12 PAGES - SECTION A - PAGES I -A to 8-A
North-Nebraska’s Fastest-Growing Newspaper
VOLUME 69.—NUMBER 13._O'NEILL. NEBR.. THURSDAY. AUGUST 4. 1949. PRICE 7 CENTS
Hiway 20 Omitted
in 20-Year Plan
Lincoln Highway Gets Nod
Over ‘Forgotten Route’
Through O’Neill
U. S. highway 20, which
partitions Holt county on its
East-West span from coast-to- 1
coast, apparently is the “for
gotten route”.
It was omitted from the 20
year national road building
plan, which includes highway
30—often referred to as the
Lincoln highway—which par
allels 20.
Nebraska has a 48 Vi-million
-dollar stake in the proposed
40-thousand-m i 1 e super-high
way system which has been
recommended to congress. The
20-year, 11 -billion-dollar pro
gram for a network of broad, J
high-speed truck highways
places Nebraska on one of the I
three main East-West trans- j
continental routes.
Federal highway 30, run
ning Wesl from OInaha, gets
the nod and will sprawl ov
er 460 miles of Nebraska
land.
The road building program
was drafted by the Public
Works administration in coop
eration with the states. Con
gress has been asked to supply
one-half billion dollars a year.
No North-South super-high
ways would cross Nebraska,
but there would be one through
Sioux Falls, S. D., Sioux City,
la., Council Bluffs, la., and
Kansas City Mo.
Only 41 miles of present Ne
braska highway likely could
be used for the new road. In
general the route will follow
highway 30 but be “relocated.”
Rooney Mentioned in
Farm Credit Magazine
James W. Rooney, secretary of
the O’Neill Production Credit as- '
sociation, is pictured and fea
tured in a story in the Summer, I
1949, issue of the Farm Credit j
Leader, an organ of the Farm '
Credit Administration of Omaha. 1
Rooney was mentioned in con
nection with his work in Oper
ation Snowbound. The article
states:
“Rooney . . . was involved in
public and private groups that
fought the blizzard. He was in
the thick of storm relief work
from the time the first blizzard
hit on November 18 until the
snow began to melt in the
Spring.”
The article discussed at length
the struggle in Holt country. It
mentioned that the O’Neill PCA
sponsored three special broad
casts from O’Neill over radio
station WJAG, through the
“Voice of The Frontier” studios.
Auto-Hayrack Crash
Near Orchard
ORCHARD— A car-hayrack
accident occurred on highway
20 near here Tuesday morning
with damage to the vehicles !
and without personal injury, !
according to State highway pa- I
trolman Fay Robeson.
The driver of the Eastbound
car, William Hamann, of Wal- 1
cott, la., was passing the hay
rack. The driver of the trac
tor, pulling the hayrack, turn
ed left across the road when
the accident occurred.
Driver of the tractor was
Walter Anson, of Orchard.
Patrolman Robeson estimat
ed the damage to the car at
$300 while the hayrack, he
said, was completely demolish
ed.
Bids Being Received
On 214 Miles Line
Members of the board of di
rectors of the Niobrara Valley
Electric Membership corporation
will open sealed bids in a meet- 1
ing here Friday, August 12. The
bids will pertain to approximate,
ly 214 miles of rural electrifica
tion construction for Holt county,
according to Ed Wilson, manager.
At least three bids will be re
quired before one can be ac
cepted, pending confirmation by
REA in Washington, D. C.
Meanwhile, first phase con
struction is nearing completion
in Boyd county.
Holt construction will begin |
shortly after the contractor is ;
notified, Wilson said.
—
New Home Agent
Assumes Duties
Mrs. Berl Damkroger, new
Holt county home extension a
gent actively assumed her dut
ies August 1.
A June graduate of the Un
iversity of Nebraska, Mrs.
Damkroger received her bach
elor of science degree in home
economics.
