Prairieland Talk
No, Not A Scrap
By ROMA INK SAUNDERS. 4110 South 51st St. Lincoln 6. Nebr.
A calm weekend afternoon in the middle of June,
out of the crowded human haunts of a southern
Gafifomia city, there came to my door Mr. and
Wrs Claude Hancock, accompanied by a brother
in-law of Mrs. Hancock, Dr. Johnson of our own
Capital City, a sister of Mrs. Hancock being the
doctor s wife. It is a thrill to clasp the hands of
former O'Neill citizens; Claude, having been con
nected with the (tanking interests in O’Neill, and he,
as well as his life’s companion and also Dr. John
n, having once known Inman as their home Mrs.
Hancock said that with SO years now on life’s high
way with Claude they have yet the First husband and
wife scrap to pull off. Well, those who went through
pioneer experiences on the prairies of Holt county
teamed to put up with a great deal. The Hancocks
•pent a few days in IJncoln, then were planning
k> stop at Norfolk enroute to O’Neill where they
have a son serving as county treasurer and where
•ensured memories linger.
July 4, 177& you all know what was bom that
day to liecome our national
tentage And today we rear
our banner of freedom that
waves across the continent and
■ the envy and jealousy of
Br world leaders everywhere.
Does the 4th mean to this gen
eration what it meant to Prank
Mann. Homer Campbell, Pete
Saunders and other kids of a
vanishing generation? One hun
dred guns at sunrise. At 10
o'clock in the morning of that
day the parade of horseback
riders came trotting from east to west along O’
Neill's principal street, Charley Hall riding ahead,
fettle flags adorning the bridles on the horses. And
■ken the drum and fife corps following in the rear.
A bowery at Fourth and Douglas, Cbl. Towle the
•rotor of the day and Anna O'Donnel reading the
Declaration of Independence. Games, sports, ice
tream and peanuts all afternoon and fireworks at
Hght That shot fired 1M years ago and heard
■round the world meant something to the pioneers
in O'Neill-what does it mean to you today?
• • •
They seek to persuade you to become patrons
af theirs by the alluring appeal of "Heritage of
Freedom.” Down their dope from day to day and
you know not freedom but enslavement.
• • •
The Tone lady, who holds down wen a seat in
aur state legislature, once just a barefoot kid on
the prairies of Holt county, tells me she "loves it".
Whether it is having her say in the affairs of our
great beef state as promolgated at the Statehouse
or just to be the object of admiring eyes on aU sides,
I am told by others serving in the legislature that
Senator Fern Hubbard Orme is doing a good job
of it Who doesn’t If they got their start in life on
the prairies of Holt county!
• e •
The poet declares "there is no death,” and puts
■ in jingling verse. "Ye shall not surely die’’ was
■to fifst tie spoken to the mother of mankind us
she stood by a tree in the Garden of Eden. I saw
her today—a twentieth century daughter of Mother
Eve, and she lay straightened for the grave. The
fundamental fact of life is its end—death. Then
what? "Many that sleep in the dust of the earth
shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to
shame and everlasting contempt.”
• • *
He is a city prisoner of fate, home and office in the
overcrowded human haunts in our Capital City. In
company with his life’s companion, he has seen the
outdoors in its summer robe of green. He told me to
day that they had crossed Holt county from west to
east, pausing along the way to view the scene of out
door beauty that nature has clothed in velvet green
and where herds of cattle graze and human life is
at its best. He swung a foot up on his desk as I talked
with him and leaned back in his swivel chair with a
longing glint in his eye.
• • •
A hot June day in the Capital City, the sun moving
in shining splendor above the blue over head and the
green under foot. Some miles to the east in the re
gion of com and wheat fields rain came in cooling
and refreshing torrents. Great trees reach their leaf
adorned limbs heavenward, birds hop from bough to
bough and sing of the charms of nature all about,
flowers bloom and-gardens grow, eager hands pluck
the ripened fruit in berry patches. City dwellers have
been on the go another day and evening comes, the
glow of sunset with its touch of gold as we move on
into the gathering shadows of another night.
Another "stay” for that young killer Starkweather.
From the pockets of some comes the money to ap
peal to all the courts, now to the court of last resort
at the nation’s capital. . . . Prairieland Talker’s
"handsome” face and “stalwart” figure were on the
front page of a recent issue of this family Journal
and letters have come to me expressing their plea
sure over what they saw and read. . . . One thing to
be on the agenda for Out of Old Nebraska by our
historical society this month will be Chicory Pro
duction in Nebraska. O’Neill was in on that with a
large chicory factory just west of town. . . . Nebraska
is to have a 27-bushel per acre wheat crop this year,
according to the Ag experts there on the banks of the
Potomac where stands our great national capital. .
