The Frontier ik
North-Nebraska s F astest-Growing Newspaper SECTION I
_ _ PAGES 1 TO 8
VOLUME 68—WUMBER 48 O WEILL. NEBRASKA. THURSDAyTaPRIL 7. 1848 PRICE 7 CENTS
River Highest
in 25 Years
Water into Basements at
Emmet as Elkhorn
Overflows
High water caused by the run
off from melting snow has dom
inated the weather front this
week. Wednesday the Elkhorn
river appeared to have reached
its high water mark and the
flood threat in the valley ap
pears to have passed.
Early Tuesday the river at
Emmet began to rise and over
flow water reached its highest
point in 25 years. At the new
level hundreds of additional
acres were inundated.
The water swept away an
Elkhorn river bridge in the
„ village of Emmet and on high
ways 20 and 275, two miles East
of O’Neill, the water was rush
ing across the road. Traffic,
however, was not interrupted.
Temperatures in the 50's and
60's Tuesday and Wednesday
afternoon reduced most of
the snowdrifts to isolated
batches of residue.
Because Holt county soil has
been unable to absorb all of the
earlier moisture, the run-off was
expected to crowd most of the
streams.
Inman’s streets were under
water Sunday as a result of wa
ter running-off of meadows to
the North and West of the vil
lage.
Highways in the O’Neill re- .
gion were punished by the high
water. On state highway 281,
approaches to four bridges were
washed out between O’Neill and
Bartlett. The road has been clos
ed to through traffic since Mon- j
day. In two places water was
running across the roadbed.
Highway 281, also is closed from
O’Neill to Spencer, chiefly be
cause of mud holes.
John D. Osenbaugh, resident
engineer for the state highway
department here, explained on
Wednesday that state highway
11 South from Atkinson had
water crossing the roadbed in
three places and was virtually
impassable both North and
South of Atkinson. One bridge
South of Atkinson, he said, was
imperiled for several days.
Traffic on U. S. highway 20
East is still detoured through
Page on highway 108 because of
a bridge wash-out one mile East
of the junction of highways 20
and 275.
Settling on an approach to a
U. S. highway 275 bridge
acros the Elkhorn, just East
of Ewing, required traffic to
detour most of Tuesday, but
by late Tuesday afternoon
traffic was resumed.
Unique bus service has been
in use between O’Neill and
Bonesteel, S. D., and O’Neill and
Sioux City, la. A pickup truck
has been making the Bonesteel
trip, carrying passengers and
mail. An automobile has been
used to convey passengers to the
West side of the highway 20
bridge washout. Passengers
walk the planked bridge and
board a waiting bus on the oth
er side. Similiar arrangements
are made for Westbound pas
sengers.
North Western main line
trains were running Wednesday
slightly behind schedule — not
even deterred by the high water
that has been at its bridges,
notably Mud bridge, two miles
East of O’Neill.
Glea H. Wade, chairman of
the Holt county disaster pre
paredness committee, says the
committee has been standing by
in case of an emergency. He
predicted that the only emer
gencies would be of a compas
sionate nature in which evacu
ations of people would be nec
essary.
River water was reported in
the basemejit of the Guy Cole
and Larry Tenborg homes at
Emmet.
Wade said Wednesday that a
member of the staff of the dis
trict Army engineer’s office in (
Omaha was enroute to O'Neill to
study the river.
The Elkhorn was expected to
spill over bottomlands between
Neligh and Norfolk but no seri
ous damage was expected.
Meanwhile, field work has
been at a virtual standstill.
Many farmers are becoming im
patient about getting into the
fields.
Wednesday’s wind was the
first real favorable drying out
factor.
Country roads are next to im
passable. Ol’ Dobbin has come
into his own again in the mud
battle, much as he did during
(Continued on page 4)
Railroad Water I;
Tower Disappears
INMAN — Another old land
mark is passing from the Inman '•
scene.
The Chicago & North Western
railway’s water supply tank,
which has stood for more than
half a century, is being torn
down by a crew of railroad (
workmen.
The old water tower was the
chief water supply in case of i
fire. It was “home” for a count
less number of pigeons.
