The frontier. (O'Neill City, Holt County, Neb.) 1880-1965, July 31, 1952, Page 2, Image 2
Prairieland Talk . . . Inman Once a Humdinger By ROMAINE SAUNDERS LINCOLN—Citizens of Indianola, out in Red willow county, will devote their annual celebra tion in late August in a tribute to the homestead er, with a real sodhouse the center of attraction and a pageant with “my little old sod shanty on my claim” the o theme song. Maybe Holt county, or In man precinct, should be coming up with something in honor of that Holt county homesteader, Joseph Raymond, who immor talized the sodhouse in verse which first appeared in the In man Index, a little four-page pa per that Cross & Son managed to produce during the 1880’s Romaine with a case or two of type and Saunders a Washington hand press. The mechanical equipment was not so much but ed itorially it was one of the bright stars in a galaxy of literary talent that graced the press of Holt county in the radiant days of its youth. Raymond was a sodhouse homesteader three miles south of the town of Inman, a humdinger in those days of straight-shooting cowpunchers and brilliant vil lage talent. And now at Inman as well as else where there rests upon the brow of time the evi dence of the taming work of the years. And yet Inman has its memories of the shin ing days of long ago when such as Joseph Ray mond put humor, romance and adventure into life in a sodhouse on the claim. • * * * In a letter from a venerable friend who grew up in Holt county, now making his home in a distant state, I read this: “I seem to hear an aeo lian dirge as the hot winds beat northward, as they must this time of year in Holt county. For whom are they playing—for friends gone before, for mature men and women when we were boys, or boon companions our own age?” Well, Old timer, to you the wind*is playing on the harp strings of memory; it brings again the dolorous call of the prairie wolf, the thunderpumper’s sa lute to the setting sun, the evening note of the meadow lark, the long drawnout call of a prairie wildling for his mate, the booming crow of the prairie rooster as he struts before his harem. It whispers to you through the waving treetops and silken gown of green-robed praireland of romance and adventure of the lang ago, of youthful dreams and high resolves. It touches, too, a mournful chord for the departed red man whose footprint is forever washed away by the silent flowing Elkhom, a dirge for our fathers and mothers whose lips are silent, toilworn hands at rest. And for this generation whose heritage is a subdued wilderness the aeolian note is one of courage and inspiration. • • * • What is this “diehard” element and who are they the political sprigs, who have one “para mount issue” one minute and something else the next minute, speak of so ruthlessly? They are the people who have tested principles of right and wrong in government, know where they stand and are not carried about by every vagary of pol itical doctrine that floats about. Who are they that make up the “old guard” at whom some just out of the diaper period cast aspersions? They are the solid folks who have grown gray in party service and know the sane and workable from the vagaries. Heaven preserve the old gaurd and the diehards! • * • • Anyway. Mr. Truman remains loyal to his Kansas City cronies. The president picked a gent out of the Pendergast gang as his alternate at the democratic national convention. * * * * Patent No. 2,594,725 has been obtained by a California patriot for a process which is said to make artificial snow. Let’s have some of it these hot summer days. Law enforcement officers are making out cases involving beer taverns for selling to teen agers whose demand for firewater is on the in crease. If it is good stuff for an old fool, why not alright for a young fool? . . . American Legion vets had what it takes to put on a half-mile pa rade down the solar furnace of a Lincoln street in late July. . . “Saucers,” those mysterious ob jects seen moving across the heavens that some scientists reluctantly have concluded may be vis itors from distant planets, have been reported circling above the District of Columbia. Before the atom bomb was dropped on ancient Sodom and Mrs. Lot became a lump