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About The frontier. (O'Neill City, Holt County, Neb.) 1880-1965 | View Entire Issue (Sept. 10, 1959)
THK RRONTTB*. O'Nttii, Netermrt*, TkwwUy, •cpfewfev It, lMt Prairieland Talk 'Letter From A Friend' By ROMAINE SAUNDERS. 4110 South 51at St, Lincoln 6, Nebr. Post marked at Palo Alto, Calif., the following unsigned communication came to me recently. Whether the writer purposely conceals his identity or whether it was merely an oversight I do not know. A hard and fast rule of the engineer of this department is to print nothing unless I know the name of the one who sends it in. We pass over this rule this once because I know the story to be true, I being a part of the O’Neill picture the writer paints of that group of “philosophers” of more than a half century ago. Romaine Saunders, Lincoln, Nebr., As a long time reader of the Frontier and Prai rieland Talk, I am sending you the enclosed item which was sent to me from Chicago a number of years ago by a friend and former O’Neill resident. From the Sketch Book of the late H. O. Jackson, an old time insurance man around O'Neill in the early days, comes the inclosed gem, perhaps one of the greatest things ever written or uttered by a Holt County man. The accompanying note says that “In the very early days of O’Neill there were many philosophers who used to meet each month during the winter for a dinner and chit-chat in the dining room of the old Evans Hotel. John Harmon was chairman and used to introduce the speakers. T. V. Golden, R. R. Dickson, D. A. Doyle, Neil Brennan. M F. Harrington and many other young men of the times were among those who never missed a meeting. One night the short subject on which each was to speak was entitled ‘My Inher itance'. Chairman Harmon, about midway in the meeting said: ‘Our next speaker comes from that little explored and mysterious land to the north, lying between the Eagle and the Niobrara. His golden tongue and philosophical nature have made him a friend of all the men and animals who have come to Know mm out mere, including Indians on the warpath and Doc Middleton. I give you Hugh O’Neill.’ It was then that a tall sandy fellow arose and without looking at a note, delivered the follow ing which was taken down in shorthand by John G. Maher, court reporter for Judge Kincaid. I am a part of this beautiful world. I am to re main a part of it forever. The air, the sky, the water, the earth, the fire, are my fast friends. I love to breathe, I love the light, I love the dark, I love to fall asleep at night. My life has become intertwined with the lives of others. I live in them, they live in me. My inspiration comes from the East and from the West. The remotest antiquity blends with the passing hour. All heroes are mine, all genius is mine, all worship is mine. It is my world that is reflected in history, in literature, in labor, in song. I become a part of all that I know. Where my interest goes, there my soul goes, and identifies itself with all my delights. Saint Francis is mine. Goethe is mine. For me is the mind of Christ. My best efforts are inadequate but they are magnified and rewarded a thousand fold. My life was cradled in truth, it lies embossed in beauty and goodness shall be its stay and staff more and more. Each moment, I mind the writings and meditations of wise men down the ages and I, reading, have found the salt of the whispers of knowledge. Each moment, I mind that I have loved the great prairies and the flowers of the fields, the dark canyons and the gray small hills, and the sounding of the Eagle and the Niobrara. Each moment, I know that I have savored the hot taste of life, lifting green cups and gold at the great feast, just for a small and forgotten time. Each moment, I know that someday, benevolent Death will take me by the hand and shine full in my eyes the whitest pouring of eternal light. This is my Inheritance. • • * One by one we mortals reach the journey's end when the crimson life-tide ebbs away, the dark Plutonian shadows gather at our door. Then may we rejoice for a life well lived. * * • Waiting at a street comer to take the next city bus to roll "down town" where citizens flock to buy the rags they wear—this is where you learn something of the “moods of men" and the hopes and plans of women.. Bowed under the cares of life of more than three score years and ten, grandma told me she was go ing on the next bus to the marts of trade down in the city to purchase gifts for a grandchild up at Chadron who was soon to have a birthday. Grand daughter, grandson, they are the precious jewels that glow in grandma's heart. Now you Bomalne grandchild up at Chadron get Saunders a note of childish gratitude off at once to that thoughtful grandma of yours down here in the Capital City. • * • A young man from Omaha came to see me re cently to get any information I could give him of early times in O'Neill. He graduates from a university in our great city by the Missouri river and his closing university work will be the story of General John O’Neill who brought in the early settlers that founded the town that became the county seat of the empire of Holt. Citizens of