VOL , xxvn BKOKKN J30W , CUSTKR COUNTY NEUUASKA , THURSDAY , FEBRUARY 18 1 < > 0 < ) NO 37'
COMPARISON OF
TEN YEARS TAXES
PERCENT OPINCRUASl- COUNTY .MUCH
LESS THAN FOR OTHER PURPOSES
TOTAL VILLAGE TAXES POR 1908
One Tenth of The Amount of Taxes Col
lected in Villages Goes to The Coun
ty Biff Increase in School
Precinct and Village Taxes
On the loxvcr part of this page
will be found a comparative stale-
menl of Ihc laxes for ten years.
The part covered is from 1898 to
1908 xvith the omission of the
year 19Q2 The records of Ihe re
capitulation of the taxes for 1902
could not be easily found in Ihe
Counly Clerk's office and il is for
this reason Ihal Ihe year 1902 is
omiltcd.
Last year xvas a year in which
the real estale was assessed and
consequently the valualion of Ihe
real eslale is much higher this
year than it has been any year
during Ihe lasl four years , bul as
is showp by Ihc statement and
in spite of all Ihe assertions and
in spile of all Ihe evidence to the
contrary , the stalement shows
that the total amount of the
tnxcs assessed in the counly for
the year 1908 is $206 less Ihan il
was for 1907. On the olher hand
il will DC noted that Ihe Slale
tax is aboul S9-.000 higher than it
was last ycai ; the District School
tax is $2,500 higher than it was
last year ; the High School tax of
$2,738 xvas assessed this rear as
against nothi ig for that purpose
last year ; a special road tax is
$7,200 higher than it xvas last
year ; the Township tax is $6,000
higher than it was last year ; the
Village Fund tax is about $4,000
more than it xvas last year ; the
Village Bond tax is about $1,000
greater ; the Village Judgement
tax is $1,400 greater , and the side
walk tax is $697 greater.
The statement shoxvs then , that
the County tax is about the only
one where an increase in the as
sessment has not been made. The
assessment statement shows that
there is about $30,000 more taxes
assessed against Custer County
this year Ihan xvas lasl year , but
this $30.000 has gone to an in
crease in the State , in the school
id the Prcciuct , and in the Vil
lage Funds.
Let us turn for a moment to a
consideration of the increase
from 1898 to 1908. The State
taxes shoxv an increase from $30 -
000,00 to $43,000.00. The
amount of state tnx is today about
three times the amount of taxes
in 1898. The county tax in ten
years has groxvT from § 33,000 to
$48,000 or an increase of about
$15.ooo. This shoxvs an increase :
of about 5o percent in ten years.
1 he District School lax has
grown from $47oco to $ lo3ooo.
This shows an increase of about
12o per cent.
The District Bond tax is about
$4ooo less in 19oS than i. xxas in
1898 , shoxving that the bond in
dcbtness of the School district is
being paid off.
The Special Ko id tax in 189S
was $389 , xvhile in 19cS it v\as
$15,727. The Special Road tax
/or 19o8 is then about forty times
the tax levied in 1898.
The Township tax has groxvn
from $9ooo in ) S98 t ) S33ooo in
19v8. ' 1 his shows an increase of
a little over 3oo pet cent.
The Toxvnship Bond fix has
reduced from $5,62o to $2,581 ,
showing thai the Bond iudebtness
ELECTKICT LIGHT FRANCHISES.
Sells of Colorado llns Sent in His Fran
chise and Shaof Aurora Promises
to Send in His This Week.
The next two weeks promise to
show some dcnite results in the
Klecliict Light situation in.
Broken Bow. A franchise under
which the Colorado man would
bi xvilling to put in a system ,
has been submitted to the City
Council by Manager Sell , of Ster
ling , Colorado , and O. J. Shaw ,
of Aurora has promised to send
up his franchise some time this
week. Charley Martin , of this
city , is also figuring on trying tote
to get a franchise.
The matter will come upbefore
the next meeting of the City
Council , next Wednesday evening
and it is expected that some
denitc action xvill be taken on
one or the other of the proposi
tions , unless that all of them fail
to meet the approval of Ihc coun
cil.
