SIXTEEN
PAGES
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SECTION ONE
1 TO 12 -
North-Central Nebraska’s BIG Newspaper
Volume 74.—Number 12. O Neill, Nebraska, Thursday, July 22, 1954.
Propel" fy Values Down
, 1954 1953
Cattle 159,326 $ 12.815,510 151,710 $ 17,074,030
Horses & Mules 3,365 87,805 4,455 120,390
Sheep _ 2,841 28,550 2,662 37,435
Hogs .. 10,618 364,701 6,704 221,170
Poultry (Doz.) _ 9,504 95,292 8,118 88,020
Corn (Bil) 630,742 819,857 247,191 321,270
Wheat (Bu.) 25,461 50,922 13,952 27,900
Other Grains
(Bu.) . _ 109,439 81,469 40,253 29,535
Tractors 3,038 1,137,749 2,999 1,539,170
Farm Mach. _ 1,340,770 1,395,845
Cars and Trucks 4,972,392 4,455,400
Household Goods 888,232 804,385
Business Property 2,641,325 2,964,275
Farm Lands _. 28,745,820 41,065,460
Town Property 9,181,800 * 11,477,250
Intang. Ciass “A” 3,408,352 1,978,160
Intang. Class “B” 590,054 1,376,601
Bank Ix>an, Trust
& Invest. Co’s. 972,646.99 943,576.00
Assessing expense amounted to $2.26 for each schedule.
Total Assessed — 1954* - $30,676,334
Total Assessed — 1953 ----- $42,040,620
•Does not include valuations of railroad property nor the
franchise valuations of power, telephone, telegraph and gas com
panies.
Foregoing figures show total assessed valuation approximate
ly 12-million-dollars under 1953. However, when rail and franchise
valuations have been entered the gap will narrow to approximately
10-million-dollars. The estimated 10-million-dollar decline is ac
counted for in the 30 percent reduced valuation on Holt county
farm land and 20 percent lower valuations on city and town prop
erty, determined by the county board, and approximately 3-million
doLlars reduction on personal property valuations. The 3-million
drop is attributed to lower cattle values.
.23 of Inch
Rain Falls;
Nee<J More
Gordon, Rosebud Get
Crop Makers While
Chambers Thir s t s
The prolonged dry spell came
to an end early Tuesday in the
O’Neill region. A leisurely show
er amounting to .23 of an inch in
precipitation fell during the
forenoon.
But the amount of moisture
elsewhere varied. Gordon re
ceived 3.60 inches in a 30-min
ute period, sending the creek at
1he edge of town out of its banks.
Chambers, on the other hand,
could beast only a sprinkle.
Rain began falling about 4:30
am., at Fairfax, Gregory and
Burke, all South Dakota points.
Fairfax received 2.60 inches.
Butte, in Boyd county, re
corded .75 of an inch.
Other reports. Atkinson to
Newport, .25; Bassett, .50; Lynch,
.15. Norfolk, trace; Winner, .40;
Valentine, 1.05; Pickstown, S.D.,
.46; Sioux Falls, S.D., .35; Spen
cer and Anoka, .50.
The five-day forecast calls for
temperatures through Sunday
averaging 5 to 10 degrees above
normal ..laximums of 91 in
western Nebraska; 93 in the east.
Tuesday’s shower came in
made - to - order fashion. Many
farmers and ranchers were hope
ful that rain had set in for the
entire day. But, by 10 o’clock,
the sky was clear.
The moisture did bring respite
from the heat and freshened up
the pastures, gardens and grow
ing crops.
Several inches of moisture
are needed, however, to see
the corn crop through to ma
turity.
i nt? raiiiirtii hi nuu w«w
first since the tail-end of June.
Even though the entire region
did not benefit, the moisture was
regarded as a crop-maker where
it was received.
Nebraska's seige of 100-plus
temperatures, and lack of rain,
have put the state’s com crop in
jeopardy, government crop ob
_ servers indicated Tuesday.
A good crop is still possible
but rain and cooler weather are
needed soon to stem the “con
siderable deterioration” reported
last wee!?.
Over the state in general, the
number of “white caps” has in
creased, and heavy curling and
some firing has developed in lo
cal areas, according to the state
federal division of agricultural
statistics.
Growth has been stunted in
drier localities and corn is be
coming bushy, the weekly re
port noted.
Much of Nebraska's corn
crop is now in its critical stage
of development.
(Continued on page 6)
Dobson Equipment
Going to Norfolk
Dobson Construction company
paving equipment will be moved
this weekend from O’Neill to
Norfolk, the firm having com
pleted 25 blocks of residential
paving here this summer.
