Prairieland Talk
Of Bums and Six-Shooters
By ROMAUS'E SAUNDERS, 4110 South 5l«t St.. Lincoln 6, Nebr.
Guy Green sat at the type case piling type in
his stick as each fell in line so gracefully and slick,
there at the Item print shop across the alley from
Biglins. Up stepped a bum, sized Guy up for an
easy mark. Then the tale of woe. Guy reached
into his pants pocket and fished out his last coin of
the realm, a 50-cent piece, handed it to the fellow,
saw him cross the street, enter a saloon and heard
that four-hit piece of his slammed down on the
bar. No more bums got a lift from Guy. ... A
sporty gent with a wife and children at home on a
street in O'Neill addressed a note to a young un
married lady inviting her to an evening buggy ride
with him. That young lady told her parents Dad
told his daughter to invite her admirer to her home.
He was met there by dad with a six-shooter in hand,
told to kneel before the daughter in that home and
beg her forgiveness He did and got out to seek
other realms of illicit desires.
• • •
April 12-18 has lieen set apart as National Library
Week Our State Library Commission has named
a committee to promote interest and active partici
pation in library activities throughout the state dur
ing that week in April. Not only city and community
libraries have been contacted for this occasion, but
also school and college libraries. Books tell the
story of human life. Our Library Commission has
more than a million volumes available to the public.
WWW
No blundering mistakes in the grand, Eternal
plan; so the time rolls on to work it all out for the
final good of man.
• • *
Ranchers and crop growers of the state are ad
monished by the agricultural college workers to be
on the job this year to deal with
a swarm of incoming grasshop
pers. . . . Living costs down a
bit we are told. Will note just
how much when paying for the
dinner today. . . . The Capital
City washed by a 3-inch rain in
the closing week of March. . . .
An elderly patriot stops those
he meets on the street to preach
a sales tax appeal, thinking it
would reduce property tax. But
„ _ . when told it's just another tax,
he moves on. ... A Lincoln
Saundcrw woman with a good Irish name
has been chosen the state's mother of the year.
Mrs. Margaret McLafferty is her name, though
she started life as Miss Keifer.
* * •
He rode to town with another prairie homesteader
to attend to a few personal matters; to go to the
post office for his mail, if any. No RFD those days.
After leaving the post office, he stepped out with a
thrill he had received his quarterly pension check
for J12, four dollars a month pension for those vet
erans of the war in 1860. Somewhere in the whirl
of things in the frontier town of O’Neill, he became
separated from the homesteader he had come to
town with, so he must walk the five miles back to
his prairieland abode. Go empty handed- no. With
a 50 pound sack of flour on his shoulder he walked
in that evening to the amazement of the family. That
pioneer of the prairie was my G.A.R. worthy sire
.From such as he, you prairieland-car-drivers of to
day have your heritage.
• • *
The morning is gloomy and sunless, but I hear
the birds sing. Life may be gloomy and sunless,
but the determined soul sees light ahead.
* * •
He stood for two hours before the crowd that
filled the spacious auditorium telling his story, a
story that took his listeners to about everywhere on
this terrestial globe north and south American
countries, European and Asiatic lands, Africa and
Arabia, the Middle East and ancient Egypt. He hud
seen the genius homo of earth, talked with kings, the
heads of governments of earth, and surprised us by
saying that 75 percent of the earth's population do
not smoke or drink liquor, hate Christians because
they have conceived of the idea that the adherents
to that religious faith are all booze guzzlers. He
said he was well treated everywhere, even in Com
munist Russia and found in Moscow a group of six
hundred Muscovites who belonged to the same
church he did here in the U S A. While in that
Russian capital he contacted by phone his home town
of Washington, D.C., got his wife on the phone and
she asked, where are you? I'm in Moscow, he re
plied Well, wife ordered, you come home. He
caught an airplane for home, but did not tell us
what his reception was by the lady of the house.
* * *
The few now in the O’Neill community who knew
her as a charming member of the younger group
of days now gone were grieved to learn of the death
of Mamie Cullen in a New Jersey city where she
had made her home since leaving O'Neill twenty
years or more ago. Miss Cullen was a niece of the
late Father Casidy and was a fine young woman
whom all admired. I saw Miss Cullen ten years
go when she came from the east to spend a little
time amid the scenes of other days and found the
picture quite changed. Later we exchanged greet
ings by letter now and then, the last word I had
from her being that she was failing in health. Now
cares and pleasures of life are over for Mamie.
I was seated in the spacious unicam assembly
room in time to hear Senator Frank Nelson in an
able and interesting address before the legislative
IKKly where onlookers tear to shreds a proposed
measure involving school redistricting. Senator
Frank spoke forcefully and to the point setting forth
what it meant to the people in his community in
Holt county and to those of his entire district. Dur
ing my recent visit at the Statehouse I also had the
pleasure of shaking hands with Mr. and Mrs.
