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About The Plattsmouth journal. (Plattsmouth, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (March 7, 1949)
CASS COUNTY'S GREATEST NEWSPAPER PUBLISHED SEMI-WEEKLY Largest Paid Circulation of All Cass County Newspapers VOLUME 64 Does SAC Plan Pulling Out of Offutt Field? . Pitiful housing accommoda tions may be instrumental in the Strategic Air Command pulling out of Offut Field, ac cording to rumors flying thicn and fast in Washington, D. C. and local circles, unless a more vigorous housing program is initiated. In spite of news circulated lo cally that a large housing pro ject is in the planning stage to be constructed by personnel on the base for their own use, in formation coming to this news paper reveals that commanding officers here and in the Penta gon are readying plans for re moval of the base If conditions are not improved soon. Congressman Eugene O'Sulli van, in a letter to the Omaha Chamber of Commerce Monday (today, reports that he is gen uinely alarmed after having heard stories in official circles in Washington that there was much dissatisfaction among officers and personnel at Offutt Field, a fact that has been known here in Plattsmouth for many months. These fears, he added, were increased after he had com municated with Lt. Gen. Curtis E. LeMay, SAC Commander. Gen. LeMay, he said, had been very tactful in his replies, but it was apparent that he was not satisfied. O'Sullivan said that LeMay had told him that pres ent plans for construction of rental units in this area appear to be "Primarily tailored toward meeting the needs of the civil ian populace. It remains to be seen." Gen. LeMay added, "whether these additional spac es will provide some relief for the families of military per sonnel." While Plattsmouth has con structed numerous new housing and converted hundreds of ap artments within the city, ex cessive rents and the unwilling ness of landlords to accept children has contributed its share to the unhappiness of military personnel at the base. Plattsmouth, located only eight miles from Offutt Field, is ideally situated to lend a help ing hand. Loss of the base would be keenly felt here' and every effort should be made by local groups to stabilize rents and provide decent living accom modations to as many Offutt Field families as time and money will permit, and th? time is short. Bad Roads Halt March Moving for Farmers The heavy snow and intense winter weather of the past four months are being reflected in the travel conditions over Cass county, and has served to up set the moving plans of the res idents of the farming areas who usually start the moves to and from the farms on March 1st. Searl S. Davis, who is an ex tensive farm operator and man ager, states that the general softening of the roads over the county is serving to delay a very large number of the farm ers from making changes in their locations, keeping them on the old stand for some time at least. Travel is difficult even for just a car or light vehicle, es pecially so when heavy trucks and machines are to be trans ported from one location to an other. How long this condition will exist cannot be determined and may be bad for many weeks at least, until the road surfaces are dried or hardened enough to alow the farmers to start on the yearly trek to and from their locations. It is one of the worst seasons in several years in this respect. Gas Tax Shows 32 Per Cent Drop The gas tax for the month of February shows a decline of 32 per cent from that of previous months and reflects the sharp decline in motor operation over the state during the heavy win ter weather. The allotments to the coun ties in this area are given. The first figures are the regular and the second shows funds for the mail routes: Cass County -$3,311 and $2,207 Otoe county - $3,667 and $2,445 Sarpy county - $2,830 and $1,887 Mrs. Gerald Sebade, of Creigh ton, Nebraska, is here to visit at the home of her parents. Mr. and Mrs. Ben H. Speck and her brothers and sisters. Mrs. Se bade is the former Eidell Speck. TWO SECTIONS TWENTY Judge Dunbar Has Cases Affirmed The Nebraska state supreme court has affirmed the awards made by a jury in the district court of Sarpy in connection with proceedings by the Loup River Public Power district to acquire by condemnation ease ments through privately owned land. The case was heard by Judge Thomas E. Dunbar in the dis trict court at Papillion. The jury in the district court I awarded $2,000 to John T. and Bertha S. Little and $1,580 to Lester