Nebraska Newspapers

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North-Nebraska’s Fastest-Growing Newspaper
VOLUME 71.—NUMBER 11. O'NEILL. NEBRASKA. THURSDAY. JULY 19. 1951. “ ~ pp --
-—___PRICE 7 CENTS
state msr soc m
Holt Stockmen_
, Protest Values
Oppose 33 to 68%
Hike Adopted
By Assessors
A handful of Holt county’s
leading livestock growers were
at the state capitol in Lincoln
Tuesday protesting the 33 to 68
percent increase in livestock val
uations as approved and adopted
by the assessors at their meeting
in January.
Included among them were
Charley W. Peterson, of Atkin
son, who spoke briefly.
Tuesday's hearing was the
second round between the Ne
braska County Assessors asso
ciation and the cattlemen be
fore the state board of equali
zation.
The stockgrowers were vigor
ously oposed to what they termed
‘‘non-legal and unscientific meth
od” used by the assessors organi
zation to arrive at cattle valua
tions for tax assessments.
James H. Anderson, of Omaha,
counsel for the stockgrowers, led
the attack on the valuations re
commended by the assessors.
These valuations represented in
creases of from 33 to 68 percent
over 1950.
Anderson drew enthusiastic ap
plause at the end of his presenta
tion from the 250, perspiring,
shirt - sleeved cattlemen who
> jammed the west senate chamber
of the capitol.
The former attorney-general of
Nebraska contended that the 25
percent across-the-board increase
approved by a rump meeting of
county assessors at Alliance, held
after the January meeting at Lin
coln, was “far more fair” than
the “disproportionate action” tak
en at th^ January convention.
Anderson was especially criti
cal of what he termed the “quo
tient verdict” whereby the live
stock committee of the assessors
association, at the Lincoln meet
ing, arrived at its recommenda
tion by having each member put
his sugestions in a hat. An aver
age was struck for the whole list
and that became the committee’s
recommendation.
' Anderson protested inai as
nearly as we can tell, 3 mem
bers of that 10-member com
mittee. by putting in extremely
high valuations, were able to
get the average raised beyond
proportion."
He asserted that an additional
taxation “burden is being placed
steadily and continuously on per
sonal property’’ and he said he
sympathized with taxpayers of
that category.
“But 1 cannot sympathize with
a situation where real estate,
which makes up the great mass
of Nebraska’s tax property, is
valued at from 21 to 28 percent
of its actual value.”
Anderson said that cattlemen
are being discriminated against
* taxwise in comparison with grain
farmers, who are able to sell their
product before the March 10 as
sessment date. He cited figures
to show that only about a third
of the wheat and corn crop grown
in Nebraska is ever assessed.
(Continued on page 4.)
Heat, Fog Feature
Week’s Weather
Holt county weather during
the past week has been charac
terized by heat and fog -and lit
tle precipitation!
For weeks the weather sum
mary told of rain, rain, rain. But
Friday the rainy spell apparent
ly came to an end and Ol’ Sol
got busy, boosting Ihe mercury
to 94 degrees.
I Hot summer weather during
the weekend and early this week
was welcomed by farmers aa
ideal growing weather. The small
grain crop is made—except for
hail. Farmers are cultivating
corn, hay is being put up. and
bluegrass stripping and drying
is well along. Harvest of small
grain is nearly at hand.
O’Neill residents early Wed
nesday awakened to find the
area enveloped in fog, which did
not begin to lift until 8 o’clock.
Visibility was restricted to 150
feet during the early part of the
morning and motorists drove
with lights on.
Week’s weather summary,
based on 24-hour periods ending
at 6 p.m. daily, follows:
Hi Lo M-Ms.
July 12 70 50 .60
July 13 .. 80 66 .26
July 14 94 58
July 15 _ 85 70
July 16 83 64
I July 17 94 68
Total_ .86
Spittler Family
Holds Reunion—
Guests of honor at a Spittler
family picinic held at Ford’s park
Sunday evening, July 15, were
Mr. and Mrs. L. M. Spittler and
family, of Orinda, Calif.
