The Omaha
PiIlT THREE
unb ay
ADVERTISE IN THE
OMAHA DEE
BEST IN THE WEST
HALF-TONE
PACEJ 1 TO 4.
VOL. XXXVIII NO. 49.
OMAHA, SUNDAY MORNING, MAY 23, 1003.
SINGLE COPY FIVE CENTS.
OMAHA'S NEW. CITY OFFICIALS WHO TAKE OFFICE MONDAY
Personnel of the City's New Official Roster and Some Notion of the Problems of Administration that Confront the Several Departments at the Beginning of the Term
Bee
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V
I L0UI5 BERKA, IVWird.l
OMAHA'S city government
will be turned over to
a new administration
c n Monday. At that
liir.e the new city coun
cil, the ma:cr, city clerk, comp
troller, attorney, engineer, build
ing Incnector and Hoard of Fire
and Police Commissioners will
take ofllee and the affairs of the
city will proceed for the" next three
years under their guidance. Of
the Incoming city officials the
mayor, city clerk, comptroller, at
torney, building Inspector and six
of the councllmen are democrats.
Of these all are re-elected. The
city engineer, six councllmen and
four members of the police board
are republicans. Thus of the
twenty-two elective officers of the
city each of the leading parties has
eleven. For the first time the city
engineer and the members of the
police board are elected. In the
past the engineer has been ap
pointed by the mayor and the po
lice board by the governor.
The change In administration
will be accomplished without any
especial ceremony. The council
will meet and Its first business will
be to organize by electing a presi
dent. As it Is evenly divided on
party lines It Is likely a deadlock
may result for a time. Five of
the democrats are candidates for
the position of president, bo the
voting for the office may go on for
some little time before a choice Is
made. At best it will require
some member to vote for
one
candidate not belonging to his
party to achieve an election by
a-majority. The police board will or-
ganlze with less effort, for Its mem-
bers are all republicans. The other
officers will simply take the oath, file
their bonds and proceed to reorganize
their office staffs. As no change Is
made In the political aspect of any of
the offices it Is not probable that any
extensive changes will be made in the
list of city employes, although Mayor
Dahlman may alter his selections In
some regards. In the engineer's office
some extensive changes may be made,
as the new charter has removed from
the control of the engineer the larger
part of the force formerly employed
under his direction, and the death of
Engineer Rosewater some weeks ago
placed the office temporarily In the
control of the democrats. Other
offices are so organized that few of the
employes will be disturbed.
The new city administration will
have some very extensive problems to
deal with. The growth of the city has
been so rapid that Us management is
constantly presenting new questions
and new responsibilities for Its offl-
clals. New contracts for lighting the
streets are to be made by the Incoming
council and means for providing a con-
slderable extension of this service
must bo secured. The continued ex-'
tension of paved streets and more
than a million dollars will be expended
during the coming summer in Omaha
on thU Item of Improvement alone
means ihat the task. of cleaning and
maintaining the streets in proper or
der is mcie of a task each year than
ever. ThU work must 1 overlooked
by the mayor and city council, the city
engineer and the street commissioner
having direct charge of it. Then the
construction and maintenance of sew-
era Is another big Item In the work of
the engineering department, while the
street sweeping and repairing is looked
after by the street commissioner. Mat-
tera pertaining to the relations ot the
public service corporations with the
city an1 with each other are pending
befoie the council and will receive
seme attention, as the democrats in
their platforms pledged certain re-
forms which will have to be worked
out some way. The clerical and ad-
mlnlstrative functions of the city gov-
ernment will be carried on in much
the saute way, except on the larger
scale Incident to the growth of the
city.
