Prairieland Talk
"Round About the Cauldron"
By ROMAINE SAUNDfcKS. 4110 3»«uUi biM St, Uneoln 6, Nebr
Who if any walk the street* of O'Neill today who
tat in the old rink that night in the 1890 * and saw
and heard aura Meals tell the story of the sailor boy
who remained on the burning ship after all had
abandoned it. Laura was one of
others in this community that
had marked talent as an elo
cutionist. Among the notables
who stepped to the front that
evening to teO Laura how mueh
the >isation was
the scholarly Tom Golden. Miss
Meals was the daughter of Mr.
and Mrs. G. W. Meals, Mr.
Meals being one of a group of
lawyers that comprised the Holt _
Romanic
county bar association. The
family moved to California in Saoadera
*95 and Laura is spending her declining years in San
Diego, where her brother, W. E, Meals and Wife also
make their home. "Round about the cauldron go, in
the poisoned entrails throw." That was the get off
of another gifted O’Neill lady one night at the rink
Mrs Rube Taylor, who was taking the part of a
witch in one of Shakespears’ plays, Mrs. Taylor be
came a lawyer and ended her days in Boyd county.
Speaking of Ireland, "mighty nation thou were
once, but now the chains of throldem bind thee fast
to an unrelenting foe!" Denny Cronin gave us that
one time in a homo talent play at the rink, that
stood between Second and Third streets on the main
east and west drag through town. It was the com
munity center for amusement and culture. Who now
recalls seeing Tom Morris and his lady partner do
the waltz around the room or charming Miss Mann
cutting circles on roller skates. The Rink was the
property of Ed F. Gallagher and Tom Birmingham
who built it for roller skating parties and it became
the center of amusement and entertainment. Gone
now, nothing to replace It.
• • •
Employment, human hands at work, said to have
been at an all time high during the month of August
in Nebraska. Yes, prairieland patriots keep busy
whether there is any money in it or not . . . J street
In Lincoln leads to the east and also to the west
entrances of our State House. A patch of alfalfa at
one place along the street afforded city dwellers a
look in on a hay making scene . . . Our Big Town
down on the banks of the Missouri river had a visit
from one presidential candidate, Mr, Nixon . . .
He told me he had visited a school in the country
out west of Grand Island where spiritual instruction
goes hand in hand with the common school work,
120 Nebraska boys and girls at school there this
year. The school has a farm and their own corn
fields turned out 100 bushels of good corn to the acre
this season. Much of the com is fed to a herd of
dairy cows the school has.
For the most part there is peace and plenty the
country over. Hence the politicians have nothing to
wrangle over this election year, so the clergy inject
religion into it; and maybe that is as important as
politics. I have been a voter for nearly 70 years and
this is the first election year no fun in it.
• • •
The Gideons are still on the job. having given
out so far this year 273,428 copies of the Scriptures.
Did you get yours'’ More Bibles printed than any
other book, the Russian bosses to the contrary not
withstanding.
* • •
The Beautiful blue canopy of heaven is spread
over green adorned prairieland this calm Septem
ber morning. Tree and bush and open country
touched by nature’s Master Artist in the velvet tints
of late summer's charming scene. Birds on the
wing alight in younder tree top and start to sing.
Soon now they will be gone to our gulf states and
hole up for winter. But today the sun glows out of
ihe ethereal blue, and beast and bird and Ma and
Dad and sons and daughters may wander about to
enjoy nature’s charming scene layed before us on the
miles of open prairieland.
• • •
We look out across the open prairie, and there is
where we may find George and Mary. Nature paints
a lovely scene for you and me, the open prairie as
far as eye can see. Turn not away to human haunts
and buildings tall, for out yonder the scenes of
nature and George and Mary call. So fancy lingers
still where budding rose and goldenrod grow and
the coyote barks out on yonder hill. And then across
the trackless prairie to the abode of George and
Mary.
♦ * *
I had not known of such criminal act as "illegel
shipment." No doubt that prominent citizens of At
kinson didn’t either until the minons of the law
caught him in their lasso. But we trust Charley will
continue doing lawful things in a big way across
western Holt county, as he has for many years. At
one time when Atkinson was my post office and my
dear one some miles out across lovely prairieland our
barns broken into and valuables stolen. That did
not concern the legal lights who were on the alert
to catch some "illegal shipper." Come on. catch
the thieves once in a while and let the cows have
their "illegal" ride to market.
