Prairieland Talk
"The Blacksmith Is Gone"
By ROMAINK SAUNDERS, 4110 South 51st St., Lincoln 6, Nebr.
In his recently published stories of “Yesterday’s
Trails" Will H. Spindler pays tribute to the memory
of that sturdy chap in every community, the Village
Blacksmith, now no more. A relative of Doctor
Spindler with hammer in hand
stood at his anvil in his shop
out on the Blackbird in the days
now gone. Yes, “Under the
spreading chestnut tree the vil
lage blacksmith stands" now no
more. The first of O’Neill’s
several blacksmith shops in the
early 1880’s was a little shack
where a small building now
stands south of the courthouse
on courthouse grounds, the
blacksmith shop of Mike Tur- om nB
ney. When we finally got a Saunders
courthouse the village blacksmith set up business
about where the city bakery is now located. At one
time there were blacksmith shops on Douglas
street just west of Third street, one on the north
side of the street, the other on the south side of the
street. Two or three different smithies at their
anvils on east Douglas street east of Fifth street.
A blacksmith shop at one time where the lumber
yard now is on south Fourth street, find also a
blacksmith shop a block south of that at one time.
Emil Sniggs was one of the last of the blacksmiths
in O’Neill and was considered the best in the busi
ness at horse shoeing. He had an eye for shoeing
horses find still at the end of his trail had a vast
number of horse shoes in stock. Some 30 or more
years ago my son, Glenn, was managing things at
The Frontier and came out one week with a story
of Sniggs’ vast stock of horse shoes. Without giving
The Frontier credit for the information the press of
the country took it up and the last I heard of it
was a story from the Philippine islands. As I left The
Frontier and went to my quiet prairieland home
in Swan precinct I had Blacksmith Sniggs make
me a sod cutter, one of his last jobs at the anvil.
* « *
July. Nature's Master Artist touches now our
prairieland with a robe of green. Tree and bush in
velvet leaf, roses in bloom and flowers adorn the
scene with a touch of blue and red beauty. Rivers
and flowing brooks and inland lakes fresh and clear
—all a scene of beauty, a joy forever leading us on
to the dawn of that eternal day aglow with light
and scenes of immortal beauty.
* * *
No. I can not reach my hand to yon distant star,
nor paint the sky a richer blue. But I can hold out a
helping hand to some needy fellow traveler along
the highway of life.
Editorial
Farm Plan Bogged
Christian Science Monitor
The Kennedy administration’s omnibus bill for
rewriting agricultural controls commodity by com
modity is in trouble. It runs into congressional
prerogatives. In committees of both houses Demo
cratic leaders are trying to rescue it by modifying or
dropping the key provision— permitting committees
of producers to write regulations for' their respec
tive crops.
It is troe, of course, that the kind of program
needed for a surplus crop like wheat would not
fit the requirements of a short crop like wool. And
Congress has long left certain discretionary powers
in the hands of the Seeretay of Agriculture. Also
growers of specific products have decided in referen
da whether or not they would accept acreage con
trols in order to get price supports. But the Ken
nedy plan would have left with Congress only the
light to veto legislation framed by commodity com
mittees set up and guided.by the Secretary of Ag
riculture.
Consumers apf>ear to have become accustomed
to having little voice in price-fixing legislation but
apparently many congressmen object to surrender
ing so much of their right to initiate and shape laws.
Washington dispatches indicate that the real battle
now is developing over effoits to retain in the bill
authority for the Secretary of Agriculture to issue
marketing orders.
We hope this provision also will be rigorously
questioned. For it puts the government into much
the same kind of price fixing and restraint of trade
for which it jails people in other business. We can
understand the frustration Congress feels in face
of conflicting pressures and the unsatisfactory
hodgepodge of farm programs it has created. But
it cannot dodge responsibility. It should seek the
answer in fewer rather than more controls.
—..... . . ..
