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VOL. AT, AT0. I'
LINCOLN, NEBRASKA, SATURDAY, FEBRUARY I, .':
ESTABLISHED IN ISSfl
FINE, FOUNTAIN FOR O STREET
D. E. Thompson Makes Munificent Offer to City to Install a
Splendid Piece of Architecture at the Eleventh Street
Intersection to Be in Place by the First of June Next
I'nvaried, unbroken, and monotonous,
would be the verdirt of the casual
traveler who got a glimpse of the full
length of O street. This objection l
K. Thompson has planned to efface by
the erection of a magnificent fountain
at the intersection of Kleventh with the
main street of the city.
The gift will be donated to the peo
ple of Lincoln without money and
without price. The municipal authori
ties must pledKe themselves to furnish
water without charge, care for the
fountain and repair it when necessary.
The best possible ma
terial will be used in its
construction and the
estimated cost of the
contribution will run up
into the thousands. Mr.
Thompson has no exact
figures on the expense.
C!eorge I'ampen, city
engineer, will superin
tend the erection of the
fountain.
It will be placed
squarely in the center
of the intersection, ac
cording to the present
plans, and will be forty
feet in diameter and
over 120 feet in cir
cumference. A statue
of Neptune, "the old
man of the sea," will
occupy the center of
the basin. Four mar
ble figures of boys
mounted on dolphins
will adorn the outer
rim.
At Kleventh and O,
the street is 120 feet in
width, seventy feet be
tween curbs. Placing
the fountain squarely
in the center of the in
tersection there would
be thirty feet of space.
It has been suggested
that the curbs on each
corner be rounded and
if this is done the space
would be increased to
over thirty-three feet.
.Manager Humpe of the Lincoln Trac
tion company has signitied his willing
ness to take up the double car line and
run a track in a semi-circle about each
side of the fountain. In this way there
can be much space reserved for trallic.
"I studied fountains while in Kurope
last summer." said Mr. Thompson to
a Courier representative when asked
concerning the first inception of the
idea, "and could not help thinking how
attractive one would look on O street.
After observing the fountains in the
foreign cities I visited I evolved a plan
for one and had drawings made in
Xew York city.
"Tall fountains do not look as well
as structures which lack somewhat in
height but are imposing on account
of simplicity in design and excellence
in construction. At least this is my
opinion in regard to the matter. Next
I submitted a proposition to the coun
cil and now it depends on what the
members think of the plan."
Mr. Thompson also stated that in
case of a favorable decision on the part
of the council work would be at once
begun on the site to be occupied by
the fountain and the construction
would be pushed without any delay.
The figure of Xeptune will have to be
made in Xew York as will also the
ornamental ligures for the rim.
Accompanied by Mr. I'ampen, the com
mittee members isited the proposed
site of the fountain and did a little
scheming to secure more space. At
first it was urged that the fire depart
ment could not dash around the foun
tain but the committee decided this
difficulty could be avoided in part by
rounding the curbs. In addition the
firemen could make their hurry trips
on some other street.
"As nearly as I can ascertain," said
a member of the committee, "the coun
cilmen are delighted with the propo-
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Pl.m of Public Fountain to P.e Kre te I b I K Thompson .is i Clft to the i'it of Lincoln
I'nless there is some extremely bad
luck experienced by the builders the
fountain can be completed by the lat
ter part of May. It would then be
gushing throughout the warm weather
adding greatly to the beauty of the
city besides giving a pleasing appear
ance of coolness to the region adjacent
to Kleventh and O streets.
The donation of Mr. Thompson has
created a genuine sensation and has
been the subject of much comment in
all parts of the city. It is regarded as
an advance stride in bettering the ap
pearance of the streets which will lead
to incalculable improvement.
The proposition of Mr. Thompson
was referred to the water committee
at the meeting of the council last Mon
day night. This body is composed of
Messrs. Lyman, Frampton and Spears.
sitioii of Mr. Thompson. To say that
his offer was a genuine surprise is to
state it very mildly. The city is in
need of just such improvements and
we will do all in our power to encour
age this sort of thing.
"The water consumed in the opera
tion of the fountain can be utilized in
sewer flushing and there will b only
a slight loss from that source. The
care of the fountain will devolve upon
the present municipal employes and
the police force.
"The committee will consider any
suggestion regarding a location that is
made but at present we have found no
better site than the one proposed by
Mr. Thompson. Postotfice square has
been mentioned but that place is off
the street line and besides there is
hardly enough space on the corner of
the square next to O street
"I believe from what I hear that it
is safe to say that the committee will
report favorably upon the offer and
that the judgment of its members will
be allirmed by the couucilmen."
Property owners have so far ex
pressed extreme gratification at the
location of the fountain. While the
structure will result In some curtail
ment of the street space It will be at
tractive and cannot fail to attract
many people to that part of the city.
The committee having the matter in
charge conferred with several of the
business men in the
" . vicinity of Kleventh
ami O and soon ascer
tained that the project
delighted everyone. Ac
cordingly the members
were extremely well
impressed with t h e
Idea.
The chief charm of
Kuropean cities lies in
street improvement
such as parks, foun
tains, boulevards and
trees. Quaint archi
tectureand the romance
of the past lends some
charm but the most at
tractive features for
foreign visitors are the
attractions on the pub
lic streets in the way
of municipal works.
In America there is
rush, hurry, commer-
i a 1 i s m. Kverythlng
must have some definite
use as a money getter.
For this reason the at
tractive features in
many cities, especially
in the west, are at a
minimum.
Some objection mis
been made t placing
the fountain in the ex
act center of the inter
section, on account of
the ear tracks and the
possibility of a conges
tion of traffic there. It
is possible that these may be weighty
enough to Induce its being moved off
lo one side, although it is doubtful if
this would meet with Mr. Thompson's
idea of the proper location.
Mr. Thompson has evidently been
quick to analyze and discern the ele
ments which constitute the charming
Htints about much visited place?
on the continent. He studied the
fountains and at once decided to intro
duce one as a novel improvement in tie
streets of Lincoln. Few realize from
advance reports the advantage to the
city, the immense cost and trouble re
quired to erect the fountain. Rut one
thing is sure. It will be a drawing
card for strangers, will add to the
beauty of the city and stimulate In
vestment And it will also encourage
other citizens to emulate the generous
act of Mr Thompson.
J