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North-Nebraska’s bastest-Growing Newspaper
VOLUME 70—NUMBER 9_O'NEILL, NEBRASKA. THURSDAY, JULY 6, 1950 ~~ ' PRICE 7 CENTS
*rATE hist soc
Hail, Wind Rip
Green Valley
Neighbors Find Safety
From Storm Huddling
Iln Church
By MAE HANEL
(Special Correspondent)
GREEN VALLEY — A group
of neighbors picnicking in a
church yard found safty inside
the building Sunday afternoon,
July 2, when a combination
wind-hail storm shrieked across
this section of Holt county.
Green Valley is located south
of Stuart.
‘
Those who sought safely
from the storm by huddling
in the church saw the win
adows smashed in by the hail
stones.
A chimney was blown from
Bill Tasler’s house and a big
tree was uprooted and fell on
a car owned by Kieth Jones.
Ranchers say about half of
their hay crop was pounded in
to the ground. This is serious
because haying season arrived
this week.
All small grain dn an area 3
miles wide and about 7 miles
-• long was completely ruined.
The hail let up after shel
lacking the ,Ed Bouska place.
Mr. Bouska had not yet cut his
alfalfa. After the storm had
subsided it was apparent there
was none left to cut
Charles Prussa, living 1 mile
northwest of Bouska, reported
no damage, but Tony Tasler
counted 36 big cottonwood
trees down on the road that
runs past his place. He report
) ed hail stones in his driveway
measuring up to a foot in depth
at certain places. Tasler said
these was blown into “drifts”
Mrs. Phillippi
Safe in Japan
O’Neill relatives of Mrs. Stan
ley Phillippi were deeply con
cerned over the welfare of she
and her husband until Satur
day.
They had been living at Se
oul, South Korea, which last
week fell into the hands of the
aggressing North Korean Com
munists.
Mrs. Phillippi cabled buring
f the weekend that “We are well
and safe.” They had been evac
uated from Seoul to Hukuok,
Japan.
She is the former Ora Ott,
who was reared in the Joy com
munity north of O'Neill. Mr.
and Mrs. Phillippi had been re
siding in Korea for about a year.
Mrs. Phillippi’s brother is L
A Ott, O’Neill farmer.
11 Beat Deadline
In Office Filing
Eleven persons Thursday, I
June 29—the deadline for fil
ings for the coming August 8
primary election—stormed the j
office of Ruth Hoffman, Holt
\ county clerk, to file for various
positions.
Thus, total number of candi- j
dates who have filed for the
primary election was swelled j
to 50.
Six of the 11 candidates filing
on the last day were of Atkin
son.
Atkinson residents filing in
cluded: Joseph E. Judge, for |
Democratic supervisor of the
7th district; candidates for del
egates to the Democratic state
convention — Francis D. Lee;
Neal S. McKee and Fred Mack; ;
candidates for delegates to the
Republican state convention—
Eacl J- Collins and Frank J.
Brady.
Ira H. Moss, of O’Neill, for
mer head of the Holt county
Republican organization, is a
candidate for the GOP state
i conclave also. Mrs. Guy Cole,
' of Emmet, filed as an alternate
delegate for the state Repub
lican convention.
Other filings on the final day
included: For sheriff— Robert
(“Bob”) Tomlinson, of Star,
and incumbent A. B. Hubbard.
H W Hubbard, of Chambers,
who had filed for the position
of supervisor from the 5th dis
trict on the Republican ticket,,
was erroneously omitted from
the composite filing roundup in
the June 29 issue of The iron- .
tier.
Chamber to Discuss
Postal Curtailment
M. J. Diehlman, newly elect
ed president of the O Neill
Chamber of Commerce, said late
Wednesday that at the regular
monthly meeting of the civic
group a discussion of the cur
tailment of O’Neill postal ser
vice will be held.
Regular meeting is scheduled
for Tuesday, July 11.
In addition to the postal ser
vice discussion, members will
decide about closing Saturday,
July 15, first day of the Amer
ican Legion sponsored “Pro
gress” celebration. Celebration
is slated to conclude Sunday,
July 16.
Ivalyn Brady left Wednesday,
July 5, for Crete, to visit her
sister, Joan Brady, for a few
<Jays.
