Merry Christmas Everyone . . . from The Frontier Staff
“voice TWELVE
OF THE FRONTIER”
PAGES
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SECTION I'
780 k. c. 9:45 a^n. Pages 1-12
North-Central Nebraska’s BIG Newspaper
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Volume 72.—Number 34* O’Neill, Nebr., Thursday, December 25, 1952. Seven Cents.
Wife Follows Hubby
As Acting Postmaster
Mrs. Thos. J. Sullivan
Is New Acting PM;
3 Seek Appointment
O’Neill has a new acting post
master, effective Thursday, De
cember 18. The new acting post
master is Mrs. Thomas Sullivan,
also known as Helen Sullivan,
wife of the man who has been
acting postmaster since January,
1951.
Mr. Sullivan is retiring after
serving about two years.
The appointment of Mrs.
Sullivan as the new acting
postmaster makes the fourth
in a line of Sullivans in the O'
Neill job.
The late M. R. Sullivan was
postmaster until he died October
20, 1935. After his death his
widow, Mrs. Agnes Sullivan, was
appointed to succeed him.
In January, 1951, Mrs. Agnes
Sullivan retired and Thomas Sul
livan was made acting postmas
ter. There is no relation.
There was a scramble for the
permanent appointment as post
master following Mrs. Agnes
Sullivan’s retirement, but no per
manent appointment was forth
coming.
Informed persons said the
three top candidates for the job
were Thomas Sullivan, Roy D.
Johnson and James Lyons, who
is army-air force recruiting offi
cer here.
Snow Fails to
Close Highways
Holt countyans were keeping
their weather fingers crossed
Monday and Tuesday, hoping
that the new snow cover isn’t
whipped into traffic - binding
drifts that would spoil Christmas
"dans for hundreds of families.
It looked like a touch-and-go
proposition.
Snow began falling about 6:30
p.m., Sunday and continued
through most of Monday. Up
wards of six inches of snow was
added on top of about three
inches of earlier snow.
Trains and busses were run
ning behind schedule but get
ting through.
The highway department re
ported all principal roads in the
O’Neill area were open. But
traffic on the highways packed
the snow before removal equip
ment could cover the mileage.
The result is a mass of ice that
creates treacherous driving.
Relatively mild temperatures
were a break for the citizenry.
The mercury both Monday and
Tuesday stood in the 20’s.
Week’s weather summary:
H L
December 18 _ 30 16
December 19 —*-24 17
December 2*0_ 30 10
December 21-26 18
December 22 - 27 20
December 23 _- 24 13
Last Thursday snowfall a
mounted to one inch; Friday,
fhree inches; Monday, five inch
es; Tuesday, two inches—or .73
of an inch total precipitation for
the week.
Burglars Make Haul
in Atkinson Homes
ATKINSON — A burglar or
burglars enjoyed a fruitful eve
ning here Friday, entering three
residence and making off with
several hundreds of dollars worth
of personal effects.
The Kenneth Schultz home was
ransacked between 7 and 8 p.m.,
by persons who knew Mr. and
Mrs. Schultz were busy at their
drug store and the Schultz’
daughter was on a caroling party.
The loot included an ice
cream container filled with rare
coins (dating from 1787), elec
tric drill, ladies' wrist watch,
man's wrist watch, electric ra
zor, German Luger pistol, Si
amese imported bracelet with
ear rings to match, billfold con
taining $15 and other miscel
laneous items.
Mr. Schultz says it is impos
sible to replace the coins, yhich
were heirlooms.
At the home of George Spence
and his mother, an electric radio
was pinched, and a portable ra
dio was taken at the residence of
R. W. Streitwiser.
Deputy Holt Sheriff James Mul
len investigated and reported,
that extensive questioning will be
conducted among a number of
suspects.
The Schultzes left their home
about 6:30 p.m. .returning at 11:30.
Former Physician
Expires at Norfolk
Dr. Edward T. Gerin, 43, who
joined the Norfolk state hospital
staff three months ago on a part
time basis, died Sunday at the
hospital after a lingering illness.
