Prairieland Talk . . .
Belonged to O’Neill That Was
By ROMAiNE SAUNDERS, Retired, Former Editor The Frontier
0
o LINCOLN—The funeral Friday, November 25,
for Mrs. P. J. Biglin consigned to the tomb another
of the community’s noble won\pn.
Mrs. Biglin grew up in O’Neill after coming
*to the community from the East at the age of 12
years when Holt county was young and drawing
settlers from various states. Her
declining years were spent with
her daughter in Kansas but she
belonged to the O’Neill that was.
I met her first as Miss Dai
ley when she and Mary Belle
were the capable functionaries
in the Heinrickson establishment
that served meals to the young
bloods of the town, and I held
the exalted station of roustabout
for a few weeks at that empori
um of great things to eat.
Miss Dailey became the wife
of Patsy Biglin, one of the pop
ular and industrious young gents
60 years ago. As wife and mother, Mrs. Biglin, as
in her girlhood, sought to exemplify the character
istics of true womanhood. Mr. Biglin laid down
life’s burdens 10 years ago. She, too, has respond
ed to the roll call to join the others of the genera
tion to which they belonged.
* * *
Now, like a million inherited by a beggar,
comes the story to disperse the gloom and silence
the wailing over the effects of summer heat and
rainless days. Who’d have guessed it! Down in
Custer county a corn field is said to have yielded
153 bushels to the acre. The growing corn had
been encouraged by irrigation.
A . * * • |
December 1, 1902, R. J. Marsh became tne own
er of the O’Neill Bottling Works, having taken
over the business from S. L. Thompson. . . Pay $5
on what you owe and you have a chance to win
$100 in gold to be given away January 1, 1903, was
P. J. McManus’s way of dunning ’em. . . S. J.
Weekes, as register of the U.S. land office, was
summoned to Omaha by the United States district
attorney to appear before the grand jury investi
gating alleged frauds relating to homestead en
tries. . . Dr. J. W. McLeran withdrew from pro
fessional duties long enough to pay a visit to
friends in Ashland. . . Claud Stout of Tekamah
spent Thanksgiving in O’Neill on a visit to his
brother, C. E. Stout, and sister, Mrs. J. P. Gilligan.
. . . William Lakey and family moved to Spencer
where Mr. Lakey opened a hotel. . . Jack Meals
planned to move his family to Valdez, Alaska, in
the spring, believing a great future was on the
way for that north land. Some of the family are
still in Valdez, Mrs. Meals being one of them,
but their son, George, returned to his native Holt
county and lives near Atkinson with his wife, two
so. .3 and their wives.
* * *
A year ago the people over at Naper voted
$25,000 bond debt to build a town auditorium.
Now they assume a $15,000 bond debt to build
a schoolhouse. Nebraska City taxpayers feel they
can take care of just under one million bond
indebtedness for similiar purposes.
* * *
Mrs. Joseph Axteil of Stuart has recently ar
rived down the highway of time at her 104th
birthday anniversary. Much of her life has been
spent in Holt county and is rich in the lore of pio
neer days which, if compiled in a volume of mem
oirs would be more thrilling to prairieland pa
triots than the “memoirs of our late president.”
* * *
Lancaster county high school students num
bering 202 visited the county courthouse the last
day of November, the occasion being county gov
ernment day devoted to giving school students
firsthand information pertaining to official affairs
and the duties devolving upon county officers.
* * *
The sun shines upon the mountain top before
it glows upon the plain, but snow and hoar frost
cover the mountain top when roses bloom upon
the plain.
Someone who has taken time to count them
comes up with the figures disclosing that there are
141,733 more places dispensing firewater than
there are churches and temples of religious ser
vices in the country. From the number of church
notices seen in the papers it appears that the
churches in O’Neill outnumber the booze joints. . .
A star gazer down in Mexico looked into the
heavens studied the position of the planets and
came up with the warning that within a few hours
San Francisco, Calif., would be sunk into the Pa
cific. The city by the Golden Gate still lives. . .
The day SD began, one thousand cars crashed on
icy streets in Chicago, 111. . . The mother of 12
down in Greeley county makes a newspaper story
and is quoted as saying a large family makes her
less work than when there were but two children
in the home. She can relax and let the kids do the
work. They stow away three dozen eggs for break
fast and two gallons of milk a day. They milk 11
cows and have 1,200 chickens.
* * *
Impossible is a word found only in the dic
tionary of fools, said Napoleon. But that was be
fore he met his Waterloo.
