North-Nebraska’s Fastest-Growing Newspaper VOLUME 71.—NUMBER 17.O'NEILL, NEBRASKA. THURSDAY, AUGUST 30, 1951. PRICE 7 CENTS ■V Wats »'sr soc torneys, Julius D. Cronin, of O’ Neill, and Daniel Stubbs, of Lin coln, contends that district 231, in which his ranch home is locat ed, had an enrollment of less than 5 pupils during the 1949 1950 and 1950-1951 terms. Mr. Peterson’s suit claims that because of the small number of pupils they will not participate in any distribution of the $943.98 levied against the Peterson land under the “blanket tax” law. The assessed valuation of Mr. Peterson's property in district 231, both real and personal, for 1951 is $235,995. In addition. Mr. Peterson's holdings domi nate a number of other dis tricts. Mr. Peterson charges that un der terms of the “blanket law” the money is distributed among all other school districts in the county without any benefit to district 231. « "The tax is not levied uniform ly and proportionately and is gross discrimination against the plaintiff and others similarly sit uated in favor of taxpayers in the larger school districts,” the pe tition declares. Specifically it charges that the law violates Section 4, Article 8; Section 5, Article 8; Section 6, Article 8, and Section 14. Article 3. of the the state constitution. Section 6, Article 8. provides that no bill shall contain more than one subject and the same shall be clearly expressed in the title. Mr. Peterson claims that the title to this act does not disclose that elementary school districts with fewer than 5 pupils may not participate in the distribution of the tax levied. The ruling of the court on this matter will affect a large number of districts in the state. ► Mr. Peterson also charges that the law “provides for a tax levy without regard to the needs of the school district” and points to a lack of expenditures in pre vious years. Depopulation of districts by expansion of ranch units has caused some district schools to be abandoned and to enter con solidations. There are 35 dis tricts in Holt county with 5 pu pils or less. Mr. Peterson claims that Ne braska law specifically requires a school board to levy a tax in each district necessary for main tenance of schools each year. He maintains that the sections to which he objects are “changed and amended . . . without refer ences to the original sections” with the result that “an intelli gent levy could not be made without commingling the provis ions of the law.” District Court Clerk Ira H. Moss said Saturday the court probably could have “a determi nation within about 6 weeks if attorneys want to hurry the mat ter along.” Houser Signed to Teach Music Charles B. Houser, 33, of Des Moines, la., Wednesday was ; signed to become instrumental nusic teacher at O’Neill high school. Announcement was made by Supt. D. E. Nelson. Houser has a bachelor of music degree from Coe college, Cedar Rapids, la., and a masters of mu sic from the University of Mich igan, Ann Arbor. A World War II veteran, he is married and has been teaching instrumental music in the Des Moines public school system for 2 years. Frontier for Printing! Water Hits Redbird 8 - Inches of Water in Postoffice After Cloudburst (By a Staff Writer) REDBIRD—A flash-flood late Sunday in the Redbird creek watershed sent a 14-foot wall of water roaring down the valley in the early hours Monday, inun dating the Redbird school and several homes and driving some of the residents to higher ground. At the postoffice, members of the H. V. Rosenkrans family saw the water rush into their home about 1:30 a.m. and rise to about 8 inches in depth. Furniture and other objects floated about the room, including a large trunk filled with books. At the Fred Truax home the water rose to 18 - inches sur rounding the house and filled the rooms with water and muck measuring 6 inches. Mr. and Mrs. Mike Hull, who are elderly, were unable to seek safety on higher ground and watched water pour into their house. They climbed onto chairs and tables. The Redbird school, district 3, taught by Mrs. Willa Schollmey er, was damaged by mud. Work men spent Monday cleaning the school and readying for classes which begin next week. Old tun ers say it’s the highest water ev er seen at the Redbird village. Four pigs were drowned at the Art Bessert place. Others report ed drowning of chickens and cows. The Rosenkrans say the water reached its height after 1:30 and by 2:30 had begun to recede. The Redbird creek drains most of northeast Holt county. Its tributaries include the Black bird and drain the area up to within about 2'k miles of O'Neill. Rainfall in the basin varied from 3 to 7 inches in depth in the flash-flood. Wind Raises Havoc in Northeast Holt— A tornado swept across the | north-Holt county flats Sunday evening causing an untold a- j mount of damage. Nobody was ! hurt but some livestock perished At the Frank Turay estate, 12 miles northeast of O’Neill, the tornado touched down and de molished a hog house, lifted a steel grain bin from its moor ings (leaving the grain to spread out over the yard), took the top mechanism off the windmill, wrapped a hay rake around the porch of the house and damaged virtually every roof on the place. Dick Marston, who made an aerial tour of the region the fol lowing day, reported that virtual ly every haystack in a 6- or 7 mile stretch was toppled over by the wind. Joe Madura, living north of Turays, lost a windmill and sev eral stacks of hay. There was wind damage also at the Orton Young place. One bridge on the Lynch high way, south of Redbird, was prac tically washed out and a large (Continued on page 4.) Orphans no more. . . these 5 smiling children, whose ages Vincent Jackson farm, near Venus.