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North-Central Nebraska’s BIGGEST Newspaper
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Volume 74.—Number 43. O’Neill, Nebr., Thursday, February 24, 1933. Seven Cents
STATE HIST SOC cxx
Street- Widening Foes
Issue Public Statement
In the February 10 issue of The Frontier considerable space
was devoted, without charge, to the acting mayor of O’Neill and the
majority members of the city council to amplify their stand on a
street-widening issue. The present council has entered into contract
with the state highway department to widen certain sections of Doug
las street and South Fourth street in order to retain two federal
highways — 20 and 281 — on present location through the business
disricts. The street-widening plan, costing an estimated 61-tnousand
dollars ($30,500 to be paid by the city) has some opposition.
The opponents, organized as the O’Neill Taxpayers’ league, have
issued the following statement (signers are indicated below):
" '•> _________
‘Mountain Lion’
Is Timber Wolf
Wettlaufer Kayoes Big
Fellow
The much-talked-about “moun
tain lion” that has been roaming
these parts for many months and
has provoked lots of conjecture
and speculation turns out to be a
timber wolf.
At least Kenneth Wettlaufer,
Harold Freemeyer and Kenneth
Asher figure the wolf they bag
ged about 4:30 p.m., Monday is
the culprit.
Wettlaufer fired from an auto
mobile in the Joe Gallagher pas
ture, about 7% miles northwest
of Page, and the “fat-as-a-pig”
wolf came to the end of his road.
Wettlaufer had gone to help
Freemeyer locate a fox. In the
search for tracks of the sly one
they came upon Mr. Wolfe. A sin
gle shot did it.
The carcass was taken to Page
and put on exhibit at a filling sta
tion. Wettlaufer estimated the an
imal weighed between 100 and
110 pounds and appeared to be
well-nourished with meat. It was
a male wolf and the slayer esti
mated the animal to be about 3
year-old. The shot was fired with
a 270 rifle.
Working with the Wettlaufer
party were Lyndley Crumly and
Otto Terrill. All are of the Page
community.
Peggy Degan Wins
Homemaking Honor
The Betty Crocker homemaker
of St. Mary’s academy is Peggy
Degan. She received the highest
score in a written examination,
which tested homemaking know
ledge and atitudes of the senior
girls. She will be entered in com
petition to name the state’s can
didate for the title of all-American
homemaker of tomorrow. She has
received a gold pin, cook books for
herself and the school.
Mother Agnesine and Sister
Claire accompanied Mother’s pa
rents, Mr. and Mrs. F. J. Hargar
ten, and Rev. Joseph Hargarten to
Yankton, S.D., Wednesday, Feb
ruary 16.
The Washington dance given by
the Friends of St. Mary’s at the
American Legion auditorium, net
ted $200. This will be used for pur
chases in the rewiring project.
Steel Lodges in
Richardson’s Eye
John Richardson was injured
Tuesday, February 15, at his
ranch 22 miles north of O’Neill.
He received an eye injury and
was taken to Omaha last Thurs
day to see an eye specialist. He is
at Methodist hospital.
A piece of steel lodged in his
left eye. An attempt was made to
remove it Friday but was unsuc
cessful. Another attempt will be
made at a later date. His sister,
Mrs. G. A. Swanson, is near him.
STOVE EXPLODES
An oil furnace at the C. E. Mel
ena residence exploded Wednes
day morning in the basement of
the dwelling. Partitions in the
basement were damaged by the
force. No fire resulted and there
was little damage on the main
floor of the home.
Auction Calendar
There are five auctions listed
on The Frontier’s sale calendar to
be held within the next few
weeks:
Friday, February 25: Mr. and
Mrs. John Kee, residing north
west of O’Neill, will offer their
240-acre improved Holt county
farm; some livestock; machinery
and equipmtent; household goods;
Col. Wallace O’Connell, O’Neill,
auctioneer; Col. Verne Reynold
scn, O’Neill, auctioneer - broker;
Carl Lorenz. O’Neill, clerk. (Sale
postponed from Friday, February
18, because of storm.)
