Prairieland Talk . . .
HST: ‘ We Can Beat Anybody’
By ROMAINE SAUNDERS, Retired, Former Editor The Frontier
LINCOLN — Terry Carpenter has not been
heard from this first day of March, but President
Eisenhower’s announcement yesterday has the dem
ocratic hopefuls worried.
Now Ike is the national idol as FDR was 20
ears ago. Partisan bigwigs bearing the Bourbon
brand will accuse him of everything, summer
droughts, winter floods, market fluctuations, and
a few other myths that only a politician can think
up. Mr. Eisenhower will probably
be nominated by a rising vote
in the San Francisco Calif.,
convention and be reelected by a
o landslide.
o Democrats will do well to
° omit the mud slinging and with
o patriotic zeal show us a better
0 way to administer the chief ex
ecutive’s duties if they have it.
But we fear the democratic key
note has been sounded py Harry
S. Truman to the ward heelers in
Kansas City, Mo., “We can beat Romaine
anybody.” That’s it — beat the Saunder*
other fellow! Beat—why not build, support, con
struct and do the part of a patriotic citizen? Mr.
Truman would say the way to do this is to vote
for the democrat.
* * *
> Is that member of congress from a New Eng
land state charged with income tax fraud a crook
or agent with the courage to defy decrees of the
congress of which he is a member?
• * •
They get onto American tricks in a hurry. A
gent from the Nile river country of ancient Egypt
with a name that stretches across a newspaper col
umn, the shortest of the five names he registered
under at the University of Nebraska being simply
Mohanmed Al, has instituted suit in the district
court of Lancaster county to collect 10-thousand -
dollars for being “slandered” by a dietitian em
ployed by the university. Just where the lady
would get the 10 grand in the unlikely event of fa
vorable judgment on behalf of the plaintiff is any
body’s guess. The man from Egypt complains he
was expelled from the university and denied a de
gree by reason of the lady against whom he insti
tuted suit telling things about him wherein he
had forced his attentions on her. The earmarks of
an apprentice venturing upon a career before the
courts with a fee in view are discernible.
* * *
Now a Nebraska banker goes to Morocco to
take a bride. But, prairieland girls, now is your
chance — ’56 is leap year.
* de ik
For the enlightenment and edification of Billy
McNichols, that friendly Irishman with a law of
fice out in Hollywood, Calif., and who is busy keep
ing stars of the show world out of jail but who
really belongs in O’Neill and who crowned Prai
rieland Talker with a Texas sombrero, that head
adornment catches the admiring eye of passersby.
Loitering along O street, strangers stop to inquire
where I ride the range. The stranger may be a
plumber or a university PH.D. One of the latter,
who recently stopped for a chat, had himself come
out of the cow country where he pioneered in early
days. Anyway, my gratitude is due and freely ex
pressed to Billy for the novel way he contrived
to bring me the pleasure of meeting strangers who
will pause a moment during the mad rush to shake
the hand of that old guy under the big hat, while
the Hatless Harrys loitering about receive no at
tention.
* • *
House lights are on at 6 a.m. A half-hour
later a householder takes the steering wheel of his
1 Ford and heads for a downtown factory where 1,
3 300 others ring in for a day’s work. About the
same time a housewife of the neighborhood takes
off for the airbase where she is employed. Another
neighbor climbs into the driver’s seat and heads
for a small town 30 miles distant where he directs
young ideas how to shoot in the town school.
Across the way a painter gets into his uniform
ready for a day spreading paint. From up the hill
college profs and university PhD’s march forth
to revel for another day in a maze of literature and
science. Full dinner pail in hand, a workman steps
onto a bus and is off to earn another 10 or 20.
School children rush by to get there before the
last bell taps. American city life with little or no
variation from day to day.
* * *
How many there may be in O’Neill today of
physicians, lawyers and printers it will be for
others to say. Turning to the days of C. D. B. Eis
man, 10 M.D.’s have passed across the stage of ac
tion, 18 lawyers and 30 printers.
