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About The frontier. (O'Neill City, Holt County, Neb.) 1880-1965 | View Entire Issue (Dec. 25, 1952)
Prairieland Talk . . . Prayer Launches Shopping Rush By ROMAINE SAUNDERS LINCOLN—December 16. My door stands ajar. * The afternoon sun casts its beams in radiant splendor at my feet. Children play in the street. This morning I stood inside an entrance to a large department store flanked on all sides by scores of impa tient citizens o n Christmas shopping bent. The hour for the . beginning of business had not yet struck. Roped off spaces held the crowd at bay. But hark! A bell clangs, then all is hushed. It is the moment for prayer in that great institu tion before the day’s business starts. The impatient throng of cust- Romaine omers are silent while some- Saunders where in that department store a voice goes to heaven or many voices as one asking Divine guidance during the rush of another day, sales people seeking the needed grace to deal kindly with snapdragons of customers should such ap pear at their counter. Again the bell clangs, they are open for bus iness and the crowds surge forward. I spent my dollar and left feeling that it was good to be there during the moment of prayer in a great business concern. • • * Wayne Morse, one of the U. S. senators from Oregon, has taken over the mantle of the late George Norris. Under the guise of independent some fellows like to pose as a hero who refuses to be bossed. For the most part they make jack asses of themselves. It is every man’s privilege and every man’s business to line up with any political group or hold to the theory that the moon is made of green cheese. No man has the right to turn traitor to the element of the citizens of his state who have elected him to a responsible place in government and still to hang onto the job and its emoluments. Mr. Morse had the right to his choice of the presidential candidates but the honorable thing to have done would be to say I can no longer go along with the party that has made me so I will resign as U. S. senator. Our Senator Norris was not built after that mold, neither is the gentleman from Oregon. With what sounds a little like coming from a secret hope of national disaster, the insurgent from Oregon says he will vote with republicans in organizing the senate because he wants full responsibility tor the government under President Eisenhower to rest upon the republican party. Good enough. The republican party takes that responsibility as it has since the days of Abe Lincoln. * * * A genl said to be a citizen of Lincoln was taken into custody in a Michigan city charged with a $12,000 robbery. He admits it. More than that, he manifests some pride in his ability to get away with a pile like that in a strange city. And his name is O'Neill—no twobit chicken thief. * * * Another year folks up, another gray hair, a little more wrinkle under the chin and a little more clearly come the visions out of the past. A New Year begins and baby steps out of diaper hood to become a real kid. Other kids swagger into youthful days and others step into the never ending stream of toilwom men and women trudging life’s highway to build for themselves home and happiness. And now into 1953 we go buoyant with hope eternal, plans and schemes and programs to make ’em set up and take notice, but don’t be surprised if before you get far on the way you will stop to blow your nose and then just settle down to life’s give and take and smile about it. * * * e The dealh of Ed Wellon reminds us again of the well-nigh depleted ranks of the pioneers. He was a family of four boys and three girls who lived during the early development of O'Neill on what is now North Fifth street where the Gallagher home stands, settling there when the father of Ed became sheriff of Holt county in the stirring vigilanter days. I knew Ed from away back to be one of those steady, substantial and worthwhile citizens who constitutes the salt of the earth. • * * It is now stated that the average hourly earn ings of workers is $1.43, compared to 43 cents an hour gent of 50 years ago kept 40 cents while h our gent of 50 years ago kept 40 cents while the $1.43 an hour guy today has three cents to call his own after others get their split. “The sacred rights of mankind are not to be rummaged for among old parchments or musty records,” wrote young Alexander Hamil ton in 1774 at the age of 17 to an English Tory. “They are written as with a sunbeam, in the whole volume of human nature, by the hand of the Divinity itself, and can never be erased or obscured by mortal power.” Hamilton later be came a leader in shaping the constitution of the United States. Mankind had to suffer through the centuries at the hands of tyrants and bigots. And today our heritage of freedom from bigots and tyrants is tracable to the quill pens in the hands of such as Hamilton, the voice of oratory of James Otis and Patrick Henry, the sword of Washington and the barefoot regimentals at Val ley Forge. And in a fuller measure, as Hamilton ex pressed in employing the figure of a sunbeam, freedom is the outward working of spiritual truth. “And ye shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free ... If the Son there fore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.” “Build thee more stately mansions, O my soul, As the swift seasons roll! Leave thy low-vaulted past! Let each new