Prairieland Talk—
Terry Might Get P-T’s Vote
By BO MAINE SAUNDERS. 4110 South 5lnt St., Lincoln «. N>br.
LINCOLN Having divulged his contempt of
Nebraska’s duly elected, appointed and serving as
sessors State Sen. Terry Carpenter, from out where
our prai rial and state merges into Wyoming, now
urges our governor to summon the state senators
to meet in special session to revamp the tax laws.
What the honorable Terry would have done is
not very clear. Under our
laws of today the taxpayer has
the fun. the duty, the respon
sibility of assessing himself
Maybe Mr. Carpenter
would take that from Nebras
ka patriots and put it into the
hands of a few overlords.
Something like 20 years ago
the Scottsbluff man was a can
didate for governor. H e
whs a democrat then; a voice
in O'Neill, now forever stilled Saunders
up there on the hill in the
abode of the dead, called ui*>n us to support this
"capable business man.'' Since going down to de
feat as a democratic candidate, the Terrible Terry1
has seen the light and now marches under the OOP
banner. Should he* undertake the race for gover
nor again, think I would vote for him to see what
might happen to our fair state with something of a
freak in the governor's job.
• • •
I talked with him ye*tcr«lay, a stalwart young
mail here to get an education, 17 thousand miles
from Ids home and native land the Philippine
Islands. Asked how he liked It In Yankeeland, he
replied, "Toaeuld” I took It he meant It Is pretty
cold for him here. But when Informed that pralrie
Uuid dwellers enjoy a longer life span than those
elsewhere thought maybe he had better stick
around a few years.
» • •
We have been enjoying shirt-sleeve weather the
first half of Deceuil>er, but as a clouded sky this
morning hangs above us there may be snow before
night. It was such a morning 63 years ago. The
prairies of Holt county were brown and bare. The
day wore on. A team drawing a buggy in which
sat two men, a woman and n child trotted along
the prairie trail headed for O’Neill. Masked men 15
miles out stopped them, shot down the horses and
the man seated beside the driver was taken from
the buggy, >>ound hand and foot, loaded into a wagon
anti his abductors drove away with him, took him
to the river, tossed a rope over his head and hung
him from the bridge, cut the rope and he plunged
into the icy waters of the Niobrara river. Two weeks
later I he body of Barret Scott was recovered from
those icy waters by a group of men from O'Neill. So
brought to a tragic end a warm hearted, generous
pioneer of the Scottville community who had served
as county treasurer and came out of that office a
defaulter because of using county funds to aid the
needy, what Uncle Sam has been doing with federal
funds since the days of FDR, and many not “needy”.
* • •
Doors have been closed for the winter at the
FI. Robinson museum and the director, Mr.
Orange, and family are In Lincoln.
Among the Christmas and birthday greetings
from friends and kindreds afar a cheering lettei
came from the Dave Segelmans out at Seattle.
Formerly residents of the O’Neill community like
others who have strayed from life's earlier moor
ings they treasure memories of prairieland and
keep in touch with us "back home’’ by reading
The Frontier from week to week. Modesty does
not permit quoting the nice things they say of
Prairieland Talk. But from beautiful thoughts ex
pressed in their letter I quote this: "All about us
is God's trademark in leaf, in flower and tree,
and the sky is the glorious display window of His
creative power."
• • •
Editor Cal, having disposed of the capital
letters, has turned his attention to the human eyes
where he proposes to tell by a glance what our life
expectancy may be. That the astute editor will
do about the one-eyed guys he has not intimiated,
but some of the half visioned procession seem to
be headed down the highway to the full century
mark. To ascertain the age of a horse, we used
to look at the horse's teeth or feel his ribs. Most
of us have ribs but not all have teeth after three
score years have streaked our auburn locks with
grey, so Cal lifts an eyelid and reads the length of
your life span. May I suggest to the editor that
he refrain from putting into print what lie saw in
Lady Clara’s sparkling eyes.
