State Historical Society
VOL. NO. XLVin
PLATTSMOUTH, NEBRASKA, 1IOKDAY, MAY 30, 1932.
NO. 35
Commencement
Exercises of the
Class of 1932
Fifty-five Young People Complete
Their High School Work Br.
W. E. Sealock. Sneaker.
From Friday's Iaily
Last evening occurred ore of the
most important incidents in the lives
of fifty-five of the young people of
this community, that of graduating
from the high school where for four
ytars they have been rounding out
their school education. For many it
marked the completion of tluir edu
cational work while for others it was
merely the rrelude to ventures into
higher educational fields.
The auditorium of the hip,h school
where the exercises occurred, was
filed in a few moments after the
opening of the doors and many were
compelled to stand.
Shortly after S o'clock. Miss Vir
ginia Samek. member of the junior
t-:ass. sounded the first notes of the
War March of the Priests from
"Athalia." to which the class of 1932
and the school officials entered and
were shown to their seats on the
platform of the auditorium.
bupermtendent 11. t,. Bailey pre
sided over the commencement and
introduced the various participants
on the program.
Canon W. J. II. Petter, rector of
the St. Luke's Episcopal church, gave
the invocation and benediction of
the services.
The senior girls group, composing
Dorothy Farmer, Anna Knieke, Lor
etta Taylor, Grace Pilny, Helen Vir
ginia Price, Catherine Terryberry,
Helen Schulz, Irene Simons, Madge
Garnett, Janet Vallery, Doris Peter
con. Eleanor Swatek, Thelma Pit
man and Mary Lois Wiles, were
heard in a well chosen selection,
' Iiave a Smile," by R.ule. Miss Cora
Williams, musical director of the
i
schools was the accompanim.
The honor of the class orators are
given to those who have attained the
largest grades in their school work
a:id w hich gave the salutatory to Miss
Eleanor Swatek and the valedictory
of the cla.-s to Miss Madge Garnett.
Miss Swatek gave the opening
greeting of the class, to whom as the
speaker stated the occasion was one
of the high spots of their life, it
wt.s the culmination of the sacrifices
through grade and high school that
the parents had made that the pupils
might attain their schooling. To the
greater part of the students gradu
ation represented the start in actual
work of life who were anxious to
mr.ke their start in life but found
that at this time tbe most critical
of conditions faced them. The time
today was on? fo greatest peril and
in which all of the best would be re
quired cf the student. Miss Swatek
praised the teaching that the class
had received at the hands of the
faculty and in the various lines of
activity pointed to the fact that 22
had. chosen commercial work while
fourteen were normal training stu
dents. Manual training and athletics
had al.o contributed to the varied
v.crk of the boys of the class.
Mis? Madge Garnett, valedictorian,
brought a forceful message a3 the
farewell cf the class to the audience.
The speaker stated that the end of
the high srhoo llife with the ques
tion "What Are You Going to Do,"
mant each member of the class. The
class of 1932 had grown through
depression Miss Garnett stated, it
had entered high school in 1929 as
the first blows of the nation wide eco
nomic crisis was felt, it had heard,
it had f-tn and felt the four year3
that had grown constantly more
fevfre. Leaving school now the class
members faced overcrowded lines of
activity in most all professions and
trades. It was the advice of the
Fpeaker to follow the wisdom or
Thomas A. Edison, "I have lived a
loiig time and have seen many de
pressions, but our country ha3 em
erged greater than ever, be brave
go forward."
The ppeaker of the evening. Dr.
William E. Sealock. president of the
Omaha Municipal university, took as
his Fubject, "The Challenge to
Youth." In his openingthe speaker
stated that education was an invest
ment, one that must be made at a
certain time of life or not at all, he
cited views cf Alfred E. Smith and
President Hoover in message to youth
to secure all eduction possible.
Dr. Sealock traced the develop
ment of mankind in the past years,
the fact that all progress had been
dearly bought, that today we lived
in the age of the machine wherein
the past had seen serfdom and com
pulsory toil as the part of a great
many of the race. In this day when
education and training had advanced
there was a nearer conception of the
fact that there was ro Jimit to the
possibilities of the development un
der the laws of God and of nature.
