FONTENELLE FOREST

Serene oasis of primitive splendor only stone's throw from busy Omaha

JUST A FEW miles from the booming heart of downtown Omaha, there's an area of unsurpassed beauty and serenity. It is called Fontenelle Forest, the largest tract of virgin timber in Nebraskaland.

The forest climbs from the flood plain of the Missouri River up the towering bluffs that overlook the big river. It begins about one mile south of Omaha and stretches southward along the river for three miles, nearly to Bellevue. The unique area covers some 1,600 acres.

The only inroads to the forest are nearly 17 miles of foot trails, that interlace the area. No automobiles are allowed, since every effort is made to keep the area in its natural condition. The well-marked foot paths lead the hiker to the depths of the forest. Here he'll discover spots that speak eloquently of the past and climb to scenic vistas of the river and woods.

At the entrance to the tract, there is a sign that reads, "Fontenelle Forest—For all those who love unspoiled nature." The forest is a mecca to the 4 OUTDOOR NEBRASKAland botanist and ornithologist as well as the artist and photographer. More than 30 kinds of trees, 139 species of birds, and many varieties of wild flowers are found here. Interesting wild animals, reptiles, amphibians, and insects abound in the timeless surroundings. The area contains many kinds of topography, from flood plain to majestic bluffs to marsh and pond.

The entire forest is a game reserve and wildlife refuge. Here both amateur naturalist and serious student can study in intricate detail all forms of flora and fauna native to the region.

Fontenelle Forest's history dates back more than 6,000 years when the area was inhabited by prehistoric man. The bluffs hold traces of the houses of these ancient people, as well as the council circles of woodland Indian tribes. The first Indian trading post in Nebraska was located in Fontenelle Forest.

A marker shows the burial place of Logan Fontenelle, the forest's namesake and the last old chiefs of the Omaha Indian tribe. Another marker points out the site where a group of Mormons camped in 1846 during their flight from persecution to the promised land of the West. A more recent resident of the area was Jim Baldwin, called the "Hermit of Fontenelle Forest," who supposedly lived here for 40 years. His shacks can still be seen.

The careful preservation of the area started more than 50 years ago with the formation of the Fontenelle Forest Association. The money needed to purchase the original tract was raised by subscription. Other sections of the forest were later given to the association. The maintenance costs are paid from the contributions of the ever-growing number of visitors to the area and from the donations of citizens.

Fontenelle Forest is a place where time is reckoned in eons instead of frantic minutes. It is a place for relaxation and quiet contemplation. The forest is rich, both in history and the beauty of nature. It is not a park, but a tract of virgin wilderness, one of the few retreats left "for those who love unspoiled nature."

THE END RANCH REARED BOBWHITE QUAIL CHUKARS RINGNECK PHEASANTS GERMAN SHORTHAIR POINTERS Bourn's Game Farm LEXINGTON, NEBRASKA Learn CONSERVATION at home Join the courageous corps of dedicated men who are the living symbols of professional forestry, soil and wildlife conservation to the American public. One-hundred lesson Course prepares you for many conservation and aid-type positions, depending upon your education. Many who are career conservationists are already taking our Course. Send for complete free details. North American School of Conservation 941 North Highland Avenue, Dept. 2882, Los Angeles 38, Calif. FEBRUARY, 1965 5

HAHLE'S FISHING CENTER CAFE AND ICE BOAT AND MOTOR RENTAL BOAT GAS TACKLE AND BAITS GUIDE SERVICE RED WILLOW RESERVOIR Rt. #1 McCook, Nebraska Ph. 345-3560

February Roundup

INDOOR ACTIVITY reigns supreme in NEBRASKAland during Cupid's month of February, except for the hardy outdoor-types who relish the rigors of hard-water fishing. Basketball tournaments top the bill in many parts of the state. For the less physically inclined, there are concerts, musicals, and plays.

The month of Washington, Lincoln, and St. Valentine will be a busy one in NEBRASKAland. York will play host to the Class C District round-ball tourney February 22 through 27. At Leigh, players will race the courts in the Mid-State tourney February 8 through 12. The University of Nebraska's home schedule calls for tilts with Colorado the 13th, Missouri on the 15th, and Oklahoma the 27th. "Big Red's" road tour will include the University of Colorado on the 6th, Kansas State on the 9th, Iowa State the 20th, and Kansas the 23rd.

Nebraska Wesleyan University will present the musical 'Camelot' February 24 through 27 in Lincoln. The annual Ice Capades will feature fast and fancy skaters February 15 through 21 in the Capital city. For more rough-and-tumble ice action, the Omaha Knights will be playing at Ak-Sar-Ben.

Tekamah will spotlight youth with its annual Burt County Youth Festival February 25 through 28 and at Columbus the Nebraska Angus Breeders Association will sponsor its annual show February 15 through 17. Joslyn Art Museum in Omaha will have a full schedule of activities. On February 5 a program entitled, "A Summer in Italy," will be presented and the Omaha Symphony will perform there February 15 and 16. The Fine Arts Ensemble will play chamber music February 21 and the Tuesday Musical Concert, "Exio Flagello," is on tap for February 25.

Rip-roaring ice action to sound of fine music, Cupid's month swings

Nebraskans can start planning their summer vacations when they visit the Omaha Sports, Vacation and Travel Show at the Omaha Civic Auditorium February 19 through 28. The Mexican Folklorico Ballet will appear at the City Auditorium Music Hall there on February 4.

Concordia College at Seward will hear Ted Bumiller of Cincinnati on the "Four Seasons of Scandinavia" on February 21. The Concordia A Cappella Choir Tour Concert will be presented there February 19.

Lincoln Community Players will present the drama, "Calculated Risk," at their playhouse February 12 through 21. Swedish dramatic soprano Birgit Nilsson will be soloist in the Community Concert at Pershing Auditorium on February 23. Tamara Milashkia will be featured soprano with the Lincoln Symphony at the Stuart Theater, also on February 23.

That Grand Ole Opry gang will hit Lincoln February 27 for a hoedown at Pershing Auditorium. The annual University of Nebraska Coed Follies will be featured there the preceding day, February 26.

For a month with so few days, February will be jam-packed with all manner of good things to do. Cupid's month should keep everyone in NEBRASKAland on the go.

THE END 6 OUTDOOR NEBRASKAland

THE REDHEAD THE AND THE ROOSTER

Pit these two adversaries against each other and you re bound to get results by Fred Nelson

YOU COULD hear Mary Callier's gleeful squeal for a mile when the brilliantly-hued pheasant tumbled out of the air. For two days the redhead had eaten dust and blistered her heels in the corn and stubble fields around Hemingford looking for her first rooster. Her shoulder was one big hurt from the kick of her 20-gauge while the sun had peeled the skin from her nose and fried her face. Mary had fired dozens of shells at the big, crafty birds without a score. Finally, the determined gal connected and her joy knew no bounds.

Mary and her husband, Scott, of Chicago had joined Woodrow and Kitty Allen of Tucson, Arizona, for a go at NEBRASKAland pheasants during the 1964 season. They found the hunting a bit rough. There were plenty of birds, but they were as spooky as a witch with broom trouble. Prolonged drought made the cover noisy and   stymied the dogs. But even with conditions against them, the party saw lots of birds.

The bearded Scott was fresh from a 28-day safari in Africa. "Woody" Allen was well along in his quest for a grand slam on bighorn sheep. Both had hunted pheasants before, but this was their first go at the Nebraska tricksters. Mary was a novice. Her previous shooting experience was limited to a few Blue Rocks. Kitty played it cool and did not hunt. The nonresidents had met at the Game Commission's Alliance office and decided to join forces for the two-day hunt.

Wheels turned fast to line up the out-of-staters. Bob Gaston, manager of the local chamber of commerce, contacted Don Phillips. Don, who knows most of the farmers and ranchers for miles around, made arrangements with Alfred Enyeart who agreed to guide the party. Al has a big spread of his own and has a host of farm and ranch friends around Hemingford, so finding places to hunt was no sweat.

Nick Dafny, an Alliance service-station owner, promised the visitors a day with "Chris", his well-trained Hungarian Vizla, and Scott had "Sparky", a wise old German shorthair. With the dog problem licked, there wasn't much else to do but dig up a few more hunters to help drive and block the sprawling corn and stubble fields. Al's son, Rick agreed to join the party, and Don decided to take a day off from his restaurant to get in a little shooting. Within an hour, plans for the hunt were wrapped up and the visitors could hardly wait for the next morning.

Al selected a small cornfield for the first attempt. Woody and Mary elected to block while the rest drove the narrow strip. It proved a blank. Describing the first foray as a warm-up for the bigger covers ahead, Al reassembled his party and headed for a "40" of standing corn. The field was too big for one pass so Al divided it up into halves. Scott and Mary blocked while Woody and Don flanked. Al joined Rick and Nick in the drive.

It was obvious there were birds in the corn. The powdery soil was laced with tracks and dusting pits. Here and there discarded feathers clung to the weedy undergrowth. Loose corn provided a smorgasbord while the tangled stalks and undergrowth offered plenty of cover for the gaudy cackle birds.

A canny rooster started the action. Instead of running the row, he slanted to the side and flushed behind the drivers. With only one gun between him and safety, the bird thought he had it made until Al changed his mind with a blast of No. 6's. The Vizla was on the downed bird in a flash. Ignoring the other hunters, he trotted to Nick with his colorful retrieve. A pat and a word of encouragement and the dog was back in the corn.

Scott was the next to tally. Sharp as a tack from his safari shooting, the Chicago publisher scored on a wildly flushing rooster that towered 50 yards away from the waiting gun. Scott's auto-loader barked once and the bird hit running. The shorthair nosed round and round until he picked up the trail. After a brief chase, he recovered the fugitive.

Mary was having troubles. Two roosters flailed up and headed straight for her. The first made a clean getaway as the redhead fumbled with the safety. She made the usual beginner's mistake of under-leading the second ringneck and both birds sailed away over the field unharmed.

Don picked up a sneaker that tried the run-around game and Nick nailed one on the rise, as the bird exploded in front of Chris. The rest of the drive was uneventful and when the drivers reached the end of the field, Al reversed his party for the next pass. The original drivers blocked while Scott and Mary rode to the opposite end and came through the rows. Only two birds came out and both were out of range. Al believed the first pass had spooked some birds into a nearby weed patch and decided to give it a try.

When the dogs hit the bone-dry cover, it was evident they were in trouble. Several times they slammed into points and then broke as the birds crept away. Sparky and Chris ran into a real fooler on a pair of hens. Both dogs hit points and held. With guns ready, the Calliers and Woody tried the flush but nothing happened. After tramping the weeds until they were certain the dogs were pulling a falsie, the hunters relaxed. The two "biddies" suddenly erupted 30 yards away.

Nick and Al held a conference and voted for a shelterbelt try. Crossing a short-grass pasture, the truck disturbed a dozen birds. They were gone before the hunters could dismount and load their guns. Nick made several remarks about the cussedness of Nebraska pheasants before he remembered the ladies.

The shelterbelt was alive with birds but they weren't easy. Very wild, the roosters rocketed out of the pines long before the drivers got them in range of the blockers. Al called a halt and revised his plan. He set out flankers at 100-yard intervals along both sides of the strip. Working as a one-man driver, he sent two birds toward Scott and Don who caught them with full patterns from their 12-gauges. Mary added two more blanks to her string, but felt she was getting closer.

In the afternoon, a small stubble field yielded two birds for Don and Al while (continued on page 55)

THE REDHEAD AND THE ROOSTER continued

the Great Carsoni

by J. Greg Smith Do-it-yourself comedian studied laughter on the Gl Bill, then set his sights the big time and made it

THE MAGAZINE advertisement promised that he could "mystify and amaze" his friends, the chance to become a bonafide magician in 10 easy lessons Twelve-year-old Johnny Carson took the company up on its offer and today not only mystifies and amazes his friends, but close to 20 million other people as well He has cast his special brand of Carson insomnia known as the "Tonight Show" on the lot of them, keeping his vast television audience awake and laughing through 95 minutes of delightful patter

Ive been kidding the pants off of people places and things since I was 12" he said. "Once I discovered an audience I was absolutely hooked. That applause is the sweetest thing this side of anywhere."

Johnny dropped his magician bit many an opening night ago, but not before the act had opened the door to big-time television. The 38-year-old personality is unique among comics. Unlike most of his network counterparts who broke m their acts on the Borsch Circuit   in New York's Catskills, Johnny got his start on the "Birthday Party Circuit" in Norfolk, Nebraska.

the Great Carsoni continued

Anytime there was a show to put on, be it birthday, Rotary Club meeting, or Fourth of July celebration, young John was there to go through his routine. A flashy green banner with bold Chinese letters proclaimed to all that 'The Great Carsoni" was about to perform. The skinny kid hadn't earned enough money for white tie and tails. Instead, he sported a black silk shirt with a white rabbit embroidered on the back. Both the shirt and the banner were the results of his mother's handiwork.

