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About The Alliance herald. (Alliance, Box Butte County, Neb.) 1902-1922 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 16, 1920)
OS VOLUME XXVII. ALLIANCE, BOX BUTTE COUNTY, NEBRASKA, Fill DAY, JANUARY 16, 1920. NUMBER 14, Ma r 1 1 II COUNCIL READY TO TALIiFRANCHl Committee Recommends Change In Ordinance Submitted by Ne Irniska TelephoneCompany After having given officials of the Nebraska Telephone company ample time to cool their .heels, the city council, at its regular meeting Tues day night, indicated that it was will ing to consider granting the com pany a franchise to do business in the city. The company's franchise expired some months ago, and the council has been in no hurry to grant another, although from time to time the matter has been brought to their attention by representatives of the company. At the November meeting, E. K. Haldeman,' district 'commercial man ager, came here from Grand Island and urged the passage of an ordi nance prepared by the company's at torneys, and drawn up along the same lines as Bimilar franchises granted by other cities in the state. The council not only failed to pass the ordinance as presented, but in dicated at that time that it would hold off until It could prepare one of Its own. A committee consisting of City Attorney W. R. Metz and Coun cilman Harry Johnson were chosen to draft sveh an ordinance, and at the last meeting presented Its report. The committee report suggested a number of important changes in the franchise submitted by the company. The company offered to supply two free telephones for the use of the city, and this number Is increased to six. Section 6 of the company's ordinance, which provides certain fines for those who destroy company property, or tack advertisements upon the telephone poles. This is eliminated entirely because, as the committee explained, it saw no rea son why the city should be put to the expense of prosecuting such cases. Protection is already afforded by state law, it was pointed out, and prosecution may be had in the coun ty court. Not satisfied with changing the terms of the company's proposed franchise, the committee makes some Important additions, ne of these provides that the company shall agree to build, within three years, a two-story brick building at least 50x140 feet in size. One of the com pany's representatives had assured the council that unless a satisfac tory franchise were granted, there would be ver ylittle probability of construction work being done In Alliance. The report of the committee follows: , Honorable Mayor and City Council. Alliance. Gentlemen: Your commit tee appointed to suggest a telephene franchise ordinance has met and con ferred with the city manager, and has concluded that it Is not advisable at this time to put its report In the form of a proposed ordinance, but to suggest what should be Included In such a nordlnance, and after dis cussion by the council, to Incorpor ate the final conclusions of the coun cil into an ordinance, and submit It to the proper authorities of the Ne braska Telephone company for their consideration, in an effort to reach an amicable agreement; if such at tempt fails, the council can then pass the proposed ordinance if desired. Your committee's report Is based upon the proposed ordinance submit ted to the council by the Nebraska Telephone company, .and is attached hereto. In connection with section J, your committee suggests that the company be required to furnish in place of two specified Individual business line telephones, six individual business line telephones for the following: (1) Light and pumping station, (2) manager's office, (3) light, water and sewer department office, (4) police station, (5) police judge's office, (6) fire department, and one individual line residence phone for the pest house. In connection with section 2, your committee suggests that instead of providing that the Telephone com pany shall receive payment of the actual cost of removing poles and wires from such places as must nec essarily be crossed by moving ve hides or structures, It be provided that the company shall perform such service at its own expense within four days. In connection with section 3 It i suggested that In addition to requir ing the company to place all new pol lines hereafter constructed where di reefed by the committee on street and alleys, the company also be if quired to make such changes In th location of Its present pole lines a may be Instructed by the commute- Till) WEATHER For Alliance and Vicinity Cloudy and much colder tonight and Satur day, with fresh northerly winds and probably light snow west portion. on streets and alleys, and to install conduits prior or subsequent to the paving of any portion of the city at such