The bakers are shouting it over the air, the
kids must have ample slices of the loaf if they are
to grow physically, develop mentally and acquire
moral conception. Now the bake ovens roll out
what they call chuck wagon bread. Chuck wagon
—that revives memories. I was riding the cow
trails with the late John Addison doing the 1
cooking. John became ill from eating his campfire
products and the cook’s job fell to me. Bread was
the chief culinary problem. My first “chuck wag
on” bread consisted of biscuit about the size of a
football baked until hard enough to knock a steer
down if he were hit with one. John thereupon
managed to crawl out of his blanket, take over
and send me back to the herd. But instead, I hung
up saddle and lariat and went back to the print
shop to set type. No “chuck wagon” bread since.
* * *
Edgar Faure ousted as French premier, Peron
saved his neck by taking to flight. The way of
those who aspire to run things is strewn with roses
for a brief moment and then come the thorns. The
vitals of King Saul were pierced by his own sword,
Belshazzer sat down on the throne of Babylon and
was slain by Medes and Persians, the great Alex
ander died in his cups, Julius Caesar met his Ides
of March and Napoleon his Waterloo. Mussolini
with his paramour perished at the hands of a mob,
Hitler defaced the map of Europe and he, too, per
ished. The czar of all the Russians and household
—who knows their fate? Stalin strutted across the
scene of sorrow for a time only to meet his end,
and there he lay, a crimson robe round a form of
clay. Prairieland patriot, stay in your overalls! Sis
ter, hang on to the calico gown!
* * *
World War II accounted for 1,070,000 Am
ericans killed or wounded in combat. On the
home front at the same period of time 3,396,000
were killed or injured in traffic accidents.
* * *
If you had the courage or were of necessity
bounding out of bed before dawn this last morning^
of November, your attention may have been*
drawn to the full moon shining in splendor as ii
was about to disappear below the earth’s north
western rim. A sheet of snow over the land, tem
perature near zero and no cloud in the firmament
above, in that quiet hour before daybreak na
tures picture holds within its scope a captivating
charm, and so the sidereal heavens and earth
unite to form a scene for contemplation that in
spires the mind with thoughts of the Infinite.
Pause a moment before the unrivaled grandeur
if not in a hurry to get seated at the breakfast ta
ble to fill your belly.
* * *
Early came the winter chill, nipping frost
on vale and hill. Whose delight is for a Christmas
white see it now almost in sight.
Editorial ....
Wrong Is Righted in Argentina
In Argentina a great wrong which was felt
by the press of all the free world has been righted.
A decree by Provisional President Aramburu ha6
restored the Buenos Aires newspaper La Prensa to
Dr. Albert Gainza Paz, who was its editor and
publisher when the paper was taken over by the
reg.me of former President Peron.
In this is not only a victory for freedom of the
press but also and perhaps more importantly for
freedom bf information. The pre-Peron La Prensa
was known not only as probably the largest paper
in Latin America but also for objective and tho
rough news reporting. Hence it stood in the way
of the president, who was well on the way to be
coming a dictator.
The seizure of La Prensa was no less a theft
because it was clothed in the name of expropria
tion and in unconstitutional legislation adopted by
a rubber-stamp congress.
Note to Private Pilots
G. B. Caesar, writing in Flying Magazine, has
a tip for the nation’s private pilots. It may also
prove of value to others who fly, whether they be
pilots. Of not.
Caesar contends that an old basic weather rule
—outlined in 1860 by a Dutch scientist named Buys
Ballot, is still sound. In brief, the rule is that a
right drift, in the northern hemisphere, is a sign
of deteriorating weather. Conversely, a left drift,
in this hemisphere, means weather conditions
should improve enroute. ,
Modern weather students, and some officials
of the weather bureaus, will contend that this rule
is not altogether sound, but Caesar cites several
examples, personal experiences, which show that
the rule has often worked for him.
Generally speaking, the most widely accepted
rule in this hemisphere is that low pressure areas,
with counter-clockwise winds, are the surest sign
of deteriorating weather. Winds in a low pressure
area circulate in a counter-clockwise direction.
XL wuuiu seem, auutpiiug 11110 an ux c^iauusiicu
scientific weather information, that these winds
could cause drifts in any direction, depending upon
the area of the counter-clockwise rotating circle
one found himself in.
However, low pressure areas do not neces
sarily always constitute a circle, and there is much
yet unknown about the weather. It is possible that
the omen about a right drift could have substan
tial basis.