The new home extension a
gent announced Wednesday the
meeting on August 9 of the
woman’s council to be held in
the assembly room of the
courthouse here. Plans will be
outlined for the Fall and Win
ter, Mrs. Damkroger said.
O’Neill PCA Holds
Annual Meeting
Fifty members of the O'Neill
Production credit association at
tended the 15th annual picnic
meeting at Ford's park Sunday,
July 31.
James W. Rooney, secretary- |
treasurer, of O’Neill, reported
that member-capital increased
$2,815 and reserves were upped
to $6,263 during the first six
months of 1949.
Member-capital now stands at
$68,380 with reserves totaling
$81,972.
Complete farm ownership, one
of the goals of the PCA here,
will be reached January 1, 1950,
when the final five-thousand
dollars of government capital is
to be repaid.
Ray Siders, of O’Neill, and
Otto Krupieka, of Spencer, were
re-elected directors. Nine stock
holders were presented with a
gift in appreciation of their pat
ronage. They were: E.»J. Revell,
of Star; Leslie Lamason, of Page;
It. B. Geary, of Inman; Robert
and Leonard Nay, of Elgin; M. B.
Higgins, William Babutzke, Ray
Siders, and D. C. Schaffer, all of
O’Neill.
A 15-year service pin was
awarded to Rooney with John W.
Nichlos, of Elgin, and Edith J.
Davidson, of O’Neill, receiving a
10-year service pin.
GRASS FIRE
O’Neill volunteer firemen
were called Sunday at 7:30 p.
m. to extinguish a prairie fire
two miles East and half a mile
South of here. No damage re
sulted.
COMPLAINTFILED
IN CHECK CASE
Ewing Man Charged with
Forging and Passing
$20 Check
Loyd Angus, of Ewing, filed
a complaint in Holt county
court Wednesday morning
charging Clifford B. Kopetjka
27, with forging and passing
a $20 check at the Farmers
State bank at Ewing on July
7.
Kopetjka, allegedly A W O L
from the Army, was in custody
in Norfolk after having been
arrested there Tuesday night.
At the time of his arrest, Ko
I petjka had on his person false
identification. However, Holt
County Sherriff A. B. Hub
bard said Kopetjka confessed
to his real identity.
The complaint stated that
the $20 check was signed by
Ralph J. Kopetjka and passed
on the Farmers State bank at
Ewing on July 7.
Sheriff Hubbard returned
Kopetjka to Holt county Wed
nesday afternoon to answer
the complaint.
Fairview Church
Gets New Roof
DELOIT — The Fairview
church was shingled recently
by parishoners and friends of
the church.
Taking part in the shingling
bee were: Marvin Fuller, Don
ald Fuller, Victor Maben.
Howard Manson, Roy Buson,
Shaw Gurnsey, Fred Stearns,
Guy Taylor, James Wiegand
and Henry Reimer.
Homecoming will be held at
the church on August 7. Glen
Williamson will be in charge.
There will be basket dinner at
noon.
NEW SUPERINTENDENT . . .
A1 D. Johnson (above), of
Los Angeles, Calif., Monday
became mechanical superin
tendent at The Frontier, suc
ceeding Dudley J. Stone,
who has gone to Detroit,
Mich. Married, Johnson
comes to The Frontier with
a varied background in the
newspaper work. Originally
from Geneva, he worked on
the Nebraska Signal there
for two years and the Arap
ahoe Public Mirror for two
years before going to Los
Angeles. Mr. Stone and his
family moved to Detroit last
month.
HARPER ELECTED
LEGION CHIEF
World War II Navy Vet
Succeeds Gallagher
As Commander
Gordon O. Harper, 37, man
ager of the O’Neill muncipal
airport, Thursday, July 28, was
elected commander of the Si
monson post 93 of the Ameri
can Legion here.
He succeeds John R. Gallal
gher, O’Neill attorney, who de
clined to be a candidate for the
position.
