Prairieland Talk . . .
Edw. Earley Takes Leave
By ROMAINE SAUNDERS
LINCOLN—The postman today brought me
a cordial letter from Edw. Earley, an old friend
of the picturesque Eagle creek and Niobrara riv
o er country. He writes to convey expressions of a
sincere interest in and high esteem for what ap
pears in this department of The Frontier and ex
tend compliments, perhaps unmerited, but arous
ing deep gratitude just the same.
Upon Mr. Earley’s memory tablet is inscrib
ed the vivid picture of pioneer life, and in that
picture he sees a group of fel
lows gathered in the shade of
the trees that once waved their
velvet plumes in front of the
old Frontier building, as this
group watched the capers of the
festive towboys and maybe had
to duck for cover from flying
bullets.
Ed recalls, too, the reign of
A1 Hileman up on the Niobrara
when he drew a bunch about
him Sundays for the horse races
and to trip the light fantastic at Romaine
night. John Alfs and Ed Purdy Saunders
were the musicians and sometimes acted in the
capacity of bouncers if the fights developed into
gun play. Ed says the old mill stands as a bul
wark of those hectic days. He closes his letter
with the rather startling information that he is
quitting the old ranch and will be pulling out for
r North Bend. I trust the attraction of North
Bend amply compensates for the move, but may
Prairieland Talker venture the prophecy that this
hardy son of pioneer days will have his moments
when in fancy he will loiter in the mystic fascina
tion of sparkling brooks and the cool shadows of
timbered slopes.
When you are anchored down there in Dodge
county let us hear from you again, Edw.
* * •
The conference of the nations held in Paris
in 1931 to bring about disarming of the world's
armies ended in fist fights. Swords were hung
on the wall as they went at it with bare fists.
It has been said that the pen is mightier than
the sword. Maybe so. but typewriters do the
writing now.
The country is over-stocked with busybodies
organized into associations and clubs to promote
schemes and plans that are of little or no prac
tical benefit to the citizens and take money to
hold together that might better be put into prof
itable industry. Associations and organizations and
clubs and councils and societies for everything
under the sun, from telling the farmer how to
plant beans, the cooks how to prepare a kettle
of soup, mothers and dads how to train their chil
dren and even exalted organizations with a
president and treasurer to supervise the flow of
water of our rivers to the ocean. I belong to a
few at that, plan to keep up the annual dues but
don’t see that it all does a nickel’s worth of good
to the world. Fun just the same to be enrolled
with the patriots when they get together for a
love feast and maybe get on the program for a
speech.
• * •
A full score years ago Yankees and Musco
vites thought a little better one of the other than
feelings that prevail today. It was in 1932 that we
received an invitation at The Frontier sanctum
that came from Taflis, Republic of Georgia, Rus
sia, to participate in a newspaper and printing
exhibition to be held there that year, the plan
being to assemble specimens of the “press of all
peoples, all times, all countries.’’ That The Fron
tier’s journalistic protagonist in company with the
typographical artist was selected to represent
this section of the globe at such a show swelled
us up not a little and we got busy in preparation
to strut our stuff before the world. V
* * *
A demonstration of what a group of deter
mined citizens can do in the way of influencing
official action was witnessed early in the month
when the application of the Lincoln ball club to
provide for the dispensing of milder forms of fire
water at the ball park was denied by unanimous
vote of the county commissioners as one result
of public pressure put on them.
The wind tore at trouser legs and battled to
unroof and take hats sailing up the street as I
ducked around the corner to get into the protec
tion of a bank building from the fury of wild
winds, when a gent accosted me and I came to
a stop as Cletus V. Sullivan gave me a gled hand.
A native son of O’Neill endowed with the friend
liness and simple cordiality of those brought up
in that community, our chance meeting was
thereby an occasion for a very pleasant visit.
Mr. Sullivan fills the responsible position of ac
countant at the Lincoln office of the Consumers
organization which also maintains an office in
O’Neill. He is a son of the late M. R. Sullivan of
the First National bank in O’Neill and who also
served as county treasurer of Holt county. As
county treasurer, M. R. thought he was up against
it one day when the late Tom Carlon, then serv
ing as county judge, covered his face below his
eyes and flashing a toy pistol walked into the trea
surer’s quarters in the old courthouse and de
manded, Hands up! Judge Carlon was always
in for a little fun along with the dignity and du
ties of office. C. V.’s mother, until two years ago
postmistress at O’Neill, now also lives in Lincoln.
