Praineland Talk
"Memory Lives On"
By ROMAINE SAUNDkrtS. 4110 South hist St., LJncntn 6, Nebr.
Manns, Mullens, Biglins. Memory goes back 60,
70 years and ev.n beyond that. Seven in the Mann
family, a number in the Mullen and Biglin families
that made the county seat town in Holt county what
it was in their day. Where now
are they all? U know and I
know. But here today is a re
speeted and prominent business
man whose middle name is that
of the Mann family, his mother
being one of the three sisters
of the late merchant prince, J.
I*. Mann. And an esteemed
friend and worthwhile citizen of
O’Neill is of the Mullen family
aid still with us. The name
, , , Romaino
itiglin survives yet where it was
hung up about 75 years ago on Saunders
what is now south Fourth street. Times moves on,
those we had known are here no more; but their
names are still with us and we who knew them are
glad for that.
* * *
A Lincoln man shot and killed his wife, took off
for the country and was found dead of a pistol shot.
Their children left without mother and father and
memories of tragedy to treasure through life.
* * *
“I was bom on a farm.” so said he to me as we
talked a bit together. Then he compared farm life
and its influence on boys with life in the city, con
tending that the bad kids are those in towns and
cities. Yes, but there are some young devils far out
from city life. I was born in a small city, have seen
most of the big cities of our country, stood on
mountain sides and know the open country. The good
and bad are every where. And where I have traveled
life’s highway the good kids .out numbered the bad.
Life in the country, in the city. John and Joe and
Jim, Mary, Maude and Mae are all OK if mother
and dad followed that Heaven sent instruction to
“Train up a child in the way it should go.”
* * *
Christmas week brought me not only a number
of greetings by mail but a few in person. Among
those was Jerry, late Frontier promoter of news.
He and his wife and their daughter now make their
home in Lincoln, in my part of the Capitol City.
Jerry is at it yet, now preparing stories for publica
tion of life in North and West Nebraska as we old
timers know it before the days of the automobile
and airplane. He also attends the State University
and will come from those classic halls soon now
with the PhD degree hung upon scholarly shoulders.
And he promised to bring little daughter over to visit
me.
State Senator Mrs. Orme goes to Washington
near the middle of January to have her say at a
gathering of members of congress to consider pro
posals for helping aged citizens, Mrs. Orme taking
the place of a Nebraska congressman at his request
as he could not be there in person. Now maybe Fern
will be inspired to seek a seat in congress herself.
* * *
Write it 1961 and make it the best year so far
along your life’s pathway. Happy New Year!
* * *
Christmas day the sun glows in golden glory
from the cloudless blue sky, not a trace of snow,
but calm and bright and mild throughout the day.
So far the forecast of a mild winter has made good.
• • *
I have had a visit from Rev. W. J. Lowrie and
Mrs. Lowrie, who are down from their home at
Brainerd, Minn., to spend the winter in Nebraska,
they having a residence property in Auburn in the
southeast corner of this Beef State. Rev. and Mrs.
Lowrie spent two or three days at Christmas time
with a minister friend in Lincoln, taking off for
Auburn they came my way. Rev. Lowrie followed
the way of his father, Rev. N. S. Lowrie, who was
the first resident pastor of the Presbyterian church
in O’Neill. W. J. is now retired, having reached the
age of more than four score years. Will, as we knew
him back in the 1890’s when he and I sat in our sad
dles and rode the prairies of Holt county, recalled
during our recent visit the time he and I were out
some 20 miles northeast of O’Neill and a large
section of that country was swept by a prairie fire.
But Will and I and our horses under us escaped
without being scorched. The Lowrie home was on
Everett street to the west of Third street where the
family lived for some 20 years before moving to
Lincoln over 50 years ago. Will’s father and mother
are in the abode of the dead here in Lincoln. His
brother Clinton, Will informed me, is visiting at the
home of his daughter in Beatrice for a time, but
now makes his home with another daughter in Al
berta, Canada. Clinton too is a retired Presbyterian
minister, was a gay young lad on the streets of
O'Neill in the long ago.
* * *
So the new governor and out going lieutenant
governor who has been serving as governor favor
a four year term for Nebraska’s chief executive. If
a four year term for one state official why not for
all state and county officers.
