Prairieland Talk ...
Lower Courts Have Insight
By ROMAINE SAUNDERS
Retired, Former Editor, The Frontier
LINCOLN — Is the supreme court always
right in reversing the findings of the lower court?
Maybe so from a purely legal aspect and in
sofar as human judgment is capable of dealing
with facts. There are some instances, however,
involving human relations and human rights that
transcend anything contemplated in the mass of
legal provisions gotten together within the stat
ute books. And here is where the
lower court has an insight into
the picture as it is impossible for
those sitting with the higher
court to have. The judge pre
siding at the trial in the lower
court sees the human relations
because he is one of the people.
The judge in the higher court,
wrapped in judicial robes, sees
only what the law says. A case
in point involving the rights of
a wife to share in the financial
resources in which she may have Romaine
had a part in acquiring but Saunders
which were held in the husband s name in which
the court awarded the wife what she asked for
was taken to the supreme court from the district
court of a Neoraska county and the findings of
the district court set aside.
The supreme court had the last word.
* * •
On January 23, 1901, The Frontier received
the following telegram from Salt Lake City, Utah:
“Received today the unanimous vote of the joint
cession of the assembly for the office of United
States senator.—Thomas Kearns.” Col. Neil Bren
nan also got the word that day by telegram and
was scarcely less pleased over it than if he were
going to the senate from Nebraska. Mr. Kearns
was of the pioneer Kearns family of the O’Neill
community, and Colonel Brennan recalled in ex
pressing his pleasure over learning of the success
of a Holt county young man that Tom had to bor
row the money (probably from Brennan) to get
out of town when he headed for Utah. . . It was
on a January morning that year Pat Shea, living
two miles northeast of town, discovered when he
went to his cattle corral that 12 head of cattle
were missing, having been driven away by
custlers during the night. The barnyard dog was
found under a wagon dead with a bullet hole in a
vital spot.
* * •
Pointing with the finger of conviction, its
advocates tell us that 15 million Americans
drink fluorided water. Well, there are about
140 million who don't.
• • *
His steel-grey eyes mellowed as they looked
into the blue depths of those of the lovely maiden
who sat beside him. She smiled encouragement.
Nor did youth ardor seem to her a bit of humor.
He moved closer. Their knees touched and a thrill
like an electric current shot through him. Talk—
all know the whispered words at such a time as
this. Hearts are saying things not to be told here.
Daylight fades. Evening shadows gather, then
night hides sacred things from vulgar eyes. And
under the silent stars that guy ventured a kiss
1hat sealed two souls for the journey together
down the highway of life. The days may come
and the days may go, as the song has it, but still
the hands of memory weave the blissful dreams
of long ago.
* * * *
It is the old story—a few shots of firewater
and he was ready to defy all the laws of God and
man. And a worthwhile citizen like Chet Calkins
was swept into eternity. Now after the passing of
many months his liquor-crazed slayer has been
found. Two are guilty—the one who filled the
glass, the other who raised it to his lips.
.--•
Friends at Amelia may remember Sam
Clerk, who for a short time lived in that com
munity and did carpenter work. I saw Sam re
cently. He presented a picture of the tragedy of
life' that overtakes so many as the end approach
es. Sam lay upon a bed, a mere skeleton, a fright
ful object, yet he knew me. At the same place is
a happy old scout in contrast to Sam. Jim Han
sen, who operated a farm down in Greeley coun
ty, is 88 and still on his feet and was having a
gay birthday party the day I dropped in. Sam
Clark remembers Amelia and a bit of renewed
vigor lighted up his emaciated face when that
community was mentioned. Experiences of life
in some spots of earth leave bitter memories;
experiences of life out on prairieland store mem
ory’s warehouse with treasured visions of the
past.
* * *
Industrial conditions in his line as the bread
winner for the family were such that a dear frierid
found it necessary to fold his tent and depart for
a distant point, there to rekindle the fireside. I
never knew of one better as a linotype operator.
The family remain in our community for a time
and then they are gone. It is by communing with
trusted friends that life’s hard bumps are mel
lowed. As the highway of life lengthens toward
the evening shadows there comes the vision of
friendships formed along the way. If these hands
that play upon the typewriter have ever torn the
heartstrings of a friend it was not so meant.
* * *
A day late in June Lincoln hotheads were
cooled off by hailstones the size of baseballs.
The hail was not so plentiful as to cause any
damage. It was nature's way of turning on re
frigeration during a period of sweltering heal.
