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Your Weekly Paper XtImTI] Thursday. May JM Mra' «"3
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-voire or me nrnvnem* Section One 55!&. Juno i !i 45
Advertising Power »o».; ™ a Kffiay S’ 3
An‘l "The Voice of the Beef Empire"
Editorials Volume 79-Number 6 O'Neill, Holt County, Nebraska, Thursday, June 4, 1959 Seven Cents
Photo and KngmvinK 1>> The Frontier
Mr. Saunders points to "Doc" .Mathews’ Homestead
Former Editor Saunders Tells Heritage:
The Frontier Was Born of Prairie Sod
By Jerry lVtsche
Editor
In the ‘ mind's eye" of many an old-timer, you
can no more separate The Frontier from the living
prairie sod than you can the grass that grows upon
it.
And this strange feeling has conic to me more
than once as I have spoken with the old-timers who
speal^of "the newspaper you're with,” and the open
ing of the prairie almost in the same breath.
But what was this strange feeling of the con
nection between the newspaper and the soil? What
is there in the character of a newspaper that
leaves you with the Impression that you are as
sociated with something that has the earth as Its
heritage?
And then, someone helped me to see it a few days
ago'
The same feeling came to me again and again
as I walked side by side with the old man to his
father s homestead and as usual, I couldn’t get it
out of my mind.
Mr. Romaine Saunders, home again for Memor
ial Day to visit "the alwde of the dead,” had a
gleam in his eye as he pointed to the homestead site
of the founder of The Frontier. “ ‘Doc’ VV. D.
Mathews lived rigid there,” the former editor of
The Frontier said.
And then he swung his arm around to the right
and said, “There used to »>e a house there and right
over there next to it was where my father home
steaded.”
But why did “Doc” Mathew* come to O'Neill?
What made him pack up un old press and a few
fonts of type In a horse-drawn wagon In 1880 and
travel all the way from Monroe, Wisconsin?
What made him think he could make a go of it
here? Why did lie choose this then barren country
to start what is probably the most difficult business
to get underway from scratch? Why did men like
Romaine s brother, Ezra, the first printer in Holt
county, and one of the first employees of "Doc,”
ever beliese they could gather enough paid foundry
type in a "stick” to make a living?
“Because Doc saw there was money to be made
where it was necessary for homesteaders to publish
final proof of land claim and development,” Mr.
Saunders replied.
“The publisher got $7 50 for every land notice
in those days," lie said.
So this is the way it was, I thought, this is why
the old-timers feel that The Frontier is so closely
associated with ttie prairie. The newspaper was, in
deed, born of the sod upon which we walk.
But just how true, I was just beginning to real
ize as Mr. Saunders began to chuckle and tell an
other story.
At least one other newspaper published In this
area didn’t like "Doc” Mathew's move into Holt
county. Top on that list, Mr. Saunders explained,
was the owner of the Niobrara Tribune, a news
paper published at the district land office—a sheet
that had formerly received all the land claim
notices.
"Young ’Doc’ got word one night that his
equipment and shop were in danger. He then en
listed the aid of a few nearby cowboys who relish
ed the idea of a good scrap anyway and the trouble
ended right there," Mr. Saunders said.
But I found that this business of publishing in
formation on the land was just the start of the
story. If you think that it is strange that The Fron
tier got its very start because of the sod, consider
this:
The Frontier was nurtured through the hard
limes because of the barren prairie.
"Times were hard,” Romaine said. "The same
ranchers that walked into the newspaper office to
publish proof of land claims were beginning to
mortgage their ranches,” Mr. Saunders said, and
this time there was no chuckle.
"It was the sheriff that came in the newspaper
office with notices this time,” he said.
“Jim Riggs was the editor when one of the
early Holt county sheriffs (Romalne didn’t men
tion the name) brought with him a fist full of
notices. He wanted a ‘rake-off’ (we call it a kick
hack now ) and suggested that the notices would go
to another newspaper if he didn't get it.”
“ 'Go ahead and take it to another newspaper,’
Jim said. ‘But if you do, I intend to tell the whole
story in the newspaper'.”
That was one story that was never printed,” Mr.
Saunders said as the merry gleam came into his
eye again.
As Mr. Saunders and I drove back to O'Neill, I
began to realize that this newspaper’s “heritage of
the sod” has not yet ended, and that it continues
almost as if its principle reason for existance was
to serve the prairie sod on Thursday—the same
prairie which serves the world steaks on Sunday.
Yes, the heritage still remains. You can feel this
each time a rancher or farmer comes to The Fron
tier office to get bills printed and to buy advertis
ments to sell his farm or ranch.