* * *
Another year ahead. Open again the windows
of your soul that the glow of love and peace and joy
may shine in; forgetting the blunders of life now
left behind and move forward determined to be true
and just and kind.
Editorial
A World of Distractions
If there is one word which describes the condi
tion under which we and all civilized peoples live
UKlay, it is the word “Distraction.”
This is a common enough word, but it has wide
and significant meanings. For one thing, the diction
ary tells us, it means a drawing off or diversion of
the mind. It means confusion and perplexity. Then,
at the far end of the spectrum, it means aberration,
frenzy, even madness.
We have a plentitude of distractions these days.
The cold war goes on and on, ever-broadening, with
no end in sight. The world’s eyes were recently
riveted on an unprecedented meeting of chiefs of
state at the United Nations in New York where,
literally, one well-aimed rifle shot could have
marked the beginning of World War III. We have
.just gone through a political campaign of unique
*?itensity, in which the decision was agonizingly
close. We have witnessed a reign of terror in Africa
which reads like a chapter from the Dark Ages. We
have seen the establishment of what amounts to a
Communist-dominated state a few miles from the
Southeastern tip of this nation. And—in a single year
some 40 new countires with their own flags, parlia
ments, aspirations, and latent and unknown powers,
have come into being.
On top of all this, we have our deep and pas
sionate controversies at home—as to what should
be done in such diverse fields as education, medical
care for the old and indigent, the production of
electric power in the nuclear age and, above all, the
proper role of government in ordering and directing
the lives of the people.
So “Distraction" is the symbolic word. Our
minds are tom in a hundred fragments. The problem
has been compounded to an enormous degree by
magical progress in the arts of communication,
visual and verbal. In a matter of seconds, some
dvent taking place half a world away is made
known to us, in words and pictures. In a matter of
hours, we ourselves can physically travel half a
world away from our homes.
It is no wonder that, living as we must in this
turmoil, it becomes, as the old French proverb has
it, more and more difficult to see the forest because
of the trees. Fundamentals become dim and may
even be lost beneath the cruel and blinding light of
changing and threatening events.
But some things do not change. That is what
we, because of our heritage and because of our
inescapable position as leader of a free world con
fronted by a slave world which wants to destroy us,
cannot afford to forget.
The question is: What is it all for, this spending
of almost unimaginable resources of energy and
treasure on a scale never before so much as ap
proximated in history? Why may we be asked, as
a people, for personal, material sacrifices greater
than any we have yet known?
There is a simple answer—that we must defend
ourselves and our friends among the nations against
the forces of darkness which are our enemies. But
that is not the whole answer by any means.
The real answer is that we are doing this—if it
is to have any real and permanent meaning at all—
in order to preserve th? best and oldest ideal that
history knows, which is freedom. Freedom means
many things. It means a high degree of personal
responsibility and pride, in which one cares for him
s.lf and his family without looking to government
for aid unless no other avenue is open. It means, in
the fine old sense of the phrase, a government which
is the servant and never the master of the people.
I: means that leadership and national purpose come
from the people and are not imposed upon them
from above. It means a deep spiritual belief that
every man is important, as a person and an entity—
and that men in the mass can never be allowed to
submerge the individual, and make him a number
among faceless millions of numbers.
Whatever we have done, are doing, or must do,
will be worth every necessary cost if this ideal is
kept bright and shining before us. But if we lose it—
if we allow the ind.vidual to become a powerless,
driven pawn in a game played by rulers—everything
worth while will be lost too.
If you’re an average consumer, during your life
time you’ll eat the equivalent of 33 hogs, 10 lambs,
8 steers and 4 veal calves.
Feeling No Pain
Reprinted from the Evening World-Herald
Omaha, Nebraska Saturday, Dec. 3, I960
Budget increases requested by all the agencies
of the State of Nebraska for the next biennium
amount to 26 per cent, Governor Burney said. That
would be a whopping increase, and we imagine that
a good many Nebraskans are wondering why such
huge requests should be made.
Where, we imagine these Nebraskans are asking
themselves, will we get the money?
