Sunflower, Russian thistle tires?

A McCook man, Jim Dyke of South McCook used two of Southwest Nebraska's biggest weed species, sunflowers and Russian thistles, to develop a synthetic rubber in 1942. An article in the May 1 Gazette said that the non-professional chemist had been experimenting on the project about a year. Mr. Dyke had lost an eye in the experimentation process in December of 1941.

Dyke planted and tended eight hills of sunflowers in his back yard, "only to find that the sunflowers growing unattended in his neighbor's yard grew more sturdy and produced more of the valuable sap from which comes the ingredient to make his product." Twelve pounds of sap could be extracted from a hundred pounds of sunflowers while four pounds of the dark and heavy thistle oil could be extracted from the same amount of thistles.

Jim Dyke was also working with a Eastern chemist to develop a substitute for kapok using soap weed. Both of these products would be welcomed today in 2001, a by-product from weeds we have growing already...what's not to like?

Also in the May 1, 1942, Gazette was a little notice from Dr. Leo M. Christensen, farm chemurgy chief from Lincoln that if construction of grain alcohol plants for the manufacture of synthetic rubber were started right away, Nebraska could be rolling around on home-grown tires by Christmas.

He was addressing the 52nd annual convention of the Nebraska Academy of Sciences in Omaha. He, again was looking to new uses for farm products we were already producing.

"The Bystander" in the May 2, 1942, Gazette said that he saw a youngster riding his bike on the rims... "bumping along without even the semblance of a tire on his rig-yet he looked happy about the whole thing." The columnist suggested that a year from that time, it may be the "family chariot" instead of the bike and it may not be nearly so fun.

McCook Junior College held an invitational track and field meet in cold and blustery weather on Saturday, May 2, 1942. There were eight Class A schools, Arapahoe, Cambridge, Culbertson, Indianola, McCook, Stratton, Trenton and Holdrege. The twelve Class B schools participating were Dickens, Eustis, Ingham, Lebanon, Madrid, Max, Maywood, Naponee, Palisade, Red Willow, Wallace and Welfleet.

"The Man Who Came to Dinner" was presented by the Junior College players on May 11, 1942. Just three weeks before that, the movie version was playing at the Fox Theatre. Some of the locals in the Junior College players were Elton Snoke, Richard Proud, Dorothy Converse, Arlene Premer, Merwyn Burton, Mary Ellen Marshall (Goodenberger), Harvey Sutton and Wayne Poore.

Wade Stevens, McCook attorney and Don Brooks, local jeweler and former Legion commander presented a debate May 5, 1942, before members of the American Legion post and public. The subject of the debate was "Bringing Japanese Aliens into Nebraska".

Byron Jones, Gazette carrier in Benkleman in the spring of 1942, wrote a letter of appreciation to Harry Strunk. Young Jones wrote, "I have been on the route four years and have earned a lot of money. I sure have appreciated this route and its income. I am a senior this year, but will not remain for graduation as I am moving to California. I wish to express my appreciation for this experience and income and am turning the route over to two responsible boys...Roy and Merle Osborn who have been helping me ... they are dependable." Harry said that many of America's outstanding men in all lines of industry and business had started out as newspaper boys. Knowing that boys such as Byron Jones had enjoyed their experience was, "satisfaction which comes in a realization that through rendering service there is remuneration other than the almighty dollar."

DeGroff's reminded Gazette readers that Sunday, May 10th was Mother's Day. "If possible spend Sunday with Mother...At least write, phone or wire her. Gift or No Gift, contact your Mother May 10th" H.C. Clapp, The Store For Women had several gifts to suggest which would make Mother's eyes sparkle. Hats were $2.95 and up while dresses were $3.95 to $25.00. Brown McDonald offered Mom gloves, hankies, silk hose and "neck frills" for 98c. J.C. Penney's had hankies down to 5c and as high as 23c each, weekend suitcases for $1.25 and lace table cloths for Mom for only $1.98.

An article about installment buying caught my eye in the May 4, 1942, Gazette. "The day has gone when you could get a new summer wardrobe, put it on your charge account and pay for it next winter." The U.S. government, in a move to keep the cost of living from spiraling upward had reduced the time limit on installment buying from 15 to 12 months. Charge accounts had to be paid within 40-70 days for such items as bicycles, bedding, non-military clothing or electric appliances. A spokesman for the Federal Reserve said they weren't trying to do away with the charge account idea by any means...just keeping them from becoming a way that people could get further into debt. I'm sure they could not possibly foresee the day when some people would have over $10,000 in credit debt such as today.

This past week I lost two old friends that I'm going to miss. Fran Search passed away a week ago after a relatively short illness. The two of us did our best to cover everything in the world during those hours in the hospital ... but there's always so much more and we always need more time. Such a loss brings to those left behind a renewed appreciation of life and of the time that we have here.

This week fire claimed what I called the Diamond house at 601 West 3rd Street. I grew up in the neighborhood and have admired that house for over half a century (I was a young preservationist). The Diamond family was one of the earliest Jewish families to make McCook their home. The Diamond Building was on the north side of the 100 block of West B Street, where the city parking lot is located. It was Ray Search who told me of the Diamonds living there. These are some of the families who have also occupied the house over the years: 1931 Claude E. Manker, 1948 Con Fahrenbruch and Gene Wileman, 1953 Walter E. Fisher, 1958 Daniel L. Rubenthaler, 1961 Ruth Callan and Carl Lewis, 1971 Donald J. Font, 1982 Barbara McMullen, 1985 to 2001 Lonnie Anderson and family.