The party camped along the Elkhorn between the present site of Inman and what is now the city of O’Neill. Here McEvony and Inman each picked their claims. In man decided that his claim would be the farm now occu piped by Charles Boyle, known to many as the Mrs. Cas- ; sidy farm, northwest of Inman. McEvony favored the heavy grassland south of the river, so he picked a claim there. i The elder Mr. Inman did not intend to take a claim. He was going to stay only a short time and go back to Wisconsin. McEvony and Inman carefully studied the country. McEvony went back home late that Summer and the next year—1872—he disposed of real estate there and in the Spring of 1873 he was ready for the move west. Bill Inman built a log house on his claim in the Summer of 1872, went back East for the Winter, and in the Spring of 1873 he moved there and prepared to wel come the others who were coming west from Wiscon sin. They intended to be there on the Fourth of July, 1873. I'm going to interrupt the flood story long enough to tell a tale about a faithful dog that had accompanied the Inmans and McEvony on that first trip. A large New Foundland dog, belonging to the Inmans, was taken along. During their camping along the river the dog would rest beside the camp and listen. All he could hear were sounds of a few wild birds; once in a while a few verses from nearby coyotes. The big dog was certain they were not the voices of Wisconsin children or the voices of Wisconsin dogs. After a few days, the dog tired of western life. He vanished. A constant lookout was kept for him by the handful of pioneers. No dog was found. Sometime later in Wisconsin the Inman family open ed the door and the dog bounded in. Word was circul ated that the men were back because the dog was home. Neighbors gathered. Some thought the men hadn’t been taking very good care of the dog because his feet were sore and he was thin. After a few days the dog's physical condition told the story plaintly enough. How he had crossed the Misouri river without toll for the lollkeeper no one knew. But he made it. Believing the men were due home any minute from f the “short trip west,” a big dinner was prepared. All day and into the night the homefolks waited to greet the couraged claim hunters. But the claim hunters uidn appear. They were enjoying themselves in the tall grass country along the Elkhorn—grieving only the loss of their dog. Later word got back home that the dog had abandon ed the men and the word got out West that the dog had reached home. So much for the dog. In the Spring of 1873, McEvony did not start west ward alope. His stories about the vast prairieland had interested many. Others who said “goodbye to friends and relatives and decided to go west were: the J. T. Prou ty, E. H. Thompson and Frank Bitney families, William Dickerson (single), and Jennie H. Shultz, sister of Mrs. Prouty. They came in five covered wagons and brought a number of livestock. McEvony, being somewhat famil iar with the country and direction to travel, kept the wa gons moving as fast as possible. They intended to get settled as quick as possible and get their log houses built before cold weather set in. The journey was slow and, finally, on July 13, 1873, they came to a halt at the Bill Inman claim—this being the place where they were going to camp and work from in picking their claim. The newcomers were very much disappointed when Bill Inman gave them his story of the flood that Spring. "Water was so high I had to move all my things up north and live in a tent." There were trees nearby and he showed them how high the water had been. He was in the process of mov ing his things back into his cabin when the party arriv ed. A heavy snow fell late in the Spring, Inman said, covering the ground with a heavy blanket. The weath i er warmed up suddenly and the flood was on. Possibly no one knows how high the water was at the •Inman cabin at that time. The only survivor of thal little colony of hardy pioneers is Sam Thompson, of O’ Neill, son of E. H. Thompson. He says he was but i small boy at that time—76 years ago. Mrs. Julia E. Park er, who died recently, was the daughter of Mr. McEvony She was 16-years-old then and later became the mothei of this writer and R. H. Parker. The flood news caused some confusion, but the col onists were anxious to get settled, looking to McEvony tc make the decisions. He said the low grassland south o! the river was no place for him with his few cows. Know ing the country as he did, he said they should move farth er west—upstream—where the land was a little higher On they went and came to a stop about 1*2 miles south east of the present O’Neill city limits, where the rivei bank was the highest. They were all delighted at this place—now known as the Parker place. The colony began to prepare for the future, staking tents and scouting for food. Some men took pitchforks and went downstream a little ways. The dietician im mediately changed the supper menu from salt pork and beans to a variety of fried fish. The men brought in a tub of large pickerel. Adjoining claims were picked. In a few days Ihe logs were coming in and the chips began to fly. No oth* er settlers were here at this time. All provisions were hauled from Wisner. All these sidelights are very interesting to me, and I’m relating them as they were told to me. To get back to the gist of the story: If the llood water had been two feet high that Spring at the Inman cabin, you can guess how high the water would have been elsewhere along the valley. The cabin was located on a relatively high spot on the north bank of the river. If all the snow that accumulates this Winter is equiv alent to one foot of water in the Elkhorn valley water shed, then, again I suggest that valley settlers begin lo cating the high spots . . . and learn to swim!