* * *
A friend out at Redbird, Mrs. Merrill Ander
son, writes to Prairieland Talker enclosing some
poems she has written for my consideration. The
charming region of Holt county in which the lady
lives invokes the muse. Nature’s pictures on prai
rieland are nowhere more alluring than where the
mystic charm of wooded slopes and trickling
streams of northern Holt inspires such as Mrs. An
derson to write. So it was on a storm-tossed day
early this month that the poet out at Redbird heard
“the north wind blowing, piling snow around my
door,” and she wrote:
Wake up, oh Spring! We’ve waited long—
Now return, oh lark, with cheery song.
Elm and cottonwood, put on your robes of green
Come again, gentle spring, to change the wintry
scene.
* * *
Some 60 years ago romance blossomed, in
volving two O’Neill young people and culminat
ed in the marriage of Den Hunt and Nelhe
Cronin. Mr. and Mrs. Hunt recently observed
their 58th wedding anniversary quietly at their
home at 51st and O streets in Lincoln. Den was
the master mason when St. Mary’s academy was
built and Nellie was employed for a time on the
O’Neill Sun when it was published by her broth
er-in-law, C. C. McHugh. They have spent a long
life happily together, enjoy good health and Nel
lie tells me that Den, now in his 88th year, can
still be put up with; while Den, the gallant he
has always been, still calls Nellie his sweetheart.
* * *
A night of pleasure ended in death for four
youth down at Holdrege. They had been to a
neighboring community to dance the night away,
unmindful of the tragic end that awaited them at
dawn of day. Driving toward home and making
a taurn on two wheels, the car crashed to the
roadside and four dead young men were found and
taken to their homes in Holdrege.
* * *
Deeds are more impressive than intentions,
though intention is the father of the deed. . . You
don’t have to wear an army uniform^ to serve your
country. . . If you don’t go to the caucus and vote,
don’t growl about the results of election. . . For the
Easter seal drive in Lincoln and Lancaster county
to raise funds to aid handicapped children, a sev
en-year-old Lincoln girl, Caroline Wilson, deaf and
otherwise dealt with harshly by nature, has been
selected as the representative of a worthwhile
cause.
* * *
March 1, we as a state became 89 years of
age. But prairieland has been robed in verdant
loveliness since first the sun at dawn lifted the
curtain of night. Organized as a territory in 1854,
Nebraska was admitted to the Union as the 37th
state in 1867. Some 10 years later the McEvony
Thompson settlement broke sod down the river
and then a village called O’Neill got underway on
the open prairie.
* * *
A native son, at present stationed at a mili
tary air base in North Carolina and who has been
about everywhere on military missions over the
earth’s troubled lands, tells the home folks here
in Lincoln that the more he sees of the world, the
more his native prairieland stands out in the
world picture as the best place of them all. A gray
and wrinkled aging native of Germany, who spent
some years in Cuba, says that’s the place but he
likes Nebraska because this is now his home. An
other white-haired patriot thinks his native state
of Minnesota is the beauty spot but he, too, says
our Beef State is the only place to live.
* * *
Public officials are employed and paid by
taxpayers and voters, not to assume dictatorial
powers that work hardships on patriotic citizens
om communities, but to protect their best in
terests. Maybe that’s what they think they are
doing by swivel chair decrees down there at the
statehouse, but doubtless down in the charming
Amelia country there is a growing senitment
among voters to “turn the rascals out.”
* • *
To remedy a siutation brought on by what is
said to be “hundreds of thousands of children’s
fingerprints,” walls and stairways at the State
Historical society building, 15th and R streets, Lin
coln, have been freshly painted. Maybe those fin
ger marks were not all kids.
* * *
I cannot reach a hand to the evening star,
Nor paint the sunset flash of gold.
