Omaha daily bee., 1885-09-03
An Interview with a Delegate to The
Water Ways Convention
Fraud in Connection With the
City's Property Exposed
Release Of Omahs's ex-City Marshal
Photographic tho Human
Soul-Other News.
AT THE CAPITAL.
THE WATER WAYS CONVENTION.

w wv NNNNN WIZ " -
held in that city. There Is considerable in
terest manifested in the subject, and q re-
porter called upon Hon. o. p. Mason, one o
the Nebraska delegates appointed by the gov
ernor to represent the state. Mr.. Mason b..
lievts In the improvement of western rivers
and more especially the Missouri. The river
should be made perfectly navigable from St
Louis to Fort Pierre. Communication BY
water should be q from the west tC
Chicago, and thus give on outlet to tbs
Atlantic ocean. In reply to q question 90 tc
the character of the delegates for ability,
Judge Mason thought there were some able
men in 1t. II, ~retofore there had been moth
ing done in improving western water ways
because of q lack Of concerted action. Organ
ization looking towards congressional aid was
what was needed more than anything else.
The government could well afford to help
such a project and 1t should command the at
tention Of all congressman and senators In the
western states.
If one half of the money we're given to the
improvement Of rivers that had been donated
to railroads, every water course Of
carrying the grain of the northwestern area
there would be n sufficient saving to producers
to pay for the work in two years. There is
Sc t-evident truth 10 the proposition that
wheels can never compete with water in the
carriage Of freight, The government had
paid the Union Pacific S65, 600, 900. One
halt IF this amount would create n good chan
mel in the Missouri from st. Louis to Sioux
City and equip it with a line of steam barges
sufficient to carry all the freight of that sec
tion traversed by the river. Grain could be
handled OF an expense of six cents u bushel
from the point of shipment to New
Orleans. Now the carrying cost was
N-ol1o NhaA a,na ~ 1901 49, ag,as,xoaaH ,ron
made at Kansas City. -Four hundred bushels
of grain were taken from that port on barges
to New Orleans in ak days. 1t would have
proved q su scess if its river had been fairly
navigable all the way.
For example, look at thu tonnage of the
Ohio river, it is simply enormous What is
true of the Ohio could be made true of the
Missouri. Some people think that water
ways would conflict with the railways. Mr..
Mason believes that there would be plenty of
room for both. OF course, there were GER
tain articles of perishable freight which
could never be conveyed by water.
As the country grows this business will be-
come much greater aud afford ample business
for railroads. The boats could carry the grain
and coal and in Mr.. Mason's opinion 1t was
only q matter of time when this would be
done. The railroads have fought any scheme
looking to the Improvement OF our rivers,
but they will find that they must submit to
the inevitable. Judge Mason is unsble to at
tend the convention, but he believes that
certain editor In the state I would like to
have seen the governor appoint" said Mr..
Mason, but his na-row-miuded policy pre-
vented him from doing 80"
SHOULD NOT BE SOLD.
There is a proposition now before the voters
of thisc city to sell the present engine house
and city jail and devote the proceeds towards
paying for the new engine house and city hall
on Market square Tn are are some very pc
culiar things about this matter. The new
building Is a two.story brick building and
will accommodate the city officers. besides
having a jail, There Is no perceptible differ
ence between the size OF the new house and
the old one, and why the change should be
made is more than can bs ouu out.
A certain former official of the
city charges that there is som:-
the transaction. He says there is no particu.
lar need for selling the old house, and he
bslieves that a job will bs put up to about
give the property away. The special election
to be sheld September 5 is to empower the
mayor and council to sell. and this power
should not be delegated. Property on
Eleventh street is rapidly enhancing in value,
able for the city to hold as a Irivate in.
dividual. The appreciation in value will be
at least 10 per cent a year, possibly more.
The danger too of its sale for less than its
real value is too great. The property should
not be sold for another reason. Lincoln Is
plenty large enough now TO have two engine
houses, and the new one is far enough re-
moved from that one now in use TO b,
available.
Elk MARSHAL GUTHRIE, OF MANIA.
Yesterday morning the prison doors OF the
Nabfa9kR DpnitantiarV Onpnea and Rows nj (
Guthrie, formerly city marshal of Omaha,
walked forth II free man. He came to the
city and took breakfast and dinner ut the
Windsor hotel. Guthrie looks very different
than he did when sent from Omaha o year
and q half ago. His face is pale aud Invested
OF the full beard the gentleman used to wear.
His health is good and outside of a lack of
sunlight he looks better tn an when sent to the
penitentisry. Guthrie was convicted of re
ceiving money from gamblers and disorderly
characters. and sentenced to two years. Nu-
merous efforts were made to get him out, but
he has served his time less that allowed for
good conduct while in prison. Guthrie left In
the afternoon for Omaha.
PHOTOGRAPHIC THE HUMAN SOUL,
Some time since an article appeared In the
Chicago Tribune, supposed to have besn
written by Milt Hoffman, concerning the
alleged photographing of a human soul by
some alleged scientist here, whom the writer
calls Holland. OF course the whole story wa,
made out of whole cloth, but it found its way
into the Courier j Journal, Boston Herald and
other eastern papers. and seems to have found
some believers; at least Postmaster Mcbride
received three letters yesterday from eastern
points inquiring after the facts. The post
master anticipates o storm Of inquiries as the
story travelsthe rounds, aud threatens to have
u lot OF circular denials printed, and the bill
sent to Hoffman for liquidation.
NEVER IN THE wAR.
For years it has been understood that Capt.
Stewart, OF this city, had a horse that had
been ridden by Gen. Grant during the war.
The animal was drapped in mourning and
figured In the Grant obse quies In this city, by
being led at the head of the procession. Ex-
Mayor Whitcomb, OF Seward, states positive
ly that the horse never was in the war.
Captain Stewart bought the horse from Cap
tain, Henderson some years sgc, and it Ia un-
derstood thought he was getting q historic
prize. This dream is now for the drst tine
dispelled aud the truth made kno IN. Major
j, ID. Kleutch, of this city, youches for the
above.
LOCAL Jors.
There Ia quite o lot OF counterfti II money be-
ing circulated in Lincoln, presumably by the
crooks uho have taken up q temporary resi-
dence here until after the fair. People should
be careful about taking any of it.
The new street Car company Is bnldlng its
track at the rate OF one block day. The OBJ
~jective point for the present ia the home for
the ~friendless, which 10 two miles from the
Burlington and Missouri depot.
The Burlington and Missouri company is