Prairieland Talk
"Do Your Work, Sen. Frank"
By ROMAINE SAUNDtrtS. 4110 iiM St.. Lincoln 6. Nebr
Holt county rancher Frank Nelson touched the
gadget that brought his power mowing machine to
a stop, left the hay field, got into his car to grip the
steering wheel and State Senator Frank Nelson
headed for Lincoln to do his bit
in winding up the business of
the special session of the state
legislature. But first the senator
drove out to south 51st to give
Praineland Talker the glad
hand, to have a visit, friend
with friend.- Rancher Nelson
reported flourishing conditions
In his community, a good hay
crop and com for another sea
son. Aged Grandma Hull he Bomalne
said “is just fine.” She now is
nearing her 105 birthday, a ***
devoted pioneer, wife and mother of northern Holt
county since tthe year 1879. Yes, she saw it all
Indians, outlaws and the patriotic and industrious
pioneer homesteaders. Senator Nelson is informed on
and greatly interested in the state government, seeks
again the office he now fills with credit to himself
and the citizens of his senatorial district. And
Senator Nelson had a good Word for his opponent,
saying he is a fine gentleman and will qualified to
serve as state senator if elected. We hope to see
Senator Frank, and think we will, in the legislative
room at the State House again this coming winter
But for now, rancher Frank, get that hay into
stacks.
* * *
He came from England, had been in Ireland,
now a citizen of the U. S. A. and for many years
holed up in our Capital City, has a British lady for
a wife and a desirable property for a home, says
he is a Itemocrat and “not ashamed of it,” but
doesen't like their candidate for president and will
not vote for him. Critical of our government and
the officials, but came here penniless, made his
stake and now he and wife are at ease with social
security checks coming their way monthly. A great
country George Washington gave us!
• • •
It was a week in August in 1901 Rain in the
O'Neill community after a prolonged rainless sea
son . . . Emil Sniggs was a Northwestern passenger
going east . . . Jake Hershiser was up from Norfolk
over the weekend . • . Miss Clara Zimerman came
down from Atkinson to spend Sunday with her home
folks . . . Adherents of the Prohibition party in Holt
county were in convention at the courthouse . . .
Jim O'Donell went to West Point to umpire a ball
game . . . Mr. and Mrs. E. P. Hicks were home from
a trip to an eastern state . • . Mrs. Evans of Hotel
Evans was spending a few days in Omaha . . .
John Olsen io bed sick . . . S. J. Weeks a Neligh
visitor on business.
No, not walking the streets of O’Neill today
Mike Horiskey, Billy Biglin, Billy McNichols, Hugh
Birmingham, Lloyd Gillespie We cherish the
memory of these friends and native sons. And
Prairieland Talker still has the big "tailor made”
hat these guys conspired to put me under ... He
tells me that he, his mother, brother and two sisters
were Republicans, dad a Democrat. The family out
voted Dad . . . Their home is in the great state of
Texas. They had been on a trip to the Yellowstone,
then treturning by chance came up to our Fort
Robinson State Park, so delighted with the courteous
treatment accorded them there and the beauties seen
they plan to visit Nebraska again . . . Four western
states invite you to stand where all four states meet
at the state comers and look out over Utah, Arizona,
New Mexico and Colorado.
• * *
Recently received another friendly letter from
Mr. and Mrs. Segelman of Seattle, Wash. They en
close a newspaper clipping telling the story of
Homer Campbell and the observance of his 90 birth
day. At the head of the story is a two column picture
of the 90 year old former O'Neill kid and his face and
features are neither faded nor wrinkled, so he looks
about as he did at the age of 20 when I last saw him.
This pioneer Holt county lad has grown old grace
fully and attained to prominence as a printer and
writer. My Seattle friends say it has been very
warm out there, up to 97 one day and while they
keep well the hot weather "takes the Pep" out of
life. The forest fires have brought an end for the
present to the lodging industry. Come, esteemed
friends, back to the prairies of Holt county.
* • *
Six women who had been at work all night
at a factory on their way to their homes in the morn
ing killed on the highway, and 32 motherless child
ren that a community up in Minnesota must care for.
Mother out at work to earn what it takes to main
tain a household and support a family. Death await
ed as they traveled homeward. Such it is today on
streets and highways.
