Neb.
Soc.
be JjMattetitotttb Journal.
SEMI-WEEKLY EDITION EIGHT PAGES
VOLUME XXIX
FLATTSMOUTTi, NEBRASKA. THURSDAY .IULY 28, 1910
NO 5
PLATTSMO U I H
no
Defeats Union Saturday by a Score of 3 to 1 Loses Hard Fought
Sixteen Inning Game to C. B. & Q. Team Yesterday.
From Monday's Daily.
Plattsinouth won the game from
Union Saturday and lost the one play
ed on the Chicago avenue grounds
yesterday to the C. B. & Q. team of
Omaha.
The first came was tak
en from Union after a fierce struggle
in -which the colts distinguished
themselves by fine playing. The team
which faced Union was largely com
posed of try-outs who are being given
a trial preparatory to real work
against the swift clubs. Fender pitch
ed and nobody here Imagined he
would do what he did but he certain
ly came close to shutting the Unions
out in the contest. He twirled bul
which amazed the home team and
when he had finished he was voted
the find of the year. He had ex
cellent support Including the mem
bers of the team who were unused to
his playing but who were there when
It came down to playing ball behind
him. The score was 3 to 1 In favor
of Plattsmouth, the Union team get
ting their lone run In the ninth in
ning. Yesterday afternon Plattsmouth
got up against the game of its life.
Earring the sixteen Inning contest
with the Ft. Crok soldiers no bet
ter game has been player this year
than this one. Had it not been for a
lot of errors in the first Inning
Plattsmouth would have been shut
out but this was avoided. The Bur
lington Red Sox strengthened by a
number of new players came to town
and they came within an ace of mak
ing Plattsmouth look like a bunch of
bad deuces. The pitcher for the Bur
lingtons was there and over when it
came to tossing the ball and was
really entitled to a shutout. He was
air-tighf Tt&r the first Inning an
held the heavy hitters of the local
team safe at all stages of the game.
He made a record for local games,
having a strikeout list of twenty-one
men which is some strike out list.
Whether he Is Mason or not remains
to be seen but he Is some pitcher at
that, riattsmouth played a gritty
A House Party,
Miss Ellen C. Pollock has been
entertaining Misses Ole Belle Hervey
and Alice Woodworth of Omaha,
Esther Bonsall of Salem, Ohio, Isa
dore Sheldon of Nehawka and Mary
Hungate of Weeping Water at her
home "Hillcrest" at a house party
since last Friday and which closes
this afternoon.
Saturday afternoon Miss Hallie
Fa'rmele entertained at a bridge par
ty at her home In honor of the house
party girls. In the card contest, Miss
Alice Woodworth won the prize. Light
refreshments were served.
Those in attendance besides the
honored guests were Misses Charlotte
Fetzer, Luclle Gass, Medeline Minor,
Elizabeth Falter, Kathryn Windham,
Helen Clark and Ellen Pollock.
Saturday evening Miss Ellen Pol
lock gave a lawn party in honor of the
house party girls, which was a de
lightful social affair. The lawn was
prettily lighted with Japanese lan
terns. The principal amusement was
derived from a guessing game, in
which a journey around the world
was taken, the various points indi
cated In the game being located about
the Pollock lawn. Light refresh
ments were served.
The guests present beside the hon
ored guests were Miss Halllo Par
mele, Kathryn Windham, Luclle Gass,
Helen Clark, Vesta Douglass, Dorris
Patterson, Mildred Cummins, Eliza
beth Falter, Madeline Minor. Messrs.
Wayne and Clyde Murphy of Omaha,
John Woodworth of Omaha, Lynn
Minor, George and Grovemor Dovey,
Will Ramsey, Livingston Rlchey,
Wayne Dickson, Charles Patterson,
Fred Mnnn, Emmons Rlchey, Jock
rn.terson, John Falter, Searlo 11n
dce and CInronrp Sfaats.
. , .
Death tM .lvo.
iv ,m m . t . t ,,
1 pen Muttil.t v I in II v.
