April 15, 1897 —
The way that town lots are selling reminds one of the days of ‘92, when it hustled a fellow to keep track of the new purchasers. We opine that a business lot on State or Fourth street will be worth more before snow flies than Gene Moore’s gold mine — in which he dropped $23,000 of state money.
For sale: A young horse, weight about 1,000 pounds, or will exchange for a good cow. Inquire at this office at once.
The office of the Commercial [Hotel] is quite inviting since Scott Fullen has finished papering, painting and otherwise improving it.
100 Years Ago. . .
Three of Osmond’s volunteer fire department were in Hastings attending the annual State Firemen’s Convention, namely: A. W. Marek, chief of the O.V.F.D., who went by reason of his position as fire chief, and Nic Goeres and Edward German, who were elected as delegates from the Osmond fire fighting force. The publisher wrote “We know the boys will have a good time, and bring lots of good points back to the Osmond firefighters, and we are going to tune into Hastings occasionally in hopes of hearing the voices of the Osmond firemen over the radio from the Hastings broadcasting station.
At 5:30 one morning, the home of Herman Meyer in northwest Osmond was the scene of a fire. Herman Meyer was working at Carl Kiichler’s and Mrs. Meyer was awakened by the fussing of one of the children, and going into the kitchen discovered smoke issuing through the floor.
She ran to the home of E. L. Briggs, and got them out of bed. Mr. Briggs immediately rushed to the Meyer home, but seeing that the blaze was now going strong and was beyond his control, he threw some snow upon it to retard the fire and jumping into his car, rushed downtown and turned in the fire alarm. The fire boys were on the job at once with the chemicals and by their prompt and efficient work, saved the house, although it was badly scorched, and it was necessary to put in a portion of the floor new, and also some new rafters.
The sale of horses of Mr. McKenvey held at Rohrberg’s barn brought high prices which showed that times were getting better, and also that good horses were in big demand. Twentythree head sold for an average price
of $112.
75 Years Ago. . .
“ The ( Railway) Commission will maintain a close scrutiny over this (telephone) plant and service condition in and around Osmond.”
That was probably the most interesting sentence in the 1,500 word “Opinion and Finding” of the Nebraska State Railway Commission in disposing of the rate increase proposal of Eastern Nebraska Telephone Co. at Osmond. A condensed version of the report was printed in the paper.
The increased rates went from $2.75 to $4 for business; $1.50 to $2.25, residential 1; $1.40 to $2, residential 2; $1.50 to $2.25, rural; $0.416 to $0.75, S.S. There were 240 phones in the Osmond exchange: 35 business, one party; 89 residence, one party; 9 residence, two party; 93 rural (metallic), and 14 S. S. An expressed provision of the order was that the company must continue to improve its facilities. There was sentiment among the subscribers in and around Osmond that service was substandard due to the equipment in use and the limitation of service because of the calling range.
The office of State Fire Marshall, after recent inspection of Osmond’s public school building, mailed instructions for increased safety of occupants in case of fire. Some of the improvements ordered consisted of: Install approved automatic fire detection system; install a hand-
operated fire alarm system that could be sounded from both floors and from the basement;both north and south doors must be repaired and blocks of wood used as locks must be removed; all windows opening out on the fire escape must be reglazed with wire glass; install a wood blanket in the Home Economics Room, on a rack in open where it is readily accessible; install 10-lb. carbon dioxide fire extinguisher in Home Economics Room; install an approved 2½ gallon water type fire extinguisher in the shop.
65 Years Ago. . .
Miss Ruth Luebbers of Osmond held the distinction of being the first Norfolk Assumption Academy student to be awarded a regents scholarship to the University of Nebraska.
P. J. Stanosheck, proprietor of the hardware store here that bore his name, reported theft of a small pocket-size transistor radio from a display window. The radio was a Coronado. Stanosheck suggested that parents be on the lookout for the small machine which might have created an irresistible appeal to some youngster.
A Burlington double- diesel unit pulling a train of freight cars, including one car of liquid petroleum gas for an Osmond dealer, was buried in snow three-quarters of a mile west of McLean after the area’s latest storm. On Osmond’s main street and those adjoining, snow dumping had resulted in piles in some places more than 10 feet high. The snow condition and outlook was described by many as the worst since the memorable season of 1948-49.
Dorrance P. Gibson, 33 years of age, employee of Theisen Bros.,
Osmond contracting firm, was killed instantly as he was crushed when a trawler tractor upset in a train rescue attempt three quarters of a mile west of McLean. A “Cat” operated by Tom Goodman became stalled in the snow moving attempt.
Gibson was dispatched to the scene with another snow moving unit.
He was driving his machine to the rear of the stalled Burlington to pull the cars back when his “Cat” rolled. Crushed, his body was freed with difficulty. Sorrowing fellow construction employees carried the broken body the major fraction of a mile to McLean over a freshly bulldozed path from where it was brought by the waiting Stanosheck ambulance to Osmond.
50 Years Ago. . .
American Legion Post 326 honored its World War I veterans at its January 1975 meeting with an oyster stew feed.
Post 326 had eight members who were veterans of WWI. Those in attendance were Ferd Kumm, John Bahr and Vic-
tor Stech. World War I veterans not able to attend were John Adkins, Irwin (Rex) Record, Joe Blunck, Harry Thomsen and Elmer Dredge. Post 326 had a family with three generations of Legionnaires, which might have been its first, according to the recollection of members present at the meeting. The Bahr were recognized by the members as well. They were John (1917-19), Orville (1942-46) and Russell (1971-1973) Bahr.
It all started inconspicuously when the newspaper received a rather fitting Christmas poem from a community student, which was published since it fit the occasion. That precipitated a number of poems arriving, which were published, but then the true reason for the sudden wealth of poems was realized. With some of the poems came notes requesting publication with the explanation that the writer would receive an “A” in creative writing if it were published. The editor wrote “The Republican would not like to cause any student to fail a course or miss an ‘A;’ however, we are not in the business of grading ‘creative writing.’” No other poems for that reason were to be published until after they were graded.
The fir half of the Wednesday night mixed bowling league was won by the Berner-Reineke team in the final night of the roll-off, when they defeated the Kudera-Reed team. The two teams ended in a tie during the regular bowling in the first half of the league competition, which required a six-game roll-off. The roll-off ended with Berner-Reineke winning by a 95 pin margin, 3681 pins to 3586 for the Kudera-Reed team.
25 Years Ago. . .
Engraved bricks were in place on two walls of the new Osmond Public Library entryway. Each of the bricks was made possible by $100 donations by library benefactors. Floor tile had also been installed. Workmen were now in the process of putting in mopboard after which carpet installation would take place.
Osmond senior Matt Jochum and junior Andy Ketelsen reached a hoops milestone: both players scored their 1,000th point in the same week. They joined six other players who had reached this milestone on Coach Randy Jochum’s teams since 1974: Doug Stratton, Brian Hoffman, Kyle Streich, Chris Johnson, Nick Johnson and Pat Daly.
10 Years Ago. . .
At the January school board meeting, retiring school board members Kent Gansebom and Cheryl Friedrich were presented plaques of appreciation for their 24 and 12 years of service, respectively. Taking their oaths of office to begin terms on the District 42R board were Paul Koehler and Aaron von Rentzell.
A change in leadership was on the horizon at Osmond General Hospital.
CEO Celine Mlady was retiring from her duties at the facility. It was 18½ years earlier — in 1996 — that she was hired by the hospital board of directors.