After 80 years The Frontier now has the tenth
scribe occupying the editors desk. Have not heard
from him yet as to this Prairieland Talk and Talker
may be ordered to shut up. But for now I reach a
hand across the 250 mile and welcome the new edi
tor, trusting he will do as good or better job at the
editorial desk as the many before him had done.
Plan to see him and O’Neill friends early next month.
Fditorial
Passina The Torch
The ancient Greeks had a ceremonial foot-race
called "Passing the Torch.” Their swiftest runners
carried a lighted torch and passed it, burning, into
the hands of the next relay of runners, sometimes
from city to city, until it reached its goal.
In our nation, we have an annual event carry
ing a similar idea a path of light toward a goal.
However, in this event, no physical exertion is in
volved only faith. The occasion is National Bible
Week.
The twentieth annual observance of Bible Week
takes place October 17-23. The theme for the Week
is, "The Bible- Strength of our Nation."
Former President Herbert Hoover is serving as
honorary national chairman for the Week, and Ed
ward C. Werle, chairman of the board of the New
York Stock Exchange, is national chairman.
This year also marks the twentieth anniversary
of the Laymen’s National Committee, the interfaith
organization which sponsors the Week. The first
observance of Bible Week began on December 7,
1941, a date that shall endure in our history. Today,
we are again confronted with an international crisis.
Full participation by our people in National Bible
Week will help us to keep the faith handed down
by our Founding Fathers.
The Religious Issue
Dakota County Star
4
We would imagine that most folks are about as
tired as we are of hearing about the "religious is
sue' ' concerning the election for president of the
United States.
Who is responsible for all of the repeated
references to religion in regard to politics?
Certainly Mr. Kennedy must be tired of having
the question of religion thrown at him. He has
answered the query regarding religion time and
time again, unflinchingly and emphatically.
Mr. Nixon is surely not to blame He has urged
that the religious issue be dropped from the cam
paign. He has rejected the support of anyone who
endorsed him solely because they were opposed to
bis Democratic rival’s regigious beliefs.
Mr. Nixon said that, in his opinion, there is no
doubt that Kennedy, if elected would "put the con
stitution above any other consideration."
Ironically, both the Republican and Democratic
National Committees are seeking to discover and
expose the sources of anti-Catholic material which
is pouring into voter mail boxes.
A Republican official in Washington went as far
as to call this writer last week to determine whether
this newspaper had received any such literature
and, if so, from whom.
The candidates and the two major parties are
clean.
Then who is responsible for pin-pointing the
religious issue?
As a starter we might mention such groups as
the National Conference of Citizens for Religious
Freedom, other organizations meeting in conventions
who make it part of their program and approve
ridiculous resolutions, individuals like Dr. Norman
Vincent Peale, and some fanatics, bigots and left
wingers who are taking advantage of this situation
to spread their venom.
It’s no secret that Dr. Peale. an ordained mini
ster, is a Republican. He voted Republican in the
primary the same as we did. He is a Nixon sup
porter as we are. Then certainly Dr. Peale can find
innumerable reasons to support the Republican
party—without shrouding the issue in religion.
We cannot envision anyone usurping their hard
fought freedom of free election by voting for or
against any candidate because of his religious affi
liation.
There are too many real, veritable, authentic
issues involved in this presidential compaign of 1960
to invoke a nefarious motif into the struggle.
Is not the problem confronting us with Com
munism today of much more importance than where
a man chooses to worship the same God? The same
is true of the world situation, our farm and economic
problems.
Study the party platforms. Listen to the candi
dates. Make yourself informed on the issues, real
and defined not those of fantasy.
If you want to encourage free enterprise, less
federal control, fewer welfare programs, then you
might want to vote Republican.
If you want federal aid to education, more wel
fare programs, more federal controls and govern
ment bureaus, you might want to vote Democratic.
Vote for the man or the party, but don't waste
your precious right, and defy the wishes of both
Nixon and Kennedy, by voting for or against a man
because of where he chooses to attend church on
Sunday.
