Prairieland Talk . . .
Wise Ones For tell What’s Ahead
* By ROMA1NE SAUNDERS, Retired, Former Editor The Frontier
MARION, IND.—This early January day there
is a rift in the clouds that hung on high and the
heavens glow with sunlight after unnumbered
days of gloom and rain. We ventured forth upon
the highways, along city streets past mansions and
cottages and into rural lanes where farm families
dwell in Hoosier peace and plenty. Mindful of the
10 deaths upon Indiana highways in one day just
as 1955 appeared on the wall calendar, we moved
with caution and made speed where nothing hin
dered.
The countryside lay fresh washed and silent
with here and there a farm house and cluster of
gleaming white buildings sur
rounded by trees and bushes be
reft of foliage. A sheep, a horse,
a cow were the only evidence
that there might be some of the
genus homo about, until we would
roll into a quiet country village
where human life moved at a
leisurely pace. Our tour took us
to a community known as Lpland
that has survived the ravages of
time for more than a century.
We turned into the campus Romain#
of Taylor university, founded in Saunderg
1846 and I was told it is a
Methodist institution of learning. Indiana is well
supplied with colleges and universities. Students
were returning to Taylor from their holiday visit
to the homefolks. Judging from the number of
buildings about the tree and shrub shaded campus
the enrollment must be considerable.
Holidays are in Uie post. Here and there across
the land there may be a guy sneaking around look
ing for the pipe he tossed out the window new
year’s eve. A safeguard to resolutions and reforms
adopted at the beginning of the year is to keep a
daily record of life’s activities. Who care to see
recorded in black and white his mistakes and
broken vows? And January days come and go.
By the time this paragraph is printed the an
niversary of the ’88 blizzard will have been ob
served by the Blizzard club in another annual
gathering in Lincoln, a gathering where venerable
patriots tell thrilling stories of experiences on a
winter day on prairieland in the long ago. Now in
the early days of 1955 the swing of gay holiday
life has come to an end, the “ace of rhythm” has
hung up the fiddle and the bow, we have been
duly instructed by the highbrows and wise ones as
to what is coming on the road ahead for industry
and political, social and domestic circles—but the
year ahead will be no different than those gone
before only as individual lives make it so.
* * *
A specimen of the genus homo who had
taken on the responsibility of husband and fa
ther has abandoned his sick wife and 11 children
to the mercy of charity. The children, age one
year up to 14, have been placed in the county
children’s home in Marion and authorities are
on the trail of dad.
* * *
With the news of the death of Mrs. Mary Mul
len at the age of 92, surviving former friends of the
Mullens and others of a vanished race, I wonder if
Mrs. Mullen would be counted the last of the Irish
group which came from the Auld Sod to a new
land ahd made homes iij a pioneer comumnity de
veloping on prairieland? Maybe she is the last, or
is there another now facing life’s sunset living
in quiet obscurity and lonely, who receives no pub
lic notice, their contribution to the taming of a
wilderness unsung in the rush and clatter of mod
ern life until the death notice appears? And the
revered name Mary has about disappeared—daugh
ters today being given the name of a movie starlet.
* * *
Fred A. Lyon, a barber, announces himself as
a candidate for the republican nomination for may
or of Chicago, 111. In doing so, he asks the question,
“Who but a barber has a better opportunity to
learn what people are thinking?” . . Clergymen
are now included with those to whom social securi
ty benefits are available. . . The head of a church
group known as Holiness has his headquarters in
Marion and has just returned here from a 20,000
mile world tour made to confer with leaders of the
church in mission fields. . . An inhuman Indianap
olis, Ind., mother held her screaming child in boil
ing water. The child is dead, the mother in jail.
* * *
Mr. Crosby retires as governor and like Mr.
Dewey of New York returns to law practice. Dew
ey had three terms as governor of New York and
twice was the republican candidate for president.
Mr. Crosby retires from the political arena after
one year as governor and one unsuccessful try
for the United States senate. His administration as
chief executive was by no means strewn with roses,
fcut he walked from the statehouse leaving a record
for which he has reason to feel gratified.
Met a native yesterday whose wrinkled and
weather-beaten features indicated he may have
come out of the ark. Said he had been in the Platte
river country of Nebraska in the sodhouse home
stead days and recalled there was a place and that
was the time when one had “elbow room.” The ex
pression carries with it the reminder that here
elbow space is limited.
His name is Boyd, a familiar sound to north
Nebraskans as they have a Boyd county named
in honor of a governor of the state by that name.
And O’Neill had a family by that name after the
Axel Boyd family had “proved up” on a quarter
section homestead seven miles northeast of town
and plastered the homestead for enough cash to
build a little house at the northeastern limits of a
village called O’Neill.
