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North-Central Nebraska’s BIG Newspaper
Volume 73.—Number 34. O Neill, Nebr., Thursday, December 24, 1953. Seven Cents
• " UP • ■>
$130,000 New Church
Planned for Atkinson
Knighted by Pope
L. F. Barrett (above), 1244
Hague ave., St. Paul, Minn.,
son of the late Lawrence and
Mary Barrett, who were pio
neer settlers north of O’Neill,
recently Was knighted by Pope
Pius XII. Mr. Barrett was
named a Knight of the Holy
Sepulchre at a rite in Chica
go, 111., in the presence of 100
archbishops and bishops and
600 other clergymen. This is
the first time in the history of
the Catholic church in America
that such an honor has been
« conferred on a Catholic maga
zine salesman. He has been
manager of the Twin Cities of
fice of the Extension magazine
for 34 years. Mr. Barrett is on
• the board of the North Star
Building corporation. He is
married and has one daughter,
Mrs. Hoawrd J. McNulty, and
four grandchildren. A sister,
Mrs. Pat Sullivan, resides at
O’Neill. _
Unknown Ailment
Claims Young Man
___
Louis Babl Funeral
Saturday
STUART — Funeral services
are tentatively scheduled for
Saturday morning, December 26,
in St. Boniface Catholic church
here for Louis Babl, about 37,
a Newport farmer.
Mr. Babl, who was taken to an j
Omaha hospital by ambulance j
about five weeks ago, died in the '
hospital late Tuesday, December
22. He was attended by seven
doctors while undergoing major
surgery recently, and the cause
of his death is not definitely
known.
Rev. Robert Berry of Long
Pine will officiate at the funeral.
Burial will be at Stuart.
Mr. Babl’s wife is the former
Bemiece Schneider of Stuart.
Survivors include the widow,
several children, his parents,
Mr,, and Mrs. A. Babl of New
port, several brothers and sis
ters.
Bristow Farm Wife
Dies in Hospital
BRISTOW—Mrs. Ben Nelson,
44, Bristow farm wife, died Sat
urday, December 19, in Sacred
Heart hospital at Lynch. She had
suffered a lingering illness. The
‘ late Olive Gertrude Nelson was
bom January 12, 1909.
Survivors include: Widower;
her mother, and a number of
other close relatives.
Funeral services were con
ducted at 2 p.m., Tuesday, De
• * cember 22, from the Rosedale
Covenant church at Bristow with
Rev. Paul Nelson officiating.
Burial, was in the Rosedale cem
etery.
V; C. Johnson, Wife
Married 49 Years
Mr. and Mrs. V. C. Johnson
celebrated their 49th wedding
anniversary Sunday, December
20, with a 6 o’clock dinner at
which their three daughters and
sons-in-law were present. A large
angel-food cake baked by Mrs.
Low'ell Johnson formed the cen
terpiece for the dinner table.
Their daughters are Mrs. M. L.
(Mabel) Harmon, Mrs. C. B.
(Ethel) Harmon and Mrs. Lowell
(Leta) Johnson.
Dewight Harder Is
New AF&AM Leader
Dewight Harder was elected
worshipful maste r of Garfield
lodge, AF&M, last Thursday eve
ning at the annual election of
officers.
Edward Trennephol was named
senior warden; R. H. Johnson,
•junior warden; H. L. Lindberg,
treasurer, and L. G. Gillespie,
Secretary.
Power Consumption
Up 5 Percent—
Pow’er consumption in the O’
Neill district of Consumers Pub
lic Power district is running
“about five percent above last
year’s requirements for the hol
iday season,” according to Man
ager C. E. A. Johnson. The O’
Neill office administers power in
55 towns in 13 counties.
The O’Neill standby plant fre
quently has been in operation
during the early evening hours
this month.
* . James Bastian, former O’Neill
high school music teacher, spent
last weekend visiting friends
* here. He is teaching music in
Carroll, la.
ATKINSON— Bidding on the
new St. Joseph’s Catholic church
here will close at 2 p.m., on
Thursday, January 7.
Separate bids on mechanical,
general and electrical contracts
will be let.
Estimated cost of the project
is $130,000, and work is to start
before April 15. There will be an
11-month construction deadline.
Rev. Richard J. Parr is pastor
of the church.
The new church will rise on
the site of the present frame
building, which was construct
ed in 1836 and is one of the
old landmarks in this section of
the county.
