Prairieland 1 alk Carton’s Lake Attracted Skaters By ROMA1NE SAUNDERS, R*\irod. Former Editor Thr Frontier LINCOLN—A snow, a January' thaw that re duced the snowbanks to wet puddles. Now another morning dawns on Prairieland srrry and gloomy, a bit of white dust fallen from out the overcast heavens above, drifting across street and lawn and open field as wind moans ms of teh north. Midwinter, from forests of the north to southern sands, the country knows the time of snow and frost and see that gives Mother Earth a rest from shooting forth the bud and bloom that will be here again when spring days come around. Today old guys sit in (flowing warmth and the sisters take down the receiv er to listen to and chat I with friends across town or Romaine at the distant ranch house. Saunders It was midwinter days, midwinter evenings, a forgotten generation of maids and youthful gallants put on their skates at Carlon’s lake in walking distance from O’Neill homes, cut circles on the ice, a mittened maiden hand in the grasp of a manly hand. Where today is Minnie Sel kirk, Mazie Darr and the others that had glid ed around the circle with me hand in hand? Midwinter, I no longer skate, but winter has an end, and we will walk again where the morn ing glories bloom • • t A chat with Sen Frank Nelson down at the state house recently gave Prairieland Talker a look-in on the honored group of Nebraska patri ots that forge and fashion our laws on the anvil of constitutional authority. Also it afforded us another chance for a friendly visit with a friend from Holt county. Senator Nelson has been a resi dent of northern Holt for 50 years and among to-time onto a 40-acre tract that once was coun’ talker got in a trade for a plug team that had bis real estate holdings steps about from time ed as Prairieland Talker’s property—and that served their day of usefulness. Senator Nelson is alert to legislative trends and feels that more and more community life out i nthe state has to yield to centralized author ity at the state capital. He opposes the proposed sales tax and plans to fight to retain the state aid for bridge work, a measure having been in troduced to repeal the law that the late D. H. Cronin was the author of and which is of special benefit to Holt county. The day I saw Senator Nelson he was going that evening as one of a senatorial delegation to Norfolk to look into some matters. • * • The published story tells us that there has been erected at the church yard in Amelia an electric sign that shines forth at night to guide villagers on their way. It may be symbolic of a spiritual light the church down there stands for or hopes to attain. Rural communities throughout prairieland and elsewhere have their sanctuaries, it may be a sehoolhouse or a humble home where sacred memories Unger and worshippers gather from time to time. A patriot up the street pays $600 a year taxes on his dwelling place. Others along the street the same, a little less or a little more. What does that citizen get for his $600 if he has no occasion to call for police protection or for a fire truck to come roaring up. If the walk by his lot is snowed under, he clears away the snow. But what be comes of his $600—that’s a part of the pile that finances “public service", meaning a bunch at the city hall; another bunch at the county court house, still more at the statehouse, schools, col leges, highway patrolmen, street sweepers and all the others sitting in swivel chairs with hands folded and a leg up across the desk. What does he get out of all this? Six hundred a year pen alty for owning a dwelling house and keep a top heavy city, County and state government func tioning! • • • Sidney, southwestern Nebraska’s biggest town sent its band to Washington, D. C., where they became a unit in the inaugural parade. Shades of Laramie Pete, Doc Middleton and Bill Reed1 Sidney has gone to the tenderfoot stage, once the two-gun town on the way to the mountains. Billy Reed, who shot and killed Sheriff Kearns where the K C. hall now stands in ONeill, and Doc. Middleton who stole most of the good horses run across in Holt county, were both products of Ft. Sidney philosophy of life in frontier days. Now this southwestern Nebraska city has become a center of musical charm and sends their band to the nation’s capital to represent our prairieland state when the president is the central figure. • * * Three basketball games tonight in different parts of the city. Schools and colleges, where once we learned from books and teachers the story of mankind and how to solve the mathe matical problems of life, now train Young American to toss a ball at a basket. One dol lar demanded at the door. High cost of living— who says that! * * * The Platts down at Chambers have traveled the highway of life together for a half century, 40 years as citizens of Chambers and Ted must feel somewhat flatten'd that Mrs. P. put up with him for 50 years without a break. He was born down here in Lancaster county, started life as husband and father on the prairies of Wheeler county riding the cowtrails. Opened a shoe shop in Chambers many years ago and now takes it undisturbed by doing nothing and hangs on to their section of Wheeler