After many weeks on “strike” union carpenters
in Lincoln take up saw and hammer again and go
to work. What they gained by so long on strike is
not apparent to any and many of them long ago
wished to return to work.
* * *
Men's trousers that come out of the clothing
stores today have no watch pocket, the manufac
turers unmindful of the old gents who have their
pocket time-piece, not one on the arm just above
the hand. Years ago a new pair of pants from the
store was taken to the tailor to have the folds pres
sed out. Now we can take the new britches to a tai
lor to have a watch pocket added to them.
* * *
O happy day when I came by that day, looked
into a window and there she sat, looked up at me
and smiled. Some 50 years of smiles and happy days
as we traveled life’s highway together. Now I go
alone until that happy day when we join hands
again to travel together the never-ending days of
eternity.
« * *
The wagon road angled from the northeast limits
of the O’Neill of the 1880’s on into town is now no
more. Much traffic rolls into town on rubber tired
wheels from the east, west, south and north. Ah,
where now is the Jim MacTagert family that came
to town out northeast and traveled that angling road
from Cronin’s homestead comer to McCafferty’s
hardware where now the bus depot stands. And Dan
Barnes, George Lathrop, Agnes and Flo Bentley,
Huntly and the Toohills; and there was Mark
Murphy who walked in the three miles every school
day to go to school. The Michiganders are they all
gone too? And among them was Montana Jack
Sullivan’s dad who came In morning by morning
to do his hit at the courthouse. And the Middle
Branch and HaynesvilJe homesteaders traveled that
angling road into town. One gent I recall walked
it from seven miles out morning after morning
to df) a day’s work in town with saw and hammer—
that was Mr. Boyd. Is there a citizen of the O’
Neill community who will walk a block or two to do
his day's duties? Hardly—the rubber-tired wheels
take him to the job.
War with Russians yet this year to determine
‘Vila is who and what is to tie the future of Berlin,
says one who is supposed to know all about such
things . . . And here it comes out of Pennsylvania,
the home of my ancestors. Former President Ike to
lieeome a U. S. senator from that state . . . Some in
our dying state legislature, educationally crazy,
pile up millions of your tax money to build great
centers of learning for the prairieland youth of to
day.—“The voice is Jacob’s voice, but the hands
are the hands of Esau.”
Won't We Ever Learn?
A spokesman for the National Live Stock Pro
ducers Association—a cooperative serving some
500,000 livestock producers and feeders—recently
testified before the House Agricultural Committee
on the proposed new farm bill. Some of the things
lie said deserve the widest possible understanding.
This bill, in his words, “ . . . represents control
legislation which would pass to the Secretary of
Agriculture and the executive branch of govern
ment almost unlimited authority to undertake, sub
ject to Congressional veto and farmer referendum,
any type of production adjustment or control pro
gram and to apply any method or means of support
ing farm income at any level of price support he
may determine up to 90 per cent of parity ...”
He then pointed out that the livestock industry
and the meat industry has developed a production
and distribution system which is unequaled else
where. He continued: “This production and distri
bution program has been the result of an agricul
tural plant developed for the most part in a free
economy. Our livestock producers desire to main
tain. insofar as possible, this freedom in the opera
tion of their production and marketing program . . .
A controlled economy takes from the individual the
desire and drive needed for advancement.”
Certainly, after the incredibly costly failures
of the postwar years, we should now be seeking a
farm program that will gradually return all of ag
riculture to a free market economy. A program
which would make the controls ever more rigid—
and which would subject to govenment dictation
producers who have so far been free- would be the
worst possible step.
/
Frontiers
Ago
50 YEARS AGO
There will be a Biplane flight
by the Savidge Bros, in the July
4th celebration at Ewing. . .Con
tracts have been entered into by
the State Fair association with
the Wright Company of New York
for two aeroplanes and two avi
ators to make two flights each
day of the Fair September 4 to 8.
