Cr r
TEN
North-Central Nebraska’s BIGGEST Newspaper
Volueme 74.—Number 30. O’Neill, Nebr., Thursday, Nov. 25, 1954. Seven Cents
Sydney A. McNeely . . . “driving” C&NW train 13. — The
Frontier Photo.
Jobs for 48 Train
Crewmen in Balance
Eugene Krier, 74,
Expires in Hospital
Rites Wednesday for
Retired Farmer
Eugene Krier, jr., 74, retired
O’Neill farmer, died at 11:10
p.m., Sunday, November 21, in
St. Anthony’s hospital here. He
had been in failing health about
a year and had been seriously ill
about a week. He was admitted
tc the hospital two days before
his death.
Funeral services were to be
conducted at 2 p.m., Wednesday,
November 24, at Biglin’s funeral
chapel with Rev. W. B. Smith,
church pastor, officiating. Burial
was to be in Pleasant Valley
cemetery.
Pallbearers chosen were John
Grutsch, Ardell Curran, Vern
Hard ng, Maurice Grutsch, Loyal
Hull and Hugh Benson.
The late Mr. Krier was born
November 26. 1879, at Farra
gut, Ia., in Fremont county.
His parents were the late Eu
gene Krier, sr., and Katherine
Hamann Krier. His father was
a native of France; his mother
a native of Germany.
Mr. Krier moved from Iowa (
to Fremont, in Dodge county, in
1894, and to Holt county in 1905.
He made his home with his
brother, Henry, and sister, Miss I
Eugenie, for many years north
west of O’Neill, residing on sev
eral different ranches. In the
fall of 1950 the trio, two broth
ers and their sister, moved into
O’Neill.
Survivors include: Brother —
Henry of O’Neill; sisters— Miss
Eugene of O’Neill and Mrs.
Julia Hintz of Inman.
Pleads Innocent
to Shooting Charge
LAKE ANDES—Mrs. Blanche
Conzemius, 36, mother of 10,
Monday pleaded innocent of
murder in the shooting death of
her husband last September 9.
Date for the trial was not set.
Mrs. Conzemius’ husband, Ber
nard, 39, was shot and killed
with a single shot from a .22
cablibre rifle as he sat in the
family farm home 10 miles
northeast of Lake Andes.
The couple’s eldest daughter,
Eileen, 12, testified at the in
quest that the shooting occurred
after her father made improper
advances.
Weichman Gets
Navy Separation—
STUART—BT3/c Milton Weich
man, son of Mr. and Mrs. Karl
Weichman, arrived home Saturday
night, November 10, from Boston,
Mass., where he received his dis
charge from the navy November
16.
He was attached to the USS
Power, DD839, a destroyer, at the
time of his discharge.
Bowen at Ft. Bliss
Army Pvt. John R. Bowen
(above), son of Mr. and Mrs.
A. E. Bowen of O’Neill, is now
at Ft. Bliss, Tex., where he has
begun basic training with the
ground forces. He volunteered
for duty October 20 through
the selective service office.
Bowen’s address: Pvt. John R.
Bowen US 3548068, Btrv. A-10
Tng. Bn., AAA-Rtc., Ft. Bliss,
Tex.
By CAL STEWART
Editor, The Frontier
I had a ride in the comfy
cab of the diesel locomotive
last Thursday—enroute to the
public rail hearing at Valen
tine.
Tnere is merit to the crit
icism that some of the Chicago
& North Western’s passenger
mail-express rolling stock is
not of the latest type. The com
pany officials have answered
this, agreeing to place modern,
lightweight coaches in service
on an eight-month trial basis
beginning in January.
But there’s nothing back
w. oodsy about the locomotive.
This iron job I was aboard has
been in continuous service
more than a year, grinding out
the miles from Omaha - to -
Chadron and return each 30
hours.
The engineer, Sydney A. Mc
Neely, 69, told me the Chadron
line has been completely die
selized for more than two years
and the efficiency of the 1,500
hp. General Electric locos is
“amazing.” The locomotive we
were riding hadn’t been in a
shop for a year.
“No time-out for water,
steady pull and quick pickup
of speed are the main fea
tures,” McNeely explained as
we buzzed along between Bas
sett and Long Pine.