• • •
Mrs. Nellie Hunt, living at 51st and O streets,
called me the evening of December 15 to inform
me of the death of her eldest son, John Cronin
Hunt, who died at his home in St. Louis, Mo., and
she with another son and his wife, who make
their home with her, were leaving that evening for
St. Louis. John Cronin Hunt was bom in O’Neill
61 years ago, the son of Mr and Mrs. Den Hunt,
lx>th of pioneer Holt county families. A year ago
Mrs. Hunt lost her husband, who died from Injuries
when struck by a car in front of his home. Again
death takes a member of the family and wounds
a mother's heart.
• • •
As I stood on the corner yesterday where hur
rying feet passed and talked with a friend she
came up to me, a wee mite of a girl, presented me
with a twig plucked from a Christmas tree, smiled
and hid me merry Christmas. A sweet little lady
who counted me her friend. The little girl sought
out just one of the group standing there or passing
by on whom to bestow her favors. Do you long for
admiring friends? Make friends of the children.
• • •
The driver holding the lines stopped his team
as he came along. Going my way—hop in and
ride! It was the horse and buggy days. Today the
guy at the steering wheel swishes past and the leg
weary footman plods on his way. This is the auto
mobile age.
• • *
Friday the 13th as I sit down to the typewriter.
The shining orb of day comes from out eastern
rim of the earth to start the daily march across the
sky.
Editorial—
Gibson, Kriz Deaths Heavy Losses
Deaths this month of L. W. Gibson, 54, Bris- .
tow-Lynch banker, and Dr. R. E, Kriz, 65, well
known Lynch physician-surgeon, left gapping holes
in the realm of their fellow men.
While both men were diametrically opposed
to matters political, they were literal partners in
making their county, their towns and their region
a better place in which to live.
Both were successful men with determination, j
Both were skilled in their respective fields. Both
kept the welfare of the region and its people close
to their hearts.
Mr. Gibson was regarded as a good banker
with years of experience. He battled for the wel- j
tore of the communities he served in several ways
—notably in improving highways and schools. He
was young in years and in spirit and was close to i
the need> of people needing financial assists. He
knew the hardships and reversals of depression
and his advice’ always was conservative and pru
dent
It has been said many persons are "on their
feet" today by virtue of Mr. Gibson's wise
counsel and iielpfulness in a business sense.
In some matters including banking- Mr. Gib
wm and Doctor Kriz- were partners.
Doctor Kriz was a skilled surgeon, a confidant
of hundreds of people, and a friend to many more.
' He had Seen a great deal of life both inside and
outside the confines of the United States: he knew
ami understood behavior of men from his World
War I military days, and, in 1953, he felt so strong
ly in behalf of his community he donated a com
ple te swimming pool to his town an extraordinary
gesture of goodwill
Boyd county will miss Doctor Kriz and Mr. Gib
son. At the moment it would appear no one can
replace them.
Secrecy Explained
The first session of congress in 1879 had a lot
of organizing to do The new government had to
set up housekeeping. So a law was passed giving
the head of each department the right to make
rules to take care of the records of his department.
The law used the language, "custody, use and
preservation " It did not say. "retention and se
clusion." Nor did it authorize anyone to hide the
record from the people, the final sovereigns.
This 168-year-old law is the main reliance of
toe bureaucrats for withholding information from
congress as well as the public. The first congress
made the law. The 85th can unmake it. There
are specific laws to protect national security from
disclosure. All other matters will better serve the
public interest for being exposed to the pitiless
light of publicity.
However, there are many country- journalists
we know who would have recommended the navy
use sensible secrecy regarding the Vanguard, in
atead of dramatizing the “count down' and result
and abortion in Uncle Sam s attempt to put a sat
telite into space.
The normally discreet military, however, was
goaded by politicians into a ludicrous display.
As one of the Washington correspondents has
written: "It is imperative that testing failures
should not occur in the goldfish bowl of the press,
television and radio publicity
All of us at The Frontier take this opportun
ity to wish you and yours a happy and joyous
Christmas. TTus from our correspondents too.
