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About The frontier. (O'Neill City, Holt County, Neb.) 1880-1965 | View Entire Issue (Dec. 23, 1954)
Prairieland Talk . . . Spare That Church Bell! By ROMAVNE SAUNDERS, Retired, Former Editor The Frontier MARION, IND.— Again a destroying hand is raised to violate the memory of the pioneers and tear from its roots another landmark in O’Neill! Memories of Editor James H. Riggs, of Doctor Cor bett, of Mrs. Waldo Adams, of Mrs. Wes Evans, and others of a bygone day who gathered weekly to bow the knee in their consecrated shrine at what is now known as Everett and Second streets. Marching down athe avenues of time comes another generation to lay a ruth less hand upon the Presbyterian church, rend it apart and let the memories of more than 70 years be buried with the remains. This generation of disciples of John Knox sees the need of a new edi fice to replace the old. That may be symbolic of all that religion means—destroy the old life of sin and put on the robe of righteous ness to walk in newness of life. “And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the Romaine firmament; and they that turn Saunders many to righteousness as the stars forever and ever.” I am not a Presbyterian. That is not important _but just one of the millions of earth who anchor their souls on the Rock of Ages. Destroying hand, spare that bell that hangs in the tower! It was presented as a gift to the church by one of the original Gen. John O’Neill colonists, Col. Neil Brennan. Nor was he a Presbyterian! * * * A DeKalb county fanner reports a yield of 241 bushels of corn to the acre from a five-acre field, which seems to be the extent of a corn field in the Hoosier state. * * * Indiana has a town known as Brazil. That town has a Pentecostal place of worship. One g~nt went to the temple not to worship, but wanting a fight. In court he was fined $1,003 and stowed away for 60 days on a charge of being drunk and punching the preacher in the nose as he stood in the pulpit. . . Elected to take office with the be ginning of the year the salary that goes with the job has been cut $1,000 a year at the request of the Arkansas patriot who takes over the job. . . Eleven of Indiana’s 24 counties are said to ignore civil defense activities. . . Driving down the high way, a motorist noticed something speed past him and a drop in the rear of his car. A wheel had . come of, rolled along the highway, struck a rock, bounded over it and landed in a few feet of water; the car caught fire which was put out, the wheel fished out of the water, bolted again to its place and the gent proceded on his way—an incident of life on the highways. * * * Twenty-three representatives of young Am erica university life from 17 to 20 years of age, including three coeds, were arrested and fined $17 each. They had been having a road party with bottles of John Barleycorn the guests. * * * The day is cold. It is the time of snow and ice, when hoar frost weaves a lacey pattern on window panes, when old men sit by the firelight or as the moderns have it, by a hole in the floor, while outside boys on their sleds scoot down the hill The blush and bloom of autumn colors now lie dead under an undefiled blanket of white where it has escaped the defilement of tramping feet and busy traffic. A lone tree amid a forest that has been stripped to the nude lifts its leafy boughs in motionless defiance of winter’s chill. The heat and sweat of summer days left us wilted and now step ping out into winter cold we hustle along to keep warm. But the unspoiled picture of nature on a winter morning after a night’s snowfall is worth bundling up and going out to see. The second helping of toast ana eggs for breakfast will soon be available. The authority on such things down at Washington, D.C., has given out some secrets the nation’s hens are up to. Egg production for January is set at five billion 720 million. . . A circuit judge at South Bend rules that Indiana justices of the peace have no author ity to act in matters involving traffic violations. ... Another provision of Indiana law permits a female of the gutter to have guy fined and sent to jail on a charge of rape. . . Printers usually get what they go after, but this one didn’t—instead he landed in court on a charge of “disturbing the peace.” The peace disturbed was that of a fair young lady reporter on the La Porte paper where the printer worked. He had sought the lady’s hand in an ungallant way and was rejected. * * ♦ One of the city’s many large churches was inadequate to hold the crowd that came out on a gloomy Sunday evening to hear and see com munity singers render that popular yuletide mu sical drama, “Messiah.” My daughter-in-law be ing in the oratorio group was an added incentive for us to attend and after standing out in the cold for some time we found places in the basement rooms where the singers could be heard. * * * Ladies out McCook way have their six-shoot ers loaded and are in waiting for the Nebraska legislature to convene when they plan to march in at the statehouse and demand at gun point—noth ing more formidable than camera snapshots—that we have another law, something about a road down there in Red Willow. The men and women who