Funeral services were held at
9 a.m., Tuesday at St. Mar
garet Mary’s church in Omaha.
Burial was in Holy Sepulchre
cemetery at Omaha.
Dr. Germ was a graduate of
the University of Nebraska col
lege of medicine. He moved to
Lincoln eight years ago. Last
spring he moved to ONeill’ and
after several months of practice
here went to Norfolk.
Survivors are his wife, Dor
othy; daughter—Patricia; son—
Thomas E. II, all of Norfolk;
father—Thomas, and sister—Mrs.
Joseph Lang, both of Omaha.
Miss Pat Conway went to Lin
coln, Paul Baker to Kearney,
James Bastian to Grand Island,
Harry Moore to Hastings, Mr.
and Mrs. Charles Houser to Des
Moines, la., and Mr. and Mrs. C.
H. Stone will visit their parents
in Oklahoma for the holidays.
♦ - - . .... -
Andrew Olson, Wife
Mark 50th Wedding
Ewing Couple Holds
Open - House
EWING — Mr. and Mrs. An
drew Olson celebrated their
golden wedding anniversary on
Sunday, December 21. A 12 o’
clock dinner was served at their
home.
Guests were their son and
daughter-in-law, Mr. and Mrs.
Merwin Olson, and family of
Clearwater; their three sons-in
law and daughters, Mr. and Mrs.
Allan York and family and Mr.
and Mrs. Greer Clark and fam
ily, all from Stanton, and Mr.
and Mrs. Oscar Wilson and fam
ily of Elgin.
Also present were Mrs. Olson’s
three brothers and their wives,
Mr. and Mrs. Wallie Strope of
Venus, Mr. and Mrs. Merwin
Strope of Orchard and Mr. and
Mrs. Floyd Strope of Norfolk,
and Mr. Olson’s brother and sis
ter-in-law, Mr. and Mrs. Webster
Olson of Neligh.
A while wedding cake trim
med in gold, lopped by a gold
en decoration wilh "50 years"
as pari of it, made up the cen
terpiece flanked by tall golden
candles in golden holders.
Two bouquets of golden mums,
one a gift from the children, the
other from the Woman’s Society
of Christian Service of the Meth
odist church, were also a part of
the table decorations.
A golden corsage for Mrs. Ol
son and a white carnation bou
tonniere for Mr. Olson were pre
sented by the children.
Merwin Strope and Wallie
Strope were also present at the
wedding 50 years ago.
An open-house reception was
held from 2 to 5 p.m. which was
attended by over one hundred
friends and relatives. Many gifts
were received by Mr. and Mrs.
Olson.
Mr. and Mrs. Olson were mar
ried on Christmas eve, December
24, 1902, at the home of her par
ents, the late Mr. and Mrs. W.
W. Strope, near Venus, the place
which they homesteaded and
also where Mrs. Olson was born.
They began housekeeping on
the farm of Mr. Olson's parents
in Stanton county. This also
had been homesteaded by them
and it was there that Mr. Olson
was born and grew to man
hood.
Nine years later, they pur
chased a tract of land 10 miles
south of Clearwater. They built
a house and other necessary farm
improvements and made it their
home for 37 years. Their chil
dren attended the district school
and later the Clearwater public
school.
Five years ago, Mr. and Mrs.
Olson retired from active farm
life and moved to an acreage
which they purchased in north
Ewing. Mr. Olson continues to
have a few farm chores.
During the summer, they raise
a large garden. This includes a
large strawberry patch and
many flowers. Mrs. Olson pro
vides many bouquets for the
church. They attend the worship
service and Sunday-school reg
ularly. They participate in other
activities of the church as well.
Mr. Olson with his garden
tractor is the “handy man”
about town.
Out-of-town guests, besides the
immediate family, were: Mr. and
Mrs. Philip Darr and family,
Mr. and Mrs. Claude Howard and
family, Mr. and Mrs. Bernard
Strope and family, Mr. and Mrs.