Charles Cook received n me-susie
li-t evening fmnouiicini; the
of his brother-in-law, Kimene Lewis
.'it Ills homo in Alvo, Tim decease I
was a brother of Mr. Cook and Mis.
Fi'cil Dreamer and a very fine man.
Tie many frl nda of Mrs. Conk in
tills vldrlty will Join In hlnccve.. sym
pathy wih her In her In rcave'i'ei:'.
E
and uphill game and Eardwell was
at his best. He twirled magnificent
ball and held the visitors to scatter
ing hits as the score shows but he
could not stop the winning rush of
the Burlingtons who wanted revenge
for the two beatings which riatts
mouth had given them before. And
they sure got It.
After the one lone first Inning
there never was a look In for Platts
mouth. Young Mr. Mason who is
some pitcher, believe me, was right
there and the boys who have been
used to lacing the leather to the far
corners of the lot, fell down most
horribly in connecting with his curves
and that they played some fast
ball. Eardwell kept the visitors hits
well scattered and only a lucky drive
to center in the ninth played havoc
with Plattsmouth. This drive was a
clean single and followed by a stolen
base and a safe hit scored the win
ning run. Plattsmouth fought des
perately and the game went to six
teen Innings with a large and im
patient crowd in suspense until the
Burlingtons rapped out a fine long
hit in the finsh and won the game.
It was no disgrace to the locals
to lose this game as they played
mighty good ball and simply went up
against a strong team which could
win almost anything they tried to.
The Burlingtons with the team they
had In Plattsmouth yesterday could
play almost anything on the dla
mond and their pitcher certainly did
his best to get a shutout on the locals
and came well nigh doing it. But
with all this the best team in eastern
Nebraska is located in Plattsmouth
and is ready and willing to meet
all comers. Herold played a fine
game yesterday and his support of
Eardwell was timely and much in evi
dence. McCauley, Droege, Mann,
Beal, Mason, and Kelly also cov-
themselves with glory in their field
ing and good team work and the
Plattsmouth team as a whole can
well be proud of their record. The
score is:
B ..0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 13
P ...2 00000000000000 02
A Picnic Supper.
In spite of the intese heat, a merry
company of picnickers wended their
way to Ferry Glen Saturday after
noon about C o'clock for the purpose
of enjoying an outing and participat
ing In a meal In the open air. The
first hour or so was spent in various
outdoor sports and boating and a
very enjoyable time was had. Prep
arations for the picnic supper was
then begun and when It was announ
ced that it was ready for the on
slaugh, the jolly picnickers gathered
about the festive spread, well armed
with appetites large enough to eat
one of the bluffs nearby. The many
delicacies which make up a delicious
picnic supper and which were to be
found In abundance, in the various
baskets which had been brought, soon
disappeared.
They returned to thl3 city at a
late hour, having had a most delight
ful time. Another very enjoyable fea
ture of the evening was that of
toasting marshmallow8 over an open
fire and which furnished plenty of
amusement for some time.
Those In attendance were Misses
Verna Hatt, Ina Tatt, Hazel Tuey,
Edna Morrison, Mattie Larson, Jennie
Eatton, Cecil Ilawkenbary, Lillian
Thompson, Mrs. John Hatt, Mrs. J. L.
Thompson, Messrs. Ralph Smith, Roy
Thompson, Francis Whelan, Jennings
Sclvers, George Morrison and Mr.
Moore.
Sufciini; Fres-n Poison,
J. Linderman Is spending several
days on the sick list, having had an
attack of blood poisoning on tho left
arm. It is doubtful how tfie Infection
started but it is sure there as he has
a ery mean looking arm and is suf
fering unite a bit of pain. His many
friends in tle city and Its vicinity
(tone that the attack will prove a
.... , .. . . ,,,,,,,
!;t1it one and Hint he w be able to
'
s""n nbout nil right and nine to
j lt""Ii nftrr lil.-i --oi-lt.
j
.lames Holmes and wife and Mis.