established communities on prairieland in the long ago as well as in more recent times, rolled up their sleeves and went at it with bare hands. “There ought to be a law” is the demand now. Committees, associations, conservation and water shed groups, societies, leagues, and what have you have become a pain in the neck—all holding out capacious paws for a dip in the public money bag. Are you getting yours? Good luck to the matrons from McCook! * * * Indiana is a stronghold of the GOP. How ever, the democrats have reached into this stronghold and selected a party patriot, Paul Butler, to head their national committee. * * * In the neighborhood of this Indiana city where Prairieland Talker is enjoying life for the moment there are a dozen or so new houses in the process of being put together. I say put together as that seems to be it. The house is brought in sections by great trucks from a distant Indiana city and signs on the trucks also convey the in formation that the concern turning out the prefab houses has a setup at a place known as Horse heads, N.Y. One such house across on another lot was reared on the scene yesterday. Another near by was unloaded this morning and by noon was ready for the roof. I see out the window an arm of a great crane swinging back and forth, busily making over the earth for the planting of another fabricated home. • * * The mayor of Erie, Pa., one of 36 indicted, has been convicted of connection with a gambling gang that has been pulling official legs. * * * The outburst of an Alabama state senator gives a picture of the Negro question in the deep South. Blood will flow, he says, if a colored student tries to enter a public school*of the whites, defies the United States government and the military forces of the nation. And he goes the limit when he says the goal of the National Association for the Advancement of the colored people “is to open the bedroom door of white women to Negro men.” Editorial . . . Editor Strikes Lady! Bill Plourd, the salty stribe of the Nance County Journal at Fullerton, tells this story about an Iowa editor. Plourd says a Hawkeye editor he knows is in disgrace in his respective community because the Iowan had no better sense than to haul off and hit a lady in the nose. All the public knows is what the lady said af terward. She went into his office to see him about a news item. For no reason at all, she said, he lost his temper, spoke abusively and gave her the back of his hand. Anyway, that’s her side of the story. He told his troubles to a salesman who calls on him. The salesman, known in his territory as a very' tough and unsympathetic character, listened to the editor’s account of the incident and then went out and bought him a box of cigars. It seems the editor had worked until 2 a.m., the night before. A committee that knew for six weeks they were going to need programs for an event they were in charge of, finally got around to ordering them and they had to have them the next day. When he arrived at the office the next morning to start the day’s schedule he found three things awaiting him. A linotype had broken down and the operator couldn’t set any type until he repaired it. A rural group meeting that morning suddenly decided they wanted a price on a piece of printing so they could discuss it at their meeting. A salesman was waiting to take his order for some needed supplies. Before he could dispose of these three emergencies his wife phoned that a pipe was leaking in the basement at home, and a committee arrived to see about wangling some free publicity for a coming fund drive. A good advertising cus tomer came in with an ad lay-out and wanted him to hunt up some illustrations to go with it. A printer was fidgeting while he waited to get an okay on a job-printing proof. It was then that a militant female stomped in with a hostile look in her eye. She demanded to know why an item about her sister’s family being Sunday dinner guests at her home had been omitted. The editor said it un doubtedly was an oversight, but she yelled that it wasn’t either and was done on purpose and she wasn’t going to stand for it. He didn’t say another word. He just bopped her. \ You Can Tell Him! (Guest editorial from The Nebraska Signal, Geneva) Those who wondered what public issue would arise to take the place of debate and discussion of the McCarthy censure motion didn’t have to wait long to find out. The eastern clergyman who an nounced he was going to teli youngsters in his congregation the truth about Santa Claus supplied the answer. Perhaps the debate on what to do about Santa may not be as long, at this time, and it probably won’t be as bitter as the McCarthy question, but to parents with youngsters of Santa Claus age it is just as important. The problem of what to do about Santa Claus is an old one and its history can shed much light upon the present debate. A study of the history of the question shows others during the past few centuries have attempted to expose the Santa Claus myth but as far as we can tell the old gentleman is in better standing today than at any time since he was invented. Since the question cannot be affected by leg islation or public polls there probably is little point in taking up the arguments on both sides