• • •
After 50 years recording the births and deaths
in Holt county, Elizabeth O’Malley turns over the
job to another. I know of no other citizen who has
performed the duties of public office for so long a
time and Miss O’Malley may well retire. State re
cording of births and deaths came about by an act
of the Nebraska legislature in 1908, an O'Neill citi
zen being the author of that state law, the late Dr.
J. P. Gilligan who served as state senator at that
time As the law was enacted the city clerk in
county seat towns was to take on the job of keeping
tabs on vital statistics. At that time Prairieland
Talker was serving as city clerk in O'Neill. In 1910
I and my family moved to our ranch 27 miles out
on prairieland and Miss O’Malley consented to take
over my job as recorder of births and deaths.
Editorial
Holt Countians are Leaving
According to the latest census report received
from Washington, O’Neill’s population is up slightly
from what it was 10 years ago. Figures released this
week list O'Neill's population as 3,161. as compared
with 3,027 in 1950, an increase of 134 persons or an
increase of 4.4 percent.
The population of Holt county is lower, however,
than it was 10 years ago. The county now has 13,632
inhabitants as compared with 14,859 in 1950, a loss of
8.3 per cent.
All but 20 of Nebraska’s 93 counties showed a
decline in population during the past decade. Losses
ranged from 2 per cent in Wayne county 29.8 per
cent in Harlan county.
Oil rich Kimball county however picked up a
whopping 84.7 per cent and Sarpy county, the site of
the missile bases, nearly doubled population with a
99.2 increase. Lancaster county showed the third
highest gain with 29 per cent followed by Dodge
county with 23 per cent.
The state as a whole showed an increase of
79,046 persons for a 6 per cent gain.
This report only points up what we knew all
along. That the small farms and ranches are be
coming a thing of the past The Prairieland to which
Romaine Saunders so fondly refers, has reached a
saturation point and its inhabitants are now leaving
for other pastures, which although not so green, are
more lucrative.
Industry, with its unproved working conditions
and its high, guaranteed salary is luring an ever in
creasing number of persons.
The prairie schooner, the breaking plow and the
once-a-week visit to town on Saturday night have
faded away. In their place is the two car family, the
suburban, pre-fab home, guaranteed wage and 37%
hour week.
Without industry, Nebraska's ranch country has
finished an era. Unless Nebraska's towns can at
tract industry to hold some of this moving population,
many of them may see the end of an era during the
next decade.
Capital punishment is when the government
taxes you to get capital in order to go into business
in competition with you, and then taxes the profits on
your business in order to pay its losses.
Another American Export
Investment clubs—in which groups of people get
together, pool dollars, study companies, and finally
invest in stocks for which they have high regard—
have swept the country. Their number has soared
from some 2,000 to more than 25,000 in a mere five
years. For the most part the clubs are small and are
made up of friends and business associates, and
the amounts invested by each member are modest.
Now, this popular American innovation is spread
ing around the world. Clubs are found, in swiftly
increasing numbers, in Japan, the United Kingdom.
Australia, New Zealand, the Netherlands—and even
in such remote spots as the hills of Kenya
And these clubs, both here and abroad, are far
from being 100 per cent masculine. In this country
10 per cent of all the clubs are exclusively female.
In Japan, the largest brokerage company operates
offices in department stores to cater to women in
vestors.
It's good to know that this American idea has
been exported—and that shillings and yen are in
volved, as well as dollars. People anywhere who have
a direct personal interest in private, stock-issuing
industry are capitalists, even though the name
varies from country to country—and they are the
kind of people who may be counted on to resist the
pressures and blandishments of socialism and com
munism.
If public speakers would prepare their speeches
better, more people might listen to them.
Diminishing Return with A Vengeance
Gasoline taxes, which now average one-third of
the cost to motorists for regular grade fuel, may be
approaching the point of diminishing return.
The American motorist has become gasoline
price conscious to a degree greater than ever before
because of increased prices caused by heavier fuel
taxes. From 1949 through 1959 there were 62 sepa
rate state tax increases, plus a rise of from 1.5
cents to 4 cents per gallon in the Federal tax. This
amounted to a jump of 40 per cent. In contrast, the
actual price of gasoline at the pump rose only 4.5
per cent, making the rate of gasoline tax increase
nine times that of the gasoline itself. So it is taxes
that cause the seemingly high price of the product—
but the petroleum industry is generally given the
blame.