* * *
The tinted beauty of the hollyhocks is come
upon in unexpected places. Plants and shrubs
were adorned less than usual at apple blossom
time with floral color but later blooming plants
burst forth in gay attire. The goldenrod has never
failed at this season to nod its yellow head as you
rush by along the highway. Beauty, thirst for
knowledge and the lure of a thing “good for food’’
caught Mother Eve in a trap as she looked up
into fruit-laden branches of the forbidden tree.
That wouldn’t have happened if she had lingered
among the hollyhocks and goldenrod.
• • •
A hot day in July, 1900, R. C. Wry was in
from Chambers and reported the crop outlook
the best ever, also expressed himself as confident
that Chambers would soon have a railroad. . .
The Lynch Sun had a story one week in July of
that year about Doctors Newell and Gallagher
losing their clothes, money, medicine cases and
other incidentals but saving themselves from
drowning when attempting to ford the Niobrara
river while responding to a night call to treat an
injured man on the Holt county side of the river.
9*9
Holt is defined by Doctor Webster as “a
wooded hill; a burrow or hiding place.” Holt
county has been all of that and more. It has the
wooded slopes that served as hideouts for the
Middleton and Wade element and logs for the
cabins of the first settlers. The grassgrown
reaches and fertile fields and a lot of fine folks—
that makes up the real Holt of prairieland.
* * *
Along weed-grown alleys or beside roadways
in late June were seen in full bloom the deadly
nemlock plant, a concoction from which was said
to be the cause of the death of Socrates, the an
cient Greek philosopher. The plant is easily iden
tified, about waist-high, fern-like leaves and small
white blossoms in clusters branching out from a
main stem. But to avoid what befell that an
cient Athenian, better let it alone.
Editorial . . .
«
Pay as You Go
President Eisenhower has suggested postpon
ing next year’s scheduled hike in the social secur
ity tax on employers and employees from 1% to
two percent.
In the trust fund now are 18 billion dollars
and receipts at the present rate are far outrun
ning expenditure for old age pension and sur
vivors’ benefits. Next year’s anticipated payments
are $2,500,000,000, anticipated collections are four
billion dollars.
While the administration hasn’t indicated
St favors going on a pay-as-you-go basis, much
can be said for the plan. As a matter of fact, the
vast surplus is no surplus at all, since previous
administrations used the money and put in its
place a government IOU.
If the time ever comes when more cash is
needed, than is being paid in, taxpayers must fur
oish it a second time.
After an exhaustive study of all old age pen
sions, including the American plan, Canada
adopted a pay-as-you-go formula. It is working
well.
In years gone by, we sort of looked down on
our Canadian cousins. Now that their dollar is
worth more than ours we are beginning to realize
we don't have a corner on wisdom.
Purge and Opportunity
The West probably will face a tougher Russia
and a tougher Russian policy as a result of the
ouster of Lavrenti P. Beria as deputy premier and
minister of internal affairs in the Soviet union.
The change may not come at once; for Prime
Minister Georgi M. Malenkov—if he does emerge
as the dominant figure—probably will need time
to consolidate his power down through the Soviet
bureaucracy and to complete the purge which
has evidently begun.
But, assuming that Beria is slated for obliv
• ion, Malenkov has moved much more rapidly and
successfully than most observers of the mystery
shrouded Russian scene believed possible. The
rivalry between the two for power is known even
to have preceded Joseph Stalin’s passing. By
many indexe the head of the dreaded secret po
lice seemed to be overshadowing the man whom
Stalin had chosen for his successor.
There was the removal of Malenkov as com
munist party secretary, the damping down of
eulogies in the Soviet press, and the reversal of
charges against the 15 doctors. But Beria’s bold
ness and his challenge by control of the Kremlin
guard helped Malenkov gain support of the
bureaucracy and the army to win a test in the
presidium.
Meanwhile, the uprisings in the eastern
European satellite states, so disastrous to com
munist prestige, provided a whip to be used
against the man initially responsible for preserv
ing order in the occupied empire. The fact that
he now has been charged with “criminal anti
state actions ... in the interests of foreign cap
ital” while identified, with a policy of concessions
and conciliation seems to amply some repudiation
of the “peace” campaign.
Any concentration of power is likely in the
long run to produce a firmer attitude by Moscow
toward the outside world. The sweet cooings of
the last few months plainly reflect a vast uncer
tainty among the men of the Kremlin and a need
to have their hands free for grappling with each
other.