A money-raising fund for the
new chuTch was begun several
years ago under the direction of
the late Rev. A. A. Lehman, who
died in May, 1951.
James Loftis of Omaha is the
architect. Specifications, which
have been sent to various con
tractors, call for Keota granite
construction. Seating capacity of
the new church will be approxi
mately 600.
The present church will be
torn down and during the con
struction interim services will be
neld in the Knights of Colum
bus hall. Numerous committees
are working closely with Father
Farr, who is directing the pro
ject.
Schools Dismiss
for Yule Recess
The city’s two schools have
dismissed for the Christmas hol
idays.
St. Mary’s academy suspended
classes at 2 p.m., Tuesday, and
boarding pupils flocked into bus
ses, trains and private cars to
begin journeys to their homes.
The SMA high school present
ed a Christmas program on Mon
day and the grade school held a
program on Tuesday. A round of
room parties climaxed the final
day of school before the recess.
O’Neill public school dismissed
classes at noon on Wednesday.
Many of the teachers left the
city for the holidays.
The high school band and glee
clubs combined in a yule pro
gram, starting at 10:45 a.m., on
Wednesday. Mrs. M e r w y n
French led the glee clubs; Char
les B. Houser the band. Mr.
Houser also led the audience in
the singing of carols.
The grade school climaxed the
pre-holiday portion of the term
with a round of parties. Classes
visited various rooms Wednesday
morning and carols wrere sung.
Public school classes will be
resumed Monday, January 4. The
academy will pick up routine on
Wednesday, January 6.
Tibbetts Makes 5
Parachute Jumps
Mr. and Mrs. A. W. Tibbetts
received word last Thursday
night that their son, Pvt. Law
rence C. Tibbetts, 17, had suc
cessfully passed his schooling in
paratrooping.
Larry enlisted in the para
troops last June. He took his
basic training in Ft. Campbell,
Ky., and was sent to Ft. Ben
ning, Ga., for jump school. He
made 12 jumps from the 34-foot
tower, three from a 250-foot tow
er, and five from the flying box
cars.
Young Tibbetts said, “Man, oh
man, what a feeling you’re fall
ing.”
It is not know whether Larry
will get home for Christmas.
Conard to Serve on
25th Anniversary
EMMET— There’s a jovial,
round-faced fellow at Emmet
by the name of John Conard.
And he’s known by every Tom,
Dick and Harry.
You see, Mr. Conard enjoys
a unique reputation. He
throws open the doors of his
little (or big, if you please)
store and serves breakfast to
all comers on Christmas morn.
This year, Mr. Conard is
rounding out 25 years as the
lone storekeeper, postmaster
and mail messenger at Emmet,
and he is overdoing himself a
bit with his annual yule treats.
Conard also qualifies as a
hunter, fisherman, blue rock
shooter and golfer.
Eby Inaugurates
Taxi Service Here
Ray Eby announces in this is
sue the inauguration of the O’
Neill Taxi Service with a 35-cent
single passenger delivery rate to
any point within the city limits.
Mr. Eby says the taxi line will
make a practice of meeting trains
and busses and will be available
24-hours-per-day. (See announce
ment on page 3.)
Meanwhile, he leased the new
Conoco super service station now
nearing the end of construction
at the corner of Second and
Douglas streets. An opening date
for the Conoco station has not
yet been fixed.
Doolittles to Mark
Golden Wedding
AMELIA — Mr. and Mrs.
Thomas Doolittle will mark their
golden wedding anniversary on
Wednesday, December 30. They
will observe open house at the
ranch home of their son, Tom
my, near Amelia.
Mr. and Mrs. Doolittle were
married December 30. 1903, at
Beatrice. They have lived in the
Amelia communitly 38 years.
Yule Sales
Good; No
New Marks
’53 Buying Extended
Over Longer Period;
9,689 Cancellations
O’Neill stores remained open
until 9 o’clock Wednesday eve
ning and thus the 1953 yule shop
ping season is all but wrap
ped up and filed away in the
history books.
Merchants are expecting some
last-minute shopping today
(Thursday), but most of the store
activity will center on the claim
ing of layaway packages.
The 1953 Christmas buying
started earlier than usual —
probably 10 days before Thanks
giving. The peak buying day was
Saturday, December 12.
