Prairieland Talk ...
Who Became ‘Navy* Admiral*
By ROMAINE SAUNDERS. Retired. Former Frontier Editor
BURBANK, CALIF—A cordial letter comes
from Ernest Beaver of Deaver, Wyo., who is a
friend of Prairieland Talker. He informs me the
policeman I mentioned in a former letter from
here was once his neighbor in W’yoming and
about the swellest guy in the
. Big Horn country. Ernest wants
to know why I have not ever
mentioned the O’Neill patriot
who was once honored by being
appointed an admiral of the Ne
braska navy.
All I can recall is that :t
was something of a joke at the
time, but for the moment who
it was so honored has gone from
me. Gov. Lorenzo Crounse hon
ored Neil Brennan by bestowing
upon him the title of colonel as Romain*
one of the governor’s staff. No Saunders
man ever felt as proud over such an honor or
adorned it with better grace than the late Col
onel Brennan.
.And this bit of “horse sense’’ I quote from
Ernest’s letter wdll be of interest to many Fron
tier friends.
“My father-in-law, Hiram Hodgkins of the
then Leonie neighborhood, sold Ben Deyarman,
who ran the livery bam, a well broken team of
creams which were used exclusively to pull *he
bus from the Evans hotel to the trains. Well,
they became so accustomed to this job that
the hostler would hitch them to the bus, cluck
to them, and they would walk down to the bote1,
back up, and wait for Evans or his clerk to drive
them to the depot and back, then the lines
would be tied up to the standard, and he
would start them off and back they would go
to their accustomed place in the yard and
back into position. To this generation which
does not know the horse and buggy days, this
would seem improbable."
• • *
Among four million people it is something of
a miracle to be able to greet anyone you had
known among your friends of other days. But th^s
pleasure was mine a few days ago when Mrs. Walt
Stein and Mrs. Mike Kirwin, of the pioneer
Ziemer family in O’Neill, accompanied by their
sister-in-law, Mrs. Joe Ziemer, came to see me.
The two former live in Burbank where I find my
self at the moment Mrs. Ziemer, who was a Den
ver, Colo., girl, when she married Joe, the young
est of the Ziemer family, but recently buried her
husband and she was down from San Francisco
where her home is, spending a few days vith
friends in Burbank. Mrs. Kirwin and the Steins
are well known in O’Neill, where Walt was in
business until some years ago and he and Mrs.
Stein still read The Frontier. Mrs. Stein is one
of those popular twin girls when the family op
erated a hotel on the north side of Douglas street
a few doors east of the KC hall. Her father, the
late John Ziemer, in the early days of O’Neill
history conducted the Arcade hotel that stood
where the K.C hall now stands and a quarrel over
a redheaded beauty who served as a waitress in
the hotel led to the killing of Sheriff Barney
Kearns by Billy Reed, a cowboy.
Richard Nixon is vice-president and a Cal
ifornian. More than that, he is a normal human
being. Moreover, he is a dutiful son. And being
such, plans to spend some time with his parents
here when called to Pacific coast states on the
nation's business.
• » *
An oldtimer was enjoying the sunshine while
out in front of his home when a ear pulled up to
the curb and a neatly dressed gent got out and
walked over to greet the old m in and talk io him
about the advantage of medical checkups, saying
' he was a doctor and as he talked he rubbed the
old man’s back. When “Doc” left the old gent
discovered his billfold was missing from his pock
et—but he said there was no money in it.
* * *
Why does a guy who is normal in life’s out
look go nuts over a dog?
Braceros, which the papers tell us is Spanish
for field workers, to the number of many thou
sands come from below the border wanting jobs
narvesting the crops of farmers on the Unite!
States side of the national boundary line. Tneso
Mexican people need work in order to survive.
Wages paid in America are a lure. But govern
ment has stepped into the picture to prevent the
wholesale migration of husky workmen and fair
young women from getting out of Mexico. The
gate is closed. And there is a limit to the num
ber the cotton and vegetable growers can use, but
these they want badly because the Yankees either
will not or can not do the job. Some of the braver
ones south of the border get across by swimming
the Rio Grande. These are known as “wetbacks.”
This seems to be an annual affair and agricultural
interests, either large or small farmers, have for
years depended on Mexicans, and formerly Japs,
to do the heavy work.