■ ..-. ..... .— - — !
New Grandstand,
Lights Assured
ATKINSON—A special elec
tion was held in Atkinson Tues
day, June 27, to vote on the is
suing of bonds to build a new'
grandstand at the baseball
park.
The $8,000 bond issue carried
by a vote of 3-1.
The American Legion donated
$10,000 for the lighting system
for the park and purchase of 12
acres of ground. Thus, Atkinson
will be assured of a grandstand
that will seat about 1,500 peo
ple and an adequate lighting
system by the time of the Hay
Days celebration in August.
BIDS SOUGHT )N
281 IMPROVEMENT
5 Miles of Grade Will Be
Constructed North
of Junction
Construction of 5 miles of U.
3. highway 281 between O’Neill
and Spence;- was among the
projects advertised for bidding
Wednesday by the state high
w' a y, department. Contractors
may submit bids until July 27.
This project in Holt county
I will proceed north from U. S.
highway 20 a mile and a half
i north of O’Neill. Building the
s;rade of the highway will re
1 quire the excavation of nearly
150 - thousand cubic yards of
earth. Two concrete box cul
verts and 12 metal culverts will
provide drainage for the new
highway. The state highway
department will request bids
for placing a 29-foot wide grav
el surface course on this 5 miles
at a later date.
During ine consiruicion,
traffic will use a road 1 mile
west. The proposed work in
cludes building several new
culverts on this detour and
graveling it.
A relocation of U. S. highway
281 in Greeley and Howard
counties was also among the
projects advertised.
The proposed work will short
en and eliminate kinks in the
present highway. The project
will begin in Greeley Center at
the intersection of 281 and state
highway 56. It will continue
southwest 13 Vz miles rejoining
the present 281 about a half
mile south of the Greeley-How
ard county line.
Two spurs to join the new
highway with existing roads
will be included in the work.
One will be from the new high
way east .7 of a mile to join the
oil mat leading into Wolbach.
The other will be in Greeley
Center from O’Neill avenue
west past the depot to the new
highway.
One bridge, 13 concrete box
culverts and 28 metal culverts
will be built on the highway in
addition to drainage facilities to
be provided across adjoining
driveways.
The 3-span bridge, 72 feet
long, will be built across the
north branch of Spring creek
in Greeley Center. The struc
ture will have a concrete
floor 26 feet wide. A channel
change will be dug at this
point as well as one at the
crossing of the west branch
of Spring creek.
Building of the grade of the
'ighway will require the exca
. ation of more than 743 thou
,and cubic yards of earth. Lay
ing a sand clay blanket course
ver the earth grade will be in
luded in the project.
Bids for gravel surfacing the
aew highway will be requested
by the state highway depart
ment at a later date. Depart
ment officials state that the
highway will be constructed to
standards suitable for future
hard surfacing.
Speaker Being
Sought for Rite
A speaker will be sought
this weekend for the ground
breaking rite at the St. Anth
ony's hospital building site, ac
cording to James M. Corkle,
building chairman
The ground - breaking will
take place between 1 and 2 o’
clock on Sunday, July 16, in
connection with the second an
nual citywide American Le
gion-sponsored celebration.
Mr. Corkle is in correspond
ence with Mother M. Erica, of
the Sisters of St. Francis pro
vincial house, at Denver, Colo.,
urging her to be present for the
program.
Sunday-School Picnic—
The Sunday-school classes of
the Wesleyan Methodist church
held a picnic the Fourth of July
at the Robert Strong home.
Mr. and Mrs. Charles Law
rence and their niece, _ Bonnie
Lawrence, were in Yankton, S.
D., Saturday.
BLUEGRASS BRINGS
n TO 9c POUND
I *
Short Crop in Other States
Holsters Prices in
Holt County
Holt county’s 1950 bluegrass
harvest is well underway and
the green strippings are com
manding prices ranging from
about IVz to 9 cents per pound.
Price has been bolstered by a
short crop in Iowa, Missouri,
Kansas and several other blue
grass states.
Holt’s yield is below that of
recent years but some of the
higher ground is producing more
i bluegrass seed this year than
j formerly.
Most buyers are grading
"very close" because of the
high price and amount of for
eign material being gathered.
There is also complaint that
in some fields the seed is too
I close to the ground.
