^ .
Prairieland Talk . .
Carp Go Way of Prairie Chickens
By ROMAtfVE SAUNDERS, Retired, Former Editor The Frontier
MARION, IND.—I was one of a bunch of kids in
the long ago having fun as only boys can down
where the crystal waters of the Elkhorn then flow
ed, when Jake Hershiser ducked out of a clump of
willows and came around the bend carrying a fish
pole and a string of pickerel tails dragging the
ground.
That clear, fresh, uncontaminated stream was
for a number of years the delight of fishermen
where most any time you could haul out a five
pounder or a string of black bass. There were spots,
too, dedicated to swimming par
ties in the nude. The idea sprang
from somewhere that Nebraska
needed a game and fish commis
sion. That was the beginning of
the end for game fish in the Elk
horn. We will stock that crystal
flowing stream, thought the game
commission boys that day, with
German carp. It was done, And
away disappeared the game fish.
The agriculture committee of the
state legislature, of which Sena
tor Frank Nelson of O’Neill is Remain*
chairman, stands for a law to Saunders
poison the carp. This is at the suggestion of the
present head of the game and fish commission. The
damage has been done.
Never again can the Jake Hershisers and Jim
Davidsons be seen coming up from the river
lugging a 10-pound pickerel. As the carp ran out
the game fish the pheasants replaced the beautiful
prairie chicken.
* * *
Dad’s in jail, mother is in critical condition
in a charity hospital, 11 children, the oldest 13,
most wonder what it is all about as they were
consigned to the children’s home of Grant coun
ty in Marion. A cold, calculating circuit court
has had six of the 11 placed with “relatives and
friends,” giving as the judicial alibi that the tax
payers of the county should not have to bear the
expense of providing for these children. Poor
kids! What a start on the highway of life!
* * *
There is a Berry school in Holt county, mean
ing district 243, where the schoolhouse stands on
land of the Howard Berry ranch at the township
line, dividing Swan precinct from Wyoming. There
is a Berry school in the vicinity of Rome, Ga. A
little more pretentious if not otherwise outdoing us.
Mrs. Inez Henry is secretary of the Georgia Berry
school. Holt county had a Henry school in the long
ago out toward the defunct Minneola. Mrs. Henry
says they don’t know what the word delinquency
means on their 30,000-acre campus as the 1,000
boys and girls from the surrounding Blue Ridge
hills are too busy to get into trouble. The school
farms 1,000 acres, has 2,000 acres in pasture, 20
acres in garden stuff, 300 acres in fruit trees, 10,
000 peach trees, runs 800 head of cattle, has 2,000
turkeys and 7,000 chickens. The pupils study, work
and have fun together. The school was founded in
1902 by Martha Berry, a vision of culture and train
ing for backwoods kids of three states materialized
into one of the country’s notable institutions.
* * *
Apparently North Platte is to be the site
of a socalled national cowboy hall of fame. It has
to favor it a central location in the state and is the
point from which Buffalo Bill sprang into world
notice. Cody had never ridden the range as a
puncher but he won fame by promoting a “wild
West show.” Wild West has always set on pioneers
as a misrepresentation. The West was not peopled
by wild men and women but byi sturdy American
stock that could swing the lariat and handle the
branding iron as cowboys or hold down a home
stead, and in the end built up communities across
prairieland. The cattle ranching section of Nebras
ka is not around North Platte. The greatest cowboy
area in the state included the Spade outfit extend
ing from Holt county west to the end of the trail.
In the point of realistic features, Alliance, Chadron
or Valentine should have the hall of fame in mem
ory of such guys as Eli Hershiser and Jim Dahl
man. But North Platte gets it in memory of Bill
Cody. And if you never saw that guy on a horse
you have missed a wild West tradition.
* * *
The daily paper from “back home” devoted
four inches of space telling us that a brother of a
movie notable was sick. Hope he’s better. But most
readers would have liked it better had that space
been devoted to telling us of activities of prairie
land patriots.
Hoosier assessors are being primed for the an
nual take out of the store house of thrifty patriots.