“On our schedule (58-mph
top speed) our power doesn’t ’
have to labor at all.”
Each notch of the throttle
steps up the generators 75
rpm. There are eight notches
and, of course, the locomotive
will deliver more speed than is
needed on this line.
The diesel makes more noise
than a steamer—and you must
raise your voice to be heard
in the cab above the din of the
powerful diesel engine.
Mr. McNeely explained driv
ers on the steamers “pound”
the roadbed. The diesel deliv
ers “uniform power” to many
wheels, distributing the pull.
He pointed out there is 90
pound steel from O’Neill west
to Chadron. Originally, when
the tracks stretched across the
endless prairie, the steel was
60-pound.
Besides riding in the cab, I
rode in the day coach and also
in the vice-president’s business
car. I can honestly sdy the
roadbed is good—compared to
lots of others I’ve ridden. Mc
Neely told me the roadbed has
ballast all the way. Thus, con
trary to public conception, lots
of money has been turned back
into the road.
Withdrawal of trains 13 and
14 “would be a pitty,” Mr. Mc
Neely says. This is understand
able. He has devoted a big
chunk of his lifetime to those
two trains. Mr. McNeely could
retire tomorrow if he wished.
On January 12, 1955, he will
round out 50 years of service.
He holds engineer (and me
chanical) seniority in the west
ern (Omaha) district. His fa
ther was an engineer before
him.
The engineer ana nremen
aboard the diesels have lots of
vision. They have comforts,
too, including soft seats, lava
tory, and an indoor toilet.
Perched way up in the air
above the ribbons of steel, they
have a rare vantage point.
Pulling into Long Pine there
are picturesque curves, bridges
and streams. I wouldn’t tire of
that run if I were in the driv
er’s seat.
Mr. McNeely lives in Norfolk
with his wife, Hattie. They
have two adopted children —
Mrs. John (Frances) Urban of
Washington, D.C., and Robert,
who is a veteran in the air
force. In addition, they reared
one of Mrs. McNeeley’s nieces,
Jean Powell.
The veteran Engineer Mc
Neely would view loss of trains
13 and 14 with heartbreak. The
47 other crewmen on the Om
aha-to-Chadron run might be
obliged to look elsewhere for
work if the experiment doesn’t
work. The unions could elimi
nate the unnecesary flagman’s
job alone and save the C&NW
nearly one-third of the present
operational losses.
As an outsider looking in,
I’d think the union chiefs
would suggest some other econ
omies. We didn’t get into such
a discussion with Syd. But the
engineer and the camera-bear
ing newspaperman were agreed
there should be no death, now
or ever, for numbers 13 and 14.
Try The Frontier want advs.!
North-Holt
Pioneer
Dies at 78
Wm. F. Kaczor Rites
to Be Held Friday;
111 Three Weeks
A north-Holt county pioneer,
who came here from Canada at
the age of 8, died at 2:40 p.m.,
Tuesday, Novmeber 23, in St.
Anthony’s hospital. Dead is Wil
lima (“Bill”) Kaczor, 78, O’Neill
farmer, who had been ill three
weeks.
The late Mr. Kaczor had been
in failing health for several
years, and had been seriously ill
three weeks.
Funeral services will be con
ducted from the Paddock Union
church at 2 p.m., Friday, No
vember 26, with Rev. A. L. Nab
holz of O’Neill officiating. Rev
erend Nabholz is a former pastor
of the Paddock church. Burial
will be in the Pleasant Valley
cemetery under the direction of
Biglin’s.
Pallbearers will be State
Sen. Frank Nelson, Fred Lind
berg, Axel Borg, Walter De
vall, Garold Risor and Law
rence Rouse
The late William Frederick
Kaczor was born January 20,
1876, at Wellesley, Ont., Can., a
son of Frederick and Ernestine
Ehlert Kaczor. He came to Holt
county in 1884 with members of
his family. He was only a lad
when the Kaczors made the trip
from Canada and settled in a
community 15 miles north of O’
Neill. In 1900, Mr. Kaczor moved
onto the present farm located
two miles east of Midway where
he continued to make his home.
