10 PAGES — 2 SECTIONS SECTION I — PAGES I -8
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North-Nebraska’s Fastest-Growing Newspaper
VOLUME 69—NUMBER 3S O'WEILL, NEBR. THURSDAY, JANUARY S. I980 ‘ PRICeT7 ^TlfTB
Mrs. Mary Donlin is pictured with James McCaffrey at
Carrick, Macrosse, Ireland. Her relatives wanted her to stay on.
Crosses Ocean 5 Times
Mrs. Mary Donlin Says
Irish Depend on U.S.
Wheat, Fuel
Mrs. Mary Donlin, who re
cently returned to O’Neill after
a 17-months’, sojourn in her na
tive Ireland, recounts that she
has crossed the North Atlantic
five times.
Her first trip was made when
she was a girl about 18-years
old. That was her immigration
trip to America. In 1910 she
made her second crossing—re
turning to Ireland to visit rela
tives. Trip number 3 was re
corded when she returned to
America that same year.
On June 10, 1947, she set sail
from New York City for cross
ing number 4. By this time many
of her near-relatives had pass
ed away, and the main object
of her trip was to visit with her
sister, Mrs. Katie Flanagan, in
Dublin, and two brothers, John
and James Gregory, both of
Newton, County Wicklow.
Because of stringent ration
ing of "petrol" (gasoline), she
had been in Ireland three
months before arrangements
could be made for her jour
ney into Northern Ireland to
visit her brothers.
“Families are large in Ire
land,” Ms. Donlin quips. “Each
of my bothers has 12 children.”
They live on farms.
It' was in County Wicklow
that Mrs. Donlin was born.
Mrs. Donlin says the Irish
think America is a wonderful
place—judging from what they
read and hear and word they
receive from relatives. Every
Irishman has a relative in the
United States.
Recently, Mrs. Donlin says the
Irish depend on coal and wheat
from America. “They’d be lost
without it.”
Each family gets a pail full of
coal each week. This fuel sup
ply is supplemented by “turf”
or “peet.” Mrs. Donlin, who is
a seasoned traveler and knows
her way around, says she doesn’t
know what the Irish would do
without the fuel and grain sup
plies from America.
Mrs. Donlin brought back a
book, entitled “The Famine,” by
Rev. T. O. Herlihy, C. M. The
book tells of the terrible crop
failures in Ireland in 1845, 1848
and 1847. Ireland will never foi
get those years, according to
Mrs. Donlin. Many of the Irish
attempted to come to America
but died aboard ship.
Prices are still "very high”
in Ireland and goods are still
rationed. One must have a per
mit to purchase even a small
piece of fine Irish linen that is
world famous.
Mrs. Donlin describes the
Irish as philosophical people
and they don’t seem to miss!
what they don’t have. Their
chief worry now, she says, is the ;
partition with North Ireland.
Britain controls the six North j
Ireland counties including the j
port of Belfast. The British al
so control much of the linen in
dustry.
Folks in South Ireland want
the British to relinquish con
trol in the North and restore
Ireland into one, according to
the active Mrs. Donlin.
The O’Neill woman in all her |
trips has been most impressed i
by the simple beauty of the
Irish isle.
“Ireland is just beautiful,” she ,
exclaims with a brogue of
strong Celtic flavor. To Glenda
lough, County Wicklow, near
(Continued on page 8)
Visit Spalding—
Wednesday, December 28,
Mrs. Edna Coyne, Mrs. G. C.
De Backer, John De Backer
and James De Backer were in
Spalding.
CRASH FATAL TO
MRS. SCANELL, 33
Sister to James M. Corkle
Fatally Injured Near
El Paso, Tex.
Funeral services were held
Tuesday in El Paso, Tex., for
Mrs. George Seanell, 33, a sis
ter to James M. Corkle, of O’
Neill. Burial was in El Paso.
Mrs. Seanell was fatally in
jured Friday afternoon in a
head-on collision just a few
miles outside El Paso. She died
about half an hour later in an
El Paso hospital. Her husband
was injured seriously, although
not critically.