Service to man had also been a de
velopment of the race in later years
that had heretofore been ignored. To
the youth the challenge of the day
was the indifference of the neonle to
conditions that prevailed, to the
spirit that allowed the racketeer to
grow to power, thef act that there
had not been a president elected by
tne majority of tne eligible voters
of the nation in fifty years. It was
to the youth that the challenge to
give more than lip service had been
hurled, it was their task to combat
the evils of the day and to carry on
civilization to greater attainment in
future years.
The boys quartet cf the high
school. Louis Knofiicek. David Rob-
inson. Otto Stodola ar.d James Now
acck gave a very appropriate se
lection. "Here's a Health to You
Old High." a musical tribute to the
school from which they were gradu
ating. Superintendent R. E. Eailey an
nounced the scholarship award ol
the year. Miss Madge Garnett receiv
ing the first and Miss Ekanor Swa
tek the second honors. The D. A. R.
prize for the best student of Amer
ican history, was awarded to Miss
Madge Garnett, Mrs. Henry C. Me
Maken making the presentation.
Mr. Eailey also presented Harold
Jordan, class sponsor, who gave a
few brief remarks.
Dr. Frank L. Cummins then pre
sented the diplomas to the class
which comprised the following: j
John H. Becker, Harold I. Blod-
gctt, Mary Ellen Byers, Mildred Carl
burg. Lillian F. Chovanec, Cecil W.
Comstock, James F. Comstock, Henry
J. Donat. Edward M. Egenberger,
Walter Eledge, Dorothy Jane Far
mer, Clarence W. Forbes, Mott C.
Frady, Malinda A. Friedrich, Vir
ginia L. Galloway, Madge Garrett,
Opal F. Haley, Gwendolyn F. Han
sen, Raymond J. Heigl, William F.
Henriehsen, Leland Frank Hogue,
Marie Ellen Holcomb, June Margaret
Kcil, Anna M. Knieke. Louis Kr.o
f.icek. Antoinette Koubek. Hugh
Maurice Lightbody, James F. Now
acek. Eleanor Dorothy Olsen. Estella
Marie Darkening. Doris L. Peterson.
Grace M. Pilny, Thelma Pitman,
Helen Virginia Price, Glen 1.
Rhoades, David B. Robinson, Aulton
E. Rolland. Helen D. Schulz, Harold
J. Seay. Leland E. Shanholtz, Janet
Irene Simons, Mabel Jane Smock,
Keith J. Snyder, Otto Joseph Sto
dola, Eleanor Swatek, Loretta R.
Taylor, Catherine E. Terryberry,
Charles Alvadore Tilson, Ralph O.
Timm, Clarence Troy. Janet Vallery,'
bein, Mary Lois Wiles, Ann F. Zitka.
HEAR NEIGHBORHOOD WAR
The county court was crowded
Wednesday for the entire day with
a large number to hear the details
of a neighborhood quarrel that had
been transferred from the south part
of Wintersteen hill to the august
court of Judge A. H. Duxbury.
The case was one in which Wil
liam Ferguson and William Gouch
enour in two complaints, sought to
have Mrs. Maude Boyer, a neighbor,
put under a peace bond.
It was "claimed by the parties
signing the complaint, that they
were in fear of Mrs. Boyer, that
threats had been made against them
and that the defendant had been
sprinkling some powder on weeds and
grass near her place.
The defendant contended that the
powder was merely lime dust to kill
off bugs in a potato patch and the
small amount remaining had been
placed on Borne of the vegetation
near the Boyer home and that it was
nothing harmful to anything except
to keep off the bugs.
The charges and counter charges
of quarrels and actions of the several
parties in the case as well as the
children of the families, were heard
throughout the trial of the case and
kept the audience well entertained.
Late Wednesday afternoon as The
time drew near for the court to par
take of the evening meal drew near,
the case terminated and Judge Dux
bury dismissed the complaints that
had been made against Mrs. Boyer
and urged the parties to try and ab
stain from further trouble among
themselves.
Lowell S. Devoe
Named to Head
Local Schools
Present Superintendent at Geneva Is
Elected at Sleeting Wednesday
Accepts Position.
