Prairieland Talk . . .
Lindberg Tragedy 20 Years Ago
By ROMAINE SAUNDERS
LINCOLN — What is love? Wilt thou be
taught, thy heart must teach alone. Does ambition
urge to great achievement, aspire to lead others,
to work miracles, to speak with the tongue of an
orator? I show unto you a more
excellent way, said the great
Apostle Paul. Though speaking
with the tongues of men and of
angels if love is wanting it is
but sounding brass and tinkling
cymbal. The tongue of man, how
often it leaves in its cruel wake
a crushed and wounded soul!
Charity, love suffereth
long with human blunders and
is kind; it leaves no scars but
bestows the healing balm of Q
sympathetic service. Love en- _ .
vieth not, and lifts the soul _ ,
above the hatreds and envy and jealousies of the
world. Amid the world’s welter of human want
and human woe, and out of the babble of tongues
and confusing noises love finds a way to be si
lent. When in the presence of overwhelming sor
row the greatest act of love is to turn silently
away and let the tears wash out the sorrow-laden
soul.
Love has found a way amid life's storms to
rest in calm assurance that out beyond the stars
standeth One within the shadows watching
over His own.
Love not the world, wrote Apostle jonn.
Love not the defiling things of the world is John’s
warning. In the world are many beautiful lives,
beautiful things to be loved, the things of nature,
flowers and trees, the sweep of open country, the
mountains and the waterways that compose the
vast storehouse of nature that we love, and above
all our friends, our homes and our country.
“I have loved the earth with a passionate love,
And the silent spell of the hills,
And the purple floor of the mighty moor
And the scent of the daffodils.”
What is love? Doctor Webster defines it as ‘‘a
strong feeling of affection.” It is more than that;
it is a principle of life. It goes to the fever cot to
ease pain, it 'wipes the tear from the childish face,
it ministers to human needs, it builds churches
and welfare centers, is the polestar of home life
and community welfare. Wars drive the plow
share of destruction through the earth; love binds
up the wounds, restores broken bodies—a symbol
of the love in heaven and its wavering image
here. And love knows when to be silent.
What is love? Wilt thou be taught, thy heart
must teach alone.
* * * *
Twenty years ago the country was aroused
over the kidnaping of the Lindberg baby. The
two national banks in O’Neill received from the
treasury in Washington the serial numbers of the
currency making up the $50,000 ransom and were
instructed to wire at once if any of this currency
showed up in O’NeilL Other things were on the
agenda at that time, among which were daily
visits from men scouting the country out of jobs.
It was a time, too, when Judge Malone’s office
was kept busy granting marriage licenses. One
day a group of young folks showed up at the
county judge’s office, having come over from
Verdigre on a wedding bent. The prospective
bride and bridegroom were adding a little color
to their romance by coming over here planning
to be married on „he authority of a Knox county
license. The bridegroom, learning the marriage
must take place in the county where the license
is issued, reached for his purse and planked down
the fee for a Holt county license and Judge Ma
lone performed the ceremony with dignity. That
was the year, too, when drought and grasshop
pers in a section of northeast Holt led to the dis
covery that one thing Russian was of some use.
Russian thistles and foxtail grass were cut for
hay.
* * * •
Holt county is one of 19 counties in which
the state board of equalization raised valuations
for taxation. If public officials would exercise
the same diligence in eliminating waste that
they do in chasing after tax dollars the public
would rise up and call them blessed.
