Bob M
Well-known member
#337 FRIENDS AND FANCIES
by Bob M
I left three pictures in Rapid City at the Hobby Shop to be framed two or three weeks ago. They are a bit rare and unusual in that they are old pictures that were taken with cameras which were set in the center of the usually large group of people to be pictured, with the subjects placed in a circle around the camera. The camera is then rotated with the shutter open, making a long, narrow picture. Two of the three were taken ahead of my time but I was present and am in the one that was taken in 1945 when the Nebraska Stockgrowers Association was held in O'Neill.
Leading up to that convention, F. E. Messersmith, a rancher and Hereford breeder from Alliance, had the reputation of being an enthusiastic promoter of things for the betterment of the cattle industry. With a large family at the right age for membership he had organized and started the Nebraska Junior Stockgrowers Association a few years before. It had gained attention from surrounding states who patterned their state organizations after the new Nebraska Junior Stockgrowers Association.
Tom Arnold's son, Ed, from Nenzel, was elected to be the first president of the Junior Stockgrowers when the convention was held in Alliance in 1939. It took place in Valentine the next year when many ranch kids who had gone to the Nebraska School of Agriculture, at Curtis, attended and joined. That year six Junior Stockgrowers from Merriman were invited to sing at both the Nebraska Stockgrowers and the Junior Stockgrowers banquets. Vanessa Christensen rehearsed us a time or two and played accompaniment on the piano. Harold Bates, Don Weber, Garould Fairhead, Joy Fairhead, Stan Moreland and Bob Moreland sang "Pale in the Amber West," and "Leanin' on the Old Top Rail." We wore suits and cowboy hats and must have made quite a hit. I didn't hear a single Boo!.
The 1943 convention was held in Lexington. Warren Roos and I had both gone to Curtis and knew we would get to see some of our classmates and were invited to go with Jay Cole and P. H. Young, Sr. By this time Elvin Adamson was president of the Juniors. It was wartime with travel limited. Jay Cole and Ralph Baker were County Commissioners and decided to come home by Alliance to bid on some equipment, which took an extra day. Warren and I hadn't had the opportunity to have time off for quite awhile so it was a welcome diversion from the usual.
The following year Stan and I borrowed Dad's Dodge pickup and put a tarp over the stock rack. That was the transportation for 6 or 8 of us Junior Stockgrowers to attend the 1944 convention which was held in Scottsbluff. One of the major problems in those war years was finding ranch help. One of our discussions was on that topic. A friend and classmate from Tryon, who had gone to Curtis, got up and went to the front and told about building a cage on their beaver slide stacker, filling it with hay, unbuckling the cage and pulling away, eliminating the man on the stack. He sat back down. The leader of the discussion said, "Sounds like a great idea! Did it work?" Max said, "No, most of the stacks fell apart when you unwrapped the cage!"
I read a story that I took to the meeting concerning the labor situation in our area. I told of several neighboring ranchers who were past the age of retirement and had major problems because, of necessity, they stayed in the harness. Arthur Bowring had a heart attack and died shortly after he had gone through deep snow horseback to help a neighbor, Clyde Weber, who had a large hog operation along with his cattle. The event was when Clyde's new farrowing shed caught on fire. Joy Fairhead Sr. got hit with a tightened chain, while cleaning ditches in his meadow, causing a severe leg injury. Henry Linenbrink's horse brought him home during a blizzard. He had suffered a stroke and never got back to normal. Harold Bates Sr. had a heart attack caused by stress and overwork because of the labor shortage. My talk was defending those of us who were placed in the classification of 2-C, which meant we were deferred to help produce food. My talk was well received and published in the next Nebraska Cattlemen magazine. Probably, as a result of my talk, I was asked to fill the vacancy of the vice- president who had recently been drafted. Lester Jesse from Alliance was the president and during the following year he was also drafted. That placed me in the position of being president.
Several of us went, from Merriman, to the convention at O'Neill, in 1945, on the Chicago and Northwestern passenger train. It was war time, with many of the members in the service. O'Neill was on the far east side of ranch country. With gas rationing and the labor situation as it was, attendance of junior members was very limited. Joy Fairhead, Bill Arnot, and Bob Moreland were nominated to serve as president for the following year. Bill and I stated our expectations to be placed in class 1-A and being drafted soon. Joy Fairhead was unanimously elected.
Our meeting was cut short soon after the election of the officers so we would be included in the large circle of Nebraska Cattlemen on O'Neill's Main Street in the 3- foot by 6- inch picture that I have recently had framed. I am guessing there are 250-300 people plus the famous Budweiser Clydesdales pictured.. Here are a few of the people that I readily recognize: Dewey Schafer, Phil Burress, Emmett Brickley, James Monahan, Ed Arnold, Bill Arnot, FayFuchser, Irwin Adamson, L. D Putnam, Chris Abbott, Roy Abbott, Gus Wickman, Bryan Quigley, George Peterson, Ray Cole, E. M. Brouse, Eve Bowring, Everett Brown, Bob Van Horn, Bill Derrick and Secretary Johnson of the Nebraska Stock Growers.
The picture is a real classic of ranchers and their wives taken in the era where most of the men wore suits and Western hats. The ladies are decked out in nice head gear and dresses.