The Board of Fire and Police Com-
mlssloners has some problems of Its
own to solve. To start with, the mat-
ter of equipping two fire houses that
are without men or machinery must
be taken up early. Chief Salter is
anxious for the building of two other
fire houses, with further additions to
the working forte ot the department,
These matters are also forced on offl-
LEE BRIDGES. "-"Wdrd. M -Y ' j l'--- Hf.FUNWSCR JIU
DAO Butler. Clerkj H,Po1 CifyUtorney
. FN "-CO.LOBECK.Ciiy Comptroller. -j O.W.CRAIG. Gy Engineer. - ... (MWITHfiEU bi'$. inspector. I 7
fr'i . . . b 'r ' 1
i ilJ i I v w A 'fr- - v J Ml ii r vl1 U
" " "" . ' ! , 11111 ll i f 7 IIIIK I " j-, , Ml IIMI ,v r ill
L B JOHNSON. CWdrd
clal attention by the continued
expansion of the city. In the
same lines comes the affairs of
tne police department. The late
legislature passed a law to ln-
crease the pay of the members of
tne police force, but neglected
to enact legislation whereby the
money could be provided to meet
the Increased expense. This means
tnat tne policemen mtiBt work for
leBa Pav than the law allows them, or
the force must be reduced In number,
A Omaha already suffers from the
act that Its police force Is too few In
number the board is here faced with
serious administrative proposition
right at the otrtset. At present the
policemen are nearly all willing to
work for the old rate of pay In order
that none may be laid off. The police
board will also have the excise busi-
ness of the city to look after, dealing
with saloon license and similar ques-
t9?a-
e Personnel of the Incoming gov-
ernment of Omaha Is as follows:
?XZttJtriZ.Z-. i?nU"I- democrat.
Mayor James C. Dahlman Homnt
C'ltv Olprlcnonlnl r Tl.,il.. j
City Attorniy-Hurry li BuVnam, demo-
co'mptioiier-Charie. o. Lobeck demo-
cr,a.t11,. , . , '
democrat8 InPect0,-Charlc H. Wthnell.
cify KCoTnmnen Cr'' republlcaiu
First Wardf-Lioula Berka. rennhltoan
Second Ward Uea Bridges, democrat
Third Ward Ixuia Buniiester, republican.
Fourth Ward U. B. Johnson, democrat
Fifth Ward Ooodley F. Bruckor, demo
crat. ,
Sixth Ward W. S. Bheldon, democrat.
Seventh Ward Fred Bohroeder, rep.
Kitihth Ward-Joseph B. Hummel, re-publu-cn.
Ninth Ward Thomas McGovern, demo
crat. Tenth Ward A. C. Kugel. republican.
Eleventh Ward Millard Filmore Funk
houeer. democrat.
Twelfth Ward-Charles M. Davis, repub
lican. James Charles Dahlman was born
in Texas, "punched" cows In Wyoming
and the Dakotas, enteVed the political
game in Dawes county and landed in
the mayor's chair after a residence in
Omaha of only eight years. He was
sheriff of Dawes county, mayor of
Chadron, national committeeman for
two terms and state chairman for one;
earned the name of being Mr. Bryan's
closest personal and political friend,
distinguished himself by lasaoolng the
Peerless Leader In New York harbor
and was all but extinguished by Gov-
ernor Shallenberger, whom he tried to
defeat fir the gubernatorial nomina-
tion a ear ago. Mr. Dahlman has
lived In the state about twenty years
and In Omaha less than a dozen years,
Dan B. Butler has made Omaha his
home since early school boy days. He
was graduated from the High school
and took the full course at Crelghton
university, finishing In 1898. While
attendlnc the university he was star
man on the foot ball team. Upon
completing his school course he took
a position with the Pacific Express
company, but when the headquarters
were moved to St. Louis he could not
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n r. t it it mm a w k iv i . . v , m i tw
SrML 5',.. ...j ! . .W-'ft. i Sa
bea the thought of living anywhere
but ,n Omaha and returned to this
c,ty ,n three months to become deputy
county clerk, a position he held until
elected city clerk three years ago.
Politics was born and bred In C. O.
Lobeck. His father was a close po-
Htlcal friend of Owen Lovejoy, Lyman
Trumbull and General Henderson, and
his grandfather was city treasurer of
Demmin, In the province of Pomer-
ania, Prussia, before they began to
count. The present Mr. Lobeck has
been In politics since 1892. In that
year he was elected to the state senate
as a republican; In 1896 he was elected
to the council as a silver republican
and In 1903, 1906 and 1909 he was
elected city comptroller as a democrat,
Aside from this he was talked of for
con:re88 and governor at times. Mr.
Lobeck came to Omaha In 1880 and
was a pioneer salesman in this state.
Harry E. Burnam is a graduate of
the Georgetown University ot Wash
ington. D. C, receiving the degrees of
L. L. B. and L. L. M. Upon his grad
uation he was legal reviewer and spe
cial examiner for the pension bureau
Board of Fire
for years. Mr. Burnam cam
to Omaha In 1893; four years
later he was appointed mu-
nlclpal Judge, and from 1901
to 1903 was deputy county
attorney. He was elected city
attorney the first time la
1906.
