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About The Plattsmouth journal. (Plattsmouth, Nebraska) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (May 14, 1908)
be Hlattetmoutb 3routtta Semi-Weekiy Semi - Weekly EIGHT PAGES EIGHT PAGES VOLUME XXVI11 rLATTSMOUTU, NEBRASKA, TIIUKSDAY, MAY 11, 1908. NUMBER ill Tm. IC3PBEC3EEIT Twenty Million Dollars Asked For Huge Freight Tonnage Awaits Cheap and Safe Transportation to Market. The strongest report ever made in favor of Missouri river improvements has just been submitted to the War Department by Captain Edward II. Schutz, of Kansas City, the engineer in charge of the Missouri river. A special from Washington, under date of last Saturday, says: In his special report,' which reached the department to-day, Captain Schulz presents facts indicating the tremend ous commercial possibilities of the Mis souri valley and what the development of the river would mean to the West. Project3 involving an expenditure of 20 million dollars between Kansas City and the mout'i of the river are pre sented. Captain Schulz's report will not be made public until the Secretary of War transmits it to Congress. It is avail able to members, however, and Repre sentative Ellis went through it to-day. Mr. Ellis is very enthusiastic over it. He stated that it will be highly gratify ing to Kansas City business men and others interested in the river's develop ment. No other engineer has ever submitted such a thorough and com prehensive report " on the Missouri river. In discussing the comraercial.possibil ities of the Missouri valley Captain Schulz defines as tributary territory about 100 miles on either side . of the river. Of this territory he says: When we consider the great natural fertility and productiveness of this territory it is not extravagant to say that it surpasses any other on the globe. The production of grain, live stock and meat products in the portion between Sioux City and the mouth fairly stag gers the imagination. Captain Schulz estimates the popula tion of this zone to be 4,129,000. He also discusses the production of the seven states boardering on the river and presents figures relative to the huge railroad tonnage. He expresses surprise that the river was not made navigable long ago and adds: When we see to what insignificant dimensions the commerce of the Mis siouri river has dwindled the matter seems almost incomprehensible. After noting the extensive commerce or. the Ohio and the Great Lakes, one is filled with amazement at such lack of river interest as has been manifested along the Missouri river up within the last year or two. Captain Schulz presents two projects or the impi-ovement of the river. The most extensive of these projects pro vides for the ultimate deepening of the channel from Kansas City to St. Louis ta maximum depth of twelve feet at a cost of 20 million dollars, vhieh is virtually a part of the main project, provides for a temporary six-foot chan nel at a cost of probably 3 million dol lars. The report shows' in detail the character of the work requii ed on each of the projects. The lesser project wou'd be a permanent contribution with- CELEBRATE E30TN- :R'S BIRTHDAY The Children of Enrs, Lavica A, Cinnamon Gather at Her Koriq Last Thursday. Miss Lavica A. Scull was born at Monmouth, 111., May 6, 1S43, and vhen a little child came to Council Bluffs.and has since lived on the other side of the river and at Plattsmouth. Last Thurs day being her birthday, her children gathered at her home and made the day one of pleasure for their aged mother. They had provided a sumptuous dinner, and many were the gifts as tokens of remembrances of the love and respect which they desired to show her. There were of her children at the dinner Charles A. Kinnamon of Lincoln, Wil liam, Phillip, Louis A., Mrs. Herman Fields and husband, and Mrs. Herman Gardleman and family. They bad a general good time, and in departing to the greater and final project. Saves the Bottom Land. Too. Captain Schulz presents an interest ing review of the work done by the Missouri river commission. The ef fectiveness of this work is summed up as follows: On the part of the river where con tinuous work was done the result was remarkable. Continuous channel of not less than six feet depth was obtain ed at a stretch of forty-five miles, over what originally the worst part of the river. In a distant of eighteen miles the area of land recovered was 5,500 acres, and the area of land protected was 12,800 acres. The stretch of river referred to is be low Jefferson City. The fact given as to the land incidentally recovered and protected throws light on