The frontier. (O'Neill City, Holt County, Neb.) 1880-1965, May 08, 1952, Image 1

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    North-Nebraska s Fastest-Growing Newspaper
VOLUME 72.—NUMBER 1. O'NEILL. NEBRASKA, THURSDAY. MAY 8. 1952 _PRICE: 7 CENTS.
— Mill P Hill III ^ iAH.*, I ¥ x'u ’* *
—The Frontier Photx^ & Enxravinir
ANOTHER DIPLOMA FOR DONNA MAE ... Miss Donna Mae
Fuhrer, 18 (above), well-known O’Neill polio victim, on Thursday,
May 15, will receive her diploma during O’Neill high school com
mencement exercises. Miss Fuhrer, who received nationwide at
tention in 1947 when she graduated from the eighth grade, will
have earned a high school diploma without having spent a day
in high school. All of her studies have been by correspondence
with the state department of education: A perfect examination
paper recently netted for her a commendation note from the state
department. Miss Fuhrer is the eldest daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Ed
Fuhrer. For several years the family resided two miles east of O’
Neill on U.S. highways 20-275. Now they live on the Simmons
farm, two miles southeast of O’Neill. A tape-recorded interview
with Donna Mae, conducted by George Hammond, “Voice of The
Frontier” announcer, will be broadcast on Saturday, May 10
(WJAG, 780 kc, 9:45 am.)
Infant Drowns
inStock Tank
Horse Leads Father to
Scene of Tragedy;
Rites Today
Thomas Leroy Slattery, jr., 18
month-old son of Mr. and Mrs.
Thomas L. Slattery, drowned at
10 a.m. Monday, May 5.
The tragedy occurred at the
the Slattery home, 21 miles
northeast of O’Neill, located on
L. D. Putnam’s Mule Shoe ranch.
The young father had been
talking to his son immediately
before he went to get his tractor.
He had been gone about 10 min
utes when he missed the child
and noticed that the gate was
opened to where the water tank
was located. A riding horse was
acting peculiarly, the father
noted. He followed the horse to
the watering tank and there
found the little boy. Efforts to
revive the boy were futile.
Dr. E. J. Bild, of Page, was
summoned.
Thomas Slattery, jr., was born
October 27, 1950.
Survivors include: Parents,
sister—Marsha, 5-years-old.
The funeral rites will be held
today (Thursday) at the Biglin
funeral chapel where there will
be a short prayer service at 1:30
p m. and at the Bassett Metho
dist church at 3:30 p.m. Rev.
Hicks, of Bassett, will be in
charge.
Burial will be in the Bassett
cemetery.
Visit McGraws—
INMAN — Mrs. Kuhn and
daughter, Effie. of Neligh, spent
Monday, April 28, in the home of
Mr. and Mrs. Harry McGraw.
Friendly Doe
Delights Pupils
AMELIA—It was a memora
ble day Wednesday, May 7, in
the Inez school district, 20
miles south of Atkinson, for
the teacher, Mi® Norma And
erson, and her eight pupils.
A friendly deer dropped >in
about noon and frolicked in
the yard during the lunch hour.
The deer—a full-grown doe—
evidenced fondness for apples
and petting but disliked salt
and boisterous play.
After Miss Anderson reas
sembled her brood for the af
ternoon classes, Mrs. Deer de
cided to enter the school room.
The visitor marched up to the
teacher’s desk, nibbled the
flowers, ate orange peels out
of the coal pail and delighted
the youngsters for half an
hour.
At recess time the deer went
for more play. This time,
however, she didn’t file Pack
into the school room with the
children but disappeared over
the hills into the west.
ESCAPES INJURY
EMMET—Miss Maureen Mur
phy escaped serious injury Fri
day afternoon at Amelia while
she was driving a motor bike
belonging to Donnie Atkinson, of
Chambers. The motor bike, go
ing out of control, ran through a
ditch into a barbed wire fence
and a group of willow trees.
Frontier for printing . . prompt
delivery!
ILLNESS FORCES
PASTOR TO RETIRE
Rev. V. R. Bell, 67, a
Builder During 4
Years at O’Neill
Rev. V. R. Bell, 67, pastor of
the Methodist church, O’Neill,
will retire June 1. He and his
wife will live at Sargent, where
they own their own home.
Reverend Bell delivered his
farewell message by tape record
ing Sunday, May 4.
He was stricken March 10,
1952, with a heart ailment after
serving the O’Neill church for
four years. Other pastorates
which he has served are at St.
Paul, Stuart, Sargent and Twin
Falls, Ida.
