Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1896-12-17
WOULD PROTECT THE BRIDGE
Council Considers Ordinances Relating to
Interurban Traffic.
WEIGHT or THE LOADS TO BE LIMITED
Omaha .S Council Huns Bridge Conn
Dany Insists on Restrictions, Even
Though Patrons Avail Them
selves OF other Facilities.

Mayor Carson presided at the meeting
Vt the city council last night and for an
hour sat with the patient aldermen aud lis.
tened to the monotonous reading of a lot Of
new ordinances. 1t was practically meet
ing to consider new ordinances. In addition
to the new garbage and poundmaster ordi-
nances previously referred to by The Bee,
ordinances were presented regulating the
manner in which certain portions of the pub
lie can use the motor company's bridge
across the river. and designating the width
of tires to be used on the paved streets.
George f. Wright was present to represent
the bridge company and urge the adoption Of
the ordinances that had been prepared to pro
tect the big bridge. The main features of
the new law are the prohibition of all loads
exceeding 5000 pounds weight and the driv-
ing of large herds of cattle. Mr.. Wright
stated that the anxiety OF some of the patrons
OF the bridge to get their moneys worth
often led to possible injury to the bridge
itself. Transfers would haul loads that
would aggregate 10000 pounds weight. On
the Omaha side they would double teams and
use four, or often, six horses in hauling the
heavily laden vehicles up the incline to the
toll house and then take the extra teams
back. One team could easily pull the load
across the bridge, for with the exception of
the central span all of the remainder of 1t
was down grade. When the bridge was
crossed, other extra teams would be attached
or the load divided up, thus permitting the
transfers to condense two or three loads into
one and pay toll but for one.
AS TO THE CATTLE PROBLEM.
The cattle problem. Mr.. Wright stated,
was a much more serious one. Drivers of
herds wOnll bn at in
front of the toll house and keep the animals
moving In such way that II was impossible
Tor any man to count them, and in the die
put IS J etwecn he owners ~ d the toll man
as TO the number. there was always trouble.
and the company generally got pay for far
less than the actual number OF animals. The
passage of a herd of $50 head of cattle over
the bridge, he declared, caused 1t to vibrate in
a manner that was dangerous and trying.
The ordinance provides that stock shall not
be driven on the bridge in herds of larger
numbers than twenty-five. The speed of all
teams was fixed at not to exceed four miles
an hour. All violations of the ordinance
were declared misdemeanors, punishable with
a fine and imprisonment.
The consideration of the ordinance pro-
duced some differences of opinion. Alder
man Casper thought the rights of the pub
lie might be curtailcd by the stock section
and Wright frankly admitted that his COM
pany felt the necessity of insisting upon IT,
even If the stockmen felt that it would be
more convenient to ship cattle instead OF
driving them across the river The ord-
nance was finally referred to the committee
Of the whole.
OTHER REGULATIONS.
The garbage ordinance YVES sixteen sections
long. 1t was also referred to the same com
mittee.
The new city statute regulating the con-
duct OF the city pound and the poundmaster's
compensation. was also lengthy. 1t was re-
terred' One OF its interesting features WAC
the section making Ii an offense punishable
with fine and Imprisonment for any person
to keep dog without reporting 1t to the
city clerk for taxation.
An ordinance was introduced prohibiting
animals running at large being revi-
SION OF the present statute. II prohibits all
kinds OF stock running at large, including
chickens and other fowls
An ordinance regulating the width of
tires OF vehicles used en- the paved streets
brought out lengthy discussion The new
law prohibits vehicles Weighing with their
loads, 5000 pounds. having tires of less than
three inches in width and correspondingIy
wider ones for heavier loads. The police are
authorized to stop any loaded wagon pass
ing on the streets and order II on the CITY
scales to be weighed The plan now being
advocated in Chicago of taxing narrow tired
vehicles out of existence was discussed and
looked upon with much favor The plan
proposes heavy tax on all narrow tired |
HS1tu iSi ildullllS, the TAX decreasing
as the width Increases. All of the ord- |
names were referred to the committee of the
whole after they passed to their third read |
ing, and the council will meet as such com
mittee on Monday morning at . o'clock.
MAYOR GIVES ADVICE.
The mayor complied with the request Of
the council and designated the number and
location of the police and fire alarm boxes
ne thought the city now needed He also |
ADVISED tne placing OF water trough in the |
market place in the re ar of the city build !
ing. A communication was received inyit- |
Ing the city to join the Iowa Municipal
league. 'FN
Contractor Wickman presented bill for
$40 for sewer work on South First street |
IN excess or the pro rata share of the prop |
erty owners. This was in accordance with |
the arrangement made some time ago
5. $. Hardin was awarded the contract for
brick sidewalks and John Skindle for the
plank walks recently ordered
An ordinance granting the motor company
permission to lay track on Twenty-eighth
ana TWenty-ninth streets, and A n q |
ana First avenues was introduced and re-
lerred TO the committee of the whole The
ordinance is for the purpose of permitting
the motor company TO build a new power
house and machine shops in the rear of the
present car barns.
a saloon license was granted Hansen G.
Meyers at l5Os South Main street. The an
nual tax on the driving park was RENTED
me council adjourned to Monday night.