Omaha daily bee., 1912-04-28
AFFAIRS AT SOUTH OMAHA
City Officials Give Facts in Connec.
ton with Alleged Plot.
MYSTERIOUS DEED NO MYSTERY
New Top on sheep Market Reached
When Lambs Bring $3.50
Everybody Urged to Clean
Premises To-Day.

The facts Of an alleged plot recently
discovered by the office of the city treas
urer with reference to the o street VIA
duct are given by city officials as fol-
lows: A deed Of gift was drawn Au-
gust 7, 1907, by J. w. Thomas and ldella
E. Thomas. his wife. in favor Of the city
OF South Omaha, its successors and az
of land sixty-six feet wide, running east
and west, 10 be used as the continuation
of street. and running in the same gen.
eral direction from the right-of-way ~
the railroad on the west to the section
line on the east.
The deed OF grant further specifies tina:
In case the Aforesaid strip Of land "
not improved as an extension of o street
10 the west bank Of the Missouri river
before January ]. 1872, the conveyance IL
to be null and void"
Further. the deed provides that the
grantees specifically reserve "a sixteen
foot right-of-way under the viaduct.
which the city of South omaha is to
maintain next to the railroad right-of-
way" The deed was filed November g
1909.
In the recent alleged discovery an at
tempt is made to clothe the appearance
Of the deed with mystery and by innu-
endo a reflection is cast upon the pres
ent department OF the city government.
As q matter Of fact, the deed was OBJ
tained from the office of the city clerk
by an attache Of the city engineers
office some weeks ago. The deed had
been in the office Of the city clerk since
the time of Its filing. which. on good au-
thority. occurred while City Treasurer
John Gillin was city clerk. 1t is the
opinion. therefore, of those who are con-
versant with the facts that the treas
urer's office had some hidden reason for
playing up as q mysterious document
something which they as sworn officers
Of the city had been called upon to file
in 1909.
Further than the mystery the office Of
the city attorney had this to say yester-
day: The filing Of the document oc-
CURED under the term OF II. B. F1eharty
as city attorney. As to the loss Of the
land In question II 10 to be noted from
the deed Of gift that the reversion Of
title occurs only in case the land is not
made an extension Of o street to the
river. Long before the close of the year
1911 contractor was sent to improve
roadway to the river from the Burlington
tracks to the banks OF the Missouri. II
was done. The land. therefore, belongs
to the city. The afterthought OF the via
duct may best be explained by under
standing that at the time the grant was
made II was confidently asserted that q
viaduct was to be built at the crossing
OF the tracks. The building OF the via
duct was not. however. the cause OF the
donation"
Both City Attorney II. C. Murphy and
Assistant City Attorney Sam Winters
were up In arms ut the attempt to cast
reflection on their office
Clean Up Today.
Today is housecleaning day In South
Omaha. From the jolly and rOtund Mayor
Tom down to the latest arrival In town
all are expected to aid In the general
cleanup. Old rags, and paper, old shoes
and hats. empty bottles and tin cans.
ashes and trash Of whatsoever degree
are grist for today's cleanup.
Yesterday the proclamation OF the
mayor was made and all the children of
the city were especially asked to aid In
the work Of making the city beautiful.
Sanitary Inspector Ed Bursan will pa
troll the highways of the city on a white
horse and his three assistants have been
assigned TO special duties In order to aid
in the clean up.
Nebraska Lambs $3.50.
A new top on the sheep market was
reached yesterday morning when the
firm Of Smith Bros. Commission company
sold two cars OF choice fat wool lambs
from the North Platte valley for $3.50 per
hundredweight-the highest price paid
for lambs on the South Omaha market
since April. 1910 These lambs were from
the feed lots Of George C. Belmont & Co..