MARTINEZ, CALIF., GAZETTE: "At a moment
when frenzied orations are urging that the govern
ment ‘stimulate’ the economy to an annual growth
rate of five per cent, the statistics on 1959 finally
have come out. The Gross National Product went
up about seven per cent last year, it turns out.
"Government spending programs can’t in them
selves improve the real GNP. To spend, the govern
ment must take the money from some taxpayer and
prevent him from spending or investing it. And it
can never be a substitute for free enterprise. It can
only provide the climate for business and industry
which will provide the growth and the real Gross
National Product.”
BRUCE J. REHBERG. Editor
Terms of Subscription: In Nebraska, $2.50 per
year; elsewhere in the United States, $3 per year,
rate abroad provided upon request. All subscrip
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 EDITORIAL
Frontiers
Ago
56 YEARS AGO
St Patrick s church will be de
dicated on October 19 The dedica
tion ceremonies will be in charge
a# Rev Bishop Scanned of Om
aha. . .S J. Weekes and J. F.
O'Donnell are m Omaha this week
attending the fourteenth annual
convention of the Nebraska Bank
ers' association. . .A new force
of bricklayers have arrived and
work commenced again Monday
morning upon the Northwestern
passenger station. . .The people
erf Inman enjoyed a feast of
music Friday evening, September
23rd. the occasion being the pi
a no recital of the pupils of Miss
Evans of O’Neill at the opera
house. . A half dozen members
of die democratic county com
mittee met in this city last Sat
urday and accepted the resigna
tion of chairman C. B. Scott and
John A. Hannon was selected to
fill the vacancy.
25 YEARS AGO
Fire destroyed the farm house
on the old Pete Curtis farm
three miles east and a half nule
north of this city about 10 o'clock
last Tuesday night. The farm
was occupied by Harley Fox and
he and his wife were away from
home at the time of the fire. . .
Headed by the O'Neill High school
band, the Lille German band and
Mayor John Kersenbrock about
175 residents of this city will leave
at 4 o’clock this afternoon on a
special tram for Norfolk to help
the Knights of Siam of that city
put on a real celebration, . .C.H.
Switzer, representing Swift &
Co. of Sioux City, arrived in the
city last Saturday and has rent
ed the Parker building south of
tlie Fox hotel. . The application
of Holt county for a loan and
grant of $11,909 for the erection
of a new courthouse in this coun
ty has been approved by the
federal authorities.
10 YEARS AGO
A banquet was given in honor
of Miss Elja McCullough by the
Holt county rural teachers on
Friday, September 22, at the
American Legion auditorium. . .
Lincoln Cathedral won its second
straight 6-man football game of
the season here Friday night, de
feating St. Mary’s of O’Neill, 14-6
. . .Zahar Dowhopaly, a Ukrain
ian farmer and his German wife,
are comfortable in their new home
near Inman. . .Holt county will be
visited by the Nebraska Republi
can caravan on Friday, October
6. . Members of the United Pres
byterian church congregation of
Ewing gathered Tuesday morning
at 9 o’clock for a brief ceremony
as ground was broken for an
addition to the church building.
. .LeRoy Moos, 3, is home for a
visit from the University of Ne
braska hospital where he has
undergone treatment since Jan
uary. LeRoy drank lye and the
inside of his mouth and his eso
phagus tube were burned.
5 YEARS AGO
O’Neill will be host to a nine- •
county meeting of the Nebraska
Fourth district Parent Teachers
association. The all-day confer
ence will be held on Wednesday,
October 19. . .Mr. and Mrs. Lewis
Downey of Page quietly noted
their 57th wedding anniversary
Thursday, September 22, at their
heme. . . Rep. A. L. Miller (R
Neb.) and his secretary, Wayne
Van Norman, were O’Neill visit
ors Wednesday evening . . . One
hundred seventy-five persons,
many of them coming from
Pierce county, defied Sunday af
ternoon's rain to help Mr. and
Mrs. Ed M. Leach of O'Neill ob
serve their golden wedding an
niversary. . Preliminary plans
for a rural fire protection dis
trict in the O’Neill locality were
developed Tuesday night' during
an informal meeting at the Amer
ican Legion auditorium. . .Mr.