Saturday, February 26: Brown
Motor & Impl., and Chambers Le
gion post, community auction, in
Chambers; Col. Merlin Grossnick
laus, Chambers, auctioneer; Cleo
Alderson, Chambers, clerk. (Sale
postponed from Saturday, Febru
ary 19, because of weather.)
Saturday, February 26: North
Ceniral Nebraska Hereford asso
ciation, 44 bulls, Bassett. (Write
Tug Phillips, Bassett, for cata
log)
Monday, February 28: Alfred
and Lois Martens personal property
sale, southeast of Atkinson; ranch
buildings; 56 head of cattle; ranch
machinery; hay; some household
items; Thorin - Bovvker Auction
Service, sale managers. (Details
on page 5.)
Wednesday, March 2: LeRoy D.
Johnson, 12 miles north of O’Neill
and 6 miles east; larm closeout in
cluding 110 head of cattle; other
livestock; ranch and haying ma
chinery; grain; household goods:
Col. Ed Thorin, O’Neill, auction
eer; O’Nehl National Bank, clerk.
(Details on page 8.)
STATEMENT OF O’NEILL I
TAXPAYERS’ LEAGUE ON
STREET WIDENING
There is not, nor can there be,
any guarantee that the highway
will continue to pass through the
city of O’Neill.
Would you favor placing all
your possessions in the hands of
the state unconditionally? The
streets belong to the citizens of
O’Neill and the trade territory.
Yet, according to terms of the con
tract, the city council will sur
render all control of Douglas and
South Fourth street to the state
highway department.
We maintain that the prosoerity
of O’Neil] depends upon its citi
zens, ranchers, and the customers
from neighboring towns, attract
ed to O’Neill by progressive mer
chants. Twelve months of the
year, approximately one thousand
city families are buying meat,
groceries, clothing, dairy products,
gas and oil, electrical supplies,
cars, lumber, paint, furniture,
and are consulting their doctors,
lawyers and bankers. Add to this
the revenue brought in by the
farmers, ranchers and nearby
towns, and you have an idea what
makes O’Neill click. Are you
willing to sacrifice this business
by curtailing the parking facili
ties of our steady trade? Have the
farmers and ranchers who trade
in O’Neill been consulted about
this? Assuredly, the people of O’
Neill have not had an opportunity
to express an opinion, by means
of ballot, such as they had in the
construction of the swimming pool
and new school.
This committee consists of a
large group of citizens who have
shown their faith in O’Neill by the
construction of fine buildings and
homes, as well as by their con
tributions to hospitals, churches
and other charities. They feel that
the additional taxes at this time
are unwarranted.
LEGAL OBLIGATIONS
ARE DEFINED
In order that the public may be
informed about the contract en
tered into by the State of Nebras
ka and City of O’Neill.
Anything said or implied to the
contrary, the following are sec
tions taken verbatim from the con
tract between the State of Nebras
ka and the City of O’Neill relative
to the required street changes:
Section 11(a)
The city further agrees as fol
lows:
To assume all liability for prop
erty damage to real property only,
resulting from the construction
work undertaken by the State, the
City and the Federal Government
within the corporate limits of
said city, plans for which are
hereby approved by the City
Council; and to defend the State
in any and all suits or claims
of whatever nature for, or arising
out of, direct or consequential
property damages brought against
the State as a result of the con
struction work undertaken by the
State within the corporate limits
of said city, except such suits or
claims arising out of faulty con
struction or arising out of the con
tract for said work.
(b)
Parking on Douglas street and
Fourth street, upon the comple
tion of the project, shall be reg
ulated as follows until the condi
tions set forth in Section 9 shall
require a change in the parking
regulations.