of salt because her curiosity got the best of her, Celestial Visitors checked up on doings in the oldtown. If the sau cer visit at our nation’s capital has any such sig nificance let us hope the report is more favor able than what has been coming out of congress ional committee investigations. , . Convention halls have trembled under the impact of oratory soaked in partisan hogwash. The smiling FDR, jr., not the least. “The voice is Jacob’s voice but the hands are the hands of Esau.” , * * * Maybe that which was of more interest to prairieland patriots than political conventions was the horse show down at Grand Island the past week. Fanciers of the palominos in Nebraska and adjacent states had their nags on show. That is about all a horse is useful for since the ma chines on the highways and farms have taken over. The palominos show up rather classy and with a dude aboard who thinks he’s some pump kins as a rider, but who causes the rider of the old range days to snort with disgust, and the horse show is complete. . . Amateur statesmen here and there think a national primary would be the thing. Primaries in several states is what has split political parties into factions and made more trouble than a box of monkeys. With a na tional primary law to select candidates for pres ident the way is open for 48 states to come for ward each with a favorite son and man of destiny to appear on the ballot, which would involve us in a political mess that even these gents advo cating the primary would be able to see. & * * * Published proceedings of the Lancaster coun ty board contained a list of 294 persons to whom salary claims had been allowed. The highest $391.66, lowest $11.93. The average run about $200. This makes it about $55,000 for the month All counties in the state have a salary list of greater or less volume. Salaries are only a part of the cost of county government. Consolidation of counties has been discussed as an economy measure but so far economy either in private life or official circles is not thought of seriously. Waste goes on everywhere. And while household ers consign unusable table leftovers to the garb age can they will not worry about the cost of gov ernment. * * * * At a cost of $500,000 to the United States, American airmen have been spraying fields in Egypt, Jordon, Israel and other spots in that part of the world with a powerful insecticide known as aldrin to rid those countries of swarms of locusts. So Yankees go to the cradle of the race and show them how it is done. * * * • In bold script across the side of his truck an enterprising gent says: “Get it up right.” Now no doubt he can spell right right but maybe he thought to make a hit if he would write right rite but just how is he going to get it up right when he makes rite out of right? * * * • It was a pleasure to note that Bill Grothe up by Emmet has safely negotiated another mile stone and added another year to his active life. Mr. G. and his estimable household have long been friends of The Frontier and the entire force responsible for its publication.;extend their con gratulations and wish for Bill happy years ahead. ' Editorial . . . Too Many Grass Fires The incidence of grass fires in the O’Neill region during these past few weeks, while this section has been in the grip of a costly drouth, provokes a diseussiop of farm and ranch fires. The rural fire bill of nearly one-third of a million dollars for every working day of the year means a tax upon every bushel of grain the farm er hauls to market; upon his dairy and poultry products; upon his livestock. Unlike urban areas where fire protection and water supplies are adequate, farms often face to tal destruction when fire strikes. When fire de stroys a farm, the loss of farm equipment, live stock and personal property often throw’s such an economic burden up#on a family that it can not regain its financial independence. While insurance protection is a necessary safeguard against loss by fire, the cost of time and labor to rebuild is usually far in excess of the value destroyed. Nearly all farm fires can be traced to two basic causes — faulty building construction and lack of knowledge. Realizing the importance of the fire menace, leaders in