The couple was on the re
turn trip to their home in El
Paso after spending the holi
days with Mrs. Scanell’s moth
er, Mrs. Mary E. Corkle, of Til
den.
During the two-weeks’ visit,
Mrs. Seanell had helped out at
the Tilden postoffice during the
Christmas mailing rush.
Survivors include: widower,
George, of El Paso; brothers —
James M., of O’Neill; Charles,
of Norfolk; John, George and
Paul, all of Tilden; sisters —
Mrs. Ralph Lincoln, of Freder
ick, Md., and Sister Sarah, of
the Order of St. Francis of Pet
ersburg.
George Strong
To Be Questioned
Holt County Attorney W. W.
Griffin said late Wednesday
that State Highway Patrolman
Fay Robeson would question
George Strong, 25, of Inman,
regarding the highway crash
December 10 which took the
lives of two Holt county men.
The interrogation will be held
either today (Thursday) or Fri
day, January 6, at the Veterans
hospital in Lincoln where Strong
is a patient.
Strong’s condition has been
described by authorities as
“satisfactory.” He was transfer
red to the Lincoln hospital
shortly after the accident.
Strong was described as the
driver of the ill-fated car
which collided with a truck ;
December 10 six miles East of :
here on highways 20 and 275.
Robert C. Heck, 61. of Inman,
and Clarence P. Stevens, 41.
of Page, were killed instantly
in the accident.
A coroner’s jury on Decem
ber 12 found that the car in i
which Heck and Stevens met1
their death was being “operated
unlawfully.” At the close of the
inquest Griffin indicated he
would file charges against the
driver of the passenger vehicle
involved in the accident.
Appears on Television—
Miss Janice Jarman, daughter
of Mr. and Mrs. E. M. Jarman,
of Chambers, recently appeared
as a hostess on the Coffee
Counter television program over
WOW-TV in Omaha. Miss Jar
man, who represented the Col
lege of St. Mary, interviewed
two refugees from Czechoslo
vakia who had spent a year and
a half behind the iron curtain.
Miss Jarman is a freshman
studying dietetics at the college.
The Coffee Counter program
selects a student from a college
in or around Omaha to inter
view celebrities each week.
Miss Jarman graduated from St.
Mary’s academy in O’Neill last
Spring.
“Voice of The Frontier . . . i
9:45 a.m, Mon., Wed., Sat., |
WJAG, 780-kc.
MRS. ANNA PARK
DIES AT INMAN
Page Resident 17 Years
Succumbs at Home
Of Daughter
PAGE — Funeral services
were held at 2 o'clock Monday
afternoon from the Methodist
church here for Mrs. Anna Park,
75, a resident of Holt county for
47 years. Rev. T. O. Brownfield,
church pastor, conducted the
rites and burial was in the Page
cemetery near the grave of her
husband.
Mrs. Park died last Thurs
day evening, December 29, at
the home of a daughter, Mrs.
James Kelley, at Inman. She
had been in failing health for
the past two years and she had
been bedfast for the past four
months.
Pallbearers were George Park,
Lyman Park, Harry Park, Fred
Naslund, Otto Terrill and Oscar
Reed, all of Page.
A mixed quartet sang “Death
Is Only a Dream,” “Abide With
Me” and “Good Night and Good
Morning.” Voices were those of
Mrs. Cordes Walder, Mrs. Ger
ald Lamason, Vernie Hunter and
Edgar Stauffer. They were ac
companied by Mrs. John Lama
ion.
Members of the Rebekal
lodge had charge of the floral
offerings.
Anna Hoffman Dodge, daugh
ter of Janies and Anna Hoff
man, was born on May 11, 1874,
in Tidiouite, Pa. Her mother
having died at her birth and
father passing away nine months
later, she was taken into the
home of Rev. Milo Dodge and
Mrs. Dodge, who reared her.
On August 30, 1903, she was
united in marriage to Cornelius
H Park, of Page, at Long
Branch, Johnson county, Ne
braska. They resided on a farm
Northeast of Page until 1911,
moving to Page where she con
tinued to make her home.
