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About The frontier. (O'Neill City, Holt County, Neb.) 1880-1965 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 8, 1953)
Prairieland Talk . . . Courtroom Needed Good Airing By ROMAINE SAUNDERS LINCOLN—The village of Stuart now lets the lpght shine in dark places. It is something like 46 years ago Stuart was supplying considerable activity at the countyseat by keeping the mills of the gods grinding and the legal talent oc cupied. One event of note in county court was that of a weather-tan ' ned amazon and her belligerent son charged with taking shots at the woman’s divorced hus band. It developed into a torrid display of a hell of a home life with unprintable language jarr ing the walls of the courtroom until the county judge put the Saumlers taboo on such proceedings. Upon arriving at his office the following morning, Judge Malone opened doors and windows to “let the fresh air blow the stink out.’’ Judge Harrington of the district court that same day allowed a woman from Stuart to add the names of additional defendants to her pe tition for damages because of the death of her husband via the booze route. But Stuart has con tributed in full measure to Holt county’s disting uished group of citizens. There was the pictur esque John Wertz, editor of the Ledger. The last time I saw John the front of what had once been a white shirt bore evidence of having not been to the washtub for many weeks. John’s talents were not of the Beau Brummell type but when you read his Ledger you sat up and took notice. Rosa Hudspeth, poetess, author and editor, lent additional literary flavor to The Ledger and feminine charm to the community. The late Wm. Krotter and the Coats put Stuart in the forefront commercially. One of the charming sections of Holt county is Green Valley, robed in verdant splendor in summer, lying at the doorstep of Stuart and spreading its inviting loveliness across southwest Holt. • • • Juvenile delinquency began a long time ago. Cain started it by clubbing his brother. Kids have been at it ever since but not many go that far into "delinquency." It was in 1907 an O'Neill father and mother enlisted Sheriff Hall to re cover possession of their daughter who got as far as Norfolk with another girl in a little in nocent maidenly adventure. But still another O'Neill couple about that time had their young girl taken to a slate institution for girls. Can't mention the boys—too many of them! * * * Double, double toil and trouble; fire burn and cauldron bubble. Fillet of a fenny snake in the cauldron boil and bake; eye of newt and toe of frog, adder’s fork and blind-worm’s sting, lizard’s leg and owlet’s wing, for a charm of powerful trouble like a hell-broth boil and bubble. Re member when they had a witch over in Boyd county? Not the standard hag riding a broom stick that haunted moonlit glens. Not that kind for Boyd county. They had a charming young Miss who bewitched a young gent who had asked her for a dance at a community social function in the early days of the settlement near Spencer. The young fellow was making out gorgeously with his lady when suddenly one leg was caught dangling in the air and he was “bewitched.” But . after a spell of alternate laughing and crying while he sat on the sidelines he tried it again and the “witch” got him the second time. Events in days to follow were such it came to the atten tion of the officials and to break the spell the young man left the county—so the story went, but there was a suspicion that this was an in vention of fellows at Butte as a slam at Spencer. * * » Thanks to Lee Downey out at Denver, I start the new year with another Burlington railroad calendar to keep me straight as to dates another year. This year’s number is crpwned with a scen ery in colors through which palacial Burlington passenger trains are passing that gives a fellow an urge to take a trip. , Busy men in O’Neill allot a portion of their time to leadership in church work. Archie Bowen and Neil Dawes are active in the affairs of the Methodist group, as Oscar Snyder, E. H. Benedict and Jim Harnish were in an earlier generation; while Jim Riggs, G. M. Cleveland and Dr. A. H. Corbett were filling like responsibilities in Pres byterian church activities, and J. B. Ryan saw to it that Rev. M. F. Cassidy of St. Patrick’s church had a good team and buggy to take him to the homes of his church members living at a distance. ‘The sisters in the various church groups sway the spiritual forces and men not to feel ashamed of themselves come forward with a helping hand. The church group with which Prairieland Talk er affiliates hung $700 in little bags on a Christ mas tree to be sent abroad for missions and once a month chips in 20 thousand for general