of the question. Besides, logic has* nothing to do with it. , We suspect many children discover the facts about Santa long before they take the final step to adulthood by admitting they don’t believe in him anymore, indicating children aren’t likely to become cynical when they find they have been be trayed, as some psychologists have suggested. Also, we suspect many adults enjoy keeping up the myth just as much as the children enjoy it and that between such adults and their offspring it’s going to take more than one clergyman and a few serious minded psychologists to set the world “right” on this important matter. In the meantime, we’ll join the majority by making preparations to assist Santa Claus when he visits our community between now and Christmas day. We hope we do nothing that will lead an in nocent child to question the authenticity of every Santa Claus he sees between now and then. We’ll let someone else enjoy the thrills of telling him “there ain’t no Santa Claus.” 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) # . *S News, Views and Gossip BY THE EDITOR ^ * Gobbledygook Our policy is to file in the handiest wastebasket all unsigned letters to the editor. But “Hank” has forwarded to us a rather amusing and harmless epistle, which, for lack of some thing better, we reproduce as fol lows: Orchurd, Nebr. Deer Cal: You want news & I got news. It raned & snowed heer for 3 moths we been dry heer. Maby not so dry as down in Texas. Whar I heer the pore people haf to wash thar own Cadilaks, but no water to wash in, but dry just the same. It got so bad, finely even the water wuz dry. Efen last winter the snow wuz so dry they pushed it off the streets in town and burnt it. I bin haling water from town to my cows for over 2 moths, and lately cudent get enuf water to ’em by haling day & night. I sent a sampul uv the water to the state. Aund thy ansert rite bac. The sampul wuz under 20% moischur. No wonder the cows wuz giving powaert milk. Got so I cud milk lot of times in a paper sak. If you wonder why yure get ting a letter frum me heer at Or churd, well my brothur works in them masheery places. He took a copy of yors paper, then I get ’em. Red yors paper so long. I feel like yore wuz wun uv us. My brothur says he been wund ing if somtimes you want the yusirs slant on mascheery & we can shure giv it heer. You never have seen useder masheery than thar is around this naybur hood. Just rite and tell me what you like to no & I’ll see if the naybers & I can’t come up with sum news. The whether has finlly chaged for ghood. Shees raned & snowed heer. HANK Miscellany The boys bidding on the Garri son, N.D., engineering project ap parently had the decimal point in the wrong place—there was a one million-dollar error and all bids were called off. . . O’Neill mer chants have been very much pleas ed with the yule business. . . A phone call the other day inquired about the next Community Concert: Samuel Sorin, pianist, Thursday, February 3. . . Mail ordering is the best way to buy automobile li cense plates to avoid those long queues at the county treasurer’s office: Be sure to enclose three copies of motor vehicle tax notices (to be received in mail), 1954 re gistration certificate, your check covering taxes, plates and 23 cents postage. . . Merry Christmas, everyone! —CAL STEWART Nativity Scene Is ^ Used at Meeting PAGE — Last Thursday was guest day when the Woman’s So ciety of Christian Service met at the Methodist church parlors. About 40 were present. A short meeting was conducted by Mrs. Elmer Trowbridge. After a prel ude of Christmas music, Mrs. Herbert Steinberg led the devo tions. She used the characters of the nativity scene when she gave the lesson, “The Christmas Story.” There was group singing with Mrs. John Lamason as ac companist, when the first verses of several Christmas songs were sung. Mrs. Steinberg, Mrs. Edgar Stauffer and Mrs. Harry Harper gave a one-act play, “Keeping Christ in Christmas.” A reading. “The Herald Angels Sing.” was given by Mrs. J. R. Russell. Mrs. Raymond Heiss and Mrs. Harriet Carson were hostesses. Christmas decorations were used for the tables. The next meeting will be an all-day session with a covered dish luncheon at noon. Miss Mary Kathryn Coyne of San Francisco, Calif., Dr. Nadine Coyne of Rochester, Minn., and Miss Veronica Coyne of Chicago, 111., plan to arrive Friday to spend the Christmas holidays with their parents, Mr. and Mrs. H E. Coyne. MILLER THEATER — Atkinson — Wed.-Thurs. Dec. 29-30 When You and I Were Young... McGreevy to Face Embezzlement Trial Vigilance Group Now in Keya Paha 50 Years Ago Sheriff Hall went to Lincoln to secure requisition papers for Ber rard McGreevy. He will return McGreevy to O’Neill to stand trial on the charges of embezzle ment. McGreevy was arrested last week in Phoenix, Ariz. . . It is reported that a vigilance com mittee has been organized in eastern Keya Paha, which, if true, will probably bring old Keya Paha to the front again as the “dark and bloody ground” of the border. . . Ernest Elkins and Miss Maggie Fauquier were united in marriage at the home of the bride’s parents. . . Will Young accidently shot himself in the hand when he set his gun down on returning home from duck hunting. 