cal Society .
omul
vol. xxx vn.
PLATTSMOUTH. NEBRASKA, THURSDAY, APRIL 29, 1920.
NO. 88
. . . i -
DEATH OF CITY ,
ATTY. JOSEPH
E. DOUGLASS
OCCURRED SUDDENLY LAST EV
ENING AT 6:30 AT HIS HOME
ON HIGH SCHOOL HILL
FOLLOWS SOON AFTER STROKE
Former County Jcdge Had Been in
Poor Health for Several Months
Following Paralytic Stroke
From Tuesday s Dally.
It was with shock and surprise
that the conununits learned last ev
ening of the sudden death of Joseph
E. Iouglass. for several terms coun
ty judge of Cass county and at the
time of his death city attorney cf
Plattsmouth. The death of Judge
. Douglass occured at his home on
high school hill shortly before 7
o'clock. He had been in consulta
tion with a number of the members
of the council at his office at 6
o'clock and left there to go to din
ner at his home and had Just stepped
onto the porch at the home when
he fell, and never regained con
sciousness, passing away a few mom
ents later.
The death not only comes as a se
vere blow to the family, but to the
community as well for there were
few better known or more highly
esteemed men In the community than
the able and genial city attorney.
To those who had the opportunity
of knowing him best the judge was
a gentleman to meet whom was a
pjessure, and his genial manner tad
splendid Christian citizenship had
endeared him to the whole commun
ity. It is not without personal feeling
that we pay a brief tribute to the
departed friend, as he was for a
number of years with the Journal
as city editor and daring that time
tht most cordiay feeling grew up
between the members of the staff of
the paper and Judge Douglass that
only the sudden death has termin
ated, and during his time, with" this
paper he gave the most careful ser
vice that was so charasteristic to his
daily life and we feel that it has
been a loss of a friend whose place
will be hard to fill in the coming
years in the passing of Judge Doug
la5s. To the sorrowing wife and daugh
ters and son the sympathy of the
friend3 over Cass county will go out
in their loss. In their grief they
can have the inspiration of the calm,
pleasant and Christian life of the
departed to bear with them on the
journey through the future years,
lighting the way to the realms where
the forrow of parting Is no more.
There remains to mourn the death
of this good man, the widow, two
daughters, Mrs. E. O. Steihm of
Bloomington, Indiana, Miss Vesta
Douglass o fthis city and one son,
Dean Douglass, living at home. Mrs.
Douglass and the son were the only
members of the family at home at
the time of the death. Miss Vesta
Iouglass being on a visit to the sis
ter in Indiana. One brother. Dr.
(I. Cm. Douglass of Elmwood, Is also
Ipft to mourn the death of Judge
Douglass.
DAMAGE SUIT FILED
FOR A LARGE SUM
Harriet Morris of Nehawka, Files
Action in District Court Against
Three Persons.
From Tuesday's Dally.
'Three suits were filed in'the dis
trict court today aggregating the
cum of $60,000 and involving action
against three of the prominent res
idents of Nehawka. The plaintiff In
the actions is Henrietta Morris and
the vrm of Stocker & Ford of Lin
coin appear In the action for the
plaintiff.
The suit' of Henrietta Morris vs.
George C. Sheldon asks damages for
the sum of $25,000 and in the peti
tion the plaintiff charges that the
defendant had made charges and
statements against the plaintiff in
regard to her taking money belong
ing to Verna Harris, while she was
employed at the Sheldon Manufac-
turing company, and as a result she.
had lost her position and become an
object of public scandel as well as
suffering a severe nervous- break
down as the result of charges. The
date of Saturday, April 24th, 13 the
time given as when the statements
were made against, the plaintiff that
furnish the basis of the cause of ac
tion. The suit of Henrietta Morris
against Peter M. Boeck is for the
sum of $25,000 and the cause of ac
tion is the same as that claimed in
the case against Mr. Sheldon.
' Mrs. Bertha Klaurens i3 made the
defendant in the third case in the
sum of $10,000 with the same charg
es as those in the other cases, that
of statements made concerning the
plaintiff, 'Henrietta Morris, as to her
having taken money belonging to
Verna Harris.
GIVES UP ATTEMPT
TO TALK WITH MARS
Dr. Frederick Millener, of Omaha,
Ceases Experiments with Wire
less Plant Hear Here.
from Turt' Dally.
