Prairi eland Talk . . .
‘Honesty’ Increases Temptation
By ROMAINE SAUNDERS. Retired. Former Frontier Editor
LINCOLN—Assuming that Nebraska patriots
are dishonest, maybe the governor goes at the
• taxation situation at the wrong end with his “op
eration honesty” scheme. Trim down the top
Heavy government oversight of our lives and thus
* reduce the need for assessing pens and pencils.
Any incentive there may be
to shortchange the assessor
might thus be eliminated. The
way the taxpayer is being hit
he can hardly be condemned for
holding out on the assessor. And
now that the arrangement is
what amounts to the property
owner assessing himself, that
becomes a real temptation.
I recall when the late Rate
Shaw was assessor down there in
Swan precinct nobody was ex
Romaine pected to list anything for tax
Saunders ation that went to makeup the
household comforts or little personal belongings.
Somehow enough money flowed into the county
treasurer’s office from the citizens of the county
to pay the salaries and other claims.
Prairieland Talker has had the thankless
job of precinct assessor a few times. I recall
one instance when on the rounds assessing in
Francis precinct in Wheeler county, as I was
leaving one place I was handed an onion as an
expression of what that gent thought of the
assessor.
But even he, as all the others, made an hon
est return of assessable property. As long as it
comes to nothing more serious than an onion, the
assessors and tax collectors are safe.
Just to what extent are parents responsible
for “juvenile delinquency”? I was passing a home
yesterday when the mother in that home came out
and in a harsh, scolding voice blew up at her lit
tle girls standing by a log that had been left lying
where the tree had fallen when cut down. The
children were doing nothing to harm anything or
anyone, but the mother went after them rough
shod instead of in a kindly, pleasant way showing
them what she wanted them to do. Children re
sent such treatment, though at the time not able
to define their childish reactions. Resentment
grows with repeated experiences, then rebellion,
this logically ending in “delinquency.” Who is
the delinquent—the child or the mother? Four
Lincoln youths drove to Omaha Sunday evening
and spent the night there releasing their urge to
“do something” by starting parked cars down
hills to see the smashup at the bottom of the hill.
The escapade landed them in jail. Maybe that was
another thrill. Perhaps these boys could have
fathers who have been remiss in their duties as
parents. The calling of parenthood is a job. A
little girl went to her father with a book and ask
ed him to read her a story. Dad was reading the
paper and didn’t want to be bothered. After a
time the little girl asked again for a story but
the story was never read. The little one went to
bed and in the night became fatally ill. The next
night that father sat the night through by his
dead child wih a story book she had asked him
to read from.
* * *
A large group representing the state farm
bureau took over the Lincoln hotel late in No
vember and spent four days visiting and discuss
ing matters pertaining to agriculture. The gather
ing resembled a group of corporation magnates,
secretaries and stockholders. Caution was manifest
respecting the touchy subject of price supports,
the president of the bureau in his talk leaning
toward the principle of supply and demand to
govern prices. Neligh sent a delegate, Arthur
Weatherbeck, who appeared to be qualified to
hold the handles of a plow.
I Another leaf tom from the calendar. Flowers
are no more only as the florist can provide. The
wind blows out of the north today as if to sweep
along the march of time. Scarcely a twig with
faded leaf clings to denuded trees, dun-colored
stalks are all that remain of corn fields and the
landscape stretches brown and sear to the distant
horizon. Thrush and barn swallow and bluebird
and robin are gone and the little brown winter
birds have come, cock a friendly eye at you as
you Step out the back door expecting a crumb
to be dropped for them. Summer is gone, the
bright days with the floral bloom and green ver
dure have merged into the season of changing
colors, flaming sunsets after the short day and the
long winter’s night time spreads its mantle dot
ed with countless stars over our heads. But the
cedar and the pine tree defy alike winter frosts
and summer heat and wave their emerald plum
age as seasons come and go. The clock ticks a
warning that blizzard days are ahead and Prairie
land Talker recalls his contemplated departure
for the sun-drenched Pacific slopes when winter
lays the white blanket over prairieland.