On December 19 the O'Neill
postoffice's postmarking ma
chine registered 9,689 cancel
ations—the high for the sea
son. This is a check on outgo
ing mail alone.
No record is kept on cancella
tions of letters ana packages not
suitable to go tnrougn the ma
chine.
Harold Weier, who is a veteran
in the job of assistant postmaster \
here, said Wednesaay the postal
load “may not be quite as heavy
as a year ago,” but he pointed
out the postoffice noticed the
rush was stretched over a longer
period of time.
Most O’Neill merchants report
a “good season” although the
weatherman spoiled one week
end in each November and De
cember. Despite the shaky start,
most merchants are pleased.
Most O’Neill retail stores will
close at 5:30 p.m., Saturday, ^De
cember 26, according to an an
nouncement issued this week by
the retail trade committee of the
Chamber of Commerce. This ex
traordinary Saturday closing —
this week only—is because of the
holiday nature of the weekend.
The regular winter Saturday
closing hour — 9 p.m. — will go
into effect on Saturday, January
2. The retail stores will continue
to close at that hour on Satur
days through January, February
and March.
Meanwhile, the Holt county
courthouse will remain closed
all day Saturday, December 20,
because of the long holiday week
and.
Nebraskans Point
to National Meet
Schaffer Named o n
Stock Committees
Many Nebraskans will have
prominent roles at the &7th an
nual convention of the American
National Cattlemen’s association
in Colorado Springs, Colo., Jan
uary 12-14.
Considered to be the most im
portant conference in many
years, the convention program
will include discussions on the
basic economics and potentials
of the beef business, research,
marketing, transportation and
beef promotion.
Taking part in the three-day
program in the famed resort city
will be representatives of the Ne
braska Stock Growers’ associa
tion, Niobrara Forest Reserve
Users’ association, Northwest Ne
braska Hereford Breeders’ assoc
iation and the Sandhills Cattle
association, all affiliated in the
American National.
President Dewey Schaffer of
O’Neill of the Nebraska Stock
Growers’ association will be par
ticularly busy with positions on
the national’s general council
and public relations committee.
Other Nebraskans active as of
ficers or members of the execu
tive committee and other stand
ing committees include Earl Mon
ahan of Hyannis, a national vice
president; Thomas F. Arnold of
Valentine, chairman of the com
Ynittee on sanitary regulations;
Woodrow Metzger and J. H. Vin
ton of Gordon; Chester Paxton
of Thedford; Ed Arnold of Nen
7el; William Dudley of Stapleton;
Dr. C. R. Watson of Mitchell: F.
E. Messersmith of Alliance: Sam
R. McKelvie of Valentine; M. E.
Trego of Sutherland: H. P. Han
sen of North Platte; and Bern
R. Coulter of Bridgeport.
Advance reservations at Colo
rado Springs hotels indicate that
a large delegation of Nebraskans
will join cattlemen and their fam
ilies from 30 states at the con
vention sessions and social events
which will include a banquet,
ball, barbeque, ice skating ex
hibition and hockev game.
Also scheduled for the three
day period, which just precedes i
the National' Western Stockshow
in Denver, are the conventions !
of the American National Cow- i
Belles and of the American Na- !
tional Junior Cattlemen’s assoc- '
iation. Many Nebraskans are act- |
' ive in these important groups. i
From FrONtTFE Staff
Schwager - Durre
Bag 13 Coyotes
A new unofficial record has
been established in south-Holt
county for bagging coyotes in
a single half-day outing.
Fritz Schwager of Ewing,
the marksman, and Lloyd
Durre of Chambers, the pilot,
took out several hours last
Thursday afternoon to scour
the sandhills west of Chambers
and in the Amelia vicinity.
They sighted 15 coyotes and
killed 13.
The previous unofficial rec
ord was held by Ed Thorin of
O’Neill and Durre. With Thor
in on the trigger, they killed
12 in several hours.
Schwager said the coyotes
were found in groups of from
three to five. Only one single
coyote was sighted, and he got
away.
Mrs. Alpha McKathnie and
daughter, Ellen, of Wayne are
spending a Chris#has vacation
with Mr. and Mrs. J. Victor
Johnson. Mrs. McKathnie is a
daughter of Mr. Johnson.
Mother M. Muriel
New Academy Head
Succeeds the Late
Mother Erica
Mother M. Muriel of Minot,
N.D., is the new superior at St.
