Omaha daily bee., 1896-12-22
PASS MANY NEW ORDINANCES
Wagons for Heavy Traffic Must Have
Broad-Tircd Wheels,
NO EXCEPTION TO THE GENERAL sU.E
city Council Protects the bridge Com
pnny by Regulating the Passage
of cattle aud Vehicles
with Zig Loads.

There has never been a meeting OF the
city council since the new city building
was erected that was not considered ia
portant enough by at least some of the citi-
zens to warrant their presence in the coun-
ell chamber-neyer until last night. From
the opening until the close of the meeting
not one Of the comfortable seats provided
for the public was occupied. This was re
gardod as being a little singular, for it was
generally known that the council would put
the finishing touches upon batch of new
laws for the government of the people. Half
dozen of the ordinances introduced at the
last previous meeting were called and
passed
The municipal statute regulating the width
OF tires upon all vehicles used for heavy
traffic was passed after some modification
aud considerable discussion. One feature Of
II prohibits the passage of all traction en-
gines and vehicles having cogged driver
wheels upon any street paved with brick,
wood, asphalt or macadam. No vehicle with
tires Of less than three inches in width can
pass over the paved streets with a load
of two tons. The minimum width of tires
upon vehicles engaged In heavier traffic was
liked at four inches The plan of taxing
narrow-tired wagons with a view of forcing
teamsters to discontinue their use was not I
looked upon favorably. Wholesalers on
Main street asked to have their wagons
exempted from the provision, provided they
did not drive upon any street not covered
with granite. They stated in their com
municatiOn that the majority of their
wagons had tires between two and three
inches wide and that nearly all of their
heavy traffic was on Main street. There
was disposition to favor them but 1t was
finally decided that the temptation to drive
on the smoother brick paving on Pearl
street would be too great to be always sue
cessfllly resisted and their request was
reluctantly refused The ordinance was
passed by unanimous vote.
REGULATE BRIDGE TRAFFIC..
The ordinance regulating the traffic over
the motor company's Missouri river bridge
was taken up and passed after a few unim-
portant amendments were made. The maxi
mum load to be permitted on any wagon or
vehicle passing over the bridge was fixed
at 5000 pounds. and the speed of all We
hicles must not exceed four miles an hour.
The section relating to the passage Of cat
tie over the structure was lightly modified.
The largest herd permitted on the bridge
was fixed at thirty head. Not more than
two such herds shall be driven on the bridge
at one time. and a space of not less than
500 feet must intervene between them. No
herd of any kind of stock shall be driven on
the bridge at greater speed than four miles
an hour.
The scavenger and poundkeepers ordi-
nances were passed without any amend
ments.
The city engineer submitted the schedule
he had prepared of the First street paving
and notified the council that he had posted
the notices TO property as required by law.
The schedule and his action were approved.
singular oversight, discovered few
lays brOnPht and 1iSpucGp1
and many of the aldermen learned for the
first time that the city was several hundred
dollars deeper in debt than any previous
official statement of the treasurer had ever
shown. Away back in 1856 the city nego-
tiated the purchase of the right OF way for
a portion of Lincoln avenue. All of the
agreements with property owners were en-
tered upon the city's books but one. In 1856
this property owner obtained a judgment
against the city for the amount of his claim
5000 The judgment was never entered on
the city's judgment record and all Of the
members of the present council were in
ignorance of its existence until the parties
holding 1t concluded that ten years COM
pound interest was about as much as they
wanted and they asked to have 1t paid The
judgment would have been paid long ago II
1t had been properly entered for the judg-
ment fund has often exceeded the claims
against II.
Notices OF garnishment of the city by
number of creditors of two members Of the
present police force were served upon the
council. The bills were for debts contracted
several years ago before the men were mem
bers Of the force. The city attorney called
attention to the fact that the city could not
be guarnisEed and advised that the city re-
fuse to accept the notices. This advice was
followed and the documents OF the debt col
lectors were laid upon the table.
COURTLAND BEACH BRIDGE.
Alderman Shubert called attention to the
condition of the bridge leading to CORTLAND
Beach, in East Omaha, which was in bad
order and dangerous. The matter was
brought up in the council last summer and
the Courtland Beach company was notified
to repair the structure No attention had
been given the order. and as the city would
undoubtedly be liable for any accident that
might occur while the bridge remained open
for traffic in it's present condition, the alder
man deemed IL important that some action
be taken at once. City Attorney HazeltOn
called attention to the ordinance by which
the city granted the COurtland Beach COM
pany the right to erect the bridge and which
obligated the beach people to keep the bridge
in repair for period of twenty-five years.
The ordinance provided that failure to re-
pair the bridge after due notice had been
given the company all rights should be for
feited. The attorney advised the council to
follow the procedure laid down in the ordi-
nance This was agreed to and the matter
referred to the committee on bridges
and city property and the city attorney with
a resolution was introduced giving appro-
pirate expression to the feelings Of the coun-
ell upon the death of DR.. Lawrence. 1t was
ordered to be incorporated in the minutes.
The council then adjourned.
Have you ever noticed the Bear on Broad
way? That's Sargent's Shoe Store, where
you can buy the best shoe for 81, 50. 81
and Sc in the state. Look in the window
when you are up the street this week; it
will pay you. We give a new pair for every
pair that does not wear. At Sargents.
Catch IA Bicycle Thief
A. w. Bell, who gave the police a very
unsatisfactory account of himself and the
means by which he came into possession OF
a racing bicycle, was locked up last night.
Bell came TO town yesterday with nearly
new wheel, from which the name plate had
been removed. The young man attracted at
tenton by his anxiety TO sell the wheel He
was willing to take $S for it, but the glaring
inconsistency OF his stories convinced in
tending purchasers that the wheel had been
stolen His last attempt to dispose of 1t
was at SuyGers pawn shop. The pawn
broker notified the police Bell was de-
taiued at the station for several hours. He
insisted he had purchased the wheel from a
stranger in Ida county and rode II TO this
city. While he was still in custody word
WAS received n station that a wheel