i
Half Hour Show!
“Voice of The Frontier” TEN
jur t :
^ed' ™ J*1, This Issue
9:30-10 A.M. — 780 k.c.
Volume 75.—Number 36. O’Neill, Holt County, Nebraska, Thursday, January 5, 1956. Seven Cents
Swingley EstateValae
Fixed At $203,457
“ -■ ^
Mrs. M. R. Marlatt
Expires at Lynch
Longtime Resident of
Boyd County
SPENCER — Funeral services
will be conducted at 2 p.m., Fri
day, January 6, from the Metho
dist church here for Mrs. M. R.
Marlatt, 78, longtime resident of
the Spencer and Bristow com
munities. Rev. Clyde A. Wells,
church pastor, will officiate.
Mrs. Marlatt suffered a stroke
late Friday, December 30, at her
home, and was transferred by
ambulance to Sacred Heart hos
pital at Lynch on new year’s day.
She died early Wedhesday, Jan
uary 4.
She was born November 11,
1877, at Blakesburg, la. Her
maiden name was Gertrude Peck.
She and her husband, who lived
for many years southwest of
Spencer, had been married 55
years. They had been living in
Spencer the past four years.
Survivors include: Widower —
Marlin; one son, who lives in Nor
folk; two daughters—Mrs. Frank
Jxjoeks of Spencer and Mrs. Mel
vin Hiatt of Bristow.
Lincolnites Hurt
in One-Car Mishap
A Lincoln couple was hurt in
a one-car automobile accident
about 10:30 p.m., Friday on U.S.
highway 281 about 14 miles north
of O’Neill.
Mr. and Mrs. Darrell Nelson,
2910 Dudley street, Lincoln, were
in the car being driven by Mrs.
Nelson. Their northbound machine
went out of control when the ear
left the oil mat section of the
highway and entered onto the
gravel.
State Patrolman Robert Gude
said the car overturned several
times and went into the east
ditch. Gude said a dip in the road
at the east end of the oil mat and
the speed of the car might have
caused the accident.
Both Nelson and his wife were
taken to St. Anthony’s hospital
by ambulance. Mr. Nelson suffer
ed a dislocated shoulder and body
scrapes. Mrs. Nelson suffered
“rather deep cuts on the upper
portion of the body,” the physi
cian said. Both were released on
Saturday.
There were no highway acci
dents in the O’Neill region during
the long new year’s weekend,
Gude reported.
Holt County Sheriff Leo Tom
jack said peace incidents marred
the holidays. ,
° Polio Isn’t Licked
Campaign Theme
Polio isn’t licked yet.
That’s the theme for the march
of dimes drive in the city of O’
Neill. The campaign began Tues
day, January 3, and extends
through Monday, January 30.
Despite the extensive use of
polio vaccine, the officials of the
National Foundation for Infantile
Paralysis state that vastly more
funds are needed for care of suf
ferers and for additional research.
Committee heads for the cam
paign in O’Neill include: Bill
Miller, business solicitation; Mrs.
W. D. Melena, organizational
gifts; Mrs. H. D. Gildersleeve,
mothers’ march; Fred Heermann,
special events and • promotions;
Lowell Nesbitt and Charles Rich
ter, special sport events; Bill Per
ry, peanuts for polio; Don Peter
sen, publicity; James Lyons,
school cards and sale of blue
crutches. .
Alan Van Vleck is city drive
chairman.
City Council Again
Rejects Liquor Bids
For the second time in two
months the city council has re
jected liquor license applications
of Joyce Darling, doing business
as the Town House, and Paul Be
ha, doing business as Slat’s Sup
per club.
The council remained steadfast
in its long-standing policy of re
stricting the number of licenses
in the city
When a similar hearing was
conducted in November there was
a third application. The other
was an application for a beer li
cense.
REMOVAL SALE
McCarvilles today .(Thursday)
are launching a removal sale,
o Prices have been reduced on stock
to make easier the firm’s forth
coming rrtove into a new building.
The new building, situated be
tween the Knights of Columbus
building and the Johnson Jewelry,
is in the finishing stages. (Details
on sale on page 3.)
