May 13, 1000.
OMAHA ILLUSTRATED 111313.
it
Sketches of Life on
Omaha Toll Bridge
boon opening too tunny bottles down In this benst. Now passengers have objected to my ncconipnnlincnt nnd she did not piny It
n faintly nnd
hospitable neighborhood tnndo nn effort to paying 20 cents to get
climb the steps lending up from the water'w phneton over the river."
edge, llnlf wny tip there Is n high picket Tito only feature of bridge life which
barrier nnd the mnn tried to climb over this, thrusts the Inevitable thorn Into the toll-
He. fell to the cinders forty feet below and man's side is the proximity of the smelters.
hiM Intoxication couldn't save him. They When the wind is in the most unfavorable htOl'lCS A DO lit 1'rCilCliei'S
well, but I felt It my duty to compliment
her. She cried when I played 'Home, Sweet
Home.' 1 could not boo why, us she Is at
her homo."
The Missouri river brldgo at the foot of
Douglas Btrcet, which has carried trnfllc,
awheel and afoot, between the Nebraska nnd
Iowa shores for tho last eleven yean, baa
already gathered about it it, share of the
romantic interest that cllngd to tho water
front of a largo city. Men and women bent
on business and pleasure liavo acted out
their comedy nnd tragedy along Its brief
kngth. Crimes have been committed on Its
lonely roadway and despondent men have
about $125. Tho .footpads got away down
tho river In n skiff, but when tho tollman
came around he went along with the police
nnd traced tho thugH for miles. They got
found him there the next morning.
"Tho next thing was tho suicide of u
stranger who wns never identified. Ho paid
his way nt tho window nnd a moment Inter
n way, however, nnd would have been wife ' ' w " "' ver wie run u,m
If they had stayed out of town.
"About a week afterwnrd Detectives Fnhey
and Hudson met tho men nt Twenty-eighth
nnd Cuming streets nud caught them niter
a chnso. 'Sopor' got ten years, but Hrandun
went free because tho e .mplalnlng witness
Thoy wore conscientious believers In a
creod thai promised that on n certain night
thu Angel Onbrlel would appear, trumpet In
hand, to waku tho dead and put nn end to a
too wicked world, reports the Cleveland
Plain Dealer.
They lingered patiently on tho housetop
TOLLMAN HUNTINGTON COLLECTING BRIDGE TOLL.
leaped from tho railing into tho rlvor un
derneath. Ono of tho familiar characters of tho
brldgo, Tollman Huntington, has levied his
tribute on tho passing throng for yeurs and
has witnessed most of tho vicissitudes
through which the structure has passed
quarter the smoke from the huge chimneys
bearing metallic dust is blown directly
across tho bridge. This objection Is much
less noticeable than formerly before the
construction of tho smoko consumers. The
drop Into tho witter. No truce wiih ever consumers, howover, nre utiablu to cope with
found of him except his hat. Another mnn the arsenic freed In tho rodtictlon of various
who was tlml of llfo made the leap several ores, This deadly drug Buttles over tho
yearn ago but changed his mind when ho brldgo and tho Iron work Is frequently white In t.hclr white ascension robes until n tinge
renched the water and swum nshore, nl- with the precipitated powder. It reaches the of dawn ruddled tho east,
though be had loaded his prekets with ruckH. lungs of whoever pauses on the bridge and Then tho oldest among them turned pity
"Tho prettiest dlvo anybody ever took fron
tho brldgo wns mndo by 'l'nul Splash' who
visited Oiunlia In IS'.iS with a circus. A
wnger was made ono Sunday afternoon be
tween Paul's manager and s me local sport
ing men Hint the young mnn would not ven
ture to mnko the lenp. A small crowd which
had been informed of tho proposed feat gath
ered at the water side and it plank wns ex
tended out over the current by Paul's
friends. The diver stood polt-e.l on tho
plnnk for a minute, then tossed nwny his
clgaretto and made the finest gaining bnck
dlvo I over saw. He lenped straight for
wnrd, then tinned slowly backward nnd
struck tho water with his feet, turning n
complete somersnult. Tho slightest miscal
culation ns to (Ustuncu might have meant
his death. It was n dangerous proceeding at
host, as tho wntcr wns high nnd full of hnlf
submerged driftwood. The llcor of tho
bridge was seventy feet above tho water
and the depth in the current was about forty
foot."