A lot of Holt county that had been settled for
a few years by homesteaders went into the hands
of loan companies or individual speculators, the
homesteaders moving to town or pulling out for
“back East.” Lawyers and loan agents were thick
in town, who made a livelihood out of the com
mission they charged for a loan of “Eastern mon
ey” for the homesteader, who had no intention,
in many cases, of paying the loan and retaining the
homestead. So the mortgages were foreclosed, and
another saga on prairieland set in. This was fol
lowed by tax sales and land bought for a song by
ranchers and permanent settlers who had faith
in a lush future for prairieland, where now the
saga of the present writes across the scroll of time
the story of prosperous, contented and Godfearing
patriots in their homes on the farflung prairieland.
* * *
When a Holt county man, Mr. Hopkins of the
long ago, was warden of the state penitentiary and
two-fisted gents like Tom Coyne were doing guard
duty down there no “experts” were called in to lay
down regulations. The penitentiary is for criminals,
not a stopping place for exacting hotel guests. Ne
braskans have shown themselves capable in the
past of managing their institutions. The criminal
must suffer for his crimes; he has invited it. Jails
are not places of flowery beds of ease. If the ad
ministration of our state penitentiary affairs is
lacking, it may be because the hands of those in
charge are tied by outside interests.
* * *
About 85 percent of the country’s railroad
trains are powered by diesel engines, though the
Norfolk & Western, operating in the coal regions
of Virginia, West Virginia and Kentucky, stays by
the steam engine with no diesels. The Pennsyl
vania road keeps in service mostly steam engines
for freight hauling. The Santa Fe, with 13,000 miles
of track and right-of-way, operates with 977 die
sels and 246 steamers in reserve. The North West
ern and Union Pacific are among the country’s
leading railroads that have adopted the diesel but
keep a few hundred steamers in reserve.
* * *
As memory dictates today, Prof. E. M. Hosman
of Omaha, recently named executive head of the
Nebraska Independent College foundation, was an
O’Neill boy, his father being pastor of the Metho
dist church in O’Neill during the early 1890’s, the
family leaving there about the year ’95. Mr. Hos
man is a retired dean of the University of Omaha
and has been connected with Nebraska education
al organizations for many years.
* * *
Our country’s first lady finds one or more
during the holiday season on whom to bestow fa
vors from the white house. One such favored one
this season is a citizen of Union county, Indiana,
Miss Emmaline Kelly, who received a gift with a
cordial letter from Mrs. Eisenhower on the occa
sion of the Indiana lady’s birthday anniversary
falling on Christmas day, and that she is 103-years
old may be accounted for in that she is still Miss.
* * *
Another gray, cloud-roofed day as the year
draws its fading breath. And then the Indiana
gloom it lighted by lightning’s red glare and thun
der rumbles acoss the heavens. Then the landscape
is wet by a modest downpour that the Hoosiers
call a rain storm. As evening shadows gather we
look out upon the bleak December scene and won
der what the new year may bring.
* * *
One Indiana county collected in 12 months
$1,841 for license plates attached to horse-drawn
rigs. The fee is $15 for one and $1 each for buggies
or wagons owned by one person. The county col
lecting this sum has a large population of Amish
people, who cling to the old ways of life of their
forefathers, every new fad having no appeal to
them.
* * *
A new year’s verbal row with her mate. He put
on his hat and left. Next day she grabbed a gun, in
tending to shoot the four children and herself.
Nine-year-old Ike pleaded: “Mamma, please don’t
shoot me.” Mamma tossed away the gun and kiss
ed Ike.
Editorial . . .
No Time to Relax
Dr. Jonas E. Salk, originator of the triple
polio vaccine that bears his name, has stated cate
gorically the crippling form of polio probably will
be ended within five years. The prediction, made
in a studied manner, has been given much pub
licity. It is possible that many of us, who have not
closely followed the overall polio research pro
gram, may think the battle is over.
Such a suggestion is absurd . . . and it would
be _ unfortunate, indeed, if the American public
should begin to relax its fight against the dread
disease.
It should be borne in mind Doctor Salk has
predicted something five years away, not some
thing that will happen soon. In fact, his prognosti
cation is qualified with the word “probably”, and
his statement carries no certainty.
It behooves all of us, therefore, only to take
hope from the prediction, and not to use it as a
flimsy reason not to support the current march
of dimes drive.
Polio is still taking its horrible toll and the
disease strikes without regard to color or creed or
the calendar.
