Prairieland Talk
"The Fairest of Them All"
By ROM AIN E SAUNDERS, 4U0 South 51*t St., Lincoln 6, Nebr
Sometime ago Lena She 1 hart was the town
beauty as she gracefully stepjx*d about on the
slreets of O’Neill. The charming Miss Lena came
to this town with her parents from the Mineola
community when that once
hustling village some 20 miles
or more northeast of O'Neill
became a cattle rancher's do
main. That was in the 1880’s.
The Shelharts presided at the
Commercial Hotel on south
Fourth street. Miss Lena disap
pearing from the O'Neill scene
when she married and went to
Omaha. Tenie Norval, another
lieauty who took over the ad
miring eyes of young fellows RomaUm
when she came with her par- Maunders
ents from Chambers, her father being elected
county sujierintendent of schools A lucky gent got
her and Tenie too was seen no more in O’Neill.
0 yes, Toss Harrington of that prominent family
who came lu re in the 1880‘s from Canada. Whether
Tess married or passed to her rest upon the hill
1 do not recall. Hut Rosa, my Rosa, was the beauty
outshining all others. The daughter of Mr. and Mrs.
G. W. Meals who came to O’Neill from Atkinson
where they had had a hotel, G. W. going into law
practice. Beautiful blue eyed and rosy lipped Rosa.
50 years we were lovers, husband and wife. For 16
years now she has rested in the alxxle of the dead
at Prospect Hill. Our last happy home was in that
beauty siiot on prairieland in southwest Holt county
and I travel the highway of life alone under the
watchful care of daughters and sons, awaiting the
time when Rosa and I walk again hand in hand in
that Better Land to he lov< rs and husband and
wife through all eternity.
• * •
From an apple tree out in the baek yard daugh
ter gathered some four bushels of yellow beauties,
and has now some 40 or 50 jars of apple sauce on
her storage shelves for winter treats at the dinner
table.
• • •
I must express again my thanks for the many
cheering letters and "get well’’ greetings that came
io me as friends learned of my tumble early in
September. Many in Holt and Boyd county and
other Nebraska communities, some from the dis
tant states of Washington and California, from that
gcxxl friend down in Arkansas who really belongs in
O Neill -Come home, Ralph And that daughter of
one of the DeYarman brothers of O’Neill’s
Checkered Livery Barn. That O’Neill girl in years
now gone, living in a distant eastern state. Yes,
thank you all from Prairieland Talker, again up
and on the go.
Octolier. A day before we stepped over the line
to another month the Capital City of this prairie
land state had its first visit of the season from Jack
Frost, who spread a delicate blanket of white on
streets and lawn and building. The sun shone and
that blanket of white was gone. Some rain and we
now’ write it October, fall again on peaceful prairie
land. die green of summer turned to brown and
leaf on tree and bush one by one exchanges the
green of summer to the yellow of autumn and falls
to the ground. November elections here and else
where, Thanksgiving Day a month away, Prairie
land Talker's birthday early in December, Christmas
and the snows of winter as we step across and start
the year 1962. May we behave till then.
• * *
O’Neill's two hanks, Biglins, the hotel at Fourth
and Everett streets and The Frontier are all left
to us that got going in the 1880’s. The Frontier now
in its third location, the other three business con
cerns remain where they began to do business.
• « •
Many weekly and monthly magazines published
today. Makes work for printers and I recall the
times some sixty years ago when I set and super
vised a helper or two getting up the ads for a
monthly publication in San Francisco. But I quit
that to get back to my hometown of O’Neill and
my first love The Frontier. One of the classic
monthly magazines today bears the title of Reader’s
Digest I had always understood that digest was a
function of life that accompanied eating, not reading.
There was my esteemed grandsire on my mother’s
side of our family, Grandpa Everett, who was born
in Pennsylvania in the year 1804 and died in O’
Neill, Nebraska, in the 1890’s. All his long life he
never ate a bite of flesh foods, but I had seen him
take a I toiled potato up on his fork, pour sorghum
over it and down it to be digested. That’s a
stomach’s job. Maybe we can mentally digest the
stuff we read such as Prairieland Talk.
