Sheridan County Newspapers & Publications
Echoes of the Past
Dec. 31, 2003
columns by Helen Selee
100 Years Ago - 1903
Wm. Welcher was in from his place south of Rushville Monday and said the elements of the night before were after him, as his house was struck three times by lightning and the building se on fire. None of the family were hurt and the fire was extinguished before doing much damage.
John Stauffer this week received the nomination of the republican convention for coroner. John is an old soldier, and a man of honesty who will, if elected, do his best to serve in the capacity commissioner according to his best judgment.
Ben Abel got a bad gash in his throat, last evening, on a wire fence at the rear of Beaumont’s residence. He had put his horse in the barn and was making a short cut for home, when in the pitch darkness, he ran into the barbed wire. Fortunately no serious results are to be feared.
A 13 ½ pound boy arrived at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Moore of Cody on last Sunday. Mrs. Moore was formerly Fanny Van Buskirk.
Ed Woodruff has been under the weather a few days with asthma. He made a trip to Omaha the first of the week.
Bert Bayliff took possession of the Blue Front restaurant the first of the week, and has been cleaning up and getting things in order. Bert says he is going to run a good clean place and we wish him success in his new undertaking. He has hired Robt. Clapp, who will have charge of the business of nights.
Last week we found a grouse wing in an alley and this week we found some tail feathers. About next week we ought to find the whole bird, and if alive, we trust will not attack us, for we can’t kill them yet, even in self defense.
The school boy will not trouble his mother so much for awhile, but is anybody extending sympathy to the teacher?
A baby boy arrived at the home of Mr. and Mrs. James Brooks Sunday night. Mr. Brooks came up from Valentine, where he is working.
We are in receipt of a letter from W.F. Leggett of Ervey, Wyoming, and he says it snowed up there on July 30th.
Conrad Schlierbach was in town Wednesday with some tomatoes, some of them weighing as much as 14 ounces.
Frank Sasenberry retired from the Blue Front restaurant this week, after having conducted a good business for several years. He informs us that he contem-plates studying electrical engineering. The proficient along this line are in good demand and we know Frank can make it if he goes at it right.
Gordon has had its share of unnecessary afflictions this week. A fellow selling catarrh remedy and two typewriter agents were here trying to “work” us, to say nothing of a crippled fellow selling lavender flowers.
J.H. Stephenson of Fremont is the professor that it is hoped will be here Monday to take charge of the Gordon schools. He and Miss Hahn have taught in the same school at Newport.
Mr. Wamsley, living eleven miles south of Gordon, has a bull with a very vicious disposition and people should be careful in crossing Mr. Wamsley’s land. He not only challenges pedestrians, but will hold his own with persons on horseback or in carriages. So far he had done no harm, but Mr. Wamsley should see to him as he is growing worse every day and is liable to do some damage that will be fatal or cost the owner a considerable sum. A much traveled road runs through his place and the animal is always in waiting for a chance passer-by. Such animals should not be allowed to run at large. __River Rat.
Now is the time of the year when the “traveling physician” is thick upon us. He drops into the community resplended with a diamond as big as an apple turnover. A slim supply of knowledge and a stock of gall to supply the post-office department. He drives through the country and makes “marvelous cures” at $50 a cure, giving in return a hearty shake and ten cents worth of Carters little liver disturbers. Great Scott! How these fakes thrive! Who gets up in the middle of the winter’s night, drives 20 miles through the snow, and stays with the sick from one to four hours and waits six months for his pay? That’s your home doctor. The traveler picks a sunshiny day; drives to a house, does a few wise looks and drives away with the cash or note due in 60 days. And probably it is that the traveler don’t know a “levator labil superioris aliqui nasi” from a Hebrew hymn book. See the difference?
A Des Moines judge says the divorces number nearly one-third of the marriages. Does this show marriages a failure? No. It shows that there are a lot of chumps who crazily get married just like people do in a lot of other things that prove to them failures. Any two idiots may get married; but living together is another proposition.
The art of speaking well of acquaintances is one worth our cultivating. Most people have palpable and lamentable weak-nesses and if you devote your time and energy to discover those, you are laying up trouble for yourself and doing injustice to others. Take the weakness for granted and hunt out the good qualities of your fellow men and talk about these. This is a surer way to happiness, success and popularity. The experiment is well worth the trying.