"I suppose I picked the name, 'Carsoni,' because it sounded magical," John said. "You can do that if your name is Carson. If it is Scwartz, it wouldn't sound so good."

John's parents, Mr. and Mrs. H. R, "Kit" Carson, have always been his biggest boosters. The lanky comedian remembers how excited they got when they were 12 OUTDOOR NEBRASKAland listening to the radio one day and heard him do his first network station break. That was their boy coast to coast.

"I don't know where John got his love for show business," Mrs. Carson said recently. He apparently picked it up from some distant ancestor. Neither Kit nor I have done anything like this and are actually a bit conservative."

The Carsons live in Columbus where Kit just retired as operations manager of Consumers Public Power District. Both remember all those warm days of their children growing up, first in Corning, Iowa, then Norfolk, and finally Lincoln. John's younger brother, Dick, director of the Tonight Show, was and is the famed comic's right-hand man. His older sister, Catharine, now Mrs. Ralph Sotzing of Philadelphia, was on hand in those early days to applaud her kid brother's shenanigans.

John came on the scene October 23, 1925. Being born in Corning has its drawbacks, especially for a comic. That he grew up in the "Cornhusker State" has also drawn plenty of comment from his wise-cracking colleagues. The Carsons moved to Norfolk when John was eight, where, according to Mrs. Carson, her son did all the things any other boy would do growing up in a small farm town.

"The boys loved to hike," Mrs. Carson said. "John and Dick would head out in most any direction to hunt or fish or just explore. I could have paved a highway with all the peanut butter and jelly sandwiches I made for them. They had a special hangout called 'Black Bridge' which I didn't learn about till years later. They use to go down to the railroad trestle and swing on the timbers while trains passed by overhead."

John's love of the outdoors is still with him. As a young boy, he developed great skill with a rifle on a rifle range Kit built in the basement. He likes bird hunting and now gets a big bang out of fishing along the coast. His 22-foot inboard sea skiff, "Deductable", gets a workout anytime John can get away from the show. John is mighty handy with a bow and arrow, and typical of him, put one of his Indian friends to shame on a recent shootdown on the show.

The lanky comedian went out for football at Norfolk High when he was a senior—he was all of 125 pounds then—but he gave it up after a couple of scrimmages. He could take all the pounding his teammates could dish out, but when they stepped on his fingers that was too much. He didn't want to take any chances on fouling up his slight-of-hand tricks.

"Once John took up magic, all else came second," Mrs. Carson said. "We took 'home movies' six Christmases in a row, and in every one of them, John has a deck of cards in his hand. He was constantly trying to improve his technique and would work with cards and coins by the hour."

Sundays were extra special with the Carson clan. They would gather around the radio to listen to Jack Benny, Edgar Bergen, and the rest of the famous entertainers of the day. John payed special attention to the comics' routines. Mrs. Carson finds it hard to believe that the boy who once listened so attentively to these stars is now interviewing them on his own show.

By the time graduation came around in 1943 John had really perfected his routines. He didn't have to report to the Navy till the next October, so he talked his parents into letting him go to California where he could get a firsthand look at show business. Soon after arriving there, Orson Wells hired him as an assistant for his magic show. The 17-year-old had the pleasurable task of holding Rita Hayworth's feet while Orson sawed the beautiful star in half. This was pretty good duty for a kid who got into the act via a do-it-yourself magic book. During his Navy years, John put on his routine whenever he got the chance. He came out of the Naval Officers School at Columbia University an Ensign and was assigned to the USS Pennsylvania. Mrs. Carson recalls sending John's magic paraphernalia all over the country. While in the Navy, John decided to have a go at ventriloquism, again via the do-it yourself route. He soon perfected the routine and included it in his act.

John returned to civilian life in 1945 and that year enrolled at the University of Nebraska. He gave some thought to a journalism and even a medical career, but soon settled for his first love, show business. According to his counterparts, John studied laughter on the GI bill. While at the University, John picked up extra money with his magic act. The Pierce County Leader recently wrote that John drove to Pierce, a distance of 250 miles round trip, to put on his one-man magic act for the local alumni association in 1948. Remuneration for the long haul and performance was the grand sum of $38.

In addition to going to school and putting on magic acts, John found time to work for a local radio station as an announcer and writer. One speech professor at the university recalls that John was so beat from tearing around from noon luncheons and other engagements that by the time he made his one o'clock speech class, he was pretty well shot. While studying speech, John wrote—or rather taped—a thesis that has become a classic at the University. In it he recorded excerpts from live presentations of the then popular comedians, and came up with some pretty good reasons on what makes people laugh.

John must have had the right answers, for soon after leaving school, he had his (continued on page 54)

FEBRUARY, 1965 13

THE 1000 MILE HORSE RACE

THE GREAT Chadron to Chicago horse race began as a hoax and ended in a hassle. In between it captured the imagination of a natin and put a NEBRASKAland cowtown on the map to stay. As a test of men and horses it has never been equalled, making even the vaunted Pony Express days look like an afternoon tea party. Today, almost 72 years later, the tousand-mile race is stil discussed wherever lovers of good horse flesh gather.

Even before it started, the race became a Frankenstein that brought screaming protests from the Humane Society, panicked the citizens of Iowa of Illinois, and gave plenty of welcome publicity to Buffalo Bill Cody's Wild West Show. Unfortunately, the salty contestants in the epic race received more saddle sores than greenbacks in the go for the $1,500 purse.

With farmers armed for an invasion and Humane Society standing by. Chadron's wild run for Chicago got underway  

Colonel John G. Maher was the western correspondent for a string of eastern newspapers in 1893. Stuck for copy to fill his weekly stint, John took the hobbles off his imagination and wrote that Chadron was sponsoring a thousand-mile horse race to Chicago as a climax to the first Worlds Fair. Buffalo Bill's show tent at the fair was the finish line.

John wrote the fanciful yarn with tongue in cheek, but the eastern editors swallowed it whole. Telegraph wires hummed with demands for more and more information about the forthcoming race. Even the European press started screaming for details. Chadron became famous the nation over, as John proceeded to make a good story better with each dispatch. The Colonel knew a good thing when he saw it and so did Chadron.

Only eight years young, Chadron was simmering down after the excitement of a new railroad and needed something to put it back in the limelight. The cowboy race was a natural. Committees were formed to draw up rules for the race and a fund drive launched. A $1,000 purse was put up almost overnight as the Chadron citizens got behind the project with contagious enthusiasm. Buffalo Bill, scenting the publicity, came through with $500 to sweeten the pot.

In the high-flying journalism of the day, the proposed race became a combination Roman orgy and an invasion by Genghis Khan. Eastern newspapers claimed that 300 of the West's toughest hombres were entered. The riders were to be accompanied by their remount mustangs, camp wagons loaded with redeye, and enough girls to go around. Such fanciful entrants as He Dog, Rattlesnake Jim, Cactus Jack, Buckskin Joe, Black Pete, and a platoon of other desperate characters were named as ready to ride hell-bent for leather across three states in a mad dash for the $1,500.

The sensitive ears of the Humane Society in Minneapolis picked up the news and immediately sent two of the society's top brass to Chadron to scrub the whole deal. They protested long and loud that such a race was too cruel for animals and almost too tough for men, no matter how hardened. The rules committee placated the do-gooders with promises of check stations along the route where officers of the society could check the horses. Any indication of abuse would be enough to disqualify the entrant.

But the good citizens of Iowa and Illinois weren't buying. Sure that an army of vandals were ready to pillage their peaceful farms and quiet villages, they vowed to lock up their womenfolk, ventilate any dadgummed desperado who rode by, and get legal injunctions against such foolishness. The newspapers' lurid accounts and the fast-flying rumors around the general stores did nothing to allay their fears. As more responsible and truthful accounts filtered through, the sodbusters swung around and decided they could cope with 9 riders and 18 horses and became a little more tolerant.

Rules for the race were simple and apparently enforceable. Each contestant was allowed two horses. Each man had to use a western stock saddle weighing not less than 35 pounds. Rider and gear had to scale at least 150 pounds at the start of the race. The contestants had to check in at the registration points and no new or blooded horses could be substituted for the original range broncs.

Registration points were established at Chadron, Long Pine, O'Neill, and Wausa in Nebraska; Sioux City, Galva, Fort Dodge, Iowa Falls, Waterloo, Manchester, and Dubuque in Iowa; and Freeport and De Kalb in Illinois. The route was almost the trail-blazer for present-day U.S. Highway 20.

A huge crowd was on hand for the start, which was originally scheduled for 8 a.m., June 13, 1893, but it was delayed until 5:37 p.m. The other contestants disputed John Berry's right to enter. Berry had helped the committee map the route and the other riders contended this advance knowledge gave him an unfair advantage. Finally, Berry agreed to forego the Chadron money and run for Buffalo Bill's purse. The sheriff fired his .45 and the race was on. The crowd was disappointed to see the cowboys pull out of town at a slow walk instead of a cloud of dust.

The notorious Richard "Doc" Middleton was the only acknowledged outlaw entered. The others were reputed to be solid citizens in the free and easy interpretation of the day. Doc wasn't in any particular law trouble at the time so there was no argument about his entry. Besides he was tabbed as a pretty handy man with the six-gun and might not take kindly to any reflections on his right to ride.

Other riders taking part in the fantastic race were Joe Gillespie of Chadron, Davy Douglas of Hemingford, George Jones of Whitewood, South Dakota, James "Rattlesnake Jim" Stephens of Ness City, Kansas, Joe Campbell of Denver, Charlie Smith of Hot Springs, South Dakota, and Emmet Albright of Crawford.

Joe Gillespie was the oldest entrant. A Chadron favorite, the colorful and flamboyant rancher was a showman at heart. Nevertheless, he was a good man with horses and knew the country like a book. Tough as nails and use to the rigors of the long trail, he had more than a chance to cop the prize.

Middleton's shady reputation made him a man to watch. Many predicted that Doc would pull a fast one somewhere along the way and be the first to shake Buffalo Bill's hand. Most tinhorns figured they would let their bets ride with Doc. He was one of their own and the fat purse was a powerful drawing card to a gent who had once bushwacked the strong box of the Deadwood stage.

Berry was a loner. Quiet and unassuming, he had the reputation of being a cool head. A railroader, he still knew horses and could ride with the best.

"That Berry doesn't say much, but he's a good hand with a horse, and has guts he (continued on page 54)

16 OUTDOOR NEBRASKAland

the DOUGHNUT DUNKERS

Ainsworth anglers come up with a special brand of inflation that makes full stringers a habit

DUNKING A doughnut around Ainsworth isn't always done over a cup of coffee. In this Sand Hills community where lakes are scattered about like puddles after a rain, it's a form of fishing that is getting to be almost as popular as the coffee break.

Fishermen have forever sought ways of slipping into the mysterious domain of the finny ones for expedient catching. Their equipment has ranged from crude boats to fancy face masks and swim fins. The doughnut, also known as the "float tube," is a combination of these principles. To Ainsworth anglers, it's nothing more than a 20-inch truck inner tube inflated inside a canvas cover. It's rigged with a pair of suspenders for carrying when out of the water and a sling-like seat for the fisherman when in the water.

Like most innovations, the doughnut is not all new. The seat smacks of the same arrangement as a baby's jumper chair. And the ankle fins, a strap-on aluminum device that folds back when the foot goes through the water forward and flips out on the back kick for propulsion, is copied practically from the oar.

The fisherman wears the 20-pound rig about, like grandma wore her hoop skirt, only higher. Walking right out into the water, the angler lets himself down into the doughnut as the water rises to carry him and the tube. Propelling himself to the point he wants to fish, he baits up from the canvas pouch on the doughnut and gets down to business with both hands free for fishing.

"As far as I'm concerned this is the only way to really go after big fish," says Gerald Skinner, Ainsworth motel operator. He is one of some 50 or 60 float-tube fishermen in an area where the fish are described in terms as glowing as the range cattle and wild hay.

"These doughnuts were made to order for our shallow Sand Hills lakes," Skinner said. "Lakes here have a lot of reeds and vegetation which creates problems for boaters. But with a doughnut you can pick your way through and float right up into the fish without spooking them."

Doughnut fishing first came into vogue around Ainsworth some half-dozen years ago. Frank Jones, an ardent outdoorsman, was one of the first to use one.. It was a homemade outfit. He's still using one, but has adapted it to duck hunting. With a canvas top and willows tucked around an outside strap, the Ainsworth   man can paddle right into range of a flock of unsuspecting waterfowl and boom away.

the DOUGHNUT DUNKERS continued

Even though this floating duck-blind idea is gaining popularity, fishing is still the main purpose of the float tube. Several companies are now making the item which is a must for many Ainsworth anglers. An angler can outfit himself in such a rig for as little as $25 to $30.

