Image provided by: University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries, Lincoln, NE
About The frontier. (O'Neill City, Holt County, Neb.) 1880-1965 | View Entire Issue (Nov. 11, 1954)
I Prairieland Talk . . . Humble Reverence in Marion By KOMAVN'E SAUNDERS, Retired, Former Editor The Frontier MARION, IND.-I-A community that has housed Hoosiers for more than a century would seem to be not too good a place for the lumber business. But son and I were at a lumber yard this Sunday morning to get just one thing and found a dozen or more cars and trucks there ahead of us. To secure what son was in need of, we spent more than an hour to get waited on. The yard is owned by a patriot who attach es sacred significance to the sev enth day of the week instead of the first but is not a Jew, hence closes his business on the sev enth day and is open the first and is swamped with business. Marion seems to have a popula tion of churchgoers where human dignity and humble reverence Romaine inspire each group to respect the Saunders sacred rights of the others. * * * Most communities have their traditions. A community notable cannot escape the devotion of admirers who would clothe him in the gorgeous mantle of the heroes. Marion has its traditions in volving such a guy as James Whitcomb Riley, the Hoosier poet. They tell here that he was also a sign painter and until recent years his master pieces with paint and brush were to be seen on barns about the neighborhood. As the story tellers have it, Riley was the Indiana Advertising Co., and came from his home at Greenfield to Marion where he sold his advertising ideas to druggists and oth ers and then went about from farm to farm and got the consent of the farmer to paint a sign ad vertising Hostter’s Bitters on his barn. He is said to have been “one of the boys” where ever he went. And among other accomplishments he was an actor, later in life taking to the lecture platform. * * * The car came to a stop at the curb. A gal lant young Hosier stepped out from behind the eteering wheel, walked around and opened the car door to let his companion out, a charming young woman; escorted her across the street to a store. When the two came back chivalry was still inspiring the youth as he opened the car door and helped his lady to her seat, then went to the driver’s seat — and the car rolled away, leaving the spectator with a smile of approval. * * * Less than 200 miles to the northwest, crowding the shore of Lake Michigan and extending far in land, is the great city of Chicago, 111., where is to be found the world’s worst and the world’s best— a strange combination of human depravity and hu man grandeur, of man’s achievements and man’s degradation. Yesterday there was a killing, just an other killing. And yesterday there were babies born and human life saved through medical science. The man killed with which we take note was an out law, had himself been a killer. His last victim had been a member of the great city’s great police system. His fellow officers vowed retribution. A woman, the outlaw’s sister-in-law, set the trap. A rifle bullet fired by an officer dropped the desper ado after he had fired at the officer. Another woman was brought into the tragic picture, one with whom the outlaw had been living. What mys terious emotions forge these human ties? What lays an irresistible hand upon man and woman, saint and sinner alike, and binds them together in a star-lighted world? Capable of human love, why not susceptible to human nobility? “Noble na tures, and such as are capable of goodness, are railed into vice, that might as easily be admonish ed into virtue.” « • • Most people say they want to be better in formed, but keep on reading trash, whioh is the tip-off on their determination. It has been a gloomy day—wind and wet and chill. How strikingly the course of nature speaks of its indifference to human hopes and the follies of life. The political spasms are at an end for an other year. This section of the Hoosier state seems to be in the grip of the GOP. A candidate of that political group after a seat in the state legislature had for his platform the promise of lower real estate taxes with personal property not to be tax ed at all. But he did not explain where the funds were to come from for all the service the public demands. But the boosters of the political group that we have as a heritage of the late new deal have been doing their best to swing the election. About all the Indiana spellbinders had to of fer in their appeal was to remember your job, your farm, and vote democrat. I