municipal, county, state and federal government are now waging war on tw<? fronts—prevention and portection. Inspection is the right arm of fire prevention —the safeguard that may mean the difference between a small glaze, quickly extinguished, and the wholesale destruction of buildings, property and possessions. Farms are very often w’ithout adequate water supplies and isolated from fire fighting facilities. Inspection of dwellings, of barns and out buildings: Lightning causes more fires than any other hazard on the farm, annually destroying thousands of buildings, taking lives of approxi mately four hundred persons and injuring about a thousand more. Protect livestock by grounding all wire fences. Connect grounding rods with each lateral wire of the fence and extend into the ground for at least three feet. Fences joined to a building should be grounded at the post nearest the struc ture. In addition, the ground rod of the building should be connected to the fence. Many factors play a part in the spontaneous ignition of hay: Moisture content, chemical action, bacterial action, the presence of sufficient air and a pile so large that heat cannot escape. Most grass fires are products of lightning—a natural cause over which we have no control. Some, however, are caused by sheer carelessness. The extension service of the University of Nebraska college of agriculture would be pleased to provide you literature and details on rural fire prevention. The state department of health also has prepared special bulletins. Their services are available without charge. Other Editors . . . Supply and Demand (From Cedar County News, Hartington) To see the difference between the workings of the law of supply and demand and that of a controlled price set in Washington can be best illustrated by taking a look at the recent potato shortage this spring. That the law of supply and demand will con trol prices better than some politician was well demonstrated. Let’s look at the potato story. The potato crop last year was smaller than the recent average. That might have caused a temporary shortage. But ordinarily the shortage would have lasted only until the potato crop in the southern states was ready for market. But the controls changed the ordinary pro cess of marketing. Because prices were fixed at a I comparatively low rate, southern farmers decid ed to let their potatoes stay in the ground until they attained full growth. Then a larger yield might compensate for the lower price. As last year’s crop of potatoes was used up, black marketeers invaded the southern potato fields and began buying up the crop at prices nigh enough to induce the farmers to harvest promptly. Legitimate dealers couldn’t do that, be i ause of controls. The situation was rapidly grow ng worse. Finally Price Stabilizer Ellis Arnall was pres sured into canceling the ceiling. As a result prices did advance for a few days. The price increase induced more fanners to start digging. House wives who objected to the high price let potatoes pile up in the market. Finally the price broke sharply. Soon pota toes were selling in the New York market at five pounds for 25 cents. It took 15 days for the free market to restore the price to what it should be under the law of supply and demand. Editorial & Business Offices: 122 Soulli Fourth St. CARROLL W. STEWART, Editor and Publisher Established in 1880—Published Each Thursday Entered at the postoffice in O’Neill, Holt county, Nebraska, as second-class mail matter under the Act of Congress of March 3, 1879. This news paper is a member of the Nebraska Press Associa tion, National Editorial Association and the Audit Bureau of Circulations. Terms of Subscription: In Nebraska $2.50 per year; elsewhere in the United States, $3 per year; abroad, rates provided on request. All subscriptions are strictly paid-in-advance. GETS COMBAT BADGE Sfc. Cecil F. Keyes of Inman was recently awarded the com bat infantryman badge while fighting with the 43th infantry division on the central Korean front. The badge, symbol of the front line fighting man, shows a miniature Revolutionary War flintlock rifle mounted against a blue rectangle. A silver wreath extends across the bottom and up the sides of the badge. REAL ESTATE