church activities. Americans think a lot of their churches. • * • Today, new year's day, January 1. is when we start out highly resolving to make some changes in the daily program of life. The custom harks back to the ancient Persians, who started the year by giving an egg to someone, the egg being a thing that would hatch signified new life. The Romans turned to Janus, their god of gales and doors. This god had been made b y Roman craftsmen in the business of making such things with two faces, one looking forward, the other to the rear, so the devotees sized up their record of the past year and then looked ahead determined on improvement. Not a bad idea. * * m There may be some out at Blackbird and nearby points in northeast Holt who will re member Reverend Kuntz who in the late 1890’s was pastor of the Methodist groups out that way. During his ministry in that part of the vineyard his home was at Blackbird but the circuit of his labors took in Minneola, Paddock and other points. He is now retired and living in a home that is presided over by a couple who specialize in the care of old men, located a few blocks from where Prairieland Talker makes his home. I recently had a visit with Mr. Kuntz and he recalls with pleasure his sojourn in Holt county. Most everybody does whose memories of home are anchored on Holt county sod. * * * From out of the clouds of tragedy and despair in that unhappy land comes the story of kindly minisfery on the part of United Nations military authorized work of feeding, clothing and giving shelter not alone to South Korean orphans but also to those taken from the enemy zone. Many North Korean adults are being humanized due to the Christian kindness shown by our American Air Force and the work of army chaplains. Bread instead of bullets, beds and home and shelter and the warmth of human fellowship for the masses, chains and dungegons for the warlords who close their hearts and minds to all that civilized man has wrought out upon the anvil of time. * * • $1,288,971—it was in 24-point black type stat ing the value of grain and hay produced in Holt county the season of 1906. Prices for these pro ducts then were a fraction of what the same is today but the overall profit was little or no dif ferent. If you get a big price for a bale of hay you pay a big price for a pair of boots. * * * A heartless father got away from court with a $25 fine for burning the hands and oth erwise cruelly treating his little son. A trapper was soaked $250 for trapping muskrats out of season. A water rat worth more than a little child? * * * The Historical society museum in the state house is a constant source of interest to visitors both locally and abroad. The November record of visitors who signed the register showed a total of 2,463. Of these there were 27 from foreign lands. Not all visitors register. Editorial . Time Will Measure Harry We have become a government by press | agent—where the mimeograph output is the first line of defense. Public opinion molding is one thing but pre paring to shape the course of history at taxpay er’s expense is something quite different. President Truman has an all consuming passion to be remembered as one of America’s “all time great” presidents that he isn’t going to wait for the history books to be written. He has ordered chiefs of department, agencies, bureaus and de partments, to prepare detailed accounts of the Truman administration achievements. All this at taxpayer’s expense and on tax- j payer’s time. Many taxpayers will dislike having to pay the bill for the president’s frantic desire to be recognized as “great.” We think the passing of years will give the proper evaluation to his place in the pageant of America—not the bally hoo of some bureaucratic publicity effort. Come next . Tuesday—January 20_the re tiring president will board a train in the nation’s capitol and head for Independence, Mo. We don’t ' kno v what the future will hold in store for Mr. Trumen. but it’s our guess he will live comfort ably the remainder of his days on substantial sav ings he has accumulated while in the white house. We doubt very much of the business com munity will welcome him in the manner it did Ex-President Hoover. With the redoubtable Terry Carpenter in the unicam this winter there promises to be some lively moments to jar an otherwise calm legislative session. Senator Carpenter threatens to stir up the animals around the university campus and the highbrows have warning to be on their guard lest the witches get them if they don't watch out. Deep Freeze Surgery Recently, doctors at the University of Minne sota performed an intricate heart operation by “deep-freezing” the patient and temporarily stopping the flow of blood. The flow was stopped q for five and a half minutes, long