The experiments which were con
ducted last week at the Gamer ranch
near Cedar Creek by Mr. Gamer and
Dr. Frederick Millener, of Omaha,
in order to try and establish com
munication with the planet Mars,
which on Wednesday , approached
the closest that it will be to the
earth for a number of years, have
decided that the inhabitants of the
neighboring world, if they existed,
were not trying sound waves as a
means of communication with the
earth.
"For three nights I have sought
through interstellar space for a sig
nal from Mars,"' said Dr.' Millerief .
"1 have found none. For three nights
our wireless Instruments have been
in condition to receive messages or
iginating millions and millions of
miles without the. orbit of the earth.
"N'o such messages have been cir
culating the ether, or at least, no
electrical wireless waves have been
hurled at the earth by the people of
Mars. The Martians, if there are
such beings, may have been trying
to signal the earth by some other
methods and means,
not been trying to
wireless waves in
But they have
reach us with
the last three
nights.
"Had they been doing so we would
have had their messages."
K. P. LODGE AT II EH A WK A
' BURGLARIZED LAST WEEK
Last Tuesday night the desk in
which the K. P. Lodge keep a num
ber of their belongings, was broken
into and their Jewels, some postage
stamps, etc., were taken. The room
which is also occupied by the Ne
hawka Business Mens League, was
always left unlocked and the two
boys mixed up in the deal had made
use of the room and wrestling mat
as a lodging place for two or three
nights. This was not known until
after the property had been taken.
After taking the articles they
journeyed to Plattsmouth where they
attempted to dispose of the stolen
articles and by chance stopped one
of the members of the local order
who was a stranger to them and sold
him some of the jewels. When he
returned home he showed other mem
bers what he had purchased so
'cheaply for the lodge and it was soon
discovered he had bought their own
belongings. While the Intruder was
selling the stolen property, Includ
ing rome stamps, he was suspected
of being a crook and given fifteen
minutes to leave the county seat by
the" authorities. In the meantime
his pal returned t Nehawka where
he denied the' theft and was not mo
lested. The other . fellow walked
down from Plattsmouth and after
receiving a tip from his buddy, who
had arrived here first, he left town
In short order and has not been seen
or heard from since. If this deal
had been pulled off In some towns
no doubt one or both of these fel
lows would now be serving a jail
sentence Nehawka News-Ledger.
. Itch! Itch! Itch! Scratch!
Scratch! Scratch! The more you
scratch the worse
Doan's Ointment.
For eczema, any
skin itching. - 60c a box
MnrnTfllM
II N ll T K I MIW
PRICE CONDI
TIONS PREVAIL
NEBRASKA GAS & ELECTRIC CO.
FINDS COST QF FUEL AND
OIL IS INCREASING.-
RATE ADJUSTMENT NEEDED
According to Statement Given Man
ager Kuykendall from the Head '
Offices in Omaha.
From Monday's Dafty.
In regard to the condition pre.
vailing in the market in regard to
fuel and oil used in the securing of
electric power and manufacture of
gas the head offices of - the large
power companies are issuing infor
mation for the bei.eft of their brar'-Ii
otlices and Manager James Kjykftn-c-all
of the local company . has re
ceived the following statemt-nt s to
the conditions prevailing in the gis
manufacturing plants.
Mr. Jas. Kuykendall, Mgr.,
Nebraska Gas & Electric Co.,
I 'iUsmouth, Nebr.
I tar sir:
We were fortunate up fo the e
er.t time to have contracts on oi'. and
eke, which raw material was used
in the manufacture of gas and as our
contracts have just expired w find
ourselves confronted with the fol
lowing situation.
Under our contract, using Beatrice
which is the closest town to the oil
fields, our oil was delivered for, $5.32
and with the lowest possible buying
point today, oil is $11.32, . . - -
On the same basis of delivery, r:oke
price was $11.7S and the lowest
possible point on which we can con
tract today is " $15.90. This repre
sents an increase of oil of 113 per
cent and of 36 per cent in coke. On
these two figures, the cost of oil and
coke will increase our gas cost ap
proximately 40 cents per 1000 cu. ft.
We are going to be confronted
very shortly with a further increase
in freight rates and I think it ad
visable to get in communication
with your council, possibly making
it general in' the papers, as to the
fallacy to attempt to operate on a
fixed rate with these varying condi
tions in prices. If we could just edu
cate the people to know that it is
just as fair to them as to us to have
the rate fixed on the varying condi-'
Hons, I am satisfied that we would
be . In better position to demand a
decrease when the prices went down
if the rate could be fixed on our cost
of these raw materials.