J. and Minnie C. Lutz. The power district appealed from the awards on grounds that it obligated itself to pay all future crop damages incident to the maintenance and recon struction of its 115,000-volt elec tric line. The court's failure to include this proposal in instruc tions to the jury prevented the district from having fair trials, it was claimed by the district. But the supreme court ruled there was no evidence or claim the proposal was approved by the Littles and the Lutzes. Seniors Present Class Play the Past Week The members of the senior class of the Plattsmouth high school presented their class play on Thursday and Friday evening at the school auditorium with large audiences enjoying the ex cellent presentation of the clever znd entertaining comedy, "We Shook the Family Tree." The play was presented under the direction of Mrs. Alta Reade, the instructor in dramatics of the city school, and was well pre sented by the excellent cast. The fun and excitement was carried through all three acts and kept the audience very high ly entertained. The musical department of the school also assisted in the eve ning entertainment with selec tions bythe band and orchestra. The cast consisted of: Hilde garde( who was tired of being a wallflower), De Nie Cundall; Mr. Dolson (her father), Rich ard Means; Mrs. Dolson (her mother), Joan Ault; Sally (her younger sisten, Edna Jean Wetenkamp; Bob (the older brother), Jim Doody; Jimmy (the younger brother), Gordon Greene; Paige (who likes to play postman), Danny Lockin; Ellie Mae (Bob's heartthrob), De loris Hild; Jill (her friend), Jan ice Long; Freddie Shermer (who wears knickers), Don Baker; Mr. Shermer (his father), Dick Ger beling; and Mrs. Shermer (his mother), Pat Rogers. Student directors were: Betty Uhlik and Patricia Kocian, with Leon Meisinger stage manager with Cyril Kocian as the assis tant manager. The electrical effects were in charge of Ken neth Gewhen. Eugene Newburn and Ray Hild. Janis Schmidt mann served as the property manager. The business manager of the play was Bill Cecil. Fran ces Gunsolly and Ina Mae Finne frock were in charge of prepar ing the tickets. Neil Lugsch Named to Air Lieutenant Neil D. Lugsch of Platts mouth, has been commissioned as 2nd Lieutenant in the Civil Air Patrol, an auxiliary of the U. S. Air Force. It was announc ed recently by Col. Rudy Muel ler, Omaha, Nebraska Wing Commander of the Civil Air Pa trol. Lt. Lugsch will serve as In- telligence officer and public in- water were here Friday to at formation officer of the Platts- tend to some matters at the mouth flight. court house. Court House irietfs . . In the county court Friday final hearing as had in the es tate of Hester Morgan deceased. Mrs. Nora Clements is the exe cutrix of the estate. Decree was given in the de termination of heirship in the estate of Frank E. Vallery, de ceased. Hearing on claims was had in the estate of Mary Eriskine, deceased Friday in the county court. In the office of the clerk of the district court on Friday a suit for seperate maintenance was filed in which Evelyn Proc tor is the plaintiff and Chester Proctor the defendant. It is set out in the petition of the plain tiff that the parties were mar ried at Papillion on October 23, 1930. The petition seta forth that there are five children of the marriage. The plaintiff ask3 for temporary support money for the children as well as sup - TWO PAGES ! ft 1 S fl&ZlKM CHERRY BLOSSOM TIME . . . Dolores Motter (right) of Dearborn, Mich., chosen as Michigan's 1949 cherry blossom princess, and Jean Williamson Duty of Saginaw, last year's cherry blossom princess, are shown visiting with Mrs. Homer Ferguson, wife of Senator Ferguson of Michigan, at the state capitol in Lansing. Nowadays" in Monday Issue "Nowadays" Magazine sec tion of the Plattsmouth Journal will be circulated with the Monday issue of this newspaper in the future to lessen the load on the Thursday paper and to ex pedite delivery to Journal readers. When combined with the Thursday issue the weight was proving: too much of a load for journal carriers, many of whom were hardly able to stagger along under the combined weight of three to four sections. Too, a number of readers receiving their paper by mail com plained the section was lost in delivery. "Nowadays" magazine sec tion has proved a most popu lar feature of the Journal and it is hoped newsprint supplies will be ample soon to again issue the section weekly. Burlington Sends Trains Over Short Line The Burlington bridge over the Platte river at Ashland was placed