"I know two or three fellows who use to fish in boats and now use the doughnut," Skinner remarked. "They wouldn't trade their rigs for the best boats."

The motel operator does most of his fishing south of Ainsworth about 30 miles on such Sand Hills lakes as Enders, Enders Overflow, and Clear Lake. Lakes south of Valentine, such as Pelican and Hackberry, get the nod on longer jaunts. It's not unusal for Skinner and his fishing mate, Harry Sawle, to duck out for an early-morning expedition and be back in town, loaded with displayable largemouth and northerns by the time the folks are getting a good start on the day.

Skinner counts a six-pound northern he caught at Hackberry Lake among his more recent conquests. One before-breakfast outing produced five largemouths from three to seven pounds. Bluegills and crappies are also fair game for the doughnut angler.

"The doughnut is for those who really work at the sport," explains Skinner. "It isn't for the still-type 18 OUTDOOR NEBRASKAland fisherman, but the man who would generally be using a boat or waders. The float tube is just an advancement over wading or boat fishing; a way of catching more and bigger fish because you can get out to them."

The best part about the doughnut is that it's like a boat but better, according to advocates like Skinner. It's small, doesn't cast as large a shadow, or broadcast its coming. And there's no oars to labor on or engine to foul up. If you get tired, you can rest your arms on the tube. To Skinner it's much more comfortable to sit in than a boat, because you are down deep enough so the tube supports your back.

The soggy and muddy bottoms of Sand Hills marshes offer another inducement for the doughnut. Some of these areas are almost impossible to wade on. There are also spring holes that can let a fellow down fast. The tube fisherman can pick up his feet and get across these areas with little trouble or fear of sinking.

What a fisherman wears under the doughnut rig is important. Breast waders, insulated underwear, and heavy pants make up the uniform of the day for Skinner and his float-tube pals. However some wear dungarees when weather and water co-operate.

Doughnut fishing is not recommended for big waters. Most Sand Hills lakes that Skinner and his friends frequent run in the 10 to 12-foot-deep category. Winds across these shallow weedy waters kicks up smaller waves.

There have been instances in other areas of fishermen tipping over in their doughnuts. Skinner believes this was due to heavy wind or too much air in the tube. If a fellow has around 40 pounds of air in the doughnut and he's a lightweight, he'll ride too high in the water and be in danger of tipping. The air should be adjusted to a person's weight, with a 200-pound man taking more air than a 150-pounder. Newcomers to the sport should get the advice of old salts on how much air to carry, then head for the lake on a calm day to check the best position.

One company is now making the float tube with a buckle-type latch. It's similar to a safety belt since it can be freed with a flip. Most doughnut enthusiasts also wear an approved life jacket. There is the outside possibility of a sharp reed or fish hook puncturing the tube, though the canvas cover and heavy truck tube make such incidents a rarity.

Probably the least complicated part of the simple art of doughnut fishing is taking care of what you catch. A fish sack or stringer that loops right on behind the tube is the answer to this aspect. This is convenient for the fisherman. For the fish it just means switching from a free swimming environment to a confined one-something a Sand Hills lunker has got to expect when the doughnut dunkers float into his domain.

THE END 19

VALENTINE

. . . where cupid posts his mail

VALENTINE, IN the heart of the f a b u 1 o u s Sand Hills cattle country, every February becomes the place where "Cupid posts his mail." Every year chamber of commerce personnel, with plenty of volunteer help, imprint more than 15,000 letters with a special seal—a heart slashed diagonally with the name Valentine.

But the Cherry County seat has much more to boast about than just the happy coincidence of name. A community of nearly 3,000 people, Valentine is smack in the middle of a thriving cattle kingdom and vacation and outdoor recreation paradise. Just a stone's throw to the east is Fort Niobrara National Game Reserve, where visitors can see buffalo, elk, antelope, and longhorns. To the south is Valentine Migratory Waterfowl Refuge, where ducks and geese abound in lakes that provide excellent fishing almost any time of the year.

Less than 25 miles to the southwest is Snake Falls, the largest waterfall in the state. Nearby Smith Falls, the highest in the state, dominates the scene. Both are surrounded by some of the most breathtaking scenery 20 OUTDOOR NEBRASKAland in the nation. And, more fine fishing is provided by Alkali Lake and the new Merritt Reservoir.

A water-conservation and flood-control dam, Merritt promises to be still another big water playground for Nebraskans. The Snake impoundment will boast 2,900 acres for all types of public recreation.

Platted even before Cherry County was organized, Valentine didn't really set down roots until the railroad reached there in 1883. Located on broad, beautiful prairie land, it is just 4V2 miles southwest of the junction of the Niobrara River and Minnechaduza Creek in one of the nation's most picturesque locations.

Valentine's birth was the result of several factors. Foremost among these was the repression of the Sioux and the tribe's confinement to the Rosebud Reservation in southern South Dakota in 1878. This permitted settlement of the area. Fort Niobrara (now the refuge) was established nearby to protect settlers from the unhappy and dissatisfied Sioux.

The 1880's saw the change from the open range of the cattleman to a land of homesteaders. The iron horse replaced the ox and mule-drawn freight wagons in 1883 and the town really came to life. From its swaddling, the community has steadily grown until today it serves as the major retail, wholesale, and service center for the more than 12,000 people in the vast ranch and hay-producing area.

Beef is still the backbone of Valentine. Thousands of head of cattle graze the lush Sand Hills grasslands surrounding the community. Considered by many the heart of the giant Sand Hills cattle lands, Valentine ranchers strive to make good this boast. And, these same cattlemen play a key role in supporting Nebraska's claim to the title of 'The Beef State."

Named for Congressman Edward Kimball Valentine, the community in recent years has cashed in on this happy coincidence to gain nationwide publicity every February 14. Anyone can send their Valentine greetings there for special postmarking and forwarding. Mail has already been received from many nations all over the world. All things considered—cattle, recreation, scenery, and Cupid—Valentine is sitting pretty.

THE END FEBRUARY, 1965 21

THE HALF-BREED TRACT

No blood was shed in this agonizing Indian campaign. Only losers' tears fell on Nebraka's soil when this fantastic legal battle came to an end by Ernest Longfellow

THE HALF-BREED tract in southeastern Nebraska was established in the spirit of generosity and compassion. Nowhere else in the nation had a piece of land been set aside specifically designated as a home for the breeds. But before its stormy 125-year history ended, the tract became a bone of contention between Indian and white and a fantastic headache for the Office of Indian Affairs. It caused heated debates in Congress and twice made the long haul to the United States Supreme Court.

At the treaty of Prairie du Chien in 1830, the Oto Indians and their tribal neighbors, the Missouris, Omahas, Iowas, Yankton, and Santee Sioux requested the U. S. government to set aside 138,000 acres as a half-breed reservation. The area between the Missouri and Big and Little Nemaha rivers was selected. This rough triangle was part of the traditional land of the Oto and their allies. It included parts of what are now Richardson, Nemaha, Otoe, and Johnson Counties in Nebraska. The treaty authorized the President to make allotments in severalty to qualified half-breeds and mixed bloods of the various tribes and bands represented at Prairie du Chien. The maximum allotment was set at 640 acres. The government agreed and the hassle was on.

When the treaty was accepted there were approximately 200 half-breeds eligible for grants. If the allocation had started then, all of the subsequent trouble would have been eliminated. Unfortunately government red tape precluded any simple divvy of the reservation lands.

The first foul up came with the surveys. Since the ceded lands joined those of the white settlers beyond the 10-mile western boundary from the mouth of the Big Nemaha, it was a sure bet the sodbusters wouldn't stand for encroachment. John Calvin McCoy was commissioned to survey the tract and establish firm boundaries. He failed to include the islands in the Missouri River and did not measure the full 10 miles west from the river. Pushing slightly more than eight miles west, he called it a job and returned with his report. Even so, he concluded the triangle contained 143,647 acres instead of the estimated 138,000. Later surveys proved him wrong.

Establishing the eligibility of claimants came next. Indian agents faced the Herculean task of sorting out the legitimate half-breeds who had unquestioned claims to the allotments. Reverend Isaac McCoy, father of the surveyor, urged the officer of Indian Affairs to speed up the distribution. He pointed out that births and deaths were confusing the issue while the government delayed the allotments. He suggested that each claimant who didn't want the land be paid $300 and the government hold title to it.

Congress got in the act in 1854. The solons authorized and directed the President to allot the tract. Their order spawned more surveys and head counts. By this time, the tract was filling up with squatters and other hard-case characters who took a very dim view of any eviction proceedings. Making illicit booze and stripping the hills of trees to supply wood for the riverboats were the chief occupations of these ne'er-do-wells. Besides the survey and squatter problems, new claimants were multiplying like rabbits. Finally, a desperate Indian commissioner ruled that all eligible claimants had to be born before May 14, 1856.

Meanwhile, the whites were watching tjie resurve^s" with jaundiced eyes. Fearing their lands would e^fd up inside the reservation, they held protest meetings, vowing to defend their rights. Plenty oj threats were made before the settlers decided to helfrior v^isfiington.

A vote-sensitive Congress saw the light. An act was passed, establishing McCoy's boundary as the true line west. It was discovered that the tract contained 120,675 acres instead of the original amount. Some claimed the meandering Missouri River was responsible for the lop off. The more sophisticated hinted at fast shuffles with transit and chain.

Thirty years after the original treaty, the government began allocations. Nebraska scored a "first" when the land was parceled out. Lewis Neal, a half-breed, received Patent No. 1 and became the first Indian to receive a land grant in the United States.

Gullible allottees sold their holdings almost as fast as they got them. Top price was $6 an acre. Most of the land went for $1.25 up to $4 and immediately resold to land-hungry emigrants at skyrocket prices. A double sale of half-breed property touched off the first battle.

Allottee George Washington, an Iowa half-breed, conveyed his land to Houston Nuckolls. Almost 10 years later, Washington deeded the same property to George Faulkner and others. The fight was on. Faulkner contended Washington was not of age when he made the deal with Nuckolls. The case went to the Supreme Court where the nine wise men on the big bench decided that age was not an issue in the transfer of the land and Nuckolls held his property.

The Half-Breed Tract orbited around the courts for years as claims and counter-claims were filed and refiled, sifted and studied, argued and decided until the original grantee was lost in a legal jungle. Somehow, the half-breed allottee always came up the loser.

But times were changing and the Indians and half-breeds were taking long, hard looks at the wheeling and dealing in the tract. Seeking adequate compensation for the land became an obsession with the Oto and their colleagues who were smarting over the raw deals. Attorneys for the Indians claimed the government had not fulfilled its obligations in allocating the lands nor protected the grantees from the land sharks. The lower courts were clogged with tribal and individual suits until lawyers pushed the mess to the Supreme Court.

Finally in 1955, the big court ended the tangled legal mess forever. The justices concluded that sales made back in the 1860's and 70's were legal and that the government had discharged its obligations under the terms of the 125-year-old treaty.

The Bureau of Indian Affairs closed the book on the tract with a sigh of relief heard all over Washington. Descendants of the land buyers slept sounder now that titles to their valuable farmland were secure. The Indians and half-breeds shrugged off the decision. But the Oto and their friends didn't really feel too bad. Less than a year later, they split a $1,179,000 melon in compensation payments for their lost lands.

THE END Mr. Longfellow, a long-time resident of Peru, suggested the story on the fabled Half-Breed tract. He is a member of the Peru Sportsman's Club and a writer of note. OUTDOOR NEBR ASK Aland proudly presents Hie stories of its readers themselves. Here is the opportunity so many have requested —a chance to tell their own outdoor tales. Hunting trips, the "big fish that got away", unforgettable characters, outdoor impressions- all have a place here. If you have a story to tell, jot it down and send it to Editor, -BOOR NEBR ASK Aland, State Capitol, Lincoln 68509. Send photographs, too, if any are available. FEBRUARY, 1965 23

Paint it with flowers

Nature's lavish brush splashes a pallet of color across NEBRASKAland, creating canvases no artist can match Color Photography by Gene Hombeck and Lou Ell

LEGIONS OF beauty march across the plains and lurk in the rich woods of NEBRASKAland. The saffron warbonnets of the goldenrod proudly stalk the open fields while shy lady's slipper orchids display their loveliness in the solitude of ancient forest areas

NEBRASKAland's wild f 1 o w e r s , as brash as the puncture vine or as retiring as the jack-in-the-pulpit, clutch at life along remote wilderness trails and in big city back alleys There is not an area of this vast state that does not adorn itself with at least one of the 1 400 species of native blooms. Praised by some as 1 i v i n g jewels, cursed by others as noxious nettles to be sprayed and hoed into the hereafter, the native flora of NEBRASKAland is as varied as it is plentiful

OUTDOOR NEBRASKAland            

Omar Khayyam wrote, "I often think there never blows so red a rose as where some dying Caesar bled . . ." The blood of many red-skinned "caesars" flowed into Nebraska to tint with crimson the wild rose and western lily.

