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"Voice of The Frontier '
9 30-10 A M — 780 k.c. TWELVE
jur r
Mon — Wed. — Sat.
Volume 76.—Number 19. O’Neill, Holt County, Nebraska, Thursday, September 6. 1 956.___Seven Cents.
Robbers Enter Two Places
Holt County Sheriff Leo Tomjack is probing the breaking and
entering of the New Outlaw grocery store at O’Neill and the
Chudomelka service station at Inman. The break-ins took place
late Monday night or early Tuesday morning. The dial was knock
ed off the Outlaw’s safe and a hacksaw was used In a futile at
tempt to saw into the 10-inch walls of the iron vault. Owner Phil
Cohn said the effort “appeared to be the work of amateurs.” Some
orange pop was consumed by the intruders and some gloves were
taken and used. Robert Asher (kneeling) points to the damaged
dial and Richard McNichols indicates where a vain hacksaw at
tempt was made. At Inman, the thieves pried into a pop vending
machine. At the Outlaw the burglars gained entry by forcing the
rear door. There have been no arrests, Tomjack said.—The Fron
tier Photo. m
539 Students Enroll
in Public School
A total of 538 pupils are en
rolled in the O’Neill public school
for the 1956-’57 term, including
184 in high school and 354 In the
grades.
The high school students j
number eight more than a year i
a go, according to Supt. M. J.
Baack, and the grade school fig
ure is “slightly higher” than last
vear.
Several late registrations are
expected because of a number of
students being at the state fair,
Mr. Baack said Wednesday. In
addition, 10 St. Mary’s academy
girls are enrolled in vocational
home economics and 13 SMA
boys are enrolled in vocational
agriculture.
Today (Thursday) will be
the first full day of high school
courses.
The Parent-Teachers’ associa
tion will meet Monday evening,
September 10, and the board of
education will be in session si
multaneously. ..
The meeting will be held in the
. band room and a program will
be presented. Parents of both
grade and high school students
are urged to attend, a spokesman
S3 id
A North - Central conference
meeting of athletic coaches and
school administrators will be held
at Bassett Saturday, and O Neill
high will be represented.
Enrollment figures:_
GRADE SCHOOL
Kindergarten
First g
Second
Third - - - . ~0
Fourth
Fifth -
Sixth 5
Seventh
Eighth de
HIGH SCHOOL
Freshmen
Sophomores -
Juniors — d4
Seniors 40
225 Register in
SMA Grade School
Two hundred fifty-five pupils
have registered in the grade
school at St. Mary’s academy for
the 1956-’57 term, it was an
nounced Friday by Mother M.
Agnesine. ,
Meanwhile, one more high
school student registered after
last week’s publication of high
school enrollment, boosting the
total to 176 Total number of
students in the entire school: 431.
Meanwhile, Coach Don Tem
ulemeyer was summoned Wed
nesday to Louisville because of
the serious illness of his father.
Enrollment by grades:
Kindergarten
First
Second - —
Third - “i
Fourth --
Fifth - f*
Sixth \\
Seventh —
Eighth __■*'*
BAND DISPLAY TUESDAY
A band instrument display will
be held at 7:30 pjn., ’Hiesday,
September 11, at the band room.
Band pupils from the fourth
grade through the ninth and their
parents are urged by Band Di
rector Duane Miller to witness
the display._
Athletic Meeting Set—
All persons Interested in the
continuance of an athletic pro
gram at St. Mary’s academy are
asked to attend a meeting Friday,
September 7, at 8 pm., in the
auditorium.
• • •
Sparks . . . photo taken In
England. 1944. (Story at right)
4,000-Acre Barthel
Ranch to Be Sole
Tho 4,000-acre L. vf. Barthe
ranch will be offered at ref'
tree's sale on Monday, Septean
ber 24, starting at 1 p.m., at thi
Holt county courthouse here
John H. Gallapher of O’Neill i
referee; Leo P. Clinch of Burwell
attorney.