1. Parking parallel and adja
cent to the curbs shall be estab
lished by an ordinance and en
forced on Douglas street from Jef
ferson street easterly to Seventh
street, unless the City with its
own funds widens said street to
an ultimate width of seventy-nine
(79) feet, measured back to back
of the curbs. If said street is thus
widened, then modified diagonal
parking between the above limits
of Douglas street will be permit
ted.
i. rrum aevemn street to me
east corporate limits, parking par
allel and adjacent to the curb will
be permitted for the time being,
with the understanding that the
provisions of Secion 9 will obtain
as traffic volumes require addi
tional parking restrictions.
3. On Fourth street, parking
shall be established by an ordi
nance and enforced parallel and
adjacent to the curbs from Doug
las street south to the C.B.&Q.
tracks.
These articles of contract are
not conjectures, anticipations,
opinions or probabilities. They
constitute a legal argument, which
the City of O’Neill has bound it
self to carry out.
M. B. HIGGINS
H. L. LINDBERG
H. HERIFORD
C. J. GATZ
D. H. CLAUSON
C. C. GOLDEN
A. V. VIRGIN
ELMER HAGENSICK
M. J. GOLDEN
RAMON BRIGHT
J. L. McCARVILLE, SR.
JOHN H. McCARVILLE
JOE McCARVILLE
H. E. COYNE
E. F. QUINN
T. M. HARRINGTON
EDWARD M. GLEESON, D.D.
DR. L. A. CARTER
PAUL SHIEPK
C. E. JONES
L. A. BURGESS
ED CAMPBELL
Mr. and Mr. William G. Kiaft
called on Miss Abbie Hanley of
Inman Tuesday, February 8.
Board Raps
Proposed
Road Net
Revised Plan Would
Cost Holt 45V2 Miles
of State-Aid Hiway
A public hearing will be held in
the state capitol at 2 p.m., on LB
187. As introduced, LB 187 says
the state highway network shall
be no more than 9,500 miles com
pared to the present 9,749 miles,
but the bill does not specify which
roads woud be dropped.
The Holt county board of super
visors, in session Wednesday,
formulated resolutions protesting
the state highway commission’s
revamped highway plan, charging
the idea as “unreasonable and in
equitable to Holt county.”
The state highway department
currently maintains 9,749 miles
in Nebraska as a trunk and state
aid highway system.
The revised plan would lop off
419 miles of the present system
and the tentative map shows Holt
county might lose 45% miles of
highway presently designated as a
state highway and maintained by
the state.
Stretches of present state high
way not included in the revised
plan are:
Lynch spur, south into Holt
county, 11 miles.
State 108, O’Neill to Page, 16
mies.
State 108, south of Ewing, 6
miles.
Amelia spur, 2% miles (off
highway 11).
Stuart-Naper, 10 miles.
The resolutions were for
warded to State Sen. Frank Nel
son for presentation at the
hearing.
The resolutions declare “45 Vz
miles of highway reverting to the
county for upkeep and mainten
ance is discriminatory against
Holt county.” The resolution de
clares Holt would be asked to ab
sorb “more than 10 percent of the
entire cut in the state.”
The paper went on to say Holt
county presently is unable to
maintain its county roads with
available funds and is unable to
assume additional burden. Holt is
one of the larger counties in the
state, the paper continued, and is
sparsely settled in comparison to
some of the eastern counties.
"At present,” the resolution
continued, “Holt’s road network
is inadequate to care for the
needs of the people.”
“We, the members of the Holt
county board of supervisors, de
clare the state highway commis
sion’s revised plan for a state
highway system does not include
a forthright attempt to solve the
state’s problem.”
State Sen. Dwight Burney of
Hartington, introducer of the bill,
has indicated he will suggest that
the highway system be defined as
the 9,749 miles currently main
tained by the state highway de
partment.
The board is to convene again
today (Thursday) to windup
February business. County Clerk
Kenneth Waring said it was pos
sible “one or two members” might
go to Lincoln personally to parti
cipate in the hearing. Knox coun
ty commissioners are up in arms,
he said, over what the cutback
would mean to the Knox system.
