Omaha daily bee., 1893-11-21
NEWS FROM COUNCIL BLUFFS
City Council Session One Of the Most In
portant Of the Year.
SOME INTERESTING MATTERS DISCUSSED
Interstate Bridge ana street Railway Com
pany ASKS an Extension of Its Fran
chise for Two years-Ex-Flre
Chief Nichoison's case.

Besides Alderman Geise, who is always
absent, Hathaway was the only absent alder
man at last nights meeting Of the city
council. In the absence of Mayor Lawrence
Alderman jennings occupied the chair.
After some routine business of an important
nature had been transacted, j. II. Webster
of Omaha, who was present in the interest
OF the Interstate Bridge and Street Railway
company, presented the following resolution,
which he asked to have adopted:
Whereas, The franchise heretofore granted
BiuGs, la, to The Interstate Bridge and
street Hallway, company provides, That the
plctc its TRACKS may he extended FOR the
period of two years, provided said company
suffered e delay lie XIII, id q I3s hrIa ps scrdss the f MIsl
souri, river, or was delayed by strikes, nigh
water or other unavoidable causes; and
whereas, said company was delayed In oD-
tanning its franchise from congress and was
required by congress to build u much larger
neccssitating the expenditure of a much
greater sum of money in its construction; and
upon the pier upon which the draw span of
said bridge rests was twice wasted out by
high water thereby subjccting said company
Whereas, said company has already, built
street. hp pnl, mas sas from, IN pp per a ritY Of IL om md,n t ttn9 t6 be-
western approach to said bridge, thereby
demo,strating that IT has acted In good talth,
and that II intends to complete its line as
rapidly as circumstance will permit; and
Whereas, The said franchise further pro-
vides that said company shall charge not
more than II 5-cent fare from the city of Coun-
ell Bluffs to the city OF Omaha, therefore be 1t
Council Bluffs, Ia, That because of the said
above mentioned delays, the Interstate Bridge
years extension to the time limits mentioned
in said franchise. :.
Explanations OF Mr.. Webster.
When the resolution had been read Mr..
Webster made some remarks in which he
stated the reasons which he thought would
Justify the city in thus extending the time
for the company to complete its operations.
In the first place, when the bridge charter
was brought up in congress Senator Vest
put in an amendment requiring the company
to build a heavy railway bridge. This neces-
STATED n reorganization of the company and
the securing of a complete set of new plans.
The latter required the expenditure OF S30,-
600 in cold cash.
A second amendment. he continued, had
been put in. requiring the company to give
congress II map showing high and low water
marks for a mile above and below the
bridge site and the strength of current at
all times This he considered an entirely
useless proceeding. and it cost the company
$1,000 to carry out the provisions of the
amendment, besides a delay of many
months.
The delay of contractors, the strike
in the Carnegie iron works, which
was the only place In the country
where iron for caisson piers could be
bought, and the repeated washing out
of the false work were mentioned as ad-
ditional reasons why the company had not
been able to complete It's work in the allotted
time. MIR. Webster said he had been in
formed that the company would meet with
Instructions and litigation if it tried to
push its way into the city, and he wanted
to ascertain the truth of this report before
the company laid out any more money for
rails and the like.
Ono Objection Mentioned.
Alderman Smith pushed that 81 200 judg-
ment at him and said that as
the the s SG%p's THIS e nss5sss had hs .s saassa
the company should reimburse the city.
Webster replied that that was n matter
which should be discussed by the attorneys
for the city and the company. ,Tibbetts
+ moved that a committee of three be APP.
pointed, with the city attorney, to consult
with the attorney for the company, and that
the resolution should be referred to the
committee of the whole to be discussed
at a meeting to be held after this
conference took place. Keller seconded the
:. motion. and Chairman Jennings appointed
!, Aldermen Keller, Smith and White TO &C,
as such a committee with the city attor
. ney. There was some dispute among tine
members of the council as to whether
i the motion was put to a vote, buI
t whether 1t was or not, the minutes o.
the clerk say it was carried, and whether il
was or not will probably come up for discus
g., sion at the next meeting.
! The ordinance allowing sidewalks in any
part of the city to be built of hard burned
brick instead of natural or artificial ston'
was read the third time and passed.
Alderman Smith presented an ordinance
forbidding the scraping of snow from th'
tracks of any railway so as to form embank
v ments at a greater distance than four fee
. from the curDstone, and providing Il tine O
not more than SlOO nor less than SyD for eacl
4 fracture thereof. 1t went over under tn,
rules.
:, Ex-Chie NichoIson's Case.
A matter then came up in which the gen
" cral public feels q good deal of interest
namely, the question of investigating tn
alleged official misconduct of ex-Chie
n Nicholson of the fire department
II Alderman Keller was the one to frs
suggest it, and next Thursday evening wa
a. finally determined upon as the time for be
y ginning the investigation. Alderman Smit
e then introduced a resolution that made a dc
l. cidedly uncomfortable feeling apparen
among the other aldermen. 1t has been cor
lie tended all along by some people that tn
In aldermen, or rather a part of them, never in
lie tended to make n thorough investigation
et but intended, ii public sentiment woul
1t allow it, to go through the motions and the
reinstate Nicholson merely on the ground c
his being q democrat. Smiths resolutio
t. instructed the city attorney TO collect sue
evidence against Nicholson as he nigh
n think proper ana bring IL up on the night I
n the Investigation.
l. This evidence was just what the whit,
wash members of the council didn't wan
Smith is the only republican member of tn
council, so far as Nicholson's Investigation
10 concerned, for Tibbetts is, to all intents an
n purposes, a democrat, voting and workin
-, with them whenever Nicholson's shortcou
y, ings are brought up, For some minutes
looked as though Smiths resolution was NJ
he gong to have any second, but finally, after
IN couple of minutes exceedingly awkwai
he silence, White dropped out of line and Sc
al onded it, Then each alderman had to sho
ng his hand, and the resolution was adopte
to unanimously.
,s Are selling 10 a week of those stee
to plate ranges. They are bound to dri,
as out all other cooking stoves. Prices
in low you can't resist. Finest bakers al
en- greatest fuel savers. Sold by Cole
nG Cole, Al Main street.
Domestic soap is the best
Broke "a Kib.
Louis Overmeyer met with an accide
-, Sunday that came very near being fat;