Omaha daily bee., 1908-02-06
FIGHT ON BRIDGE CHANGE
Residents Aver Shortening Structure
Will Cause River TO Overflow.
PAPER TELEGRAPH RATE LEGAL
All Hope OF Lancaster Republicans
Uniting ON Candidate for DeIeEate
Vanish-Judge SedEwick
in the Race.
cFrom a staff Correspondent


lington railroad wants to reduce the length
Of its bridge near Fremont from 2.4oO feet
to 200 feet by filing in the approaches.
Objection was filed with the State Railway
commission by numerous property owners.
who contend to permit the corporation 70
do this would cause the river to overflow
and damage the adjacent property. The
matter was discussed informally with the
members Of the comInission this morning
by Superintendent Bigneu of the Burling-
ton. who contended that instead OF causing
damage to property it would prevent dam
age. The reason for the shortening of the
bridge. he explained. is to reduce the width
OF the channel OF the river and enable the
water to cut the channel deeper, thus pre-
venting a blockade Of ice as frequently
occurs. Mr.. Bignen told the board that
where bridges had been shortened and the
channel narrow ed satisfaction had resulted
and overflows had been prevented. Bridges
have been shortened, he said, as follows:
Ashland. from rs to 1.6SS feet; Schuyler,
$3.50 to 1s4O feet; Columbus. 2,79O to LEO;
Central City, $3.50 to 1852 feet; Grand Is
land. 1880 to 1,64S feet; Kearney. 500 to
], ,724 feet Bridgeport, $500 to 1.792 feet. No
trouble has been experienced at any of
these places since the shortening of the
bridges he said. except at Columbus, and
that was caused, he believed, by the bridge
not being shortened sufficient.
Newspaper Telegraph Rates Legal.
The state Railway commission wrote a
letter this morning to Attorney Meyers of
Alma, who complained against telegraph
companies making a reduced rate to news
papers. The letter called the attorney s
attention to the statutes which provides
for this reduced rate to all newspapers and
inasmuch as that statute has not been
changed by the legislature and for the
further reason that reduced telegraph rates
to newspapers is in the interest Of the
public, the commission has no authority
to do anything in the matter.
station to Remain Open.
General Manager Holdrege of the Bur
lington has written the railway commits
sion that it is not deemed advisable by his
company to close the depot at Dickens. A
few days ago the commission issued an
order against the Burlington closing this
station.
Briefs In York Case.
The case of the Commercial club Of York
against the Northwestern and Burlington
railroads 10 compel them to construct a
transfer switch at York came up before
the railway commission this afternoon and
both sides agreed to submit the case on
briefs. The commission gave the attorneys
fifteen days in which to file the briefs.
The case also involves the construction of
track scales. Judge Sedgwick appeared for
the Commercial club and w. A. Dilworth
for the Burlington and c. c. Wright for
the Northwestern.
Rock Island Appeals.
The Rock Island railroad company today
appealed to the district court from the re-
cent order of the State Railway commits
sion directing it to maintain a passenger
and freight depot at the town Of Univer-
sity Place. The petition Of the railroad re-
wives the whole question of the rights of
railroads and the power OF the commission.
1t is asserted that the state commission
Law is unconstitutional because it is an
interference with interstate commerce, is
unreasonable and deprives the company OF
it's property without due process Of law
takes private property for public use with
cut compensation. and finally. that it dis
allows the petitioner of its rights to trial
by jury.
Mickey Dangerously III.
The condition Of former Governor John
II Mickey, who since his retirement from
the executive office has been seriously III
at his home in Osceola, shows no improve
ment and some of his physicians say there
is no hope for his recovery. DR.. ]. l.
Greene, who was the governors physician
at Lincoln, bat who is now superintendent
of a state hospital at Kankakee, Ill, was
summoned to Osceola to See Mr.. Mickey.
He said today the ailment was necessarily
chronic and progressive and that recovery
-@- hardly be expected.
Harmony Dream Vanishes.
The dream of the Lancaster republicans
THAT they would be able to agree upon q
Lancaster couE>y man to recommend tC
the state convention delegate-at-largC
TO the national convention never passed
the dream stage. 1t has been practically
agreed by the republicans who usually
pull off the things in this county that
Judge A. W. Field should have the dele
CATION TO the state convention to use tC
secure a place on the national delegation
Now, the Union Veterans Republican clut
has endorsed Judge j. b. Strobe for the
place. The two men viii fight It out and
the fight is liable to be a hot one. Ii be
came known today that II the friends OF
Judge Strobe were able to control the
county convention, Judge Lincoln Frost
would be endorsed for district delegate
For some time Il has been talked thai
Judge Frost desired TO go to the nationa-
convention, but that he did not want Il
be compelled TO make a fight to secure
his own county, Should Judge Strobe bs
able to control the convention this would
relieve Judge Frost Of making any fight
Friends of Judge Field seem to thinl
Lancaster county can hardly hope TO Sc
cure a deIegate-at-large to the convention
and also a district delegate, inasmuch "a
there are seven counties in the district
s. H. Burnham is also a candidate fOl
district delegate and before the county
I convention is held on the 14th Il is prob
able there will be more candidates FOL
district delegates.
sedEwiek Not a Candidate.
Il am not a candidate for delegate-at
large 10 the republican national cOnven,
ton" said former Chief Justice Sedgwick
while in Lincoln today. Should the state
convention unanimously call upon me C
be a delegate 1 would accept, but l would
not ask a single friend OF mine to try tC
get me endorsed, and neither will l d.
anything for myself"
Judge Sedgwick has been frequently men,
,tioned as a ptoboble candidate for dele
gate-at-large, and he was asked today II
he intended TO be a candidate. He an
swered as set out above and continuing
he said;
Il believe the republicans Of Nebraska