| TWELVE
PAGES
“VOICE OF TtIK FRONTIER” *
mon. • wed. - sat. j U.q Issue
North-Central Nebraska s BIGGEST Newspaper
Volume 78.—Number 12. O’Neill, Holt County, Nebraska, Thursday, July 17, lc)58. Seven Cents.
Jim Salem (right) serves Ills uncle, Joe Duas, in Chambers
restaurant. Jim recently served SVa years in Lebanese army.—The
Frontier Photo.
Lebanon Soldier Now
Holt Businessman
Catherine Hiatt
Lifelong Resident
Stroke Is Fatal to
O’Neill Woman
Mrs. Catherine Frances Hiatt,
71, a lifelong Holt county resident
ami the widow of the late Clyde
E. Hiatt, died at 10:30 a m., Sat
urday, July 12, in St. Anthony’s
hospital here. She had been ill
six weeks and had been hospitaliz
ed three weeks.
Mrs. Hiatt entered the hospital
late in June and submitted to
surgery June 27. She suffered a
stroke Friday, and she died
the following day.
Requiem high mass was held
at 10 p. m., Tuesday, July 15, at
St. Patrick's Catholic church with
Rev. Robert Duffy officiating.
Burial was in Calvary cemetary.
Pullbearers were Homer Mar
ing, Jphn Donahoe, Andy Clark,
James Holsclaw and Owen E.
Davjtlson.
Rosary was recited at 8 o’clock
Monday evening at Biglin’s un
eral chapel.
The late Mrs. Hiatt was tiorn
July 29, 1880, at O’Neill, the daugh
ter of Michael Slattery and Sarah
E. McKeown Slatery. Her father
was a native of Ireland; her moth
er was born in Pennsylvania.
Her parents were homesteaders
southwest of town on land now
known as J. B. Ryan estate land.
Improvements op the place have
long since been torn down.
On June 12. 1912 at O'Neill she
married Mi-. Hiatt. They became
the parents of two children.
She was a member of St. Pat
ricks's church.
Survivors include: Son-Owen
of Ralston; daughter Mrs. Harry
(Arlene) Larsen of O'Neill; broth
er Edward Slattery of Winter,
Wise., who was unable to be here
for the funeral: seven grand
children and one great-grandchild.
The son, Owen, spent each
weekend with his mother while
she was in the hospital.
Mother of Four
Children Expires
Funeral services for Mrs. Rod
erick Evans, 46, mother of four
children, will be conducted at 2 p.
m. today (Thursday) at the
Evangelical Reformed church at
Tilden. Mrs. Evans, w-ho was the
former Martha Block of the Wal
nut community, died Sunday,
July 13, in a Norfolk hospital.
She suffered a lingering illness.
Survivors include: Widower—
Roderick of Neligh; daughter—
Mereydth, 15; sons -Roderick, 13,
Richard. 10. and Gene, 8; sister—
Mrs. Robert Miller of Star.
By a Staff Writer
CHAMBERS- Overnight the di
minutive Middle East country of
Lebanon became a household
word, all because rebel forces
! threaten the pro-Western govern
ment and at nearby Iraq the pro
Western government has been
overthrown.
Jim Salem, 27, a native of the
j young republic of the Arabic
| world and a year veteran of
j the Lebanese aripy, quietly goes
| about his business in this sand
hills town where he operates a
restaurant.
While headlines, television and
radio blared the landing of Unit
ed States marines at Beirut, the
capital of Lebanon, this young
chap stayed close to his “hash
ing" chores and greeted and wait
ed on his patrons in business as
usual fashion.
Jim's parents, five brothers,
three sisters, a number of aunts
and uncles and a host of cousins
are still in Lebanon. Jim and his
cousin, Abdou Salem, came to the
United States in May, 1953, when
“fresh out” of the Ix'banon army.
He is a nephew of the late Tom
Salem, who was a prominent and
successful Chambers business
man. Joe Daas, a Chambers mer
chant, is Jim's cousin even though
there is a differential in their
ages. Joe is 59.