county grassland. * * • The chief executive and family remained a day and a night in the governor’s mansion down in Missouri, moved back to their own home at Jefferson City, explaining that the “mansion” is a rat-infested rattle-trap, not fit for a Missourian to live in. Some Nebraska governors did no: occupy the “mansion” set aside south of the cap ital building for a home for those exalted by the sovereign citizens of the state to the governor’s job. Why an execuive mansion? A grand new one is going up now in Lincoln. If the state fur nishes a dwelling for the governor, why not dwellings for all elected state officers, Edit orial There’s Virtue in Restraint An ill teres ling contrast in sportsmanship was exhibited here on Friday evening, January 18. The O’Neill high Eagles rang in a field goal with a mere fraction of a second remaining in the basketball game against the Bloomfield high Bees. The goal put O’Neill ahead 60-59. Bloomfield’s storekeepers strongly protested the final basket, claiming the game was over be fore the clincher was made. There were O’Neill ites who let their post-game enthusiasm carry them away, too. To complicate matters, an O’Neill cheerleader was hurt in the moments immediate ly following the final buzzer. Just how she was hurt is not clearly established, but she was hos pitalized and a Bloomfield player was said to have figured in the incident. Bloomfield enthusiasts caused the metropoli tan press to report a Bloomfield victory, 59-58. Working all season with a green team, O’Neill Coach Bill Edwards had been winless thus far in his first season at the helm of the Kaglos’ cage fortunes. With his first victory at stake, he might have taken on the role of an ulcer-ridden coach, who shouts and rants and puts on a spectacle like they do in the movies. The game’s outcome at that climactic point seemed to be questionable. A few people from both O’Neill and Bloomfield were exercising their tonsils with reference to that last basket. Most of the controversy centered on a technicality in timekeeping. But Mr Edwards casually rounded up his boys and quietly ushered them to the showers— deliberately leaving the jawing to the “profes sionals”. Just how the Bloomfield coach behaved at the time, we do not know. He might have re acted like Mr. Edwards. But for Bill it was a question of whether or not he had won his first game of the season— and winning games, it seems, has become the ab solute factor in coaching—sportsmanship, physical education, etc., becoming secondary considera tions in many schools and colleges. Win or not, Mr. Edwards’ exemplarary con duct in the height of confusion certainly reflects high credit and good sportsmanship. The secretary of the Nebraska High School Activities association subsequently ruled it an O'Neill win, 60-59. Flivvers Were Loved Thrills and hazards of the model T Ford are recalled by Robert Strother in a nostalgic article, “A Flivver for the Family,” in the February Read er’s Digest. Until he pilots a space ship around the moon, Mr. Strother says he will not have the equal of the thrill he experienced as a boy in Winfield, Kans., when he first drove a new model T for which his father paid $440 on Christmas eve in 1917. “Fords were notoriously allergic to cold,” re calls the writer. “Model T’s were started, when they consented to start at all, by hand cranking. . . . The crank frequently kicked. . . Right arms in casts were as familiar a feature of the Ameri can winter scene of 40 years ago as are legs in casts at ski lodges and sport resorts today. “Another recurrent hazard of model T motor ing was running out of gas. There was no gaso line gauge, and to find out how much fuel was left, the operator first had to evict any front-seat passengers and remove the seat cushion. A slat ted cover was then raised, the gas-tank cap re moved and a graduated stick inserted in the tank. “To measure the oil supply was even more of a nuisance. You crawled under the car and opened a petcock. If oil ran out, you had oil." Despite hardships like these, for nearly two decades, between 1908 and 1927, reports Mr. Strother, “flivvers swarmed in their millions from the assembly lines in Detroit and became known and loved thoughout the world." — Where Is the Rain? Pat Harney of the Air Force-Cambridge (Mass.) Research Center has forwarded to us an article entitled, “Where Is the Rain”? The piece was written by Bicknell Eubanks of the Chris tian Science Monitor staff. During Harney’s sojourns at O’Neill during 1953 and 1956 wind tests, we had inquiring con i versations with him and his compatriots regard j ing wet and dry weather cycles, artificial rain making, atom and hydrogen bomb effects on rain 1 (or lack of it). Mr. Harney, who formerly was in the office of the chief of the U. S. weather bureau in Wash ington, suggests that Mr. Eubanks has grasped the great plains plight in a few easy-to-under stand paragraphs: “The great plains comprise (geographically) one-fifth of the nation. This is the land of semi arid environments that, when approached by men from humid environments, bitterly defeats their efforts to survive. Precisely this and nothing more is the trouble . . . “Basically, the great plains