Functionaries from the state tax board at Indianap
olis are around laying down the dictum to precinct
assessors, among which is an order to list “money
on hand.” A local assessor wonders just how it can
be done. “Learning the amount of cash on hand
is about as difficult as learning a woman’s age,”
he says. Money on hand—I look into the matter
and count 98 cents. “Money on hand.” Maybe I can
get away before the assessor comes along and still
be too late for another one in Nebraska; thus
escape reporting my 98 cents.
* * *
Three Inches of snow fell quietly during the
night. The landscape glistens white in the sun
light this morning. The snow lies as it fell, light
and fluffy; the elements are at rest, symbolic
of much that is seen in the east. Men are at work
across the way—that is, at work when not idling
away the minutes. No hurry, got lots of time.
Prairieland was swept by a blizzard, elements
rushing as if in a hurry to get it over with, sym
bolic of the energy and activity of its people.
• * *
Mayor Ralph Leech of this Hoosier town is
hoping some one will come up with new weeks to
be celebrated. The mayor gets a thrill out of tak
ing his pen in hand to sign a proclamation setting
aside a day or a week for this or that, but wonders
why so little attention is drawn to his mayoralty
proclamations. Seem to be having a little trouble
in O’Neill, too, over putting into effect a proclama
tion to add a foot or two to streets which Colonel
Brennan and his compatriots laid out wide enough
to accommodate the buckin’ broncos and covered
wagons.
J* Sk *
A young Nebraskan is stowed away for five
years for the theft of $2.90. If he had made a two
hundred thousand haul he might have drawn six
months. . . Livestock census enumerators have been
riding the spring roundup and report a herd of
something over five million beeves on Nebraska
prairies. . . The Russians now claim they have the
secret that prolongs human life to the age of 180
years. Their bigwigs have been passing out much
younger. . . Six firemen in Baltimore, Md., were
crushed to death when a blazing wall collapsed and
fell on them.
* » *
The AFL and CIO have become amalgamated.
Some years ago a group of union labor leaders be
came dissatisfied with the management of the Am
erican Federation of Labor, withdrew and organized
the Congress of Industrial Workers. The split has
been repaired. Does this mean a union labor polit
ical party? Maybe so. Bossing the laborers gives a
guy the itch to run the country. About time for
another political party to be heard from. But re
member the fate of bull moose, the populist move
ment and other third party groups.
* * *
Marion has a Nebraska street. Along the
street is the creamery and milk processing plant
of the Sutter Dairy company. That is also a Ne
braska name. On South 48th street in Nebraska’s
state capital city the Sutter dairy functioned at
one time. How a street in this Indiana city came
to be known as a Nebraskan, Prairieland Talker
has not discovered.
* * *
The banners of nations bear the stains of
bloodshed, crosses row-upon-row mark the abode
of the dead. The histories of earth have one story
to tell—the wreckage of battlefields where brave
men fell. Deadly things primed and surcharged to
destroy sweep across lands with guiding convoys.
War-weary souls are longing for life unmixed with
strife and brooding clouds of war to pass forever
from our sight.
* * *
There is no force in the world strong enough
to stop the march of communsm. If need be, the
Soviet union will demonstrate its might and the
righteousness of our cause.—Russia’s V. M. Mol
otov.
* * *
Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and extol the
King of heaven, all Whose works are truth, and
His ways judgment; and those that walk in pride
He is able to abase.—Daniel.
* * *
Every town in the nation, including O’Neill,
can improve its appearance without spending much
money.
Editorial . . .
Sun’s Energy Tapped
From the Bell Telephone laboratories in New <*
York comes word that a new solar battery has
been developed which utilizes the sun’s light to
produce electricity. The developers of the new
battery were G. O. Pearson, G. S. Fuller and D. M.
Chapin.
The new-type battery utilizes strips of sily
con, which are described as being about razor
blade size. Since these metal strips are sensitive to
light, they can be linked together to form an elec
trical generator which, reportedly, produces 50
watts per square yard of surface area.
This is an important step in that it may herald
the arrival of the long-sought permanent type bat
tery. Present-day batteries are not actually storage
batteries, as so many people believe, but they man
ufacture their electrical current by a chemical pro
cess, and when the chemical elements are dissipat
ed in the battery it is no longer productive.
The new battery developed in the Bell labora
tories would be an almost permanent type battery,
since the metal strips which receive the sun’s rays
would last almost indefinitely if properly cared for.
