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About The frontier. (O'Neill City, Holt County, Neb.) 1880-1965 | View Entire Issue (Feb. 23, 1961)
Prairieland Talk One of O'Neill's Tragedies Rv POM A INF vM'NDr.KS. 4110 South 5i*t St.. Lincoln fi Nchr From Middlebranch to the Keya Paha, from Dorsey to Dustin, from Star to Stuart, from the Nio brara to the Elkhorn and beyond. A land where young hearts have throbbed to the tender emotions of romance, where men and women sacrificed and did the deeds of pioneer heroics, where Vigilanters committed crime in a pretense of punishing crime, a bind where tragedy spread its dark shadow at times. It was just an oilcloth mask that hid the face of him who had a lead ing part in one of those trage dies. Barret Scott with Mrs. Scott and their little daughter , , . Komaine and a young man then making Ins home* with them, were on Saunders tlieir way to their home at the southwest limits of O'Neill, coming home from a visit to Scott’s former home in the Scottville community They had got as far as a fioini called Parker where s’ood a few sod walls of a one time settlement some 12 miles north east of town. The man behind the mask stepped out from behind those sod walls, shot and killed the horses drawing the Scott buggy. Others of the group behind those sod walls came to life and got into action, Ixwnd Scott’s arms and legs, loaded him in a wagon and drove away. Ono of 1 lio group paid Mrs. Scott the courtesy hy taking her and her daughter and young friend within reach of the home of the nearest settler, then drove away to join those who had taken Scott. Tlie three fugitives reached the house of that set tlor, told what had been (b'ne, and that gracious pioneer prairie dweller brought them into O’Neill. Mrs. Scott went at once to the home of J. H. Mere dith at First and Everett streets and told the Mere diths the story. Mr. Meredith at once got into acion and a group of men were wn on hand, got into buggies and started out to see what they could learn. It was the month of December in 1894. Knowing something of the way the Vigilanters did their stuff, the group of fellows from town, Clyde King at that time editor of The Frontier, being with them, drove north to the Eagle, followed the creek to the Nio brara river. Arriving at the Whiting bridge they found a rope hanging from the bridge, so concluded Scott had l>een hung there, the rope cut and his body fell into the icy waters of the Ni )hrara river. For some days the waters were fished over where not frozen to thick ice. One of the searchers at an opening in the ice hooked something, pulled it up; it was the lifeless body they had been hunting for. The dead man was laid out on the bank by the river and the group of searchers sat down by it and wept. Where that dead man lay was on the Boyd county side of the Niobrara, so Boyd county officials were notified and came to go through the legal procedure in such cases. Scott was brought to O'Neill and his body prepared for burial at Biglin’s, many going there to v:ew it. Clyde King wrote a beautiful editorial about “Poor Scotty”, which was copied by the Omaha Daily Bee and other papers. The editorial appeared in The Frontier the first week in January, 1895. Maybe The Frontier editor of today will reprint it. Barret Scott had served as county treasurer of Holt county. It was a period of hard times in the 1890’s. From time to time a hard-pressed citizen would come to Scott with a hard luck story and ask for help. Scott used up the county’s funds to help the n-’edy, did in a small way what the late President Roosevelt did in a big way and was con sidered a great guy for so doing, while Scottie was hung for doing likewise. His bondsmen made good part of the loss to the county. One or two of the group who killed Scott were tried in court on a charge of murder but not convicted, so closed another tragic scene. Scott had the open helpful hand and generous heart of the pioneers who settled on the prairies of north Nebraska. His father had warned when the Republicans were considering Barret as their candidate for county treasurer that his son might use county funds to help thp needy if elected county treasurer. The writer and Scott were with a group of fellows on horseback out in the Dry Creek country on a wolf hunt one Thanksgiving day. He and I be came separated from the others and we ran onto a prairie wolf, took off after it until the wolf