.
North-Nebraskas Fastest-Growing Newspaper
VOLUME 70.—NUMBER 39. O'NEILL. NEBR., THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 1. 1951. PRICE 7 CENTS
HARTIGAN HITS ... This dramatic action shot shows Inman’s
great center, Pat Hartigan, in action against the Atkinson Balers
in the Holt county prep basketball tourney. Hartigan connected
with this try on his favorite shot — a whirling two-hander. At
tempting to block it is Siebert. Wilbern (31), also of Atkinson,
looks on while Stevens, of Inman, is in background. Atkinson
won, 47-45, to capture third place laurels, but Hartigan was an in
dividual tournament standout. He tallied 25 points against the
Balers.—The Frontier Photo.
(See SPORTS on pages 8-9)
Chambers Fire
' Threatens Block
_ -- --
Firemen Overcome
Handicaps t o
Save Buildings
CHAMBERS—Fire broke out
in the Smith grocery store about
3:15 a. m. Tuesday, January 30,
causing a “great amount” of
damage. The alarm was turned
in by Herman Medlin, who last
month moved into a previously
unoccupied apartment above the
• store.
* The origin of the fire is not
(certain, but firemen believe it
was caused by an overheated
furnace in the basement.
The O’Neill fire department was
called, but the blaze was under
control by the time O’Neill help
arrived.
There was considerable con
cern for the other buildings in
the block. The postoffice joins
the store on the west. However,
none of the other buildings was
damaged.
Robert Miles drove the O’Neill
open truck to Chambers in the
subzero temperatures. Three other
firemen traveled by car. The O’
> Neill firemen were summoned a
bout 5 a. m. Making the trip
were Fire Chief G. E. Miles, Ar
lyn Miles and Norbert Uhl.
The store building is owned
by Mrs. Charles Spann and the
merchandise and fixtures are
owned by George C. Smith.
Damage was extensive on the
mainfloor and in the basement.
Much of the merchandise was
ruined.
Chambers firemen battled the
flames with water from a 900
gallon capacity tank on the j
truck. The village does not have j
a municipal water supply.
Some observers said that in
sistence of the firemen to keep
the windows and doors intact arid
thereby prevent draughts was
^ partly responsible for being able
1 , to contain the fire in the one
j building.
Scorcned labels o n canned
goods indicated the amount of
heat in the building.
The Smith store is the sec
ond door west of the alley on
the west side of the Chambers
main street. All buildings west
of the Chambers Stale bank
(which is east of the alley) are
frame.
One fireman stated that mer
chandise in the basement appear
ed to be “totally destroyed.”
Sergeant Turner
* at Korean Front
CHAMBERS — Sgt. Robert
(“Bob”) Turner, who was recall- !
ed to active duty with the army
i infantry October 21, this week
reached the Korean war front.
A veteran of 21 months over
seas fighimg during World War
II, Turner recently completed
five years of university training
when the army beckoned. He
was a reservist.
He sailed from Seattle, Wash.
Relatives who received a let
ter Friday said that Bob had
complained about the cold in
Korea and said members of his
group were being moved up for
replacements.
“Voice of The Frontier” . . .
, WJAG (780 k. c.)
OLSON ADMITS
CHECK FORGINC
Arrested at Valentine
Authorities Hunt
Vandals
Business has been brisk thi
past few days for Holt county’!
new sheriff, Leo Tomjack, anc
his deputy, Albert Sipes.
Joseph Olson, 58, who gav<
his address as Rose, was arrestee
Friday at Valentine and brough
to O’Neill by Tomjack to awai
check forgery charges.
Tomjack said that Olson
forged a check on "Andy
Clark" at Siannard's store here
on January 22 in the amount
of $35. Later he forged a check
on "Charley Petersen" at the
IGA store in Stuart. Amount
was $40.
He is believed to have been
active at Long Pine, Bassett
Ainsworth and Valentine before
being arrested.
In a preliminary hearing Mon
day, he was bound over to Holl
county district court after ad
mitting guilt. Olson is in the
county jail.
bomeume alter miamgxu oai.
urday vandals &oke into^ tht
Dankert service station at Cham
bers and escaped with “about
$30” — including money taken
irom the cash register and
change irom gum machines.
Tomjack and Sgt. Jack Knud
sen, of the state patrol bureau ol
investigation, said following
their investigation that had the
robbers taaen another try thej
probably would have penetratec
the Dankert safe. The lock on th(
safe was damaged.
The authorities have numer
ous clues but until late Wed
nesday had made no arrests.
Entrance was gained by re
moving a pane of glass in a
door.
