Prairieland Talk ... 1
i
(Wounded Knee ’ Book Fascinating
By ROMAINE SAUNDERS, Retired, Former Editor The Frontier
LINCOLN—I wandered to the scenes of other
days last week, out where hospitality, the inspiring
touch of human fellowship and the simple pleasures
of life have not been swept away by today’s indus
trial activities.
I met friends of a lifetime, those of more recent
years and some never met before. Among them
were Mr. and Mrs. Will H. Spindler, who had come
to the homeland of Mr. Spindler’s youth to join
with other homecomers and natives celebrating
the 75th anniversary of the be
ginning of things at A.tkinson. Mr.
Spindler is a son of the late
George H. Spindler, who came to
Holt county in 1879, a boy of
eight years. The Spindlers, two
three brothers, came to prairie
land from West Virginia and set
tled in northern Holt county.
I had known W31 only as a
gifted writer, having read some
of his books. Now I have another,
he having presented me with a
copy of his latest work, “Tragedy Romaine
Strikes at Wounded Knee.” Again Saunders
he takes us to the mystic charm of life on prairie
land in northwest Nebraska, leads us across the
border into the Dakota Indians’ territory to join
the redskins in the wierd ghost dance that they
thought would bring to them a messiah who would
drive out the pale face race and restore their
hunting grounds.
Mr. spinaier araws a i»v;uio«.m6 r,vv^w
of the tragedy that finally brought about a better
understanding and a sympathy for the Indians. To
accomplish this it seemed Pine Ridge must be
bathed in human blood. The last Indian war fol
lowed the killing of Sitting Bull by the Indian po
lice, Lieutenant Bullhead.
Mr. Spindler’s 25 years in government service
among and for the Sioux of the Pine Ridge emi
nently qualify him to tell the story of Wounded
Knee. With culture born of spiritual vision and
daily contact with the youth and parents who trace
their descent back to the great chief, Sitting Bull,
an Indian to the last and now on the battle ground
made sacred to the Sioux by the last great Indian
tragedy. Mr. Spindler creates a picture in his
latest literary work as none other has done in writ
ing of Wounded Knee. And he belongs to Holt
county, another star in the firmament of prairie
land's notables.
Postmaster Miller, others of the committee on
arrangements, Melvan and Marvan Meals and
their compatriots who policed the grounds, the
venerable patriots as honored guests and the or
derly crowd at Atkinson’s recent birthday anni
versary party may well be complimented, not omit
ting the ladies who plundered the hen roosts and
ranch house stores to spread the park tables with
a feast befitting the occasion. Prairieland communi
ties do it with regal honors on such occasions. To
be there on such a day, take the hand of a former
neighbor, meet others unknown before and occupy
the speaker’s stand for a half hour was a pleasure
accorded Prairieland Talker when the historic
little city of Atkinson celebrated its passing into
old age with the vigor of youth.
* * *
Anyway, the hot dry summer, now cooled
and wet down, brought a halt to the monotonous
preachments about “flood control” in the Salt
creek and other “water sheds.”
Stepping outside this calm, cool morning as
the bright orb of day spread a sheet of gold across
nature’s picture, was a juvenile squirrel, a wary
little creature of the outdoors. It spied me standing
there, squatted on its bushy tail, reared erect with
front paws poised for a leap if that human creature
standing there should make a move. I remained
motionless, the little creature blinked an eye, sniff
ed the morning air, bowed a dainty head as if to
say good morning and slipped away into the bush
es to be about the day’s business. I went in, the
lesson on courtesy and “mind your own business”
from a little creatine of the wild lingering with
me.
• • *
Thirty-one cents for a loaf of 1955 bread.
Don Coneley’s nickel loaf, the first to come from
a baker’s oven in O’Neill in ’84, did the job just
as well.
* • •
I sat among the throng last night that had
gathered to see and hear an amazing story of the
vast universe with pictures thrown on the screen
by an astronomer. We were lifted for an hour out
of a troubled world to travel in imagination the
untrod avenues of space from planet tq planet. It
is now the conclusion of scientists that there are
uncounted millions of planets all sustaining living
creatures and beings similar to man but surpassing
us in intelligence and moral grandeur. And as you
come down to earth after an hour up there you
feel you are a pretty small potato.
* * *
Mr. and Mrs. J. Reblyer, formerly of Amelia
and later of Atkinson, now living in Neligh, spent
a week in Lincoln in early August.
Others, Too, Were Sinful
The Japanese minister who prayed the world
might be spared another Hiroshima bombing is to
be admired for his attitude, in many respects. He
prayed without animosity toward those who drop
ped the bomb on his city killing thousands of his
fellow countrymen, and he expressed the convic
tion the catastrophe was a punishment of his peo
ple by God.
The Japanese clergyman, in the considered
opinion of the Nebraska (Geneva) Signal, thus has
done much to highlight the folly of war and the
suffering it causes innocent people, but we fail to
see why he assumes the people of his city were
being punished. They just weren’t that wicked.
Others who had more to do with starting and car
rying out the war than the people of Hiroshima
escaped punishment.