stopped, sat down on its hind quarters, looked at us as much as to say, “Here I am, what do you want of me". Scott’s reaction was the same as mine, Let that creature of the wild go—it has as much right to live as we have. But the other riders found us with our wolf, came their horses on the run, dismounted and killed the beast of the prairie. The Scott home was just to the west of the home of the late Judge Dickson, south of the North western railroad tracks, the southwest limits or maybe clear out of town in his day. Who may live there today this writer can not say. Scottie, a victim of one of this community’s tragedies, is no more; his bones at rest in the abode of the dead. Editorial Let's Welcome Newcomers Most residents in our fair city will agree that O'Neill is a friendly place filled with hospitable folks, welcoming church members and cooperative business personnel. However, it is good once in a while to look at a city through the eyes of newcomers. New people in a town, any town, are lonely, eager to make friends and to do their share in the community. This offers an opportunity that should not be overlooked as newcomers have an enthus iasm that is needed in community-building projects, drives and improvements.. Churches and project clubs are quick to take advantage of this enthusiasm but often times the personal touch of friendship is slow in being offered. People are hesitant about making new friends, not because they are suspicious of strangers, but simply because most folks are too busy to take the time to call on their new neighbors. Naturally, after a year or so, a person no longer feels new as the moving adjustment is made and one feels a part of a community. Isn’t it possible, though, to help strangers in our city to feel at home a little bit sooner? Help them to feel happy that they have chosen O’Neill for their home—a place where they might build, do all their shopping, consider new enterprises and think of living here forever? What does the city of O'Neill do to welcome strangers here? Why not have a city hostess to call at the home of the newcomers and to welcome them with gifts and information concerning shopping facilities, churches, schools, location of city w’ater department, council members for building permits, contractors, etc. A city hostess could form a newcomers club which might be sponsored by an auxiliary or ex tension club. What better w'ay for new folks to meet and make friends. Definitely, an official welcomer would be an asset to our community. Without new residents, our city would die. Let's make people want to come here to live. Why Is Govrnment So Costly? (Lifelines) During the present fiscal year our federal gov ernment is spending money at a rate that is equiv alent to approximately $2000 for every family in America. Government is not productive. It has nowhere to get money except from the people. Since this money is ours, or was ours, until we had to turn it over to the tax collector, we have a right to ask, “Why does government cost so much?” Is it because of the heavy expenditures for na tional defense? That is the impression the spenders of our money like to give us. But it is not true that defense spending is responsible for the growth of the public debt in recent years. In fact, current ex penditures for defense amount to nine dollars per family less than they did in 1954. But non-defense spending is $200 more per family than it was then. Our government has become so costly because it has grown so big. We are supposed to have a federal bullet, but the budget actually has expanded to such nn ■ tent that i is literally out of the control of the .'l'»-,,ecl representatives of the people. Every year a budget is put together by thousands of government employee8 in hundreds of different agencies. It is literally true that nearly every federal agency has a group of employees who spend all their time drawing up the agency’s next annual budget. Our federal government has entered many fields of activity where it has no constitutional right to be and is spending a vast amount of money for pur poses never contemplated nor approved by the Amer ican people generally. For instance, our federal gov ernment is not only the largest lender and the larg- . est borrower in the country, but the federal govern ment is also the largest insurer. The government is the largest producer of electric power in the nation. The federal government