Prairieland Talk . . .
Pioneers Were Young People
By ROMAINE SAUNDERS
a_
It was a rainy day. During the drive to Ne
braska City the windshield wipers were kept in
motion to maintain clear vision ahead. We were
headed for the spring session of the Nebraska
State Historical society. Why at Nebraska City?
That venerable community is celebrating its 100th
anniversary. This made a fitting setting for the
state historians, 200 of the* tak
ing over at the banquet tables.
After the feed had been devour
ed at 1 o’clock John C. Miller,
president of the Otoe County
Historical society, took over in
troducing a number of the more
prominent guests and then a
program of short speeches fol
lowed, Editor Sweet of the Ne
braska City News-Press being
the first to address the group,
followed by Editor Lawrence of
the Lincoln Star, who also is Romaine
president of the state society. Saunders
Dr. Olson of the state society discussed at some
length the history of Nebraska City.
That community is rich in early history and
the generation now living there is making the
most of its heritage from the very early settlers
who are often referred to as “old pioneers.’’
In his talk, Mr. Sweet mentioned that as
being erroneous. Pioneers for the most part
who settled the West were young people or at
most coming into middle life.
Nebraska City citizens made this occasion a
time to show their hospitality as well as to con
tribute to the program which was opened by
prayer offered by Rev. Merrill R. Willis. A male
quartette, composed of Earl Seyfer, Arthur Lin
dahl, Earl Dyer and Kenneth Wallace, sang.
Places of historical interest were visited after
the program. These included Arbor Lodge, the
early home of J. Sterling Morton, a pioneer of
Otoe county, and a visit to John Brown’s cave.
A log cabin stands above the cave that was built
in 1851 by Allen B. Mayhew, age 21, and his
young bride of 19. It became a refuge for fugi
tive slaves and is said to be the oldest building
now standing in Nebraska.
• * •
The national headache demands the month
ly consumption of 1.6 billion aspirin tablets.
• • •
A stolen horse over in the Chambers country
put William Barnett in the penitentiary for five
years and his step-father, Charles A. Thomas of
Glenwood, la., in for one year. That was in 1902
when a horse was a horse. Barnett was convicted
after a trial in district court in August that year
in which E. H. Whelan, who was defending Bar
nett, made the hair of the heads of the court
room spectators stand up by his eloquence in
making a plea for his client. Thomas had been on
the witness stand and swore his step-son was
in Glenwood on the date the horse was said to
have been stolen. Maybe you could get away with
a shooting scrape those days but not with a stolen
horse. In spite of Mr. Whelan’s efforts to clear his
client the jury brought in a verdict of guilty and
Judge Harrington pronounced sentence. At the
conclusion of the trial* County Attorney A. F.
Mullen filed charges of perjury' against Thomas
and two weeks later in district court Thomas
plead guilty, but stated while he was “lawfully
guilty he was innocent morally.”
* * *
° It was in 1931 that Art Dexter was the great
guy in Holt county 4-H club achievements. He was
o head, of the Amelia Baby Beef club, connected
with the Ballagh Yanks Potato club, led out in
the Ballagh Yanks Garden club, and was doing
some fancy roping as a member of the Rope
club. All of which entitled him to represent Holt
county as a guest of the North Western railroad
at the National Club congress held in Chicago,
111., in November that year.
I was in Atkinson lor an hour or so a aay
last week. I don’t know whether it was the city
council, the Ladies’ Aid society, the Dorcas Sts
ters or possibly the Atkinson Graphic that did it,
but Atkinson has what every town needs. Along
the shady side of a business block in Atkinson
is a row of benches and here congregate when the
weather is inviting the community sages. They
were there that day and amid the smoke curling
from briar pipes protruding prominently from
unshaven but kindly faces of guys who know
what it’s all about were heard as I passed bits of
the comment respecting world events of the day.
It is such groups in towns and villages here and
there that constitute the bulwark of the nation.
Maybe to them, not to the president of the bank
or the merchant prince, is credit due for the
preservation of our liberties and daily enjoyment
of community cordiality.
Senator Griswold came out from Washington
and addressed the Nebraska Wesleyan alumni.