II II NUN lt't! It'll lt'Nll)IIMllIII(l'N,
Tho position ( f tolliinan has Its rcsp nslbil
Itlcs, ns that olllclnl receives from vohlclcs,
bicycles nnd foot passengers over $100 pur
day. Ueforo the regime of tho present gate
keepers there was suddenly a uotlceablo
falling off in the receipts for which tho
auditor was unable to nccount. Dotcctlvea
were posted nt either end of the brldgo to
count tho passengers nnd It was found that
only nbout half of tho receipts wero ac
counted for. Tho ticket sales wero regular,
howover, and for some time tho olllclals wero
puzzled. It finally developed that the gate
keepers at either end of tho bridge wero in
collusion with the motormnn of n certain
brldgo car. At frequent intervals during tho
day ono tollman tossed n bundle of tickets
to tho motormnn nnd ho In turn passed them
to tho other ticket mnn who sold them over
again.
Tho brldgo management feels thnt the pub
lic tnsto for low fares Is a dllllcult thing to
satisfy. "Fifty yenrB ago," suld ono of tho
olllclals, "when thero wero only two landings
on tho river, ono nt tho French trader's near
Ilellovuo and tho other at Florence, the pub
lic was moro easily pleased. Tho Missouri
river was tho great barrier to tho gold-
seeker; It was deep and powerful nnd twice
as broad as now when the timber nt Its
Hiii9iflR''iiiBRiB sfer JL
died before tho case came to trial. 11 urn a
was pardoned out about a year ago and tho source has been mudo into boards.
noxt night shot out all tho wlndoww In a "I remember onco hearing nn emigrant ox-
houso down near here. When Mike K'ssano press tho greatest pleasure In getting his
tried to run him in 'Sopor' snapped his re- wagon and team over tho river for $50 and
volvor in tho policeman's face. Tho ro- I have no doubt thnt ninny pnld a grentor
volver didn't go off. Mike hit tho convict sum. Tho only ferry was a rough raft liable
Each day he punches the tickets of about B0 nar1 no dl(ln know very much till tho to capsize in the rnpid current. A few
150 regular patrons who pass to and from
their work on tho Nebraska side. Many of
theso are employes of the smolter or tho
railroad shops who find it moro economical
nnd convenient to locato their cottages along
tho Iowa flata than to llvo In the Omaha
suburbs. Theao regular passengers secure
a 1-cont rato while tho ordinary local
trafflo must pay 6 cents per head.
In addition about as many moro foot pas
sengers, rated as "transients," pay the
higher faro and theso with tho thousands
who dally cross1 the river by car, mnko of
tho brldgo qulto a populous thoroughfare.
It Is also an important avonuo of freight,
nbout twenty drays bolng constantly em
ployed In transporting raerchandlsa along
with' a great amount of promiscuous travel.
Ono dray which crossed tho brldgo last week
Lore seven tons of shot drawn by four heavy
draught horses. Tho usual load, however,
ranges from four to elx tons.
A lli'iiiliilNeent Tollman.
Tollman Huntington is rich in remi
niscences of happenings along tho brldgo nnd
Indeed along tho cntlro Missouri valley. His
Nebraska exporionco was begun fifty years
ago when tho river boat which brought him
to Kancsvlllo (Council Bluffs) was caught
In tho Ice bolow tho present slto of Omaha.
"No," remarked Mr. Huntington, as an
unpromising introduction of a good story,
"nothing very startling over happens to
brenk tho monotony of a brldgotonder's
life, though of coursu ho ought to keep his
eyes opon."