Reverend and Mrs. Bell have
three sons — Robert, of Grand
island; Rev. Joseph, of Nashville,
Tenn., and Franklin, of Torring
ton, Wyo.
When Reverend Bell came
to O'Neill, the membership was
relatively low. On the Sunday
before he was stricken, a rec
ord attendance mark was es
tablished in the history of O'
Neill's Methodist church, ex
cepting Easter and special ser
vices.
Reverend Bell’s retirement will
became official at the annual Ne
braska Methodist conference
Rev. Bell . . record turnout.
which convenes in early June.
Besides his church activities,
Reverend Bell was active in Boy
Scout work, the Parent-Teachers’
association, and the Masonic
lodge.
He is convalescing at the home
! of his son, Robert, 1821 West
Charles Street, Grand Island.
Mrs. Bell and Rev. Joseph Bell
were in O’Neill Monday packing
the family’s personal effects pre
paratory to moving to Sargent.
A successor will be appointed
at the June conference, according
to Rev. J. LaVerne Jay, O’Neill
district superintendent.
An annex was built onto the
church last year. Additional space
was needed to accommodate the
expanding Sunday-school.
City’s Schools to Graduate 77
/£s
42 O’Neill High Seniors
Will Hear Former
/ Superintendent
Graduation exercises will be
held Thursday, May 15, for 42
O’Neill high school seniors. Mem
bers of the class are:
Joellvn Backhaus, Clayton
Baumeister, Dale Beilin, Barbara
Bennett, John Bowen, Eddie
Bridges, Virginia Burrell, Don
Calkins, Russell Closson, Betty
Dailey, Paul Fetrow. Don Godel.
Veldon Godel. Mary Graham, Ar
dis Grenier, Donald Ha.gensick,
Phyllis Harmon, Carolvn Hiatt,
Claryce Johnson, Harold John
son. Linda Johnson. Robert
Knepoer, Gordon Lorenz, Diane
McAdams, Jav McConnell, Bruce
McElhanev, Jim McKennv, Wil
ma MeKim, Marlene Malcom,
Bill Malloy. Arnold Miller, Mel
vin Miller. Lois Murray. Beverly
Norman, Verle Ralya, Gene Se
eer. Donna Stowell, Dale Strong,
Eddie Tomlinson, Ramona
Wayman, Junior Worth, Helen
Young.
Class officers are: Eddie Bridg
es, president: Joellyn Backhaus,
vice-Dresident: Donna Stowell,
secretary: Claryce Johnson,
treasurer: Joellyn Backhaus,
class reporter.
Ira George, of Omaha, super
intendent of the O’Neill school
at the time this class entered
kindergarten, will be commence
ment speaker. Mr. George head
ed the school for 12 of the 13
years many of the class were in
school.
Rural Choruses to
Sing at Promotion
Holt county eighth graders will
meet at 1 p.m. on Monday, May
12, on the steps of the county
courthouse in O’Neill where a
picture will be taken.
At 2 p.m. they will meet in
the O’Neill high school auditori
um for graduation exercises. A
two piano processional will be
played. »
Diplomas will be presented by
Miss Alice French, county super
intendent of public instruction.
The rural school choruses will
sing.
The first group, including be
ginners, first, second and third
graders, will sing “Three Little
Kittens,” “Daddy’s Little Cow
boy,” “Peter Cottontail” and
“Teddy Bear’s Picnic.” They will
be directed by Mrs. Etha Walters,
of Chambers.
The second group, which will
include pupils in the fourth, fifth,
sixth and seventh grades, will
be heard in “I Love Little Wil
lie” and “Home on the Range.”
They will be directed bv G*
Welch, music director, Norfolk
iunior college and Norfolk high
school.
The eighth graders, also under
Mr. Welch, will sing “Down in
the Valiev,” Skip to My Lou”
and “Cindy.”
DELOIT—Mrs. Cratty dispav
ed her collection of over 23,000
buttons at the hobbv show held
in Neligh Wednesday, April 30. i
Shirley Leahy Wins Top
Honors at St. Mary’s
Father Burke to Speak
Baccalaureate and commence
ments exercises for 35 St. Ma
rv's academv seniors will be held
Thursday. May 29. Rev. Peter
Burke, of St. Peter’s Catholic
church, Ewing, will deliver the
sermon. Class roll:
Christine Baum. Donovan
Becker. Lavonne Boham. Elaine
Boyle, M. Lois Cavanaugh, Joan
Racker, Tom Donlin, Donald
Coash. Mina Connot. James De
Donohoe, Dorothy D o n o h o e,
Tean Fahrenholz, Donald Gra
ham, Robert Hynes, Jerrv How
ard, Shirley Jardine, James Kel
lv, Shirlev Leahy, Carolyn Lee.