Omaha attorneys are in Washington for the purpose of arguing before the Secretary of the Interior an important case involving the rights of soldiers’ widows to enter a homestead without residing upon the land. Also the right to bargain away title to the land prior to the issue of patent. Some of the cattle companies in western Nebraska are said to have induced a number of widows of sailors and soldiers to enter upon land for a homestead as permitted by law. They would agree to pay each widow the cost of making the entry and transportation charge to and from the land, together with an additional sum of money on condition that the title must be transferred to the cattle company when acquired by the widow. This practice became so common that the commissioner of the general land office called a halt, fearing that the cattlemen would gobble up too much land. It so happened that the scheme was regarded with great favor by the widows, many of whom could not enter government land without financial assistance. Every widow of a soldier or sailor in the navy who in his lifetime did not enter a homestead, may under the law enter a quarter section of government land as a homestead, and under the rulings of the general land office, the widow does not have to reside upon the land. She must, however, make certain improvements in order to identify herself with the land and must pay the filing fees exacted of every homesteader. Everything being regular, patent will be issued to her within five years -- any period of time subtracted from the five year period by the term of service rendered by the soldier or sailor. The case being argued has to do with a widow agreeing to sign over the land to a cattleman (or anyone) previous to receiving the patent (or title to the land).The success of the suit would be of vital interest to many widows and also to many cattlemen in Nebraska.75 Years Ago - 1928
The Splindler brothers have commenced their schools again. They know what they have to do now for the next nine months.
The C.S. Jelineks have moved into their new house in Albany for the winter. It is quite cozy and handy.
Mr. and Mrs. Carl Dohse have moved into the new house and are getting settled for the winter.
The rodeo certainly was fine and had as large a crowd as there is at a railroad town. Bates-land is a peppy little burg.
The three creatures skinned to provide the essentials of college training are the coon, the sheep and dad.
Mr. Hisel Martin, Mr. Leonard Duerfeldt, Miss Prudence Brown and Miss Eva Crowder, enjoyed a steak fry at the river Sunday evening.
Quite a lot of excitement was caused on Thursday when a fire broke out south of the A. Cue farm, but was put out by the many good neighbors as the Cues were in town. It burned over a section of ground.
Speaking of strange accidents, here’s one. Frank Snyder, working around a thresher near Davenport, swung his pitchfork against the drive belt. The fork rebounded, the handle cut a six-inch gash in his face, and a fork tooth passed through his tongue.
Rev. and Mrs. Orville Bottom of Merriman are the parents of a daughter born Sept. 4.
Andy Conner and Floyd Dedrick returned Wednesday from Fort Crook where they spent 30 days in the Citizen’s Military Training Camp. Both young men are looking fine.
Nebraska has not had a real county seat fight for many years. How county seat fights were conducted in the old days is illustrated by a story of such a fight, told by Dave Martindale. Mr. Martindale, who is known to every general merchant in Nebraska, lived for many years at Niobrara. Every so often Niobrara had to fight to retain the county seat. In one such fight the Niobrara committee wanted the votes in a Russian Mennonite precinct and gave a Russian, who said he could handle it properly, $100 for campaign purposes. He visited the settlement for a couple of days, then returned and refunded the committee $75, declaring that he had fixed things. He would make no further expla-nation. After the election, in which the Russian settlement cast practically no votes, the envoy explained. He had paid three or four young fellows to start prairie fires in the precinct on the morning of the election day, and the settlers were too busy fighting fire to go to the polls and vote.
Mrs. Grace Hughes and Mr. T.C. Lewis, both of Gordon, were united in marriage Friday, August 31, at Sidney, Nebraska. Mrs. Lewis is well known to the people of this community, where she has made her home. She has proven herself a splendid woman and home-maker and has the respect of all with whom she comes in contact. Mr. Lewis came to Gordon about a year ago and has made a place for himself in the business world, and bears an excellent reputation. His genial ways have won for him many friends. This fine couple are deserving of the happiness which has come into their lives and have the best wishes of a legion of friends.
Most of us agree that we need wider county grades, or a limit in the width of truck boxes. At present you have a choice of a smash-up or the ditch. And why in the name of fair play are these wandering caravans of tricksters permitted to endanger the lives of our local population, monopolize the hauling and slip away with a lot of money that would be put to work in Sheridan county?
