Prairieland Talk "Used to Give Them Away" Iiy ROMAINE SAUNDERS, 4110 South 51st St., Lincoln 6, Nehr. Making "big money” these modem days. And "big money” goes to meet the living demands of the day in which we now live. A block up the street from where my typewriter is parked a hole under the house they call a “basement apartment" $f»0 a month rent. My seven room house in O’Neill some 65 years ago could not get a renter to pay me $5 a month for it. The clerk at the store today asked me for 16 cents for one tomato. Told her to keep it. Twenty years ago down there in Swan precinct I got 50 cents for a half bushel of red ripe beauties. And just Romalne a year or two ago daughter and Saunders her husband and two girls from California and I visited Tom and Ruth Baker a few miles west of \rnelia. Tom stepped out to his hack yard garden, then came in with a peck of choice Nebraska to matos which he gave to those California visitors, free for nothing. They have nice looking ones in that Pacific coast state but good only to look at. At one time we dropped a 5 cent coin in the collection plate at church. Now they expect a dollar. * * * Hot and rainless summer days in Montana, Wyoming, aand parts of the Dakotas is the story we hear. It takes us back in memory to those terri ble day in 1891 when hot winds fanned the prairies of Holt county and growing crops withered and died. Most of our state this summer enjoys good growing weather, rain as needed. Some of our city farmers have been out to count the ears of com and tell us we are to harvest a full crib of corn. And all on prairieland looks well. * * * According to what one news man on the air had to say recently our nation’s chief executive thinks a recount would install the other gent in the White House and hopes he will come and take over. Is Mr. Kennedy sick of the job already? * * * A man and wife conducting each a separate business in the same building on south 48th Street four blocks from where I am parked, he a barber, she a magazine peddler. * * * Arabian horses are now it atYiong horseback riders High headed beauties they are. But is there a nag today that equals the little native broncs had on prairieland until recent times. Here in the city we rarely see a horse but I know one family who has taken over a spot on the outskirts of the city where they have not just one hut two or three horses which ma, dad and daughter ride. Editorial Here are the names of a few notable citizens of the O'Neill community some 70 years ago, hardly their equal to be found anywhere: W. D. Matthews, M. P. Kinkaid, M. F. Harrington, R. R. Dickson, B. S. Gillespie, A. F. Mullen. Lawyers, politicians and Matthews the editor. Oddly enough hardly one of them would speak or have anything to do with others of the group. They worked their heads. But there was Jim Davidson and Jim Triggs who worked with their hands and were always at it. Gone today, the intellectual giants and the humble worker with his hands. And time moves on as we of the genus homo come and go. Do your test today, tomorrow you may te laid away. * * * I sit idle in the shade this warm summer day, and think of Bly and Berry and Baker out there in the hot sun putting up hay. * * * State Senator Orme tells me that she was one of a small group of Lincoln notables that recently made a trip out in the state to visit a community that promotes an irrigation project, the group from Lincoln being sponsored by one of the city banks. Mrs. Orme said she greatly enjoyed the trip and her visit to that beautiful spot on prairieland that s adorned in summer green kept fresh and growing by the waters of the Platt river flowing to irrigate. * » * And now an air force captain trys it on a trip nit into the vast expanse of space. There are others, humble citizens of this troubled old world, men, wo men, children, who hope to go some day out into space to return no more until the world is spoken bringing forth “a new heaven and a new earth.” A trip out into space today is scarcely a step to ward the nearest shining star. But when this mortal becomes immortal, a Heavenly Being by your side, the distance to that better world mean nothing. * * * Prairieland is robed in summer green, the golden rod and prairie rose their beauty shed and add a touch of bright color to the scene. I go again in memory along the velvet green beneath and the bright blue above, the meadow lark pouring forth its song of joy and a jack rabbit bounds away from the one it considers its mortal foe. And then I come upon it a ‘‘blow out" with its drifting sand where no beautiful flowers bloom. A spot along the way to remind us of times of sorrow and tear stained days somewhere awaiting along life’s highway be fore the journey is dnoe. We pause a moment with the sand filled blow out before us; then turn away and move on amid the charming scenes nature’s Artist has painted. So along life's highway we go with smiles and joy among our fellow travelers— and now and then to shed a tear. What Does It Really Cost? A proposal by Hi-Plains Airways of Hill City, Kan. to bring air service to north-central Nebraska has apparently met with approval of many towns along the proposed route C. E. Walts, president of the airline, made a tour of these cities a week ago and judging from stories and pictures appearing in papers published in these towns, made quite an impression on both the editors and city officials who viewed the plane. However, we can not say that we were either impressed or enlightened by Mr. Walts* stop in O’Neill. Moreover we wore surprised that O’Neill merchants should be so impressed with the com muter service offering two round trips daily to the community of your choice. We were particularly surprised that they should be so much in favor of “being able to board a plane in O'Neill in the morning, spend the day SHOPPING in Omaha, and return home in the evening.” However, the chamber of commerce is apparent ly in favor of this service according to a letter sent to the Civil Aeronautics Board asking service for