♦ August 1. In the blue above white clouds hang
in atmospheric idleness. I scan the heavens for
sight of one of those mystery ships and a lone
airman’s plane roars overhead to be lost in the
azure depths above. The sun on its appointed
course is hidden momentarily by vapors. The dy
ing July saluted the incoming month of August
at midnight with a cannonade of thunder but
squeezed no rain from dry skies. Com growers
are concerned. Wind this morning from off Kan
sas stubble fields sways in graceful motion the
clinging tree branches. Birds wing their way in
search of insects, a squirrel bounds across the
street to find refuge in a tree from a dog, human
life moves in the accustomed course and radio
boys are giving the story of the goings-on in a
frustrated world. A girl on a saddle horse rides
by which arouses the neighborhood dog popula
tion. This is the last lap of summer. The days
ahead are to determine the com yield in this part
of the vineyard. . . . City taxpayers are aroused
over talk of financing pig disease losses with
public funds. . . July 17 I addressed a letter to
Governor Dewey of New York hoping for a reply
in extenuation of the New York delegation to the
late republican convention. Today I received a
reply which said nothing, an art in which some
are pastmasters. . . Remember when it was
shocking for a lady to expose a leg above the
shoetop? Now they are on display full length in
the nude as women go about the streets in
“shorts.”
* * * •
The close of the 19th century and early years
of the 20th witnessed something of a repetition of
the gold rush of the 49’ers. It hit O’Neill and
several fellows, Lloyd Gillespie one of them,
pulled out for Alaska. From California, about
that time came the exciting news that Jack Gra
ham had struck a gold mine. Jack as a young
fellow lived out in Shields precinct and was an
active political writer for the populists of this
county, signing himself Sambo Sunflower. He
later went to San Jose, Calif., took up stereotyp
ing at a newspaper plant there, married into a
family from which he inherited the mine. The
Alaska venture petered out for the O’Neill fel
lows as other ventures in that region did for oth
er fellows. Somewhere among my fading papers
are a number of shares in a gold mine somewhere
ud on the Yukon that hasn’t started to pay divi
dends yet.
* * • »
It was in August, 1905, that the state of Ne
braska first had a complete health and vital sta
tistics setup. The legislature of the previous win
ter had enacted a law authorizing the board of
health and it to appoint a registrar in each coun
ty to record births and deaths. The humble pil
grim of this department was appointed registrar
for Holt county and his first three appointments
as assistants to get the new health feature start
ed out this way were J. P. Lansworth, justice of
the peace in Paddock township; Duran Hunt, jus
tice of the peace in Verdigre township; W. J.
Dorty, justice of the peace, Chambers township,
What are known now as precincts were at that
time known as townships. The birth and death
record of the state kept at the statehouse in Lin
coln, the birth record especially, has been of
great value in complying with federal regulations
which govern in war times.
* • * *
Daughter in-law and the children took off
this morning for the com fields two hours drive
distant to plunge into the annual program of
gathering Stowel’s Evergreen for winter feed. I
understand the process is to dip the ears of com
into boiling water, cut the com clean from the
cobs and pack it in cardboard boxes that hold
about a quart. So for a few days all hands will
be busy down on the farm and then homeward
with a cargo for the locker. So the summer activ
ities providing the winter’s grubstake are again
on. The locker will be filled with various things,
including maybe a couple dozen fries. And then
basement shelves will be loaded with glass jars
filled to the neck with nature’s products. This is
the season when “every wise woman buildeth
her house,” by storing up grub.
* * *
Only $29.95, shouts the radio gent as he
urges us to come in and buy his wonder product.
And what will we do with that nickel?
The Business Outlook
While it is true that there has been a slow- <
down in most business fields in recent months,
yet experts seem to agree that no depression is
in sight for 1952. In fact, nationwide sales by
chain stores made their first big jump in April—
and were up 13.2 percent over April sales in 1951.
Meanwhile, government statistics show that the
average American is saving more money now
than he ever has and that American savings are
at a record peak.
The economic experts point out that this sit
uation is perfect for a sudden buying spree, since
the funds are available to the average purchaser.
However, the market has changed in recent
months to a buyers’ market and there seems to be
little scare buying at present.
Scare buying in 1950, and to some extent in
1951, set off a buying boom that most business
firms enjoyed up until this year.