Late Monday Tomjack anc
Stale Patrolman Fay Robesor
took into custody Army Pvt
Ralph Ferris, who has been ab
sent without leave from Camj
Carson, Colo., for about a month
Re had in his possession a Lusk
Wyo., stolen car which had beer
transported across a state line—
a violation of the Dyer act.
Ferris, a 19-year-old O’Neil
boy, is being held here until mili
tary police arrive from Carson.
Early Tuesday Clifford Hard
ing, of Chadron, walked into the
sheriff’s office here and declaret
he was wanted by authorities a
Chadron. The sheriff from Chad
ron arrived late Tuesday and re
ceived Harding from the Hoi
officials. The sheriff said tha
Harding was wanted in connec
tion with two break - ins and i
stolen car.
WASTEBASKET FIRE
O’Neill firemen were summon
ed at 1P:45 p. m. Friday to thf
Jack. Everitt apartment, north o
the New Deal Oil company cor
ner. A fire had started in i
wastebasket near the kitcher
range. Damage was slight. Va
Darling, occupying a nearby a
partment, turned in the alarm.
Charles Richter, jr., begin
work today (Thursday) as cus
todian at the Holt county court
[ house.
ANGUS BREEDERS
AWAIT BIG SALE
Don Cunningham to Speak
at Banquet on Eve
of Auction
Don Cunningham, well-known
personality from the Sioux City
l Stockyards company, will be
| master-of-ceremonies at the ban
! quet sponsored by the Holt
County Aberdeen-Angus Breed
ers’ association on Monday, Feb
ruary 5.
j Affair will be held at the
American Legion auditorium on
the eve of the association’s an
nual sale. Banquet time is 6:30
i p. m.
Forty - five males and 24 fe
males are consigned to the reg
istered sale which will be held at
the O’Neill Livestock Market.
Consignors are: Leo T. Adams, of
Chambers; Hugh Carr, of Ame
lia; Blaine Garwood, of Amelia;
Fora L. Knight & Sons, of O’
Neill; Freeman L. Knight, of O’
Neill; Glenn Lorenz, of O’Neill;
Roland Miller & Son, of Middle
branch; E. L. Miner & Son, of
O’Neill; Harry E. Ressel, of O’
Neill; Ray Siders, of O’Neill;
Clyde Van Every, of O’Neill;
Arthur Walters, of Chambers; E.
E. Young, of Chambers, and Lois
Siders Juracek, of Orchard.
Charles Reece, of Simonsen,
will be the judge of the show,
, which begins at 10 a. m. Laur
, ence Buller. of the Nebraska
Farmer, is fieldman, and Charles
Corkle, of Norfolk, auctioneer.
Bandolier breeding will predom
inate throughout the offering.
Four-H and Future Farmer
i entries are consigned by Ad
. ams, Knight, Miller, Miner and
* Siders. These are the pick of
1950 calves and only 4-H and
, I FFA members can purchase
* them. Free first service to any
sire owned by a member will
be available to young members
purchasing these calves.
: Ray Siders is sale manager;
i Freeman L. Knight, secretary. E.
I L. Miner heads the banquet com
I mittee. The film, “Modern Beef
• i Cattle,” will be a feature of the
■ entertainment. Public is invited.
Three registered Hereford
• sales are on The Frontier’s sale
calendar:
February '19: Annual spring
sale of the Holt County Hereford
Breeders’ association will be held
at the O’Neill Livestock Market,
50 bulls, 12 females. For catalog
write: James W. Rooney, O’Neill,
sale manager.
February 24: Annual spring
sale of the North-Central Nebras
ka Hereford association will be
held at Bassett. For catalog
write: Tug Phillips, Bassett, sec
retary-manager.
March 13: Annual spring sale
of the Niobrara Valley Hereford
j Breeders’ association will be held
at Butte. For catalog write: Walt
j er G. Sire, secretary.
Lyle Vequist purchased the
John and Leona Pinnt 1.520
acre ranch at public auction
Friday. Purchase price was
(Continued on page 8.)
MARRIAGE LICENSES
Myron Allen Repenning, 20, of
Bloomfield, and Miss Adaila Rose
Berner, 18, of Amelia, on Janu
ary 27.
. John Thomas Auman and Miss
Mary Louise George, both of Or
chard, on January 29.
• « ■■■■ ■ I
Mrs. Babl ... 43 great
grandchildren.
MRS. JOEBABL, SR,
DIES AT HUMPHREY
92 - Year - Old Pioneer
Breaks Hip in Fall;
Buried Monday
ATKINSON — Mrs. Joe Babl,
sr, a 92-year-old Holt county pi
| oneer woman, was buried Mon
day, January 29, following funer
al services at Humphrey.
