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“VOICE m, ^...■ ,_■ .
OF THE FRONTIER" TWELVE
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9:45 A M. — 780 k.c.
North-Central Nebraska’s BIG Newspaper
Volume 73.—Number 13. O’Neill, Nebraska, Thursday, July 30, 1933. Seven Cent9
Jerel Dale Givens . . . efforts fail.
★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Child Tumbles Into
Stock Tank, Drowns
_____________
STUART — A 17-months-old
Stuart hoy, Jerel Dale Givens,
left the family house while his
mother was doing chores, wan
dered to the stock water tank in
the yard, and drowned.
Discovery of the drowning
was made by the mother, Mrs.
Art Givens, about 6:30 p.m., Fri
day. She said she had left the
child in the house and was gone
“less than 15 minutes.”
Efforts to revive the child were
futile.
Mrs. Givens worked with her
child for a time and later the
Stuart and Atkirson firemen
attempted to revive the boy.
Funeral services were conduct
ed at 9 a.m., Monday, July 27,
from St. Boniface Catholic
church. Burial was in Calvary
cemetery in O’Neill.
The child was born February
20, *1952, in the Community hos
pital at Stuart. The mother is
the former Alda Pongratz.
Survivors include: Parents—
Mr. and Mrs. Art Givens; broth
ers—Robert and Gordon; sisters
—Lois and Carolyn.
Robert and Lois were polio
sufferers last year.
The family resides IVz miles
south and one-half mile east of
Stuart.
Catherine Ullrich
Dies in Hospital
Aged Holt Resident
111 Several Months
ATKINSON— Funeral services
were conducted at 9 a.m., Mon
day, July 27, for Mrs. Catherine
Ullrich, 81, who died at 8 o’clock
Friday morning, July 24, in At
kinson Memorial hospital. She
had been ill several months and
had been confined to the hospital
11 days.
Burial was in St. Joseph’s
cemetery beside the grave of her
husband, Gustav Ullrich, who
died 42 years ago.
Pallbearers were August Tro
shynski, Anthony O’Donnell,
Walter Ries, Gus Rohr, John
Wenner and Edward Jensen, all
of this community.
The late Mrs. Ulrich, whose
maiden name was Catherine
Schaffer, was born at Mays
hoff. Germany, March 19, 1872.
a daughter of Joseph and Mary
Ann Stodden Schaffer.
She married Gustav Ulrich at
Charter Oak, la., on January 16,
1892. The couple came to Nebras
ka 48 years ago, initially settling
for one year on a farm four miles
south of Atkinson, later moving
to a locality five miles east.
Mr. Ulrich had purchased a
farm shortly before his death
but did not live to reside on it.
Mrs. Ulrich carried on for
several years with her chil
dren, moving into Atkinson to
retire about 25 years ago.
Survivors include: Sons—Jo
seph of North Bend; Leonard of
Atkinson; Pius of Sioux City;
daughters—Mrs. James Mullen of
O’Neill; Mrs. Orville (Frances)
Hitchcock of Atkinson- Mrs.
Lloyd (Catherine) Quinn of St.
Paul, Minn.; Mrs. Jake (Marcel
la) Stasch of Nenzel, and Miss
Theresa of Atkinson, who has
been teaching school norih of
O'Neill.
Lyons Recovers
Billy Lyons, 18 (above), O’
Neill youth who was critically
injured June 21 in a motorcy
cle accident northwest of the
city, is making rapid recovery
at his home here. He suffered a
head concussion and other in
juries. This week he was per
mitted to be in a wheel chair
for 15 minutes at a time. He has
recovered his speech and par
tial use of his left arm. He had
no useage of the arm three
weeks ago when he returned
from the hospital. He is the
son of Mr. and Mrs. Don O. Ly
ons.—The Frontier Photo.