The big ranch, in four tracts, i:
located in southwest Holt. Thi
sale under district court order i;
to partition the estate. (Detail,
on page 11.)
PROJECT PRAIRIE GRASS ENDS . .
Diffusion Days Are Over
By a Staff Writer
The dictionary defines diffu
sion, as it applies to physics, as
“the gradual permeation of any
region by a fluid, owing to the
thermal agitation of its particles
or molecules.”
That’s a lot of fancy talk. Let’s
find out about diffusion, O’Neill
style, 1956.
Dr. Frank Record (left) and Dr. Harrison Cramer, Massachu
setts Institute of Technology scientists, conceived approaches to
diffusion problems back in 1949. Both participated in the air force
sponsored wind turbulence test here in 1953 and their experi
mentation this summer has been the heart of Operation Prairie
Gram.—The Frontier Photo.
• ** •' • * *
• • » * •
An average 40 persons—sci
entists, technicians and yeomen—
have been at O’Neill since mid
May engaged in carrying out a
basic research project designated
as Project Prairie Grass. And the
over-riding purpose of the pro
ject has been certain problems
concerning this thing called dif
fusion.
Sponsored by the Air Force
Cambridge (Mass.) Research
center, in cooperation with the
i Massachusetts Institute of Tech
nology, University of Wisconsin
and Texas A&M college, the me
chanics of the operation have
j meant little to the average O’
Neillite, who was happy to have
the scientific visitors in his midst.
Except for the handful of mili
tary vehicles plying the streets
and the six miles on the Oppor
tunity road to the operations site,
there has been little evidence of
military or quasi military in the
community. They’ve been won
derfully good citizens and, in sev
eral instances, their families have
made a long holiday of the whole
affair.
These are interesting fellows
all. To mention a few encounter
ed at the outset: Harry Vaughan,
instrument specialist; George
Fontes, Harry Geary, Robert
Carr and Richard Ormerod, lab
oratory technicians.
Some “locals” have been on the
scene, too: Marvin Miller of O'
Neill high, who directed a corps
of school boy “runners”; Robert
Loomer of Inman, Richard Bohn
and Richard Smithson, both of
O'Neill, laboratory assistants.
Diffusion, as tackled by these
(Continued on page 5)
SparksRites
to Be Held
Saturday
World War II Vet,
111 Several Years,
Dies of Rifle Wound
Funeral services for Cecil
James Sparks, 44, a World War
1! veteran, will be conducted
at 10 a m., Saturday, September 8,
at Biglin’s chapel. Very Rev.
Timothy O’Sullivan of St. Pat
rick’s Catholic church will offi
ciate.
Pallbearers will be Virtus
• Sheets, Gene Strong, Derold
Strong, James Sheets, Larry Con
firm, Ronald Conarro and Gerald
Elsberry.
The late Mr. Sparks died Mon
day afternoon or evening on a
section line road near the Elk
horn river about 3Vfe miles south
east of here. He was seen about 4
p.m., to approach in his car that
location, near a favorite fishing
spot.
A 22-gauge rifle was found
near his body, according to Holt
County Sheriff Leo Tomjack,
who investigated. County Coroner
William W. Griffin said there
would be no inquest.
Mr. Sparks, who had been in
ill health for several years, had
left his home in the afternoon.
When he failed to return, au
thorities were summoned be
cause relatives felt he had been
, despondent.
r
Sheriff Tomjack, assisted by
five men, conducted a search un
; til after midnight. The body was
■1 found after daylight Tuesday
morning. The bullet had entered
j the head.
The late Mr. Sparks was bom
August 25, 1912, at O’Neill, a
j son of Warren J. and Nellie Cav
| anaugh Sparks.
; He was reared here, attended
O’Neill public school, where he
, was graduated from the eighth
grade At the age of 16 he entered
the civilian conservation corps
(CCC) at Eugene, Ore. He was
leleased after several months be
cause of ill health.
