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Volume 73.—Number 32. Seven Centg
I Galen Boyle, son of Mr. and Mrs. James Boyie . . . with his
father when this 8-year-old deer was killed.—The Frontier Photo.
33 Deer Kills Checked
During First 3 Days
90-mph Joyriders
Taken into Court
Coulter Is Paroled,
Back in Again
Trouble has been mounting the
past fortnight for Clark Coulter,
about 38, of O’Neill.
IOm Tuesday, December 1, he
was arrested for participating
with a friend in a 90-mph flight
across country roads with an
armed state patrolman in pur
suit. What made matters worse,
. Coulter and his companion, Rich
ard ("Dick”) Davidson, 24, had
to explain to the judge why they
appropriated from O’Neill’s
Douglas street a 1953 Plymouth
belonging to Walter Haake of
Chambers.
They admitted guilt Tuesday
before District Judge D. R.
Mounts when they were charged
with unlawfully taking a ve
hicle.
Davidson drew a one- to
five-year sentence in the men's
reformatory at Lincoln.
Coulter was paroled to Holt
County Sheriff Leo Tomjack for
five years. Then Coulter’s real
. trouble began. Within a few
hours, the sheriff was obliged lo
serve eviction papers on Coulter,
directing him to move his fam
ily out of the dwelling in which
they were living on the northeast
outskirts of O’Neill.
At 4 p m., Tomjack had Coul
ter back in jail on another de tl.
Tomjack said Coulter wou’i
face check forgery charges. The
sheriff said an incident involv
ing $3.75 had taken place at Stu
art on November 28—just two
days before the escapade in the
new Plymouth.
Frank Sullivan
Dies Suddenly
Francis L. (“Frank”) Sullivan,
57, former O’Neill pharmacist,
died suddenly Saturday, Decem
Iber 5, in a Portland, Ore., hos
pital where he had been a pa
tient’ about a week. He had suf
' fered a heart ailment for about
a year. His death was unexpect
Ied.
Funeral rites were conducted
Wednesday, December 9, at
Portland.
The'late Mr. Sullivan, a son of
the late M. M. and Abbie Sulli
van, was born at O’Neill Novem
ber 6, 1896. He was reared in
town and attended St. Mary’s
academy. He was in the first
class of boys to advance at the
academy beyond the eighth
grade.
Later he studied pharmacy
-at Creighton university, Oma
ha, and returned to O'Neill to
' be employed several years by
Trank Pixley and Timothy
Hanley, who were pioneer
druggists.
During World War I, the late
Mr. Sullivan served in the army,
spending considerable time at
Ft. Russell, Wyo., near Chey
enne. He was in the army about
three years.
About 35 years ago he left
O'Neill and was employed as a
pharmacist at Jerome, Ida., San
Bernardino, Calif., Grant’s Pass,
Ore., and Kelso, Wash., before
going to Portland about 12 years
ago.
. • He was married while in the
West and his wife died about a
year after their marriage. They
ftad no children. Mr. Sullivan
had no relatives near him at the’
time of his death.
One brother, John V., of Chi
cago, 111., and a sister. Mother
M. Virginia of Alliance, went to
Portland to attend the funeral
The only other survivor is a
brother, Felix of O’Neill.
Anspach . . nature of illness
not known.
Lucky holders of deer hunting
permits made hay during the
j first three days of the hunt in
Holt county with 33 kills having
been checked-in at O’Neill un
til 5 p.m., Wednesday.
The seasoiv-the first in a half
century—opened Monday morn
ing and will close at sundown on
Friday, December 11.
Most of the successful hunt
ing has been in the northwest
corner of the county. Only two
kills have been made east of
U.S. highway 281.
Game Warden Sam Grasmich
of Minden, formerly stationed
here, is manning the O’Neill
check point for the five-day
hunt. He points out the majority
of the kills are white tails and
they are running “surprisingly
large — even larger than mule
deer being taken in the north
west portion of the state.”
Biggest kill reported in the O’
Neill region todate is a 230
pound white - tail bagged by
Frank Risor of Butte and check
ed at Butte. The weight was
“hog dressed.” Raymond Nemec
of Spencer killed a white-tail
that weighed 276 pounds on the
hoof.
Biggest deer killed in Holt
county todate was a 211-pounder
(‘ hog dressed”) shot by Freddie
Boettcher, Atkinson rancher.
Game Warden Fred Salak, who
is stationed here, said hunter
rancher relationship has been
“very good todate. There have
been no reports of cattle being
damaged or accidents.
"Many places are posted and
most ranchers are particular
whom they allow to hunt on
their place," he added.
