Omaha daily bee., 1896-02-21
GETTING TO WORK roR THE PATH.
Committee Of the Retail Merchants
rusLinG nicNcIe Enternrisc.

The committee appointed at the meeting
of the Council Bluffs Retailers associa-
tion on Wednesday evening lost no
time in getting to work in the in
terests Of the Twin-City blcvcls path, which
1t was directed to work FOR. Within
twelve hours after its appoin- nent it
held a meeting for the purpose of organiz-
ing and discussing the method of procedure.
The committee consists of H. A. Cole r.
~ Ellis s. S. Keller, c. s. Byers and
Thomas Metcalf. II was a singularly well
selected committee OF active young business
men, each of whom has a degree of fond
ness for the steel steed, and the breadth of
views necessary for the full realization OF
the immense advantage to Council Bluffs
that will arise from such track.
At the meeting yesterday morning 1t was
decided to call a monster mass meeting of
the wheelmen Of Omaha and Council Bluffs
at the Grand hotel Tuesday evening and
have the subject discussed in all Of its bear
ings. In accordance with this plan letters of
invitation are being prepared to be sent to
all Omaha wheelmen and wheelwomen. urg-
ing them to come here and help increase the
enthusiasm and take an active part in the
meeting and the enterprise. The comfort
of the crowd Will be looked after by Mr.
Clark OF the Grand hotel. 1t is believed that
several hundred wheelmen will respond and
in about two hours all of the obstacles that
swept aside.
The committee also decided to wait upon
the council and ascertain what action will
be necessary in permanently securing the
right of way on Broadway for the proposed
course. 1t was also decided to secure some
Authentic information concerning the utility
and practcabiity OF cinder track. For
this put pose letters have been written to
people in eastern cities, where such tracks
have been built for bicycles and other We
hicles 1t is expected that there will be
some answers from these letters received
by the time the Grand hotel meeting oc-
ours.
The question as to the width of the track
and the method of putting 1t down will be
left for future solution 1t is scarcely prob
able, however, that the committee or the
business men and wheelmen who are back
ing the scheme will ask to have the track
laid in the center Of the street as has been
suggested. This suggestion has met with
considerable opposition from the public and
members Of the city council. A track laid
along the side of the street would not be
Objectionable and would cost considerably
less. The question of whether the city coun-
ell would have the authority to set aside a
portion of public street for the exclusive
use Of one class of vehicles has received a
good deal Of attention. Some Of the coun-
cilmen had doubts about the legality of such
an ordinance, which would necessarily call
for another ordinance making it a misde
IieanOT 10 use III LOT any OlHeT NeHlCleS tnan
bicycles. The question has already been
settled, however by the discovery that the
supreme courts of New York and Massa-
chusetts have sustained the town author
tiles in making such disposal of portion
of public streets, The same power that gives
cities the right to narrow widen streets
or order improvements upon them gives them
the right to set aside parts of streets or
whole streets for boulevard purposes. The
bicycla path, seventeen feet wide, would not
interfere with the heaviest traffic Broadway
has ever known in the past or is likely to
know for many years to come. The street
is eighty feet wide between the curbs, and
a reduction of the width would be one means
of salvation for the abutting property, which
must soon be taxed to pay for repaving.
w. ]. Davenport of the Burlington railway
is an enthusiastic advocate of the enter
prise, and to the committee yesterday he
made some flattering promises. He is will
ing to obligate his road to run excursion
every Saturday during the season, making
round trip rate Of about 81 for all distances
up to Is or 100 miles, and remove all
! trouble about carrying wheels.
A great deal is expected from the meet
ing next Tuesday night