('. Boecleker came up this inorn-
ln and were pnsseimers for Omaha
where thov Will Micnd the elav v!lh
r,.. -... nlH0 (lo Foinp i,'p:,ir'rn development and its extension to
an I sic t;... ,v.i..t..--. the cM cr t.nn of the county.
LETTERJO PUBLIC
Communication From Mr. F. H.
Woods in Regard 'to the
Telephone' Merger
To the Editor:
In your Issue of July 19th, you
record the fact that a petition Is be
ing circulated and signed by Platts
mouth business men asking Attorney
General Thompson to consent to a
modification of the court order he
caused to be Issued to the end that
the toll lines of the Bell Telephone
company may remain connected with
the Independent Telephone exchange
upon which there still remain the
toll line connections of the Inde
pendent systems of this state. In the
same issue you connect my name
with certain matters related by Mr.
Pratt of the Bell company referring
to alleged negotiations for the pur
chase of the Plattsmouth company.
As these matters all Intimately con
cern the people of Plattsmouth and
especially the telephone users, I think
I am entitled to ask of you the ne
cessary space for a complete state
ment of the truth of the situation.
The business men who are reputed
to Jiave signed this petition have
either been misled or they do not
completely understand just what Is
going to happen to them If the Bell
purchase Is ever ratified by the
courts. As the statutes of Nebraska
specifically prohibit the purchase and
merger of competing companies of
any kind whatever, the same being
in restraint of trade and Intended
to destroy competition. I do not
believe that this transaction will ever
receive Judicial sanction. The signa
tures to this petition were obtained,
if I read your article aright, upon
the representation that if the modi
fication be granted the Independent
subscribers will not only continue to
enjoy the privilege of ' connections
with the Independent systems of Ne
braska, but will also be afforded the
opportunity to use the Bell to reach
other points. The truth Is that the
policy of the Eell has always been
and Is yet to refuse to make physi
cal connections with competing com
panies, granting that privilege only
to sub-licenses. This means that the
Bell will of itself sever these In
dependent connections should it ever
come into complete control of the
Plattsmouth exchange, being unwill.
Ing to divide any part of the toll bus
lness with competitors.
The Independent toll lines now on
the Plattsmouth exchange a.rd your
merchants connections with Lincoln,
Omaha, South Omaha, Council Bluffs,
St. Joseph and Kansas City, which, I
apprehend, compose the Jobbing cen
ters with whom these men do the
most of their business. Aside from
this direct connections are given with
over 80,000 telephones upon the va
rious Independent lines of the state,
more than twice as many as are own
ed by the Bell. Under existing con
ditions and the .present Bell policy
your business men must lose these
connections. They cannot permanent
ly retain both toll lines on their lo
cal exchange.
. Do your people generally under
stand what It means to them if the
Bell is again permitted to enjoy a
monopoly of the telephone business
in Plattsmouth? Let me recall to
their recollection the condition that
prevailed before competition present
ed itself. The rates charged by the
Bell were exorbitant, the telephones
In service were of an antl-ouated
type, they were comparatively few in
number, extensions were refused un
til the Bell got ready to give them,
farm line connections were denied,
and as Is natural with foreign mono
polies the treatment of patrons was
arbitrary. If you didn't like the serv
ice you didn't need to keep it. These
conditions were so Intolerable that a
local company was formed to give the
service that the people were clamor
ing for.
Do you recall that Immediately
thereafter the attitude of tho Bell
was changed. Extensions were freely
offered, central energy telephones of
tho newest type wero exchanged for
the oi l rlng-tliein-up-yonrself style.