He entered the army during
World War II and spent 42
months in service. During nearly
one-half of his service career he
was hospitalized.
He was stationed at Birming
ham, England, 22 months with
the service of supply.
On November 18, 1940, he mar
ried Irene Neiman of Herrick,
S.D.
He was preceded in death by
his father and by one brother.
Survivors include: Widow —
Irene; mother — Mrs. Nellie
Sparks; sisters — Mrs. Elmer
Strong, Mrs. Lester Sheets, Mrs.
I Don Elsberry, Mrs. Joe Conarro,
1 all of O’Neill.
•VOICE’ OFF AIR
Technical difficulties at
f WJAG’s transmitter outside Nor
. folk Wednesday morning forced
i tlie station off the air 58 minutes.
> The trouble developed six min
utes after the “Voice of The
Frontier’’ program went on the
air at 9:30 a.m., with the regular
Wednesday morning edition. A
resume of the “Voice” program
was broadcast at 11:30 ajn.
Lad, 3*2, Chases
‘Puppy’ Up Tree
BUTTE— Douglas Schochen- i
Dialer, 34, son of Mr. and Mrs.
Elvin Schochenmaier, who re
side in the west end ot Boyd
county, protested to his moth- i
er the “puppy" he had chased !
from the hog shed to near the
house "ran up a tree.”
The mother investigated. She
summoned the boy’s father.
The father put an end to the
“puppy"—which turned out to
be a coon.
GRANDMA’ HULL 101
"Grandma" Sarah Hull, "the
grand old lady of northern Holt
county,” today (Thursday) will
be celebrating her 101st birthday
anniversary.
State Education
Board Renews Stand
Amelia, Nine Other
Schools Listed
The state board of education
Tuesday in Lincoln reaffirmed its ‘
decision last spring to drop 10 j
high schools from the statc-ap-1
proved list.
These are Amelia. Bingham,
Fordyce, Grafton, McLean, St.
Helena, March, Pleasant Dale,
Union and Westerville.
Amelia and Westerville have
appealed to the courts to keep,
their two-grade high schools in
operation. Right now an appeal
is in the hands of the Nebraska j
supreme court, which is in ad- j
journment until sometime in Oc- 1
tober.
At Amelia, the 1956-’57 school!
term is underway, as usual.
Meanwhile, the board of educa
tion renamed Freeman B. Deck
er as state education commission
er and increased his salary $1,500
per year. His new annual wage
will be $10,500.
Mydro L»am repairs
Nearing Completion
Extensive repairs at the Spen
cer hydro electric dam, owned by
Consumers Public Power district,
are nearing completion by about
20 workmen who are engaged by
a contractor.
H. E. Asher of O’Neill, who is
directing repair for Consumers,
said the finish date will be “about
September 15.”
Holes below the spillway and
power house have been filled
with rock and new concrete
skirts for water direction have
been built. The dike also has
been reinforced with stone.
Long Pine TV
Drive Is Underway
J. F. Contois of O’Neill, mem
ber of the North-Central Nebras
ka Television committee’s gov
erning body, said Wednesday the
fund-raising for a television sta
tion to be erected near Long Pine
is now underway. Mr. Contois is
in charge of the drive in Holt,
Boyd, Garfield and Wheeler
counties.
(Details in advertisement on
page 6.)
Mrs. Anna Brown is in Louis
ville, Ky., this week attending the
national convention of the USWV
being held there
Tuesday was the first day in school for these three klndergartners at O’Neill public school, but
it was an eventful day for their mothers, too. Le ft-to-right: Mrs. Glenn Cass and son, Ricky; Mrs.