He says one of the most important movements in
Washington is replacing military with civil au
thorities in control. . . America’s highly esteemed
former first lady, Eleanor Roosevelt, now in
Tokyo, ran into the “new woman” of Japan and
had some rough treatment by a group floating
the red banner. . . Nebraska’s late governor, Val
Peterson, stopped to see relatives and a few
friends in his home state while on a flight to
Denver, Colo., in connection with his duties as
head of the civil defense. He may take another
step up in federal service if the call from the
Virgin Islands to take over the governor’s job
there bears fruit. . . Five youngsters out at York
escaped safely from the upper story of their
burning home by sliding down the drain pipe.
i * * *
The New O’Neill, where Prairieland Talker
spent a few days recently with friends and mem
ories of other days, has many beautiful homes—
or shall I say houses?—so that the descendants
of the Gen. John O’Neill colony have risen above
the dugout and sod house period of their fathers
and newcomers add to the incentive for beauty
in residential sections. I have suggested the
poser, are they homes or houses? What we see of
community life in this fast and hectic age there
/ is little of home life as it was once known. Home
has become a place to hole up at night, sometime
in the night, away through the day and evenings
out at the club, the lodge, the movies, the social
function or business conference. Be that as it
may, in the New O’Neill the spirit of hospitality,
the friendly greetings without ostentation survive
the sod house and dugout.
• • •
Barbara Nutter of Tulare, Calif., was award
ed the honor in a recent contest invloving a
group of young women of representing the
county as Miss Tulare at a gathering of state
notable beauties August 19-21 in Santa Cruz,
when one of the group will be selected to receive
the crown of Miss California. Miss Nutter is a
niece of Mrs. L. G. Gillespie of O’Neill.
* * *
It was a boxcar-size truck. Across the sides
with letters as big as a barn door could be seen
a block away “Nebraska Horse Meat.” The li
cense plates indicated the outfit was from Lin
coln county and the driver explained that he was
in the business of making dog feed. And so it has
come to that—our good Nebraska horses killed
j and thrown to the dogs.
• * *
Yesterday furnaces were still ablaze, today
at 98 in the shade at 5 p.m., electric fans were
buzzing. Time didn’t stop for a rest and over
night summer arrived robed in a green silken
gown spangled with white and blue and red and
yellow floral bloom. In a day high hedgerows
have burst forth with a crown of snow - white
flowers but I have my eye on Alice’s long row
of golden lettuce in the back yard.
Editorial . . .
9 '
Let’s Be Consistent
The vast majority of the American people
favor a balanced budget with its reward of lower
taxes and a halt to inflation which has cut the
value of our dollar to 52 xk cents.
Unfortunately, many of the people who shout
the loudest about balancing the budget, reducing
taxes and stopping inflation are the same ones
who are turning to Washington seeking federal
aid and federal handouts. Those who refer to
federal money as “free money” would do well to
consider that the government has only the money
it takes from us in taxes. Grants-in-aid and hand
o outs are only a return to the taxpayers of their
money. In this case, however, the recipient is
getting back only 80 to 85 cents on his dollar as
the rest is lost in administrative costs on its
roundtrip to Washington.
When President Eisenhower pledged a bal
anced budget he counted on the cooperation of
the people and pointed out it is virtually impos
sible to achieve a balanced budget unless people
at the community and state level fully cooperate.
While many pledge their cooperation it is no se
cret that our congressmen are besieged with re
quests to expend money for pet projects and to
project federal welfare.
Reducing expenditures in the military and
civilian budget is not impossible but it takes
courage and the will. The idea that spending for
defense and security is so technical and compli
cated that non-professionals are incapable of un
derstanding, has long been perpetuated by the
advocates of big spending.
Authoritative sources give the following ex
amples of possible savings:
The Sarnoff committee advised a cut of $5
billion.
Senator Robert Taft expressed hope for a $4
billion reduction in military spending.
Secretary of Defense Charles E. Wilson has
requested the armed forces to report on the ef
fect of a $4.3 billion cut.
o The civilian part of the budget provides the
greatest field for savings. The amazing truth is
that civilian expenditures have gone up steadily
in the face of the needed economy brought on
when so much of our resources must go to de
fense and the Korean war.
In 1951 civilian expenditures were $14 bil
ilon. Former President Truman’s “lame duck”
budget for fiscal 1954 calls for civilian expendi
tures of $16.24 billion and that increase is exclu
sive of interest on the public debt which totals
over $6 billion.
In order that we may revise our economy
all Americans must have an immediate tax cut.
A tax cut should be accompanied by a reduction
in federal expenditures and a balanced budget.
By this action, and with the cooperation of the
o American people, we can maintain our security in
both defense and in our economy. One without
the other is folly and offers no security.
Benson Baffles Experts
Political observers in Washington are a bil
baffled by the farm policies of Secretary of
Agriculture Ezra T. Benson. Benson’s policies are
apparently going to evolve from the old two-price
system ... a domestic price and a foreign price.
