Omaha daily bee., 1906-05-23
johnson Of Fourth Ward Elected President
After Many Ballots,
DAVIS OF EIGHTH BREAKS THE DEADLOCK
Long Fight Ended suddenly aud New
Administration Gets Jnder
way with Paving Bids
TO Open.


ton. johnson was one Of the big six
constituting the Funkhouser crowd. who
claimed victory by virtue Of his seiec-
tion. Councilman Bedford was elected
temporary president by acclamation Or
gantzntion was accomplished after two ses-
sions had been held for the purpose on
| Monday and Tuesday afternoons
An audience that filled the lower floor
Of the chamber was present to see the
| termination Of the presidential struggle
and the democrat axe possession Of the
city's law maxim, Machinery. sheafs Of
roses presented by admiring friends stood
on the desks Of Councilman Zimman,
Bridges and McGovern Mayor Dahlman.
his wife and daughter Ruth we're there to
! see the ceremonies.
Mayor Brown Present.
After they began the mayor espied
Mayor Brown of Lincoln in the throng.
He promptly escorted the Lincoln execu-
tive to seat by his side to the right of
the rostrum On the way Mayor Dahlman
presented Mayor Brown to the assemblaEe.
saying:
Il want to introduce to you the mayor
of Lincoln. He is a democrat | want him
to see how we do things in Omaha"
! To which Mayor Brown blinked ponder
| ously, and, evidently observing that the
new hands had not yet succeeded in
electing a president. CALCULATED:
Il am afraid you are yet in the primer
! class of the business, gentlemen"
This remark rather chilled the atmos-
phere so far as the statesman from out
] in the state was concerned thereafter
| w. II. Elbourn, retiring city clerk, ap-
peared 10th to lay down the oficial bur
! Wnyhf fr, h.,
! six years. He ofhcated as general coach
and tried to count his foeman, Councilman
Zimman, out of the making Of Johnson $
election. unanimous The latter was on the
alert and promptly denied any lack of cour-
| tesy to the associate chosen for presiding
| officer. After Mr.. johnson mounted the
| throne and grasped the gavel II was ap-
I parent he had not schooed himself for the
! job. Whereupon Comptroller Lobeck occu-
pied chair beside him and endeavorcd to
oil the channels Of legislation, such as
| 1t was.
Diagram of the situation.
| When the democrats met Monday after
| noon to organize there were two leading
| candidates for president-Bedford and
Funkhouser The first afternoons jockey
ing developed that Funkhouser and FIVE
others were cefnented together as firm az
| Gibraltar, that Bedford had four other
members rallied TO his standard and that
| Zimman refused to mix in the contest OF
the democrats. 1t required seven votes fol
a choice and forty-one ballots produced
nothing but the consumption of the time
Overnight little was accomplished in the
way of cutting the knot Incipient bitter
ness between the factions developed Yes.
| terday afternoon half a hundred ballots
! a hen y1yitb
for any one man. Funkhouser offered tc
withdraw II Bedford would agree, but the
latter did not meet the terms. In the even
ing Bedford offered the same terms, but
then Funkhouser declined. Meanwhile
every other democrat except Hansen was
put in nomination. The Bedford strength
swung to Bridges and with Elsasser's vote
Bridges had six in his favor on several
ballots Every man on the FunkhouseI
ballot received at least six votes at one
time Jackson and Davis declined to bc
candidates.
Davis Breaks the Deadlock.
Johnson was not put in nomination unit
just before the 1O9th ballot when the coun.
Gil convened for the evening session. His
name was put forward by Funkhouser
Not until several ballots later did DR.. Davis
sever allegiance 10 the Bedford faction
johnson was elected without any prelimi
nary intimatiOn by the combined Funk.
houser strength and the Davis vote The
result was greeted with loud applause. The
election was then made unanimous by q
rising vote on the motion of Bedford John
son thanked his associates and said h,
would try to be fair to everyone and was
escorted to the chair by Bedford and Funk
| houser.
The vote that did the business stood:
For Johnson-Brucker, Elsasser, Davis
Funkhouser. Johnson, McGovern, sheldor
For Brldges-Bedford Bridges, Hansen
| JaCkson--4
For Zimman-Zimman-1
Council BeEIns Its work.
With the doing OF this deed the function
OF Retiring City Clerk Elbourn was finished
according TO law, but he wished the counci
to quit without handling the business be
fore II on the ground that the clerk haC
not had time to prepare any papers. Cit,
Engineer Rosewater Immediately pointed
out that bids for paving and sidewalk con
struction were to be opened in accordance
with stipula tions and should not be shrlled
Councilman Zimman urged the transaction
OF business and his views met with ap
prOval The difficult papers and document
were procured with few minutes della!
and routine business dispatched
on the suggestion Of Zimman the ole
council rules were adopted, 10 be operativ
until changed.
The paving bids were for three district
and reveal prices about as low as las
year They are as follows:
District S55. Eighteenth Street Harney &
St Mary's Avenue-Charles Z. Tanning
brick block, S2.0l: Hugh Murphy, asphalt
s. .9s; brick, S2.07 and 2ll; Barber Asphal
Paving company, asphalt. $l.0S and 81. So
/ District S5I Howard Street, Twenty
| seventh 20 Twenty -eighth-Hugh Murphy
asphalt 82l0; brick. s2l2 and S2.l5: Johl
Grant, asphalt, sl.s6; Barber asphalt SIC
and 81 50
District s5S Davenport, Twenty-hfth t
| Twenty-siXth- flaming, brick. &.Ol; Hug
Murphy asphalt. SlS9: brick, 81 and s. III
John Grant. asphalt, sis6; Barber, asphalt
1873 and Sl.59.
Bids for the construction OF sidewalk
in the four districts covering the city weT
received for the second time and referre
to the engineer for tabulation.
ZimmaB Gets scant Courtesy.
The hnal dig Of the departing Elbourn'
claw in zimman's hide developed when
resolution was read and adopted assignin
the desks in the council chamber 10 III
councilmen as arranged by the city hal
superintendent. Zimmsn had expressed
desire for the desk given TO McGoVern an
in accordance with the customs of civilize
| nCo,tt,,,.A -, a.sora r,...