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About The frontier. (O'Neill City, Holt County, Neb.) 1880-1965 | View Entire Issue (Oct. 11, 1956)
Prairieland Talk .. . Spuds to Rescue 40 Years Ago Kx K()M XIN'E SAUNDERS Retired. Former Editor The Frontier LINCOLN— Even women's tears do not al ways avail. A group of farm women, 150 of them from Atlantic coast states, barged in on the U S. ignculture secretary, the much harassed Ezra I Jenson, to plead for government aid to boost po- . la to prices Fresh from the potato fields of Long Island, Khode Island, Pennsylvania and New Jersey, the lady spud growers said they must have a dollar a hundred .<> pounds for their products or go - broke. Official “sweet talk” from heartless swivel chair farmers was the best the wom en got. They left in tears. Those Dry Creek home steaders of the long ago who raised carloads of spuds, hauled them to town and got 11 cents a bushel for them at Mike Sulli van's and John Mann’s trading posts didn’t get enough currency at the First National bank for Saunders a load of potatoes to finance sending a delegation of prairieland dames to Washington. Some 40 odd years ago this humble pilgrim was facing bankruptcy, or at least loss of credit, If he did not meet certain payments coming due at an O’Neill bank He knew little about roping and branding a steer, but next to nothing about farming. A friend suggested I raise potato crops that summer. The friend went further than “sug gest”—he helped me plant and gather in. Two four-horse loads of as handsome potatoes as were ever grown, hauled off and sold that fall at 50 cents a bushel, squared me at the bank and a lit tle more. Ezra T Benson had not been discovered at that time * • * In 1900 Adlai Stevenson was the demo cratic c-andidate for vice-president. And, 56 years later, another Adlai Stevenson is the democratic candidate for president for the second time. In 1900 the Adlai Stevenson of that day was William Jennings Bryan’s run ning mate in the “boy orator’s” second time op. Both went down to defeat. And the sec ond time up for the present Adlai may mean tie is heading for the same fate. • * * It is night I look out of the unshaded win dow and see nothing but the stalwart treetops against a dim background of starless night sky. The day has brought a full measure of lovely things—a walk down a familiar street where a little child plays about a flower garden on a hunt Kir butterflies; the first gay adventurous thing to hold within my heart when the day is done. I moved on and came upon it unaware, the beauty of a smiling face and a gentle voice that respond ed, "Thank you!” for a favor done, cordial greetings *nd gracious contacts along the way. The day is done Tonight I pause, remembering the lovely things, contact with friendly pilgrims, the name less beauty, the song of the birds, the floral bloom, the crimson glow of setting sun—the sizeable check that came through the mails today. There may be a survivor or two in O’Neill and also down by Amelia who remembers the F. B Cole family. Mr. Cole was an early day watch and clock repair man in O'Neill who filed on a homestead some 30 miles southwest of town. To maintain a business in town and be on the home stead to spend the night with the family was a problem. It was about a day’s job for a pair of broncos to make the roundtrip Cole was some thing of a mechanical genius. He made a prairie sailing rig that could negotiate those 30 miles to the h mestead in about two hours. This outfit consisted of a platform on the running gear of a buggy, a seat, a steering handle and a sail. The open prairie in the 1880’s w'as swept daily by winds and a landlubber who knew something of the lhanipulation of a sail managed to get there by a zig-zag course. The Lincoln Sunday Journal-Star of August 19 last had the story of this sailing rig together with an illustration drawn by my 13-year-old grandson, Gerald Saunders, a seventh grader who would rather draw than study from books. * • * Prejudice is the result of ignorance. The ether bu.v has the same right to his way of life as you have to yours. * * * Pink glow of early dawn, then sunlight marches in flaming majesty above the horizon this calm October morning. We sense something of celestial grandeur and wronder not at the ancients bowing in adoration as the sun rose over Oriental hills. Colorful autumn days dawm, glow and pass into night on prairieland. We are a year older, another mark of passing years on face and brow. The green of summer tinted with autumn gold, ripened