I -
Joseph Crawford
Dies at St. Edward
Formerly Resided
South of Emmet
EMMET — Joseph Lutheran
Crawford, 79, who formerly
ranched south of Emmet, died
at 1 o’clock Monday afternoon,
July 27, in a rest home at St. Ed
ward. He died unexpectedly and
had not been seriously ill.
Mr. Crawford resided at an O’
Neill hotel until moving to St.
Edward several months ago.
The body was removed to Big
lin Brothers funeral home in O’
Neill.
Funeral services will be con
ducted today (Thursday) at 2
p.m., in the Biglin Brothers
chapel with Rev. M. H. Grosen
bach officiating. Burial will be
in Prospect Hill cemetery.
The late Mr. Crawford was
born in Saunders county August
21, 1893. He resided at Silver
Creek, in Merrick county, prior to
coming to Holt county in 1904.
His wife, who is deceased, was
the former Jennie Marshall. They
became the parents of four chil
dren.
Survivors include: Sons—Wil
liam of Pomona, Calif.; Archie of
Azusa, Calif., and Carl, formerly
of Emmet; daughter—Mabel, also
formerly of Emmet.
Pallbearers will be Clarence
Ernst, Fred Lorenz and Keith
Abart, all of O’Neill, and Darcy
Abart, Oliver Maring and Homer
Maring, all of Emmet.
Visit Lynch—
Mr. and Mrs. Carence Hoffman
and family of Norfolk visited at
the Ed Hoffman and Harold Pot
ter homes in Lynch this week.
Auto Pushball Top Fair Attraction
A relatively new novel attraction that wows audiences where
ever it is shown has been booked for the 1953 Holt cuonty fair at
Chambers, September 1, 2, 3 and 4. The attraction is known as
auto.pushball. Rubber bumpered jalopies will race in hot pursuit
cf a big ball in front of a spellbound grandstand crowd. The two
hour pushball show will feature entertainment on September 3
and 4—the final two days of the fair.
State Board Whoops Holt Values
-■—— — .— ____
Soakers
Boon to
Pastures
Over Syx Inches o f
Moisture Is Timely
for Growing Crops
Well over 3% inches of mois
ture has fallen here during the
, past three days.
And the rain could not have
come at a better time to freshen
pastures, soak thirsty crops and
gladden hearts.
Hot days and hot winds had
sadly depleted topsoil moisture
and caused serious concern among
farmers and ranchers.
A succession of predicted
thundershowers had failed to
materialize, except to dampen
the sidewalks, and by Sunday
evening the agricultural out
look was rather grim.
Then the rains came.
Monday. 3:20 a.m., a heavy
downpour set in, accompanied by
severe electrical disturbances. At
the outset the rain came down
fast, filled the city’s storm sewers
and lighter showers continued
intermittently through the night.
Amount of rainfall unofficially
was .90 of an inch, according to
Chicago & North Western rail
road and Consumers Public Pow
er district gauges.
At the same time, Ainsworth
reported an inch; Clearwater, .25;
Valentine, a light shower; Hart
ington and Belden, traces; Am
elia, 1.25; Ewing, .25; Chambers,
50.
.Neligh received only enough
rain that morning to settle the
dust.
Then on Tuesday evening an
other rain set in, also character
ized by considerable lightning
and thunder. There were inter
mittent power failures here
blamed on lightning striking
high tension line arresters in the
vicinity of Wausa.
Showers continued through
the night and an official total
of 1.22 of an inch precipitation
was received here.
Oakdale received a trace; Ne
ligh a shower; Clearwater, 1.14;
Ewing, .50; Inman, 1.35; Atkin
son, 1.75; Stuart, 2.50; Newport,
1.25; Creighton, 1.49; Gregory,
S.D., 75; Dallas, S.D., .72; Win
ner, S.D., trace.
Another rain set in Wednes
day evening, netting 1.41 inches.
The harvest of wild hay is in
the final stretch. Holt county’s
hay crop this year is good, lots of
quantity and fair-to-good quality.