The tower was considered un- '
safe for further use bv the rial
road. ! 1
FRED VITT, 77,
HEART VICTIM
Prominent Retired Holt
Farmer Stricken Sunday,
Dies Early Monday
Death claimed the life of
Fred Vitt, 77, well-known re
tired O’Neill farmer, about 2:30
a. m. Monday at his h o m e
here. He had suffered a heart
attack early Sunday and suc
cumbed less than 24 hours lat
er.
Requiem high mass was said
at 10 a. m. Wednesday in St.
Patrick’s Catholic church in
O’Neill. Burial was in Calvary
Cemetery.
Rt. Rev. J. G. McNamara,
church pastor, officiated and
Biglin Brothers were in charge.
As a young priest saying his
first nuptial mass, it was Mon
signer McNamara who married
the late Mr. Vitt and his wife
at Stanton on May 5. 1897.
an assistant priest at Sacred
Monsignor McNamara then was
Heart parish in Norfolk.
Mr. Vitt was born April
24, 1872 in Bohemia, a son of
John and Mlary Vitt. His fat
her died when he was an in
fant and his mother married
Frank Pribil at Zrbroslof.
Moravia, on October 10, 1874.
Mr. Vitt came with his mot- j
her and stepfather to the Unit-1
ed States in 1879, settling near
Linwood. The family lived
there for two years, coming to
Holt county in the Spring of
1881.
Fred Vitt’s' wife, who also
was born in Bohemia, came to
Fred Vitt . . . Holt resident
for 68 years.—The Frontier
Photo by John H. McCarville.
the United States at the age
of seven. She is the former
Mary Erychleb.
They settled on a farm six
miles South of O’Neill, where
they resided for many years.
Both Mr. and Mrs. Vitt have
been residents of Holt county
for 68 years. Mr. Vitt was a
mong the earliest settlers in
the county and for many years
figured prominently in com
munity life.
Survivors include: Widow;
Sons—John, of O’Neill; Fred
E., of Boone, la., Louis, of O’
Neill; George, of Omaha; Ed
mund, of Portland, Ore
Daughters—Mrs. J. Stanley
(Blanche) Pritchard, of Omaha;
Mrs. Archie (Elsie) Faulhaber,
of Sauck Center, Minn., Mrs.
John (Edith) Davis, of Omaha'
Mrs Ted (Helen) Plantz, of
Jrnaha. He also leaves 28
dndchildi Gn and one t?reat
The Vitt’s eldest,
Joseph, died at the age of 24
Other survivors include- Half- !
orothers—Casper Pribil and
John Pribil, both of O’Neill
Jacob Pribil, of Inman. Half
jsters — Mrs. John (Hattie)
shoemaker and Mrs. Walter
Josephine) Stwart, both of
J Neill.
In 1947 the Vitts celebrat
ed their golden wedding anni- 1
versary. The event was mark
ed by a family gathering, din
ner and an open-house obser
vance in the afternoon. Most
of their descendants were
present for the occasion. A
guest was Monsignor McNa
mara.
A year and a half ago Mr. Vitt
submitted to an amputation of
one leg. After that time he was
i semi-invalid.
In his remarks during the
uneral services Wednesday,
Consignor stated that having
officiated in the wedding and
ourial and having attended the
?olden anniversary was a uni
iue relationship between a
clergyman and a parishioner and
xiend.
Pallbearers were: Henry
ochacht, Frank Sullivan, Louis
Sastrow, Jack Arbuthnot, Henry
f Lohaus, George McCarthy,
^eonard Shoemaker and Ralph
/an Hohn.
Among the out-of-town rela
ives were: all of the Vitt chil- '
•hildren and most of their fam- 1
lies: Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Ery
rhleb and family and Mrs. Mary
Cryehleb, all of Stanton; Mr
tnd Mrs. Rudy Kresty# and son,
>f Cedar Bluffs, ai> : Mr. and
Wrs. Frank Pribil and son, of
’nid. Okla.
FARM BROTHERS
PERM STORM
Double Funeral Monday
for Paul Dohinan, 68,
and Adam Dohman, 65
Die from Exhaustion
ATKINSON—Double funeral
services were held in St. Jos
eph’s Catholic church Monday
for the Dohman brothers, Paul.
68, and Adam, 65, who perished
Wednesday, March 30, in a
meadow a half-mile West of
their farm home which is lo
cated three miles West of At
kinson.