fruits and the calm, restful season of the year, symbolic of life’s time of rest, struggles for a crust of bread are in the past and a check from Uncle Sam coming in every month to add to your bank account. It is life’s October and out of the realm of treasured memories there comes visions of the past and we walk again down the path of long ago where dead leaves of Oc tober lay along the way. Walking abroad this bright morning in early fall, the blue heavens above, concrete underfoot that leads to the marts of trade where the girl at the cash register smilingly takes my two-bits for a bite of banana. * • * Billy McNichols writes me from Hollywood that he is shaping his business affairs so as to go to Rochester, Minn., when the doctors give the word. He mentions a visit he and Mrs. McNichols enjoyed at the home of Mrs. James F. O’Donnell, another former O’Neill citizen, who now makes her home in the Hollywood neighborhood. Billy says they found her “well and happy.” Mr. Mc Nichols cherishes memories of O’Neill, his boy hood home, the home of his parents and grand parents. * * * ™ A friend just back from a visit to the Illinois cornfields tell us prairieland patriots about seeing cornfields that are yielding 70 or more bushels to the acre. Clodhoppers back there should come to Nebraska and learn something about growing corn from that son of the soil down by Aurora who says his cornfield yielded 132 bushels to the acre. Editorial Buffett Indicts Both Parties Former Congressman Howard Buffett, an | Omaha investment banker who served four terms in congress during the forties and retired volun tarily, chose national newspaper week and a gath ering of more than two hundred editors and pub lishers from four states to express little faith in either major political party’s “lip service to the constitution and individual freedom.” Speaking before the Interstate Editorial asso ciation’s 35th annual convention in Sioux City’s Mayfair hotel, Mr Buffett charged newspaper ed itors from Iowa, Minnesota, South Dakota and Nebraska with a major responsibility in restoring to the people of the nation the strength to govern themselves again. Ironically, the association had invited GOP President Dwight Eisenhower and Democratic Presidential Candidate Adlai Stevenson to appear; neither could arrange the date. Buffett complete ly omitted personalities from his address, entitled “The Ramparts We Watch,” and roundly scolded both parties for tendencies “toward socialism and totalitarianism.” The speaker first reminded that the nation is spending 43 times as much on military defense • as it was 20 years ago; then pointed out that “both ancient and modern history record that majer nations have gone down because the moral and spiritual defenses have been neglected while the military still was strong.” With an eye to what he termed “the rotting from within” which has destroyed major nations in the past, Mr. Buffett painted a not-too-opti- j mislie word picture of the “rotting” in the na- | tion’s current civilian area of defense. “This area of defense,” he said, divides nat urally into four sectors, as follows: “A well informed people. "A sound financial structure. “An electoral system that enables the people j to chart the course of government. “Fidelity to the spiritual truths on which Am- i erica was built." In regard to the first bulwark of American independence—a well informed people—Mr. Buf- ! iett said that in 1951 “the then president of the United States issued an executive order establish ing censorship in the various executive agencies end departments of the federal government.” He quoted the noted editor, David Lawrence, who said the order had “phraseology as sweeping as ever used in a dictatorship . . . and was unpre- | cedented in American history. “Many hoped that when a new administration i took office in 1953, the situation would be chang ed for the better,” Mr. Buffett said. "It was not. A presidential letter dated May IT, 1954, seems to have intensified the conditions of censorship and suppression of news.” Quoting Kent Cooper, a chief executive of the Associated Press for a quarter of a century, the speaker said, “American news propaganda (that is to say. government-sponsored propaganda) . . . being planned for peacetime operation . . . perhaps is doing its part to push the world on to the cata elysm which could end civilization . . . “At every level of American government there is an apparent reluctance to allow the people to feave the facts,” the speaker said. . . Govern mental executives seem increasingly to mistrust the discrefion and wisdom of citizens. “Secrecy in government,” he added, "cannot survive prolonged publicity properly administer ed. “This task, it would seem, is a major respon sibility of your profession,” the speaker asserted. Regarding the soundness—or unsoundness—of the nation’s financial structure, Mr. Buffett re .fterrod to Lenin’s statement that the surest way to • * • * * • .