»
Government leaders point out tnat as long
as the United States continues to re-arm at the
present pace, no depression is probable since this
is, in itself, a sort of pump-priming. Price Con
troller Ellis Arnall points ouj that defense spend
ing has not yet reached its p*e& and that, there
fore, no serious recession is poss^fe at this time.
Irf spite of theSe pronouncements,*some bus
inesses show sales gains while other* "show sales
very slower even sales losses. If tl e labor un
ions of^the country win wage increa^s, this will
be^aturther stimulant to business, s nee it will
^put more money into the hands of con >u|ners.
Of course, there is a fallacy in s« ch reason
ing, because business firms will have o ^increase
the price of their products in order to pay higher
wages.
Nevertheless, the spiral which we I ave wit
nessed over the past decade or so may continue
if labor unions win wage increases. And our
prosperity—whether false or real—is likely to
continue a little longer at least.
borne economists believe some sort of recession
is likly in 1953, though they say it will be 3 alight
one. The defense program is scheduled to con
tinue well through 1955, or even into 195 >, and,
therefore, no serious depression is expected until
after the rearmament peak—to be reached this
year or next.
Perhaps the best summation of the piesent
situation was given by a leading business man re
cently when he said that today’s market is a nor
mal reaction from the war-scare markets we iiave
experienced in the last two years. The couitrv
has had so many sellers’ markets in the last 24
months that a buyers’ market almost seemsliike
a recession.
A vacation is not going away from your woi k;
it is getting your work Out of your mind.
o
«
► >-——__ _____
No, No, A Thousand Times No!
The bureau of census has made public that
there are at present 119,645 separate govern
mental units, all supported by the taxpayers.
That, it would seem, is too much government, and
it probably is.
The suggestion has been made that if town
ships would be abolished as individual units of
government, a considerable saving could be ef
fected. To that The Frontier would say “No,” a
thousand times no!
Township government is fhe grass roots of a
democracy. It is the closest that self-government
comes to the people. Abolish that, the next step
would be county, city and village government
on the skids, leaving only state and federal gov
ernment. That accomplished and the cry would
be to eliminate state government and dictator
ship would be here.
Anv dictator-minded individual who would
advocate such a thing should have a sledstake
wrapped around his cranium. Counter clockwise.
Foot-and-Mouth Disease
Early in March the dread foot-and-mouth
disease broke out in Canada. Now Washington
officials in the department of agriculture are con
cerned because the disease is moving southward
and now is only 50 miles from the United States
Canada border.
The nation’s meat supply is probably in great
er danger than it has been in many years. An
outbreak of this disease could cause a critical meat
shortage in many areas.
The last time that this country was threat
ened with the foot-and-mouth disease was in
1929 at which time there was an outbreak in
California. The threat today is to the great Mid
west livestock area.
Frontier
Editorial & Business Offices: 122 South 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.
•
LETTERS TO EDITOR
GENERAL ALUMNI ASS’N
Uni. of North Carolina
Chapel Hill, N.C.
Dear Editor,
Enjoyed your editorial on pav
ing. Appreciate all you are doing
for “our town.” Keep up the good
work!
Cordially,
F. EDGAR THOMAS,
Field Reppresentative
P.S.: Out here on the East
coast we like The Frontier’s new
look. Like the new spot you have
given Romaine Saunders.—FET
When You & I Were Young . .
Butte-Anoka Trolley
Virtually Assured
Promoter Says He’ll
Invest Half
50 Years Ago
It will soon be watermelon
time. Keep an eye on the small
boy. . . Miss Kate McManus head
waitress at the Evans house will
take a two weeks vacation to visit
friends in Bloomfield. . . Frank
Bain leased his blacksmith shop
to W. E. Ousley of Fremont. . . A
trolley line from Butte to Anoka
is an almost assured fact, as one
man has agreed to take the half
of the business if the business
men of Butte will take the other
half. If built it will be 416 miles
long and run by electricity.