Mrs. H. D. Gildersleeve of O’Neill, who is
chairman of the Holt county chapter of the Na
tional Foundation for Infantile Paralysis, frankly
states the chapter is in something less than “fair”
financial condition at this point and one “serious
case” would “break us.” Mrs. Gldersleeve pointed
out the chapter has been helping pay the way for
Miss Barabara Brunckhorst of Inman, who con
tracted the disease while teaching at Spencer last
fall. Miss Brunckhorst is now out of the iron lung
and is responding to physical therapy.
Mrs. Noma Hall of Stuart is chairman of the
fund drive for the Holt chapter and her job is not
easy in finding workers and supervising their du
ties.
Regardless of the encouragement embodied in
Doctor Salk’s statement (God grant the good doctor
is on the right track), let’s set a record by putting
the Holt county polio fund drive over the top
right away. There are many reasons for doing so,
but the cold facts are explained by Mrs. Gilder
sleeve’s terse observation:
Another “serious case” would break the chap
ter’s treasury.
In the United States there is one chairman of
the joint chiefs of staff and 160 million assistant
strategists.
Mure 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)
Adams No Surprise
Finally the pentagon has arbi
trarily decided to give with the
chronological facts regarding the
honorable discharge and promo
ti6n of the New York character,
one Dr. Irving Peress, who had
been an army dentist at Camp
Kilmer, N.J.
The report states the honorable
discharge and routine promotion
were handed Peress, a Fifth
amendment fellow, on the recom
mendations of Army Counselor
John G. Adams and Lt.-Gen.
Walter L. Weible, a deputy chief
of-staff.
It becomes interesting, there
fore, why Mr. Adams behaved as
he did in the McCarthy - army
hearings, and it becomes especial
ly noteworthy why Brig.-Gen.
Ralph Zwicker, the Camp Kilmer
cc>mmander, clammed up.
The pentagon’s detailed report,
made public during the weekend,
admits Zwicker opposed the hon
orable discharge and promotion
for Peress, whom McCarthy had
labeled “a Fifth amendment com
munist.” Moreover, Zwicker had
written several letters on the sub
ject. Yet when called on the stand
before the McCarthy questioning,
Zwicker wouldn’t talk, wouldn’t
tell who promoted and honorably
discharged Peress.
The liberals screamed about
McCarthy’s socalled abuse of
Zwicker, a much-decorated war
veteran. The general obviously
was covering up for somebody
and McCarthy realized it.
* * *
Zwicker Knew
The record now shows Zwicker
was plainly dealing Joe a bad
time and knew considerably more
about the case than he would tell
the senate committee. The public
can now decide whether or not he
is fit to wear the uniform of a
general.
Oh yes, would you remember
Mrs. Moss—the little Negro wom
an, a classified document clerk
who was hailed before the Mc
Carthy committee? It was for
Mrs. Moss that Missouri’s Senator
Symington shed tears and even
proffered a job in a honey
tongued pitch to the nation’s tele
vision and radio audience.
The Moss case, finally, is be
fore a loyalty review board and
she no longer is handling highly
classified documents. *
Joe’s stature will grow with
time and one day he’ll be cate
goried by the historians for just
vhat he was: A rugged, tough
Irishman with disdain and hate
for commies, fellow-travelers and
eggheads; a fellow who had to
rough ’em up because otherwise
he couldn’t get anywhere; a guy
who, above all, will be remem
bered as a latter day Paul Revere.
* * *
Miscellany
A driver for one of the major
midwest trucking companies told
us his company pays a $10 bonus
to the drivers avoiding one of the
state highway weighing scales.
Wonder if this contributes to the
reasons some of the overweight
boys are taking the backroads to
avoid the Stafford weighing sta
tion (junction of U S. highways
20 and 275 between Inman and
Ewing). . . Weather note—Heard
from our daughter, Suzanne, 8,
at the dinner table: “Remember
the overshoes we used to wear
the winter we had snow!” ... A
common expression from busi
nessmen hereabouts in referring
to 1954: Gross up, profits down.
. . . Bruce Rehberg of The Fron
tier staff is back from Miami with
considerable comment concerning
the pulchritude of the Florida
lassies and very little to say about
the Nebraska-Duke debacle in the
Orange bowl. Bruce is 20, single
and tall. . . And, thanks to the
condescendirfg defense depart
ment, we now know who promot
ed Peress.
—CAL STEWART
Chambers News
January 2 dinner guetss in the
Louis Neilson home were Mr. and
Mrs. Clyde Kiltz.
Mr. and Mrs. Joe Shonka moved
recently to Burwell. Mr. and Mrs.
Tom Lambert and sons have
moved into the Shonka house now
owned by Mr. and Mrs. Ralph
Garwood.