"Then It seoma to mo," returned tho ln
qulsltor, hoping to provoke his friend Into
loquacity, "that tho only difference between
ycur torm nnd tho man's in .the penitentiary
Id that good behavior lengthens yours while
it shortens his."
"Well, sometimes there Is a llttlo Inci
dent," remarked tho brldgekeopor somewhat
riwontfully. "For Instance, tho llrst tollman
wo over had mot an exporionco ono night
that was disastrous for evorybody con
cerned. Ho died a tow months afterward
and the follow who did It was so'nt up fcr ten
years. That was shortly after tho brldgo
oponed when 'Sopor' nurns, Dick Grandon
and that lot wore milking a record along the
Missouri valley.
"Tho keeper's wlckot that tlmo wao at
tho east end of tho brldgo and thero used
to bo another ticket-taker statlonod nt this
side. Ono dark night Hums nnd Drandon
surprised tho tollman and hit him on the
head with an Iron bar. They took away
bis gun and all the money in the drawer,
noxt morning. That 'Soper' was a bad lot."
Favorite for Stiielili'H,
"Then thero have been plenty of coses
of pcoplo falling off tho bridge by accident
and on purpose. Ono night a man who had
years later a modern improvement wns
mndo and a real ferryboat wns built to ply
between Omaha nnd tho muffs. The next
step nftcr tho building of tho Union Pacific
brldgo was n 'dummy' service for mnn nnd
fHHI I l IK 'n IM mWlHMl .Bb i I BMBf I
1 BBW 1 II ' "--'nill'flV II I
1 4 1 i ' JjflTlQT Bill IH
TOLLMAN HUNTINQTON ON DUTY.
penetrates his skin, lenvlng it harsh nnd Ingly to tho latest convert, almost a utranger,
dry, giving stiffness to tho muscles. and said:
"Wo dooply rogret, brother, that tho prom-
Young America Abroad r8ufur0oxhuT?.n wU1 ,,ot p "
o , , , , , ,,, , , ,. , "Oh, don't mind mo, older," said tho now
An 8-year-old lad named Florlzel 1 outer chcrfuiiy. , used to these dls-
who comes from northern Iowa, and Is eald alpolnlraeuta1.In from CIovoland
to bo remarkably precocious musically as ,
well as Intellectually is studying tho violin whon tho now roinutor, a handsome and
lit Lsndon with M. Sauret. reports tho Now unmarried man, ntado his Ilwt pastoral call
Vork Tribune. Ho Is a protege of Socrotary at tUo Foadcks', ho took llttlo Anna up
of tho Treasury Gage, to whom ho wrltos ln lhl(1 anila ftml trlod to kaa , relatM
occasionally. In a recent letter ho put ln Han)cr.a Uazar- Uut tho chlld rofuuod lo bo
a plea for tho privilege of playing In public kagod. 8no struggled loose and ran off into
tho noxt room, where her mother was put
ting a tow finishing touches on her adorn-
1 it theso words:
"I havo mot somo great people at
Mr.
Siiurot's, he Invites us often. I mot Morltz Jnont boforo g(ln ,nlo tho lor t0 t
tlnnlrniirnbl n..i. jii.i.iiI.ii. I nv. v.aw. ...All .
.uunnunon, rjiiu utuuihb a iwil ujf null, h PlnriTVmfvn
ovon it thero aro fogs. Wo saw tho Lord's
Mayor's show, November 0, and wo saw
Kensington Palaco nnd tho room where tho
qiacn was born and her toys, etc. I do not
approvo of queens, I llko presidents hotter,
and secretaries of tho treasury best of all.
Hut, ono thin:; I wish I understood, and that
worrlos mo. I know I enn't play much, but
I nm not big, vory, and when I am mado to
play for anybody, I know I hear them say it
ii worth something and that I could earn
monoy, nr.d got tho things I want and need,
"Mamma," tho llttlo girl whispered, "tho
mnn in tho parlor wanted inu to kiss lilm,"
"Well," replied mamma, "why didn't you
let him? I would If I were you."