Their bodies were found early
Thursday by Leo Heinowski, a
neighbor.
The men had set out dur
ing the height of the unusual
Spring blizzard to rescue
some calves. They had work
ed several hours, returned to
the house for lunch about 3
p. m.
Shortly after eating they set
out again with feed sacks about
their heads for protection from
the driving snow.
Francis D. Lee, who investi
gated, said the bodies were
found about 50 yards apart. He
attributed their deaths to ex
haustion. He said they had been
wading in snow from 15- to 36
inches deep. Adam’s body Vas
found lying on the ground on
the North side of a haystack and
Paul’s body was found in snow
two feet deep.
When the men failed to re
turn after a reasonable period,
Mrs. Dohman, Adam’s wife,
sensed something wrong. She
was unable to investigate. Next
morning the family dog, Spot,
came to the house and tried to
lead her to the bodies. The dog,
apparently, had stayed with the
bodies all night.
She finally made her way to
the Heinowski place, about a
mile North. She was met by
Leo Heinowski, who discovered
the bodies in his search The
bodies reached Atkinson Thurs
day.
Rev. A. A. Lehmen. church
pastor, officiated in the fun
eral riles and burial was in
St. Joseph's cemetery.
The Dohman brothers were
born in Colfax county, Paul on
June 27, 1880, and Adam on
April 7, 1883. They came to Holt
county as small boys, and to
gether had operated a farm for
years.
Adam is survived by his wid
dow, the former Agnes Jauer
nig. The Dohman brothers leave
another brother, Julius, of Kan
sasa City, Mo., who was in At
kinson for the funeral.
R. E. CHACETwIFE j
WED 50 YEARS
ATKINSON — Mr. and Mrs. !
R. E. Chase will hold open
house for their friends from 2
until 5 p. m. on Tuesday, April
12. Occasion is their golden
wedding anniversary.
Mr. and Mrs. Chase were
married 50 years ago at Or
chard. Mrs. Chase is the form- j
er Mildred E. Clifton, daugh
ter of Rev. W. C. Clifton and
Mrs. Clifton.
Their two sons, Elvon and
Charles, and their daughter,
Mrs. Willard (Ethel) Linville,
will be at home to help cel
ebrate the occasion.
_
Gloors Take Auto
on Trip to Europe
ATKINSON— Mr. and Mrs.
Otto Gloor, who operate the I
Gloor bakery here, left Wed
nesday for Columbus, enroute
to New York City, from where
they sail April 12 on the S. S.
Washington for Switzerland.
At Columbus they will be join
ed by Mr. and Mrs. Albert
Gloor, brother of Otto Gloor,
who also are making the trip
to visit relativ.es.
The Gloors took their car
along on their trip to Europe
They plan to be gone several
months.
Council Oak Ad to
Appear in The Frontier
A Council Oak store adver
tisement will appear regularly
in The Frontier, beginning
with this issue, according to
Manager Arnie Doerning First
ad in the series may be found
on page 2.
Heretofore, the Council Oak
store has used The Frontier’s
advertising columns only on
special occasions.
'VOICE' RESUMES
The "Voice of The Frontier"
radio program on WJAG was re
sumed Friday morning at 9:45
a. m. after wire difficulties.
CONTRAST . . . Here’s photographic evidence
of Nebraska’s unpredictable weather. Top
photograph shows a vehicle on U. S. highway
20. one of the principal transcontinental routes,
going through a plowed-out snowdrift that
tied up traffic for two days last week. A rotary
snowplow spent nine hours churning through
this drift, four miles West of O’Neill. One
thousand feet long, the drift was eight and one
half feet deep. Plow crews said the snow,
brought in by the unseasonal March 29 and 30 1
blizzard, was as difficult to move as any snow
ever tackled by state highway department
equipment. Bottom panel shows a sunset
along U. S. highway 20 and 275, near Mud
bridge two miles East of O’Neill. The Elk
horn river valley might well be termed a land
of lakes. Pictures were made within a few
hours apart.—The Frontier Photos by John H.
McCarville.
O’Neill Host to
Student ‘Officers’
High school students from nine
Holt county high schools will
converge on the courthouse next
Wednesday, April 13, for an uni
usual—yet practical—all - day
lesson in civics.
