Omaha daily bee., 1905-11-29
lLER GRAND HOTEL PROJECT
South Sixteenth Street Business Men Get
Plans to Working,
BAUM ACTS AS SPOKESMAN FOR PLAN
Commercial Club Executive Com
mittee Hears Argument and Prom
Uses It's support of second
Big New Hotel.

Aroused by the action of business men
last week in subscribing $4,000 for stock
in new $4,000 hotel to be built at Sew
enteenth and Douglas streets, the property
holders of the South Sixteenth street retail
district have rallied to head It of by res
directing Peter E. Hers Compromised but
never materialized project for new Her
Grand at Sixteenth and Howard streets.
The effort to re-enlist support for this
hotel plan was projected on the meeting
called by the Commercial club yesterday
to consider fat stock show for omaha.
Although nothing was mentioned in the
call for the meeting but the stock show,
as soon as action was taken on that J. +.
Baum, president of the Bennett company,
suggested that he had something else he
wanted to bring up and suggested that Mr..
Her and his associates were now ready to
accede to conditions they had formerly re-
jected when the previously appointed Com
mercial club committee had Undeavored TO
set them into a working agreement He
said the interested property owners of the
neighborhood have gone as far as to sub
scribe S13,Sl2.64 which amount is ostensibly
the chief bone of contention between the
two. This they would offer to Mr. Her to
square the accoy1t between him ard Mr..
Miller,
tiers balnnce Sheet.
Mr.. Baum proceeded 20 read q report Of
an expert auditor and appraiser on Mr.
Hers financial condition. This showed his
assets to be 81 ,564 714.S9 and his liabilities
$197O52 IS, leaving him worth Sl,367, G61 81
lie elaborated on all the various improve
ments for Omaha for which Mr.. Her was
entitled TO credit, and, referring to the
matter In hand said plans for the hotel
had been drawn by the best hotel architect
in the United States and approved by the
prospective tenant. d. j. Dean of Kansas
City.
Explaining the alleged contract with the
Deans, which Mr.. Her had several times
proclaimed to the public and which Mr.,
Dean had denied. he read the following
telegram signed by one of the Deans:
I have gone over with Mr.. Her and his
architect In New York the proposed plan
for the new Her Grand in Omaha. We are
prepared to enter into lease for the same;
Want no bonuses or subscriptions WIN
furnish the hotel in keeping with the plan
and any report to the contrary is UNI
founded.
The plan" mentioned, according to Mr..
Baum, was that Mr. Dean would put in
the present furnishings Of the hotel and
new furniture to the value of $4,000.
( Mr.. Baum declared the difference between
Mr. Her and Mr.. Miller to what would
/ he due April /. 1906, was slS,sl2s4.
! This Mr.. Baum and his friends have sub
scribed to settle the account.
! Mr.. Baum asked that the executive COM
mittee Of the Commercial club add himself
John r. Webster at.d r. e. sanborn to the
committee which had attempted the settle
ment between Mr.. Her and Mr. Miller.
| This was done perfunctoriy. The other
members of the committee are F. A. Nash
| C. w. Wattles, Howard Baldrige, u. j
/ McVann and Ward Burgess
Miller Not Allowed TO Talk.
The discussion was marked by numerous
signs OF suppressed wrath on one occasion
Mr.. Baum became nettled at a remark
! made by Gurdon w. Wattlos and at an
other time Mr.. Wattles and Mr. Her had a
passage of words. which was smoothed over
by Frank Colpetzer. When everybody else
had had his say Rome Miller engaged the
! attention of Chairman Judson and secured
permission TO speak. Before he could say
| anything a motion to adjourn had beer
made and he was snuffed out by OBJ
= lection,
Il beg your pardon gentlemen" said Mr.
Miller, and he bowed politely and imme'
| diately left the room.