a very impor tant feature of the work. Referred to Engineers Board Captain Schulz's report was refered to-day to the board of engineers for rivers and harbors, and Representative Ellis immediately applied for a hearing on the report. The board of engineers is the final authority on river improve ment projects next to Congress. It passes first on the engineering features and then upon the worthiness of the projects. What its recommendation will be on the report is indicated in its favorable action upon three previous reports submitted by Captain Schulz for the improvement of the Gasconade and Osage rivers, both tributary to the Missouri, and the Missouri river at St. Joseph. In indorsing the recommenda tion of Captain Schulz for an expendi ture of $150,000 at that point to prevent the river from cutting into Lake Con trary the board said: It appears from the statements con tained within that there has recently been a revival of navigation on the Missouri river and that further efforts to develop water transportation are contemplated by the people of Kansas City, St. Joseph, Omaha and Sioux City in the near future. The board be lieves that it is advisable to complete the work outlined within the vicinity of St. Joseph, at an estimated cost of $150,000, in order to preserve the re gimen of the river and to avoid the greater expenditure which would other wise be required in the near future to make this section available to reliable navigation For the reasons briefly given above, the board concurs with the district officer and the division engineer in the opinion that the work of prevent:".? the threatened diversion of the waters of the Missouri river into Lake Con trary would be of great benefit to the navigation which local interests hope to establish along the river, and to that extent can be considered as directly and necessai-ily required in the interest of prospective navigation. Kepresentative Ellis has requested board of engineers to summon Captain Schulz to Washington so he can be pres ent at this hearing and make a state ment. The board will take action on his application next week. Lawrence M. Jones of Kansas City, president of the Missouri River Improvement as sociation, and George C. Call of Sioux City, secretary of the Missouri River Navigation congress, are also expected to attend the hearing wished their mother many happy events like the one just enjoyed. Gets Rust in Eyes. Last Saturday while at work in the Burlington shops, Jacob Jones, in some way got some rust in his eyes, which is causing him a good deal of grief. He has been compelled to take a respite from work on accouut of the inflama tion which the rust has caused, and it will be some time before he will be able to resume his duties at the shops. We trust the trouble may not continue for long and that his recovery may be permanent. Returns From Tipton. Our friend, Henry Snoke, came in Tuesday with the assessment re turns for Tipton precinct, and returned home on the 9:45 Missouri Pacific. Henry is a hustler and a genuine good fellow, and the people over in that precinct knowing his excellent qualities for the position, were simply unanimous for his appointment. He is very popular with all who know him, and the Journal is always pleased to meet him. SHIP GRAIN BY THE RIVER The Missouri Should De as Useful as the Ohio River. Why shouldn't the Missouri with its 2,285 miles of navigable length and its vast volume of water running down to the Mississippi through the finest agri cultural country in the world become a great highway of commerce? This is the question that is now being solved. "It's only a question of time. Let the interest in the river continue to increase consistently as it has been increasing of late, and the ambling, awkward, muddy old Missouri will get there," said Captain Edward H. Schulz, the engineer in charge of Missouri river work. "The Missouri river's territory has the stuff, and it's got to be moved. There's no reason why the river, which can carry it at about one-fifth the cost of railroad freierht, shouldn't have a large share of it. Take crain, for in stance, which is the chief product of the Missouri valley. About 607,692 bushels of it is shipped by water and then only for short distances unusally while there are about 784,615,395 bushels of grain raised in the district covering 100 miles on either side of the river. All that's needed is money and the interest of the people and I be lieve both are coming. People have been indifferent in matters concerning the river." Captain Shu z continues as follows: "The Missouri is navigable up as far as Fort Benton, Mont, which is 2,285 