The courier. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1894-1903, 1895-05-11

auce OF his earnestness. Monday night
the new telephone ordinance was read q
second and third time and passed.
Mr.. Webster attempted to amend the
ordinance, but the council, as a whole
wouldn't permit any tamT ering with the
measure, and it was made q law az
read, or rather it was made law with
out being read. For the clerk was only
permitted to read two sections. Now
Sheibley is given credit for being an en-
terprising man. and some people say il
will be a fine thing to have a new
exchange. do not think anyone will
deny that Sheibley is enter prising
but there is room to doubt that he will
put in new exchange. There is reason
to believe that he never intended to put
in ar exchange. The contracts which
subscribers have signed do not obligate
him in any respect. He is not bound to
do anything and his business is all done
in his own name land assigns" The
Harrison company does not appear in il
at all, and people who have taken the
trouble to inquire have learned that il
the Harrison company is back OF Mr.
Sheibleys enterprise it is very long
back. am safe in predicting that i,
will be long time before there is a
second telephone exchange in this city.
Mr.. Sheibley has been running strong
game OF bluff. Pretty soon he may be
in the market with his proposed ex-
change. Maybe he will work the Ne
braska Telephone company and maybe
he won't. But he has done some good
anyway; for telephone rates have been
reduced. The city council should be
careful in cases Of this kind. 1t should
be thoroughly convinced Of the SINGER.
ity OF the promoter before it lends itself
to his scheme, and commits the city to
useless expense.
General Brooke. who for some years
has been stationed at Omaha has been
ordered to st Paul, and General Cop,
pinger, one of the recently appointed
brigadiers, is to take his place. The
newspapers are full of more or less SEN
sational accounts OF how Colonel Cop
pinger secured promotion to brigadier-
generalship. According to one cores
pondent, Mrs. Blaine asked the president
to promote her son-in-law, and the
president acceded to her request on
grounds wholly creditable to his heart,
il not to his head. Now comes Mrs.
Blaine's friends, or those who pretend
to speak for her. with denial OF the &C
curacy Of this statement. Mrs. Blaine
had nothing to do with Coppinger's
promotion" it was said by one Of these
friends, and it is probable that she was
very much surprised upon learning of
Coping RS advancement. This denial
would be more satisfactory if President
Cleveland's testimony could be taken, as
he is the only man able to set the matter
at rest. Certain facts bearing upon the
case are worth citing In this connection;
for, If il was not Mrs. Blaine's influence
that secured Colonel Coppingeris pro-
motion, army officers would like to know
whence the pressure came to induce
President Cleveland to push Coppinger
over the heads OF five or six senior officers
Inquiry at the war department. developed
that not single paper in favor Of Cop
pinger's promotion was on file there, and
there is plenty Of authority in army cir
Giles that Coppinger could not have Sc
cured the endorsement of any officer OF