Prairieland Talk
Another Dramatist Gone
By RO MAINE SAUNDERS, 4110 South 51st St., Lincoln 6, Nebr.
And now another, who for more than fot^r-score
years knew the O'Neill community as home, has
been layed away in the abode of the dead, up there
where just recently we placed floral tributes to the
memory of our departed dear ones. Mrs. Charley
Stout lays now among the remains of the pioneers
who had gone to rest during the passing years.
Kitty Dwyer, as we knew her before she became
the wife of Mr. Stout, and a mother, was one of the
last of the Academy dramatic group that acted out
the dramas, comedies and tragedies before crowded
houses in the old opera house and skating rink on
west Douglas street in the years now gone. If one
of that dramatic group besides Prairieland Talker
still survives, I would like to hear from them. Mrs.
Stout was a popular and charming young woman, a
sweet singer and capable actress. She came as a
mere baby to Holt county with her parents, the Tim
Dwyers from Michigan. Unlike most Holt county
pioreers, Mr. Dwyer had money, more than ten
thousand dollars when they landed here to join the
O'Neill colony. That was some money 80 years ago.
Mr. Dwyer was, for a time, a stock holder and one
of the board of directors of a hank in O’Neill. Kitty
Is survived by her husband, two daughters them
selves mothers and prominent in the social life of
the community, Mrs. Birmingham and Mrs. Froe
lich. and others who cherished Kitty’s friendship.
• • •
Another post office closed in Holt county, another
tear shed as we say goodbye to Redbird as a mail
distributing point. Rut unlike the forgotten Parker
post office, that at Mineola and many others in var
ious parts of the empire of Holt gone and forgotten,
Redbird continues and will continue a community
where industrious and loyal citizens carry on. Ijke
the railway passenger trains, fourth class post of
fices give way to the rural free delivery system.
And speaking of post offices, the O’Neill post office
Is now in its fifth and final location. Where The
Frontier is printed, there stood in early days, a
small frame laiilding housing both the post office
and print shop. That building went up in smoke,
and another larger frame building took its place
housing both the post office and The Frontier plant.
In the late ’90's the post office was on the other side
of the street, D. A. Doyle the postmaster. When
the late D. H. Cronin became postmaster he moved
back to the old stand. The next move was up the
street next to the O’Neill National bank where Paul
Shanner now has his oibinet shop, the next move
just north of the Golden hotel, then to the present
location permanently established in the commodious
structure Uncle Sam erected for O'Neill. (
• • • ;
Time roils on, here today, gone tomorrow. Storms \
rage in all their fury; sunshine follows the gloom t
of storm clouds. Life may sink to hopeless dispair t
only to rise triumphant again. I
Editor Jerry erects a sod temple to the memory
of the founder of The Frontier- Then asks why Doc
Mathews came to Holt county. The same may be
asked of others, of the present Frontier editor him
self. We specimens of the genus homo are forever
on the go—new fields to conquer, a place to serve
new adventures. Mathews came to O’Neill at the
urgent request of Pat Haggerty who thought the
community should have a Republican newspaper
and today The Frontier continues to tell the story
of life in "God's Country." The glowing pictures oi
Mathews’ Frontier had much to do with bringing
settlers into North Nebraska.
• • •
It was hot midsummer in 1901. At the urgent
request of church leaders, and because of urgent
need. Governor Savage issued a proclamation ap
pointing Friday, July 26, that year as a day to pray
for rain and relief from the heat ... On July 26
that year some forty Sunday schools of Holt county
were represented at a convention held in O’Neill.
. . . James V. Stout was winding up his drug store
business at the Gilligan and Stout store preparatory
to leaving for Chicago to enter medical college . . .
H. S. Daley, a brother of Mrs. J. J. Harrington, was
up from his home in Texas visiting his sister . . .
T. V. and Parnell Golden were home from a trip
to the Pacific coast region . . . Miss Susie Gillespie
returned to O’Neill from a sojourn in Atkinson.
Rain wet Holt county 12 days after Governor Sav
age’s proclamation.
* * •
Those able legal lights who appeared before the
panel of three judges of the U.S. Federal Court of
Appeals for Charles Starkweather’s appeal said the
young killer had been denied his Constitutional
rights. So? Eleven victims of that guy's "right
to-kill” were denied their right to live and lay today
under Nebraska sod in the abode of the dead. The
criminal had the right of court trial; was found
guilty of murder by a jury of citizens and con
demned to die. Lawyers, for a fee. have kept the
shameful affair alive for a year.