temple, nobler than the last, Shut thee from earth with a dome more vast, Till thou at last be free, Leaving thy outgrown shell by life’s unresting sea!” * * * When that Yankee patriot comes up with the answer to the problem he is now working on we will know what puts the maple in maple syrup. Then if the investigation can be carried to re termine what puts the buck in buckwheat and the butt in butter another victory for science will be scored. * * * Those who got theirs in the school of hard knocks have little concern over the much touted “school problem” worrying some of this gener ation. I don’t know what is wrong with the present arrangement of school districts if anything more than an itch on the part of some patriots to re vamp something so they light upon the schools. Talk of shortage of funds has got to be a chestnut and the “under paid” teacher seems willing to keep on at the job. I think of a $50-per-month teacher in Swan precinct and a kid who got his elementaries under her. That boy has a university degree and fills an important position in an Eastern city. He is my son. It is not the velvet trimmings, but the will to do something. * * ♦ Mountain states of their wonders boast, Autumn tinted aspens of which they have a host. The silvery Colorado and the muddy Rio Grande Flowing seaward down across the land. Rocks and cliffs and canyons deep, Here and there a bunch of grass that feeds a sheep Prairieland may well sing its praise For here is where the wheat we raise, Corn and spuds and cows galore— Just everything so you need no more. The charm of open country robed in velvet green And nectar of the sands in lake and stream. * * * It was on a December night in 1941 Tom Baker drove over to inform us that Pearl Harbor had been bombed and took Mrs. Saunders and me back with him to hear the story over the radio, knowing that we had a son in a navy uni form in service in Honolulu waters. The attack on Pearl Harbor was led by Capt. Mitsuo Fuch ida, “not very happy at heart,” as he now says since he has been converted to Christianity and entered mission work as a gospel minister. * * ' * This generation hasn’t seen anything yet in the matter of the “high cost of living.” Pioneers, dragging the weary caravans across the plains, got a touch of high living costs when they hit a trading post, where sugar, coffee and plug to bacco sold for a dollar a pound and a pint of flour was worth fourbits. But they had it better than this generation on some scores. The roast sizzling at the campfire cost them the effort to cut a chunk off the carcass of a buffalo or antelope that some one in the party had knocked over. * * * O’Neill merchants and business concerns do not hide their light under a bushel and use The Frontier’s space to keep the community informed as to the advantage of trading at the countyseat. A few places seem to have gone to seed and closed shop as their advertising is out of cir culation. Editorial . Merry Christmas This is the Merry Christmas season. Today,< even as at the first Christmas when the Wise Men came bearing gifts, we too give gifts to our friends and loved ones. While we thus observe the letter of the ancient custom we should not forget the real reason for the holiday. It is the birthday of Christ and we should not lose sight of this fact and fail to pay homage to Him on the 1952d anniversary of his birth. Christmas, 1952, probably will be secretly observed by many people in dictator-controlled and anti-religious nations, too. This anniversary of the birth of the Christ Child is considerably different than the first observances years ago. Then it was almost entirely a solemn occasion. Now however, it provides a season of gaiety with parties, family dinners and the arrival of Santa Claus, whether the latter event be on Christmas eve or Christmas mom. There is some criticism of the commercial ized complex of our modern Christmases. We doubt if there is a youngster old enough to understand who doesn’t know wThat the true meaning of the day is. He has been taught in hi£ church and Sunday-school along with regular school activities that Christmas is the anniver sary of the birth of Christ. The many festivities which make the season a happy one is in keeping with the good will phase of the anniversary. Families seem drawn closer together at Christmas time. More toler ance is shown as Christmas approaches and people begin to get into the spirit of the season. All of lhese things are manifestations of the real meaning of the day, even though they may not be directly thought of as such. All-in all Christmas seems to be the happiest season of the year—and rightly so. But more important, again this year there is a cloud over the people of the world. Even now, as at that first Christmas time, the forces of evil are seeking to destroy us. We should take heart, however, from the fact that in that time centuries ago King Herod, who then represented the forces of evil, was not able to destroy Christ or the things he stood for. Herod could not prevail against God. Today if we take time to enlist Him on our side, the forcss of evil will again be defeated. On that first Christmas God gave His only Son to save the world and today many sons are giving their lives in the fight against the forces that seek to destroy our Christian world. That is the supreme gift, the supreme sacrifice. The most important gifts are those that re quire some sacrifice. Once