Maureen Mahoney. Bernard
Mohr, Suzanne Moss, Patricia
Mullen. Henry Murphv, Rose
Anne Schaffer. Marv Schmitz,
Joann Smith Mary Ellen Steele,
Geraldine Thiele, Joanne Thoen
del, Winnie Vandersnick. Don
aldeen Vinton. Mary Frances
Vitt. Sharon Wagnon.
Hieh class averages were at
tained bv Bernard Mohr, Chris
tine Baum and Shirlev I^eahv,
first, second and third, respec
tively.
Miss Leahy has been chosen
valedictorian, being the only one
of th" three with a high average
who has attended the academy
fo” four years.
The class officers are: Bernard
Mohr, president: Maureen Ma
honpv, vice - prsident; Winnie
Vandersnick, secretary; James
DeBacker, treasurer.
CLASS OF 1964 . . . This is a preview of the O’
Neill high school graduating class of 1964. These
little men and women received their kindergarten
diplomas at a “graduation” rite Friday evening.
Supt. D. E. Nelson made the presentation. Mrs.
'Harry Petersen is the teacher. Left-to-right: Don
—The Frontier Photo & Enjrravlnic
aid Hollenbeck, Donald Crook, Connie Sullivan
(peeking through), Marlene Colfack, Cheryl
Clyde, Verna Butterfield, Richard Brinkman,
Michael Boyer, Arlene Barr, Lois Anderson, Mar
lene Alton, Gary Alton, Dennis Wells and Ron
ald Walton.
Vic Halva Remembers Titanic
| 4
On a sunny day In April, 1912,
Victor Halva, together with 2,223
other passengers and crew mem
bers, stood at the railing of the
ship Titanic and enjoyed the an- i
tics of children below. The ship I
lay at anchor in Southampton |
Harbor, England, preparatory to I
its much-heralded maiden voyage, j
Suddenly one of the spectators
fell overboard. Immediately a
sailor loosened a life preserver
and threw it into the water and
the drowning man was saved.
This impressed young Halva,
who had boarded the ship for
passage to America to escape 20
years of service in the army of
Austria. He asked the sailor who
had used the life preserver if
there would be any need for one
during the voyage to New York.
Well,'* replied the sailor, "It’s
a handy thing to have around in
case anything should happen.’’
Little did the youthful immi
l grant realize how valuable this
experience would prove to be for
him. He had never seen a life
preserver before, and would not
have known its use.
It was April 15. It had been a
nice day at sea and an unevent
ful voyage. All was quiet. The
night lookout in the crow’s nest
reported an iceberg ahead, but no
concern was shown by the offi
cer in charge.
Shortly after 11 p.m., says Mr.
Halva, who is a longtime resi
dent of O'Neill, there was a
rending crash and he was
knocked from his chair in the
ship's lounge.
At first he did not realize what
had happened. Nor did the other
passengers. “A few in night
clothes came on deck and thought
a minor accident had occurred.
Some went back to their beds,”
Mr. Halva remembers. "The men
in the engine room knew differ
ently. Lifeboats were being filled
as an explosion roared. Of
ficers with drawn pistols ordered
only women and children into the
boats.”
Mr. Halva said, "The ship was
tilting bow first and very short
ly after the crash it began to
sink. As the last two life boats
were lowered there came a terri
fic explosion, and a real panic
started.
"People started jumping into
-the water, and so did I,” said
Halva. “But I had first untied a
TEACHER SIGNED
Mrs. Harold Seger has been
signed to teach the fourth grade
in the O’Neill public school sys
tem for 1952-’53. She succeeds
Mrs. Alice Fritton, who asked
the board of education not to
consider her for reelection.
HIGH BIDDERS
DELOIT — The Huffman cor
poration was the highest bidder
on the school land lease Thurs
day, May 1, at Bartett. The cor
poration’s bid was $7,000.
---
life preserver like the one used •
by the sailor back in Southamp
ton. There was another explo
sion and the huge waves threw
me aganst a floating piece of fur
niture. I saw several who were
clinging to it let loose and sink.
"After about an hour in the
water I saw a boat and swam
toward it and was exhausted
when I was pulled aboard. As
the night passed cries for help
could be heard from all sides—
cries that were never an
swered"
"At about 5:45 o'clock in the
morning.” Halva recounts, “a ship
was seen in the distance heading
in our direction with all the lights
brightly shinning. It was the
Carpathia.
