Omaha daily bee., 1909-11-12

An instructive post norton Of the re-
mains Of the gas fight in Greater New
York Is supplied by a report OF the special
master of the federal court In charge Of
refunding gas overoharges. When the fight
began against the law reducing the price
Of gas to so cents, the companies were al
lowed to collect the old rate Of 81. but
were required to deposit with the court the
difference between the two rates, the
amount to be refunded on final determine
ton of the issues. Up to the time the fed
eral supreme court spoke the last word
sustaining the validity Of the reduction
law, the master had received $lO,s13, S6,
principal and interest, on the deposits. OF
this sum $s,15O,s43 has been returned to
consumers. Checks for SSO2,O 900 sent to
claimants we're returned because they
could not be found. All known holders of
valid receipts for the excess have been
reached, still the master has on hand
g. Se2 with which to pay further claims,
the court costs and the special masters
expenses. It is estimated s2,OOO.OOO will be
returned to the companies. representing the
aggregate loss Of negligent consumers. Tho
easy ways Of the multitude turns into
velvet for the gas companies.
-
When elevated railway structures ara
built in New York in the future the archi-
tects will have to figure out how to pre-
vent the deafening roar ca sed by trains.
A precedent has been set IN the plans for
the elevated parts of the proposed new
subway lines. The Public Service commits
sion announces that designs of noiseless
Il" structures have been approved by the
Municipal Art commission. but only tenta-
lively. The commission will pass finally
on designs for T. sections Of subway
routes and then the Art commission will
have another chance to consider them.
Observation has shown the chief reason
trains running on al IL structure cause
great noise Is that the structure vibrates.
Engineers figured that IL they could do
away with that vibration they could pro-
vide practically noiseless railways over
head.
They decided the best way to stop the
vibration of the steel structures was to
place on top Of them solid concrete floor
ings, and the designs approved by the Art
commission call for flooring OF concrete
from eleven to fifteen inches thick. over
Ethe concrete will be laid the ties support
ing the rails and the ballast, which proba-
bly, will be of broken stone. The concrete
flooring will prevent the vibration caused
by the operation Of trains.
Bat Masterson tells a taxlcab story of
Harry Allen, who brought the first fleet
OF taxicabs to New York, and managed 1t
we'll while he was In charge: Allen took
a ride during the Hudson-Fulto week"
says Masterson. HE paid the dollar and a
half in advance graft that was exacted
during that period by some companies
without demur. He couldn't help himself.
But after the cab started he looked at the
Indicator flag. 1t should have been pointed
at an angle of 40 degrees above the hori-
zon. Instead, 1t was pushed clear down
out Of sight. Mr.. Allen tapped on the win
dow and the cab stopped. You nave that
Indicator down to the double fare notch,
said Allen. Put 1t back where It belongs.
Why, suffered the Indignant robber,
'yoU-you-you-what do you know about
my business, anyhow Everything said
Allen. i have fired most OF our thieves
from my companies at one time and an
o~ther-and 1 invented that particular style
Of register. Now. put It back And said
Mr.. Masterson, the cabman put It back.
But when Mr.. Allen paid his fare this
nervy chauffeur looked at him with sorrow
in his eyes.
I should think, said he, that II you're
in the business you wouldn't mind a poor
guy maxim a dishonest dollar for himself"
3 arsenic.
More than $50 valuable horses In East
Side stables have been poisoned to death
in the last few months by a gang of black
mailers for whom the police are eagerly
searching. Detectives declare that owners
Of horses in that section OF the city have
already paid at least $4,000 to the black
mailers and that their animals have 40
far enjoyed immunity. DR.. II. Stark, chief
inspector for the Society for the Proven
ton of Cruelty to Animals declares that
while more than $50 and less than 500
horses have been killed by poisoning, more
than 1900 animals have been given poison,
! but saved.
The method Of the blackmailer is to de-.
mand, through a letter, several hundred
dollars from the proposed victim on pen
atty Of having his horses killed. After the
second demand has been ignored. one or
more Of the Victims horses die. Later It
ia found that the horses have been given
The $2,OO0,O 900 estate, left by Daniel c.
Kingsland, a New York real estate oper-
; ator, is to be distributed among his nep-
! hews and nieces. Some Of 1t will go to
/, the half hundred lawyers who represented
the various heirs.
) Justice Truax ordered the distribution of
> the fortune recently after learning that the
5 disputes had been amicably settled. When
E the case was called, a small regiment OF
lawyers stepped forward.
How many attorneys are interested In
4 this notion" asked the court.
5 There are, l think, about forty-one pres
3 ent this morning" replied Attorney Will
! liam r. Wilder, as spokesman. There are
. more of us when we gather In force"
/ PERSONAL NOTES.
20 Miss Rose Elizabeth Cleveland, sister of