• * *
Mrs. Marilyn Eaton, daughter of Califor
nia's governor, the honorable Mr. Knight, was
the chief actor in the christening of a new
United States minesweeper. Pluck, the fifth of
such minesweepers recently completed at the
Los Angeles harbor.
* * *
Among a group of people from the ancient
realm of Turkey before coming to Los Angeles,
while up at Berkeley a few days ago, including
President Celal Bayar, who was caressing the
nine-months-old son of his cousin, Abdul Malik,
I saw the name Henry Grady and at first glance
wondered how my Irish friend from O’Neill got
mixed up with Turkish royalty—not but what
the Irish can travel with the best of them. But
reading on I discovered that the Henry Grady
was not our Henry but a one-time ambassador in
the Near East. The president of Turkey has been
making an extended visit in America and is
about the first from other lands to express grat
itutde for what has been done to help his people
by the operation of the Marshall plan.
• • *
“Cell 2466. Death Row.” Such will be the title
of a book to be published sometime during the
coming year. The author, whose talents and abili
ty if directed out of a background of moral per
ception might have been an ornament to the com
munity, awaits execution in death row at San
Quentin prison to pay the penalty for his crimes.
He is described by the papers as Los Angeles’
“Redlight Bandit.” The publishers estimate thai
the book royalties will reach $100,000 and the
work is regarded as a classic in the field of lit
erature dealing with criminology. Be that as it
may, from extracts quoted from his book he faces j
the roll call of eternity not as the hero or the
saint faces it but in the gripping fear of what
may lie ahead.
« • *
A check for Sl.285,000 was handed over io
the treasurer of Los Angeles county for a tract
of 4,865 acres to be converted into an airport
for use by aviation companies.
* * *
To one whose lot has been cast at the mid
winter hour in a framework of snow and ice, his
life weather tradition is pleasantly upset amid
flowers and velvet lawns of the tropical corner
of our allotment of earth. But as the smiles of
sunshine and summer bloom in midwinter are
on every hand his prairieland sense of nature's
balance reminds him that it is the snow and ice
and frosts and rains which make America’s great
breadbasket land that keeps the country fed
blessed with soil renewed from season to season
in fertility by the winter’s storms.
* * *
Among other things this big town has the
biggest of is the county’s superior court system,
reputedly the “biggest court in the world,” with
its 80 separate divisions. The cost of maintain
ing this vast judicial setup is said to be $24,000
a day. Divorce actions, crimnal prosecutions, do
mestic rows, general human disputes and the
universal cry for justice keeps the mills of the
gods grinding steadily.
Editorial . . .
Manion Firing Might Misfire
Recently Assistant U.S. President” Sherman
Adams suggested to Dr. Clarence E. Manion, for
mer dean of the Notre Dame university law
school, that he resign his government post. Man
ion has been serving as chairman of the presi
dent’s commission on intergovernmental relation-.
ships.
Some newspaper commentators passed the
word earlier that Manion was about to be fired.
It is now being charged that Manion’s dis
missal constitutes “muzzling” of free opinion.
One version of why Doctor Manion got in
trouble is suggested by the story of a South Da
kota judge, who told a visiting cousin of a case
coming up before him. A local telephone operator
had extended credit to a touring ball team on a
number of long distance calls until after the day’s
gate receipts were in. The team then skipped
town. The company docked the operator’s pay
for the loss and she was suing to recover.
“Have you made up your mind on the case?”
asked the cousin. “Oh, no,” said the judge. “I
must listen to the evidence and the arguments.
But Til tell you one thing—that little girl is go
ing to get her money!”
This presidential commission had been set
up certainly to make a thorough, objective, and
nonpartisan study of a question that has become
monumental: The proper scope of federal func
tions in a large and important area in relation to
those of the states and of private enterprise.
Hardly had his appointment been announced
when Doctor Manion in a public address advocat
ed sale of the Tennessee valley authority to pn
• vate business. He has since been delivering s
series of lectures militantly upholding the Bricker
amendment on the thesis stated in his letter of
resignation: That states’ rights are paramount over
federal.