Among the Holt countyans who
have checked-in deer here are:
James L. Allyn of Staurt, Cecil
W. Baker of O’Neill, Ralph Beck
of Atkinson, Donald G. Bernt of
Stuart, Freddie Boettcher of At
kinson, Lyndley J. Crumly of
Page, Jack D. Everitt of O’Neill;
Harold C. Freemyer of Page; Joe
Grutsch of O’Neill, Eugene A.
Hamik of Stuart, Elvin L. Hamil
ton of Stuart, Helena Ruth Heer
mann of O’Neill, Dale Hender
son of Stuart, Alfred F. Krobot
of Stuart, Joe A. Krobot of Stu
I art, Pauline J. Krobot of Stuart,
Dwaine J. Lockmon of Stuart,
Harry William Mlinar of Stuart,
Roland V. Peterson of Stuart.
Harry 'Edwin Prouty of Spencer,
Donald Albert Stearns of O’
Neill, Minor K. Varilek of Stu
art, Kenneth E. Wettlaufer of
Page, Claude V. Wiley of O’Neill,
Charles C. Wright of Ewing.
Out-of-countyans who have
checked-in here are: Harold G.
Daniels of Clearwater, Gerald J
Kluthe of Elgin, J. Gerald Kluthe
of Elgin, James D. Ladehoff of
Morsebluffs, Faye A. Robeson ox
Fremont (former highway patrol
ma stationed here), and Leslie
Ploek of Fairmont.
Robeson’s kill was made north
of Eagle creek.
Adverse road conditions
have confined hunters to the
county highways that are open
and has restricted their move
ments.
‘‘Temperatures have been
ideal,” Grasmick explained, “a^d
the outlook is favorable for tile
remaining two days. Not S'nce
before the turn of the century,
before the game commission was
organized, has deer hunting been
legalized in the O’Neill area,” he
added.
Nine kills were checked-in on
Monday at Butte, where two
game conservationists are sta
tioned for the course of the deer
cnocnn
Sergeant Anspach
Flown Back to U.S.
(Photo at left)
Air Force Sgt. Keith Anspach,
i son of Mr. and Mrs. Harden Ans
) pach of O’Neill, during the wee'c
5 end was flown from Panama,
Canal Zone, to Mobile, Ala., in
i a single day for hospitalization
i there. He has been ill eight
J weeks. His wife and their small
! son, Stephen, made the flight
• with him.
Sergeant Anspach entered a
military hospital at Mobile while
his wife and son continued on to
Omaha where they were met late
Monday by Sergeant Anspach's
father and his wife’s father,
Fred Forsch of Butte.
Sergeant Anspach had been
stationed in the Canal Zone 28
months. His wife is the former
Mavis Forsch, who, with her son,
is now visiting in Butte.
The nature of the sergeant’s
illness is not definitely known,
I according to his parents. A series
of tests will be made at military
medical centers.
Mrs. Gladys Oxford of Cham
bers recently spent a week at the
Henry Lohaus home.
Snow, Wind
in Winter’s
First Blast
Thursday’s 12 Inches
of Snow Paralyzes
Traffic 24 Hours
A snowstorm, first - class,
howled out of the northwest last
Thursday in ol’ man winter’s in
itial blast. Twelve inches of
snow fell here between 9 p.m.,
Wednesday, December 2, when
the precipitation actually began,
and 9 p.m., Thursday, December
3, when the onslaught officially
ended.
The early hours of the storm
were gentle enough, but the
winds mounted to blizzard pro
portions on Thursday morning.
At 11 o’clock the conditions
worsened and folks in the O’
Neill region braced for the dura
tion.
In many respects the storm
was reminiscent of the Novem
ber 18-19, 1948, debacle — the
start cf a miserable winter.
There was rain turning to ice
and snow, just like five years
ago. The main assault came with
temperatures only five degrees
below freezing — just like the
number one storm of the now
famous recurring blizzards of
1948-’49.
Only a handful of pupils re
ported for classes at O'Neill
public school and St. Mary's
academy last Thursday morn
ing, and many of those pupils
were sent home.
The state highway department
here dispatched snowplows early
in the morning. One of the big
machines went into a ditch near
the John Dick shelterbelt, on
U.S. highway 20 about six miles
west of here. Lack of visibility
was blamed. This prompted the
resident engineer, John Osen
baugh, to order all snow-removal
equipment off the roads until the
storm subsided.
Business activity almost came
to a halt in O’Neill stores as . the
day progressed. Finally, most
merchants, shop keepers and
professional men locked up and
plowed snow afoot to their
homes.
