Black Prairies Tell Tale of Sweeping Fires... 300 Volunteers Fight Blaze Near Chambers...
The black aftermath of an epidemic of prairie fires has spotted
the Beef Empire.
Cautious ranch hands have been watching the horizon closely
for telltale whtsps of smoke that could mean one of the black
patches has started up again
One of the oldest menaces of the plains, the prairie fire, was no
fun tor hundreds of volunteers in Holt and surrounding counties.
Dozens of small fires and two large ones broke out Monday and
smoldered into Tuesday.
Approximately 600 acres or more of prairie burned on and near
the Wolf brothers ranch about 30 miles south of O'Neill.
Bulletins from the west ranch site late Monday morning called
for volunteers and about 300 men and eight fire trucks arrived on
the scene.
By noon the blaze was believed to be under control but not
before long tongues of flame whipped by strong winds swept the
fire into Holt county.
Men fought the blaze with wet blankets, gunny sacks and in
some cases, even the shirts off their backs.
Fire departments from as far south as Burwell and north as
far as O’Neill were on the scene. Before most of the trucks arrived,
including the O’Neill and Atkinson trucks, the fire was fairly well
under control.
Gmups from Elgin, Bartlett, Chambers, Atkinson, Bur-Well and
O’Neill fought with just about everything they could lay their hands
Eyes On A Winner
Just a few seconds after this picture was taken, Larry Tomlin
son won first place for his St. Mary’s team in the shot put in Bur
weil. See sports page. The Frontier Photo.
Tomlinson Sets Shot
Record at Ord Yesterday
Larry Tomlinson pitched the
shot 52 ft. 6 in. yesterday at the
Ord Invitation track meet setting
a meet record. Despite this hercu
lean effort, plus a win in the dis
cus, the O’Neill cinder men had
to lie content with a second place
Election Results
In O'Neill Aren
CHAMBERS
J. W. Walter and Glen Adams
defeated Vernon Harley and
Dwaine K. Miller for the village
board. The police magistrate will
be George Porter, who defeated
Bill Rick.
Elected to the school board were
Ed Coday and Dwaine K. Miller.
William Crawford and Tom Lam
bert were defeated according to
city clerk W. D. Reninger.
EWING
Willis Rockey and Frank Noffke
were elected to the village council.
They defeated Lloyd West and Les
ter Bergstrum.
Elected for a three year term
to the board of education were
finish behind Mullen. St. Mary's
lost by only 1 and 5/6 points.
Besides Tomlinson’s two first
place wins, he placed second in
the 60 yd. high hurdle event and
second in the 100 yd. low hurdles.
Lambert Belina took first in the
440 dash and second in the 220.
St. Mary's also placed first in
the 880 relay and compiled 45
points in the second place finish.
ricks and M. G. French jr.
Three new members of the town
board were elected. They included
Arnold Tikalsky, Ralph D. Ste
vens and George Clasey. Anton
Nessen and Gerold Lamason were
defeated according to city clerk
Eva Lamason.
SPENCER
Elected to the village board were
LeRoy Nyquist, incumbent, Rus
sell Angus and Louis Klasna. Har
old Haun, Robert Hickey and P. O.
Friedrich were defeated.
George Thompson was re-elected
to the police magistrate post.
Blair Drickey and Robert Krot
ter defeated Ralph Friedrich and
Herbert Sieler for the school board
race according to George Sedla
cek, city clerk.
STI ART
N. W. Coats and Lawrence Ham
ik and J. B. McGrew were elected
to the town hoard
Robert Ramm and Cecil Taylor
were elected to the school board.
Delbert Addison and John Newman
were defeated according to T. E.
McGuire, city clerk.
Cancer Fund Meeting
Is Held at Claussens
Charirman of the O’Neill cancer
fund drive, Mrs. William Claussen,
held a meeting of city captains in
her home Monday afternoon.
City captains, who will direct
volunteer solicitors in the drive to
end April 25, include: Mrs. A.