Other guests from out-of-town
were: Mr. and Mrs. A. E. Spitt
ler, Mary, John A., Gerrv, Pat,
Danny and Theresa Rotherham,
all of Ewing: Mr. and Mrs. Anton
Tasler and Mr. and Mrs. Ed Jan
sen and daughter, all of Atkinson.
Visit Albion—
Mr. and Mrs. Milton M. Krause
and daughters were in Albion
Sunday.
--.
Frontier lor printing! ^
John <3. Stuifbergen . . . will
lead Simonson post 93 during
next 12 months.—The Frontier
Engraving.
(Story below.)
STUIFBERGEN NEW
LEGION LEADER
World War II PW Will
Succeed Laursen
As Commander
John G. Stuifbergen, who was
a prisoner of war in Germany
for more than 6 months during
World War II, Thursday was
elected new commander uf Si
monson post 93, of the American
Legion. Stuifbergen, an infantry
lieutenant during the late war,
now is manager of the O’Neill
Beverage Co.
He is married, has a daugh
ter, Linda, 5. and a son, Richard,
2.
Other Candida tes for com
mander were Dr. H. D. Gilder
sleeve, whose name was on the
ballot, and Glea H. Wade, who
was nominated from the floor.
Stuifbergen succeeds Virgil
Laursen, who has held the post
for a year. Laursen was named
vice - commander.
Other new officers ari: Elmer
Ross, chaplairt; Dale Buckmas
ter, sergeant-at-arms; Gordon
Harper, Elgin Ray, Dr. C. M. Ea
son, Melvin Ruzicka and A1 W.
Carroll, members of the execu
tive committee.
Buckle on Hay Belt
Wins Slogan Contest
“O’Neill, the Buckle in the Hay
Belt” will be the slogan used in
all future O’Neill publicity, A. E.
Bowen, secretary of the Lions
club, announced Wednesday.
Mrs. Howard Manson has re
ceived a $25 savings bond for her
winning entry in the recent slo
gan contest.
Contest entries were judged at
a meeting of the O’Neill Lions
club Wednesday evening, July 11.
It was decided at the meeting
that on July 29 there would be a
flag golf tournament at the
O’Neill Country club for Lions
club (members and their wives.
Three prizes will be awarded in
the morning and 3 in the after
noon. First prizes will be $10;
second, $5; and third, $2.50 each.
The tournament is open to all
Lions of district 38-E and will
begin at 10 a.m.
The newly-elected officers of
the club for the coming year are:
Arnie Doerning, president; Elgin
Ray, 1st vice-president; Dr. H. D.
Gildersleeve, 2d vice-president;
Joe Stutz, 3d vice-president; A. E.
Bowen, secretary; Woodrow Me
lena, treasurer; Robert Jonas and
John Watson, tail twisters; Harry
Claussen, lion tamer and song
leader; Dewey Schaffer, Judge D.
R. Mounts, L. D. Putnam, Hugh
Ray, and Harry Petersen, direc
tors.
L. D. Putnam is the retiring
president.
State Bar Group
Holds Institute
Sponsored by the Nebraska
State Bar association, an institute
on new legislation was held Wed
nesday, July 18, at Hotel Madison
in Norfolk.
The all-day session started at
9:30 a.m., with Clarence A. Davis,
of Lincoln, state association pres
ident, presiding.
At the morning session, Barton
H. Kuhns, Omaha, spoke on “Uni
form Acts—Release of Child Sup
port Judgments—Acts Relating to
Inheritance Tax,” and Robert R.
Moodie, West Point, talked on
Acts Relating to Probate Prac
tice—Condemnation Act — Gar
nishment Act.”
Federal Judge John W. Dele
hant, Lincoln, spoke in the after
noon on “Deposition Act—Sum
mary Judgment Act—Written In
terrogatories.” State Senator Rob
ert D. McNutt, of Lincoln, talked
on “Acts Relating to Procedure.”
A discussion period followed
each subject.
Similar institutes are scheduled
by the state association at Lin
coln, July 19; Omaha, July.20.
Miss Carol Fredrickson, of Bas
sett, spent last Thursday with
diss Mardelle Gaskill.
