Editorial fr Business Offices: 10 South Fourth Street
O'NEILL. NEBR.
CARROLL W. STEWART, Editor and Publisher
Entered the postoffice at O’Neill, Holt county, Nebraska,
as second-class mail matter under the Act of Congress of March
t, 1879. This newspaper is a member of the Nebraska Press
Association, National Editorial Association and the Audit Bureau
of Circulations
Established in 1880— Published Each Thursday
Ttim of Subscription: In Nebraska, $2.50 per year; else
where in the United States, $3 per year; abroad, rates provided
on request All subscriptions are strictly paid-in-advance.
Bill Biglin
Death has come to Bill (William J.) Biglin, 59, one of O’
Neill’s best-known residents and a member of a pioneer family.
It becomes the task of every newspaper to chronicle from
w«-k-to-week the passing of persons from the scene—whether
from an obscure family or whether from a socially prominent
family with considerable m« ans and prestige. Seldom, however,
does a newspaper editorialize on these occasions.
Bill Biglin was a good neighbor to all with whom he came
in contact. Few homes in the O’Neill region have not had occa
sion to intimately know Bill Biglin’s neighborliness and kindness.
He was supremely capable in the art of funeral directing
and in the art of comforting and looking after details for bereav
ed ones. Bill Biglin has, in his quiet, thoughtful way, been a part
of hundreds—yes, thousands—of funerals in this area. Because
of this contact his passing will be a distinct personal loss to many.
Others took over Tuesday as Bill Biglin was laid to rest in
Calvary cemetery.
The customary obituary will not contain the things about
Bill Biglin that those who knew him best will always remem
ber.
They will remember him for the little intimacies he stored
up regarding the people of all classes and creeds that he learned
to know so well. Some families he served not once but several
times. They will remember him as a respected and successful
businessman, who, with his brother, Frank, took over a small
mortuary, furniture store and implement business This business
grew and prospered and they served a community faithfully and
well. Everyone will remember Bill as a man generous of heart,
God-fearing, and as a substantial citizen. They will remember,
too, his jokes, particularly those with an Irish flavor that he,
himself of pure Irish descent, enjoyed telling.
Mr. Biglin was the head of a fine family, including his wife,
two sons and two daughters. One son died in infancy and the
other, Billy, died in Europe during World War II.
Bill Biglin’s decline began several years ago. In late months
he had received all attention that medical science could provide.
His death was not easy.
At The Frontier we considered Bill Biglin a good neighbor.
To thousapds of persons with whom he came in contact profes
sionally and socially, he was more than that: He was a fine man
and a kind, considerate and indispensable servant.
★ ★ ★
School Redistricting
(Guest Editorial from The Neligh News)
To any who believe that no redistricting is needed in Ante
lope county or who fail to see that there are inequalities in the
achool set up, the figures easily available to everyone—those on
the back of tax receipts—indicate just the opposite.
General fund levies (excluding the amounts levied for bond
ed indebtedness) vary from a low of 3.8 to a high of 30. While
amounts levied do not give an accurate picture of educational
opportunities, the extreme difference in total levies shows that
taxes for schools vary enough to be termed unjust. This is a mild
way of stating that some taxpayers are getting away with mur
der.
It has become a generally accepted principle that education
is a valuable eno igh item in the United States to command taxes
from everyone—disregarding whether or not a taxpayer has chil
dren, or at least relatives, to take advantage of public education
al opportunities. This system of payment by everyone, not just
the actual patrons of a school, has come about because of the
principle that ignorance is an expense democracy can ill afford.
Education has become one of the nation’s valuable attributes and,
as such, the burden of payments rests on everyone.
The problem of redistricting has arisen in Nebraska because
of: 1) inequality in education; 2) inequality in school taxes. Be
cause money is such an important item in the lives of Americans, i
the latter reason will probably become the most recognizable for
bringing us to realize that there is a need to revamp Nebraska’s
schools. The purse is still all-important to most.
