Bebr. btat Histories! Society
4
Vol. No. LV
PLATTSHOUTH, NEBRASKA, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 1939.
NO. 2
Farmers are
Guests of Bank
at Dinner Party
Prof. L. C. Loeffel of University of
Nebraska Main Speaker at Treat
of Plattsmouth State Bank.
Despite the unfavorable "weather
conditions that threatened Tuesday
night, a group of some 275 of the
farmers of the eastern portion of
Cass county, were here to enjoy the
evening as the guests of the Platts
mouth State bank at a dinner held
at the American Lesion building.
This was the second annual din
ner given by the bank and proved in
every way a fine get-together and
one that all of the group will pleas
antly remember in the fine social
time and the real worthwhile mes
sages of the speakers.
H. A. Schneider, president of the
bank, was the presiding chairman
and extended the welcome to the
group of friends and introduced the
various speakers and entertainers ot
the evening. Mr. Schneider was very
clever in his presentation of the
numbers on the program. Mr. Schnei
der stressed the common interest of
all of the community In the success
of their neighbors.
The Plattsmouth high school or
chestra under the direction of David
Fowler, gave a fine musical program
during the serving of the dinner
that was very much appreciated by
the large audience and reflected the
greatest credit on the talented young
people and their director.
The ladies of the American Legion
Auxiliary had prepared the repast of
the evening, a fine feast of well pre
pared food and which was most
cleverly served by the ladies and the
daughters of the members. The menu
of the evening comprised:" - -------
Prime Roast Beef
Mashed Potatoes - Gravy
Green Beans - Slaw
Jelly - Rolls
Apple Pie - Coffee
Tells of Livestock Need
Mr. Schneider gave some figures
from the two precincts in Cass coun
ty, not in this section where on
thirty farms, comprising 6,080 acres,
there were found thirty-four horses,
ninety-six cattle and twenty-seven
hogs, eighteen without any hogs and
nineteen with no cattle. It was
this very general condition over the
state that had led to the movement
to bring back to the farm the live
stock that had once been a great
asset to the farmer, Mr. Schneider
stated.
A pleasant musical feature of the
evening was the vocal offerings by
three high school girls who are to
compete in the contest here for the
right to enter the district meet.
Verona Toman gave "None But the
Lonely Heart," with Ruth Westover
as the accompanist; Juanita Sig
ler, "Dark Eyes' with Mrs. J. R.
Reeder as the accompanist and Willa
Jean Sylvester In "Homing" v.i
Miss" Westover as the accompanist.
Urges Livestock Campaign
The main speaker of the evening
was Prof. L. C. Loeffel of the Uni
versitr of Nebraska department of
husbandry, one of the best versed
men in the state on the problem of
the farm and the livestock interests
of the state. The Importance of the
livestock to a successful farm was
the theme of the very able speaker
and he brought out many Interesting
facts. The need of some radical steps
to restore livestock was shown by
the fact that the state had fallen
from second place in the nation to
eighth, that since 1924 that the
trend had been downward and left
depleted the livestock that formerly
added so much to the success of the
Nebraska farm. The drouth of 1934
had been one of the great causes of
the depleting of the farms as that
year found much utock on the farms
and without feed to care for them
and the result that cattle had been
sacrificed and large government pur
chases made to relieve the situation.
The planting of drouth resisting
stock feeds was pointed out as an
important part of the program to
bring back the state standing as a
livestock producer by the speaker.
In-the most successful days of Ne
braska farming seventy-one per cent
of the total farm income had come
Continued on Page 3)
APPOINTED ASSESSOR
The resignation of L. G. Todd,
veteran assessor of Liberty precinct,
has been received by the county
assessor due to the ill health of Mr.
Todd. As his successor W. H. Por
ter, of Union, has been selected by
j County Assessor W. . II. Puis. Mr.
Porter is one of the well-known
residents of Liberty precinct and
was a candidate for county commis-
isioner at the last election.