Jim was reared on a farm in
the rugged, mountainous land
which is bordered by Syria (on
the east) and Israel (on the
south).
The ancestral home for Jim,
Joe and Abdou is Mt. Hermon,
al)out 17 miles from Damascus of
biblical fame. The Saunto, Syfie,
Toy and Salem families, known
throughout Holt, all originated in
the same general area.
Joe came to the United States
j in 1914 at a time when Lebanon
was a part of the Turkish empire.
Mt. Hermon is at the border of
I Syria and Lebanon.
Jim told The Frontier he spent
a considerable port ion of his mil
itary career at Beirut. He was
in an armored unit.
“I wouldn’t trade anything in
Beirut or in any of the other cap
itals for my little cafe in the town
of Chambers,” Jim emphasized.
He has hopes that one day other
members of his family can come
to the U. S.
Jim married a Winner S. D.,
girl, Phyllis Harlass, and they
are expecting a baby.
Young Salem insists the trouble
in Lebanon, inspired by leftists
and communists, also has religious
background. The rebels generally
are uneducated Moslems and they
have traditional feeling against
Christians, he points out.
Because Moslems and commu
nists are anti-Christian, they have
a common feeling against the
Lebanese Christians, who have
lots of high schools, colleges,
(Continued on page 6.)
Hosses, Here We Come!
10 Caravan Seats Available
Today is O'Neill Frontier day
at the Madison races.
Two busloads of horse rac
ing enthusiasts will board sleek
air-conditioned Greyhound bus
ses at The Frontier building at
noon and set out in a holiday
atmosphere for an afternoon at
famed Madison Downs.
The Frontier has, like in the
past, arrange!! for 1 "package
deal. For $5.50 total cost, the
caravaners will be provided
roundtrip bus fare (R'gular $4.40
value). They’ll enjoy the best
grandstand seats, and will be
served a prime ribs of lieef din
ner (regular $2.25) following the
races at Ye Okie Tavern in Nor
folk.
Genial Ed Prenger, boss man
at the Tavern, will be the host.
The caravan of chartered
busses will head westward from
Norfolk following the dinner for
the return to O’Neill.
An extra bus had to be or
dered and late bookings will be
accepted this morning at The
Frontier office (cash with or
der). It appeared late Wednes
day there would be bus accom
odations for 10 or more eara
vaners.
Enroute to Madison the care
free caravaners will pull up in
front of WJAG's new radio
building at Norfolk wrhere
Evans Meier and Don Broad
stone and their wives will board.
Meier and Broadstone are WJAG
staffers. Thoy'll have carna
tions for the ladies, pocket pro
tectors for the men, and neatly
sharpened pencils for every one.
Busses will stop to and from
Madison at Inman, Ewing and
Clearwater in the event cara
vaners wish to board or leave
the busses at those points.
Secretary Earl Moyer of the
Madison G>unty Agricultural
society, which sponsors the
races, said there would be an
O’Neill purse and O’Neill's Ma
yor D. C. Schaffer, who will
lie in the bus group, will make
the presentation.
The busses will reach Madi
son Downs in ample time for
trips to the daily double pari
mutuel windows.
Arrive from Texas—
Mr. and Mrs. Cecil Waggoner
of Houston, Tex., visited recently
with Mrs. Waggoner’s relatives at
Butte and with Mr. and Mrs.
Bennett Gilligan here. Mr. Wag
goner formerly was a pharmac
ist at Gilligan Rexall drug.
West-Holt
Resident 79
Years Dies
i - -
Gilman V. Davis, 87,
to Homestead Near
Atkinson in 1878
STUART Gilman V. Davis, 87.
who farmed IV2 miles east of
Stuart for many years, died Sun
day, July 13, at the Stuart Rest
Haven where he had resided the
past 2'4 years.
He had been in failing health
for several months. Death was
caused by complications of his
I advanced age.