The Gordon schools opened Monday morning with a new high record in membership in both high school and grades. The grade enrollment, however, being only three pupils higher than that of last year, it being 364 at present. The high school enrollment on the first day was 226, an increase of 24 over last year. There are 104 non-resident high school pupils.
A former Gordon man, Richard Jordan, now of O’Neill, was chosen as the state vice-commander of the American Legion at their state convention at Grand Island last week. Mr. Jordan married Miss Anne Carr, a former Gordon high school teacher.50 Years Ago - 1953
Edward C. Bohlmann has received word that his son, Sgt. Edward L. Bohlmann, first cavalry division, who has been a prisoner of war since Nov. 6, 1951, has been released by the communists in Korea. Bohlmann, 29, was taken prisoner when his infantry outfit relieved another in which his younger brother, Lawrence, 24, was serving. Sgt. Bohlmann’s father says that the company in which Lawrence was serving had captured a hill following four days of bitter fighting. They were then relieved by Edward’s unit at which time the Chinese brought up reinforce-ments who again captured the hill and took Edward a prisoner. The younger brother was sent back to Japan for a rest after the engagement. Sgt. Bohlmann joined the army in 1948. Mr. Bohlmann has told the Journal that he has had a few letters from his son since his capture and he is apparently in good health. Sgt. Bohlmann is expected in Gordon the last of this month.
Parents were warned Saturday by State Superintendent F.B. Deckert that all youngsters not yet 16 will need to attend school this year, even though they have been out of school a year or longer. The legislature in LB 455, adopted at the last session, decreed that all youngsters not yet 16 must go to school. The exceptions are those who have finished high school or are physically or mentally incapac-itated. Mr. Decker opined that far too many youngsters have been quitting school after completing the eighth grade, and added “an eighth grade education is not sufficient for a person to live happily or successfully in this complex world.” The law becomes effective September 14, shortly after most schools will have opened.
Rumors are flying in the missing girl case in Rushville. Sheriff Wendall Hills said yesterday that Karen Talbot was still missing and there have been no new developments in the case. He said there is one slim hope in the form of a report from a woman in Lincoln who said she had seen Karen on 10th Street in Lincoln, with the identifying “Rushville High School Band” on her sweater, the morning after the disappearance. However, officials have had no luck in following up this clue.
Mr. and Mrs. Ed Sones, Mrs. Fred Beutler and Mrs. W. Keller left Sunday for Basil, Montana, where they plan to go through the popular radium mine for relief from arthritis.
Dale Shanks took first in the grain judging at the 4H district show in Chadron on Monday. Glenn Shanks took third on grain judging and Marlys Suhr won a white ribbon on her dress-up dress.
Pleasant Hill school opened Monday, Aug. 31, with 14 members and Lila Mae West as teacher.
Week-ending at their respective homes in Gordon from Camp Carson, Colo., were Pvts. Percy Cobb, Stan Sasse, Jim Hickman and Chris Burki.
Mr. and Mrs. Dale Marrs of Merriman celebrated their seventh wedding anniversary by inviting in a few friends. Mr. and Mrs. Blaine Belsky and Gary were supper guests and Mr. and Mrs. Bob Buckles joined them later. The group enjoyed cards for a few hours.
Commanding officer Howard Hagel was in charge of the reception given to the returned prisoner of war Eugene Roland, son of Mr. and Mrs. Benton Roland, of Pine Ridge, S.D. at the American Legion hall. A band composed of Oglala Sioux accompanied the honored guest from White Clay, Nebr. through Pine Ridge to the Legion hall. Cleveland Nelson, better known as Moot, took the parents of Eugene Roland and Anna to Scottsbluff, where they met Eugene. Eugene did not have much to say but what he did say counted a whole lot. Moot said that Eugene told him that he believed he would not have been able to come home except that he had learned a lot of Japanese words while in Japan, so his captors used him as an interpreter. Eugene was a prisoner for three years. He is 26 years old, and has two brothers who are serving in the armed forces; Clarence, 21, is serving in Korea, and Benton Jr., is at Fort Campbell, Ky. About 1,000 people attended the reception.25 Years Ago - 1978
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Tuesday, 10-Mar-2009 19:59:48 MDT
submitted by Helen Selee
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