Omaha daily bee., 1902-07-20
CHANGES At UNIVERSITY
Three New Courses Of Study offered to
Students Next Year.
COURT KNOCKS OUT A BRIDGE CONTRACT
Helen NJ. Cougar Brings suit Against
POpuIist Committee for Services
During the Campaign
of 1900. 20
cFrom a star correspondent.l

From a stan Correspondent
LINCOLN, July 19.-(special. 1.-THE mid
summer announcements Of the University
Of Nebraska give the details Of three new
courses Of study that will be offered at
the institution beginning with the next
school year. One is a two months course
In dairying, designed for young men who
wish to engage in dairy work or who wish
TO become managers Of skimmIng stations.
The others are four-year courses in for
sstry and medicine. the latter being desig-
mated as the ''premedical" group.
The course in forestry is inaugurated with
q view to preparing students for work in
connection with the forest reserves recently
or about to be established in Nebraska
and other states. II Is similar to a course
offered In Cornell and several eastern uni
Versities.
The premedical group IL designed to pre-
pare students for higher work In medical
colleges and is arranged so that most insti-
tutions Of the latter class will give two
years credit for the work done here. II
IL intended as a thorough preparatory
course for the study Of medicine, but has
no connection with the afiliation Of the
university with the Omaha Medical college.
Knocks Out Bridge Contract.
Judge Frost in the district court has
given a decision holding invalid the con-
tract for construction and repair work on
bridges given TO G. @. Shelley several
months ago by the commissioner Of Ian
caster county. Mr.. Shelley is allowed S.
900 already drawn under the contract and
$500 besides. He is enjolned. however,
from performing any further service for
the county under the existing agreement or
from in any way interfering with material
or supplies furnished the county, or with
the bridges repaired or constructed.
The suit which brought forth the decision
was instituted by William M. Clark, APP
pearing in the capacity Of taxpayer, and
was based on charges made by Commits
sioner Tflton, one Of the three members Of
the board. Mr.. Tilton averred that the
contract with Shelley was given without
his knowledge or consent and at a time
when the board was not regularly in ses-
sion. There were numerous other charges
Of irregularity in the proceedings and most
OF them were fully substantiated by the
testimony and evidence produced In court.
Probably the most damaging argument
against the contract was found in a COM
parlson with the prices set forth in former
contracts for the repair and construction
OF bridges. In some cases the prices in
the Shelley contract were twice as high
as those Of the year previous. Commits
sioners Welton and Borgelt. however, con-
tended that sheeley's bid. all prices beins
considered. was the lowest offered to the
board.
Under the present system Of bidding
for bridge work II Is dificuit for a person
not versed in engineering to determine
the relative quality OF the bids, for each
is upon q set of plans and specifications
entirely different from the others. This
system has taken the place of the standard
plan system ~inaugurated by former Com
missioner Beckmann.
When Mr.. Beckmann was q member II
the board he recognized the Impractical
bility Of deciding among bids offered on
different plans and on different materials.
To remedy the evil the board had the
county surveyor draw q standard set OF
plans, and only on these were bids re.
ceived. The prices we're arranged in tab
ular form and In q glance any person
could determine which was the lowest bid
The experience Of a few years demon.
strated that the system worked q greaI
saving.
When Mr.. Beckmann retired and tho
board was reorganized the county sur.
veyor's plans we're discarded and the for
mel method Of bidding and awarding con.
tracts was re-established Sheeley's con.
tract was given under this method, and al.
though supposed to have been the Lowest
offered, makes provision for prices twlc,
as high as those stipulated In former con
tracts.
Mr.. Shelley will probably appeal the cas-,
II he fails TO getsa rehearing and a favora,
BILE decision. The commissioners asser
that they are prepared to advertise fo
new bids for bridge work during the re-
mainder of the year.
Sues Populist Committee.
Mrs. Helen M. Cougar Of indiana hal
begun suit against the populist state sen
trail committee for $3.50. alleged to hav'
been earned by making speeches In Ne
braska during the campaign Of 1900. sh'
alleges In her petition taht she was Gale,
here from her home with the understand
ing that she was to be paid S25 per da.
for her efforts. Her claim was presente,
to the committee and audited on Septem
Der II. 1901, but no money has been forth
coming. Mrs. Cougar spoke in Lincoln
omaha and various other places In tn,
state. appealing on several platforms witt
w. J. Bryan. The committee has mad
no answer to the petition. It is under
stood that there are several claims agains
the organization not yet paid. but there 1
some dispute. It IL eontended, about tn
Cougar claim.
Articles of incorporation Of the Yanke
Hill Brick Manufacturing company o
Burnham, Lancaster county, were records
in the secretary OF states once today. Tn
company has a capital stock Of 500, OOC