Some of the labor personnel,
including O’Neill workmen, will
make the move. Initially, storm
sewer will t>e built in Norfolk,
followed by paving.
The same firm built eight
blocks of pavement here in 1953
and constructed the new munici
pal swimming pool.
in discussion of the city coun
cil's tabling of future paving
plans in O’Neill, The Frontier
last issue said:
“None of the 11 proposed im
provement districts have been
obstructed officially with 51 per
cent of the abutting real estate
owners filing protests.”
This was in error. A petition
opposing paving in one of the
proposed districts carried 60 per
cent/of the eligible signatures,
sufficient to prevent the council
from creating a district. (See
“Letter to Editor” on page 3.)
Pongratz Brothers,
A p a r t 60 Years,
Are Reunited Here
Sebastian Pongratz, 62,
brother of George Pongratz of
Emmet, arrived last week to
visit the Pongratz families in
Holt county. It was the first
reunion of Sebastian and
George in 60 years.
Sebastian was 2-years-old
when George, 11, came to the
United States alone from Ger
many. Sebastian stayed behind
and has resided continuously
in Germany.
Two Pongratz sisters are in
the U.S., Sister M. Gerona,
who is at the St. Francis hos
pital in Grand Island, and Mrs.
Michael Ilausland of Platts
mouth, */h0 has been in this
country about 15 years.
Nebraska Methodist
Bishop Speaks Here
The district meeting of the
northeast Nebraska conference
of the Methodist church for both
pastors and laymen was held in
O’Neill Wednesday morning.
Emphasis on Stewardship of
Property” was the topic of dis
cussion.
Featured speakers were Bish
op H. Bos com Watts of Lincoln;
Mrs. Charles W. Mead of Omaha,
jurisdictional officer of the
WSCS and board member of the
national board of missions of the
church; Nile Barnard, conference
lay leader from Lincoln, and
Rev. Richard E. Carlson of
Scottsbluff. They appeared on
the morning program.
.. .
Two Men Leave
for Army Induction
Two Holt county selective ser
vice registrants, Kenneth L.
Moore of Inman departed late
Tuesday for army induction at
Omaha.
Hartigan is a volunteer.
Holt county has been ordered
to furnish two men in August for
the draft.
Tune m “Voice of The Fron
tier,” thrice weekly.
Protivinsky
Rites Set
Here Friday
Retired Grocer, Bom
in Austria, in 111
Health Three Years
John Peter Protivinsky, 73,
retired O’Neill grocery merchant,
died at 2:25 a.m., Wednesday,
July 21. at his home in O’Neill.
He had been in failing health
ebout three years.
He suffered an apoplectic
stroke late Sunday and failed
to recover consciousness.
The late Mr. Protivinsky was
born in Vienna, Austria, April
25, 1881, a son of John and Mary
Nozveda Protivinsky.
He came to the O’Neill com
munity May 18, 1919, from Til
den. On that same date at Til
den, he married the former Tes
sie Bauman
The Protivinskys became the
parents of ive children.
Survivors include: Widow; son
—John H. of Sioux Falls, S.D.;
daughters — Mrs. John (Berna
dine) Grutsch of O’Neill; Mrs.
Bud (Eva) Thomas of North
Platte; Mrs. Claude (Jeannette)
Johnson of Sioux Falls, S.D.;
sisters—Mrs. Tressie Crosby of
Omaha; Mrs. Mary Sanders of
West Point; Sister M. Athanasius
of Oneida, Wise.
One daughter died in infancy.
The Catholic Daughters of
American will conduct a rosary
rite at 4:30 p.m. today (Thurs
day) at the Protivinsky resi
dence. The public rosary rite will
be at 8 o’clock this evening, also
at the Protivinsky residence, 730
East Benton street.
Funeral services will be con
ducted at 9 o’clock Friday morn
ing, July 23, from St. Patrick’s
Catholic church with Rev. Thom
as Hitch officiating. Burial will
be in Calvary cemetery under
the direction of Biglin’s.
Pallbearers chosen are Fran
cis Murphy, Leonard Shoemaker,
Melvin Ruzicka, Glea H. Wade,
Norbert Uhl and James Kelly.
Fair Judges Have
Been Selected
CHAMBERS—Judges for the
1954 Holt county fair were an
nounced this week by the officers
of the Holt County Agricultural
society, sponsors of the annual
fair.
Livestock — Jess Kavonda of
Ord: 4-H club work—Mrs. D. E.