Such a battery seems on the way, although its ar
rival may be years away as yet.
Lively Election Looms
Petitions have been making the rounds this
week, insuring multiple candidates for the mayor’s
post and each of the city council seats. All of which
is a healthy sign because elections always should
be competitive.
Tuesday, April 5, promises to be a lively day—
one of the most interesting elections in a number
of years.
Last week’s snow-and-blow didn’t show up
on the barometer. This fact was the tip the storm
would blow itself out in short order. The time:
Six hours.
State Sen. Frank Nelson says the special in
terest groups are at work, harder than ever, trying
t* fashion legislation to suit their requirements.
Most people take themselves quite seriously.
This Older Generation
It seems as though a favorite pastime of older
people down through the years has been to com
ment (usually with some misgivings) on “this
younger generation.” There are times when we’d
like to know what makes the mental wheels turn
for some of the older ones.
You have undoubtedly read about the $7,000
lawsuit a Minnesota couple brought against a
teacher for spanking their son. Things like that
really should make one wonder.
You could wonder, for example, where they
expect the teacher to get the $7,000. In this world’s
of times underpaid profession, that will not be easy.
You could also wonder if the teacher didn’t
make a mistake in spanking the child. Apparently
he or she could have put those spanking talents
to better use by trying it out on the parents.
There could, of course, be cause for a spank
ing, although the outraged parents would probably
never admit it. Our idea of due cause, as an ex
ample, could arise from a situation where the
teacher asked one young pupil where the Declara
tion of Independence was signed. The kid replied:
“At the bottom, I suppose.” That’s cause.
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)
When You and I Were Young ...
Milligan, Maher
Meet President
Rep. Kinkaid Makes
Presentation
50 Years Ago
C. J. Milligan and Col. John G
Maher, who attended the inaugural
at Washington, D.C., were intro
duced to the president by Con
gressman Kinkaid. . . Scoundrels
pulled down a building at the F.
C. Gatz slaughter yards. They
scattered bales of hay far and wide
and stole a six dollar implement
for cutting ice. . . Two hundred
and twenty-five farmer’s accepted
Atkinson’s invitation to eat din
ner there last week. Mr. McNich
cls’ new bakery provided the good
things set before the crowd. . . The
freezing weather has given Street
Commissioner Martin many head
aches. Many water pipes have
broken since the below zero
weather set in.
20 Years Ago
The O’Neill high basketball
team was victorious in the first
game of the regional tournament
in Norfolk, defeating Meadow
Grove, 24-20. . . State Sen. F. J.
• Brady and State Rep. L. G. Gil
lespie were up from Lincoln for
a few days taking care of business
matters and visiting with their
constituents. . . Mrs. Corilla Grace
Snell, 82, died at her home near
Page. Mrs. Snell was one of the
pioneers of the Page community.
She and her husband came to
Holt county in 1883. . . The senior
class of O’Neill high presented a
three-act comedy entitled, “Fifty
Fifty,” at the K.C. hall. . . The
postoffice reports that about $1,
000 worth of baby bonds have
been sold to patrons of O’Neill
during the past week.
10 Years Ago
The Misses Ruth M. Pribil, Ge
neva M. Pribil and Constance A.
Biglin received their diplomas and
graduated as nurses from St. Vin
cent’s college of nursing in Sioux
City. . . 1/Lt. Madeline Ullom ar
rived in O’Neill after spending
three years in a Japanese intern
ment camp in Manila. She was
taken prisoner by the Japanese
in 1942. . . Donald A. Hynes, Bry
an J. Dempsey, Frank F. Peter,
jr., and Daniel E. Murphy were
inducted into the armed forces
during the month of March from
O'Neill. Fourteen other men from
Holt county also went during
March. . . During the past year,
the Tri-State Hatchery in O’Neill
paid over $2,000,000 to local pro
ducers of poultry and eggs.
One Year Ago
The Associated Press circulated
a story concerning a 100-thou
sand-dollar windfall awaiting a
certain Navy BM William Cabeca,
whose father, William Cabeca, sr.,
was said to be living at O’Neill.