The second crop of alfalfa is
nearing completion. Bluegrass
had an off-year in this county.
Most corn has been damaged
by moisture lack. Corn is now
in its critical stage and half of
it will be lasseled by the close
of the week.
Hi Lo Prec.
July 23_ 85 57
July 24_ 93 65
July 25 ..97 73 .01
July 26_ 93 68 .02
July 27_ 87 69 .90
July 28 _ 92 70 .06
July 29 _ 73 63 1.22
July 30 _ 1.41
Total prec. - 3.62
“• —i < I -winiiwt■p—MWKI mitaMHBat .i
Swarming around the air force's big H-18
helicoppter after its arrival at the wind lest site
were these excited O'Neill kids: Foreground (left
to-righl): Robert Wilson. Sally Stewart, Scott
Stewart; standing—Suzanne Stewart, Menu But
XXX X X
tmmm n—i iwamM — ■■ m * ■ .Ji^aca
terfield, Roberta Becker, Verna Butterfield, Joan
Wilson, Captain Johnson, Linda Sluifbergen,
Richard Stuifbergen, Patricia Wilson. Pointing
out a map is Sergeant Ide, crew chief.
x •?> xxx
Standing in 'copter's doorway (left-to-right) are Merna But
terfield, Richard Stuifbergen. Suzanne Stewart and Roberta
Becker and Captain Johnson, the pilot, stands beside the craft. In
the cockpit are Joan Wilson and Robert Wilson.—The Frontier
Photos.
Mother, Daughter
Burned in Fire
Mrs. Mary Fleming and her
daughter, Lillian, 12, were ser
iously burned about 4 p.m.,
Saturday at their home. They
were lighting a gas hot water
heater in the basement. The
flame had gone out several hours
before.
Mrs. Fleming had summoned
her daughter to assist and the
explosion burned both of them.
The daughter, a sixth grader
who was clad in a sunsuit, was
most seriously burned on her
face, legs, back and hands. Mrs.
Fleming was burned on the face,
legs and hands.
Both are in St. Anthony’s hos
pital being treated for first and
second degree burns. They will
be confined to the hospital for
several more days.
Firemen went to the scene and
extinguished a bedding fire.
Several basement windows were
blown out.
CALKINS ON LEAVE
Don Calkins, son of Mrs. Chet
Calkins and the late Police Chief
Chet Calkins, arrived in O’Neill
about 11 o’clock Friday for an
11-day leave. He has been study
ing navy photography at Pensa
cola, Fla., and is being transfer
red to Jacksonville.
Try Frontier want advs. for
quick results!
Color Parade Closes Campaign
A large crowd gathered in O’
Neill Friday evening to witness
the bicycle parade which ended
the safety campaign, sponsored
by the Willing Workers 4-H club.
Individuals and groups of chil
dren had spent many hours dec
orating bikes and the result was
a colorful exhibition.
The winners in all divisions
follow;
Best group: First prize—James
Richter, Elizabeth Fritton, Gary
Jeffrey, James Cuddy, Oran Spry.
Second prize—Danny and Billy
Putnam. Third prize—Terry Con
ro and Sammy Strong.
Most original: First — Harry
Beilin; second— Raymond Fox;
third—Kathryn Rubeck; fourth—
Kenneth Sanders; fifth— Larry
Dawes.
Miscellaneous: First — David
McCage; second—Wayne Wiley;
third— Joe Gilg; fourth — Rita
Waller.
Funniest: First—Perry Dawes;
second—Harold Sobotka; third—
Dickie Green; fourth — Ricky
Peterson; fifth—Harvey Colfax.
Best slogan: First—Larry Pet
erson; second — Larry Frisch;
third—Bonnie Tomlinson; fourth
—Charles Crook.
Results of carelessness: First—
Harold Parks. Teddy Jareske,
Carlyle Strong: second—Marvin :
Dawes; third—Janie Spry; fourth '
—Shirley Mae Hicks; fifth—Ar
thur Frisch.