Students "elected” in their
respective schools will serve for
a day as county “officers” in a
stu nt government program
under t' e sponsorship of the
Nebraska department of the
American Legion.
Originally the student gov
ernment activity was to have
taken place in January but
had to be postponed because
of blizzards. Sixten counties
in the stale were selected for
sites in the program.
Miss Elja McCulough, Holt
county superintendent of
schools, is chairman of the
move, assisted by Glea Wade.
Between 9 ana s.ou a. in. stu
dents will register and file cer
tificates of election in the coun
ty clerk’s office. At 9:30 stu
dents will report to their re
spective county officers to meet
regular county officials. Later
lh°v will attend a general as
sembly in a body with Miss Mc
Cullough presiding.
Beginning at 10, the chairman
will introduce each regular
county officer who, in turn, will
introduce boys and girls repre
senting each office. At 10:15
school officials and guests will
be presented At 10:20, District
Judge D R. Mounts will make
an address.
At 10:50, County Judge Louis
W Reimers will administer the
aaths of office to the one-day
‘officers.” At 11 o’clock all ‘‘of
ficers” will go to their respec
live desks and work until noon.
At the luncheon in the Legion
auditorium, there will be talks
ay Warren Baker, of the Am
?rican I^egion: Sam Dahl, state
ieputy superintendent of pub
lic instruction, and one other
speaker to be announced.
The luncheon will be served
by Simonson post of the Ameri
can Legion auxiliary.
At 1:30 p. m. student offic
ers will resume their duties in
their respective county offices.
At 4 o'clock the students
will reassemble in the dis
trict courtroom for a round
table discussion and sum
mary. This will be in the form
of a critique. County officers
will be present to correct er
roneous impressions.
Session will close with an ex
(Continued on page 8)
Young Musicians
Invading City
An Army of youthful music
ians—15 hundred strong—late
Tuesday began invading O’Neill
for the annual district music
contest.
Vanguard of the high school
music contestants came from
Alliance — a distance of 280
miles. These were St Agnes
academy pupils, all girls.
Piano competition began at 4
p. m. Wednesday. Instrumental
and choral individuals and
groups will be heard today
(Thursday) and Friday in com
petition at both St. Mary’s acad
emy and O’Neill high school.
Thirty-five schools have en
tries.
Among earlier decisions in
piano division were:
Piano: Superior — St. Mary’s
academy duo and quartette; St.
Agnes academy trio, quartette,
sextette and duo; Oakdale, duo;
Verdigre, trio. Excellent—Til
den, duo.
Piano accordian: Neligh, su
perior.
FORMER ATKINSON
RESIDENT EXPIRES
ATKINSON — Funeral ser
vices were conducted at 2 p. m.
Wednesday for Mrs. Susie J.
Wood, 70, former Atkinson wo- <
man who died Saturday in Kan
sas City, Mo. She succumbed at i
the home of her son, Lester, 11 <
years to the day after the death |
of her husband, the late Earl
W. Wood.
Rev. W. C. Birmingham of
ficiated in burial rites from the
Methodist church with Seger’s | ^
mortuary in charge. j S
Susie J. Senieney was born
at Baird, la., on October 24,
1878, a daughter of the late 1
Mr. and Mrs. Julius Senieney, (
who were homesteaders in 1
the Stuart community. '
Mr. Wood was a decorator and <
a plasterer in the Atkinson com
munity for many years.
Survivors, include: Son—Les
ter C. Wood", of Kansas City, Mo.
Foster daughter — Mrs. Vernon
Holmes, of Las Vegas, Nev. ,
Brothers — Earl Senteney, of
Oshkosh, Wise.; Jack Senteney,
of Covina, Calif.; Elmer Senten
ey, of Portland, Ore. Sisters—
Mrs. Frank Stracke, of Herrick,
S. D. and Mrs. Joseph Gaston, of
Hebron.
Elmer and Earl Senteney and
Mrs. Stracks were among the
relatives from a distance present 1
for the funeral.
Mrs. Wood moved from Atkin- i
son to Kansas City about three
years ago.