The growth of the compact, economy car this
year is accounting for 25 per cent of the domestic
automobile industry's production, and it is forecast
that there will be 2 million small, economy foreign
cars in this country by the end of 1960. Rebellion
against tax-included high gas prices is a major rea
son for this trend. As a consequence it is conceivable
that the total of taxable gallons may drop so far that
taxes have to be raised again to cover the deficit.
That would be an example of “diminishing return"
with a vegeance
People who put off their work from day to oay
are always the ones who tell you how very busy they
are.
JAMES CHAMPION, Co-Publisher
BRUCE J. REHBERG, Editor
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tions payable in advance.
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 news
paper is a member of the Nebraska Press Asso
ciation, National Editorial Association and the Audit
Bureau of Circulations.
NATIONAL EDITOR
Frontiers
Ago
50 YEARS AGO
Tuesday’s passenger upon the
Burlington from Sioux City, due
here at 11:35. did not reach this
city until 1 o’clock Wednesday
afternoon. At Laurel they struck
a cow and the train went into
the ditch and it was 10:30 Wed
nesday before they got the train
bade upon the track.. .R. H. Par
ker picked up a grape shot out
of the dirt thrown from the sew
er trench in front of his office
last Monday It is supposed that
it is a relic of the times when the
United States troops used to en
gage in contests with the Indians
in this section of the country
years ago.
25 YEARS AGO
Rumaine Saunders and his son,
Ned, were up from tiheir south
country ranch last Monday. . A
prairie fire north of the North
western stockyards here caused
a run by the fire trucks at 3:40
pm. Monday. It was suggested
sun rays focused by glass may
have caused the fire.. .Mr. and
Mrs. H. J. Birmingham and Mr.
and Mrs. W. J. Froelich re
turned last Friday from a ten
day trip through Yellowstone
Park and points of interest in the
Black Hills. ..Oscar Aim of Man
hattan, Kim. arrived in the city
last Thursday night for a few
days visit with his mother and
sister, Mrs. Bessie and Clara
Abn of this city and brother, Ar
thur living northeast of here.
10 YEARS AGO
A light frost early Sunday caus
ed some damage to tender vege
tation but generally proved harm
less. Persons Uving in lowlands
reported damage to pumpkin
vines and garden truck.. .O’Neill’s
Douglas street soon will have
another modernistic new front to
its credit. The new building will
be designed especially for Gil
ligan’s drug store. . .Miss Shirley
Schaffer and Donald Walker were
married Sunday, August 20 at the
First Presbyteritan church at O’
Neill. . .The conducted Eastern
tear for Nebraska school teach
ers, headed by Miss Elja McCul
lough, Holt county superintendent,
spent Monday, Aug. 21 in New
York City and Tuesday, Aug 22
in Philadelphia, Pa.
5 YEARS AGO
John F. Grady, a special as
sistant in President Eisenhower’s
exective office of defense mo
bilization, has been selected to
attend the industrial college in
Washington, D. C. He is the son
of Mr and Mrs. H. D. Grady of
O’Neill. . .Most Rev. Gerald T.
Bergan, DD, archbishop of the
Omaha diocese of the Roman
Catholic church, will officiate in
a solemn pontifical mass at 10:30
a m. Monday, August 30, and ded
icate the handsome and omposing
new St. Joseph’s church in At
kinson. . .Stanley M. Huffman,
rancher from south of Ewing,
Tuesday was elected department
commander of the American Le
gion by delegates to the Nebras
ka convention at Lincoln in the
closing session.
The Long Ago
At Chambers
50 YEARS AGO
Frank Sageser and Mr. Eby of
Atkinson were in town Monday...
The young people of Chambers
gave a party Monday evening in
honor of Miss Garwood and Miss
Lttmsden.. Last Saturday night
this section was visited by one of
the worst rain and wind storms
that we have had in several
years. A deluge of rain and
some hail, driven in sheets be
fore a terrific wind storm, ac
companied by vivid lightning and
heavy thunder, caused nearly the
entire population of the South
Fork valley to arise remarkably
early, some of the more timid
sought relief to their over-wrought
nerves by hastening to cellars
and caves and one family didn’t
even stop to close the house doors
after them.