If we can completely overlook the need for investment in
education by all citizens, then we can disregard as unimportant
the 3.8 to 3f) mill spread that exists here.
But for those who recognize a need for equality, the goal
could well be equal educational facilities for every child at the
actual coverage levied for all schools in Antelope county—some- !
where near 12 to 15 mills.
Harry Harpers Mark
38th Anniversary
PAGE—Mr. and Mrs. Gordon
Harper and family, of O’Neill,
Mr. and Mrs. Frank Beelaert
and family and Mr. and Mrs.
Marvin Stauffer and family
spent Friday evening with Mr.
and Mrs. Harry Harper to help
them celebrate their 38th wed
ding anniversary. A lunch was
served during the evening.
Miss Maude Reed and Harry
Harper were married February
3, 1912, at the home of Dr. and
-I
Mrs. H. A. Skelton at Spencer.
They begun housekeeping on a
farm 2 miles south, of Page and
continued to live there until
five years ago, when they mov
ed to a home they had bought
in Page.
Mr. and Mrs. Harper have
three children: Gordon Harper,
of O’Neill, Mrs. Beelaert and
Mrs. Stauffer, of Page.
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i
Prairieland Talk —
This Generation Prefers Economic Stilts
fo Down-to-Earth Wooden Shoes’
By ROMAINE SAUNDERS
LINCOLN — The opening
paragraph of a letter from
Homer Campbell, of Seattle,
Wash., reads:
•‘Well, the North Pole finally
tumbled over Puget Sound,
with frigid winds racing with
powered snow from Bering
I Sea—nearly two weeks of it
Romaine
Saunders
now off-and
on, with a
Chinook thaw
i n between.
Today the
sharp edge of
the North
wind again
jabs the ten
derfoot's face.
We’re so used
to temperate
Winters w e
can’t take it.
Used to be
the Japanese
current
wartrrved our shores. It hasn t
really showed up since the war.
Like a lot of other good things,
gone where the whandoocue
moumeth.”
Homer thinks this genera
tion is to be pitied for its stu
pid optimism. "It prefers/' he
says, "the economic stills they
are walking on to the down
to-earth wooden shoes.
“A doped - up commentator
last night bragged we now have
twice as many automobiles we
had horses in 1900. He forgot io
say the horses were paid for.”
• • •
One year ago prairieland was
bucking snow banks. Forty-one
years ago we were walking ov
er them. Yesterday and today
mark the 41st anniversary of a
big blow.
As night enfolded the town
and far - flung landscape the
evening of Monday, February
8, 1909, it came with fearsome i
import out of the cradle of
storm clouds to the northwest.
A light snow floated in like fea
thers plucked from Arctic birds ,
and increased in volume as the |
February night wore on. By
dawn there was a whirling,
maddening blizzard beating a
cross the land. For a day and a
night, on into Tuesday night a
repetition of the ’88 visitation
baffled man and beast on prai
rieland.
On the morning of the 10th
we looked out on a froxen
waxte of white glowing under
a fair sky. The big blow wax
over.
All night Monday Jack Cam
i and a helper as night watchman
l of the town were on the alert
and sent word by early morn
ing by telephone or in person to
parents to not let their children
leave for school. Business places
in O’Neill were closed all day
Tuesday. Trains were stalled
and roads in all directions
blockaded. Burlington trains
from Sioux City did not get
through for days. Men joined
the shovel brigade and worked
east of O’Neill to open the road.
Snow had piled up to a depth
along the light of the way that
the tops of telegraph poles
were within reach of the men.
The North Western trains plow
ed through by the second day.
The loss of livestock was con
siderable but I do not recall of
any settler perishing as was tbe
case in the ’88 blizzard. The
Ditch company was wintering
7,000 head of cattle. Ed Eno and
the cow hands were out looking
after the herds and Ed had a
beautiful probosis the rest of
the winter as the result of be
ing frozen that day. The Ditch
company reported a loss of 70
head of cattle. A few seasons
later almost their entire herd
was wiped out and the compa
ny liquidated.