Marcellus, Mrs. Floyd Wilson, Mrs.
Ivan Pruss and Mrs. Clay Johnson,
Jr.
Any person interested in work
ing with the cancer fund drive
should call one of the above cap
tains.
Solicitations will be made door
to door by volunteers during the
ext two weeks.
rioyu juuuemeiu uriu auicu rva
pier. They defeated Wilbur Spang
ler and Lionel Gunter. Richard
S. Brion was elected to fill a va
cancy for a two year term on the
board of education. He defeated
Richard H. Sham. Wayne Shrader
was elected to fill a one year va
cancy. He defeated J. L. Pruden.
ATKINSON
City clerk R. S. Griffin said the
$10,000 fire truck bond issue car
ried "by a good margin.”
Dr. James Ramsey and Wayne
Galyan were elected to the school
board.
Orlan Anson and Mike Coday
are the new couneilmea.
PAGE
Ivan Heiss and A. G. Braddock
are the new school board mem- I
bers They defeated Willard Fre-r
A total of 210 voters came out
to the O’Neill polls in the city elec
tion Tuesday to seat five unopposed
councilmen and two members of
the board of education.
In the first ward, William McIn
tosh, a jewler, received 50 votes
of the 53 votes cast.
In the second ward, George Jan
ousek, a grocer, received 70 votes
of 73 cast. Mild surprise greeted
observers in this ward since a
small number of ballots were ex
pected. This ward held the record
for the greatest number of cast
ballots.
In the third ward, Fred Heer
mann, a motel operator, received
42 of the 43 votes cast.
In the fourth ward, Dr. E. M.
Gleeson,. a dentist, received 36
votes of the 41 votes cast for a
two-year term. William Mattern
with the O'Neill Production Credit,
Sale Dates
Claimed
April 15—Mr. and Mrs. George
Wright machinery, livestock, clean
up sale. Ranch located 4 miles
northwest of Ewing on Highway
275 (Golden Valley Ranch.) Col.
Wally O’Connell, auctioneer.
April 18—To settle the estate of
the late Charles Sobotka, all real
and personal property will be of
fered at auction at the west edge
of Inman by heirs of the estate.
Col. Ed Thorin of O’Neill, licensed
real estate broker and auctioneer
and George Cblman of Inman auc
tioneer.
April 18 — Over 20,000 feet of
material consisting of lumber,
posts, wire etc., at public auction
at the O'Neill speedway. Wally
O’Connell, auctioneer and Ed Mur
phy, clerk. (Details in next issue.)
On April 17, the estate sale of
Henry Cook, selling 160 Acre im
proved farm and all personal pro
perty, located 1 Mile West of O’
Meill Drive In Theatre and approx
imately 2xk Miles North.
Watch next weeks issue for large
sale bill. Ed. T. Campbell, Admin
stratom; Col. Wallace O'Connell,
\uctioneer.
Seat Five Unopposed Councilmen
received 37 of the 41 votes cast for
a one-year term.
Dr. Rex Wilson and Henry Lo
haus were both elected to the
school board. The voting for Lo
haus was as follows: First ward,
46; second ward, 62; third ward,
43; fourth ward, 35. The voting
for Dr. Wilson was as follows:
First ward, 42; second ward 51;
third ward, 36; fourth ward, 34.
Both men will serve three years
The Wolf ranch fire ... It blacked the earth for mile*. The Frontier Photo.
on to stop the blaze.
The fire, which started on the Darnell ranch, spread to the
Thunderbolt and Wolf ranches, and according to press reports,
burned 680 acres.
Chambers firemen also put down a blaze on the Hendrickson
the granary at the Darnell ranch A brooder house, granary and
, bottle gas tank were destroyed.
Chmbers firemen also put down a blaze on the Hendrickson
ranch six miles southeast of Chambers on the same day.
In addition to these fires, two small ones were reported to have
burned several acres north of Atkinson on Monday morning Local
ranch hands and volunteers had these blazes out in short order.
