Omaha daily bee., 1895-12-28
some OMAHA DEPOT HISTORY
Several Chapters Given to the State Board
et e Yesterday.
Mr.. KlMBAlL TELLS OF FUTILE EFFORT
superintendent Jnyncs Put on the
stand To Say There IL Nothing
Wrong with the
street station.

iFT1'fee'
gGiIl
When the State Board Of transportation
met yesterday the lawyers who are
working on the union depot question were
absent. The board had fixed Q o'clock as
the meeting hour, and that proved too early
for the other fellows. The attorneys began
dropping in. but it was nearly 10 o'clock
when the taking Of testimony was resumed.
ii. S. Jaynes. superintendent Of the st.
Paul & Omaha was placed on the stand and
questioned by General Attorney Sterling of
the Elkhorn as to the facilities
furnished by the railroad companies
at the Webster street depot. Mr..
Jaynes said that the depot building was
th!rty-two by seventy-eight feet and two
stories In height. In addition to that there
was a brick building used for express and
baggage rooms He explained that there was
not any need for a large building at the
Webster street station, as trains were made up
there and passengers couil go directly from
the ticket Office to the train, ana usually
did so. The building, Mr.. Jaynes stated, had
been recently remodeled and repaired and
was now in perfect repair.
Mr.. Jaynes admitted that there were no
train sheds and said that there were no
train sheds at the union depots at Blair or
Norfolk. either. He explained that the re-
pairs recently made at the depot had been
ordered a year or more ago and were not the
result OF the agitation Of the question Of
better depot facilities before the State Board
of Transportation.
Attorney Sterling announced that he would
introduce no further evidence on the depot
accommodations at the Webster street station,
but would be pleased to have the members
Of the board visit the depot and make an
inspection of 1t. He also asked permission
IN intrn1nnn rtrtAI ,,,JN-- IL Al.,t
the Chicago & Northwestern had no tracks
or leased tracks in Omaha and did not legally
operate a road west OF the Missouri river.
KIMBALL TELLS OF L PLANS.
Thomas L.. Kimball. president of the Omaha
Depot company. was called and told the story
of the organization Of this company, it's con-
s%truction of the viaduct and the expenditure
of $525, 600 on work connected with the con-
%struction of the proposed depot at Tenth and
Mason streets. The plans for the building
included train sheds 200 feet In length. He
explained the plans in detail. He expressed
the belief that IL the depot at Tenth and
Mason streets was completed it would fur
nish ample facilities for passenger traffic in
Omaha for the next fifty years. The plans
contemplated a building on Eighth street for
the accommodation of the express and mail
business, also an arrangement by which bag
gage could be taken to the depot without
passing over Tenth street or going through
the depot building proper.
On cross-examination Mr.. Kimball stated
that the dep6t company had not acquired
any title toFllands from the Union Pacific.
The depot company had no title to the site
OF the building which had been commenced.
Judge Kelly OF the Union Pacific offered
in evidence .aIrecord of the legal proceedings
in the union depot case, the action by the
city council and the injunction proceedings
in the court, i.r,.
Mr.. KlmbaIl was cross-examined at some
length. He stated that the plans for the
Omaha union depot were changed after the
first steps were taken for the erection of the
structure. After the first plans had been on
exhibition, 1t was found necessary to modify
them in, order to provide for the proper train
sheds and facilities closely connected with
the operation Of the depot,
President Weller of the Commercial club
was called to show the action of the club
and the feeling of the business men in Omaha
in regard to the location Of the union depot.
He was certain that the business men of
Omaha and the people generally desired the
location of the building at the foot Of Far
nam street.
At the afternoon session of the board z. T.
Lindsey was called and testified that a pas
senger depot located at the foot Of Farnam
street would serve the beat interests of both
the business men and residents Of the city
generally. 1t would be more accessible to
retail houses and the hotels than any other
location he had heard mentioned. He said
that the viaduct approach to the proposed
depot at Tenth and Mason streets was insult
Hcient 10 accommodate the crowns Inat attend
fairs and events of that kind Of the city.
WAS CLARK'S ORIGINAL SITE.
e. Rosewater testified that the plan to
erect a union depot at the foot Of Farnam
street had been the original design Of Pres
ident Clark of the Union Pacific long before
the project for a depot at Tenth and Mason
streets had been considered. He said that
he regarded the Farnam street location as
more desirable to the public and to the rail-
ways themselves. The site was more elevated
than that OF the proposed structure at Tenth |
and Mason streets, and accordingly there was
no sach descent to reacn 1t from the street
level. II was also very much more central
to the jobbing and retail business OF the
city and nearer the center of population. The
proximity of the site to the headquarters OF
the different railway companies was also a
matter of much importance and advantage to
the railway officials and those having business
with them. In case of any sudden Interrupt
tion Of traffic 1t would be a matter of much
Importance to the railway officials to be In a
position to issue their orders direct, without
r~esorting to the use Of messengers or tele-
phones.
The Mason street site, Mr.. Rosewater said,
was inaccessible to great crowds. and the
necessary descent of forty-eight steps would
work a hardship upon passengers generally. |
Then the absence of room for the
dalton OF carriages and private conveyances
at the track level was a serious obstacle to
the comfort and convenience of the public.
All ii III Dubiuehs VI tuut hiLu ~ nave |
to be done on the viaduct, which was sixty
six feet wide and carried two car tracks, ac-
commodating three lines. while at the pro-
posed depot on Farnsm street there would be
ample room for the use Of carriages and
conveyances of all kinds without interfering
in any way with the free use Of the depot.
OCCASION o INJUNCTION.
Then the litigation leading up to the final
abandonment Of work on the Mason street
site was taken up and Mr.. Rosewater was
asked II he Bknew what part. II any, the
Rock Island, Iepi Milwaukee roads played In
the instigatioD of that proceeding. He re-
piled that he did not know what hand the
roads might -fiave had In starting the litiga-
ton. but he skneY what the position Of those
roads was E|-aftnr the injunction pro-
ceedings had 1 been commenced. He
said that afEar5 Stuht had commenced the
injunction pi9seedlngs to prevent the delivery
Of the city HSnds ito the depot companies five
or six Of thsyhesvy taxpayers Of the city had
taken the nisttecf in hand and had induced
John d.. Honasf tpxxbecome a party to the suit
with STUNT. HMMe that proceeding was pend
ing Mr.. Ross.etsf said that he had a personal
interview WIN ffesident Cable of the Rock
Island and E4el1dent Miller Of the Milwau-
kee, and th6E Urn Of those gentlemen told
him that TIN the utmost importance
that the suif1 eff prosecuted and that the
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