Prettiest; First—Bonnie Riege;
second—Alice Schaffer; third—
Francie Kelly; fourth— Dianne
Gillespe; fifth—Betty Rodman.
Most safely equipped: First—
Ralph Wagner; second (a tie)—
Billy Hynes and Ronald Holly.
The winner of the new bicycle,
given for the best slogan and
donated by Tri-State hatchery
and Wallace and Kersenbrock
(Texaco service), was Gary
Brewster. His winning slogan
was “Safer Cycling — Surer Liv
ing.’.’
Runners - up were Bobby
Brown, second; Mike Hammond,
third; Richard Hill, fourth, and
Donald Crook, fifth.
Gary Brewster also won first
prize in the essay contest for 10
year-olds and younger. Since he
had won one bike, the new bi
cycle, given by Gamble stores,
was presented to Richard Beilin,
who rated second: Following are
the two winning essays:
* * *
SAFER CYCLING, SURER
LIVING
We should first learn the A,
B, C’s of bicycle riding, which
is “always be careful.”
We do not need to pretend like
we are in a rocket, or a space
ship, trying to get somewhere in
a hurry. Starting to school in
plenty of time is a very good
idea. I do not like to be late or
have to hurry, either.
It is dangerous to have some
one else on the bicycle with us.
It causes the bicycle to not bal
ance as well, and is much easier
for it to tip over. We should ride
single file when riding in groups.
It is very important to learn
the proper signals and to make
a habit of using them. We can
help the people in cars a lot if
we will let them know which
way we are going to turn.
When ever we are riding where
there are people walking we
should be careful that we do not
run into them and especially in
to an older man or lady or a
child.
Riding a bicycle is a lot of fun
and can be healthful, but we
must obey the traffic rules.
Safety comes first and we
should make it a good habit.—By
Gary Brewster.
* * *
BICYCLE SAFETY
If I had a bicycle I would re
member to act safely all the time.
When I ride on the streets I
would stay on the right side go
ing and coming, and I wouldn’t
bang into cars and things.
The people walking can always
(Continued on page 7)
Copter Fascinates
Adults, Thrills Kids
Unique Craft Ends
Cross-Country
The much-heralded air force
helicopter, a large H-18 model,
chugged westward above O’
Neill’s Douglas street about 6 o’
clock Monday evening and got a
royal reception.
Within a few seconds after the
low-flying unorthodox craft ap
peared over the city, the houses
emptied and necks craned sky
ward.
Capt. Charles A. Johnson of
San Gabriel, Calif., pilot, and
Sgt. Robert Ide of Scranton, Pa.,
crew chief and flight engineer,
brought the 6,200-pound craft to
O’Neill from Bedford, Mass.,
making stops at Syracuse, N.Y.,
Battle Creek, Mich., and Des
Moines, la.
The 'copter is to be used in
connection with the air force
wind test, which will be getting
underway within a very few
days.
Captain Johnson, a highly-dec
orated fighter plane and ’copter
rescue pilot, said even air force
people shook their heads when
he told them he was flying the
plane cross-country to O’Neill—
some 1,800 miles from the East
ern seaboard. Helicopters are
considered a short-range, special
ized type aircraft and seldom
are used in a transcontinental
flight
Johnson received a host of
decorations in Korea and is a
veteran of 13 years in the air
force. Ide has been in the air
force eight years.
The copter fascinates tne
adults and thrills the kids. Few
persons here had ever seen a
helicopter before except in the
magazines.
Also arriving within the past
few days have been the Johns
Hopkins university meteorolog
ical crew from Baltimore, Md.;
the Wright Field research grouu
from Dayton, O.; personnel from
the Sixth weather squadron at
Tinker field, near Oklahoma Ci
ty, Okla.; and several members
of the Fourth weather group
from Dietrick, Md.