think Nebraska s democratic committeewoman had it all over the spellbinders of her party in the Hoosier state. In one address she shouted to the skies that the mid west had been betrayed.” It was all there, when I left a month ago and out beyond the “middle” I never saw it looking better or prairieland patriots better fixed. When the fathers and mothers of prairieland went to the voting booth, they doubtless had in mind that the drumbeat of battle has been stilled by the present national administration and their sons lie not dead or wounded on a far off battle field. Ten million more workers know that they will get social security benefits and those march ing toward the gathering shadows of life’s sunset are receiving increased payments. Patriots today, as I am at the typewriter, mark their ballots with an X for the candidates they are for and if they don’t know whether the gent who offers himself as a sacrifice on the altar of public service is for or against “broadening the tax base” the best they could do was vote their party ticket. Forty-one million bushels of wheat have been shipped abroad from our shores within the year, two million bushels during one week in Oc tober .destined for India, where, it is reported, Americans are cordially hated. * * * A few blocks down Wharton Drive from where I am staying for the present, flowing along a tree shaded course, is the majestic Mississinewa river, which holds a lure for one who has known the thrill of catching five-pounders that in the long ago swam the crystal waters of the Elkhorn before that stream was defiled with the city wastes, and when friendly Sioux still pitched their tepees near its fast-flowing waters. I have not and may not yield to the lure of the Mississinewa to “cast in” and probably soon will see the juvenile element of the community heading that way with their skates to see if the ice is ready for them. * * * Wilbur Shaw, three times winner of the 500 mile auto race, promoter of the Indianapolis, Ind., speedway and something of a daredevil, toying with death as he whirled over the race track at mad dening speed, will not compete in another race. He plunged to his death in an airplane with three companions. If you would travel life’s highway for four full score years or more, go slowly. * * * Legends and repudiated military theories die hard when there is an abundance of writers selling books about “mysterious” behind-the-scenes con spiracies. , * * * The names of Indiana towns remind me of home, such as Atkinson, Arthur, Bloomfield, Spen cer, Rushville, St. Paul. But no O’Neill. * * * Not every fellow in a newspaper office, behind a typewriter, is a journalist. Editorial . . . Rail Problems to Be Aired The Association of American Railroads re ported that the country’s roads had suffered a drop in income, in the first eight months of 1954, which amounted to 32.8 percent below the same period of 1953. This drop is a heavy one and is reflected in purchases of new equipment by the roads. J. L. Monroe. AAR vice-president, recently told the annual meeting of the Railway Tie asso ciation that the railroads were faced with in creasingly tough competition — much of it subsi dized by the government. Monroe warned that the country could not afford to lets its railroads get into an unhealthy state because of the vital role the railroads play in times of national emergency. Monroe is, of course, right in his contention that railroads are a most vital part of any country’s de fense system. It is also true that there is no time to build sufficient cars and other rolling stock once a national emergency arises. While it is no doubt true that antiquated methods, and operations which should have been streamlined 20 years ago, are costing the railroads through the nose, it is also true that the time may be fast approaching when the government will have to think seriously about maintaining the nations railroads in a healthy state. It may eventually work out that the government will have to drastically change some of its regula tory provisions which prevent competition and thereby encourage antiquated and backward meth ods. Such methods cannot easily compete with those of other transportation mediums, which are im proving their services steadily. Better business conditions may help the rail roads, but the final solution lies in modernized rail road serivces and facilities, and, eventually, a re designed government program to eliminate over lapping, produce efficiency and keep the nation’s railroads strong. Many of these factors will be discussed at length next Thursday, November 