places as may be instructed by the committee on streets and alleys. It is suggested that sections 4 and 6 be allowed to remain as they are, and that section 5 be eliminated. . It is suggested that, a section be added, requiring the company wlthr in three years from the passage of the ordinance, to construct in the city, of Alliance for its use, a two story building of brick and stone construction at least 60x140 feet In size. It Is suggested that a clause be in serted requiring the company to op erate free of charge to the city such police and fire alarm systems as may now exist or may hereafter be in stalled. It Is suggested that there be in corporated Into the ordinance a schedule of rates which shall be come effective in the event the con trol of telephone rates shall, for any reason out of the jurisdiction of the state railway commission, and the charge "which your, committee sug gests should be incorporated would be 1.S0 for residence phones, and $2.00 for business phones. It is suggested that a section be added requiring the company to fur nish an annual statement of its gross receipts and expenses arising from and growing out of the operation of the local exchange. Respectfully submitted, W. A. JOHNSON, W. R. METZ, Committee. COMMISSIONERS WILL MAKE APPOINTMENT The county commissioners met in regular session at the court house Tuesday morning, and will probably remain in session for the rest of the week and possibly for a day or two next week. There is a considerable amount of routine business to be transacted, as well as several special items. Sometime during the present meet ing, a highway commissioner will be appointed. Two petitions are before the board, that of Jake Blcknell, signed by 199 citizens, and another, in 1 the form of a remonstrance against Blcknell's appointment, which has 255 signatures. One or two others have made application for the place, and the board has not yet made up Its mind. ... The commissioners have placed an order, for a huge caterpillar tractor and a five-ton motor truck, which will be used in keeping up the roads of the state highway system in Box Butte county. These machines are a part of the surplus equipment of the war department, recently turned over to the states. It is said that the government was unable to realize over 10 per cent of the cost price at private sale, and this explains why he county is able to secure val uable supplies at very low cost. These machines will be available a part of the time for use on other roads of the county. CANNON AND WHEELER WRESTLEJO A DRAW After two hours and twenty min utes of hard wrestling, the match between A. B. Wheeler and Steve Cannon, held at the armory last night, was declared a draw. The action was brisk all through the bout, and the crowd expressed themselves is well satisfied with the entertain nent. Wheeler says that Cannon las developed surprisingly and that he man who pins him to the mat Arill have his work cut out for' him Gannon wrestles Joe Stakes at the )rpheum theater In Scottsbluff on icxt Wednesday evening, when the tate firemen will be In session. VOTICE TO MEMBERS OP TUB AMERICAN LEGIOX It is necessary to make a complete cport of all member to national ann 'ate headquarters, so that the mem rirs will receive their 1920 member hip cards and American Legloi .agazlne. The secretary desires that they 1 ome way communicate their ad ressea to him at the earliet possib1 oment. If communicating by taa'l ease address W. E. Edwards, 8e nary, 211 Sweetwater, Ave, City. 15 THRIFT WEEK TO BEGINMURDAY Nation-wide Campaign to Direct At tention of American to Kev oral IniKrtaiit Matters Arrangements are being made for a proper observance in Alliance of Thrift Week, which will be observed all over the United States from Sat urday, January 17, to Saturday, Jan uary 24. It is a campaign of econo mic education which is Intended to emphasize the importance to Individ uals of continued thrift and economy, the value of life Insurance, of a bank account, of making a will and ap pointing a trueteeshlp, of owning one's own home, and of paying bills promptly. In a number of cities, plans have been made to hold public meetings at which various citizens will discuss the various matters emphasized in the program. In Alliance, plans are Incomplete, but it Is probable that something of the kind may be done. At any rate, here are the days and the subjects, and even if the matter Is not brought t oyour attention more forcibly, each one is worth considering:- .... Program National Thrift Day or Bank Day, Saturday, January 17. To empha size the service a bank renders 'a community. Share With Others Day, Sunday, January 18. To emphasize the rela tion of money to character. . National Life Insurance Day, Mon day, January 19. To emphasize the value of protecting