At any rate, the weather rule is almost one
hundred years old and might be kept in mind by
all those who observe the weather closely and
seek to pry more information and knowledge out
of the behavior of the layer of gases which sur
rounds the earth.
O o
---—
Odds Are Narrowing
“The odds are narrowing,” the Omaha World
Herald’s Washington correspondent writes, “on the
possibility that President Eisenhower will seek re
election next year.
“There is a well-defined belief now that only
an adverse recommendation from his physician will
keep the president out of the arena in 1956.
“Speculation at this time is futile,” the cor
respondent adds.
Announcement that Pete Elliott has been tab
bed as new head football coach at the University
of Nebraska is encouraging. At least with a “con
federate” on our team we might be able to cope
with the wreckers from the University of Okla
homa.
The short-lived December 3 storm came as no
real surprise, because the weatherman had foretold
its coming for a number of hours. But somehow
the early storm parallels the start of the historic
1948-’49 winter—the worst seige in the annals of
the area.
At 4:30 p.m., on Wednesday, November 30, was
“signing-on” time for O’Neill’s new radio station,
KVHC. The Frontier offers congratulations and
best wishes to the newcomers.
, — — .- -
Leo Durocher, it seems, is ready to take up
acting in preference to baseball. The pay is better
you don’t have to win pennants and no one throws
pop bottles at you while you work.
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)
When You and I Were Young . . .
ONeiO Winner in
Titanic Grid Battle
New River Discovered
in Sandhills
50 Years Ago
The greatest football game
ever witnessed in western Ne
braska took place at the new fair
grounds on Thanksgiving day
when the sturdy gridiron athletes
from Long Pine met O’Neill’s
stalwart eleven. Final score was
O’Neill 15, Long Pine 5. . . A
wonderful geological event has
recently taken place in the sand
hills; a great new river of clear
water, rivaling the Niobrara, the
Elkhom and the Platte, has sud
denly sprung into existence. The
new river is more than 150 miles
long and its waters vary in depth
from a few feet to 50 feet. In
some places New River is half a
mile wide. . . Smoke was dis
covered rolling from the roof of
the Roberts building on Douglas
street.
20 Years Ago
Twenty-two Holt county stu
dents registered at the University
of Nebraska this year. . . Clyde
R. Burge of Emmet and Ruby
Irene Holcomb were married in
the Presbyterian church in O’
Neill. . . Under the supervision
of Miss Roberta Arbuthnot, a
group of O’Neill ladies collected
money for a toy fund for those
children whose Christmas hap
piness depends entirely upon the
assistance of others. . . Football
playing came to a climax here
Thanksgiving day when Atkinson
won over the local public school
7 to 6.
iu rears Ago
Miss Mildred Cavanaugh and
Richard Perry were married at
Oakland, Calif. . . Mrs. Frank
Froelich was called to AuduboD,
la., by the serious illness of her
mother. . . Miss Margaret Gib
bons, pioneer settler of this com
munity, died at her home in
Butte, Mont. . . St. Mary’s lost
its first game of the season to
Spalding high. . . Eighty-five per
sons were employed at the Tri
State Produce getting ready for
Thanksgiving 626,500 pounds of
prime turkey meat and 201,000
pounds of chickens. . . Clyde Kel
ler has bought a cafe on lower
Fourth street and will continue
feeding that section of the city.
. . . The town needs a bus termi
nal with “no parking” signs
where buses stop. . . Fred Zink,
who resigned as county clerk for
the benefit of his health, is in
Sundance, Wyo.
One Year Ago
Bernard Hynes, 28, former O’
Neill resident, died of pneumonia
in a Portland, Ore., hospital. . .
Two trucks collided four miles
west of Emmet. . . Men interested
in joining a national guard tank
company, in the event O’Neill is
chosen as the site for the not yet
activated company D, are asked
to contact Robert Hornby, sec
retary of the Chamber of Com
merce. . . Duane Alton, O’Neill
high backfield star, was accorded
honorable mention for all-state
grid honors by the Lincoln Star
Journal. . . Preliminary planning
is underway for a new 75-thou
sand-dollar Presbyterian church
to be erected here.
Atkinson Doctor Sails
to New African Home—
ATKINSON — Dr. and Mrs. J.
C. Sutherland, medical mission
aries, sail for a new home in
South Africa this week.
Their new home will be Ra
leigh Fitkin Memorial hospital,
Bremersdorpt, in Swaziland,
South Africa.
Visitors at Seward—
Mrs. M. J. Baack and Rickey
spent the weekend in Seward vis
iting her parents, Mr. and Mrs.