miles from the mouth. Then comes a stretch of rapids and waterfalls extend ing over a hundred miles up to Great Falls. Then the stream is navigable again for 150 miles to Three Forks, There three small streams uniting from our great Missouri. It will require the expenditure of quite a sum of money, but this vast natural highway can be made just as servicable to the people along her banks as is the Ohio now. The Ohio is a well behaved stream com pared with the Missouri. It has bars the same as the Missouri, but it don't amble around and change its course like our river: The Missouri spreads out, cuts corners and is a mile wide in some places, when its average width should be about 1,000 feet. You can't tell just when the Missouri is going to strike out across the country and swal low a bunch of farms or half a county. What we have to do is to control these wayward propensities and get a 12-foot channel. When we do that, there will be no trouble in getting the wheat growers and other shippers to use the natural highway." Navigation on the Missouri will re store Plattsmouth to that old time pace, when all the grain and produce was brought here for shipment. Every town on the river and the farmers within a radius of fifty miles on either side, will hail with joy the day that sees a line of steamboats plying up and down the old Missouri. INJURED AT THI rest hashed Ly a Falling Gar Stringer While at Work Tuesday Morning. iuesaay wnue iouowing his uc- ual occupation at the Burlington shops, Fred Ohm, sr., had the misfortune to be severely injured by a car stringer falling upon his feet. He was assisting in handling the stringer, which is very heavy, and not being able to hold it when a sudden jolt came at the sawing off of the end of it, the strinerer fell from his hands and onto both his feet, mashing them badly, the left foot re ceiving the most of the impulse of the moving timber. He- wa3 brought to the gas works, where they were met by a hack and conveyed to the office of the company physicians who dressed the wounds, finding both feet badly mashed and bruised, but the bones not broken . It will be a good while before Mr. Ohm will be able to get to work again. Governor Goes to Washington. Governor Sheldon arrived at Omaha last evening and proceeded on his way to Washington to attend a meeting of governors, where plans for the conser vation of natural resources of the country will be discussed with a view to future legislation and appropriations by comgress and the various states. He will be unable to reach Washington in time to attend a dinner to be given tonight by President Roosevelt to the visiting governors. Lumbermen Must Pay. A Lincoln, Neb., correspondent says: The Nebraska State Lumber Dealers' association must pay $3,500, the costs and expenses incurred during the anti trust litigation in the supreme court. The membership, it is expected, will be asked to dig up. The recent claim of the association officers that victory was with the de fendants is regarded as a joke. It is thought that the officers wanted to stiffen the spinal columns of the mem bership as a sort of a preface for the assessment notice. COLORED SERVANT GIRLS COMING And Will Gradually Replace White Girls as Do mestics. Colored girls from the south will gradually replace white girls as do mestic servants in this state and the influx of colored girls has already be gun, saj-s a woman who conducts a high-class domestic employment bureau. 'The vanguard of black girls has al ready arrived," she says, "and letters from the southern states say the idea of moving to norther cities has become general among the colored servant girls. "This may be due in part to tempor ary industrial depression in localities, but I think it is more likely due to the fact that the girls are becoming aware that they can get better wages in the north. "At the sametime, white domestic help is getting scarcer. There was a time during the panic when the supply more that equaled the demand but it is not so now. "The Swedish girls have accumu lated money and many are returning to Sweden. I know of twenty-five of the very best servant in Nebraska who will go to Sweden June 1. "Then, the farmer girls are going back to the country. Now that the financial depression is past, their fathers are sending them money and asking them to come home to stay." While the Journal would not be guilty of doing any harm to the honest work ing white girl, but if all the towns in the north were in the same condition for domestic help that Plattsmouth is we candidly believe a few nice, neat, willing colored girl swould be a God-send to the town. They are