Omaha daily bee., 1902-02-19
GREAT WESTERN ORDINANCE
Railroad Said to Have Won Council
manic sanction Against Citi-
xcns' Advice.

PURSUING the policy which 1t has
adopted when considering matters of vital
Importance to the citizens Of Council
Bluffs, the city council held a star-cham-
Der session yesterday afternoon for three
hours while discussing the vacation ordi-
nance In the interest of the Great West
ern railroad. Except for a short time,
when a committee from the Third ward
was admitted and given an opportunity to
state its wishes. the public at large. was
excluded from the session. which was held
behind locked doors in Mayor Jennings
ONCE.
The ordinance presented to the council
yesterday by the local attorneys for the
Great Western differed in several respects
from the one originally introduced at the
same time as the right-of-way ordinance.
The original ordinance asked, in addition
to Eighth, Ninth and Tenth streets, the
vacation only Of those parts of Fifteenth
and Fourteenth avenues from Third street
to the right-of-way of the Wabash rail-
road. The measure submitted yesterday
also provided for the vacation of. Thir-
teenth avenue between the same points.
This the aldermen refused to grant, and
Thirteenth avenue was stricken from the
ordinance. M objection was raised, how
ever, to v~acating the portions as asked of
Fourteenth and Fifteenth avenues and the
ordinance when finally passed will con-
tain these provisions.
The protest filed by Leonard Everett
against the vacation OF Thirteenth, Four
teenth and Fifteenth avenues with the city
council Monday night was withdrawn yes
terday afternoon. Other property owners,
however. have interests on Thirteenth ave-
nue. and for this reason the councilmen
yesterday afternoon refused to vacate this
t~horoughfare as requested by the railroad.
The aldermen agreed as to the provi-
sions for the vacation of Ninth and Tenth
streets between the south line of Ninth
avenue and the north line OF Tenth ave-
nue., but declined to vacate any portion OF
Eighth street as asked for in the ordinance.
While the vacation OF Eighth street was
asked for In the ordinance, the Greai
Western had abandoned all hope of seeur-
ing this concession from the city n its
representatives at yesterdays. meeting did
not insist upon It.
Failing to secure the permission in the
rlght-of-way ordinance to build its freight
depot out ten feet on Ninth avenue. this
concession was Incorporated in the vaca.
tion ordinance submitted yesterday, but
the aldermen declined to recede from th'
position already taken. and the provision
was cut out Of the measure. Despite thii
action, It is said. the railroad still haI
hopes of obtaining this concession from
the city and that the permission will b.
granted in a subsequent ordinance.
Tn Great Western consented to cree
a double hedge OF ~shrnbbery on the cas-
side Of South avenue between its track
and the main thoroughfare. as requeste
by the citizens Of the Third ward, and 1
also agreed to construct its tracks seventy
I'VE feet from the thoroughfare. in com
pliance with the demands OF these citizens
The attorney for the Great Western op
posed the Insertion OF any clause In tn
ordinance providing for the maintenance
arc lights at the grade crossings and de
manded that II be placed on the same basil
as other railroads running through Coune
Bluffs. II Is understood the council mall
backed down on this proposition as re
quested by the citizens committee Of III
Third ward, and that the railroad score
a point. 1t Is said also that the railroa
objected to being required under this ord
nance to maintain hagmen at the grad
crossings and that the council decided
! it required them 1t could order them und'
the police power invested in the city.
Consideration OF the ordinance was n,
= completed when the council adjourned, an
another session will be held today. II
ordinance as submitted yesterday will hay
to be redratted before being passed by II
) aldermen.
The citizens committee from the ThiI
ward was represented by NJ. P. Dodge, osei
Brown and others.
One provision ordered inserted in n
revised ordinance was that the Great Yves
ern should maintain a division station
Council Bluns.