Prairieland Talk
"Snow For Growing"
By RO MAINE SAUNDERS, 4118 South Sort St., Uncotn 6, Nebr.
I see it as I look out of my window There it 1*
in all its white purity, a foot of snow spread across
the lawn that at other seasons is robed in silken
green. February draws to a close as this is type
written, but winter lingers with
snow and ice, stately trees
reaching nude arms heaven
ward as if to implore the
clouded sky to brush away those
snow-spitting clouds that the
golden glow of sunshine may
flash out of heaven s blue and
warm the earth. Two months
now of snow and ice across
prairieland. What now will the
W'eather lie as the month of _ .
lomlM
March starts down the highway
of time? Any way the melting Kj* under*
snow will wet the soil of prairieland to start us on a
fruitful crop season And as another growing time
comes the fruits of field and garden, orchard, live
stock ami poultry to fill again the country’s bread
basket, A foot of snow yes then prairieland wet for
another growing season.
• • •
State Senator Can)enter of Scottsbluff county,
the Democratic candidate for governor 20 years ago,
failing then to attain his desired haven, will try for
the Republic ian nomination for governor this year.
If successful and is elected governor something will
lx* doing at the Statehouse for a year or two.
I can not reach a hand to far distant worlds,
t>ut I can walk down life’s highway where human
feet have walked and extend a hand to life a fallen
traveler in this battle of life along the way.
• • •
A friendly letter comes again to me from Mrs.
Keeler at Fremont in which expresses her pleasure
in reading Prairieland Talk and other articles and
news in The Frontier. Mrs. Keeler is of pioneer Holt
county stock, her people the Coburns settling in the
Phoenix community in 1880. She now is the only one
of the family living, a brother of hers having died
this past year out in Washington. She writes of her
girlhood pleasure, romping about with the Welton
girls when the Coburns came into O'Neill from 27
miles out and were welcomed at the Welton home
and fed and entertained for a day or two. That was
pioneer hospitality that we would like to see a little
more of today.
• • •
It was a week in March in 19(M Frank Brittel
l's meat dispensing establishment was destroyed by
fire, the building still standing. . A cold windy day
Jim Shancr pulled into O'Neill from his ranch in the
Page country to look after matters of interest to
him at the courthouse. . .R. R. Dickson arrived home
from a business trip to San Francisco, Calif. . .
Frank Dishner went to Jefferson City, la., to be
away from his O'Neill office for a week or so. . .Con
Keys had a team, harness and wagon for sale. . .
John Harmon was a passenger on the train for
Omaha. . .Maylon Price spent Sunday with relatives
in Atkinson. . Miss Susie Gillespie entertained a few
friends at cards at her home. , .A "farmers’ insti
tute’’ was farmed out down at Chambers. . .Mrs.
Evans of Hotel Evans entertained a company of
lady friends an evening that week in a social gather
ing in the hotel dining quarters . .Dr. GUligan was
called to Stuart to give a sick fellow-being medical
care. . .Mrs J. C. Hamish went to Boyd county on a
visit to friends.
• • •
Mr. Brooks is not seeking re-election as governor
but has an eye on a seat in the United States Senate
and will seek Democratic nomination for U. S Sena
tor I have sat where spectators sit at our national
capitol and looked down upon the members of the
upper branch of our congress as they were in ses
sion A group of dignitaries sent to Washington by
the folks at home. And I could but conclude that
there sat a group of common guys like the rest of
us who had been exalted to a high place in our gov
ernment and were probably doing as well but no bet
ter than all loyal Americans could do on the job at
our nation's capitol. If Mr Brooks makes it he will
be just another.
• • •
U are in the lead with many footsteps follow
ing along, so I will stand aside and see the moving
throng.
• • •
Today Holt county has a lady inspired with a gift
of poetic beauty. Mrs. Eby brings to Frontier readers
sentiments of the soul expressed in poetry. Yet neit
her floral prose nor honeyed lines of verse will erase
from the memory of the old Timer the “Little Old
Sod Shanty on My Claim." A poetic outburst of a
pioneer homesteader some four or five miles south
of Inman, who in the early pioneer days said his
“ears were tough as leather and they flopped in
windy weather,” but he was “happy as a clam in
this land of Uncle Sam,” while holding down his
claim. It was printed in the Inman Index when In
man had a newspaper and is included today in
American literary works as a classic from the
prairies of Nebraska.