the principal house help in Missouri, and the house wife is not afraid to tell them what to do, as they are in the case of white girls. Then, again, the white girls are looking for something higher and less degrading than doing kitchen work. Give us a few colored girls for a trial. Sixteen Years Ago. Nehawka did not have a sidewalk in the place; nor the distinguished honor of beinsr the home of a erovernor and a congressman. Now we claim both and have a little over 500 feet of cement sidewalk in the residence portion. Verily the wheels of progress do move. Sixteen vears aso Nehawka was a cornfield and did not have a newspaper, today it has a newspaper, and the editor can sit in hi3 "Window Seat," and gaze at a small lake which carries a sign "No fishing allowed" and nearby is a decov duck. All of which makes it a very scenic place. Sixteen years ago Nehawka was an unincorporated village. Today it is the same, and the town cows and horses own the commons on Sunday and some of the other days also. Nehawka Register. Let's Push It Along. The Plattsmouth Journal proposes that the merchants unite in giving Saturday bargain sales every other week, hiring the band to give concerts on bargain afternoon, and make it a bi-weekly trade and social event. That looks like a good idea. The people would appre ciate the bargains and certainly they would appreciate the concert. It might be a good plan to adopt in this city. Beatrice Sun. So you see that away from home peo ple think our suggestion a good one. Why not boost it along, and give it one trial any way? It won't cost much. Brought in Returns. Deitrich Koester, assessor for Weep ing Water precinct, came in last even ing with the returns from this precinct. Mr. Koester is one of the most com petent men for the position in Cass county, and it is safe to say that he has accomplished his work in a most business like manner. He is a nice clean gentleman and we are always glad to meet him. THE diw ini re Reports of Committees, Sidewalks Wanted, Claims Allowed, and Other natters Receive Their Attention. Nine councilmen were in their accus tomed places when the gavel of the mayor called for order and the grinding of the city's legislative mill began. W. A. White, who is receiving medical treatment, was at Lincoln. The min utes for the two meetings, the regular and the adjourned, were read and no objections being offered were recorded as approved. The first business to come before the fathers was an application, in regular form for the placing of a permanent walk along the property of Mrs. Virginia McVicker lot 7,bloc-k 94. Report of Committees The next to engage their attention was the report of the finance committee, who reported the bills following this article, and referred a bill of $9.30 for John Waterman for lumber to the claims committee. The report of lb. 3 chief of police showed sixteen arrests, which report went to the police committee. Then the report of the street commis sioner told of work done over the city and thirteen poll taxes worked out. The report of the city clerk showed the collection of saloon license, $7,000.00; dog tax, $2.00; cemetery lots, $15.00; business tax, $160.00; making in all, $7,177.00, which he turned over to the treasurer, less commissions, making the sum of $7,176.05. The board of health reported no small-pox or other contagious diseases; board of public works nothing doing; report of the chief of the fire depart ment showed everything in shape, with the exception of a tool box for the Wide-a-Wake's, which needed repair ing. The report went to the hands of the fire and water committee. The re port of the police judge showed sixteen arrests during the month, with four dollars collected for court costs and one dollar for fines. For this the fines col lected averaged less than seven cents each; this went to the police committee. The claims committee reported the pay ment of five dollars for livery to C. L. Martin, and one hundred dollars to Dr. J. H. Hall, which was ordered paid, though the latter was objected to by some and received votes in the negative by Sattler, Neuman and Vondron. The streets, alleys and bridges committee reported o. k. on street commissioner's report and it went to the files; license committee was passed; fire and water committee report settling basons in good shape, and that hydrants had been flushed this spring and would be next week again. Neuman requested that the telephone at the boiler house be placed in good working order, as it did not work satisfactory, and that in case of fire same could not be used success fully. Cemetery committee reported cemetery in good shape with