—The Frontier Photo & En range from 4 (left) to 11 (center) are now happily at home on the graving. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ Venus Couple Seeks to Adopt 1, Gets 5 3 Brothers and 2 Sisters Abandoned 2 Years Ago Other pictures on page 9. (Note to other editors: Please do not reproduce this story. It is the express wish of the Vin cent Jacksons that the story appear in no other newspapers. Read it and you’ll understand why.) By CAL STEWART Editor, The Frontier VENUS—If you are a parent you can imagine the transforma tion that has taken place at the farm home of Mr. and Mrs. Vin cent Jackson, northeast of here. The Jacksons have been mar ried 12 childless yfears. For sometime ihey’d had an application on file at a midwest Catholic orphanage. They want ed a little boy — 4-years-old would be just fine. Last week the orphange wrote, “We have a boy for you.’’ Arriving at the orphanage the Jacksons were moved when they encountered a family of 5 chil dren—3 boys and 2 girls. These youngsters had been abandoned by their parents 2 years ago. Tough proposition for orphanage officials to place 5 children—in tact. Mr. Jackson and his wife, the former Alice Ickler, went into a huddle. In a few moments they announced they’d like to take home all 5. Orphanage officials were delighted. They knew the Jacksons would provide a happy home. Papers were fixed. Imagine 5 children just about as sweet and handsome as kids could be; 5 children who have been starving for love and affec tion. Bright kids, too. The girls have long dark hair, brown eyes, braids. The boys are fairer. Orphanage care had been fine, food had been good. But unless you've been an orphan I ourself you don't know how onesome, how empty the world can be. The Jacksons? Well, they live on a farm, 21 miles east and 3 north of O’Neill. They’re tenants, good ones. Mrs. Jackson’s par ents are Mr. and Mrs. Fred Ick ler, of Royal. Vince was reared at Creighton. Both came from sizeable families. Hearts of childless couples cer tainly are right when they seek to adopt a child. But this report er runs out of superlatives in writing about the Jacksons. While tne real parents of the 5 children have relinquished all le gal rights to the children, the fa ther and mother are still alive. They live “not too far away.’’ To avoid any dramatics any time in the future, the names of the chil dren are being withheld and pub licity is being coi fined to the O’Neill area. “Their Christian names will remain the same, but we are free to change them if we wish,” ex plained Mr. Jackson. Only clothing the kids had when they left the orphanage was the clothing they had on. Saturday night the Jacksons— now 7 of them—were in O’Neill making the rounds of the stores filling wardrobes. The sudden expansion in the size of the family created certain inconveniences at home that gradually are being worked out. The girls, ages 7 and 8, are sleep ing on the davenport until the new bed comes. There weren't enough chairs at the table, but that has been worked out. The boys’ ages are 4, 6 and 11. There’s considerable compe tition among the 5 to deter mine who sits by their new found mom and pop at the ta- ' ble, in the car and in church (the family attends St. Pat rick's Catholic church in O' Neill). Pop Jackson’s leisure moments are over. There’s a big demand for his attention in helping read books and funnies. Mom Jackson has discovered she has 2 of the best kitchen helpers that God ever created. It’s up from the table and in nothing flat the table has been cleared and dishes done. They’re helping gather eggs, too. I’ve written lots of stories, ma ny of them routine, mechanical. This is one of those tender, heart warming stories that could fill a volume, and you find it difficult to tell it in a few short para graphs. If you can imagine city orphan kids being transplanted into a congenial home on a farm; if you could see the radiance in those little eyes; if you had an opportunity to witness the dis plays of love and affection that I’ve seen in this wonderful home, then you’d have trouble finding words, too. Mr. and Mrs. Jackson—gener ous and charitable Christians be yond all bounds! And I think they’re lucky. Weather Warm and Humid for Fair— CHAMBERS—Warm and hu mid weather is forecast for today (Thursday), opening day of the 59th annual Holt county fair. Registration Wednesday indi cated the 1951 exposition will rank high in quality of livestock, farm produce and handiwork ex hibits. Today is judging day and Fri ! day and Saturday will be packed solid with entertainment. There will be a rodeo both Friday and Saturday afternoons, grandstand acts and dancing each night. 