•
Three daughters were born
to Mr. and Mrs. Park, all of
whom survive. Mr. Park died
in 1915.
The late Mrs. Park was a
member of the Maxfield Metho
dist church and when that
church was dissolved her mem
bership was transferred to the
Page Methodist church. She al
so was a member of the Rebek
ah lodge chapter at Page.
Three brothers, three sisters
I and two grandchildren also pre
! ceded her in death.
Survivors include: Daughters
—Mrs. Owen (Viola) Parks, of
Page; Mrs. James (Marjorie)
Kelley and Mrs. William E.
(Williametta) Kelley, both of In
man; 10 grandchildren; half
sister—Mrs. Herbert Abernathy,
of Sharon Springs, Kans.; nieces
and nephews.
Celebrations Mark
Beginning of 1950
As the New Year rang in and
Old Father Time of 1949 made
his exit, most Holt countyans
accepted the new decade in a
quiet manner.
The usual number of parties
and celebrants abounded. Priv
ate clubs were packed with
more exuberant merrymakers.
It was quiet on the streets
of O'Neill and also on the
highways in Holt county. No
arrests nor accidents were re
ported on the eve of 1950 or of
those returning home from
parties during the wee hours
of the new born year.
Simonson post 93 of the
American Legion here held a
party at the club with over 300
attending. The Atkinson volun
teer firemen played host to ap
proximately 6 0 0 celebrants,
probably the largest single par
ty in the county.
254 Car, Truck
Owners Buy Plates
Two hundred fifty-four Holt
county car and truck owners
have already picked up their
1950 motor vehicle license plates,
according to J. Ed Hancock, Holt
county treasurer.
The new plates went on sale
Tuesday. Hancock said there are
around 8,000 car and truck own
ers in the county. He advised
owners of vehicles to bring
along their 1949 registration cer
tificates when applying for the i
new motor vehicle license plates.
The Holt county treasurer’s j
office opens for business at 101
a.m. daily instead of the usual
8 a.m. during the rush period, j
5 Escape Serious
Injury in Accident
Five people escaped serious
injury early Monday morning'
at 1:45 a.m. when a two-car col
lision occurred iy* miles East
of here on highways 20 and 275,
according to State Highway Pa
trolman Fay Robeson.
Ernest Eppenbaugh, of O’
Neill. driver of one car, was
changing a flat tire. The car he
was driving was parked on the
North side of the highway head
ed West.
A car driven by Clarence
Wright, of Oakdale, was West
bound. The Wright car hit the
rear end of the parked Eppen
baugh vehicle and knocked it
290 feet, Robeson said. The Ep
penbaugh car went down the
North ditch and through a
fence, ending in a field on the
North side of the highway.
Robeson reported Wright said
he was traveling about 45
miles-per-hour when the acci
dent happened.
Visibly at the time of the
accident was good, the highway
patrolman said. Both vehicles
were damaged considerably.
Spencer Farmer
Takes Own Life
SPENCER — James McAllis
ter, 60, a longtime Boyd county
;sident, shot and killed himself
Friday at his home here, ac
ording to Boyd authorities.
His wife and several children
were home at the time. No mo
tive for the act is known.
It was reported that McAllis
ter went to his automobile, got
into the back scat and shot him
self with a .20-gauge shotgun
Funeral services were held at
9 o’clock Monday motying at
St. Mary’s Catholic cl^Ji at
Spencer.
4 Minor Fires
Here This Week
The O’Neill volunteer fire de
partment was called four times
this week to extinguish minor
blazes in O’Neill.
Sunday evening at 7:30 a wire
in the rear tail light assembly on
a car owned by John Mullen, of
O’Neill, shorted and ignited gas
oline that had spilled on the
wire. The car was parked where
Mullen lives in Southwest O’
Neill. No damage resulted.
Monday morning at 9:30 an
extension cord leading to a
Christmas tree in the home of
William White in South O’Neill
shorted and sparks ignited the
tree. A wall in the room where
the tree was standing and a ra
dio were slightly damaged. How
ever, the fire had been extin
guished before the department
arrived.