loved ones with life insurance. Own Your 'Own Home Day, Tues day, January 20. To emphasize the desirability of owning one's own home. Make a Will Day, Wednesday, Jan uary 21. To emphasize the impor tance of making a will. Thrift in Industry Day, Thursday, January 22. To emphasize the iden tical Interests of employer and em ploye. Family Budget Day, Friday, Jan uary 23. To emphasize the advant ages of using the budget pla nfor finances. Pay Your Bills Day, Saturday, January 24. To emphasize the moral obligation' to pay your bills promptly. VAUDEVILLE AT THE IMPERJALSATUTRDAY An especially good bill is sche duled at the Imperial Saturday, when a corking good photoplay, "Hoop-la," a story of a little circus performer, Joe McGee, and some other people. The synopsis reads better than any we have had a squint at in a long time. The vaudeville bill for Saturday Is a trifle shorter than usual, but it's all top-notch stuff. Fitzgerald and Anderson present a cycle of songs and dances, and Butler and Demutb have a novelty musical act that is said to be a winner. The big feature of the program is Beatrice McKenzie xnd company, meaning Beatrice, who s a comic opera prima donna, and Ray Dawn, California's famous girl whistler, who will present "Liberty Lane." It's bound to be good. In idditlon to these, there Is a Tom Mix ihotoplay, "Rustler's Vindication." md Mutt and Jeff In "A Rose by Any Other Name." On Sunday comes the serial, the 'hird episode . of "The Invisible "iand," which has all the kids and lalf the grown-ups in the city com iletely baffled, mystified and non plussed. There is also Lila Lee in 'A Daughter of the Wolf," which leals with a smuggling band and has n unusual number of thrills. In 'eed, with the exception of the com dy, "Anywhere, Any Place," It's a urogram chock full of shivers. Monday's bill brings Charles Ray n "Hay Foot, Straw Foot," which is ne of the best "rube pictures" ever mde the producers say ; so and hey've made a lot of them. Here's vhat they say, and It certainly do ound interesting: "He had name 'ike a cheap cigarette and a line of econd-hand tricks that carried the moke of ages. But Betty was watch 'ng him" Clark Perkins of Provo. S. D., one if the early residents of Box Butte ounty, was in the city this week re- ewlng old acquaintances and ex hanging reminiscences. Mr. Parkins omesteaded here some thirty-four 'ears ago. He is on hit way back to rovo after an extended Tisit with -elatlves In eastern Nebraska and Missouri. CITY HAS CHANCE TOR AERIAL MAIL No Money Available for Extension ' During Flucnl Year, Hut Al liance Not Forgotten Rufus Jones, secretary of the Com munity club, is still confident that Alliance will in the near future possess an aerial landing station for United States mall . It will be recalled that the Com munity club took this matter up a number of months ago with the sec ond assistant postmaster general at Washington, and had considerable correspondence with that gentleman. A few days ago Mr. Jones wrote the department again concerning the matter, mentioning the fact that Omaha is now the western terminus of these aerial mail routes, and ask ing how soon Alliance might hope to be included in the itinerary. Mr. Jones has just received the follow ing communication from the office of the second assistant postmaster gen eral, which would seem to indicate that Alliance has a great deal to hope for: "In reply to your letter of the 7th Instant calling to mind the desire of the people of Alliance to have an aerial mall station established there, I beg to say that unless the bill now pending before congress which car ries the aerial mall appropriation is amended so as to increase this ap propriation, it will not be possible to extend the service beyond Omaha during the next fiscal year. Under the circumstances U will not be pos sible to survey routes west of Omaha until definite action has been taken by congress on the appropriation. I assure you, however, that In the event an appropriation is forthcom ing that .will enable the department to carry out its plans of expansion, the advantages of Alliance as an in termediate station on some route will be given careful attention. "Yours truly, "E. R. WHITE, "Acting Second Assistant Postmaster General." SETTLING UP WITH COAL BORROWERS Special Agent T. J. Smith of the! Burlington has been kept busy the! past few weeks settling up with hordes of coal borrowers, by which is meant those citizens, who during. the coal strike, when they were unable to secure coal, went down' to the yards in their various towns and helped themselves to coal on cars in transit. There was mighty little of this kind of trouble in Alliance, but at Seneca, Mullen, Hemlngford, An tioch, Lakeside, Ashby, Bingham and maybe a few other places, where the authorities were unable