"There has been 16 lifeboats and
some had 65 persons in them. The
Carpathia picked up 720 persons
in all and landed them in New
York in fbur days.
Mr. Halva was in the hospital
for 314 weeks as a result of the
plunge in icy water and later ex
posure. He came to Boyd county
immediately after being released
from the hospital.
Later he settled in O’Neill,
wl%ere he has operated ah electri
cal repair shop for many years.
The sinking of the Titanic
stands as one of the greatest sea
tragedies of all time. The 40th an
niversary of the fateful sinking
was observed last month.
The maiden voyage had been
heralded around the world. The
ship’s oTmers and captain were
anxious to break a trans-Atlantic
speed record and Mr. Halva
thinks carelessness is to blame
for the accident. Builders of the
Titanic said she was unsinkable
—S ship of all ships.
“Yes, Mr. Halva said, “except
for that lesson in use of a life pre
' server, back in Southampton, I’d
have been a dead duck.’’
PHILLIP KEATING,
ATKINSON, DIES
Ex - Banker and Retired
Implement Dealer
111 Long
ATKINSON—Phillip J. Keat
ing, farmer banker and a retired
Atkinson implement dealer, died
early Saturday, May 3, in At
kinson Memorial hospital where
he had been a patient. He had
been ill many months.
Funeral services were conduct
ed at 10 a.m., Monday, May 5, in
St. Joseph's Catholic church with
Rev. R. J. Parr, church pastor,
officiating. Burial was in St. Jo
seph’s cemetery.
Survivors include: Widow —
Carrie: sons—Robert and John,
both of Atkinson; Patrick, who
is studying for the priesthood in
Kansas: daughter — the former
Mary Ellen Keating, a Catholic
nun at Beatrice; father—Frank
M. Keating, of Atkinson.
Youthful Band
Director Dies
ATKINSON—Arlen Haney, 25,
band director here since last
summer, died unexpectedly Fri
day, May 2, in Atkinson Memor
ial hospital. He had been a hos
pital patient two days.
Mr. Haney complained of a se
vere headache while teaching
earlier in the week.
Funeral services were conduct
ed at 2 p.m., Monday, May 5, at
the Methodist church with Rev.
E. G. Huehes, church pastor, of
ficiating. The remains were for
warded to Viola, 111., for burial.
Survivors include: Widow,
mother, twin sister.
Fishing (in Road)
Good Enough
______ 4
CHAMBERS — How's fishing
down Chambers way?
Just one mile east of town on
state highway 91 the followers
of “Ike” Walton are catching
them by virtually sitting in the
car and throwing the line out of
the window. Ed Wink was seen
Sunday pulling out some mighty
big bullheads as he stood along
the roadside.
The word around here is:
“What’s the sense of going to
the land of the thousand lakes
when you can catch fish in any
pond or ditch along the road
side?”
Besides, Holt county appears
to have more than a thousand
lakes.
The main topic of conversation
these days is fishin’. And there’s
a variety of fish, too. Bullheads,
sunfish, pickerel, pike, catfish,
bass, and carp by the sackful.
What more could one ask for?
And the fish are bitin’. Listen
to this: Bill Rieck caught 75
bullheads and sunfish Sunday af
aftemoon alone!
The old timers are beginning to
wonder how long it will last.
The way the fishermen and fish
erwomen are turning out en
masse it appears that the fish
soon will be outnumbered.
WEEK'S WEATHER SUMMARY
The weather summary for the
past seven days follows, based
on 24-hour periods ending at 5
p.m., daily:
Hi Lo Prec.
May 1 . 77 52 .07
May 2 . 82 54 .11
May 3_ 85 56
May 4 91 58
May 5 - 82 53 .02
May 6 .. 73 45
May 7 - 70 47 .50
Total .70 I
NAME 10 MEN TO
FILL MAY QUOTA
Selective Service Group
Will Report May 14
for Induction
Ten Holt county selective ser
vice registrants have been order
ed to report for induction on
Wednesday, May 14.
They are:
David L. Durre, of Ewing;
Vincent L. Rotherham, of Ewing;
Ralph E. Kramer, of Stuart; Clif
ford E. Clemens, of Amelia; Har
old F. Spinar of Redbird; Dickie
Jr. Fernau, of Redbird; Donald
P. Schaaf, of Atkinson; Ivan D.
Roth, of Atkinson; Harmon M.
Grunke, of O’Neill; Dean A. Van
Every, of O’Neill.
Meanwhile, 25 men have been
ordered to report for preinduc
tion physical examinations on
Monday, May 12,
Included in this group, accord
ing to Mrs. W. H. Harty, of O’
Neill, chief clerk of the draft
board, are;
James Sicheneder, Bernard D.