. . Sticking it out these hot June days at the State
House the legislative bunch of boys— and one lady
have had a "cooler” installed at the legislative cham
ber.
• • •
Where O’Neill’s merchant prince, the late John
Mann, held forth from early days until the turn of
the century there is now a drug store. Where Pat
McManus held forth on lower Fourth street with a
stock of first class merchandise, there is now a booze
joint. Where John Smoot, the town’s first tonsorial
artist, had a barber shop there, is now a religious
sanctuary to impart spiritual life where once barber
shop loafers drew "inspiration” from the Police Ga
zette. The old Commercial Hotel, where the cowboy
got a punch in the jaw by Hotel Clerk Rosco when
the booted and spurred gent got into Rosco’s room in
stead of the soiled lady’s quarters whom he met
downstairs, still stands.
Editorial
A Town To Pot ?
Not long ago a young economics student at the
University of Nebraska asked Ms professor a ques
tion-one that the professor was not ready for.
“Just why doea a little town 'go to pot’?”
The professor didn’t have a beard to stroke or he
would probably have stroked it. The group had been
discussing the economic conditions of a town in re
lation to the number and types of businesses. It was
highly theoretical. The simple, but practical question
caught the entire class off balance.
The professor, after telling the students this was
the entire point of the semester’s course of study,
evaded the question tor the moment
But it cannot be avoided tor ever.
We think the editor of the Rock County Leader
wrote a fine editorial recently. R’s too bad he could
n’t have been the professor that day. Here is what
he had to say:
Recently we have heard several people say that
sor fair city is "going to pot”
We suppose they base their reasoning on the fact
that Bassett has recently loot a dentist and this week
• grocery store.
Loss of these businesses is not to be taken lightly,
but as for the town going to pot we don’t believe it.
The city has too many assets to come apart at the
warns that easily.
_ . . M. -
There is a good pooaunty tnai a *nu»i
in to replace Dr. Seale.
As for the grocery stare it seems to be the policy
rf many of the food chains to operate only in the
larger cities. The trend to also apparent in some
to the main clothing end variety stores.
It is something with which -nail communities will
tove to learn to live. H to happening here and in
many other place* Uedo—rrtly it will happen again
in still other comimmitie*
Bassett is fortunate to having two fine grocery
markets which are adequately equipped and staffed
to absorb the trade wUeh Otod Oak has given up.
The biggest asset toe people of a small «rnimun
tr can have is an aftttade of optimism. With such
« attitude needs can he seen, and constructive ac
tion taken to correct or afcvialc the condition.
An attitude of pessimism
and prevents thin«s
too* need to be «t«ude leads
yiiy to defeat.
We believe the <* Bassett and the
citizens have an In the future
rftheareu. We friends share that
feeling and will
Bassett, we have beooi MM. to above average m
many ways for a city et «a ebe. We believe one of
toe reasons that to trwe to tout its citizens have al
ways been confident «f too kW The city has not
mown as rapidly •* swe, hM It has made progress.
It has constructed a new grade school building,
« new swimming pool, hen new cbmehes end several
tomes Another aew church to on toe planning
board. If the town was doomed these things would
not have been done.
A town goes to pot only because its business men
and citizens allow it to do so for want of foresight
and lack of aggressiveness. These things are not
•apparent in Bassett.
That Policy Again
At the risk of being repetitive to the point of
being almost ridiculous, it appears that it is again
necessary for us to mention our police and court
docket policy.
We have said it before, and we must say it again.
We will continue to print the names of those who
have been charged and fined in court.
This will be done whether or not subscriptions
might be cancelled, ’advertising volume threatened
or any other persuasion attempted.
If the child is, say 13 or 14, is a first offender, the
editor discusses it with the judge and the parents.
Beyond this, no concession can be made. It is a re
sponsibility and trust which we must hold for the
community. It is their right to know. We believe,
further, that the community has a responsibility to
review the action of their courts.
Well Done!
It was gratifying to see the increased number of
floats in the -annual pre-rodeo parade. And not only
were there more floats, there were much better ones
according to officials. This is indicative of the basic
good-will there is between the Rodeo Assocation and
the businesses of O’Neill.
Family memberships were never better. Many
of these were also bought by businesses.
The time has come to “pat” them on the back.