The Frontier was indeed born of the prairie,
nurtured by the prairie, and still exists as the result
of, ami to satisfy the needs of, our beloved, God
given, grass covered sod.
300 St. Joe Alumni
Attend First Banquet
In Atkinson Sunday
Over 300 alumni of St. Joseph’s
high school in Atkinson attended
the first alumni banquet at the
Krnghts of Columbus hall Sunday.
The class of 1934 was especially
honored with a "This Is \oui
Life" theme at the banquet.
The alumni man and woman rep
resenting the oldest classes pres
ent were Mrs. Nora Hayes Ullrich
of Atkinson, class of 1914. and Ed
Coufal of Stuart, class of 1920^
Those who traveled furthest
were Capt. Robert Mack of Ko
komo, Ind.. and Miss Charlotte
Mtlffr of Denver, Colo.
Members of the honored class of
1934 present were Claudine Brew
er Mnckley of Beaverton, Ore..
Roy Ries of Atkinson, Charles
Prussa of Atkinson, Vincent Mul
len of San Bruno, Calif., Eleanor
Grof Frichenstein of West Point
Margaret Barrette Henning of At
kinson. Kathleen Morgan Steinhau
ser of Stuart and Catherine Barnes
Schaaf of Emmet.
The featured speaker was Father
John McNally of Elgin, and the
toastmaster. William Miller, class
of 1948. See picture on inside pages.
OLD SETTLERS PICNIC
The Old Settlers Picnic Associa
tion will hold their annual meeting
at 8 pm. Monday at the Mid
way school house according to
George Mel lor, secretary-treasurer.
Lay Teachers to Remain
Most lay teachers at St. Mary's
Academy plan to be in O'Neill ,
for the summer months. Many of
them are planning short vacation
trips.
Miss Claire Tomjack, Mrs. F.‘ J.
Kubitschek, Mrs. Leo Gokie, Mrs.
Jack Arbuthnot and Mrs. Don
Becker, teachers at SMA. will be
at their homes during the sum
mer.
Don Templemeyer, St. Mary's
coach, will manage the community
swimming pool.
Fred Tanner Rites
At Lynch on Sunday
Funeral services for Fred Tan
ner 82. retired farmer of Lynch
were held Sunday at the First
Methodist church at Lynch. Burial
was at the L'Eau Qui Court ceme
tery at Niobrara. The Rev. Scragg
officiated. The Jones Funeral home
was in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Tanner was born in 1876 at
Smithland, la., to Albert and Jane
Jackson Tanner. He lived at Ver
del until about 23 years ago when
he moved to Lynch.
Mr Tanner was found dead in
bed at his residence May 26.
He was preceded in death by
his wife, Laura.
Survivors include: one son, Fred
Tanner of Houston, Tex., 3 brothers
and 3 grandchildren.
Pallbearers were: Earnest Dar*
nell, Carle Darnell. Anton Kal
kowski, William Mulhair, Lee Bar
nes and Louis Nelson.
Stuart Resident Dies;
2 P.M. Rites Today
At Community Church
The funeral oL Mrs. Lu Emma
Fannie Chaney, 85, who died Wed
nesday at 1:50 a.in, will be 2 p.m.
today at the Stuart Community
church, the Rev. Herbert Young of
ficiating.
Mrs. Chaney had been in the At
kinson Memorial hospital for. a
few days preceding her death.
Her husband. John, preceded her
in death in 1947.
She came to Nebraska with her
parents from Virginia in 1885 and
settled near Nebraska City. The
family then moved to Douglas.
She was married in 1905 and mov
ed to Holt county near Dora Lake.
In 1912 the couple moved to
Stuart where she has resided since.
She has made her home the past
three years with Mr. and Mrs.
Barney Nickless at the Stuart Rest
Home.
She is survived by brothers
Thomas Edwards of Douglas,
Bruce of San Francisco; sisters,
Mrs. Tom (Lucy! Davis of Atkin
son, Mrs. Ed (Elizabeth' Smith of
Endicott and Mrs. Benjamin
(Vena* McCurry of Pawnee City;
10 step grandchildren and 15
nieces and nephews.
The Seger Funeral Home is in
charge of funeral arrangements.
Mrs. Charles E. Stout
A Holt County Pioneer
Dies Monday Evening
Mrs. Charles E. Stour, 84. last
remaining member of a home
steading Holt county family, died
at 9 p.m. Monday in St. Anthony’s
hospital. While a medical patient
at the hospital she suffered a frac
tured hip in a fall. Her death came
10 days following surgery.