‘Mr. and Missus’
Party Attracts 68
EWING—Sixty-four attended a
valentine parity at the Methodist
church parlors Monday, February
14. The WSCS labeled it a “Mr.
and Missus” party. Husbands of
members were honored guests.
Festivites began with a 6:30 p.
m., covered dish dinner.
During the program, half valen
tines were distributed. Couples
were formed by matching halves.
Stunts were performed, contests
were held and games played.
Ed Hoag sang, “The Promise
Made to Mother” and Mrs. An
drew Olson recited “The Inven
tor’s Wife”. Closing number was a
musical selection by Dewitt Gun
ter, violin; Mrs. Andrew Olson,
autoharp and French harmonica.
Project Club to
Purchase Layette
INMAN—The Inman Workers’
project club met Wednesday, Feb
ruary 16, at the home of Mrs. A.
N. Butler for their regular meet
ing. Mrs. Kenneth Coventry and
Miss Faye Brunckhorst presented
the lesson on broiler cookery and
most of the noon day meal was
prepared in the broiler.
At the business session, it was
decided that the club would furnish
a layette for the University hos
pital in Orr':ha. Tie March meet
ing will be at the home of Mrs. L.
F. Kopeckv.
Mrs. Vernon Lcrenz joined the
club as a new member. Mrs. E. L.
Watson was a visitor.
Colonel Wanser . . . “All right, boys, let’s go!”
*But)* 40 Years an Auctioneer
By MRS. N. D. ICKES, SR.
Frontier Feature Writer
PAGE — In the chill of a late
winter’s day, a man mounts to a
wagon bed, breath rising in frosty
formation as smoke curls upward.
You hear a voice call: “Right this
way, la-dies and gen-tle-men,
r:ght this way.”
A brief introduction follows and
you hear: “All right, boys, let’s
go!”
And the sale is on.
The voice changes into that half
intelligible, mumble-jumble jar
gon, resolving now and then into
clarity. Figures are quoted ex
pressing judgment of the worth of
the article up for sale. The voice
is interrupted now and again by
the sharp, staccato bark of the
“yes” men.
The voice is that of Col. W. E.
(“Buv”) Wanser, who, on Satur
day, February 26, will celebrate
his 40th anniversary in the auc
tion business. The first sale he
ever cried was for Bill Nelson on
the William Riege farm.
A few, who in his earliest at
tempts to sway a crowd with his
Archie Stearns, 76,
Expires at Lincoln
Retired Mail Carrier
Bom in Minnesota
Funeral services were conduct
ed at 10 a.m., Tuesday, February
22, from St. Patrick’s Catholic
church for Archie L. Steams, 76,
retired mail carrier. He died
Thursday, February 17, in a Lin
coln hospital following an eight
months’ illness.
Rev. Thomas Hitch officiated at
the burial in Calvary cemtery un
der the direction of Biglin’s. Pall
bearers were Alvin Smith, Ken
neth Shibta, Robert Stearns.
Donald Stearns, Bernard Spry and
James Sawyer.
The late Archie Leon Stearns
was bora December 1, 1878, at
Freeborn, Minn., a son of Robert
and Lydia August Fay Stearns.
He came to Nebraska when he
was about 11-years-old.
On November 20, at Hurley,
S.D., he maried Nina Pellmulder
and they became the parents of
eight children.
Mr. Stearns came to Holt coun
ty from Spencer, in Boyd county,
in 1912. He was a member of the
Woodmen of the World lodge.