The director of one of the state’s agencies sup
plied his answer to that question Thursday at a
budget hearing. Mel Steen, director of the Nebraska
Game, Forestation and Parks Commission urged that
a state sales tax be enacted.
A sales tax, Mr. Steen said, is a ‘‘painless way
of raising revenue.” By which we suppose he means
that sales taxes ordinarily are collected in nickels,
and dimes, and quarters, and that the frequent
parting with small change is less painful to a tax
payer than annual lump-sum payment in dollars.
Mr. Steen evidently believes that the limit to
which government is justified in tapping the tax
payer's pocketbook is established by the amount of
pain the process causes. Under the sedation of a
sales levy, the citizen apparently is expected to be
easier picking than he was before.
Well, Mr. Steen displays an uncommon frank
ness. He wants more money to spend. No ifs, ands, or
buts about that. And he simply proposes that his
yearning for more spending money be satisfied by
socking the people, with the humane reservation that
it be accomplished with as little pain as possible.
He utters none of that nonsense about "replace
ment” of taxes. He doesn’t resort to the standard
line that a sales levy "will lower your tax bill,” He
asks for more money, and tells how to get out and
get it.
We hope the citizens of Nebraska will bear in
mind the truth implicit in Mr. Steen’s demands. We
hope they will not forget that a sales tax is primari
ly a way to force them to pay more taxes, and pro
vide more money for the spenders, and put more
employees on the government pay roll, and breed
more bureaus to regulate and harass them, and in
general to make government bigger and bigger.
—
Since the end of World War n. The Federal
government has spent more than 585 billion for
veterans’ benefits of one kind or another. This is
more than three times as much as the U. S. spent
for this purpose from the Revolutionary War to
World War n.
Frontiers
Ago
50 YEARS AGO
Owing to the storm and the
blockaded conditions of the rail
roads cattle receipts so far this
week have been scarcely heavy
enough to make a market. . .
Two more aviators have taken
the death plunge. Some people
are always ready to take great
risks in order to do something
a little different. . . James Earley
jr., was the lucky winner in the
automobile contest lately closed
by a Sioux City paper. The prize
which goes to Mr. Earley is a
Flanders automobile. . .The mer
cury ranged from 32 below zero
on Tuesday morning to 36 above
this morning. . .The speedway to
Health, Bliss Native Herbs, the
great Blood Purfier, Kidney and
Liver Regulater at Alberts Har
ness and Shoe Store.
25 YEARS AGO
Margaret Honeywell, teaching
school six miles east of Cham
bers spent Christmas here with
her parents, Mr. and Mrs. George
Mitchell. . .Judge R. R. Dickson
sent in his filing last Thursday as
candidate for re-election to his
present post as judge of the dis
trict court of the Fifteenth Judi
cial district. . .Miss Lois Cald
well of Utica, Nebr. visited at the
L. R. Tompkins home several
days last week. ,. .A force of
workmen started in this morning
tearing down the old Holt County
jail building getting the ground
ready for the excavation for the
new court house and jail. . .
Girls, this is leap year and there
are several eligible bachelors in
the city who are suspectible if
properly approached.
.10 YEARS AGO
Building movers from Wagner,
S. D., moved the Scottville hall
to a new foundation last week
. . . Mr. and Mrs. Roy Parker had
a telephone conservsation with
their son and daughter-in-law,
Mr. and Mrs. Frank Parker of
Seattle, Wash . . . Mr. and Mrs.
C. E. Worth have received word
that their son Charles E. has
been promoted to the rank of
technical sergeant . . . Glenn
Adams Tuesday succeeded his
elder brother Leo T. as president
of the Chambers State bank . . .
Mr. and Mrs. Sam Trussell and
Verna of Orchard were New
Year’s day guests at the home of
Mr. and Mrs. Neil Clarke.
5 YEARS AGO
Pvt. Robert J. Fritton, son of
Mr. and Mrs. Fred Fritton of
O’Neill has been enrolled for a
12-weeks’ course of radio school
at Camp Chaffee, Ark. . . . Doug
las and Daniel, identical twin
sons of Mr. and Mrs. Heinrich
Frahm were the first bom in
Holt county in the new year . . .