Kates were reduced to fifty cents a
month In many cases and free serv
ice" offered In .other instances. Tim
pi oplo of Plattsmouth, however, hav
ing om o hud a sample of I'.ell auto
cracy refused these lures. They stink
by tl-elr home company, paid it. liv
ing rates and rave it that iicourae
nient which made possible Its prc-
The taking over of the Plattsmouth
exchange by the Bell company, If it
Is ever accomplished, will mean a
return to old conditions. The Bell
will In time recoup itself for the
losses competition has caused it in
your city. Rates will be raised and
if the service Is not to your liking
there will be no other company to
which you may turn to secure what
is desired, no other company to use
as a rod In pickle to get what you
ought to have. The Bell has re
cently purchased exchanges In Cedar
Rapids, Dubuque, Des Moines and
other cities. Immediately after con
solidation began a movement for an
Increase in rates. Plattsmouth's ex
perience will be the same. It is In
the nature of monopoly, of a trust,
to exact all it can and give as little
as it must.
The Bell Telephone company is a
trust. It makes no denial of the
fact. All of its literature and all of
its arguments are along the line that
the telephone Is a natural monopoly,
that competition is an abnormal
growth destined to die out and leave
it In full possession of the field. It
has kept on saying this during all of
the years that Independent telephony
has been growing from a few scatter
ed companies in Indiana and Michi
gan, until today, when 4,500,000 of
the 8,000,000 telephones In this coun
try are owned by companies other
than the Bell and its licensees. Af
ter almost twenty years of complete
monopoly, granted it by patents, the
Bell has Installed less than 300,000
telephones. Not until competition
spurred both sides on did real devel
opment begin and multiply. Its fruits
have been a tremendous cheapening
and a vast betterment of telephone
service. To illustrate, In Lincoln be
fore competition a business man paid
$72 a year for 1500 possible con
nections. Today if he has both tele
phones he pays but $90 a year "and
has connections with 11,000 persons.
A large proportion of the business
and professional men use only the
Independent telephone. They pay $18
and have over 8,000 connections.
The statement that I was actuated
by piciue or failure to secure for my
self the Plattsmouth Telephone com
pany Is not true. From the beginning
the relations of the Lincoln company
with the Plattsmouth corporation
were friendly and co-operative. We
helped it develop the Haveiock plant,
which it had started before the Lin
coin company was organized. "Ttusl
ness has been freely Interchanged,
and the only exclusive contract that
the Plattsmouth company has ever
been asked to sign Is that which
other Independents are signing, bind
ing each other to a twenty-five year
contract to maintain exclusive con
nections. The object was to pro
tect all from encroachments by the
Bell, to protect the Independent
groups from disintegration by Bell
purchasers here and there, a system
of warfare It practices akin to that
of the general who picks off his
strongest antagnoists so that he may
at his leisure crush the remainder of
the opposing force.
Some time ago officers cf the
Plattsmouth company asked me for
aid. I agreed to loan them $r.0,000
for the purpose of nraklng extensions,
but this gave me no greater Interest
than I had before and afforded no
protection against Bell Invasion. I
have not the Information at hand to
de finitely state tho secret details of
tho transaction which resulted In the
transfer of the Plattsmouth company
to Bell agents, but If some of the
stock purchases wero made on the
representation that it was in the in
terest of the Independent system, the
deception practiced would lead on to
the conclusion that an investigation
will disclose that thoso who were on
the inside, who had control to sell
may have profited In a greater ratio
than thoso who parted with their
stock unaware of Its ultlmato desti
nation, In the trensury of tho Bell
Telephone company. This deception,
It seems to me, Is all the more Inex
cusable when It is recalled that tho
franchises thus disposed of were free
ly granted by neighbors for the ex
press purpose of relieving them of
Bell oppression. What tho Bell
sought most and bought was not the
major stock interest held, but the
strategic position this and tho two
other companies purchased nt. the
same tlnm held In southeastern Ne
braska. What It purchased van the
opportunity to drive a wodiio into
competition 1 tint bad cheapened cost
and multiplied service, and those who
could rcll this were In a position to
exact more than those who either sold
urnlcr misrepresentation or wero not
asked to sell, the minority stockhold
er who must take whatever tho Dell
' hereafter choices to plvo him. If
ln, ,, miuoilty MockhoMors desire to
know what the future holds in store)
for them, let them read what hap- )
pened to the minority stockholders in
licensee companies like the Missouri
& Kansas and the Central Union,
vhose holding are today worth a third
of what they cost, and have long
been as quoted on the open market.