20 Years Ago James M. Stevens, 94, the last of Holt county’s Civil war vet erans, died at his home in Page. . . . The body of Frank McNich ols was found in Elliot Bay, Se attle, Wash. The body showed marks of violence other than the, bullet wound. No other clues as tc the identity of the assailant were found. It is presumed rob bery was the motive. . . Very Rev. John G. McNamara has received from His Holiness Pope Pius XI the title and elevation to right reverend monsignor. . . The coun ty drought committee called a meeting to set up an organization to have other forms of roughness shipped into the county, as a re cent survey showed farmers are short of feed for their livestock. 10 Years Ago Miss Betsy Lou Markland and Lt. Francis Soukup were united in marriage at Ft. Knox, Ky. . . Lyndle R. Stout, who has served as county agent of Holt county seven years, resigned last week to accept the position of distribut ing manager for the Moorman Manufacturing company. . . Bill Serck was appointed by the board of supervisors to serve as county clerk until next election. . . . The number of men between the ages of 18-37 to be drafted has been increased, according to a directive announced from Washington by Brig.-Gen. Guy1 N. Henninger. One Year Ago Mother M. Muriel of Minot, N.D., is the new superior at St. ! Mary’s academy, succeeding the I late Mother M. Erica, who died in October. . . Marine 2/Lt. Rich ard Hungerford received his I™———— wings at the navy flight training school at Pensacola, Fla. He is the son of Mr. and Mrs. W. H. Hungerford of Bassett and he is a former O’Neill high athletic great. . . Ray Eby announced in auguration of the O’Neill taxi service. . . Mr. and Mrs. Thom as Doolittle marked their golden wedding anniversary at an open house at the ranch home of their son, Tommy, near Amelia. . . Mrs. Ruby Holcomb, rural school teacher in district 156 near Chambers, has been chosen as a master teacher represetnative for the Holt County Rural Teachers’ ascoiation. CCC Loan Deadlines Five Weeks Away Farmers who have postponed taking out a price-support loan or purchase agreement on their grain crops may well make an early visit to their county agri cultural stabilization and con servation office, according to Har ry E. Ressel, chairman of the ASC ccmmittee. Closing date for commodity credit corporation loans and pur chase agreements on 1954 crops of wheat, rye, barley, oats and grain sorghums is January 31, 1955. Loans and purchase agree ments on 1954 crop corn are available through May 31, 1955. As of December 13, farmers in the county had covered the fol lowing amounts of their 1954 crops under the price support program: Barley .$ 2,354.12 Rye . 7,764.40 Oats . 10,125.60 Wheat . 7,442.19 Corn . 51,321.22 Mr. Ressel reminds farmers that adequate storage is essential tc the operation of the loan pro gram. Townsends to Spend Winter Away— PAGE — Mr. and Mrs. C. A. Townsend plan to leave this week for Norfolk where they will spend the rest of the winter at the home of their son-in-law and daughter, Mr. and Mrs. Frank Chmeler. Their son, Alva of Co lumbus, will come and take them tc Norfolk. A Christmas dinner will be held at the Chmeler home and others who plan to be present are Mr. and Mrs. Alva Townsend and their son-in-law and daugh ter, Mr. and Mrs. J. L. Blocker, and family, all of Columbus. The Chmelers’ three daughters, Mr. and Mrs. Tom Gilmore and family of Sioux Falls, S.D., Mr. and Mrs. Tom Doover of Madison and Miss Julie Chmeler of Lin coln, Mr. and Mrs. Alva Town send’s son, Gene, and family of Omaha will not be present. John O’Neill, studbnt at Creigh ton university, Omaha, visited Wednesday with his parents, Mr. Arrive from Capitol— Miss Mae D. Hammond of Washington, D.C., arrived Mon day morning to visit her brother* in-law and sister, Mrs. and Mrs. Ira Moss, and other relatives ov er the holidays. Gmst Here— Miss Ann Waters of Omaha ar rived Monday to visit her sisters, Mrs. William Biglin and Mrs. Margaret Boler, 0 over the holi days. REX W. WILSON, M.D. ROBT. M. LANGDON, M.D. PHYSICIANS & SURGEONS 128 W. Douglas St., O’Neill Phone 138 ——— HOLIDAY SPECIAL The Unusual Gift ALUMINUM COMBINATION DOORS • NO PAINTING • NO WARPING • CLOSE FIT • BEAUTIFYING FREE BEAUTIFUL 12” HIGH Sterling Grille with or without your initial installed on each door! Regular Price $10.15 (Offer expires January 10, 1955) Your old storm door is worth $10.00 as trade-in! This Is Our TOP QUALITY DOOR! Regular Cash Price 69.50 • NO DOWN PAYMENT • NO MORTGAGE • NO PAYMENT UNTIL MARCH, 1955 • COMPLETELY INSTALLED 1 Door with FREE Grille - $5.42 per mo. 2 Doors with FREE Grille. $5.60 per mo. We also have 12 different types of Aluminum Combination WINDOWS to present for your inspection! ORDER NOW! CALL: 548-LR or 409-J WRITE: WESTERN HOME IMPROVEMENT CO. O'Neill, Nebr. * © © 1 . © c ( © . .._ I 6 © co OF THE © SEASONI o 1 May we extend a truly sincere wish; for a Merry Christmas and may every good thing be yours during tho coming New Year! o Hunt’s Plumbing & Heating Phone 399 — West O'Neill , o o . G & c c o G o © ♦ ° I friends . . . our customers. It’s been a pleasure to please you and may we continue to do so throughout WM. KROTTER CO. WEST O’NEILL & DOWNTOWN STORES “Serving Holt County Since 1889”