On May 1, 1912, he married
Ethel Mae Hall. They became
the parents of one son.
The late Mr. Kaczor for 45
years was secretary of the Plea
sant Valley Cemetery association.
He was a member of district
27 board of education for many
years and also was a veteran
member of the Paddock town
ship board.
Survivors include: Widow —
Ethel; son—Edward; one grand
child; brother—John of Spencer;
sisters — Tina Kaczor of O’Neill
and Mrs. Minnie Bay, also of O’
Neill.
Sight 5-Point Deer
Frolicking in Yards
Mrs. Dave Widtfeldt and
Frank Fritton, residing in the
northeast section of the city,
early Friday reported sighting
a five-point deer.
Mrs. Widtfeldt said she spot
ted the frisky animal leaving
the yard at the Grenier res
idence. It was moving into an
alley. Mr. Fritton said he saw
the deer in the yard at the
John C. Watson residence.
No other sightings were re
ported to The Frontier. But it
can be said the unusual visitor
was rather bold.
60 Participate in
Winkler Husking Bee
About 60 people participated
in the cornhusking bee held on
Monday at the Ed Winkler home
north of Emmet. There were 13
pickers in the fields and over 100
acres of corn was picked. Wom
en served dinner to the men at
the Winkler home.
Mrs. Winkler, 29, died Novem
ber 13 from complications fol
lowing a Caesarian section birth.
The Frontier for printing.
Eight-Month Trial for Two Trains
J. E. Goodwin (seated in center) entertained delegates bound for the public rail hearing at
Valentine aboard his special business car. Left-to-right: Robert Hornby, George Hammond, Mr.
Goodwin, T. Joseph Biglin and James W. Rooney. Goodwin is vice-president in charge of opera
tions for the Chicago & North Western.—The Frontier Photo.
Will Zimmerman,
Ewing, Succumbs
Rites Wednesday at
Orchard
EWING—Will Zimmerman, 64,
longtime farmer and insurance
man, died Monday, November
22, in St. Anthony’s hospital at
O’Neill. He had been ill several
years and had been hospitalized
four weeks.
Funeral services were to be
held at 2 p.m., Wednesday, No
vember 24, from St. Peter’s Luth
eran church in Orchard. Pall
bearers were to be nephews of
the deceased. Rev. Martin J.
Schmidt, church pastor, was to
officiate and burial was to be
i l the Lutheran cemetery at Or
chard.
The late Frederick William
Zimmerman was born Novem
he 2, 1890, at Battle Creek, a
son of Peter F. and Minnie
Dinkel Zimmerman. He was
reared ni Battle Creek, attend
ed the Lutheran parochial
grade school and the public
high school.
Mr. Zimmerman came to Holt
county in 1915 and farmed for
many years northeast of Ewing.
He never married.
Survivors:
Brothers — Charles of Battle
Creek; Joe of Ewing; George of
Hudson, Wyo.; sisters—Miss Es
ther of Ewing; Mrs. M. G. (Bar
bara) Helmricks of Orchard;
Miss Laura of Ogden, Utah, and
Miss Dorothy of Stalt Lake City,
Utah; four nephews; six nieces.
2 Sentenced for
Breaking, Entering
Two Holt countyans appeared
before District Judge D. R.
Mounts last Thursday and re
ceived sentences. They were
charged with breaking and enter
ing.
Gian (“Jack”) Montgomery,
27, of Stuart had waived prelim
inary hearing and admitted four
burglaries at Stuart. He was
sentenced to two years in the
state penitentiary.
Raymond Whaley, 29, of O’
Neill drew a one-year sentence in
the men’s reformatory at Lincoln
on a charge of breaking and en
tering at the O’Neill Grain com
pany on November 1.
Holt County Sheriff Leo Tom
jack said he would take the
prisoners to Lincoln the day af
Vice-President J. E. Goodwin of the Chicago & North West
ern Railway system (center) is flanked by Carroll (“Cal”) Stew
art (left), publisher of The Frontier, and Lloyd Pipher of Craw
ford, president of the Western Nebraska United Chambers of
Commerce. All three spoke at last Thursday’s rail hearing at Val
entine.—Omaha World-Herald Photo.