TRANSFERS WD—Agnes E Sullivan to Roy J Sheihamer & wf 7-18-52 $16, 7-50- Lot 1 & EVz lot 2 Blk 19 O’Neill WD—Anna D Newton to Agnes Slaymaker 5-19-52 $3500- Lots 4-5 & 6 Blk 45- Pioneer Townsite Add- Atkinson When You and I Were Young . . . Hotel Evans Host to 98 Diners Ball Game Attracts ✓ Crowd to O’Neill 50 Years Ago Mr. and Mrs. Henry Zimmer man are rejoicing over the arriv al of a young son. . . Miss Dora Alberts left for Inman to spend a week. . . The ever popular Ev ans hotel served 98 dinners. This fact gives some idea of the size of the crowd that witnessed the ball game that day. Atkinson won, the score being 16 for At kinson, 14 for O’Neill. In the foot race between Fred Swing ley of Atkinson and D. Clem Deaver of O’Neill, Mr. Swingley was the winner. . . D. W. King of Newman Grove is in the city vis iting his brother-in-law, C. E. Hall. • I 25 Years Ago MacKinley Simonson, who is ’ employed in the Chicago & North Western dispatcher’s office j at Norfolk, visited his parents. . . j The subject of paving is the principal discussion in O’Neill at j this time. . . Mr. and Mrs. Ira j Moss expect to leave for the East j soon. . . Mrs. Van Robertsan of : Chambers drove her beautiful j new Buick six sedan to O’Neill. She was accompanied by Mrs. Charles Robertson and Mrs. George DeKay. 10 Years Ago The ladies auxiliary of the American Legion has secured about 100 pictures of soldier boys and has them displayed in the windows of Johnson’s drug store. . . . John R. Gallagher is now a second lieutenant in the ma rines. . . Mrs. Merle Hickey, Mrs. Norbert Uhl and Mrs. G. J. Ryan entertained eight ladies honoring Mrs. Bert Davis and Mrs. H. M. Von Dollen. . . Miss Lou Birm ingham entertained 35 guests at a swimming party at Piccadilly lake. One Year Ago The O’Neill volunteer fire de partment was summoned to ex tinguish a small grass fire near Don McClellan’s. . . Dr. Keith Vincent was notified that he had passed "very successfully” the three examinations of the na tional medical board. . . The cub scouts were hosts at a family pic nic at Ford park. DELOIT NEWS Mrs. Ferdinand Hupp, sr., of Norfolk spent last week caring for her grandchildren at the Ferdinand Hupp home. Sam Kennedy of Iowa, cousin of Mrs. Stanley Huffman, is working at the ranch this sum mer. Mr. and Mrs. Louis Funk and family were Sunday dinner guests at the Clarence Shavlik home recently. Rain is badly needed. Com has never looked better. Almost ev ervone is having. Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth Ziska and daughter of Texas are visit ing at the Leo Funk home. Sundav dinner guests at the Ewald Spahn home were Mrs. Soahn’s sister and family of Norfolk. Mr. and Mrs. Jewell Tomiack of Bluehill spent the weekend at Ralph Tomjack’s. Mr. and Mrs. Gene Rav and Vickv of Omaha were also recent visitors at the Tomjack home. Mr. and Mrs. H. Reimer and Elavne attended the funeral of the latter’s uncle in Ewing Sun dav, July 20. Leonard Miller has been hired to teach the Reimer school next term. Mr. and Mrs. Stanlev Huffman and daughter spent Sundav in Elgin with Mrs. Zoe Huffman, Mr. and Mrs. Henney and familv of Omaha and Mr. and Mrs. M. B. Huffman and daughters of Ewing. A number from here attended free davs in Clearwater Friday and Saturday. ---—----— State Capitol News . . . Coonrad Raps Assistance Staffs as ‘Asinine, Part-Time Political Boards LINCOLN—Representatives of 19 counties were to gather Wed nesday at the capitol to show the state board of equalization why their farm land and improvement assessments should not be jacked up by percentages ranging up to 50 percent. The decision to hold the hearing came at a heated meeting of the board which found State Treas urer Frank B. Heintze and State Auditor Ray C. Johnson, both candidates for reelection, voting against Gov. Val Peterson, Sec retary of State James Pittenger and Tax Commissioner Philip K. Johnson. Neither Peterson nor Pittenger is a candidate in the fall election and Commissioner Johnson holds an appointive of fice. These are the counties where the board wants to raise assess ment and the proposed increases, percentagewise: Arthur_25 Banner_10 Box Butte_20 Chase-10 Deuel-10 Dundy- 10 Frontier-10 Garden-20 Grant_50 Hayes-10 Holt _._-_20 