Some of the latest fires in this general area were reported in
O'Neill's Guard
To Be Infantry
The O'Neill company “D" of the
195th National Guard tank batall
ion will be changed over from a
tank to an infantry company May
1 according to First Sergeant
‘ Bill” Kramer.
Kramer said this was the second
time an anticipated change has
been made. It was believed that
the company would become an ar
tilliary group a few weeks ago.
Kramer said O'Neill would lose
it’s tank in the process and that
the change would affect over 60
men in the outfit.
Kramer said headquarters has
made it possible for the company
to enlist 12 more men in the Guard.
“We have been authorized to look
for six men to leave for six months
active duty on April 26, five men
on May 10 and one man on May
3,” he said.
He said anyone interested in
meeting their military obligation
in the Guard should contact him
at the office.
Auto and Equipment
Fair Date Set Here
The O’Neill Chamber of Commer
ece has set April 16 as the day for
the Auto and Equipment Fair.
Automobile and equipment dea
lers in O'Neill will display their
new products at a place to be
blocked off on north Fourth Street.
In conjunction with the Auto and
Equipment Fair, local merchants
who will not be displaying mer
chandise will offer shoppers in the
area same good buys. Coupons,
which will be found in next week’s
| issue of The Frontier, may be,
used to get big discounts on hun
dreds of items.
Coupons will be in use for the
entire weekend.
Music Contest -
Is Scheduled
O’Neill schools will be hosts next
Wednesday, Thursday and Friday
toclasses B, C and D of the Dis
trict 3 high school music contest.
The first events will be Wednes
day with piano and miscellaneous
entries at St. Mary’s Acadamy.
Class C and D entries will partici
pate Thursday at St. Mary’s and
at the O’Neill High Auditorium
with class A events on Friday.
Band entries will be Thursday and
Friday nights at the O’Neill High
Auditorium.
Tickets will be sold in the O’Neill
High Auditorium for the morning,
after noon and evening events.
Schools participating are as fol
lows: Wheeler Co., (Bartlett);
Page; Royal; St. John the Baptist
School, (Petersburg); Rock Co.,
(Bassett); Inman; Plainview;
Valentine; Oakdale; Elgin; Verdi
gree; Creighton; Meadow Grove;
Clearwater; Niobrara. Tiden; Ew
ing; Neligh; Ainsworth; St. Jose
ph; Keya Paha Co., (Springview);
Atkinson; Butte; Spencer; Lynch;
Stuart; St. Mary’s Academy and
O’Neill High School.
Rites Held/tuesday
For Tracto* Victim
ORCHARD—The funeral of
Craig, the six-y&ar old son of Mr.
and Mrs. Waynfe Walmer was held
Tuesday at the Evangelical church
here. *
The boy was killed in a tractor
accident at the^farm home between
Orchard and ROyal.
The toy is survived by his par
ents and a 10-year old sister,
Cecilia.
Relatives attending the funeral
from O’Neill included Mr. and Mrs.
D. N. toy and Hurley Jones.
Wilson Rites Held
In Ewing Wednesday
The funeral of Frank Wilson, 76,
a long-time resident of the Ewing
community, was held Wednesday
at the United Presbyterian church
with Dr. W. H. Ross officiating.
Survivors include his wife, three
sisters, Mrs. Addie Hartford of
Bonesteel, S. D., Mrs. Rose Zollers
of Kearney and Mrs. Lillie Harris
of Rising City; one brother, James
of Bonesteel; four step-daughters,
Mrs. Michael Haynes of Vermill
ion, Kans., Mrs. J. Frank Taylor
of Crosser, Wash., Mrs. Iola Hill
of Beatrice and Mrs. Boyd Dochow
of Concordia, Kan.
Retreat Sunday For
Presbyterian Elders
The Ruling Elders of the First
Presbyterian church of O'Neill held
a planning retreat Sunday after
noon and evening at the Bethany
Presbyterian church near Cham
bers.