• • *
William Jenings Bryan, the boy actor of the
Platte, three times up for president, if living today
would be 100 years of age, so our State Historical
Society directors will put on a centennial gathering
and a dinner March 19 at the Lincoln hotel in the
Capitol City in memory of Mr. Bryan. It w’as at the
national Democratic convention in Chicago in the
1890's that Mr. Bryan, the free silver champion,
brought down the house with his cross of gold and
crown of thorns oration and went out of that con
vention their candidate for president. Some Re
publicans supported him falling for his free silver
talk. Twice again Mr. Bryan wras the Democratic
candidate for president, and then his party ditched
him because he preached prohibition. One of the
Capitol City's largest hospitals bears the Bryan
name and is located where the Bryan home once
stood.
Editorial
NSIA Fights Hard!
Phases of the Holt county school problem came
to a boil last Friday at the Legion club in O'Neill as
charges and counter-charges were hurled around the
big room.
The Nebraska School Improvement Association,
perhaps on brute force alone, won the battle hands
down. Miss Alice French, Holt county superinten
dent, set sail for a cooler climate just 30 minutes af
ter the meeting was called to order.
Richard Brauer Jr., Secretary of the Nebraska
group, using well-planned strategy, placed Miss
French in jeopardy when he presented proof that
a portion of the matter presented in her letter to
school board members and dated February 10, was
not her own.
We feel that Miss French should not have left
the meeting when she did. There was not another
single thing concerning schools in the county more
important Friday afternoon than the meeting called
by Mr. Brauer.
We realize that perhaps Mr. Brauer was just a
bit brutal and even a little unfair in not telling Miss
French prior to the meeting just what he had up his
Sleeve.
She was greeted by some 300 people, ’most of
them members of the Nebraska School Improvement
Association (NSIA), and all hostile to her recent ac
tivities in school reorganization.
School re-organization was not the issue, how
ever. In her letter, Miss French had questioned the
legality of the NSIA and the right of local school
boards to spend tax money to join the organization.
The NSIA was right in taking her to task over this.
A minimum of checking could easily have establish
ed the legality of the organization and the implica
tion should not have been included in the letter.
We believe that Miss French is now much more
educated in the purpose of the NSIA and the steps
they will take to reach their goals. At present the or
ganization is circulating a petition to put to a vote
the right of the Nebraska commissioner of educa
tion to hold his office by appointment.
Whether this will improve education, which is
the goal of the NSIA, remains to be seen. They have
a good cause, trom a democratic standpoint, in
wanting this man to stand to a vote.
They should remember, however, that the east
ern one-fifth of the state generally controls any
state-wide election and a man in favor of re-organi
zation and elected is sometimes harder to replace
than one who holds his office by appointment.
We feel that the petition should be signed though.
There is nothing better, under democratic govern
ment, than to have probems decided at the polls.
Signing the petition will elect no one.
Mrs. Abel's Interests Are Ours
Mrs. Hazel Abel Monday filed for the Republi
can nomination for Governor in Lincoln. Her appli
cation brings to five the number of Republican can
didates seeking the nomination and. in our view,
poses the biggest threat to Sen. Terry Carpenter’s
chances of receiving the nomination.
Mrs. Abel, in outlining her platform, seems to
have the interests of Nebraskans at heart—especial
ly out-state Nebraskans. Her platform although of
fering no solutions at this time, is aimed directly
at problems which this newspaper has headlined
during the past months.
At the time of her filing she made the following
statements.
She called for an overhaul of Nebraska's “arc
haic tax structure” and said “a constitutional con
vention is the place to do it and do it right.
•'I am not in sympathy with glib, glittering gen
eralities and off-hand references to a variety of new
ways to raise tax revenues.
“I am acutely conscious of the need to bolster
Nebraska's economy because of difficulties besett
ing the grain farmer and the cattle and hog raiser—
particularly the problems plaguing the small opera
tors.
”1 am for every sound program for betterment
of education. Good farm-to-market roads seem to
me to be every bit as important as the intelligent
completion of the Interstate network. We have an
obligaion to provide adequate, all-weather transpor
tation routes for our mechanized farms and ranches.
