Omaha daily bee., 1889-01-27
IT WAS The SANE CROWD.
Jefferson Square Boomers Display
Their Treacher Y Again.
'AsslNe A BOGUS Resol LUTON.
Residents Of the Second Ward Made
Responsible For the Acts OF
Creighton's Nomadic Heeiers
From the Fifth.
Last Nights Discussion.

q who visit every ward in the city ana become
bart and parcel of the ward they locate in for
Che time being, pitched their tent IN the Sec
ond ward last night, at Hoffman's hall. IL
was supposed to have been meeting OF the
First and Second ward citizens 10 discuss the
city hall question; but long before any First
or Second ward rcsidcnts-sa save Mr.. Isaac $.
Haseal-had arrived, the Jefferson square
n boomers were in possession. Mr. jim
Creighton his lieutenant "Bubr Balcombe,
James Winspear, Mr.. Ostolf and Major j. Is.
Euray with their minions, and several postal
clerks, and MIR Overall. Shortly after sew
j enty residents. of the wards Interested ap-
peared on the scene and the "boomers
~ vocferously called for Hascall. Mr.. Hascall
was only too ready to take the floor, and up
wards of an hour harranged the multitude,
much to the satisfaction OF the Jefferson
squarers. He simply went over the old
ground, and advanced no argument that has
y not been backneyed by the ''boomers" and
their dccples for the last two months. He
did not forget however, to tell the good he
had done for the city in the way OF grading,
paving, sewerage and building He wanted
the city hall to be located on jefferson
square and the principal motive that seemed
to prevail in the mind of the speaker was to
get even with iosewater, The people be-
came impatient and called for Mr.. Rose
water, and after Hascal had had his say
that gentleman appeared upon the platform,
and after the applause had subsidized, said
"Mr. Chairman and Gentlemen: lie Is
thrice armed who has his quarrel just" In
the contest now waged over the city hall re
location feel that | am on the side OF right,
jusJice equity and law. Let me briefly re-
view the history of the city hall location and
what has brought US to-day face to face with
reputation of corporate obligations and
raiders upon property rights which the com
munity is in honor bound to re-
spect and protect Tho project of To-
eating the city hall on the corner
of Eighteenth and t'arnam streets had its in
ception in an exhange of property made be.
tween the city of Omaha and the county of
Douglas on the one side and William A.
Paxton on the other. The lots on
which the old Douglas county court
house was located, at the corner of Sixteenth,
and Farnam streets, were claimed by the city
as reverting to it when the site was aban-
doned for court house, but General Gown,
as attorney for the county, held that the oc-
cupanCy and possession of the lots for more
than twenty years by the county gave the
county valid title to this property. The
new court house was about completed when
81 compromise affected between the city
and county authorities by which the city of
Omaha secured half a block on the corner of
Eightcentn ana tarnam streets in exchange
FOR its claim, and the county OF Douglas re-
ceved $40, 600 from William A. Paxton as
bonus for these two lots in exchange
for his lots 1t was then and
there understood and verbally agreed be-
tween Mr.. Paxton and the county and city
authorities that the lots on the corner of
Eighteenth and Farnam streets should be-
pine the city hall ground, and Mr.. Paxton
promised and agreed TO erect a five or six
story block on the old court house site as
soon as he could get possession Mr.. Pax
toms promise has been made good by the
erection of the Paxton building, but the city
has up to this time failed to carry out its part
of the agreement. In the summer of 1885,
soon after the transfer had been made by
Mr.. Paxton of the lots in exchange with the
city and county the council took steps to
hrp n n
city hall The first thing to be done was
to get plans from an architect
known to be competent and ex-
perienced in the construction of public
buildings, Mr.. Z. E, Myers, of Detroit had
built the court house of the county, which is
conceded to be by all ODDS the best as well as
the cheapest pubic building west of Chicago.
No tireproof building had as yet been
planned by any Omaha architect and it was
deemed risky at that time to cntrust mex
perienced men with such work. In order to
expedite business and make sure OF securing
plans from an expert, MIR. Myers was in
vited to come to Omaha, and after consult
ing with the members of the council and ex-
Mayor Boyd, he returned to Detroit
and drafted plans suitable tor
city hall building that would meet
the wants of Omaha not only at that time,
but for fifty years to come. few months
later these plans were brought to Omaha and
submitted for approval to the mayor and
council, as well as to committee of the
board of education. 1t was thought economic
and advisable to have the board of education
Join with the city in the erection of city
hall and to make provision for the JOINT oc-
cupancy Of this public building. To this end
propositions were made by the council to the
board, and were accepted by that body, and
a contract was entered into which is on rec
ord, whereby the board of education agreed to
furnish S25, 900, or about one-eghth of the
estimated cost of the city hall, towards the
erection of the city hall building, on condi
ton that the plans should be Jointly agreed
nnOn and that the DOOru of education should
have set apart for its use n sufficient space
for its accommodation After the Myers
plans had been agreed upon by the council
and the board, an ordinance was passed and
submitted for ratification to the voters at the
general election held on the 5th day of No
vember, 1885. Under the provisions of this
ordinance the consent of the citizens was
asked To authorize the council to erect city
hall and board of education building under
the plans of f.. f. Myers, to cost not
exceeding S2eO,OOO at Eighteenth and
Farnam. A proposition was also submitted
by the board of education at the same cleo
ton requesting the voters of this school dis
trlot to authorize the board to eXpend $4,000
on the lots at the corner of Eighteenth and
farnam in the erection of a building TO be
occupied by the board of education. Both
of these propositions were before the public
for twenty days. They were discussed fully
mt the time, and when voted upon the Far
nam street Site received u fraction over
$500 votes with only l6G votes against it, and
the proposition of the board of education
carried by almost a unanimous vote.
at is charged untruthfully by the advocates
of Jefferson square that the citizens of
Omaha were bulldozed and duped into max
ing tho location on upper Farnam street and
voting $500, 900 of bonds ut the same election
in 1885 The fact is that the project to con
struct the city hall on upper Farnam street,
opposite the court house, was generally ap-
proved and scarcely voice WAS raised in op-
position thereto, The fact is, also, that no
bonds were voted Mt the time of this election
because there was no authority 10 vote bonds
under our charter, and we had to wait two
years until the charter was amended before
the bond proposition could be submitted. Dur
ing all these TWO years the men who now
clamor for Jefferson square were coutented
simply To offer feeble opposition in the
council to every step that was taken
for carrying out the will of the
people as expressed through the ballot
box in 1885, When the bonds were submitted
in 1887 they failed utterly to impress the
public with the improperly of investing the
ctys money in the city hall, as planned by
Myers, Notwithstanding the fact that back
fires had been started by disgruntled archi-
tects Malicious attacks were made upon the
Myers plans by certain newspapers that
have always imagined that they could build
themselves up by trying 10 down anything