Janzing and Robret C. Lemmer,
all of Atkinson; Daryl M. Beck
with. of Emmet; Donald H. De
Groff, Dean H. Prewitt and John
N. Kamphaus, all of Amelia.
Lewis G. Latzel. John D. Mc
Clenahan and Freddie S. BoD
witt, all of Ewing; Norman K.
Trowbridge and Richard F. Mc
Intosh, both of Page.
Leo L. Radcliff, John K. Tiel
ke, Alfred E. Stracke, Francis J.
Clark II and Joseph Walnofer,
all of Stuart; Richard G. Read
Ond Robert J. Koci, both of
Chambers.
Clyde A. Wabs and Loren G.
Whetham, both of Spencer;
Johnny C. Boham, Larry J. Hop
kins, Mervyn E. Asher II, George
E, McCarthy, William K. Shaw,
Robert E. McNiehols, Otto R.
Bartos and Patrick E. Hickey, all
of O’Neill.
Dynamite Caps
Stolen; Create Stir
About four hundred dynamite
caps were stolen Sunday after
noon or evening from a truck
parked near the Foree Tire &
Supply company in West O’Neil.
These were dynamite caps that
had been used in REA construc
tion for clearing right-of-ways.
“Six or seven boys ranging in
age from eight to 13-years-old
are under investigation in con
nection with the theft,” accord
ing to Holt Sheriff Leo S. Tom
jack.
These caps got into the hands
of a number of O’Neill public
and St. Mary’s academy school
boys Monday and Tuesday, and
authorities were concerned that
some one might be permanently
injured. Some of the boys had the
mistaken idea they could be play
ed with like firecrackers.
Sheriff Tomjack said Wefiiies
day most of the unspent dyna
mite caps have been recovered.
They were found in obscure
places in the class rooms, culverts
and in some homes.
No one has been injured, ac
cording to the sheriffs office
and city police who cooperated
in recovering the caps.
McCarthy Elected
State K.C. Chief
George McCarthy, of O’Neill,
was elected state deputy of the
Nebraska council of the Knights
of Columbus. The council met at
North Platte Sunday and Mon
day, May 4 and 5.
Mr. McCarthy moved up from
the state secretary position. He
succeeds Cyril P. Shaughnessy,
of St. Paul.
Mrs. McCarthy and Mrs. Fran
cis Gilg accomnanied Mr. McCar
thy to North Platte for the meet
ing.
Rev. Thomas S. Bowden, pro
fessor of education at Creighton
university, Omaha, addressed
the 275 persons attending the
state dinner. Shaughnessy was
toastmaster. Bishop John L
Paschang, of the Grand Island
diocese, gave the invocation
I
Mrs. Johnson ... on same !
farm since 1881. (Story paqe 5.)
Hardluck *Burl’ Back in Business
' >
The Burlington railroad was
back in business Friday after an
enforced shutdown imposed by
the mighty Missouri river.
Flood waters in the vicinity of
Crystal lake, near South Sioux
Citv. halted traffic on Saturday,
April 12. An eastbound freight
train from O’Neill reached Ferry
Junction that night. Because of
•he historic flood in the Missouri
vallev. traffic could not be re
sumed along the O’Neill branch
until Friday, May 2.
Washinn of the road bed be
tween Leketou and Ferry
Junction, the eastern terminal,
reused the ^rouble. Holes were
♦o be f«und in the road bed
leroe enouah to accommodate
a box car. Approximately five
miles of road bed had to be
rebuilt before traffic could be
resumed.
When rail officials learned
that a big job of repair lay a
head, the agents in the towns a
long the route were told to
“take-off on their vacations.”
Whereupon the O’Neill agent,
G. W. Squires and his wife de
parted for Great Falls, Mont.,
where they visited their daughter,
C. Richard Coder, and fam
Rv until April 24. They return
ed to O’Neill, found the line
would be tied up still another
"TOpk or so and then went to
Omaha.
The first post - flood train
reached O’Neill late Friday and
the first post-flood train to be
dispatched from O’Neill left Sat
urday morning. Agent Squires
promptly announced: “Business
is good.”
He was quite correct. A back
ing of shipments had piled up
and the thrice-weekly incoming
trains were straining to catch up
. It was the “Burl” that exper
ienced heavy losses during the
Recurring Blizzards of 1948-’49.
^ steam locomotive pushing a
wedge-tvpe snowplow left the
track while bucking a giant drift
^VA-m T,lles east of here- Traffic
to O Neill was suspended almost
six weeks before the line could
be reopened for through traffic.