Image provided by: University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries, Lincoln, NE
About The frontier. (O'Neill City, Holt County, Neb.) 1880-1965 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 24, 1957)
• Prairieland I alk . . . •*, ..*; • ’. No Drouth Relief for Holt Hr KOMAINE SAUNDERS. Retired. Former Editor The Frontier LfNCOLN—The empire of Holt, 48 by 60 miles of level grasslands and lowlying hills where man has found his peaceful abiding place and over which a Page patriot, Mr. Cronk, will con tinue to hold a restraining hand as chairman of county board, has been declared today as standing out. in lush green abundance, so no “drought relief" is to be considered. Coming up from the south through Hall, Howard, Gree ley and Wheeler counties and cross into Holt down there where Pat Boyle once lived, the bloom of prairicland’s velvet-coated landscape is at once apparent. It was in 1894 that Holt county was shroud ed in dry sheets and fanned by burning winds. Once in a century seemed enough but again in 1931 the pinch of Romaine poverty hit for a minute, only Saunders for verden plenty to bloom again across the land President Eisenhower flew west to cast an offi cial eye on drought gasping communities eligible for "federal aid”. The South Fork country, Swan lake and Goose lake regions have no hands out. Green Valley and north to the river gulches, east across to Redbird and on to the Middle Branch and elsewhere in the county you can get a roast beef dinner and pumpkin pie any time. Twenty counties in Colorado, much of Texas, Kansas and Oklahoma need drought relief. Also some few counties in Nebraska and South Dakota. And there is lways the helping hand, official and non-official, at times like these extended to affected communities. • • • About the year 519 B. C., after the ban quet of wine had soured and he with the Per sian princess were sore because the beautiful queen Vashti refused to come strutting in the nude be fore them, to exhibit her feminine charms, that King Ahasuerus published a decree throughout his 127 provinces that “every man should bear rule in his own house" Starling with Queen Vashti the Modes and Persian ladies had begun a move ment in behalf of woman’s rights. What’s this— it must ire put down, the lords of the realm declared. After more than two thousand years the womanhood of the Rust lies crushed under a law of the Modes and Persian of a forgotten people. And gents, in this land of the free and home of the brave, are you altogether innocent9 * • • It was a week in January in the year 1905. Andro Mazgo, a homesteader living seven miles southwest of O’Neill “proved up’’ on his claim before the U. S. land office. . . E. S. Kinch, a pioneer of the O’Neill community but at the time living at Oakdale, in Antelope county, was a visit or among former friends here. . . Grattan boast ed having more taxable property than any town ship in the county but were complaining that the levy for township purposes was too high. . . A pleasant evening was spent by young friends with Miss Ruth Harnish in honor of her 16th birthday anniversary. . . Jake Hershiser, former ly with the Corrigan drug store here but of late living at Norfolk, spent a few days among friends in O’Neill. A winter day. a day with a blanket of snow spread in white purity across the land, a day with clouds hanging in sullen gloom above us. Zero reading on the indicator out where frosty breath of winter blows from without the polar regions. Snow, ice nd frost put pep in each step as you venture forth to meet the trivial things of life an other day, and something in the smiles and frown of those you meet along the way show what the moods of men may be on a winter day. You hurry along. Your mission over in the open air under a clouded sky, footsteps hasten to take you to your gas-heated winter abode. So I sit by the window and catch a glimpse of a bird awing as it soars away on the hunt for a bit to feed upon. And over beyond the untrod blanket of snow the highway traffic comes and goes. The paper boy tosses the evening edition on the porch by the door. I sit dowm and read the story of a troub led world, and then evening shadows gather as a winter day draws to a close. * • • This 10th day of another year prairieland has been favored by a blanket of snow spread across the land, accompanied by zero temperature while the sun glows in golden glory high