* * »
The liell up on the hill was ringing a home
coming welcome that late afternoon, a day in 1888
or '89, as the train from the east rolled up to the
depot and Father Cassidy stepped from that train
to lie welcomed by a group of O’Neill friends upon
his return from a visit to his native homeland Ire
land. With horse and buggy the priest was taken to
the little house just west of the church on the hill
to resume his duties as pastor of St. Patrick’s
Catholic church which he carried on until his death
some twenty or more years ago. In the 1880’s St.
Patrick’s church was a small building compared
to the sanctuary that stands there today and the
residence of priests and helpers is quite different
than the one that Ireland visitor returned to many
years ago. And the great Saint Mary’s Academy
stands today to complete the picture.
Editorial
America's Home-Town Press
The Frontier along with the 9,000 other weeklies
in the nation—takes prideful note of the 22nd an
nual observance of National Newspaper Week be
ginning October 15. We’ll celebrate by continuing
business at the same old stand—getting out the
very best issue we can.
Meanwhile, Guy Easterly, the hard-working
president of the National Editorial Association and
fellow publisher of the LaFollette (Tenn.) Press,
has a few words to say about honoring America’s
horne-town press—words that express exactly why
we publish this newspaper. Take it away Mr.
Easterly:
"This year’s celebration is being launched under
the slogan, ‘Your Newspaper—Heritage of Truth,
Frontier of Freedom.' Nowhere more in America
than in Home-town America is this solgan so true.
“For your community newspaper stands senti
nel to guard the American way of life. That is our
responsibility. We believe in the heritage of free
dom, handed down by our forefathers. We believe
in an honest day’s work for an honest day’s pay.
We believe in self-government—that in the hands
of the people, our way of life is safe. And we be
lieve that no socialized state or regimented society
can replace that which we now enjoy.
"In this National Newspaper Week of 1961, we
invite you, the reader, to re-examine your issue of
The Frontier and determine its worth to your com
munity. We invite criticism, for we know that
through criticism, your newspaper may be better
able to meet the challenge to greater improve
ments.”
Try The Frontier Want Ads — It Pays !
Whom Will You Meet ? ? ?
Ord Quiz
Nebraska’s speed limit for automobilies was
raised this year. The death rate climbed similarly.
The two facts may not be related, of course.
Nebraska is busily licensing drivers for the
coming two years. No tests of any kind are required
when the old license is presented. There is nothing
to indicate that the would-be driver may be getting
blind, or senile, or have developed a bum heart.
No tests are made to check his reaction time, his
common sense, let alone his skill once he slides be
hind that wheel.
Calnomia conducts written, oral and actual
driving tests before giving out that precious driver’s
license. Missouri not long ago would give anyone
a trifle of paper that was a driver's license simply
upon payment of 25 cents, and during a year as
many repeat licenses as requested were available
the same way.
Tucson conducts searching examinations of
drunk drivers. First offenders are usually fined $10
and parked in jail for ten days. This is discourag
ing to say the least.
Many states are now bordering road edges
with a painted white line, and this has brought acci
dent figures down notably. It alerts the driver con
stantly and keeps him “in line.”
The governor of Connecticut has taken such
drastic steps that deaths are rarely ever traffic
problems. He has done it by insisting that his of
ficers and judges be extra severe as to speeding
and to penalties.
What Nebraska should do is not clear. But it
must be more than we are doing now.
Or does a recent slogan tell the story: "You
may be a good driver who meets a bad driver.”
Yes We Have
No Hunting
WITHOUT PERMISSION
SIGNS
15* TO 69* EACH
!■
The Frontier
Frontiers
Ago
30 YEARS AGO
D. J. Malone has purchased
the J. P. Mann Grocery store. . .
As a result of the exceedingly
heavy rain of last Thursday night
the basements of P- J. McManus
and J. P. Gallagher were
filled with water. . .Mrs. E.
J Benson was called to Akron,
Cok>., last Thursday by a tele
gram announcing the death of
her brother, Ed Purdy, for many
years a resident of this county. .
. Ira L. Snyder, Dustin, and Miss
Sylvia Eby, Atkinson, were mar
ried in this city last Saturday by
the Rev. D. B. Ralston.
