Omaha daily bee., 1902-11-25
PROTEST is SIDETRACKED
Council Decides ia Go Ahead with
Fixing Up LidSett Property
for Pest House.

The protest against the city using the Lid
gett property, which it recently purchased,
for a pest house or isolation hospital, was
presented at the meeting Of the city coun-
ell last night and as had been expected the
aldermen declined to take any notice of it
beyond ordering that the communication be
filed away in the municipal archives. The
protest was signed by about twenty resi-
dents and property owners of that part of
the city who in the same communication
served notice that IL the city authorities
fail to heed the protest, suit will be brought
to enjoin it from using the premises for a
pest house or similar purpose. At a meet
ing Of the Board Of Health following the
city council session City Physician Hough-
ton was authorized to secure the services Of
a man and his wife. both to be smallpox
immunes. who will live in the house and
assist in the care of whatever patients may
be sent there. The city physician was also
instructed to have the necessary furniture
placed In the house at once, as until the
premises are occupied the city cannot OBJ
tain any insurance on the building. 1t was
decided to maintain the present Waterman
until such time as the city physician secures
the services of a man and his wife.
The Groneweg & Sehoentgen company
asked permission to pave a strip nineteen
feet wide in front Of its warehouse on South
Ninth street, between Broadway and First
avenue, with granite block in place OF
brick, as provided for in the contract with
Wickham, The company desired this change
of material on account Of the heavy hauling
at this particular point from and to their
warehouse platform. AS there was some
question as to whether a change at this
time in the manner of paving the street
might not invalidate the contract and pos
sibly nullify the assessment Of the i'm
proyement against the other property own
ers the matter was laid over for the opin-
ion of the city attorney. The strip which
the Groneweg & Schoentgen company de-
sired paved with granite block is ninety feet
in length.
Alexander Wood and w. M. Piper, owners
of twenty-one acres lying east Of South
First street. which they claim are used
solely for agricultural and horticultural
purposes and consequently exempt from
taxation for city purposes, asked that they
be refunded all city taxes which they had
paid on this property for the years 1899,
1900 and 1901, and that the tract be exempt
from the taxes Of 1902 and all following
years. The request was referred to the
city solicitor.
A committee consisting Of the mayor and
Aldermen FINLEY and Casper, was appointed
to confer with the attorneys of Henry Locke
and ascertain for how much the latteT's
personal injury claim could be settled for
The former city council at a private con-
ference with Attorney John Lindt, in
structed the city attorney to confess judg.
ment in the sum OF $4,000. but Mayor Jen-
nings vetoed the resolution and a motion
to set aside the judgment was filed II
the district court. where II has never beer
passed upon.
In the matter OF the personal injury suit Of
Miss Lena Woods. the city solicitor wa
instructed to confess Judgment for $3.50, II
full settlement. Miss Woods asked 3d. 0
damages for injuries received while cross
ing the Fifth avenue bridge before it wa
repaired.
C. e. H.. Campbell was awarded the con
tract for repairing the North First stree
bridge over Indian creek on his bid OF $s45
, Specification for a new steel combination
bridge, with a f~orty-two-foot span owe
Indian creek at Twenty-third avenue wer
approved, and the city clerk instructed L
advertise for bids.
Alderman Mcdonald called the attentioI
D OF the aldermen to the immediate neces
D sity for repairing the paving on sout
Fourth street, but was met with a CT
OF mo money" Alderman Casper sug
gested that nothing be done until spring
but as a compromise Il was decided to tax
the brick with which the city had re
paired the old cedar block paving on HaT
rison from that street and use II to pate