Monday at 4:30 p.m. a chim
ney burned out at the homo of
Cecil Spry in Northwest O’Neill.
No damage resulted.
Wednesday at 3:20 a.m., the
fire department was called to
the Tri-State hatchery. A small
blaze had burned some rafters
near the cement chimney. Ori
gin of the fire was not determ
ined. Police Chief Chet Calkins,
who was first to reach the scene,
had the blaze extinguished be
fore the department arrived._
LIGHTING CONTEST
WINNERS NAMED
Asinius, Harrington and
Skulborstad Homos
Take Prizes
Residences of Mr. and Mrs.
T M. Harrington and Mr. and
Mrs. Carl Asimus were acclaim
ed Friday as cowinners of the
outdoor Christmas residential
lighting contest sponsored by
the O’Neill Chamber of Com
merce. Mr. and Mrs. Palmer C.
Skulborstad’s home was award
ed second place honors.
Committeemen in charge of
the contest, J. B. Grady and
Harold Buman, said out-of
town judges were used in pick
ing the winners.
The Chamber posted a $10
first place prize and $5 for sec
ond
Buman and Grady said
more than a dozen homes
were candidates for the hon
ors. The contest was announc
ed at the last meeting of the
Chamber of Commerce, Tues
day, December 13. Entries for
te contest remained open un
til December 23.
Mrs, Asinius said a natural
blue spruce tree was the nucleus
of their outside decoration. The
tree was illuminated in Christ
mas fashion with more than 100
multicolored lights. At the top
of the tree was a star and an
angel with a miniature Santa
Claus sitting in the tree about
half-way down. A single Strand
! of lights led from the tree to
the Asimus house to complete
j the decoration.
The T. M. Harrington resi
, dence portrayed the nativity
, scene in the East window. The
scene, with the star of Bethle
hem, was lighted with an orange
light. E”ergreen, pine cones and
a large red ribbon accented with
blue lights decorated the East
entrance.
A full-length home-painted
picture of Santa Claus outlined
by Christmas lights decorated
the South door of the Skulbor
stad home, which captured sec
ond place honors. In windows
flanking the decorated door
were Christmas trees. In one,
the family tree; in the other, an
outline of a Christmas tree with
multicolored lights.
Father O’Sullivan’s
Reception Delayed
A reception for Very Rev.
Timothy O’Sullivan, new pastor
of St. Patrick’s Catholic church,
was scheduled to have been hold
Tuesday evening at the St.
Mary’s academy gymnasium.
Because of the adverse weath
er conditions the affair was post
poned and a new date will be
set.
Father O’Sullivan, successor
to the late Rt. Rev. J. G. Mc
Namara, came here last month
from Jackson.
FIRMS CLOSED
Member firms of the Chamb
er of Commerce remained clos
ed Monday, January 2, in ob
servance of New Year’s.
With the holiday falling on
Sunday, the legal holiday was
observed Monday.
Cold Blast Sends
_Mercury to —22
—
MARY SPANN, 89,
DIES SUDDENLY
Holt Kesident 40 Years
Dies Upon Arrival
At Hospital
ATKINSON — Funeral ser
vices will be held today (Thurs
day) at 2 o’clock from St. John’s
Lutheran church for 89-year
old Mrs. Mary Spann, widow of
the late William Spann. She
died Sunday, January 1, in
Sioux City.
Taken suddenly ill while vis
iting at the home of a daughter,
Mrs. Charles Wilde, she was be
ing removed to the Methodist
hospital when she died.
Rev. E. G. Ihrig, church
pastor, will officiate in the
burial rites and interment will
be in Woodlawn cemetery un
der direction of the Seger fun
eral home.
Mary Bergman Spann was
born February 24, 1860, at Ger
mantown, 111., a daughter of
John Bergman and Mary Bauer
Bergman.
She married William Spann
and they moved to the Atkin
son community in about 1910.
Her husband died in 1921.
Survivors include: Sons —
William, Albert and Elmer, all
of Atkinson; daughters—Mrs.