The late Mrs. Stout had been a
resident of the community more
than 80 years.
Requiem high mass will be held
at 10:30 this morning (Thursday)
at St. Patrick’s Catholic church.
Very Rev. Timothy O’Sullivan will
officiate. Burial will be in Calvary
cemetery under direction of Big
lin’s.
Honorary pallliearers will l>e H.
E. Coyne and H. D. Grady.
Active pallbearers chosen are
Julius D. Cronin, Edward Camp
bell, Edward M Gallagher, Car
roll i Cal i Stewart and Bennett Gil
ligan, all of O’Neill, and James
Berigan of Atkinson.
Rosary was recited at eight o’
clock Wednesday evening at the re
sidence of Mrs Hugh J. Birming
ham, 430 East Benton st.
Mrs. Stout’s maiden name was
Kiltie Dwyer. She was born
March 3, 1875, near Hancock,
Mich., a daughter of Thomas F.
and Mary Dwyer. In 1877 the
family homesteaded in the so
called Michigan settlement near
O’Neill.
After completing studies then
available at O’Neill, she attended
school one year at Chicago, 111.,
and attended school near St. Louis,
Mo., where her aunt was a teach
ing nun.
As a young woman she was ac
tive in musical and dramatic pro
ductions here. For many years
she was an outstanding soprano
in the St. Patrick’s church choir.
At Butte, Mont., living with her
brother, John, she actively par
ticipated in the presidential cam
paign of William Jennings Bryan
in 1896.
MRS. STOUT
. . . pioneer
On June 9, 1901, at St. Patrick's
church here she married Mr. Stout,
a young pharmacist from Blair.
Mr. Stout owned and operated a
drug store many years, known as
Gilligan and Stout. Mr. Stout has
been a registered pharmacist over
55 years.
The late Mrs. Stout had been
regarded as one of the last sur
viving members of the “Michigan
settlement", comprised of Ireland
born and Michigan - born settlers
who came to the infant O'Neill
community under the banner of
Gen. John C. O’Neill.
One of her brothers was a priest,
two sisters were nuns. She was
the last remaining member of the
family of nine children. The Stouts
have resided the past 19 years at
120 South Fifth st.
A short time before the Stouts'
observance of their 25th wedding
anniversary, Mr. Stout w'as elect
ed mayor of O'Neill. Subseqently
he was reelected for two more
terms.
Ill June, 1951, the Stouts cele
brated their 50th wedding anni
; versary. Simultaneously their
daughters and their husbands
| celebrated (heir 25th wedding
anniversaries. The triple cele
bration included a special Mass
and renewal of marriage vows.
One of the sons-in-law, Mr. Bir
mingham, died in September,
1957.
Survivors include: Widower;
daughters—Mrs. William J. (Irma)
F'roelich and Mrs. Flugh J. (De
maris) Birmingham, both of O'
Neill; grandchildren—William J.
Froelich, jr., of Wichita, Kans.;
Mrs. Robert Berigan of O’Neill:
Miss Mary F'roelich, James and
Charles Froelich. all of O'Neill:
Miss Mary Louise Birmingham of
New York City; Miss Barbara Bir
mingham of Chicago and Mrs.
William T. Riley of Omaha; four
great-grandchildren.
Sale Dates
Claimed
JUNE 6- A cattle and equip
ment sale Saturday at the place
located one-half mile north of
Chambers. L. O. and Wanda Lenz,
owners. Grossnicklaus and O’Con
nell, auctioneers.
JUNE 13 -Cattle and machinery
sale at the ranch three and one
half miles southeast of O’Neill or
three and one-half miles west of
Inman along highway 275. K. C.
and Eileen Hunt, owners.
Col. Ed Thorin, auctioneer.
Miller Elected Head
Of Concert Association
William Miller was elected pres
ident of the O'Neill Community
Concert Association at their an
nual meeting last week.
Grant Peacock will serve as
vice president, Bennett Grady as
treasurer and Mrs. Harold Lind
berg, secretary.
Winnie Barger and Mrs. Jolin
Watson were appointed chairmen.
Mrs. John McCar\ille, Mrs. 1 >e
maris Birmingham and Mrs. Ho
ward Manson will serve on the
membership committee.
The campaign will Ik? held the
week of October 4. The Boys Town
choir has been booked for the
first fall concert.
—
Boldt to Hastings
Benjamin Boldt, the O’Neill dis
trict manager of the Continental
Oil company, has been transfer
red to Hastings.
Bruce Barnett of Lincoln, a dis
trict manager in that area, will
replace Boldt here.