Broken Bow is badly in need
of an Electric Light system for
street lighting and for private
use and the cilixens of the city
are anxiously awaiting tl-c lime
when a good plant xvill be instal
led.
of the township is being reduced
as it is on the School District tax.
The village fund tax has
grovn from $7,5oo to fl4ooo
showing an increase of almost
lee per cent.
1 he Bond unlebtncss on the
village called for a tax of $824 in
1898 and for $4,474 in 1908 ,
shov.'ing an increase of 5.00 per
cent.
cent.The
The village judgement tax has
grown from nothing t o 5-2,558.
The village side walk tax is 5oo
pr : cent greater than it was in
1399 and there was no tax at allen
on village side walks in 1898.
The tex for irrigation bond is
just about the same in 1898 as it
was in I o8 , though it has
been considerable of variation dur
ing intervening years. On the
whole the s-tatemcnt shows then
that the increase in the county
taxes is comparatively small ,
when considered along side the
increase of the state tax ; the
school district tax ; the special
road tax ; the township bond tax ;
the village tax ; the village bond
tax : the village judgement tax ,
and UK : village side walk tax.
The folloxx ing statement shows
the percentage of increase in
each or.e of these funds. The
tolal amount of the taxes assess
ed in Ihc villages in 1908 xvas
not published al the time the
other statements were published ,
because that thestatcmenlshow |
ing the toial in each one of the
villages in the County got pied
in the cfiicc and there xvas not
sufficient time to set it up again
for publication.
At the bottom of the compara
tive statement is shown the totals
for all the villages in the County.
The total shoxvs that the County
tax on the villages is about $300
greater than the state tax on the
villages. The statement shoxvs
a greater per cent of increase on
the school districts and on the ?
villages than xvas shown in the
( Continued on jingo Um-r )
IS THERE ROOM IN THE BED FOR BOTH ?
LEGISLATURE
_ -a
.
TAYLOR AND CLARK
CLASH IN DEBATE
ACCUSHS CLARK OP KEI'RESENriNG
run RAILROADS
ONE HALF OF SESSION GONE
LEGISLATURE-SHOWS NO DISPOSITION
TO CONSIDER LEGISLATION FOR RES
TRICTION OF LIQUOR TRAFFIC PROS.
EN F SESSION TO BE EXPENSIVE
Lincoln , Neb. , Feb. 15-Special'
to the RKi'unijCAN ) With the
week which ended on Feb. 13th ,
the present session of the legis
lature is half dead that is , it
has consumed noxv one-half of the
sixty-day session , and if it is to
accomplish anything of real value
lo the stale , the work must be
done in the thirly days lo come ,
or Ihc members remain without
pay and serve the state for glory.
That there is little hope for
legislation of importance is indi
cated by several unmistakable ,
signs , among which , perhaps the
mosl important , is that in ad-
dilion to Ihe failure lo accomplish
anythingin Ihe lime already
passed , Ihe Deuiocralic majorily
shows signs of internal division
to the serious exlenl Ihal during
Ihe past week on the floor of Ihe
house in open dcbale , Ihc accusa-
lion of "liar" has been passed bc-
Ixveen leaders of the majorily
party.
This serious rupture , which ex
hibits to the public wounds that
may not be healed during the
present session , took place be
tween Taj lor of Custer and Clark
of Richardson , both of xvhom
were unsuccessful candidates for
the speakcr"hip and both of
xvhom have been leaders of a cer
tain section of the party ii : the
house. Taylor of Cuslcr xvas en
gaged in opposing an amendment
to the Sink bi'l , which limils
freight trains lo a length of fifty
cars. The amendment opposed
by Taylor was made by Ihe rail
roads committee and proposed to
place Iho xvhole subjecl under Ihc
jurisdiction of the slale railway
( Ctuitiiiiu il on I'.ini1 s )
ARRESTED FOR STEALING.
Col. Black Accused n Mr. Gollms of
Taking Ten Dollars nnd Destroying
Ills Pocketbook.