Tlie program of the church was
evaluated and plans for the com
ing year were made. Commit
tees were formed to carry out the
plans.
Committets and their members
are as follows: stewardship, Wes
ton Whitwer; Christian education,
Mrs. Harry Ressell and Mrs. Har
ry Peterson; Evangelism, Mr. Ray
Shelhamer, Mr. Harry Clauson,
and Mr. William Artus.
Nine new members were taken
into the O’Neill Presbyterian
Church Sunday morning.
O'Neill PTA Elect
State Delegates to
Norfolk on April 30
Miembers of the O’Neill PTA
elected two delegates and an alter
nate to attend the Nebraska Con
gress of Parents and Teachers to
be held in Norfolk April 30 and
May 1.
Representing O'Neill at the Nor
folk meeting will be Mrs. Dale
Perry and Mrs. Stanley Longeneck
er, delegates, and Mrs. Melvin
Marcellus, alternate. Stanley Lon
genecker, newly elected PTA presi
dent, will also attend.
New officers elected at the Mon
4 Council
Members
Present
The O'Neill city council said
"no” to an additional liquor li
cense in the city Wednesday night.
After deliberation for nearly an
hour, the four present members
of the council cast their votes un
animously.
Present to vote were William
McIntosh, Dr. E. W. Gleeson,
Leigh Reynoldson and A. W. Car
roll.
R. E. (Bob) Moore and Fred
Heermann were not present at the
council meeting.
Earlier 500 names had been
placed on petitions circulated in
liquor stores and taverns objec
ting to the granting of more li
censes in O’Neill.
The petitions grew out of the
formal application of the Town
House for a license to sell mixed
drinks.
The council room was crowded
with observers as well as those
men who would be directly effect
ed by the granting or refusing of
the license.
Dick Tomlinson spoke for the
present holders of liquor licenses
in O’Neill before the council de
liberated.
"We believe that the granting of
another license would work a hard
ship on the present holders,” he
said. "The liquor business is not
now considered to be the best
business because of increased
operating expenses.”
Sorensen Rites Held
The funeral of Mrs. Anna Soren
sen, 72, of Page who died Saturday
was held at the Methodist church
in Page Wednesday.
She is survived by sons, John
of Page and James of Lincoln;
sisters, Irene Neken of Creighton
and brothers, Pete Sonder of Ver
digre and John of Omaha.
She was preceded in death by
her husband in 1952 and a son and
daughter.
-— |
Husband of Former
Chambers Girl Dead
CHAMBERS—Friends here have
just learned that Captian Charles
A. Walker, a navigator on a B-47,
was killed Thrusday, when his
plane crashed near Boise, Idaho.
Captain Walker s wife was Ba
vone Hansen, a former resident
of Chambers and a graduate of the
Chambes high school class 1942.
Two sons, Jerry and Dale also
survive. Captain Walker was or
iginally form Newton, Kan.
At the present time Mrs. Walker
lives at 110 dmeige Drive, Tus
con, Ariz.
Red Heads Will Play
Guard Men in O'Neill
The All-American Red Heads,
a women's basketball team will
play an exhibition basketball game
with the local National Guard un
it April 27.
The game will be played at the
high school gym and the proceeds
will be used to defray the expen
ces of the dance held a few months
ago.
The basketball "sharpshooters" 1
have played all over the United
States and have apppeared on the
Ed Sullivan show.
i
Sorry, Some News Left Out
Due to alast minute flood of ad
vertising in this week’s issue of ]
The Frontier a number of items |
concerning the people in the area <
had to be left out. If you do not
find a particlular item in the pa- s
per this week, watch for it in next (
week issue of The Frontier.
Jefferies Funeral
The funeral of Everett Jefferies,
67, of Ewing was held Tuesday at
the Church of Christ in Clearwater.
Burial was in the Clearwater cem
etery.