Total income from the 1950
crop will compare favorably to
other years, although probably
it will be less than anticipated.
Trucks are rolling throughout
the region loaded to the hilt
with sacks of seed. Curing yards
j are working full force.
Small grain prospects are
‘.airly good,” according to Holt
I County Agent A. Neil Dawes.
Tuesday’s shower, which was
general in Holt county, practi
cally assured the small grain
crop for the farmers—except,
of course, where hail already
has pulverized the fields or
where hail might yet strike.
Oats and barley are gener
ally not as far along as they
should be. Estimates of thresh
ing dates run from July 18 to
20 to start. Rye probably looks
best of all small grain.
First cutting of alfalfa was
“quite good,” according to most
.armers, and the recent rain will
be a big help to the second crop.
Com in the county, like else
where in the cornbelt, has been
retarded but should come along
rapidly with the recent mois
ture. •
There are isolated reports of
grasshopper infestation and
Dawes urges folks to examine
the border fields and spray
where necessary. ‘Hoppers have
been increasing in numbers in
gardens and potato fields.
(Continued on page 8.)
Tree Purge Takes Landmarks
PLEASE. MR. WOODMAN.
SPARE THAT TREE!
Woodman, spare that tree!
Touch not a single bough!
In youth it sheltered me,
And I’ll protect it now.
'Twas my father’s hand
That placed it near his cot;
There, woodman, let it stand,
Thy ax shall harm it not!
That old familiar tree,
Whose glory and renown
Are spread from sea to sea,
And wouldst thou hew it
down?
Woodman, forbear thy stroke!
Cut not its earth-bound ties;
Oh, spare that aged oak
Now towering to the skies!
When but an idle boy,
I sought its grateful shade;
In all their gushing joy
Here too my sisters played.
My mother kissed me here;
My father pressed my hand;
Forgive this foolish tear,
But let the old oak stand.
My heartstrings round thee cling
Close as the bark, old friend! ,
Here shall the wild birds sing,
And still thy branches bend. |
Old tree, the storm still brave!
And, woodman, leave the spot; I
While I’ve a hand to save,
Thy ax shall harm it not.
—Morris. |
ONeillites this week glumly
looked on while workmen felled
dozens of trees lining the city’s
2 principal thoroughfares.
Several of these trees were
lofty, 60-year-old landmarks
endeared to the hearts of young
and old.
The tree massacre was I
brought about when the city1
council decided to install a j
new street-lighting system, pro
viding ONeill with a north
south and east-west white way.
All trees in parkways and along
curbs would interfere with the
street-lighting and the council
decided the trees must go.
A giant hackberry tree on the
west side of the Spelts - Ray
Lumber company office, on
South Fourth street, provoked
more than one tear when it fell
into the street with a rending
crash. Consumers Public Power
disrict workmen had labored
2 hours with a power saw
and axes before they penetrated
its tough 56-inch base.
Felling of another land
mark in front of Dean Street
Giant hackberry goes down in purge . . . tough. 60-year
old landmark measures 56 inches in width. Frontier Photo.
ers barber shop (next door to
The Frontier building) also
attracted wide attention.
Chuck Apgar, the "Voice of
The Frontier" radio announc
er, recorded the drama for his
radio audience.
But most tears are being sav
ed for the wholesale massacre
on West Douglas street.
For years tourists passing
through ONeill and visitors to
the city have been impressed
with the row of giant elms that
line the parkways on West
Douglas street. Their leaves
arch the avenue and practically
touch. Wednesday the Consum
ers tree-fellers went to work on
those.
While the cost of the new
arcs may seem great to those
persons who put a high value
on trees, it can be said that O’
Neill’s streets will be well light
ed.
The lamps will be rated at 10
thousand lumens (or approxi
mately 620 watts each). In the
concentrated business district
there will be 8 lamps per block
and on the Extremities of Doug
las street and Fourth street the
lamps? will be placed 3 per
block.
Monday the final shipment of
heads for the poles arrived.
The lamps will be 26 feet
above the ground and fixed
on an arch-lilce arm on the
poles. In the business district
the poles will be steel, on the
ends of the streets they will
be wooden.
Both Douglas street and
Fourth street carry considerable
traffic and the original lighting
system long since has been con
i sidered inadequate.