* * ’ • . • • . • . overturn the existing social order is to debauch the currency. He cited the many cases in which inflation has been the weapon used to force other lands from capitalism and freedom into socialism and despotism. “Will America follow this same road? “I don’t know. But I do know this—for years the paramount financial fact in America has been the relentless dilution of the purchasing value of the American dollar . . It may be the decisive political influence of our time.” Discussing the problem of restoring self-gov ernment to the electorate, the speaker asserted that while both parties’ platforms paid lip-service to the constitution and individual freedom, neith er party endeavors to support the former or pre serve the latter. “The American people,” he said, “are not giv en the clear-cut issue between conservatism and socialism to vote on, because in actual practice, neither party works to effect conservative poli cies.” He charged both parties with passing legisla tion which “. . . . shrinks the area of personal in dependence. . . Moreover, today the policies espous ed by both lead inevitably to a socialistic govern ment. “As they (members of both parties) reject Herbert Hoover’s plea for less government mas tery of our lives, their campaigns are mostly noisy quibble over detail, name-calling, and bi-partisan promises of pie-in-the-sky, made on the insulting premise that we have become a nation of belly lovers." Mr. Buffett asserted that both in 1932 and 1952, the voters of the nation elected candidates pledged to conservative platforms. Both times the pre-election promises were shamefully broken, he said. In regard to fidelity to the spiritual truths on which America was built, the speaker said, “In the political sector, those holding power flout moral and spiritual truth as though God and His justice were only a mirage.” In treating this bulwark, he discussed the nation’s behavior in “twice in one generation crossing the ocean to engage in vain and futile global war” . . . the current “policy of global in tervention” . . . and “the shiny ideals discarded after each of the major wars. “A nation that drops atomic bombs on a civilian population of a beaten enemy seeking peace has strayed far from the paths of love and brotherhood. That is on record,” he said. Mr. Buffett, who heads an investment firm, does considerable writing and carries on corre spondence with such prominent Americans as Herbert Hoover and Gen. Douglas MacArthur. CARROLL W. STEWART. Editor and Publisher ARTHUR J. NOECKER and ESTHER M. ASHER, Associate Publishers * 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—2,559 (Mar. 31, 1856) . • ’ * • t When You and I Were Young. . . Davidson Boy Hurt by Bullet Gun Discharges i n John's Foot 50 Years Ago Johnnie, eldest son of Mr. and Mrs James Davidison, punctured >';s left foot vuth a bullet from a nfie. He was hunting along the ;\\er w'hen the gun was acci icntly discharged. . . J, W Van u.k, living two miles northeast of town, is reputed of having the Lest corn anywhere in this sec t on. Even though it was dry, he timated he’d have 60 bushels to the acre. _JrIiss W. McEniry f P. Gallagher, attended by Miss Mamie Cullen and Dr J. F. Gallagher of St. Louis, Mo., were married. 20 Years Ago Mrs. Rose Ryan is a grand mother. She received wrord that son had been born to her laughter, Mrs. Charles Graham, of California. Mr. Graham is the n of Mrs. Edward Graham of O’Neill and Mrs. Graham is the former Margaret Ryan. . . Mar gie and Lois Lindberg, who at tended school in O’Neill, spent the weekend with the homefolks at Meek. . . Mrs. Goldie Liddy returned from Columbus and Omaha where she had visited re latives for a month. 10 Years Ago September and October in Holt county might be considered as “the wettest year in history. To date this year 27.30 inches of I recipitation has fallen. . Albert Petersen, 58, assistant poliire chief for the past seven years, died suddenly. . . Those released recently by the selective service were Joseph G. Liable, Willis C. Peterson and Glenn Lawrence of Atkinson, Ivan C. French of O’ Neill and John J. Dougherty of Inman. One Year Ago Robert E. Strong, 65, of Nor folk, formerly of O’Neill and Emmet, died in a car accident. . . Mrs. Clara Tucker. 