Col. Black , who has been slay
ing at Sloggcl's restaurant , miss
ed liis pocket book which con
tained a ten dollar bill , Monday
morning just after he got up and
he suspicioncd a Mr. Goldbus ,
xvho had slept in the sainc room
that night and xvho gel up short
ly after Mr Black did. The
pockel book xvas lefl on Ihc bed
xvhilc Mr. Black xvas oul of Ihc
room for a fcxv moments and it
f
couUHioi be found xvhen he re-
lurned. The pocket book xvas
laler found torn to pieces under
such circumstances as xvould in
dicate thai Goldbns had golteu.
il and Iried lo destroy it. Gold-
bus denied any knowledge of the
pocket book or the 11101103' , bill
was arreslcd. Lalcr Ihc ten dollar
lar bill xvas found concealed in
Ihe bath tub , but no evidence
could be found to prove that Gold
bus had placed il there. The
Sheriff and County Attorney al
lowed Goldbus and his comrade
to go xvilh Ihc understanding
thai they should leave toxvn on
the first Irain. Goldbus and the
young fellow xvho xvas xvilh him
have been canvassing Ihc toxvn
selling furniture polish and claim
ed to be making their xvav oul
xvest.
WILSON N PCNiriiMIAKY.
Sheriff Kennedy took Arthur
Norcutt xvho xvas conviclcd on a
charge of breaking inlo George
Willings slore and xvho xvas scn-
leuced leone year in Ihe pcnilcn-
liary lo Lincoln Saturday. The
Sheriff reports having seen Vol-
ey Wilson in the penitentiary.
Wilson was here for about one
and a one half months last sum
mer and was about the firsl of
July arrested in Merna on request
of the Sheriff of Alliance and
placed in the County jail until
the Alliance Sheriff came for him.
Wilson xvas one of Ihc six men
xvho xverc in jail al Alliance and
0:1 : July 4th broke jail. Wils.on
however xvith one of the other
men did not leave the jail. He
xvas convicted on the charge of
rape and sentenced lo three years
in the penitentiary.
REAM REPLIES TO DORRIS
Doesn't I dink the City ShouldMI ( )
Metersics ( ! Some Figures on
the Water Works.
ICditor Kepublicau-- :
I notice in last xvccks paper
thai one of our townsmen xvho
has "purchased an interest in Ihe
xvalcr system" xvould like lo have
a fexv questions ansxvcrcd through
these column , and mentions the
fact that the "Water Commis
sioner is required to present
a report every Ihrec months,1'
and xvould like lo sec Ihc
same published. It is feared
that a detailed report xvould
expose the fact thai his
name , as xvell as many olhcrs ,
xvould be found among Ihe lislof
delinquents in Ihc pasl , and xvhilc
our record book has been at Ihe
council rooms on Ixvo different
occasions , during council mecl-
ings , al neither lime xvas il even
opened , and for this reason the
report thai the ordiancc requires
to be presented to the council xvas
nol prepared.
However xvc are to answer
questions regarding the xvalcr-
xvorks system thai xvould be of
intcrcsl to the public in gen
eral.
In regard to Ihc qucslion as to
Ihc oxvncrship of meters , xvould
say thai 1 have been in a position
to observe both sides of Ihc qucs
lion , having on one hand purch
ased , installed and collected for
the meters Ihal have been install
ed , and on the oilier hand have
been compelled to install one of
those $15.00 machines for myself ,
and will stale Ihal I disagree
with him on thai subject. The
people in Ihe outer portions of
this city arc already heavily tax
ed to help pay for the bonded in
debtedness caused b y the pur
chase of the w i I c r works
system , and they do nol even
have fire prolcclion , lo say
nothing' of the many other
advantages , and I agree xvith
mosl people who understand the
mailer Ihal il xvould be heaping
insull upon injury lo double the
taxalion upon them in order that
the city might own the meters
xvhilc we xvho use then : gel Ihe
bcncfil of fire prolcclion and
xvatcr for domestic purposes.
