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North-Nebraska s Fastest-Growing Newspaper
VOLUME 70—NUMBER 4 _O'NEILL, NEBRASKA, THURSDAY, JUNE^, 1950 PRICE 7 CENTS
O’Neill’s Population Is 3,038
STAT£ hist soc
% '
Show-Down Near
_
In Power Dispute
r - -
Atkinson Editor Rallies
People to Support
Consumers
ATKINSON — There has
been lots of bickering over At
kinson’s power situation dur
ing recent months.
Realizing a major crisis had
arrived, Editor Ralph J. Kelly
of the Atkinson Graphic de
cided to do something about it.
In the May 26 issue of the
Graphic, he planted the issue
» squarely in the hands of the
people by presenting them the
facts.
The Atkinson power picture
is rather complicated by now.
Here’s why:
For several years an old Elk
horn river valley transmission
line has been inadequate in
supplying power to the town.
Consumers Public Power dis
trict engineers, handicapped
after the war by personnel and
material shortages, readied plans
for a new transmission line in
to the city where a substation
would be located in the “heart
of the power load,” an estab
lished principle for delivering
I power efficiently.
Two routings through the
city were opposed for 1
reason or another. There was
some litigation regarding l
proposed route through the
residential section.
Finally, it was decided to run
the incoming power line from
the east (O’Neill) along the
Chicago & Northwestern rail
road tracks to connect with a
recently-built substation.
. As if enough arguing and
bickering and starting *• and
* stopping of construction crews
had not already taken place, the
Atkinson city council voted 3-2
in favor of asking Consumers
to abandon the railroad route.
' If Consumers were to agree,
only 2 possible alternatives re
mained: 1) to build around the
town; 2) to mend the old line.
This would, in effect, deny
Atkinson a 50-thousand-dollar
improvement in their power
setup and deny for a consider
able perjod of time any chance
to bring Atkinson’s power ser
vice level up to standards en
joyed in most towns.
Following the 3-to-2 decis
ion. L. C. Walling manager of
the O'Neill district headquar
ters, ordered his crews off the
railroad route and began to
withdraw equipment and ma
terial.
This prompted Mr. Kelly to
arouse the interest of the citi
zenry. The Graphic made bal
lots available to the people and
maintained a ballot box at the
newspaper office.
A special meeting of the
council is to be held at which
time the unofficial ballots will
be counted and an unofficial
concensus will have been learn
ed.
The council’s 3-to-2 action
was induced by a petition that
had been circulated earlier and
bore 264 names.
A special meeting of the
council was to have been held
Monday night but 1 member
was out-of-town and the ses
sion was not called. The special
meet was tentatively planned to
have been held Wednesday
night, May 31, but if all coun
cilmen were not present the re
sults of the secret balloting were
to be withheld until the next
regular session of the board on
Monday, June 5.
William W. Watson
Osborne’s Manager
William W. Watson, 30, has
been appointed manager of Os
borne’s shoe store here.
Watson, who is a veteran of
World War II having served
with the air force, has been
manager at Osborne’s Ord store
for IVz years before coming to
O’Neill.
A junior partner with the Os
borne firm, Watson is a native
of Holt county. He was reared
in the Inman community and
graduated from the Inman high
school. He attended the Univer
sity of Nebraska at Lincoln
from 1939-’41.
Married, Watson is the father
of 2 children.
Meanwhile, Osborne’s are ex
panding the store shelf space
and will devote the south part
of the store to a children’s de
partment.
Superintendent
Takes Over Today
L. C. Anderson, 54, of Benkle
men, recently signed general
superintendent for the city of
O’Neill, assumes his duties here
today (Thursday).
He was hired by the city coun
cil in special session on Tues
day, May 23.
Meanwhile, it has been an
nounced that the city dump
grounds has been fenced-in and,
beginning Monday, June 5, the
gate will be open each week
day from 7 a. m. to 7 p. m., but
will not bf open on Sundays.
A custodian will be in charge
of the grounds who will show
persons where to dump garbage
and burnable refuse during
those hours.
LIONS CLUB QUEEN . . .