is the largest landlord and the largest holder of grazing grass. It is the largest holder of timberland and the largest owner of grain. The federal government is the largest ship owner and the largest truck operator. Of course, our Federal Government is the coun try’s biggest employer. To keep all its employees busy, our Government owns several hundred sub stantial corporations and nineteen thousand small businesses of all kinds, plus a large number of serv ice organizations. These corporations lose money every year at a rate amounting to $250 for every family in America. But they do not go out of business simply be cause they are losing money, as any private com pany eventually would have to do. They simply chalk up a deficit and keep right on operating with bor rowed money which becomes a part of the debt that you owe, and every American owes. The prinriple of economy in government is one of the most important that we could consider. This great nation of ours was built on the solid virtues of hard work, thrift, and frugality. These virtues are just as important today as they were in the early days of our nation. But they are virtues that have largely been abandoned. Our Government has been spending the taxpayers’ money recklessly and extravagantly for too long. As a result, we now have the highest debt in our history7. Who is to blame? Shall we point a finger at a President or a Congress, or shall we be honest and put the responsibility where it really belongs, on each one of us, on our own apathy, on our own selfishness in not wanting to take time out from our own pursuit of material things to really be respon sible citizens of the greatest system of freedom in the history of man? The hard truth is that such practices as these, if a halt is not called, eventually will destroy the economy of the United States. And we can be quite sure that once our economy is destroyed, our whole way of life will go right down. The Mistaken will have won their greatest victory, and without a shot being fired. It is for these reasons that the principle of econ omy in government should be of the greatest con cern to every American citizen. Simple honesty and basic morality call for sound economy in govern ment; for waste is a sin and extravagance with the people’s money is evil. Uncle Sam was never meant to be Uncle Squanderer. To save our country, we are going to have to get back to bedrock principles and to those sound virtues of thrift and frugality from which we should never have departed. Frontiers Ago 59 YEARS AGO Sixty horse power Thomas Fly er auto offered for sale or trade by William Boedicker. . .Mrs. Fitzimmons left Sunday for Chi cago to select spring stock of millinery. '. .Walter Martin dies February 15 in Omaha hospital following long illness. . .City Coun cil decides to use five electric street lights at a cost of $40.50 per month. 25 YEARS AGO County roads completely Slock ed by huge drifts of snow. . .Mar tin Wright of Ewing dies Febru ary 11 following heart attack. . . Ashes start fire at hotel but quickly extinguished without dam age. . .George Geary, 82, Inman pioneer, dies of old age compli cations. . .Temperatures report ed at 23 below for several nights. . .Corn fed beef offered at 13 cents per pound the hind quarter at Barnhart’s Market. 10 YEARS AGO Dr. H. D. Gildersleeve is new Scoutmaster. . City parking met ers arrive but group seeks an in junction. . .Simon W. Schaaf, 58, dies in Atkinson. . .Hogs and cat tle runs light at O’Neill. . .All teachers in the Inman public schools reject contracts for next school year.. . .Dr. and Mrs. F.J. Fisher return from California trip and visit with new grandson. 5 YEARS AGO Mary Claire and James Gilg win speech laurels in Holt County 4-H speech contest. . .Services held for M. H. Horiskey, 73, re tired railway postal clerk who iuea reoruary u. . .Dorothy Louise Donohoe of O’Neill weds Buddy Eugene Cloyd of Sidney, la. . .Pfc. Marian Strenger of Amelia is transferred to Munich, Germany to attend officers school. . .Leonard P. Engler of Stuart and John L. Bohn of O’ Neill get U. of N. degrees. The Long Ago At Chambers 50 YEARS AGO Fresh oysters advertised at 50 cents per quart. . .J. Norwood Mill is up for sale or exchange at Niobrara. . .C. E. Martin of the Southfork area caught eight wolves this week. . .Fred Jensen will hold a public sale of 7 hor ses, 47 cattle, 11 hogs and ma chinery at his place 11 miles southwest of Chambers. 