E. V. Sageser met with a slight
accident Wednesday, December
28, when his car overturned on
an icy road a few miles from O’
Neill . . . Mr. and Mrs. Rudolph
Tusha of Verdigre held open
house in observance of their gol
den wedding anniversary . . .
Lyle Fox returned to Hastings
Monday after spending the Christ
mas holidays visiting relatives in
O’Neill.
The Long Ago
At Chambers
50 YEARS AGO
Saturday afternoon marked the
beginning of a fierce blizzard
which reached its heighth Sunday
night the mercury hovering
around 30 below zero and snow
driven by a 50 mile gale, it made
this one of the worst storms, that
has visited our section in sev
eral years. . .The doctors all
know that the hardest patients to
cure are those who have nothing
the matter with them. . .Mr. At
wood, the Proprietor of the Hub
is placing his goods and will soon
be ready for business. . Owing to
the storm the stage did not get
in from O’Neill Monday. . .Go
to Smith Bros, for the highest
prices for your butter and eggs.
Dr. H. D. GILDERSLEEVE
OPTOMETRIST
Eyes Examined—Glasses Fitted
Contact Lenses
Phone 167 — O’Neill, Nebr.
Hours 9-5—Mon. thru Saturday
Closed Wednesday
25 YEARS AGO
More persons have been killed
in automobile accidents in the
U. S. during the past 15 years
than lost their lives in the 6 major
wars of the nations history. . .
Mr. and Mrs. John Butler and
daughters left Monday for Om
aha where they will establish
their future home. . .Man has
survived the age of stone, bronze,
iron, discovered inventions, etc.,
but there is some doubt as to
whether he will pull through the
age of ivory. . -Bill Sammons
passed away, Monday, Dec. 30th
following a 10 day illness at his
home southeast of Amelia. . .
Bernard Cavanaugh left Thurs
day for the CC Camp after spend
ing Christmas at home.
Clearwater New
Mrs. Charles Curlright
HUnter 5-3290
Elkhorn Valley Home Extension
club met December 28 with Mrs.
Simon Nore. Eight members and
one visitor were present. Mrs.
Charles Curtright conducted the
meeting which opened with the
club creed, led by Mrs. Nore. Roll
call was answered by each
naming her favorite Christmas
song. Year books for 1961 were
distributed and new officers will
preside at the next meeting.
Games were played and gifts dis
tributed in this way. Mrs. Melvin
Jacobsen and Mrs. Phillip Nore
won prizes. Lunch was served.
Dale Hale was dismissed
from the Tilden community
hospital on December 24, where
he had been a patient several
days.
Mrs. Jim Workman left Sun
day for Grand Island where her
son, Russel of Denver met her
and they returned to Denver Mon
day. Mrs. Workman will spend
about three weeks in Denver with
her daughter, Art Kelly and fami
ly and assist in the care of Mr.
Kelly.
Mr. and Mrs. Jack Corder and
Lisa returned to their home in
Texas after spending the holidays
here with her parents, Mr. and
Mrs. Roy Stevens, in Neligh and
with his parents, Mr. and Mrs.
Merlin Corder.
svnuui resumed uere tiiuiuurj
3 after a holiday vacation.
Kindergarten will commence
January 16.
New Years Eve guests at the
Charles Curtright home were Mr.
and Mrs. Claude Schrage, Mr.
and Mrs. Melvin Jacobsen and
Mr. and Mrs. Emery Carey .
Connie Dredge of Ainsworth
spent Monday night in the Harry
Knapp home as a guest of Gay
lene Knapp.
Larry Lucas came from Den
ver to spend the holidays with
his small daughter, Lisa Ann, at
the Arthur Lucas home.
Mr. and Mrs. Bill Lincoln and
family have returned to their
home in New London, Conn., af
ter spending the holidays with
Mrs. Lincoln’s parents, Mr. and
Mrs. John Thiele sr.
Mr. and Mrs. Jerry Miller and
family of California spent the
holidays with his parents, Mr.
and Mrs. Floyd Muller.
Word from Mrs. Ernie Ful
ler, who suffered a stroke some
time ago, Is encouraging.
Friends here have been in
formed that she is improving.
Robert Siems is a patient in the
Tilden hospital being admitted
there December 26.