We should start out immediately
collecting data as to just how much
this Increase in coke and oil wi'l in
crease our operating expense. If vou
want any Information from this oi
fice, we would be glad to furnish it
tq you. I would like a letter back
from you or an expression after you
have analyzed t and what this in
creased cost will do to you and Jast 1
what increase In rates you ougm to
ask for. Yours very truly,
J. B, HARVEY,
Vice President.
Why Rates Should Vary
tolufiwbfcKae
The utility business was never con
fronted with such varying anf. un
certain prices of the raw materials
such as coal, coke and oil, which arc
the main items in the mauufaofure
or electricity and gas.
The trend of all prices havo been
.upward but they change so often and
so widely that no one will buy any
large quantity of material at any one
time, hoping, as we all do, that the
top has been reachedand the scale
will start downward. Our costs then
are different every month and vte
naturally get panicky when they con
tinue to climb.
No one is mere anxious for Jhe re
turn of normal conditions, or the
establishment of a fixed rate than we
are, but until that time does come,
we are going to be subjected to wide
ly varying costs and in order net to
have to keep rates up, to compens
ate for earlier losses, it is only fair
and equitable that the consume pay
rates for service based on its benefit
of reducing prices and costs would
the itch. Tryjmore quickly revert back to the con-
I sumer.
It is not difficult to arrive at the
normal' costs of raw: materia la or to
find the present prices and knowing
what the variation, was each month
the'eost could be increased or de-I
creased just as theprice of wer-
chandise or groceries varies.
This Is simply aa explanation of
the situation that causes us to be
continually asking for different rates
and. a suggestion of how rates can
be fixed to be fair to all parties con
cerned. Financing of Utility Companies.
They are the merchants, hou.n;
holders, teachers, clergymen; stenog
raphers, lawyers, doctors, dentists,
mechanics, policemen, widow?, or
phans people in all walks of life, who
have a part or all cf their savings
invested in gas companies.
This great body of citizens Is the
backbone of the gas industry an in
dustry one hundred per cent Ameri
can which asks for the right to con
duct its business on a profitable basisJ
so as to maintain a reasonably sat
isfactory service and pay its invest
ors a fair return on their money.
Among these investors are life in
surance companies 4 and savings
banks. Every individual who has a
life Insurance policy or a Savings
Bank deposit, is. therefore, vitally
interested in having, these institu
tions obtain a profit on their gas com
pany investments, j , (
In the truest enejpf the word the
gas industry belorgsto theAmeri
can people because it is owned by the
American people nd. the profits (if
there are any) aie shared by the
American people
NEBR. GAS Si
ELECTRIC CO.
LEARN OF RELATIVE'S
DEATH Ef
OUTE EAST
Brother-in-Law cf
Mr. H. H. Kuhn-
ey and Uncle qf"Jrs. Henry
Hesse S tricktn-iri: Train.- -'
From Monday's Dallv.
This morning a telegram was re
ceived here announcing the death of
James Creamer, of Dun lap. Iowa, a
brother-in-law of Mrs. Harry Kuh
ney and unc-Je of Mrs. Henry Hesse,
of this city. Mr. and Mrs Creamer
have been in California for some
time, where they went owing to the
poor health of Mr. Creamer and had
started back to their home at Dun-
lap, Iowa, and v.hila enroute Mr.
Creamer died on thi train, having
.vhat seems to have been a sudden
attack of heart failure.
The body t of Mr. Creamer - was
taken on to the old home at Dun'lap.
where the funeral services will be
held to'morrow afternoon at 3:00
o'clock. !
OLD RESIDENT OF
COUNTY PAYS VISIT
G.. Cooley, Oneof Old Timers in
Vicinity Spendj Sunday Here
At Home ef Nephew.
From Monday's Daily.
Yesterday E. Gi Cooley. one of the
pioneer residentsjof Cass county, and
who has for se viral years past been
making his hon in California, was
in the city a crest at the home of
his nephew. Glorge R. Sayles and
family.
Mr. Coolev f ill be well remem
bered by the ider residents of this
Qity as well as Louisville and Eight
Mile Grove, prcinct, where he made
his home for Jlong period of years.
In the last few years he has re
sided in Califlrnia, but is now com
Ing back to tie central west to make
his home.
The youngest son of Mr. Cooley.