Let’s let these business men and non-profit organ
izations know how we feel next time we see them.
JAMBS CHAMPION, Ce-Publlsher
JERRY PETSCHfe, 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.
Terms of Sobsci-tptton: In Nebraska, 83.50 per
year; elsewhere in the United States, 83 per year;
rates abroad provided upon request. All subscriptions
payable in advance.
NATIONAL ID IT
I* .-i
Frontiers
Ago
50 YEARS AGO
A special meeting or the city
council was held when a contract
was entered into with David W.
Pyle, Lincoln for scraping and
painting the standpipe .... Pat
Donohoe resigned from his pos
ition with O. O. Snyder and accept
ed a position in Gordon.John
J. Kelly and daughter, Miss Ag
nes, left for a visit to the Alaska
Yukon exposition in Seattle. . . .
John Grutsch was in from the
north country having in his pos
session a petrified buffalo head
that he had dug up on his farm out
on the Eagle. . . .Miss Rhoda
Sherman accepted a position as
bookkeeper with J. P. Mann & Co.
. . . .The two little children of Mr.
and Mrs. Romaine Saunders were
seriously ill for two weeks with
typhoid. . . .Mrs. Arthur Menish
left for Beaver Crossing and her
future home with her parents. . . .
Miss Mary Horiskey and Miss
Margaret Grady spent a couple of
weeks visiting the exposition in
Seattle, Wash.P. C. Corrig
an was up from Omaha to spend a
few days looking after business
matters and visiting old-time
friends.M. J. Sullivan sub
mitted to surgery in Omaha and
returned home.W. J. O'Con
nor left for his old home at Wilk
esburre, Pa., where he planned to
spend a month visiting relatives
and friends. . . Kola Item: Better
look a little out ‘‘Jim" in the fut
ure as to your cattle, for old ladi
es with clubs might be watching
behind fence posts as well as pu
mps.
20 YEARS AGO
Mr. and Mrs. Stanley Soukup
purchased the buick building on
the south corner of Douglas and
third street from P. C. Marcellus,
nit |J1 CdCill Hint* 11 IS
occupied by the Dew Drop Inn and
Dick Tomlinson's Liquor store. . .
Max Golden, O'Neill won the 1939
golf championship at the annual
golf tournament at O’Neill.
Qiicken growers in the country
were warned by Sheriff Duffy to
keep an eye on their flocks—chick
en stealers were getting quite nu
merous in the county.A boy
scout troop was arganized in O'
Neill with Patrolman Lawrence
Russell as Scoutmaster.Miss
Ruth Harris attended 6 weeks at
music camp at Lake Okiboji. . . .
Miss Mary'Joan Finely, Qiicago
is spending her vaction here visit
ing her father, Dr. VV. F. Finley
and her sister, Katherine. . . .John
Robert Gallagher is spending his
vacation from Creighton Univer
sity here with his parents.
William Cook returned home after
receiving medical treatment at
the Veterans hospital. . . .Deaths:
Harry W. Starlin. 70, O’Neill; Wil
liam Ernest Luben, 85. Emmet;
Winfield Haynes, 70, Page; Mrs.
Sarah Haynes, 86, Page.
10 YEARS AGO
Officals of the PTA saw their
drive for funds for playground
equipment reach the half way
mark. Solicitors turned in $521-60
for a week canvassing. . . .Homer
Steams, 38. and his son, Stanley
15, received treatment for injuries
at a Norfolk hospital received in
a plane crash. . . .Miss Patricia
O’Donnell getting ready for her
tour of at least 6 European count
ries. . . .William B. Stannard,
native of O’Neill, was elected a
vice president of Occidental Life
Insurance Co. of California ....
The Frontier announced its diamo
ond jubilee edition to be June 30.
. . . .St Anthony’s hospital fund
reached $73,000 to date.
Kermit Mortenson, Albion is the
19-19 king of the O'Neill golf tour
nament.Married: Miss Con
nie Lou Williams, O’Neill to Harold
McNally, Ainsworth; Donna Rae
Bauman to Wayne Harmon, O’
Neill ;.Miss TTielma Under
.> iivmioi vu uv u •
aneous bridal shower. . . .Mrs. Vi
ctor J. Johnson entertained tw’o
cousins from California whom she
hadn't seen in 61 years. . .Deaths:
Judson A. Hertel, 87 year old
Holt county homesteader. Cham
bers; Mrs. Alman A. Post, 80, At
kinson; Louis F. Schacht, 74, Page;
Michael E. Mullen, 58, Emmet;
Conrad Schaffer, 54, World War I
veteran, O’Neill.