Survivors Include: Widow _
Nina; sons—Richard of Wood Riv
er and Dale of Hastings; daughters
—Mrs. Forrest (Carmen) Smith
of Grand Island; Mrs. Earl (Keva)
Goree of Grant’s Pass, Ore.; Mrs
Cecil (Cora) Spry of El Paso,
Tex.; Mrs. Larry (Doris) Tenborg
of O’Neill; brothers — Ernest
Stearns of San Jacinto, Calif.,
and Louis Stearns of Troutdale
Ore.; sister—Mrs. Mabel Ollum
of Lakeview, Ore.; 22 grandchil
dren and 12 great-grandchildren.
Two children, Harold and Le
ma, died in infancy.
Mr. and Mrs. John Stahlecker
and son, Greg, of Naper were
weekend guests of Mr. and Mrs
Paul Shierk.
The French population is in
creasing at the rate of about 300 -
000 a year.
silver tongue, regretted that such
a young feller, inexperienced and
incompetent, should try to replace
Barney Stewart, whose voice
failed.
In rain and snow, mud and ice,
in winter’s cold and summer’s
heat, crowds arrived in those ear
ly days. — on foot, by horseback,
sled, lumber wagon and top bug
gy, shifting generally to motor
vehicles—lured by the come-back
“yakkity-vak” of the auction sale.
The ability to judge correctly
the mask behind which the buyer
hides his intention forms the cri
terion by which the auctioneer
gauges his knock-down price. The
element of surprise keeps the bid
ding smart and invites over-bid
ding of market value.
As an orator understands mass
psychology and a politician strives
to impregnate his audience with
his point of view and sell it a bill
of goods more attractively pack
aged than that of his oponent, so
does an auctioneer trade cm his
knowledge of men in sharp com
petitive bidding and he pleads,
coaxes, cajoles and wise-cracks
his c’-oj^d into momentary forget
fulness of both need and value
and insistently cries for that still
"her bid.
Buv was born at Plainview, a
son of Mr. and Mrs. Ed Wanser,
and acquired his education there.
He was married to Lulu Dutcher
on January 10, 1911, and came to
Page where they have since made
their home. In 1919 the Wansers
built the first bungalow - type
house in Page.
Buv began his business career
at the age of nine when he sold
bluing paddles and received a
watch as a prize. He traded the
watch for a mule, traded the
mule for an old horse that he
sold for 310, and bought the
first good horse he ever owned.
From that beginning he devel
oped his trading instinct into a
fine art, plying the trade for bus
iness and pleasure, gaining friends
and an enviable reputation for fair
play and square dealing in the
process.
Stories such as this can be
heard any day in the week: A man
who became dissatisfied with a
horse he had bought from Wanser
was invited to return it and get
his money back. Buv resold the
horse—without benefit of guar
antee—for 35 more than the price
paid by the first buyer. In a gen
erous mood, he gave the first
buyer the additional $5. Stories
vary only in names and circum
stances—the guarantee of satis
faction or your money back re
mains the same.
Horse trading and auctioneering
go well together, as does scouring
the country for livestock to keep
sales in operation. In the capaci
ty of buyer, Buv became as fa
miliar with the pastures and bam
yards of the near and far country
as you are with your own prem
ises.
Buv never forgets a horse nor
the circumstances of his earlier
meeting with him. He likes and
appreciates a horse as few men
do and has owned some of the
best. At one time when money
was not as free as it is now, he
owned four thoroughbreds —
Prairie King, Colonel B., Arrow
Heart and Bud Smith. He leased
them out and even then they
made both men a little money.
‘‘Old Spike” holds the all-time
reputation for a thoroughly de
pendable, hard-working, intelli
gent horse. Buv recalls giving him
a slap on the rump out on the
Eagle and telling him to bring in
five mules — broke, half-broke
and unbroke. At the end of a long
day, he met “Old Spike” a few
miles out of town, mules under
control, bringing them in.
It was a very common sight
to see Spike with an ornery bull
tied to the saddle horn, worry
ing his way toward Page, nary
a man in sight. There was nev
er another like him, in his own
er's opinion.
Buv likes dogs, too, and has had
some very good German pointers,
tut mother won’t let him have
one, any more. Too much of a
nuisance in town .