I One councilman stated he was
surprised there haven’t been
more accidents and possible fa
talities because of the poorly
lighted streets.
L. C. Walling, Consumers
district manager, says he can
not fix a completion date, but
he expects the white way to be
in operation “in just a few
weeks.’’
OUTFALL - LIFT
DOES JOB WELL
Sewerage Flows Thru at
Rate of 250-Gallons
Per - Minute
The city’s new outfall - lift
system, the answer to a first
class sewerage disposal prob
lem, is working beautifully.
This was the opinion this
week of Mayor J. E. Davis, City
i Superintendent L. C. Anderson
! and members of the city coun
cil after the plant had been in
' operation nearly 2 weeks.
The lift features 3 automatic
electric pumps. All the city’s
sewerage empties into a large
submerged concrete pit at the
<outh end of Sixth street, across
the Chicago & North Western
railroad tracks, near the stock
yards.
The pumps force the sewer
age into an elevated outfall
that empties into the Elkhorn
river several blocks away.
Before the station was install
ed. the emptying became slug
gish and during periods when
the water level in the river was
high the sewerage would bacx
up’’ and inundate the lowlands
south of the tracks.
City Engineer Donald u.
Price, of Lincoln, designed an
outfall-lift system and the coun
cil proceeded with the installa
tion. , .
Mechanism is housed m a
small white building. All
switching is automatic since the
system was placed in operation.
Sewerage flows through the
pumps at the rate of about 250
gallons-per-minute. Capacity of
the trio of pumps is consider
ably greater than the 10-inch
input pipes or the 10-inch out
fall pipe. One pump is always
standing by in event of a mal
function of another pump.
Mayor Davis said that the
station "meets all specifica
tions beautifully."
A saving of $550 under the
engineer’s estimate was effect
ed when creosoted pilings weie
used at the mouth of the sewer
instead of concrete pilings.
The capacity of the outfall
lift station is expected to be
adequate to serve O’Neill for
several years at the rate of its
normal growth.
To Finish Outside
Public School Repair
—
Workmen this week will fin- [
ish repairing the outside walls j
of the O’Neill public school |
building, according to Ira H.
Moss, O’Neill school board of j
ducation secretary.
Repair of the outside walls of
the building consists of filling
cracks where moisture had seep
ed in.
Follow’ng the outside repair
job, workmen will begin inside
remodeling. Moss said. Inside
work will consist of partitioning
the main study room, painting
and plastering. Then insulation
and a new furnace will be in
stalled.
Estimated cost of the inside
and outside repair work will run
“in the neighborhood” of $8,000.
Outside repair—$500; parti
tioning—$200; painting— $400;
plastering—$100; insulation —
$1,000; furnace—$3,000; wiring
—$1,000; and miscellaneous —
$1,800.
Outfall-lift station goes into operation . . . City Superin
tendent L. C. Anderson throws the switch.—The Frontier Photo.
LIONS COUNT
81 MEMBERS
Largest Club in Area;
Begin New Year With
Putnam at Head
The O’Neill Lions club has
entered a new year, beginning
July 1, with a membership of
81, which makes it the largest
club in the Nebraska Lions dis
trict 38-E.
A membership campaign was
conducted throughout most of
the past year under the leader
ship of D. H. Clausson, presi
dent.
The O’Neill club currently
ranks first in the national mem
bership contest. Ratings are
based on percentage of growth.
Results will be announced soon. 1
The Lions during the past
year have backed the "white
way" street-lighting system,
door-to-door mail delivery,
improvement for highway 281,
all of which soon will become
a reality.
The club encouraged music
students from both O’Neill
schools by having them enter- :
tain the members.
Other highlights of the year |
included: A Christmas party at
the American Legion club for j
Lions and their ladies; a contri- !
bution of $100 to the Boy Scout
fund, arranging for the use of
“Kigmies” in the March of
Dimes campaign; providing
milk and crackers to the pupils
in the opportunity room at the
public school; sending Miss
Bernadette Hynes, St. Mary's
student, to Scottsbluff to com
pete in the statewide Lions
beauty contest; and sending
James Carney to boys’ sttae.
New officers are:
T D Putnam, president; Ray
Eby, first vice-president; J. H.
