Omaha Daily Bee Newspaper, October 28, 1894, Page 7

THE OMAHA DAILY BE DAY, O OPPOSITION TO THE CANAL John D: Howe Argues Strongly Against the Voting of the Bonds. WHY PROPOSITION SHOULD BE DEFEATED | After a Critical Examination He Fails to Kind Anything to Commend I1t—His Caustie Critlelsm of Mired | Experts. | The canal proposition embodies the most | Impudent scheme ever attempted to be ex-| ploited on a free people! It asks the tax corporation with $1,000,000 dition to giving it n donation in ad- st extraordinary fran. chises to endure for an hundred years! The | stockholders, wealthy men, are not to be | called ou to contribute an equal amount, or half that amount, or any other considerable sum, to the work. Their scheme 1s to make our $1,000,000, together with what they can | borrow on the plant, build the work (if bullt at all), reimburse them for their ad- vances, they to own it with its franchis which, in of suce will make a groat and, likely, an oppressive monopoly for three generations. Costly experience has taught us to lock the stable door before the horse is stolen and not afterwards. We are asked to mortgage all property in Douglas county for $1,800,000 (principal and interest), to allow these men to try an experiment— for that fs all it fs—without any risk to them, all the risk being ours; they to have all the benefits if successful, and we to bear | all the loss in case of fallure. Wo (they tell us) can afford to give these rich men $1,000,- 000, when we can not afford to give $59,000 for the poor who must, this coming winter, suffer for clothing to keep them warm and for food to eat. 1 will vote for $50,000 for charity, but not ono cent to enable these men to try this experiment at our cost and for their ‘gain. I am opposed to spawning another “franchised corporation” to be a leech upon the people. I feel sure that I can convince every candid, disinterested man in this county that he should vote “No” on this question. s, case Let mo go back a little: Some ago a meeting was called to consider this matter, That meeting was packed with boomers to- hoot and howl down every citi- zen who ralsed his voice against the plan. Somo of our best citizens were hissed. That meeting the county commissioners regarded as affording sufcient warrant for seriously considering the question. I was waited on by & member of the company and asked to accept a retatner for this company, but I declined because 1 was opposed to the scheme. I offered my services gratuitously to the county through Chairman Stenberg, but was never asked to meet with the cc missioners. It was my desire to assist in formulating the proposition so as to pro tect the taxpayers. Had it been other- wise, I think it would not have been left in its present shape, which no good citizen can ‘accept and which bids fair to result, it adopted, In putting this county into bank- ruptey for a dry ditch. The commissioners went into.“‘executive session;” I am told that the door was shut In the face of taxpayers, but that there met with them these inter- ested partles, their attorneys and friends. ‘Who are the principal promoters of this scheme? Herman Kountze, banker, Géorge L. Miller (owner of Seymour park), Solon L. Wiley, (the silent partner), Henry T. Clarke, and certain others, who are inter- ested in real estate near Seymour park. They have formed a corporation to stand in front of them, the “Omaha Canal and Power compan: This s to shield them from personal liability for what may be done, for contracts they may make, for Nabilities | they may incur. . Stockholders of today may not be such tomorrow. Men identified with the company at first may I step out at any time, leaving wreck and Tuin in their wake—escaping all odium and labllity—and Douglas county in the hole, or, rather, in the ditch Let us look into the proposition and see what sort of a monopoly we are asked to creato. The water that is to pass through our ditch, if any, is to be their water; they may sell it for Irrigation, for motive power, for electric lights; they are to be given the free use of all streets and alleys the citfes of Omaha and South Omaha that “‘may bo required;” and the foundation is laid to fornish water for public and private use in our cities. Citizens, a tremendous mo- nopoly s a-borning! “Here lot me quote n part considera- tlon’" for the $1,000,000 in bonds, sald canal company, “its successors and assign: furnish to the county of Douglas rent” for a period of ‘“ninety-nine years current for power” for use in its public bufldings; and no sale, assignment or other disposition of the canal, by the canal com- pany, “its successors or assigns.” shall be permitted to affect these “‘vested rights’ of Douglas county! (Ye Gods!) Thus we are to have free what current for power we shall need in our county buildings! You will see that perhaps this county will save in this way as much as $15 a year! Now, it appears to me that there are two alggers in this wood pile. Here is a recognition of a lifetime for these franchises ninety-nine years at least, and also a ognition of their rights to sell and assign sald canal “‘or any interest therein’ without the consent of the cotnty. How kind of them to give us this current for power “free!"” How does It apear to you—this farming out of these great franchises to private partles with power to sell out to the capital- ists of London, or Amsterdam, or Boston, or Philadelphla? '~ Ninety-nine years in the hands of men of money, armed with these franchises and the privileges of private cor- ration; Shall we be hooted, or howled down, or hissed because we protest? Because, look- ing at the sorry and even sad pictures of looted and bankrupt communities, ground down by soulless capitalists, we advise cau- tion? We ask for safeguard free of Opinion evidence: A few words upon the ¥alue of the opinion of “experts.” This kind of evidence is the contempt of courts and lawyers. We never accept it as evidence when we can get anything else. Go into our gourts any day and you will hear it; six witnesses (experts) called by the plaintiff cn the value of real estate will swear it is worth :‘.