Doctor Manion is a distinguished lawyer. He
is completely entitled to his opinions, and a strong
and honest case can be made for them. He was
within the terms of his appointment in fulfilling
his lecture dates. But when he voiced so fre
quently and so vehemently his commitment to
one side (it doesn’t matter which) of the very
question the group under his leadership had been
created to weigh and to judge he was, in effect,
saying to the country that so far as he was con
cerned “that little girl is going to get her money.'’
On the other hand, Manion’s TV A ideas are
just a sidelight The crux, in our opinion, is his
enthusiasm for the Bricker amendment, which
is gathering public sentiment by leaps and
bounds over the opposition of President Eisen
hower, who is pushing hard for a speedy vote in
the new congress.
We see nothing wrong in the good doctor’s
founding off—he has a perfect right to do so. The
“firing” probably will focus enough additional
importance to the Bricker amendment to get the
amendment tacked on.
The Frontier hopes so.
If you would like to see the president’s
treaty making powers with foreign nations re
stricted in the spirit of the constitution, then it’s
high time you were writing your congressman. Be
cause that’s what the Bricker amendment repre
sents.
The Manion versus the administration affair
is just a phase of the overall struggle, but it
points up how far the internationalist crowd will
go to gain its objectives.
If Manions’ worst sins were to support the
Bricker amendment in something of the fashion
of the South Dakota judge and to recommend the
sale of a white elephant to private ownership,
then he’s not so bad.
The highways claim the lives of two youths
—H. Dean Gilman, 20, of Amelia and William B.
Crook, 19, of Ainsworth. Both youths were known
in Holt county. Their horrible deaths occurred
Saturday within the span of a few hours yet sev
eral hundred miles apart.
Basketball tournament time is here. When
those differences are duly settled we can all look
forward to the opening of the new swimming pool
on memorial day.
Senator McCarthy’s indictments of commun
ists in government, present and past, may well
prevent a democratic comeback in next fall’s
election.
Norfolk finally got a snowstorm.
CARROLL W. STEWART, Ed>tor and Publisher
Editorial 8c Business Offices: 122 South Fourth St.
Address correspondence: Box 330, O’Neill, Nebr
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. Tbis
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—2,258 (Sept. 30, 1953)
When You and I Were Young . . .
Chapman’s Umbrella
Sure Sign of Spring
» "
Witnesses to Iowa for
Jackson Trial
50 Yean Ago
P. J. McManus is away on his
annual Chicago, I1L, trip to buy
goods for spring ' and summer
display. . . Mrs. Fitzsimmons and
Mrs. Nichols are at the millinery
market in Chicago, 111. . . Sprjng
seems to be around the corner—
Lew Chapman appeared with his
umbrella this week. . . Miss Grace
Gordon entertained the LLC’s m
the parlors of the Hotel Evans.
Guests played bridge. Miss Sadie
Scirving won high prize for the
evening. . . Judge Harrington,
E. R. Adams, Petef Donohoe, M.
H. McCarthy, A. E. Gwin and
I rank Campbell went to Newton,
la., as witnesses in the indictment
trial of H. O. Jackson.
20 Years Ago
Judge and Mrs. J. A. Donohoe
are here from Omaha to super
vise the packing of their * ouse
hold goods. Dr. L. A. Burgess
purchased their home. . . Jonas
C. Ecker, former O’Neill news
paper editor, expired in the state
of Washington. . . Petitions are
in circulation for the renomina
tion of C. E. Stout for the office
of mayor. . . Jacob Beaver, Holt
county pioneer, died at the home
of his son, Ernest, in Denver,
Wyo. Burial will be at Blackbird.
10 Years Ago
I The St. Mary’s Cardinals’ bas
ketball team rang up its 12th vic
tory of the season. . . Ceiling
prices for restaurants will become
effective March 6. . . Miss Mary
Helen Martin spent the weekend
in Omaha visiting friends.
Mr. and Mrs. Jess Scofield were
surprised by a group of friendr
honoring their 32d wedding an
niversary.
One Year Ago
A 48-hour snow storm lashed
O’Neill, very reminiscent of the
blizzard days of 1948 and '49.
George Hammond, “Voice of The
Frontier" announcer, took the
special events unit on a three stop
tour when the storm subsides.
The Frontier published a blizzard
edition. . . Nine drafted Holt
county boys will report for duty
in March.
Phone us your news — 51.