that community did nothing to honor the memory of General O’Neill. Now a young university student is doing it. I never saw the general but knew the family when they lived in a little four room house, the general’s home, two blocks east of where the postoffice now stands. The general had a son John, a polished young gent, who would invite me to the O’Neill home to catch up his Indian pony and ride it, Johnie himself being deathly afraid. • • » Printed in one of Nebraska’s great daily news papers, the Omaha World-Herald, the story came out of O’Neill that Farmer Senator Frank Nelson this summer finds farm hazards climax anything he has run up against in the state legislature. An encounter with a hog resulted in Frank limping about on a crippled leg, an injured hand came out of another farm experience, and the elements of nature frowned upon the picturesque scene where the Senator lives and a hail storm well nigh ruined the Senator's com field. But as the story goes Frank is still "in the ring” and we look for him to serve at least another term in our law making body at the State House. • • • As this is written furnace heated August draws to a close, and this last day glows in unclouded brightness as it steps from our calendar. What will September lay in our laps? The second day of the new month comes the new moon. On prairieland the new moon has always meant rain, snow or the cooling of hot summer days. And so the mild September lays a cooling hand upon the weather’s fevered brow. • • • J. Hyde Sweet has put in 50 years at printing and newspaper work in Nebraska City. The late D. H. Cronin was connected with The Frontier for over 57 years, as printer, business manager, pub lisher and editor. And today Denny is at rest up on the hill in the abode of the dead. • • • The postal department announces it will soon issue a stamp in memory of the first surgical operation performed in America 150 years ago by the pioneer surgeon, Dr. Ephraium McDowell. The Department announces no cut in postal rates. Editorial No Closed! Circuit There are probably as many ways to promote a community and its businesses as there are indi viduals. It will be conceded by most that some indi viduals will normally be in a better position to in fluence outsiders and to make them understand that O’Neill is not only a good place to live but also a good place to shop. For years the “burden” of being a "public relations" man has fallen on the retailer — that is, until others realized that their interests (the retailers’) are also economic and social health indicator for all businesses. Chambers of Commerce in the United States, were, at first (at the turn of the century) not much more than clubs to which retailers usually belonged for social reasons. It became increasingly more apparent that these clubs, or informal gatherings would do well to es tablish themselves and dedicate themselves to the betterment of their respective communities rather than remain a purely social engine. Soon the good Chambers found themselves with members of professions and skills, with knowledge of industry and commerce not usually associated directly with retailers. It also became apparent to Chambers of Commerce that those organizations that became the most active—the most willing to work—also became leading voices in the drive for better community relations The O’Neill Chamber of Commerce annual mem bership drive is underway. What these men are saying when they ask each business and profes sional man to become a member is something ike this: "Please help us to make O’Neill a better place to live, a better retail and business center. Help us to create conditions among the businesses here that will strengthen the ties between us. Help us to create conditions that we might forget our differ ences long enough to help the community as a whole.” If there is a better place to iron out feelings of hostility, we would like to know where it can be bet ter done and where these hostile feelings can be bet ter disposed of than the local chapter of the Cham ber of Commerce. The men who sit down to the table each month have more than a common bond among them selves and they know it. They are the official spoke men for their members as well as unotficial spokes men for all businesses in town. It is sometimes said that Chambers of Commerce are nothing but cliques. If this is true in O'Neill, all we can say is that it is the easiest clique you’ll ever get into. They want you, Mr. Businessman. They need you. They need your help, your suggestions, your opinions. It isn’t a closed circuit. Khrushchev Should See A lot of planning and official maneuvering will be completed between now and the middle of Septem ber, involving Nikita Khrushchev’s visit to the United States. Unfortunately he will probably be shown much that will not impress him, and will miss the real America—if custom and tradition prevail. What Khrushchev should see, in United States, is how the average American lives, in the average size town, and on our farms and in the rual commun ities. Everyone knows about New York City, about these things. StiffHE Fonwriffe JAMES CHAMPION. Ce-Publisher JERRY PETSCHE, Editor Terms of