Mrs. Axtell at 103d
Milestone Thursday
<
Rural Teacher Is
Hurt in Accident
Miss Karen Donohoe, daughter
of Mr. and Mrs. John Donohoe,
was injured in an accident ap
proximately 16 miles north of
O’Neill Tuesday morning be
tween 7:30 and 8 o’clock on the
Opportunity highway. She was
cnroute alone to school in dis
trict 48, where she teaches.
The car she was driving struck
loose gravel and the strong wind
aided in sending her car into the
ditch. The machine rolled over
one time, Miss Donohoe remem
bers, while she was still in the
car. When she regained con
sciousness, she was lying on the
ground a distance from the car.
Sylvester Zakrzewski of O’
Neill found her when he was
driving from O’Neill to his farm.
He took her to the home of his
son, Paul, and the latter brought
her to St. Anthony’s hospital in
his car. Miss Donohoe suffered a
broken vertebra and bruises.
The car she was driving was a
1953 DeSoto.
> -
STUART — Thanksg i v i n g
day, November 25, will be an
other milestone for Mrs. Alice
Axtell, Stuart’s oldest resident,
who will be marking her 103d
anniversary.
It was 74 years ago, Alice
Butterfield carr.e to Holt coun
ty with her parents in a cov
ered wagon. As a young lady,
she had come west for her
health.
Married in 1887 to Joseph Ax
tell, she shared the lot of the
pioneer homemakers. She is
the mother of one daughter,
Pearl, with whom she makes
her home in Stuart.
Mrs. Axtell always has been
able to keep busy about the
house. But last winter she was
injured in a fall and now is
compelled to spend much of
her time in a wheel chair.
But the woman with the dis
tinction of being the oldest per
son in Holt and adjoining
counties continues to keep
busy with her hands, doing
small tasks.
Civic Chorus Is
Preparing ‘Messiah’
The O’Neiil Civic chorus will
present Handel’s “Messiah” on
Sunday, December 5, at 3 o’clock
in the auditorium of the O’Neill
public school. There will be no
admission charge.
People participating represent
C Neill, Neligh, Atkinson, Spen
cer, Ainsworth and Ewing. The
“Messiah” is under the direction
of Charles B. Houser. Mrs. Char
les Houser accompanies on the
piano. Soloists this year are Mrs.
Donald Loy, alto; Mrs. Grant
Peacock, soprano; Robert Mar
tel, tenor, and Richard Smithson,
bass.
Arrive for Visit—
Mrs. Robert Parks and two child
ren, Dennis and Linda, both of
Scottsbluff, arrived Saturday to
spend a week with Mrs. Parks’
parents, Mr. and Mrs. Leon Sar
gent.
Flash! Pappa Acts as Midwife
Time was on these prairies
when the man of the house oc
casionally functioned as a mid
wife. Frequently he assisted
with the births in his own dom
icile.
’Taint been so much since
the advent of hospitals, auto
mobiles, hospitalization plans
and such.
But Ben Vidricksen, youthful
manager of the Harding Cream
company plant here, about 4
p.m., Monday was summoned
home by the missus.
“Darling,” she said, “we’re
going to have a baby—now.”
A guest in the home dashed
for a doctor. When the doctor
arrived a few minutes later,
Mr. Vidricksen was holding
the bouncing new-born baby
bey, a 7 1/4-pounder.
Both mother and babe are
doing fine.
“If anybody ever told me I’d
have that job to do I’d have
told them they were crazy,” ex
plained Ben after some coffee
and cigarettes had settled his
nerves.
“My brother-in-law from
Iowa was visiting us. He’d been
in the thick of war and has
seen a lot of life. He said to
me, ‘You carry on, Ben, I’ll
fetch a doc!’
“After it was all over I asked
my wife if she wanted to be
removed to the hospital She
said: ‘No, we’re doing all right
here!’ ”
The Vidricksens have four
other children—Nancy, 4; Jan
ice. 3, and twins, Benny and
Penney, who soon will be 2.
The family resides in the
home formerly owned by Mr.
and Mrs. J. E. Davis, who now
live in Arizona.