O
o 0 • -
O -V o
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Memorial Presented
Hundreds of O'Neillites and wayfarers will
pass through the portals of the Golden hotel.
Some will be compelled to take a second look
at the sleek, modernized entrance; others will
accept the two sets of glass doors and the alum
inum fixtures as merely a part of the installa- ;
tion. The latter thought, quite obviously, is
correct.
But the handsome new entrance has senti
ment behind it. It is a memorial to the late Frank !
J. Dishner, former mayor of O’Neill, former
realtor, and for many years seen so frequently
in and about the lobby of the hotel.
The widow, the former Martina Dishner, a
member of Hit' family that owns the hotel, re
cently undertook the memorial project as a
tribute to the memory of her husband.
We ‘‘happened on” to the background of
this improvement to our city and these lines are
written without the knowledge or consent of the
widow.
Certainly the new entryway is finer and
more impressive than otherwise might have been
installed by the ownership; certainly the hand
some change is one that might well be apprecia
ted by townspeople and by others for years to
come.
Congratulations to Rockwells
Congratulations are in order to the father-son
combination the Rockwells of Grand Island — on
O'Neill's new fully-automatic bowling headquar
ters. The installation reportedly represents an
investment of 80-thousand-dollars The recrea
tional layout is a fine asset to our city and no
doubt will bring many keglers, men and women
alike, to our city repeatedly. In addition bowling,
originally known as nine-pin kegling in jolly ol’
England, is a wholesome sport for all.
The game changed to 10 pins, our almanac
says, when the rulers of England declared that
the commonfolk were spending too much time
at “nine-pins”. A law was enacted . . .
But the 10th pin was added . . . nothing In
the regulation mentioned 10 pins . . , and today
lwwling is one of the world's most popular and
healthful sports.
And O'Neill is blessed with perhaps the finest
bowling facility in all of north Nebraska.
It is our hope Ten Pin Alleys receive the pa
tronage that is deserved. .
CARROLL W. STEWART. Editor and Publisher
Entered at the postoffice in O’NeilJ, 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. 52.50
per year: elsewhere in the United States, 53 per
year; rates abroad provided upon request. All sub
scriptions payable in advance. 1
When You & I Were Young . . •
Lamp Explosion
Fatal to Girl, 4
Dakota Rail Line
May Reach O’Neill
50 Years Ago
William Laviollette, jr,, arrived
from St. Paul to spend the holi
days. , . R. R. Dickson’s house
hold goods were destroyed by fire.
. . . Edward Earley is driving the
Phoenix stage since the death of
•Francis M, Johnson, who died at
the home of his son. Charles, near
Ray. W. L. Gielish has leased
the Horiskey meat market.. . . A
railroad survey has been run
from Huron, S-D., to Platte, S D.,
one of Jim Hill's projects. It is
expected the line will eventually ]
tie up with the Great Northern at j
O’Nqill. . . Editor Akin of the At
kinon Graphic has been appointed
postmaster. . . Other deaths: Mr.
and Mrs. Will Stearn s 14-year-old
daughter: Mr. and Mrs. D U.
Yantzi's four-year-old daughter
died of burns suffered in a lamp
explosion.
20 Years Ago
Miss Henrietta Schreier won a
4-H trip to the national club con
gress in Chicago, 111. . . Bids are
being sought for grading and cul
verts on highway 8- O'Neill to
Ewing. . . Bill Maxwell was elec
ted honorary captain of the O'
Neill high “O” club. He played
center on the football team.
. . . William Starts left for Trout
ville, Ore., to spend the winter.
. . . Unemployed persons in the nat
ion are estimated between 10 and
million. . . uonn L,unen oi r.m
met has joined the army signal
corps . . Mr. and Mrs. E. F. Por
ter of Chambers celebrated their
50th wedding anniversary. . . Will
iam Wells renewed his subscrip
tion.