Even if the tax on gasoline goes no higher, it should
be possible to provide a highway system in Nebras
ka rivalling that of any other midwestern state.”
Mrs. Abel continued: "We must find a way to
bolster transportation on public conveyances. Many
small towns today are without even bus service. I
believe that efficiently operated feeder airlines are
imperative and our state must continue to improve
her airports.
"We should step up our efforts toward inducing
new industry into our state, helping to expand ‘home
grown' industries as well as all types of business.
One of the first places to begin is to provide an at
tractive ‘climate’ in the statehouse—a government
that will inspire confidence.”
"We must provide work opportunities for our
young people; we must encourage continued and
intelligent development and use of our surface and
underground water with which our state is so
richly endowed.
“If my candidacy is accepted,” she said, ‘‘there
will be no emotional decisions coming out of the
governor's office. It shall be my purpose to add to
the Republican state leadership a positive approach
directed toward a final Republican victory in Novem
ber.
Every statement concerns a problem in Holt
county. Our only hope is that her filing has not split
the vote among the five candidates to the extent
that Sen. Carpenter can win the nomination too
easily.
JsJLm Frontier
JAMES CHAMPION. Editor and Co-Publisher
Terms of Subscription: In Nebraska, S2 50 per
year: elsewhere in the United States. S3 pier year;
rates abroad provided upon request All subscript
lions playable in advance
Entered at the pwstoffice in O'Neill. Holt coun
ty, Nebraska, as second-class mail matter under
the Act of Congress erf March 3, 1879 This nows
papier is a member of the Nebraska Press Asso
ciation. National Editorial Association and the Audit
Bureau of Circulations.
NATIONAL EDITORIAL
Dear Fxlltor
j Last Friday afternoon the truth
i was brought forth when our Co.
jSupt lost in shameful defeat and
‘ran out from the audience. If
she kept on running it would lie
for the best of the Community.
She should hang her head in
shame facing the public taxpay
ers, teachers and school boards.
Too bad we don't have more
brilliant men like Mr. Brauer—
who is broad minded enough to
look out for the welfare of others
and bring out the truth of the
situation
Unless we get up and rebel
against this school crisis we’re
! headed for the road of oomnm
nisum.
This is still a democratic coun
try and I hope everyone sees the
facts and realizes that by ap
pointing the Commissioners of Ed
ucation we are slowly losing our
right* a little at a time. By Not
ing we still have our democra
| tic American way of life.
I hope this arouses enough in
terest from other Holt Co. res
idents to express their opinions
in this paper, so HURRY nvc
still have freedom of the press!
“On Looker”
Frontiers
50 YEARS AGO
J. B. Berry was in from Pad
dock Tuseday. "Back'’ says that
during the thirty-six year resi
dence on tiie Niobrara he never
saw the ice pile up on the old
river like it did last Saturday
night. Every bridge across the
river between his place and Nio
brara he says has been washed
away, including three spans of
the government bridge at Nio
brara . . . Brick layers resumed
work on the Catholic church Mon
day morning. If fair weather
continues they will lie able to
complete the brick work in alxiut
four weeks,. . . Frank Hatch went
to town a week ago Wednesday
and broke a pair of double trees
on his spring wagon. He says
he will not go to town again until
the roads get good . . . The first
of the week farmers were busy
in the fields picking corn, but
since a snow fall Tuesday noght
has caused a temporary suspen
sion of work in the corn fields.
25 YEARS AGO
On Friday, March 1, about 70
relatives gathered at the home of
Mr. and Mrs. John Carson at Red
Bird to help them celebrate their
30th wedding anniversary. It was
a complete surprise to them,
which had been planned by their
children ... On Sunday evening,
March 3, 1935, a large and en
thusiastic audience was present at
the program given by the Com
munity club at the John Cleary
home in honor of his daughter,
Nellie. Several of her relatives
and friends remembering that
she had a birthday anniver
sary on ths day and came pre
pared to do her honor by pre
senting several birthday anniver
sary cakes. . .A nice little shower
fell here last Saturday and Sun
day, the precipitation amounting
to .21 of an inch. North and west
of here the rain fall was much
heavier than it was here, a half
inch falling at Stuart and north
of Emmet.