Smaller losses were sustained
by various ranches over the
county. Beef hides were hauled
to town in quantities as soon as
roads were open.
Vivian, a homesteader over in
Wheeler county, was in the hide
shipping business out of O’Neill
and Ewing and supplied the
tanneries with a car load of
Holt county beef hides from
each shipping point.
* * *
A gentleman of the cloth vis
ited one of his church group,
a patriach 95-years-old. The old
boy congratulated himself that I
he had no enemies. You have
lived for 95 years and have no
enemies, that is remarkable,
said the clergyman No, I hav
en’t an enemy—I've outlived
them all, explained the oldtim
er.
Personal friendship is a thing
to be cherished, but it is going
too far to make that an excuse
in defense of anyone convicted ,
of a grave national crime.
Things are coming to light re
flecting on some entrusted with j
government responsibilities that'
calls for a through houseclean
ing at the nation’s capital
• • ; •
An Englishman who had been
giving a public address in a
hall in his native Westmore
land concluded his discourse
by saying he was English bom.
had lived as an Englishman, and
would die English. Out on the
floor a Scotchman bobbed up
to say, “Mon. have ye na am
bition!”
Czar Nicholas was Liquidated
to be succeeded by another ab
solute boss of the Muscovites,
more than a boss, deified as
god. We have some alleged di
eties over here. Without batting
an eye a pudgy gent of color
from New York City’s black
belt states in brazen nigger En
glish that he is god- And he gets
away with it among many sons
and daughters of Africa, to the
extent that he is probably the
richest nigger extant.
Oddly enough the first hu
man deified was a colored
man. Nimrod, the great grand
son if Noah.
A halo of diety has been at
tached to monarchs ever since.
Some set up movie mugs as
their gods and a lot of us have
a political god. And after all
we might as well admit that
we are a pretty shody outfit.
• • •
Young children left without
father or mother out at Hamp
ton by the relentless grind of
the juggernaut of the highways.
A Nebraskan family left home
less by a night fire during
whiich an 11-year-old girl per
formed on act of heroism in
saving the lives of her little
brother and sister, when both
parents were not at home. The
father had gone for the mother i
who had been away at work and |
the brave young girl, aroused |
from sleep by alarming smoke
got herself and 3 little ones to
safety.
• • •
Those qualified to know
say alcholism is a disease. The
virus of disease may strike
anywheare. The alcoholic vol
unteers to make of himself a
victim.
• • *
A hitherto unknown high
brow comes forward with what
it termed a remedy for human
ills. It goes like this: “The good
ness - badness concepts of the
church and the knowledge-ig
norance of educators must give
way to maturity - immaturity
hookup with physchology.’’ Sure
that ought to do it.
I Assessors in a number of Ne
braska counties which former -
j ly functioned for a few months
I in the year are now on a status
with other county officials in
i full time service. This has made
| the job more attractive. If there
; is a county official upon whose
head there is heaped the mal
edictions of an outraged tax
payer it is the assessor- A num
ber have offered themselves as
a sacrifice upon the altar of the
taxpayers’ wrath for the notm
ination in Holt county.
Assessor Lloyd Gillespie has
weathered successfully two
campaigns and. like the late
boy orator of the Platte, comes
up as fresh as ever for the
third, Lloyd's tribal roots go
back into the 1870's when
they were anchored in the
gulches out on the river and
with such pioneer hardihood
as a background politican
tenderfoots maybe better be
on their guard.
I take it the assessor’s job en
tails some years of study of the
mandatory laws to develop a
degree of perfection and with
an exacting public to deal with
it is something of a marvel
that any such official in Ne- j
braska is able to repeat.