enough for the surgeons to sew up a hole in the patient’s i'eart. Afterwards, one of the doctors predicted that refrigeration might be the answer to the “search for a method to work inside a bloodless heart.” Another said he believed the operation was “the first time refrigeration had been used to perform cardiac surgery.” Dr. Lloyd Lewis, 36, who was in charge of the operation, also believes the operation may open a new avenue to heart surgery—which has long been one of the most difficult of all oper ations. Welcome, Bob Crosby This week Nebraska receives a new gover nor—Robert Crosby. And Washington dispatches are speculating that the retiring governor, Val Peterson, will become U.S. ambassador to India. We believe Bob Crosby to be a solid, successful young lawyer who will give the state a good administration. Telling the Difference A Frontier reader sends in the following pol itical definitions: A recession is a period in which you tighten your belt. In a depression, you have no belt to tighten. When you have no pants to hold up, that’s a panic. Snake river ranchers in Cherry county are making a big fuss over a proposed irrigation canal incorporated in plans for development of the Niobrara river basin. Some 51 signors represent ownership of some 31 thousand acres of land along the proposed 52^mile canal route. These ranchers represent the principal opposition to the overall basin development. The canal can be likened to a railroad or new highway. If it’s soundly engineered and will be economically suc cessful for most of the people it should go through. Every man and woman has to settle the problems of life for himself or herself. No one else can do the job. How many new year’s resolutions have you broken by now? 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. [ State Capitol News ... Stormy Session for Unicameral Seen; Highways, Diversion, Schools in Spotlight LINCOLN — The 65th session* of the Nebraska legislature con vened here this week beset by some of the thorniest problems to face 43 men in the state’s history. In addition to the ardous task of finding solutions to the pro blems, the lawmakers were in volved in spirited contests for the speakership, for committee chairmanships and for commit tee assignments. In every session there are perhaps half a dozen men eyeing the governor’s chair two or three terms hence—men whose political ambitions have a strong influence on their legisla tive performance. With all these factors for fric tion, it looked, as Lt.-Gov. Char les Warner banged his gavel to begin the long grind, that it’s going to be quite a session. * • * Highways— Always high on anybody’s list | of legislative problems is the road situtation. As this legisla ture settles down to work after its opening ceremonies, it will be offered a bill by Sen. Karl Vogel of Omaha proposing the re-enact ment of the penny-a-gallon gas tax increase and the higher reg istration fees (a $3 boost for most cars) which were passed by the 1949 session but erased in the 1950 referendum. Vogel was chairman of a leg islative council committee which studied highway finance. His bill is a result of that group’s recommendation. Another measure will be Sen. Howard Britt’s proposal of a ton-mile tax coupled with a sug gestion that the counties get a penny less of the present nickel a-gallon gas tax and the state get a penny more. Ofificials here at the capitol estimate that the additional cent of gas tax would produce $4,600, OlO next year. Upping the regis tration fees you pay for your li censes should bring in $1,700,000 more. Britt’s ton-mile tax on trucks would yield about $3,500,000 a year. Tied in with any new highway revenue measure will be a de mand from many senators, back ed by the same farm, petroleum and truck groups which sponsor ed the 1950 referendum, for a state highway commission to map general policy for the high way department. Some of the 1951 session’s bit terest personality clashes came between those factions sponsor ing a highway commission and those wanting to re-enact the gas tax increase. Th(?ir squabbling among themselves led to the de feat of both measures. * * * Schools— There appears to be a growing sentiment among the men who write Nebraska’s laws to “do something this session” about the state’s complex school prob lems. There are seeveral aspects to the problem: state aid to poor districts, redistricting, teacher certification standards and the teacher retirement system. The first two are inter-related. Robert B. Crosby, who becomes governor on Thursday of this week, is expected to tell the leg : islators that Nebraska doesn’t need to extend state aid to school districts; it needs to eli minate districts. The present “voluntary” re districting law was passed four years ago and