again let us recall the real spirit of Christmas. Let us strive to make the Christmas wish of old, “Peace on earth, good will toward all men,” a reality. Yes, we should rejoice at Christmas time. It is the season to be happy. It should also be a time for the birth of a renewed spirit of Christ mas. We should try to so live, that when another Christmas season comes around, the world will be a better and more joyful place to live. This issue of The Frontier comes to your house on the day before Christmas, barring snow locked railroads and highways. This is accomp lished by The Frontier staff with a burst of pre Christmas effort and we hope it elicits satis factory comment from our family of readers. It’s no small chore to build a paper of this size with 24 hours shaved from the work week. General Eisenhower gathers his "brain trust" from the ranks of the wise men of the East, while prairieland patroits who were enam ored by preelection glamour look on wistfully. Some judges use their opportunities to charge juries to give political orations. 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. Letter to Editor Redbird, Nebr. Dear Sirs: I would like to call your at tention to a work of art that has been painted on a large window in Lynch. The painting is the full size of the large “bay window” in the Coulthard funeral home and was painted by Elsie Coult hard. Last year she painted the stable scene, this year it is the wise men following the star. The painting is spotlighted at night so all passers may view it. It is well worth anyone’s time to drive by. Mrs. Coulthard is very talented and I felt your paper would welcome the news item. It’s much more worthy than any window display I have viewed in any of the local fetore windows and is more inspiring than any I viewed on a recent trip to Sioux City. Mrs. Coulthard does not seek publicity. She is not aware that I am writing to you. The Coult hards are a young couple, well liked by the Lynch and sur rounding population and I felt sure that a trip to Lynch to view her painting would be of inter est to you, as a newsman, and to the people, as readers of your paper. Sincerely, MRS. VELDON PINKERMAN DELOIT NEWS St. John’s CYO staged a Christmas program at the audi torium in Ewing Wednesday evening, December 17. Donald Fuller, who has been in training in the air force in Denver, Colo., arrived home last week to spend the holidays at home. He is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Marvin Fuller. Mr. and Mrs. Fred Schindler of Elgin were supper guests at John Bauer’s Tuesday evening, December 16. Mr. and Mrs. Glenn Harpster and sons visited at the James McDonald home near O’Neill re cently to make the acquaintance of the new daughter. Mrs. Anna Sehi was surprised at the Leo Funk home last Thursday evening when her chil dren and their families arrived. Refreshments were served. Mrs. Sehi lives in Elgin. Sings in 'Messian'— Miss Lois Harder, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Dwight Harder of O’Neill, was a member of the 160-voice “Messiah” choir at Hastings college. The perform ance of Handel’s work was giv en Sunday evening, December 14, in the Calvin H. French Me morial chapel on 4;he Hastings college campus. . State Capitol News . . . Crosby to Seek .38 Mill Cut in Nebraska’s New Tax Levy L.UNCUL.N — Lrovernor - Elect* Robert B. Crosby has pledged he will work toward a reduction of more than a million dollars a year in Nebraska’s state proper ty tax. The soon-to-be chief executive told a news conference he would seek a cut of “not less than .38 of a mill in the current levy.” The general fund levy is now $5.88 for each $1,000 of assessed valuation. Crosby would attempt to make this $5.50. This is the way Nebraska now determines what the mill levy will be: The various spending agencies submit their requests for two year periods. The governor and tax commissioner hold hearings at which the department heads explain the requests. Then the governor prepares a budget for submission to the legislature. The legislature’s budget commit tee then holds another series of hearings, similar to those staged by the gvoernor. Finally, the leg islature appropriates the money. Then the state board of equaliza tion figures out how much the levy must be to produce the property tax share of the gener al fund appropriation. Crosby proposes to suggest to the legislature appropria tions pegged to a fixed mill levy, instead of the other way around as his predecesors have. No matter what the new gov ernor suggests, the ultimate de cision is up to the legislature. While nobody at the Gatehouse would talk for the record, there was some speculation that Cros by was fairly safe in promising a tax cut. Figures on file in the office of Tax Commissioner Phil ip K. Johnson indicate that with any kind of break in the valua tions and with a continuation of high income from other taxes, it won’t be too much of a trick to reduce the levy this year. In nine of the last 20 years, the levy has been cut somewhat. Crosby acknowledged, “I’m al together aware that is will be easier to accomplish a reduction this year than it might have been in 1949 or 1947.” * * * Plan— The Nebraska citizenls council, the taxpayers’ group- managed by former Tax Commissioner Robert Armstrong, has proposed a six-point plan to implement the constitutional amendment on ^taxation of motor vehicles which the voters approved last month: 1. Provide that the state tax commissioner shall furnish the county assessor schedules of values for all motor vehicles computed at a percent of actual value, the same ratio as the as sessment of other classes of property bear to real value. 