The controversial Mr. Benson, incidentally, will
be main speaker at the Nebraska Stock Growers
association’s annual convention which opens
Monday in Omaha.
Benson’s plan, according to the May issue
of Successful Farming magazine, is to attract
world buyers for the main export commodities by
low prices while maintaining a higher price at
home.
The new secretary of agriculture points out
that the details aren’t worked out, but the plan
is to have the whole matter handled by the farm
ing industry and not the government.
This plan poses the problem of just who rep
resents the farming industry in the matters of
farm policy. The Farmer’s Union, Farm Bureau
and Grange usually do not completely agree on
just what the farm policy is.
One of the facts that baffles politicians is
. _a _ i:a• i ___e
that Benson represents political cnange as iar
as agriculture is concerned. Past secretaries of
agriculture have been eager to arise to emergen
cies and took special emergency action whenever
it was possible and practical. Benson’s policy is
not to take emergency action unless circum
stances force it, but to permit the economic sys
tem to function as freely as a practical policy will
permit.
Benson’s policies are supported by President
Eisenhower and make up a revolutionary change
in relations between government and agriculture.
But if Benson acts to carry out the Benson farm
policies, there will have to be a firm political
basis for it. Congress will have to be convinced
that farmers will be willing to face the future
without relying too much on the government . . .
and congress is not yet completely convinced of
this.
Amid the griping over federal tax demands
til is at least interesting to learn of one patriot
signing himself “John Doe'* who donates to
Uncle Sam sizable sums, the internal revenue
office at St. Louis recently receiving a gift of
$800 from generous John.
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.
Airman of Week
A/2c Duane L. Cavanaugh
(above), son of Mr. and Mrs.
Maurice Cavanaugh of O’Neill,
recently was honored as air
man of the week at Nellis air
force base near Las Vegas,
Nev. He is a, member of the
3595th medical group. Airman
Cavanaugh is the flight sur
geon’s assistant, a post he has
held since December, 1952. He
enlisted in December, 1951,
and following his basic train
ing he was assigned to the
medical unit at Nellis. He re
ceived his medic training in
Alabama. He is a graduate of
St. Mary’s academy, O’Neill.
The whiskers are a novel stunt
at the air base in connection
with a celebration.
Stuart Soldier
Sees A-Bomb Test
STUART—Army Pvt. Roland L.
Shald, son of Mr. and Mrs. John
Shald of Stuart, witnessed the
first test-firing of an atomic shell
from the army’s giant cannon at
Camp Desert Rock, Nev., May 25.
He was one of nearly 8,000 off
icers and enlisted men, most of
them artillerymen, who crouched,
behind revetments 4,500 yards
from ground zero as scientists
fired the huge 280-mm-artillery
piece by electrial control' from a
tower 10 miles away.
Before the alctual firing of the
atomic shell, the group was
thoroughly indoctrinated in atom
ic warfare techniques and took
part in experimental firing of con
ventional non-atomic projectiles
from the mammoth weapon.
Private Shald, who is assigned
to the 10th infantry division’s 86th
regiment at Ft. Riley, Kans., en
tered the army last October.
Mr. and Mrs. Charles Schroder
of Grand Island were memorial
day visitors here. The Schroders
were enroute to the Ozark
mountains on their vacation.
Mr. Schroder is a member of
the Grand Island police force
and says frequently he has an
opportunity to visit with Holt
countyans at the Veterans hospi
tal.
Mr. and Mrs. Lee Osborn and
Norman of Parker, Kans., and
Mr. and Mrs. Morris Harmon
visited Mr. and Mrs. E. E. Gas
kill Saturday afternoon.
When You It I Were Young. . .
Incoming Train
Frightens Horses
Buggies Damaged by
Excited Team
50 Years Ago
George Weingartner suffered
a serious blow on his forehead
when a cylinder head of a small
gasoline engine, which is used for
running the ice cream freezer in
his restaurant, flew up and hit
him. He was unconscious for some
time. . . A horse race was pulled
off north of town in which a nag
of Sid Smith’s beat by one length
a horse belonging to strangers.
The purse was $20 but with the
extra bets the strangers lost
$40. . . Frank Daly and Miss Mag
gie Coffey were married in the
Catholic church at 7 o’clock Wed
nesday morning, June 3. . . While
unloading some cream at the
North Western depot, Nels Cain’s
team became frightened by an
incoming train and ran away
damaging the harness, smashing
the tongue of the wagon and dam
aging several other buggies.
20 Years Ago
Ninety guests were present at
the St. Mary’s alumni banquet. . .