. . . M. J. Golden was reelected
president of the O’Neill Country
club. . . The American Legion
auxiliary, Simonson unit 93, spon
sored an Americanism essay con
test titled, “My U.S. Citizenship
and What It Means to Me.” The
contest was won by Miss Mary
Ellen Froelich, first prize; Nina
Prouty, second prize; Mary Kath
erine Turner, third prize; Mary
Belzer, fourth prize, and James
Schmitz, fifth prize. . . Rev. Wes
ley Smith of Seneca, Mo., a mis
sionary in China for 44 years, who
lived under four different types of
rule while there, visited several
days in O’Neill.
Return to Oregon
After Compassionate Stay—
PAGE—A farewell dinner was
held at the home of Mrs. Fanny
Stewart honoring Mr. and Mrs.
William Smith, who left last week
for their home at Walton, Ore.
Guests were Mr. and Mrs. Edd
Stewart and Mickey, Mr. and Mrs.
Glen Stewart and Dick, Mrs. Car
rie Sterner, Mr. and Mrs. Elmer
Juracek and children, Mrs. Paul
Krugman and two children and
Mrs. Gene Mudloff and sons.
Becanuse of illness, Paul Krug
man and son and Gene Mudloff
were unable to be present.
The Smiths have been here
since mid-November. They at
tended the illness and death of
both of Mr. Smith’s parents, the
late Mr. and Mrs. Elmer Smith.
Guests at Contois Home—
Mr. and Mrs. Jack Milliton and
Mr. and Mrs. L. R. Workman, all
of Clearwater, were Sunday din
ner and afternoon guests at the
home of her brother and sister
in-law,'Mr. and Mrs. J. F. Contois.
Mr. and Mrs. James Earley vis
ited Sunday in Columbus with
their son and daughter-in-law,
Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Earley and
family.
SMA Grad Is Capped
Miss Catherine Christon
(above), daughter of Mr. and
Mrs. Walter Christon of Ewing,
was one of the members of a
class of 52 in the capping cere
mony at the Sacred Heart hos
pital school of nursing, Yankton,
S.D., on Friday, February 25.
This was also the golden jubilee
observance for the school of
nursing. Sister M. Julianna was
the honored guest. The oldest
member of the school, she serv
ed as superintendent from 1910
to 1948 and is still a familiar
figure there. Miss Christon was
graduated from St. Mary’s acad
emy at O’Neill with the class of
1954.
Nielsen Completes
5 ’Chute Jumps—
INMAN—Army Pvt. Harold H.
Nielsen, 21, son of Herbert Niel
sen of Inman, recently was grad
uated from the infantry school’s
airborne course at Ft. Benning,
Ga.
The course trains volunteer of
ficers and enlisted men of the
army to be qualified para
chutists. Students are required to
make five jumps.
Nielsen, a 1952 graduate of In
man high school, entered the army
in February, 1954, and received
basic training at Ft. Riley, Kan.
O’Neill News
D. D. DeBolt attended a Min
neapolis - Moline meeting held
Monday, February 28, through
Priday in Omaha. Mrs. DeBolt
joined him there last Thursday to
attend the banquet held that
night.
Mrs. F. N. Cronin and Mrs. P.
B. Harty 'dsited Wednesday,
March 2, and last Thursday with
Miss Genevieve Biglin in Sioux
City.
Miss Beverly McCarthy of Om
aha visited from Friday until
Monday at the home of her par
ents, Mr. and Mrs. George Mc
Carthy and family.
Mr. and Mrs. Robert Gaskill
and Renee of Neligh visited Sun
day at the home of Mr. and Mrs.
E. E. Gaskill and Mr. and Mrs.
Ed Gunn.
Weatherstripping completely in
stalled in windows and doors.
Fully guaranteed. Also, aluminum
combination storm windows and
doors. Wide selection. Free esti
mates. Convenient terms. Call Jim
Sessions, 409-J or 548-LR, or write
box 568, O’Neill. 45tf
Mr. and Mrs. Glenn Gettert
visited Sunday at the home of her
parents, Mr. and Mrs. John Laible,
in Atkinson.
Mr. and Mrs. Elden Butterfield
and daughters spent Sunday visit
ing in Creighton at the Carl
Grosse home.
Mr. and Mrs. Claude Kendall
of Pierce visited over the weekend
with their niece and her husband,
Mr. and Mrs. Donald Clyde.