above. Did you wake up the other morning with some thing sticking down there in your throat and a voice like a grizzly bear; from fingertips to toe nail ends a sensation that something had gone haywire in the functioning of muscles and joints. You got up and on the advice of friends took a pill, repeating the dose every four hours. You grew worse, flighty and restless at night. Then there came a dripping at the nose, a heave and a cough and spit. Just one of those little invis able but alive germs hit you and you “had a eold.” And here comes Jack Frost and puts to rout 1 the germs that those pills every four hours seem ed only to feed. His name was Graham. It went out a night last week at the Colorado penitentiary to pay the penalty Tor having plunged 44 souls into eternity a year previous. Victims of that airplane explosion that Graham was responsible for have been avenged, but that does not blot away the stain of one of one of the worst crimes of modern times. * » * The president goes to congress with a word picture of the world as he sees it today with presidential advise as to what America should do about it. Governors of states and Nebraska’s Anderson among them, lay before the legislative assemblies the local picture. And statesmen now are burning the midnight electric bulbs shaping up laws to wipe out the world’s troubles. In justice, suffering, sorrow, enslavement, hunger and even death is to be ended as the “free world” boys take over. * * * If you have come to the twilight hour of your days and sit tonight within cloistered walls of your home with your life’s companion by your side, away from the welter of human carnage and human sorrow that is a blighting hand in other lands, take that life’s companion by the hand, look again into eyes once bright now growing dim, feel again the warmth of throbbing hearts that understand God’s design for man and his mate on earth. Editorial Beautiful K-12 Wants Sponsor Exponents of the K-12 (kindergarten through 12th grade) redistricting program for Nebraska schools have indicated they are abandoning hopes of finding a sponsor in the current session of the unicameral legislature. State Education Commissioner Freeman B. Decker indicates his office and the state board of education are having difficulty finding a state senator who will lend a name to this explosive issue_not that a number of senators wouldn’t love to introduce it if they thought they could risk the ire of the voters back home However, the state education commissioner, according to a press handout, wants it under stood the K-12 plan remains the grand solution for Nebraska’s backwoodsy school problems; that, in effect, our children will grope and stumble along in the world and our tax load will be in equitably distributed until this beautiful K-12 plan comes to pass. The K-12 boys, in temporary defeat, want it understood they are champions of home rule and local control. But that’s not the interpretation most of us give to the contents of the master handbook, which provides K-12 for everybody, like it or not, by 1960. Few Nebraskans question but what redistnet tng of some sort is needed. On the other hand few are willing to turn the problem—lock, stock and barrel—over to a great white father in the state capital tower. Nebraskans resent compmsui y * “—** with Lincoln retaining the final authority. Principles of the Nebraska Small Schools as sociation, organized to save small schools such M the two-grade Amelia high school in Holt sounty, spread across the state like an old-fas toned prairie fire Through that association people became aware of some of the conniving going on ‘neath the great statute of Ttie Sower They now, belatedly, realize much of the diffieul - ty has developed during the past four years which the highest education office in the sta has been appointive rather than elective. e state board of education, a new twist for Ne braska, is set up so that terms of membem expire on a staggered basis. Result: If you don t ike the manner in which the board is conducting the state education business, it’ll take a number of years to throw the rascals out and change the «om position of the board. . The K-12 enthusiasts are talking of dropping the scheme now while the prairie fire is at its height. This talk will tend to check the flames that are lapping the state capitol steps. With the fire extinquished and the weary minutemen back home