Subscription: In Nebraska, $2.50 per year: elsewhere in the United States, $3 per year: rates abroad provided upon request. All subscriptions payable in advance. Entered at the postofbce 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. NATIONAL KDITORIAl —3— 3 Last of a Series What Can Be Done To Better Our Roads; And Where We Stand By JERRY PETS*HE—Editor If it is possible at all to sum up the problems of Holt county where its county and state maintained roads are concerned in one sentence, it might go something like this: "Too little money spread too thin with state legislation making sure it stays that way.” Or, perhaps, another statement, equally true and just as important. "The inherant blindness of a state system of determining what areas will get the most development, and the inability or complacence of legislators that don’t care to ‘stir up the fire’.” It all boils down to a few simple problems: 1. Our county board of supervisors have all they can do to just maintain the county roads we already have. If hard work and fairness on their part meant better roads (from Amelia to Red bird) we would have some beautiful ones. Unfortunately money comes into the picture. 2. We are highly populated. We have a greater number of county and state roads. THE SUFFICIENCY SYSTEM OF THE STATE DE PARTMENT OF ROADS ISN'T ADAPTABLE FOR THAT KIND OF A COMBINATION. 3. We have many more drivers on the average in our area. We also pay more gasoline tax than the average, THE SUFFICIENCY SYSTEM OF THE DEPARTMENT OF ROADS ISN'T ADAPTABLE FOR THIS COMBINATION EITHER. 4. The old problem of lack of representative force in central and western Nebraska doesn’t help. 5. The state department of roads is “caught up in the whirl” of interstate highway problems. The relative good we will receive from the interstate highways is smaller than it will be for the well popu lated areas around Omaha and Lincoln. •. The eaee with which the department of roads can throw back formerly state maintained roads onto the county, WHEN WE HAVE ALL WE CAN HANDLE RIGHT NOW! There are many more minor reasons why our roads art no better than they are. To list them here would not be possible, but the pre ceding 6, if solved would make a tremendous difference in the amount of road repair we would receive. Now what can the average man do to help. Here are just a few things to think about: 1. At some future date some may maintain that it is advisable to change our supervisory districts. BE CAREFUL. Make sure you discuss this with your respective supervisor before making that kind of move. The distriets are divided on the basis of polled population. To change them substantially, might mean to break up a compara tively well regulated county road repair system. ASK YOUR SUPER VISOR FOR HIS OPINION. 2. There are those who would throw all the township routes as well as mall routes on the shoulders of the supervisors. BE CAREFUL. This could be disasterous unless you are willing to pay more taxes for road repair and be willing to wait several years before the county “catches up.” 3. Discuss any individual problem with your respective super visor. They are reported by every farmer this writer has spoken to, ( as being men who %vant to help and will listen to any reasonable com 4. Discuss the inequality of the state sufficiency system with your state legislator. Ask him if there is anything he can do and watch how he votes on highway bills. Make certain you have his reasons for voting the way he votes. 5. Whenever you have the chance, try to make the officials of department of roads in Lincoln understand that there are some areas that are not adaptable to the present "sufficiency system.” 6. In the future, if we are fortunate, another method of deter mining sufficiency of roads will be adapted by the department of roads. Before you vote, make certain that our population, the relative num ber of car registrations, and the amount of gas tax we pay, are all taken into consideration when certain state roads are to be repaired. Holt county will never have better roads until some of these things are done. It is not always a matter of paying more taxes locally, but rather, the care we take to make certain the persons we place in the public trust in Lincoln understand why we are different, and why others, as well as ourselves, are suffering from a system that is not in the interests of the general welfare of Holt county. (Editor’s note—We would like to thank both the county board of supervisors for their cooperation in preparation of these articles and particularly the department of roads in Lincoln. The re searchers at the department were more than helpful and In the face of the criticism their department received In these columns, they have been fair In answering all questions.) Frontiers Ago SO YEARS AGO W. L. Shoemaker bought the Gladue meat market where he had been working for six months. • . • T. V. Golden has fifty acres of fine flax growing on braking two miles northwest of town.A meeting of the Holt county agri- j cultural society was held at the | office of M. H. McCarthy for the purpose of reporting financial con-1 ditions of the socety.Walter, Wyant and the Bazelman