Kgon Kirschman and daughter, Voneta Lee, and Mrs. Donald Loy and daughter, Diann Lynn. All
the children are 5-years-old. Ricky’s dad is in charge of the meat department at Council Oak; Vo
neta Lee’s father is pastor of the Assembly of God church, and Mr. Loy is employed by the New
Deal Oil Co.—The Frontier Photo.
II 1! 11: 9SSSII dSH5BES2f **•#1l&ii
Four states are represented in this quartette of boarding students at St. Mary’s academy .for the
new term: Seated—Lois Connot of Dallas. S.D., junior, and Lorraine Kellar of Crookston, senior;
standing—Roberta Flattery of Manson, la., sixth grade, and Pauline Hawley of Dubois. Wyo., fresh
man. Miss Hawley’s home Is 700 miles away; Miss Flattery’s about 300.—The Frontier Photo.
Bassett Wins But
There Is Question
The Bassett entry in the North
Central day-and-night league
knocked off the O’Neill Rockets,
5-1, Sunday night in Carney
park here in the first of a two
out-of-three playoff series for
the loop crown
Bassett used Marion Hicks on
the mound and Mr. Hicks whiff
ed 17 O’Neill batsmen.
Mr. Hicks has had seven in
nings of league competition to
date and Manager Dick Tomlin
son of the Rockets said the con
ference rules insist on 25 innings
of play before a pitcher is eligi
ble for playoff participation.
O’Neill filed the protest before
the game started, played it under
protest, and Bassett outhit O’
Neill, 10-5. Four O’Neill regulars
were absent. Larry Heiss pitched
for O’Neill.
O’Neill submitted a written
protest to league secretary A1
Hamik and league president
Gene Hoffman.
Vernon Whitaker
Named Mail Carrier
CHAMBERS— Vernon Whit
aker recently received notice of
his appointment as rural mall
carrier on route 1 out of Cham
bers. He will start Friday, Sep
tember 7.
Gordon Harley has been car
rying the mail as a substitute for
about two years until the ap
pointment became effective.
New Patrolman
Eugene Hastreiter is a new
state highway patrolman here,
assisting veteran Robert L.
Gude. Hastreiter replaces
Ralph Carlson, resigned. The
new patrolman formerly was
in police work at Humphrey.
—The Frontier Photo.
Mr. and Mrs. Fred Grage at
tended the Catholic church dinner
in Amelia on Sunday.
William A. Wells
Expires at Lynch
LYNCH—William A. Wells. 8C
pioneer resident of northern Holl
county, died suddenly Thursday
morning, August 30, at his home
in Lynch. He was sawing wooc
in the yard when he was strick
en.
Funeral services were conduct
ed at 2 p.m., Sunday, Septembei
2, at the Wesleyan Methodls
church in Lynch. Burial was ir
the Scottville cemetery. Rev
Paul R. Meyers officiated.
The late Mr. Wells residtc
j many years in the Redblrd com
munity, moving into Lynch abou
four years ago.
Survivors include: Widow —
Etta Mae; four sons, four daugh
ters, several brothers and sisters
|| Pool Is Closed;
300 Learn to Swim
Three hundred persons, mostly
children, learned to srwim durtnj
the just-ended season at the Mu
nicipal pool. Lessons were pro
vided by the Holt county chapta
of the American Red Cross.
The season officially ended la
bor day and the pool has beei
drained. Equipment is beini
“winterized.”
The initial season — 1954 —
stands as the record for receipts
largely because of a bigger sail
of season tickets, according t<
Park Board Chairman A. P. Jas
kowiak.
L. E. Axtell of Atkinson visit
ed Tuesday with Colmer Ross.
4 Concerts
Planned
for Season
Tucson Boys’ Choir
to Be Headliner;
Kickoff Is Scheduled
The O'Neill Community Con
cert association will hold its third
annual kick-off dinner Monday
evening at 6:30 o’clock at St. Ma
ry's academy gymnasium. Over
120 officers, captains and work
ers are expected to attend.
At this time the annual one
week membership campaign will
get underway.