It is far from clear yet that by removing this
leading rival Malenkov has completely establish
ed himself as the single master of the Soviet un
ion in the sense that an apparatus of dictatorship
demands one master. The red army must have
backed Malenkov at least tacitly in this move;
but what will be its eventual role?
i
Problems Unchanged in Decade
The national farm problems of 20 years ago
still exist today. The Eisenhower administration
seems to generally favor the solution which Pres
ident Franklin Roosevelt advocated two decades
ago—a two-price program for agriculture, reports
the July issue of Successful Farming magazine.
The continuing problems include finding ways
of increasing foreign farm markets through re
ciprocal trade agreements and handling wheat,
cotton and butter surpluses. Roosevelt favored a
price on the portion of the agricultural product
moving in domestic commerce and another price
on the portion in foreign commerce.
Eisenhower administration lea4ers as a whole
advocate establishing marketing quotas for indi
vidual farmers, based on domestic requirements.
When a surplus develops, a producer could sell
within his quota. But if a farmer wanted to ex
ceed his quota, he would have to buy marketing
certificates. Proceeds from the certificates would
• be used to finance surplus sales abroad or through
school lunches.
--
In a period of 11 years more than 82 million
vehicles have traveled the Pennsylvania turnpike
highway which extends from Philadelphia to
Pittsburgh, with a record of one-fortieth of one
percent highway accidents. Canada is now devel
oping a highway on a grand scale extending from
Newfoundland to Vancouver island.
Pathfinder tells it. Heard in a government
building at the coffee bar: Gee, I better go back
to the office or I’ll be late for quitting time!
MHLe Frontier
Editorial & Business Offices: 122 South Fourth St.
Address correspondence: Box 330, O’Neill, Nebr.
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
newspaper is a member of the Nebraska Press
Association, 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; rates abroad, provided on request. All sub
scriptions are paid-in-advance.
Audited (ABC) Circulation—2,200 (Mar. 31, 1933).
Oui of Old Nebraska . . .
‘Heavens Crashed
with Thunder’
Emigrant’s Version of
Nebraska Storm
Judging from their diaries and
letters, nothing on the long trip
from the Missouri river to Calif
ornia or Oregon left a more last
ing impression on the covered
wagon emigrants than those sud
den violent storms which came
ud on the prairies. Present dav
Nebraskans know something
about those storms, too. Consider,
though, the problem of facing one,
with all your worldly goods pack
ed in a not too sturdy covered
wagon. At their worst, the prairie
storms provided a not to be for
gotten experience for the over
land emigrants.
James Pratt, bound for Calif
ornia in the gold rush of 1849,
described a hail storm near the
upper California crossing. His
own words tell the story very
well:
“The lightning flashed, and the
heavens crashed with thunder, as
fierce and terrible as the des
cription at Sinai Mount. The hail
came with a roar. The cry was,
‘unloose the cattle from the wag
ons, and let them go.’ Some suc
ceeded in doing so; but so sudden
and terrible was the storm, that
in mass the cattle wheeled with
the wagons, for they were facing
the storm, and amid the terrors
of the scene, the expedition seem
ed to be destroyed, and our hopes
and lives jeoparded. Many were
badly injured with the hail stones
which cut their faces and heads.
I received a blow on each side of
the head which made the stars
appear ....’’
Fortunately, though, the dam
age was not serious. Two wagon
tongues were broken, but these
were speedily repaired and with
in two hours the train moved on.
That same summer, according
to Alonzo Delano, also bound for
California, a hurricane near the
forks of the Platte resulted in
the loss of hundreds of cattle and
the virtual ruin of some wagon
trains. The high wind brought a
driving rain which continued all
day. That night, Delano wrote,
“We turned into our damp beds
with a feeling of cheerlessness,
though not despaired.”
Delano reported that for sev
eral days they saw families in
cluding women and helpless chil
dren, left on the broad praire,
hundreds of miles from aid, with
out a means of travel. Many cattle
were found from 25 to 30
miles off the road; many others
were not found at all.
The year 1849 appears to have
been a particularly stormy one
in Nebraska. One of these storms
along the Blue was charged with
contributing to the death of
George Winslow, who lies buried
near Fairbury. Winslow, a mem
ber of a Massachusetts gold seek
ing company, took sick. He seem
ed to be improving, but as Brack -
ett Lord wrote from Ft. Kearny:
“at five o’clock p.m. there came
up a most violent shower such as
one you perhaps never saw, there
is nothing on these plains to
break the wind and it sweeps
on most furiously. The lightning
is truly terrific and when accom
panied with wind, hail, and rain
as in this case it is truly sublime.
