Omaha daily bee., 1911-06-18

no means unusual thing to see "a
each day at the landing several boats
receiving freight for the mountains and others
the products of the consumption at the south
He would however likely have made Of the newly
built railroads which had thrown their iron tracks
about Omaha like spokes in wheel Stimulated by the
construction of the Union Pacific, finally completed
in 1862 four roads constituting through connections
with the had rapidly pushed their way up to the
Missouri river The Chicago & Northwestern had
been the first completed then the Hannibal & st.
Joseph then the Chicago, Rock Island Pacific and
next the Chicago Burlington Quincy. Even at that
time the project for the Omaha Southwestern was
afoot, be carried into successful execution.
The controversy over the of the Union Pacific
bridge at this point was just at its height and the
business of the town energetically engaged
in fight to prevent the threatened location of the
Union Pacific terminals on the Council Bluffs side OF
the river
Brds-Eye View of the Town.
The first impulse of our traveller would naturally
have been to take brief survey Of the place. The
whole area of the town in 1871 was but shadow OF
what 1t is now The streets had been laid out only
from Twenty-third street the west to the river
the east and from Nicholas the north to Pierce on
the south. The inhabited portion was, Of course,
much smaller. For administrative convenience the
town had divided into six wards, the First ward
comprising the district south of Farnam (then spelled
Farnham) of Twelfth; the Second that south
of Farnam and west of Twelfth the Third, that be-
tween Farnam and Davenport; the Fourth, that be-
tween the streets and west of Fourteenth; the
Fifth that north of Davenport and of Sixteenth.
and the Sixth, the remainder
The streets, even in the business center, were
paved The sidewalks and crosswelks consisted, for
the part. of wooden planks, though the pedes-
tran esteemed himself fortunate to find continuous
sidewalks at all. There was street railway, no
electric lights, telephones, sewers, water
works The people drew their water from wells and
csterns, and water for fire protection stored in
public csterns at the intersections Of certain streets
In one thing the town pointed to up-to-dateness
that placed it head and shoulders above its compet-
tors-that was its gas works and gas lamps. which
had been introduced two years before. Still the
of gas for Illuminating stores and dwellings was
luxury afforded by exceeding few.
Panorama From Capitol HILL
Let me quote a pen picture written shortly before
this very time:
Commencing near the river on the south atten-
ton is attracted by substantial brick buildings
used breweres, while the heights which bound
the city in this direction crowned by handsome
private residences Passing west notice in success
sion the gas works, Brownell hall and the Nunnery
thence crossing to the north reach the old capitol
redeeded to the city for educational purposes.
An to its cupoa will we'll repay the fatigue i'm
posed Immediately below lies the city, with its wide,
terrupted here and there by churches and lines of
pleasant trees beyond rolls the Missouri with Its regal
pomp Of waters, while in the distant sleeps Coun-
Gil Bluffs at the foot Of the picturesque hills from
which 1t takes its Before four or five busy
lines Of railroad carry the through traffic the con-
tinent and valley unsurpassed for fertility and
beauty be traced for as It stretches away to
the north.
Coming down into the city and reaching Farnam
street we notice the Congregational church. military
headquarters and the court house; east of these
Kountzes bank next Shoaf Brothers billiard hall and
the offices Of the Chicago Rock Island Pacific rail-
road At the foot of the several hotels and
the offices OF the Union Pacific railroad Passing
up Douglas street, the Metropolitan hotel il the first
object of interest; then Twelfth but few steps
from the main thoroughfare, the rooms of the YounR
Mems Christian association, credit to the zeal and
devotion OF the young men OF Omaha. Just beyond
Twelfth the Emanuel Evangelical Lutheran church
and Visscher's block Next come the Omaha National
bank and the offices of the Herald and Republican
On Seventeenth We see the new Presbyterian church
with its conspicuous spre and the Methodist church
but partly built On the Of Fifteenth and pay.
export the Baptist church is approaching compile
ton and promises TO be of farest
additions to the city. Following east on Davenport
we reach an open space overlooking the river bottom
and the eye Is at once arrested by the extensive shop,
of the Union Pacific railroad. The barracks TO tn,
hONh VI SA'5 1So repay Nlet though at
emit the Indian troubles west have drawn away mos
Of the troops"
City Government in 1871.
If traveller should have happened In n IN,
council in HellmAn's block some evening whe,
the council in session. he would have found Ad
vising that body as mayor Smith 8. Caldwell one o
the leading bankers and most prominent citizens II
front Of him he would have seen ranged as council
men T. A. Allen and W. j. McKsliiEan from the FRS
ward, O. w. Holman and j. 3, Gibson from the Bee
ond ward. Henry LuhenA and John Campbell from tn
Third ward. John A. HorbAoh and Byron Reed from
the Fourth ward. James Creighton and j. B, Bartlett
from the Fifth ward, and George Smith and Thoma
Martin from the Sixth ward. The other city officer