25 Years Ago
O. A. Hammerberg, residing 11
miles north of Atkinson, found a
watch in his com field. It had,
been lost by a member of the
family for 20 years. It was unin
jured and after adjusting the
main spring and hands, it is
keeping good time. ... A human,
skull that had once been a part
of a skeleton belonging to Dr. A.
H. Corbett caused quite a stir on
East Douglas street when it was
uncovered in the ditch being dug
for water connections leading to
the new Standard Oil filling sta
tion.
10 Years Ago
The 4-H clubs have delivered
137,535 pounds of scrap metal
. . . The Inman Coffee club met
at the home of Mrs. Herbert
Rouse. . . Mrs. W. G Morrow fell
this morning and broke a bone
in her right arm. . . The REH club
had a steak fry at the city park
and participated in cards at the
home of Mr. and Mrs James W.
Rooney. . . C. E. France was a
winner in a Consumers Power
contest.
One Year Ago
Robert Lowery, former air force
sergeant, has returned to O’Neill.
He was separated from the air
force last week at Ft. Frances E.
Warren air force base. . . At St.
Mary’s academy many new faces
will be found among the faculty.
The new superintendent will be
a former St. Mary’s graduate,
Mother M. Erica, formerly Agnes
Hughes, who was a 1915 graduate
. . . Howard Dean, principal at
ONeill school the past two years
has been elected superintendent
of schools at Stanton, la.. . A hail
storm wrought considerable dam
age. Hardest hit were L©o Tunen
der, Walter DeVall, John Pruss,
John Jansen, James Conway, Mrs.
Joe Ramold, Kenneth Braasch,
Frank McDonald, Joe Madura
and A. H. Johnson.
' REAL ESTATE TRANSFERS '
WD—Charles Thomas Thomp
son to Leo L Thompson & wf 8
1-52 $5- sy»swy4 29- swy4
NWV4- NWV4SWV4 32-26-14
WD—Herbert H Rocke to Jo
r»oh W Rocke 7-24-52 $10,000
NWV4 32-30-14 SWV4 25- All
33-30-15
WD—Jacob C Rocke to Joseph
W Rocke 6-24-52 $10,000- NWV4
32-30-14 SWV4 25- All 36-30-15
WD—Helen A Rocke to Joseph
W Rocke 7-31-52 $10,000- Same
land as above
WD—Josephp A Krysl to El
von L & Neale E Hamilton 7-7
52 $28,800- SWy4 19- NWV4 29
N*A 30-29-16
WD — Mary Timmermans to
Frank Greger Sr 7-29-52- Valua
ble considerations Lots 7 & 8 Blk
30- Pioneer Townsite Co Add
Stuart
WD—Frank Greger Sr to Ma
rv Timmermans 7-28-52- Valua
ble considerations East 25 ft &
West 75 ft of lot 20 & all lot 21
Blk 7- Hallocks Add- Stuart
WD—Elsie L Krueger to James
Sholes 8-2-52 $50- Lot 8- Blk 5
Westem Town Lot Co Add- In
man
WD — W W Freeman to J B
Mellor & wf 7-28-52 $2550- West
1 and 7^/100 acres of lot 8 in
NWy4 33-30-14
WD—George H Jones to Bar
bara Belzer- no date $2350- Lots
5-6-7- & 8 Blk 18- Hazelet’s Add
O’Neill
EXECUTOR’S DEED —Lyle P
Direks, Ex to A4atilda Rotherham
1-6-51 $2000- Lots 10 & 11 Blk
21- Ewing
Tune In! Voice of The Fron
tier” . . . Mon., Wed., Sat., 9:45
a.m., 780 kc., WJAG.
LIVESTOCK I
AUCTION
Every Tuesday
Over 20 years of extensive ad
vertising and acquaintance
among livestock feeders
throughout the cornbelt states
our Market offers you the best
outlet for selling your cattle.
WE WILL HAVE THE
buyers
Your consignments will be
appreciated.
Phone 5141
Atkinson Livestock
Market
Atkinson, Nebraska
15tf
State Capitol News . . .