18, when inter ested citizens and civic groups meet with Vice President J. E. Goodwin of the Chicago & North Western Railway company and members of his staff at Valentine. We predict many persons attending that meeting will be confronted with some cold facts concerning the dilemma of the rails—all because this region is about to lose its last remaining pas senger-mail-express trains on the Omaha-Chadron line and because, all of a sudden, some of the thinking people have become concerned over these dim prospects. The Frontier holds to the belief, as stated in these columns three weeks ago, the government had better subsidize the rails a bit with mail con tracts to discourage the confounded congestion on the highways rather than contribute to the decline of the rails by snatching away business and in creasing the highway burdens. It simply doesn’t jell why the postoffice de partment insists on using air and highway trans portation methods around the country, subsidizing both with pavement, weather service, beacons, air ports, etc., and thereby speeding the destruction of railraods, which, after all, helped build the country and, on several occasions, have helped save the country. On one hand the country is spending billions for national defense, and, on the other hand, government regulations and loss of government revenues are hurting the rails. Postal economies are proper and, in the in stances of certain branch line railroads, trucking mail might be feasible enough, but it’s ludicrous to us that a vast area such as northern Nebraska and southern South Dakota, in which several hun dred thousand people reside, should have its last passenger-mail-express train service chopped off, in part, in order to save a few pennies per pouch. But Wrangling Continues— (Guest editorial from the Creighton News) You don’t have to be very old to remember when an airplane was a novelty and you’d stop in the street, or run out of the house to watch a plane fly over; or to remember radio with its headphones or separate loud speaker. You can be quite a lot younger and remember when television was something to read about but that was about all. And so it goes. Of course, there is one phase in which little progress has been made—that is in eliminating wars and disputes and wrangling between nations. If that worry could be elimiated, a lot of people would really rejoice. While half the population is trying to stamp out heart disease the other half is going around saying “drop dead!” Frontier CARROLL W. STEWART, Editor and Publisher Editorial & 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 coun ty, Nebraska, as second-class mail matter under the Act of Congress of March 3, 1879. This news paper is a member of the Nebraska Press Associa tion, 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 subscriptions are paid-in-advance. Audited (ABC) Circulation—2,335 (Mar. 31, 1954) rf.."=*ji News, Views and Gossip BY THE EDITOR ^ ■ ■ J An Irish Wit, He Is We were privileged to have two backstage chats with James Melton during his Friday evening showing at the O’Neill public school auditorium. A tape-record ed interview (broadcast on the Saturday “Voice of The Frontier” program, WJAG, 9:45 a.m.) was informal and breezy. When not speaking for the ben efit of the microphone, Mr. Mel ton triggered some rapid-fire wisecracks which doubtless have had something to do with his enormous popularity. Of course, nobody questions his musical ability, as evidenced by his suc cesses in opera, concert, radio, television and screen. I didn’t expect to encounter an Irish wit during the backstage in terludes. The first chat came about two hours before concert time. Wear ing a charcoal grey suit, Jimmy was hunched over the grand pi ano with one hand buried in' his mass of dark hair. With his oth er hand, Melton was fingering the scale and his tenor voice rever berated in the empty auditorium. President Frank Parkins of the O’Neill Community Concerts as sociation stated in a quiet way that Jimmy was simply getting the “feel” of the auditorium. I ac cepted that at face value, know ing not. .mg about Melton’s prob lems. “Want to meet him?” asked Parkins. “Of course,” I replied. Melton wheeled around, ex tended his right hand and turn ed loose the personality. A sample of the voice and per sonality instantly assured me the concert was going to be a wow. “Hey, twelve-thumbs!” Melton boomed, summoning Richard Hankinson, his pianist who has been a constant concert assistant for the past several years. “Take o\er your piano,” admonished the ponderus big tenor (6’1”, 