Virtually all preparation for
the wind profile has been com
pleted, although several key sci
entists from the air force research
center at Cambridge, Mass., and
from several major university
campuses are yet to arrive.
Because Captain Johnson
does not want to risk mechan
ical failures, the craft has not
been flown since its arrival. A
new blade is expected to be
flown in this weekend.
Captain Johnson expects to use
the ’copter in flights to 3,000 and
5,000 feet in connection with the
research. The eruising speed of
the machine is about one hundred
miles per hour. The three-bladed,
variable pitch overhead propel
lor spins counterclockwise. A
vertical prop on the tail assem
bly neutralizes the torque creat
ed by the “windmill.”
LEAVE FOR CAMP
Sgt. Edward Schmuecker, Pfc.
James Fleming and Pfc. Ardell
Bright, all members of the Nor
, folk national guard company,
will depart Sunday for two
weeks of active duty at Camp
McCoy, Wise. Also going to
Camp McCoy is Lowell Nesbitt,
who resides here but is a mem
ber of the Grand Island guard
company.
Mr. and Mrs. Ira MosS and
family left Friday, July 17. for
a vacation in Park Rapids, Minn.
They plan to return August 1.
Chet Stockwell
Night at Bassett
BASSETT— Tonight (Thurs
day) is Chet Stockwell night
in the Rock county capital.
Mr. Stockwell has been lead
er of the town and school band
for 50 years, and he has been
identified with the musical life
of the city even longer.
Down through the years he
has assembled one of the most
complete libraries of band mu
sic in the state, largely at his
own expense. Mr. Stockwell
enjoys a very fine reputation
among band masters in the re
gion and townspeople are go
ing to honor him at tonight’s
concert, which will be played
rain or shine at the bandstand.
Bullet Rips into
O’Neill Youth’s Leg
Paul Shelhamer, 18,
Flown to Omaha
Paul Shelhamer, 18, son of
Mr. and Mrs. Roy Shelhamer,
was seriously wounded in the
leg about y;jO o'clock Monday
I evening while he and two com
panions were shooting rats at the
city dump.
young Shelhamer was alone
at the north end of the dump
with a .22 calibre pistol. He
stepped upon a log, which turn
ed and he lost his balance. The
pistol he was carrying accidently
discharged, sending a .22-long
into his left leg above the knee.
His companions, Harold Dex
ter and Dewayne Alton, heard
his cries for help and saw him
jlimping toward them. Alton
carried Shelhamer to the nearby
Dexter car and they sped to St.
Anthony’s hospital. Dexter car
ried his wounded companion
into the hospital.
Shelhamer was in surgery
from noon Tuesday until 4 o’
clock and at 6 o’clock he was
transferred to an air ambulance
and flown to Omaha. The plane
was met by the Omaha North
Side emergency squad and trans
ferred to St. Joseph’s hospital.
The youth’s parents followed
the air ambulance in a plane
piloted by Russ Foree.
Until late Wednesday the
Omaha doctors had not under
taken subsequent surgery, and
hospital attendants reported the
youth “resting well, f e v e r
down, and circulation was being
restored in the leg.’’
The shell had penetrated the
leg about four inches and ripped
several openings in the vein,
also damaged a nerve. The
patient lost considerable blood
and he was given three trans
fusions.
Miss Mary Schmitz, RN, ac
companied the patient on the
air ambulance.
Truce in Korea
Means No Cutbacks
The United Nations command
and the communists signed an
armistice in Korea in a ceremony
beginning at 7 o’clock Sunday
evening (CST). Within 12 hours
—or at 7 o’clock Monday morn
ing (CST)—all firing ceased along
the 155-mile battlefront near the
38th parallel.
Heavy artillery barrages mark
ed the cessation of hostilities.
Eighth army commanders had or
dered American troops to fire
only in defense during those
waning hours in an effort to con
serve U.S. lives. The reds poured
in thousands of shells in the final
moments and American artillery
retaliated.