Benita Prater visited last week
in the Don Maulding home in
Kearney.
Venus News
By Mrs. Ralph Brookhouiter
Mr. and Mrs. Gerald Waring
and sons, Arlie and Willis, were
hosts at a family Christmas ga
thering at their home December
26. Those present were Mrs.
Ethel Waring of Page, Mr. and
Mrs. Kenneth Waring of O’Neill,
Mr. and Mrs. Dale Waring and
family of Fairbury, Mr. and Mrs.
Robert Pease and family of Ni
obrara, Glen Waring and Kevin
of Orchard, Mr. and Mrs. J. W.
Finch and daughter, Margie, of
Brea, Calif., Mr. and Mrs. Larry
Taylor and Mark of Scottsbluff,
Mr. and Mrs. Veldon Godel and
daughters and Mr. and Mrs. Ken
neth Heiss and family.
Mr. and Mrs. Lyle Rassmusun
and family of Eola, la., spent
Christmas eve and Christmas at
the home of her parents, Mr. and
Mrs. George Jeffrey. Other guests
Christmas day were Mr. and Mrs.
Robert Mitchell and Julie of Om
aha.
Mr. and Mrs. Elroy Lieb and
family of O’Neill spent Thursday
evening at the borne of her sister,
Mrs. Arden Laursen and family.
Mrs. Ressell Plainview is vis
iting at the Grandma Evans home
this week.
FARM AND RANCH LOANS
20 years to repay, low interest rates, pay off as
much as you want at anytime. High appraisals,
see or call—
Gaskill Insurance and Loans
- LOCATIONS -
Ph. FR 1-9323
112 N. 5th
Norfolk, Nebr.
Ph. TU 7-4004
Moon Bldg.
Neligh, Nebr.
Ph. 710
124 So. 4th
O’Neill, Nebr.
35 and 37-38
i
Christmas day guests at the
home of Mrs. Edna Boelter were
her children, Mr. and Mrs. Del
bert Boelter of Creighton, Mr.
and Mrs. Willis Boelter and fam
ily, Mr. and Mrs. Francis Boel
ter and Loren, Mr. and Mrs. El
mer Kocina and Marlin Winn.
Other visitors were Mr. and Mrs.
Jake Efflie of Creighton and Mrs.
Bertha Boelter of Norfolk.
Mr. and Mrs. Gerald Hildrith
and family of California visited
Tuesday afternoon at the Donald
Kinnison, Donald Casikey and
Harry Caskey homes.
Christmas dinner guests at the
home of Mr. and Mrs. Emil Bar
tos were Mr. and Mrs. Roy
Brookhouser and Jeffrey of Nor
folk and Mr. and Mrs. Ralph
Brookhouser.
Spending Sunday and Monday j
with their parents were Mr. and
Mrs. Larry Brookhouser of Grand
Island and Mr. and Mrs. Ray
Brookhouser and Jeffrey of Nor
folk.
Mr. and Mrs. Sidney Faulhaber
spent Christmas day with their
daughter, Mrs. Paul (Baker and
family at Schuyler.
The Rev. and Mrs. Clarence
Andersen of Elba spent the Christ
mas weekend with their daughter,
Mrs. Donald Caskey.
Mr. and Mrs. Willis Boelter and
Mr. and Mrs. Harry Caskey vis
ited at the home of Mrs. Edna
Boelter December 26.
Sharolyn Caskey is visiting
with her grandparents.
Mr. and Mrs. Lavaine Hines
and family were Christmas
guests at the home of his bro
ther, Lloyd Hines and family at
Royal.
Tuesday evening visitors at the
home of Mr. and Mrs. Sidney
Faulhaber were Mr. and Mrs.
Ralph Brookhouser.
Mr. and Mrs. Ora Caskey and
family spent December 27 at the
MILLER THEATER
ATKINSON
One Show Nightly 8 o’clock
Thurs. - Fri. - Sat
Jan. 5-6-7
Sun. - Mon. - Tues. - Wed.
Jan. 8 - 9 - 10-11
LfliratlOM '
The Unforgiven
TECHNICOLOR*
Thurs. - Fri. - Sat.