Doerning, second vice - presi
dent; Elgin Ray, third vice-pres
ident; Harold Bumann, tail
twister; N. O. McCrary, Lion
tamer: M. E. Jacobson, secreta
ry; John Watson, treasurer;
Hugh Ray and Harry Petersen,
directors, 1-year; D. H. Claus- ,
son and Joe Stutz, directors, 2- j
years.
A. E. Bowen is retiring sec
retary.
MRS. S. J. BENSON
DIES AT NORFOLK
Successive Strokes Fatal
To 94-Year-Old Holt
County Pioneer
Mrs. Alice M. Benson, 94,
widow of the late Stephen J.
("Link”) Benson, died Sunday,
July 2, at 4:05 a. m„ at the home
of her daughter, Mrs. Fred Har
rison, in Norfolk.
She suffered a stroke in No
vember, 1949, but never fully
recovered. A second stroke, a
week before her death, caused
her to go into a coma.
Funeral services were held
at 2 p. m., Wednesday at
First Presbyterian church in
O'Neill. The body lay in state
at B i g 1 i n Bros, mortuary
Tuesday afternoon and eve
ning.
The late Mrs. Benson w'as
born August 28. 1855, at Rush
ville, O; and when a child mov
ed with her parents, Mr. and
Mrs. Pitt Lawrence Purdy, to
Iowa City. la. From there they
moved to Fulton county, Illinois,
where she grew to womanhood.
While in Illinois she met and
married Mr. Benson. The mar
riage took place at Lewistown
on January 1, 1876.
In 1883, the couple with 3
children came to ■ Nebraska in
a covered wagon and filed on
a homestead in northern Holt
county where they lived for
more than 50 years. The Ben
sons observed their golden wed
ding anniversary in 1927 while
still on the homestead.
The couple retired to O'
Neill in 1933. A few months
later Mr. Benson submitted
to a major operation and died
18 months later — In 1935.
I He was 82-years-old.
Survivors include: daughters
—Mrs. George J. Hess, of Wayne,
and Mrs. Harrison, of Norfolk;
sons *— C. L. Benson, of Nor
folk; J. L. Benson, of Owanka,
S. D., and Blake, of O'Neill,
who still resides on the home- •
stead; 14 grandchildren and 16
great - grandchildren.
After their own family was
reared, Mr and Mrs. Benson
took care of an orphan girl,
who is now Mrs. Irma Bradley,
of Omaha.
The late Mrs. Benson often
recalled for her descendants
stories of pioneer life, includ
ing dealings with Indians.
Rev. Norman Wrenn officia
ted in the funeral rites. Burial
was in Prospect Hill cemetery.
Pallbearers were: Robert L
Benson. Hugh Benson. Harold
Benson, Harold Stober. Elwin
Benson and Stanley Benson.
Region Free of
Holiday Mishaps
The O’Neill region passed an
uneventful long holiday week
end without a serious mishap,
it was reported Wednesday by
the state highway patrol.
A transient automobile from
the state of, Washington went
into a ditch east of Atkinson,
shook up the occupants and re
sulted in only minor damage
to the car.
Fourth of July celebrations
were in progress at Neligh and
Stuart, where Jupiter Pluvious
unloaded some needed mois
ture during most of the morn
ing and early afternoon. To
ward evening, however, the
skies cleared and celebrations
moved into high gear.
The traditional fireworks dis
play at the O’Neill Country
club attracted several thousand
spectators. Automobiles throng
ed the club grounds and park
ed along the highways and
roads near the club to view
the exhibit. In charge were R.
V. Lucas and Homer Mullen.
bu moii Touin at
4-H Camp—
Sixty Holt county 4-H club
bers spent Thursday through
Saturday at the club camp
near Long Pine. There were
more than 350 youths enrolled.
Achievement Day
Set August 14—
County Agent A. Neil Dawes
said Wednesday that the 1950
extension achievement day has
been set for Monday, August
14. Program details are not yet
complete.
COUNCIL MEETS
Regular monthly meeting of
the O’Neill city council was
held Wednesday evening at the
city hall.
Go to Long Pin©—
Mr and Mr*. M. M. Krause
and Nancy, were In Long Pine
Saturday, Sunday and Monday.