—
Band Features
Army Day Parade
~
O’Neill Municipal band, com
posed of St. Mary’s academy and
O’Neill high school students,
featured the Army day parade
Wednesday.
Colors were carried by the
American Legion color guard.
Capt. Roger Thompson, of
Grand Island, spoke to a sizable
crowd at the corner of Fourth ,
and Douglas streets. . .
LONE CONTEST IN
MUNY ELECTIONS
Write - In Campaign in
Third Ward Unseats
Councilman
Proposal Is Rejected
O’Neill’s city and school elec
tions Tuesday were mild af
fairs even though a write-in
campaign in the Third ward un
seated Councilman G. C. De
Backer.
Unofficially only 40 votes
were cast in the First ward, 39
in the .second, and 110 in the
Third. Ballots were to have been
canvassed Wednesday night.
New Third ward councilman
is Norb Uhl—the write-in can
didate. Unofficial count was 82
to-28.
Councilman Hugh Ray, of the
First ward, and Councilman J.
L. McCarville, sr., of the Sec
ond ward, both unopposed, were
easy winners over rahdom
write-in candidates. City coun
cil offices are for two-year
terms.
In the school election, Miss
Anna O’Donnell and Dr. H. L.
Bennett, both incumbents, were
reelected for three-year terms
without opposition.
No muny caucuses were held
here this year. Names of Ray,
McCarville, DeBacker, O’Don
nell and Bennett were placed on
the ballot by petition.
McCarville had been appoint
ed to the council to fill the va
cancy created by the resigna
tion of Robert Armbruster, who
moved from the city a year a§o.
Recently he was elected chair
man of the council.
Vocational Ag Proposal
Rejected by Voters —
ATKINSON — Voters here
Tuesday turned thumbs-down
on a proposal which would have
brought vocational agriculture
training to students at both At
kinson high school and St. Jos
eph’s hall. Unofficially, 212 vot
ed “against” the issue, 154 “tor”
the proposal
On the ballot was a proposal
to build and equip a structure
to be ideally suited for teaching
agriculture, costing in the
neighborhood of $25,000 and con
structed with issuance of bonds
bearing interest not to exceed
six percent.
Proponents of the plan rea
soned that the additional stu
dents could be attracted to
Atkinson and their tuition
fees would enable the course
to "pay for itself."
Only contest among city coun
ci Imen and school board mem
bers was in the Third ward
where Council Incumbent
Charles Gonderinger, Citizens’
party candidate, was defeated
110-to-43 (unofficial) by L. P.
Hayes, Peoples’ party candi
date.
Roy Dickerson, of the First
ward, and Earl Coxbill, of the
Second ward, both council in
cumbents, were unopposed.
Also unopposed were Eli Mc
Donnell and E. H. Chace, both
ncumbents, on the board of
;ducation.
City Clerk H. A. Snyder post
?d these unofficial vote figures
>n the vocational agriculture
jroposal:
1st 2d 3d—Ttl.
“Against” 56 29 127—212
“For” 62 53 39—154
Noting Light in
ituart Election—
STUART — Village Clerk T.
!. McQuire reported Stuart's
lection Tuesday as "very
luiet”. There were no special
ssues and a total of 164 votes
vere cast.
R. A. Coffman, Walter Gill
md J. C. Flannigan were re
flected to the village board
vith virtually no opposition,
lari Weichman, a writ e-in
candidate, polled 22 votes but
lidn’t come close to any of
he three incumbents.
J. G. Brewster and Norris
'oats, both incumbents^ were
eelected to the board of ed
ucation. Coats was a write-in
candidate because his name
vas not on the ballot. He re
ceived 83 votes. Ward Dyer re
ceived 53 and Stanley Cobb
jolled 33 as other write-in
candidates.
Everyone Turns Out
in Emmet Voting —
EMMET—Virtually every el
igible voter in Emmet turned
out Tuesday to make a choice in
the village election in which two
new village trustees were to be
selected for two-year terms.
Winners were Dean Perry,
with 26 votes and Mrs. John
(Emma) Conard, with 23. There
was a tie for the third between
Wayne Fox and Mrs. Frank
(Mildred) Foreman, both having
received 21 votes*. How the tie
will be settled has not been
made known.
Incumbents were Mrs. Fore
(Continued on page 4)