Bernadette Hyne%, 16-year-old,
brown haired St. Mary’s acad
emy senior, Wednesday, May
24, was chosen to represent
O’Neill in a state beauty con
test to be held at Scottsbluff
June 4-5, sponsored by the
Lions club.—O’Neill Photo Co.
I LEVI RITTS, 82,
EXPIRES MONDAY
—
Farmed North of O’Neill
Until 10 Years Ago;
Dies at Coleridge
Funeral services were held
j here Wednesday, May 31, for
| Levi Ritts, 82, a retired Holt
| county farmer.
Ritts, who had been living at
Coleridge, died Monday morn
ing at 8 o’clock of a heart di
sease.
Ritts had been a Holt county
farmer up until 10 years ago
when he retired. He had farm
ed north of O’Neill.
Born during 1868 in Chicka
shaw county, la., the son of the j
I late Joseph and Mary Ritts, the I
j late Mr. Ritts came to Holt j
county during 1894 from Sioux
City.
Only survivor besides nieces
and nephews, is a brother, Mi
chael Ritts, of Ravanna, S. D.
3 Injured In
Holiday Mishaps
Two auto accidents — near
Ewing and north of Redbird,
respectively, — marred the O’
Neill region traffic record for
the Memorial day holiday.
State Highway Patrolman
Frank Dineen, of O’Neill, said
he classed both accidents as
“serious.”
As a result of the 2-car Ewing
mishap, a 75-year-old man is in
a Norfolk hospital in “poor”
condition after the car he was
driving turned completely over
I and plunged down a 30 - foot
embankment.
The man is John G. Bauer. I
Bauer was described by Patrol- j
! man Dineen as the driver of the
; northbound car on state high- ]
way 108.
The driver of the other car
was Wendell O. Potter, 29, of !
Long Pine. He was traveling
west on U. S. highway 275 when j
the vehicles met at the inter
section of the highways, a point J
j one-half miles east of Ewing. |
J This oecured around 2 p. m.
Wendell’s wife and 2 passen
i gets and a passenger in the Bau
j er car escaped serious injury.
Bauer was taken directly to
a Norfolk hospital
Meanwhile, a 1-car accident !
1 secured a quarter mile north of
the Redbird postoffice. The car
oiled completely over several
times, sending its 2 occupants to
the Lynch hospital.
Chauncie Hull 23, who farms
j north of O’Neill, was the driver
I of the car and Bud Carsten, a
farmer in the Scottville com
munity, was the occupant.
The accident occured as the
pair were returning from Lynch
around 6 p. m. The car went
out of control on a curve and
hit an embankment rolling ov
er several times. The car was
demolished. Occupants were re
moved from underneath.
QUEEN OF MAY . . . Miss
Nancy Beha (above), daugh
ter of Mr. and Mrs. Paul Beha,
was crowned Queen of May
at St. Mary’s academy.—O’
i Neill Photo Co.
CHURCH OBSERVES
70TH BIRTHDAY
———
Page Methodists Hear
Anniversary Sermon
by Dr. Jackman
PAGE — The Page Methodist
church on Sunday, May 28, held
special services commemorating
the 70th anniversary of the first
worship service conducted by
that denomination in this east
ern Holt county town.
Dr. Everett E. Jackman, Nor
folk district superintendent, de
livered the anniversary sermon
during the morning worship.
A basket dinner was served at
noon in the church parlors.
Raymond Heiss was chair
man of the program committee
and presided over the program
which was presented during the
afternoon. The program was op
ened and closed by group sing
ing. Special musical numbers
were: a vocal duet “Beyond the
Horizon,” by Marvin and Dale
Stauffer, and a vocal solo, “I
walked Today Where Jesus
Walked,” by Miss Mildred Hay
nes, of Denton.
Letters were read from for
mer pastors and members of
the Page church. Mrs. Eva
Murten, of Inman, was the
only former pastor or pastor's
wife present. Mrs. J. I. Gray
and Mrs. H. S. Harper gave
the history of Methodism in
this community.
The remaining pioneers and
guests from a distance were
called on to relate their out
standing experiences in rela
tion to the church. Guests at
tended from Waverly, Stroms
burg, Denton, Inman and At
kinson.