to get coal, a number of folks proceeded to help themselves. The Burlington is not seeking to make any particular trouble for those in time of need. They have authorized Mr. Smith to settle with the borrowers at the uniform rate of $10 a ton, wherever an agreement can be made on the amount of coal taken. And there is little difficulty in arriving at an estimate, to judge from results. To date Mr. Smith has settled with over two hundred, and in only one Instance has he bad to resort to the courts to help him col lect. Suit was brought against Ed Benjamin of Antloch, which was de cided in favor of the company and the full amount claimed was col lected. R. E. PLUMBE BUYS JOHNSON RESIDENCE R. E. Plumbe, president of the Al liance Packing company, purchased the M. E. Johnson residence at 803 Laramie avenue the first of the week, and within a few days will take possession. Mr. Plumbe ex pects to make his home in this city from now on and has decided that it is more comfortable all around to live in his own bouse and board at the same place. His mother is mak ing her home with him. BOILERMAKERS' GIVE DANCE THIS EVEN1NQ The first annual ball of the Alii ance local of the international brotherhood of boilermakers. Iron shipbuilders and helpers will be given at the armory this evening The building has been appropriately decorated, a large number of tickets have been told, and with the Jaz orchestra furnishing the musle, it's bound to be a grand success. KiMmmiMitmitimtiiiMiiiMMitmimimMmmiM Fp ATTENTION MEMBERS VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPT. A special meeting to com plete arrangements for the con vention at Scottsbluff will be hold In the club rooms Sunday, January 18, 1920. Your presence Is urgently requested. GEORGE J. HAND, President. jm miHMMMtlMtl,miMt,l,l,MtHMMIIIMIMHtMHWMMmrn ANXIOUS TO IlEtJIN " (SERVING SENTENCES Alonzo Islah (colored) pleaded .guilty before Judge Tash Thursday morning. Islah Is arraigned on a charge of willfully, keeping $40 in cash, pay checks amounting to $120. 63 and liberty bond coupons belong ing to Phillip S. Lore, it appears Islah saw Lore drop these valuables and concealed them until his arrest. Joe Price (colored) also pleaded guilty to receiving stolen property, namely the checks Islah found. Both were bound over to the district court on a bond of $500. They say they are anxious to get' to Rushville and plead quietly to the district court so that they may start serving their time. "The sooner the quicker." The authorities will grant their re quest. Since putting In the Palmer method of business writing In the grade buildings of the Alliance pub lic schools the pupils have earned 597 awards. The present eighth grade at the Central school has six pupils who have earned pupils' final certificates. During the present year ten teachers and one normal trainer have earned the teachers' certificates. COUNCIL MEETING VTUESDAY EVENING A committee from the Alliance Volunteer Fire department collected an appropriation of $125 to send four delegates and the fire chief to the state convention, which will meet at Scottsbluff Wednesday of next week. -It was pointed out that the council bad made a similar ap propriation - for several years, and that was all that was needed to get the money. ' ' J ' ' ' City Physician" George J. Hand submitted a 'report. Slrice' April 1, there have been 226 cases of small pox in the city, but at the present there are but eleven piaceB unaer quarantine ten homes and the city peBt house. During the last month the smallpox epidemic has been con quered and there are very few new cases. In the nine months covered by the report, there have been. In addition to the smallpox cases, six of scarlet fever, five of chicken pox, two of Influenza and one of measles. There have been but two deaths, both from influenza. A petition from the citizens of West Lawn asking that electric lights be installed in the homes of the signers contained halt a dozen names. West Lawn is just across the track, and while there is street lighting in the district, the desire was for additional service, which will be given them as soon as possible. James Koehler put in an appli cation for a taxi license, wita ine request that the fee be pro-rated. It happens that the fiscal year will end in a month or so, and Mr. Koehler preferred not to pay the entire fee for a license that will be of short duration. The Guardian State bank request ed that it be appointed one of tne denositorles for the city's funds. The request was laid on the table. A communication from Dan J. Col erlck was read, In which be stated that he wished to apply for the first vacancy on the city's police force. Charles Hill of the Alliance S'eam loundry appeared before the council and asked that he be permitted to 'case a portion of the city lond 14x50 'eet in extent, to be used as a Iocs Ion for coal sheds. The land In question Is located south of the rail oad tracks, near the city s power plant. Mr. Hill brought along lease properly made out. with the time and the amount left vacant fter some dlscusMon, the councM authorized a lease for five years with a sir months' cancellation clause at a yearly rental of $25. Round up your second-hand lothes, suits and overcoats and bring 'hem to the 164 Cleaners and Tall ira. We psv rash for them. You n jut wU have the cash as omethln thm you can't use. We n u DDT clnr. any slse. Brln im In and tn the money. 