Barnett is married and plans
to live in O'Neill.
Welcome Mat Was Out
For Holt School Alums;
Many Outsiders Come
Graduates of several Holt coun
ty high schools met during the
week for alumni banquets.
At Ewing, Miss Elja McCullough
of Blair and Mrs. Rose Burk Funk
of Ewing were honored as 1909 gra
duates of the high school. Classes
of 1934 and 1959 were also hon
ored at the banquet May 26 at
the gymnasium.
Jerry Rotherham was elected
president of the Ewing alumni
group.
Mrs. Elwyn Robertson was el
ected president of the Chambers
alumni association at their 7th an
nual banquet at the school auditor
ium Friday evening. Nearly 1701
alums of tne Chambers school at
i tended the affair at which Eu
gene Baker was toastmaster.
At the Atkinson high school au
ditorium Monday evening, several
members of the class ol 1934 anu
tne 1959 graduates were honored
oy toastmaster Jim Puckett and
other alumni of Atkinson high
school. Mrs. Fern Cmngston was
elected president of Uie annual
meeting.
Inman alumni met Saturday eve
ning at the Inman MeUiodist
cnurfch for their annual banquet.
Mrs. James Gallagher was toast
mistress of the event honoring Et
Conger, independence, JVlo., as the
only members of the 1934 class
attending. Mrs. Eva Murton ol
Osmonu, who graduated in 1896.
was the oldest alumnus present.
Mrs. Norbert Clark presided and
Mrs. Joe Menish was elected to
head the group for the coming
year. N ,
The ninth annual alumni ban
quet at Page was attended by near
ly 200 graduates of that school.
Honor classes were 1919, 1929, 1939,
1949 and 1959. Ellsworth Hunter
of the 1919 class was toastmaster.
See St. Joseph of Atkinson al
umni story also on this page.
Joe Stutz Is Named
Chamber President
At Regular Meeting
Joe Stutz, manager of the Mc
Donald department store here In
O'Neill, was named president of
the O’Neill Chamber of Commerce
Monday night at the Chamber’s
regular meeting.
Ray Eby, who Stutz will replace,
was elected to a position on the
board of directors.
A. L. Patton, owner of the Ben
Franklin store here, was elected
to fill the post of 1st vice president
and Dale Wilson, owner of the
Coast-to-Coast store was named
2nd vice president.
John Watson, cashier at the First
National Bank, was elected treas
urer. „ xl_
Joe McLiesh, manager of the
hardline department at the Gam
bles store, was elected to the
Chamber Ixiard of directors along
with Eby. McLiesh and Eby were
elected over Virgil Laursen and
Reed Hierley.
Hiatt Is Councilman
For City's Fourth Ward
Arlo Hiatt was appointed coun
cilman for the 4th city ward at the
last regularly scheduled city coun
cil meeting.
He replaces Bill Mattern who
moved out of the ward and be
became ineligible to serve as 4th
ward councilman.
In other action the city coun
cil set a budget of $173,000 for
the coming year.
This is an increase over last
year and is due to the planning of
new well and booster pump fac
ilities.
The band mothers were also
appropriated $1,000 by the coun
cil.
Orchard Woman Dies
ORCHARD- Mrs. T. A. Drayton
died Tuesday morning in a Sioux
City hospital. She suffered a heart
attack Friday morning at her
home here and was taken by am
bulance to Sioux City.
Funeral services will be held at
2 p.m. Friday afternoon at the
Evangelical United Brethren
church in Orchard.
Lightning, Tornado and Hail
Worry Sandhills Saturday;
G'Meiii Television Impaired
Photo and Kngrraving by The ProntJe.
Keg Pinkerman, who cares for fhe city’s booster tower repairs
the innpllfylng and converting units. IJghtning struck the tower and
new parts from (Hutada are expected to arrive in a few days.
Offer Music Program
The O'Neill Schools will offer an
eight week instrumental music
program starting June 8 and end
ing July 31. This program is for
students who want to continue les
sons during the summer months
and also for beginners and students
who wish private instruction.
A representative of a music in
strument company will be here,
afternoon and evening June 8 to
rent horns to students that do not
own an instrument.
All students wishing to take part
in the summer lesson program
must contact Mr. Duane Miller on
or before June 8 to schedule a les
son time.
Attend Moler Funeral
Those from this area who attend
ed the funeral of A1 Moler, wh(
died suddenly at his home in Hast
ing May 25, were: Mr. and Mrs
John Grutsch, Elwin and Morris
Blake Benson, Mr. and Mrs. Davt
Moler and Don. Mr. and Mrs. Ivar
Baker, Mr. and Mrs. Louis Vitt
Mrs. Fred Appleby, Mrs. Fran!