• • *
Down in Texas, where they do things irr a big
way, the barbers went at a competative price cut
ting war, and Texans got 15-cent hair cuts . . . Gov.
Brooks vetoes some bills passed by the legislature,
but when the measure raising his pay came to the
:hief executive’s desk his honor approved it . . .
Dver 150 “historians” gathered in Wayne April 19
o attend the annual spring meeting of the Nebraska
?tate Historical Society . . . Good word comes out
>f Russia—citizens of that great land want peace1
ind friendly relations with the U.S-A. . . . The Ne
>raska State Historical Society received a gift of
100 from the Lincoln chapter of the Daughters of
ho American Revolution, the gift bestowed in mem
ry of Mrs. J. E. Bartley, a past president of the
)AR.
Editorial
Irony of Old Wood
One of these days in O’Neill, a little healthy cur
iosity is going to turn into a day of tragedy for
someone.
There is "a little bit of a boy” in every one of us
as we thrill to the whistle of a fire siren. We jump
behind the wheel of our car and head for that fire
as though it’s the last one we’re going to see.
Perhaps this will be true for one of us in the
future. And then 'again, it might be a little boy or
girl running across the street or down the road to
what the firemen are doing, or to see how big
the (ire is, Or where it is.
And there is a good chance that when someone
is killed going to a fire in town, it will be about as
ironic as possible. The fire that “kills” the little
boy or girl will probably be u little stack of old
lumber somewhere, or perhaps a bonfire that got a
little out of hand . The only holacost will lie in the
hearts of the grief-stricken parents when they lower
the child into the grave.
, Any good fire chief (and we’ve got a good one)
will tell you that time is essential when fighting a
fire. These firemen worry enough. They should not
have the added concern of children on the streets
or of unauthorized persons driving to the scene of
the fire.
/ What Kind of Child?
There isn’t a boy in the world, probably, that
has not had at one time or another the urge to
knock out a street light with u sling-shot or a BB
gun
An occasional fling of u rock, although wrong,
Is just that little bit of defiance that the boy feels
he must show the grown-up world that seems to
dominate him.
But what would you call the breaking of $100
worth of lights and the damaging of a stock tank
at Carney park?
What kind of satisfaction does a child (if it was
a child) need, who would do a thing like that? How
in the world would you begin to satisfy a person
like that?
We hope the O'Neill police department will make
every effort to discover who did it.
Slanted Stories
About the easiest thing in the world tor us, as
Individuals, is to accuse some newspaper of slant
ing its news stories.
We expect tlrat the most factual writer in the
world, leaning over backwards to avoid doing any so
called slanting, would be accused by someone some
where if they didn’t like what the individual wrote
or if they were opposed to the action which the
writer described in the news stories.
We doubt there Is a anywhere that
does not at some stories.
And some of the very the loudest
about slanted stories ssk to be slanted.
When this newspaper, or any other newspaper, is
promoting an organization such as the Chamber of
Commerce, we expect the stories are slanted in
favor of the organization.
When the newspaper is giving publicity to a
worthy and deserving cause and seeking to have a
large attendance—it slants its stories.
When the newspaper is promoting something for
the community, chances are the stories are slanted.
But it is just about as easy for someone disliking
what is in a story or the action described, to cry
"slanted stories" merely because they wanted
something else to occur.
The average news writer seeks to take the facts
as they occur and to present them. And the chances
are they are not slanted, although most of us op
posed to the facts contained in stories like to think
so.
The person, who may favor one side in a contro
versy, usually takes special or extra effort to pre
vent slanting of stories.
But no two people read anything—a .story, an
editorial, a news Item or even a letter, and get
the same meaning out of It. All place their own
personal interpretation on It and they are sure the
way they read It is the way It Is. We have heard
of more than one Instance when people read some- I
thing into an article which isn’t there, yet they
are sure It Is.
These same people can take an article or a news
story, which may be slanted so it favors them, and
they are just as positive it is a fair, honest and un
biased report as they are sure something they don’t
like is slanted.
Windswept Little Church
It is said that there is a movement of mankind
to the large city -to the metropolitan swing jf
things.
It includes the desire to go to church in a cathed
ral, to watch a baseball game in a park holiiflng
10,000 persons, to listen to a concert in an acoustical
ly perfect auditorium.