Owing to the great amount of
xvater misappropralcd and xvasl-
ed and on account of the expense
of pumping the xvatcr , the city
council saw fit lo pass a mcler
ordinance in order Ihal the city
xvould receive pay for xvhat xvalcr
was pumped , for a decrease in
amount xvaslcd means also a
decrease in amount of coal need
ed to handle the pumps.
It also equalix.es Ihe rales so
lliat the person who uses a small
amount , pays upon Ihe same
bais as Ihe larger consumer
paying for xvhat he uses. Some
say they have been paying too
much for their xvatcr. The
folloxving is the bais upon
which the charges have been
! made , Ihe cosl to consumer be
ing $15.00.
Meter $9 40
Extension $1.85
Meter box $1.60
Connections .60
This lotals * 13.45 cost , leaving
on page ilirvf. )
CASES SETTLED IN
DISTRICT COURT
*
COLLIER WILL CASH SI-FTLED JUST
m-HWIJl RIAL WAS TO IHHilN
HALF ESTATE TO MRS. PESTER
Some Divorces ( irnnted , Oilier Estates In
Process of Settlement , A Niimher
Of Minor Cases Up Tor Ad
judication.
Quite a number ot cases xvcrc
setllcd at this term of the Dis
trict Court. The greater per
cent of them xvas not tried before
the jury. When the matter of
settlement of the Collier xvill case
came up on Thursday , after the
jury for the trial had been select
ed , an agiccmcut xvas reached be-
txvccn Mrs. Margaret Pester and
the other heirs xvho xvcrc attempt
ing to break the will of John
Collier. According to the will
Mrs. Pester was given the major
part of the estate and the other
heirs contended that Mr. Collier
had been unduly influenced in
making the xvill and insisted that
it should not stand.
C. L. CiutterRon and Aaron
Wall xvcrc appointed by the
Court'as guardians ad litem for
Roy Pester , a minor. A contract
of settlcmenl bclwccMi the parties
xverc submitted to the Court for
its approval on behalf of the
minor , Roy Pester. The Court
found on the evidence that the
rights of the minor under the will
xvcrc doubtful and considered *
that the settlement of the estate
according to the contract xvas for
the interest of the mingr and
authorised Ihc guardians al litem
to sign the conlracl for the min
or The case xvas then dismissed
as per the articles of settlement.
Under the contract of agreement
Mrs. Margaret Pester is to re
ceive one half of the eslatc and
she pays the coat of the liligalion *
incident lo the settlement. The
estimated value of the estate is
about $60,000 and this gives Mrs.
Pester about $30,000 less the
costs.
In Ihc case of Jess Hopkins vs
Farmers & Merchants Ins. Co. ,
ury trial xvas waived and the
Court found on the evidence for
the Insurance Company and the
action of Hopkins was dismissed.
C. II. Ilolcomb was attorney for
Hopkins and A. L. Chase repre
sented Ihe Insurance Company.
The case of Ihe Easlern Bank
ing Co. vs Custer County xvas dis
missed. The Eastern Banking
Company was attempting to com
pel the Count } * tn refund taxes
paid on land before they found
thai Ihe lille was nol good. R.
A. Moore represented the 13aslern
Banking Co. , and N. T. Gadd de
fended Ihc Counly.
The case of C. II. Doxsce va
\V. II. Sailing was dismissed and
Ihc cosls taxed lo Doxsee. R. K.
Urigga was attorney For Doxsce.
The sale of the real estate in
the case of Oval Lcep vs ISlla
Petlis et al xvas confirmed. The
Court allowed S. A. Ilolcomb $15.-
00 for acting as guardian ad litem
and Ross Moore $15.00 referee.
Sullivan and Squires were allor-
neys for Ihc plaintiff.
The Courl confirmed the sale of
the real cslale in the Caldxvell es
tate and ordered a deed to be
given. A. P. Johnson xvas at
torney for the plaintiff ,
In the case of the Dierks Lum
ber Co. , vo George Dewcy ct , al
the Courl found 1294.75 xvas due
the Dierks' Co. and thai they had
a valid mechanics first lien for
the amount. The Courl author-
1 ( .coiitliuiud on page eight- )