Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1911-01-14
Council Bluffs
FIX VALUE QUICKLY
Appraisers Appointed for Water Plant
to Meet Next Thursday.
Will TAKE RAPID WORK BY CITY
Company said 90 Ne Ready with LIS
showing and city VIII Have 60
Hustle To Present Facts
In Case.

tor Kimball and Mayor Maloney DISCHARGED
their duties in connection with the pro-
gram agreed upon by the city council at
the meeting on Monday night for the con
domination Of the Council Bluffs city water
plant is taken as an indication that Mayor
Maloney meant what he said when he de-
olared on January I that things were to
be done this year instead OF simply being
promised.
In accordance with the resolution order
ing the condemnation Of the water plant
and in compliance with the law under
when the condemnation procedure is in
, stituted, city Solicitor Kimball and Mayor
Maloney went to Des- Moines Wednesday
morning and made the final application to
the supreme court for the appointment OF
three district court judges 70 act rs an
praisers Of the plant. The court took inn
mediate action and Chief Justice Sherwln
named Judge A. y. Thornel Of the FIT
teenth district, whose home is in Sidney
Fremont county; Judge A. N. Hobson Of
the Thirteenth district, residing at West
Union IN Fayette county. and Judge F. o.
Ellison, one OF the four judges of the
Eighteenth judicial district, whose home
is at Anamosa Jones county. Thus the ex-
IRENE southwestern portion OF the state
and the opposite corner are represented in
the selection OF the judges. dislnterested
to the remotest degree, who will fix the
value Of the plant.
The supreme court selected turists Of the
highest character ON the Iowa district
bench Judge Thornel has been on the
bench for more than thirty years, and is
one OF the fairest and ablest judges on the
bench. Judge Hobson is almost his equal
in maturity Of intellect and length of serv-
Ice on the bench, and Judge Ellison is a
fair second for either In point of expert
ence and attainment. Local attorneys say
Chief Justice Sherwin could not have Sc
leoted three more able and conscientious
judges from the Iowa bench.
Meet Here Thursday.
The order from the supreme court re
quires the judges to meet at Council Bluff
next Thursday and begin the work Of TAX
ing testimony on Friday. This may APP
pear pretty sudden and will require SOM
energetic and thorough work on the par
Of the city's representatives 70 prepare tn
necessary evidence fixing the value Of tn
plant from the city's viewpoint. 1t vii
require the presence OF expert witnesse
from abroad. Members Of the city council
including Aldermen Younkeriuan and Hard
ing, held conferences yesterday with
view OF outlining the immediate course o
procedure II was their opinion that Burn
n Mcdonald. hydraulic engineers Of Kan
sis City: Engineer wynkoop Kiersted AM
Consulting Engineer NJ. II. Bryan OF 81
Louis should be called before the apprais
ers and repeat the evidence they have al
ready given In the behalf OF the city, an
that in addition to these men other ex
perts familiar with the value and qualit
OF cast iron pipe ana all OF the details O
water works construction, involving pres
ent cost of material and installation O
plants should be called into the case
Manager Hart of the water company
upon whom will devolve the work of al
ranging to present the evidence upon whic
the company Will rely for fixing the valu
of the plant, said yesterday afternoon tht
the company would be in a position TO al
in advancing the early determination
the case and would have its evidence read
whenever the city was in similar stu,
:, ton.
some Delay Likely.
There seemed to be some fear, howeve
that one side or the other will be fore,
to ask for more time, and that the cou
cannot do much more than meet and o
ganiEe the work before A. and then a
Journ to later date. Judge Thornen
suffering from an acute attack OF Il
grip. which has Frustrated all of the mer
bers OF his family, and was unable to no
court yesterday. He decided that Il wou
be wiser TO remain In his room at Il
homo of Freeman Reed on South Six
street than to attempt TO discharge Il
duties OF the bench. Much speculation
being INDUCED as to how the judges a
TO arrange for the time required TO Ia
the evidence, consider Il and reach a co
oiusion. All are engaged In holding coui
and substitution must be placed in the
districts during the time, which may
ten days or several weeks.
There have been several valuations
the water plant, but the one that general
agreed upon as being the nearest nbv,
oally complete and correct was made
Engineer Kiersted. who began the wo
Of making a personal examination Of 4
plant In June, 1896. and completed his r
port on the following January His wo
was carefully performed and involved e
animation OF the cast iron mains. a COZ
plete Investigation OF the machinery a
reservoirs and every other portion OF I
plant Summarized the experts decisi
was mat lne original cost OF the pla
. was taS7,Sis; that It's present worth "
solss; that its "going value" was $50
and that its total value was S5OO9B a
that there was needed for lmprovemer
and extensions to meet the requirements
the city the sum OF S107 lS2.
On January - 1901 John w Alvord
Chicago was employed by the water co
psny TO make an estimate OF the physt
value Of the plant. He only spent a 4
days In the town but submitted a reno
which admitted was based almost entir,
upon the Kiersted facts by which he ,
termined the value OF the plant 20
S7O6,s4l He included. however. real est,
not listed by Kiersted and fixed its va
az S6.OO0. II is probable that much OF
evidence to be submitted win be furnish
by these experts All OF their findings IA c,
tanned In the city official publication co
piled by w. h. Lynchard In 1893. and VIII
viii now be most Interesting and valua
reading.
Wanted-Good boy 10 carry papers
west part OF city Call Is Scott street
Best rock and rye for medicinal q
family tlsa RottIed in two sfvas &c.