10 YEARS AGO
March 7,1950 will live in his
tory. That was the date of the
most violent snow and wind
storm in the history of the O’Neill
region. With savage fury the
storm struck O’Neill in the early
hours Tuesday moning. Radios
had forewarned a storm and low
er temperatures, but there was no
advance notice of 17 inches of
snow that was to be borne by
gales ranging from 60-100-miles
per hour thoughout the entire day
and into the night . . . Joe Kokes.
ofiee manager at the Atkmson
Livestock Market, dug an a (land
ed pair of 4-buckle overshoe out
of the basement to wear enroute
to his work the day after the big
snow. He thought one shoe felt
‘springy." Removing the shoe,
he discovered why. A small gar
ter snake had been stowed away
in the shoe, but was killed by the
pressure of the heel. "The snake
was in a hibernated condition,"
Kokes said.
5 YEARS AGO
Mr. and Mrs. John Gray aoday
will celebrate their 59th wedding
anniversary quietly at the home
of their son, Robert, and family.
The Grays marked their golden
wedding in 1946 . . . Relatives and
friends gathered at the Johnny
Bauer home Sunday to help them
celebrate their 25th wedding an
niversary . . . The Stockmen s
cafe, owned and operated for the
past 12 years by Mr. and Mrs. Art
Sanders, has been leased to Annn
ette, Jim and Fank Canaday of
Gordon . . . The 633 Holt County
4-H’ers did a remarkable job in
1954. They stood third in the
state in members enrolled and
projects enrolled and completed
. . . Deaths: Miss Mary A.
Kelly, 67, who would have ob
served her 68th birthday anniver
sary the following day; Carl E.
Mitchell, 65. resident erf the
Chambers community since 1934;
Mrs. Fred Newton, about 85.
came to Holt county 1877.
The Long Ago
At Chambers
Tin- Frontier haw received com
plete issues of the Chambers
Sun ami will Is- publishing items
from the past 50 and 25 years.
1 50 YEARS AGO
The Shadow social which was
to lie held at W. S. Grimes has
been postponed on account of
sickness and will be held at the
Butterfield Hotel Wednesday eve
ning. March 16, 1910 . . . L. G.
Lambert was in town this morn
ing, Mrs. Lambert tells us that
there is talk of trying for a Rural
Route in his neighborhood . . .
Wend your way to the Barber
Shop and try a real Havana cigar
.... John Bogart moved his fam
ily into the house, recently oc
cupied by Jay Snider Saturday.
Mr. Bogart returned to his school
Tuesday . . . Mr. and Mrs.
Elmer Smith of Page visited at
M. S. Potter's Tuesday and
Wednesday went out to visit Mrs.
Smith's mother. Mrs. Hardy.
25 YEARS AGO
The Sun folks had an interest
ing visit with W. O. Sammons of
Amelia Tuesday. Mr. Sammons
was telling us about the early
days in Holt County. He came
out here from Illinois in 1882 be
fore there was even a wagon
track through this territory and
still resides on his original
homestead. Mr. Sammons hauled
in the first load of lumber for
what is now the town of Cham
ber. Mr. and Mrs. C. I. Blake
were pleasantly surprised Sunday,
March 10. The occasion being
their fifty-sixth wedding anniver
sary. This venerable couple are
the parents of thirteen children
all reaching maturity, eleven of
whom are living and who, with
the grandchildren planned the
family gathering at the home
seven and one half miles west
and one mile south of Chambers.
Alice’s Beauty Shop
Res. 3 doors west of Texaco
125 East Douglas
Phone 263 — O’Neill
Money To Loan!
Property, Oars, Trucks,
Farm Equipment
Household Goods, Personal
HARRINGTON
Loan and Investment
Company
LOW RATES
I__
INCOME TAX
SERVICE
For assistance in making out your 1959
Income Tax Return, see—
FLORENCE PONTON
Golden Hotel Corner
Phone 106 - O'Neill
Please Make Appointments
A Poem
From Mrs. Eby ...
Behind a Smile
Did you ever pass in a friendly
concourse
And greet your friends with your j
usual smile.
With a pain crushed hack from
sight of others.
That tugged at your heartstrings
all the while
Ami they never guessed that >vu
hid a sorrow
Behind a Smile
Well those you meet in lifes on
ward journey.