TIGHT SQUEEZE
CHAMBERS—Eugene Adams
was involved in an accident on
Monday evening about dark near
Orchard. He was driving Ed
Smith’s truck. A car from the
opposite direction tried to go
around a tractor, squeezing into
the lane of traffic in which Eu
gene was driving. The two cars
collided but no one was injured.
The car was badly damaged. The
truck was slightly damaged.
Mr. and Mrs. F. W. Hargarten
and Rev. Joseph Hargarten vis
ited witn Mother Agnesine on
Monday.
Road Vice-President
Agrees to Trial
of Modern Coaches
(See editorial and “News,
Views, Gossip,” page 2; pic
tures on page 9.)
A Chicago & North Western
railroad vice-president promised
the road will continue its passen
ger service between Omaha and
Chadron on an eight months tri
al.
The trial period represents a
compromise.
It was reached at a meeting
last Thursday in Valentine after
the railroad official, J. E. Good
win of Chicago, 111., suggested
six months and representatives
of western Nebraska communi
ties had asked for a year. Good
win is the C&NW’s vice-presi
dent in charge of operations.
Goodwin said the eight months
will begin after new passenger
cars are put into service on the
Omaha-Chadron line.
Two lightweight coaches of
latest design will be placed in
service on the line “sometime
in January.” Ironically, they
presently are in use on a line
elsewhere about to lose trains.
If the people along the route
deliver “one-third of the things
they’ve promised at this meet
ing,” said Goodwin, there is rea
sonable assurance the service
will be continued after eight
months.
The trial period will make it
clear whether operation of the
service is feasible, he said.
Goodwin spoke to a crowd esti
mated at 450-to-500 which jam
med the Valentine auditorium af
ter the meeting was arranged by
the Western Nebraska United
Chambers of Commerce.
The railroad disclosed some
time ago it wanted to drop pas
senger service between Omaha
and Chadron because it said it
was losing $60,000 a year oper
ating trains 13 and 14 on the 447
mile line.
A storm of protest followed
and interested parties asked the
railway to abandon its plan, in
sisting the two trains are “indis
pensable to the economic welfare
of northern Nebraska and south
ern South Dakota.”
Twenty-eight towns were rep
resented at the hearing.
They are O’Neill, Clearwater,
Inman, Atkinson, Stuart, Bassett,
Long Pine, Ainsworth, Wood
Lake, Valentine, Crookston, Kil
gore, Merriman, Gordon, Rush
vlile, Norfolk, Meadow Grove,
Neligh, Hay Springs, Chadron,
Crawford, Springview, Alliance,
Omaha, all on the C&NW main
lien. Towns not on the road but
represented were Springview,
Spencer, Martin, S.D., Rosebud,
S.D.
Organizations, besides civic
groups, included the Brotherhood
of Railway Conductors, Broth
erhood of Locomotive Engineers,
Brotherhood of Railway Train
men, Antelope County Farm
Bureau, Sandhills Cattle associ
ation of Valentine.
Food processing firms exten
sively using the trains also were
represented, including Ben Vid
ricksen, manager, Harding
Creamery, O’Neill; James Con
nor, manager, Lakeville Cream
ery, Lakeville, Minn.; Ocoma
Foods, Omaha.
Arrangements for the meet
ing were made by Lloyd Pi
pher of Crawford, president of
the Western Nebraska United
Chambers of Commerce, after
the C&NW indicated in press
releases it was considering tak
ing necessary steps to with
draw the twro mainline trains—
the last passenger-mail-ex
press service in the area.
The meeting was called to or
der by Valentine Mayor Emmett
Curry of Valentine. He intro
duced Pipher, who, in turn, in
troduced Goodwin.
Pipher opened the meeting by
saying personalities would not
be permitted to be drawn into
the meeting and that Mr. Good
win was a guest and was to be
accorded that sort of treatment.
Pipher then called upon Car
roll (“Cal”) Stewart, publisher
of The Frontier, who had been
designated as spokesman for the
socalled eastern group, repre
senting cities and towns from
Battle Creek to Ainsworth.
James W. Rooney of O’Neill
read the resolutions which had
been adopted at a “preparation
al meeting” at O’Neill on No
vember 15. The resolutions
pledged “every reasonable ef
fort” to help make the two trains
operate on a profitable basis and
proposed a plan of “coordinated
effort.”