* * *
Nebraska as a "white spot" is becoming
rather badly smudged—everywhere communi
ties are voting themselvs into debt via the bond
route. Lincoln takes on an eight million dollar
obligation voted at the recent city election. The
cry for less taxes and voting additional obliga
tions to be met by taxes just doesn't make
sense.
* * *
A town of 900 thrifty citizens in Nebraska’s
great grain producing region calls for a doctor
to locate there. The small town doctor is fast dis
appearing from the American scene. Doctors who
will respond to the call of distress and venture
out in all sorts of weather and at all hours with
no prospects of financial reward are rare indeed.
They hover now about the centers where starch
ed nurses function in behalf of ill and broken
bodies in well appointed hospitals. If you need
medical care get to a hospital at once unless you
are in one of the few fortunate communities
where an old fashioned visiting doctor still holds
himself ready to employ his medical and surgical
skill to save a life wherever it it needed, in a
humble home, on the street or miles away. 'Die
medical profession is not a lone figure responsible
for the present situation. A lot of folks think if
they have a bellyache they must go to a hospital.
• * *
Up goes the cost of that essential element
that keeps the wheels turning on the highways.
The tax regulating authorities assembled in the
ornate halls of our architecturally beautified ed
ifice adorning the statehouse grounds in Lincoln
have shaken you down for another penny the
gallon when you pull up at a filling station be
hind the steering wheel, let out a groan but say,
Fill’ er up! Of course one penny doesn’t build a
highway but another penny added makes the gas
tax six cents, double that of some years ago
when introduced in Nebraska as a means of rais
ing funds for road work. The traffic demands
paved highways and those behind the steering
wheels must expect to pay the bill.
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 pet
year; elsewhere in the United States, $3 per
year; abroad, rates provided on request. All
subscriptions are strictly paid-in-advance.
About the Highways . . ,
Unicam Deserves Pat on Back
By CLIFF SANDAHL
Chairman, Nebraska Editors
Highway Conference
Nebraska’s 1953 legislature is
deserving a real pat on the back
for making possible a highway
construction program for the
next two years that will be a big
start toward solution of one of
the state’s knottiest problems.
The fact that 32 of the 43 leg
islators — three more than ne
cessary to enact a bill with the
emergency clause—voted on fi
nal passage for the penny in
crease in gasoline tax was espe
cially commendatory. For now
the state highway department
can proceed immediately with
the much - needed construction
projects and be that much ahead.
The heart of the program put
forth by better road advocates
this past year has been the one
cent additional gasoline tax.
Thus definite progress in the
next two years is assured.
Significantly, the final vote
on the gasoline tax bill showed
that the legislators who made
pre-election commitments gener
ally stuck by their promises and
the way they said they would.
Among the questions asked
them as election candidates last
fall by the All Nebraska Associa
tion of Road and Highway asso
ciations (An-Ar-Ha) was wheth
er they, if elected, would give
active support to legislation for
early additional revenue for ac
celerated road construction in
1953. That, of course, could be
accomplished only through en
actment of a gas tax increase
with the emergency clause, as
has been done.
The record now discloses that
of the 32 who voted “yes” on fi
nal passage of the gas tax bill,
18 had given a “flat yes” answer
to the question during the cam
paign, seven had given a “quali
fied yes” answer but gave strong
indication they would vote “yes,”
and seven had not answered or
had declined to commit them
selves in their answers.
Here is how the 32 lined up
in the pre-election poll:
“Flat yes” — John E. Beaver,
Beemer; J. Monroe Bixler, Har
rison; Hal Bridenbaugh, Dakota
City; Dwight Burney, Harting
ton; Terry Carpenter, Scotts
bluff; Glenn Cramer, Albion; H.
K. Diers, Gresham; Tom Dooley,
Papillion; Herbert J. Duis, Goth
enburg; A. A. Fenske, Sunol; Ot
to Liebers, Lincoln; C. C. Lilli
bridge, Crete; Robert D. McNutt,
Lincoln; Joseph D. Martin,
Grand Island; Richard D. Mar
vel, Hastings; Harry Pizer,
North Platte; L. M. Schultz, Rog
ers; Karl Vogel, Omaha.
“Qualified yes”—Tom Coffey,
Alma; D. J. Cole, Merriman;
Earl J. Lee, Fremont; William
A. McHenry, Nelson; William
Moulton, Omaha; Frank Nelson,
O’Neill; K. W. Peterson, Sargent.