10 Years Ago
Mr. and Mrs. C. A. Townsend
of Page observed their 50th wed
ding anniversary. . . G. Owen
Cole of Emmet and Miss Marilyn
Bock were married at Burlington,
la. . . Miss Imogene Calkins and
Walter O. Lyons exchanged nup
ital vows. . . Carl Sandburg, poet
humorist, "mentally fagged-out"
Romaine Saunders in a Lincoln
appearance. . . Deaths: August J.
Storjohann, 60, of Spencer; Sister
Alexia McGovern, 78, of Buffalo,
N.Y., formerly of St. Mary's acad
emy; Mrs. Sarah Jane Robinson,
93, of Salt Lake City, Utah, mem
ber of original Mormon colony at
Inman.
One Year Ago
Mr. and Mrs. Frederic Tams
celebrated their 50th wedding an
niversary. . . The Save-the-Trains
association is sponsoring an es
say contest among high school
students! . . Chambers rural fire
district received delivery on a
new truck. . . Miss Mary Louise
Birmingham, American Red Cross
worker i n France is aiding
Hungarian refugees. . . North
jamin C. Cuningham, 56, Inrrifcn;
Central Nebraska Game Conserv
ation association was formed
here; L C. Walling, president
. . . Deaths: James Petr, 82; Fred
Bazelman, 79; Edward E. Tren
nepohl, 77, Wheeler county ranch
er; Adolph Hrbek, Verdirge; Ben
jamin Cuningham, 56, Inman;
Mrs. Mary Enright, 69.
Mrs. Minnie Gaughenbaugh of
Hot Springs, S. D., left Sunday
for Council Bluffs, la., to spend
Christmas with her son, Irwin
Gaughenbaugh and family after
spending a week each here with
her daughter, Mrs. Nina Jonas of
O'Neill and Mrs. Justin Butter
field of Inman and son, Woodrow
Gaughenbaugh of Inman.
Letters to Editor
(Editor's note. The following
letter is from tin* author of the
current hook. "Ride to Pan
mumjom". Mr. Thorin whose
roots are deep in the Cham
bers-Neligh localities, frequent
ly visits hero. He was a pris
oner of the Chinese reds and his
hook is classic study of the lre
havior of men men under
stress,*
• • •
3100 Wilson Ave.
Alexandria, Va.
December 3. 1957
The item on school district 231
in the November 28 The Frontier
was of groat interest to me. Hav
ing been long awav from Holt
county, except for occasional
brief visits. I am not much ac
quainted with the personalities in
volved. Init the issues and stakes
in the Nebraska educational con
troversy are indeed quite clear.
This is not merely because of my
considerable galavanting about
these 48 states and several of the
seas, wherein I have had oppor
tunity to deal and work with the
end results from a variety of ed
ucational systems. It is also be
cause my travels have taken me
close to the original source of
certain demoralizing ideas and
ideologies which have already
permeated the schools in some
areas and are now being infiltra
ted into Nebraska.
It is encouraging to note that
the efforts to replace education in
Nebraska schools wnth "social ad
justment" programs is meeting
with stiff opposition. That is to
be expected, of course, consid
ering the kind of folks who make
up me ouik oi prairicianu popu
lation. Happily I can report
signs of popular resurgence
against those programs in areas
which at one time seemed hope
lessly lost to the “mass educa
tion" ideology. The people of this
land can still wield the power
when they really want to. But it
takes lots of hard work and it is
a never ending task to preserve
the freedom and dignity of indi
viduality for posterity.
By no means would I suggest
that all advocates of “public
schools for social adjustment”
are directly linked to some inter
national conspiracy. Many are
for courses such as “social
graces, leadership and self-ex
pression” simply because they
either lack the ability to fulfill
those parental duties or else they
are so involved in schemes for
saving humanity en masse that
they haven’t time for such trivia
as teaching manners to their own
youn gun’s.
Of course, anyone in that cate
gory could do much worse than
turning their children over to one
of the school-teachin’ Carsons for
bringin’ up. But I rather imagine
they, as most dedicated educat
ors. would prefer to provide the
youngsters with leamin’. My
best acquaintance, of course, was
with Duane Carson, with whom
I played considerable baseball.
