Omaha daily bee., 1889-04-14
OMAHA'S pOSTOFFICE SITE.
The Papers In the Case Not Yet
Ready For Submission.
EXPECTED BY TUESDAY MORNING
A Clerk Busy Making a Synopsis OF q
Mass of Documents Relating
Thereto-The Oklahoma Fever
Strikes Washington.
WASHINGTON ByREAu, THE OMAHA Bee.

WAsHINGToN, ID. u, April l3.
Supervising Architect Windrim SAID day
that he had not yet had an opportunity to
look over the papers in the Omaha case; that
the clerk who was assigned to that duty had
not completed the synopsis which he was di-
rected to make some days ago, and Of which
mention was made in these dispatches. This
clerk is still surrounded by mass OF docu-
ments relating TO the Omaha site, and he ex-
poets TO be kept at it all day Monday and to
have his report ready for submission by
Tuesday morning,
Among the papers submitted is q lengthy
legal plea signed by Judge James Neville.
The Judge asserts in substance that under
the advertisement of the department which
requires a full square, the site between
Farnam and Douglas and all other sites
that are divided by an alley should be
ruled out because the city has no authority
TO vacate an alley and cannot dispose of an
alley legally, and il any such alley was va
Gated by the city council it would have 10 be
offered for sale to the highest bidder. The
only two streets in Omaha that have no al
leys are Dodge street and Capitol avenue,
hence the choice Of sites must be confined
to these streets. Judge Neville further adds
that while 1t Is true that the Planters
house block must be acquired by condemna-
tion process, the parties making the offer
are willing to file a guaranty for Sl00,0O0
that the cost of the site will not exceed
100000. This document is countersigned
by Senator Manderson, US correct TO the
best of his knowledge
There never was time in the history of
the Office when there were so many snarls
growing out of the selection of federal build
ing sites. Omaha is up, and at the same
time the secretary is called upon to decide as
to whether or not the report of Mr.. Linton
shall be adopted in the Milwaukee case The
secretary has also q serious question for con-
sideration arising out of the selection of site
for the new postofice building in Buffalo.
On top Of all this he listened to delegation
yesterday and again to-day, which came from
Bnghamton to protest against the site
selected in that town. Here a site was
selected in such location that 1T is in danger
of being flooded every spring. A contract
was let for the building and 100000 has been
expended on the structure, yet there are
nearly half of tho people of the town who
want the whole thing abandoned, the lot and
building, SO far as it has gone,
sold, and are willing to take their chances
on getting another appropriation from
congress rather than have the present struc-
ture completed. There is some difficulty
over the location of the appraisers stores in
New Y ork and one or two of the southern
cities have developed local sites over the Sc
lection of the sites for a public building.
Altogether Secretary Window finds that
the supervising architects office gives him
more trouble at the outset of the administra-
tion than any bureau IN the entire depart
ment and that 1t takes as much of his time
to decide questions arising in that Office as it
does to listen to the offlce-seekers who
throng his rooms every forenoon.
THE OKLAHOMA FEVER.
There are indications that the Oklahoma
fever has broken out here in an exceedingly
dangerous form. Four chiefs of divisions IN
the general land office, besides several clerks
order that they might proceed at once
to the new territory. Some of these
gentlemen will try their chances as
homesteaders, but the business which will
carry the most of them there is the belief
that there will be an excellent chance for
men posted on the laws to do thriving bus
iness. The entire department has been
flooded with letters during the last few days
asking for the chances of securing home
stead IN the new territory, which have come
from all sections OF the country, and while
there are already nearly ten settlers for
every quarter section of land on the borders
of Oklahoma, there is every indication here
that the number will be about doubled by
hour of noon on the 22d inst A former at
tache Of the general land Office has prepared
p small pam plet on Oklahoma, and it is said
that thousands of copies have been sold in
all sections to settlers. 1t is understood
here that there are fifteen or twenty men in
Washington who have secured control
Of eleven town sites and within a
week after the proclamation goes
into effect at least that number
bf towns will be fully started on their way
towards the dignity Of cities. Stock in this
company is not offered for sale, but some
well known names are mentioned in con-
nection with it, and it Is expected that the
next few months will demonstrate the truth
of the assertion so frequently made in con-
gross last winter, that there was scrip used
among members of the house in order to
secure votes for the bill.
e RAILWAY MAIL SERVICE.
= There have been quite a number of changes
In the railway mail service during the past
few days, and it is the intention of the chief
OF that service to make number of others
within the next week. In almost every n-
stance where such changes have occurred,
the men who were deposed to make
room for politicians by the last admin
istration have been restored. MIR.
Bell, the chief of the railway mail
division, has expressed his determination
TO have the best men he can possibly find
for this service, and he says that as a rule,
those who have had long experience are to
be preferred to men who have no knowledge
whatever OF the service. There was no
branch OF the government which suffered so
much from the onslaught OF the spoilsinen
ps this important bureau. Thousands of APP
pointments were made by President Cleve-
lands subordinates solely on account of
politics. and the result was that during the
bast three or four years there was more
complaint over the manner in which the
bnaiis were distributed than ever before in
the history of the government. MIR. Bell is
determined to put the service back ON the
efYicient basis which prevailed previous TO
Mr. Cleveland's inauguration, and is taking
the right course to accomplish this.
IOWA PosTMAsTERs APPOINTED TO-DAY.
B. l.. Pyle, Bromley, Marshall county, vice
NJ, A. Ward, resigned, A. L. Latsfeich,
Butler, Keokuk county, vice g. Watts, re-
signed; John M. Arnold, Davis City, De-
catur county, vice s. Bowman, resigned;
Edwin IL. Buxton, Deep River, Poweskek
county, vice G. r. Jenkins, resigned; G.. Il.
Natson, Faragut, Fremont county, wee w.
II. Trullnger, resigned; A. S. Bailey, Lari-
mer, Union county, vice A. II. Marmaduke,
resigned; Herman Q. Swan, Lovelia,. Mon
roe county, vice M. S. Smith, resigned;
Amos M. Hall, Niles, Floyd county, vice L.
j.. Thompson, resigned; Fanny Baldwin,
Selection, Monroe county, vice A. NJ Tate,
resigned; James Harris, Steady Run, Keo-
tkuk county, vice j. Demarsh, resigned; Will
bur Il. Peet Troy Mills. Linn county. vice
Il. Kelly. resigned; Hale Vessels, Wells
burgh, Grundy county. vice George Wells,