Henry Wallers and their daughter who were in
Lincoln and went to the legislative assembly room
to have a visit with their Holt county neighbor,
Senator Nelson, and hear the senator when he had
the floor. The senator drove to Omaha the 26th
and was joined there by Mrs. Nelson to proceed
home for over Easter.
Editorial
Let's Be Careful
If the grass would have been just a little dryer,
if the wind had blown a little stronger, if there
Hadn’t been so many helpful men nearby, the several
prairie fires that raged in Holt and surrounding
counties Monday could have been very serious.
Although no one knows for sure what started
them the fact that they all started at about the
same time is confusing one thing is certain:
We can’t l>e too careful about smoking.
Smoking is blamed for one third of all forest
and prairie fires and although these might not have
been started that way, we should take a long, hard
look at our own habits.
One of the most disasterous is the habit of
throwing lighted cigarettes out of a moving car
window. It has been mentioned as dangerous so
much we get tired of listening to it, hut a few stal
wart ranch hands and firemen were pretty tired
last Monday. A few of them took the shirts off
their backs to beat out the flames and for some
time it w'as “nip and tuck".
In addition to the young grass just getting a
start, other damage can result from such a blaze.
If there is no grass to hold the soil in this part of
the country, it could turn into a desert. Although
it would lie difficult to determine the number of
wildlife lost, a few burning feathers here and there
attest to the fact that we must be doubly careful
now.
Library Week
All that man has ever done his good deeds, his
needs, his loves, his disappointments, his failures,
his successes is written
It is National Library Week, a week set aside
to aid and help libraries and a time for libraries to
promote themselves.
We are fortunate to have a fine library for its
size here in O'Neill. You might drop in and lcok
around. The reading is free, the experience is
priceless.
So Much Chemistry
From The Stuart Advocate
Kissing is just so much chemistry. It has to do
with a man s craving for salt. The caveman found
out that salt helped keep him cool in the summer
time. He found, too, that he could get salt by licking
his neighbor’s cheek. Also that it was more inter
esting if the neighbor was of the opposite sex. Then
everybody forgot about the salt.
• • *
He who lacks the will to work won't need a
will to probate.
* • •
Most girls know what kind of man they want to
marry the trouble is there aren't enough rich men
to go around.
w ^ ^
Spring has arrived, and the warm weather and
burning of winter-sodden leaves attest to same, but
we won't be convinced until we see one of the fail
young damsels in Stuart attired in shorts. That is
the official token as far as we are concerned.
* * *
Burning a candle at both ends makes it twice as
hard to keep the wife in the dark.
* * *
The P-TA has arranged another fine array of
talent for their annual Home Talent Show. At least,
they say it is talent- and only you can lie the judge
of that after you actend the big shindig. Friday,
April 10th at the auditorium. I'm told that the men
in the Hat Store bit have borrowed their Missus'
Easter bonnets, and will display them as they actu
ally look. The women add their bit by doing a
comical satire take-off on present school problems.
* * *
Count among careful drivers, the man who is
showing his wife how to operate the new car.
* * *
Bouquet of the week goes to Mahlon Shearer ami
Mrs. Wm. Wewel, retiring members of the Board
of Education of School District No. 44. They have
just completed three-year tenures of hard work,
uncomplainingly in one of the most thankless jobs
in the community. "Well done ‘Dug’ and Lulu”.
• * *
When a woman is too tired for words, she's
asleep.
One Newspaper's Policy
From the Nellgh News
With all our talk about charity and helping our
fellow man, few of us hurt ourselves by generosity.
We have been cussed and discussed concerning
our policy in reporting police news. We may be
wrong but it could be the other way. t
The majority of us some time or another have
done things that broke the law. In many cases, the
offense has only been minor but in some it has been
more serious. As for the minor infractions, we do
not feel anyone will condemn an individual. How
ever, on the more serious charges, we have a policy
to write the story and delete the names when those
committing the offense are under 18. Our reason
ing for this is that possibly the individual concerned
will have learned his lesson and will never again
frequent the courtroom.
If the individual does, however, get involved for
the second time, his name will be used.
As for the printing of news, we cannot print any
thing unless it is a matter of record.
Five newspaper reporters were idling away a few
hours in a bar after the final edition had gone to bed.
The talk got around to each man’s major vices and
each agreed to confess his own peculiar addiction.
"Mine's whiskey,” said the first.
“Mine’s telling tall tales,” admitted the second.
“Mine's gambling,” said the third.
Mine’s playing long shot horses,” the fourth ad
mitted.
"Mine's gossip,” yelled the fifth, "and I can’t
wait to get out of here!”