“Nope,” says Buv, “Mother
won’t let me have a dog,” and he
chuckles as he repeats it.
“The first night I bring my dog
home I have to sneak feed out to
the garage and for several days I
have to feed him myself. Then I
get careless and mother tells me
(Continued on page 6)
Elmer E. Smith, 80,
Expires in Omaha
Follows Wife in Death
by 2 Weeks
PAGE—Funeral services were
conducted at 2 p.m., Wednesday,
February 23, from the Methodist
church here for Elmer Edwin
Smith, 80, longtime resident of
the Ewing and Page communities.
He died Saturday, February 19,
in an Omaha hospital, where he
had been a patient about a month.
The late Mr. Smith had been
critically ill for several months:
His wife, Clara, died Sunday, Feb
ruary 6, at the home of Mr. and
Mrs. Herman Schrader in Ewing.
Funeral services for Mrs. Smith
were conducted exactly two weeks
prior to Mr. Smith’s rites.
The late Elmer Edwin Smith
was born February 27, 1874, at
Beatrice, a son of John and Sar
ah Smith.
On'June 11, 1902, at O’Neill he
married Clara Potter. They be
came the parents of three chil
dren. The Smiths observed their
golden wedding anniversary in
1952.
The family resided many
years on farms in those com
munities. Mr. Smith had been
a member of the Odd Fellows
lodge at Chambers for 54 years.
Upon retiring from the farm,
the Smiths made their home in the
northeast section of town.
Survivors include: Daughter —
Mrs. Mabel Parker of Springfield,
Ore.; sons—William E. of Walton,
Ore., and Leo F. of Rainier, Ore.;
sisters—Mrs. Nellie McIntosh of
Page, Mrs. Minnie Davidson of
Seattle, Wash., Mrs. Frank McIn
tosh of Greeley; brother — John
Smith of Albion; 12 grandchildren
and 20 great-grandchildren.
Mr. and Mrs. Charles Fox, jr.,
called his parents, Mr. and Mrs.
Charles Fox, sr., Sunday from
Louisiana.
Young children have fewer
colds than people in their ’teens.
Conservation Theme in This Issue
This issue of The Frontier fea
tures the 1954 narrative report for
the Holt County Soil Conservation
district, plus other conservation
stories.
Each year The Frontier devotes
considerable space to week-to
week developments and news
notes in the realm of soil conser
vation and one issue each year
is designated as the soil conserva
tion issue.
(Turn to pages 4, 5 and 6 which
are dominated with the conserva
tion theme.)
Meanwhile, Mel Hansen, WOW
radio and TV farm service direct
or, will speak and show pictures
at the Holt extension service and
soil conservation district annual
joint meeting to be held Wednes
day, March 2. Mr. Hansen will
use as his topic “Places We Have
Been.” The meeting will be held
at the American Legion auditori
um, beginning at 10 a.m.
The program is for everyone in
the county and will include enter
tainment, short annual business
meetings and election of extension
board members from supervisor
districts 5 and 3.
Highlights of both the soil con
servation district’s and extension
service’s activities for the year
will be presented. Lunch will be
served at noon.
In addition to Mel Hansen, there
will be featured local talent and
a short movie.
Book Studied by
Mission Group—
EWING—Chapters 1 and 2 of
the book, “Under Three Flags,”
were reviewed at the Presbyterian
church’s Missionary society meet
ing last Thursday at the farm
home of Mrs. Webb Napier. Thir
teen were present.
The world day of prayer was
discussed. Mrs. Ralph Schrader
will arrange the program.
Bride Fails to Appear;
Storm Is Blamed
DELOIT—The wedding of Al
va Schrunk and Darrel Robertson,
which was to have taken place
Sunday afternoon, was postponed
because of the storm. The bride
groom, a minister from Lincoln,
and some of the guests arrived,
but it was impossible for the
bride to get to Clearwater from
her home southwest of Clearwater.