87, of Ewing was hurried at Ewing. . . Mr. and Mrs. Thomas A. Drayton of Orchard celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary. . Miss Delores Doolittle of Amelia was married to Charles Ray Gartner of Lincoln. Miss Mary Elizabeth Gatz, a freshman at St. Mary’s college in Omaha returned home with her parents, Mr. and Mrs. C. J. Gatz, for the weekend. Mr. Gatz had attended a meeting in Omaha. 2 Coyotes Killed During Sunday Hunt CELIA—Ray and Bob Pease, Eldon Breiner and sons, Lonnie and Russell, and their six dogs and Bernard Rossman and son with six dogs, •'Butch” Goeke and "Tuff" Henning engaged in a coyote hunt, between Atkinson and Emmet Sunday, October 7. Two coyotes were killed and six were sighted. Other Celia News Mr. and Mrs. Omer Poynts and .»Ir and Mrs. Leonard Chaffin and family surprised Mrs. Mark Hendricks on her birthday anni versary Thursday. Thev came for supper. Darrel McKathnie, son of Mr aid Mrs. Milton McKathnie, was S-ycars-old Friday His mother n id Venita Sehwindt and LeRoy Lauridsen also her sister. Mrs. Gerald Risor and family there for supper in honor of the event. Elmer Saltz of Page spent Fri day night with Glen Sorensen at the William Maloun hc;m . Mr. and Mrs. Ivan Cone of O’ Neill were Thursday visitors at the \\ illiam Maloun home. Sunday dinner guests at the LeRoy Hoffman home were his rand arents, Mr. and Mrs. W. W. Butolph of Minneapolis, Minn., who are spending the weekend at the Amelia Hoffman home in At kinson; also Mrs. Amelia Hoff man and sister, Mrs. Mary John-I son, Harold, Gerold and David Frickel. Victor Frickel and chil dren were afternoon visitors. The teahers of the various schools in the community attend ed the workshop in O’Neill Mon day. Youngsters enjoyed a vaca- i tion that day. Albert Johnson of Lyons spent several days the past week at the the John Sieheneder home. Leonard Chaffin helped Mark Hendricks Friday sort and load his Angus cattle he sold to Ed Brondyke of Fulton, 111. Joe Hendricks sold several truckloads of cattle to the same buyer and they were shipped Friday. They have sold cattle to this buyer the past 10 years. Mr. and Mrs. Mark Hendricks and family were Saturday dinner guests at the Omer Poynts home. Leroy and Keith Hlpke and Charles Chaffin visited Roger and Rodney Dobias Sunday af ternoon. Charles Chaffin spent Friday overnight with Rodney Dobias. , Henry Heiser was a Friday morning guest at the Mark Hen dricks home. Mr. and Mrs. William Maloun and Billy were Thursday evening visitors at the Barbara Mlinar home visiting Billy’s grandmoth er, Mrs. William Milner of Chest er, Pa., and aunt, Mrs. Gilbert Planning a NEW HOME? \ • HOME BUILDING ’ • CHURCHES. 1 m COMMERCIAL CONSTRUCTION We’d be pleased to make FREE estimates for you! JSI O’Neill Construction & Cabinet Works PHONE 205 GERALD MONK, Prop. O’NEILL _ _ AL. FORSYTHE’S COMPLETE CLOSING-OUT . SALE! I am quitting farming and will sell all my p'rsonal prop- i erty and livestock at my farm located 10 miles straight north of Atkinson, Nebr., just off Highway No. 11. FRIDAY, OCTOBER 19 8 — Head of Milk Cows — 8 All sound, and good milkers, ages from 2 to 9 years old. Cross-bred Shorthorns, Red Polls, Holsteins and Angus. Most of them are in production now, others to freshen soon. ! 44—High Grade Aberdeen-Angus—44 31 Head of Angus Breeding Cows—9 three-year-olds, bal ance 4 and 7 years old. All had calves this year and are bred back to choice Angus bull. 11 summer calves; 1 baby calf; one 2-year-old Angus bull. Machinery and Equipment 1942 “A” John Deere tractor; tractor winch; heavy cable; electric DeLaval cream separator; good stock saddle; heavy duty underslung; 3-rake hitch; tractor chains; some old machinery. Auction Starts at 1 P.M. Lunch will be served by Celia Homemakers ALEX FORSYTHE, Owner WELLER & FLEMING, Auctioneers FIRST NATIONAL BANK, Atkinson, Clerk . • ; V' • ’ *a Kelley of New Jersey, who ar rived Thursday for a visit with relatives. They are enroute to Washington to visit other rela tives before going back East. Mrs. Milner and Mrs. Gilbert Kelley were Saturday afternoon visitors at the Milner home and Billy spent the weekend with them in Atkinson at the Fred Mlinar, home. The Miss Eva Addison, teacher of the Lauridsen school, and her pupils were Friday dinner guests at the Hans Lauridsen home, Bobby Knudson and LeRoy Lauridsen were dinner and sup per guests Sunday at the George Mintle home. Elmer and Albert