Thoroupon Anna ran back Into tho parlor
nud tho mlnlHtor asked:
"Well, llttlo lady, won't you kiss mo now?"
"No, I won't," replied Anna promptly,
"but mamma says sho will,"
Tho momborfl of a lllblo class In a Now
England parish woro studying St. Paul's
VIEW OF OMAHA AND COUNCIL LUFFS TOLL IIKIDGI3 FItOM IOWA SIDE OF
THE MISSOURI UIVBU Photo by Louta It. Hostwick,
besides pay what I owo my dear friends, and rules for Christian living, wot forth In the
Ihoy say 'Wondorful!' nnd then I feol good, twelfth chanter of Romans. r..lnt v.vnth'B
nnd then thoy add, 'You won't lot him play Companion.
In public, will you?' and then I feel bad. I Among tho questions nsked by tho leador
want to cam tho monoy; I am strong and of tho class wns: "What motto should bo
well ard a man has to work, why not a boy, adopted whon strangers are to be onter-
tro, and I can't havo what I want unless talned?"
1 J)?' , Tho proper anwor, of course, nnd tho one
'I wnnt to study harmony nnd German and given by all tho niombors of tho class, with
French and drawing, and I want to go to ono exception, was: "Given to hospitality."
concorts and play and I wnnt to help my j tho class, howover, there wns ono young
folks nnd glvo things to ray friends nnd holp ,)orson who hold a different Idea; this wn
tho poor, and I want to travel all ovor Scot- the mlnlHtor'a daughter, who slnco slio was
innd, and oh, tho books I do want nnd I fifteen years old had been tho hend of his
can t havo any of theso things becauso no- i10llS(, ana tho lmuinKur of lnnny a ailhcult
b dy will lot me work and I will havo to meal.
grow up poor and Ignornnt, whon I could i "don't Rrco wilh tho uthera aho gaj
work ana earn monoy and study, too. That firmly, "I think vory often the motto should
Is what discourages me nnd I do want it all. t,o: 'I'ntlont In tribulation,' "
I hopo you will understand and not think I j
nm naughty or complaining, will you? Tho Methodist preachers nnd laymon who at-
sun hnrdly ovor ehlnos here, and wo do not tended tho rocont conference in Washington
havo steam or hot bathrooms or street cars havo gone homo, but havo loft bohlnd thorn
or elevated trains and you Just havo to rldo stories which will not appear In tho regular
In dirty busses, whore pcoplo spit on the report of tho proceedings. Porhaps no mnn
Moor and muko you feol sick. Mr. Sauret at tho conforonco wielded moro power and
had mo play for Mr. Vert and ho gave us nt tho samo time onllvonod tho proceedings
tlckots to henr Snrasato noxt Thursday. I'm moro by his bright sayings thnn nuhop W.
glnd to go, but I do not llko to tako tickets. A. Candler. Ono day, in ndvocntlng n moro
I hnvo hopes of Mr. Vert. Ho wnnta to see liberal loosening of Cio ptirso strings, ho said
innmuin ubout letting mo play and perhaps that sovoral yearn a.50 ho sont an arMclo
will let me. I will toll you noxt tlmo. to a paper In which o said that "wo pray
"Yes, Mr. Choato asked tw to his house. I too loud and work too llttlo." Tho Intolll-
played nnd amused thorn to oven tip tho gent compositor got In his flno Italian hand,
honor, do you understand? Thoy wero very nnd whon tho nrtlolo appenred it rend: "Wo
nice. I think I could lovo Mr. Choato It I bray too loud and work too llttlo." "I lot
had a chanco and ho wanted no to. Ho It go at that," said tho bishop. "Tho fact
talks so nice and kno.ws so much about In, I bollovo tho prlntor was right, and I
things that Interest me. A countess played never attompted to correct It."