The principal pride ot
Charles H. iWthnell is that be
has always received the larg-
est vote of any candidate
whenever be has run for office,
though In the last election he
secured only 106 more votes
than did Mayor Dahlman.
M WS."5HELD0N, .6;.iVARO FRED.5CHR0EDER,7-IVR0.
Mr. Wlthnell was born In Omaha
and- the house in which he was
born still stands. He has seen the
city grow from almost Its very begin
ning and says that had he been build
ing inspector fifty years agoit would
not now be necessary to condemn
scores of buildings every year.
The initials G. W. generally stand
for George Washington, and if any
man has a right to these. names It Is
George Washington Craig, for he was
born in the library of the old Mount
Vernon home of the first president.
Mr. Craig's father, J. Y., former mem
ber of the Board of Park Commlsslon
ers, was employed by the government
to reconstruct Mount Vernon after the
war, and the family was living there
when the future city englner was born.
Mr. Craig came to Omaha In 1883 and
was employed by the city engineering
department twenty years, half of
which time he was assistant city engi
neer. Omaha Is supposed to be a rather
good city, but In the eleven years
Louis Berka served as police judge he
tried over 100,000 cases. Judge
and Police Commissioners
Berka was born In Bohemia, has lived
in America forty-seven years and. In
Omaha twenty-six years, and is a grad
uate of the State University of Michi
gan at Ann Arbor. Before he became
police Judge, a position he held at four
different times, Judge Berka was ap
pointed a Justice of the peace.
While he is proud of the majorities
he received this spring and three years
ago, Lee Bridges Is Just as proud of a
couple of medals he secured in his
younger days when he was a proficient
swinger of Indian clubs and puncher
of punching bags. Lately he has been
too busy contracting to pay much at
tention to his athletic paraphernalia,
though It is said that he always gets
Into trim before entering a political
campaign. Mr. Bridges has lived in
Omaha twenty-five years.
Louis Burmester was born In Omaha
and has lived here constantly. His
father came to this city in 1860 and
the following year enlisted in Company
B, First Nebraska Volunteers. Mr.
Burmester was a member of the coun
cil from 1896 to 1900 and was instru
mental in the passage of the ordinance
providing that eight hours
shall constitute a day's work
for a city employe. He or
ganized the Metal Workers'
union and has held every
chair In that organization.
Though be Is now as sedate
as a judge, L. B. Johnson In
his younger days was some
thing of a sport and carries a
broken finger as a memento of
a game of base ball he played
while shortstop for the Cali
fornia, Mo., team. Mr. John
son la a Mlssourlan by birth
and was graduated from the
THW.fr&OVERN. 9WAR0
Hooper Institute at Clarksburg
before coming to Omaha nine
teen years ago. During his last
term on he .council Mr. Johnson
was president and acted as mayor
during the absence of Mayor
Dahlman.
Goodley F. Brucker was an en
gineer before he came to Omaha
and for eighteen years ran a
steamboat on the Illnols river.
That river was too small for
him, so he came - to Omaha In
1870 in the hope he could get a run on
the Missouri, but the Big Muddy was
no more navigable then than now. He
.then thought he would like to run a
Union Pacific locomotive, but when he
found there were eighty applicants
ahead of him he went Into other lines
of work. He was first elected to the
city council in 1906.
W. S. Sheldon came to Omaha In
1889 to take charge of the gymnasium
of the Young Men's Christian associa
tion, but for the last fifteen years has
been engaged In either making pies or
selling real estate. He was graduated
from Oberlin, (O.) college and the
physical training school at Springfield,
Mass., and had charge of the Cleveland
Young Men's Christian association
gymnasium for a short time before
coming to Omaha. He Is still some
thing of an athlete and enjoys rowing
and swimming at Manawa and Cut-Off
lakes. His first venture in politics
was three years ago, when he went
into the city council on the top of the
democratic wave.
One of the new members of the city
council is Fred Schroeder, who is 24
years of age. He was born in Omaha
and has lived most of his life in the
Seventh ward. He Is a member of the
Bricklayers' union, was secretary one
term and was sent to Detroit last year
as the union's delegate to the national
convention. Mr. Schroeder holds the
distinction of being the youngest dele
gate ever sent to a national convention
of the Bricklayers' union.