And yet, a little church near O'Neill -in the mid
dle of the Sc ndhills and built over 70 years ago—
the membership is rising.
The Paddock Union church, cared for lovingly
by members who have refused more than once to
have its doors close permanently, is still active.
Apparently people are beginning to realize that
worship is a private, silent and non-assuming com
munication.
Worship, to these modern people of the Sand
hills, is as powerfully felt in a windswept little church
as in a large cathedral. Their fathers thought so
too.
_Eront!S6
JAMES CHAMPION, CcvPublisher
JERRY PETSCHE, Editor
Entered at the postofflee in O’Neill, Holt coun
ty, Nebraska, as second-class mail matter under the !
Act of Congress of March 3, 1879. This newspaper is I
a member of the Nebraska Press Association, Nation-!
al Editorial Association and the Audit Bureau of
Circulations.
Tertna of Subscription: In Nebraska, 32.50 per
year; elsewhere in the United States, 33 per year; |
rates abroad provided upon request. All subscriptions
payable in advance.
NATIONAL EDITt
^]lA#cl
Frontiers
Ago
50 YEARS AGO
Miss Florence Zink was urged b;
a unanimous vote by members c
the Holt County Teachers Inst
tute to stand for re-election to th
office of county superintended
. . . Mrs. John Hunt was tenders
a surprise party by the member
of the local Degree of Hono
lodge . . . The citizens of Butt
put up a modem opera house am
lodge hall ...OF. Biglin was ii
Lost Creek, Wyo., inspecting cou
mining propositions on behalf o
some prospective Holt county in
vestors . Walt Hodgkin, who wa
taking -a law course at the Stati
University, came home for sum
mer vacation . . . Miss Constanci
Harrington was one of the grad
uates of Trinity college, Washing
ton, DC., this year . . The Me
Ginnis Creamery Company se
aside June 19 as visitors day . .
Sheridan Simmons announced tha
if no other candidate enters th<
field against Judge Malone, he wil
make the chase himself ... At
kinson made plans to celebrati
the glorious Fourth on Saturday
July 3 . . . DEATHS: Florence Sul
livan, 73, O'Neill; The two month:
old son of Mr. and Mrs. Warrer
Sparks, after a 2 week illness o
pneumonia.
20 YEARS AGO
New Buildings: The First Na
tional Bank announced its plans
to build a brick building for the
Brown-McDonald Store; The work
of laying brick was started on the
Vincent Hotel building on the south
side of Douglas street, west of
Fourth: The McElvain building on
north Doug his street is nearly
completed. It is divided into two
sections, one side for liquor sales
and the other for beer; The Gatz
building across the street from the
old Frontier office was completed
and Roy Osborne moved his beer
parlor therein; Mrs. Helen Simar
purchased the Wise and Peffijohn
property on Douglas street occupied
by John Melvin as a grocery
store . . . The eighteenth annual
invitations golf tournament opened
at the O'NeiTT Country club on June
18 . . . Thirty-five relatives attend
ed the Cook family reunion hefd
at the Bob Cbok home on June 11,
given in honor of Mrs. Nellie Sim
mons and grand-daughter, Sally
Lee George of Escondido, Calif.
. . . The Holt county 4-H district
judging day was planned for June
29 . . . Deaths: Mrs. Jack Harring
ton, Caldwell Ida., formerly Ollie
Manson of O’NeflT.
I» YEARS AGO
Mrs. Ruth Merry man. Malone,
Wash., sister of Mrs. Robert Fox,
Emmet, heroically pushed four
bays off a railroad trestle and
saved them* from death seconds
before the locomotive hit and kill
ed her. Two of the boys were her
foster sons and two were her
grandsons . . . Plans were being
made to rebuild the- Page school.
. .. . The QJNeill district No. 8
board of education* recently ap
[jointed Howard Dean, former ath
letic coach, to the post at high
school principal and! coach for the
1949*50 school year . . . Bernard
Hynes, O'Neill, underwent surgery
in St. Joseph!!* hospital art Sioux
City as a result of an aufio acci
dent received'June- 5. . . . Page—
The- remains of S-Sgt. Warren F.
Wood were given reburial in Keo
kuk, la., national military ceme.
tery ... Atkinson Rev. A A- Leh
men, pastor of St. Joseph’s Cath
olic church it Atkinson for the past
10 years, celebrated his 25th an
niversary ;e* priest ... St- An
thony's hospital fund hit $70,000.