There Is another phase of this mat
ter of Intense Interest to the people
of Plattsmouth. Competition has
saved your community many thous
ands of dollars. Let a brUY compu
tation suffice to show the truth of
this. Before competition, the Bell
had about 40 telephones in service.
It charged for business tcV-phones at
the rate of $48 a year and for resi
dence telephones $30 a year. If
we assume that the same develop
ment had takeu place under mono
poly as has actually taken place un
der competition and that no Increase
in rates had been asked for the
greater service rendered, the tele
phone bill of Plattsmouth today
would be $28,000 a year. Instead of
that you have been paying but $10,-
800 at the rate of $24 for business
and $12 for residence, giving a clear
saving of $18,000 a year, or enough
in the ten years of competition to
build anew the exchange now in serv
ice and leave a balance large enough
to build a new court house. The
truth is that no such development
would have taken place because mon
opoly breeds no such expansion, and
the rates would have been Increased
with the growth of the exchange In
stead of lowered with the growth of
competition. When to this sum is
added the annual saving on the other
exchanges on the Plattsmouth sys
tem and In toll connection costs, re
duced through competition, the total
Is greatly Increased.
Other companies served by Platts
mouth company have made propor
tional savings under competitive con
ditions. These old rate conditions are
certain to be restored under a Bell
monopoly. They have elsewhere
where competition has been eliminat
ed, and Plattsmouth will be no excep
tion. It seems to me tlint a little reflec
tion will convince the people of
Plattsmouth and the patrons of the
company In other cities it served
that their interests lie with thoso who
are endeavoring to maintain competi
tion in your city, and not with those
who w.ould destroy it. Tho tele
phone trust Is no different from any
other trust, and experience hns taught
people to regard all of them as ene
mies of the public Interest.
Frank II. Woods.
C. H. H.
A Pleasant (I'lithcilng.
A very pleasant party was held at
Frank Svthla's place last Saturday
afternoon, a number of Plattsmouth's
oung people being In attendance. The
croning feature of the gathering was
the grand three course luncheon that
was served in the late evening. There
was a fine party of young people
present and the afternoon was spent
In the usual manner of such gath
erings with a largo crowd of young
people taking In the dinner and lunch
con which was prepared. The games
which were held during the after
noon were interesting and there was
lots of fun for all who attended.
Those who attended were Misses
Celcilla Kalosek, Anna Burlanek, KHz
abeth Holly, Jossle Chechal, Palibo
Svohoda, Messrs. Roy Wray, Frank
Rehal, Clarence Mason, Joe Llndsoy,
Fane Morris.
Tho party had a fine time wading
In the creek and fishing for craw
dads. There is a fine spring in the
premises and this was used to the best
advantage. The luncheon which Is
spoken of above was one of tho fin
est ever and was well worth tho trip
alone. The party returned In the ev
ening tired but happy.
A l ino Saloon.
From Monday's Dolly.
Mino Host Peter Goos of the Hotel
Plattsmouth Is doing some work at
his hostelry which Is well worth no
ting. Peter is having tho celling of
his bar lined with a fancy zinc roof
ing which is worth while. Tho de
sign is fancy and the work which is
done by Kroehler Bros., cannot be
excelled. The result Is going to be
ono of tho finest barrooms in tho
county. Peter was a delegate) to tho
lato county option convention at Un
ion and feels tlint ho U probably
wasting bis time in putt inn In the
celling but he is a game lobster and
when county option carries Ijn will
likely sell Fred Egeitberf, r's pop over
the bur.
William Gilinour, tho well known
Platt.cmonth product fanner ami
' horse raiser Is In tho city .today look-
Ing after business matters.