To this storm I attribute G’s
death.”
Purple Heart
Winner Returns
WALNUT—Cpl. Walter B.
Johnson, son of !Mr. and Mrs.
Bruce Johson of Walnut, is re
turning to the U.S. after serving
in Korea with the 45th Infantry
division.
Johnson, whose wife, Dorothy,
lives in Orchard, arrived in Korea
in September, 1952. He was a
squad leader in company L of
the ?80th regiment. He has been
awarded the purple heart for
wounds received in action, com
bat infantryman badge and the
A graduate of O’Neill high
schools, J ohnson entered the army
in January, 1952, and received
UN and Korean service ribbons,
basic training at Ft. Riley, Kans.
. The 45th infantry division,
orginally an Oklahoma national
guard unit, has been in Korea
since December, 1951. It has par
ticipated in heavy combat actions
including the battles for “T-Bone
Hill” last summer.
Visitor Here—
Miss Mary Hanley of Omaha
was in O’Neill Wednesday and
Thursday, July 8 and 9, visiting
friends and looking after business
interests.
ROYAL THEATER
_
Thurs. July 18
The greatest of all adventure ro
mances. This is a new film that
has been cast with all new actors.
THE PRISONER OF ZENDA
Color by technicolor. From
M-G-M, starring Stewart Gran
ger, Deborah Kerr. Louis Cal
hern, Jane Greer and James
Mason as Rupert of Hentzau.
Family night $1.00; adult 50c;
children 12c; tax incl.
Fri.-Sai. July 17-18
Starring Joel McCrea
SHOOT FIRST
Evelyn Keyes, Herbert Lorn,
Marius Goring, Roland Culver.
Raw! Rugged! Relentless!
Adult 50c; children 12c: tax incl.
Matinee lal. 2:30. Children un
Matinee Sat. 2:30. Children un- 1
by parent.
Sun.-Mon.-Tues. July 19-20-21
Starring Red Skelton
THE CLOWN
With Jane Greer and Tim Con
sidine. Red Skelton in his great
est role! Touching your heart . . .
tickling your funnybone! M-G
M’s heart-warming story of a
funster and a youngster!
Adult 50c; children 12c; tax incl.
Matinee Sun. 2:30. Children un
der 12 free when accompanied
by parent.
REAL ESTATE TRANSFERS
WD—Anna McCartney to Gil
bert E Strong 7-2-53 $600- East
30 ft of Lot 16 & West 30 ft lot
17 Block J- McCafferty’s 2nd
Add- O’Neill
WD—Arthur H Aim to George
Pongratz 6-16-53 $5500- NE»4 13
28- Range 12
QCD—Genevieve Biglin, et al
to City of O’Neill 7-16-52 $250
strip 20 ft wide across Outlots A
& B Pioneer Townsite Co Add
O’Neill
QCD—Missouri Province Edu
cational Institute to Helen Ryan
Goding 4-30-53 $- & division of
property E^NW14 11- All 14
NEy4 23- wm 24-29-n swy4 5
NEy4 7-28-11 Reserves mineral
rights
QCD—Loretta Doyle, et al to
Helen Ryan Goding 4-30-53 $1- &
division of property EM- NWy4
11- All 14- NEy4 23- WM 24-29
11 SWy4 5- NEy4 7-28-11
WD — Michael F Tomjack to
Jerry J Tomiack 7-6-53 $1- part
of NWy4SEy4 3-26-9
WD—Violet Regina Carroll et
al to Chester Elsworth and Er
nest Frederick Jungbluth 6-16-53
$1423.23- SEV4 3-25-13 & NEy4
22-26-13
Lynch News
Kay Hoffman of Norfolk spent
last week at the Frank Weed
er home.
On Wednesday, July 1, the
Lynch American Legion elected
Aldon Zink, commander at a
meeting at the Legion hall. Billy
Spencer was re-elected vice
commander; R. M. Ducker, ad
jutant; Sid Woolf, chaplin; Thom
as Courtney, jr., service officer;
Jake Birmeier, finance officer.
Maxine Jehorek of Omaha came
Thursday to spend the July 4
weekend at the parental home,
Martin Jehorek’s.
Doreen Huber of Lincoln is
home with her parents for the
summer months. She has been
employed at Lincoln the past
year.