The board of education of school
district No. 1, which embraces the
Plattsmouth city school system, met
Wednesday afternoon and named as
the new superintendent of schools,
Lowell S. Devoe of Geneva, Nebras
ka. The selection of Mr. Devoe was
made by practically the unanimous
vote cf the board after the consider
ation cf the very large number ot
j'PPhcations that have been received
in the past few weeks.
The newly elected superintendent
was notified cf the action of the
board last evening and made his ac
ceptance of the position at the salary
of ?2,500 per year. He was here
today to interview the board cf
education and to meet with the
teaching force of the school before
the staff of teachers start on their
vacation.
Mr. Devoe is thirty-six years of
age and has filled the position of
superintendent at Oxford and Nelson
and for the past five years has been
at Geneva, where he has given splen
did service and comes highly recora-
mended"to the local schools. He has
received his educational wotk at the
Kearney normal and the University
of Nebraska, receiving both hi
bachelors and masters degrees from
the state university. He has had
excellent success in Lis school wort
in all of the cities where he has
been serving.
Mr. Devoe is a former service man
and married, the family comprising
the wife and two children. Mrs. De
voe has been active in the social life
of Geneva, being the president of
the P. E. O. chapter of that city ;v
well as prominent i:i the American
Legion Auxiliary work. Mr. Devoe
has been a leader in the American
Legion ot Geneva.
Mr. Devoe and family will locate
here in the next few months and pre
pare for making their home here and
the new superintendent become ac
quainted with the needs of the local
school and to continue the efficient
handling that they have had in the
past years.
HAVE SMALL TORNADO
From Thursday's Paily
The farm of Mike Kaffenberger,
south of this city was visited by a
small sized tornado last night short
ly after 9 o'clock when the wind and
rain storm broke over this locality.
The high wind blew down a hog
house, machine shed and one of the
hen houses, a number of the chick
ens being killed by the wrecking of
the building. The path of the wind
just missed the large barn and the
garage. The extreme high wind was
seemingly confined to a very restrict
ed path on the farm and none of
the adjoining farmr reported any
buildings or tree3 damaged, altho
the wind was very high for a quar
ter of an hour. Mr. Kaffenberger
and family were much alarmed as
the force of the wind caused the
house to shxke for a time and it
was feared that it might suffer the
fate cf the outbuildings.
HARRY PALMER HERE
From Saturday's Daily
Harry Palmer, candidate for chief
justice cf the supreme court of Ne
braska, was in the city today in com
pany with his brother, Arthur L.
Palmer. Mr. Palmer is now making
an active canvass of the state In the
interest of his candidacy and meet
ing a warm response from the voters
in all sections. Arthur Palmer, who
has just returned from Califonia, i3
to establish the western headquar
ters for his "brother at North Platte
and where he will look after the cam
paign in the west part of the state,
while the candidate will travel over
all sections of the state. The Messers
Palmer were at Louisville Friday
evening where they were in attend
ance at the alumni banquet of the
Louisville high school which they
attended while the family were resi
dents of that city.
Phone the news to No. C.
BIRTH OF LITTLE SON
From Friday's Daily
The heme of Mr. ar.d Mrs. Paul
Vandervuort was made very happy
last evening when a fine little son
and heir arrived to Ehar the happi
ness of the aorne with the parents.
The mother and liitle one are do
ing nicely and it ib unnecessary to
say that the happy father is the
proudest man in the city. Mrs. Van
dervoort was formerly Miss Edith
Bulin cf this city. Tne little one is
the fir.t grandchild in the James
Bulin famiiy and is tLe object ot
much admiration from aii of the
members of the family circie.
The little one weighed pounds.
Miss Fern Pace, a school mate ol
Mrs. Vandervoort, is locking aftei
hf r care
Jaiibreaker
Receives Ten'
Sentence Today
William Soucke Who Escaped Jail
and was Recaptured, Receives
One to Itvo Years.
From Saturday's Paily
William Soucke, who early Tues
day morning made his escape from
the Cass county jail, only to be cap
tured a few hour3 later near Weep
ing Water, was today sentenced to
the stats? penitentiary.