contains no pen alties for failure to consolidate and no inducement to consoli date. Nebraska has more school districts than any other state in the union and more than 1,700 of them are now contracting with neighboring districts. The Nebraska State Education association, in a dogged, never sav-die manner, will go before this legislature, as it has the last several, to urge state aid and it will suggest that a state income tax be adopted to fi nance the program. In the past two sessions, a $12 million-a vear proposal died • in commit tee. Just as Nebraska has the high est number of districts, so it has the lowest teacher certification standards. Nowhere else can a girl go right from her high school classroom to a teaching job. The legislature will be ask ed to make at least a year of col lege the minimum. And a legislative council committee will recomend thjat the first step be taken this year toward putting the teacher’s re tirement fund on a sound actu arial basis. This is expected to cost between $1 and $2 million a year for the next several years. Taxation— The sales tax fight will be slugged out again this year. Sen Dwight Burney 0f Hartington’ the principal sponsor of a two per cent sales tax in the 1949 and 1951 sessions, will try again on the strength of a proposal by a legislative council committee this legislature put on the 1954 ballot a constitutional amendment which would take the state out of the property tax field, thus forcing some other method of raising revenue to support state government. Sen. Charles Tvrdik of Oma ha, an arch-foe of a sales tax will lead the opposition. Meanwhile, Sen. Terry Car penter of Scottsbluff reportedly is readying a bill to provide for a sales tax with the income en ing for roads. Another problem will be to find an acceptable way to im plement the constitutional amendment adopted last Novem ber when the legislature was authorized to adopt a new meth od for taxing motor vehicles' Most likely solution will be to I retain the present formula but to collect the tax at the same time the motorist obtains his license. , • * * Diversion — One of the most heated battles is expected to be waged over the question of water diversion. Sen. Richard Marvel of Hast ings has said he doesn’t want to start a Pier 6 brawl with his proposal that the state law pro hibiting the diversion of water from one valley to another be re pealed but young Sen. Joe Martin of Grand Island says he’s pre pared to fight diversion every step of the way. Last-minute attempts are un derway to iron out the differ ences between residents of the Tri-County area south of the Platte and those of the Mid state area in Hall, Buffalo and Merrick counties in order to avoid the classic struggle which marked the 1947 session. * • * Miscellany — Those are some of the prob lems, but by no means all. There is likely to be some extensive de bate over the appropriations bill, the prime reason, after all, for a legislative session. School land problems will come in for a big share of the discussions. Freshman Sen. Mon roe Bixler of Harrison will offer a bill to keep the income from school lands in the counties where the lands are located. A legislative council committee headed by Sen. Robert McNutt of Lincoln has several sugges tions for strenghthening the op eration of the board of educa tional lands and funds. Governor Crosby will propose a series of bills to reorganize and streamline state government. In addition, the legislators will find themselves squeezed between demands for economy on one hand and demands for new gov ernmental services on the other; and sometimes the same persons will be pressuring from both sides. And finally, this new 1953 leg islature will have to concern it self with such important matters of state as whether to accept a 25-room southeast Lincoln home as a gift for governor’s mansion, whether to appropriate money so the murals may be placed in the multimillion dollar capitol which isn’t “finished” without them and —problem of problems—what to do about the controversial eight foot statue of William Jennings Bryan at the north entrance to the statehouse. Ewing News Mr. and Mrs. Ebben Grafft and I Mr. and Mrs. Wilbur Spangler i and children drove to Fullerton to spend new year’s day at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Aaron Had field. Mr. Hadfield is a brother of Mrs. Grafft’s and Mrs. Had field is a sister of Mr. Grafft’s. Six o’clock dinner guests ot the home of Mr. and Mrs. Wilbur Spangler and family on Friday, December 26 were his mother, Mrs. Ruth Spangler, and sons, Rudy and Andy, of Ewing, and Mr. and Mrs. Joe Coons and fam ily of Beemer. Mr. and Mrs. Ebben Grafft en tertained their daughter and son in-law, Mr. and Mrs. Wilbur Spangler, on Christmas day. Mr. and