R. (Bertha) Snepp, of Lebanon,
Ind.; Mrs. Claude (Laura) Gray,
of Trout Creek, Mont.; Mrs.
Charles (Effie) Wilde, of Sioux
City; and Miss Fern Spann, of
Atkinson; 17 grandchildren; two
great-grandchildren; brother —
John Bergman, of Lincoln; sis
ter—Mrs. Anna Iverson, of
Hayes Center.
One daughter, Mrs. Louise
Kasdorf, died in 1937 and one
son. Frederick, died at the age
of 10.
2 Cars Collide At
Fourth and Everett
A two-car collision occurred
Monday at 3:15 p.m. at the in
tersection of Fourth and Ever
ett streets (Spelts-Ray corner)
here.
A car driven by Elmer Kais
er, 21, of Ainsworth, a former
resident here, was Southbound
on Fourth street. Mrs. Paul Fet
row, of O’Neill, driver of the
other car, was Eastbound on Ev
erett street when the accident
occurred.
Icy pavement was attributed j
by both drivers as the cause ofj
the accident. Kaiser estimated
between $75 and $100 damage
to his vehicle. A mechanic esti
mated $50 damage to the car
driven by Mrs. Fetrow.
Returns to Boulder—
Miss Joann Burgess returned
Sunday to Colorado university
at Boulder, Colo., after having
visited her parents, Dr. and Mrs.
L. A. Burgess, for the holidays.
Stork Busy As Derby Gets Underway
The stork has been a mighty
busy fellow lately—what with
three Holt county babies bom
since the advent of 1950 and at
least four born during the wan
ing hours of 1949
Reason the stork’s activity at
tracts so much attention is be
cause the clock’s striking mid
night on New Year’s eve mark
ed the start of The Frontier s
fourth annual first baby derby.
First baby born in the county
in 1950 will be showered with a
host of gifts from leading O -
Neill merchants cooperating
with The Frontier.
First entry to be received
by the first baby contest edi
tor was from Master David
Lynn Tracy. He announced
his arrival wlin a full-throat
ed cry at exactly 1 a.m. on
New Year's day.
Master David, son of Mr. and
Mrs. Frank Tiacy, of Cham
bers, was assisted into the
world by Dr. O. W. French, of
O’Neill, and O’Neill hospital at
tendants. Doctor French signed
the first baby entry blank as
attending physician.
But .Master David’s timely ar
rival, dramatic as it was, doesn’t
mean he is definitely the win
ner. According to contest rules,
all entries must be postmarked
by 8 p.m. on Monday, January
9, and official winner will be
announced in the January 12 is
sue of The Frontier.
In other words, The Frontier’s
first baby contest editor allows
ample time for parents of an in
fant born in the outer reaches
of the county to claim the honor.
Contest rules stipulate the ba
by must be born within the
confines of Holt county.
Other 1950 arrivals include:
A daughter, born to Mr. and
Mrs. Donald Clyde, of O'Neill,
on Monday. January 2, and a
daughter born to Mr. and Mrs.
Harold Mlinar, of Atkinson,
on Tuesday, January 3. (For
further details see Future
Subscribers on page 8).
Here’s the shower lineup:
McCARVILLES: Have a pair
of Red Goose shoes for the der
bv v^Mnner;
COYNE’S HARDWARE: Will
present a highboy drying rack
(regular value $3.95);
O’NEILL PHOTO CO.: Com
plimentary photographs valued
at $12 (including one 8x10 tint
ed enlargement with frame and
a dozen 3x5 mounted prints);
J. M. McDonald CO.: A doz
en white new-fangled diapers
j that you’ve been reading and
hearing so much about; they’re
called Snappi-Didi —regularly
sell for $3.98;
NEW OUTLAW GROCERY:
A case of Carnation evaporated
milk for the champ;
SHELHAMER FOODS: Case
of Heinz baby food for the 1950
derby winner;
NELIGH CREAMERY: One
case of vitamin D homogenized
milk—the best for baby;
SPELTS-RAY LBR. CO.: Five
hundred pounds of coal, par
ents’ choice—baby must be kept
warm;
GILLIGAN & STOUT: A B
F. Goodrich standard baby wat
er bottle from baby’s drug head
quarters in O’Neill;
JACOBSON'S: Hotpoint pres
sure saucepan—a gift mother
will appreciate, too;
McIntosh jewelry: a 10-!