Johnson County Landowner Takes
Equalization Issue to Supreme Court
LINCOLN—The All-Nebraska
Association of Road and Highway
associations, meanwhile has ap
parently given up hopes of re
conciling its differences with the
farm, trucking and petroleum
groups which have fought high
way revenue for the past four
years and plans to tackle the
problem alone.
Dr. Eric DeFlon of Chadron,
temporary chairman of the high
way commission association coali
tion, said a meeting here at Lin
coln with representatives of the
opposition groups “proved very
indecisive.” He said that after
the six-hour session, “it became
very apparent to me that further
effort to arrive at common con
clusions was hopeless.”
DeFlon mapped plans for an
other meeting of his organiza
tions in order to draw up a plan
for presentation to the 1953 legis
lature, thus apparently giving up
its earlier discussions of a spe
cial legislative session to enact a
revenue law.
DeFlon has been consistently
active in connection with the Ne
braska U.S. Highway 20 associa
tion and in the highway 20 na
tional association. In this connec
tion he has frequently visited O’
Neill.
* * *
Trouble —
The state of Nebraska appeared
headed for trouble this week with
the filing of a supreme court
challenge of the state board of
equalization’s action in fixing
farm land assessments in Johnson
county.
Officials here at the capitol
were frankly open-mouthed at
the possibilities involved in such
an action and the impact they
might have on the whole Nebras
ka tax picture.
The challenge is being brought
on behalf of L. E. Laflin, a Lin
coln resident who owns farm
land in Johnson county. In his
notice of appeal he did not indi
cate how much he wanted his
assessment cut but his attorney
Guy Chambers of Lincoln, said,
“We want equality with the
other counties.”
Testimony at the recent board
of equalization hearing on hik
ing farm land assessments in 19
counties brought out the fact
that Johnson county is now as
sessed at 82 percent of the 20
year farm land sales price.
The 19 counties involved at
the hearing were all below 50
percent and the board moved
them up to the 50 percent
mark. This move by the board,
incidentally, is not exactly pop
ular in Holt and the 18 other
counties thus affected.
If the supreme court orders the
equalization board to take action
in the Johnson county case, the
board probably will have to act
in a good many other counties
or face similar court action.
At the same time officials of
Johnson county wondered how
they’d operate if the farm land as
sessment is cut by 40 percent,
which would be necessary to
bring it into line with the 19
counties acted upon recently. Be
cause the levy is pegged at 5 mills
by the constitution, it has been
necessary in some counties to jack
up the valuation in order to pro
duce enough revenue to pay the
bills.
In Johnson county, farm land
constitutes half of the county’s
assessed property.
• * *
Hopes Fading —
The organization of Newspaper
editors formed to force action to
produce more revenue for the
state’s highways all but gave up
their hopes for a special legisla
tive session at a meeting at Grand
Island last weekend.
The editors voted to go through
the motions of asking Gov. Val
Peterson to poll the legislators
on whether they wanted to return
to Lincoln and act on a road rev
enue bill, but the newsman con
ceded that a special session call
was highly unlikely.
“We haven’t a Chinaman’s
chance,’ said Gene Kemper of the
Alliance Times-Herld.
The group instructed Chairman
Cliff Sandahl of the North Platte
Telegraph-Bulletin to recommend
that if Peterson does not call an
emergency session, the regular
1953 legilature make an emer
gency road bill one of its first or
ders of business and at the same
time, work toward a long-range
solution to the problem.
The action was taken by a
group of editors alone after a
larger group, composed of editors,
state senators and representatives
of organizations on both sides of
the long-standing road rumpus,
voted the adoption of a subcom
mittee report which found that an
emergency does exist in Nebraska
highway-wise and urged a special
session.
Voted down was a minority re
port endorsed by the nine organi
zations making up the Highway
Users conference which said
there is no emergency and the
editors group should continue to
study the overall problem.