Vernon Strope and family, Mr.
and Mrs. Wendell Strope and
family, all of Venus; Mr. and
Mrs. Fred Howard, Mr. and Mrs.
Charles Strope and family, Mr.
and Mrs. George Hamill and
family, all of Orchard; Mr. and
Mrs. C. E. Nolze, Mr. and Mrs.
W. H. Westerhoff and daughter,
Mr. and Mrs. Ed Filsinger, all of
Elgin; Mr. and Mrs. Calvin York,
Mr. and Mrs. Walter Snider, M.
H. Snider, Mr. and Mrs. Walter
Anderson, Mrs. Ellen Finsinger,
all of Clearwater; Mr. and Mrs.
Howard Forslund of Stanton,
Mr. and Mrs. Ray Staub of Til
den, Oscar Thorin and Floyd
Wilson, both of Elgin, Pvt. Mer
win G. Strope of Ft. Bliss Tex.
Expecting Guests—
Among the guests expected to
be present for a family dinner in
the Nels Linquist home at Star
are: Mr. and Mrs. Everett Bittner,
Mr. and Mrs. Donald Kindt and
family, Mr. and Mrs. Robert Bitt
ner and family, all of Winner,
S.D.; Mr. and Mrs. Harry Butter
field of Orchard; Mr. and Mrs.
Kenneth Hill,, Mrs. Rebecca But
terfield both of Star, and Mr. and
Mrs. Elden Butterfield.
LEAVING OKINAWA . . -Pfc.
Frank Soukup (above), son of
Mr. and Mrs. Joe Soukup of
O’Neill, expects to leave Oki
nawa during Christmas week
for the return trip home.
Airmen Held by Russians 9 Hours
Pinnt Boy
May Lose
Left Leg
Suffers Multiple Break
When Auto Crashes
into Lynch Bridge
Duane Pinnt, 16, of Lynch, son
of Mr. and Mrs. John Pinnt, for
merly of O’Neill, is in Clarkson
hospital, Omaha, being treated
for injuries suffered late Sunday
evening in a one-car accident
two miles from lynch.
Pinnt and a companion, Delane
Oberle, were enroute back to
Lynch from O’Neill. They did
not explain exactly what hap
pened, causing their car to crash
into a bridge near the Dr. R. E.
Kriz farm. Some persons spec
ulated the machine, driven by
Oberle, went out of control when
it struck some ice.
Oberle, son of Mr. and Mrs.
Howard Oberle, was unhurt.
Young Pinnt was admitted at
Sacred Heart hospital. Lynch,
about midnight. He suffered
a compound fracture of the left
leg, skull fracture, loss of teeth,
lip cut and a bad gash on the
nose.
Stories that the nose was sev
ered were unfounded, Lynch hos
pital attendants said.
Doctor Kriz ordered the boy
transferred by ambulance late
Monday to Clarkson hospital, be
cause of the complicated leg
break.
The youth’s mother, Mrs.
Pinnt, went from Chadron to
Omaha to be near her son, and
late Tuesday by telephone ad
vised her daughter, Mrs. Gordon,
Johnson of O’Neill, that there is
hope of saving the leg.
Infection had not set in and
this gave the doctors hope that
the badly fractured leg could be
saved.
The ambulance trip began at
8:15 p.m., and ended at 3 a.m.,
covering about 200 miles under
treacherous conditions.
Surgery on the leg will not be
performed until the youth has
overcome the shock, Mrs. Pinnt
stated.
Mrs! Don McClellan of O’Neill
is an aunt of the injured boy.
Young Pinnt has been driving
a gravel truck recently at Bris
tow. His parents resided north
of O’Neill until about two years
ago.
Retired Garageman,
111 16 Months, Dies
Rites at Chambers for
C. E. Tibbets
CHAMBERS—A pioneer Holt
county resident, who had been ill
16 months, died about 11:57 p.m.
Sunday, December 21 in St. An
thony’s hospital here. Dead is
Clarence Elmer Tibbets, 74, a
Chambers resident. The body
was taken to Biglin Brothers.