Carl Hans, while Mr. Baack was
in Lincoln attending a national
guard conference.
Mr. and Mrs. L. A. Becker left
last Thursday for Kansas City
where Barbara is employed. Mr.
and Mrs. Becker returned home
Monday.
If Mary and Martha of Bible
story fame were living today,
Martha would probably be in a
dither with a thousand and one
last minute Christmas prepara
tions.
Mary, according to the de
scription Christ gave of her,
would put the spiritual signific
ance of the season in first place.
She would spend her time, first
of all, in private meditations,
family devotions, and frequent
holiday church attendance.
The modern world has lost
sight of the “one thing needful.”
And in doing so, it has replaced
the Christian Christmas with the
pagan Xmas—the Xmas of ex
citement, extravagance, and ex
haustion.
Put Christ back into your
Christmas by coming to church
and worshipping at the manger '
of the Christ Child. Our Church
extends a hearty welcome.
CHRIST
LUTHERAN
CHURCH
7th and Cioy Streets
Rev. E. G. Smith, pastor
Regional Deaths
Caroline Louise McClain
ROYAL — Funeral services
were held Sunday, November 27,
from the Methodist church in
Royal for Caroline Louise Mc
Clain, 91, who died Thursday,
November 24, at the Antelope
Memorial hospital in Neligh. Sur
vivors include five children, one
sister, 11 grandchildren, 20 great
grandchildren and three great
great-grandchildren.
Leonard Weber
BUTTE—Funeral services were
held Thursday, December 1, from
the Sts. Peter and Paul Catholic
church in Butte for Leonard Web
er, 48, who died Monday, No
vember 28, at the Sacred Heart
hospital in Lynch. Survivors in
clude: Widow—Sarah, parents—
Mr. and Mrs. Nick Weber; several
brothers and sisters.
Mrs. Mary Schulte
BUTTE—Funeral services were
held Monday, November 28, from
Sts. Peter and Paul Catholic
church in Butte for Mrs. Mary
Schulte, who died Saturday, No
vember 25, at Fairfax, Minn.
Survivors include 10 daughters,
five sons, two sisters and two
brothers.
Fred W. Dittrick
VERDIGRE— Funeral services
were held Saturday, November
26, from St. Wenceslaus Catholic
church for Fred W. Dittrick, 82,
who died Tuesday, November 22.
Survivors include: Widow—Rose;
one daughter, one son, two grand
children, two brothers and two
sisters.
Mrs. Alma Thorell
SPENCER — Funeral services
were held Wednesday, November
23, from the Rosedale Lutheran
church for Mrs. Alma Thorell,
67, who died Sunday, November
20. Survivors include seven chil
dren, 11 grandchildren.
Hospitalized After
Stove Explosion
RIVERSIDE—Wayne Fry had
misfortune while lighting the
tank heater Wednesday, Novem
ber 30. It puffed up into his face,
slightly burning his face, neck
and some of his chest. His father
took him to a doctor in Neligh,
who had him spend a day or two \
in the hospital. He returned home
Thursday.
Other Riverside News
Will Conneaj Vet Schlotman
and Lionel Gunter helped D. E.
Conner saw wood Thursday af
ternoon.
Mr. and Mrs. Willie Shrader
and Doug, Mr. and Mrs. Lynn
Fry went shopping in Norfolk
Thursday.
Mr. and Mrs. Rol Hord, Glenda
and Dennis Napier brought James
Gunter to the Lionel Gunter
home Tuesday afternoon, Novem
ber 29. He had spent Thanksgiv
ing weekend visiting at the Hord
home.
Dewitt Hoke, Dale Napier and
Robert Montgomery helped Lor
raine Montgomery shell corn
Thursday afternoon.
Mr. and Mrs. Willie Shrader
and family were supper guests at
the Lynn Fry home Monday, No
vember 28.
Mr. and Mrs. Victor Vander
snick and family ate supper at
the Mick Hobbs home Friday.
Mrs. Frank Hawk and son,
Leonard, and Bobby Kreitziner
returned Thursday from Malbeta
Leonard and Bob were pleased
with the trip and each boy got
his deer.
Bonita Bollwitt helped at the
Vic Vandersnick home from Tues
day, November 29, until Thurs
Bert Finks were at Lee Finks
on Friday and spent the day.
A youth meeting was held at
the Free Methodist church on
Wednesday, November 30. Minis
ters from Illinois, Wyoming and
South Dakota were in charge.
Walter and Howard Miller had
the ministers as their guests
Wednesday night.