^S^FronI®
JAMES CHAMPION, Co-Publisher
JERRY PETSCHE, Editor
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 newspaper is
a member of the Nebraska Press Association, Nation
al Editorial Association and the Audit Bureau of
Circulations.
Term* of Subscription: In Nebraska, 52.50 per
year; elsewhere in the United States, 53 per year;
rates abroad provided upon request. All subscriptions
payable in advance.
NATIONAL EDITORIAL
I
Frontiers
Ago
THE FRONTIER WAS YOENG
On April 4, 1899. a half dozen
families with teams stopped in the
city. They came from the east
and were on their way to Boyd
County. . . . Miss Flora Lowrie
went to Norfolk to represent the
O’Neill schools at the oratorical
contest. Her sister. Miss Anna, ac
companied her. . . . Personal
grievances led Mike Fallon and
George Gaughenbaugh into a flur
ry of fists. They encountered down
town and battled a few rounds,
when separated by the bystanders.
. . . Mrs. Thadeus O'Malley, age
84, died April 5, 1899 at her home.
. . . The city election returns gave
John Harmon, a free silver demo
crat, the mayorality seat. . .
Rapha King was out with gun and
dog and bagged a sand hill crane.
. , . Miss Nora Holland arrived in
the city and is visiting with her
parents, Mr. and Mrs. Mike Hol
land, who reside west of town.
THE CENTERY TERNS
The annual election of the board
of directors of the O’Neill Country
Club was held at the courthouse
in O’Neill on April 7, 1930. The
following were elected directors
for the ensuing year: James F.
O’Donnell, Roy Griffin, P. B.
Harty, Dr. L. A Burgess, Francis
N. Cronin, Frank Biglin and Ira
H. Moss. . . . The Northwestern
Bell Telephone Company held open
house at their new building. . . .
Mrs. A. Welton, who resided on
the corner of Fifth and Adams
streets, was given a surprise
birthday party in celebration of
her eighty-first birthday. . . C. E.
Stout was elected mayor in the
city election held April 1, 1930. . . .
It took a visit from the state
health department to convince the
town of Orchard, it should be
closed during an apparent epidemic
of scarlet fever. . . . Deaths: Neil
Brennan, April 7, at a Council
Bluffs, la., hospital: Eddie Frank
lin Bradley, April 7, at his home
near Inman; Reta Winkler, April
9, one-year-old daughter of Mr.
and Mrs. Casper Winkler, of near
Emmet; Edmond Wilson Thorp,
April 7.
ITiuni wr t
The Knights of Columbus held a
celebration April 12, 1953 to mark
their 50th jubilee. . . . Miss Car
olyn Watson of Inman was pre
sented in recital by Mrs. Charles
B. Houser in St. Mary’s auditor
ium. . . . Ralph N. Leidy, who pi
oneered bulk and bottle gas dis
tribution and gas appliance sales
here, sold the bulk business to Eric
Dankert of Dankert's Service,
Chambers, and the bottle gas bus
iness to Dale Fetrow, O'Neill. . . .
Clyde McCoy and his celebrated
“Sugar Blues’’ orchestra were in
O’Neill, April 14, at the American
Legion ballroom. . . . “Air Force
to Conduct Vital Wind Tests Here’’
were headlines in this week’s is
sue of The Frontier. . . . The Nor
folk Junior college band and chor
us members presented a program
April 8 in the O’Neill high school
auditorium. . . . Deaths: Mrs.
James E. Van Every, 71. April 2
in St. Anthony’s hospital in O’Neill;
Lee Scriven, 44, former resident
of the Chambers community, April
7, 1953.
Page 4-H News
Saturday, April 4, the Nifty Need
lers 4-H club held their regular
meeting at the Page Legion Hall.
The girls who are taking Skirt
and Blouse cut out their skirts.
The Work and play girls laid out
their patterns. The girls in Let’s
Cook made cocoa. Beginning Bak
y ■»
ing brought combread and discus
sed the qualities of combread.
Homemaking girls learned to set.
the table and how to make center
I pieces. All of the girls judged co
lor combinations for skirts and
blouses. Linda Thompson furnished
the games. Mrs Hansen led the
group in singing Lunch was served
I by Mrs. L. Cm inly and Mrs.
; Obrien.
News reporter. Peggy O brien
Dear Editor:
I am sorry the people of O'Neill
are faced with the issue of saloons
at all.
Let mo give you a few facts
about alcohol Two cocktails re
duce your vision at night as much
I as wearing dark sunglasses. O’
Neill has had more than her share
of car smash-ups. There are about
; 440,000 alcohol outlets in our na
I tion and about 306,000 churches
These liquor outlets turn out
around 250,000 new chronic ah»>
holies every 12 months.
Let's have fewer saloons and m
more in O'Neill.
Sincerely
Ia»e Well*
Lynch, Ncbr
Please phone us your news!
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