Soucke, who had been brought
here for investigation, having been
found in the residence of one of the
farmers in the vicinity cf Murdoch,
committed a grave error in his at
tempted escape. The charges that
Soucke was to have faced were such
that it was not thought that a con
viction would be possible, when he
placed himself on the spot.
In breaking jail Scucko made
himself liable to . icnitTntiary ce.i
tence and which he received today.
He was arraigned before Judge James
T. BoIey and renewed the plea of
guilty that he had made i:i the coun
ty court Thursday. Judge Becriey
sentenced the prisoner under the in
determinate sentence law to one to
two years in the state penitentiary
at Lancaster. The prisoner will be
taken to Lincoln as soon as possible
and start on the serving of the sen
tence. Clyde CTark, alias Frank Taylor
who accompanied Soucke on the jail
break, is itill at large altho it Is
hoped that he may be captured in
the south to which section he was
headed after the jail break here.
LEAVES FOR ARKANSAS
From Saturday's Pally
This afternoon Mr. and Mrs. Rob
ert Foster Patterson and little son,
Samuel, departed for Morrilltown,
Arkansas, where they are to enjoy
a short visit at the home of the
parents of Mr. Patterson. They will
spend a few weeks in the pleasant
ness of the southland and will then
return to Nebraska. Mr. Patterson
will enter the funnner school at the
University of Nebraska at Lincoln
for the completion cf some special
work in connection with his receiv
ing his master's degree from the Ne
braska college.
LEAVES FOR DUNBAR
From Thursday's Daily
Miss Josephine Janda, one of the
talented members of the commercial
departir.cr.t of the high school in the
class of 1931, departed last evening
for Dunbar where she will be en
gaged in steographic work at a num
ber of the business places, her first
engagement being with the Weiler
Ins. Co. Miss Janda is a daughter
of Mrs. Josephine Janda of thi3 city
and has been recognized as one of
the best commercial pupils from the
local schools.
UNDERGOES OPERATION
Mrs. Fritz Siemoneit, residing
northwest of this city, was operated
on Thursday morning at Omaha. Mrs.
Siemoneit has not been in the best
of health for some time and it was
thought best to have the operation
performed in the hope of securing
permanent relief. Mr. Siemoneit re
turned this afternoon from the hos
pital and reports that the wife was
doing as well as could possibly be
expected under the circumstances.
Grads Ask
Dissolution
of Eelevue
Seek to Have Records of Old Time
College Turned Over to the
Hastings College.
A movement for the dissolution of
Bellevue college, old time education
al institution cf Nebraska, has been
asked in a petition of some eighty
five former graduates of the Presby
terian school. The petition asks that
the scholastic records of Bellevue
be turned over to Hastings college,
an educational institution main
tained by the Presbyterian church
ar.d one of the best known colleges
of the state.
Bellevue college was for many
years a flourishing educational in
stitution and was established through
the endowment cf Henry T. Clark,
pioneer resident of the community.
Several hundred have attended the
school and in its best days many
Piattsmcuth men and women were
students there and graduated from
its college courses.
The college at the time of the
world war was used by the U. S
government as one of the S. A. T. C.
units in the state, this college as
well as the University of Nebraska,
being used for this work in 1917-18.
With the close of the war the college
activities were not resumed. Later
the U. S. government used the builu
ings as a training school for veteran
vocational schooling, this continuing
over several years.
Since the abandonment of the vo
cational school there has been but
little activity at the college, altho
two years ago an effort was made
to revive the school by the establish
ment of a junior college, but this
failed, the attendance not being
large enough to warrant the con
tinuree of" the wort:. - - :
If the records of the rchool are
transferred to Hastings, graduates
of Bellevue will be given certificates
from the newer college and carried
as Hastirgs graduates.
RECEIVES HIGH AWARD
Eernard Galloway of this city, who
was graduated at Peru State Teach
er's college Thursday, has received a
very pleasing recognition from the
school. Mr. Galloway, in addition
to receiving his bachelor of arts de
gree, was also presented with the
B. E. Swenson award, a much covet
ed honor of the teacher's school.