Uncommitted or no answer—
Lester Anderson; Aurora; J. L.
Brown, Brule; Ernest Hubka,
Beatrice; Sam Klaver, Omaha;
Robert Brower, Fullerton; Char
les Wilson, Norfolk; Charles F.
Tvrdik, Omaha.
Of the nine who voted against
enactment of the gas tax bill,
lour had made no pre-election
commitment. They were Ralph
W. Hill, Hebron; Otto Kotouc,
sr., Humboldt; John J. Larkin,
jr., Omaha, and O. H. Person,
Wahoo.
The other five who voted “no”
on the gas tax increase legisla
tion had answered the pre-elec
tion questionnaire in this way:
John Aufenkamp of Julian said
he was making no firm com
mitment; Howard L. Britt of
Lincoln said he was opposed to
increasing the gas tax but favor
ed a “ton-mile levy on heavier
trucks”; Arthur Carmody of
Trenton and Hugh Carson of Ord
said they would insist first on
passage of a highway commis
sion bill, and George Syas of
Omaha said he definitely was
opposed to any increase in the
gas tax.
Neither of the two senators
recorded as absent or not voting
—John Adams of Omaha and
Lefty Williams of Kearney—had
answered the questionnaire.
Mr. and Mrs. John Kahler of
Meadow Grove were Sunday,
May 10, guests in the home of
their son-in-law and daughter,
Mr. and Mrs. Lloyd Liedtke.
Mr. and Mrs. John Ritterbush
and Mrs. Albert Ritterbush of
Chambers were last Thursday
dinner guests in the home of Mr.
and Mrs. Amie Mace, jr.
Tune in . . . “Voice of The
Frontier” . . . thrice weekly.
When You and I Were Young . . .
Earl Scott Saved
from Pond Drowning
—
Willie Lamb Wins
Honors
50 Years Ago
Miss Anna Murphy closed a
successful term of school in dis
trict 100. . . Sam Barnard re
turned Wednesday from a fish
ing trip along the Elkhom river.
. . . Dr. W. H. Mullen arrived
from Chicago, 111., where he
graduated from the dental de
partment of the Northwestern
university. . . O’Neill democrats
organized a democratic club with
Willialn Fallen, chairman, and
James F. O’Donnell, secretary.
... Ed Walker, a real estate
dealer at Page, was here on bus
iness. . . Earl Scott accidently
fell into the mill pond Wednes
day while fishing. He was saved
by Willie Lamb. Earl mourned
the loss of his fish. . . District
court convened with Judge
Westover in charge. . . Man’s life
is full of crosses and temptations.
He came into the world without
his consent and goes out against
his will. If he raises a large fam
ily, he’s a chump and is he raises
a check, he’s a fraud. If he dies
young, there’s a great future be
fore him and if he lives to an
old age, he missed his calling.
20 Years Ago
John Honeycutt, who has been
pitching for the O’Neill baseball
team, went to Geneva to pitch on
their team this season. . . Fred
Lowery, who has been driving
the O’Neill-Ainsworth bus line,
received injuries in an accident
when the bus went into the
ditch. There were no passengers.
. . . County Attorney J. D. Cro
nin delivered the commencement
address to the graduates of the
Stuart high school. . . The car of
Red Kruger of Atkinson was the
victim of a hit and rufl“ accident
six miles west of here. The other
car struck his vehicle causing
it to go into the ditch. . . Mr. and
Mrs. Ira Moss took Miss May
Hammond to Lincoln where she
will take up her duties as sten
ographer for Judge J. A. Dono
hoe. . . John Sobotka, jr., is suf
fering from a severe case of poi
son ivy.
10 Years Ago
Miss Elsie Peter and Sgt. Fre
lent Pribil were married May
15. . . Miss Marlene Weyhrich
and Pfc. Leland Spry were mar
ried May 14 at Orchard. . . St.
John’s church near Clearwater
was dedicated on May 18. . .
District Judge D. R. Mounts de
livered the commencement ad
dress to the Butte high school
graduating class. . . Lt. Nadine
Coyne received a call for duty
May 15 with the U.S. army nurse
corps at Temple, Tex. . . Miss
Buelah Siders accepted a posi
tion at the Brown - McDonald
store. . . Gerald Phalin returned
to the states after spending 14
months in Iran.