2. That the assessor deter mine the average total mill levy for all rural tax districts in his county for the current year and the average total mill levy for all urban tax districts, but ex cluding levies made by districts which don’t receive any of the motor vehicle tax. 3. The assessor shall compute the tax on each vehicle by ap plying the levy to the value pre scribed by the tax commissioner. 4. The tax lists shall be pre sented to the county treasurer before January 1. 5. The tax would be paid at the time of registration with the provision of paying 75 percent if it is registered in the second quarter, 50 percent if in the third and 25 percent if in the fourth. 6. For the purpose of allocat ing the tax proceeds, the county treasurer shall use as the de nominator of a fraction the total mill levy for the rural or urban districts, as the case may be, and for the numerator, the total mill levy of the local tax district. * * * Reappointed— State Enginer Harold Aitken and Banking Director J. E. Mc Lain have been reappointed by Governor-Elect Robert Crosby. Crosby called Ailken's selec tion "one of the most and per haps the most important ap pointment I have to make." He said, “It would be impos sible to expect that Mr. Aitken has administered the highway department to everyone’s satis faction but in an activity that is extremely difficult he has come closer to commanding the confi dence of the several factions that are quarreling over roads than I would have expected anyone to do.” Of McLain, Crosby said, ‘‘He has conducted a careful and fair administration of the banking department and held the growth of regulation to a minimum.” * * * Question— The University of Nebraska went before Governor ' Peterson and Governor - Elect Robert Crosby last week to justify its request for a 31 percent increase in tax funds with which to op erate the institution during the next two years. Most of the hearing centered around a discussion of whether the state can afford to operate a first-class college of medicine. The university is asking for a $750,000 increase in operat ing funds for the college as well as for a six million dollar building program on the Oma ha campus. Officials of the school told Governor Peterson that ‘‘if you are interested in health and sav ing lives,” Nebraska cannot af ford to ignore its obligation to train young men and women as physicians, nurses and techni cians. REAL ESTATE TRANSFERS WD—Jessie W Kelley, et al to Fred Taylor & wf 11-15-52 $1 sy»sy» is- aii 22- N^Ny. 27 25-16 WD — H F Heiser to Floyd E Butterfield & wf 12-15-52 $13, 600- NEy4 20-30-14 WD — Sammie E Conner to Scott Conner 12-15-52 $1- Part NyjNWy4 2-26-9 © Venetian blinds, prompt deliv ery, made to measure, metal or wood, all colors.—J. M. McDon ald's. O'Neill. ""*"*""* ' ——. ' ' 1 1 I v-' -v, !-e Ijjr-J*. ' : , ■ *■' ; > ll'l’OPl • ••-■Jf'* ^ ■% fey The gift we cherish most is the priceless one ^ of your friendship. ..Cf.' & %r," GILLIGAN wILLIVMIl |)RUG ST0Rj "We Give S&H Green Stamps" ’ ... .. ... w • ..... .. There is •Palatable-Cattle Like It •Makes Cattle Drink More Water • Helps Put on Fine Finish at Low Cost • No Waste—Pours Like Grain Summer or Winter You’ll like theen convenient-to-feed pellets rich in molassee sugar...for feeding with home grains or scatter ing on the range. SWEET LASSY is a favorite with thousands of Midwest feeders... has proved a big help in producing prime, fat cattle that bring greater profit SWEET LASSY is processed to prevent spoilage and stickiness... it pours like grain summer and winter. Come in next time you need feed. . We can supply you with the one and only SWEET LASSY. SHELHAMER FOODS Phone 173 _ O’Neill Dr. Fisher, Dentist In the Bishop Block—Norfolk Office Phone: 610 Res. Phone: 2842 The Sandhills Foremost CATTLE AUCTION SALE EVERY TUESDAY HOG AUCTION : Starting at II O'Clock A.M. CATTLE AUCTION: Starting at 1 O'clock P.M. fc " ■■.-.. Under the same mangement for over 20 years. . ! Bonded— Insured —Reliable For Highest Net Results — Sell Them at Atkinson Phone 5141 Atkinson Livestock Market Atkinson, Nebr. Ernie Weller General Manager 1 * I * • • i * 1 I 3 • ► . 1 1 * * 1 * W. F. FINLEY, M.D. O'NEILL First National Bank Bldg. OFFICE PHONE: 28 MONEY TO LOAN ON AUTOMOBILES TRUCKS TRACTORS EQUIPMENT . FURNITURE Central Finance Corp. C. E. Jones, Manager O'Neill : Nebraska DR. H. D. GILDERSLEEVE, OPTOMETRIST Permanent Offices In Hagenslck Bldg. O’NEILL, NEBR. Phone 167 Eyes Examined . Glasses Fitted Office Hours: 9-5 Mon. thru Sat. | You deserve a wealth | | of Yuletide joy § and peace* j O’NEILL GRAIN CO. I PHONE 57 » TEST ORJVE IT! * ♦ * With 41 "Worth More” features, it’s worth more when you buy it... worth more when you sell It! You get your choice of league-leading “Go” in Ford’s V-8 and Six power plants. Yet it’s economical “Go” with Ford’s Automatic Power Pilot watching every drop of gas. In Ford’s Crestmark Body you get “living” room that’s the finest and most comfortable in the low- price field. And Ford’s new Miracle Ride will give you a new slant on how a car should ride. Test Drive the ’53 FORD *• f.d.a.f. The new Standard of the American Road LOHAUS MOTOR CO. PHONE 16_O’NEILL