TJouSGeep
cJtoa*t
YOU’LL REST EASIER with a
low-payment, long-term loan. That’s
why, each week, hundreds of fann
ers and ranchers combine their
obligations in a long-term Land
Bank loan on land — a loan that
can be paid in advance without
and equipment; to make improve
ments, and for other purpose*. ,
Come in and talk it over with ns
today.
Federal Land Bank Assn.
LYLE P. DIERKS
Manager
Phone 91 O’NelU
ii YEARS AGO
Tn»e South Fork Holt County
Fair at Chambers will open lues
day, September 10 and will be
continued four days. Mr and
Mrs J. W Walter and family
returned last week from a nine
days trip to Canada. The Cham
bers schools open n xt M inday,
Sept. 2.. Mr and Mrs Bernard
Gribble of Lancoin, visited at die
Mark and Warren Cribbles homes
Saturday and Sunday.. .Mr and
Mrs. Chauncy Porter and family
were dinner guests at Ed Porters
Saturday. . Mr. ami Mrs William
Turner of Chambers and Mr and
Mrs. H W. Tomlinson of O’Neill
were Sunday guests at the J R
Coventry home at Inman.
Smoke from
"Brandin'
Iron" Crick
By J. C. Kudd
Things are a mite sluggish along
the Crick this week. Folks are
just recovering from the effects
of a big dose of the County Fair.
They claim it had the best ex
hibits and the hottest midway
they ever saw. The rodeo was a
doozy too, even if Orley Hinch
did get disqualified for pulling
leather in the bronc riding. Also
Delano Bundy got his leg twist
ed by one of them mean Brahma
bulls. Says he don't mind having
his leg pulled once in a while
but hated to have it happen in
front of Mrs. Willie Kells nieces.
Lena got a little set oacK too.
Her ‘‘Old Maid’s Ramble” got
by-passed by the judges in favor
of Mrs. Art Corey’s quilt “The
Drunkard’s Path”. Even Widow
Barker’s “Double Wedding Ring"
scored higher. Lena claimfs tne
judges were either drinking men
or there was payola involved. She
claims unless a man was crooke
der than a shepherd dog’s hind
leg he wouldn't give a first to
any quilt with that name. She
brightened up considerable how
ever when her crocheted tidies
won the gold loving oup.
Had the fair police alerted all
afternoon when little Dee Dee
Barker come up missing. Seems
like they’d polished off their pic
nic dinner and Dee Dee collected
her pop bottle money, (Been sav
ing ’em up all summer. Had $1.12)
she put it in her little pocket
book and told her Mom she was
going to ride on the Octopus.
When she didn’t come back for
more money in about an hour the
Widow began to get worried.
Hunted the place over and cojiu
n’t find her. Then she put the
police on the case and had it
announced for the hundreth time
“Dee Dee Barker, report to the
judge's stand. Your mother wants
you!” and the widow was having
hysterics back of the Milk Bot
tle concession, who should come
strolling up dirty, dog tired and
happy but Dee Dee. She had a big
sack she was toting along. After
the Widow got through kissing,
crying over and scolding her, ev
eryone began to ask where in tun
ket she had been.
“I dust been gathering lap more
pop bottles,” she said. “It sure
takes a lot of money to ride on
that Octupus.” Sure got a busi
ness head on her if you ask me.
See you next week.
"The
EDITOR"
A late release says, and we
quote "Damp coffee grounds make
a sweeping compound which will
keep the dust down and will al
so leave rugs clean." We can't
vouch for the effectiveness of this
method, but we do have evidence
of the effect of hot coffee spilled
on our favorite chair. We have
always been partial to brown any
way. The release also offers this
helpful hint Dents made in car
pets can be removed by filling the
dints with cold water. Eight-hour
soak mg usually makes nap snap
back. Friends of ours who have
two small children and a new
pup will doubtlessly toe glad to
hear of this new water-soak me
th <1 of rejuvenating their carpet.
—BJR—
Here’s a "how times have
changed" item: In the year 1910
the Federal Government cost the
average family $38. This year
the Federal Government is
spending at a rate that amounts
to $2000 for every American fam
ily.