• * *
Is the Honorable Adlai carrying the torch
for the downtrodden or merely trotting about
in defense of his friend of the fair deal? As the
raving against "McCarthyism" goes on, the sus
picion lingers that there must be something to
cover up.
• * •
Will Davis and wife came over from Sioux
Falls, S.D., where Will had been employed as a
printer, to spend the first week of December, 1905,
at the parental home of Mr. and Mrs. C. L. Davis,
before going to Sheldon, la., where they made
their home for a time. Will acquired skill as a
compositor in the old Frontier plant when the
type cases stood by the south windows that look
ed out upon a disorderly but at times interesting
back yard of Noah and Sina Gwyn’s and later
the battle ground of Con Keys and his lady love.
Will visited O’Neill again in the late 1930’s and at
that time was making his home with Mrs. Davis
at Oakland, Calif. . . A story came from Washing
ton on December 5 of that year stating that Pres
ident Theodore Roosevelt had removed James
C. Pettijohn as register of the land office at Val
entine and demanded the immediate resignation
of A. L. Towle as receiver. Mr. Tov/le had pre
viously been an official in the government land
office in O’Neill. And a story came out of Valen
tine at that time of a wonderful new river that
had formed in the sandhills and was flowing
southeast, a half mile wide in places. A John Ma
her story.
* * *
Twenty-six letters and a few punctuation
marks—all printers, writers and speakers have to
work with, but see what has been done with
these! Books, papers, printed matter, orators,
spellbinders and just every day trade talk and
social flatteries fill the world with human wisdom
and nonsense, tell of the activities of life, the
good, the noble, the sin and the shame as man
kind writes the daily record. I go to a funeral
this afternoon, the last rites for a 91-year-old
pilgrim of earth who leaves no estate that can be
converted into money but what transcends money
value, his son and daughter have the heritage
of the example of a noble life of one who had
been careful in word and deed. The 26 letters we
use sometimes unadvisably day-by-day were not
used by this old patriarch as long as I knew him
to dip into the gutter or defame another.
* * *
That Missouri couple who go to the death
chamber a day this month to lay each his life
upon the altar as a sacrifice to their evil deeds
trace their crimes back to the bottle. The nation
licenses the bottle and demands the life of the
human product of the bottle. Consistency, thou
art a jewel.
Editorial . . .
Short View of White Case
The Harry Dexter White furore has subsided
somewhat, but it appears to us the lines have
been drawn for the 1954 off-year elections provid
ed Harry S. Truman continues in role of titular
head of the democratic party.
The republicans, of course, prefer it that way.
And they’ll try to sell the idea they’re cleaning
“communists, cronies and crooks out of govern
ment.” This will detract from some of the do
mestic issues, including balancing the budget and
relatively lower prices for agricultural products.
Democratic leaders, on the other hand, will
have to defend Trumanism and, very likely, will
stand four-square for high supports. Our guess is
they’ll tend to ignore the national budget as was
characteristic of the 1933-’52 regime.
Truman defenders most frequently ask: “Why
haul the White case out of mothballs now? Did
Atty.-Gen. Herbert Brownell time it to turn the
tide after the republicans lost important con
gressional seats in the East?”
The Omaha World-Herald summed up the
answer in a pithy four-line paragraph the other
day:
Critics object that republican exposure of
the White case is badly timed. Does this mean
one should not report flames in the living room
dur.ng fire prevention week?
President Eisenhower, apparently, doesn’t
want the commie question to be an issue next
year or in 1956. But it’s obviously out of his hands
with hard-hitting Sen. Joseph McCarthy (R-Wisc)
bearing down with intensified vigor. Joe said the
republican administration will be remembered
as the one that drove the commies, crooks and
otmies out and the Roosevelt-Truman-Acheson
Hiss crowd as the administration that took them
12L
McCarthy hints there are other shockers a
con\in’m his probing—and that suggests the White
case happens to be only one in a long series in
flushing the reds out of government. And, if this
be the case, Brownell’s socalled “timing’’ is not
too important. McCarthy claims some 1,500 se
curity risks already have been dropped from the
government payroll.