. .By falling from a ladder while
painting his house last Monday
Tom Donlin received a broken
collar bone and will be laid up
five or six weeks. . .A promi
nent O’Neill attorney has recent
ly become the owner of an auto
mobile, after having driven a
horse for several years, and
when driving the machine at
tempts to stop it by hollering
whoa.
25 YEARS AGO
Mrs. Agnes Sullivan, acting
postmaster of this city for sev
eral months, received word Wed
nesday night that she had been
appointed for a full 4-year term.
. .Holt county leads the state
on the number of turkeys on
hand. . .Stanley Soukup, O’Neill,
is medalist of golf tournament
with a score of 71. . .Household
goods of Dick Stearns are burn
ed up when truck catches fire
while bringing goods to O’Neill. .
Fire of indetermined origin des
tsoyed tne large barn on the
Karl Keyes farm near Inman
Tuesday evening. . .Horace Rouce
of Meek had the misfortune to
lose the best horse he had
10 YEARS AGO
North Platte funeral rites held
June 14 for Mrs. Gene James,
28, the former Elizabeth Ann Mc
Nally. . .Doug Dale, Ord, cap
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tures top honors in 27th annual
O’Neill golf tourney. . .Clearwa
ter youth Harold A. Schueth, 18,
is drowning victim in the upper
Elkhorn basin. . .Miss Mary L.
Harrison, 46, dies June 17 at her
home. . .Spanish American War
Veteran John Slaymaker, 79, At
kinson, succumbs June 16, . .Dew
ey C. Schaffer is elected vice
president of the Nebraska Stock
Grower’s association. . .Francis
GUg is elected grand knight of
the Knights of Columbus. . .Mor
gan family of Page holds family
reunion.
5 YEARS AGO
Mrs. Donald 9chwager, 25, Roy
al farm woman, dies in Neligh
hospital after two-car collision. .
Max Golden captures his fifth
championship of the O’Neill open
golf tourney. . .Kay Johnson
and James Puckett wed in cere
mony June 14 at Atkinson. . .
Five generation gathering held at
the Clarence Grimes home north
I
west of Chambers. . .The First
Methodist church in QfcfetU is
setting for wedding of Vera Jean
Ernst and Craig Connell. . .Mr.
and Mrs. John Deming of Anoka
celebrate their 55th wedding an
niversary.
The Long Ago
At Chambers
50 YEARS AGO
Born to Mr. and Mrs. James
McPharlin of Kola June 16, a
son. . Inman is making elaborate
preparations for a big celebra
tion July 4. . .There will be
three serviies at the tabernanle
next Sunday morning. Come and
bring a well filled basket for
yourself and some stranger that
may be there. . About SO of the
friends of Mr. and Mrs Hiram
Hubbard met at their home Tues
day evening and rendered them
good old fashioned charivari. . .
Last Thursday about noon Will
iam Sackett, who was tending
the livery barn of Charles &
Graham, died suddenly. . .It is
surprising how little hard coal
has been consumed this month
25 YEARS AGO
A birthday dinner was tendered
Mrs. Addie Kiltz Sunday in hon
or of her 76th milestone. . .Gor
don Watson met with a painful ac
cident Monday of last week while
stretching barbwire. . .A piece of
wire struck him in the right eye
The eye has fully recovered. . .
Mrs. Vernie Cooper returned
Tuesday to work in the W. A
Smith enend store after a re
cent illness. . .Jimmy, little son
of Mr. and Mrs. Floyd Ander
son was unfortunate in falling
from the corncrib roof badly
fracturing his right arm at the
wrist. . .Margaret Arnholt of
Amelia dies unexpectedly June Id
at the Stuart hotg>ital. . .The re
union of old friends and relatives
at Harry White’s Monday was
enjoyed by all who attended.
Phone Your Newt To
The Frontier
Phone 788
* i
Paul Shierk
INSURANCE AGENCY
O’NEILL. NEBR
Insurance of AD
Kinds
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*
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