Lincoln_—20 McPherson_25 Perkins_10 Phelps_20 Rock-10 Sheridan_20 Sioux_20 Thomas_20 The board’s action came after a session in which Governor Peter son, the group’s chairman, pro posed that all counties with a percentage ratio of assessed value to the 20-year average sale price per acre of less than 50 percent be increased to 50 percent and that all counties with a ratio of more than 50 percent be dropped to 50 percent. Peterson said his plan would be the first real equalization of farm lands in improvements in the history of the state. The motion, which failed to draw a second was defeated, Peterson said, “because it was ab solutely sound, fair and just.” Also defeated for want of a sec ond was a motion by Auditor Johnson that the board take no action in increasing farm land and improvement assessments. * * * Dim — Best opinion here at the statehouse is that the chances for a special session of the legislature to pass a highway revenue measure are pretty dim. Despite the fact that governor Peterson has been urged by sev eral highway groups to summon the lawmakers and despite the almost - certain recommendation of the (Nebraska Editors Highway Improvement association that such a call be issued, it is be lieved here that a special session is most unlikely. Scheduled to meet at Grand Is land August 8 is the full editors’ committee to receive the recom mendation of a five-member sub committee. After the editors recommend a special session, it is believed Peterson will poll the lawmak ers for their opinion. This is what he did when Sen. Hugh Carson of Ord urged an emer gency session to raise the ceil ing on old age assistance pay ments. The legislators who voted in the regular 1951 session against raising the gas tax by a penny were polled several weeks ago by the Lincoln Journal and only one —Sen. Harry Pizer of North Platte—said re would not object to returning to Lincoln for a spe cial meeling. But most of the others, Includ ing such bitter critics of the high way department as Sen. Art Carmody of Trenton, chairman of the budget committee, said they would oppose a special session. “I am watching the whole pro cedure with a great deal of in terest,” the governor skid last week, “but needless to say I would be very reticent about call ing a special session of the legis lature.” • * * 'Asinine' — One of the men who helps to direct the county-level administ ration of Nebraska’s assitance program has termed the “admin istration of a $20 million annual program of relief by 93 part-time political boards nothing short of asinine.” ^ He is Rollin (“Tal”) Coonrad of Sargent, chairman of the board of supervisors of Custer county. Referring to a plan of con solidating county aid offices as proposed by Myer Avedovech, business manager of the assistance pro-gram, Coonrad said: "No one has proven you couldn't save money under the Avedovech plan and if the tech nical adirtinistraiion of the pro gram were with the state board of control where it belongs, the Avedovech plan would be in ef fect now." Advanced several months ago, the plan has as yet had no takers although Mrs. Mary Prince, board of control chairman, said that Brown and Keya Paha counties “are talking about” consolidating their offices. “In my opinion,” Coonrad said, “county assistance boards are nothing more than buffers in that they catch the devil from recio ients on one side and take orders and receive audit criticisms from the board of control on the oth er.” * * * Scales — The 12 truck weighing stations provided for by the 1951 legisla ture will be in operation by the end of this year, the state high way department has announced but it took some prodding from Gov. Peterson to get action on the construction. So far, only two scales are in actual operation—at North Platte and Holdrege. Contracts have been awarded for two more near Wahoo and Plattsmouth. Others will be built at Fremont, Hebron and Waverly. Location of the re mainder has not yet been decided. A highway department spokes man said the stations cost about $30,000 each to build, including $2,000 for the scales. They will be manned by state safety patrol men. Thorins to Tarkio— Col. Ed Thorin and family re turned late Wednesday, July 23, from Tarkio, Mo., where they had been on business. Heavy oats for sale, 80c.