The state wears two other orchids besides the lady's slipper on formal occasions. The wet meadows and moist hay fields of the Sand Hills are home to the prairie fringed orchid and the lady's-tresses, two flowers of unusual beauty.

The yellow lady's slipper, a unique orchid, is one of the rare sights of the rich woods of eastern Nebraska in early summer or late spring. It often appears completely bloomed before any of the trees are in full leaf. A perennial, the erect stems of the lady's slipper are from 12 to 20 inches tall and bear 3 to 9 leaves.

Not all Westerners are brash and bold. Some of the waddies who rode into the cowtowns were foot-scuffing, head-hanging, "Aw shucks, Mam" wallflowers. In their honor, perhaps, Nebraska's dry prairie lands, bluffs, and plains offer the western wallflower. A real wild plant, this erect, ashen perennial is especially abundant in the central and western parts of the state. A member of the mustard family, the wallflower produces flowering shoots about a foot high that often branch toward the top and bear numerous short stalks each with a flower.

The list goes on and on. Boldly shouldering aside crabgrass and other city dwellers, the hearty wild flowers bloom at curb side and in alley rubble. They peek beneath the cultivated juniper on the lawn and crowd the country lanes to bid you welcome to the rural areas.

Conspicuous with their evergreen swords pointed skyward, the yucca brace at rigid attention across the Sand Hills. Standing in groups like sentinels, the yucca adds a utility to its beauty. Often called soap weed, a fairly effective washing compound can be extracted from the roots.

Paint it with flowers continued

Along with the yucca, the cactus has become a floral symbol of the West and NEBRASKAland's soil supports two common varieties. One of the real thrills of early summer is to see the beautiful bright purple or pink blooms of the ball cactus lighted by a low sun at dawn or twilight. The large, waxy yellow flowers of the prickly pear are no less attractive.

"Wild Bill is just sweet William now," according to an old song, and sweet William blooms in vivid purple, pink, and white profusion on the prairie, in thickets, and woodlots. A member of the highly-prized phlox family, the sweet William turns western Nebraska pastures into informal flower gardens.

Nodding, arching red columbine is surely one of the state's most striking wild flowers. A graceful, erect perennial, this handsome member of the buttercup family is found in rich woodlands and groves during the spring and late summer months.

Perhaps "a rose by any other name would smell as sweet," but some of the names of the wild flowers add spice to an otherwise faint and delicate scent. Fringed loosestrife, a common member of the primrose family, gained its name from an ancient legend which tells of a certain king of Thrace, who being chased by a mad bull, seized the plant in desperation and pacified the bull.

Buffalo bur is common in most relatively dry places. It is said this plant was introduced to the West by the early freighters and was the original host for the Colorado potato beetle. Sunflowers, their yellow-spiked warbonnets tossed against the September sky, parade through gully and gulch offering a flash of color for the moment and the promise of hiding pheasants in the future.

Wild flowers, be they glittering gems or almost-weed, make NEBRASKAland brighter. There is such beauty here as to leave the beholder breathless. And speaking of breathless, you'll want to see the Pine Ridge in all its glory in the next issue of OUTDOOR NEBRASKAland.

THE END FEBRUARY, 1965

FISHING'S OPEN SESAME

NOT TOO LONG ago, a 12-year-old girl summed up the hodgepodge of fishing laws in a letter to her state conservation department. The young lady wrote that the regulations were so complicated she was sure the fishing season would be over before she ever understood what was legal or illegal.

The youngster was right. A few years ago, fishing laws and regulations were complicated and restrictive. A thick catalogue of laws, called a digest, usually accompanied the fishing permit. This cumbersome bundle was seldom read. The angler usually asked the vendor for a quick run down on the more important do's and don'ts and went fishing. His day was often marred with the vague feeling that he was breaking some obscure law. In some cases, the rules and restrictions were so tangled that legal interpretations were needed to understand them. If two lawyers became involved, they usually wound up in an argument.

In the early days of fish management, laws were made and enforced on the basis of opinion and casual information. Facts concerning the relationship between fish populations and angling were meager and often ignored. Most of yesterday's regulations were aimed at regulating the fisherman rather than the fish.

About 1950 this restrictive philosophy began to change. Fish populations were considered and attempts were made to make angling easier and more enjoyable. States began winnowing out the outdated and unduly restrictive laws and took a fresh and more enlightened look at fish and fishermen. Arizona tossed out all the fishing rules and laws and started over with a clean slate.

Today's laws recognize the hook and line as a relatively inefficient method of taking fish. In many cases the effectiveness of the traditional angling rig is on a par with baiting a hook with corn to catch a NEBRASKAland pheasant. These more modern regulations also recognize that the efficiency of individual anglers varies considerably. Intensive studies show that 10 to 25 per cent of the fishermen catch 40 to 80 per cent of the fish. These dedicated anglers consistently fill their creels because they fish a lot, know the capabilities of their gear, and have a fine knowledge of fish habits and habitat.

Nebraska has kept pace with the philosophy that fish are a renewable resource and must be taken or wasted. If fish are not caught, they will die of natural causes within a few years and no one gains. In this state, as in many others, the newer regulations are designed to provide the angler with a maximum number of successful fishing trips and a fair distribution of fish resources. They give the fishermen maximum use in public waters without depleting the resource below the point of sustained yield, year after year.

The record of the past 27 years reflects Nebraska's awareness of the changing philosophy of fish management and the need to provide more and better fishing. Today's laws attempt to reach a balance between fishing pressure and good fish management.

Old-timers can recall the rules of 1937 when night fishing in the state was taboo and lower creel limits were imposed on state-owned lakes. There was a closed season on black and rock bass, northern pike, walleye, and trout. With many species periodically illegal, the angler of 1937 turned to bullheads, catfish, and other panfish.

The philosophy of liberalization gained a permanent foothold here in 1942. A creel limit was set on all fish except perch, and size limits were removed on trout, bluegill, sunfish, and perch. Perch could only be taken during the winter. In 1943 size limits were lifted from crappie and rock bass while freshwater drum was added to the game list.

by Bob Thomas Senior Area Fisheries Manager

March 1, 1944 was a red-letter day for Nebraska's ardent anglers. The season opened on that day, a whole month earlier than in previous years. Night fishing was permitted on state-owned lakes and creel limits on these public waters were adjusted to conform to those existing elsewhere in the state.

In 1945, year-round seasons on all species were instituted. This big step was confirmed by research in various parts of the country as a sound move in management. The next year, seining for bait in trout streams was prohibited, primarily to protect the food supplies 38 OUTDOOR NEBRASKAland of these sleek gamesters. By 1947, bullheads no longer had to be a certain size before they were keepers, but a closed season went back on trout from October 1 to April 1. This regulation stayed on the books until 1951.

Nebraska keeps pace with new philosophy of liberalized angling

White bass, a relative newcomer to Nebraska, was placed on the game list in 1948. Anglers were finding excellent white bass fishing in Lake McConaughy, the result of a 39-fish plant in 1944. Creel and possession limits for the streakers were set at five. The creel limit on bullheads was boosted to 25 in some of the Sand Hills counties.

The pendulum swung slightly toward restrictions in 1949. A creel limit of 20 pounds plus one fish was set on all trout. Out-of-state transportation of minnows was prohibited.

Removal of the closed season on trout was the fishing news of 1951. Once again, Nebraska was wide open for year-round angling. Seining of minnows below dams and other obstructions was forbidden. The hands-off policy on trout lasted a year and then went back when a closed season from October 31 to April 1 was established for fish in the northern part of the state. But research was continuing to support the feasibility of year-round seasons, so in 1953, the closed season on trout again went by the boards. Size limits on sauger, walleye, black bass, northern pike, and catfish were removed.

Fishing pressure was building up by 1954. A few fishermen, familiar with the hot spots, were gradually dominating the waters and making it difficult for the casual angler to find casting room. The State Legislature countered with a law that set a limit of two lines with two hooks each for anglers on the ponds, lakes, and reservoirs.

Further liberalization came in 1955 when the creel and possession limits were knocked out on bluegill. The white bass limit climbed to 15 and the total creel limit of 25 for all species went down the drain. This policy was continued in 1956 when crappie limits jumped from 15 to 30 in Gavins Point Reservoir and the Sand Hills lakes. The bullhead limit went up to 50 in the regulations, but no limits were imposed on these hard-to-catch additions. Snagging of all fish became legal.

In 1957 a limit of 100 minnows per fisherman was established. Transportation of minnows into Nebraska was made illegal without the proper certificates and permits.

Bullfrogs were the big splash in 1958. A season was set and a creel limit of 12 imposed. Creel and possession limits on white bass, crappie, and bullheads were increased to 50, state-wide. A few exceptions to the 50-fish limit were imposed on some of the "put-and-take" bullhead lakes in the heavily populated areas. The lid was taken off the perch and anglers could catch as many of the pleasant little*panfish as they wanted. A new regulation prohibiting the waste of fish was adopted. Spearing and bow-and-arrow fishing for non-game species from April 1 to December 1 was permitted.

NEBRASKAland fishing rolled along on a pretty even keel until 1960 when creel and possession limits on northern pike went to six. Archers had the opportunity to draw down on game fish from April 1 until December 1. The liberalization policy continued into 1963 when creel and possession limits were eliminated on crappie, white bass, and bullheads. The creel limit on walleye jumped to eight, but possession limit dropped back four fish from 12 to 8.

Last year, catfish fans hailed the generous possession limit of 20, an increase of 10 fish. Walleye and sauger possession limits jumped from 8 to 16 fish. Underwater-powered spear fishing was legalized in certain waters for buffalo, carp, gar, quillback, carp sucker, and gizzard shad. No creel or possession limits on these fish were imposed. A minimum size limit of 24 inches was placed on northern pike in waters east of Highway 81. This regulation is experimental and will be evaluated. The stocking of northerns in this area might help control the overpopulations of panfish.

Nebraska, alert to the needs and desires of a growing number of fishermen, has consistently followed the trend toward more liberalized regulations as dictated by good fish management. Today, the fisherman can wet a line in anticipation of a good catch with less worry that he is breaking some obscure law.

THE END FEBRUARY, 1965 39

VACATION COUNTRY STYLE

Right promotion of ranch and farm recreation can tap vast potential

LIFE ON a working ranch or farm seems pretty commonplace to most Nebraskans. Bat for millions of Americans, hemmed in by the concrete jungle, the country looms as the perfect place to spend a vacation.

The way of life which thousands of Nebraskans take for granted could mean a real economic boom for rural NEBRASKAland. Urban dwellers are vacationing on guest ranches and farms. And few states have greater potential for offering this kind of vacation than Nebraska.

With her many sites of historical interest and scenic beauty, NEBRASKAland offers many bonuses to the OUTDOOR NEBRASKAland farm-and-ranch vacationer. Among the "extras" are excellent fishing, hunting, and outdoor recreation at nearly every turn, plus good transportation facilities into the state. That special brand of NEBRASKAland Western hospitality is another of the reasons that the state is a "natural" for family vacations.

One group of Nebraskans is already hard at work building a framework under which ranchers and farmers can take advantage of this cash crop. That group, formed last year, is NEBRASKAland Farm and Ranch Vacations, Inc. The purpose of the corporation is to get rural Nebraskans interested in offering their facilities to vacationers, and to advertise spreads now open to guests. The corporation is also a sounding board for the problems of members who are readying their homes for visitors.

Although there are already a fair number of ranches and farms catering to guests, the vacation corporation hopes to add many more to the list. The organization, which operates primarily in the western half of the state, is headed by Mrs. Mary Fenwick of Brule. Through its efforts, the rural economy could be diversified and improved, and NEBRASKAland's tourist potential could get an important boost.

Vacationers, particularly Easterners who are enchanted with NEBRASKAland's "where the West begins" flavor, look to a ranch stay as a relaxing change of pace. A NEBRASKAland ranch or farm vacation offers a chance to "get away from it all" and to experience something new and different. For families with children, it gives the kids a chance to see animals somewhere except behind the bars of a zoo. City folks who have tried a rural vacation find it an educational experience not only for the kids, but for mom and dad, too.

Vacationing families don't look for fancy accommodations when they visit a ranch or farm. They do expect comfortable quarters, lots of good home cooking, and an unhurried way of life. Hosts needn't worry about constantly entertaining their guests, for they usually aren't looking for a busy program of planned recreation. Many NEBRASKAlanders who already have vacation-type   facilities have found that their guests usually enjoy pitching in with the field work and helping with chores.