out of commission Sun day as the result of the ice flow and raising waters of the Salt Creek and Platte river. The trains of the Burlington from Lincoln are being sent over the short line from Ashland to Oreapolis and then on to Omaha or the east through Plattsmouth. This morning. (Monday) the Burlington had two of their streamlined trains here for sev eral hours while making transfer of mail for other points. The damaged bridge will prob ably require several days to re pair and place back in commis sion again. Art Warga Has Leg Operation The many friends of Arthur Warga, clerk at the Plattsmouth State bank, will be interested in learning that the young man I was operated on Saturday at the U. S. Veterans hospital at Lin coln. He has suffered for some time from a leg affliction and the operation was to remove a section of muscle for observation i and tests. Sunday his brother, j Donald Warga and Carl Hula i were up to visit the patient. Attorney D. O. Dwyer and At- torney W. L. Dwyer of Weeping port money for the plaintiff. In the district court Friday Judge Dunbar granted the pe tition of Lynford Dasher for di vorce from Mary Dasher. There was no contest of the case. In the office of County Judge J. A. Capwell Friday, a marriage license was issued to John D. Garrens, Union and Miss Elaine S. Gruber of Nebraska City. The groom to be is a son of Mr. and Mrs. J. E. Garrens and Miss Gruber, a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Simon Gruber of Union. They were married at Union. Friday afternoon former Dis trict Judge Charles Foster and Attorney Sam Cooper of Omaha were callers in the county court. In the court Monday morning County Attorney Walter H. Smith filed a dismissal in the case of the State of Nebraska vs. Dean Gakemeier, charged with (Continued on Page Six) PLATTSMOUTH, CASS COUNTY, NEBRASKA, MONDAY, V " " I Affirmation of Marriage Sought in Court An action was filed in the district court Friday in which Mildred Gakemeier is plaintiff, and Dean Gakemeier the de fendant. The plaintiff asks for seperate maintenance and for the affirmation by the court of the marriage of the parties. The petition, filed by Attorney James F. Begley, sets out that the plaintiff and the defendant were married July 10, 1946 at Craig, Missouri, that there is issue of the marriage two child ren, one aged twenty months and one two months. The petition further sets out that the plaintiff left the home where she had resided with the defendant, in January 1949. It is alleged that the defendant, Dean Gakemeier and another woman were married on Feb - ruary 28, 1949, at Dayton, New Mexico. It is further alleged that the defendant and the other woman are now residing at the home vacated by the plaintiff. It is further alleged hat the defendant has denied the mat ter of the marriage with the plaintiff and it is asked that the court affirm the fact of the marriage in 1945, also that an injunction against the defend ant be issued to prevent his dis posal of his property, or the joint property of the plaintiff and defendants, that the plain tiff be granted separate main tenance from the defendant and the custody of the minor children. Sudden Raise in Missouri Drowns Cattle One of the heaviest losses re ported as the result of the sud den raise of the Missouri river Saturday, was at the Peterson farm on the island southeast of this city, where Mr. Peterson and his partner, Rapp, of Omaha were feeding some 340 head of cattle. The flood came suddenly as the river's water swept over the dikes around the island, soon the island was overflowed and some seventy of the cattle wash ed away. Four young men were on the island at the time and were able to get most of the cattle out of danger The flood entered the house on the island 1 J XI I seek shelter in thP loft of the barn where they had to remain for several hours until the water lowered to permit their getting to the boat and later returned to .the house to spend the night. coming back to the mainland Sunday morning. The loss to the owners of the cattle will be quite heavy as the stock have been under feed for some time and were in excellent shape. No Bus to Auburn Tourney Wednesday The Chamber of Commerce had planned to sponsor a bus to take Plattsmouth fans to the Au burn basketball tournament on Wednesday. This has been found to be impossible owing to the fact that no busses were avail able as the Cotner lines have been unable to secure an extra bus. NORMAL STUDENTS HERE Mr. and" Mrs. Don Temple- ; mPVPr ctuHor, of T0rn Knrmal visited Mr. and Mrs. Andrew