Dwlght Coo? y. was with the U. S.
army in Fniice during the war and
has secured Ii homestead in northern
Minnesota iid Mr, Cooley is expect
ing in the future to make his home
with the sia on the homestead.' He
departed iiis mornjng for Cedar
Creek to Ftend a short' time there
with Mrs. George Sayles, Sr., and
family befrre leaving for his future
home In Minnesota.
MURRATJ CHRISTIAN AID SOCIETY
The ladies Aid society of the
Christian church of Murray will
meet 6n Wednesday, May 5th with
Mesdamc ; Charles Creamer and "Wal
ter Sans' at the Creamer home. . All
members and friends . are cordially
invited. a2G-3w
ODD FELLOWS
STAGE A BIG
CELEBRATION
ONE HUNDRED AND FIRST ANNI
VERSARY OBSERVED BY LOCAL
ORDER LAST EVENING
f .
GIVE A VERY FINE PROGRAM
Banquet Served at Close cf Evening
- is a Feast Enjoyed by Odd Fellows
and Members of Rebekah 0rder
From Wednesday's Daily. .
To the members of the great fra
ternal order, the Independent Order
of Odd Fellows-, and the Daughters of
Rebekah, the ladies auxiliary of the
order, who were in attendance last
evening at the splendid observance
of the one hundred and first anni
versary held in this city the won
derful growth of the Odd Fellows
since the 26th day of April, 1819
when , five men first established the
fraternity in these United States
was brought home most strikingly.
As one gazed over the lodge room
thronged with the enthusiastic and
happy members of the two organiza
tions, it was hard to realize that this
had been made possible by the five
English emigrants gathered in the
Seven Star tavern in the city of Bal
timore a century 'ago and that the
fraternity today embraced over
2,000,000 members in. every state of
the union.
The members of the local Odd Fel
lows and Daughters of Rebekah, have
for several weeks planned a fitting
bCservancfe onheannlversary'of the
order as at the time of th'e century
anniversary the nation was just
emerging from the great world -conflict
and many of the members were
in Europe in service with the army
of their nation and it was impossible
to fittingly celebrate the great event.
Since then the 61,000 members of
the Odd Fellows who were Jn - the
service of their country have return
ed to the pursuits of peace and ac
cordingly the proper observance was
planned. -
The committee had been busily en
gaged in preparing to make the oc
casion the most notable in the his
tory of the local order and more than
made good in the splendid, entertain
ment and banquet held last evening.
The lodge rooms and the banquet
hall had been fittingly prepared for
the occasion and throughout the
rooms the national colore, the red,
white and blue and the, star spangled
banner predominated in the decora
tions, testifying to the Intense pat
riotism that has so long been one
of the cardinal virtues of the I. O. O.
F. and the Rebekahs.
A short session of the lodge was
held preceding the formal observance
of the evening and at the close the
members of the order and the ladies
were invited to the lodge rooms
where the formal program was to be
enjoyed. Former Mayor John P.
Sattler, chief patriarch of the" local
encampment presided over the meet
ing and briefly stated the reasons
for the gathering and welcomed to
the lodge rooms the visiting broth
ers of the order and the ladies of the
auxiliary fraternity.
The opening ode of the I. O. O. F.
was given by the members of the as
sembly at the conclusion of the re
marks of Mr. Sattler and followed by
thp invocation by the 'chaplain of
Platte lodge, No. 7, John E. Klrk
ham. During the evening a number of
selections were given on the Pathe
machine- that proved most pleasing
to the iarge number present.
' A short history of Platte lodge No.
7, I. O. O. F. was given by Secretary
Harry T. Short. This lodge, was
brought into existanco in August,
1862, when W. B. Warbritten, E.
Giles, C. P. Bennarden, R. M. Claxby
and, T. H. Wheeler petitioned the
grand lodge of Nebraska for a char
ter for a lodge in Plattsmouth to be
known as Platte lodge No. 7, and on
August 27. 1862, the lodge was In
institnted and at the end of that year
the membershio numbered 12. In
1887 a second lodge, Cass lodge No.
164 was instituted but in 1900 this
(Continued on Page 6.)
NOW ENGAGED IN BUSINESS
From Tuesday's Dally.