VACATION COUNTRY STYLE continued

Roundup and branding time is a big attraction at vacation ranches, with guests getting a taste of the unspoiled West. Other ranch activities may include trail rides, chuck wagon camp-outs, and taking part in daily ranch work.

Since most of Nebraska's ranch country is in the Sand Hills and panhandle areas, there is also ample opportunity for some top-notch angling. These two regions offer excellent cold-water trouting, and hundreds of natural and man-made impoundments dish up plenty of bass, northern pike, and panfish action. Both areas are also tops for big and small-game shooting.

With NEBRASKAland's bounty of big-water lakes, many of the guest farms and ranches will be able to include all types of water sports in their vacation packages. A big bonus for guests is the array of Old West historical sites generously sprinkled across the state. When all of these factors are considered, it's easy to see how vacation ranches and farms could become a big business for NEBRASKAland.

The growing popularity of farm and ranch vacations is explained by two factors. First, it is truly a vacation, 42 OUTDOOR NEBRASKAland not a breakneck race from one place to the next. Just as important is the fact that type of outing is one of the most economical vacations to be found.

Most host families will provide baby-sitting services, leaving mom and dad free to enjoy a side trip to an interesting spot or an afternoon of fishing. Still others cater to children not accompanied by their parents. These "summer-camp" ranches and farms offer a full, healthful recreational program for kids. Some of the hosts will accept convalescents who need lots of fresh air and relaxation.

Although rates vary somewhat, most hosts charge between $40 and $50 a week for adult guests, and in the $25 and $30 range for children. At some ranches and farms, special family rates can be arranged when advance reservations are made.

Interested in having guests stay at your ranch or farm? Besides winning lots of friends and meeting some interesting folks, you can supplement your income substantially. For more information contact: Mrs. Mary Fenwick, president NEBRASKAland Farm and Ranch Vacations, Inc. Brule, Nebraska

Many of these vacation spreads have facilities for campers and trailers. Others will include spacious camping grounds with pleasant surroundings.

City folks could be the fastest growing crop on NEBRASKAland ranches and farms in the next few years. By exercising their natural talents for hospitality and friendliness, rural Nebraskans could supplement their income and, at the same time, make dozens of lifetime friends. Here, where the West begins, ranch and farm vacations are a natural.

THE END FEBRUARY, 1965 43

TO CATCH A THIEF

Here are some tips on how to deal with pesky critters that run amuck

ANIMALS, LIKE men, were put on earth for a purpose. But some animals, like some men, can make a nuisance of themselves and must be dealt with accordingly. A gopher burrowing costly holes in irrigation land or individual squirrels, skunks, or rodents working their way into the home can be a nuisance and then some, and that calls for getting rid of them. With proper gear and some knowledge of the habits of the pests that are causing the trouble, a landowner can solve his problems in quick order.

Individual moles, pocket gophers, ground squirrels, and badgers can cause trouble because of their digging and burrowing habits. Moles and pocket gophers are the worst offenders. Either one can raise havoc with a lawn. Moles are especially difficult to control because of their specialized subterranean habits. They must be trapped within their underground tunnels.

A mole trap is constructed to take advantage of the mole's inclination to clear away any soil blocking his tunnel. Its trigger either lies within a dirt blockade or rests upon it. Any movement of the soil releases the trap mechanism and the mole is impaled. Active burrows are found by making a small opening in each of a number of shallow tunnels. Once you have determined which ones have been repaired and are in use, excavate a place for the trap and await the action.

Some of the animals which become nuisances have value as fur bearers. The raccoon is one of them. He can usually get by swiping an ear of corn or two, but when he gets in the chicken house, he becomes a serious OUTDOOR NEBRASKAland problem. When this happens the solution lies in getting the culprits responsible. The best bet is a No. 3 steel trap, which is set along a likely trail. The trap should be hidden by flat leaves and firmly attached to a stake.

There is little danger from marauding raccoons in poultry houses when entrances are closed at night. Electric devices have been used effectively to keep the varment out of corn, melon, and vegetable fields.

Skunks and weasels sometimes conflict with man's activities. The polecats take advantage of shelter under farm buildings and can be abundant in suburban areas where lawns and gardens offer foraging grounds.

Skunks can be controlled by hunting or trapping. Either remedy is preferable to poisoning. Lone skunks are easily shot in the early evening as they begin rustling around for food. But such violence isn't without consequence, since this usually results in the release of the infamous scent. Skunks are also easily trapped with No. 1 or 2 steel traps set at the entrance to shelters, culverts, and burrows. Bait isn't necessary, but can be hung above the trap. Use a long pole attached to the trap chain to remove the stinker. This will enable the safe liquidation of the animal by dunking him in water.

As with most problems, a dose of prevention is worth a bucketful of cure. Skunks and many other animals that become problems around poultry houses can be controlled by simply closing all entrance points with boards, heavy wire screening, or some similar security material.

Skunks may be induced to leave places they have taken over by scattering one or two pounds of naphthalene flakes about. This repellent can also be used in such places as attics to usher out intruding squirrels and bats. Insecticides used to eliminate grubs and larva on lawns and golf greens will deter the bug-eating skunk.

Weasels can be a problem with poultry. They are easily trapped along ther runs by hanging a piece of fresh bloody meat, a mouse, or even a chicken head suspended 8 to 10 inches above the trap. Ordinary rat traps can be used on weasels.

The wild members of the dog family such as the coyote and fox can become bothersome. Both can be called to a hidden hunter using a game call that imitates the distress call of a rabbit. This is a sport that continues to grow in popularity. The use of steel traps is a good way of taking both critters. Because of their acute sense of sight, hearing, and smell, considerable skill is necessary in setting the traps. No. 3 or 4 rigs should be used with a steel stake and six-foot chain. The trap should be freed of any foreign odors. Scent posts, such as clumps of grass, bushes, logs, and stumps are the preferred trap sites. Those posts can be recognized by ground scratchings.

Squirrels can also become bothersome. If one makes a nuisance of himself in one of your favorite fruit trees, put up a wide band of sheet metal around the trunk. If he gets in the attic you've got problems. The squirrel is a game animal and permission must be obtained from your local conservation officer to trap the intruder. Once this is done, use an ordinary box trap baited with grain.

There may be some hesitation in eliminating a squirrel, but no such sentiment is attached to the rat. A complete control program for this intruder from the Old Country is necessary. This includes removal of the rat's shelter, the removal of all food sources, and finally the destruction of the rats. Frequently the last step is the only one taken, but this is only a temporary.

Nuisance animals can be controlled. And as in other areas of human endeavor, science is making headway. Promising advances have been made in the development of repellent materials as a partial answer to damage-control problems. Modern chemical technology will continue to develop such materials in increasing numbers. In the meantime, use of the tried-and-true methods will get the job done.

THE END FEBRUARY, 1965 45

Word's THIRD HAND

DeWitt's famed Vise-Grip puts town on map to stay by Gary Grimmond

WILLIAM PETERSEN could wield a blacksmith hammer with the best of them. Mighty of arm and fortified by the broad muscles and vigorous determination of his rugged Danish ancestors, his strength and craftsmanship was something described in glowing terms around DeWitt, Nebraska.

But the brawny immigrant was not above seeking better ways to make the wrist-straining work of the blacksmith trade easier. Petersen envisioned a tool that would relieve the strain of working with tongs as the hot metal was hammered, so he set about devising one.

The clang of the anvil kept pace with the keen mind of the determined blacksmith, as he pounded his idea into form. Failure and fickle metal did not discourage him. Finally from his deft hands came a wrench destined to make the mechanical world sit up and take notice. It was the locking wrench, a plier-like all-in-one tool 46 OUTDOOR NEBRASKAland known as the Vise-Grip, the famed "third-hand" for all men who work with tools.

This tool on which the Petersen Manufacturing Company, Inc. was founded and dynamically thrives today is an adjustable toggle wrench which can lock onto a piece of work, allowing the operator to use both hands for another operation. The wrench can also be used for nonlocking work on nuts and head bolts, giving the flexibility of pliers and the hefty secureness of a wrench.

The offshoots of this first wrench and a dozen more adapted from its principle are now pouring out by the thousands daily. The factory is a million-dollar business with over 200 employees and over 4,000 wholesalers and jobbers scattered around the country and world. It's used in factories, garages, farms, and home workshops. As a result, the name "Vise-Grip" has become a part of the mechanic's vocabulary the world over.

Like most home-town industries that grew under the dynamic initiative of a local individual, the Petersen Manufacturing Company has had a long row to hoe from blacksmith shop to an internationally recognized industry. Its humble beginning can still be noted in the faded old building along the DeWitt main street where blocks serve as the floor. Now used as a warehouse, this was the company's home until 1935 when it moved to its FEBRUARY, 1965   present location some two blocks away. Today, the factory is the hub of this Saline County town of 500.

World's THIRD HAND continued

Clanking away methodically in an operation as streamlined as the sleek wrenches it produces, the factory gorges on tons of the finest alloy steels milled in two Pennsylvania mills. Once unloaded, it begins its jolting trip through dozens of machines that will bite and bend the tough metal into shape before coming out as a ready-to-use nickel-plated product.

"We make everything that goes into the wrench except the adjusting screw," explained young Dick Petersen, grandson of the founder.

On a quick tour of the 50,0*00-square-foot plant, Dick pointed out that the operation is basically an assemblyline system. One of the first of some two dozen different stops in a wrench's three-hour journey is the blanking out of the flat steel. This is done in a huge auditorium-like room which houses a whirling, flashing symphony of men and machines. The heart of the factory, this room is where presses, broaches, forging furnaces, rivet cutters, heat-treating furnaces, brazing furnaces, and blasting machines clank and buzz in a rhythmic response to the men who command them. There is a special assembly room where the wrenches, with anywhere from eight to a dozen parts, are put together. Nickel plating and packing rooms are also separate.

The men who manipulate the vast array of complex machinery come from all over the area. This geographic distribution gives a clue to the importance of the plant. Towns represented by employees include Plymouth, Swanton, Western, Wilbur, Clatonia, Beatrice, Fairbury, and DeWitt.

Some half-dozen employees have been with the company over 25 years, or about the the time William Petersen was preparing the plant for its industrial role. The founder settled in DeWitt in 1918, but it wasn't until 1924 that he patented the locking adjustable wrench, the basis for the present Vise-Grip line. In 1934 he formed a co-partnership with his four children and in 1946 the company was incorporated. Petersen passed away in 1962, but he lived to see his "third-hand" become famous the world over.

"He was a shopman, and probably one of the hardest workers this part of the country has ever seen." observed Dick, recalling his hard-working grandfather's dawn-to-dark working hours.

Mr. Petersen's four children inherited his energy and ingenuity. They have supplied a good share of the management and technology that has brought the company to its present status. Daughter Harriet was business minded and took charge of sales and office management. Sons Ralph and Christian devoted themselves to production while Richard traveled about the nation drumming up sales.

The company now has seven salesmen working nationwide. An export agent in New York distributes the tools throughout the world. Alfred Harms, who started with the company in 1948, is sales and office manager. The three sons and daughter are still active in the company with Christian Petersen now president.

The company's roots sink deep in the rich soil of DeWitt and it intends to stay there.

"There were some thoughts of moving, but they were quickly dismissed," declared Dick, as he ticked off the benefits of their present location. "The company has expanded three times on our present location and we're presently making plans for further expansion."

Wherever men work with machines, the fascinating Vise-Grip from NEBRASKAland will be there. Nebraska can be proud of its most famous blacksmith, the man who discovered the world's third hand.

THE END 48 OUTDOOR NEBRASKAland

TILTED TOWNS

Each name has a claim, see if you can match it Match town to title: Cozad, Omaha, York, Deshler, North Loup, Oxford, Kimball, Aurora, Auburn.

ALL THINGS come from the land and in NEBRASKAland, where the soil goes deep and fertile, it's no different. People here have been quick to cash in on the bounty, and many communities have built a reputation and an industry around their nearby resources.

Pictured are nine different products that have made a like number of communities famous. Your job is to match the town to the product. The products are as diverse as the state itself. There is the Broom Capital that doesn't need any such sweeping item to make itself sparkle. Two other southern Nebraska communities depend on birds to back up their claims to distinction—the Turkey Capital in the west and the Quail Capital in the east. The state's Popcorn Capital has only 500 people, but when it comes to seeds that make the fluffy stuff, it stands unchallenged. This isn't quite the case of the Alfalfa capital, since a nearby town rivals their output.