boys have started a brick yard, not the ordinary kind where brick are molded from clay and burned in a kiln, but a yard where they mold the bricks from sand and cement. .W. E. Meals, formerly of the city now of Lompoc, Calif, stopped in town for a visit with relatives and friends. . . . The county board let the contract for the county jail to Burr and Golden for $900, their bid being about one half that of the one other bid. . . .! Anthony Murray was exhibiting J samples of apples grown on his place.Harry Spindler of Meek had a sale, after which he planned to leave for the south. . . . | Frank Griffith was in from the Eagle creek country recently. . . . j Supervisors Roberts and Grimes went to Atkinson at the request of Chairman Hickman to investi- j gate the need of bridges in that neighborhood.Mr. Knapp has nearly completed a large bam on his farm south of Inman and contempla’es building a nice house there in the near future. 20 YEARS AGO A great many residents of O’- 1 Neill journeyed to St. John's at Deloit to attend the Fourth Annu- ' al Tri-Cbunty day.Ben Frank- ' lin store has a new ice cream \ making machine.Ralph Leidy ( has been busy remolding the in terior of the O’Neill Hatchery. . . . Plans were made to start rebuild ing the Spencer dam on the Nio brara river.Mr. and Mrs. Joe Sengleman, living northwest of this city, celebrated their forty sixth wedding anniversary. The Inman school opened with a total enrollment of 130. 10 of who were tuition pupils.Miss Nadine Coyne and Jane Parkins entertained ten guests at a one o'clock luncheon at the M & M cafe.Clarence Selah left for S . Joseph, Mo. where he had ac cepted a position as radio annoncer .Miss Mildred Keyes and Leila Rouse opened terms of school near Stuart. Miss Lucille Stevens is teaching at Amelia again. . . . . Francis Price went to St. Louis, Mo. where he planned to visit his brother, Peter who is in the Jesuit seminary there.Miss Olive Beckwith went to Star where she will teach the coming year. Mr. and Mrs Homer Ernst attended the poultry fair at Page. 10 YEARS AGO Lightning struck and distroyed by fire a frame hay bam and its contents, 560 tons of stored hay at Inman belonging to I. L. Watson .William Aim of Redbird is moving to a farm vacated by Ronald Carson near Dorsey. District rally of the Bethany Free Methodist church was planned at the church 4 Ms miles S. W. of Amelia.Donna Whaley, a student nurse at Clarkson Memor ial hospital in Omaha visited her parents over Labor Day weekend .Many Holt county 4-H club members were among the ribbon winners at the Nebraska State fair at Lincoln.Approximately 80 O’Neill business firms have been contracted by the parade committee of the Diamond Jubilee Fall Festival and have agreed to sponsor a float in the parade. . . . Doach Marvin Miller’s O’Neill ligh eagles opened their 1949 foot ball season at Plainview on Sept ’mber 16.Darrell Weingart ler and Eddie Tomlinson, mem bers of Boy Scout troop 210 were bn an 80 mile canoe trip from Win on, Minn into Canada . . . Mrs. Jeorge Mellor of Atkinson enter- j tained fneods at a baby shower in honor of Mrs. Robert Suramer er. FIVE YEARS Miss Donna Mae Fuhrer, 21 year old O’Neill farm girl converted her hobby of painting into a business . . . An article in this weeks is sue of the Frontier told of the ill ness and recovery- of "Smoky" the female St. Bernard owned by Mrs. P. B. Harty . . . .The 1954-55 school term formlly opened at St. Mary's Academy with a total of 394 pupils . . . .Married: Juliana Kamphaus, Amelia and Leonard L. Svatos, Chambers; Airman Dale L. Strong, O'Neill and Miss Edith Mae Row lett, Norfolk. . . .Glen Burge who lives east of O'Neill reported the loss of six head of cattle which were stuck by lightning. Sister Antonella, who has been principal and senior class tech er at St. Mary's for 10 years left to sponsor the senior class in St. Agnes Academy, Alliance. Joan Smith, Kathleen Hotiman and Laurine Coufal, former St. Mary’s students were received as postul ants by the Franciscan Sisters in Denver, Colo.Wiley Young. 23, of Orchard was injured in a one-car auto accident which oc cured three miles east of Inman when the vehicle struck a bridge. . . .Death: Mrs. Rose Van Connett. 74, Page. State Capital News I Consider Lakes Near Highways By Melvin Paul Stutehouse ('4>rreM|MaUlent The Nebraska Press Association LINCOLN—nip Interstate High way will be a topic of discussion for many moons and many reas ons. One of the latest angles con nected with the new super high way is that produced by Mel Steen, director of the State Game Com mission. Steen and State Engineer Roy Cochran have agreed to study the creation of a string of lakes along the 143 miles of the Interstate be tween Grand Island and North Platte. Steen says his plan is that con siderable sand and gravel will be needed for the Interstate highway. This has to normally be hauled into the road site. But he thinks it could be pumped from sandpits a long the highway, making pits big . enougn 10 no lanes. This would not change location of the Interstate or the river. Cochran says there is a lot of merit to the suggestion of Steen but details will require study. Com plicating factors would be location of bridges on county roads, cat tle underpasses and the feasibil ity of bringing in the gravel by pumping. The amount of material for the road bed of a mile-long section of the Interstate would produce a lake of 15 to 25 acres in size, Coch ran said. Nebraska will hear much about the Interstate in the next decade, whether it involves wages paid workers, federal funds or land scaping. Kyle Retires A familiar face in the statehouse that of friendly Homer Kyle of the Attorney General's office—will be missing in the corridors. Kyle, now 71, has retired from the post of an assistant attorney general which he has held 18 years. He says he wants to read “some of the books I’ve always wanted to read.’’ Kyle was appointed to his post in 1929. Atty. Gen. C. S. Beck said it was with “profound regret” that he accepted Kyle’s retirement. CLEARANCE DEALS ■ on the 59 FORD Yss---;-^ ’ I Every 59 FORD in our showrooms... on our lots... and in transit... \ must be sold... regardless of how low we must go! Tremendous selection A of all models, most colors, all accessories. Come in with your Jj II present car and cash in on these once-a-year savings! BUT HURRY! II !/. /2s . in 1 /“Tv _/ GALAXIES GALORE Drive home t'-'s success car of 19C,?. MANY CUSTOM 300 5EDrr:3 Every one brand nc.J and ready to go. VL WORLD’S FAVORITE V-3 ^ MOST MODERN SIX Your choice plus Fordomatic, i * 'Cruiae-O-Matic or conventional drive. Beet prices in 6 years. WORLD’S WISEST CHOICE OF WAGONS Our finest ever! Yours at tremendous 4 once-a-year savings. Bring in your registration —be prepared for immediate delivery I | ^ f.S.A.* LOHAUS MOTOR COMPANY FOURTH & FREMONT, O’NEILL, NEBR. If your’re Intedeeted in an A-l USED CAR — Be Sure to see Your Local FORD DEALER Haney Needed State Education Commissioner Freeman Decker says he probably will not have enough funds to oper ate the schools for the blind at Nebraska City and the deaf at O maha. These institutions, formerly un der jurisdiction of the Board of Control, came under mangement of the State Board of Education July 1. Decker says the Legislature ap proprated $300,000 for the deaf school and $160,000 for the blind school in order that the depart ment may run the institutions for the second year of the current biennium. But the commissioner says the board of control was able to sup plement those funds with other revenues while his department eannot do this. Thus, says Decker, he probably will ask the 1960 Legislature for a deficiancy appropriation. Taxes Collected The state collected $5,248,402 in taxes from gasoline, oil, natural gas, cigarets and liquor during August, monthly reports show. Bulk of the revenue $4,465,322 - came from the taxes on gasoline. Cigaret taxes produced $522,494. liquor $146,312 and oil and natural gas severance levies, $114,274. State Fair The current edition of the Nebr aska State Fair is in full swing in Lincoln. J But Democrats and capital em-1 ployes cannot be seen "politick ing" during working hours. That is. if they are following the advice of Gov. Ralph G. Brooks. Robert Conrad, the governor’s administrative assistant, says wives of department heads and oth er Democratic volunteers from throughout the state will be at the Democratic party’s booth at the annual exposition. However, employes and depart ment heads who are Democrats will be at the Democratic booth in the evenings, Conrad said. State Chairman Russell Hanson says the booth will be the ‘"warm up for the 1960 campaign.” Equalisation The latest meeting of the State Board of Equalization was more harmonious than previous ones. Board members got together to approve assessments on flight eq uipment of airlines which operat ed in Nebraska in 1958. These are set by the State Tax Commission er. United Airlines was assessed 525,920, Braniff 55,047 and Western 51,055. TO PLAN BAZAAR Ash Grove Auxiliary will meet at the Ash Grove Hall Tuesday afternoon, Sept. 15 at 1 p m. It was postponed as some are at tending the state fair. All members are urged to attend as plans for the annual fall bazaar will be discussed. Cub Scout Newa— Den 5 of the Cub Scouts met at the home of Mrs. Bob Forwood Wednesday afternoon, Sept- 2. We visited Beilins honey house. We named hobbies for roll call and played a hobby game. The meeting was closed by say ing the promise. Mike McCarville served treats. Jim Forwood, scribe RECEIVES ASSIGNMENT PAGE Army 1st Lt. Richard L, Buxton, son of Mr. and Mrs. William E. Buxton, Page, recent ly was assigned to the 101 st air borne division at Fort Campbell, Ky. Lieutenant Buxton is an aviator in the division’s 101st Aviation Company. He entered the Army in 1953 The lieutenant, whose wife, Audrey, lives in Clarksville, Tenn., is a graduate of Page high school. A. L. Patton, owner O’Neill ^““GLEANINGS from ou^^ t Heritage of Freedom r "Those who expect to reap the f blessings of freedom must, H like men, undergo the fatigue | of supporting it.” S Thomas Paine. I Good friends like to get together NEBRASKA D1VISIO i over cool, sparkling glasses of Vniud statu » beer. Beer is so refreshing and ;^Ty« Brtwtn I friendly. It is that festive touch Foundation fi that adds good cheer too pleas- ... .