Victor Krivanek of this. city has
engaged in a new line of work that
is meeting with the greatest of suc
cess and giving this young man an
opportunity of demonstrating his
business ability. Vic has been ap
pointed the Cass co.unty representa
tive, of the Curtis and International
publishing companies and is hand
ling the subscriptions for the Satur
day Evening Post, Ladies Home
Journal and Country Gentleman and
meeting with the best of success in
this line. He has started a canvass
of the county and expects to reach
every home with his magazines. The
office of Mr. Kirvanek is two doors
south of the postoffice and here he
can be found each day attending to
the rapidly increasing 'business of
his companies.
CITY LOSES SERVICES
OF A GOOD OFFICER
In Retirement of Officer Henry Trout
Community Loses a Faithful and
Efficient Public Servant
From Tuesday's Daily.
The announcement this, morning
that Officer Henry Trout was to be
no longer a member of the night po
lice force of the city came as a un
welcome surprise to the citizens in
general and particularly the resi
dents along Main street over whose
property Mr. Trout has exercised
watchfulness. It was the general
opinion at the time Mr. Trout was
put on the force last winter that the
city was fortunate in securing him
and today with Bis retirement the
same opinion exists Judging from the
remarks of those who have business
4
establishments t along Main" street.
His careful .work in making the
rounds of the business' houses each
evening has saved many merchants
from possible loss by reason of hav
ing thoughtlessly left their door
open and which fact being discovered
by Mr. .Trout, the merchants were
communicated with and the matter
looked after. Personally a genial
and pleasant gentleman he has made
many friends among the citizens who
will. genuinely regret to see him re
lieved of his position. It is a loss
that will be felt by the city without
a doubt.
GREAT DEMAND FOR MONU
MENTS ATPRESEIIT TIME
Froja Monday's Dally.
Harry W. Smith of the Cass Coun
ty Monument Works, .has been kept
very busy the past few weeks in fill
ing the orders that have "come in
for monuments and the result has
been that he is forced to have an
other order made for the famous Ver
mont granite from which the great
er part of the monuments are made.
A large number of fine monuments
have been turned out by Mr. Smith
and placed in the cemetery in this
city as well as in the small country
cemeteries near here and the fine
workmanship has given the greatest
of satisfaction to the purchasers.
The Best Test!
CBksYSTEMLl Bringing your account to this bank
places you under no obligation to
leave it here.
Yoij are privileged to withdraw at
any time that the service fails to
meet your , standards no matter
what they are.
Few of our depositors, however, j
ever leave us for this reason.
l The First National Bank, j
Plattsmouth, Nebraska j
VThe Bank Wher You Feel at Home" J
BIG DRIVE FOR
CHURCH FUNDS
BEGAN SUNDAY
SEVEN TEAMS OF TWO MEMBERS
EACH REPRESENT PRES
BYTERIAN CHURCH
CITY QUOTA IS FIVE THOUSAND
Campaign to Cover Present Week
Committees from Presbyterian,
Methodist and Christian.
prom Monday's Dally.
The initial step in the great in
terchurch drive for funds was made
in this city yestyday when the
seven teams of two men each repre
senting the . Presbyterian church,
made the canvass of the church m -tubers-hip
to start in the raising of tht
quota of 55,000 that has been given
as the amount of the city of Platts
mouth. The weather conditions . were de
cidedly against the solicitors as the
rain and chilly weather retarded the
progress of the business and profes
sional men who comprised the com
mittees. A greater part of the mem
bership of the church was reached
during thg day and while the total
amount secured in pledges has not
been compiled it was very satisfac
tory and everyone approached of the
membership responded very gener
ously. The work of soliciting from the
non-church members .will be under
taken by a committee from all three
of the churches that are participat
ing In the interchurch movement
the Presbyterian, Methodist and
Christian churches. It is hoped to
gain some of the funds from the con
tribution of those hb have no
church affiliations. The quota of
the county among the non-church
members is $10,430.
The Methodist church membership
have just completed their drive and
so did not participate in the solicit
ing yesterday as their funds already
secured and pledged will go towards
the interchurch work. .
The chairman for Cass county is
Attorney C. A. Rawls of this city and
the brganization of sub-committees
and community chairmen have tieen
made and the task of securing the
funds will be carried forward t'his
week if the weather permits it be
ing done.
The campaign is both state and
nation wide and 12,500 workers are
out all over Nebraska soliciting the
state's quota of $336,777.57 to the
fund that is to be raised over the
nation.
NOTICE TO PUBLIC.
I will not be responsible for any
bills contracted by my wife hereaf
ter and notice is hereby given" to the
public. 3td 2tw.
ROBERT SHRADEIt.
Bead the Journal.