One Year Ago
Donna Mae Fuhrer, 19, receiv
ed her diploma at the graduation
exercises on May 15. She was
the most outstanding student in
the University of Nebraska high
school extension course. She fin
ished with the highest grades
registered in the high school ex
tension course of study. . . Pa
trolman Robert Gude of Nebras
ka City has been assigned to the
O’Neill territory for the Nebras
ka safety patrol. . . Mr. and Mrs.
Bennett Hertford became the
parents of a daughter, Mary El
len, on May 18. . . At the O’Neill
high school commencement rite,
Claryce Johnson was valedic
torian and Paul Fetrow, saluta
torian. . . Mrs. Charles Yarnall
was toastmaster at the annual
St. Mary’s academy alumni ban
quet.
Highway 20 to Get
‘Stop-Gap’ Repair
Bids for hot mix resurfacing of !
U.S. highway 20 between Chad- j
ron and Whitney are being re
quested for a state highway de
partment letting June 11.
The work wall be of a “stop
gap’’ character to serve for a few
years until the highway can be
reconstructed, State Engineer I*.
N. Ress said. The resurfacing is
to extend from the west corpor
ate limits of Chadron to the bridge
across Big Cottonwood Creek, 9.9
miles away.
A 2 Vi-inch thickness and a 24
foot width of asphaltic concrete
resurfacing is to be placed on the
highway. The work will be done
on one lane at a time, so that one
way traffic will be necessary only
where the hot-mix laydown mach
ine is in operation. The 2Vi-inch
thickness will be put down in
two layers.
Most of the existing surfacing
west of Chadron was constructed
17 years ago. The portion west
of the White River was laid down
in 1943. AH of the surfacing has
a three inch thick base, composed
of sand and gravel mixed and
compacted with earth, and a two
inch bituminous mat.
Bob Stevens Succeeds
A1 Klein for Standard—
Robert (“Bob”) Stevens suc
ceeds George (“Al”) Klein for the
Standard Oil Co., in charge of
tank wagon service in the O’Neill
territory.
Mr. Klein has been recalled to
active duty with the air force and
will report next week to Denver,
Colo., for refresher training and
assignment. Mr. Klein was a B-17
Flying Fortress pilot during World
War II. He will move his wife
and three chilldren from O’Neill
when he is assigned to a perm
anent station and locates housing
facilities.
Final Bible Study
Lesson Helld—
The WSCS Bible study course,
“Toward Understanding the
Bible” by Georgia Harkness, held
its fifth and final session on Sun
day, May 10, at a 1 o’clock lunch
eon in the Methodist church base
ment. Eighteen members and two
guests, Rev. W. B. Smith and Rev.
Otto Fabre of Chadron, were pre
sent.
Rev. Fabre is in charge of the
Methodist mobile mministry in
Nebraska. In the closing session,
Mrs. J. L. Jay was the leader and
she was assisted by Mrs. W. B.
Smith in the worship service.
To ^imaha—
Richard London of Spalding
took Mr. and Mrs. Mike London
to Omaha Tuesday to spend a
two-weeks vacation with rela
tives. They were accompanied
by Mrs. Bridget Rohde.
B. G. Hanna of Chambers was
a Friday evening caller in the
home of Mr. and Mrs. Gerald
McDermott.
Mr. and Mrs. James Day
Ion Smith . . . church rite.
x x
Gayl Widtfeldt
May Brice in S.C.
St. Boniface Catholic church of
Sioux City was the scene Mon
day, May 4, for the 7 a.m. wed
ding of Miss Gayl Ingrid Wid
feldt and James Dayton Smith.
Rev. Robert Kohl, OFM, officated
at the double-ring ceremony.
The bride is the daughter of
Mr. and Mrs. D. R. Widfeldt of
O’Neill, and the bridegroom is
the son of Mr. and Mrs. Fremont
Smith of Sioux City.
The Briar Cliff college schola
sang several selections during the
nuptial mass.
The bride wore a pale rose suit
with white accessories and carried
white roses on a prayer book.
Miss Teresa George of Cylin- 1
der, la., maid-of-honor, wore a
pale blue suit with white acces
sories and a pink rose corsage.
Richard Guillaume of Sioux
City, cousin of the bridegroom,
served as bestman.
A wedding breakfast was held
at the Scribbons tea shop for the
immediate families. A reception
was held at the bridegroom’s home
later for the family and friends.