GIBSON GETS YEAR
Nelson Gibson of Atkinson,
who appeared Wednesday before
District Judge D. R. Mounts on
charges of issuing no account
checks and violation of parole,
was sentenced to one year in the
men’s reformatory. Holt Sheriff
Leo Tom jack said he would take
Gibson to Lincoln in a few days.
589 New Plates
Issued Todate—
Holt County Treasurer J. Ed
Hancock said 589 sets of 1956 li
cense plates had been issued from
his office until 5 p.m., Wednes
day. The new plates went on sale
Tuesday.
The Frontier for commercial
printing.
Q
A number of substantial be
quests in addition to a 10-thou
sand-dollar gift to the Atkinson
library are revealed in the will of
the late Mrs. Mary M. Swingley,
who died in August, 1954, at Leaf
River, 111.
The bequest to the library was
made public three weeks ago. The
Swingley will has been filed in
the office of Holt County Judge
Louis W. Reimer.
The estate was valued at $203,
457.27, consisting of stocks, bonds,
real estate and personal goods.
Among institutions sharing in
the will besides the library, are
the Community church and chapel
at Leaf River, $5,000; Lightsville
cemetery at Leaf River, $1,500.
Among Hplt county individuals
sharing in the estate are:
Emma Wewel of Atkinson,
housekeeper and companion, who
was given the Swingley home in
Atkinson, furniture, personal
items, automobile, $5,000 and a
trust fund of $15,000. The will
stipulated the trust was to paid
out at $100 per month as income
for Emma Wewel. The will further
provided that if Emma Wewel
pre-deceased the donor, the prop
erty, money and trust fund would
have to be given to Atkinson Me
morial hospital. The will further
set forth that any of the trust
fund left after the death of Em
ma Wewel will be given to the
Atkinson library.
District Judge and Mrs. D. R.
Mounts of O’Neill were awarded
$1,000.
Holt county received $2,028 in
inheritance tax from the estate.
C. D. Bertolet of Leaf River
Mrs. Swingley’s brother, is the
executor.
Mrs. Swingley was the widow
of the late Fred H. Swingley, who
was an officer of the First Na
tional bank in Atkinson for 42
years. Mrs. Swingley was a book
keeper at the bank many years
and later was a member of the
board of directors and a stock
holder.
Mr. Bertolet and numerous
out-of-state relatives and friends
were also included as benefi
ciaries.
Not for several years has a
Holt countyan left so much money
for institutions.
Oliver Cromwell
Heart Victim
Oliver (“Scrappy”) Cromwell, j
almost 50, a 28-year veteran em- |
ployee of the O’Neill Photo com- j
pany, died Wednesday, January
4, of a heart attack in Leola, S.D.,
v/hile taking pictures.
Survivors include: Widow —
Maxine; son—Gene of Yankton,
5. D.; sisters—Mrs. Marvin John
son of O’Neill and Mrs. Albert
Miller of Emmet.
WEATHER SUMMARY
Hi Lo
December 29 .23 3
December 30 .38 7
December 31 .42 8
January 1 .35 23
January 2 .45 22
January 3 .45 22
January 4 .48 25
Mr. and Mrs. Clay Johnson, jr.,
and son, Harold, were new year’s
evening dinner guests at the
Dwayne Philbrick home.
Pair Keeps Busy on 1,410- A Ranch
ATKINSON—Sons and daugh
ters of Mr. and Mrs. C. E. (“Char
ley”) Mitchell surprised their par
ents Sunday, January 1, on the
occasion of their parents’ 55th
wedding anniversary. The couple’s
farm home, located a half-mile
south of the Niobrara river near
the state highway 11 bridge, was
filled to overflowing with 21
grandchildren and three great
grandchildren.
Mr. Mitchell, who will be 85 on
May 30, was born near Shelby
ville, Ind. His mother was of Irish
origin and her name was Dugan.
His father was a “Virginia Dutch
man.”
“I’m a Hoosier right from the
start,” boasts Mr. Mitchell.
He was 13-years-old when he
accompanied his parents to Ne
braska by train. He lived near
Oakland seven or eight years
and then moved to Stanton.