. Glea II. Wade, O'Neill was
elected chairman of the Holt coun
ty chapter of the American Red
Cross succeeding John EL GAflagh
en.
FIVE YEARS Hit)
A huge crowd was reported at
the O’Neill rodeo's fiaale in 1954.
• • Mr. and Mrs. Henry Elekhoff,
Page, observed their 30th wedding
anniversary with an open house.
• . Rev . Basil M. Price, S.J., was
ordained’ into the priesthood of the
Roman Catholic church at St.
Mary's college, St. Miarjr's. Kans.
• . . The O'Neill Municipal band
appeared in its first concert of the
summer season ctespite a light
shower and threatening skies . . .
The Herman Janzing automobile
stolen from O'Neill was located in
a used car lot at Fremont . . . Ira
Moss, P. C. Donohoe and M. H.
Horiskey left on a fishing trip to
Big Pine resort at Pertiam, Minn.
. . . Three hundred seventy five
applications were received for
American Red Cross swimming in
struction at the Municipal pool
liene . . . Rev. Kenneth Carl, assist
ant pastor at St. Patrick’s Catholic
church for the past three years was
transferred to the parish’at Leigh.
. . . David Lee, was elected by the
Youth of the Prebytery as one of
four delegates to Westminster fel
lowship National assembly meet
ing at the University of 111. . . .
Death: Edmund W. Evans, 47,
O’Neill farmer and World War n
veteran.
REAL ESTATE TRANSFERS
WD—Aaron S. Lange to School
Dist. 147-5-22-59 $100-2 acres in
SW comer of SWy4 4-31-13.
GUARDIANS DEED-Wm. W.
Griffin, Grd. to Albert Marsh 5
25-59 $1842.25—2/54ths interest in
SWy4 21-29-11.
WD—June F. Evans, et al., to
LeRoy A. Burgess and wife 6-1-59
$1—Lots 16-17 and 18 Block E—
Fahys 2nd Add.—O'Neil].
GUARDIANS DEED — June F.
Evans. Grd. to LeRoy A. Burgess
and wife 6-6-59 $1—% Int. in Lots
16-17-18 Blk. E—Fahys 2nd Add—
O'Neill. _
WD—Frank Searles to Homer J.
Ernst & Ida Gail Ernst 5-19-59
$24,800- West Half Sec. 22-29-12 ex
cept 101 acres in SWVi.
WD—Harold F. Bauman to Leon
ard Olberding & wife 5-11-59 $7375
—Lots 4-5-6 lot 3 Blk. 24
Pioneer Townsite Co 1st Add—
Stuart.
Lynch News
Ladies
Enjoy
i
A number of ladies from LynchI
, "ent on the Home Extension club
1 tour to Sioux Falls S. D on June
5 12. The ladies went by bus. They j
r returned tired but enjoyed the trip.
' Danny and Debbie Havranok
I spent Thursday night and Friday,
II June 11-12 at the Leo Kalkowski j
J home while their mother went on
‘ j the tour.
Mr and Mrs. Albert Kalkowski!
’! and Mr. and Mrs. Dale Bnrta went
to Wynot Sunday, June 7, to af
’ tend the first communion of their
grandson, Larry Burback.
Diana Pesicka was a dinner \
guest Saturday at the Peter Mul
‘ j hair home.
j Eleanor Barnes,* Harlan Holtz, J
;; Joyce Holtz, Carol Tonner, Bonnie |
[ Flanders and Betty Miller came
, from Wayne state college to spend
| the weekend with their parents and j
attend the Carson Witherwax wed
ding.
Mrs. Elmo Barnes, Marlin and!
David were O'Neill. Spencer and |
Butte shoppers Friday. Eleanorl
and Marlin Barnes were in O'Neill j
Friday night on business.
Mr. and Mrs. Ray Witherwax
gave a wedding dance in Lynch
Saturday evening.
Those receiving first communion
at the Catholic Church Sunday
were Marilyn Kolund, Terry Wheel
er, Douglas Monday and Rita Pur
viance,
Mrs. Phyllis Mulhair and boys,
Mrs. Etta Johnson and Mrs. Don
Johnson went to Lincoln Friday to
attend graduation exercises of Dor
othy Mulhair from Lincoln Col
lege Saturday. They returned
home Sunday.