It is possible, however, the clergyman has ac
complished mor,e by the assumption than if he had
said “Why did it have to happen to us?” Any fair
minded person, studying the remarks of the Jap
aanese minister, must realize that his contriteness
is sincere. At the same time, it must be realized
that actually a quirk of history simply made his
city pay for the sins of a world which was made
irrational by the upheavals caused by war.
The Signal editor continues:
It might be well if some one speaks out on
each anniversary of the bombing of Hiroshima to
remind the world that such catastrophes need not
occur. Such a reminder should cause statesmen all
over the wolrd to hesitate before becoming too ag
gressive. It should also cause them to be a little
more patient and humble as they deal with crises
which might lead to other Hiroshimas.
Editorial ... v
Restore Is Hardly the Word
A move is underway to restore Carney park.
Back in the WPA days the 65-acre tract was
laid out, landscaped to a degree, and the acreage
was the scene of family gatherings, picnics, count
less football, baseball and softball games.
But in spring and fall the lowland (immediate
ly south of the city limits and north of the Elk
horn river) was swampy and many man-hours
were spent in pushing or pulling vehicles out of
mud. Picnickers were chased away by ravenous
mosquitoes. The park has continued down through
the years as the site for football and baseball
games, but otherwise the acreage has been aban
doned.
The city council has been leasing the land in
order to have the wild hay cut and the weeds
mowed.
Comes now the move to restore the park.
Restore is hardly the word, because the trees
that were planted and those mother nature pro
vided are now mature and lovely. Soil technicians
say satisfactory drainage is feasible. A volunteer
“work detail’ has gone into the park three times
during the past eight days. Considerable dirt has
been moved, dead trees and brush have been towed
away, the winding driveways have been reopened.
Thus, at the present rate of progress, Carney
park soon will be better than ever before and
credit should go to the leaders in the Junior Cham
ber of Commerce, O’Neill Saddle club, Mayor
Marcellus, city council, Chamber of Commerce and
non-affiliated persons who are active and interest
ed in the project.
The entire community one day soon will look
with justifiable pride on the restored Carney park.
No Aid for ‘Neutralists’?
One result of the high-level visit of Moscow
communists to Belgrade is a proposal by two Unit
ed States congressmen to cut off U.S. aid to “neu
tralist” countries. This would, supposedly, include
Yugoslavia, India and other countries.
The idea behind the proposal is that the Unit
ed States should not levy a burden of millions of
dollars on taxpayers to support nations whose
sentiments are not in line with ours and whose fu
ture actions are in doubt, in the event of an emer
gency.
Certainly, these charges can be levelled against
Yugoslavia and India, and several other countries.
In the event of war between the Western powers
and the communists, it is probable that neither
Yugoslavia nor India, nor several other neutralist
powers, would become involved, unless they were
actually smitten by the communists, and then they
would probably awaken, too late.
We think there is much merit in the suggestion
being made, although we would not like to see a
blanket ban against all aid to neutral nations en
acted at this time. However, we are strongly con
vinced that the taxpayer of the United States will
get more for his dollar if his dollar is used to aid
countries such as Pakistan, which is solidly with
the democracies and although on the border of
communism, yet is frankly anti-communistic. We
mention the case of Pakistan purposely.
We think the situation in Pakistan today re
sembles somewhat the situation which prevailed
in Greece and in Turkey several years ago. Pak
istan, a Moslem country of some 80 million souls
and the seventh largest country in the world, is
frankly and faithfully democratic, and makes no
bones about it. Pakistan leaders openly oppose
0
communism and seek U.S. economic and military
aid.
We think our millions spent in Pakistan are
a far better investment than those poured into
Indochina in an effort to try to pull chestnuts out
of a fire which is already burning at a fairly good
rate. We are in favor of reducing aid to neutralist
countries to a minimum, and increasing aid to
countries which are openly anti-communist and
ready to fight with the democracies, to a maximum.
We hope congress will express its sentiments
likewise and that the state department will carry
out the foreign aid program in such a vein.
The Survivors
As one views the brown and sere lawns and
gardens—reminders of the recent heat wave—there
are two things that stand out. The dandelion plants
are as green as ever and the crab grass just laugh
ed at the drought. The Lincoln Star moves that
science stop fooling around with super-delicate
vegetation and convert these pests into something
that will feed the world.
It is hard to realize that our modern, up-to-the
minute tools of industry and war — today’s jet
planes, tanks, ships, freight cars, trucks and atom
bombs—are soon to be surpassed and perhaps even
wholly outmoded. Yet there was a time when
there didn’t seem to be anything ridiculous about
vast stockpiles of sabers, saddles and frigate sails.
It won’t be long until the poor soul who is
without airconditioning in the summer is as much
an object of pity as the poor widow who is dis
covered without coal in the dead of winter.
One thing about this part of the country: A
burned out corn crop does not have the far-reach
ing economic effect that it does in the pure com
country. What has hurt here is the half a hay crop.
It is curious that as pay and “fringe bene
fits” increase, more people seem to think it is an
indignity to be forced to work for a living.
Never ascribe to an opponent motives meaner
than your own.—James M. Barrie.
We’ll see you at the fair!
«^gP FRONTflft
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—2,463 (Mar. 31, 1955)
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