has always had a water problem, either too much or too little. The very nature of its topography and its geographic location is not conducive to year-round rainfall in substantial amounts. “General areawide rains are mainly depend ent on atmospheric and climatic conditions. The ideal conditions occur at places far removed from the great plains. A hurricane in the Gulf of Mexico, or a cold front against the warm, moist air coming up from the south will cause heavy, general rains. If these conditions do not prevail over a time, a drought occurs. It’s as tragically | simple as that.” We know an O’Neill professional man who reserves the loudest neckties for the coldest days, thus the ties usually are quite well concealed. i CARROLL W. STEWART, Editor and Publisher 1 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 (March 31, 1956 When You and I Were Young . . . Baby Unharmed After Given Up by Mother Figure Takes Infant to Mountains 50 Years .Ago From the inside "ready print” pages of The Frontier conies this story. A young farm wife had : agreed that her husband should i meet her at the fence near the woods and take the child to a neighbor's. The woman reached the fence and saw a figure dim 1 ly outlined on the other side. Be ! lieving it to be her husband, she handed the child over. To her ! amazement, the figure disappear ! ed without a word, taking the i baby. Frantically die called to her i husband, whom she met coming i towards the fence. The tracks of an immense bear led to the home. Baby was later found un harmed. . . Sons were born to Mr and Mrs. R. R Morrison and ! Dr. and Mrs Flynn. A fash i ionable feminine headdress in • zero weather is a gauzy veil re 1 sembling a sheet of tissue paper. 20 Years Ago Deaths: John Hayne, 69, at Norfolk; Marion Prichett, 75, at his farm home; William Spang ler of Clearwater. . . O’Neill citizens donated $166.80 to the Ohio flood relief. . . Mr. and Mrs. Jesse Wills of Emmet came to O’Neill by car but were un able to return because of drift ing snow. They returned by train the next day. . . Henry Loshei, 83, submitted to surgery. . . Miss Ardith Smith of Inman, who has ! been seriously ill with pneumo nia is improving. . . Harry Fox lias been doing chores at Will ' Kaczor’s since the men have been !sick. Maurice Graham also has been helping. 10 Years Ago The winter’s worst snow storm arrived. . Mr. and Mrs. Wil | liam Medcalf of Chambers cele brated their 56th wedding anni versary. . . Ed Markey of San Pedro, Cal., died. His sister Mrs. Margaret McMillan, was unable to attend because of the ! travel difficulty created by the storm. . . Cpl. Max Farrier of Chambers arrived home from Korea. . . Betty Lyons and Ralph Rector were married. . . Miss Elizabeth Kamphaus and Frank Nickolite were married. . . Mrs. C. H. Switzer departed for Cali fornia to visit her son Ewing News The Past Matrons club and the Star Kensington were entertained Friday afternoon at the home of Mrs. Waldo Davis. Seven mem ! bers were present. Mrs. Wilbur | Bennett presided at the business I session. The annual banquet was discussed and committees were appointed. The afternoon was spent informally. Luncheon was served. ¥ Mrs. John A. Wood accom panied her husband to Norfolk Monday, January 21, where she remained to spend the week at the home of her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Louis Tanck. The Young Matron’s Pinochle club was entertained at the country home of Mrs. Archie Tut tle on Tuesday evening, January 22. with Mrs. Elvin Hamilton as the assisting hostess. Mrs. Jerry Tomjack and Mrs. Earl Wright were guests. Prizewinners were 1 Gail Boies, Mrs. Tomjack and Mrs. Richard Edwards. A so cial hour and lunch were enjoyed after the games. Miss Ina Bennett was a guest Sunday at the home of her brother and wife, Mr .and Mrs. Wilbur Bennett. Other guests at the Ben nett home was their daughter and son-in-law, Mr. and Mrs. May nard Morrow and children of O’ Neill Mr. and Mrs. Robert Pruden accompanied by Mrs. Thos. Eacker went to Omaha on Friday. The Prudens transacted business while Mrs. Eacker visited her husband at St. Joseph’s hospital. Robert Eacker, who has been a guest at the home of his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Ralph Eacker, and other relatives, departed Friday to return to his home in Kalispell, Mont. Nuns to California— Sister M. Perpetua and Sister M. Clotildus, St. Anthony’s hos pital staff members, have been attending a Sisters of St. Francis conference in Los Angeles, Calif. They visited a new 480 - bed St. Francis hospital at Lynwood, Calif., operated by that order. -1--“ TO RE-WORK TOWN STUART—The villiage board at Stuart has made plans to com pletely re-work the town’s muni cipal electrical distribution sys tem. Idea behind the plan is to minimize what is known as line loss. Attend Wedding— Mr. and Mrs. D. C. Schaffer at tended the w'edding Saturday eve ning of his nephew, Jack Schaffer Els, at the St. Paul Evangelical Reformed church in Lincoln. Frontier for printing! DR. H. D. GTEDFR SLEEVE OPTOMETRIST Northeast Corner of 4th & Douglas O’NEILL, NEBR. Phone 167 Office Hours: 9-5 Eyes Examined-Glasses Fitted Monday thru Saturday Echoes from the Valiev » We Like