CHAMPION FLOAT . . . The Wm. Krotter Co. of O’Neill’s ‘‘Sum
mer Garden” float entry in the American Legion-sponsored parade
here Saturday captured top honors in class I. Under the archway
is Miss Hazel Marie Johnson, wearing a green formal; seated on
bench in foreground is Miss Claryce Johnson, in a yellow formal.
(For a full page of other parade pictures turn to page 14.) — The
Frontier Photo & Engraving.
S. A. SULENTIC, 74,
ENGINEER, DIES
Native of Yugoslavia,
Resident 2 Years,
Dies in Ambulance
A colorful civil engineer, who
has been an O’Neill part - time
resident about 2 years, died at
9:15 a.m. Wednesday, July 18,
enroute to a Norfolk hospital.
S. A. Sulentic, 74, consultant
engineer for the Consumers and
Loup River Public Power dis
tricts, was stricken about 2 a.m.
in his room at the Golden hotel,
where he has been residing, and
he died in a Biglin Eros, ambu
lance while passing through Ne
!if?h.
Dr. W. F. Finley, who had
attended him, said death was
caused by a heart ailment, Su
lentic recently had been con
fined fo a California hospital
for 6 weeks.
His widow lives at Topeka.
Kans., where Sulentic for years
has been a member of an engi
neering firm.
The body was taken to Biglin
Bros, and will be forwarded to
Topeka late today (Thursday).
A native of Yugoslavia, he was
educated as an engineer at Hei
delberg, Germany. He worked
on the famous Ploesti oil fields
in Rumania and worksd with the
British in developing the oil in
dustry in the Middle Ea«t. Su
lentic served with British forces
during World War I.
Twice since coming to O'
Neill he has made trips to Eur
ope — in 1950 penetrating be
hind the iron curtain under
diplomatic immunity.
He was consultant engineer for
the Santa Fe and several other
U.S. railroads and has been a
deputy U.S. marshall.
While driving his automobile
in recent months Suientic fre
quently was seen wearing a oe
ret with an interesting back
ground. In London last summer
a small party was organized in
his behalf by members of the
British Royal Society of Engi
neers. Field Marshal Bernard
Montgomery was in the group
and presented Suientic with his
beret as a memento.
LACKS 3 TEACHERS
ORCHARD—The public school
board of education at Orchard
still lacks 3 teachers to fill va
cancies on the teaching staff. The
Orchard high school needs a
home economics teacher; and the
grade school lacks a teacher fnr
the fifth and sixth grades and
another for the seventh and
eighth grades.
CONDITION 'CRITICAL'
LYNCH—Mrs. Sarah Darnell is
in “critical condition” in the
Lynch hospital with a kidney ail
ment.
James Langan, of Spencer, call
ed Sunday at the home of his
aunt and uncle, Mr. and Mrs. Er
vin Sanders.
Mr. and Mrs. William J. Froe
lich were hosts at a picnic Satur
day at their home for their fam
ilies.
O’Neill Girl with Smile and Container
Fake Charity Stunt Takes ’Em In
Attractive Lydia Halva, daugh-'
ter of Mr. and Mrs. Vic Halva, of
O’Neill, figured prominently in
Omaha’s weekend news.
She had fun taking advantage
of Omahans who are used to
shelling out on downtown street
corners.
Apparently all it took was a
pretty girl, a ready smile and a
collection container. The merit
of the "charity" means little.
Miss Halva, who now lives at
64 Drake Court, Omaha, proved
that in a noon-day collection.
She collected $2.59 in 20 min
utes despite a glaring sign which
proclaimed her campaign a fake.
The sign read:
“Give.
“But it won’t help the orphans.
“I’ll keep it.’’
Most of the Omahans who con
tributed glanced indifferently at
the sign and reached for small
change. Few bothered to read the
sign and only one had any idea
of the cause to which he was
giving money.
A young man read the sign,
started to walk away and then
returned.
"Hell, you're honest, anyway,"
he said, and droped a coin into
the container.
One woman proved to be a
wily old campaigner as she ap
proached Miss Halva at her post
on the southeast comer of Six
teenth and Farnam streets.