Several members of the present ad
ministration played together in the
"kid" base ball nine some forty years
ago, and one of these is J. B. Hummel,
who came to Omaha In 1864 at the age
of 2 years. He used to play ball with
Louis Burmester, Charley Karbach,
Charley Wlthnell and Fred Hoye. For
forty-two yearsMr. Hummel has lived
In the same house, at 624 North Eight
eenth street. When he takes his seat
as councilman he will retire from the
superintendency of street repair work,
a position under the city engineering
department which he has held some
time.
Thomas McGovern Is the only hero
the council has. While employed by
the Union Pacific he attended the pic
nic at Logan, la., and was instrumen
tal In saving the lives of eleven people
pinioned under the wreck, in which
scores of picnickers homeward bound
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G.M.DAV13. 2mrd.
2
lost their- lives. Mr. McGovern
worked for the Union Pacific
thirty-two years, beginning as a
messenger boy and working up.
His home iB at 2615 Chicago street
and he has lived in the same house
since the day of his marriage,
twenty-three years ago. He is
now entering on his second term.
Another union man in the new
council Is A. C. Kugel, who has
held every office In tho plumbers'
organization. In 1907 Mr. Kugel
was sent to Norfolk, Va as a del
egate to tho national convention
of the American Federation of La
bor. $"he new councilman has
lived in Omaha twenty-five years,
learned his trade here under hla
father and served a Bhort time as
plumbing inspector for the city
before the induction into office of
Harry McVea, the present Incum
bent. Before the political game began
to look good to him Millard Fil
more Funkhouscr was a ball
player and during the early '80's
played all over this western coun
try with the Union Pacific team.
Mr. Funkhouser came to Omaha
to work in the freight auditing de
partment of the Union Pacific, but
later went Into the Insurance bus
iness. He was born in St. Louis,
graduated from the University of
New York, Is a thirty-third degree
Mason, an Elk and belongs to sev
eral other lodges, and prides him
Belf with having served five
years on the Omaha Board of Educa
tion before ho broke into the city coun
cil three years ago.
The youngest' member of the new
city council Is Charles M. Davis, who
is eleven months younger than Fred
Schroeder. Mr. Davis was not born in
Omaha, but came to this city when he
was only 2 years of age, which was
twenty-two years ago. He was a
"newsie" when a small boy, later
worked for the street car company for
a number of years and has all along
found time to educate himself at home
and is now engaged in the study of
law, needing two more years in which
to complete his course. The young
man supports his widowed mother and
sister. This Is his first appearance in
politics.
Fred H. Hoye was born In England,
but as soon as he was old enough to
travel came to America and chose
Omaha as his place of abode. He
served on the council as member from
the Second ward from 1900 to 1906,
when he was succeeded by Lee Bridges,
his business partner. Mr. Hoye is In
the contracting business and has had
something to do with many large en
terprises in this city.
' William J. Hunter has lived In
Omaha since the early days and has
been in business on the north side
during most of his residence. He Is
now In the grocery business at Twenty
fourth and Blnney streets. Mr. Hun
ter was a member of the Board of Re
view before that body was abolished
by charter amendment.
One of the new city officials who
was born in Omaha Is Charles J. Kar
bach. Mr. Karbach was born In 1869
and tie family home at that time was
at Fifteenth and Howard streets,
across the alley from the Orpheum
theater, and these associations may ac
count somewhat for the police com
missioner's love of the theater, he
says. He learned the plumber's trade
and worked at it seven years, but since
the death of his father Mr. Karbach
has managed the Karbach block.
William F. Wapplch came from the
great state of Iowa. Keokuk was his
birthplace. He added to the fame ot
that city and state by his advent In
1863. Law has been Mr. Wappich'a
llfework, though, like most youths, he
scrambled around In other lines of oc
cupation for a few years jockylng for
a Btart down the circuit in tho real
race. He Btudled law in the offices of
H. Scott Howell and George W. Mc
Crary. secretary of war and later
United States circuit Judge, and still
later attorney for the Atchison, To
peka & fc'anta Fe railroad, both Of Keo
kuk. From that BequeBtered little
city down in the lower right hand
pocket cf Iowa Mr. Wapplch came to
Oiiiaha twenty yeurs ago. He has
practiced law hero continuously since
and has been very successful. This is
his first public office. Mr. Wapplch Is
of the old Germaa stock,