—BJR—
Nebraska motorists are now en
tering their final week of annual
August agony. In the final week
of August in 1959 their were six
fatal accidents taking 12 lives and
injuring five others Eight of the
drivers involved in these fatal ac
cidents were guilty of some vi
olation of our traffic code. One
had been drinking, one was un
der the influence of liquor, one
was exceeding the safe speed lim
it, three were on the wrong side
of the road, one disregarded a
warn i\» signal and another was
charged with careless driving.
When we add the staggering
cost of traffic injuries to the un
determined cost of traffic fatali
ties, when we apply the loss of
earning power and then add the
total property damage, everyone
would recognize more emphatical
ly that Good Driving is Good
Bus ness.
—BJR—
It’s a smart politician who can
keep a note of trnvy out of his
voice while accusing his opponent
of fool.ng the public.
Homemakers
Corner..•
l I
By Catherine Indra
Home Extension Agent
Fall means school and that ties
in with the activities of home ex
tension clubs. They go back to
sch :ol too—not a formal class
room—but back to lessons after
a summer recess.
For those who don’t know,
Home Extension work is an es
sential part of the educational
program of the Cooperative
Extension Service in home
economics and agriculture. The
Extension Service is authorized by
C; ng-ess and the Nebraska Leg
isla' ire to conduct an out-of-scho
nl educational program for all
farm families, community lead
er . end urban families interested
in improving their farms, homes
end communities. All county ag
ent-, are employed jointly by the
Agricu,fural College of the Un
Do You Know Your Neighbor?
“Know Your Neighbor" ia not a contest There arc no prizes given
for correctly identifying the person pictured. The only reward ia the
satisfaction of knowing your neighbor
• •* A / •• ' «
Kenneth Curren, manager of the Kansas-Nebraska Gas Company
in O'Neill.
This man is ready to help build the future of O'Neill.
ivorsity of Nebraska and the Coun
ty Extension Service.
This fail the education pro
gram will include a lesson on
laundry - using (he washing ma
chine to do hand laundry. Ac
tivities will include a lesson on
rugmaking, and an Achievement
I>oy program. A special Christ
mas activity will be held early
in November. This will be open
to the public and will include
many ideas for Christmas gifts,
decorations and other holiday
ideas.
In 1961, there will be among
others lessens on Quick Snacks
and Meal's Freezer, Meals, Meet
ing the Needs of Senior Citizens
and Buying Women’s Dresses.
Handi-craft will center around
Mosaic Tile ;md leather. Other
special programs open to the pub
lic will be presented throughout
the year.
Nearly seven hundred women
avail themselves of this program.
It is open to every homemaker
who is interested. If you are -
we'll be happy to tell you more
about this out-of-school education
al program.
Coming up
State Council Meeting for Home
Extension Clubs in McCook - Sep
tember 20-23
H memaker’s Day - University
rf Nebraska October 26.
See the Chevy Mystery Show In color Sundays, NBC-TV ffi
. - - mm m mwmvtW} ••mdm 1
“These trails
would shake
the cab off
an ordinary
truck... but
! not our Chevy1’
Few trucks are subjected to the
\ body-wracking beatings that are
, part of a day’s work for this
Chevrolet Series 60 pulpwood
! hauler. It’s owned by J. E. Fox, j
! North Carolina logging contrac
tor. As Bobby Fox, a partner in
the business says, “Loaded with
pulpwood, we drive over stumps
and potholes you’d think would
tear the truck to pieces. These
trails would shake the cab off an
ordinary truck, but not our
Chevy. We can average an extra
load a day . . . make $45 to $50
a day more with this Chevy than
we can with the others.“
In every wo lit class these Chevies
are doing more work at less ex
pense than trucks have ever done
before. Drive one at your Chevro
let dealer’s. It’s an experience that
could pay you big dividends.
4 “That 6-cylinder engine really per
forms," says liobhy Fox. “It’s got the
lugging power we need in the woods
and walks right along with a full load
on the highway.”
WORTH MORE BECAUSE THEY WORK MORE! CHEVROLET STURDI BILT TRUCKS
Trade now during your local authorized Chevrolet dealer's Truck Value Roundup!
A. MARCELLUS CHEVROLET CO.
127 North 4th 5* O’Neill, Nebr. Phone 100