25 YEARS AGO
The business of the O’Neill
Hatchery has been growing with
such strides during the past year
that Manager Ralph Leidy,
deemed it necessary to have!
more room for his growing busi- j
ness. . Work on the new court- i
house is progressing rapidly. . .
Ernie Nelson, who has been the
manager of the O’Neill Cream- !
ery the past year and a half, re- !
ceived notice of his transfer to |
Kearney. . .Judge Dickson and
Reporter McElhaney returned
Wednesday afternoon from Butte, !
where they had been holding dis
trict court for the past 10 days. .
. Mrs. Rose Ryan received word
the first of the week that she was
a grandmother, a son having been
born to her son-in-law and daugh
ter, Mr. and Mrs. Charles Gra
ham, California.
10 YEARS AGO
Emmet State Bank closes its
doors and consolidates with First
National Bank of Atkinson. . .
State Sen. Frank Nelson this week
filed for re-election from the
Twenty-eighth legislative district;
has served two terms. Mrs. Ber
tha Johnston, 62, died October 8
in the Stuart hospital; Funeral
services held October 10 at Atkin
son, and burial in the Chambers
cemetery. . .Cards lose 19-17 in
thriller in rain Friday night at
Fremont. . .Eagles had easy sail
ing Frday night against Creigh
ton.
5 YEARS AGO
Mrs. Ira Moss has been elected
president of St. Anthony’s hos
pital auiliary. . Mr. and Mrs. De
wit Gunter will celebrate their
50th wedding anniversary Octo
ber 21. . .Anonymous donor gives
$5,000 to the Methodist church at
Page a year ago, then duplicates
gift to “dress bp” the old por
tion of the church. . .Donald
Keyes, Inman, shows best corn
at the fall festival in Inman. Sat
urday. . .The Methodist church, In
man celebrates 75th anniversary. .
. Capt. Tom Schneider, 185-pound
senior backfield star for St.
Mary’s academy, chipped a bone
in his ankle at the Stuart-St.
Mary’s game Friday.
The Long Ago
At Chambers
50 YEARS AGO
The Pound Social held at the
Methodist parsonage Tuesday eve
ning was a very enjoyable af
fair, about 65 guests were pre
sent. Mr. and Mrs. Jack Keller
went to O’Neill Tuesday after a
new piano. . .Mike Oetter has
about concluded that the safest
mode of conveyance is a big wa
gon drawn by a pair of spirited
western bronchos as they gener
ally prove less disappointing than
the swifter going (when it goes)
automobile. . .L. Fluckey has
some specimen ears of corn
which he raised on his farm, 3
ears weighing 414 pounds.
25 YEARS AGO
Arline Grimes drove to Lincoln
with her father Saturday where
she enrolled in Black’s Beauty
Shoppe for an eight month course;
of training. . .Joe Shonka of
Schuyler recently purchased the!
quarter section known as the
Gene Hubbard place. . .Mrs.
Clara Oleson gave a watermelon
party for young folks of the com
munity last evening . .Miss An
ns Schober living southeast of
Chambers, was married to Ro
bert Kreixiger of Ewing Septem
ber 30. . . “Brady" Hubbard
served eight gallons of ice cream
to customers and callers at the
opening of his Service Station last
Saturday. . .Mary, the little
daughter of Frank Musi] of O'
Neill was brought to Chambers
Wednesday for treatment of a
broken arm.
Ewing News
Bv Mr*. Harold Harrt*
Mr. and Mrs. Lyle Dierks took
their daughter, Mrs. Paul Waters
and son, Douglas, to Omaha Sun
day where they left by plane for
their home in Los Angeles, Calif.
They had spent the past six
weeks with her parents and al
so with relatives in Atlantic, la.,
and Omaha. Dr. Waters, who had
a shorter vacation, left Thursday
to return home by car.
Eight new members joined the
Christian Mothers of St. Peters
church when they met Tuesday
evening at St Dominic's hall.
They are Mmes Walter Sojka.
Carl Chmiel. Merle Sehi. Don
Vandersmck. Richard Kallboff.