It was seven miles north of
Stanton in a “Swede settlement”
where he met Bertha Willey, who
was bom and reared in Stanton
county.
Her people later moved to Ve
nus (Knox county) and on Janu
ary 1, 1901, C. E. Mitchell and
Bertha Willey were married by
Rock Stevens at Venus.
Mr. Mitchell jokingly remem
bers that Stevens was wearing
fancy boots on the day of the
wedding.
Their wedding day 55 years ago
rivaled new year’s day of 1956 as
far as good weather was concern
ed. “There was no snow on the
ground and the day was warm,”
Mrs. Mitchell recalled.
The couple lived near Middle
branch on a farm on the Holt
Knox county line between 1901
and 1907. The Willey family had
moved onto a ranch north of At
kinson and in 1907 the young
Mitchells moved onto the same
place, where they have continued
to reside for 48 years.
The place has been enlarged
down through the years and
now sprawls over 1,410 acres.
In addition, Mr. Mitchell op
erates 400 acres of state-owned
school land.
Both enjoy good health and en
tertain no thoughts about leaving
the homeplace. Mrs. Mitchell will
be 73 on May 8.
Mr. Mitchell looks after the cat
tle and daily mounts a horse to
tend them—that is until last week
when his 21-year-old favorite
saddle horse disappeared.
Mr. Mitchell, who retains a
sharp wit and keen sense of hu
mor despite his advanced age and
the hardship he has endured over
the years, is a determined demo
crat and wryly predicts a change
in presidents in 1956.
He said he voted for the first
time in 1892. The short-statured
northern Holt rancher steadfast
ly worked for the presidential
election of one of his idols, Wil
liam Jennings Bryan, “but it did
n’t do any good.” Bryan failed
three times.
Three of the Mitchells’ 11 chil
dren are deceased: Ethel, Hazel
and William. The latter died last
year.
Their living children are: Mrs.
Fred (Lulu) Dunn of Atkinson,
Adrain of Atkinson, Mrs. WiViam
(Vera) Coburn of O’Neill (Phoe
nix community), Mrs. Evan
(Blanche) Lewis ojf Spencer, Har
ry of Atkinson, W. E. (“Bud”) of
Redbird, Mrs. William (Besiel
Crawford of Atkinson, and John,
who resides on the same place
near the parents.
Mr. Mitchell has a brother, Har
ry, who lives at Matoon, 111.; Mrs.
Mitchell has two brothers, Othel
Willey of Columbus and Otto Wil
ley of Everett, Wash., and one sis
ter, Mrs. Maude Manning of Turn
er.
A tape-recorded interview with
Mr. and Mrs. Mitchell was heard
on Monday’s “Voice of The Fi on
tier” program (WJAG, 780 k.c.)
Mr. and Mrs. C. E. Mitchell , . . parents of 11 children, 48 years
on same place.—The Frontier Photo.
Dismissal
Likely in
Tax Case
County’s Demurrer Is
Upheld by Court;
Appeal Is Possible
An application for a temporary
injunction against the Holt county
equalization board, protesting real
estate taxes and valuation in
creases, is expected to be tossed
out or appealed within the next
few days.
Plaintiffs in the protest action
are Fred Boettcher, Daphine
Kretchman, Alfred James, Louis
Lauridsen, W. P. Elley, Jesse
Clark, Joe Dobrovolny, Albert
Lemmer, Rudy Dvorak, Harold
Shaw, Henry Dobrovolny, Blaine
Garwood, E. E. Gotschall, Anton
Dobrovolny and others.
Francis D. Lee of Atkinson is
attorney for the plaintiffs, most
of whom reside south and south
west of Atkinson.
On October 31, the Boettcher
group filed a petition praying for
a temporary injunction against
the county in the collection of all
real estate taxes based upon the
increases in valuations made by
the county board, E. T. Wilkins
& Associates and a county reap
praisal committee. These groups
had fixed rural real estate values
for 1955.
The petitioners asked the
court for relief “for themselves
and for all others similarly sit
uated.’’