"nd Mrs. William Newton on Fri
day, Sept. 23. quietly celebrated
their 63rd wedding anniversary at
their heme at Emmet.
----
The Long Ago
At Chambers
50 YEARS AGO
Chambers Township finding
that the engine on the township
grader was too light, has purchas
ed a new 2-cylinder and C. J.
Barnum is now fitting the same
to the grader. We expect in the
near future to see the dirt fly. . .
H. Graves had a fine yo*ang horse
killed by lightning Sunday night
. . .William Reinger of Hubbard
came in on the stage yesterday.
Mr. Reinger intended making
some needed improvements on his
place west of town, but owing to
Mr. Allens being away he was
obliged to postpone the work and
he returned to O'Neill on the
stage. . .C. E. Hall came down
from O’Neill Monday with some
land seekers. . E. F. Porter, Ben
Hubbard and W. B. Cooper are
building a large barn for H.
Graves.
25 YEARS AGO
As the Supervisors board met
last Monday they appointed J.W.
Walters to fill the vacancy of the
late Ezra Cooke, Supervisor of
the 7th district. . The first frost
of the season was accompanied
by a freeze up of inch of ice
Thursday night. . Dr. Eason was
an O’Neill visitor Tuesday after
noon. . . There was an Epworth
League Rally held last Monday
evening Sepi. 30 at Page. . .
Word was received Monday that
Mrs. Lillie Richard, a prominent
business woman of this town, is
at the Lord Lister Hospital at
Omaha. She was injured when the
taxi she was riding in was struck
by another car Monday afternoon. m
Smoke from
"Brandin'
Iron" Crick
By J. C. Fudd
Weather's been mighty pretty
along the Crick for the last week
Seemsl like this time of year
gives folks the yen to hit the
roads. Every citizen along the
Crick is either off visiting or up
to their arm pits in company.
Seems as if off hand, the
Fudds have been having a mite
more than their share. Last Tues
day who should have been in but
Lena's second cousins, Louie
Pritchett and his wife Dolly from
way down by Little Rock They
was eight all told (not counting
two dogs). Their oldest girl Cor
rie, her husband Woody and three
kids (they described 'em as "a
lap chile,’ a walking baby and a
yard youngun.") Besides that
there was na old lady along that
they called Aunt Flossy. We
never did get it figgered if she
was kin to us or just to them.
Said they, "lowed they'd drive
up and just surprise us " They
sure got the job done. Couldn’t
have picked a worse time. lz?na
had just washed all the curtains,
We’d just got through doctoring
up Old Pretzel’s sore hind leg
and there was salve and merthio
late and rags scattered all over
Lena’s corns had been dealing
her fits so we was settling for a
fried egg sandwich when they
come chuggin' up. Worst of it
was we’d never laid eyes on any
I 1... r— TL ...i utan ennl
till WV»V* V. * J
nice folks in an irritating way.
Like I said we didn’t know 'em
from Adam’s off ox but nothing
would do but we had to guess who
they were. Must have put in 20
minutes of this kind of horsing
around before they introduced
themselves.
They was nice folks real talkers
and setters. "Don't go to a bit of
bother," they said whilst they
watched Lena and Yours Truly
dig in. “If the kids get foxy
give'em what for.” Wasn't fussy
about what they ate either just
so there was plenty of it.
Well, the kids got foxy all right.
The lap chile bawled all night
(every night—they stayed till
Friday morning.) The other two
was the oneriest kids you ever
saw. Wouldn’t mind a thing. They
sure raised heck in the store
room. Chased Old Pretzel out of
his bed, sore leg and all. put the
cat in the candy case, busted a
ten pound sack of sugar all over
the floor and took a bite out of
everything they could reach.
They was sure asking for a dose
of club soup and Thursday night
when they stepped on Lena’s sore
corns, By Ginger, they got it!
Never saw a family decide they
had to leave for home quicker.
Took off like a scalded cat on the
stroke of 7 the next morning.
See you next week.
Phone Your News to
The Frontier
Phone 788
Robert Austin, Chairman of the
National Committee for a Repre
sentative Congress, has announc
ed that the Committee endorses
Senator Carl T. Cures of Nebras
ka for re-election Mr. Austin
said The National Committee for
a Representative Congress is an
independent, non-partisan, nation
al organization, neither conserva
tive nor liberal, supporting Sen
aturs and Congressmen selected
not on the basis of their political
philosophies, but on their individ
ual records of outstanding cour
ageous public service.