The Golden hotel, however,
was a beehive of activity as the
regional meeting of the Nebras
ka Stock Growers’ association
got underway. About one hun
dred delegates reached O’Neill
late Wednesday—ahead of the
storm. These, in addition t#
snowbound travellers, quickly
filled the city’s four hotels and
three motels.
The snow was laden with mois
ture, which cheered farmers and
ranchers even though they were
considerably inconvenienced. The
12 inches of snow was reduced
to .89 of an inch of moisture.
Ice conditions in the Norfolk
area created four thousand
breaks in telephone lines. Ice
also severed O’Neill’s toll con
nections with Winner, S.D., and
other points. The Northwestern
Bell Telephone company’s to l
center here maintained contact
with Ainsworth and Valentine
on the west, where considerably
less snow was received, but all
switching to Sioux City, Oma
ha, Lincoln and other points is
normally done via Norfolk and
Omaha, and ice wrecked the fa
cilities until about 6 o’clock Sun
day evening.
The Western Union telegraph
circuit was knocked out but
the office here was able to
(Continued on page 7.)
Returns to U.S.
A/2c Thomas Harty (above),
son of Mrs. P. B. Harty of O’
Neill, reached here Friday af
ter having spent over 11
months with the air force in
Korea. He was stationed with
the 18th fighter - interceptor
group at Osan and worked with
a supply unit. Airman Harty
left the U.S. in December, 1952,
and docked at San Francisco,
Calif., Monday, November 30.
He will report at Kinross field,
Saute St. Marie, Mich., on Jan
uary 9. Airman Harty, an en
listee, has about 2% years to
serve.
ma&msmssssmmmmmmmm —p—i i ... mmassail < mill m hihii »niiii iniiii m intmi i .. ti\mn ■i>mi nil iHtwilQ—J..J—
These unusual snowdrifts bury a row of cars parked in front of the Golden hotel.—Omaha World-Herald Photo.
3-- ' + + + -Lr + +
Mrs. Leota Butler
-
Succumbs at Ewing
Former Teacher 111
Short Time
EWING—Mrs. Leota Butler, 34,
a resident of the Ewing commun
ity for 55 years, died at hea
home in Ewing on Friday, De
cember 4.
Funeral services were con
ducted Sunday afternoon, De •
cember 6, at the Methodist
church here with Rev. Charles
Mitchell officiating. Burial was
in the Ewing cemetery beside
the grave of her late husband,
Wilbur L. Butler.
Pallbearers were Willis Rock
ey, Vance and Lyle Anson, all
grandsons, and Archie Tutle, Bu
ford Carlson and Edward Shra
der.
Leota Coe, daughter of the late
Mr. and Mrs. D. V. Coe, was
born April 7, 1869, at Independ
ence, la. At the age of two she
moved with her parents to Ante
lope county, where her father
homesteaded in what is now the
Neligh commuinty. There she
grew to womanhood, choosing
teaching as her profession, be
ginning in the rural schools and
later was a teacher in the inter
mediate grades of the Ewing
public school.
One of the experiences of
those years was the blizzard of
1838, which she often discuss
ed with relatives.
In March, 1892, she was united
in marriage to Wilbur L. Butler.
To this union were born five
children. One daughter, Leonora,
died in 1926.
Since the death of Mr. Butler
in 1940, Mrs. Butler and her
daughter, Mrs. Vera Anson, have
made their home in Ewing. Mrs.
Butler, while not in good healtn,
was able to perform duties about
the home until the last few
weeks.
Survivors include: Daughters
—Mrs. R. G. (Irene) Rockey
and Mrs. Vera Anson, both of
Ewing; sons — Coe of Lincoln
and Vance Butler of Neligh;
brother—Vance Coe of Rapid Ci
ty, S.D.: sister, Mrs. Henry Veit
of California; 13 grandchildren
and 11 great-grandchildren.
She was a member of the
Methodist church and held
various offices in the women's
organization of the church.
She also taught Sunday-school
many years. Her hobbies were
needlework and flowers.
Mrs. Harriet Welke and Mrs.
Gene Ruby sang “The Touch of
His Hand on Mine,” “Rock of
Ages” and “Abide With Me” at
he funeral rite.
Spends Weekend Here—
Gaylen Hull of Pickstown, S.D,.
visited his parents, Mr. and Mrs.
Loyal Hull, and other relatives
and friends over the weekend.
Dr. J. W. Bennie
Collapses Monday—
CLEARWATER — Dr. J. W.
Bennie of Clearwater, widely -
known physician, was stricken i 1
at his home here Monday morn
ing and collapsed.