Two Nebraska towns, but an afternoon's drive apart, forego the capital term and take the word "center" as their designation. One is the Egg Center of the Nation and the other is the Deep Well Irrigation Center of the Country. And to broaden the picture a bit there's the Oil Capital in the west and the World's Livestock Capital in the east.

So with these clues and the names and towns given here, see if you can associate the two. It will not only offer renewed interest in this diverse state, but also help your geography. Match them up and check your answers on page 57.

THE END FEBRUARY, 1965 49

BOATING'S DANGER SIGNALS

Woe to the sailot who does not know these warnings of the water By Dudley Osborn Boating Supervisor

POTENTIAL DANGER on the highway can easily be seen, thanks to an array of readily visible and easy-to-read signs. Danger on the water is not so vividly marked or identified, but there are signs to help the small boatman if he knows where to look for them. The prudent skipper heeds their message and pilots his craft accordingly to avoid cruising into grief.

NEBRASKAland's relatively shallow lakes and impoundments hold some menaces for the unwary. Rivers, however, hide the more serious snares. The bigger and faster the river, the more woe it conceals. Submerged snags are prime trouble makers on all waters. They seldom reveal their presence until too late. Once a craft smashes into them, a broken shear pin is about the best the inland salt can expect; a smashed up boat, the worst. In between there are plenty of other calamities, ranging from a punctured hull to a swamped boat and an unwanted ducking.

New lakes and impoundments are often snag infested. Wise sailors take time to explore the water and locate these perils before they crack the throttles for an all-out dash. If trees, logs, or piling protrude above the surface, it's a good bet that many more obstacles are concealed beneath. In some lakes, these obstructions are marked with buoys or flags. Good sailors give these 50 OUTDOOR NEBRASKAland marked-off spots a wide berth. If they have to cruise such waters, they do so at reduced speed and keep alert for trouble. Underwater shadows and surface turbulences, called boils, are telltale signs of these submerged perils.

Running aground is not extremely dangerous if it happens at slow speed. At high speed it can pitch the occupants into the drink and rip the bottom out of the boat. Shallow spots with a gravelly bottom reveal themselves with a lot of tiny waves or "sandpaper." Water with a slick or oily appearance indicates a smooth bottom of ledge rock. A lightening or change in the color of the water is another sign of shallows.

Red flags, lights, or buoys on or around the face of a dam are there for the boatman's protection. Sailors with a desire to keep afloat and healthy should respect these navigation aids and stay outside their boundaries. A single red pennant on the face of a dam or floating from a pier are small-craft storm warnings and pleasure boats should stay in when such pennants fly.

Sudden storms are the bugaboo of the Sunday sailor. On some of NEBRASKAland's larger impoundments, the wind can pose a deadly threat. Close attention to local weather reports and the U.S. Weather Bureau's daily forecasts help the small boat avoid these sudden perils. If a transistor radio develops a dose of static, it's a cinch there are thunderstorms in the vicinity. When this occurs, up anchor and head for shelter.

Nature's indicators of the weather are generally accurate. Bright blue skies are harbingers of good weather. Red sunsets promise a fair day coming, but red sunrises are a different story and foul weather is in the offing. If the sky is grey and lifeless at sunset, prudent salts postpone their cruising until the storm passes.

A falling barometer indicates a storm is on the way, however the great Western Plains are unique in this respect. Rain or snow invariably begin here after the center of a low barometer has passed to the east or south and the wind has shifted to the north quadrant with a rising barometer.

Boatmen caught in a squall should hold their craft into the wind and take the waves bow on. Occupants should stay low and avoid standing up or moving around. The lee side of islands or peninsulas offer safe havens when the wind is kicking up. Storms are not the menace on the rivers they are on the prairie lakes or dams. They can be threats, however, and it's always a good idea to head for port when a blow looms up.

"Sawyers" or floating logs are always a threat on the big rivers. These mavericks are playthings of the current, but instead of revealing their whole length as they float, they travel in a vertical position with more than half of them concealed under the water. They get their name from their up and down or "sawing" motion as they travel downstream.

These runaways can ruin a boat in a twinkling. Boaters should give them plenty of room. They will sometimes reveal themselves as a moving boil that follows along the current. The bigger and higher the boil, the bigger the log. At flood stage or after a torrential rain upstream, these floating killers often become numerous.

In general, river currents flow from the outside of one bend to the next. On a long, straight stretch of river, the deepest water is usually in midstream. If one bank is considerably higher than the other, the deeper water and stronger current will hug the high side. Low lands bordering a river usually indicate shallows extending well out toward the main channel.

White water or rapids conjure images of plaid-shirted woodsmen deftly guiding a staunch canoe around jagged rocks and spinning downstream in a flurry of spray and flashing paddles. Outboarders and men with rowboats are wise to leave white water for the canoe enthusiasts. If rapids cannot be bypassed with a course close to the far bank, they can often be portaged. If that is impossible, the craft can be hand lined or towed through the turbulence by walking the shore line.

On navigable rivers such as the Missouri, towboats and barges can give the small boat fits. These huge tows cannot stop or turn once they are well under way, and a small boat in their path can be crunched up in less time than it takes to tell about it. Often the pilot cannot see the approach of a small craft over the rake of his barges.

When commercial traffic is on the river, give it a wide berth. Better yet, wait until it passes before setting out. Any pleasure craft that plays water tag with these 900-ton behemoths is ticketed for trouble. Small craft generally have the right of way over larger vessels, but common sense prevails.

The signs of the waterways are not posted in bold black letters against a yellow background, but they are there. Learning to read and understand their message is part of the lore and fun of small boating.

THE END FEBRUARY, 1965 51

THE MIRACLE OF FLIGHT

The feathered pilots of the wild inspired man to duplicate but not exceed their mastery of the air Legs are mighty boosters when missile-like heron lifts off by Norman Dey District Game Supervisor

IF IMITATION is the highest form of flattery, then the birds can take credit for man's advance from crude-wheeled vehicles into the incredible Space Age. Birds first awakened man's desire to fly, then gave him the secrets to get the job done. Obviously, this miracle didn't happen overnight, and there were centuries of weird designs before the Wrights came on the scene.

To understand just how birds fly requires knowledge of a simple aerodynamic principle. The wing is constructed in such a way that the under surface is straight or nearly so and the upper surface is curved. As the airstream passes across the wing, air has less distance to travel past the underside than it does across the upper surface. Greater pressure is thus exerted on the straight undersurface, causing the lift required to hold a bird in the air. This is also true of the airplane wing.

Actually, birds appear to swim through the air, but are propeller-driven on the same principle as an airplane. A bird's propellers are located on his wing tips. It is equivalent to the human hand. The feathers at the 52 OUTDOOR NEBRASKAland tips are called the primaries and act as the propellers. As the wing is pulled downward against the resisting air, the tips of the primaries are bent upward and twisted at an angle. In this position, they slice into the air, propeller fashion. As they are brought farther and farther down they are impelled forward, pulling the entire wing and the bird's body with them. On the upward stroke, the primaries separate and twist similar to a Venetian blind and allow easy passage of air. The portion of the wing next to the body provides the lift and has little use as propellers.

Different birds employ various means for controlling their direction of flight. Increasing the frequency of wing beat or changing the tilt of one wing will cause the bird to change direction. Some birds use their tail to guide their flight while others use their legs. The tail is also used to increase lift and for braking prior to landing.

Birds are direct descendents of the reptile family. Since their origin, modifications in their skeletal structure has been directed toward improving their flying ability. A light yet sturdy structure has evolved. Bones have become hollow and some have internal struts for reinforcement. Fusion of many bones has formed a solid frame out of the backbone and rib cage. Only the neck and tail have remained flexible. Since flying demands large muscles to move the wings, a keel has developed to which these major muscles are attached. The muscles fastened to the keeled sternum may account for 15 to 25 per cent of a bird's weight.

Feathers provide a light yet durable covering over the bird's body. Their insulation quality is excellent and provide a streamlined covering for easy passage of air. A good insulation covering is needed to protect the bird from the elements as well as conserving body heat, which may reach as high as 112 degrees.

High energy is required to maintain a bird in flight. He has the highest oxygen requirements of all animals because of his high metabolic rate. In order to provide the energy required, his lungs have developed to a high degree of efficiency. A system of air sacs has evolved, heading from the lungs in an intricate way throughout the major portion of the body and even into some of the hollow bones. These sacs enable a bird to use the air he breathes more efficiently than other animals which have relatively larger lungs.

The size and shape of the wing in relation to body size determine flight patterns. Heavy birds, such as most diving ducks which have relatively short and narrow wings, fly with fast beats. Light-bodied birds with large wings, such as hawks, use air currents to maintain their flight. Many hawks are capable of remaining airborne for considerable time without beating their wings.

Flight speed varies with conditions. The velocity and direction of the wind, air currents, and thermal updrafts are all determining factors. The speed of birds such as the robin, blackbird, and sparrow varies from 15 to 55 miles per hour. Ducks have been clocked at 50 to 60 miles per hour when chased by airplanes. Under similar conditions, a duck hawk is reported to have flown at a rate of about 175 miles per hour, but the average speed during migration is approximately 30 miles per hour. An airplane flying at 90 miles per hour was overtaken by two flocks of sandpipers, which were flying at an estimated 110 miles per hour. A cruising great blue heron has been clocked at a speed of 18 to 19 miles per hour and as high as 36 miles per hour when pressed.

Some birds have become so specialized in their environment that they are unable to perform when removed from it. Certain varieties of waterfowl have developed such a high degree of efficiency in the water that when placed on dry land they are hardly able to move at all. The placement of the legs on the diving ducks is well toward the tail region, which gives them extreme mobility in the water, but they are hardly able to stand on a solid footing. The diving ducks even have some difficulty in taking off from water. Flight is accomplished by a combination of wing beats and running across the water to attain flying speed. Grebes have developed even greater efficiency in the water and are unable to become airborne when placed on solid ground. Although flight is characteristic of birds, some are flightless, such as penquins and ostriches.

Man has built machines which are capable of flight at fantastic speeds and distances, but he has never matched the grace or efficiency of a bird gliding through the air. He will continue to stand in awe of those who freely roam the heavens.

THE END FEBRUARY, 1965 53

1000 MILE RACE

(Continued from page 16)

hasn't used yet," said one of his supporters.

The riders left Chadron as tightly bunched as a posse. Old Joe Gillespie learned quick that his cowboy competitors weren't so much interested in togetherness as they were in guide service. Joe was the only one who knew his way around the rugged Pine Ridge and the rest of the boys were depending on him to see them through.

Joe was doing some tall thinking early the next morning when he rolled out, grabbed his saddle, and was ready to put some miles between him and his companions. He ran smack into a reception committee of Doc and some of the boys who made it plain he wasn't going anywhere without them. Never a man to argue with Judge Colt's equalizers, Joe figured he could see his way clear to give his rivals the guided-tour treatment.

Middleton, Gillespie and Stephens were the first to reach Hay Springs. The next check was at O'Neill and the three were almost neck and neck when they rode into that Irish community. Berry, Albright, Smith, and the others were out in the Sand Hills, grimly plodding along behind the leaders.

Gillespie and Stephens held the lead into Iowa where trouble was waiting. Threatening skies opened up and turned the trail into a quagmire. The men dismounted and walked, sparing their broncs as much as they could. Middleton lost ground when a horse went lame and Berry moved into third place.

At Cedar Falls Old Joe and Rattlesnake Jim Stephens let Berry take the lead. A circus was playing in town and the two rawhides couldn't resist the temptation of spangles and sawdust. They even got into the act by riding the show's trick mule and won $10 by "sticking" the ornery critter for the prescribed time.

Berry was no circus buff. While Joe and Jim whooped it up in Cedar Falls, he pushed on through the rain and mud. Walking and riding, he was doing all he could to keep his two horses in shape for the final push to Chicago. He was eating sparingly now to keep his weight down and had discarded his blankets to help the cayuses.

At 9:50 a.m., June 23, Berry rode into Waterloo with a firm hold on first place. Knowing that he was in front, the railroader caught a few hours of shut eye and was in the saddle before dawn. The weather was fierce and took its toll of man and beast but Berry knew that it was just as hard on the other contestants. His two challengers, Gillespie and Stephens, were gambling they could stay in the saddle for the last 150 miles come hell or high water. All of them were in plenty of the latter, but Berry had the edge and he stuck to his narrow lead. Albright was somewhere behind the trio but wasn't considered a challenge. The others remaining in the race were no longer in contention, except for Smith. Douglas had dropped out.

Astride the wiry Poison and leading Sandy, Berry crossed the finish line at 9:30 a.m., June 27. He was in sorry shape. Exhausted, he could barely acknowledge the congratulations of Cody and the Mayor of Chicago. He stowed away a dish of fried chicken and hit the sack.

