Omaha daily bee., 1897-09-15
FRAME A PETITION In BOOTS
Opponents Of the Charter Extension
Schemes Plan Personal Visits.
VIGOROUS ACTION BY tn: ClTIz:Ns
Mass Meeting In the Afternoon
Chooses n Committee of Ten to Re-
monstrntc with the Council
Members on Their Course.


after the morning papers had announced that
the city council in committee OF the whole
had decided to grant the extension Of the
franchises of the two street car companies,
calling upon all citizens opposed to the ex-
tension to meet at the city building at
O'Clock in the afternoon. When the hour ar
rived few persons we-e around the city
building and there were thirty-seven pres
ent when the meeting was called to order
by Spencer Smith. Aldermen Casper and
Graham were the only members Of the coun-
Gil present. Mr. Smith said that the object
OF the meeting was the appointment OF
committee OF business men to wait upon the
individual members OF the council at once
and endeavor to dissuade them from passing
In any form either of the ordinances. Con-
tinuing he discussed the motor franchise
problem in pretty much the same manner
as on previous occasions, and indicated his
strong h2etillty to granting any favors or
concessions. He said there were plenty Of
people who felt the same way, and some OF
them, realizing that the last extremity had
been reached, indicated to him their willing
ness to resort to extreme measures to pre-
vent any further action by the council.
Colonel Whittlesey nominated Mr.. Smith
as chairman OF the meeting, and he was
chosen with applause. f. j. Day was made
secretary.
J. c. DeHaven made a very positive speech
in stating the wishes OF the merchants on
Upper Broadway for the council to compel
the motor company to run one-half of the
Omaha trains around the loop. and also to
insist on as near a straight scent fare as
could be obtained.
T. ]. Evans had taken a seat in the back
part of the room and when he was called
upon for a speech he declared that he was
In favor of anything that would cause delay
In granting the extensions OF the charters
at the present time. Mr.. Smith suggested
that a committee of ten doing business on
Upper Broadway be selected as the commit
tee to wait on the aldermen, and Colonel
Whittlesey approved, and suggested that the
chairman appoint the committee.
The suggestion was accepted and w. H.
b ddley, j. A. Hereld, J. C. DeFIaven, G. w.
L'pe, Geo-ge s. Davis. ]. f. Wilcox, c. NJ.
Huber and s. B. Snyder were named. Leon
ard Everett, who entered the doorway at the
| m 1ment. was also added. Colonel Whittle-
sey suggested that Mr.. Smith be added to
the committee and be made its chairman,
and it was ordered by the meeting. The
committee was instructed to lose no time.
but to go at once to the places of business
Of the aldermen and proceed to work The
chief thing to be insisted upon was an iron
clad agreement on the part of the company
! to operate it's Pierce street line in compliance
| with the demands of the public.
CUTS OFF THE FUN.
Colonel Whttlesey made several motions
| to adjourn and the chairman declared that
| there was other business to transact, but
| Colonel Whttlesey insisted and put the mo-
| tion and 1t was carried after another motion
| had been made and carried to hold a great
mass meeting in front of the city building
| at Z o'clock. just before the council con
! vened. for the purpose Of giving the alder
| men an ocular demonstration of the public
| sentiment.
The preciptate adjournment OF the meet
| ing left unfinished an important port Of the
business. ]. A. Patton, one of the citizen
committee who took an active part In tho
| early opposition to the motor company, wa
to be asked to explain his change Of front
and he had been sent for and was presen
| for that purpose. He had become interested
| with Mr.. Hannah and others in the Lake
Manawa extension scheme, and his friends
charge him with something more than mere
| lukewarmness in his opposition to the other
| franchise for fear of hurting the chances OF
! his own. Mr.. Patton had prepared a reply
| to these st.ictures and was going to read l.
| to the meeting II he had not been cut off
| C. NJ. Harl had also prepared an address and
was waiting to deliver 1t when Colonel Whit
| tleseys adjournment motion prevailed.
The members OF the committee caught
Alderman Graham in the hallway and es-
| corted him into the private office of the
mayor and tried their first experiment upon
| him. Nearly all OF the members had some
| thing to say and some of them made
| speeches. AS they warmed up the Pierce
| street feature was overlooked and the re.
quest grew into a demand not to vote tC
! pass any sort OF an ordinance for the com
pany unless 1t carried a 5-cent fare. This
| created slight division in the committee
| for a number of the members were opposed
| to a straight 5-ceAt fare, and wanted 1t only
| for the workngmen and not for the accom-
modation of the shoppers who wanted to &c
| to Omaha to do all Of their trading. Mr.
| Everett and Mr.. Smith made some strong
arguments in favor OF delaying action unit
| aser October l. and Mr.. Everett pointed ou
| the fact that the present ordinance was
| vastly better for the city than the new one
even with a 5-cent fare. The commtte,
spent nearly an hour with Alderman Graham
and then went in search of the other mem
bers of the council and found nearly all o
| them.
Every effort was made during the re
mainder OF the afternoon to circulate the cal
for the street mass meeting in front of th'
city building at 7 o'clock, and to get out al
big crowd as possible
MASS MEETING PROTESTS.
The hour fixed for the mass meeting of the
citizens to protest against the council passing
either or the street car franchise extensions
was trife too early. and at o'clock the
street in front OF the city building was dark
and deserted. An hour later, however, wher
the aldermen gathered for the nights meet
Ing they had to elbow their way through q
crowd that filled the streets and the pave
ment on both sides. carriage was run out
of the adjoining livery stable and used as
speakers stand. At s o'clock Spencer Smith
mounted II and called the crowd to order
and briefly stated that the object of the
gathering was to formulate an effective pro
test against any action by the council on
either of the ordinances. The best way tC
do this, he thought, was for the speakers
to raise their voices until they could be
heard in the council chamber and the alder
men learn from their seats the earnestness
OF the protest. The sight of the crowd and
the sound OF the high-ptched voiced at.
tracted people from adjoining streets and
soon the short street was blocked. Curiosity
probably attracted many of them, but there
were enough around the speakers carriage
to start shouts OF applause at the proper
time that could be heard blocks away
James McCabe was the chief speaker and he
went over all the ground trayersed so often
by himself and other opponents of the char
ter. j. c. DeHaven and William Groneweg
followed in a similar strain.
After the crowd had dwindled down TO less
than 100 q motion was made to appoint a
committee to carry a hot protest to the coun-
ell. ]. c. DeHayen, William Groneweg
George s. Davis. w. II. Bradley, Jacob Neu-
meyer, G. NJ. Harl and James McCabe were
selected as the committee In the meantime
prominent citizens who were just as favor
able to the motor company others were
antagonistic had slipped into the council
chamber and taken all of the seats and
when the remnant OF the meeting was ready