Valentine Democrat. (Valentine, Neb.) 1900-1930, 1904-10-20
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infraction of the rules of the institution
into the prison Is prisoners and - were
discharged, leaving 315 On hand at the
end of the month. or these 195 were en-
ployed by the Lee Broom and buster
Company. Only one convict was parol-
ed during the month, Michael Ennghf.
sent up from Douglas County for ten
years for robbery. Charles Boyd, OF
Douglas County, who escaped, has not
yet been apprehended. The adoption or
the new blue uniform for those Convlcts
who make records for good behavior IS
having a good effect and at this time two
thirds of the inmates have been able TO
lay aside the stripes. As fast as a con-
vict demonstrates that he IS going 10 be
good he gets the new uniform ana ap-
parently all Of them are now working to
get rid of the od-time stripes.
H. G.. Leavitt. of Omaha, has made
application to the state board OF lrnSa-
ton for an appropriation Of water from
the North Platte River for an immense
canal project. The application filed Is
supposed to be part of an amendment
to the rights granted the Farmers Canal
Company. In the construction OF the ca
nal Mr.. Leavitt stated in his application
that he expected to spend 81 $4,000 and
to irrigate 10000 acres of land. The
headgate will be constructed in SCOTS
Bluff County, near Mitchell, and the
canal will be $50 miles in length, ending
near Bayard, Cheyenne County, in Red
Willow Creek. The canal will go
through SCOTS Bluff, Sioux and Chey-
enne Counties and is to be completed by
1914. The new venture is 70 bear the
name of the Union Canal.
Lancaster County must pay the face
Of the Midland Pacific bonds, which We're
issued in 1873 to aid in the construction
Of q line to connect Lincoln with the
Union Pacific. The supreme court at this
sitting has handed down q decision to he
effect that regardless Of all other facts
the county would be liable to pay the
bonds unless they were absolutely null
and void. because in the suit brought to
test the validity in 1885 by Charles f.
Lewis the case was compromised by
reduction of the interest rate from 10 TO
$40 per cent. Since that time until 1903,
when suit was brought .y a Lancaster
County taxpayer, Thomas Calburn, TO
test their validity, the county regularly
paid the interest and redeemed two Of
the bonds This the court states is fur
ther reason why the issue should no. DO
held void.
Both the authorities Of Richar dsOn
County and the members of the Omaha
Real Estate Exchange, OF Omaha, lost
out in their fight in the supreme court to
compel a higher valuation of railroad
property located in their respective tax
ing districts as basis for county and
municipal taxation. The supreme court
held in both cases that the law which
provided for the valuation of railroad
being fixed by the state board
OF equalization and distributed according
to the mileage Of the road was constitU-
tional. The opinions held also that
depot, terminal facilities, bridges and
other structures that were part OF the
railroad system were to be considered IL
the valuation OF the entire system, and
t 1t the local taxing authorities had no
right to assess them separately.
The case of SOrenson against SOreu-
son, involving an alleged common law
marriage, remains where it was prior to
the rehearing, the decision Of the su-
preme court being adverse to the young
child Of Ellen Ferguson, Of Ord. for
whom the $4,000 estate of Hans SOren-
son, who died at that place in 1896, was
claimed. The first decision in the case
w:s written by Commissioner Raglan in
1898. and it has been pending on rehear-
ng since that time. The court sustains
he former decision that there was not
enough evidence Of a common law mar
.iage between the woman and Sorenson
o establish the child's claim TO the
against other relatives Of the
nan.
The Bankers Union of the World is in
he supreme court again with a brief ia
which it asks the court to reverse the de-
ision of the lower court, which COM
handed it to pay to Brice F. Nixon
j 900, due Oh a benefit certificate held
y William Riley Nixon. The deceased
D taking out his policy stated he had
ot been vaccinated and agreed to waive
ny claim against the company if h
hould die or was disabled as Il result Of
mallpox. The brief stated that d num-
er Of witnesses would swear that Nixon
led of smallpox. while other witnesses
yould swear that he died Of a complica-
on of diseases. The question at law is
neither the company had a right TO allow
fixon to waive any benefits.
Lincoln very appropriately celebrated
,e launching Of the battleship Nebraska
riday afternoon. Promptly at 400
clock, the time the ship slid into the wa
IT the old cannon at the state house
as turned loose eight times. the Bur
ngton whistles and all other whistles be-
an to shrek and general bedlam held
way. A direct wire connected with the
ty OF Lincoln with Seattle and Just as
lie message was flashed across, the nose
gan.
Edward Schneider, who lost, out in a
lit for damages against the Omaha
rect Railway, has brought his case
the supreme court. Sclreiber was driv-
& across Jackson and Tenth and vas
n into by q motor car, which he claim
was running faster than the law al
VS..
Tho oF