Powell of Stromsburg; farm pro
duce—H. A. Millen of Albion;
needlework and pantry stores—
Mrs. Eunice Mann of Burwell.
The ’54 fair dates are Monday
through Thursday, August 16-19.
Highlight of the rodeo this year
will be rodeo performances un
der the arcs.
The complete program will be
announced in the annual pre
mium list supplement, which will
appear in The Frontier next
week—July 29.
Curtis ... 16 years.
★ ★ *
‘Honest Differences’
with Ike Foreseen
Curtis for Slashing
Federal Taxes
Congressman Carl T. Curtis,
49, of Minden, republican repre
sentative from Nebraska’s First
district, Saturday spent a half
day greeting and visiting with
Holt county voters here. Earli
er in the day he had visited Bas
sett and Atkinson.
In a press statement issued
here. Curtis pledged that he will
represent all the people of Ne
braska if nominated and elected
to the United States senate.
“I believe in the sovereignty
of the people,” Mr. Curtis said,
“and I respect their views on
matters both foreign and domes
tic. For 16 years I have presented
the Nebraska viewpoint of
sound and sensible government
in congress, and, if elected to the
senate, I will continue to do so.”
Mr. Curtis, a native of Minden,
said that he will continue to co
operate with the Eisenhower ad
ministration ‘‘in a spirit of help
fulness and of mutual respect.”
"I have successfully assisted
the administration in some of
the major parts of its pro
gram, including the very cor
nerstone of the administration's
program, that of lowering fed
eral taxes." Mr. Curtis said.
“On the other hand,” Mr. Cur
tis added, “there occasionally will
be honest differences of opinion.
Then, as always, I will vote my
convictions.”
Mr. Curtis particularly men
tioned global spending, which
he has consistently fought to re
duce, and the Bricker amend
ment, which he supports.
“The preservation of free gov
ernment depends upon ample
discussion and debate of these
important issues,” Mr. Curtis
said, “and I expect to present
the views of the people of Ne
braska.”
Curtis was escorted at O’Neill
by Elgin Kay, manager of the
Spelts-Ray Lumber company.
Ray has been named Holt county
(Continued on page 12)
Froelich Is Champ Long-Distance Commuter
(Editor’s note: The following feature story concerning O’
Neill’s William J. Fnoelieh appeared in the Sunday, July 18,
issue of the Omaha World-Herald. A picture of Mr. Froelich with
brief case in hand appeared in color on the magazine cover. The
story, written by World-Herald Staff Writer Harold Cowan,
is reproduced below by special permission.)
By HAROLD COWAN
The boys who once haunted
the back room of the Saratoga
billiards at Lincoln could hardly
be expected to remember one of
the university kids who racked
balls back in 1919.
Even if they did, they would
find it hard to associate yester
day’s boy with today’s man.
William J. (“Bill”) Froelich is
head of a Chicago, 111., law firm
specializing in corporation and
'icome tax work. He holds di
rectorships in many corporations.
He won fame as a prosecutor in
the government case which
brought down gangster A1 Ca
pone. He owns a seven-thousand
acre Nebraska ranch and has
other Nebraska holdings.
As a weekly traveler between
home and job, Mr. Froelich (pro
nounced Fraylick) is a champion j
i long-distance commuter,
j It is approximately 650 miles
from home to office. He drives
125 miles to Sioux City, travels
the remaining distance on the
Milwaukee railroad. He is a
member of the line’s board of
directors, and of its executive
committee and finance commit
tee.
It was after he had the pool
hall job fhat Bill Froelich rode
a hog train east to enter law
school.
Mr. Froelich lived in the Ne
I braska sandhills as a boy and
j chooses to live in O’Neill because
he wants his family here. His
wife is the former Irma Stout,
daughter of a former O’Neill
mayor and druggist. They have
three sons and two daughters,
two of them grown.
The commuting business has
been going on since the mid ’30’s,
when the Froelichs decided
against rearing their children in
Chicago.
“We wanted them to grow up
in a small town environment,”
Mr. Froelich said. “Besides, we
have our relatives and friends
here.”
The Froelichs often have as
guests friends and business as
sociates or contacts.
One visitor couldn’t under
stand why the attorney chose to
live in a small Nebraska town so
far from his job. After visiting
the home at O’Neill he couldn’t
“understand why he ever leaves
it.”
The commuting schedule fits
into his busy schedule. In Chica
go he lives weekdays at the
Blackstone hotel.