This award was established in
memory of B. E. Swenson, a student
at the school who died several years
ago and whose parents established
the foundation to provide the award
.'each year to ore cf the students. The
honor is bestowed on the student
who has shown the finest spirit of
loyalty to the college, character and
school s aiding us well as having
lettered in two lines cf athletic
work. ,
The ho.ior Is a very reasing one
and Mr. Galhwny was rurprised and
deli.htt'J Thviid.iy v.ho,i the award
was made by Dean Delzell, of the
medal and awarded to him at the
graduation exercises.
Mr. Galloway is to teach at Dor
chester, Nebraska, the coming school
yea r.
SHOW EXCELLENT TRAINTNC
In the county examinations held
for the normal trainers of the local
high school for teacher's training,
several of the local young ladies
have showed up splendidly. Miss
Madge Garnett had a grade of ninety
two in her examinations while Miss
Dorothy Farmer and Miss Mary Lois
Wiles each received a grade of eighty-four
for their work. Two of the
high ranking students of the school.
Miss Antoinette Koubek and Miss
June Keil have not as yet completed
all of their examinations, but are
expected to show a high standing.
SHOWING IMPROVEMENT
Hans Seiver, custodian at the Cass
county court house, has for tlie past
several days been engaged in a
struggle with tli flu and is still
feeling the effects of the malady. Mr.
Seiver was able, however, to be on
the job and to get the heating sys
tem of the court house fired up to
bring warmth to the various offices.
ENJOY PICNIC PARTY
From ThursJay's Paily
Last evening a number of the
young ladies engaged in the busi
ness houses and offices of the city,
joined in a very delightful picnic
paity at Naeves park near La Platte.
The ladie3 motored to the picnic
grounds and in the cool and invit
ing shade spent several hours most
pleasantly. Games cf all kinds were
enjoyed and then the fine feast of
good things to eat prepared by the
ladies was served. Those who at
tended the picnic were: Mary Holy,
Alice Taylor, Edna Warren, Eleanor
Hiber, Pauline Nowacck, Emma Eg
enberger, Helen Smetana, Lillian
Koubek. Dorothy Svoboda, Marie
Ulrich, Mary and Helen Perslnger,
Anna Sanders, Ruth Janda, Ida
Kehne.
Death of Frank
Anderson of
Pacific Junction
One of the Pioneer Residents of the
West Dies at Home of Son,
Claude Anderson.
Frank Anderson, 7S, a pioneer
resident of this part of the west, died
Friday at the home of his son, Claude
F. Anderson, 2309 South Thirty
third street, Omaha, where he had
spent the winter.
Mr. Anderson was a resident of
near Pacific Junction for more than
sixty-five years and was one of the
best known residents of Mills coun
ty, universally loved and esteemed
by a large circle of friends.
Mr. Anderson came to Nebraska
territory in 1S56 and first located
at Omaha. Recently he was a guest
of honor at the Tribe of Yessir, when
the first Omaha- council session was
re-enacted and fce recalled many of
the incidents of early days, includ
ing shooting of deer on what is now
Farr.am street. He also told of the
Indians and of having crossed the
Missouri river with his parents In a
canoe paddled by Indians.
In late years Mr. Anderson has
led a retired life and gave up much
of his early activities.
The funeral services will be held
at 2 o'clock Sunday afternoon at
Pacific Junction. Burial will be at
the Glenwood cemetery.
FINAL HONOR ROLL
The following is the honor roll of
the Plattsmouth high school for the
final quarter of the school year. The
young people who comprise the list
have worked earnestly during the
school year:
Seniors John Becker, James Com
stock. Cecil Comstock, Ed Egenber
ger, Dorothy Farmer, Malinda Fried
rich, Madge Garnett, Marie Holcomb,
June Keil, Anna Knieke, Louis Kno
fiicek, Antoinette Koubek, Aulton
Rolland, Helen Schulz, Irene Simons,
Eleanor Swatek, Helen Warga, Ed
ward Wehrbein, Mary Lois Wiles.
Juniors George Adam. Margaret
Lahoda, Francis Liberehall, Emily
Lorenz, Stuart Porter, Arlene Eager,
Marsella Ramel, Mata Schackneis,
Floyd Shanholz. Elinore Smetana.