the excep tion of little working on the strest, connecting the two cemeteries and the cottonwood trees needing cutting. Gas and light no report; police committee reported the police judge and chief of police reports o. k. and same were placed on file. Nothing from special committee. Unfinished Cusinsss. The call of ward3 showed the First wanting grading for permanent walk along W. T. Cole's residence; Second ward a hole filled in Platte bottom road and a bad culvert needing fixing near SPIRITED RAGE FDR FREEDOM Dspuiy Sheriff, Kcsever, Secures the Prisoner. Last Saturday evening, Leopold Branmeier, who has been in the city bastile for some time, made known his desire to take a bath, and was given an opportunity by the Deputy Sheriff, Eli Manspeaker, who allowed him to go out in the corrider and perform his ebolutions. This was during the after noon, and in the evening when Mr. Manspeaker went to feed the other re maining prisoner, Wm. Schutz, Sir Leopold stood there with his hands in his pants pockets, until Eli went to un lock the cage to pass the supper in. Then Branmeier bolted, getting out, and calling his wife to watch the man who was in the cage, Mr. Manspeaker dAV J. K. Sanders' residence; Third ward -by Bookmeyer, crossings wanted at Ninth and Tenth on Pearl, granted; also, furrows on Chicago avenue for drain age, which was referred to the streets, alleys and bridges committee. F. II. Steimker wanted four crossings on Sixth crossing Marble, Hock, Gold and Sil ver streets. Upon this Sattler cau tioned care in thd expenditure, and a good deal of eloquence was expended by him and Steimker, with a motion and an amendment, the amendment for re ferring to streets, alleys and bridges committee losing, while the original motion prevailed allowing the crossing. Fourth ward reported Lincoln avenue dangerous and asked that the streets, alleys and bridges committee confer with the Burlington regarding fixing same, as they were partly responsible for the work needed. Neuman sub mitted estimate of work wanted done in Fourth ward and same was placed for wood culvert at $76.00, and concrete, $143.70, went to the streets, alleys and bridges committee. They also wanted the grader ran over Fifth street from Main to Park. Fifth ward asked where the sidewalk resolutions for the Ed Polin place, Phil. Hatchelor, Aug. Bach and A. C. Raceler had gone to, but it. could not be found. Sidewalk resolutions were filled for walks in front of Tuey's store, Dr. Barnes' restaurant and A. W. White's. The mayor said the council would set as a board of equalization, he saying that, the assessment were grossly out of joint. Steimker requested a block of sidewalk blanks for each city dad, which was granted. The mayor announced the acceptance and signing of contract for the lowering of streets, saying bond would be filed tomorrow. A motion prevailed empowering the streets, al leys and bridges committee to purchase what material would be needed for grading and paving. The council then adjourned and Will C. Ramsey reported withdrawal of Mapes-Fitzgerald suit. The following bills were allowed: Salaries. Joseph Fitzgerald $50 00 M. Archer CO Of) John Janda 50 00 BenRainey 50 00 Miss Olive Jones 25 0') James Donnelly 4 50 J. II. Merriam 65 40 Street Work. Patrick Tevan $ 5 25 JohnHarkins 15 3K William Gingery 17 50 Charles Bates 31 15 Claude Smith 31 15 William Wehrbcin 3 50 William Brinkman 2 63 Phil Harrison 17 50 A. Funk 21 30 Clyde Funk 16 45 Miscellaneous. C. L. Martin, livery $ 5 00 Nebraska L'ght Co., light 3 50 John Wagner, killing dog 25 J. V. Egenberger, coal 9 05 Nels Jones, hauling cart 1 50 Nels Jones, nozzleman 1 50 William Hassler, labor and mat'l 60 80 R. A. Bates, printing 33 41 John Bauer, merchandise 9 25 started after Sir Leopold, and the way the two did "cut dirt" was a wonder. They are neither sprinters, and one with the glowing idea of liberty in his mind, while the other, sworn to enforce the laws, was as anxiou3 to capture the fleeing culbrit, as he to escape. Near Third and Rock streets the deputy over took the wily German and with both near out of breath than they ever were before, and panting like a pair of hoisting engines the race closed, and Sir Leopold walked quietly back to the jail. Now Mr. Manspeaker says that when he needs another bath he will take it in the cage or go without. Severe Hail Storm. Reports from Glenwood, Iowa, are to the effect that that section of Mills county was visited by a severe hail storm yesterday evening and much damage was done in conseqnence. It is said that the hail were as large as hen's eggs, and the storm was ac companied by hard rain. 7 r'