Harper, a World War II Navy
air corps veteran, spent most
of his tour of service duty at
the Jacksonville, Fla., navy air
base.
Entering the armed forces
from Iowa, Harper was dis
charged from the Navy in 1946
as an aviation machinists’ mate
first class, after nearly three
years of service.
Married, Harper has two
daughters, ages nine and 12,
and has resided in O’Neill
! since the war,
Commander Harper was
born in Holt county and lived
most of his life on the family
farm 1 Vi miles Southeast of
Page.
Since boyhood days Harper
has been enthusiastic about
flying and airplane mechanics,
according to the family.
He and a childhood friend
bought a plane that had been
wrecked in a pasture near Page.
The two spent a Winter and
most of the following Spring
repairing and patching the ship ,
to get it in flying condition. j
By the time Summer rolled
around, the plane was in fly
ing condition and they taught
themselves to fly.
At present the new comman
der is not in O’Neill to form
I ally comment on his election.
I Harper, his family and his par
; ents, are vacationing in the
| state of Washington,
i Harper was a central figure
; during the state of emergency
which existed here during the !
Winter of 1949. Almost single
| handedly he performed the
maintenance operaitons that
kept small aircraft flying on
mercy missions to snowbound
rural people.
Other officers are: Eugene
Cantlon, 36, manager of Gam
bles department store, vice
commander; Jack Arbuthnot, of
O’Neill, sergeant-at-arms; Rob
ert Eby, of O’Neill, chaplain.
Elected to the executive com
mittee are: Dorance Crabb,
Bennett Gilligan, Melvin Ruz
icka, H. L. Bennett and Elgin
Ray. All are of O’Neill.
W. W. Griffin, Leo Carney
Emmet Carr and Robert Miles
composed the nominating {com
mittee.
Commander Harper was
elected on the first round of
voting. Other candidates for
top position were: Keith Abart,
of O’Neill, Bud Cole, of Em
met, and Dorance Crabb, of
O’Neill.
Vice - Commander Cantlon
spent 36 out of 42 months of
his navy service in the South
Pacific participating in 10 ma- j
jor engagements. I
^ I 1
Super-highway plan includes routs 50—the Lincoln highway_
but omits number 20, which passes through O'Neill and Holt
county.
SEWERAGE PLANS
TO BE DRAWN UP
Engineer Price Explains
Various Disposal
Facilities
The O’Neill city council
Tuesday evening authorized
Donald D. Price, of Lincoln,
consultant engineer to proceed
to draw up plans and estim
ates for a sewerage disposal
system here.
Preliminary estimates for the
cost of a new disposal range
from 30 to 130-thousand dol
lars, according to Price.
The city is confronted with
the problem of the sewerage
that is not flowing properly
on the South side of the rail
road tracks here.
Temporary repairs have to
date cost the city close to three
-thousand dollars, with the in
adequacey still prevailing.
This is the first step toward
a possible replacement of the
1911 river dumping disposal
system, according to some ob
servers.
The city council also agreed
to pay for the electricity for
two lights to be installed by
Consumers public power dis
trict in Ford’s park.
Supervisors Hired—
William Herman, of O’Neill,
has been hired as supervisor
at Ford’s park during the
month of August, according to
Robert Kurtz, council member
of the Parent-teacher’s asso
ciation. The park will be sup
ervised between one and five
o clock every day except Sun
day during August.
O'Neill Girl Is
Televised in Virginia—
Miss Barbara Bennett,
daughter of Dr. H. L. Bennett,
was televised recently while
attending a sports event in Al
exandria, Va. As she stepped
up to the microphone for an
interview, t n e emcee asked
ner what state she was from
He seemed very pleased to
hear Nebraska and exclaimed
he was “very familiar with
Greely, Neb.,” His name was
Jim Gibbons. Miss Bennett
had accompanied her brother
in-law K. P. Ferree. Mrs. Fer
ree, l.or sister, saw the televis
ed show at their home with
the Ferree’s new daughter.