IW. F. FINLEY, M.D. •
O’NEILL
First National Bank Bldg, i
OFFICE PHONE: 28 j
520-Acre Knox County Stock and Grain Farm |
I and Personal Property I
I BECAUSE OF ILL HEALTH, I am forced to sell the following described real estate and personal property I
at public auction on the premises, located y2~mi\e north, I mile east and 2|/£ miles north of Venus store;
OR 1 I Vi miles north of Orchard; OR 20 miles east and iy2 miles north of O’Neill* OR 1 mile east and 1!/? I
miles south or Oak View Park, on —
Wednesday, March 3rd, 1954 I
Starting at 12 O’clock Noon Lunch will Be Served I
I Real Estate and Improvements {j
Legal Description: EJ4 SE^SW^, Section 9, NWJ4 Section 10, Township 29 North, Range 8, IK
Knox County, Nebraska B
130 ACRES - Very gc:J producing hayland - 200 ACRES - Pasture — 180 ACRES — Farmland 11
(including some excellent alfalfa). Balance in Building Site, Shelterbelt and Fine Springfed Pond. 11
GENERAL COMMENT: Here is an extremely well-located, high-producing unit which is ideally suited B K
to a farming-feeding operation. The soil type and general contour lines assure above average produc- B
tion through dry years, and at the same time there is adequate drainage for wet seasons. Buildings are B
far above average and include: An excellent two-story, six-room house; large barn with loft; medium- 1 I
sized calf and hog barn; 1,000-bu. double crib; chicken house; excellent garage, and severkl smaller }
outbuildings. REA service to and in all the buildings; water piped into the house; on daily mail route; B
rural grade school 1 /2 miles; Creighton school bus stops one-half mile from front door. C I
If you are looking for an all-around good stock and grain farm be sure to give this place your (
personal inspection M
39 - Head of CATTLE - 39 *
3-Milk COWS 17—Slock COWS 3—10NC YEARLINGS 15—CALVES, 3-mos. and older
Registered Hereford BULL, 4-yrs.-o!d
6 Doz. Austra-White Hens, producing now 14—Ducks
MACHINERY ETC.
44 Massey Harris Tractor and K-R 40-Ft. Elevator, ’51, with 300-Gal. Fuel Tank and Stand
Cultivator, 1949 6-hp. motor Hay Rack on rubber tires
Oliver Com Picker, 1951, 2—Com Planters, Case and Steel Wheel Wagon and Box
very good McCormcik-Deering Large Box Wagon nn n.ku *.•
John Deere One-Way, ’51 McC.-Dr. Rake, new, 14-ft. Harrow, 4-section **
J-D 8-Ft. Power Binder, ’48 G.I. Manure Spreader, ’51, on Standard Wagon Box
Used Lumber, 30-^8-ft. planks, rubber Tank Heater and 7V2-Ft Tank
some 2x4’s, some good flooring McC.-Dr. Loose & Hard Ground Pride of the Farm Hna n
boards Lister, 2-row on rubber Waterer att e
Kelly Ryan 15-Ft. Disc, ’48, good McC.-Dr. Endgate Seeder 100 Posts _ 3 Tons Iro
M-H Weed Sprayer, new Duncan Manure Loader, new last 4—Stacks Prairie Hay
7-Ft. J-D Mower, No. 5, ’51, power spring Model A Ford
J-D 4-Hole Com Sheller Char Lynn Hydraulic Pump, ’53 Brooder House, 10x12
Fairbanks Morse Hammer Mill, Tractor Sweep — Hav Stacker Hog Feeder * cl -r i
’50, good_75-Ft. 6-In. Hammer Mill Belt Many ^her Article!
HOUSEHOLD GOODS
7—Storm Windows, 62J/4-in. by Round Dining Table Buffet
^"*n# , Baby Bed
Coleman Oil Heater — Sink Kitchen Cabinet W arm Morning Heater
TERMS: CASH. No property to be removed unless settled for
I FOR INSPECTION OF PREMISES CONTACT: I
I CjlNRY SLADEK,Own r
I or the
I THORIN-BOWKER AUCTION SERVICE, O’Neill I
I C°aL- O’NeiH ' BILL BOWKER, O Neil. I
[^^Auctioneer-Broker Clerk-Broker I