Mr. and Mrs. R. M. Sauers of
Long Beach, Calif., are visiting
in the D. H. Clauson home and
with other friends for two weeks.
They reached O’Neill Friday and
recently have visited both the
East and West coasts.
George McCarthy attended the
Knights of Columbus initiation
and banquet in Hastings on Sun
day.
r 1 ■■ —i
New WSCS Officers
Are Installed—
CHAMBERS — The Woman’s
Society of Christian Service of
the Methodist church met last
Thursday at the church. Twenty
two ladies and three children
were present. Mrs. Carpenter
opened the meeting and had
charge of the business. Mrs. R. K.
Platt led the devotionals. “God
So Loved the World.” Mrs. L. R.
Hansberry had charge of the in
stallation service.
The newly-elected officers are:
Mrs. Erwin R. Carpenter, pres
ident; Mrs. Elmer Wandersee,
vice-president; Mrs. Glen Adams,
secretary; Mrs. Van Robertson,
treasurer; Mrs. D. E. Gillette,
promotion secretary; Mrs. Sex
ton; secretary of spiritual life;
Mrs. Clair Grimes and Mrs.
Alberts, secretaries of social
relations; Mrs. Adams, secretary
of supply work; Mrs. Leona
Gleed, secretary of youth and
student work; Mrs. Lee Mitchell,
secretary of children’s work;
Mrs. Louis Neilson, secretary of
missionary education; Mrs. T. E.
Newhouse, secretary of literature
and publications; Mrs. Herman
Cook, secretary of status of
women; Mrs. R. K. Platt, secre
tary of publication and printing.
Mrs. Platt had charge of the ded
icational service and Mrs. Hans
berry gave the lesson.
There will not be a meeting on
May 28 as stated in the year book
on account of the alumni ban
quet May 29.
A lunch was served at the
close by the hostesses, Mrs. Glen
Adams, Mrs. Sexton and Mrs.
Daas.
Ira Shald Arrives *
in Far East—
STUART—Army Pvt. Ira L.
Shald, son of Mr. and Mrs. John
Shald of Stuart, recently arrived
in Korea for duty with the 25 th
infantry division.
Now the senior American di
vision on the peninsula, the 25th
landed in July, 1950; shortly af
ter the communists attacked the
republic of South Korea.
Private Shald, a fire direction
specialist in division artillery,
entered the army last October
and was stationed at Camp Chaf
fee, Ark., before his assignment
in the Far East.
He graduated from Stuart high
school with the class of 1952.
Tune in! Voice of The Fron
tier” . . Mon., Wed., Sat., 9:45 a.m.
I ..DANCE..
AT O’NEILL
American Legion Auditorium
Saturday, May 23rd
STEVE REYNOLDS
ORCHESTRA
Adm.: Adults $1, Students 50c
«
DR. H. D. GILDERSLEEVE.
OPTOMETRIST
Northeast Corner
of 4th & Douglas
O’NEILL, NEBR.
Phone 167
Eyes Examined . Glasses Fitted
Office Hours: 9-6 Mon. thru Sat.
MOWER MAGIC
It’■ almost as easy as waving
a wand to mow your lawn
with a precision sharp
ened mower. Bring youre
in and have it machine
' sharpened for easy mow
Pete’s Saw Shop
491-W — O'Neill
DEAD ANIMALS
REMOVED
“ONE HOG OR MORE”
CATTLE — HOGS
HORSES
Prompt Sanitary Service
Call Long Distance and
Ask for ENTERPRISE 1000
(No toll charge for Enterprise
calls)
Atkinson - O’Neill
Rendering Service
(Owned by Valley Rendering,
Ord, Nebr.
M A m L 1 k ■ ■ J A
PROMOTION ^
FOR THE RIGHT MEN
STEADY
INCOME
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You do not need any special experience and
you do not need a car at first. We have an »x
cellent plan but we need a few alert, int''1'*
gent men and women to explain our plan '*
you feel that you are not earning what you
should and have the ambition to do some
thing about It—-do it right now. If you want
to drive a better car, wear better clothes
and provide a better living for your family—
write to me today—I have the answer to your
financial problems. Don’t miss your chance
write immediately.
write to RUSS CHEZEM, circulation mgr.
CAPPER'S FARMER
TOPEKA, KANSAS
Take the wheel
o
and a new world is yeure
ALWAYS
DRIVE
CAdcci || IV
v-AKtrULLT 4
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^ww.y/XwiwV.y.'wA
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-----
. _ '