Sophomores Lois Bestor, Gertrude
Brink, Martha Kaffenberger, Ellen
Kelly, Dorothy McCarthy, James
Robertson, Lillian SedlaTc, Dorothy
Seimoneit, Ruby Sutton, Margaret
Taylor.
Freshmen Mildred Cacy, Naomi
Day, Charles Dow, Virginia Trively,
Alice Wiles.
SHOWING IMPROVEMENT
Mrs. Henry Mauzy, who has been
ill for the past week, is reported to
be somewhat better but still confined
to the home. Mrs. T. J. Todd, a
daughter, of Kearney. Nebraska, is '
here to assist in the care of the
mother and to enjoy meeting the
many old time friends.
RECOVERING FROM OPERATION
Mrs. Floyd Fulton, who has beenj
in Omaha at the hospital for the past
two weeks where she underwent an
operation has so far recovered that tian church at the Memorial day er
she was able to return to her home Tice in the morning and omitting the
in Mynard last Tuesday. The many evening service.
friends of this young woman are .
wishing her a speedy recovery. j phone the new8 to Wo
(Petitions for
Revaluation of
Real Estate
Action of People in Sending Peti
tions Would Simplify Woik
of Equalization.
The Cass county assessors recently
at their meeting agreed to Fupport
a move for the reduction of the real
estate valuations in Cass county
some fifteen per cent. The matter can
best be handled by a petition of the
residents of the county for the re
duction and which gives the board
of equalization some definlTe basis
on which to act.
The attorney general has given
the state tax commissioner a verbal
opinion that such a petition should
be filed, but it is not necessary that
every taxpayer seeking a reduction
cign it.
In an opinion to James Stander,
Chairman of the Cass county tax
payers' league, Sorensen eaid:
"Bearing in mind the constitution
al provision and the powers granted
them by 77-1702 it occurs to me
that a county board of equalization
will be justified in lowering real es
tate values this year for assessment
purposes in cases where they lind
that the assessed valuation is great
er than the actual valuation and
much greater than the assessed valu
ation of other classes of tangible
property which have the same actual
value.
"If, however, real estate is not as
sessed at a proportion of its actual
value greater than is other tangible
property In the county, I do not eee
how any relief can come bo far as
the county tax is concerned by low
ering the assessed valuation of tbe
real estate throughout the country,
lor If that were done the assessed
valuation of other claeset of tangible
property should be lowered also to
conform to the constitutional re
quirement of uniformity of taxation
and as there is about as much money
required in any event for c6unty pur
poses, if the assessed valuation Is
lowered, the rate of taxation lor
county purposes will necessarily be
increased.
The attorney general'!! opinion,
actually written by George "W. Ayres,
assistant attorney general, points
out an inconsistency in the Nebras
ka statutes. One section, it says,
provides for a revaluation every four
years, beginning with 1926, the tac
tion providing the duties of the
board of equalization provides valu
ation In 1912 and every second year
thereafter.
The opinion rests on a provision
in S?ction 1, Article 8, of the etate
constitution, which says:
Taxes shall be levied by valuation
uniformly and proportionately upon
all tangible property."
FISHERMEN TO MEET
The Missouri River Fishermen's
association, composed of the residents
along the Missouri river, interested
in fishing, will meet in Omaha on
Sunda3 June 5th. The meeting will
be for the purpose of discussing the
proposed bill of Congressman Bald-
rige for a change in the law govern
ing the control of the Missouri river.
A large number of the members
from thi3 city are planning on being
n attendance at the meeting and dis
cussing the moves that have been
made to eliminate the old law enact
ed In 1845 which gave the control
of the Missouri river to the state ol
Iowa.
VISIT IN MISSOURI
From Saturday's Dally
Rev. end Mrs. C. O. Troy and son.
Clarence, are departing Sunday for
a motor trio to Eravmer and Hamil-
MlssourI, for a viEU over Decor-
ation day. Braymer is the old home
of Mrs. Troy and she is anticipating
a most delightful visit with her bro
thers, one residing at Braymer and
one at Hamilton. They are expect
ing to be back home Monday after-
noon There will Tte no preaching
Uprvice at the Methodist church, the
congregation Joining with the Chris-