25 YEARS AGO Zero weather and blocked roads continue. . .Fuel shortage be comes a serious matter to Cham bers and surrounding territory. . .Five year-old daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Pete Martensen suc cumbs to burns. . .Neligh closes schools, library and business pla ces in effort to avert coal fam ine. . .Chambers school closes. . . Snow plow built by group of local men in attempt to open streets. DR. D. E. DAVID OPTOMETRIST Complete Visual Care Contact Lenses By Appointment Phone 2101 Spencer, Nebraska Orchard News Ali-«. Wilbur Mahood Phone !W;i 3IH5 Jack Classen New Fire Chief At Orchard Members of the Orchard Fire department, retired members and the rural fire district officials held an oyster feed and meeting at the Legion club Monday night. Jack Classen was elected chief; Clifford Erb, assistant chief; Floyd Menning, president; Byron Oltjenbruns, vice president, and Lyle Schleusener, secretary trea surer. Chief Bob Adam reported that fire helmets and a stretcher have arrived and are available for use. Library board met Friday morning in the town hall. The following officers were elected for another year: Mrs. Carrol Clifton president ^-'Mrs. E. E. Bruce, vice president, and Mrs. Bernard Kellog, secretary and treasurer. The Mothers’ March of Dimes netted $155.37 for the polio fund. Mrs. Raymond Stev ens was in charge and she was assisted by Mmes. Homer Bar ton, Kenneth Bruce, Hoyt Sirek, Ed Bright, Lon Sawyer, Lester Raff, Floyd Steinberg, Gerald Berney, Jack Hildreth and Glen Robertson. Highlanders extension met re cently with Mrs. Lawrence Hauf with 16 members present. Mrs. Anton Pruss jr., and Mrs. Ferd Kiihne gave the lesson on “Arth ritis”. Mrs. Harry Johnson as sisted Mrs. Hauf. Mrs. Wayne Holliday has open ed a beauty shop in tne basement of her home. It is known as Fonda’s Beauty Shop. On February 3 Mr. and Mrs. Harry Butterfield were honored on their 35th wedding anniver sary at the Spare Time cafe in O’Neill with a dinner. Those pres ent were Mr. and Mrs. Donald Volquardson and Mark, Mrs. Lily Pospeshil of Orchard and Mr. and Mrs. Elmer Grimm and Mrs. Lizzie Grimm of Ewing. The Bloodmobile will be in Orchard April 5. Jane Schwager, a graduate- of Orchard high school and daugh ter of Mr. and Mrs. Frank Schwager, has completed a beau ty course at the Beauty school in Kearney. Miss Schwager is at present visiting her parents. Bridgetts Bridge clab met with Mrs. H. O. Hill Tuesday evening. Mrs. Tony Pruss was a guest. Mrs. Lyle Schleusener and Mrs. Pruss won prizes. The next meet ing will be with Mrs. Lyle Schleu sener February 21. Mr. and Mrs. Harry Sparrow visited Sunday in the home of their daughter, Mrs. Wesley John son and family at Columbus. Mr. and Mrs. Marion Everhart and family of Blair brought her mother, Mrs. J. W. Edwards, home Saturday and spent the weekend with them. Keith L. Curtis jr. is serving in the Navy and is stationed at San Diego, Calif., Naval base. Mr. and Mrs. Harold Mitchell attended the Wayne State-Nebras ka Wesleyan basketball game at Wayne Friday evening. The Heart campaign chair- ; man is Mrs. Marvin Haswell. The quota for Antelope county is $1,350. Mrs. Elmer Carpen ter of Neligh is the rural chair man. Township chairmen are: Garfield, Wayne Lautensehla WHAT QUALITY! WHAT BEAUTY! | WHAT A PRICE! WHAT A SAVING! | stew styfr/ jmm mmm/Mfm | rfa/foea? rfbv afyescdkJt&f I \ • Beautiful, "out-of-this-world" Styling • Lighted Control Panel • Fast, Vacuum principle drying • HI-LO-OFF Heat for oll-fobrk drying • In-A-Door Lint Trop Drvr* stops when door is opened * FREE LIVE DEMONSTRATION IN OUR STORE DANKERT'S SERVICE 610 East Douglas Chambers Phone 410-W O’Neill Phone IV 2-2101 ger; Frrnchtown, Mrs. Lyle Switzer; Royal, C. II. Rouse; Verdigre, Everett Johnston, and Sherman, David YVillats. Couples pitch club met Sundaj evening with Mr. and Mrs. Mar vin Nelson. Mr. and Mrs. Leor Mitchell, Mr. and Mrs. Geralc Maple and Mrs. Richard Knapp The next meeting will be with Mr. and Mrs. Wayne Lautensch lager February 26. Thelma Drayton of Alvo is spending sometime with her par ents, Mr. and Mrs. H. H. Dray ton. , Gertrude Gribble and Mrs George Johnson were Creighton visitors Friday. Wayne Dempster and daughter Betty, of Laurel were Sunday vis itors in the Oliver Dempster home. Mrs. Katherine Kennedy oi Ainsworth was a guest in the Henry Drayton home Wednesday Mrs. George Hamilton is vis