Mr. and Mrs. Ed Coday and
children moved recently into the
house in the north part of town
recently vacated by Mr. and Mrs.
Leonard Miller and daughter. The
Millers are now located in a cabin
at Mrs. Tibbet’s.
Mrs. H. E. Cook and Mrs. J.
W. Wintermote called on Mrs.
Edgar Jones December 30. Mrs.
Jones’ health is “very poor.”
About 30 ladies of the various
extension clubs of the community
and some members of the Wom
an’s society of the Methodist
church gathered at the church
parlors Dec. 31 to see the film,
“Flight to Ceylon,” and slides,
“Recipe for Color,” shown for
Royal Theater
— O'NEILL. NEBR. —
Family Night
Wed.-Thurs. Jan. 12-13
Glenn Ford and Ann Sheridan
APPOINTMENT IN HONDURAS
Co-starring Zachary Scott. Col
or by technicolor. Six snarling
men and a red-headed woman on
the strangest safari ever to dare
the world’s deadliest jungle!
Family admitted for 2 adult tick
ets; children under 12 admitted
with parent, 50c; adults 50c;
children 12c
Fhi.-Sat. Jan. 14-15
That “Ma Kettle” gal’s got a
brand new fella!
RICOCHET ROMANCE
Marjorie Main, Chill Wills, Al
fonso Bedoya, Pedro Gonzales,
Rudy Valee, with Ruth Hampton
Zenay Venuta. Every gal’s got a
roving guy . . and spring is bust
ing out laughing!
Adults 50c; children 12c; matinee
Sat. 2:30. All children under 12
fiee when accompanied by parent.
Sun.-Mon.-Tues. Jan. 16-17-18
WOMAN’S WORLD
Print by technicolor. Cinema
scope, 4-track stereophonic sound.
Clifton Webb, June Allyson, Van
Heflin, Lauren Bacall, Fred Mac
Murray, Arlene Dahl, Cornel
Wilde. Here’s th|e provocative,
exciting, fun-filled answer to the
question: Should a woman be a
bosom friend of her husband’s
boss?
Adults 50c; children 12c; matinee
Sun. 2:30. All children unless in
arms must have tickets
-them by County Agent A. Neil
Dawes. Refreshments of cookies
and coffee were served.
New year’s dinner guests of
Mr. and Mrs. Everette Winter
mote and sons and Mrs. Harkins
were Mr. and Mrs. Paul Harley
end boys, Mr. and Mrs. H. E.
Cook, Mrs. J. W. Wintermote
and Mr. and Mrs. E. G. Winter
note and Carolyn. Mr. and Mrs.
Lloyd Wlntermote and Norma
were evening callers.
Mrs. Valo Edwards returned on
Jan. 3 from Winner, S.D., where
she had spent two weeks visiting
her son and daughter-in-law, Mr.
and Mrs. Rudolf Edwards. Mr.
and Mrs. Edwards and their
daughter, Mrs. Melba Olson, and
son brought her home.
Steve Shavlik was surprised
Friday, Dec. 31, when the follow
ing friends gathered in observ
ance of his birthday anniversary:
Mr. and Mrs. Glen Adams, Mr.
end Mrs. Kieth Sexton, Mrs. Anna
Alberts, Mr.‘and Mrs. E. H. Med
calf and Mr. and Mrs. H. W. Hub
bard.
Ladies, young ladies, misses . . . you’ll find some won
derfully exciting bargains here in our JANUARY CLEAR
ANCE . . . three big days — THURSDAY, FRIDAY, SAT
URDAY. Prices have been marked W-A-Y DOWN to make
room for new spring and summer merchandise. Hurry for best
selections.
I ---
COATS j
Only 1 1 left . . . finely tailored 1
by nationally - known makers
WERE TO 36.98 I
Big Reductions on
DRESSES
In most sizes!
Were 29.98 — NOW_$17
Were 24.98 — NOW_$15
Were 16.98 — NOW_ $10
Were 10.98 — NOW_ $ 7
I - TABLE -1
HATS
Were to 5.98
Now . . .
$2 - S3
CHILDREN’S
DRESSES
| 9 Mo. to 6X
5.98— Now __ 3.98
3.98— Now .. 2.98
2.98— Now .. 1.98
GOWNS & PAJAMAS
Rayon and Nylon
Broken sizes, but you’ll find what
you want here!
Now Only
Formerly Priced at 8.98, 10.98, 12.98—
SKIRTS-Now-$6-$8-$10
O'NEILL STYLE SHOP
Leona Hynes (2d door west of bus Depot) Mrs. M. A. Schelkopf
1
*THX 860 FOUR-DOOR SEDAN
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Take a total of the foregoing and here’s
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