minding their own workday tasks, the great white father and his disciples will con jure up something else Our guess is it will be a referendum issue to 1958. Thinking behind this will be that the masses from Omaha, Lincoln, etc., will go along with K-12 becayse the proposition will sound nice, but the pitfalls in the administration of K-12 will be recognized only by the rural people who will be primarily affected. Shucks, Quit It Gals! Guest editorial by Reed O’Hanlon, Blair Pilot-Tribune Mr Dior, the Parisian fashion expert, still hasn’t crawled out of his hiding place under the rocks since he erringly decreed flat chests for women a couple of years back. The howl, which went up from men who like their women to look like women—and from the majority of women themselves—set Mr. Dior back 20 years on his career. Now, even as Mr. Dior peers out anxiously from under his stone .someone has managed to make the 1957 hats for women look like beehives. We’ve always gone along with women’s hats of all kinds in a sort of expansive mood. But if our wife or any of the other women we consider good-looking show up with one of these upside down-looking monstrosities reminiscent of the awful periods of 1922, we shall personally shoot down both wearer and perpetrator of this awful fraud. And we shall be set free by any jury in the USA. Vast Difference The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (the Mormon church) owns a remarkably long and varied list of business enterprises, in cluding a bank, an insurance company, a depart ment store, a sugar company, a coal mine, ranches and so on. But in this case, there is one vast difference from most business under takings which are car ried on by essentially non-profit organizations such as churches. A factual article on the Mor mon ventures in the Wall Street Journal states: “The church insists on paying full Federal taxes on all profits from business activities, though legally it could often claim exemptions.” This country could use more of that kind of spirit! and principle. Prepared as we are to love our enemies, it’s difficult to do in the modem world when you can’t tell, from day to day, exactly who they are. It is surprising how'well one can get along with others if you keep your mouth shut and let somebody else do the talking. The enthusiasm with which the cigarette in dustry is turning to filters indicates that filters cost less than tobacco. A child performer needs an awful lot of tal ent to make up for not being a close relative. 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 j 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 (March 3l7l956 When You and I Wert Young . . . Say Witchcraft Practiced in Boyd Family Makes Charge Against Another 50 Y ears Ago A family of Boyd county re ! quested that officials arrest an ! other family for witchcraft. . . . Cards are out for the wedding of Clyde Murman and Miss Ade line Wrede. . . The infant of Mr. and Mrs. D. W. Cameron died . . William Salem is the new baker. , . Two men escaped serious injury in Emmet when their bobsleigh was hit by a through train. Their horse re ceived a broken leg. . . John P. Becker and Anna Freidle, both of Atkinson, were granted a mar riage license. . . Helen McNich ols had a birthday party. There were 12 guests and her teacher. Miss Zack, present. . . Little Inez Harding is dangerously ill with pneumonia. 20 Y’ears Ago D. H. Cronin, editor of “The Frontier”, was host at a dinner for members of the Holt County Publishers association. . . E. E. Cole of Star, is the kind of sub scriber to bring joy to any editor! He has paid farther ahead than any of our readers. . . Mrs. Mar garet Mains, 82, died at the home of her son, T. S. Mains. . . Little Bobby Cole of Emmet, was taken to the Stuart hospital critically ill wih pneumonia. . . Mark Shelkopf started harvesting ice with the help of Walter DeVall, Preston Jones, Cecil Griffith, William Hubby and Morris Gra ! ham. 10 Years Ago Frank Balm, a Holt county resident for 53 years, celebrated his 88th birthday anniversary. . . . Mr. and Mrs. Bryon Gren ier are the parents of a boy. . ■ Miss Gail Widtfeldt, a junior at O’Neill high school, received na tional recognition for students for her poem “Tis Night”. . . Deaths: Leroy T. French. 