She had been living at Hum
phrey with her daughter, Mrs.
Jack Preister, and died at her
daughter’s house Friday morn
ing, January 26.
About two months ago the eld
erly Mrs. Babl fell and broke
her hip.
Funeral services were held at
St. Francis Catholic church with
Reverend Albert, church pastor,
officiating.
Margaret Decker was born
in Germany on October 24.
1859. She was united in mar
riage with Joe Babl in 1880.
while they were still living in
Germany.
In 1886 the couple Immigrated
to America, initially settling near
Plattsmouth and Humphrey. In
1899 the Babls came to Holt
county and lived near Stuart,
later moving north of Emmet.
The couple farmed until 1930
when, due to advanced age, the
Babls decided to retire and move
into Stuart In 1942 they move to
Humphrey where Mr. Babl died.
Mrs. Babl continued to make
her home with Mrs. Preister un
til her death.
Survivors include: Sons—Lou
is, of Norfolk: Max, of Hum
phrey; John, George and Joe, jr.,
near Emmet; daughters — Mrs.
George (Mnrv) Pongratz, of Em
met; Mrs. Ben (Anna) Preister
and Mrs. Jack (Barbara) Preist
er, both cf Humphrey.
One daughter died when an in
fant.
She also is survived by 42
grandchildren and 43 great
grandchildren.
Pallbearers were grandsons —
Joe Pongratz, T avern" Babl,
James Preister, Rolland Preister,
John Edwin Babl and Jerry BabL
Missionary Visits—
Rev. Earl Newton, missionary
recently returned from China,
visited at the home of Rev. and
Mrs. Melvin Grosenbaeh on Fri
I day, January 26.
JOHN SCHMIDT, 65,
DIES AFTER STROKE
Retired O’Neill Fanner
to Be Buried Here
Friday
John Schmidt, 65-year-old O’
Neill retired farmer, died at
8:35 p. m. Monday, January 29,
at his home here. He had suffer
ed a series of apoplectic strokes
and an attack late Monday prov
ed fatal.
Funeral services will be con
ducted at 2 p. m. Friday, Febru
ary 2, at the family home and
burial will be in Calvary ceme
tery. Very Rev. Timothy O’Sulli
van, pastor of St. Patrick’s Cath
olic church, will officiate, and
Biglin Bros, will be in charge.
The late Mr. Schmidt was
born on May 18. 1885. at Se
bringville. Ont., Can. That
same year he came to Holt
county with his parents, An
drew and Mary Paul Schmidt.
Mr. Schmidt was reared north
east of O’Neill and attended the
Coyne country school.
On February 13, 1913, he mar
ried Miss Kathryn Dohm, of Bel
den.
’The Schmidts lived until Feb
ruary, 1948, on a farm 8 miles
northeast of O’Neill. After their
sale they moved into O’Neill to
retire and lived at 916 Everett
street.
The Schmidts became the par
ents of five sons and five daugh
ters.
Survivors include: Widow;
sons—Andrew, of O’Neill; Ray
mond, of Atkinson; Earnest, of
Fremont; John, of Jacksonville,
Fla.; Joseph, of O’Neill; daugh
ters—Mrs. Lloyd (Mary) Bausch,
of O’Neill; Miss Ella Rita, of
Omaha, and Miss Miriam, of O’
Neill.
Two daughters, Edith and Mar
garet, preceded their father in
death.
Pallbearers will be Dick Min
ton, H. E. Coyne, Lloyd Whaley,
Ed Thomas, Herb Jansen, Albert
Marsh, P. C. Donohoe and Clyde
Streeter—several of them long
time neighbors and schoolmates.
District Scout
Officers Named
A north-central district meet
ing of the Boy Scouts of America
was held in the district court
room in O’Neill Monday night.
The following officers were
elected: District Judge D. R.
Mounts, of O’Neill, chairman;
W. Harold Allen, of Bassett, vice
! chairman; Victor Harley, of
Chambers, vice-chairman; Harry
Petersen, of O’Neill, commis
sioner.
Field Executive Ernie ^nds
worth, of Stuart, made a report
on organization and advance
ment, and announced that the
Boy Scout activities for 1951
would center around civil de
fense. About 50 percent of the
1 time would be alloted to civil
defense studies.
J. E. Davis gave a report on
the meeting of the Cornhusker
council held in Fremont Janu
I ary 24.
It was voted to hold the north
i central district meetings on the
I second Monday of each month,
with the exception of the Febru
ary meeting, which will be hold
February 13.