Miss Diane DeBacker, student
at Briarcliffe college, Sioux City,
visited from Friday until Sunday
with her parents, Mr. and Mrs. G.
C. DeBacker.
Venetian blinds, prompt deliv
ery, made to measure, metal 01
wood, all colors.—J. M. McDon
alds. If
Mr. and Mrs. Harden Anspach
drove Mrs. Keith Anspach, Steve
and Kelly to Lincoln Sunday, Feb
ruary 27, where Mrs. Keith Ans
pach and the children joined
Keith, who is a student at the
University of Nebraska. Mr. and
Mrs. Harden Anspach visited with
their son and daughter-in-law
until Friday.
o
Alva and Gary Gettert visited
last Thursday and Friday with
their grandparents, Mr. and Mrs.
John Laible, in Atkinson.
Mrs. Charles Marsten and Deb
ra of Dorsey visited Sunday with
her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Harden
Anspach.
MILLER THEATER
— Atkinson —
Fri.-Sat. Mar. 11-12
t
Sun.-Mon.-Tues. Mar. 13-14-15
Vj^rmujr^PMjja
lVed.-Thurs. Mar. 18-17
I
DR. H. D. GILDERSLEEVE
OPTOMETRIST
Northeast Corner
of 4th & Douglas
O'NEILL, NKBR.
Phone 167
Eyes Examined . Qlasses Kitted
Office Hours: 9.5 Mon. thru aat
.. „ ,. , ,
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Notice to Taxpayers
The job of assessing property in Holt Co. will get started
Thursday, March 10th. The Nebraska Laws place full responsi
bility on the taxpayer for seeing that his property is listed for
taxation. The Law provides a penalty of 50% of valuation for
failure to list, refusal to list, to list falsely or to transfer prop
erty for the purpose of evading taxes.
Every individual who has property or is over twenty-one
years of age shall make a return.
I
Household goods will be listed in less detail than last year.
These articles will be on the schedule: Air Conditioners,
Deep Freezes, Dishwashers, Pianos and Musical Instruments,
Refrigerators, Radios and Record Players, Sewing Machines,
Television Sets, Washers, Dryers and Ironers. Know the age
and the new costs of these articles so they can be valued accord
ing to the depreciation scale. v
The rest of the household goods will be valued in a lump
sum, carpets and carpeting must be included in this. Please
have in mind what this portion of your household goods is worth
as the assessor will not have time to value it.
Please cooperate with us and have you assessing done early
to avoid the last minute rush.
The assistant assessors are:
Antelope and Iowa—Glen Stewart.
Atkinson Pre. and Atkinson Vil.—Wes Kirkland, at Fire
Hall.
Chambers Vil., Chambers and Conley Pre.—W. E. Richard,
at Chambers State Bank.
Stuart Pre. and Vil.—A. Max Karo, at Stuart Lightplant.
Cleveland and Dustin—Chas. Mulford.
Coleman—Art O’Neill.
Deloit—Albert Latzel.
Emmet Pre. and Vil.—Mrs. Roy Richards, at Depot.
Ewing Vil., Ewing and Golden Pre. — Eben Graf/t, at
Rockey Implement.
Fairview—Harold Gilman.
Francis—Ernie Gotschall.
Grattan—Marvin Clouse.
O’Neill—W. P. Dailey, at the assembly room of the court
house.
Holt Creek—Harold Shaw.
Green Valley—Robert LeMunyan.
Inman Pre. and Vil.—Vernon Davis, at Barber Shop.
Josie, Swan and Wyoming—R. E. Bly.
Lake and McClure—O. McClenahan.
Paddock—Elmer Devall.
Pleasantview—Joe Wagman.
Rock Falls and Belle—Levi Hull.
Sand Creek—Alex Forsythe.
Saratoga—R. S. Cobum.
Scott—Howard Wells.
Shamrock—Robert Strong.
Sheridan—Chas. Kubart.
Shields—Clarence Gokie.
Steel Creek—C. L. Brady.
Verdigris and Page—C. W. Cronk, at his home.
Willowdale—Bob Tomlinson.
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The PowerFlow 117 engine is one big
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O’Neill, Nebr. 212 So. 4th St.
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