Platters Shine
in Wide Margin
Win from Auburn
Blue and White Triumph. 48 to 22
With. Many Reserves in Action
Rebal Leads Scoring.
Prom Wednesday's Dalty
Plattsmouth high school's basket
ball squad scored another victory
last evening as they downed- the
visiting Auburn Bulldogs 4 8 to 22.
It was several minutes in the first
quarter before the scoring started,
but then by the end of this first
period the Platters held a 14 to 6
lead, as Hayes and Rebal pounded
at the goal.
The second quarter was a more
hard fought one, the goals were de
fended better, and at the half the
score stood 23 to 8. A number of re
serves saw action In this stanza.
Auburn attempted a number of shots,
but could not consistently hit the
baskets, although they did double
their score by the end of the third
quarter and were trailing 35 to 16.
Rebal had 9 goals for the evening's
high scorer, and Hayes made 4, with
Reed and Jacobs each sinking three
fielders. Fouls were scarce, Davis
sinking two charity shots, being the
only ones made for Plattsmouth. "
Scott was leading scorer for the
Bulldogs with 7 points and Meyers
was good on the floor work, and also
accounting for 6 points.
The box score:
Plattsmouth (48)
FG FT
Rebal 9 0
PF
1
1
1
0
0
0
0
1
0
1
0
TP
18
8
6
2
2
2
6
Hayes, 4 0
Reed 3 0
Noble, 1 0
Wall 1 0
Smith 1 0
Jacobs 3 0
Davis 0 2
Martin 0 0
Yelick 0 0
White 1 0
23 2 5 48
Auburn (22)
FG FT PF
Richards 0 0 1
Goddis . 0 10
Scott 3 11
Meyers 3 0 3
McKinney . 10 0
Peters 0 0 0
Bants 0 0 0
Creighton 2 0 0
Engles 0 0 1
TP
0
1
7
6
2
0
0
4
0
2
Dustin 19 1
10
22
CALLED TO OKLAHOMA
Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Lapidus de
parted Tuesday for Oklahoma City
where they were called by the criti
cal illness of George E. Dunscombe,
the father of Mrs. Lapidus. The pa
tient was reported as being very low
and the daughter left as soon as pos
sible for the south.
During the absence of Mr. and
Mrs. Lapidus, Mrs. Joseph Ely is
looking after the managership of the
Hotel Plattsmouth.
SHERIFF RYDER ILL
Cass county friends will regret
to learn of the illness of Sheriff Carl
Ryder of Otoe county, who is at the
St. Mary's hospital at Nebraska City,
suffering from a severe bronchial
and lung ailment. Monday the sher
iff suffered a heart attack that has
made his condition more grave and
no visitors were allowed the patient.
GORGE CAUSES OVERFLOW
Ice gorges in the Missouri river
south of this city near Rock Bluffs
has caused some water to overflow
into lowlands along the river but
doing no particular damage. The
water seems to have been the most
severe on the Iowa side of the river
near Barlett where the flood watr
is near the highway at that point.
Nehawka Passes
Fiftieth Year as
Incorpated Town
Woman's Club Stages Fine Program
at the Auditorium Stories of
Early Days Told.
One day last week the Woman's
club of Nehawka, a progressive and
patriotic organization, given to pre
senting their city in the best light,
gave a foundation meeting ana ex
cellent program which dealt with
the earlier days of the town.
The railroad came this way during
the earlv part of 1887. and a man
named Jones made the purchase of
80 acres of land whicn he sold to
those who desired to buy for either
a business location or a home. Dur
ing the first j-ear there were some
thirty businesses established. Two of
these are here yet doing business,
Andrew F. Sturm who conducts and
has conducted a lumber yard during
the fifty-two years and D. C. West
being connected with the Nehawka
bank for a like period. Frank Shel
don established a business house
the same year, 188S, but passed away
a few years ago. Businesses have
changed since and the town has pro
gressed. At the meeting of the Woman's
club last week Mrs. Isadore Tucker,
formerly Sheldon, who was born in
Nehawka. was selected as the pre
siding officer for the meeting The
program included three excellent
speakers who knew Nehawka and
have lived with it during the years.