Deloit Infant Run
Over by Hayrack
DELOIT — Mary Venteicher,
six-months-old daughter of Mr.
and Mrs. Sylvester Venteicher,
! was run-over by a hayrack
Monday.
She was lying on the ground
on a blanket between a tract
or and a hayrack, while her
father was unloading hay. The
brake on the tractor failed to
hold and two wheels of the
rack ran over the infant's
chest.
The tot was rushed to a
doctor in Elgin who said that
she had suffered only minor
bruises.
Mary was drinking lrom a
bottle at the time of the acci
dent. The rubber tires on the
rack are credited with saving
the child’s life.
Mrs. Venteicher is the form
er Margaret Sauser, of O’Neill.
WJAG ... 780 on your dial!
Community Auction Goods Sought
With the addition of $7,
298.71 since July 16, the St.
Anthony’s hospital building
fund has been boosted to over
$88,500 through popular sub
scription.
The all-out campaign is on,
James M. Corkle, drive chair
man said, in order to obtain
the money needed to send the
fund over the minimum 100
thousand dollar mark.
This must be popularly
subscribed before federal aid
is granted and the Sisters of
St, Francis will asume "any
reasonable indebtedness.
Saturday night, July 30, a
calf was won by Joe Warnek,
of Anoka. It was then sold to
Austine Hynes for $50. He re
turned it and Dick Tomlinson
I repeated the process.
In addition to the calf sale,
proceeds from the bingo game
and auction were donated to
the buidling fund.
A livestock sale and a grand
community public auction are
now in the making, which will
boost substantially the grand
total of donations to the build
ing fund, Corkle said.
L. D. Putman, of O’Neill, has
been named chairman of a
committee to promote the live
stock sale to be held early in
September, according to Corkle.
kle.
There is still a need for more
calf donations to make the sale
a success.
In addition to the donation j
of the Ray Siders’ heifer, a
yearling white face steer was
donated by George Losher, of
O’Neill, while H$mk Martin, of
O’Neill, contributed an angus
steer calf from his 1949 crop.
Meanwhile plans have
been completed and many
merchandise donations re
ceived for the community
auction sale to be held Sat
urday, August 13, West of
the Golden hotel.
Mrs. Edna Coyne and Mrs.
Harry Sullivan are cochairman
of the sale. The merchandise
that has been contributed by
the O’Neill business firms fol
lows:
Marcellus Implement, new
DeLaval separator; Slat’s Cafe,
20 pounds coffee; H. L. Parker,
10 gal. basement tar; Nu-Way
Cafe, Case of canned vegetab
les- New Outlaw Store, 3 bush
el fruit; Cocker’s Locker, bi
cycle. double hot plate; Super
Market, Nutrena feed; Chev
rolet garage, 3 ton hydraulic
portable jack; Crabb Service
Station, t) gal- Penwalld oil;
Arburthnot Oil Co., case DX
motor oil, any weight; Gillig- !