Funeral services were conduct
ed at 2 p.m., Wednesday, July lf>.
j at the Community church here
! with Rev. Harold Young of Stu
art officiating. Burial was in
Woodlawn cemetery at Atkinson
near the grave of his wife, Jen
nie. The Seger funeral home was
in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. William Schorn and Mrs.
Jay Jungman of Atkinson sang;
Mrs. Mark Nelson was accompan
13L.
Pallbearers were Herman
Kramer, Arthur Kopp, Clarence
Johnson, Walter Smith, Paul
Kunz and Joseph Kramer.
The late Mr. Davis was bom
November 12, 1871, at Mazeppa,
Minn. He was one of 13 children
of the late James Davis and
Arina Wyman Davis.
He came to Stuart with his
people 79 years ago. He was a
child of seven at the time. His
parents settled on a homestead
j 4 Vis miles southwest of Atkinson
on what is now known as the Joe
Mlinar place.
Mr. Davis was reared there
and attended school at the John
Nightengale home. This was be
fore districts were formed and
Mr. Nightengale was the teach
er.
He was married to Jennie
Weekly of Bellevue December 25,
1901. She had lived for a time
with her parents in Holt county
but the family "sold out” about
the turn of the century and re
turned to Bellevue. The Weekly
Davis nuptials were performed at
Bellevue.
The Weekly family had lived on
what is now known as the Joe
Roche place near Atkinson.
The newlyweds began house
keeping 2Vi miles southwest of
Atkinson on a farm and lived
there 12 years. They lived at
Newport IV2 years and then mov
ed to Stuart. After a short time
in Stuart, Mr. and Mrs. Davis
moved onto the place east of Stu
art where they continued to re
side many years.
Following the death of his wife
in 1951, Mr. Davis retired from
the farm.
He also was preceded in death
by his parents and by 11 of his
12 brothers and sisters.
Survivors include: Sons - -Marion
of Stuart; Ray of Des Moines,
la., and Feme of Atkinson;
daughter—Mrs. Arthur (Winnie)
Weber of Bassett; eight grand
children ; seven great-grandchil
dren; brothers Ira of Carnaton,
I Wash.
Out-of-town people here for the
funeral included:
Mr. and Mrs. Fred Lueckendoff
of West Point; Mr. and Mrs. G
H. Meiergard of Norfolk; Mr. and
Mrs. Seri Hutton of Omaha; Mr
and Mrs. R. W. Dickerson of
Butte; Mr. and Mrs D. B. Ray
mer of Butte.
Mr. and Mrs. R. J. Kelley of
j Atkinson; Mrs. Hazel Purtzer of
| Atkinson; Mr. and Mrs. Neil Davis
of Atkinson; Mr. and Mrs. Donald
R. Davis of Atkinson; Mr. and
Mrs. Glen Butler and family of
Basett; Mr. and Mrs. Roy Boham
of Bassett.
Robert Cunningham, night op
erator at the Chicago & North
Western station here more than
two years, will go to Pilger as the
rail station agent. His job here
was eliminated with the removal
of the passenger trains.
The Country club bridge ses
sion wil be held Wednesday even
ing, July 23, starting at 7:30.
Mrs. Winnie Barger is chairman.
Tempo quickens in the small grain harvest fields in north-central Nebraska. Here the Burivals
are combining wheat averaging 25 bushels per acre. The field Is north of town.—The Frontier Photo.
Tills Is the overturned KKA truck In which Janies Mahon, 23, only occupant, escaped with brok
en leg. The truck and a car collided near Inman.— The Frontier Photo.
_ __ _ _ <• - ...——' . -
4 Escape Death
at ‘Blind’ Comer
Truck, Car Collide
Near Inman
For persons narrowly escaped
death about 4:30 p.m. Friday at
a county road intersection about
one mile northwest of Inman.