William L. Medcalfs Wed 60 Years
Chambers Couple in
i Quiet Observance;
Born in Indiana
CHAMBERS— When Mr. and
Mrs. William L. Medcalf, 83 and
. 81 respectively, were asked the
secret of spending 60 years to
gether happily their answers
. were short and pointed:
> “Being the boss all that time
1 helps,” quipped 83-year-old Mr.
: Medcalf, a retired farmer and
• retired proprietor of a harness
■ and shoe repair shop. “Being two
; years older accounts for my be
; ing boss,” he added.
“Getting along and working
hard,” was Mrs. Medcalf’s ex
planation.
“My land,” she continued,
“nowadays young folks hardly
get home before they’re in the
djvorce courts.”
No hasty marriage was the cer
emony uniting in holy wedlock
• William L. Medcalf and Effie J.
Anderson on January 28, 1891, at
. Ireland, Ind. Both members of
the same community, where they
had been born, Mr. Medcalf
courted his lady friend for three
> years before they took the step.
Mr. Medcalf was born on a
■ farm near the typically Hoosier
town of Ireland on March 27,
1C67. His father and his father’s
three brothers had fought for the
Northern armies in the Civil
war. One of his uncles was a cap
tain. Another spent two years in
Andersonville prison as a prison
er of war.
Young William was reared in
the aftermath period following
the war between the states.
He worked on a farm and two
years after his marriage to Effie
Anderson they decided to head
westward—to Nebraska.
They traveled by rail to Gage
county and settled on a farm
near Adams.
In 1909 the Medcalfs came by
rail to Holt county, settling near
Chambers. They lived on' a farm
until 1928 when they moved into
town and Mr. Medcalf kept occu
pied with his harness and shoe
business. He kept shop until a
bout two years ago.
The Medcalfs are the parents
of three sons and two daughters:
Earl, of Chambers; Ray, of Alii
ance; Emmett, Mrs. Josie Jordan
and Mrs. Hazel Greenstreet, all
of Sedro Wooley, Wash.
There are 27 grandchildren
and 14 great-grandchildren.
The Medcalfs observed open
house Sunday. There was no am
bitious planning and preparation.
The ‘‘Voice of The Frontier” pro
gram the day before merely
mentioned the Medcalfs would
be happy to receive a few of
their friends the following day.
And the friends came. Subzero
temperatures, however, kept
many of their friends from call
ing.
There was a three-tier dia
mond jubilee cake provided by
admiring descendants in Wash
ington. Otherwise there was no
fuss.
A special family dinner will
be held at a later date.
Mr. Medcalf likes to rely on a
comfortable couch during most
of the day. But he is well enough
to greet friends at the door and
escort them into their cozy little
home. Mrs. Medcalf enjoys better
health. She keeps busy with the
household work.
George Hammond, “Voice of
The Frontier” announcer, was on
hand to help them celebrate and
a two-minute transcribed inter
view was rebroadcast on the
Monday program (WJAG, 780
k. c.)
. ' ••• - -
The Medculfs . . . exchanged nuptial vows at Ireland, Ind.,
January 28, 1891.—The Frontier Photo.
Beef Research
Topic of Meet
FORMER RESIDENT
CRASH VICTIM
Rurial at Orchard for
Eldridge McElhaney,
Rank Head
Eldridge McElhaney, 57-year
old president of the First Nation
al bank of Lake Wilson, Minn.,
died early Saturday, January 27,
following an automobile crash
near Minneapolis, Minn.
The body reached O’Neill ear
ly Wednesday, January 31, and
Masonic funeral rites were con
ducted at Biglin Bros, funeral
home at 10 a. m. Burial was
made in the Orchard cemetery.
The late Mr McElhaney was
born at O’Neill on January 24,
1894. His parents were the late
Mr. and Mrs. Coral Lovell McEl
haney.
Mr. McElhaney was a graduate
of Orchard high school and at
tended the University of Ne
braska.
He married Miss Harriet Rob
ertson, of O’Neill, in May, 1923,
and for seven years lived at Page
where he was in the banking
j business.
He left Page to join the U. S.
National bank of Omaha where
he worked for 17 years, mov
ing two years ago to Lake
Wilson to head the bank there.
Survivors include: Widow;
son— John, student at the Uni
versity of Nebraska (Lincoln);
daughters—Mrs. Edward (Jane)
Bicek, of LaGrange, 111., and Miss
Marian McElhaney, of Chicago,
a university student there; sister
—Mrs. L. V. (Alice) Hassl, of
Longmont, Colo.; brothers—Ted,
of O’Neill, and Howard, of Hope,
Ida.
All members of Mr. MeElhan
ey’s immediate family were pres
ent for the rites.
