Omaha daily bee., 1903-04-13
AFFAIRS At SOUTH OMAHA
Btter's Resignation Starts Scramble fol
Fire Chiefs Place.
SIX CANDIDATES ARE MENTIONED
only -Four Have Announced Them
selves, but the others Are As
sumed TO he In the
Race.

With the resignation Of L. F. Etter as
chief Of the South Omaha FIRE department
a lively scramble for his Official shoes has
started. Etter was appointed chief Of the
department on July 1, 1900. but 1t was not
until July 10 that he assumed control Of
the department. During his term Of service
Etter has done good work and is we'll liked
by the men who served under him.
AS for the candidates for the place, four
have announced themselves and a couple
are holding back. George Curtis, the
present assistant chief, will hold down
the Job OF acting chief and city electrician
for a time, but no one seems TO know
just how long this time will be. Charles
Alstadt, who has worked on both the police
and fire departments for a number OF years,
is a candidate for chief and he says he
wants the position. Then there is Captain
Garrett Of No. / hose company. Garrett
has been on the department so long that he
remembers when N street was a mudhole
and a creek ran along where the Packers
bank now stands. Last Of all, for the
present, is the application OF Fred Smith,
for nine years chief Of the department.
Smith has been out OF office for over three
years and he wants to get back. All of
the candidates mentioned are working hard
for the place.
Mayor Koutsky insists tina he will not
appoint a chief just now. He figures that
when the proposed fire and police board
takes control 1t will want to name it's own
chief and therefore he has placed Curtis
in charge. Some OF the members Of the
council favor the idea of the mayor naming
a chief now in order to ~forestall any ac-
ton on the part OF the coming fire and po-
H. Az.- MI - zz
to do. but the candidates are urging an APP
pointment. The fight for the place is a
lively one. The salary of chief is 1900
a year.
Another Suspect Arrested.
South Omaha was exceedingly quiet Sat
urday night and at noon Sunday the Jail
was empty. During the afternoon de-
t~ectives brought in e. p. Hayes on the
assertion that he has a mania for running
after little girls. Sunday forenoon, It is
said, he made remarks to children on the
streets, which, when repeated to the par
ents, caused the immediate arrest Of
Hayes. Chief Briggs said last night that
when Hayes comes up for trial a very Sc
rious charge will be filed against him.
Retail Dealers VIII Organise.
A call has been issued for a meeting Of
the retail dealers in all linen Of business
Thursday night, April 16, at the South
Omaha club. 1t is understood that the
retail dealers will at this meeting form
an organization for mutual protection.
Among the questions to be discussed will
be the issuing OF another blue book and
also the arrangements for keeping stores
open certain evenings each week.
Easter Services.
At all the churches In South Omaha
yesterday there was an unusually large
attendance at the services and the music
was one of the special features. In the
afternoon the Young Mems Christian as
ISOLATION meeting was held at Masonic
hall instead of In the association p~arlors.
General Secretary Bailey delivered an in
teresting address and the music was spe-
cially arranged for this service. Al Of the
church affairs we're decorated with palms
and Easter lilies.
Dances Commence Again.
Now that Lent is over nearly every hall
in the city has been engaged for every
night this week for dances and entertain
ments. There will be half a dozen dances
tonight and Tuesday night 1t Will be the
same way. Wednesday will be a repeti-
tion and so on down the list up to and in
Guiding Saturday night. On account Of the
number of dances there is some dificulty
in securing music, but most of the COM
mittees say that arrangements have been
made for orchestras.
No Work Yet.
The South Omaha Library association has
a nice hole in the ground at Twenty-third
and NJ streets, but there is no sign OF
work about the premises. There is brick
and sand galore and an appropriation, but
the contractor has not commenced work.
1t was Intended that this building should
be completed by the end OF the year, but
1t looks now as II the dawn Of another year
would see the building still without a roof
There seems to be much red tape about the
whole affair. Mr.. Carnegie has placed at
the disposal OF the library board the sum
of $50, 900 for the construction CT a build
ing and the city has made a levy of $4,000
/, for the maintenance of the building when
: constructed. still the work does not pro-
coed. The directors give various excuses
, for the delay and the president Of the
board makes excuses in direct variance
with the balance of the members. Con
tractor Weise Just stands pat and says
! nothing.
Council Meeting Tonight.
| A number Of grading ordinances will b.
! brought up For final passage at 1he coun.
| Gil meeting this evening. AS these ordl
; Eapces are all ready for fnal passage ant
the property owners want them to q
a through. it is presumed that there will b
a quorum. No communication Of any i'm
y p~ortance have been handed to the clerl
r during the week and consequently tn
e meeting tonight promises to be brief.
4 Magic City Gossip.
Sneak thieves are stin stealing sunda,
papers.
L. r. Etter will assume the duties o
deputy postmaster today.
$ All druggists have been warned TO pro
cure the usual liquor licenses and advertis
according to law.
g There seems to be a decided opposition t
an occupation tax, but the council ma
. have its way yet.
A lot Of old fixtures owned by the Ham
T and sent TO Chicago.
t There is stil a big demand for goo
s horses at the sales barns at the stoc
yards.
" Now that David Anderson is out OF tn
9 race II. T.. Brass is pushing himself 10
h chairman of the proposed nre and pole
board.
4 short Ride, but a Merry One.
. Harvey and Frank Pierce and Orrin E
graves of 25l9 Parker street and Waite
browning OF 1895 North Twenty-ffth stres