Subsequently, Holt County At
torney William W. Griffin filed a
demurrer in behalf of the county
board, claiming the plaintiffs had
no cause of action or right to re
lief.
The defendants claimed they
had not violated any procedural
law and that they had acted prop
erly and in good faith in accord
ance with the statutes.
On December 1 the attorneys
argued the matter before District
Judge Lyle Jackson of Neligh,
who was invited into the action
when District Judge D. R. Mounts
of O’Neill disqualified himself.
Judge Jackson sustained the
demurrer, held that the plain
(Continued on page 10)
---^ —a..-.-..'- , 4
Douglas Lynn (left) and Daniel Leon, identical twin sons of Mr. and Mrs. Heinrich Frahm ©1
Amelia, arrived Tuesday morning in Atkinson Memorial hospital—the first-born in Holt county in
tlie new year.—The Frontier Photo.
Frahm Twins Derby Winners
For the first time in the 10-year
history of the Holt county first
baby derby a multiple birth fac
tored in determining the outcome.
Twin boys born early Tuesday,
January 3, in Atkinson Memorial
hospital become the 1956 co
champions. Parents are Mr. and
Mrs. Heinrich Frahm of Amelia.
Dr. James Ramsay of Atkinson
was the physician.
Douglas Lynn, weighing 5
pounds HVz ounces, arrived at 10
a.m.. and Daniel Leon entered this
world at 10:15, weighing 5 pounds
12 ounces.
At 10:30 a.m., Doctor Ram
say advised The Frontier of the
arrival of the twin contenders
for the title, and the word was
flashed to the world at 10:45 by
the “Voice of The Frontier”
(WJAG, 780 k.c.)
Nineteen O’Neill merchants
have set aside a host of gifts for
the derby champion. By virtue of
the dual birth, some of the O’Neill
merchants participating in the
shower hastily sent in word that
duplicate awards will be made in
some instances in which duplica
tion is suitable.
No provisions in contest rules
had been made for a twin situa
tion. But the widespread rejoicing
for the Frahms prompted the First
Baby Editor to make a check of
medical circles in the county. The
official winner was to have been
proclaimed in the January 12 is
sue.
“Chances are 999-to-l that
Douglas Lynn and Daniel Leon
are the co-champions,” the First
Baby Editor declared.
Doug and Dan have a “big” sis
ter. Her name is Patricia Lee, 3.
“The twins are identical,” ac
cording to the mother, “and they
seem to be wonderful!”
The babies weren’t named im
mediately, but hospital attend
ants had them labeled with “A”
and “B” bracelets.
Mrs. Frahm’s maiden name was
Agnes Forbes, daughter of Mr.
and Mrs. Leonard Forbes of Rose,
near Bassett.
Twins have not been uncommon
for both the Frahm and Forbes
sides of the famliy. Mrs. Frahm
has an aunt and uncle who are
twins. The father of the co
champs himself is a twin (he has
a twin sister).
Pete Frahm of Amelia, the
grandfather, was at the hospital
when The Frontier’s special events
unit arrived. He said twins had
been common in the family for
many generations.
“My father was a twin ... I
Death Claims Third
Member of Family
The third member of A. L.
(“Pat”) Patton’s family to die
within six weeks expired Satur
day, December 31, in Longview,
Tex. Mrs. C. E. Ross, who had suf
fered a lingering illness, was
buried Tuesday, January 3, at
Longview. She was Mr. Patton’s
sister.
His father died November 18
and his mother died December 15,
both at Pittsburg, Kans.
Mrs. Ross’s survivors include:
Widower; son, 20; three sisters
and one brother.
Mr. Patton was unable to at
tend his sister’s funeral.
have two daughters who became
mothers of twins,” he added.
Firms cooperating in the show
er include Gambles, Biglin’s, Mid
west Furniture, Merri Dr. Pepper
Botling Co., J. M. McDonald Co.,
Coyne’s Hardware, Moore-Noble
Lumber & Coal Co., O’Neill Photo
Co., McCarvilles, Shelhamer
Foods, McIntosh Jewelry, Gilli
gan’s Rexall Store, New Outlaw,
“Scovie’s” Western Auto Store,
M&M Bakery and Cafe, Elkhom
Flower Shop, Apparel Shop,
Meadow Gold (Beatrice Foods),
and The Frontier.