Stander at Weeping Water over the week end. Mrs. Temple -meyer is a daughter of the Standers. Use Journal Want Ads High Water Not So Serious at Plattsmouth The immediate vicinity of Plattsmouth has not been ser iously threatened by any dan gerous effects of the general flood conditions that have pre vailed over this section of the state since Friday. The huge ice gorge at the mouth of the Platte has served to cause much of the land on the north side of the Platte to be overflowed, the residents in the vicinity of the Platte river parks and the Salvation army summer home to be taken to higher land for the present. Water, that flowed over high way 75 near the LaPlatte over pass, caused the highway to be closed Saturday afternoon and night with travel going via Glenwood, but Sunday the usual traffic was resumed as the water receeded. The Papio, threatening flood stage was re ported lower today (Monday but prospects qf further raises were reported. Residents of the Platte bot toms north of this city, were forced to abandon their places of residence Saturday morning, when backed up water invaded the home of Mr. and Mrs. Grov er Parriott, Sr., and the Nord residence and made necessary the removal of the families and effects. The residents however had provided boats for emer gencies. The lowlands on the east of Plattsmouth were overflowed lSaturday when the water from the . Platte started to overflow and the E. H. Pollock lands are now under several feet of water, that is up to the windows of the rm home east of the Burling ton station. Father south along the Missouri, high water J was invading the lowland and at the Claude Richardson home below the traffic bridge there was water in the house. The farming lands on the island and along the Missouri farther south was also being overflow ed. ", One or the thrills of the high water here was the break up of the Missouri river at this point Saturday afternoon when the force of the water lifted the huge cakes of ice, piling them up along the banks of the stream. . j The full force of the Missouri aver flood was felt in the vici i$ty of Nebraska City where dikes along the river were wash ed out and adding to the dang er to the lands on the Iowa side of the Missouri. South of Ne braska City the lowlying farms were covered by the flood waters. Hamburg. Iowa, always a hot spot from flood waters, is again faced with a menace from both the Missouri river and the Nishnabotna river that was threatening the town from the east. One of the danger spots for the east Platte valley is that from the Elkhorn now breaking up and the Salt Creek area near Lincoln whose waters will drain into the Platte. All of the localities along the Platte are alerted after the Rock Island bridge over the Platte west of Louisville, suffered the loss of several spans Saturday. The Burlington bridge near Ashland is also reported Mon day morning to have been washed out by the high waters and ice of the Platte and threatening the highway bridge over the Platte. , ocnarers Jrurcnase Fine Cow for Herd Otto Schafer and Sons of Ne hawka have made a most val uable addition to their herd of fine purebred Aberdeen Angus cattle, giving them a cow of the very highest breed that will make for the creation of a fine herd. The cow was purchased from the firm of Penny & James of Hamilton, Mo., one of the larg est herds of the Aberdeen An gus in the west. The animal was purchased for $1,000 from the breeders and has a fine registration strain, she being sired by Eillenmore 85, one of the best known animals in the west and a international grand champion and the 1935 grand champion. The cow purchased has been bred to Eillemmere 487, who was purchased from the Penny heard for $30,000 and is one of the finest types of male animal in the country. pvrrinvu SUFFERS FROM PNEUMONIA James McCune, son of Mr. and Mrs. H. B. McCune, of this city, is quite ill at the family home in this city, being taken ill Sat urday with pneumonia. He is now under constant medical care. MARCH 7, 1949 No Vacancy to Be Filled on School Board The voters of school district No. 1, Cass county, will only have to elect two members for a term of three years, it was re vealed Friday on a check of I he records of the board of educa tion. It had been thought that the two full terms and also a va cancy would have to be filled, but examination of the records back to 1946, revealed that what was thought to be a vacancy was really the expiration of a full term of three years, therefore, the man named will be elected for the full term. The