He is survived by his son, Dwight
Jefferies of Cozad and one borther,
George of Ewing.
Tompkins Celebrate
50th Wedding Date
Mr. and Mrs. Leon Tompkins of
Inman celebrated their 50th wea
ling on March 17. No formal cele
bration was held.
The couple were married on
March 17, 1909 in Norfolk at the
lome of the bride’s parents, Mr.
and Mrs. C. E. Doughty. Mrs.
rompkins was the former Ethel
doughty. She moved to Norfolk at
he age of three.
Mr. Tompkins has lived all his
ife near Inman. After their mar*
'iage the couple moved to a ranch
lear Inman where tney lived fbr 32
fears. They moved to town 17
fears ago.
The couple became the parents
>f two children, Harvey of Inman
md Dr. C. A. of Tuceson, Arlz.
['hey have eight grandchildren.
Plans are being made to hold
in open house in June,
election Results 3-36-2
Election judges and city clerks
n most of the towns surrounding
j'Neill reported very light ballot
ng as new village board members,
nagistrates and school board
nembers, were seated.
Although most of the communi
ies reported several contested
eats, very few close election
uns were reported..
Our Thindads Win
The O'Neill Eagles came home |
Wednesday with first place in the
linsworth Invitational track meet.
Those events in which they
laced first were the 120 yards
igh hurdles, the shot put, the dis
us and the 180 yard low hurdles.
Valentine placed second; Bas
et, third; Ainsworth, fourth, and
Iregory, fifth.
day evening meeung were: siamty
Longenecker; president, Mrs. Dale
Perry, vice president; Mrs. Wayne
Smith, secretary; and Mrs. John
Kersenbrock, treasurer. The offi
cers were installed by a past pre
sident, Bill Brewster.
Out going officers included pre
sident, Allen Van Vleck; vice pre
sident, Mrs. Dwight Worcester;
secretary, Mrs. Ruby Holcomb;
and treasurer, Mrs. Dale Perry.
Mrs. James Newman, Stuart, dis
trict PTA president, made her of
ficial yearly visit to the local or
ganization Monday at the final
meeting of the term. Mrs. Winnie
Mullen, a retiring teacher, was gi
ven a lifetime membership.
Entertainment prior to the bus
iness meeting was provided by the
dance students of Mrs. W. D. Me
lena.
O'Neill lions Plan
Local Talont Night
The O’Neill Lions Club has made
plpne for a local talent night con
test of which there will be three
divisions:
1. Junior Division, under 10
years of age.
2. Intermediate Division, 11 to j
15 years inclusive.
3. Senior Division, 16 to 19 in- |
elusive.
The number of Contestants in
each act is a maxium of eight,
and the time limit of ect is a maxi
mum of six minutes.
This will include all schools and
clubs in Holt county who wish to
participate.
Winners from each division will
attend a district contest at Fuller
ton April 24th and winners at Ful- |
lerton will be sent to a state con
est at a later date.
Prizes will be given for the first
three places in each division.
Entries must be forwarded to j
Duane Miller, band instructor of
the O’Neill public school by April
13th.
Robert Clinkscales, speaking for
the Town House, asked that his
application be accepted because of
a survey he had conducted at the
business establishment for the past
two months.
“The survey shows that 77 per- i
cent of the guests in the Town
House are tourists and this goes
to show that we are serving peo
ple out of town. We believe that
our selling mixed drinks would
not hurt the present holders of li
censes," he added.
The vote by the four present
members of the council brought
to a close the controversy.
In other council action, the
board admitted the building per
mits of four persons for the con
struction of new homes. One new
warehouse permit was granted and
the Standard Oil station building
permit was granted.
The council also discussed the
possibility of licensing all sellers
of fireworks. In the past it has
not been necessary for retailers to
obtain permits. Action on this is
sue was tabled.
Catholic Women Meet
A meeting of the officers and
board members of the O'Neill dea
nery of the National Council of
Catholic Women was held Friday.