karat gold baby ring—something
the first baby will cherish for a :
lifetime;
MIDWEST FURN. & APPL.:
A play pen pad, valued at $3,
and a bumper guard, valued at
$2.50;
And, for good measure, The
Frontier will issue to the lucky
one a FREE one-year subscrip
tion to North-Ncbraska’s fastest
growing newspaper.
Watch next week’s issue for
the official announcement con
cerning the winner of Holt
county’s 1950 first baby derby I
Wind, Snow Reminiscent
of Klizzards of
1948-’49
Snow, borne by a strong
Northwest wind, whipped across
the O’Neill region Monday and
Tuesday and sent the mercury
tumbling to a new low for the
Winter. Lowest temperature—
22 degrees below zero — was
recorded early Wednesday
morning.
The storm was mildly remi
niscent of the historic blizzards
of r948-’49.
• By Wednesday morning the
storm had subsided and that
is where the similarity with
last Winter's weather ended.
Unseasonably warm weather
prevailed in the O’Neill region
most of the Fall and early Win
ter. New Year’s day the weath
er was so mild that youngsters
played out-of-doors in shirt
sleeves. Mercury climbed to a
high of 52 degrees at midday on
New Year’s.
Stockmen were warned by the
weather bureau of the impend
ing blast as the storm moved
across the Northern Rocky
Mountain states and into West
ern Nebraska.
Early Monday rain turned to
sleet and the landscape was
bedecked in icy dress when O’
Neillites awakened. The ice
made driving hazardous on the
highways.
The sleet turned to snow, and,
according to Weather Observer
Elmer Bowen, about four inches
of snow fell during the ensuing
48 hours.
Wind reached an estimated
velocity of 30-miles-per-hour, ac
cording to Gordon Harper, man
ager of the municipal airport.
The O'Neill bus terminal re
ported that all busses in and
out of the city operated on
schedule despite the storm.
Chicago & Northwestern and
Burlington trains likewise ig
nored 01‘ Man Winter's blus
ter but were forced to operate
slightly behind schedule.
Communications were not im
paired although there were
momentary power interruptions
during the height of the storm.
The blast was not entirely
unexpected. Seasoned Holt
countyans knew that they had
been granted a reprieve through
November and December and
were prepared for anything the
weatherman might dish out.
Classes at O’Neill public
school were to have resumed
after the Christmas recess on
Tuesday, January 3, but Supt.
Ira George had to dismiss the
pupils because of cold build
ings—blamed on the heating
system. St. Mary’s academy pu
pils are not scheduled to resume
school until Monday, January 9.
Several* rural schools dismiss
ed Tuesday because of the se
vere weather and some church
and social functions were post
poned.
A demonstration of Nebras
ka's unpredictable weather ap
pears in The Frontier’s head
lines. Last week a weather
roundup was headed: "Indian
Summer in Return Visit.’’ This
week the headline on this story
mentions 22 degrees below zero.
Most of the Great Plains area
was swept by the storm.
Summary, based on 24-houx
periods ending at 8 a m. daily,
follows:
Hi Lo Mst.
December 29 50 10
December 30 43 11
December 31 52 17
January 1 43 15
January 2 52 15 .01
January 3 15 -8 .03
January 4 -6 -20
lit mainc Saunders,
Trairieland Talk’
Author, Is 111
For the second consecutive
week readers of The Frontier
will miss Romaine Saunders’s
“Prairieland Talk.”
Mr. Saunders, 79, has advised
The Frontier that he has been
"under the weather,” but hopes
to resume his column next
week.
He lives at 4706 Meredith
Ave., Lincoln 6, Nebr., near
members of his immediate fam
ily. Mr. Saunders spent several
months in O’Neill during 194#
when he served as editor-in
chief of The Frontier's Diamond
Jubilee edition