FIVE YEARS AGO
A man size tornado hopscotched
across the southeastern corner of
of Holt county, demolishing a nu
mber of buildings but no one was
hurt.Hugh McKenna was ele
cted vice president of the U. S.
Junior Chamber of Commerce. . .
Rev. Kenneth Carl, assistant pastor
at St. Parick’s Caholic church in
O'Neill for the past three years
went to his parish at Leigh. . . .
Ben E. Vidrickson was appointed
manager of Hardings Creamery
here. . . .Ralya IGA store and
Kersenbrock Meat Market closed
out their stocks. . . .Dates for the
1954 Holt county fair were set for
August 16 through 19. . . .Rev.
Samuel Lee, pastor of the First
Presbyterian church at O’Neill and
Bethany Presbyterian church near
Chambers, delevered his farewell
sermons in Holt County pulpits on
June 27. . . .Deaths: Former
District Judge J. J. Harrington,
85. O’Neill, who in 1899 at the age
erf 31 became the youngest judge
ever to serve the Fifteenth judg
icial district; Mrs. Samuel Barn
ard, over 90, former resident here
. . . .Frederick H. Wagener, Lin
coln, Lancaster county attorney
and candidate for the republican
nomination for governor visited
O’Neill.
Money To Loan!
HARRINGTON
Loan and Investment
Company
Legislature Winds up
Its Longest Session
CAPITAL NEWS
By Melvin Paul
Statohouse Correspondent
The Nebraska Press Association
IJNCOLN—The Nebraska Legis
lature is winding up the longest
session in history of the Unicam
eral, and two men are particular
ly glad. The two men who have
carried a heavy load during the
entire six calendar months during
which the lawmakers have been
convened are Lt. Gov. Dwight Bur
ney of Hartington and Speaker
Harry Pizer of North Platte.
They alternate at presiding ov
er the debate of senators. This is
an exacting and difficult job.
By law, the lieutenant governor
is the presiding officer of the Leg
islature.
The speaker is elected by mem
bers and this is a high honor
among state senators. He relieves
the presiding officer in governing.
Long-time observers and state
senators agree that Pizer has
been one of the finest speakers
in the Unicameral. Some lawma
kers have been temporarily irked
when Pizer made them follow
legislative rules.
These include one that a solon
must be in his seat when a bill
is up for final passage.
Pizer upon objection from a law
maker, will tell him that if he
does not like the ruling of the
chair, he should change the rules.
Both Burney and Pizer time and
time again have gaveled to get a
senator back on speaking about
the motion before the house.
Day after day the chore of keep
ing order in the Unicameral be
comes exceedingly heavy.
The most difficult part comes in
the final weeks and days of the
session when senators, under the
strain of debate and pressure, be
gin sniping at each other and there
are many personality clashes.
Both men have been state sen
ators for many years and know
the parliamentary tricks and
moods of the Unicameral, which
come in handy during complicated
floor maneuvers by one or more
lawmakers.
There has been general agree
ment amsng observers that the ov
all caliber of the Legislature this
session has been high, with some
especially fine new memebers.
Budget Clears Hurdle
Fighting over the state spending
level for 1959-61 was of somewhat
more intensity than had been ex
pected.
Lawmakers scrapped aver the
budget for two days and prelimin
ary skirmishing on how they were
going to debate the measure con
sumed about as much time.
After the smoke had cleared,
the senators sent the bill on its
mute through the legislative mill,
thus paving the way for adjourn
ment.
The bill calls for expenditure
during the next two years of
$75.9 million from the general
fund, 60 percent of which is com
posed of money raised through
the state property tax.
Of the genera! rund figure, the 1
budget committee estimated about
$43.5 would have to be raised
through property taxes. The re
mainder comes from miscellaneous
fees, licenses and charges.
Big user from the general fund
is the University of Nebraska, re
commended for $25 million for the
next two years, up $3 9 million
from the current biennium which
ends June 30.
Total overall budget, including
cash and federal money is $328 3
million, compared with $338 mill
ion appropriated two years ago
Some of the drop is accounted for
by less federal funds and a change
in recording cash funds.
The big fighting over the bud
get bill comes on general file. This
is the first place that a bill can
be debated. When it gets to the
second stage, amendments require
unanimous consent of senators pre
sent—impossible on controversial
matters—or it must be returned
to general file for amendment. It
takes 22 votes of the 43 senators
to send a bill back for debate.