Rev. T. O. Brownfield pro
nounced the benediction.
The late Rev. Bartley Blain
perhaps had greater part in the
establishing of Methodism in
this community than any other
person. He came to Nebras
ka in 1880 and immediately
started to hold services. The
first Sunday-school organized in
this vicinity was held in the sod
schoolhouse one-half mile south
of the present site of Page and
was known as Pleasant Valley
Union Sunday-school.
About 1890 of 1891 Mr. Blain
organized a Methodist church
and Sunday-school which was
held in the upstairs part of a
feed mill located near the rail
road track on the main thor
oughfare of the newly-laid out
town of Page. After the com
pletion of Page’s first frame
school building, meetings were
held there until the erection of
the first church.
in loyj Mr. twain was ap- i
pointed to Page and Maxfield. ;
As there was no parsonage here
he bought a 40-acre tract east
of town, moved a house to it
and made himself a home.
Two years later he retired and
Rev. H. H. Chappel was appoint
ed to this charge. During his
first year here the first parson
age was built on the ground
where the church now stands.
The quarterly meeting held
November 22, 1897, authorized a
committee consisting of Roy
French, George Hunter, Mr.
Blain and Mr. Chappel to in
vestigate the possibility of erect- |
ing a church building. June 28,
1898, the first church building
was dedicated. This church
stood west of the present j
church.
In 1910 it was deemed advis
able to have a larger church. |
The parsonage was moved back
from the street and the present
cement-block building was
erected, t was dedicated August I
13, 1911, by Rev. Thomas C.
Iliff, of Denver, with Rev. E. T.
George, district superintendent,
and past ministers, Rev. W. C. \
Kelly and Mr. Blain, assisting.
Rev. Joseph Stopford was then
pastor.
The old church building
was sold to James Shanner.
who moved it to another part
of town, where it was used as
a part of a theater for several
(Continued on page 8)
Poppy Day Sale
Grosses $256.25—
American Legion auxiliary of
Simonson post 93 Saturday
grossed $256.25 in the sale of
paper poppies on the annual
poppy day here.
Mrs- Dean Streeter, chairman
in charge of sales, said “this
was very gratifying from the
O’Neill public.”
Nine volunteer auxiliary
workers and 4 high school girl
students composed the sales
staff.
BROWNIES POSE . . . Members of the O’Neill Brownie troops a
held an outing and picnic on Tuesday, May 23, at Ford’s park
and were induced to pose for The Frontier’s cameraman, John
H. McCarville. In the photo are (left-to-right): First row—Ann
Saunto, Jackie Arbuthnot, Diane^Corkle, Nancy Sipes, Norma
McClellan, Mary Lou Yarnell, Pmila Reed; second row—Mar
jorie Marcellus, Beverly Peterson, Lucille Davidson, Bonnie
Lawrence, Nancy Fetrow, Sandra Perry, Sharon Marcellus,
Mrs. E. F. Sullivan (leader); third row—Nancy Jo Sullivan,
Sharon Hartronft, Leona Niles, Joan Searles, Donna Asher,
Mary Etta Perry, Sharon Heerman; fourth row—Kay McCarthy,
Susan Hickey, Ellen Lohaus, Nila Jaszkowiak, Jane Petersen,
Connie Kurtz, Ann Arbuthnot, Karen Hartronft.
‘Ted’ and ‘Bill’, 31- and 28-Years-Old, Are
Reunited in Lush Meadow for Death Call
By MAUDE SILVERSTRAND
Special Correspondent
ATKINSON —If horses could
talk, “Ted” and “Bill" are hav
ing many riverside gabfests this
spring.
“Ted” is 31 -years-old. He
was born in the ranch country
south of Atkinson. He is a dark
brown saddle horse, nearly grey
now. He belongs to Harry Mc
Shane, a former sandhill
rancher ana cauieman wno re
tired last fall and is now liv
ing in Atkinson. That is when
old “Ted” came to spend his
last days along the river. Ima
gine his surprise when he was
stabled with a sorrel horse he
had known since they were
both colts out in the sandhills
Their paths had been widely
separated through the years.
“Bill,” the sorrel, is 28-years
old and was born at the J. P.