Drs. David and Gordon Flet:h- I
er of Orchard, brothers of Mrs. |
Bennie, were called here to care
for him.
___
Give The Frontier for Christ
mas!
Hugh Benson went to Norfolk
Tuesday to get his brother. El
wyn, who has returned from
Greenland. Elwyn has been em
ployed on the project there for
about eight months. His wife re
turned about six *v >cks ago.
‘Livestock
Outlook for
*54 Is Good’
Economist Cheers
Group Attending
Stock Meeting Here
Attendance at last Thursday s
regional meeting of the Nebraska
stock Growers’ association was
only about one-third the expect
SulH Knda,nCL But the bla*e
£?“Id Hi pIacet* squarely in the
lap of the weatherman, who ar
ranged for a first-class early win
ter snow and blow.
An estimated 110 persons, most
of whom had reached O’Neill
the night before, heard talks by
Harold F. Breimyer, U.S. de
partment of agriculture econom
ics statistician; Stan Matzke,
Lincoln radio news editor, com
mentator and former member of
the Nebraska legislature Dan
Fri!h°tJ l'Yy?rning rancher, and
Erich Rohlwing of the American
Meat Institute.
These four were heard during
K'■ftenwm session!
nfrfn 1 th , Golden hotel. Fea
^d fPeaker of the evernng
«narl E' Bahmeier of
HfuT- executive secretary
of the South Dakota Bankers’
association, was snowbound at
Huron and couldn’t reach O’Neill
to keep his appointment.
* *
Breimyer
Breimyer predicted higher cat
tle prices for 1954 and based his
predictions on a study he has
just completed for the USDA
“I believe demand will soften
some but will remain pretty
good,” he said.
"Trends in cattle production
have not been smooth but have
fluctuated in cycles. A major
problem is how the cattle indus
try can adjust to demand for beef
without going through violent
cycles in production and prices
The present cycle has been typ
ical of previous ones, but ap
pears to be shorter than usual.
The six cycles since 1880 have
been getting progressively short
er’,< Breimyer explained.
The present cycle arose large
ly in response to strong postwar
demand for beef. Expansion in. ■
cattle started slowly but picked
up fast in 1950 and 1951. Cattle
numbers in the U.S. increased 22
percent between 1949 and 1953.
Beef output in 1953 increased 30
percent over 1952 and caught up
with the trend in population.
“Price declines have been se
vere. In November, prices were
down from November, 1951, by
about 30 percent for top grade
fed steers, 50 percent for feed
er cattle, and 55 percent for
cows. U.S. average prices for all
cattle have been 71 to 78 percent
Parity in recent months.
“There will be improvement in
price and a stronger and firm
j cattle market, according to all ..
! indications, but there will be no
return to prices of a year ago.
“Cattle slaughter of 1953 has
outrun production and numbers
of cattle may be reduced a lit
tle by January 1. Output next
year and probably in succeeding
years is expected to be smaller
! than this year, but it will still
be large—around 70 pounds of
beef per person.
• * *
Matzke
Matzke’s subject was "The
Good and . Bad About the Uni
cameral.’’ The salient point in
I his talk was his hope that the
one-house legislature be preserv
ed instead of being made into
a two-house system as is being
sought by Dome political leaders
Matzke, however, would change
the unicameral from a non-parti
(Continued on page 3)
Out-of-T owners
Among Soloists *
Four out-of-towners will sing
the solo roles in the third annual
presentation of George Fredrick
Handel’s "Messiah” here on Sun
day, December 20, according to
Director Charles B. Houser.
The selections:
Mrs. Lane Griffin of Atkinson,
soprano; Mrs. Merwyn French,
jr., of Page, alto; Willis Johnson
of Spencer, tenor; John Schwartz
of Atkinson, bass.
Mr. Johnson is music teacher
in the Spencer public school;
Mr. Schwartz teaches music in
the Atkinson public school, and
Mrs. French, whose home is at
Page, is the O’Neill public school
vocal instructor.
Mr. Schwartz sang the bass
solos in the 1952 presentation.
The director stated this week
chorus rehearsals have been
made “quite difficult todate” be
cause of busy seasonal schedules
here and in the other communi
ties. But he is confident the of
fering will be "well worthwhile
for music lovers.”
Mrs. French and Mrs. Houser
will be piano accompanists.
& ■ wmmmK-- * m
Almost like an Eskimo igloo, Jim Schmitz,
St. Mary's academy student, looks out from
driver's seat of snow encased perked car fol
lowing Iasi Thursday's storm.—Omaha World
Herald Photo.