That amount of votes is difficult
to get during the early stages of
a session but in the final two
weeks is again a virtual impossi
bility.
Study Approved
The Legislature approved 26-6
a study by the Legislative Council
of all higher education in Nebras
ka. Under terms of the resolution
authorizing the study, experts
would be employed to aid a 7
member committee composed of
state senators. Main introducer of
the resolution was Sen. Richard
Marvel of Hastings.
He said such educational infor
mation could help serve as a guide
to future sessions of the Legisla
ture in determining financial and
other needs of the University of
Nebraska, teachers colleges at
Wayne, Chadron, Peru and Kear
ney and the four junior colleges
at Norfolk, Scottsbluff, Fairbury
and McCook.
There was strong support for
the resolution in floor debate. It
was pointed out that educational
problems occupy much of the
time raring a legislative session
and the problem will worsen in
coming years. Estimated cost
of hiring experts to aid In the
study has been set at about
$30,000. The budget of the Legis
lative Council was increased
$35,000 to take care of addition
al expense that may be created
by the study and others where
technical assistance is required.
Legislature Cost
Because of the length of the cur
rent session of the Legislature, a
bill had to be introduced in final
days appropriating $25,000 to pay
expenses of operating until ad
journment.
Sen. Otto Liebers of Lincoln,
chairman of the budget committee,
said original estimates on cost of
the session were too low and
"we’re now $25,000 in the red.”
Sen. Don Thompson of McCook,
chairman of the Legislative Coun
cil, said it has been calculated that
it costs $4.90 per minute to keep
the Legislature in session.
Alice’s Beanty Shop
Vet. I doors west of Tenet
1S8 Kent Dongtae
Phone tSS — O’Neill
1
^Slea
Herit I
"There b America which at thb I
day serves for little more than I
to amuse you with stories of 1
savage men and uncouth man* I
ners, yet shall, before you taste I
of death show itself equal to 8
the whole of the commerce I
which attracts the envy of the §
^ world.” — Edmund Burke. '
One of the friendliest ways to NEBRASKA DIVISION I
say welcome to your guests is by Vain4St*tm i
serving frosty glasses of golden Brtmm 1
beer. It is the congenial bever- FttmUU— §
age always in good taste. Enjoy M ^ r,^.. ..—S
it oftenl | . __ _ 1__J
Charter No. 5770 Reserve District No. 10
Report of the condition of the
O’Neill National Bank
of O’Neill, in the State of Nebraska, at the close of business on
JUNE 10, 1959.
Published in response to call made by Comptroller of the
Currency, under Section 5211, U. S. Revised Statutes
ASSETS
Cash, balances with other banks, including reserve bal
ance and cash items in process of collection $ 751,124.79
United States Government obligations, direct and guaran
teed 2,068,268.75
Obligations of States and political subdivisions 411,717 43
Corporate stocks (including $6,000.00 stock of Federal Re
serve bank)_ 6,000.00
Loans and discounts (including $1,380.15 overdrafts* 857,507.27
Bank premises owned___ 3,000.00
Other assets .. 41.30
Total Assets _...... $4,0*7,658.54
LIABILITIES
Demand deposits of individuals, partnerships, and corpor
ations' ... $3,170,667.99
Deposits of United States Government (including postal
savings) ____...____ 43,012.00
Deposits of States and political subdivisions 276,306.04
Deposits of banks ..___ 217,850.41
Total Deposits ... .. $3,707,835 44
Total Liabilities _.... $3,707,835.44
CAPITAL ACCOUNTS
1 Capital Stock:
Common Stock, total par $50,000.00 ___ 50,000 00
Surplus_ 150,000 00
Undivided profits _ 189,824.10
Total Capital Accounts ___ 389,824.10
Total inabilities and Capital Accounts $4,097,689.54
MEMORANDA
Assets pledged or assigned to secure liabilities and for
other purposes _$ 600,000.00
I, O. D. French, Cashier of the above-named bank, do solemnly
swear that the above statement is true to the best of my knowledge
and belief.
O. D. FRENCH, Cashier
Correct—Attest: F. N. Cronin, J. B. Grady, Julius D. Cronin, Directors.
STATE OF NEBRASKA, COUNTY OF HOLT, ss:
Sworn to and subscribed before me this 19th day of June, 1959,
and I hereby certify that I am not an officer or director of this bank.
DOROTHY ENRIGHT, Notary Public.
(SEAL) My commission expires March 7, 1961.
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