I But I catch a glimpse of celestial fire gleaming afar
Within my heart to hold.
I
Editorial ....
Happy April 15th!
The following parody was pinched from Jim
Reed’s column in the Topeka Daily Capital:
Two score years ago our fathers brought forth
upon this nation a new tax, conceived and dedi
cated to the proposition that all men jure fair game
Now we are engaged in a great mass of calcula
tion, testing whether the taxpayer, so confused
and so impoverished, can long endure. Met on Form
1040, we have come to dedicate a large portion of
our income to a final resting place which these
men who spend their lives that we may give our
o money.
It is not altogether fitting that we do this.
But in the legal sense we cannot evade—we cannot
cheat—we cannot underestimate this tax. The col
lectors who computed here have gone far beyond
our power to add or detract.
Our creditors will little note, nor long remem
ber, what we pay here, but the internal revenue
service can never forget what we report here. It is
for us, then, to be dedicated to the great task be
fore us—that from these vanishing dollars we take
increased devotion to the few that remain, that
we highly resolve that next year will not find us
0 in a higher bracket.
Money for Elections
o No wonder congress is moving into the in
vestigation of compaign contributions as if into a
mine field! Nobody knows where the next eruption
will occur. Following the first explosion there have
been detonations suggesting a wide distribution of
oil money. Now Senator Goldwater, who had been
named to a special lobby investigating committee,
declares he sees nothing wrong in contributions
where no favors are asked.
He says he knows four or five democrats who
have had campaign money from oil interests. Also
that oil men as well as labor unions should be able
to help elect candidates they like.
When is a gift to a politician wrong? It is
plain that only the wealthy could seek office if all
contributions were illegal. Probably the answer
will be found more in the realm of ethics than of
law. More publicity about contributions would in
O
duce more care about accepting any which looked
unethical.
Mr. Goldwater’s frank statement will help in
public appraisal of the situation. It would have
been better earlier — if he had the information
earlier—before he was named on the special in
quiry committe.
For he seems to suggest that the mine field is
extensive, yet that clearing it is unnecessary.
‘Dump Nixon’ Move Will Flop
The “Dump Nixon” campaign was conceived,
nurtured and fanned by liberals of the first order
who will have little part in the republican national
convention, and, very likely, will not be voting the
republican ticket.
The liberals in the press, television and radio
are having a field day at Nixon’s expense.
They are inflicting some damaging wounds but
won’t succeed in upending him—that’s our predic
tion.
Now that we’ve heard the last of the brass
bands and cowbells and have seen the last frenzied
performances of cheer leaders, we can settle down
to contemplate the new spring season.
0Br B
CARROLL W. STEWART, Editor and Publisher
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—2,530 (Sept. 30, 1955)
-
Engagement Announced
Mr. and Mrs. Dwight Harder have announced the engage
ment of their daughter, Miss Lois Lorraine (above), and 2/Lt.
Weldon B. Petersen, son of Mr. and Mrs. Harry Petersen of O’
Neill. A music teacher in the Plattsmouth public schools, Miss
Harder was graduated from Hastings (Nebr.) college. Her fiance,
who is now stationed at Ft. Leonard Wood, Mo., attended college
at Washington university, St. Louis, Mo., and the University of Ne
braska. The couple plans an early June wedding.—Claude Con
stable Photo.
When You and I Were Young . . .
Ice House Finished;
What About Ice?
Leap Year Birthday
for Dr. French
50 Years Ago
John Horiskey has his ice house
built and is wondering where he’s
going to get the ice. . . Joe Dobias
and wife of Atkinson went to
Creighton to attend the wedding of
Mrs. Dobias’ sister, Julia Kolena.
. . . The Tuesday club met at Mrs.
E. R. Adams’ home. Mrs. T. V.
Golden, Mrs. G. W. Smith, Mrs. A.
F. Mullen and Mrs. Adams gave
talks on the life of the poet,
George Elliott. . . Miss Maud
Smith of Page resigned her posi
tion with Mann and Melvin.
