Prairieland Talk
"Monument for Gen. O'Neiir
By ROM AIN E SAUNDERS. 4110 South 51st St.. Lincoln 6. Ncbr
O'Neill's jolly postmaster writes me a cheer
ing note, enclosing a letter he had received from
one in an eastern state asking about the gone and
forgotten General John O'Neill who brought a
colony of Irish settlers here and
founded the town that bears his
name. But why look to Prairie
land Talker for it? As a youth
ful O’Neillite I saw the
general's wife, knew his son,
Johnnie, and daughter well but
never met up with the Old Man
himself, as in my day he had
gone to Omaha to think up oth<T
undertakings. My first year in
the little town that bears the
General’s name, after the death Remain*
of my father at his homestead Saunders
home out on the prairie, we lived, mother, brother,
sister and I, in the house that had been the home of
that notable person and his family that stood just
across the street to the north of the Methodist
church. Is there no one today in the community who
mows or cares anything about the long dead founder
of the town that goes by his name? f recall two
ladies still here whose ancestors were part of the
John O'Neill colony but maybe neither Miss Bren
nan or Miss O’Donnell can tell us anything aliout it
all. O'Neill, now a city of some four thousand citi
zens. should erect a monument to the memory of its
founder. And I pass on to Postmaster Moss the job
of getting such a monument set up there by his
post office.
• * •
The sun glows in golden glory out of yon distant
blue sky this late Octolier morning, and the wind
sweeps ncross prairieland out of the south to scatter
dead leaves of autumn over the ground. Another
fruitful season draws to a close, Thanksgiving and
Christmas feast down the line some weeks from to
day when we partake again of the bounties so
graciously provided.
* • •
At a sale of bulls a day in Oetolier this year, one
of those gentleman chunks of beef sold for one
thousand dollars. It was a public farm sale a day in
October, 189-1, the last to be offered by the auctione
er at that sale being four coming yearlings, two
hulls and two heifers. “What do I get for the four?”
asked the salesman. After a period of urging the on
lookers to bid one speculator ventured to offer one
dollar for the four, 25c each. He got them. One
dollar for four in 1894, one thousand dollars for one
today. What next?
* * •
Very little interest in the November election here
in the Capital City. About all Candidate Senator Fern
Hubbard Orme did was to go to the polls election
day and help by one vote on her re-election.
The dinner hour was about at hand. I stepped
up to the back door of the hotel where I was staying
some fifty years ago. the hotel door or two east of
where the K. C. hall now stands Opened that door
to step into the hotel kitchen, greeted Kate, the
cook, whom I knew well, asked her if she could
and would fry me some onions for dinner? “Yes,”
Kate replied I thanked her, stepped out and around
to the front entrance to await the call to dinner.
Seated at the dinner table with the others my dish
of fried onions was brought to me. Others saw it,
raised up in their seats and burst out, “Give me
some, I want some." But I downed that dish of
cooked onions Want to launch into a lively business?
Go down on lower Fourth street where John Smoot
had his barber shop and get into the fried onion
business. You will have to get onions by the truck
load.
• • •
In the beginning God created. Then man took
>vcr, and for six thousand years human hands have
made a mess of it. And for six thousand years other
human hands have endeavored to clear up the mess,
and are still at it.
• • »
Long dark nights touched by a frosty hand. So
now along the prairie trails the beautiful golden rod,
the pink tinted roses are no more. The sweet song
of the meadow lark we hear not now. Floral bloom
ing beauties and birds awing gone once more. Yet
out on prairieland the wolf trots here and there,
jack rabbits sniff the evening air and a lone eagle
soars aloft on spread wing. The seasons come and
go, bring us a Thanksgiving day, a Christmas season
and the grass rolled prairieland blanketed under
pure white snow. Then we can write it 1962.
• * *
I wonder how it was this year the morning of
November 1 here on the streets of O’Neill. Today
here in the Capital City active lads and happy girls
Dome to house doors, "Treat or trick.” A half century
or more ago kids and men blocked the main busi
ness'street Fourth and Douglas in the county seat
town of Holt county with wagons, plows, machines
and rubbish. The night of October 31, Halloween,
and the morning after we had the evidence of what
fools we mortals he.
* * *
Priests and preachers, public officials, men and
women in all walks of life are concerned as they
contemplate world conditions today. Does it mean
the ending of human history, many are wondering?
Two Heavenly Beings spoke to the little group who
watched as the One who had risen from death on
that rugged cross to leave this earth and those
Heavenly Beings said He will come again and
close the pages of human history. If that is it, then
why not in our day rather than the distant future.