Jan 12-13-14
home of Mr. and Mrs. George
Jeffrey and family.
Mr. and Mrs. George Jeffrey,
Pajl Lee and William Jeffrey
visited at the home of Mr. and
Mrs. Ralph Brookhouser Decem
ber 28.
Mr. and Mrs. Leland Caskey
of Omaha and Mr. and Mrs. Ora
Casikey and Larry and Gary were
Christmas evening dinner guests
at the Edwin Porter home at
Orchard. Other guests there were
Mr. and Mrs. Stanley Porter and
family of Wayne, Mr. and Mrs.
Lloyd Porter and Jerome of
Holdredge and Mr. and Mrs. Ver
lyn Gibbs and boys of Clearwater.
Phone your news lo 7KH
FOR LEASE
With Spring 1961 Possession
1140 ACRES - Known as the Robertson Farm—located lVa
miles east and 14 miles north of Stuart on the Stuart Naper High
way. This is undoubtedly one of the finest Livestock and Grain
units in North-Central Nebraska. 720 acres native grass, 220 acres
brome and alfalfa 140 acres excellent alfalfa, 330 acres of deep
rich crop land, 2 semi-modern houses, excellent corralls and feed
lots, best of water, plenty of qualified grain storage. Fenced and
cross fenced—It’s the best o|>cratlng unit anywhere. 3000 ten
capacity, cemented floor pit silos.
2920 ACRES - All hay and grass—known as the Mellor Wefso
Ranch, located just 1 mile east of the Robertson Farm. Live, year
around running water in all pastures and winter quarters, excel
lent shelter, ample buildings, good grain and feed storage, good
corralls for working cattle, 250 acres excellent alfalfa, 750 acres
native meadows, balance all grass, fenced and cross-fenced to
be used either as 3 or 5 pastures.
720 ACRE PASTURE - located 19 miles straight north of At
kinson. Watered by spring fed stream, plus 1 well and windmill.
Best of fences. Will rent separately or along with the 2920 acre
Mellor-Wefso Ranch.
2 IRRIGATED QUARTERS - Immediately east of Atkinson,
on the north side of Highway 20. Top notch irrigation equipment,
1500 gallon wells, excellent producers. Would consider sidling tho
SE‘/4 Section 33. Priced at $225.00 an acre, including choice of
Champion or Stout Built equipment—3 inch main lines, 5 Inch
laterals, volume guns, everything included. TERMS - 25%
cash 25% one year later-balance over a 10 year period at 4Vi%
interest. If this quarter is not sold by the 15th of January, both
will be for lease.
Reference and financial reliability required from
all applicants. For appointment telephone 6131
Atkinson anytime after 7:30 a.m. and not later
than 9:30 p.m. any day except Sunday forenoon.
ERNIE WELLER, Owner
Atkinson, Nebraska
P. S. My doctors advise taking it easy, consequently the urgency
to lease these properties. Watch future papers, announcing a
complete dispersion of all our livestock and equipment. Includ
ing 450 Angus and Hereford 4 year old breeding cows plus 45
registered 3 and 4 year old Angus bulls plus 400 calves.
A GOOD
PROVIDE
..In More Ways
Than One
There's been a lot of talk lately about employment. Right here in
Nebraska, people are concerned. The bright side of the picture can
be seen in trucking. As long as trucks roll, many thousands of Ne
braskans will be gainfully employed.
Directly, the state's trucking industry employs nearly 70,000
people. Additional thousands of jobs are made possible by flexible
truck service. In fact, the life blood of ALL Nebraska industry is repre
sented by efficient, dependable motor transport.
But trucks do much more! Take highways for instance. Without
truck taxes, our fast-developing super-highway system would be merely
a dream. Over 40 percent of ALL state highway tax revenue is derived
from trucking. The story is endless—but it all adds up to more jobs,
more money for EVERY Nebraskan.
One at a Sana* at Advertnamenf Prepared by
NEBRASKA MOTOR CARRIERS' ASSOCIATION. 500 South 13th Street. LINCOLN. NEBRASKA
This Space Paid For By
O’NEILL TRANSFER
JOHN TURNER Daily Service O'Neill-Omaha PHONE 578