— Farmers-Union, Lynch. 12-13c PAGE NEWS Mr. and Mrs. Tom Holliday and family oi Orcnara visuea csunaay evening, J uiy 2, wnn mis. myrue v^oon. miss Nancy Heiss, who is em piayeu ai r*orioik, spent uom oa>.uixiay, July zu, unui Tuesuay, July 22, at tiie name oi ner pai eiita, Mr. ana Mrs. naroia neio*. ivir. ana mrs. Eimer spann of Atkinson spent Sunuay, *»uiy 2u, with Mis. ^pann s parents, Mr. ana IVirs. J. n. rtusseil. Mrs. Tom binnara of Grand Islana spent irom Sunday, ouiy 2<j, until Tuesday, July 22, visit ing her granaparents, Mr. and Mrs. Frame Snyder and her fa ther, ueorge Mnk, ana wife. Mrs. Jerry Asner was a din ner guest Sunday, July 20, at ti*e home of Mr, ana Mrs. Neil Asher. Pvt. Jerry Asner telephoned from camp Crowder, Mo., and talked to his wile and mother. He is be inr transferred to Camp Chaffey, Aik. Mr. and Mrs. Clifton Jacka and their son-in-law and daughter, Mr. and Mrs. Delbert Smidt and baby of Tecumseh came Monday, July 21, for a few days visit witn Mrs. Jacka’s brother, Frank Sny der, and wife. Mr. and Mrs. Walter Stolle, of Rochester, N.Y., and Mrs. Anna Stolle of Battle Creek spent Tues day afternoon, July 22, at the home of Mrs. Alma Tegeler. Mrs. Stolle is a sister and Walter Stolle a nephew of Mrs. Tegeler. Mr. and Mrs. Melvin Roach and Larry were Sunday, July 20, din ner guests of Mr. and Mrs. Dan Troshynski. They all attended the ball game at Orchard that eve ning. Mr. and Mrs. Lloyd Synder jpind two children and Donald Snyder visted Monday evening, July 21, with Mr. and Mrs. Frank Snyder and their house guests, Mr .and Mrs. Clifton Jacka and Mr. and Mrs. Delbert Smidt and baby of Tecumseh. Mrs. H. L. Brummett and two daughters and Mrs. Hugh Holli day visited with Mrs. Howard Holliday and children of Grand Island in the Dave Loy home at O’Neill Thursday, July 17. Mrs. Laura Walker spent from Wednesday, July 16, until Sun day, July 20, at the C. A. Town send home. While here she called on several of her old friends. She returned to Orchard where she had been visiting in the home of her son-in-law and daughter, Mr. and Mrs. Ed Bright. She plans to go to O’Neill this week where she will visit in the L. A. Burgess home. Mr. an Mrs. Gerald Wagers of Lodi, Calif., spent Friday fore noon, July 18, here where they called on old friends of Mr. Wag ers. He is the son of the late Mr. and Mrs. Bill Wagers, old time residents of this commun ity. He left here when a young boy. Mr. and Mrs. Wade Clarke and three sons of Sunburst, Mont., came Sunday, July 20, to spend a week visiting in the George Fink home. Allen and Billie Zempel drove up from Grand Island Sunday to visit for the day in the Fink home. Mrs. Fink is the mother of Mrs. Clarke, Allen and Billie Zempel. Lawn Mowers Sharpened Tho Factory Way You'll like the way your mower ea^es through heavy grass when it’s been sharpened on our pro* eision machine. A few minute# here will save rwu hours in the sun. Hand S2.00 — Power S2.50 Pete’s Saw Shop Phone 49 lw O’Neill Merriman Gets ROTC Field Training — Cadet James E. Merriman, an ROTC student at Creighton uni versity, Omaha, is now attending the 1952 infantry ROTC sum mer camp at Ft. Benning, Ga., the home of the U.S. army infantry center. The ROTC camp will consist of six weeks of intensive training in courses ranging from bayonet training to radiological defense; however, most of the training will be concerned with learning the basic infantry techniques to in clude the firing of individual and crew served weapons and tactics. In addition, recreational, so cial and religious activities will be a part of the camp program The ROTC summer camp train ing is an important part of the ROTC program, and it is de signed to supplement the instruc tion which is given to ROTC stu dents at educational institutions. Cadet Merriman is the son of Mr. and Mrs. L. M. Merriman of O’Neill. Mrs. Kenneth Braddock and Audrey came from Omaha Tues day, July 15, and plan to visit until the last of this week with relatives and friends at Page and with Mrs. Bradock’s parents, Mr. and Mrs. F. F. Heiter of O’Neill. to' - -w % —j"-- r ~»|Tp— - -mmrK~ ?* 'V£tf?K2db3litfK ' - -H-- ■ - * 1. 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