Sam Ells, the Brownville head hunter, attended his first social function after the snow melted this year and had a story to tell.
Sam hadn't been anyplace all winter because when the frost is on the pumpkin, Sam is running trap lines along the Missouri river.
Well, it seems that the host had more people m the cabin than she really counted on and was running out of everything, food and drink . . . and toilet paper.
So, she substituted sewing patterns in the outhouse.
After Sam got home that night his wife Belle, was asking him all about the party.
"It was really high falutin," he said. "It's the first time I ever did see toilet paper marked FRONT and BACK."
News-Press reporter John Quinlan who attended a meeting the other night to hear a federal report on new sewage treatment for Nebraska City, had a couple of comments about the evening that never appeared in the story.
John said the dinner was fine, the meeting was one of those dry, but necessary things, the drinks were provided by an engineering firm and the language was clean. City Clerk Gladys Wenzel was the only gal at the meeting.
Raymond and Opal Marsh who have been doing custodial work for many years, are going to put aside their mops and brooms and call their unemployment, "retirement" effective when Savings and Loan moves into its new building this summer.
Mr. and Mrs. Marsh serviced the News-Press and NC Federal Savings and Loan and a few years ago they left us and worked just in the building next door. Now, they're going to call it quits.
I can't feature our friends sitting around the house . . . not with those roaming thoughts of Ray. He's the man responsible for getting me into the hills of Green Hollow and I've never forgotten that pleasant experience. We made several more trips after that first one.
And of course, Opal, well she's something else:
At one time Mr. and Mrs. Marsh lived in the apartment on the second floor of the News-Press. Max Moyer and I suffered as long as we could one day. We knocked on the apartment door (across from the darkroom) and put on an act of two poor homeless souls who hadn't eaten for days.
Opal came through . . . with those hot-hot homemade buns and bread and butter.
We sure miss you around here, Opal.
Best wishes and good health to our friends.
Dr. M. B. De Jarnette who has earned international fame as a chiropractor, conducted an introductory seminar on his Sacro-Occipital Technic at the Palmer College of Chiropractic in Davenport, Iowa.
Doctor De Jarnette who began studies in his career in 1922 has conducted seminars across the continent and has been acclaimed over the years for his accomplishments and contributions — but not at Palmer college.
According to The Beacon, newspaper of Palmer college, "This was the first time that Doctor De Jarnette has come to give a seminar here on campus. Palmer college, recognizing that the time was long overdue, invited Doctor De Jarnette to present the basics of his work to students and field doctors." The college has an enrollment of about 2,000.
The Nebraska City man who has written a library on his practice and applications, donated four books to the college.
There is also one more book to be published soon.
It is the story of Dr. M. B. De Jarnette, the man who drove to Nebraska City from Lincoln with his bride (and $62 in his pockets) to start a practice, his acceptance in Nebraska City; the story about "serving time" in the Otoe county jail and the black-balling handed him by the Nebraska City Rotary club.
It's all true . . . and it will be off the presses soon in book form.
Rex Hickman, president of the Optimist club, called for a news report at a recent luncheon meeting at the Elks, and when we had finished, he chided the reporter for not mentioning that the City council had approved the expenditure of $910,000 for a diesel generating unit.
The story has been on Page 1 of the paper so it was not what you would call neglected news.
But Rex is right. We DID FAIL to mention to Optimists that very important piece of business.
The trouble is, we take the operation of our City Utilities for granted.
After I get up in the morning, and turn up the thermostat, I "expect" the furnace to kick on. When I turn on the water faucets I "expect" hot and cold water. When I flip the light switch, I "expect" the lights to come on. And certainly we all "expect" the services of the sanitary sewer system.
We get so that we "expect" so much, that we often forget the many hours of tedious planning it takes on the part of City Utilities and the City commission to assure Utilities users that "it's there, just flip the switch."
Thanks, Rex, for reminding us how well off we really are.
Our friend, Ray Price, is bouncing back after surgery at St. Mary's.
And, we'll just betcha that he will be up and around and out of the hospital very soon for two special reasons — it's fishing time and also, Company B guardsmen may have another reunion in a few weeks. Those men of Company B marched down Central, boarded trains and went off to WWI. They're quite a group of hearty men.
So, Ray, please don't pinch the nurses . . . they'll release you when you're well enough to cast a line (and when Bertha says so).
(P.S. Understand the Bass are biting).
Sister Rudina smiles.
It doesn't take much to get a smile from Sister Rudina, the nun with the endless energy. She directed the Science and Engineering fair again this year in the elite, dedicated and well managed fashion to which we are all spoiled.
Everytime she sees someone connected with the fair, she bubbles out with "thank you" for helping with this or that.
Well, now the message comes from the other side.
Three teachers of the fair winner, Todd Christell, Omaha, had some thoughts of their own about the fair and took a moment to write this:
"May we take this means to express our thanks to your fine group of Nebraska Citians for another excellent fair. The courtesies that your people extended our people were beyond expectations and greatly appreciated. It is certainly a pleasure for our group to attend such a fair. Maybe next year our two other Junior Highs will attend."
BOB L. KLEIN.
CHUCK LANG.
JIM ALLEN.
PHYSICS DEPARTMENT.
OMAHA WESTSIDE.
That pretty well tells the story of what other people think about the fair and certainly reflects on the direction by Sister Rudina.
. . . Mebbe she should be named to the Chamber's industrial committee. With that kind of dedication and energy, she's bound to come up with some kind of new industry.