2 Auctions on Frontier’s List Two sales of livestock, farm and haying machinery and house hold goods are listed on The Frontier’s sale calendar. Don Hill, living 5 miles south of O’Neill, 1 mile west and a quarter of a mile south, will auc tion his personal property, in cluding 80 head of cattle, on Fri day, August 31, beginning at 1 o’clock. Mrs. Alice Matthews, whose son, Robert, will go to the army next week, has set Friday, Sep tember 7, as her sale date. She lives at the northeast edge cf O' Neill. Her husband, the late Ed Matthews, died several years ago and she and her son have been carrying on farming operations. (See advertisement on page 6.) Col. Wallace O’Connell will auctioneer both sales. A. L. DORR, 51, PAGE MAN, DIES PAGE — Alfred L. (“Fritz”) Dorr, 51, died at 4:10 a.m., Mon day, August 27, at his home in Page. He had been in ill health for many months. Funeral services were conduct ed at 2 p.m., Wednesday, August 29, at the Methodist church at Page. Rev. C. E. Wilcox officiat ed and burial was in the Page cemetery. A large crowd attend The late Mr. Dorr was bom September 11, 1899, at Meadow Grove. He moved to Holt county with his parents in 1908. Mr. Dorr was a machinist by occupa tion and enjoyed the reputation of being an expert. Several months ago, because of his ill ness, he was obliged to dispose of his shop and equipment. On September 8, 1932, he mar ried Emma Adams, at Osmond They became the parents of 2 sons—Vernon Lee, and a younger brother, who preceded his father in death in 1944. Survivors include: Widow: son —Vernon Lee; brothers — Her man, of Venus; John, of Tecum seh; Henry, of Page, and Leon ard, of Orchard; sisters—Mrs. An no Holden, of Sioux City, and Mrs. Delia Stauffer, of Norfolk, who was his twin sister. Pallbearers were: Alton Brad dock, Henry Tegeler, Harden Anspach, Otto Terrill, Melvin Smith, Ben Miller, William Sim mons and Herbert Steinberg. John T. Bennan Expires in Utah John Thomas Brennan, 67, son of the late Mr. and Mrs. Neil Brennan, died at his home in Salt Lake City, Utah, Monday, Au gust 27. He was born in O'Neill and at tended All Hallows high school and college in Salt Lake City. As a young man, he operated a general dry goods and grocery store in O’Neill for several year* and, after moving west, he went into the advertising business which he continued until a year ago when he suffered a stroke. He had not been well since that time. Survivors are: Widow, Caro line; son, John; and daughter. Caroline, all of Salt Lake City: 9 grandchildren; 2 brothers- -Neil, of Gering, and Thomas, of Lin coln; 2 sisters—Mrs. J. A. (Mar garet) Pfeiler, of Hot Springs,. S. D., and Miss Bernadette Bren nan, of O’Neill. A brother, CoL F. M. Brennan, and 2 sisters, Mrs. Edward (Nell) Donahue and Mrs. J. B. (Sarah) Ryan, preced ed him in death. Roy Lowry, Wife Plan Observance— Mr. and Mrs. Roy Lowry on Tuesday, September 4, will cel ebrate their golden wedding an niversary. They plan an open house observance from 2 until 5 p.m. Ray B. Crellin . . . embarked on law career, switched to pub lishing.—The Frontier Photo & Engraving. (Story at right.) Crellin Ends 30-Year Career Ewing Publisher Retires with This Week’s Issue (By a Staff Writer) EWING—The Ewing Advocate goes to press today for the final time under the guidance of Ray B. Crellin, 64, retiring editor publisher. Next week Thelma E. Drayton’s name will appear on the masthead. As new owner, she takes possession Saturday, September 1. “A lot of water has gone down the Elkhorn during the 30 years that I have been publishing The Advocate,” writes Mr. Crellin, who has been dean of Holt coun ty publishers since the death of Dennis H. Cronin in 1947. “All good things must come to an end and so it happens to us. It has been a most enjoyable ex • perience. We have shared the joys, successes and sorrows of the Advocate readers. We are forced on account of our health to turn the job over to new. hands. The work has been entire ly too much for us the past cou ; pie of years and with insufficient i help we simply overworked.” Mr. Crellin was born at Lyons, a son of Mr. and Mrs. Daniel Crellin. His parents later operat ed a newspaper at Plainview. It i was there "R. B.” learned the I trade. He began a law career at the University or Nebraska but World War I interrupted his education. After the war he went to work in the mechanical department of the Norfolk Daily News In 1921 he bought I the Advocate from Gary Ben son. The Advocate was a handset, (Continued on page 4.) Miss Thelma E. Drayton . . . newcomer to journalistic field.