Or who walk lx'side you lifes:
long mile.
Are strangely like you. They too,
are bearing
Burdens unknown to you all the
while
And there's often hidden a real
heart anguish
Behind a Smile
We cannot know when a heart is
aching
! Or grief is hidden with Spartan
guile.
i But we can lie tender to all and
thoughtful.
We shall not he sorry, nfter a
while
t That we thought of the heart that
might be aching
Behind a Smile
A smile dispells the clouds and
lets the sun shim' through
(Selected*
O'Neill Locals
Carl Kamphaus of Bartlett was
a Saturday over night guest in the
home of his mother. Mi’s. Juliana
Kamphaus.
Mr. and Mrs. Joe Kamphaus
and family of Lynch were Thurs
day dinner guests in the home of
his mother, Mrs. Juliana Kamp
haus.
Don Meyers of Midwest Furni
ture attended a Linoleum school
of instruction at Sioux City Mon
day to Friday.
Adolph Janak and family of
Verdigre moved Tuesday to the
farm they recently purchased from i
Mr. and Mrs. Wilbur Widhalm.
Elmer Juracek, vice president
of the State Soil and Water Con
servation program, will spend the
week attending meetings at Hold
rege, McCook, Scottsbluff and I
Thedford.
Mr and Mrs. Fred Grage of
O'Neill accompanied her brother
in-law and sister. Mr. and Mrs.!
Max Wanser of Ewing to Page
Sunday where they were guests
in the home of Max’s mother,
Mrs. Lulu Wanser.
Mr. Van Voorhis went to Scotts
bluff last Thursday where he at
tended funeral services on Friday
for his wife’s mother, Mrs. N. E.
West. Mrs. Van Voorhis, who has
lx?en in Scottsbluff helping care
for her mother, returned to O’Neill
with her husband.
Phono your news to 78X
_jj
Be Ready For ...
WONDERFUL SPRING
Also Bobby Jean, and
Marce' Original Brands
Sizes 8-16 And Petite for 5’4" & Under
Priced from $29^ ” $^^00
Use Our Convenient Lay Away Plan
THE APPAREL SHOP
Winnie Barger, owner lMione H9, O’Neill
STARTS MONDAY MARCH 14
At Devoy's Rexoll Drug
REXALL THANK YOU" SALE
Greater reduced prices than ever before to Thank You for your Patronage \
REXALL ASPIRIN
No Faster Acting Aspirin
At Any Price
200 5-grain Tablets 95c Val.
Now 73e
CARA NOME
Deodorant
Roll-on or Cream Style
HALF PRICE
Reg $1.00
Now 50c
BATH & SHAMPOO
Spray
85c Value
49c
PURE GLYCERIN
Suppositories
Adult of Infant Size
Reg 89c
Now 69e
CARA NOME
Hand Cream
Soothing — Greaseless
Reg $1.75
Now 98c
STAG
Toiletries For Men
Reg $1.29
Now 98c
SAVE 40c
REXALL DELUXE
Tooth Brushes
Reg 69c each
2 for 98c
FREE ! FREE !
AN ATTRACTIVE BALLPOINT
PEN
Is yours ABSOLUTELY FREE
when you buy any cosmetic or
medicine item that is featured
in this BIG THANK YOU SALE.
FREE! FREE !
DIAPER LINERS
SOFT — STRONG
EXTRA ABSORBENT
152
Reg $100
Now 89'
BOBBY PINS
Brow™ or Black
Card of 60 Reg 25c
Now J 0c each
2 for 35c
3 for 50c
VITAMIN C
lOOmg
100 Tablets - Reg 79c
49c
CARA NOME
Color Shampoo
HALF I'lUCE
Choice of Shades
Reg $1.25
Now 62c
PEROXIDE
For The Hair
6% 20 Vol
Reg 25c
9C
ENVELOPES
Stock-Up Savings
Reg 25c Packs
2 ,or 39c
Reg 10c Packs
2 for 15C
Mi-31
ANTISEPTIC
Mouthwash
Vi Pint Reg 54c
Now 45c
DEVOY REXALL DRUG
We Give S&H Green Stamps on all Purchases
Phone 87 Robert T. Devoy, Pharmacist O'Neill
i——gncn ■■ ■. M|ILU