Mrs. Fred Schochenmaier and
son, Herman, of Bonesteel, S.D.,
visited at Albert Kalkowski’s on
Sunday.
Mr. and Mrs. R. M. Ducker
were Yankton, S.D., visitors Fri
day.
The Mulhair families enjoyed
r,n ' '— —i
the annual Mulhair family re
union at the Niobrara state park
on Sunday, July 5. Towns repre
sented were Norfolk, O’Neill,
Dorsey, Lynch, Monowi, Verdel,
Niobrara, Verdigre, Miami, Fla.,
Bonesteel, S.D., Wakefield, Ha
dar, Stanton, Pischelville.
Mr. and Mrs. Harold France
and family of Ainsworth have
been in town the past two weeks
looking after interests.
Pfc. Arden A. Spencer of Ft.
Bliss, Tex., came late Saturday,
July 4, for a furlough with
home folks. He is the son of Mr.
and Mrs. Albert Spencer of
Lynch.
Mr. and Mrs. Nick Gengier of
Niobrara visited at the parental
Pete Gengier home recently.
Mrs. Cora Barnes and Miss Eva
of Butte visited relatives here on
Sunday.
Mr. and Mrs. Lee Brady and
family of O’Neill viisted at the
C. A. Bare home Sunday.
Mrs. H. C. Nollett of Valentine
has spent the past week at the
Peter Gengier home.
Cecil Zink attended the funer
al of a brother at Sturgis, S.D.,
last week.
Mr. and Mrs. Martin Meuller
and family of Pickstown, S D.,
spent Fourth weekend at Thomas
Courtney, sr., and jr., homes
I
Mr. and Mrs. Elmer Collins and
family returned to their home in
Broken Bow after a weekend
visit here with relatives.
Mr. and Mrs. Robert Walker
and family of Eagle Creek spent
last week at the parental Theo
dore Norwood home.
Mr. and Mrs. Daniel Kirwan
and family of Ft. Randall, S.D.,
visited at the Theodore Norwood
home Sunday.
Martin Jehorek, sr., and son at
tended the auto races in Omaha
Sunday, July 5.
Miss Nancy Morton of Omaha
was a Lynch visitor Sunday.
Mr. and Mrs. Earl Wells of
Cottage Grove, Ore., are visiting
Lynch relatives this week.
Mr. and Mrs. Wayne Davy of
southern Nebraska are here visit
ing the parental Glen Davy
home.
Mrs. Hannah Streit returned to°
the C. C. Courtney home Sunday,
July 5, after a several days' stay
in Norfolk.
Mr. and Mrs. Guy Mulhair and
family visited at the Jonas John
son home Saturday.
Mrs. Melvin Held of Page vis
ited a couple of days with her
mother, Mrs. Grace Edson, and
sister, Mrs. Don Aller#, and fam •
Uy.
! I 11
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DR. H. D. GILDERSLEEVE
OPTOMETRIST
Northeast Corner
of 4th & Douglas
O’NEILL, NEBR.
Phone 167
Eyes Examined _ Glasses Kitted
i Office Hours: 9_5 Mon. thru Sat.
..
It Happened In NEBRASKA
Before 1900, Nebraska was a sod-house frontier. To build a
home, settlers needed little more than a spade, thickly matted sod,
and the will to work—hard! Sod was cut into blocks—roughly t
foot by 3 feet—for the walls. Then a dirt roof was laid over brush
and branches. After a rain, the dirt roof might bloom with color
ful prairie flowers.
„ . . . . . NEBRASKA DIVISION
From such rough beginnings grew a
strong new state, made stronger by peo- United States
pie who were proud of hard work. To- , Brewers
day Nebraska tavern owners reflect that Foundation
pride by living up to the rigid responsi- -,ovr
bilities of their business. 710 Pint Nat’l Bank Bldg., Lincoln
SA VE with The Occidental
SECURITY- SATISFACTION - SERVICE
The Occidental is now a member of the Federal Home Loan
Bank System and its savings accounts are insured up to $10,000
by the Federal Savings and Loan Insurance Corporation, an
instrumentality of the United States Government.
START YOUR SAVINGS ACCOUNT TODAY AT THE OCCIDENTAL
BUILDING & LOAN ASSOCIATION
Organized 1889 Home Office: Omaha
_See Your Local Agent
C. E. YANTZI, Agent
LOANS — INSURANCE ‘ — COLLECTIONS
PHONE 520 — O'NEILL
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