* * *
Mr. Gustavson, the able chan- j
cellor of the state university,
takes his stand with the lead
ers of educational and religious
thought with respect to the
deadly bomb. It is a travesty
on civilization and an outrage
on humanity or the big stick
that holds the key to world
peace, according to the way
you look at it. That bombs every
where might be outwitted is a
consumation devoutly to be
wished. But we are in a world
that harbors dangerous men at
the head of remorseless nations.
The H-bomb is said to be a
thousand times more destruc
tive than those that brought
Japanese to their knees. If this
new agent of death will do the
half of what scientists say it
will and is turned loose to blow
up the earth the race will be
getting about what’s coming to
it.
* * *
It was a mild morning in mid
October. John Sullivan, then
chairman of the board of sup
ervisors, was headed for the
courthouse. Passing in view of
the city jail a prisoner stowed
away by Pete Duffy, sheriff at
the time, motioned for John to
step over to the jail. Now John’s
official dignity never rested so
heavy on him but what he could
stop any time to help a fellow.
But this prisoner was asking
too much. He wanted two or A
three hack saws. He was a Beau
(Continued on page 7.)
PUBLIC SALE
Followinq the recent death of my husband I must otter
for Public Auction all of my Personal Property at our Farm ,
Home 5 |/a miles North and One-half mile West of Chamber*; *
or 13 miles South and 6 Vi miles West of O'Neill, on
FRIDAY, FEB. 17
Sale Starts at 12:00 O'Clock Noon - Lunch on the Grounds
31 - HEAD OF CATTLE - 31
S qood Milk Cows to freshen in February, good ages; 8
Black Angus Heifers, 3 years old, 1 with Calf by side; 3 Black
Angus Heifers, 2 years old; 2 Black Angus Heifers. 1 year
old; 4 Black Angus Steers, 1 year old; 2 Holstein Heifers, 2
years old, 1 fresh; 1 Guernsey Heifer. 2 years old; 2 White- .
face Stock Cows; 2 Brockleface Cows; 2 Registered Aberdeen- -
Angus Bulls, 2 and 3 years old.
4 - - HEAD OF HORSES - - 4
1 Sorrel Mare, smooth mouth, wt. 1300 lbs.; 1 Black
Gelding. 8 years old. wt. 1300 lbs.; 1 Black Gelding. 9 years
old, wt. 1600 lbs.; 1 Sorrel Gelding, 8 years old, wt. 1600 bs.
HOGS and POULTRY
1 Brood Sow to farrow in April.
Some Turkeys Ducks and Geese.
FARM MACHINERY, Etc.
2 Wagons and Hay Racks, one with steel wheels; 1 steel
wheeled Wagon and Box; 1 Hay Stacker; Two 12-ft. Rakes;
Two 7-foot Mowers; One 8-foot Disk; 1 Walking Plow; 1 Cul
tivator; 1 Corn Planter; One 400-egg Incubator; 1 Hudson
500-Chick Brooder; several Oil Barrels, and many other arti
cles loo numerous to mention. 1939 CHEVROLET COACH.
HOUSEHOLD GOODS
One 6-foot Servel Refrigerator, nearly new; 1 Welbilt
Gas Range, like new; 1 Gas Power Washing Machine; 2 Beds
and Springs; and other miscellaneous articles.
TERMS: CASH, or see your banker before the sale.
MRS. ESTHER WOOD, Owner
COL. EDWIN THORIN, Auctioneer LEO T. ADAMS, Clerk j
won it in!
WHAT sterling is to silver, the Fashion Academy of New
York is to the world of fashion—the last word! And
again for 1950, as for 1949, it has selected the Ford Car
to receive its distinguished gold medal award as "Fash
ion Car of the Year.” There is, we believe, no
greater proof of the beauty of the ’50 Ford. And there’s
no greater proof of its fine performance than a 10-minuta
"test drive.” Your Ford Dealer will be glad to arrange it.
Tile one fine car in the low-price fiel
rfr'lestVflivt it..at<j»l fitcL CWms
Lohaus Motor Co.
PHONE 16 - O’NEILL
1
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