Among other relatives and
friends here for the funeral
were:
Mr. and Mrs. Ray Robertson
and Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Nol
ton, all of Sioux City; Mr. and
Mrs. Albert Sundell and Mr. and
Mrs. Alvin Sundell, all of Wake
field: Mr. and Mrs. Don Clemans,
of Plainview; Mr. and Mrs.
James Robertson, Mr. and Mrs.
John Robertson and Miss Rachel
Robertson, all of Alliance; Mr.
and Mrs. Ralph Ernst, of Milton
vale, Kans.; George Weidman,
of Gering; Mrs. R. T. Orth, of
Lincoln; Mr. and Mrs. L. V.
Hassel, of Longmont, Colo.
"No Replacement for
Ward Signed —
ATKINSON—No successor for
Supt. John Ward, Atkinson pub
lic school superintendent who
has been recalled to air force du
yt, had been signed up until late
Wednesday.
Ward, a reserve captain, will
work with civilian personnel. He
will report for duty at Denver,
Colo.
Superintendent Ward said he
would be leaving Atkinson on
Wednesday, February 7.
Frontier for printing !
,, — —
Ft. Robinson Work
to Be Told to
Stockmen
The beef cattle breeding re
search now being initiated at Ft.
iiobinson, near Crawford, will be
discussed in detail by Dr. Leslie
E. Johnson at a livestock pro
ducers’ meeting to be held Fri
day, February 9, in the Atkinson
Livestock market at 8 p. m.
Johnson is coordinating all
beef breeding research now be
ing done in the north - central
states by the department of agri
culture and the state experiment
stations.
He is acquainted with the
many breeding problems of the
area and the research being
done to solve the problems,
according to County Agent A.
Neil Dawes.
According to economists, slight
ly more than 34 percent of Ne
braska farm income came from
the sale of beef cattle last year.
In Holt county, the percentage
income was higher than the state
average due to the large num
ber of beef animals maintained
here. Thus Holt countyans are
interested in the best beef cattle
possible in terms of efficiency of
production, percentage calf crop,
quality of carcass, and other fac
1 tors.
When the Ft. Robinson sta
tion is fully developed, it will be
the largest beef breeding re
search station in the north-cent
ral states. It contains slightly
more than 23,000 acres and will
have 600 breeding cows, bulls,
calves, test stock, sires, and re
placement heifers.
There are approximately 350
head of purbred Hereford fe
males on the station now and 25
head of Angus females. This
spring these annimals will be
started on specific breeding tests.
Among questions Doctor John
son will answer are:
Can we breed cattle that will
mean a higher percentage calf
crop on our ranges?
Can we wean calves weighing
100 pounds more than our pre
sent stock at similar ages and
under similar conditions?
(Continued on page 4.)
Confusion Added
to Confusing Plates
Slip ups occur in anybody’s
newspaper, but an accident
while our editorial page was
being made up presents a jum
bled situation that needs clar
| ification.
The opening paragraph on
the article entitled “Satire on
the License Plates” was lost in
the shuffle and the second
and third paragraphs were
transposed. The resultant con
fusion on an already confus
ing subject prompts us to re
produce the story here in full:
Reed O’Hanlon, jr., editor of
the Blair Pilot - Tribune, has
come up with a clever piece of
satire in connection with Ne
braska’s weird new license
plate designations.
Recently O’Hanlon dwelt at
length on the confusion which
could reign over the difficulty
in reading the markers. He
suggested his new plate now
reading W1984A could easily
include the state in the letter
designation and read NW19
84A.
T♦ nmiM nlcn earru iVui tnu/n.
ship—in Reed’s case DeSoto—
to be abbreviated to “DeStwp”
and making the plate read
NWDeStwpl984A.
Reed also thinks it could
have B1C3W for Blair's third
ward in which he lives, mak
ing the plate read NWDeStwp
B1C3W1984A.
And why not the street ad
dress, too, suggests O’Hanlon,
with the observation that the
plate could be tied around the
car and wired to the door han
dles. He thinks 103 East Grant
street could be added and the
plate would then be NWDe
StwpBlC3W103EGS1984A.
As a clincher, he suggests . .
“an alert minion of the law,
would have himself a lot of
- trouble if he ever caught up
with a fugitive auto. He could
just scribble down the license
information, call headquarters
and inform the chief the guy in
question jives at 89004 South
125th street in Omaha, wears a
6M>-size hat, is fond of marsh
mallows and has two children.”
This could be deduced by
reading the plate NXFrxtwp
OmC25W89004S125S4 5 2 3 C
6&M2C!
(Editor’s note: Please, kind
reader, skip the article, “Sat
ire on the License Plates,”
i when you come to page 2.)