200 pounds). “I’m going to talk to these two farmers awhile.” (What Parkins and Stewart know about farming you can print in something less than one paragraph.) However, we thanked him for the compliment and settled down for a visit. * * * Provincial Himself Melton said he loves provincial people. “Lots of folks in this world are cold and stuffy,” he explained, “but I find these folks out this way and those farther west very friendly, nothing stand-offish, just good, 100 percent people. “I was born and reared in a tcwn in Georgia of 284 — including the mules and one of the mules was mine,” he contin ued. “I love provincial people!” Melton had kind things to say for O’Neill and for Nebraska. He offered a few constructive criti cisms, too—nothing vital. He touched on his collection of ancient steam engines and antique cars. Asking how many miles O’Neill was separated from Minden, Mel ton said he would have invited the Pioneer Village people from Minden had he known the towns were so relatively close. The Warp family has established a historical exhibit there in which some auto and steam relics are displayed. Simply because I toted a cam era and popped a bulb or two, Melton began calling me “Rem orandt — you’re always making pictures!” I said there must be easier ways of making a living than snapping pictures. “Yes,” he countered, “concert work is a lot easier, pays better, fcut you seldom see your family.” * * * Pianist a ‘Find’ Hankinson, who after intermis sion drew three successive en cores at the piano, was discovered by Melton in a South Carolina music school. “The chap has it, I knew it, and he’s been with me ever since.” Melton’s mark of re - engage ments in the large music centers has established some sellout rec ords. Melton indicated he’d like to return to O’Neill at a later date when the concert audience here “is a little more mature. I’ll real ly give you a show!” We didn’t touch on the delicate subject of Melton’s age, realizing concert tenors are confronted with an acute timetable. Usually when they attain the age of 50 or 55 their voices deteriorate and they no longer have the wide range. Closest we came to dis cussing the time element was tl-is: “Maybe we’ll be seeing you again in a couple of years.” For the present, Mr. Melton has an irresistible combination of talent and personal warmth. First rnght concert - goers at O’Neill sold out right now to the big hulk of tenor from down Georgia way — a guy with sparkling charm, an idol of the world’s rrusic - lovers, a handsome big bruiser with a button nose and a magnificent voice. Great guy, Melton—and a su perb entertainer! —CAL STEWAKT Letters to Editor Amelia, Nebr. October 29, 1954 Gentlemen: It was quite a shock and a disappointment when I read in The Frontier of the dance given for the young people on Sunday evening. You probably are say ing, “But Hallowe’en comes on Sunday and we must to prevent . . . , etc.” Listen, I’ve enough faith in the young people of the O’Neill community and every other, that if you would say, “Kids, Hallowe’en is on Sunday, so let’s observe Saturday or Monday,” they would be with you 95 percent, and the oth sr five percent won’t be at the dance either. Or, has your town gotten so far from the commandments of God that your kids don’t know that time after time in the Bible — Catholic or Protestant — we are commanded to keep the sabbath day holy? I’m sure that no one can say from an honest heart that dances are of God or a worship of God. I notice it started at 8 o’clock Why don’t you as members of the Chamber of Commerce plan to be in your church at that hour — taking your young people with you? Driving through, and seeing closed churches at night on Sun day, makes one wonder where the people who own the cars lin in the streets are if not in church. How long is God going to with hold His anger at us as a com munity or nation where sabbath desecration is so common, towns ablaze with liquor signs? Those places, too, open on Sunday and at hours when other business places are closed. How can we have the nerve to ask God’s protection from com munism when we are living our selves and raising up a generation in a way that ignores God? We can’t blame the kids—talk about “delinquent youth and youth problems” — shame on us! Let’s clean up the delinquent parents and Chamber of Commerce first. It’s too late to do anything about the dance, but I am praying that almighty God will so convict you of the sin of sabbath desecra tion that it will make you literal ly ill at your stomachs. MRS. GLENN WHITE P.S.: I’d like to know if anyone else feels as I do. JUSTICE COURT October 21: Robert L. Bowles, no reciprocity, $10, Shorney. October 21: Charles D. Banks, no reciprocity, $10, Shorney. Harlen C. Todd, for General Wholesale, over on axle, pending, Crouch. Harlen C. Todd, for General ! Wholesale, over on capacity plates, pending, Crouch, scale po lice. October 25: Leonard Lemke, for Herman Bruhn, over on ca pacity plates, Donald Richardson, scale police. r Money to Loan — on — AUTOMOBILES TRUCKS TRACTORS EQUIPMENT FURNITURE Central Finance Corp. C. E. Jones, Manager O'Neill : Nebraska KIBBY - HART J ; j'i'i ■ ■ ; -1, • -. [4 ’ ■ '7© v"' ,r , li , i ■ 1! .