Berry had covered 1,039 miles in 13 days and 16 hours after the starting gun at Chadron. The last 500 miles of his ride was a nightmare of rain and mud but somehow he had made it. Guts alone had carried him through the last 150 miles in less than 24 hours.

The race was over but not the arguments. While Berry slept, a fresh and smiling Emmet Albright rode in at 11:15 a.m. with the claim that Berry had shipped his horses the last 150 miles. The judges took one look at Albright and compared his bandbox appearance with the bleary-eyed Berry. They promptly decided that some hanky panky occurred and disqualified the Crawford cowpoke.

Joe Gillespie rode in at 1:30 p.m., June 30. He was followed by Charlie Smith who broke the barrier just 17 minutes later. The two had hung together until just a few minutes west of Chicago when Gillespies's horses pulled ahead to stay. The rest straggled in, some shipping their exhausted mounts on the railroad.

Cody awarded Berry $175 out of the $500 purse. For some reason, the former Pony Express rider gave Gillespie only $50. Cody never said why he slighted Old Joe and Gillespie never beefed about the pittance he received. Smith and Jones collected $75 each while Stephens got $50. Middleton and Campbell got $25 apiece. Later Cody handed Albright $25 to shut him up.

By Chadron standards, Joe Gillespie was the big winner. He and Smith took $200. Jones got $187.50. The rest picked up $75. Poor Davy Douglas who dropped out early didn't get a penny. Berry, of course, was ineligible.

Berry's horse, Poison, ended the whole go round with a kicker. When the solicitous Humane Society examiner bent down to examine the skinned hocks of the "poor" horse, Poison let him have it with a vicious kick. The official, rubbing a very personal sore place, hastily concluded there was nothing wrong with the bronc except an over-developed mean streak.

THE END

GREAT CARSONI

(Continued from page 13)

own audiences rolling in the aisles. After a stint at WOW-TV in Omaha where he did such crazy stunts as interviewing a flock of troublesome pigeons, John headed for Hollywood. He got a job with a Los Angeles station and in 1952 had his own show, "Carson's Cellar".

Most every successful personality has his "big break". Johnny's came in 1954. He emceed the show, "Earn Your Vacation," at the time, but to pick up extra money wrote monologue for Red Skelton. During a dress rehearsal two hours before show time, Red clobbered himself going through a breakaway door that didn't break away. John was cleaning his garage 20 miles away from the CBS studios when the call came for him to substitute for Skelton. With only an hour to spare, the lanky comedian rushed into town and ad libbed his way through the hour-long show. John did such an impressive job that CBS signed him to a five-year contract the next day.

"Pinch-hitting for Skelton was probably the biggest shot in the arm of my career," John recalls.

John had his own "Johnny Carson Show" for a year and then moved to the East Coast to emcee the program, "Who Do You Trust". He had auditioned for the job before a live audience, competing with more than a dozen aspirants. John got the job because of his warm, easy way in handling contestants. In 1962 the call came for John to take over the big Tonight Show.

The Great Carsoni has come quite a way since those days in Norfolk. Johnny still weaves that certain brand of Carson magic that keeps his audiences mystified". Though he is permanently on top of the show-business world, his roots are still deep in Nebraska. John is one of NEBRASKAland's No. 1 ambassadors, a job the lanky kid from Norfolk richly deserves.

THE END 54 OUTDOOR NEBRASKAland

REDHEAD, ROOSTER

(Continued from page 9)

Nick picked up a single. It was hard and frustrating hunting. The thermometer was nudging the 80-degree mark.

Woody was having a bad day. Hunting luck deserted him early in the game and he spent most of the day watching the others gradually fill out. Mary's 20-gauge chewed through a vest full of shells to no avail, and both she and Woody were sure that a jinx had taken up homestead rights on them.

Business shelved Nick but Don and Al could spare another day. The rancher was a bit disconsolate. A gracious and considerate host, he wanted his guests to get plenty of fast-action shooting. He had worked harder than anyone else to provide this kind of hunt, but conditions were against him. Even so, he had found enough birds for a good day although hunting was spotty. His efforts are typical of Nebraskans' all-out efforts to provide out-of-state-hunters with plenty of sport.

The action was faster the second morning. Woody started the day with a once-in-a-million tally on a tight-angle chance. The rooster flushed straight away, but before the Arizonian could swing, the bird reversed his field and came back over the hunter's head. Woody whirled as the bird saw him and veered off to the left. The righthanded hunter caught up and dumped the bird better than 50 yards from his gun. Two minutes later, Woody had another when a rooster cackled up from the corn and headed for the hills.

Scott was getting into the act, too. Located on the flank, he dropped an incomer cold. Ignoring the kill, he waited for the drivers to come past him. Another bird followed the flight pattern of the first and met the same destiny. Mary, coming up the row, found both birds within 10 feet of each other: Woody and Al pinched out a runner and both stoned at him. Woody's second shot was the finisher. Don and Al scored on singles and Scott bagged his third bird at the end of the field. It was a much happier bunch of hunters that met at the pickup to plot further strategy against the longtails.

A shelterbelt dished up the final birds for Scott and Woody, but Mary's hoodoo was still bugging her. A bit perturbed, she vowed that she would shoot a Nebraska pheasant if it took her all season. Scott dutifully agreed that it might. With typical redheaded stubborness, the girl kept at it. She missed easy chances and hard ones alike, but she continued to hunt like a demon. The others, impressed with her determination, worked to get birds up.

The sun was edging the horizon when the group returned to the small cornfield of the first morning. Mary blocked while the four men ranged through the corn like a quartet of spaniels. Two roosters exploded out of range as the hunters started their final pass. For the first time in two days, Mary's spirits lagged, but she continued her watch at the end of the field.

It was quick when it came. A rooster erupted from the very end of the field and flared straight over the girl's head. She.blotted him out with the muzzles and continued her swing as he went by. At the shot, the bird folded like a punctured balloon and came straight down.

Mary squealed and made a dash for her prize. Scott reached the bird first and presented it to his wife with a little bow.

"Now that you have shot a bird, maybe Scott will take you to Africa on his next safari and let you try your luck at an elephant," suggested Woody.

"If I do, it won't be any bigger thrill and probably not half as hard to hit as one of these Nebraska pheasants," replied the happy redhead.

THE END

FEBRUARY, 1965 55

OUTDOOR ELSEWHERE

NEBRASKAland is BEAUTIFUL Every litter bit Helps destroy that beauty! TOP QUALITY HUNTING COMPANIONS VIZSLAS exclusively GRAFF'S WEEDY CREEK KENNELS Route 3, Seward, Nebr. Phone 8647 THE BIG WINNERS ARE.. OUTDOOR NEBRASKAland Classified Advertisers Because: • More than 50,000 OUTDOOR NEBRASKAland readers form an active buying market for all tyP" of products. From sporting equipment to heaitn foods, all are sold through OUTDOOR NEBRASKAland classified ads. • OUTDOOR NEBRASKAland's reading audience keeps growing, but OUTDOOR NEBRASKAland s classified advertising rates remain LOW . . . only $.15 per word with a $3.00 minimum. , Classified advertising in OUTDOOR NEBRASKAland is attractively displayed so no advertisement is lost. The classified section consistently has high readership. 9 Most important, OUTDOOR NEBRASKAland classified advertising SELLS! So whatever you want to sell or buy, you'll hit the jackpot with OUTDOOR NEBRASKAland classified advertising. For Winning Results. Use OUTDOOR NEBRASKAland Classified Ads

Animal Kingdom. The Israeli government is setting up a new national park in the arid Negev region for the preservation of animals that are, or once were, native to that country. This will entail reintroducing certain species which have disappeared over the centuries. The government even hopes to bring back some animals which use to roam Israeli lands in Biblical times, if such species can still be found existing in other parts of the world.—Washington, D.C.

Statistics. A total of 14,190 persons were killed on the nation's highways in 1963 in accidents resulting from exceeding the speed limit or 40.9 per cent of all highway deaths. An additional 1,223,000 persons were injured in accidents traced to excessive speed.—The Travelers 1964 Book of Street and Highway Accident Data.

Mutiny On The Bounty. Michigan fell just $160 short of an all-time record in bounty payments in 1963. The giveaway on foxes, bobcats, and coyotes totaled almost a quarter of a million dollars. Since 1935, Michigan has paid more than $3.7 million in hunting and fishing license cash for predator scalps. —Michigan Audubon Society Newsletter.

Ptall Ptale. A man hunting in Canada last fall claims he asked a youngster who passed by if he'd seen any ptarmigans. "Seen one?," said the little fellow, "I can't even spell one!" Good thing pterodactyls are extinct, or the poor ptike would be in real ptrouble.—Winchester-We stern News.

Safety Net. A Milwaukee ordinance requiring safety nets under aerial circus performances undoubtedly saved Alexandre) Padilla of the Flying Padillas from serious injury during a performance of the Hamid-Morton Circus. He plunged 30 feet after missing the bar and landed in the net, suffering only minor face cuts. After treatment he returned for the next performance. The local ordinance was passed last spring after Mary Lou Lawrence's near-fatal fall at the Dane County, Wisconsin, Fairgrounds Arena in Madison.—Amusement Business.

Getting the Word. The national headquarters of the American Humane Association processes an average of 1,722 pieces of mail each day and produces 56 OUTDOOR NEBRASKAland an average of nearly 5,000 pieces of printed material every working day. —American Humane Association Yearbook.

Culinary Triumph. For those who have run out of new recipes to try out on friends and neighbors, Winchester has discovered that meal with a difference. Next time you have guests why not serve "Baked Elephant's Foot." The recipe may be obtained from Winchester—Olin-Mathieson Chemical Corp.

A Real Bla$t. The Conservation Department has put into operation a technique for blasting potholes big enough to hold ducks at almost six times less than the previous cost. The blast runs only $3.30 compared to $18 for previous procedures.—Wisconsin.

Fish Story. The way many anglers catch fish is by the "tale."—Cortland's Fishing Line Facts.

Scottish Threesome. A trio of Pushmataha men went deer hunting on a limited budget. They took turns using the same rifle with each getting a deer.—Oklahoma.

Where Are the Lions? The Mifflin Lions Club sponsored a showing of the conservation film, "Mallard Duck", at their annual Christmas party for children. All was going well until a four-year-old stood up and said, "My daddy said this is a Lions Club, so how come this picture is about ducks, not lions?"—Pennsylvania.

Answers TITLED TOWNS Broom Capital—Deshler Popcorn Capital—North Loup Turkey Capital—Oxford Quail Capital—Auburn Egg Center—York Deep Well Irrigation Center—Aurora Oil Capital—Kimball Alfalfa Capital—Cozad Livestock Capital—Omaha