The rites were to be held at 2
p.m., Wednesday, December 24,
at the Methodist church in
Chambers. Rev. L. R. Hansberry,
church pastor, was to officiate.
A brief rite was to be held, at
1:30 p.m. at the Tibbets resi
dence. Pallbearers were to be
Larry Tibbets, Richard Tibbets,
Arthur Tibbets, Lyle Cooper, Don
ald Grimes, Hale Osborn, Rob
ert Meline and Duane K. Miller.
The late Mr. Tibbets was bom
August 2, 1878, at Elm Creek, a
son of Newton and Mary Law
rence Tibbets. He came to Holt
county from Elm Creek in 1883.
On December 23, 1908, he
married Hattie Ray Cooper at
Chambers. For many years
Mr. Tibbets was an automobile
dealer at Chambers.
Survivors include: Brothers—
Arthur of O’Neill, Bert of House,
N. M., Wesley of Ft. Sumpter, N.
M. ; sisters—Mrs. Jessie Lowery
of Parma, Ida., Mrs. Margaret
Wilson of San Bemadino, Calif.,
Mrs. Estella Long of Rosewell,
N. M., and Mrs. Gertrude Hol
comb of House, N.M.
Mrs. John Schmidt entertained
her family at a dinner in her
home Sunday.
...—
Choir Members Sylvia Harder, Mrs. Slamey Lamb .jrt, Mr. Lambert, Doctor Morse and Reverend Lee.
★ ★ ★ ★★★ ★★★
Throng Greets Church Leader
By a Staff Writer
The saga of the dream that is
America and a parallel, the birth
and development of the Presby
terian church of the USA, were
recounted last Thursday evening
by Dr. Hermann Nelson Morse
of New York City, current hold
er of the highest office in that
church.
He spoke publicly in First
Presbyterian church to an over
flow crowd composed of visiting
clergy, elders, laymen, laywom
en and visitors.
Doctor Morse last week made
five Nebraska stops in addition
to the overnight O’Neill visit in
commemorating sesquicentennial
commemorating the sesquicen
tennial year of the board of na
tional missions of the Presbyter
ian church. He came to O’Neill
from Omaha, arriving about 2
pm., and departed at 8:30 p.m.
Friday for Kearney.
Coincident with his sermon
was a turkey dinner in the
church basement and a moder
ator's session with the officers
and elders of the Niobrara
Presbytery, representing 21
parishes in northeast Nebras
ka.
Doctor Morse’s sermon was
characterized by excellent, pre
cise oratory coming from a mind
that is a veritable encyclopedia
of the evolution of America and
♦ hP hictnrvr r\f Viic nVmrpli
He used words of Isaiah as a
text: “ . . . a highway shall be
there, a way of holiness.”
From that text he developed a
sermon of home missions; how
his church, for love of God and
love of man, sought the far fron
tiers and emerged from a provin
cial parochial handful of reform
ers in New England; how today
in no sector from ocean-to-ocean
or in no corner of the outlying
regions of the U.S. or its posses
sions can one ignore the fruits
of the pioneers of the church.
At the outset, Doctor Morse
emphasized the importance of
the sesquicentennial milestone.
“Our forebearers in New Eng
land,” he said, “established an
unbroken line of descent in the
realm of home missions and
preaching Christ, until today it
is the largest Protestant denom
ination in the home mission field.
The impulse of missions did not
begin in 1802, but this Presby
terian version did, and even now
we are celebrating our 75th an
niversary in Alaska—a vast field
from which only recently your
O'Neill pastor, Reverend Lee, has
returned.
“All history is a record of a
journey, and people down
through the years hold hard to
the hope there is a better day
acomin’ ... a hope ‘a highway
shall be there’.
“No generation can build its
own road,” Doctor Morse declar
ed. “Every generation has a past
it can ignore but cannot escape.
Road building and church build
ing are done in a wilderness and
each successive vear more-and
more people become more-and
more dependent upon them
“History today *no longer is
static—a chronological record of
events. History today is a study •
of the evolution of human soci- I
ety.”