D. C. West. A. F. Sturm and R. C.
Pollard.
The first speaker, D. C. West, dip
ped into the social as well as the
business life of the early city, and
told of the first May day picnic, held
near the mouth of the Weeping Wa
ter where fishing and a general good
time was had. and told of a lop
sided team with a 1 GO 0-pound gray
blind mare which was used in the
elevator to elevate grain and a small
pony which did not look the best, to
gether but that did not matter.
The two gents with their girls went
and enjoyed the picnic, the runt be
ing about five feet and the other a
six footer made as good a team as
the horses, and on their return par
aded the streets and stopped at the
0 place where the gala day was to be
0 j ended with a dance which was had.
iThe event was a memorable one, al
though it occurred fifty years ago,
still remains fresh In their minds.
Mr. West had his paper prepared and
it will be kept as a memorial of the
earlier time.
The next speaker was A. F. Sturm,
who spoke mostly of the business in
terests and what they did, how they
changed and some finally retired
from activity. In connection with
the earlier business interests Mr.
; Sturm told of the organization of the
'first church, which was nrca n 1 7eA na
a non-sectarian, to which Levi Pol
lard gave a bell. While the -church
had not been decidated, he gave the
bell anyway. However at the time
the bell arrived two of the young
people of Nehawka were married,
it being Mr. and Mrs. W. S. Norris.
A number of moving spirits asked
Mr. Pollard if it would be all right
to take the new bell, still in its ship
ping crate and serenade the newly
weds, and gaining his permission
they did so and were asked to par
take of a treat. Then came some
complications when a number of the
straight laced members objected be
cause the bell had been used for the
celebration of the wedding and ob
jected to placing it on the church.
So, Mrs. Levi Pollard said take the
bell or leave it, it will make a good
farm bell as many were used in that
day on the farms, so finally it was
agreed and the bell was placed on
the church, and while it was non
sectarian, it was dedicated to the
board of the United Brethren church.
Two years later, in 1890. a Meth
odist church was also built.
The cannon, which graces the lot
near the Nehawka bank was next
in consideration, and Mrs. Sturm
asked Raymond C. Pollard to give a
history of its life and what it had
been used for. Mr. Pollard traced the
history of the cannon. Away back
during the earlier days this cannon
was the property of the United
States and was sent to Omaha at the
time of the building of the Union
Pacific railroad and was mounted on
a flat car to fight Indians with who
were harrassing the workers con
structing the railway. After the con
struction of the first portion of the
Union Pacific the cannon was placed
on a boat by Governor Thayer and
taken to St. Joseph as a means of
defense against bands which infest
ed the river between Omaha and St.
Joseph. After the trip was made the
cannon was shipped back to Omaha
and placed in one of the parks of
that city. Later it was loaned to a
committee of citizens at Springfield
where it remained until a party of
citizens at LaPlatte came and appro
priated it, and later on a like party
from Plattsmouth appropriated it
and took it to Plattsmouth where it
remained for a number of years,
when a party of boys and men went
to Plattsmouth one night and
brought it to Nehawka. A party of
people from Plattsmouth came to
Nehawka to take it back. They were
met by the people of Nehawka, who
ringing a bell called out almost the
entire otwn and it was not possible to
get the cannon. However, it seems
now as though the . old gun has
found a permanent home in Nehaw
ka. Glen Allen is
Victim Robbery
and Attack
Well Known Young Man Held Up
on Third Street Late Saturday;
3Ioney and Watch Taken.
Glen Allen, well known young man
residing in the south portion of the
city, was held up and robbed of
some $40 in cash, a gold watch as
well as his keys and a pocket knife
arid also was viciously assaulted-, by
the robbers late Saturday night.
The attack occurred near the Feed
Center building on Third street as
Allen was on his way to his home.
Going south on the sidewalk he saw
a car along the roadway and as he
came by a man stepped out of the
car and started toward him and then
commenced the attack as he resisted
the efforts to rob him.
