Omaha daily bee., 1903-04-09
ACCEPTS The SHUCART SITE
Library Board AuthoriS's Its Purchase for
the New Public Library.
VOTE ON PROPOSITION SIX TO THREE
Actual Net Cost of the Property to
the Board TO BE $4,000 Under
the Amended Proposition
of MIR. shugart.

Unless the unforeseen happens the Carne-
gle library building will be erected on the
northwest corner Of First avenue and Sixth
street, the board of trustees OF the free
public library having by a vote Of 8 TO 3
decided last night to close the deal with
E.. l.. Shugart for his property. The site
selected by the trustees has a frontage on
First avenue of 100 feet and on Sixth
street Of 1872 feet. II lies Immediately south
Of the postofice building. The price to be
paid for the property is 81, 900, to which
must be added 81 ,Os4 special improvement
assessment, which the board assumes. in
the event Of the trustees being Unable TO
dispose Of the buildings on the property
at a figure sufficient to reduce the actual
cost Of the site to $40, 800, Mr.. shugrat will
either pay a sufficient sum for the build
ings to enable It to do so or else make a
corresponding reduction in the price.
The motion to authorize the president
and secretary to close the deal with Mr..
Shugart was made by Trustee Bender and
seconded by Trustee Baird. President
Rohrer and Trustees Tyler and Burke voted
against it, while Trustees Bender. Baird,
Stewart, C~leaver, Mrs. Everest and Father
Smyth voted in favor Of 1t.
This action Of the board was anticipated.
as 1t was we'll known that six Of the trus-
tees had decided before the meeting TO
bring the matter to a close In favor of the
Shugart site.
At the opening OF the meeting Secre-
tary Stewart read a communication from
Mrs. Sarah f. Pussy, In which she offered,
in response to an inquiry to reduce the
price on her property at Willow avenue and
Pearl street from $40. 800 to 5000. The
reading of this communication developed
an interesting fact in connection with the
selection Of the site by the board at its
former session. Judge MCGEE, who was
acting for Mrs. Pussy in the matter, was
called to st. Louis and before leaving
spoke with Secretary Stewart. President
Rohrer, Trustees Baird and Bender and
asked to have the meeting postponed until
his return. He left for st. Louis under
the impression that this would be done,
but during his absence the session was held
and the expression Of preference" made
for the Shugart site. p this meeting the
offer Of Mrs. Pussy to reduce her price from
$40, 500 to $1,000 was not submitted, owing
to the absence of Judge McGee and It cane
before the board for the FIRST time las
night. The board. however, declined to
consider II.
Trustee Tyler, in declaring his intention
to vote against the Shugart site, declared
he was now in favor OF the Pussy corner.
Trustee Burke urged that the board give
the matter further consideration.
There was a large humble OF citizens
present and they we're given an opportu-
nifty to address the board. Attorney John
M. Calvin made IN eloquent plea for the
Pussy site. speaking as a citizen and tax
payer and not as the attorney of any per-
son or body Of persons. DR.. Macrae, Park
Commissioner Graham and others also ad-
dressed the board in opposition to the
Shugart site and urging the selection OF
any Of the other sites offered.