The resolutions, which were
entered in the minutes of the
Valentine hearing, declared the
eastern delegates “realize that
efficient and profitable opera
tion of the railroad is hampered
by unwieldy governmental regu
lations, subsidized competition
and many unreasonable union
practices.”
(Continued on page 8)
Veteran Statistics
Keeper Is Honored
Miss O’Malley Notes
18,656 Holt Births
Miss Elizabeth O’Malley, mem
ber of a pioneer O’Neill family,
Tuesday was presented a scroll
signed by Nebraska Gov, Robert
Crosby and Clair L. Chism, di
rector of the bureau of vital sta
tistics, Nebraska department of
health. Mr. Chism made the pre
sentation at Miss O’Malley’s
home.
Mr. Chism said Miss O’Malley
ranked among the top 10 re
corders of vitai statistics in the
nation, in point of service, and
was undisputed holder of the ti
tle in Nebraska.
Miss O’Malley began record
ing births and deaths for the
state records in 1910. Since that
time she has reported 18,656
births and 4,048 deaths. In the
latest census count, Holt county
numbered 14,859 persons.
Relocation of 281
Is Not Discussed
o
The Nebraska state highway
advisory commission, in session
Monday at the statehouse in Lin
coln, was pressed for a decision
on state highway 35 relocation
between Wayne and Wakefield,
spent considerable time discuss
ing the Omaha outerbelt line, and
heard a delegation from Danne
borg.
The packed agenda prevented
coming around to the U.S. high
way 281 subject—choosing be
tween three or four proposed
routes linking the junction with
state highway 12 and the Ft.
Randall dam. The 281-12 junc
toin is in Boyd county.
A spokesman for the commis
sion said the 281 matter would
be tabled until the December 20
hearing.
In the highway 35 contention, c
the commission reversed the
recommendation of State High
way Engineer L. N. Ress. Gov
Robert Crosby might issue a
statement on the matter “with
in a few days.”
O’Neill Student*
at Mu*ic Clinic
Ten students from the O'Neill
high school and St. Mary’s acad
emy attended the state music
clinic held at Beatrice from last
Thursday t h ro u g h Saturday.
They were:
Band: Marilyn Lindberg
iflute), Regina Hynes (French
horn).
Choir: Patricia Grenier, so
prano; Mildred Crabb, aWo; Ar
riyce Alton, alto, and David An
derson, bass.
Twirler: Mardelle GasfciH, Ma
ry Elizabeth Gatz, Mardy John
son and Margaret McElvain.
The group was accompanied' by
Richard Smithson, O^Neill high
vocal instructor, and Charles B.
Houser, O’Neill high and St.
Mary’s band instructor
There were 16 guest lectur
ers and clinicians and four guest
conductors.
Highlighting the three-day clin
ic was a concert by the Univer
sity of Nebraska orchestra with
saxophonist, Sigurd Rischar, as
guest soloist; a student mixer
end a concert in the Beatrice
auditoruim Saturday with a 175
piece orchestra; 203-piece band
and a 500-voice chorus group.
A new addition to the clinic
this year was a baton twirling
demonstration with 125 students
participating.
David, Burge Sales
Next on Calendar
There are two auctions on The
Frontier’s sale calendar:
Monday, December 6: W. H.
David, residing 21 miles south off
O’Neill, will offer 75 head off
cattle, machinery, some house
hold goods. (Advertisement on
page 7.) Cols. Roy David and Edl
T h o r i n, O’Neill, auctioneers;
Chambers State bank, clerk.
Friday, December 10: den
Burge, residing 1 mile west of
Inman, will offer 45 head of cat
tle, three IHC tractors, machin
ery, household goods; CoL Ed
Thorin, O’Neill, auctioneer; O’
Neill National bank, clerk.
Union Thanksviving
Rite Planned—
A union Thanksgiving worship
service was to be held Wednes
day evening, November 24, at
8 o’clock at the First Presbyteri
an church in O’Neill.
Miss Eleanor Nickelson and Sam
Stearns, both of Winner, S.D., spent
Sunday with Charles and Mrs. M.
Jensen.