■,%[! . o Dissolution Sale We are terminating our partnership, which began in 1952, and will sell our personal property at auction on the old Elmer Wright Ranch 5 miles south, 2 miles east and 1 mile north of Naper, Nebr.; or 12 miles west and 1 mile north of Butte, Nebr., on — THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 18 Starting at 11:30 A.M. — Lunch on Grounds Watch for road markers to the ranch. 300 — HEREFORD CATTLE — 300 7 registered Hereford bulls, one 4-yrs.-old, two 3-yrs.-old, four 2-yrs.-old; 35 yearling heifers, vet. Bangs vac.; 40 heifers, 2-yrs. old, vet. Bangs vac.; 60 cows, 3-yrs.-oId, vet. Bangs vac.; 27 cows, 4- and 5-yrs.-old, vet. Bangs vac.; 33 cows, 6- to 8-yrs. old, vet. Bangs vac.; 43 heifer calves, vet. Bangs vac.; 22 head of late heifer calves; 16 head of late steer calves; 4 head of buck et calves; 13 head milk cows. SADDLE MARE; 124 HAMPSHIRE HOGS; HAY; SEED; OATS Full Line of Farm and Ranch Machinery, Equipment, Tools WAYNE KIBBY & PHIL HART, Owners Ernie Weller, Elmer McClurg, Dean Fleming, Auctioneers Butte State Bank, Clerk ® © c t The world's greatest builder of V-8's presents THE TOTALLY NEW'55 FORD! New FAIRLANE Series... The new Club Sedan, like all six ’ models in Ford’s new Fair lane Series, features the new wrap around windshield, new luxurious interiors and wide choice of stunningly new, single and two-tone exterior colors. Longest, Lowest, Roomiest...most Powerful ever built! We invite you to see for yourself. And we tell you in advance you’ll be amazed. For this new Ford is totally new—outside, inside, and in thrillingly different performance. The long, low lines of the Thunderbird were its styling inspiration. Inside, you’ll be greeted by rich, roomy luxury ... by fabrics never before offered in a motorcar. Mighty engines, mightier than in any Ford before—supply its exciting power. And each of Ford’s three new engines offers the safe, split-second response of Trigger-Torque Power. Your ride will be up to 15% smoother. Best of all, you’ll find your kind of car, for there are 16 body styles in four fresh new lines. When you come in, don’t be surprised if you tell yourself: why look farther—why delay— you just can't buy better than Ford. EXCLUSIVE TRIGGER-TORQUE POWER IN 3 MIGHTY ENGINES A. 162-h.p. Y-block V-8 So 182-h.p. Y-block Special V-8 So 120-h.p. I-block Six (1) The new 162-h.p. Y-block V-8 has a higher (7.6 to 1) compression ratio, greater displacement. And, like all ’55 Ford engines, it has Ford’s famous deep block build . . . short-stroke design. (2) The new 182-h.p. Y-block Special V-8 (offered in combination with Speed-Trigger Fordomatic on Fair lane and Station Wagon models) features 4 barrel carburetion, dual exhausts extra-high (8.5 to 1) compression ratio. (3) The new 120-h.p. I-block Six has a new higher (7.5 to 1) compression ratio. It’s the most advanced six-cylinder power plant in the industry. ALL WITH TRADITIONAL FORD ECONOMY New CUSTOMLINE Series ... The Tudor Sedan (above) and Fordor offer a wide selection of new color and upholstery combinations. Lake all ’55 Fords, they have a new wider grille, new visored headlights and sturdier, extra-narrow pillar-posts for better visibility. New STATION WAGON Series...The new 6-passenger, 4-door Country Sedan (above) is one of five new do-it aU beauties. There’s also an 8-passenger Country Sedan, an 8-passenger Country Squire and a 2-door, 6-pas eenger Ranch Wagon Custom Ranch Wagon* PLUS ALL THESE OTHER BRAND-NEW WORTH-MORE FEATURES ★ New Speed-Trigger Fordomatic Drive ★ New Turbo-Action Spark Plugs ★ New 10% Larger Brakes ★ New Tubeless Tires dr New Angle-Poised Ball-Joint Suspension (Fordomatic Drive optional.) New MAINLINE Series... Each of the three Mainline beauties offers the same engineering advancements, the same graceful contours and dean lines that dis tinguish all ’55 Fords. Fordor Sedan is illustrated above. 55 FORD The fine car of its field LOHAUS MOTOR GO. Phone 33 _O’Neill, Nebr. e