Mrs. Quig Hostess—
The RSS club met Wednesday
afternoon at the home of Mrs.
John L. Quig. A luncheon was
served by the hostess.
Burial at Chambers
for Mrs. Mary Sheedy
Holt Home steader
Dies in Lincoln
CHAMBERS — Mrs. Mary
Sheedy, 84, widow of the late
John Sheedy, died Thursday, Feb
ruary 17, in St. Elizabeth’s hos
pital at Lincoln. She had enjoyed
good health, relatives said, until
February 1, when she suffered a
stroke which paralyzed her left
side. She had been unconscious
for two days prior to her death.
Funeral services were conduct
ed at 2 p.m., Monday, February
21, from the Methodist church
here. Rev. J. M. Hodgkin offici
ated and burial was in the Cham
bers cemetery under the direction
of Biglin’s.
The funeral originally was
scheduled for Saturday but be
cause of blizzard conditions was
postponed for two days.
Singers were Thomas Lambert,
Chloe Adams, Hazel Wintermote
and Ray Hoffman, accompanied
on the piano by Mrs. Joe Daas.
Pallbearers were A. B. Hubbard,
Arthur Tangeman, Lawrence
Tangeman, Walter Jutte and Gaius
Wintermote. In charge of flowers
were Mrs. Hattie Tibbets and
Mrs. Letha Cooke.
Mrs. Sheedy’s maiden name was
Mary Elizabeth Summers, daugh
ter of Samuel Allen Summers and
Mary McKinzes Summers. She
was born November 27, 1870, at
Eldora, la.
At the age of 15 she came to
Holt county with her parents and
resided on a homestead several
miles northeast of Chambers.
On October 30, 1895, at O’Neill
she married Mr. Sheedy of Sioux
City. They became the parents of
two children.
Mr. and Mrs. Sheedy resided in
Sioux City about two years and
then moved to the Chambers lo
cality. They resided on a farm,
now occupied by Orville Kellar,
until 1923, when they retired from
farm life and moved into Cham
bers. Mr. Sheedy died in 1925,
following which the widow moved
to Lincoln, where she resided
until her death.
While living in Chambers she
was custodian of the public
school. For 15 years in Lincoln
she was janitress of the girls’
department of the University of
Nebraska college of agriculture.
She joined the Methodist church
in childhood and was a member
throughout her life.
Survivors include: Daughter —
Mrs. Gertrude Craft of Yuba
City, Calif.; son—James of Lin
coln; grandchildren—Jack Gray
of Lincoln and Mrs. LaVonne
Hobbs of Selma, Ala.; three great
grandchildren; nieces—Mrs. Grace
Kemp of Tisdale, Can., and Mrs.
Myrtle Bell of Chambers; nephews
—Carl Jeffers of Chambers, Oliver
Summers of Allen, Warren Sum
mers of Denver, Colo.
Among those from a distance
here for the funeral were Mr. and
Mrs. James Sheedy of Lincoln,
Mrs. George Craft of Yuba City,
Calif., and Mrs. LaVonne Hobbs
of Selma, Ala.
5 Children Rescued
from Blazing Home
SPENCER—Five children in a
Spencer family were rescued by
their father when fire broke out
in their home.
The fire started under the stairs
in the Joe Pfeifer home.
The five children were sleeping
upstairs One of the younger girls
was awakened by the smoke. Her
coughing wakened her father who
found the stairs in flames.
Pfeifer rescued the children by
wraping them in blankets and
rolling them down the stairs. He
burned his feet badly and was
hospitalized at Lynch.
Wayne Blair, Spencer fireman,
was injured while helping put
out the fire and was sent to an
Omaha hospital.
Spencer Legion
Auxiliary Meets—
SPENCER— The Spencer Am
erican Legion auxiliary unit voted
Monday night to sponsor a quar
tet in the district convention and
a girl for Comhusker girls’ state.