an & Stout, Brownie camera; 1
Howard’s Market, 100 lbs. su- j
gar; Gambles, plastic covered j
chair; Saunto’s, necktie; Jonas
Furniture store, kitchen stool;
O’Neill Auto Supply, tools;
Brown-Mc-Donald Store, blan
ket; Firestone Home Supply
Store, steam iron; Matt’s tav
ern, box cigars; Gillespie’s, ra
dio; Schultz Store, 4 pound
coffee and coffee pot; Spelts
Ray Lbr. Co., 2 gal. Pench
rome natural finish; Streeter’s
i barber shop, Creme oil hair
j dresing; Biglin Bros., desk
lamp; McCanville’s, necktie;
Midwest Funiture, Duncan
Phyfe coffee table; Jacobson’s
! Electric, stainless steel kitchen
set; Osborne’s Shoe store, pair
childrens shoes, any size; Mc
Intosh Jewelry, K. C ring,
Man’s handtooled bill fold; Ap
parel Shop, purse, scarf; Stan
dard oil company, five gallon
Isovis motor oil; Davidsons
Plumbing, 1 double sink; Lo
haus Motor Co., 600x16 tire;
Tom-Tom cafe, five % gal
lon ice cream, (may be picked
up at any time;) Benson’s beer
parlor, box cigars; Council Oak
- tore, two sacks White Loaf
flour; John McManus, bathing
suit size 34, 6 yards drapery
material; Elite cafe, case ol
Heinz ketchup; Harrington
Shoe shop, horse collar; Mc
Elvains, box cigars; Fetrow
Garage, hot plate and pyrex
coffee maker; J. C. Penny &
Co., shirt, tie, socks uniform,
and toilet articles; Dons bar,
box cigars; Kersenbrock s Marr
ket, gallon peaches; Yirgl,n„ut'
lectric, rubber flash. hg„’
Marie’s Beauty shop, $15 elec
tronic permanent; Coynes
Hardwear. white, porcelain
double drain tubs; Moore-No
ble Lumber company, t w o
ware stretchers, four guartS,
(Continued on Page 8-A)
Pair Plead Guilty
To Drink Charge
Two men were fined Wed
nesday morning in county
court by Judge Louis W. Rei
mer after they pleaded guilty
to a charge of driving while
intoxicated.
The two men. Leo A. Joch
um, 22, of Elgin, and Keith M.
Delashmutt, 25, of Burwell,
were fined $50 and costs and
had their drivers’ licenses sus
pended for 60 days.
State Highway Patrolman
Fay Robeson picked the pair
up at a service station in West
O’Neill after he had received
three complaints about them.
According to reports, Jochum
and Delashmutt had rounded
the corner by the First Pres
byterian church and hit a curb
that resulted in damage to the
car in which they were rid
ing.
SIEGLER NEW GAMBLES
DEPARTMENT HEAD
Manuel Siegler, of Dodge
City, Kans., has been named
head of Gambles main floor
clothing department, succeed
ing James Harty, it was an
nounced Monday by Gene
Cantlon, store manager.
Siegler comes to O’Neill
from Gambles store at Dodge
City. Married, Siegler assisted
this week in preparation for
Gambles second anniversary
sale which begins today,
(Thurday).
HAYING DONE
IN SOME AREAS
Moisture Helps Hut More
Is Needed to Assure
A Corn Crop
Grasshoppers, haying and
moisture were prominent this
week on the Holt crop front,
County Agent A. Neill Dawes,
reported Wednesday.
With the .47 of an inch of
rain that fell Friday and Sat
urday, July 29 and 30, the com
crop in Western and Northern
Holt county looks "somewhat
better," the cour.ty agent com
mented.
Even though, he continued,
there is a distinct need for
more moisture in those areas
to insure a good crop of corn.
The cool weather that follow
ed the rain is particularly ben
eficial, the county agent said.
Meanwhile, a number of
farmers Southwest of Ewing
and Southwest of Atkinson re
ported their haying is com
plete.
According to the 1947 Neb
raska department of agricul
ture statistics, there were 327,
000 acres of native hay har
vested that year in Holt coun
ty compared to 335,000 acres
in 1946.
As some of the haying in
the county is being complet
ed, the grasshoppers are
moving to the greener crops,
mainly to the alfafa, Dawes
reported.
Reports show there is a gen
eral “light” infestation of
grasshoppers, indicating from
farmers there might develop
a heavier infestation in the
Atkinson and Chambers areas,
Dawes continued.
Assisting County Agent
Dawes is Vince Rawson, of
Orleans, a University of Neb
raska senior student.
The hottest mark of the week
was reached July 28, when the
temperature sored to 95 de
grees. The seasonal high was
recorded July 26 at 99 degrees.
This week’s weather sum
mary, based on 24-hour per
iods ending at 8 a. m., daily
follows:
Date Hi Lo Prec.