Coates Block. Sold Again,
From the Omaha Daily News the
following item of interest to Platts
mouth people is copied. According
to this, the Coates block In this city
has again changed hands and the con
sideration indicates an advance in the
price of Plattsmouth realty. J. P.
Falter of this city was one of the
moving spirits in the deal and he is
one of the men who want to see the
price of Plattsmouth real estate reach
a higher level. The Coates block
Is one of the real fine buildings In the
city and Is well worth the considera
tion paid for it. With the advantage
ous location which it has and the
fine arrangements for modern con
veniences which it enjoys this build
ing Is worthy of attention by any'
capitalist who has money to Invest.
The new owners will find their in
vestment a good one Is the belief
of all who know what the property is.
The Item is as follows:
"The Coates block, the largest
business block In Plattsmouth, Neb.,
together with two adjoining brick
buildings, have been sold to A. W.
Maas of New Orleans, La. Although
the consideration named was $100,-
000, It Is said that Mr. Maas conveyed
to the original owner of the building,
A, n. Shriver of Des Moines, 5,000
acres of land in Morgan ,county,
Tenn., as part of the purchase price.
Harry H. Culver of Omaha consum
mated the deal."
1 '.n Joy an Outing.
From Monday's Pally.
There were a number who sought,
to escape the intense heat of the day
yesterday and enjoy life in the woods.
They chartered several vehicles and
drove out to Cedar Creek early In
the morning where they spent the
entire clay picnicking, lounging un
der the cool shady trees and angling
for the finny tribe, of which several
were caught. At the noon hour an
elegant picnic dinner was spread to
which all did full justice and which
materially aided In the good time.
Enough eatables had been taken
along and after every one had had a
sufficiency, there was found to bo
enough left for another meal. Sup
per was prepared In the evening and
after having disposed of everything
In the "entln" line, they Btarted on
their journey homeward and thou
were loath to do so as they had had
a very fine outing.
Those who comprised this com
pany of picnickers were: Mr. and
Mrs. Frank Janda, Jr., Mr. and Mrs.
Thomas Svoboda, Mrs. Barbara Book
meyer and daughters, Misses Lillian
and Marie, Mr. and Mrs. B. G. Wurl
and Fon Carl, and Mr. and Mrs. J. W.
Bookmeyer and son Raymond.
Basket Meetlnjf. .
Rev. W. C. Lesley who preachcJ at
Liuerty Chapel in the precinct yes
terday returned this morning to Lin
coln, his home. Rev. Lesley will be
back on next Sunday and will speak
at Liberty Chapel in tho morning
and evening. A basket dinner will be
held ln the park at the Anderson Dav
is place west of Murray In the af
ternoon. The meeting yesterday was
fairly well attended and there was
much Interest manifested ln church
work. Rev. Lesley has developed
into a great evangellzer in his local
ity and Is a popular favorito with the
many members of the United Breth
ren congregation. Next Sunday prom
ises to be one of there red letter days
In the history of Liberty Chapel.
A Record Breaker.
Wlllla Smith was out at C. Bon
gen's doing some threshing last week
and they made a record week. 1100
bushels of wheat were threshed and
this turned out remarkably well. An
averago of 40 bushels to the aero
was maintained by ono part of Mr.
Bengen's farm and his whole farm
will show a remarkably high aver
age. Mr. Bengen Is one of Cass coun
ty's best people and a mighty good
farmer as his record above shows. Mr.
Bengen with 40 bushels of wheat to
the aero stands nt tho head.
Booms Want eft.
Thoso who have any rooms which
they could possibly rent during tho
week or five clays, during the County
Teachers' Institution which will bo
held in this city will confer a favor
by calling up County Superintendent
Miss Foster. Miss Foster Is having
fiomo difficulty ln securing enough
places for tho touchers who will bo
In attendance and it tho peoplo of
this city do not respond to this call
within tho iut few days, t ho Insti
tute will liavo to bo held elsewhere.
George S. Smith, Ruck Blurts pre
cinct's good nsseKsor, is spending tho
day In tho city on business, driving
up from bis farm this morning.