A contribution was approved
for the national president’s 1955
project, restoration of the Flag
House at Baltimore, Md. Plans
for the annual auxiliary birthday
party to be held March 8 were
discussed.
Arctic Wind
Lashes Area
for 60 Hours
Hiway Traffic Grinds
to Halt as Snow
Sweeps into Region
O’Neill escaped the brunt of a
24-day snow-and-blow that creat
ed considerable inconvenience to
northwestern Nebraskans and
South Dakotans.
Only five inches of snow fell
here during the ordeal, which be
gan about noon on Friday and
continued unabated through Satur
day, with the winds diminishing
Sunday evening about 7 o’clock.
Winds mounted up to 55 miles
per hour here and, except that
snowfall was relatively light, the
storm might have been a memor
able one.
Traffic on U.S. highway 20 west
from O’Neill came to a halt late
Saturday and traffic was tied up
until after a rotary plow had
cleared ithe drifts near the John
Dick sheliterbeit on Sunday even
ing. There was considerable drift
ing on the east-west roads.
Motorists coming into O’Neill
said visibility was bad after reach
ing Ewing and Piainview. From
Bassett west there was more
snow and more hardship.
Chicago & North Western trains
operated behind schedule. Bus
schedules were snafued and high
way traffic was on a restricted
basis throughout the weekend.
Some farmers are still digging out
and are obliged to take circuitious
routes to get to their homes.
Lowest temperature during the
storm was -4 degrees.
Weather summary:
Hi Lo Prec.
February 17 .... 45 26
February 18 .... 42 11
February 19 _ 19 1 .96
February 20 _ 15 13 .23
February 21 .... 29 3
February 22 _ 27 -2
February 23 _ 18 -1
Totals. 1.19
Storm Halts All
Activity at Ewing—
EWING—The snowstorm which
hit Ewing about 10 a.m., on Fri
day halted all activities and stop
ped traffic as it gained in intensity
during the day. The storm contin
uing throughout Saturday and Sun
day. Early Sunday evening the
winds abated and the sky cleared.
Temperatures were around zero.
Approximately six inches of snow
felL The winds piled snow into
high drifts of several feet in depth
about town.
Clifford Ha hi beck, beginning
work in the wee hours of Monday
rnmrning, had the streets and
roads cleaned of snow before traf
fic was begun.
No services were held Sunday
morning at the Methodist or the
Church of Christ. The congrega
tion® of the United Presbyterian
and the St. Peter’s church were
small.
Many social activities and week
end trips were cancelled. School
was dismissed early Friday after
noon . Business on Main street was
at a standstill
No School Monday
Due to Roads—
INMAN — The Inman schools
were dismissed Friday noon due
to toe storm. Uiere were no class
es on Monday due to the fact that
toe roads were blocked and school
busses were unable to operate.
Sunday services ait the Methodist
church were also canceled due to
the storm.
Miss Birmingham
Praised—
Mary Lou Birmingham of O’
Neill was commended by E. Ro
land Harriman, national chairman
of the Red Cross, Friday for her
work in Korea.
Harriman said just after Mari
lyn Monroe made an appearance
in Korea, he had a letter from a
soldier asking that Miss Birming
ham be given credit for her work.
“The soldier wrote that Miss
Birmingham is here all the time
not just for one appearance,’’ Har
riman told an Omaha news con
ference.
The annual American Red Cross
drive starts next week.
Pongratz, Barnes
Leaving Germany—
EMMET—Duane Pongratz, son
of Mr. and Mrs. Joe Pongratz, and
Wayne Barnes, son of Mr. and
Mrs. Floyd Barnes, were sched
uled to leave for the United States
Tuesday, February 15, from Ger
many where they had been in
service After returning home
they will receive their discharges.
main leaks
PAGE—A leaky watermain de
veloped here near toe Grace
Merryman residence in west Page
during toe storm. Tliat area
has been closed off until repair
can be made.