10 ''anrsf 21$ Box Butte, "Ted's "lace." 14 MAY DISCONTINUE THE CITY MISSION City Council rays Indebtedness for Pant Year and Makes Tern ' Iorary Arrangements The city council, at Its meeting Tuesday evening,, appropriated $150 to square the debts of the city mis sion, and will make an investigation to - determine whether the mission shall receive financial support In the . future. City Manager Smith was in structed to make arrangements for temporary quarters for Police Ma tron Sharp, either In the city hall or elsewhere, and at the next regular or adjourned meeting the question will be threshed out. A commute from the mission board appeared be fore the council and asked that the appropriation be made. In past years the council has made an appropriation for the mission, largely because of the fact that Its head Is Mrs. Sharp, who serves a police matron without pay. Hereto fore the W. C. T. U. has had general supervision over the finances, and ad ditional money has been received from the sale of clothing donated, A few months ago the W. C. T. U. an nounced that the burden was too great for it, and a mass meeting was called, at which the matter was dis cussed. , Another mass meeting re sulted, at which the various relig ious and fraternal organizations of the city were asked to send repre sentatives, and at this meeting a mis sion board was selected. The mission board made an en deavor to interest these various so cieties In financing the mission, but without success. It was decided to put the matter up to the council. and abide by its decision. If the council believes the police matron' work Is sufficiently Important to warrant keeping up the mission, it is at liberty to do so, according to the sentimont ef the board members. There has been some criticism of the manner in which the present mis sion has been conducted, not as re gards relief work, but concerning the religious features. It is said that there Is no definite religious pro gram being carried out, and the be lief is general that the religious fea tures should be subordinate to the police matron's and relief work. A umber of complimentary reference - to Mrs. Sharp's work were made, both by members cf the council and the committee, but the concensus of pinion was that if the mission were continued, it should be as relief or ganization solely. There was some little discussion. and it was suggested that arrange ments might be made to have the po lice matron appointed county and district probation office, the idea be ing that with the expense divided three weeks, an adequate salary could be paid. The whole matter was finally laid over, Instructions being given to the city manager to provide quarters for the matron until the question could be delided. ' Aside from the fait that its debts will be paid, the future of the city mission is still In doubt. The coun cil may decide to do away with it altogether and appoint a police ma tron and public health nurse com bined. For the present, however, Mrs. Sharp will be furnished quar ters in the city ball or elsewhere. The present building rents for $40 a month, and it may be that no bet ter or less expensive location can be found. There is little question that if it is retained, the plan of opera tion will be changed. ELKS' DANCE NEXT TUESDAY EVENING With the completion of repairs and improvements at the local Elks lodge there has been a revival of social activities. W. R. Harper has been appointed chairman of the entertain ment committee, and the first en tertainment . arranged by the new committee is a dance, to be given on Tuesday, January 20. A jazz or chestra has been secured, and an ef fort will be made to geLnot only the younger set, but the older married couples to 'participate. The report of the light and water departments of the city of Al liance, presented to the city council by Ctty Manager C. C. Smith Tues day evening, shows gross earnings for December of $6,073.04, with op erating1 expenses of $4,533.50, con struction during the month $1,600, leaving a net earning of $539.54. Four hundred and sixty-five tons of coal were consumed during the month. The number of consumers now cn the city's books is IIS.