Poor J. Edgar Hoover, the G-man who was
appointed under a republican president (Coolidge)
and put in a long stretch of service (20 years) for
the democrats (Roosevelt-Truman), got into the
White case rather spectacularly. The head of the
federal bureau of investigation, who has earned
tremendous bipartisan respect for himself and his
agency and has always managed to stay aloof
from politics, apparently was pushed right into
the middle of the White case.
Traditionally the FBI has been an investi
gative agency under the department of justice
and has neither attempted to make policy or
evaluate its findings.
But Brownell’s blast and Truman’s rebuttal
forced Hoover out into the open with the FBI’s
findings on White (and other subversives) and
brought Hoover before the congressional com
mittee, all of which proves Truman’s white house
knew all along how the FBI stood on White and
some other important security risks and “sleazy
characters.”
These are a few short-view observations since
the Harry Dexter White issue came to the fore
more than a fortnight ago. History, no doubt, will
duly record the rest of a sordid, odoriferous story.
Comes now the official word from Lincoln
that the state highway department will receive
bids in March, 1954, for letting contracts for the
hardsurfacing of U.S. highway 281 both north and
south of O’Neill as well as a stretch of state
highway 95. This will mark the first major road
improvement in the O’Neill region for lo many
years—nonetheless the word is being received
with rejoicing.
Grit Magazine reports Helen Keller, 73, is
planning to visit other countries and begin work
on a new book. Miss Keller, who now lives in
Westport, Conn., is writing the book on her teach
er of many years, Anne Sullivan, who was with
the deaf and blind Miss Keller from 1888 until
1946.
Only 17 shopping days until we can exchange
all those gifts we’re going to get.
Ord Quiz: Pretty girls can get by without too
much mathematical prowess.
CARROLL W. STEWART, Editor and Publisher
Editorial ft Business Offices: 122 South Fourth St.
Address correspondence: Box 330, O'Neill, NeLr
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, 1953).
Out of Old Nebraska . . .
Foolhardy Young
Officer Ambushed
80 Soldiers Die at
Hands of Indians
By JAMES C. OLSON
Supt„ Stale Hist. Society
A serious problem facing sol
diers stationed at military posts on
the plains was that of securing
wood, both for construction and
tor fuel. In many instances, wood
was so scarce that the early posts
were built of sod or adobe. The
adobe structures lasted very well
as is evidenced by those still in
existance at Ft. Robinson and at
Ft. Hartsuff. Wherever possible,
though, wood was used.
in in* vcuuduic ouuk, me rnaian
wars of 1864, Capt. Eugene F.
Ware tells of going up into the
canyon near Cottonwood Springs
to secure cedar logs for use in
construction of the buildings at
Ft. McPherson. He describes the
organization of the wood details:
“Six of our men had worked
in the pineries and were excellent
axe-men. They went to work as
three couples to fell. Their axes
were sharp, the weather stimulat
ing and they tumbled the trees
rapidly. Other squads trimmed
the branches; others with a cross
cut saw worked in constant re
liefs, cutting the logs the right
length. Our quarters had been
planned to be built of 20
foot logs. These logs were about
a foot in diameter. We had our
pick. After getting down a lot of
the logs, we organized squads
with our team mules to sneak
them out of the canyon. The men
made rapid work, and every night
every man who had worked in
the canyon got. a good snifter
from my barrel of 1849 whiskey.”
The soldiers at Ft. McPherson
had it relatively easy as far as
wood was concerned. Cotton
wood and cedar grew in plenti
ful quantities in the immediate
vicinity of the fort.