Editorial
The Case of The Goal Posts
The O’Neill, Neligh football game two weeks
ago provided not only copy for the sports writers
hut a topic for editorial writers also. Editors of
l>oth Neligh papers expressed their opinions in
their columns last week and the sports editor of
the Norfolk Daily News expressed his views In
his personal column. We now pass their views on
to you.
Neligh Leader
Some goal posts were torn down.
Neligh had won its eighth straight game of the
season and had knocked off unbeaten O'Neill to do
it. Excitement over the win. a little encouragement
from the wrong sources, and down came O'Neill's
goal posts.
The cost involved w*asn't great, O’Neill citizens
apparently aren't too irate over the loss, and no one
was injjured. Not by any means an earth shattering
incident.
A mountain should not be made over a mole
hill. But there are some rather negative factors
that creep into every such unthinking action.
Who should pay for the loss? Certainly not O’
Neill. The doers would be difficult to identify without
missing many. Probably it wall be up to the Neligh
school board to replace the posts if friendly rela
tions are to continue. This means each taxpayer in
the Neligh school district will share the cost. Few*
of them enjoyed the pleasure of the action.
What happens when O’Neill wins at Neligh next
time? It would seem only fair they w-ould feel free to
reciprocate. We could hardly withhold a privilege
we considered ours. And then we would be equally
justified in returning the compliment at O'Neill
when next we win.
And was it really any great tribute to the
players? They have conducted themselves well this
year both on and off the field. They have been a
credit to both their school and their town. It's a
pity the report of their sweetest victory must in
clude the item that “Neligh rowdies tore down the
goal posts.”
It wasn't such a terrible deed. But it was un
necessary*.
Neligh News
You can call it rowdiness or whatever you like,
but we feel Neligh was justified in pushing over the
goal posts following the O'Neill-Neligh game.
Because of the win, Neligh has gained a slot
among the top ten in state football as rated by
Gregg McBride.
Throughout the entire game enthusiasm was at
the highest pitch ever witnessed at a ball game by
yours truly. We feel it is only right to dispose of this
excitement by participating in the age old custom of
removing the goal posts. It has been done for
generations and will continue in the future when the
contests warrant such action.
If we buy—we will gladly contribute.
The Norfolk News
Do some fans have an urge to gain a form of
victory other than that won on the playing field?
Do they lack the humility* that is a quality of good
sportsmanship, or are they just plain jealous?
These are questions that arise from observing
spectators at a sports contest usually built up great
ly by rivalry and-or the expectation of a close game.
This was the setting for the meeting of Neligh
and O'Neill, two unbeaten teams.
Some Neligh fans were using Jerry- Kilcoin, O'
Neill’s outstanding halfback, as the primary target
for a verbal bombing.
I wonder how one of these same fans would
combat the situation if it were to occur to them
selves or someone close to them?
Neligh’s excellent football team won the bat
tle on the field, 18-6. But the sportsmanship shown
by some of its followers left a sour flavor to out
siders.
An overwrought football fan got a lesson in Ne
braska philosophy from Jack Lowe, editor of the
Sidney Telegraph.
Lowe, who is not noted for understatement,
says he received a phone call after the NU-Okla
homa State football game from an irate friend who
insisted that he open up shop and print him some
petition forms so he could start circulating removal
proceedings against Bill Jennings and the entire
Nebraska University football staff. Lowe invited
him over and explained the facts of Nebraska foot
ball life to him. This is the way Lowe sees it:
"Nebraska University football is like everything
else in Nebraska—conventional, conservative and un
spectacular .... If Jennings and his assistants
were to introduce a razzle dazzle brand of play, ac
companied by the unexpected and the unorthodox,
he would be violating a form of provincial thinking
which has prevailed across the great prairies and
rolling hills since Nebraskaland became a state.
"It says in our Constitution that we are not al
lowed to take any chances. We can’t go in debt,
we can’t win a free box of groceries at the neighbor
hood supermarket, we can’t clip box tops or send
in jingles because it is considered to be an im
moral and un-Christian example among the multi
tudes.
"Furthermore, no matter how desperate our
conditions may become, we are forbidden by law
to change cur tax structure or to dream up new
ways of meeting our honest government debts. We
are told that our Constitution—most of which was
written prior to the turn of the century—is our salva
tion. It is our safeguard against our own follies. We
may want but we can’t have because wiser men
have decreed in the dim past that we are irrespon
sible children who will spend next week's allowance
before we get it if we don’t watch out . . .