84, of Page, Edward M Shaw, sr., 68, of Orchard. . • Francis Luben of Emmet fell from a stack of hay being pulled along the road, in to the Elkhorn river. . . Melvm Clyde was guest of honor at a birthday party. . . A post-nup tial shower was helds for Mr. Lyle Childers of Chambers. One Year Ago Deaths: Roy Worden, 67, of Amelia. . , W. R. (Bill) Tenborg celebrated his 82d birthday anni versary. . . Lyle Fox enlisted in the navy. . . Amelia was noti fied by state officials that their high school will have to go. . . Dewitt Gunter of Ewing submit ted to surgery. . . Mr. and Mrs. George Rector of Marysville, Wash, visited relatives and friends here. . . Billie Sammons of Amelia caught an 11 pound fish while ice fishing. Attendance Game to Be Employed— LYNCH—The Rural Progres sive extension club mot with Mrs. Edmund Rohdi Thursday, January 17. Mrs. Bernard Web er was assisting hostess. Thir teen members were present. After the lesson on “Lamp shades and lighting” was pre sented, the remainder of the afternoon was spent in visiting. The on-time and perfect at tendance game is again taken up in 1957. Sides were chosen The survey group members are to meet at the Elmo Barnes home on Friday afternoon, Jan uary 25. O’NEILL LOCALS Jerry Weaver, C. D. Hartronft and Charlie McKay left Sunday for a few days of business in Denver, Colo. Mr. Hartronft will go from Denver to Texas. Mr. and Mrs. Jim Hendershot and Preston Pike of Rapid City, S.D., spent Friday and Saturday with Mr. and Mrs. Louis Wray. Mr. and Mrs. Dewey Ray of Tilden were Sunday callers of | Mr. and Mrs. Weston Whitwer. ■♦ '«** * ’ • * * ,* * • i * * * • * *,,*•*.*** * * * * » ■ Echoes from the \ alley Lantern in Window By MRS. MKRRILX ANDERSON It was a half-century ago. Art Anderson, his wife and six children had moved from the eastern part of Nebraska to the sandhills country. Living in a 10 x 12 ft. soddie they were happy and hopeful in their new location. They had plans to build a new dwelling in spring; they were hopeful of other improvements that would ; follow. Mr. Anderson loaded up his 8-year-old son to accompany him by team and wagon to the near est railroad point to get a jag of lumber. The day wras fair although foggy. It was a 40-mile roundtrip. As the day progressed clouds gathered. By midafternoon snow was falling. They were homeward bound as the storm became more in tense. The storm became so fierce the horses would no longer face tfie storm. Mr. Anderson and his son freed the horses. The father wrapped the son in a horsehide coat and began inching his way toward home in the blinding storm. Daylight turned to darkness Mr. Anderson’s hopes of surviv ing began to fade as he groped for hours. At the soddie Mrs. Anderson kept a coil oil lantern burning in the doorway. The dismal light flickered and occasionally went out as the wind howled against the prairie home. Moments crept slowiy by. Mrs. Anderson knew it would be a miracle if anyone caught in the storm managed to survive Exhausted Mr. Anderson, and his son somehow made it to the soddie, having been guided by Providence and by an occasional glimpse of light from the feeble lantern hanging in the doorway. The ho.'ses perished and the remains were not found until the snow melted in the spring. String Instruments Boost Party Fun CELIA—Monday evening sev eral families gathered at the Joe Hendricks home for a general good time. Several brought string musical instruments with them and the evening was spent playing and singing songs. Those present were Mr. and Mrs. David Rahn, Mr. and Mrs. Orville Orr, Mr. and Mrs. Robert Lewis and family, Paul Foeken, Kay Butterfield, Elvon Anderson, Connie Hitchcock and Jim Hen dricks. Lunch was served. Other Celia New * Fourteen members of Sand Creek township met at the Alex Forsythe home Tuesday evening, January 15, for the annual meet ing. Bob Pease and Quentin Hic kok were reelected road over seers for coming year. The budget is $1,500. Mr. and Mrs. Hans Lauridsen and sons, Charles Johnson and Jim Lauridsen were Sunday din ner guests at the Louis Lauridsen home. Mr. Johnson stayed for a longer visit with his daughter and family. Rev, and Mrs. George Hollings head of Newport conducted Bible study class at the Hans Lauridsen home Tuesday, January 15, In spite of the cold evening a good attendance was reported. Ray Pease visited his father, R. M. Pease, at ONeill Saturday. Mrs. LeRoy Hoffman and Mrs. Margaret Chace attended the teachers’ training class at Butte on Saturday. Glen Sorensen was a Saturday O’Neill visitor. Mr. and Mrs. Aaron