The organization mice again
has fixed its membership goal at
1,000 members. Last year the
membership exceeded the goal by
38 members.
This season the group will
bring to O’Neill the internation
ally-famous Tucson (Ariz.) Boys’
Chorus, a group of young lads
ranging in age from 8 to 16
years, who will present a pro
gram of old favorites. Their re
pertoire includes songs from fa
mous American show's, cowboy
.songs such as “Home on the
Range,” “Blue Ih-airie,’’ "Lie
Low, Little Dogies," and others.
The goaf of the association is
to have four concerts as in the
past. However, the remaining
three concerts will not be de
nufu until ttuci tut,- tiubt* ui viivs
week’s membership drive.
Community headquarters will
again be the Golden hotel lobby.
Anyone wishing to join may stop
in at the lobby desk between the
hours of 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., or
contact the community repre
sentative in your community:
Spencer—Mrs. J. M. Pucelik
Butte—Mrs. William Brennan
Lynch—Mrs. Joseph David.
Chambers—Mrs. Kenneth Ad
.ims.
Verdel—Mrs. Byron Lower.
Page—Mrs. Merwyn French, jr.
Neligh—Mrs. William Bowen.
Stuart—Miss Alvira Ramjn.
Atkinson—Mrs. Alan Hughes.
O’Neill — Mrs. James P.ooney,
Mrs. Winnie Barger, Mrs. John
Watson, Mrs. Louis Reimer, Mrs.
Allan Jaszkowiak, Mrs. Robert
Evans, Mrs. D. A. Kersenbrock.
Emmet—Mrs. Robert Cole.
Koch Farm Home
Destroyed by Fire
EWING — The farm home
south of Ewing belonging to
Mrs. George (Minnie) Koch, was
destroyed by fire Wednesday
night, August 29.
Mrs. Koch’s husband was fa
tally injured Monday, August 13,
in a runaway of a team of horses
drawing a spring buggy. The
horses became frightened. Mrs.
Koch was also hurt in that acci
dent as the couple was enroute
to their home from a shopping
trip to a country store.
After the death of her husband
in the O’Neill hospital on Wed
nesday, August 15, Mrs. Koch
abandoned the farm home and
went to Wood River to reside
with her son, Arthur.
No one was at home when the
house and all the contents were
completely destroyed. Ewing
rural firemen received a call at
1 a.m., to extinguish a prairie
fire at the Lyle Mitteis farm. It
was the same fire that destroyed
the Koch residence.
The Koch place is located
seven miles south of Ewing and
miles west.
_ _ - « • _ •
Noted rersonauue*
Visitors in Holt
Two well - known American
personalities last week visited
Holt county.
Mrs. Lorena Thomas Whitham,
90, who organized a literary en
tertainment troupe during World
War I, visited her cousins, Mr.
and Mrs. O. O. Hendrickson, at
■ Stuart. She still is associated with
the Univesity of Minnesota and
has published several books of
. poems.
The other visitor was Tim Holt,
veteran of 108 Western - type
. movies. He called at the home of
Mr. and Mrs. Harvey Hanson,
south of Atkinson. The Hansons .
have known Holt a number of
’ years. „
Gideons to Convene
Here September 14—
Gideons from many parts of
Nebraska will come to O’Neill on
1 Friday, September 14, when the
, local camp will play host at the
, annual banquet and rally, begin
| ning at 7 p.m. The affair will be
| held in the Methodist church.
Chaces Leave—
ATKINSON — Mr. and Mrs.
i Charles E. Chace and family
• moved Saturday to Montevideo.
Minn., where Mr. Chace will be
. manager of the Chamber of
Commerce.
»
i ■ 1
> Army Pvt. Richard Nelson,
• who has been stationed at Ft.
Chaffee, Ark., arrived during the
August 26 weekend for a visit
- with his wife, the former Frances
Relmer.
*•• • • • ••••