The rain of blows on Allen re
sulted in the breaking of the right
jaw and apparently he had been
struck over the back of the shoul
ders by some weapon as severe
bruis:s were found there later and
he also suffered bruises on the chest.
The man had then gone through
the clothing of Allen and tore loose
from its leather strap a large and
valuable gold watch which was taken
together with the money which he
was carrying loose in his pocket
and keys and a knife also In the
pocket.
The assailant had then got Into
the car in which a companion had
remained and the car drove west on
Pearl street to Fourth and then had
apparently turned into Main street.
Mr. Allen reported the robbery and
the officers at once started out to
try and locate some clue of the men
but without success. The victim of
the assault was not able to give a
good description of the men altho
the assailant had seemed familiar to
the robbed man.
The police and Sheriff Mrasek and
Deputy Sheriff Doody continued the
search through the night for any
possible trace of the robbers or the
stolen articles but without success.
SPORTSMEN CLUB
Meeting of the Cass County Sports
men club will be held at the Public
Library in Plattsmouth on Friday,
February 10, at 8 o'clock p. m. Elec
tion of officers will take place at
this meeting: other important mat
ters to be transacted.
Every member should be present.
A. L. TIDD,
Acting President.
CARD OF THANES
To Rev. J. C. Lowson, Mr. Hor
ton, Bingers, the pallbearers, the
neighbors and friends for their kind
ness and assistance and sympathy
shown during the death of Mother
and Grandmother Mary A. Wilcox.
The Dare Family.
Big Valentine Dance, Sat Feb. 11th.
A. L. Tidd Talks
on River Program
at Tekamah
Tells of Work Here and Urges Sup
port of Definite Program for
Water Rate Advantages.
From Wednesday's Dairy
Last evening Attorney A. L. Tidd,
T. H. Pollock, of the local Chamber
of Commerce river navigation com
mittee, accompanied by Herbert
Minor, motored to Tekamah, Nebras
ka, where they attended a Missouri
river booster banquet.
While en route, to Tekamah they
stopped at Blair for a visit with
John I. Unruh, a one time Platts
mouth business man and a long time
friend of Mr. Pollock.
The meeting at Tekamah was spon
sored by the Chamber of Commerce
and a very large group of the resi
dents of the nearby territory were
present to take part in the meeting,
Lyons and Oakland having large
groups present.
H. L. Webster, chairman of the
Tekamah Chamber of Commerce river
committee, presided and presented
the speakers.
Captain H. Swenholt of the U. S.
engineers, spoke of the history of
river navigation on the different
rivers and the advantages that had
been found in the improvement of
waterways. Lieutenant W. Whipple,
of the Omaha engineers office spoke
along the lines of the flood control
of the river and its adjacent water
ways, much of which has yet to be
perfected and placed ni a position
where it can be made workable.
Mr. Tidd was the main speaker and
from his long experience and leader
ship in the development of the Mis
souri river navigation and dock pro
gram here, gave many very inter
esting facts." " " ' "
He suggested that one good ter
minal between Omaha ' and Sioux
City would be enough to give ade
quate service to northeast Nebras
ka's river traffic needs.
"Swat the Lea bill" was his rec
ommendation concerning the pro
posed legislation now pending in
congress which would authorize the
interstate commerce commission to
fix rates for river-hauled freight.
The I. C. C. would base such rates
on existing railroad rates, he pre
directed. "This part of the country
needs freight rates based on the cost
of transportation," he declared.
IN MEM0RIAM
In memory of Mary A. Wilcox who
passed away Jan. 19 and whose
birthday Febr. 4 is remembered:
Gone is the face we learned to
love so dear,
Silent the voice we loved to
hear,
Too far away for sight or
speech,
But not too far for thoughts
to reach.
Sweet .to remember her who
once was here
And who tbo absent will be
remembered still.
Sadly missed by son, Clyde,
daughter-in-law. Alma,
Grandchildren Wallace and
Donna.