At this point, the silver-gray j
bespectacled church dignitary j
placed emphasis on the humility
of man.
“No one individual is really
responsible for any building. Re
member that when you feel com
placent or when you feel dis
couraged.”
He pictured the New Eng
land colonists at the time of
the Louisiana purchase. He
told how the Presbyterian
Whitmans and Spaldings ex
plored the new frontiers of
America after an Indian, who
had been exposed to a while
missionary, had made his way
to the outpost town of St. Lou
is and explained that his peo
ple were curious about the
"white man's Book of Life."
This stirred up a movement in
the hearts of Eastern Presbyter
ians that caused men to go forth
and claim new frontiers in the
name of Christ.
Doctor Morse told about Shel
don Jackson, who knelt and
prayed on Prospect Hill (Sioux
City). Jackson grasped in his
hand a mandate to claim the
West for Christ. The mandate
explicitly mentioned the Mis
souri river presbytery, all of
Nebraska, the Dakotas, territory
that is now Montana, Idaho,
Wyoming and Washington. Jack
son did this—and more. too. He
carried the Presbyterian mission
banner to the Arctic.
He further told of a short
lived outpost mission near the
present site of Walla Walla,
Wash. The missionaries were
massacred by Indians.
“In any great enterprise,” Doc
tor Morse explained, “someone
must suffer without succeeding.
The frontier Presbyterian mis
sions were conceived in prayer
and nutured in faith. This has
resulted in a kind of cement that
holds people together.”
He staied about the turn of
the Nineteenth century there
was a new philosophy of re
ligion and freedom that slow
ly moved toward fruition.
In the U.S., Doctor Morse de
clared, the movement appeared
simultaneously in New England
and in the frontiers of Kentucky.
In England and Continental Eur
ope the movement was slower and
had a tragic result in the French
revolution.
“But the reformed ideas of our
church were based on a firm
foundation and on a religious
faith based on the Word of God.
This enabled it to endure suc
(Continued on page 12)
■ -
STUART—Two American air
men, one of whom is A/lc Ron
ald R. Hutcheson of Stuart, re
cently involved in a jeep acci
dent on the Berlin, Germany, su
perhighway, were held nine
hours by the Russians. They
were finally released after being
compelled to sign a statement
saying they caused the accident,
the air force said Monday.
The men, stationed at Tempel
hof air base, were enroute from'
West Germany when their jeep
ran off the road and overturned
about 20 miles west of Berlin
Saturday afternoon.
Passing motorists notified the
U.S. checkpoint that they saw
the two fliers being taken into
Soviet custody and liaison offi
cials arranged for their release.
The Russians charged the jeep
struck and badly damaged a So
viet army staff car. U.S. officials
said the jeep is unscratched.
The Russians required a signa
ture of responsibility for the ac
cident before releasing the air
men, John W. Stafford, 21, of
Oak Park, 111., and Hutcheson, 22.
The Stuart airman is the son
of Mr. and Mrs. Henry E. Hutch
eson. He was recently separated
from the air force at Wiesebaden
Germany, and reenlisted, switch
ing to Berlin.
The parents did not hear
from their son for several
months following the change
and they were badly worried,
they said.
He attended high school one
year at Stuart and enlisted in
the air force about four years
ago. He has been in Germany
one year. Since his switch to
Berlin his parents said they
thought he was a vehicle driver.
Ronald has two sisters, Mrs.
Marion (Inez) Aronstrong of
Bassett and Miss Leona, at home.
Tot, 4, Scalded
Falling into Pail
ATKINSON—Little Rose Mary
Osborne, 4, daughter of Mr. and
Mrs. Richard Osborne, is in “sat
isfactoiy” condition in Atkinson
Memorial hospital suffering from
second degree burns. She fell
backward Saturday afternoon
into a pail of scalding water at
her home in Atkisnon.
Most of her body was burned
and she was partially burned on
the arms and face.
The little child was running a
high temperature Tuesday and
hospital attendants declined to
state when the child would be
dismissed from the hospital.
Burns on the arms and face “are
clearing up,” they said.