Sullivan and Mr. and Mrs. R. J
Rohde.
The funeral was Friday morn
ing at St. Cecelia’s church, Hast
ings. Mr. Moler’s ten children
born and raised near O'Neill, at
tended. The Molers recently cele
brated their 40th wedding anniver
sary.
Concrete Structure
Is Left Standing;
Wall Is Blown Out
At least one tornado and sev
eral rejxjrts of serious lightning
and hail came along with the need
ed inch and more of moisture
during the week.
Television reception in ONmf
was impaired because of light
ning which struck the tx>oster tev
er northeast of the city on Sitt
urday.
The tornado touched down on il*
Fred Howard farm seven mils
north of Orchard Saturday mg!*.
No one was injured and although
damage to property was slight,
the tornado did tear out a soM
concrete hog house wall and left
j the building standing. See phot*
on the inside pages.
Mrs. Howard said shingles were
torn off roofs, that several hay
stacks in the area were hit by
the tornado but that little other da
mage was reported in the area.
I O’Neill will be without televisirt*
until Friday according to R**
Pinkerman, the TV technition wb*'
cares for the municipally owned
booster.
He told a Frontier reporter that,
lightning destroyed the parts of fh*
units which convert and amplify
the signal from channel 4 to »hais
nel 13.
s "The parts should be on their
way from Canada within the next
v few days,” Pinkerman said
.Some O'Neill homes reported
I that they were able at times ip
get channel 4 but fhat reception
was sporadic and poor.
During the past week O’Neill and
the surrounding area received 131
inches and in some areas including
Lynch and an area north n? O*
chard there were reports of vm
and a half inches or more
The biggest rain came Saturd®
when a full inch fell within V
minutes. O’Neill received a trar*
on Wednesday and again on Su*
day.
1 The extended five-day foreead!
calls for more rain with incre*»
ing cloudiness for the Sandbiflfc
Swimming l<cs*ons Offered
The City park board announce*
that swimming lessons will agai*
he held this year at the O’Neil
Municipal pool. Registration is ai
follows: Monday, June S, a*
O'Neill residents. Tuesday, all Hrifc
County residents, and Wednesday
for out of coun'y residents an*
all those who were unable to re
gister earlier. Registration time »
9 a m. for all three days.
Redbird's Post Office Is Closed
REDBIRD One of the last insti
tutions holding the people of this
little community together was
closed on Memorial Day this year.
Postal Inspector C. M. Duxbury
of Grand Island closed the books
for the last time in the 90-year
old post office here.
For many years in this for
mer Indian country on the Nio
brara River northeast of O’Neill,
the communtiy has served as a
trading post, trapping center, rural
school, a post office and a place
where one could buy groceries for
his family.
One by one they faded. Now only
Holt county School District 3 re
mains.
"It just made me sick when I
heard about it,” Mrs. Art Bessert,
a resident and daughter of one of
the first Redbird postmasters said.
"There is little now to keep the
community together.”
H. V. Rosenkrans, the retiring
postmaster, said the office was
closed by federal authorities be
cause it had been listed as fourth
class and not doing enough busi
ness to warrant its being kept
open.
Shortly after the Kincaid home
stead act was passed there were
59 post offices in the county. Now
only 9 remain. They include Amel
ia, Atkinson, Chambers, Emmet,
Ewing, Inman, Page, Stuart and
O’Neill.
"When I was a girl, I remember
the first post office here in Red
bird,” Mrs. Bessert said. "The
men dug a hole in the ground and
filled the sides with sod ”
"Just a few yards away from
the little soddy, I remember hear
ing the Sioux and Ponca Indian
raiding parties riding back and
forth against each other,” she add
ed.
The Redbird post office was
named after a fresh water stream
that flows into the Niobrara.
Former postmaster Rosenkrans
said trappers were the first whit*
Photo and Engraving by The T>o*a«
Former postmaster H. V. Rosenkrans ehecks out his hooks tm
the last time in Redblrd. Postal Inspeetor C. M. Duxbury ol «.ra»*
Island stands in the rear.
mm In the area and worked where
Sioux Indiao_yillages on hills over
looked the Niobrara
Collectors from nearly every
state arranged for postmarked let
ters on the Jast day of operation.
May 31.
Postal Inspector Dux bury sat#
all mail to Redhird will be route#
through Lynch, a few mile* nort*
■west of the little community <9
half a dozen families.