Murphy home, south of Stuart
He was sold to John Silver
strand when he was a 2-year
old, along with another sorrel,
who was called “Charley.” Mr.
Silverstrand was living with
his parents at that time in the
lame ranch hill country where
“Ted” was born. “Bill” and
“Charley”, spent their first sea
son putting up hay for cattle
that roamed those hills. Charley j
died in 1942 and belonged to the
Silverstrands.
"Ted/ if he could talk,
would probably tell of raging
blizzards and terrifying
prairie fires. His job of course
was to carry his master
through season after season
of branding, roundups, calv
ing, etc. Many little calves
have been carried to safety
draped across his back, and
many a wiley steer has bit
the dust to be branded when
"Ted" set his feet and stood
firm.
“Bill's” life was very differ-.
ent. He went with Mr. Silver
strand to the farming country
north of Atkinson that fall. He
stayed with hopeful young
farmers through blistering
winds that dried the crops that
he and his pal, “Charley,” had1
put in—onetime as many as 110
j acres with a 1-row lister. He
fel* the sting of sand in his eyes
! as it piled to a depth of 2 and
3 feet along the field. He was
| plowing furrows in it to hold
the soil, if possible. He blissfully
j shook himself as the rain set
tled the dust and he was re
lieved of the hot sticky harness.
The Silverstrands are hoping
he will celebrate their 25th wed
ding anniversary with them this
winter.
Dogs are faithful friends, I
know, but to me, the picture of
these 2 old horses grazing to
gether along the river in a lush
meadow is a satisfying one.
Youth Center
Fund Mounts
Contributions are still coming
in for the proposed O’Neill youth
center. Already the fund has
reached the $2,600 figure.
Most of the money was rais
ed on the plan of converting a
building which formerly housed
an auto repair shop into a re
creational building for Boy
Scouts, 4-H club groups and
other youth organizations.
Meanwhile, the committee is
entertaining a possibility of
erecting a more centrally-loca
ted building to serve as a center.
The 40 x 70-ft. concrete block
structure originally intended
for conversion is located on
the north outskirts or the city.
Mrs. Richard Minton and Mrs.
Janie Judge went to Atkinson
Monday, May 29.
i
"Ted " and ''Bill" . , . they compare notes on more active j
days qone by. >
*5
200 JOIN IN
MEMORIAL RITE
_ i
Judge D. R. Mounts Tells
Origin of Decoration
Day Observance
District Judge D. R. Mounts,
of the Nebraska 15th judicial
district, told the history of Mem
orial day to an estimated crowd
of 200 persons.
Mounts's talk was in connec
tion with the Memorial day ac
tivities sponsored by Simonson
post 93 of the American Legion.
Other activities, beside the
program held at Simonson post,
included a parade and the dec
oration of deceased veterans’
graves.
“Memorial day originated and
the custom was first adopted
over 88 years ago during the
Civil war in the south," Mounts
said.
In the northern part of the
United States, May 30 is known
as Decoration day while in the
south it is observed as Memor
ial day. Law that makes May 30
a holiday in Nebraska designates
it as Decoration day.
Mounts concluded his speech
by telling the crowd the part
the American Legion has taken
on Americanization.
Other people who took part
in the program were: John O’
Neill, oration on “American
ism"; Lois Harder, vocal selec
tions; Commander Gordon O.
Harper, and Elmer Ross, chap
lain.
Groups participating in the
parade were: Legionnaires, Leg
ion auxiliary, Boy and Girl
Scouts, Cub Scouts and flower
girls.
Following the program the
group took part in services held
at the cemeteries.
A. W. Carroll was chairman
of the Legion’s Memorial day
committee.
Leon Raes, Garfield
Rancher, Expires
—
CHAMBERS — Funeral ser
vices were held here Monday,
May 29, at 2 p. m. in the Bap
tist church for Leon Raes, an
81-year-old well-known Gar
fild county rancher Rev. L
M McElheran conducted the
rites and burial was in the
Chambers cemetery.
Raes died following a heart
attack Friday, May 26, at his
ranch home. He had been in
failing health for about 2
months.
Pallbearers were Clarence
Johnson, Nels Madsen, John
Walter, Louis Harley, O. D
Johnson, and Glen Adams, all
of Chambers.