Miss Mary Penwell takes her
place. . J. H. DeBolt of Stuart
traded his ranch for a farm near
Winter set, la., and an interest in
a stock of general merchandise.
20 Years Ago
Dr. O. W. French, who was born
on February 29 (leap year), was
honored at an oyster supper given
by his mother, Mrs. George
French of Page. . . Grace McCoy
Hummel, formerly of Holt coun
ty, • who is doing historical re
search in the counties west of
i Holt, wrote Eli Hershiser for in
formation. The latter was able to
give some facts. One little town
of Eli was named for Mr. Her
shiser. . . Mrs. L. C. Chapman
was buried from the Episcopal
church. . . Francis Soukup, St.
Mary’s center, who made 274
points during the basketball sea
son, was chosen on the all-tourna
ment team of class B at Long
Pine. Others chosen were O’Neill
and Johnson, both of Atknison,
Dennis of Butte and a player
from Lynch.
10 Years Ago
Registrants discharged since
March 6 include: Arthur Kropp of
Ewing, Lyle Neil Fix of Atkinson,
Richard M. Faulhaber of Mid
dlebranch, William G. Schultz of
Atkinson, Virgil L. Peterson of
Page and John J. Buhlke of Am
elia. . . Mr. and Mrs. J. I. Gray
celebrated their 50th wedding an
niversary at their home in Page.
... A fire started at the Wood
Jarman place in Chambers and
destroyed two hay stacks.
One Year Ago
Mrs. Alice E. Bridges, who had
been ill for about a year, died. . .
Little Carol Ann Latzel of Ewing,
six-weeks-old child of Mr. and
Mrs. Clarence Latzel, was found
dead in her crib, apparently from
suffocation. . . Miss Florence Van
Ostrand of Ewing and Harold
Schwager of Orchard were united
in marriage. . . Randy Stewart,
son of Mr. and Mrs. Mickey Stew
art, celebrated his third birthday
anniversary.
Letters to Editor
Alexandria, Va.
807 Second St.
Editor:
My sister, Mrs. Gus Hoppe,
lives in Gordon. She has sent me
a number of clippings from
Prairieland Talk. I certainly en
joy them. I knew many of the
oldtimers Mr. Saunders writes
about.
I am 81 - years - old and my
Mrs. Crippen . . . Holt best!
friends recently came to my
home to help me celebrate the
birthday anniversary.
I cannot ride a bronco any
more, but I feel fine and enjoy
good health.
I am one of those early prairie
dogs and still say Holt county is
the best of counties. I have tra
veled from coast-to-coast several
times and I know what I’m talk
ing about.
MRS. ADELIA
SCHNEIDER GRIPPEN
Ewing Couple Back
from Bahama Islands
EWING — Mr. and Mrs. F. V.
Stearns recently returned from a
three-weeks’ trip to the South, in
cluding a visit to the Bahama Is
lands.
The couple boarded the SS
Queen of Nassau at Miami, Fla.,
had dinner and breakfast aboard
ship, and arrived at Nassau late
the following morning.
The Bahamas are property of
Great Britain.
“We found them quite differ
ent,” says Mrs. Stearns. “Popula
tion is about 85 percent colored
(Negroes). The city of Nassau
has a population of 45,000 and
the government buildings are ex
tremely nice and beautiful.
“People there drive their ve
hicles on the left side (British
custom) and all the streets are
one-way. There are no restaur
ants or cafes. All meals are serv
ed in the luxurious hotels.
“Flowers, shrubbery and trees
are very beautiful, but they lack
the grandeur of the wonderful
gardens of our Southern states.
The Bahama trees do not match
the cypress or sarasota trees in
Florida, the magnolia, middleton
or cypress trees in South Caro
lina.
“It was a very nice adventure
and we really enjoyed it”, added
Mrs. Stearns.