"Meanwhile, other states with more sense and
less scruples are taking our money and spending
it like mad on interstate highways and public build
ings and parks and sewers and every imaginable
public works. This, we are told, is a policy which is
leading America down the road to brankruptcy and
total collapse. When we get there we’ll all be in the
same fix, but our neighbors will have had a lot
more fun making die trip .. .
"Jennings probably would like to have one of
his quarterbacks carry the ball on the 4th down
with two to go. or pass with his hindside to his own
goal posts, but this would be unthinkable—not to
Jennings, perhaps, but to Nebraskans in general.
We don't do things like that. The world has become
a great vast forest of speculators and chance takers,
but w’e are poor innocent souls who have lost our
way. Baa! Baa! Baa!
"How could we possibly sustain our reputation
as the White Spot of the nation if we permitted our
boys to think for themselves without first referring
to the dusty pages of history?
"So don’t get mad at Jennings. Like the piano
player in the bar he's doing his best. He’s the
victim of a system which has decided that failure
is preferable to success if one has to comprise the
principles of his forefathers. Take pride instead of
sorrow’ in die great White Spot. X marks the White
Spot where the parade went by.”
Seore a bull's-eye for Native Son Lowe!
Frontiers
Ago
50 YEARS AGO
R. R. Dickson is elected judge
with a majority of 87 votes in
the district . . . George E. Van
Every and Miss Matilda Bradley.
Inman, were united in marriage
by County Judge Malone at the
county court room last Wednes
day . . . Mrs. W. H. Bedford
died at her home in this city
Tuesday morning after an illness
of over a year . . . Chris Tim
merman. Stuart, died from the
effect of injuries he sustained in
a fall from his wagon. He was
35 years of age . . . Mrs. Martha
McCutcheon, Inman, left Friday
for Wray, Colo., to spend the
winter with her daughter, Mrs.
Owen Critchfield.
25 YEARS AGO
Robert R. Dickson wins over
James J. Harrington for district
judge in election . . . One of the
pretty and interesting weddings < f
the season was that of Miss
Elenore M. Fuchs ol Odebolt, la.,
and Mr. Ivan J. Pruss, O’Neill,
October 7 . . . J. D. Cronin at
tends Creighton Homecoming at
Omaha this week . . . Miss Betty
McNally entertained 14 of her
friends at a Halloween party at
her home last Saturday evening
. . . Probably in no election in
this city was their greater activi
ty in hauling voters to the polls
than was evident in the election
Tuesday. . .Romaine Saunders
and hi* southwest Holt neighbor,
Jesse James, came up from Swan
Wednesday to bring the returns
of their precinct.
10 YE ARM AGO
A 30-year-old Chambers ran
cher. John Sladek, died early Fri
day at a Norfolk hospital follow
ing surgery' - • Jerry Brennan.
28, son of Mr and Mrs NeU P.
Brennan, has reported finding
considerable uranium in the
Black Hills . . . Donald Donohoe
and Carolyn l^ee are crowned
Homecoming king and queen at
St. Mary's academy November
1 ... . Mr. and Mrs. William C.
Kelley sr.. Inman, will celebrate
their 56th wedding anniversary
November 11 . . . Mr. and Mrs.
Joe Stutz entertained a group of
guests on Halloween night at
which time the evening was spent
playing games and dancing . . .
An estimated 240 teenagers from
the O’Neill community Wednes
day attended a special Halloween
party-dance at the Legion hall.
5 YEARS AGO
The Rev. Francis Price, pastor
of the Church of Epiphany at
Emmet, has returned from a six
week's tour of Europe . . . Ro
liert Young and Mardelle Johnson
were crowned king and queen at
OHS Homecoming festivities Fri
day evening . . . State Senator
Frank Nelson, O'Neill farmer,
was successful in his bid for re
election in Tuesday's general
election . . . Mr. and Mrs. Wil
liam C. Kelley will observe their
60th wedding anniversary in In
man . . . Mr. and Mrs. Elmer
Hull, Star community, celebrate
their 57th wedding anniversary
.. Milton Grimes, son of Mrs.
Lovena Grimes, Chambers, we
named to the cast of the Uni
versity of Nebraska annual pro
duction to be given November
16-17.