Trees By MRS. MERRILL ANDERSON For many years Nebraska ha: been noted as the tree planters state. Millions of seedlings art planted annually. In early years most of the state was barren of trees. A few were native along streams and valleys. New interest developed when the government offered additional land to homesteaders to encour age tree plantings. We are indebted to the division of forestry for their relentless efforts by extensive survey to determine species most adapt able to sandy soil. Up to the present time, the cedar and pon derosa pine have been found to be the most suitable because of their capability' to withstand drouth. However, many leafed varieties do well here, such as ’ the elm, which is used exten sively for windbreaks. The government is setting up a program for furthering the tree planting project. It would seem advisable to follow some such practice to prevent further des truction in pasture areas, where control of blowouts is becoming a problem. Our shelterbelts have proved great value in helping to pre vent damage from wind erosion, also in holding the moisture. Most of us are nature lovers, and our tree .plantations rank ! high in this writer’s estimation. The initial cost of tree planting is small but the reward for such efforts makes it very worthwhile. News Mr, and Mrs. John Planz of Fremont visited Mrs. Dallas Beh rens. also of Fremont, who is at the home of her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Esty Nelson. Mr. and Mrs. Harry McKay and Vicki of Chambers were Sun day supper guests of Mr. and Mr*. Duane McKay. Edward McCarthy left Monday to register at Creighton univer sity, Omaha. He had completed two years before serving four years in the navy. Second semes ter starts: next Monday. Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth Caskey and Suellyn were Sunday dinner guests cf her mother, Mrs. Mabel Bennett in Winnetoon, and supper guests of Mr. and Mrs. Bernard Butterfield and daughter of Ne ligh. Jack Carney, a student a t .Creighton university, Omaha, was home between semesters. He ar rived Sunday and left Tuesday, Jack had completed two years be fore he left for the service. He is now a junior. Mr. and Mrs. Daniel Debacker and family of Columbus wrere weekend guests of his parents, Mr. and Mrs. G. C. DeBacker. Jim DeBacker,- a student at the Uni versary of Nebraska, left Monday after spending between semester vacation at home. Sunday guests of Mr. and Mrs. H. P. Savidge were Mr. and Mrs. Carl Chmiel of Ew’ing. Overnight guests were Mr. and Mrs. Walter Sievers of Omaha. Tuesday, January 22, Dr. and Mrs. E. M. Gleeson and Mr. and Mrs. Robert Devoy were in Sioux City. Helen Marie is the name Mr. and Mrs. Robert L. Glide have chosen for their new little daugh ter. Mr. and Mrs. David Maughan of Tilden were weekend guests of her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Harry Graham. 1h0iek(t...IN NEBRASKA ? • Chimney Rock, old time landmark of the Oregon Trail, once served as a guide post to California bound wagon trains. You'll find this scenic spot near Bayard on U. S. Highway 26. _I Beer Belongs...to the good times Nebraska division we enjoy in modern Nebraska. United States Serve it, enjoy it, as the beverage nreuers that is right—in any company, foundation fer ©Very occasion. 710 Fint Narl Bank Bldg . Lincoln Conardt Entertain— Mrs. T. I* Liddy won higl | score for ladies and Laurcnci Haynes won high for the men at « bridge party held Sunday even in* at the home of Mr. and Mrs Johr ! Conard in Emmet. Guests wen | the Hayneses, the Liddys and tht • Marvin Johnsons. Mrs. Soukup Hostess— Mrs Stanley Soukup entertain ed the birthday club at a 1 o'clock luncheon Saturday. The ladies spent the afternoon socially at the home of Mrs. George C. Ro bertson ( K \( K DOWN ATKINSON — Mayor Willard Linville has announced the city will crack down on use of air rifles ami firearms of any type within the city of Atkinson May or Linville said an ordinance for bids the discharge of arms within | the city. NEAR FATHER ATKINSON—Delbert Scott of Rapid City, S.D., came Friday to be near his father. D F. Scott, who died Saturday night. Dr. J. L. Sherbahn CHIROPRACTOR Vfc Block So. of Ford Garage Complete X-Ray Equipment O’Neill, Nebraska Notes Birthday— Helping Mrs. Burton Kendeil celebrate her birthday anniver sary in Osmond Sunday were Mr. ■ and Mrs. Harry Graham and Mr. and Mrs David Maughan of Ttl ' den. Englers Move— Bob Engler is moving this weekend into the house vacated by the Edwin L. Krugman family. Butte Livestock Butte. Nebr. Tlie auction at BUTTE LIVESTOCK MARKET on January 23 was a cold four hours of selling. Buyers were very active and quality of livestock better than average, making a snappy auction with prices higher on all grades of stock. The hog orders were ihe best—several car loads of number 1 butchers shipped to the coast by two buyers. We hope to see you on Wed nedavs. Bring or send your livestock to the Butte live stock Market for highest re turns, thanks. is WALLPAPER /M Your Choice of FINE PAPERS WcyA Ve have just received the new 1957 wall- I /^ ^ \Wf, paper sample books. Stop in now and see Jff • V/,\\ the New Morris line of wallpaper at prices [Ul ) ‘i V -\