“I gave to the other girl down
on the comer,” she confided with
a gracious smile.
; Miss Hglva did not bother to
| tell her that there was no “other
, girl” in this particular “charity
I drive.”
A reporter walked up to one
man after he had contributed and
pointed out the content of the
| sign. He asked the man if he al
! ways contributed without at
! tempting to ascertain where his
mone' was going.
““I never try to find out where
the money is going,” he answered.
“There are so darn many of those
street drives that I contribute to
get ’em out of my hair. Usually if
you refuse to contribute on one
corner they are button-holing you
on another."
Miss Halva donated her time
to the experiment. The money
was given to Children's Memo
rial hospital.
“Say, I just happened to think
that more women donated money
than men,” the pretty girl said as
she removed_the sign. “At my age
that ain’t good."
Elected to
National Angus Association—
Martin and Elkins, of O’Neill,
have been elected to membership
in the American Aberdeen-Angus
Breeders’ association at Chicago,
111., announces Secretary Frank
Rkhards. Martin and Elkins were
among the C purebred Aberdeen
Angus breeders elected from Ne
braska during the past month to
membership in the organization.
“Voice of The Fro ltier”.. 9:45
a.m.. WJAG, Norfolk, 780 kc.
Phot a."
Miss Lydia Halva and donor . . . $2.59 in 20 minutes.
THRONGS WITNESS
PARADE, SHOW
3d Annual Legion Affair
Goes on Record as
‘Big Success’
The 3d annual American Le
gion-sponsored O’Neill celebra
tion has been entered on the rec
ord book as a “big success,” Si/m
onson post 93 officials explain.
The 2-day celebration opened
with a parade at 2 p.m. on Sat
urday, July 14, and closed in the
wee hours Monday morning at
the conclusion of a dance.
Thousands of people lined
Douglas street for a glimpse of
the colorful parade in which 5
trophies were presented to the
winners. Judges were Charles E.
Chace, Atkinson attorney; John
Conard. Emmet merchant, and
Julius D. Cronin, O’Neill attor
ney.
The mile-long parade got un
derway exactly at 2 o’clock, after
forming at First and Douglas.
Music was provided by the
Municipal band, under the di
rection of John Berigan, band
alumnus who is now a music
stkidenl at the University of
Nebraska.
A word-descriptive of the par
ade was broadcast by George
Hammond (WJAG, 780 kc
through the “Voice of The Fron
tier’s’’ special events faciliities).
The broadcast, incidentally, was
heard by hundreds of persons
parked in their automobiles along
the Douglas street parade route,
by some persons in the parade
itself, and by thousands in the
general radio audience. A broad
cast booth was improvised on the
second floor of the Hagensick
building- former Nebraska State
bank building).
“Summer Garden,” the float
entered by the William Krotter
Co., of O’Neill, was awarded first
prize in the class I of Saturday’s
parade.
vynue ireuis - woric wiin
climbing roses against a grass
green background gave the
float a colorful effect that was
a crowd-pleascr.
Miss Claryce Johnson, in a yel
(Continued on page 4.)
MRS L. EAXTELL.
DUSTIN, SUCCUMBS
ATKINSON—Funeral services
were held Wednesday, July 13, at
2 o’clock in the Presbyterian
church at Atkinson for Mrs. L.
E. Axtell, of Dustin. Reverend
Graff had charge of the services.
Mrs. Axtell, 66, died < bout
11:30 p.m. Sunday, July 15, in
Lynch. She had been ill for a
long time and would have cele
brated her 48th wedding anniver
sary on the day she died. She and
Mr. Axtell were married July 15,
1903. Her maiden name was Ber
tha Hamilton.
Burial will be today t.Thurs
day) at Fairbury.
Survivors include: Widower;
son—Harold Axtell, of Beatrice;
daughter—Mrs. Hester Roberts,
of Dustin.