I wish ladies would start wearing hats again. Just think what a booming hat maker industry would do for the economy! On second thought; not much, they would probably all be made in China.
by Bob M
I left three pictures in Rapid City at the Hobby Shop to be framed two or three weeks ago. They are a bit rare and unusual in that they are old pictures that were taken with cameras which were set in the center of the usually large group of people to be pictured, with the subjects placed in a circle around the camera. The camera is then rotated with the shutter open, making a long, narrow picture. Two of the three were taken ahead of my time but I was present and am in the one that was taken in 1945 when the Nebraska Stockgrowers Association was held in O'Neill.
Leading up to that convention, F. E. Messersmith, a rancher and Hereford breeder from Alliance, had the reputation of being an enthusiastic promoter of things for the betterment of the cattle industry. With a large family at the right age for membership he had organized and started the Nebraska Junior Stockgrowers Association a few years before. It had gained attention from surrounding states who patterned their state organizations after the new Nebraska Junior Stockgrowers Association.
Tom Arnold's son, Ed, from Nenzel, was elected to be the first president of the Junior Stockgrowers when the convention was held in Alliance in 1939. It took place in Valentine the next year when many ranch kids who had gone to the Nebraska School of Agriculture, at Curtis, attended and joined. That year six Junior Stockgrowers from Merriman were invited to sing at both the Nebraska Stockgrowers and the Junior Stockgrowers banquets. Vanessa Christensen rehearsed us a time or two and played accompaniment on the piano. Harold Bates, Don Weber, Garould Fairhead, Joy Fairhead, Stan Moreland and Bob Moreland sang "Pale in the Amber West," and "Leanin' on the Old Top Rail." We wore suits and cowboy hats and must have made quite a hit. I didn't hear a single Boo!.
The 1943 convention was held in Lexington. Warren Roos and I had both gone to Curtis and knew we would get to see some of our classmates and were invited to go with Jay Cole and P. H. Young, Sr. By this time Elvin Adamson was president of the Juniors. It was wartime with travel limited. Jay Cole and Ralph Baker were County Commissioners and decided to come home by Alliance to bid on some equipment, which took an extra day. Warren and I hadn't had the opportunity to have time off for quite awhile so it was a welcome diversion from the usual.
The following year Stan and I borrowed Dad's Dodge pickup and put a tarp over the stock rack. That was the transportation for 6 or 8 of us Junior Stockgrowers to attend the 1944 convention which was held in Scottsbluff. One of the major problems in those war years was finding ranch help. One of our discussions was on that topic. A friend and classmate from Tryon, who had gone to Curtis, got up and went to the front and told about building a cage on their beaver slide stacker, filling it with hay, unbuckling the cage and pulling away, eliminating the man on the stack. He sat back down. The leader of the discussion said, "Sounds like a great idea! Did it work?" Max said, "No, most of the stacks fell apart when you unwrapped the cage!"
I read a story that I took to the meeting concerning the labor situation in our area. I told of several neighboring ranchers who were past the age of retirement and had major problems because, of necessity, they stayed in the harness. Arthur Bowring had a heart attack and died shortly after he had gone through deep snow horseback to help a neighbor, Clyde Weber, who had a large hog operation along with his cattle. The event was when Clyde's new farrowing shed caught on fire. Joy Fairhead Sr. got hit with a tightened chain, while cleaning ditches in his meadow, causing a severe leg injury. Henry Linenbrink's horse brought him home during a blizzard. He had suffered a stroke and never got back to normal. Harold Bates Sr. had a heart attack caused by stress and overwork because of the labor shortage. My talk was defending those of us who were placed in the classification of 2-C, which meant we were deferred to help produce food. My talk was well received and published in the next Nebraska Cattlemen magazine. Probably, as a result of my talk, I was asked to fill the vacancy of the vice- president who had recently been drafted. Lester Jesse from Alliance was the president and during the following year he was also drafted. That placed me in the position of being president.
Several of us went, from Merriman, to the convention at O'Neill, in 1945, on the Chicago and Northwestern passenger train. It was war time, with many of the members in the service. O'Neill was on the far east side of ranch country. With gas rationing and the labor situation as it was, attendance of junior members was very limited. Joy Fairhead, Bill Arnot, and Bob Moreland were nominated to serve as president for the following year. Bill and I stated our expectations to be placed in class 1-A and being drafted soon. Joy Fairhead was unanimously elected.
Our meeting was cut short soon after the election of the officers so we would be included in the large circle of Nebraska Cattlemen on O'Neill's Main Street in the 3- foot by 6- inch picture that I have recently had framed. I am guessing there are 250-300 people plus the famous Budweiser Clydesdales pictured.. Here are a few of the people that I readily recognize: Dewey Schafer, Phil Burress, Emmett Brickley, James Monahan, Ed Arnold, Bill Arnot, FayFuchser, Irwin Adamson, L. D Putnam, Chris Abbott, Roy Abbott, Gus Wickman, Bryan Quigley, George Peterson, Ray Cole, E. M. Brouse, Eve Bowring, Everett Brown, Bob Van Horn, Bill Derrick and Secretary Johnson of the Nebraska Stock Growers.
The picture is a real classic of ranchers and their wives taken in the era where most of the men wore suits and Western hats. The ladies are decked out in nice head gear and dresses.
I wish ladies would start wearing hats again. Just think what a booming hat maker industry would do for the economy! On second thought; not much, they would probably all be made in China.