I don’t recall being concerned if
he was "graceful” about it, but
his throws to first base were
right accurate and he was one
of the “leading" hitters. As for
“self-expression” anyone who
heard him the time be sprained
his ankle sliding into second
could never have doubts about
that.
In more serious vein, it seems
a pity that so many folks think
that social graces, leadership and
self-expression are things which
can be taught. Oh sure, in one
sense they can. A dog can be
house-broken, a trained goat can
lead sheep (to slaughter), and a
mule has been known to kick up
his heels now and then without
any coaching. But in human be
ings, social graces come from
self-confidence, leadership from
self-reliance, and there is no such
... yO * * t
TO OUR WONDERFUL FRIENDS1
JIM & JOHN’S BAR
Jim Rotherham — John SUzousky
S?
Sr
I
I
fi
i
§
w
fi
I
IT
thing as self-expression unless a
fellow knows by virtue of his
own God-given ability to reason—
what he is talking about. Give a
youngster some good basic (or
base-ici instruction in the forma
tive years and unless he ex
changes his vote (and his soul*
for some do-gooder politicians
utopian pottage, vvhatev er he
might lack in the way of finish
ing school charm, chairman's
finesse or oratorical ability will
be more than made up for by the
fact that ta- is a man (or woman
if we started with a girl baby ) in
his own right an individual with
a mind of his own.
Sincerely,
DUANE TH0R1N
Page News
Mr and Mrs. Frank Cronk
hosted the members of the Coup
les bridge club Thursday evening
At cards Mrs William Hock had
high score and Alton Braddock.
1 second high. Mr. and Mrs. Brad
| dock will be the Thursday, Jan
i uary 9. hosts.
Members of the Get Together
club had their Christmas party
| Friday evening at the home of
| Mrs. Harry Thompson. All mem-,
hers with the exception of Mrs.
I Kenneth Van Every were present.
, Games were played and gifts ex
changed. Mrs. Robert Harvey
! will be the Friday, January 10,
hostess. Mr. and Mrs. Bernard
Kornock will be hosts for the card
party Friday, December 27, at
their home.
n iiv/Mu f-'• ''r~i .. .
presented Wednesday evening at
district 57. Santa Claus put in an
appearance following the program
and gifts were distributed. Lunch
was served to a large crowd. Miss
Delores Mellor is teacher.
Amelia News
Mr. and Mrs. Dale Smith of
> California came Thursday to vis
it her grandmother, Mrs. Delia1
■ Ernst.
Don Adams came from Gor
don Friday evening for two
weeks' vacation from school.
Mrs. Tommie Doolittle and
Mrs. Hob Adair helped Mrs. Art
Doolittle do some wall papering
! Friday.
-:
/V»U/thV
rOLKS 1
Hamiks
Refrigeration
rndergoM Eye Surgery—
CHAMBERS Mrs. Jennie Gib
son, $5. recently submitted to sur
gery in a Hastings hospital hos
pital Surgery was for removal of
an eye cataract.
Home for Holidays—
Leo Havelka, son of Mr. and
Mrs. John S. Havelka, is spending
Christmas with his parents He
is a student at St Benedict’s
college in Atchison, Kans.
SLIMLINER
HKinriNtl MACHINE
Alice’s Beauty Sho
Phone ?63-— O'Neill
TO EACH ONE OF YOU ’
FROM EACH ONE OF US!
KERSENBROCK
Iexaco Co.
— O’NEILL —
ft*-%Rrft*-$)r>ft* ft* >*** ft* <$.
May your Christmas be merry, and may
its spirit fill your hearts with lasting
happiness!
BAZELMAN’S SERVICE
— O’NEILL —
■ft*4«*4Rr^nrft*-for\ ft* ft* <s?f$
WITH BEST WISHES
fat. a Cyflehhu Qhdibndin
O'Neill National Bank
— MEMBER FDIC —