Mrs. A. A. Wagoner returned to Hastings on Monday, December 29, ofter spending the holiday weekend with her par ents, Mr. and Mrs. N. A. Berg strom. Mr. and Mrs. Benjamin Lar sen returned home on Friday from Meadow Grove where they had been guests at the home of Mrs. Larsen’s niece, Mrs. Her man Hasenpflug, and family since January l. Six o’clock dinner guests at the home of Mr. and Mrs. H. R. Harris on new year’s day were Leonard Hill, James Wilson, and Mr. and Mrs. Frank Wilson. Mr. and Mrs. Andrew Olson spent new year’s day with their son and daughter-in-law, Mr. and Mrs. Merwin Olson and family near Clearwater. Miss Alta Lou Miller was a 6 o’clock dinner guest at the home of Mrs. Edna Lofquest on Friday. Mr. and Mrs. William Lofquest and family spent new year’s day with his mother, Mrs. Edna Lof quest in Ewing. Mrs. Edna Lofquest and Mrs. Ernest Norwood attended the new year’s eve services held at the Wes^ yan Methodist church at O’Neill. Mr. and Mrs. Robert Lofquest and family of Wisner were guests at the home of his mother, Mrs. Edna Lofquest, on Friday, De cember 26. Mr. and Mrs. Alvin Gibson and family had as their guests Monday evening Mrs. Conrad Cleveland and son, Galen, of Ne ligh. Mr. and Mrs. Alvin Gibson and family were guests at the country home of their son-in law and daughter, Mr. and Mrs. Wayne Fry, and daughters. Dinner guests at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Everett Ruby were their son and daughter-in-law, Mr. and Mrs. James Ruby and children, of Norman, Okla., Mr. and Mrs. William Spence and son, Lyle, the Misses Hazel Ruby I-— and Elsie Chace, Mr. and Mrs. Joe Beelaert and children of Page. Mr. and Mrs. James Ruby and children attended a reunion of the Casper Larson family held at the parental home on new year’s day. Mr. and Mrs. Henry Myers of Clearwater were dinner guests at the home of Mr. and Mrs. George Jefferies on Friday. Mr. and Mrs. George Jefferies, and Mrs. Arthur Funk accom panied Mrs. Wilma Daniels to O’Neill Tuesday, December 30, where they transacted business. Miss Minnie Neiderheider spent Friday with her sister, Mrs. Wil liam Wulf. Phones 316 and 304 DR. H L. BENNETT VETERINARIAN — O'NEILL — The Friends of St. Marys ARE HOLDING A FOOD SALE • • • 3t • • • Shelhamer’s Super Food Market • • • OH • m 0 Saturday, January 10th o BUICK'S GREATEST CARS IN 5Q GREAT YEARS Television treat—the BUICK CIRCUS HOUR—every fourth Tuesday. / WHEH BETTEH AUTOMOBILES ABE BUILT BUICK WILL BUILD THEM W Is MAR* PHONE 370 tiwreisOjjjyOjjJ wJmnj? | ThiGreot Woia • Palatable-Cattle Like It . • Makes Cattle Drink More Water • Helps Put on Fine Finish at Low Cost • No Waste —Pours Like Grain Summer or V/inter You’ll like these convenient-to-feed pellets rich in molasses 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 • . " ..*... $ Here you see pictured the Golden Anniversary Ro ADM ASTER — engineered, styled, powered and bodied to be fully worthy of its paragon role in this fiftieth year of Buick building. A quick listing of simple facts will reveal just cause for celebration. Bit has the world's newest V8 engine. Vertical valves; 12-volt electrical system; 180 pounds lighter; entire engine is so compact, a new, more maneuver able chassis has been built around it. if It has 188 Fireball horsepower. A new Buick record; engine horsepower per pound increased 40%. if It has a compression ratio of 8.5 to 1. Highest compression on the American scene today; bettered fuel economy. if It has a dynamic-flow muffler. For the first time in Eautomotive history, a muffler with zero power loss. It has a new Twin-Turbine Dynaflow Drive. Now adds far swifter, quieter, more efficient getaway to infinite smoothness at all speed ranges. if It has new braking power. Most powerful braking action of any Buick in fifty years; plus the new ease of Power Brakes, optional at extra cost. if It has a still finer ride. The softest, steadiest, most buoyantly level ride that Buick's advanced engineering has yet produced. It has, also, wondrous handling ease, with Power Steer ing as standard equipment. It has superb comfort. It has sumptuous fabrics and tailoring. And its acoustics are so thoroughly mastered that it may well be one of the world’s most quiet cars. But no listing of facts can do true justice to this phe nomenal automobile, or to its brilliant brothers, the 1953 Supers and Specials. And no words can really tell you the beauty you see, the comfort you feel, the.excitement you experience — when you look at and drive any one of these big, beauti ful, bounteous Buicks for 1953. Will you come in and see for yourself that these are, in simple truth, Buick’s greatest cars in five brilliant decades? E<iuipment, accessories, trim and models are subject to change without notice. CELL US” O’NEILL i