* * *
Savings —
Nebraska’s assistance depart
ment has managed to save bout
$750,000 out of its $10 million-a
year appropriation without
“skimping,” according to Mrs.
Mary Prince, chairman of the
board of control which adminis
ters the program.
Mrs. Prince said that Individual
grants did not suffer in the sav
ing which was brought about by
three principal factors:
In 1950, congress increased so
cial security. The effects of this
was to keep some aged persons
of the assistance rolls altogether
and to reduce the amount of sup
plemental aid needed by others.
The 1951 Nebraska legislature
passed an act making stepfathers
responsible for the support of
their stepchildren and tightening
the reins on parents who skipped
to other states to avoid child sup
port.
The assistance department also
began bearing down on relatives
who were found to be financially
able to help support their aged.
Social Security —
Nebraska’s first governmental
employees began retirement this
month under the Social Security
legislation passed by the 1951
legislature.
Records in the office of State
Tax Commissioner Philip 0 K,
Johnson show that nearly 24,000
public employees are now cov
ered by social security.
In addition to state employees,
covered are workers in such
agencies as cemetery association,
airport corporations, soil and
sanitary districts. All but six
of the state’s 93 counties have ex
tended the plan to cover their
workers.
The six which have not are
Thomas, Arthur, Frontier, Gar
field, Kimball and McPherson.
Mr. and Mrs. Ed Campbell en
tertained 25 relatives Sunday
morning at 9 o’clock at the M&M
cafe in honor of Miss Nancy
Froelich..
RICH WITH MOLASSES
These golden pellets pour
like groin in any weather...
thanks to an exclusive manu
facturing process developed
by SCHREIBER MILLS, INC
• t PATlKTOmCt ^
like Mr. DowoIL cattlemen everywhere
or* finding they get BETTER RESULTS
with SWEET LASSY 1 That's because this •
great beef-builder is packed with plenty
of molasses and ether nutrients cattle
need to put on a good cover of fat and
smooth finish that brings top prices.
SWITCH TO SWEET LASSY TODAYI
SWEET LASSY is easy to feed. Pours
like shell corn in any weather. Get a
supply today! See for yourself how it
can make cattle feeding easier. MORE
j PROFITABLE.
fCNRtlf IR MiUf, IN% ft. Joseph. Missouri
SHELHAMER
Phone 173 — O’Neill
#
bawer snw«°7
There is a host of things that endear a
Roadmaster to anyone who loves to
drive.
There’s the might of its Fireball 8 Engine —
most powerful ever put in a Buick.
There’s the thrift of its Airpower carburetor
• —a four-barrel automatic that literally brings
increased power right out of thin air.
There’s its hushed and luxurious silence — its
poised and level ride that cost a million dollars
to develop—and the infinite smoothness of its
Dynaflow Drive.
X> ut the thing that has brought the most cheers
for this big and obedient beauty is Buick’s ver
sion of Power Steering.*
Gone is the tug of turning, parking, maneuver
ing in small space.
Power Steering takes over the effort of turn
ing the front wheels—makes it a one-hand
operation.
Do you have to learn to drive all over again
Tf you have this new Buick feature?
'Vou definitely do not. On the open road, you
have that same sure sense of command that
you’ve always had. Coming out of a curve,
you can loosen your grip, and the front wheels
right themselves just as they do on every Buick.
But you’ll notice this: When you suddenly hit
loose dirt or sand—or a stretch of rough road—
Power Steering smoothly goes into action —
helps take up the jerk — makes control of the
wheel easier and driving safer.
Wouldn’t you like to try out this newest wonder
—on a Roadmaster or a Super? \ou say the
word, and we’ll do the rest.
Equipment, accessories, trim and models are subject to change
without notice. * Optional at extra cost on Roadmaster and
Super only.
ft
I I
... WHEN BETTER AUTOMOBILES ARE BUILT BUICK WILL BUM 9 THEM tSSL- ===^i
A. MARC ELL US
PHONE 370 O’Neill