Mary’s academy here, succeeding
the late Mother M. Erica, 57, who
died October 7.
Mother Muriel arrived Decem
11 and was installed last week.
She is a native of Minot and
has devoted most of her life to
work at the hospital in Minot
operated by the Sisters of St.
Francis—the same order which
operates St. Mary’s academy and
St. Anthony’s hospital here.
Mother Eirca had been mother
general of the order’s western
province at Denver, Colo., prior
to returning to her alma mater
here.
____________ «
BRISTOW — Matin services
will be held at 11 o’clock Christ
mas eve at the Lutheran church.
Complete Basic at Camp Pickett
Two men from the O’Neill area completed basic training re
cently at the medical replacement training center at Camp Pick
ett, Va. At Pickett, the only basic training center for the army
medical service, they have completed eight weeks of basic med
ical training and eight weeks of basic infantry training. They
are Privates George E. Schneider, son of Mr. and Mrs. L. Schnei
der of O’Neill (left), and George J. Ramold, son of Mrs. Joe
Ramold of Atkinson.
Life Sentence to
Kiss-or-Kill Slayer
Winter Arrives with
Subzero Readings
The weatherman provided the
proper setting for the arrival of
winter, which officially began at
9:32 p.m., Monday, December 21.
A bit of fresh snow fell and
there were high northerly winds.
A mass of Arctic air moving
into the state dropped the mer
cury to 2 degrees below zero
here early the next morning.
Days will gradually get longer
now that winter has arrived with
the sun at its southernmost
point over the Tropic of Capri
corn. As the sun begins its trek
back from south of the Equator
the days will noticeably length
en.
Hi Lo
December 17 _26 0
Decemebr 18 ...._39 15
December 19 -42 17
December 20 _ 42 28
December 21 _ 40 11
December 22 _13 -2
December 23_35 4
Private Clark Returns
to United States—
EWING — Among army and
marine personnel docking Tues
day morning at San Francisco,
Calif., aboard the USNS trans- j
port General R. L. Howze, was
Pfc. Don J. Clark of Ewing. The
ship arrived from the Far East.
Private Clark has been serving
with the 2d infantry division in
Korea.
Private Clark, who joined the
division last March, was a mem
ber of the 9t.h regiment’s med
ical company. In the army since
January, 1952, he has been
awarded the combat • medical
badge and the Korean and UN
service ribbons.
FIREMEN CALLED
O’Neill firemen were sum
moned at 12:10 a.m., Monday to
a trailer house occupied by Mr.
and Mrs. Danny Rakes at the H.
W. Tomlinson trailer court. An
overheated oil stoove was flam
ing. Mr. Rakes, who is employed
Dloyed at the Tri-State plant,
had worked late and discovered
the fire while other members of
the family slept.
Duane McLain, 20-year-old ad
mitted kiss-or-kill slayer of a
pretty Rushville school girl,
Wednesday was sentenced to life
imprisonment by District Judge
Earl L. Meyer of Alliance. The
eight - day trial was held at
Chadron.
A jury of six men and six
women Tuesday night found Mc
Lain, a former Rushville high
school football star, guilty of
first degree murder and recom
mended life imprisonment. Ne
braska law also provides the
death penalty for first degree
murder on jury recommendation.
The handsome youth sobbed
as he heard the verdict.
The slain girl was Karen Tal
bot, 13, daughter of a Rush
ville ranch family. She vanish
ed the night of August 20 from
the Rushville streets near her
home.
The search for the slayer end
ed early October 10. McLain was
being taken to O’Neill to receive .
a lie detector test. In a small
room in the courthouse here he
admitted the Talbot slaying and
signed the first of three state
ments.
He had buried the body in a
shallow pasture grave and took
authorities to the scene a few
hours after his confession here.
Sheridan County Sheriff Hall
said he would not take McLain
to Lincoln to begin the sentence
until “a few days after Christ
mas.” The boy is the product of
a broken home and was reared
by his grandparents. He was
president of his class when a
senior in high school.
Hall said McLain would not be
eligible for parole until he had
served at least 10 years.
TO AUCTION SUMMERLAND
The Summerland dance pavil
ion near Ewing, plus a seven
room house, 80 acres of pasture
and some other improvements,
will be sold at auction on Wed
nesday, January 6. according to
the owners, Mr. and Mrs. Rudy
Juracek of Ewing, who reside on
the premises. The Juraceks have
been advised by their physicians
to change climate. The Thorin
Bowker Auction Service of O’
Neill will conduct the sale.