Lautenschlager, 78,
Burial at Orchard
ORCHARD—Mrs. Floa Laut
enschlager, 78, a former resident
of Orchard, died Wednesday eve
ning, December 28, in a Sioux
City hospital.
Funeral services were conduct
ed Saturday afternoon, Decem
ber 31, from the United Brethren
church in Orchard and burial was
near the grave of her husband.
She moved to Sioux City from
Orchard eight years ago.
Survivors include: Daughter—
Mrs. Amy True of Medford, Ore.;
sons — Lyle of Sioux City and
John of Liberal, Kans.; two sis
ters; three brothers; a number of
grandchildren.
BOARD TO REORGANIZE
Holt county board of supervis
ors will meet on Tuesday, Janu
ary 10, to reorganize for the new
year.
Burial Here
Miss Helen Gallagher, 46
(above), twin daughter of the
late Mr. and Mrs. James P.
Gallagher of O’Neill, died un
expectedly Tuesday, December
27. She was stricken with a
heart attack while visiting her
brother, Dr. Frank Gallagher, in
LaCrosse, Wise. Survivors in
clude her brother and a twin
sister, Miss Hilda, an O’Neill
public school teacher.
---—. . ...-...
‘City of 3,500
Friendly People’
Gets New Signs
Three huge signboards are be
ing erected at three highway
entrances to the city, according
to Mayor Alva Marcellus.
The signs proclaim: “Welcome
to O’Neill ... the city of 3 500
friendly people.”
On the reverse side persons
leaving the city will read:
“Thank-you . . . come again.”
Mayor Marcellus said the
signs have been financed from
a fund collected for this purpose
by the Junior Chamber of Com
merce and supplemented by a
cash outlay by the Chamber of
Commerce. Grubb Signs provid
ed the artwork.
The mayor said the signs
would be erected in order to be
seen by motorists entering from
the east on U.S. highways 20
and 275; from the north and
west on highways 20 and 281,
and from the south on 281.
Mrs, Amelia Werner
Rites at Atkinson
Resident of Holt 65
Years
EMMET—Mrs. Amelia Werner,
72, a resident of Holt county for
65 years, died Thursday morning,
December 29, at her farm home
eight miles southeast of Atkinson.
Funeral services were conduct
ed Saturday, December 31, from
the St. John’s Lutheran church in
Atkinson. Rev. E. W. Dannitschek
officiated Burial was in Wood
lawn cemetery. Pallbearers were
John Conard, Herman Grothe,
Joseph Welsh, Orville Hitchcock,
Leon Beckwith and William
Grothe.
Mrs. Werner was the former
Amelia Meyer. She was bom
January 11, 1883, at Carroll, la.
On May 15, 1901, she married
Henry J. Werner at O’Neill. They
lived all their married life on a
farm west of Emmet.
Survivors include: Daughters—
Mrs. Cecil (Mabel) Bogue of At
kinson and Mrs. Gifford (Lila)
Caldwell of Omaha; sons— Harry
of Emmet, Wayne of Spinnard,
Alaska, and Kenneth of Chambers;
six grandchildren.
Extension Schedules
2 Meets Next Week
The winter meeting of the Holt
county home extension council
will be held Tuesday, January 10,
at 1:30 p.m., in the assembly
room of the courthouse. Miss
Ethel Saxton, state home agent
supervisor, will be on hand to
discuss the clubs program of
work for the ensuing year as well
as long-time projects.
Training in the duties of each
office will be given for presidents,
vice-presidents, secretaries, read
ing and music leaders of home
extension clubs at the assembly
room of the courthouse on Friday,
January 13, beginning at 10 a.m.
Schedule:
Reading leader, 10 to 11 ajn.;
music leaders, 11 a.m., to 12
noon; publicity chairmen, 1 to 2
p.m.; presidents, vice-presidents,
and secretaries, 2 to 3:30 p.m.