Family Gathering
Marks 48th Wedding
AMELIA—On Marcn 4, Mr. and
Mrs. Ed Dexter of Amelia cele
brated their 48th wedding anni
versary at a dinner for relatives.
They received flowers and gifts.
A card shower had been helld for
them.
Among the guests were: Mr.
and Mrs. Art Dexter and Roger
of Murdo, S.D., Mr. and Mrs.
Raymond Bly of Amelia; Mr. and
Mrs. Dwayne Bly and sons of Ne
ligh; Mrs. Richard Harley and
sons; Mr. and Mrs Delbert Hox
sie and family, all of Chambers;
Mrs. Olive Dexter and sons, Dick
Tomlinson, Dennis, Sue and Ca
sey, all of O’Neill; Miss Dorothy
Pokomy of Elgin.
Cubs Play Fish
Game at Meeting—
Thd Cub Scouts, den II, met af
ter school Wednesday, March 7.
The den mother read about the
theme for this month, “Bottom
of the Soci **
We sang “Old McDonald Had
a Farm.” We chose sides and
played a game we called fish.
Richard Bazelman and Dick
Brewster served lunch. Next
meeting Mike Grutsch and Mike
Gallagher will bring lunch.—By
Mike Gallagher.
DIES AT 84
REDBIRD— Thomas Hiscocks
of Redbird, who spent two weeks
in January with his parents, Mr.
and Mrs. Harry Hiscocks, did not
go to Forest Grove, Ore., last
week for his father’s funeral. His
father, 84, died Thursday, March
1. Survivors include: Widow,
three sons, one daughter, tv/in
brother and three sisters.
Mr. and Mrs. Ken Benson went
to Wood Lake recently where
they attended funeral services for
Everett Johnson, 69, prominent
Cherry county stockman. Mr.
Johnson, an uncle of Mrs. Ben
son’s, had been a lifelong resident
of +hat county.
I
Plan Skit for
Fun Night—
A meeting of Grattan Hustlers
was held recently at school dis
trict 17. The film, “New Ideas of
4-H,” was shown by Warren
Peden. All members were present
except Donald Eppenbach. Project
books were passed out. It was de
cided to get a skit for fun night,
April 7.
Elaine Krugman was elected
song leader.
Richard and Charles Hill fur
nished the games.
Next meeting is to be held on
Sunday afternoon, March 18, at
the Paul Krugman home. — By
Keith Krugman, reporter.
Coming to the ROYAL
Sunday-Monday-Tuesday March 18-19-20
„ v
1 THAT
of being
in love
for the
first
time in
your
lifel
■
Adm.: Adults 50c; children 13c; matinee Sunday 2:30 p.m.
All children unless in arms must have tickets.
Edw. M. Gleeson
DENTIST
2d Floor Gilligan
Rexall Bldg.
Ph. 240 - Box 149 - Hrs. 8:30-5
CANDY DISTRIBUTOR
Spare Time — No Selling
Large Nationally known company with over 2500 operators
representing it, has opening for responsible car owner to deliver
its candy confections to local vending machine route. No Selling
or experience necessary as company will train and instruct.
Good Income spare time and through company financial as
sistance, should build up into lucrative full-time business with
a large yearly income potential. To qualify for dealership, ap
plicant must be definitely settled in community, own car, fur
nish references, and have $700 working capital for inventory.
Applicants meeting these basic requirements may include phone
number in application. For interview write International Enter
prices, c/o Frontier. Reply Box TW.
^■1 Ml
I •
[HARLEY PRODUCE—Chambers I
O’NEILL GRAIN CO.—O’NeiH |
' 1 1
Mrs. Homemaker—
Does old-fashioned house
hold drudgery keep
"Dog Tired”? (
• •••••••••••< >
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to—
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There’s no real reason, Mrs. Homemaker,
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Sf'i ■
In Nebraska—
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,
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I
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