Raes was a resident of Gar
field county for over 66 years
His ranch was located 15 mile
southwest of Chambers.
Born January 19, 1869, in Bel
gium, the late Mr Raes settled
in Garfield county in 1884, com
ing from Dakota City.
Never married, survivors in
clude: brother—Emile; on the
Raes ranch, sister — Mrs Her
man Bogner, of Pierce, Ida.
Fireman's School—
O’Neill’s Volunteer Fire Chief
G. E. Miles and Fireman J. Ed
Hancock Sunday attended a
fireman’s school held at Plain
view. Thirty - seven towns in
north - central Nebraska were
represented.
PRELIM COUNT
SHOWS506 GAIN
Unofficial Figures Will
He Released in
‘Few More Days’
O'Neill today is a city of
more than 3 thousand persons.
O’Neill’s population gain,
percentagewise, has been ex
traordinary — in fact, a bright
spot in a state that has been,
depopulated during the pa6t de
cade.
The Frontier learned Wed
nesday that 3,038 would be
"fairly close" to the 1950 cen
sus figure for the city. In 1940
the count was 2,532 — or a
gain of 506 persons.
Over the state most county
seats have been showing slight
gains or holding their own, but
there have been some examples
of loss.
Most non - countyseat towns
that have been holding their
own have been among the so
called better towns.
Most other communities have
entered 1950 with a net loss.
Unofficial reports have been
released for Rock county, which
has absorbed a substantial loss.
Holt county, likewise, is ex
pected to lose in the neighbor
hood of a thousand people.
Vernon Taylor, district cen
sus supervisor at Kearney, said
Wednesday that unofficial fi
gures for Holt county and its
incorporated cities and towns
ai'e not yet available, but con
ceded that O’Neill’s apparent
population picture shows a “re
markable gain."
At Ainsworth, where enthus
iasts predicted the new count
would crowd the 2,500 figure,
the 1950 mark may fall short
of 2.000 Bassett turned in a
slight gain.
Atkinson will show ’’a' gain
of about 50” although earlier
figures indicated it may have
lost.
By virtue of depopulation
that has taken place in the
county. Holt may drop from
a class 4-A county to a class
4 county.
Class 4-A counties are those
with populations from 16,500 to
20,000; class 4, 13,000 to 16,500.
When counties are declass
ified salaries of county officers
automatically become smaller.
Injuries Fatal
To Orchard Man
ORCHARD — After remain
ing unconscious 2*4 weeks fol
lowing an automobile accident,
Warner C'Gus”) Goiter, 32, <3r
chard automobile dealer, died
Monday afternoon, May 29, in a
Sioux City hospital.
Funeral services will be held
today (Thursday) at Orchard.
Survivors include: Widow, 2
small sons and a small daugh
ter.
Accident occurred near Laur
el. Philip (“Buddy”) Wirth, 21,
son of Rev. and Mrs. P. J.
Wirth, was injured in the acci
dent.
Dr. Vincent Will
Interne at St. Louis—
Dr. Keith E. Vincent, who
graduated last week from the
University of Nebraska college
of medicine- will intern at St.
Louis City hospital in St. Louis,
Mo. , ,
A son of Mr. and Mrs. Jack
Vincent, he graduated from O’
Neill high school in 1942, took
1 year of premedical training
at the University of Nebraska
and then entered the navy. He
participated in the V-12 train
ing with the navy at( North
western university for 2 years,
receiving his bachelor of arts
degree.
Later he was stationed at
Little Rock, Ark., and at the
Great Lakes naval hospital near
Chicago. , .
After the war he returned to
Nebraska university to com
plete his doctor of medicine de
gree. While attending the uni
vrsity he was affiliated. with
Upsilion Nu of the Phi Chi
fraternity.
Witness Son's Graduation—
Mr and Mrs. L. M- Merriman
went to Omaha Wednesday, May
24, to attend the graduation of
their son Jim, on Thursday from
the Creighton university col
lege of commerce. Jim s frater
nity recently honored him by
awarding him a ring for h 1 •
leadership.
Frontier for printing. ' u .1