Business permitting—and he
sees to it that it usually does
—he leaves Chicago late Fri
day. sleeps overnight on the
train to Sioux City, arrives at
O'Neill by car early Saturday.
He has two days with his fam
ily, then makes an overnight
journey to the big city.
(Continued on page 12)
The Froelichs ... he is champion commuter with office in Chicago 650 miles from his home
here.—O'Neill Photo Co.
Seated background—Mrs. Vic Halva, Mr. and Mrs. Vaclav Uhlik, Mr. Halva; foreground—Eva
and Vaclav, jr.—The Frontier Photo.
Curley’s Products Go Afar
By WILL H. SPINDLER
The residents of O’Neill—that
progressive little city of north
central Nebraska sometimes la
conically called “young Ireland”
—are very proud of their “Curl
ey” Washacheck and his “bed
side lapidary” which he operates
in a room of his home.
Until 14 years ago, Curley,
who was born Carlyle Washe
chek but won the nickname of
Gurley in his youth, was a large,
strong, powerful young man with
the stature and physique of a
J hnny Weissmuller. Among oth
er occupations, he worked as a
truck driver for a number of
years and his strength and en
durance were remarkable.
Then in 1940 grave misfortune
struck in the form of a rare bone
disorder, which gradually began
tearing him down and reducing
him to greater and greater de
grees of helplessness. Over this
period of years he has contacted
many doctors but, while they
have eased his discomfort some
what, they have been unable to
cure him.
The strange malady seemed
to attack his spine chiefly.
Carlyle ("Curley") Washechek . . . untold hours of work go
into uncounted items of costume jewelry and ornaments.
gradually making it solid and
stiff, until the day came when
he could no longer sit up and
had to take to his bed. For
some years now he has been
able to move only his head and
arms as he lies flat upon his
back.
His mother and sister and her
husband live with him in the
large, tidy, comfortable home in
O’Neill and take care of him. It
was while he was in Wheeler,
Ore., for his health some years
ago that the idea of his bedside
lapidary was conceived. Rocks of
many kinds are plentiful there,
and a friend suggested grinding
rocks for a hobby. Curley grasp
er at the suggestion, went at it
with much enthusiasm, became
a real “rock hound,” and this
art that started as a hobby soon
became his life’s work and a
new career for him was launch
ed.
From his past experience as a
talented mechanic, he rigged up
a large turntable over his bed
which can be swung to one side
when not in use. On this table
he mounted a lapidary machine,
a cut-off saw, and electric sol
dering machine, a stone polish
er and other various accessories.
By the use of his faithful mir
ror Curley can reach his various
machines and set them to work.
Since he must use this mirror,
he is forced to do all or most of
his work in reverse. And when
one considers that all of his
work must be done from a prone
position flat upon his back in
bed, it is no wonder that all
marvel at his amazing work and
praise his fine efforts.
Through tireless effort and in
domitable, sheer will he has
★ ★ ★
stuck with his trade until he has
mastered the finer points of
lapidary and the making of ex- .
site jewelry, beautiful and allur
ing beyong description. He now
has a very interesting trade j
which completely occupies his
time and which brings him a j
good income. With no one to
teach him, he has made very re- j
markable progress down through j
the years, turning out endless
beautiful stone sets and mount
ing them into rings, bracelets,
necklaces, earrings and the like.
Work which persons in nor
mal health can perform with
more or less ease is for patient,
exacting Curley a tedious op
eration. While those in good
health can get out and scour
the countryside for the materi
als of their occupation, Curley
must rely upon others to secure
them for him and often has to
pay for them.
His mother and sister and her
husband must serve as “legs” for
him, run all of his errands, and
they are very cheerful and lov
able with him. He and his fam
ily are most remarkable persons
and at once capture the love and
respect of all who visit there
and become acquainted with
them.
In spite of his great handicap
that holds him to his bed most
of the time, he does take rides
in the family car and get out
into the bright sunshine and joy
of the great outdoors he loves so
much. To accomplish this, a long
bridge constructed of boards has
been placed from the front porch
floor over the several concrete
steps to the sidewalk. Down this
(Continued on page 10)
★ ★ ★
Editor s Note: Will H. Spindler of Wounded Knee, S.D., and
Mrs. Spindler have been employed by the U.S. Indian service as
teacher and housekeeper in Indian day schools on the Pine Ridge
Indian reservation of South Dakota since 1929. At present they
are located in the Wounded Knee day school near the historic site
of the Wounded Knee battlefield and cemetery of December 29,
1890. He is the author of four Western books; “Comrades of the
Lone Star,” “Lure of the Hills,” “Rim of the Sandhills” and “Bad
lands Trails.” Of these books, only “Badlands Trails” is still in
print, and copies of this book may be secured from the author,
Will H. Spindler, Wounded Knee, S.D., at $150 per copy post
paid. Will is a son of the late George H. Spindler and a brother
of Floyd Spindler of Atkinson. He is a native of Holt county,
having been bom and raised in the Phoenix community north
west of O’Neill.—C.W.S.