Local leaders who will help
with this training are: Mrs. Oliver
Ross of O’Neill; Mrs. Robert Mar
tens of Atkinson; Mrs. John Sil
verstrand of Atkinson; Mrs. Har
ry Ressel of O’Neill and Mrs.
Frank Eppenbaugh of O’Neill.
Firemen Called
to Turkey Farm
A fire which is believed to
have started from faulty wiring
or from a heater, required ser
vices of O’Neill firemen for more
than an hour Wednesday morning.
They were summoned to the Tri
State turkey farm southwest of
the city at 9:50. Two trucks an
swered the alarm.
The blaze started in the pump
house near the grain-feed stor
age elevator. Flames worked into
the elevator and there was con
siderable smoke.
Clark Willson, manager, said
workmen had been in the vicini
ty 20 minutes earlier. One of the
men returned to the builtup area
to get a wrench and discovered
the smoke. Damage is estimated
between three- and four-hundred
doll ars.
Friday evening at 6 o’clock the
firemen were summoned to the
Elmer Neal residence in the north
west section. Damage from a
heater was slight.
BROTHER DIES
PAGE—Harold Patterson, bro
ther of Leo Neubauer BT3, who
has been critically ill at Omaha,
went into a coma and died Mon
day, December 26. Leo was call
ed home from Formosa on ac
count of his brother’s health, but
returned to duty several weeks
ago.
4 Burned, 2 Seriously, in House Fire
Mrs.Spence,
Baby Are
‘Critical’
Observer Goes Into
Flaming House to *
Rescue Small Boy
Special to The Frontier
ATKINSON—A 25-year-old At
kinson mother and her 2-year-old '
daughter lie critically ill in At— »
kinson Memorial hospital.
Mrs. Floyd Spence and her
young daughter are suffering from:
third degree burns about their
chests, arms and legs.
They were burned in a dwelling
fire about 10:30 o’clock Tuesday
night.
Roy Woodruff, 65, stepfather
of Mr. Spence, had entered the?
four-room home to get warm.
Mr. Spence and a friend, Clyde
Neal, 32, were working on a
pickup truck a few feet from
the front door.
Mr. Woodruff was said to have
poured kerosene into the heating
stove in the living room. An ex
plosion ensued. The flames burn
ed four persons, two seriously.
Mr. Woodruff hurried out the
door with the trouser legs afire.
r- - ... .. ^
Mrs. Spence and daughter „»
fire victims.
»
Mrs. Spence grabbed her httrc
daughter, Linda Lou, and madfe
her way out the same entrance. lit
was apparent, Neal said, they
were badly burned.
The burned woman exclaimed!
that her 4-year-old son, Roger
Lee, was left behind in a bed
room.
Neal huddled his face under
a coat and went through the
fire to rescue the boy. The lad’s
cries enabled the rescuer to lo
cate him readily. Neal withdrew
from the burning building via
the same exit.
The four victims were taken to
the hospital. Neal was dismissed
after burns on his hands were
dressed.
The interior of the house was
badly damaged and many per
sonal effects were lost.
Mr. Spence called the fire de
partment and the burn vicitirras
were taken to the hospital by am
bulance.
Woodruff was transferred Wed
nesday afternoon to the Veteran?;
hospital at Grand Island. Mr.
Woodruff, who several years agt>
lost an arm in a saw accident, is
a veteran of World War I. Both
of his legs, one arm and his face
are burned.
His burns are considered less
serious than those suffered by the?
young mother and her daughter.
Sageser Suffers
Broken Ribs—
CHAMBERS — E. V. Sageser
met with a slight accident Wed
nesday, December 28, when hfc*
car overturned on the icy road! sa
few miles south of O’Neill. Mr:.
Sageser received a broken rib axu3
slight damage to his car.
Lt. and Mrs. J. E. Merriman and!
daughter, Tracy, of Atlanta, Ga.»
arrived Tuesday to spend a few
days visiting his parents, Mr. and
Mrs. L. M. Merriman.
_ o
Mr. and Mrs. Bert Harding of
Whiting, la., came Tuesday to
attend the John Claussen farm
sale. Their daughter, Mrs. Jules;
Waugh of Whiting, accompanied.