Spann and James Lauridsen were Monday dinner guests at the Hans Laur idsen home. Mr. and Mrs. Neal Hipke and family and Mr. and Mrs. Russell H pke and family were Sunday. October 7, dinner guests, cclebr.it i.. t ic birthday anniversaries of Francis Chaffin and Lloyd Hipke . e Leonard Craffin home. Mr. and Mrs. J. B. Mellor were also Sunday afternoon visitors there. Mrs, Joe Hendricks spent Mon day afternoon with Mrs Mark Hendricks. Mr. and Mrs. Louis Lauridsen and children were Thursday din ner guests at the Hans Lauridsen home. Duane ;.nd Linda visited at the Lauridsen school. Mr. and Mrs. William Maloun were Sunday dinner guests at the Dorothy Scott home. Mr. and Mrs. Ray Pease and Bob were Saturday evening sup per gests at the William Spann home. Mr. and Mrs. Duane Beck and daughter were Saturday supper guests at the George Beck home in Atkinson. Buddy Focken and Patty Allyn were Sunday dinner guests at the Clarence Focken home. Mr. and Mrs. P. W. Kilmurry spent Sunday at the Frank Kil murray home. O NEIIX LOCALS Keith Abart attended a state cit'd it meeting in Fremont Sun day and Monday. Sunday guests of Mr. and Mrs. Norbert Clark were Mr. and Mrs Charles Luben of Inman and S irley Luben of Norfolk Mr and Mrs Russell Nutter and family and Mrs. Cathrine Nutter of Thedford arrived Mon day, October 1, to visit at the Charles F. Nutter home. Miss Barbara McCarthy and Miss La Donna McNulty were h o m e for the September 30 weekend from St. Catherine’s School of Nursing. They are the daughters of the George M Mc Carthy’s and the Jim McNulty's Larry Fox returned Monday, October 1, from Harvard where he had taken his cousin. Larry Joe Hoppens. Larry stayed a week with Larry Joe and on the way home stopped in at Grand Island to visit the Joe Luth home until Monday. Capt. and Mrs. J. T Butcher and Susan of Smyrna, Tenn , left last week for California where Captain Butcher will study at UCIJV for two months They plan to visit her parents, Mr. and Mrs. M. J, Golden, on their way back from California in Decern ber. It Happened In NEBRASKA I_ - —'.—. ‘Though the Overland Mail was slow by today's standards, its coaches made re markahlv good time aver the prairie. On a trip to southern Nebraska, a four-horn* team pulled almost half a ton of mail and 14 people a distance of 14 miles in 52 minutes. Only 16 miles per hour—but pretty good for real, live "horsepower." Speaking of “mileage,” have you noticed how much further your entertainment budget goes when you serve guests a sparkling, refreshing glass of beer? For beer goes so well—with food, with conversation, with a game of cards. Be a congenial host. 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Just one of these wonderfully strengthening capsules give you the full vitamin and iron content nature provided in the groups of the following foods before cooking: . ——1 1 quart of pastouriiod milk 4 ox. of frosh orango juico V] lb. of loan bacon 1 lb. of loan pork Vi lb. of groon string boons V] lb. of voal chops j Vj lb. of ham 1/4 lb. of buttor 1 lb. of boots Feel Better. .Look Better...Work Better or YOUR MONEY BACK! Penny for Penny... You Get More Value in High-Potency SPECIAL FORMULA VITAMIN CAPSULES a Giliigan rfexall Drug Phone 87 — O’Neill Ben Giliigan Robert T. Devoy HE HANDLES “HOT STUFF" ... with “kid gloves” Because of these heavily-protected gloved-hand* of an emergency crewman, the lifeline of one of our communities will soon course once again with surging electric power. When disaster strikes, as it sometimes doe* in communities we serve, it is significant that every human effort is made by your Consumers crews to restore electric service with the least possible delay. Day or night in the worst weather, Consumer* Public Power District line crews and equipment are poised and ready to aid stricken areas. When an emergency call comes, an integrated state wide network of manpower is alerted by the District’s two-way radio system. Emergency crews rush in from the nearest unaffected com munities to reestablish vital electric service as quickly as humanly possible. These service crews are an important part of the smooth-working Consumers team which performs countless tasks to help you live better ... electrically. They also are a vital link in Consumers plan of operations to bring you low cost electricity geared to your needs of today and tomorrow. The Consumers 4,120 mile network of electric power reaches the four comers of the state end serves 356 communities its all part of your CONSUMERS electric service i • * , • • • • • , ' ’ . ^