Omaha daily bee., 1908-07-19
GEORGE Il. BREWER CORONER
South Omaha Undertaken Unani-
mously Elected by County Board.
BALLOTS CAST IN STAR CHAMBER
Commissioners Believe Their Plan OF
Securing Outside Bids on Road
Paving Has Resulted I'm
Lower Prices.

George II. Brewer of South Omaha was
unanimously elected coroner of Douglas
county Saturday afternoon to fill the va
cancy caused by the death of Harry 3.
Davis. While the vote in the open meet
ing of the county board was unanimous,
the agreement was not reached until over
a dozen ballots had been taken in COM
mittee of the whole behind closed doors.
When the board took up the matter in
committee a motion by IRE to exclude
the reporters was carried. and when
the commissioner emerged from the back
room they announced they had taken a
death pact not to reveal anything that had
taken place. 1t is known, however, that
several ballots were taken before the de-
cision was reached.
1t was reported that IRE and Riggs
supported w. c. Crosby, while Bruning
and Trainor stood for Brewer, Kennard
finally casting the deciding vote in favor
of Brewer.
Mr.. Brwer has never held political office,
but last fall he was mentioned for coro-
ner. He withdrew, however, in favor of
Davis before the primaries.
After the election the board passed a
resolution of respect for Mr.. Davis and
ordered the resolution engrossed and pre-
scented to his family.
Outside Road Bid Lower.
As a result of the efforts of the board
to secure outside bidders for the road paw
ing work this summer, County Surveyor
Beal is OF the opinion the county secured
lower bids on much Of the paving work
than 1t would have If left to local con-
tractors. The tabulation of the thirty
seven bids received yesterday shows NJ.
Ford, a paving contractor at Cedar Rapids,
Ia, was low on five OF the eight roads,
while local contractors had the best of II
on the others. There was no evidence
OF a monopoly which was charged at the
first bidding, when E.. ID. Van Court and
the Katz-Craig Contracting company were
the only contestants. Mr.. Beal is of the
opinion the bid submitted yesterday are
generally fair, The low ones follow:
lryington road to Bennington, M. Ford,
twelve-loot maeadam with tarvia, Sl.62;
Military road, NJ. Ford. 2twelye-foot
mcadam with tarvia, ii.ssi concrete,
SLIGO.
Benson road. NJ. Ford. twelve-foot
mcadam with tarvia, S1.62; concrete, Sl.65.
krus park road, Katz-Craig Contracting
company, tWelVe-toot mcadam with tarvia,
800 E. ID. Van Court, concrete, 31.59j Dan
Harmon, stXteen-foot concrete, Sl.95A.
Dodge street east end, NJ. Ford, twelve
foot mcadam with taryia, $1.67i concrete,
Dodge street west and, NJ. Ford. twelve
foot meadam with tarvia, $l.67; concrete,
clifford road, from Center street to q
street, r.. d. Van Court, twelVe-foot
maeadam with tarvis, si.4Ti NJ. Ford. con-
crete, 1857.
West Q street. Z. D.. Van Court. twele-
foot macadam with tarvia. s1.40; concrete,
Sl.55.
One Clerical Error.
The prices quoted are per lineal foot
On the Dodge street road a clerical error
was made in Mr.. Ford's bid, the figures
appearing t2.s7 instead OF sl.67. but from
comparisons with other prices quoted Il
was evidently his intention to bid 1857,
and he has announced he viii make the
correction II permitted to 90 90 by the
board The bids were not acted on by the
board.
Douglas county will be r~earranged az
to road district In accordance with the