confusion in the office was due to the fact that there had been several named by rea son of vacancies, all for the one term. Back in 1946 Mrs. Hazel McCord, regularly elected mem ber of the board, resigned her office, later on the members cf the board elected Warren Scharfenberg as her successor. Later Mr. Scharfenberg moved from Plattsmouth to Nebraska City, and again created a va cancy in the office that was later filled by the naming of A. W. Huebner to the office, whose term expires this year. The school caucus was held on the supposition that there would be two long terms and the one vacancy to fill. The canvass of the records revealed that the retiring members of the board of education were W. F. Evers and Mr. Huebner and that there was no vacancy to be filled. The school meeting Wednes day evening named A. W. Hueb ner, Walter Gleason, Harold Al- Kire ana iiair onenenoarger as the lour to maKe tne race a: tne election on April 5th for the two year terms, two to be elect ed. The vacancy being found eliminated, these will be the duly named candidates and these named for the third place will not be certified to the city clerk for a place on the ballot. The hold over members of the board of education are Frank A. Cloidt, A. B. Rogers. Dr. O. C. Pludson and John Schreiner. Mr. Cloidt is president and Mr. Schreiner secretary of t h o board. New Pastor at First Christian Church of City The pastorate of the First Christian church, vacant since the removal of Rev. Sherman R. Hanson, several weeks ago, is to be filled after the trial of several young ministers and student pastors. The church has called George D. Swiney, of Fargo, North Da kota, a student at Cotner col lege, Lincoln, who offered his initial sermon on Sunday, March 6th at the church. Mr. Swiney made a very pleasing impression on the offi cers of the church and the con gregation and will find a hearty welcome here m Plattsmouth, a city of friendly people. The new pastor is married and has a family of three child ren who will locate here at once and make their home in the parsonage near the church, where the family will be handy for the needs of the members of the parish. HERE TO ENJOY VISIT Mr. and Mrs. George Hob scheidt and family of Lavern, Iowa, arrived here Friday for a visit with the relatives. They as sisted Mrs. John Hobscheidt, Sr., mother of George, in the ob- servance of her 59th birthday. They are also visiting at the j home of Mr. and Mrs. Marion ' Warthen, parents of Mrs. Hob- j scheidt., j s A.,aSI TEA FOK PAT'S TASTE . . . Sitting in as an unofficial connoisseur, Patricia Morison, stage and screen star, invitingly purses her lips for beliere it or not a sip of tea as U. S. tea tasters conduct their annual quality tests in the Rainbow room of Radio City. Holding the spoon op to Pat's mouth is Grayson LuttrelL FIVE CENTS PEk COPY rwi " i i t MIGHT AS WELL BE SPRING ... According to the calendar, spring isn't until March 21, but why bother to look at the thcr memetfT when crocuses bloom in Brooklyn's Botanical Gar-Jens, with the temperature around C7? That's what Kathleen Miller, above, thought as she trreteti the premature harbingers of spriny. Sheriff Solomon Heads Rescue Party Near Platte Sheriff Tom Solomon was ac tively engaged Saturday and Sunday in the rescue work along the low lying lands of Sarpy count v between the Platte river and area occupied by the amusement parks and j cottage that dot that section. The water coming up Friday evening overflowed the lowlands on the north side of the Platte, catching many of the residents in their homes and without the means of getting to higher and 1 Qrier land The sheriff with Kenneth and Bill Armstrong took the 20-foot motor boat owned by Cass coun ty, out to the scene of action and spent a number of hours Friday in endeavoring to locate a man who had been heard call ing for assistance by members of the highway patrol, but a search failed to locate the man. The party visjted the house where it was thought the alarm had been given but without suc cuess. The sheriff and rescue party rescued a man named Phil Riley residing near the 20 club grounds, where the water was all around the place and Riley was taken on to higher ground and safety. Saturday morning the sheriff and party were operating the boat over the area and rescued Mrs. Charles Chuek and family who were held in the house by the flood waters. When the sheriff and the boat reached the house there was some two foot of water in the building and the family was very badly frightened by the rising tide, but