BIRTH OF SON
Friends and relatives of Mr. and
Mrs. Raymond Recek, now residing
at Sangor, California, were informed
Monday of the birth of a seven
pound baby boy to them on Satur
day, February 4. Mr. and Mrs.
Recek are well known here where
they had resided on Main street
prior to their removal to the west
coast last July where they have re
sided since that time. Mrs. Recek
was the former Miss Carolyn Ka
lasek, daughter of Mr. and Mrs.
Frank Kalasek, Sr., of this city.
HISTORICAL SOCIETY MEETING
A meeting of the Cass County
Historical society will be held at
the church at Avoca, Saturday, Febr.
11 at 2 p. m. Plan to be present. An
Interesting program has been plan
ned and tea will be served after the
meeting.
DR. G. H. GILMORE,
President.
A. A. McREYNOLDS,
Secretary-
Legion Bldg. Good Music. Adm. 25c.
HENRY G00S BETTER
From Wednesday's Dally
Last evening Chief of Police Bar
clay, 'William Scbmidtmann, Jr., and
Clement Woster were at Omaha
where they visited with Henry F.
Goos at the Clarkson hospital. They
found Mr. Goos feeling very fine and
the best that he has for many months
and it is thought that his operation
will now give him permanent relief
from his long standing illness.
Plattsmouth
Debaters Show
Well at Midland
Two Teams Taken By Milo Price to
the Fremont Meeting and Make
Excellent Showing.
The Plattsmouth first team de
baters went to Fremond Thursday
evening. Two teams made the trip
with Mr. Price: John Morris debat
ing with Homer Barton and Harriet
Case debating with John Bestor.
Friday morning at 9 o'clock these
two and fifty-six other teams start
ed through a four round qualifying
contest, the list of schools entering
!one or two teams in the tournament
to compete for the title Omaha North
was defending, includes: Yankton,
ix Falls and Vermillion, S. D.
'Hastings, Kearney, Lincoln. Aurora,
Wymcre, Edgar, Lyons, DeWitt,
North Platte, West Point, Holdrege,
Geneva, Crofton, Blair, Plattsmouth,
Walton, Wayne, rand Island, Pilger,
Emerson, Beatrice, Auburn, Norfolk,
Benson, North, South and Central of
Omaha.
In order to enter the elimination
bracket, a team was required to win
two or more of Friday's four de
bates. Case and Bestor won four
of their four while Morris and Bar
ton won three.
u:h schools as Lincoln, Hastings,
Omaha Central and Kearney also
von seven of the first day's eight
debates.
Taking first one side, then the
other, of the proposition, "Resolved
that the United States should estab
lish an alliance with Great Britain,"
Case and Bestor defeated in order
Omaha Benson, Omaha North, the de
fending champs, Lyons and North
Platte. Morris and Barton lost to
Holdrege then won from Geneva,
Wymore and Auburn.
Saturday morning Morris and
Barton met Kearney's team with the
"personality plus" girl debater. This
loss eliminates one of Plattsmouth's
teams. Case and Bestor drew Om
aha Benson's other team in the first
Saturday round and won- Then
against Hastings they tried too hard
and lost. Teams undefeated on Fri
day required two defeats for elim
ination, so Saturday afternoon
found the Case-Bestor combination
pitted against Geneva. They won
and drew Omaha Central's Missouri
Valley (1939) champion team. The
three judges all said "Central" so
Platsmouth went out with only five
of the original fifty-eight teams re
maining. Lincoln high school, coach
ed by Gerald Kvasnicka, won the
trophy.
DIES AT GREENWOOD
William Harry Leesley, 55, died
in Greenwood, Tuesday. Surviving
a;e his wife, Margaret; eight chil
dren, Mrs. Catherine Sheehan of
Manley, Mrs. Elizabeth Leaver of
Waterloo, Mrs. Mabel Keckler of
Gardner, N. D., Margaret, Alice, Jo
seph and Robert at home, and Wil
liam of Greenwood; seven grand
children. Funeral at 2 p. m. Friday
at the home, C. A. Park officiating.