Mr. and Mrs. Bill Lofquist ac
companied Mr. and Mrs. Charles
Rotherham to Sioux City on Fri
day.
Wayne Pollock is working part
time at Stoneys Service Station.
Mr. and Mrs. Dave Anson call
ed at Wayne Frys Sunday after
noon.
Letter from Stanley Rickert
family stated that they spent
Thanksgiving with Zelma Lits
comb and family at Viaslia, Calif.
Wednesday, November 30, Ste
vie Meller had his sixth birthday
anniversary. On Thursday even
ing his grandparents, Mr. and
Mrs. Howard Miller and Mr. and
Mrs. Ora Switzer also Mr. and
Mrs. Wendell Switzer and family,
Mr. and Mrs. Walter Miller help
ed celebrate with refreshments
and birthday cakes. Wayne Swit
zer and family of Clearwater call
ed the same evening.
O’NEILL LOCALS
Mr. and Mrs. Gene Hansen
loaded out this week moving to
Wilmar, Minn., where they will
farm.
Sam Lidell of Omaha was a
Thursday dinner guest at the
Harry A. Larson home.
Key coveralls, stripe, shorts,
medium and longs, two-way zip
per, all sizes 34-50, $4.85. — Mc
Carvilles.
Mr. and Mrs. John Thomas and
family spent Sunday afternoon at
the Donald Franklin home.
Paul Baker spent the weekend
in O’Neill.
Mr. and Mrs. Roy Goree of
Long Pine spent Friday visiting
relatives here.
j
<
e
DR. H. D. GILDERSLEEVE
OPTOMETRIST
Northeast Corner
of 4th & Douglas
O’NEILL, NEBR.
Phone 167
Sye« Examined . OUussea Fitted
Tffloe Hour*: #.B Mon. thru Set.
.. ,,
-
_ I
Rex W. Wilson,
M.D.
Robert M. Langdon,
M.D.
PHYSICIANS & SURGEONS
128 W. Douglas St., O’Neill
Phone 138
For
Low Cost Premiums
in financially responsible
Insurance Companies making
prompt loss adjustments
See or Write:
L. G. Gillespie
Insurance Agent,
O’Neill, Nebr.
In business for the past 62
years
Or phone residence 218,
315 South First Street, or
114, Gillespie Radio Shop
ANNOUNCING
The Official Opening of the
Tompkins Livestock
HEADQUARTERS
At the Lewis Kopecky Hay Office, Inman, Nebr.
and the following
TERRITORY DISTRIBUTORS:
OSCAR PETERSON, Amelia MELVIN HINZE, Bartlett
E. J. GOTSCHALL, Atkinson CLAIRE McVAY, O’Neill
CLIFFORD DICK, O’Neill KARL KEYES, Inman
under the direction of
HARVEY A. TOMPKINS, INMAN I
TERRITORIAL. SUPERVISOR
for
The Rogers Grain and Feed Co.
Ainsworth, Nebraska
On
Saturday, Dec. 10
8:00 A.M. — 6:00 P.M.
SPECIAL PRICES ON FEED
LUNCH — DOOR PRIZES
■ See these men for a complete line of—
Feeds, Minerals and Salt for Range, Dairy and
Feed Lot Cattle, Sheep, Swine and Poultry
Get Their Prices for a Complete Line of—
Fertilizers, Insecticides, and Livestock Remedies,
Grass, Legume and Field Seeds,
Fertilizer Spreaders, Feeders, Stock Oilers
and Good Rye Straw
PATRONIZE YOUR LOCAL DISTRIBUTOR AND FEED
FEEDS MANUFACTURED IN THE HEART OF THE
SANDHILLS FOR SANDHILLS CONDITIONS!
Anyone interested in becoming a distributor for this company
contact Harvey A. Tompkins, Inman.
• 1
Designed for the Soper-High way age!
New Flight-Sweep styling. New Push
Button drive selector . . . blazing
new V-8 engines (now up to 255 hp).
Drive a De Soto Before You Decide.
SHIERK MOTOR COMPANY
212 So. 4th St., O’Neill, Nebr.
FOR MELLOW MOMENTS...
the mellow beer!
Next time the moment’s right, pour yourself a round
of mellow Country Club beer. It’s so smooth—and
so refreshing! Just one taste will tell you why so many
folks every day ask for “Country Club—the mellow
beer.” Why don’t you try Country Club today ?
a
At your tavern or store in bottles,
cans and in handy six-pack cartons.
M. K. GOETZ BREWING CO.
ST. JOSEPH—KANSAS CITY, MO.