‘PAT’ O’DONNELL
DIES SUDDENLY
Heart Attack Is Fatal
to Manager of
Big Hay Firm
A heart attack about 5:30 a.m,
Saturday. June 14, proved fatal
to Patrick J. (“Paddy’') O’Don
nell. 74. former O’Neill banker,
real estate and insurance agent
and for the past several year*
office manager for the J, B. Ryan
Hay company.
He had not been ill and deatk
came suddenly and unexpected
ly.
Funeral services were conduct
ed Monday, July 16, at 0 a.m. aft
St. Patrick’s Catholic church.
Very Rev. Timothy O’Sullivan,
church pastor, officiated in the
requiem high mass and burial
was in Calvary cemetery. Pall
bearers were H. E. Coyne, John
R. Gallagher, Neil B. Rvan, F. N.
Cronin, P. B. Harty, Joseph Gal
lagher, H. J. Birmingham and
Stanley Soukup. Biglin Bros,
were in charge of arrangement*.
The body was removed from
Biglin’s to the O'Donnell home
at 2 p.m. Sunday where it lay
in stale until funeral time. A
rosary was offered Sunday
night. '
The late Mr. O’Donnell, son of
John P. and Ellen Brennan O*
P°°neU. Awa,s born August 12.
18 <6, at Audenried, Pa.
.uH<A.c*m,e with his Parents to
P770 Pf i11 co\ony in September
1877, while still an infant and fee
spent virtually his entire life
here.
On June 16, 1919, ho married
Helen Harte at O’Neill.
For several years he served as
a bank receiver.
Survivors include: Widow _
Helen; brothers—John, of Oak
land, Calif.; M. F., o* Dallas.
Tex., and Edward L., of Salina.
Kans ; sisters—Mrs. B. Remscb
ler, Miss Anna L„ and Mrs. Su
san Deaver, all of O’Neill; Mis.
J. Lymans, of Omaha.
Mrs. Mabel Bacon
Expires in Omaha
ATKINSON—Funeral service*
were conducted at 10 a m., Wed
nesday, July 18, at the Methodist
church in Atkinson for Mrs. M»
bel Bacon former Atkinson resi
dent who died Monday, July It
m an Omaha hospital. She had
suffered a lingering illness.
Survivors of the longtime Holt
county resident include: Daugh
ters—Mrs. John (lone) Bouska of
Portland, Ore., and Mrs. Robert
(Alma) Brown, of Atkinson; 15
grandchildren; sisters—Mrs. Jess
(Luella) Osborne, of Lander.
Wyo., and Mrs. Joseph (Tessie)
Sherfy, of Lewellyn; brother—
RRussell Carr, of tAkinson. An
other brother, Robert Carr, was
killed in a truck accident less
than a year ago.
Pallbearers were: George Mon
ahan, Floyd Osborne and Ton*
Malley, all of Atkinson, and D. L.
Banks, Hugh Benson and Sa's
Banks, all of O’Neill.
The body was at the home is
O’Neill, 1 block north of the
O’Neill hi^h school auditorium.
Tuesday night and was taken to
Atkinson early Wednesday.
■■ ■ ii ff
McClaskey to
Pen for 4 Year*
Bill McClaskey, who had been
selling magazine subscription* in
the O’Neill region, was sentenced
Wednesday, July 11, to 4 years in
the Nebraska state penitentiary
on charges of breaking and enter
ing an Omaha restaurant.
Holt county authorities issued
a warrant for his arrest and
wanted him returned here to face
charges in connection with an
alleged check forgery. The check
was cashed at the Page Co-o^
Credit association and bore Joe
Pritchett’s name. It was in the
amount of $80.
^ McClaskey was being held in
Kansas City, Mo., where he war
arrested.
Pribils Hurt
in Auto Mishap
Mr. and Mrs. CasDar Pribil.
farmers south of O’Neill, receiv
ed only cuts and bruises when
their car went out of control on
the Inman road 2 miles east oT
U.S. highway 281, south of here,
on Monday, July 18, about 7
p.m.
The car was badly damaged
but the couple was able to return
home, after being treated by I*
cal physicians. They are being
cared for by Mr. Pribil's daugh
ter. Mrs. William Watson, a reg
istered nurse.
Try Frontier want advs. for
quick results!