Opal Gladiner will sing. Burial in
Greenwood. Castle, Roper & Mat
thews. Pall bearers: Emmett Lan
don, Sidrid Foreman, Jack Dribble,
Watson Howard, Bernard Grady,
Jess Olson.
CARD OF THANES
We wish to express our thanks to
those who were so kind and thought
ful to us in the loss of our dear
and precious mother. B. I. Shrader,
Dora Murray, Wm. H. Shrader,
Fern Gish, Lester Shrader.
Rubber Stamps, Targe or small,
at right prices at the Journal.
Superintendent
Devoe Renamed
as School Head
Board of Education Re-elects Pres
ent Efficient Head of the City
Public School System.
The board of education at their
meeting Monday afternoon at the
high school building re-elected
Lowell S. Devoe, present" superin
tendent of the city schools, for a
term of three years.
The selection of Mr. Devoe will
prove very pleasing to the patrons
of the schools of which Mr. Devoe
has been head for the past seven
years and under whom much prog
ress has been made in the schools in
every way.
Mr. Devoe came here seven years
ago from Geneva where he has been
superintendent and prior to that had
served as superintendent at Oxford
and Nelson with earlier teaching
work at Stella and Lebanon, Ne
braska. Under the superintendency of Mr.
Devoe there has been a large In
crease in the enrollment of. the city
schools, the high school at this time
having 390 students, the largest en
rollment in the school history and
maintained at a very high standard
of efficiency.
The board of education under the
term of Mr. Devoe had carried 'out a
program of reductions In operating
costs that has been met by the super
intendent in maintaining a high
standard regardless of the neceBsary
curtailments made in payroll eipen
ditures and today the schools are in
an excellent shape.
'''Mr. Devoe during his residence
here has been a very active figure in
the community life and to his sug
ge.stion.and inspiration was born the
"King Korn Karnival." in which he
was a potent gure In arranging and
getting this annual fall festival un
der way. He has also been active In
the Chamber of Commerce, Rotary
and in Methodist church circlet and
in each of these he has brought his
usual efficiency and good judgment
to aid fa their progressive work.
Mr. Devoe and his fine family
have made themselves many friends
in Plattsmoluth and vicinity and
who are most happy that they are to
remain in this community and Mr.
Devoe to head the schools.
4-H'ERS WIN AWARDS
Virginia Pollard of Nehawka was
one of four girls in the state to win
a trip to the annual 4-H Club Week
in Lincoln, as a result of the 4-H
canning contest sponsored by Ball
Bros, company. Virginia won first
place in the county contest and sixth
in the state contest and also six dol
lars in cash.
Several other Cass ccunty club
members and leaders have been
awarded trips to Club Week for out
standing work. The fortunate ones
were Marie Anderson, -clothing club
girl, Mrs. L. W. Rase, Murdock. lead
er, LeRoy Ahrens, county swine club
champion, and Richard Cole, corn
club champion. Marie Ruth Pol
lard will receive a trip to the fcnnual
4-H Conservation Camp at Seward
for outstanding work in wildlil'e con
servation activities. The Early Bird
Poultry club of Nehawka feel proud
over having won the trophy award
ed by the Gooch Milling company to
the outstanding poultry club In the
state. Oren Raymond Pollard is lead
er of the club.
RETURNS TO OHIO
From Wednenflay'B Darty
Mrs. Honor Young, of Dayton,
Ohio, who was called here by the
death of her mother, Mrs. W. H.
Seybert, departed today for her home
In the east. She has been here
since the funeral visiting her sister,
Mfs. C. A. Marshall and family and
other relatives.
VISIT IN CITY
Mr. and Mrs. C. A. Jones, of Bel
den, Nebraska, arrived Saturday to
enjoy a visit here at the home of
their son-in-law and daughter, Mr.
and Mrs. Everett Pickens and with
the new granddaughter, Patricia
Ann.