Polio Drive
Chairmen
Are Named
2 Benefit Basketball
Games Scheluled;
Funds Badly Needed
Community leaders for the 1954
march of dimes campaign, to be
conducted under the auspices of
the Holt county chapter of the
National Foundation for Infantile
Paralysis, have been announced.
C. R. (“Bob”) Hill, conservation
ist for the U.S. soil conservation
service with headquarter.: here,
has been named Holt county
polio chairman.
The community leaders are:
Mrs. Robert Kurtz of O’Neill,
Mr. and Mrs. M. W. Ellen wood
of Atkinson, Mrs. Norma Hall of
Stuart, Mrs. Otto Matschullat of
Page, Mrs. Edwin Hubbard of
Chambers.
Mrs. Clarence Shaw of Ewing,
Mrs. Vern Sageser of Amelia,
Mrs. Grant Peacock of Emmet,.
Mrs. John Mattson of Inman,
Mrs. Lee Brady, sr., of Dorsey,.
Mrs. Kenneth LaRue of the Mar
tha iural community, Mrs. Char
les Mulford of the Cleveland
rural community and Miss Alice
L. French of O’Neill, who will
head the drive in the Holt coun
ty rural schools.
Publicity chairman is John H.
McCarville of O’Neill.
Paul Baker, O’Neill high school
principal, will be in charge of the
minute men, who will speak at
public affairs in behalf of the
polio drive.
Mrs. maimer bRuioorstad or
O’Neill is county chairman for
the mothers’ march on polio.
The O’Neill Square Dance club
will sponsor a free dance at the
Legion auditorium here on Mon
day, January 11, in behalf of the
polio push.
A basketball benefit also is
scheduled. The O’Neill Towners
will face Richie Ashburn’s Til
den team sometime during Jan
uary—the date to be announced.
Mrs. Ellenwood, Atkinson
chairman, has announce] the
third annual Christmas pre-polio
drive all-start basketball game
will be staged in Atkinson on
Sunday, December 27, starting
at 7 p.m.
It will be a twin bill with the
East All-Stars vs. the West All
Stars. The nightcap will feature
the St. Joseph’s hall All-Stars
vs. the Atkinson high All-Stars—
a clash of former basketball
greats at each school.
Some of the players to be seen
in action include Bob Berigaq.
Pat Miller, Tushla, Bud Weich
man, Bob Mack, Schom, and oth
ers from St. Joe; also Leach, Sie
bert, Wilbern, Fleming, Ellen
wood, Puckett, Livingston and
Ratliff from Atkinson high.
“Holt county’s quota will be
substantially higher in the polio
fund drive this year,” Mr. Hill
said.
Mrs. Holcomb Named
Master Teacher
Mrs. Ruby Holcomb, teacher
in Holt county rural school dis
trict 156, near Chambers, has
been chosen as a master teacher
representative for the Holt coun
ty Rural Teachers association.
She has been a successful rural
teacher for seven years, has been
active in the work of the Holt
County Rural Teachers associa
tion, and is president of the group
this year.
Mrs. Holcomb has been an out
standing 4-H club leader for four
out of the six years she has work
ed with clubs. There have been
12 to 25 members in the club each
year, and the members have been
outstanding in accomplishments
and participation. Public speaking
and talents of different kinds
have been in evidence every year.
Altogether a well rounded pro
gram of club work has been fal
lowed under her leadership
—.—-- (
Off-Campus Courses
Set for 2d Semester
Three off-campus classes will
be organized the second semester
according to Miss Alice French,
Holt county superintendent of
public instruction.
Public school art (art 21 oc), a
three-hour course from the Uni
versity of Nebraska, will meet
Saturday, January 16, 9 am., .
for organization and will contin
ue meeting on alternate Satur
days. Roscoe Shields will be the
instructor.
Wednesday, January 23, 9 a.m.
will be the organization date for
two classes from Wayne. Pri
mary activities (Ed. 7 and 17)
and representative Americans
(hist. 10 - 110) are three-hour
classes and will meet at the same
time.
To Philly—
Dr. W. F. Finley departed
Sunday evening for Philadelphia,
Pa., where he will spend two
weeks with relatives.