iting in the home of her son, Dwain Hamilton of Omaha. Mr. and Mrs. Charles Menning. Mr. and Mrs. Wayne Holliday and Mr. and Mrs. Floyd Menning and family visited in the Charles Watson home Sunday at Wayne. Mr. and Mrs. Glen Austin and son, Mark of Lawton, la., were Sunday guests in the Loren Wil son home. Mrs. Rustin and Mrs. Wilson were college roommates. The Rev. and Mrs. Jesse Wit hee were Friday callers at the James Withee home. Lester Withee went to Siuux City Thursday to be with Mrs. Withee for several days. She is a patient at St. Joseph’s hospital. Walter League of the St. Peters Lutheran church met Sunday eve ning at the church parlors. The Rev. Walter Seefeldt led a group Bible study. Plans were made for “family night”. The League plans to be host to a joint meeting of neighboring leagues February 26. Mr. and Mrs. Waldo Davis and Mane oi Ewing, Mrs. Louise Bea] and Mr. and Mrs. Homer Barton and Linda of Orchard were Sun day guests of Mr. and Mrs. Wal ter Austin of Plainview to help celebrate their 30th wedding an niversary. Kenneth Davis from Oregon is visiting his mother, Mrs. Ger trude Davis. Mr. and Mrs. Bob Utterback of Bloomfield visited in the J.ohn Stelling home Sunday. Mr. and Mrs. Jerry Tibbs and Mr. and Mrs. Wendell Quigley of Norfolk visited Sunday in the John Stelling home. John Holliday returned home from the Plainview hospital Sunday, where he had been a patient for a week. Mr. and Mrs. Glen McNabb vis ited in the home of Mrs. Mc Nabb’s sister, Mrs. John Stelling. Mr. and Mrs. Don Drager, Gary and Carol of Lincoln spent the weekend with Mrs. Drager’s parents, Mr. and Mrs. John Stell ing. Mr. and Mrs. Homer Barton, Linda and Mrs. Louise Beal and Jan Withee were Norfolk visitors Friday. Mrs. Blanche Fletcher is con fined to her home with influenza. Sunset Chapter 300 Order of the Eastern Star met at the Masonic Temple Wednesday afternoon and evening with Mrs. Katherine Ken nedy of Ainsworth as a special guest, district Supervisor of Dis trict 16. Mrs. Henry Drayton, wor thy matron, served a luncheon in her home at noon honoring Mrs. Kennedy and all the officers. Mrs. Drayton presented the supervisor with a corsage. A school of in Do You Know Your Neighbor? “Know Your Neighbor” is not a contest. There are no prizes given for correctly identifying the person pictured. The only reward Is the satisfaction of knowing your neighbor. Last week’s Guess Who was Bob Devoy of Devoy’s Rexall Drug . ~ 1 rmm m VHHHi Here's an O'Neill businessman you’ve met. struction was held at the Temple - in the afternoon and a special meeting for initiatory work was held in the evening. Mrs. Henry Drayton and Gordon Johnson, worthy patron, were in charge. Mrs. Kennedy gave an address. Mrs. Kennedy was presented a gift from the chapter. An infor mal hour followed the ceremon ies and refreshments were served by the past matrons. Pitch club met with Mr. and Mrs. Cecil Lee Sunday night. Pri zes were won by Ted Berry, Mrs. James Clifton, Mrs. Allen Hill and James Clifton. The next meeting will be in two weeks in the James Clfiton home. Octette bridge club met with Mrs. E. E. BrUce Monday after noon. Mrs. Lyle Schleusener was a guest. Prizes were won by Mrs. Cecil Lee and Mrs. Ken neth Bruce. - INSURANCE Hospitalization Mutual of Omaha LIFE United of Omaha Oscar Spitzenberger Box 667 Telephone 888 O'Neill, Nebr. Office at 429 North 3rd Street 38tf EARL I. MEAD Scottsbluff President, representing District 1 Feed-Milling " IMMMWUIUUUI V GUY L. COOPER, JR. Humboldt First Vice President, representing District 6 FREDERICK H. WAGENER* Lincoln Second Vice President, representing District 7 Attorney P. W. LAKERS* Columbus Treasurer, representing District S Retired Department Store Manager MARK T. MOORE Kearney Secretary, representing District 4 Industrial Electric * WAYNE E. BARBER Norfolk Director, representing District 2 Merchant HAROLD F. BOEHNER* York Director, representing District 5 Retired Utility Manager •Elected November, I960 The voice of more than 122,000 owner-customers These seven men, including three newly elected in November, 1960, comprise Consumers Public Power District’s Board of Directors, representing more than 122,000 owner-customers. Elected, by district (see map), by the voters of the communities served at retail, these men bring a wide variety of business and professional experience to their direction of the District’s affairs. Director Districts CONSUMERS 5,