The pullback of the huge allied
and communist armies from the
Korean battleline continued in
full swing in the 48 hours fol
lowing the signing of the truce.
Holt county has no draft quota
for August, but selective service
officers have insisted there w'll
be no immediate cutback in man
power requirements in spite of
the truce.
Visits Parents—
Miss Kathleen Darcy, of Yank
ton spent the weekend here
with her parents, Mr. and Mrs.
Thomas Darcy at Creighton.
Farm Land
Increased
by 207%
Orders 30% Boost on
Business Schedules;
State Tax 5.75 Mills
Holt county was handed a
sharp increase in property valua
tions, both real estate and per«
sonal, when the state board of
equalization finished its 1953
work.
Based on the 1953 abstract of
valuations furnished to the state
tax office by Holt County As
sessor William Wefso and the
Holt board of equalization, the
state whooped farm real estate
values here 207 percent; city and
town real estate values 438 per
cent; business personal property
values 30 percent, and all house
hold goods 100 percent. (See ta
ble at left.)
The hiking handed Holt far
exceeded, percentagewise, the
increases ordered in most other
counties.
Farm real estate values were
lowered in 11 counties, raised in
48 counties and left unchanged
in 34 counties from figures turn
ed in by the counties.
Town and city property values
were raised in 70 counties, lower
ed in 10, and left alone in 13.
Business property values were
raised in all but 10 counties and
lowered nowhere.
• Household values were left
untouched in seven counties but
doubled in 57. In most of th.2
other counties the valuation for
this class of property was raised
at least 50 percent.
Meanwhile, the slate proper- >
ty lax levy was fixed at $5.75
per one thousand dollars as
sessed valuation, or 5.75 mills.
The state board announced
that the state's total assessed
valuation this year, for taxation
purposes, is $3,370,919.
Cries of anguish were quick to
arise in Holt county, which ap
peared to be a sort of whipping
boy. The county’s abstract orig
inally was considered relatively
low in relation to all other coun
ties.
Frank J. Brady of Atkinson,
former state tax commissioner,
told The Frontier:
“I’ll defy anyone to tell what
household goods actually are
worth. They won’t bring 25 cents
on the dollar when put up for
sale. . . A few isolated sales of
real estate is no basis for actual
worth of real estate. I’ve always
contended the state shouldn't
have any property tax, but coun
ties should be permitted to do
their own equalizing.”
State Senator Frank Nelson of
O’Neill said:
“I have no comment until I’ve
had a chance to study all the
facts in black and white.”
A spokesman for the Holt
county board of supervisors, in *
session Wednesday, declared:
“We have no idea what basis
or what justification has been
used on the business schedules.
The 30 percent increase is com
pletely unjustifiable for Holt, be
cause we started at one hundred
percent actual valuation. The
state now orders us to make farm
land values $24 per acre in this
county. In our opinion this is
substantially higher than actual
sale values at the present time.
The 438 percent increase in town
real estate is going to work a
hardship on town property own
ers, particularly in the smaller
towns and communities, where
the values of such real estate do
not compare with the comparable
properties in the larger towns.’'
County Assessor Wefso had
no comment but said he was
anxiously aWaiting the official
word from the state tax com
missioner. He expects the offi
cial report today.
One O’Neill real estate owner,
who did not want to be quoted,
said he purchased a business
property in O’Neill two years
ago when prices were the high
est. “The state board now puts
(Continued on page 6)
★ ★ ★
Valuations at Glance
The valuation picture at a glar.ce, showing the abstract figure
turned in by County Assessor William F. Wefso, the change ordered
by the state board of equalization, and the percentage of increase
follows:
1953 State In
Abstract Board crease
Farm and real estate valuations ...$6,687,000 $20,531,000 207%
City-town real estate valuations_ 1,520,000 5,663,470 438%
Business valuations_ 1,185,000 1,482,135 25%
Household goods valuations ... . 46,000 93,820 100%