Those at other posts were not
so fortunate and wood trains had
to be sent quite a distance to se
cure necessary wood. Assignment
to the wood detail was more than
an interesting break in the mon
otony of garrisbn life—it was
highly exciting and at times ex
tremely dangerous. The slow
moving wood trains provided an
easy mark for Indians and in
hostile country, a guard detail
had to be sent along with the
wood trains. Even when the train
operated under heavy guard, dis
aster might occur.
One of the most notable inci
dents involving a wood train was
the Fetterman massacre of 1866.
A wood train sent out from Ft.
Phil Kearny on the Little Piney
in Wyoming sent word back that
it was being surrounded and need
ed help. Capt. William J. Feter
man with mounted infantry, ac
companied by cavalry under Lt.
H. S. Bingham, was sent to the
scene. Captain Fetterman’s force
proved insufficient, however, and
Colonel Carrington, then at the
post, had to come cmt with a.
large force to rescue the guard
detail. Even so, Lieutenant Bing
ham and two men were lost in
the skirmish.
Captain Fetterman, smarting
under this defeat, was anxious
to wreak vengeance upon Red
Cloud’s warriors, who were mak
ing every effort to close the forts
on the Bowsman Trail and stop
white traffic north of Ft. Lara
mie. Captain Fetterman, unfam
iliar with Indian warfare or the
! ways of the frontier, had boast
ed that he could ride safely
| through the Indian country with
! 80 men.
When on ihe morning of Dec
ember 21, 1866 fhe wood train
again signaled an Indian alarm.
Captain Fetterman insisted, as
senior captain at Ft. Phil Kear
ny. that he be allowed to lead
the expedition against them.
He had just 80 men in his
party—the number he had de
clared would be sufficient to
carry the day.
Moreover, he had very specific
orders from Colonel Carrington
not t° go beyond a point known
as Lodge Trail Ridge. In disobed
ience of those orders, however,
he allowed himself to be enticed
beyond Lodge Trail Ridge and
into an ambush. He and his men
fought gallantly but not a man
survived.
Thus the difficulties of a wood
train—combined with the rash
ness of a brave but foolhardy
young officer—provided the set
i ting for one of the greatest tra
gedies of the frontier.
Orchard Cadet Makes
Dean's List—
ORCHARD — Cadet Robert L.
Lafrenz, son of Mr. and Mrs.
Walter Lafrenz of Orchard, was
recently named on the dean’s list
for outstanding achievement and
proficiency in academic subjects
at the U.S. military academy,
West Point, N.Y.
As a second classman (junior),
Lafrenz studies the mechanics of
sclids and fluids, electricity, so
cial sciences, military instructor
training and tactics.
The curriculum at West Point
is designed to provide a broad
oasic background in the technical
sciences and the liberal arts.
Stopover Here—
Mr. and Mrs. Hugh Ray of
Loveland, Colo., and Mr. and
Mrs. McCoy Rhodes and family
of Cody arrived Wednesday eve
ning, November 25, and enjoyed
Thanksgiving at the home of Mr.
arid Mrs. Elgin Ray and daugh
ter, Mary. The Hugh Rays re
mained here for several days.
They were enroute back to Love
land after having spent 10 days
I in Wisconsin visiting relatives.
Gillespies Entertain—
Thanksgiving dinner guests in
the home of Mr. and Mrs. W. B.
Gillespie and family were Mrs
Della Eby and her son, Robert, of
Omaha. Robert arrived Wednes
day night, November 25, accom
panied by Robert Cavanaugh of
Omaha and Thell Gubber of St
George, Utah. They spent Thanks
giving at the Charles Cavanaugh
home.
......■- T
BIGLIN'S
Funeral Directors
O’NEILL
Day Ph. Night Ph.
38 487-R or 200
EDW. M. GLEESON
DENTIST
2d Floor Gilligan
Rexall Bldg.
Ph. 240 - Box 149 - Hrs. 8:30-5
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