In support of the Committee's
claim of non-partinsanship Mr.
Austin stated the Committee so
far has endorsed three Democrat
Senators, Kefauver of Tennessee,
McClellan of Arkansas, Robert
son of Virginia, ami thrt>e Repub
lican Senators, Margaret Chase
Smith of Maine, Bridges erf New
Hampshire, and now Senator Cur
tis erf Nebraska, with other en
dorsements pending. The text of
the endorsement follows:
"The National Committee for a
Representative Congress has care
fuLly rev iewed the reconi of Sen
ator Carl T. Curtis of Nebraska
in the United States Senate, and
has taken a poll of its members
in Nebraska concerning his can
didacy for re-election."
"The review of his record In
dicates conclusively that in all
of his years in the United States
Senate, be has adhered stead
fastly to the principles of re
presentative government. That
he has given the people of Ne
braska honest, intelligent, con
structive, and courageous re
presentation, faithfully serving
their interests, and the interests
of the Nation as a whole with
outstanding and forthright integ
rity, and with unselfish dis
regard for any adverse |M»litioal
consequences,”
‘‘The poll of members of the
Nebraska branch of the National
Committee for a Representative
Congress showed an overwhelm
ing approval for the re-election
of Senator Curtis. Our unrestrict
ed State wide public opinion sur
vey also favored him." “The Na
tional Committee for a Represen
tative Congress feels that Senator
Curtis deserves congratulations
on his very outstanding record of
public efforts in behalf i>f Nebras
ka and America, particularly for;
His adherence to constitution
al principles, private enterprise
and the American way of life.
His outstanding record in favor
of economy so needed to main
tain the value of the purchasing
power of the income of our wage
earners, cur farmers and our busi
nessmen.
Ilis unexcelled record in con
serving our natural resources of
soil and water: as author of the
resolution that brought forth the
Missouri River Basin flood con
trol and irrigation plan, and as
loader in enactment of the Re
publican River Basin legislation,
he has added to the wealth and
Uie Income of our state.
His knowledge of the Federal
tax structure and his efforts to
bring about justice and equity
Do You Know Your Neighbor?
• Know Your Neighbor” is not a contest There art' no prizes gi\en
for correctly identifying the person pictured. The only reward is the
satisfaction of knowing your neighbor
Last week’s Guess Who was none other titan John Knke, manager
of the O’Neill Penney Store.
to ("very segment of our popula
tion.
His consistent support of Ne
braska agriculture and his many
accomplishments that have added
to the net income otf Nebraska
farmers. He is recognized as the
leader of the only long range
farm program that offers hope—
the industrial uses of our farm
surpluses. In the meantime, he
has voted and worked for prac
tical measures to benefit the farm
families of Nebraska.
His common sense and human
itarian attitude in the field of
social security which has bettered
the lot of th(»se who receive bene
fits as well as those who pay
for our social security system.
His vigorous and Untiring lead
ership in behalf of Nebraska and
his dedication to legislation and
other matters promoting Nebras
ka's welfare. “The National Com
mittee for a Representative Con
gress congratulates the people of
(Nebraska on being served in the
United States Senate with the ef
fective representation which Sen
ator Curtis has given them, and
the conviction is expressed that
the voters of the State will dis
plajl their appreciation of his
excellent record of brilliant pub
lic service by returning him to
the United States Senate."
And this confirms what we’ve
known all along.
Paul Shierk
INSURANCE AGENCY
O'NEILL. NEBR
Insurance of AO
Kinds
jHZlFtZI!
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You’ll find new models for '61—long
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down proof (based on owner reports) that
Chevy’s torsion-spring design is the best
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With Chevy’s independent front sus
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and why the truck itself will stand up
to thousands of miles of more work. That
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Check the latest specs with your Chev
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_ SEE THE GREATEST SHOW ON WORTH AT YOUR LOCAL AUTHORIZED CHEVROLET DEALER’S
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127 North 4th O'Neill, Nebr. Phone IOO