Lange and children, who have been living at Zephyr Hills, Fla., returned Wed nesday, January 16, to their farm northeast of Atkinson where Mr. and Mrs. Duane Mintle have been living. The Mintles are moving to the farm of Mrs. Fern Warren, where the Frank Disterhaupt jr., family lived before moving to Minnesota. Rev. and Mrs. Steinkamp were Wednesday, January 15, visitors at the Joe Hendricks and helped, can beef. Ellen McKathnie, who is at tending Norfolk Junior college, spent Thursday to Sunday eve ning with her father, Milton Mc Kathnie, and family. Charles Phipps spent Sunday at the Mark Hendricks home. Mr. and Mrs. Joe Hendricks were Tuesday dinner guests of Rev. and Mrs. Steinkamp. Mr. and Mrs. Clarence Focken and family were Sunday after noon visitors at the Mark Hend ricks home. Mr. and Mrs. Mark Hendricks and family were Sunday supper guests at the Omer Poynts home. Duane Waldrop is spending some time at the Paynts home help ing them with their work Mr. and Mrs O. A. Hammer berg and Alex Forsythe were din ner and supper guests in the William Maloun home. Mr. and Mrs. Joe Hendricks and Nina %’isited the Bob Riser family at Butte Saturday. LeRoy Hoffman and sons were Sunday morning visitors at the Victor Frickel home. Donald Dobrovolnv spent Thurs day with his sister, Mrs, Duane Beck and family. Mr. and Mrs. LeRoy Hoffman and sons were Saturday after noon visitors at the William Maloun home. Dorothy Scott was a Saturday evening visitor at the Maloun home. Mr and Mrs. John Sicheneder spent Sunday with Mrs. Fern Morsett and family of Royal. Duane Beck and Ralph Arnold helped Victor Frickel butcher on Friday. Mr*: Victor Frickel attended the Lutheran Ladies Missionary meeting at the church Tuesday afternoon, January 15. Mr. and Mrs. Omer Poynts were Friday dinner guests at the Mark Hendricks home. In the afternoon, the men were Atkin son business visitors. Mr. and Mrs. Duane Beck and daughter were Monday evening visitors at the William M&loun home. * Mr and Mrs. John SchWindt and Venita also Mr. and Mrs. Flit.- were Friday supper guests at the Milton MclCathnie home. Visit at Page— Mr. and Mrs. W. W Waller. Rita and Gary of Wayne State Teacher's college visited Sunday with Mr. and Mrs. Ray Snell of Page. Mr. and Mrs. C. W Porter vis ited Sundav afternoon with Mr and Mrs. H Hubbard and Mr. and Mrs. Ace Hubbard at Chambers. • V .... * •«. . • * . • * • *’•..<• I ' » » .. Survey Books Are Distributed— LYNCH- Mrs Frank Weoder was hostess to members of the Highland extension club at her home Thursday afternoon, Jan uary 17. Mrs William Elsas ei and Mrs. Art ReUloff pre sented the lesson on "Ijunp Shades and lighting”. A shower was given Larry Dean, little son of Mr. and Mrs. Tommy Mealier. Extension elub survey en velopes were distributed and the members art' to meet at the home of Mrs. Velma McDonald Satur day afternoon to fill the survey blanks _ ---k Cheek the weight on every paekagel ANOTHER MEMBER OF THE FAMOUS FRIONOR FAMILY OF FISH FILLETS COD-HADDOCK* OCEAN PERCH-OCEAN CATFISH a/ IA4+F Sfcrui// Ward Tax Service 3 Auditing. Bookkeeping and Tax Returns ■ MORGAN WARD ^DEN ANNEX g ACCOUNTANT ° NEILL, NEBR. B Specialising— B Federal Income Tax — Estate and g Gift Taxes 3 Good Tax Service Doesn’t Cost, pAYs[ B POLIO BENEFIT .. DANCE .. American Legion Ball Room — O’Neill Saturday, January 26th Music by EDDIE STAN $ I Per Person Are you eating your way /| to a Heart Attack? some mighty sweet FRUITS of electrical research are just about ripe Today’s electrical conveniences that make living so much easier and more enjoyable are just a beginning. There are many more on the way to change the shape of your future. Already on the scene in some areas, or just around the corner, are such marvels as the heat pump that both heats and cools your home; ovens that cook in a matter of seconds; and ultra-sonic waterless washers. Even more amazing developments are in the drafting, research and testing stages. The full utilization and enjoyment of these con veniences depends upon an ever-growing supply of low-cost electricity. Consumers, recognizing its responsibility, will continue to plan for and ex pand essential power facilities to provide for the ever-growing needs of its more than 117,000 cus tomers. This expansion will include the construc tion of needed and economically sound generat ing plants, such as the 100,000 kilowatt Sheldon Station near Hallam. AI