July 28 95 67
July 29 89 55 .31
July 30 70 52 .16
July 31 83 60
^ August 1 93 60
August 2 83 52
i August 3 80 o2
Mrs. Frank Taylor
Dies in Kentucky
AMELIA — Mi and Mrs.
i Ralph Rees this week received
word of the death of their
only daughter, Mrs. Frank
(Marjorie) Taylor. She died at
Mt. Olivet, Ky.
Mr. and Mrs. Rees and Mr.
and Mrs. Robert Rees depart
ed immediately.
The late Mis. Taylor was a
j teacher in the Amelia corn
unity for several years.
Survivors include the wid
ovtfer and three small children.
Details concerning her illness
and resultant death are not
known here.
DICK ROBERTSON
DIES SUNDAY
Heart Attack Is Fatal To
Lifelong Holt
Resident
Dick W. Robertson, 36, died
following a heart attack Sun
day afternoon at his farm
home in Joy, about 12 miles
North of O’Neill.
He was stricken in a tool shed.
His wife found the body shortly
before 6 p.m. A physician was
summoned and pronounced
death due to a heart attack.
Earlier in the week he had
been working in the hay fields.
Funeral services will be held
today (Thursday) at 2 p. m.
from the Presbyterian church
with burial in the Joy ceme
tery near the Robertson place.
Rev. Ralph Gerber will officiate.
Pallbearers are: Emmet
Crabb, Melvin Marcellus, Levi
Fuller, Alfred Drayton, James
McNulty, Harry Lansworth,
Henry Martin and Carl Miller.
A son of a pioneer Holt
Dick W. Robertson, 36 . . .
one of Holt's best-known farm
ers.
county couple. Mr. and Mrs.
John A. Robertson, he w a •
born on the Joy place on De
cember 3, 1912, and resided all
his life there.
On July 18, 1936, he married
La Verne Lillian Hartford, of
O’Neill, daughter of Mr. and Mrs.
George Hartford, at the First
Presbyterian church here. To
them five children were born.
He graduated from O’Neill
high school in 1930 and for two
years attended the University of
Nebraska at Lincoln. Returning
from the university, he farmed
lor a time with his father.
Mr. Robertson had farmed
and ranched all of his life and
owned over 860 acres of land
in Holt county at the time of
his death.
The late Mr. Robertson was
one of Holt county’s best-known
farmers.
Besides his widow, he is sur
vived by sons- Warren, Gary
and Bruce; and daughter Car
ol Ann; five brothers and five
sisters.
A daughter, LaDonna R a e
died in infancy.
Muny Band Bookings
Are Announced
The regular band concert
will be heard Saturday even
ing at the O’Neill bandstand
under the direction of Ira
George.
The program follows: Na
tional anthem, ‘‘Star Spangled
Banner", by Key; march, “Bar
num and Bailey’s favorite’’, by
K. L. King; march “The Hunt
reess”, by K. L. King; waltz,
“Let the Rest of the World
Go By”, by Ball; novelty, “Ted
dy Bears Picnic”, by Bratton;
March "Gallant Zouaves”, by
K. L- King; “Trombone Tobog
gan”. by Weber; vocal solo,
Tea for Two”, by Helen Ku
bitschek, Gene Paul George—
euest conductor; hymn, Near
er My God To Thee”; “March
of The Women Marines”, by
Saverino. ,
Future performances of tne
band are as follows: August 11
_Burwell rodeo; August 16—
free day at Crofton, August
17-18—Atkinson Hay days;
September 1 — Holt (Cham
bers) fair; September 5 —
South Dakota labor day cele
'^Th^band will have two r®‘
hearsals a week during Aug
ust These will be on Monday
and Friday nights. The Junta
recital will be given on Frt
Aucust 26. This will be
S^iSrS students who
have 18 months or less train
ing. ____
AMELIA—Gene Hansen re
cently purchased 120 acres of
hay land from Lance Withers.