Miss Annabel McKim and Don
ald Shoemaker were married
June 2 at Sioux City, in Sacred
Heart church. . . A small twister
lifted a chicken coop and 200
baby chicks cuff the ground on
the William Luben, jr., farm When
the coop was dropped, only 15
chickens were kill«i. . . At the
St. Mary’s commencement exer
cises, Ralph Shaw was saluta
torian and Mary Jeanne Ham
mond, valedictorian. . . Mrs. Clara
Cole returned to O’Neill to stay
with her daughter, Mrs. Esther
Cole Harris. . . Mrs. George Mel
lor, 67, died after a long illness.
10 Years Ago
F. J. Dishner was hit by a car1
and quite 'badly bruised and in
jured when crossing at the comer
of sixth and Douglas streets. He
was thrown to the ground, hia
head apparently striking the curb
and tearing his ear so badly that
twelve stitches were taken in
it. . . 41 Holt county boys were
inducted into the armed forces in
June. . . The state railway com
mission ordered the North West
ern railroad to restore its agency
in Emmet. . . Mr. and Mrs. Lloyd
Cork of Page became parents of a
son bom on May 27. . . Thelma
June Finley Nissen, 21, of Page
died after a one-day illness on
May 28. . . Cpl. Edwart Stein was
awarded the distinguished flying
cross. . . William J. Froelich was
speaker at the memorial services.
One Year Ago
A 24-year-old escapee from a
Minnesota mental hospital aband
oned a stolen airplane three miles
northeast of Ewing. . . The O’
Neill drive-in theater opened on
June 5. . . Mr. and Mrs. Don
JVCl^er of O’Neill became the par
ents of a daughter born on June
2. . . Mr. and Mrs. M. L. Harkins
of Inman celebrated their 50th
wedding anniversary on June
1. . . Judge Lyle E. Jackson of
Neligh was memorial day speak
er.
Frontier for printing!
‘Too Much Emphasis
on A-Destruction’
“I witnessed with considerable
emotion the explosion of an A
bomb at Yucca Flats, Nev., and
since that time my thoughts keep
returning to my first remarx
following the explosion: ‘What
has God permitted man to do?’ ”
Thus spoke Nebraska’s Fourth
district congressman, Dr. A. L.
Miller of Kimball, in an inter
view this week.
“I am wondering if we are
spiritually ready to assume the
responsibilities of the A-bomb.
It is sobering, horrifying, and
yet gives one a sense of pride to
know that we Americans have
the know - how of taking from
nature a hereby closely-guard
ed secret.
“Today we can destroy with
its wrath, a wrath which close
ly reaches that of the Almighty
—tomorrow we might be able to
save lives. It seems there has
been too much emphasis on de
struction and not enough on
what might be done for man
kind. Surely some of its power
can be directed to treating can
cer, controlling disease, or pro
ducing huge amounts of power
for civilian needs.
“Of one thing I am certain:
Neither the atom nor the hydro
j gen bomb should ever be used
| against anything except military
objective.”
SCHOOL DISTRICT OF THE
CITY OF O'NEILL
Claims allowed on general
fund May 18th, 1953:
(All Employees), April
salaries_$5,630.11
Dr. Norman Thorpe,
Commencement
Speaker Expense_50.00
N. W. Bell Tel. Co.,
Phone Service_23.01
Consum. Pub. Pow.
Dist., Electric Service 101.84
Ira H. Moss, Freight
Cgs. _ 4.22
Jas. Davidson & Sons,
Repairs, etc. _ 81.81
Jas. Davidson & Sons,
To apply on heat con
trol Contract - 1,000.00
Spelts - Ray Lbr. Co.,
Bldg. Material _ 89.20
Lett Johnson, Hauling
Trash_ 6.00
Marian Cavanaugh,
Travel Expense- 20.00
The Thompson Co.,
Cleaning Compound 8.25
The Garland Co., Aqua
Dri _ 19.50
Gillespie’s, Repair of P.
A. System _ 201.58
Dudley’s, Cleaning Mops 4.39
P. C. Donohoe, Prem. on
Secy’s. Bond_ 8.00
Exten. Div., Univ. of
Nebr., Films _ 22.78
D. E. Nelson, Travel Ex
pense _ 23.75
Servall Towel Supply,
Service __ 27.20
Fuller Gravel Co., Grav
el _ 23.00
Hospe Piano Co., Jani
tor’s Supplies _ 11.55
Laurel Jump, Tuning &
Repairing Pianos_ 18.00
Coyne Hdwe. Co., Sup
plies & Material _ 150.08
OHS Activities Fund,
Supplies.. 18.06
Wm. P. Gallup, Mar. &
Apr. Mileage - 158.84
Cleamon H. Stone, April
Mileage _ 69.51
Blue Cross & Blue
Shield, Health Ins. 109.45
HENRY LOHAUS,
President
IRA H. MOSS,
Secretary
ROYAL THEATER
Thurs. June 4
Alan Ladd, Deborah Karr,
Charles Boyer, Corinne Calvet in
THUNDER IN THE EAST
Family night. $1.00; adult 50c;
children 12c; tax incl.