Gary Tessmer. Frank Slizoski and
Esther SUscakl. Mrs. John Miller
presided at the business meeting
Mrs Jerry Tomjack, legislative
chairman, gave a report on re
cent acts of legislation and urg
ed members to keep informed on
the subject. Mrs Tessmer, spiri
tual chairman, gave an article on
“Temper". A skit pertaining to
family life and the use of mon
ey was presented by a cast m
charge of Mrs Richard Cunning
ham, rural life chairman
Mrs. Tomjack gave a report on
the archdioscese meeting recently
held at Columbus.
The annual fall deanery meet
ing will be held at Emmet Octo
ber 24. and the day of recollec
tion at O'Neill November 9 Re
freshment hostesses were Mmes.
Martin VanConet, Roy Rother
ham. James Rotherham and Roy
Vander snick.
Mrs. Catherine Indra, Home
Extension agent, O'Neill, gave the
lesson and demonstration to the
Extension clubs of the Ewing
Center at the home of Mrs. J. L.
Pruden Thursday afternoon
The Women* Society of Chris
Uan Service met at the parlor*
of the Ewing Methodist church
Wednesday afternoon, with a food
attendance Devotions and the l«*s
son were m charge of Mrs Willi*
Hockey, assisted by Mmes, Hen
ry Fleinmg. Ray Sedtvy. James
Tinsley and Harry Van Horn At
the business session, topics of dis
cussion were a bake sate Octo
ber 14 sponsored by the churches
of Ewtng for the Leon Hahlbeck
fund, the annual birthday party
of the Society October 19 and the
election day dinner in November
November 1, date of the neat
meeting, will be cookie day fur
the members whose names begin
with M to Z.
Reports were given by Mrs
Fleming and Mrs Earl Van Os
trand Card of thanks was receiv
»«d from Mrs Louis Pofahl and
several of the out-of-Urwn mem
bers who attended the seminar
held in Ewing last month
Cards were sent to Mrs Frank
Schmidt, Mrs Pofahl anil l^eon
Hahlbeck Each member sent a
message by tape recording to
Mrs. R G. Rockey, Florida
Guests were Mrs. C H Bennett
and Pam, Mrs Darlene Diet*
and the following teachers of the
Ewing public acbuut who were
luncheon guest* l>ena (laker.
Mine* Amber Schlotman. Shir
ley Jorgenson, Beulah Black.
Fern Hexlne, Neva Bergstrom and
iavma Shoemaker Hostesses
were Mrs Tinsley and Mrs Hay
Srdivy.
Mrs Frank Schmidt ta a iwitient
at tlie Antelope Memorial UwptUl
Neligh .for a physical checkup
and treatment
Mrs Ralph Eacker transacted
business In Tlklen Tuesday
Mr and Mrs. Andrew Otam at
tended a family reunion Sunday
at the Oscar Wilson home, El
gui. October I. honoring their
daughter. Mrs Allan York. Seat
Ur. Wash.
tt,* Fronttei Want Aim,
Electric Motors
Rewinding Rebuilding
(fell 54S W — *4 hr I4cr*lc
Northwest Electric
O'Neill
"Superb” . . . "luxurious” . . . "beautiful” . . .
"brilliant”—there are many words that might be
used to describe the new 1962 Cadillac car.
But if we were to select from the Cadillac
vocabulary the one word that most completely
captures the essence of this latest "car of cars”
—we would choose "masterful”.
For here is a motor car that has already estab
lished its mastery in everything that makes an
automobile good and fine and desirable.
In appearance, it is clearly a Cadillac master
piece—graceful, clean-lined and elegant.
In performance, it is a revelation. Its power plant
is a reservoir of silken power—and the car rides
and handles with an instinctive ease and Bareness.
In safety, it is in a class of its own—with a host
of exclusive features, including remarkable new
side cornering lights.
In craftsmanship, it is simply without rival.
Every 1962 Cadillac will undergo more than 1400
inspections to assure its quality and goodness.
On and on the list could go. But however
lengthy, that list could never replace the experi
ence of inspecting the car and driving it.
Your dealer will happily let you do both.
Once you have, you’ll understand why the word
has gone out so quickly that this is the finest
motor car ever to bear the Cadillac name.
VISIT YOUR LOCAL AUTHORIZED CADILLAC DEALER
VAN VLECK MOTORS, INC.
121 NORTH FOURTH ST.. O’NKIIJ
- FOR SIXTY YEARS THE STANDARD OF THE WORLD __
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