they were safely taken out and moved to places of safety. The water in the house was so deep that the boat could be run right through the rooms. The safety patrol continued all day Saturday in the work of getting parties living in that area to higher ground. Child Suffering Severe Condition Sally. Jo, three year daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Elmer WTurtele was at the Children's hospital at Omaha where she was suffer ing from an illness that has proven quite baffling to the at tending physicians. She was brought home Sunday by the parents. The little one was seemingly in good health until she devel oped a semi-paralyzed condition of the left side that has so far baffled the doctors. Mr and Mrs. W. A. Cooper, who operate a cafe at Louisville were here Saturday to spend a few hours looking after some matters of business. NUMBER 28 Plattsmouth is Fed Up at Delay in Rifle Range Present indications point to the fact that development of the Plattsmouth Rifle Range is getting the "run around" from the State Game Department. Rosy promises of many months aao have taken on a slightly '"blue" tinge and local sports men are ready to come out in the open with the fight. Purchased over a year ago with funds contributed in a large part by the Wild Life as sociation, the Plattsmouth Rifle Range held great promise to Eastern Nebraskans of becom ing a popular wild game refuge, shooting grounds and fishing spot lor sportsmen of this area, who feel that they have long been neglected by the State Game Department. Recent meetings held here in Plattsmouth by the Izaak Wal ton League, the driving force behind the development, has brought only evasive answers to their many questions regarding the progress of the area, while at the same time the Game De partment campaigns vigorously for additional funds from li censes and other fees. While the Plattsmouth Wal tonians have been pushing the development through contacts with the commission in Lincoln and meetings locally, other groups in the area have started putting on the pressure through other methods. At Omaha, 1,- 623 signers are on a petition op posing the increase in license fees presented to the legisla ture. Most of these signers plac ed their name on the petition against the increase as a wedge to get something done about the Plattsmouth Rifle Range. Plattsmouth Waltonians have been carrying the brunt of the load alone until the past week, when local forces were joined by Omaha sportsmen with the additional aid of the World Herald through Howard Wolfe, field and stream editor, who states that "Eastern Nebraska has reason for complaint. East ern Nebraska shouldn't be ne glected. It is now especially on the Plattsmouth issue." It is hoped the Game Depart ment will come through with some definite plans for action and soon. Stag Party Held by the V. F. W. Club Thursday evening the mem bers of the Wolever-Lepert post of the Veterans of Foreign Wars entertained at their club rooms in the Nierste building, at a stag party given for the en tertainment of the members and their invited guests. The crowd was very large, it is estimated that there was some 400 to attend the meeting and enjoy the evening of fun that had been arranged. The committee in charge had secured a very interesting and educational picture as one of the features of the evening that served to help in the entertain ment of the group. Games followed the motion pictures for the remainder of the evening and enjoyed until a late hour by the vets and their friends. The members of the party were regaled with a lunch of prime roast beef sandwiches as well as cheese sandwiches and the usual refreshments to com plete the evening. Sgt. Ray Tincher to Officers School Sgt. Ray Tincher, son of Mr. and Mrs. Harry Tincher of this city, who has been in the army for the past seven months, sta tioned at Fort Knox, Kentucky, arrived home Thursday morn ing for a few days visit here with the parents and old iriends. Sgt. Tincher was enroute to Fort Riley, Kansas, where he will enter the officers candidate school and if successful will be duly commissioned into the reg ular army. He has had a very high record in his service since enlistment. Ray is a graduate of the class of 1947 of the Plattsmouth high school where he was a very ac tive figure in the student body during his four years in the high school. Mrs. Joe Noble and little daughter of Downers Grove, Illi nois, are here for a short visit at the home of Mrs. Noble's parents, Mr. and Mrs, Joe Lib ershal and the other relatives and friends.