FrL-Sat. June 5-6
James Stewart and Jean Hagen
in
CARBINE WILLIAMS
Adult 50c; children 12c; lax incl.
Matinee Sal. 2:30. Children un
der 12 free when accompanied
by parent.
Sun.-Mon.-Tues. June 7-8-9
OFF LIMITS
Starring Bob Hope, Mickey
Rooney, Marilyn Maxwell and
co-starring Eddie Mayehoff with
Stanley Clements, Jack Demp
sey, Marvin Miller.
Adult 50c; children 12c; tax incL
Matinee Sun. 2:30. Children un
der 12 free when accompanied
by parents.
Wed.-Thurs.-Fri.-Sat.
June 10-11-12-13
A new achievement in motion
picture entertainment!
Walt Disney’s
PETER PAN
Adm.: Adults 76c; all children
unless in arms 25c; tax incl.
Matinee Saturday 2:30
THE NEW MASSEY-HARRIS
gUfcfre* 50
GIVES YOU EXTRA
ADVANTAGES
6 or-7-foot cut—5-foot
Rub-bar cylinder.
Rubberized canvas . . „
balanced table.
6-inch knife travel . . .
3-inch guards.
Reel supported on both
ends.
Positive trouble-free op
eration with new roller
chain drives—vibration
eliminated by spring
loaded idler tightener.
Six-winged front and
rear beaters—no crowd
ing, jamming or bunch
ing—straw moves in a
smooth, even flow.
h More grain in the tank
with longer, bigger-ca
pacity 4-step strawrack.
Allows all grain to be
separated and returned
in full width, extra-long,
grain return pan.
Com* in soon and I** us giva yam
tail details an this new Massey -
Harris combine.
o
Outlaw Imp]. Co.
— West O’Neill —
Do you know
what this cat ^
can do 7
\
\
I ■
WORLD’S ONLY \H%
VERTKAL VALVE VO
It can set you atingle with thrill.
It can move from zero to legal speed
quicker and quieter than any Buick
before it—and with the utter smooth
ness of a gull in glide—because this
is a 1953 Buick with the spectacular
getaway of Twin-Turbine Dynaflow*
It can loaf easily up a long steep hill
—swoop instantly ahead when there’s
safe passing to be done—or whisper
along at highway pace with throttle
barely open — because this is the
Buick powered with the world’s most
advanced V8 engine, with record
high compression of 8.5 to 1.
It can surround you with comfort,
luxury, restful ease.
It can velvet a rough road with its
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—track true on curves with its solid
torque-tuhe steadiness — handle like
a flyrod with its Power Steering* —
gentle to a precise halt with its
Power Brakes.f
And it can seat you in the superb com
fort of true spaciousness — because
this big and brawny beauty is the
Buick SUPER Riviera Sedan — room
iest six-passenger sedan made in
America.
Ab ove all, this car can give you
supreme value—more room, comfort,
power and thrill for the money than
you can find elsewhere.
Why not come in and see it, drive it,
compare it? We’ll be happy to
arrange matters.
*Standard on Roadmaster, optional at extra
cost on other Series, f Available at additional
cost on Super and Roadmaster models only.
Television treat-lhe BUICK CIRCUS HOUR-every fourth Tuesdcy
TYPICAL PRICES ON 1953 BUICKS, DELIVERED LOCALLY
SPECIAL 2-Door SUPER 4-Door ROADMASTER 4-Door
6-Passenger Sedan 6-Passenger Riviera Sedan 6-Passenger Riviera Sedan
MODEL 48D MODEL 52 (illustrated) MODEL 728
* 52323 s8 $283]17 s3393-36
Optional equipment, accessories, state end local tares, it any, w' ^ Twin Turbine Dynaflow
additional. Prices may vary slightly in adjoining communities due onc* Steering as stand
#o shipping charges. All prices subject to change without notice. ord equipment at no extra cost
When better automobiles are built BUICK will build them
©
THE GREATEST
BUICK
ALWAYS
IN 50 GREAT YEARS drive
CAREFULLY
A. MARCELLUS
PHONE 370 O’NEILL