The Long Ago
At Chambers
50 YEARS AGO
A shadow social will he held
at the home of Charles Tange
man three miles south and four
miles east of Chambers Saturday
evening for the benefit of the
Harold school . . . Some new
cross walks are being put in by
Charles Graham which are a
decided improvement over the
old mud holes ... A large ship
ment of books by the best authors
has been received at the Smith
Bros, store . . . F. D. Smith,
local agent for the Economy Gas
Plant company, has just installed
a complete system of gas lights
for Smith Bios. . B »rn to Mr.
and Mrs. Earl Coppoc at their
home in Harold November 1. a
daughter ... On Saturday the
gas engine formerly used on the
grader will lie sold at public
auction in Chambers.
’:> YEARH AGO
Bob Starr and Hylas Farrier
have narrow escape from death
while becoming lost when hunting
wild animals and deer in Wyo
ming . . . The annual meeting of
the South Fork Holt County Ag
riculture society was held Satur
day at which time Glee Grimes.
Van Robertson and Vem Sageser
were elected as three-year dir
ectors . . . Mrs. Jean Nissen is
erecting a fine large new bam
on her fam three miles south of
Chambers . . . Ira Liermanns
purchased a new oil stove, radio
and model A roadster this week
. . . Coyote hunt attended by
many carloads of hunters with
these results: one coyote killed
and the Ladies auxiliary got lost
w-ith the lunch.
Celia News
Mrs. Merrill AmWwaa
Mr. and Mrs Mark Hendricks
entertained the tencher, Mrs Km
tl Calfack. the patrons, and the
l*jpils of tlwir school At a Ha)
kneeen party at their home Tues
day evening The majority of
guests came utUml in costume.
The welcoming committee were
characters from -SpooksviUe",
and inside the h -use buliouaB and
cartoons dangled from the walls
anil ceiling. Corn fodder and gro
tesque figures filled the corners
and autumn leaves littered the
floor. Mrs Emil Cotfack hail
charge of the entertainment Pri
zes were awarded to the most
frightening costumes. Refresh
ments wi re served Other guests
were Mr. and Mrs. Merrill An
derson. Mrs. Leonard Chaffin and
Lmda. Mrs. Calfack and the pu
pils re# lined the following day
to lielp put the house back in or
der.
Mr and Mrs. Alvin Heiser, Jer
ald and Sharon, visited at the
Duane Beck home Friday eve
11 ng
Herman Meyer helped Merrill
Anderson with butchering Monday
and was a dinner guest there.
Dorothy Scott was a supper
guest Wednesday evening at the
home of Mr. and Mrs. Duane
Beck. Mrs. Victor Frkki 1 and
children called later in the eve
ning.
Pvt. IKinald Friekel. son of
Mr. and Mrs. t'onrnd Frirkrl,
completed eight weeks o( basfr
training with the ami) at I t
Ord, California. Following u 14
day leave he will return to Ft.
Ord for eight weeks of advanc
ed army training. Mrs. Friekel
la trarhtng In .s»u> l*aadrn,
(Hit! IWratv of the fltUarr
la\-otv<xl the couple to unt plan
ning a trip Home at this lime,
Victor Fricke!. Frank Kilmur
ry and Duane Beck attended U>e
Hereford Bull wile nt Alliance
Saturday The bulls sold for $10,
uOU and more,
Mr*. Victor Frtckrl, Vicki, Bon
nie. Beverly. Riglney. Glen awl
Rethene spent the weekend at Va
lentine visiting Mrs Frickel'a sla
ter. Mrs Jerry Henderson and
family
The Celia 4-H club enjoyed a
roller skat mg party nt the Roller
Rink in Atkinson Friday evening.
Refre-laments were served
Bill Kretrhmnn and a party of
five were dinner guests Saturday
nt the R >ert Hendricks home.
They came to load out cattle
which R bert had pastured for
Mr. Kretchman this summer nwf
take them to the U<4> Pierson
ranch at Davenport. Present for
dinner were. BUI Kret* htr.au,
Ge »rge Mathis, Butch Mathis,
Harlan Kib.trt, all of Atkinson,
and W.iUay dates and Bob Pier
S' n. Davenport.
Mr and Mrs. Herman Meyer
visited at the Neal Mewhirter
home nt Stuart Sumlav afternoon.
Mr and Mrs. Herman Meyer
jr attended a Sunday school class
party Friday evening at the borne
of Mr and Mrs. Allen Waiters,
north of O’Neill.
Mr. and Mrs Robert Hendricks
and family were supper guests
Monday evening nt Mark Hend
ricks.
Mr and Mrs I or Roy Hoffman
ami sons visited at the Ttnki Poes
snecker home Sunday evening.
Mrs. Hoffman, teacher st the Pi
oneer sch id. had a Halloween
program at tin* school Monday
evening. Lunch was sensed
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