Members from, Spencer, Em- ;;
met, Amelia, Ewing and O’Neill I
were present.
Plans were made and the date i
set for the deanery meeting which i
will be held here on Wednesday, 1
May 27. vi
Grant county. An unconfirmed report said eight head of cattle
wore killet. in the Henderson and Phipps ranch fire 15 miles north
west of Hyannis. Smaller fires were also reported around Alliance
> I
By far the most serious fire of the day broke out in Sot life
Dakota near Vivian.
ITie fire at Vivian blackened a strip over seven miles wide an#
20 miles long as Governor Ralph llorseth called out the National
Guard.
High winds and extremely' dry conditions sent fires roaring over
several hundred! of acres in Nebraska, South Dakota and North
Dakota Some of these areas included Lower Brule, Aberdeen an#
Mission and lesser ones at Leola, Westport, Onida, Carpenter.
Salem, Kodoka and Chamberlain in North and South Dakota.
One of the biggest problems in fighting a prairie fire is the gun#
chance that it can start up hours after it’s believed to lie oak
according to local firemen.
Several of the fires, including the one on the Wolf ranch an#
the smaller blazes north of Atkinson started up several times alia
they were believed to lie under control.
Men fighting the fires used sprayers, bulldozers, road gradrr*
tractors and disk harrows to stop the blazes.
One method used quite successfully on the Darnell ranch Tnr
south of O'Neill wus the use of a grader pulled by a IhiIHVw**
Deep slices of earth were overturned a few feet from the ouh*
edge of the blaze to keep the fire from jumping.
"The Voice of the Beef Empire"
Volume 78—Number 50 O'Neill, Holt County, Nebraska, Thursday, April 9, 1959 Seven Cent*
Diane Cork wan elected **Efrnr—
of Sports” at the annual Pac*~
athletic banquet. James WkW>
gave a speech at the fcnnqoa
and awards were presented Mr
basketball and volleyball. The
five senior girt members of On
pep-club received a necklace
Clair Parks was rniwnM
“King of Sports” at the Pag*
athletic banquet. The attendant*
were James Nlssen and Donna
Crumly. The welcome was giunt
by Vivian Ragland and thr rt>
sponse by Clair Parks. The toast
mistress was Donna Crumly.
O'Neill Legion Post
Plans Talent Show
On Friday, April 24
The O’Neill American Legior
post has planned a talent sin*
patterned after a late televisux
show on Friday, April 24.
The cast will include Jamet Ear
ley as Bat Masterson, Hugh Bar
son as Roy Rogers, Joe MeEliigoC
as Chelt Huntly, Virgil Laursex.
Verne Reynoldson, Marlin Wich
man and Chuck Fox as the iitn>>
sisters, George Janousek as Char
lie Weaver, Jack Everitt as John
ny Cash and Bud Cold as the lunefe
tramp.
Other players will include WiB
iam Cousins as Jack Parr, Eafj
Hunt as Kate Smith, Archie llimx
as Houshay, Wayne Fox at Inst
McGinn, D. Worcester and Efi Win
kler as the Mills brothers, AJ Car
roll as a balloon salesman. Boh
Cole as Genevieve and Franch
Belzer and Bob White as Trigg®
Dean Streeter will play the mas
with the fiddle, Don Becker wil
be the commericial man. Dale
Curran and Sam Fuhrer will pixy
the brats, George Bosn will lx
Tennessee Ernie Ford, RjusseB
Moler and William Kelly will lx
Charile Weaver’s parents.
Fred Appleby and A1 Hamik will
i>lay the brats’ mother and bah>
ind Bill Jansen will be Red Foley
Tickets will be on sale at most
business pusiness places. Tlx
show is under the direction of BiP
lansen.
First Annual Party
Approximately 250 persons at
ended the American Legion’s first
innual public party at the Legion
lall Tuesday evening.
The stage show was well acc<5»
ed and a dance was held after
he show.
The members of the legion pro
ded lunch.