James R. Mahon, 23, employee
of the Niobrara Valley Electric
Membership corporation (REA),
was driving southbound alone in
1958 Chevrolet pickup.
Mrs. Ambrose (Ruth) Borg
meyer of Inman and her two chil
dren were easfbound in a 1951
Ford.
Reaching the intersection at the
same time, the front of the pas
senger car was completely demol
ished and the machine was facing
north when it came to a stop in
the intersection.
The truck overturned once and
continued 131 feet from the point
of impact, coming- to rest upside
down. Mahon was pinned in the
cab.
Mrs. Borgmeyer, suffering only
a shoulder injury, walked to the
Chudomelka station a half-mile
south to summon help.
Mahon suffered a badly fractur
ed leg and he was transferred that
night from St. Anthony’s hospital
to St. Joseph’s in Sioux City.
With Mrs. Borgmeyer, who had
been to O’Neill seeking employ
ment, were Judy, 12, and Jimmy,
five. They were unhurt.
Mr Borgmeyer was working for
Leo Harte in a hayfield nearby.
The Borgmeyers have lived in the
community about a year.
Tools and equipment from the
REA truck were strewn along the
road.
Both vehicles were totally wreck
ed according to Patrolman Rob
ert Gude, who investigated.
The fracture in Mahon’s leg
Tuesday was reduced by sur
geons.
Mrs. A. E. Stevens
Dies in California
Mrs A. E. (Fannie) Stevens,
former Fannie Warner, daughter
of the late Zeb Warner, oldtime
Implement and hardware deal
er, died recently at Roseville,
Calif., where she lived.
Survivors include: sister—Mrs.
L. W (Elizabeth) Taggert of
Dannebrog, who went to Califor
nia; brothers—Roy, John, and
Fred of California.
Little Dale Venteieher of Nor
folk visted from Sunday to Tues
day with his grandparents, Mr.
and Mrs. Clarence Sauser.
What remains of the Borgmeycr ear after collision with truck.
Mrs. Borgmeyer and two children by a split-second escaped fatal
injury.—The Frontier Photo.
Wheat: 36-Bu. Per
(Photo on top on page 1.)
Combines are whirring in the
O'Neill region and scores of the
j big harvesting machines and their
crews are migrating northward
with the ripening of the grain.
On Burival land north of here
The Frontier camerman snapped
this lineup with Donald Burival
driving the combine at far left;
Frank Burival, jr., center outfit.
Clifford Burival is operating the
truck and Frank Burival, sr., is
; driving the machine at right.
The three machines were har
vesting wheat that was averaging
25 bushels to the acre. Each com
bine cuts a 16-ft. swat'i and each
holds 60 bushels.
The Burivals. largescale oper
ators, were hauling off the grain
in three trucks. The picture was
taken in a field south of the
Matthews farm and across the in
tersection from the district 37
school.
Short Work
Burivals are making short work
of the harvest with their big ma
chines, averaging a quarter sec
tion per day. Thev began Satur
day. The grain last week had
relatively high moisture content
but by Wednesday it was ‘‘nice
and dry”.
Marvin Clouse, who lives four
miles northeast of O'Neill, may
have established a modern wheat
production record on a 15-acre
non-irrigated field. His wheat in
that field averaged 36 bushels.
Wednesday he said the moisture
was 15 percent.
Week’s weather summary:
hi lo pr.
July 10 73 57 T
July 11 81 55 .61
July 12 85 55
July 13 82 60 .38
July 14 78 63
July 15 75 55
July 16 78 55
Total _99
To Valentine —
Mrs. Harry Spall and children
are spending this week in Valen
line her parents.
Bids Sought for
U S. 281 in Boyd
The state highway department 1
is advertising for bids to t>e open
ed August 8 in connection \\ ith
over 10 miles of new construction
on relocated U. S. highway 281
north of Spencer.
Contractors will be asked to
bid on a new bridge across Pon
ca crook, north of Sjk'noer, and
grade to specifications for later
resurfacing
The new road will extend north
ward from Spencer. The location
had been the object of controver-!
sy for sometime. The highway j
will extend northward from Spen-1
cer to the South Dakota-Nebraska
boundary.