TRADING POST

Classified Ads: 15 cents a word, minimum order $3 April Closing Dote, March 15 DOGS VISZLA POINTING GUN DOG puppies sired by AKC field champion, Brok Selle. Dam of these puppies sired by Ripp Barat who has 15 field trial wins plus twenty placements to his credit. J. R. Holcomb, P.O. Box 177, Englewood, Colo. Telephone 781-1860. FOR SALE: Brittanies all ages, some partially trained. Rudy Brunkhorst, Columbus, Nebraska. Telephone 563-0011 (day time). FISHING LURES $100 WEEKLY Possible, assembling our customized fishing lures for stores. Everything furnished. United, 3173-ON Delaware, Indianapolis, Indiana. GUNS NEW, USED AND ANTIQUE GUNS, send for list including Browning O & U's, Weatherby, Winchester, Ithaca, Colt, Ruger and others in stock for sale or trade. Send large self-addressed 10 stamped envelope or stop in, Bedlan's Sporting Goods, just off U.S. 136, Fairbury, Nebraska. PARKERS, AHE 16/28, DHE 20 and 28 gauge. Churchill "Premier" Woodward best 16/28, single trigger. "Pigeon" grade model 12, 2 sets VR barrels. Francotte best 16 and 20 gauge, others. All very good condition Self addressed envelope. W. Rowley, 2221 Abrams Road, Dallas, Texas. DA-77790, TA-31622. WANTED: Small gauge Parkers, Francottes or English doubles in 410, 28 or 20 gauge. W. Rowley, 2221 Abrams Road, Dallas, Texas. GUNSTOCKS CUSTOM GUNSTOCK WORK. Rifle, shotgun, and pistol grips. Bill Edwards, 2333 South 61st, Lincoln, Nebraska. Telephone 489-3425. MISCELLANEOUS YOUNG WILD TURKEY. May and June hatch for restocking. Also adults. Price list free. Cozy Pine Hunting Preserve, RD No. 2, Salem, New Jersey. LIKE SWEET ONIONS? New Blue Ribbon assortment 600 sweet onion plants with free planting guide. $3, postpaid, fresh from Texas Onion Plant Company, "home of the sweet onion, ' Farmersville, Texas. 75301 STONEGROUND CORNMEAL. Most complete line Health Foods. Many processed daily. Come see us or write. Brownville Mills, Brownville, Nebraska. BURIED TREASURE. Coins. Located by Elecic. Goldmaster Metal Detectors. Write Whites Electronics, Dept. NM, Sweet Home, Oregon. Free literature SCUBA EQUIPMENT BOB-K S AQUA SUPPLY, Nebraska's largest scuba dealer. U.S. Divers, Sportsways, Voit, Swimmaster, Scubrapro. Air Station, Reguwnrone 553-0777. 5051 Leavlnworth Street, Omaha, Nebraska. TAXIDERMY SAVE THAT TROPHY THROUGH TAXIDERMY. All types of taxidermy work done Lifelike mounts at reasonable prices Also hides tanned for glove orpicket making Livingston Taxidermy, Mitchell Nebraska TRY TAXIDERMY taxidermy supply house. Has everything Biff full color catalog 10*. Vandyke, Woonsocket 8, South Dakota. TRAPS COLLAPSIBLE Farm-Pond Fish-TraDs- Ani mal Traps, postpaid. Free information, pictures. Shawnee, 3934-AX Buena Vista, Dallas 4, Texas. OUTDOOR NEBRASKAland of the Air SUNDAY KGFW, Kearney (1340 kc) 7:05 a.m. KTTT, Columbus (1510vkc) 7:30 a.m. KRGI, Grand Island (1430 kc) 7:40 a.m. KVSH, Valentine (940 kc) 8:00 a.m. KXXX, Colby, Kan. (790 kc) 8:00 a.m. WJAG, Norfolk (780 kc) 8:15 a.m. KLMS, Lincoln (1480 kc) 9:05 a.m. KBRL, McCook (1300 kc) 9:45 a.m. KODY, North Platte (1240 kc) 10:45 a.m. KIMB, Kimball (1260 kc) 11:15 a.m. KM A, Shenandoah, Iowa (960 kc) 12:15 p.m. KOGA, Ogallola (930 kc) X12:30 p.m. KFOR, Lincoln (1240 fcc) 12:45 p.m. KCNI, Broken Bow (1280 kc) 1:15 p.m. KMMJ, Grand Island (750 kc) 1:40 p.m. KUVR, Holdrege (1380 kc) 2:45 p.m. KHUB, Fremont (1340 kc) 4:40 p.m. KNCY, Nebraska Gify (1600 kc) 5:00 p.m. KRYN, Lexington (1010 kc) 5:40 p.m. KTNC, Falls City (1230 kc) 5:45 p.m. MONDAY KGMT, Fairbury (1310 kc) 1:00 -j.m. KS1D, Sidney (1340 Jcc) 6:30 p.nk WEDNESDAY KJSK, Columbus (900 kc) 1:30 p.m. KCOW> Alliance (1400 kc) 4:30 p.m. SATURDAY KCSR, Chadron (610 kc) 6:00 a.m. KOLT, Scottsbluff (1320 kc) 11:45 a.m. KAWL, York, (1370 kc) 12:45 p.m. KHAS, Hastings (1230 kc) 1:00 p.m. KRFS, Superior (1600 kc) 1:00 p.m. KWRV, McCook (1360 kc) 1:45 p.m. KBRX, O'Neill (1350 kc) 4:30 p.m. KMNS, Sioux City, Iowa (620 kc) 6:10 p.m. WOW, Omaha (590 kc) 9:30 p.m. DIVISION CHIEFS Willard R. Barbee, assistant director Glen R. Foster, fisheries Dick H. Schaffer, information and tourism: Richard J. Spady, land management Jack D. Strain, state parks Lloyd P. Vance, game CONSERVATION OFFICERS t* Chief: Carl E. Gettmann, Lincoln Albion—Wayne Craig, 395-207] Alliance—Richard Furley, 762-2024 Alliance—Leonard Spoering, 762-1 547 Alma-^William F. Bonsall, 928-2313 Arapahoe—Don Schaepler, 962-7818 Bassett—William O.* Anderson, 294W Benkelman—H. Lee Bowers, 423-2893 Bridgeport—Joe Ulrich, 100 Broken Bow—Gene Jeffries, 872-5953 Columbus—Lyman Wilkinson, 564-4375 fcrawferd—Cecil Avey, 228 Crete—Roy E. Owens, 446 Crofton—John Schuckman, 29 Dix—Marvin Bussmger, 682-2052 Fairbury—Larry Bauman, 1293 Falls City—Raymond Frandsen, 2817 Fremont—Andy Nielsen, 721-2482 Gering—Jim McCote, 436-2686 Grand Island—Fred Salak, 384-0582 Hastings—Bruce Wiebe, 2-8547 Hay Springs—Larry D. Elston, 638-4051 Kearney—Ed Greving, 237-5753 Lincoln—Norbert Kdmpsnider, 466-0971 Lincoln—Dale Bruno', 477-4258 Nebraska City—Max Showalter, 873-7155 Norfolk—Robert Downing, 371-1435 North Platte—Samuel Grasmick, 532-9546 North Platte—Robert D. Patrick, 532-7274 . Ogallala—Loron Burjney, 284;4107 Omaha—Dwight Allberg O'Neill—James J. Hurt, 159LJ Oshkosh—Donald D; Hunt, 772-3697 Ponca—Richard D. Turpin, 2421 Tekamah—-Richard Elston, 278R2 Thedford—Jack Henderson, 645-5351 Valentine— Jack Morgan, 1027 yaltey_^Dary| Earnest, 359-2332 f>Vayne_.Ken L. Ad&isson, 375-2924 York—Gcfil Woodside, 362-4)20 FEBRUARY, 1965 57

GREEN-WINGED TEAL

notes son Nebraska fauna . . .

FIND THE smallest duck and you have the green-winged teal. He is most commonly found throughout the state during the fall and early winter from September until December. Some do stay through the summer to bring off a brood of ducklings.

The scientific name is Anas carolinensis or carolinense. It is derived from the Latin words, Anas, meaning duck, and carolinensis or carolinense, Latinized forms of Carolina. Other common names in general use are greenwing, common teal, teal, and teal duck. In different sections of the country there are several locally used names such as butterball, lake teal, mud teal, partridge-duck, water-partridge, congo, and redhead teal.

In appearance, the greenwing is almost identical to the common or European teal. Females cannot be distinguished from one another. The only visible distinguishing mark between the drakes is the position of a white bar or stripe on the side. The small duck has a vertical white bar on the side of his body in front of the wing, while the bar or stripe is horizontal and above the wing on the European teal. The latter is occasionally found along the Atlantic coast as far south as North Carolina.

Though smaller, the greenwing may be confused with other small ducks such as the blue-winged teal, cinnamon teal, and bufflehead. The white or light buffy breast and green wing patch sets him off from the other teal, while the black-and-white tones of the bufflehead should exclude a mistaken identification.

Winter or breeding plumage of the drake is usually fully developed by late October, except for the black outer scapular feathers. These are not acquired until early spring. The eclipse plumage, which is acquired during the moulting phase, starts in June or July and 58 OUTDOOR NEBRASKAland is usually complete in August. During this period the male's plumage is very much like that of the female, except that the spotting on the underparts is less distinct. A continuous moult begins in September toward the winter or breeding plumage.

Second only to the wood duck drake in appearance, this jaunty master of the flyways is second to none in the speed department by John T. Sweet Associate Biologist

Dressed in his breeding plumage the greenwing is an attractive, grayish duck with a distinctive, crested reddish-chestnut head. On each side there is a glossy green-face patch, which includes the brown eye and extends to the back of the head.

The greenwing's black bill, which is about as long as the head, is small and slender. The back, sides, and scapulars are generally gray in color, with fine dark gray and white vermiculations. The vertical white bar located just forward of the wing on either side separates the gray sides from the pinkish buff chest which is dotted with round dark or black spots. The breast is white or buff-white. The rump and tail are slate-brown in color. The underside of the tail is gray and the upper tail coverts are black. The central feathers of the under tail coverts are black with the outside ones yellow-buff.

Unlike her nattily-garbed mate, the female is a mottled-brown duck with a white breast. Her head does not have the crest of the male, and is whitish or buff, streaked or spotted with darker brown. The crown of the head is darker, and the chin and throat are white. Her back and sides are brown with buff scallops which give a mottled appearance. The chest is white or buff spotted with gray. The breast and belly are white with some pale gray mottling on the belly. Wings are the same as those of the male, except they are duller.

Voices of the male and female are quite different. The male's call is usually a short whistle, which may be followed by a twittering or trilled note. The call is not unlike that of a peeper frog. The female utters a low-volume, high-pitched, often repeated quack.

Fall migration often begins quite early, depending upon when the first cold weather occurs. Though the small birds may begin an early migration, they usually tarry along the way wherever there are attractive feeding areas. Many will remain until driven out by snow, ice, and severe cold. Greenwings are hardy and may winter as far north as Montana and British Columbia in Canada in the west, and southern New England or even Nova Scotia in the east.

Although the greenwing may winter throughout the northern and western states, the main areas are located in the southern states of the Gulf Coast, the Pacific Coast states the southwestern states, and Mexico. They sit out the winter on rice fields, inland sloughs and ponds and also visit fresh-water areas of the coast.

Migration in the spring may begin as early as February. The small ducks work slowly north and appear in Nebraska soon after the mallards and pintails arrive. The center of the summer nesting area is in the prairie regions of the northern United States and western Canada. The limits of the breeding range extend from Nebraska and northern Colorado on the south to northern Alaska. The ducks arrive there in early May.

The nest, though usually found in good grass cover near the edges of sloughs or lakes, is frequently found some distance from water, hidden away at the base of a bush or willow clump. A hollow in the ground is lined with soft grasses, leaves, weeds, and down from the hen's breast. More down is added as incubation progresses to form a layer to keep the eggs warm whenever the hen leaves.

Usually 10 to 12 dull white, cream, or pale olive-buff-colored eggs are laid, though as many as 18 have been recorded. Incubation runs from 21 to 23 days. The emerging ducklings are cared for entirely by the hen, as the drake deserts her as soon as incubation begins.

Fresh-water ponds, sloughs, marshes, and streams are favorite sites. Here the greenwing gets his meals from the pond's bottoms, tipping and kicking his feet in the air to maintain balance. The food is sifted through the mouth. About 90 per cent of the diet is made up of vegetable matter. The seeds of the various aquatic plants of the particular area of the country make up an important part of the diet. Other plant parts are taken as well, however. Bulrush, pondweed, wild rice, smartweed and sedges are the most common foods taken.

The greenwing is also very active on the land and is often found feeding in grain fields or on berries, chestnuts, or acorns some distance from water. The remaining 10 per cent of the diet is composed of animal matter, consisting mostly of insects and their larvae. The rotting flesh of salmon is also eaten on occasion on the Pacific Coast.

On the wing, the small duck is extremely agile. He often flies with relatively large flocks, which wheel, dip, and soar with split-second precision. The flock usually decoys readily and may make several passes over a decoy set even after being fired on. The duck is capable of springing vertically into the air and into erratic flight at tremendous speed. Anyone who has hunted the speedster may claim that his speed may even surpass that of the proverbial bat. It has been estimated that he can exceed 'the 100 mile-per-hour mark, and may well be the fastest of the duck clan. It is doubtful, however, that sustained flights at these speeds are made.

Sportsmen delight at a target like the greenwing, not only for the challenge offered in the duck blind, but for his table qualities. The flesh is almost always tender, fat, and juicy. They agree that on the wing or on the table, the greenwing is hard to beat.

THE END FEBRUARY, 1965 59

Valentine's Day

Every day of your vacation is Valentine's day when you visit Valentine. Whether you spend a weekend or your entire vacation, Valentine and the surrounding area includes a wealth of recreational activities and top accommodations, winter or summer.

See Nebraska's falling waters and the beautiful scenery of the sandhills. Snake Falls, Nebraska's largest, and Smith Falls, Nebraska's highest are both near Valentine. Merritt Dam offers the best in trout fishing, plus free camping facilities. It is easy to reach with a good access road.

Year-round angling, top mixed-bag hunting, canoeing down the Niobrara, and free camping in the City park make Valentine the outdoorsmen's paradise.

Fort Niobrara Wildlife Refuge, world's largest outdoor fish hatchery, Sioux Indian Museum, St. Francis Mission, and many more attractions are in Valentine or near by for you to see and enjoy. Make plans now to visit Valentine.

Add a special sparkle to your Valentine cards. Have them stamped with Cupid's own post mark. Send your addressed envelope to the Valentine Chamber of Commerce and they will be sent to the receiver with a red heart and the name Valentine. For more information on Valentine write: Valentine Chamber of Commerce Tourist Information Center Valentine, Nebraska