Wallace Moffett went to Lake
Andes with Frank Weeder’s Friday |
evening to attend a ball game j
Johnny Weeder played with* Lake
Andes: It was also Fish day at the I
lake. ’
Mrs. Frank Carsten went to Bone
steel, S.D., Saturday to get Mrs.
Irene Carsten. They went to Wyo
ming to visit the Elden Mills fam
ily. Mrs. Mills is a daughter of Mrs.
Carsten.
Mrs. Phyllis Mulhair and boys
and Mrs. Etta Johnson were callers
in Spencer, June 10. Mrs. Johnson
(remained for a few days as her
grandson fell from the porch and
broke his arm.
Mrs. Frank Mulhair was a Sat
urday afternoon caller at the Har
<*ld MicaneK home.
Jack Tarrwent to Omaha Friday ,
to bring hi* mother home She has
been in an Ohrrafra hospital.
Reverend Meyers’ were here Sat
urday to see Dr. Ira, who lias been
on the sick list.
Mrs. Frank AQrniair and' Mrs.
Tommy CburtTwy were coffee
guests Satiwday afternoon at the
Everett Ru hedges.
Kenneth Ohooka spent laat week
vvrth Loren Mb 1 hair.
Mrs. Frank Mulhair was a caller
of Phyllis Mlrlham Monday.
Eleanor Bhmus; Joyce Holtz and
Beverly Alford'went to O’NwiI Sat
ur.thy afternoon.
Mr. and Mbs. Guy Barnes were
in GJHVeill Tuesday. June 9 ttrvisitf
friends.
tils. Charley Bare, who is over
80 ifcft Omaha: by plane for Cal
ifornia, She is going to spend a ;
little while with some of her chil
dren.
Mrs Glady Davis, who has t>oen
staying with Mrs Hare has gone
to Wyoming to v isit her children.
Mr. and Mrs. Vem Watson were
callers at the Guy Barnes home
Saturday evening
Mr. and Mrs Clarence Koenig
and family from Norfolk, Mrs I-ee
Hlirzkie and son from Spencer were
dinner guests at Frank Weeders
Sunday. In the afternoon they
went to see Carl Kayl.
Mr and Mrs. Albert Kalkovvski
went to lionesteel, S.D., June It to
attend the first communion of
their grandson. 1-eon Scho<;kenmair.
The Y \V G O club entertained
the Naper club to a tea in the park
Thursday afternoon. June 11
Mr. and Mrs. Charley Taylor
were supper guests at the Frank
Weeder home Wednesday night.
Mr and Mrs Peter Mulhair and
Mi's. Don Kayl were to Burke. S
D. Friday.
Mary Stenger returned to Peters
burg Sunday after spending a few
days with her folks.
Mr. and Mrs Charley and Shar
on, Mr. and Mrs. Elmo Barnes.
Mr. and Mrs Wallace Moffett and
boys, Mr and Mi's. Peter Mulhair.
Mrs. Renao Boeder and Irene meet
at the Frank Weeder liome Monday
evening, June S. (or a school meet
ing as they sold their school house
and this will l>o their hist meeting.
launch was served.
Rural Progressive club met June
10 at tlie Iveonard llavr.tnek tionie
with ‘JO members and three visitors,
Mrs. 1 \>n Rossmeier of Medicine
Lake. Mont., Mrs. l\>n Johnson.
Mrs. Kenneth Kish present.
The eo-hostess was Mrs. ItowMrd
Anderson.
Mr. and Mrs BUI Spencer, Diana,
Daryl and Stevie went to Iincoln
Wednesday. June 10 returned home
Thursday. Mrs IVm Kayl Ux»k care
of the other children while they
were gone.
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Nothing else hat a dyed-in-the
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can take a turn with such solid
assurance I
It’s easy to see where Chevrolet
gets its road sense. With big coil
springs at every wheel, a firm, wider
stance and all of its pounds dis
tributed with painstaking care,
Chevy’s from with it.
i
'T he only t* ;ng that ay be hard to
understand is how it can offer the
ride it does, along with so many
other luxury-car virtues, and still
compete in the low-price field.
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the sense of price. For with a ride
as special as Chevy’s, real com
petitors are hard to come by.
There’s a wor'd of difference be
tween Chevrolet’s coil springs at all
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V/ .
o