Beck's Decision
Said 'Political’
Ruling on Bonds Is
Blamed for Failure
Officers of Uie Nebraska School
1 Improvement association Wednes
day said citizens of the state are
entitled to "an explanation" for
the failure of its petition drive.
The NSIA fell short in the num- 1
her of valid signatures required
■ in order to place before the
voters of Nebraska the question
of whether the office of state
commissioner of education should
be elective.
Metropolitan newspapers re
; ported "confusion" during the
| eleventh hour filing and during
the counting of signatures at the
j secretary of state’s office in Lin
| coin. Had enough valid signatures
l>oen tabulated, the initiative pe
tition proposal would have been
on the November ballot.
In addition to the 58,661 signa
tures counted by the secretary of
states’ office, there were 4,091
signatures secured by the NSIA
and filed. These were not tabul
ted along with 3,000 still in the
possession of NSIA oficers.
"This would bring to 65,000 the
total number of signatures ob
tained throughout the state", ac
cording to Clyde Widman of Amel
ia, past president of NSIA and
currently a director.
HOIKIN ■ MMipproVCtl
"At the disqualification rate of
under 10 percent, it is evident that
more han enough signatures had
been secured to successfully place
7,091 signatures lost were obtain
ed by bonded personel and could
not be used, as the bonds had
not been approved and therefore
the signatures could not be filed”.
Widman said.
"Bonds covering the circula
tors were arbitrarily ruled against
by Attorney General Beck because 1
ot technical improper phrasing.
“The NSIA had been assured j
by reliable legal sources that the !
bonds were substantially correct
in content. The law does not re
quire a form Ijond but the attor
ney general's instructions seemed
to imply that no bond should be
approved which did not conform
to his form bond.
"The law stipulates only what j
the bond should contain and not [
how it should be phrased.
" It appears to NSIA that Attor
new General Beck is most capable ,
of giving a political opinion in
place ol the legal opinion which 1
nis position calls for.
“When we of the NSIA learned '
that we had lost 7,091 signatures
because of socalled faulty bonds,
it was a crushing blow. This for
ced us to appraise our position
and secure new l>onds, resulting in
the loss of valuable time. This
proved fatal to the drive, as we
were working against the time
element.
‘Oash’ Program
“We were forced to regroup and
to put on a 'crash’ program in
an attempt to regain the large
block of signatures lost as the re
sult of the attorney general’s rul
ing. Unfortunately, time was too
' short and our last minute attempt
to make up lost ground did re
sult in some confusion.
“Without the cooperation and
effort put forth by those who act
ually did the circulating and with
out enthusiastic encouragement of
others, it would have been im-,
possible to continue and would
have compelled us to discontinue
the drive ahead of the filing dead
line.
“The favorable sentiment en
countered and the support ex
pressed by those contacted by the
circulators satisfied us that the
constitutional amendment would
have carried by an overwhelming
majority,” Widman concluded.
“NSIA seels that the people of
Nebraska should and will be
given another opportunity to
voice ttyeir opinion and to vote on
this important question,” the of
ficers and directors said in a pre
pared statement.
Niece Arrives—
Mr. and Mrs. L. M. Merriman
drove to Sioux City Tuesday to
meet her niece, Mrs. M. J. Dan
ielson and two children of Falls
Church, Va., near Washington,
D.C. They went to near Winner,
S.D., Wednesday to visit Mrs.
Danielson’s parents, Mr. and Mrs.
D. B. Lyons.
Guests Here —
Mrs. Sophia Wilson and daugh
ter and son-in-law, Mr. and Mrs
James D. DeWesse, of Ft. Lander
dale, Fla., arrived to visit Mr. and
Mrs. Arthur W. Strong. Mrs Wil
son and Mrs. Strong are sisters.