O'Neill from Hi-Plains. We notice also one last sentence in a paragraph of Hi-Plains’ pamphlet asking for support. A line which says', “Air mail and air express will also be carried.” Although it appears to be only an after thought, we feel quite sure that this is the main reason for serving O'Neill. Mr. Walls has not told us just what added government subsidy he will receive for serving O’Neill but we’ll bet it will be substantial. In all frankness we must say that Hi-Plains air ways would probably offer top service, their air craft is modern and should it be necessary to make a trip by air would undoubtedly be a pleasant plane to fly in. However, we are always skeptical when someone offers us something for nothing. Hi-Plains has of fered us air service. We know what the passenger ticket is going to cost. When we find out what the real cost of the service is going to be in lost busi ness and government subsidies, then perhaps we’ll be better able to judge just how badly we want “two round trips daily to Omaha.” COATESVILLE, PA., RECORD: “Washington ever is willing to take on another job, no matter how full its hand may be with the problems it al ready has failed to solve. An appropriation of $10 million is asked for fighting juvenile delinquency .... Meanwhile, in Washington, D. C., which de pends entirely upon the Federal Government’s know how to keep crime down, the local papers are full of news of a crime wave and juvenile delinquency.” SHELBY. MONT., PROMOTER: “An old and very wise Frenchman remarked after the collapse of his country in World War II: ‘My country fell because we had come to consider France as a cow to be milked rather than watchdog to be fed.’ This was after France had been burdened with all man ner of social subsidies and benefits.” Frontiers Ago 50 YEARS AGO The Republican County conven tion met in the Oddfellows hall Wednesday and was called to or der by R. R. Dickson. . .This county was visited with a splen did rain last Saturday night. . . Gene Sullivan went down to Ew ing last Friday where he had a boxing contest with a young ster of that section whom he put down in the third round. . .An nual visit of the Rt. Rev. George F. Beecher will be made to St. Paul's Episcopal church here Sun day. . .Dell Akin, Editor York, E. J. Mack. C. W. Moss, S. E. Kelly and William Bokhof were among the Atkinson delegates at tending the Republican conven tion. I 25 YEARS AGO Quite a large number of in quiries have been received at the Agricultural Agent’s office regard ing blister beetles. . .Chicken thieves visited at the home of Joseph 9chollmeyer in the Scot ville neighborhood July 4 and stole 200 of his chickens. O’Neill resident, Gertrude Bauman, pass ed away in Thermopolis, Wyo., July 3 where she was visiting her . parents, Mr. and Mrs. Henry Bauman. . .Bids will be received for the building of a tile school hoase in District 196. 10 YEARS AGO The third annual American Le gion sponsored two-day celebra tion will begin with a parade, fol lowed by ball games, dancing and a presentation of the National Air Shows. . .Atkinson farm wo man, Mrs. Stanley Rzeszotarski, 74, dies at home of her son. . . Twin children of Mr. and Mrs. Ro bert Moore, are able to leave in cubator; Kathy now weighs ‘9 pounds, 13 ounces, and Kevin weighs 10 pounds, 7 ounces. . . Rains plague farmers in area. . . Charley Ermer, lifelong Holt re sident, dies July 7. 5 YEARS AGO Dr. H. D. Gildersleeve succeeds Verne Reynoldson as commander of American Legion Simonson Post 93. . .Former O’Neill resi dent, Mrs. Clarence Hicks, 55, dies at Lexington. . .Services held July 11 for Mrs. Otto Smith, 72, Atkinson resident. . .Doris Hen derson, Orchard, and Carroll D. Marcellus, Stuart, wed June 30 at Ewing ceremony. The Long Ago At Chambers 50 YEARS AGO The Fourth in Chambers passed off very smooth and it was a day free from accidents, no fights or drunks. . .Mrs. McBride and Mrs. Risor have been visiting their sister, Mrs. George Major, and have now returned to their home in Fremont. . .The young people are giving to Clyde Putnam a warm welcome this week, he hav ing come up from Sioux City to celebrate here. . .Smith Brothers advertise the choicest stock of candy at 15 cents a pound. . . The famous Rainbow Dance, por traying all the rainbows gorgeous colors by the use of a dress con taining nearly 200 yards of ma terial, will be given here Satur day night. 25 YEARS AGO Funeral services held July 6 for Mrs. Jim Gibson and infant son. . .Three accidents here in past week with one fatality, Gra vel Inspector Harold C. Johnson of Yuma, Colo. . .Calvin, son of Mr. and Mrs. Dan Crandall, re ceives painful burns when fire works catch on fire in his pants pocket. . -High temperatures and strong winds fail to keep atten dance down at July 4 celebration. . .Seymore Harkins have moved into their new home purchased near Bliss. . .Weather for past week has been very hot and dry and corn will soon need moisture. Remter Serving on New Missle Cruiser The Navy’s sleek new guided missile light cruiser USS Topeka j is practically a tourist attraction in the Western Pacific—it has received more than 24,000 visitors since March. Serving aboard the Topeka, which recently left Manila after making a goodwill stopover at the Philippine city, is Robert -R Remter, hospital conpsmau third class, USN, son of Mr. and Mrs R Remter, Spencer. The cruiser has traveled more than 40,000 miles since it was commissioned in March 1900 p.t the Brooklyn Naval Shipyard Steaming through the Panama Canal the lollowing July, the ship joined the U. S. Pacific Fleet. Since it reported for duty in the Western Pacfic last March, the Topeka, armed with the Terrier guided missile system, has visit ed such ports as Chinhae, Korea; Nagasaki, Sasebo, Shimoda, Y»> polyester fiberfill by DuPont is super-soft, yet buoyant and resilient. Allergy free, mildew proof. Solid color ticking. ■ 11 ^ I I L| Terry Tea Towels Flour Sack Towels | Gay Printed Patterns Hemmed . . . Stock Up Now! 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