Omaha daily bee., 1902-12-18
BLUFFS LINE IS ABSORBED
Statement to that Eject Made After Meet
ing Held in hat City.
CHANGE TO Be MADE THE FIRST OF YEAR
New Company 60 BE Incorporated TO
Operate Both Omaha and Council
BIuns street Railway
Systems.

The deal looking to the consolidation OF
the Omaha and Council Bluffs electric
street railway systems has been consum-
mated" This was the authoritative state
ment made in Council Bluffs yesterday
afternoon after a conference Of some Of
the officials interested BY the first Of
the new year or shortly thereafter the con-
troll Of the Council Bluffs street railway
system Will pass into the hands of the new
company, which will also control the
Omaha Street railway system.
Although the articles OF Incorporation,
ne far as Is known in hat city, have not
yet been filed for record, a company has
been organized IN Omaha under the name
OF the Omaha & Council Bluffs Street
Railway company. This il the company
which will control the street railways Of
both cities. Frank Murphy, president Of
the Omaha street railway. It is stated, will
be president Of the new company, which
will be financed by the seligmsns Of New
York. Guy g. Barton 10 now east com
plotting the details Of the deal.
The Omaha & Council Bluffs Street Rail-
way company will acquire, II is said, the
Omaha street railway by purchase and con-
troll Of the Council Bluffs system by leas-
ing the Omaha & Council Railway and
Bridge company and the Omaha, Council
Bluffs G. Suburban Railway company.
Must Keep Offices in Bluffs.
The Omaha & Council Bluffs Railway
and Bridge company is the older Of the
two companies operating in Council Bluffs
and owns the bridge across the Missouri
between this city and Omaha. This COM
pany Is at present operating the Omaha,
Council Bluffs & Suburban Railway COM
pany. The latter company WINS the re-
sort at Lake Manawa and the line from
sixteenth avenue to the lake. It took over
the franchise Of the Council Bluffs, Lake
Manawa g. East Omaha Construction com
pany granted in 1897. Two years later a
deal was effected whereby the Omaha &
Council Bluffs Railway and Bridge COM
pany secured control Of the suburban line,
since when the company has been said to
be operating under the two franchises.
While the Omaha q Council Bluffs Street
Railway company will control and to all
intents and purposes operate the street
railway system OF Council Bluffs, II is said
that separate offices will be maintained as
heretofore in Council Bluffs. This is made
imperative by the terms of the franchise
Of the Suburban line. which requires that
during the full term of the franchise the
company shall maintain it's principal Offices
and place of business in Council Bluffs and
that at least three OF the members Of its
directory and one-half1 OF its general on
GERS shall be citizens Of Council Bluffs.
1t is not anticipated that the consolida-
tion of the street railways Of the two
cities will affect Council Bluffs to any APP
preciable extent, as much of the business
OF the system there has for a number of
years past been transacted in Omaha. al
though Offices have always been main
a. aa 49, H.
the company have been daily taken to
Omaha and deposited in the Omaha Ma
tional banks, so the change will be little
noticed there.
As to a possible change in the local man
Rgement when the new company assumes
control of the consolidated systems, moth
Ing could be learned yesterday.