Boy Nearly
Electroc’ ted
by 7,200-V
Eddie Weber, 4, Red
Haired Climber, Is
Seriously Burned
BUTTE A red-headed, froekle
l.lei'll -U 2-year-old lx>y. Edward
Weber, is in satisfactory condition
in Sacred Heart Itospital at
t >71 ell after miraculously escap
ing electrocution while climbing
at a rural electrification substa
tion outside Butte.
About 2 p.m , Wednesday, Ed
die and his two sisters, Connie,
six. and Marcia, five, ventured
near the Niobrara Valley Elec
tric Membership corporation’s
substation.
Eddie climbed the high metal
fence protecting the station and
then mounted a four-foot cement
pier. Atop the pier was a five
fixit high electric regulator
(transformer) employed in high
tension circuits.
Eddie straddled the regulator
and came in contact with 7,200
rolls of alternating current.
One of the girls began running
toward the Weber home, which is
located one mile west of Butte
and 11/2 miles north. Parents of
the children are Mr. and Mrs.
George Weber, who for eight
years have resided on the fnrm
>\vned by George's father, Nick
Welier.
Uncle Arrives
nay wooer, imanor or ueorgc,
happened along the road and saw
the girl running. He then noticed
the lx>y, whose head was droop
ing. The boy was still astride
the regulator. Ray realized what
had happened and hurried to
George’s home to summon help
The REA headquarters at O'
Neill and Consumers Public Pow
er were notified by telephone and
all power into Boyd county wa*
shut off.
Elmer Brockman of Naper
came upon the substation scene.
Without realizing the danger or
disregarding his personal safety,
Brockman scaled the fence to
reach the crying child, who was
protesting he “couldn’t get down”.
About the same time Dr. D. H.
Bendorf of Butte, who had lieen
summoned, reached the scene and
administered first aid at the site
and later at the clinic in Butte. 4
Eddie was transferred to the
Lynch hospital where doctors dres
sed burns over the body, front and
back. Only one leg escaped se
vere burns. The lad also suffer
ed facial and lip bums and the
burns on one hand resembled a
ieep cut into the palm, according
to Eddie’s mother. One arm wa*
burned worse than the other.
Fed Liquids
He wfts being fed liquids, wa*
restless and was “sometimes de
lirious”, Mrs. Weber told The
Frontier.
Hospital attendants said the
boy’s condition was "satisfactory
at best”. They said it was too
?arly to determine the extent of
the injury.
Normally, voltage much less
than 7,200 volts would electrocute
a person, observers said. There
-vas conjecture the boy’s body
eas absorbing something less than
he full potential.
REA crews were rushed to the
■;cene, according to Manager Ed
Wilson of the O'Neill headquar
ters.
The little fellow is swathed in
bandages except for one leg
“He's a child who likes to climb.
He climbs anything. How he ever
-tot atop the regulator is more
than we ll ever know,” the moth
explained. "The girls can’t seem
to explain it, either.”
Door Swings Open,
Tot Tumbles Out
Lonnie Vanderbeek, three
year-old son of Mr, and Mrs. Don
Vanderbeek, fell from a moving
car Wednesday at 12:45 p m. He
was in a car driven by his moth
er. Other passengers were his
brothers, Donnie and Scott, and
his sister, Peggy.
They were coming back to O'
Neill from Spencer and were a
bout three miles north of Midway.
Little Lonnie opened the door of tni
car. He tumbled out on to the
highway.
Several cars stopped to offer
aid to Mrs. Vanderbeek. Lonnie
was unconscious for a short time.
He was taken to St. Anthony's
hospital. He has a concussion and
is being kept under close obser
vation for 24 hours to determine
if there are any other injuries
Ordination Set
for New Pastor
Mr and Mrs. John Hart and
son, Timothy Scott, were honored
at a public reception Tuesday
evening at Fellowship hall of
First Presbyterian church.
Mr. Hart, who is the new pas
tor *f First Presbyterian church
here and Bethany Presbyterian
church near Chambers, will be
ordained and Installed in rites
here Sunday, July 27.