Mrs. A. E. Stubbs,
Bassett, Dies—
BASSETT—Mrs. A. E. Stubbs,
73, passed away Tuesday eve
ning, December 16, after a ling
ering illness, which the past few
weeks had made her bedfast.
Santa Gets ‘Navy’ Scrutiny
Jolly Ol’ Santa, who interviewed several
undred smallfry here Saturday in connection
with his annual visit sponsored by the Chamber
of Commerce, got the wary once-over from Jim
my McCarthy (center), 4-year-old son of Mr. and
Mrs. George McCarthy of O’Neill. Jimmy was
bedecked in a “navy” uniform. His big brother.
Edward, is home on navy leave. Speaking with
St. Nick are Rosemary Walter, 5, and Sharon
Kay Walter, 3, daughters of Mr. and Mrs. Martin
Walter.—The Frontier Photo.
Rabid Cat
Attacks 4
Persons
Summerer F a m i 1 y t
Paul Hubei Bitten;
No Adverse Effects
•
Mr. and Mrs. Bob Summerer
and their daughter, Bonnie, ag©
17-months, and a neighbor, Paul
Hubei, residing in an area about
25 miles south and three miles
east of ONeill are under medi
cal treatment and observation af
ter being bitten by a rabid young
cat.
The maddened feline, which
belonged to the Summerers, at
tacked Hubei on Tuesday, De
cember 16, and the net day turn
ed on the three members of the
Summerer family.
They noted the two-thirds
grown animal was angry and
anxious to attack anything, es
pecially other cats. They took
the animal to Lincoln where
the stale veterinary labora
tories found "positive clinical
symptoms of rabies following
an examination of the brain.**
The message was forwarded to
Dr. H. L. Bennett, O’Neill veter
inarian, who immediately got in
i touch with the Summerers and
Mr. Hubei.
The incubation period for per
sons who have been bitten is
from “one to two weeks.”
The Summerers say that they
have suffered no apparent ef
fects, although they say the a|»
prehension is very great.
The state health department!
has not issued a quarantine in re
gard to the matter, but persona
living in the area, Doctor Ben
net said, are urged to be watch
ful lest any animals show signs
of being rabid.
Bassett Man Is
Killed in Crash
NEWPORT— Wilber King, 53*
of Bassett was killed about 8:25
a.m. Wednesday, December 17*
in a truck-car crash one-fourth
mile west of Newport on U.S. 20,
state patrol headquarters report
ed.
King was riding in a truck
driven by Clint Davis, 34. of
Bassett, which collided with a
car operated by Albert Gale of
Bassett.
Both King and Davis were
thrown from the truck, the lat
ter escaping serious injuries.
Gale was unhurt.
The accident happened as Gale
drove onto the highway from a
country road and apparently did
n’t see the approaching truck, ac
cording to Patrolman R. R. Shor
ney of Ainsworth.
State’s Pig Crop
Down 19 Percent
Nebraska’s 1952 pig croD was
down 19 percent from the 1951
figure, the state-federal division
of agricultural statistics reported
Monday.
The report serves to make the
shift to cattle in this state show
up more sharply than ever, A. E.
Anderson declared.
The 1952 Nebraska pig crop
was estimated at 4,030,000, com
pared to 4,951,000 in 1951.
Nebraska farmers reported
161,000 sows farrowed this fall,
24 Der cent fewer than in. the
fall of 1951.
Woman, 83, Suffers.
Broken Hip in Fall
ATKINSON—Mrs. Minnie En»
body, 83, who has been living
alone in Atkinson, aitempted to
take a steD Saturday and fell
fracturing her left hip. It has not
been determined whether a bone
simply gave wav or whether she
stumbled and fell.
Her condition is “poor,” at
tendants at Atkinson Memorial
hospital said Tuesday. A severe
cold set in following the fall.
BUYS BUILDING
LYNCH— The Masonic lodge
at Lynch has purchased the Al
ford building here, formerly oc
cupied by the postoffice, and
plans to remodel it for a Masonic
temple.