‘Czech Freedom Tank*
Builder Visits City
★ ★★ ★★★ ★★★ ♦ _
Vaclav Uhlik, Wife,
2 Children Spend
Day with Vic Halvas
By CAL STEWART
Editor, The Frontier
This is the story of a dark
haired, determined young man,
now 33, who led his wife, two
children and four companions in
a widely-heralded escape from
the Soviets just one year ago.
It’s the story of Vaclav Uhlik,
a former Czechoslovakian army
ordnance captain, who secretly
built a bogus “tank” behind tha
iron curtain and successfully
made a run for freedom int®
Western Germany.
The reason the story of the
now - famous “Czech freedom
tank” is retold in these columns
today is because Vaclav Uhlik,
his young wife and their two
small children were O’Neill vis
itors last Thursday. Traveling by
bus, they arrived early, stayed
late and spent the day with Mr.
and Mrs. Victor Halva. It was
primarily a social visit for the
Uhliks — although Halva was
so impressed by Uhlik’s ingenu
ity and courage, he wrote Uhlik
upon his arrival in the U.S., and
urged him to come to O’Neill.
Halva suggested that perhaps an
employment arrangement could
be worked out in Halva’s motor
and generator repair shop here.
Bui let's retell the Uhlik
story—the almost unbelievable
saga of skilL bravery, guts and
know-how that has gripped the
hearts of folks throughout the
free world.
A little past midnight July 25,
1P53, a strange-looking vehicle
growled to life and wheeled into
high gear in the Czechoslovakian
hamlet of Lone, near Pilsen.
Camouflaged with leaves and
branches, it resembled one of
the armored cars used by the
Czech bolder patrol in scouting
expeditions to keep the oppress
ed people within bounds laid
down by the Soviet tyrants.
Uhlik was the driver. With
him were his wife, Marta; their
two children, Vaclav, jr., 6, and
Eva, 4; Joseph Pisarek, a me
chanic; Mrs. Leonard Cloud,
v/ife of a U.S. army veteran;
Walter Hora and Vaclav Krej
cirik — two Czech soldiers who
deserted to escape communist
terror.
As the motley vehicle cianxea
along on its massive treads, Uh
Jik might well have thought of
the three years he had spent
building it A mechanic, first
class, and a former labor trans
port driver, Uhlik used the war
tom hulk of a British gun car
rier as a nucleus. He had not
only built the bogus armored
tar, he had literally stolen it!
Every ounce of material in the
vierd machine was scrounged.
Three years of secret, des
perate effort! Three years of
securing practically non-ex
istent scrapmetal — a baffle
plate here, a sheet of rusty
steel there, a length of wire,
bits of rubber, a washer, a nut.
a bolt.
Uhlik persevered, despite the
many heartaches, disappoint
ments and the frightening pros
pect of being caught.
He recounted with us some of
those experiences for “Voice of
The Frontier” listeners (Satur
day, 9:35 a.m., WJAG) in a tape
recorded interview. Mr. Halva
was the interpreter.
For three harrowing years
tnere hovered over Vaclav Uh
l;k the chance of being picked up
by the security police — being •
turned in by the spies.
Now, in the darkness of that
July night, the miles—70 of them
—stretched endlessly ahead. Not
far by American standards. Not
far at all. But an infinite dis
tance in a land strangled by the
Soviets.
Ever since 1951, when i-he
leds moved in and took over his
machine shop, Vaclav Uhlik.
had dreamed about this journey.
The armored car's treads were
ponderous as the machine clank
ed down that one-way road.
Much too loud, thought those
brave persons huddled inside.
Tension mounted.
As the miles rolled under the
machine, Czech secret police
occasionally would come to the
roadside and quietly speculate
among themselves on the nature
of the mission.
They thought members of
their own force were proceed
ing undeT special orders lhai
dark July night.
Uhlik was one of the best me
(Continued on page 8)
Miss Jackie Nettleton of Des
Moines, la., arrived Monday and
will visit for several days with
Mr. and Mrs. Bennie Hill.