‘m‘ and six witnesses, called by the de- dant, will swear it Is worth §1,000! Six physicians called by the plaintiff will swear that the plaintif’s injuries are permanent, and six physiclans called by the defendant will swear ihey are not! Six lawyers called By the plaintiff will testify that the value of eertain attorney’s services Is $1,000, and six ealled by the defendant will say it is not Balf that! Civil engineers often stand op. posed to each other in similar fashion before our courts. Companies by the hundred are formed in miclng countrios, and, armed with the opinion of experts, go out among the people wnd gell stock ~stock that often prives worth- less—bringing ruin to many wmen, Now, we do not charge these experts with dishonesty, but we say that evidence that rests in opinion is very uuroliable. What we want to believe we find It easy to be- lieve, and that Is opinfon! But we don't want to pay $1.800,000 for it. Lot me hire the experts and I ‘care not who writes the songs of the country! At Kearney is found one of the largest fanals in the state. For a time it was a success. | regret to hear of the bad luck that has come (0 that entorprise. Industries started, street cars were propelled by ele tricity ‘and tho streets were lghted with Gleetric Ifght, the power coming from the canal. I am told that the cantl is as “dry @5 4 pod;” that it was for two months this year ™dry and dusty as the street;" that the Industries are no longer supplied with power from it, and peither are the electric light and etreot car plants. How many thousands of dollars are left to be pald by the_taxpayers I do not kmow. I hear, how- , that they have voted another §60,000 to heolp It out. And yet, brethren, they had the opinions @t sxports to go on! At Ogalalls the precinct voted gsooo In bonds to be donated to Solon L. tley and assoclates to ad in the construe: ton of a canal for irrigation and water in 1889 to give the village a “continual supply of 50-horse water power,” free of charge, for water works, lights, etc., and to complete | the canal June, 1890. The company was to get 32700 per mile. The company gave bonds to perform. Some $30,000 was paid by the county, and the company demanded | the balance. “The canal was completed, the | had sufficlent | Which it agreed to furnish Ogalalia.” Wiley, payers of this county to capitalize a private | I months | shall | power, some thirteen miles In length, to terminate within the corporate limits of the village of Ogalaila. Solon L. Wiley and as- sociates, {t seems, formed a_corporation (of course!) called the Ogalalla Power and Irri- gation company, of which Wiley was presi- dent. This company made a contract to bulld the canal. Ogalalia was to be supplied with water, power, ete. The company agreed company claimed. The statement of facts be. tore me was made last year. It says that there had been no water in the ditch for two years, except for three or four months, and that there had ‘‘probably not been a week In two years that the company has water to furnish the power believe, went out of the company before the completion of the canal. This year, I hear, there s not a drop of water in the | ditch. ~ Now, where is Ogalalla? She bas EOt no water, but must pay those $30,000 in bonds, and 6 per cent interest for ten or twenty years! This canal was undoubtedly built on the opinion of experts, These are object lessons on opinion evi- den Our canal company Ruarantees water, not a barrel, not a bucket. us no bond. either. I do not believe that at tho western terminus of this proposed canal there is that continuous supply of water that we can rely upon. Experts may give all the opinfons in the world—common sense Is worth more than all of them. I am told that you can drive across the Platte rive near Columbus, without wetting your horses' hoofs. Also that what water there Is available now for us, will soon be taken up for irrigation. Now, gentlemen, isn't it water that we are after? We are not looking for a toboggan slide in winter, or for navi- gation for mud hens in summer nor are we willing to pay $1,800,000 to boom real estate in the vicinity of Seymour park. You will be amazed to learn that for our million dollars the canal company does not contract, or covenant, 1o (nsure that a single rel full of water, or even a bucket full, shall ever pass through this ditch! They ask us to “ald” them in constructing a ““ditch” and appurtenances, that is all us no It gives There |s another amazing fact. I have Just told you that this corporation gives no bond to perform and does not even promise that a barrel of water shall ever pass through this canal. Presumably It has not confi- | dence enough In the opinion of experts to engage 0 do that. We take the risk. We pay the freight. This other amazing fact Is this: This company does not bind itself to complete th's canal. Worse than that {It may abandon it at any time and throw it and all its liabilities (not exceeding $2,000,- u;n:) on the county of Douglas. 1 will prove this. This {s what the proposition says “In case of the abandonment of the en- terprise for a period of six months by the Omaha power and Canal company at any time before the completion of sald canal ‘the right of purchase (that is, the power |to buy it on appraisement at the end | of twenty years) shall become of force the same as though the twenty years had | elapied, and all bonds of Douglas county | herein provided for and not actually deliv- | ered to the company by the trustee (in New | York, which is to have possession of them soon after they are voted) shail be returned to Douglas county for cancellation and the property shall be “taken (by the county) sub- Ject to the existing indebtedness and obliga- tions of the company, conmtracted in good faith, and the amount so to be assumed | by the said county shall in no case exceed | $2,000,000 in the aggregate.” The right to' purchase in twenty years clause contains these words: “The prop- erty to be taken subject to its bonded in- debtedness as herein limited.” Rlsewhere are the words: “The bonded [ndebtedness of sald Omaha Canal and Power company, its successors or assigns, shall at no time exceed $2,000,000." Two million dollars {5 quite sufcient, but i8 it meant that the county is to assume the company’s bohded indebledness and obli- gations not exceeding another, 32,000,000, Thank God neither the eommissioners nor the eclectors are empowered to make valid any such contract as that. ~ All the canal company has to do, In case it sees faflure ahead, is to abandon the work for six months, then the right to purchase by the county arises for what appraisers fix, but the county must assume all liabilities, con- tracts, obligations and bonded indebtedness of the company to the amount of $2,000,000 or $4,000,0001 Let us suppose a case. The company fs to get §15,000 per mile for each mile completed when completed from the trustees in New York. Our bonds are to be taken to New York (outside the reach of our courts) as soon as they can be voted and registered, When they get over the Elkhorn they are to have $75,000 in addition. Calling the distance twenty miles, or half way, and they will | have of our money $375,000, and we shall e liable for $300,000 interest, total $675,000. They” see fallure ahead. They abandon the work six months. Now all this $675,000 is lost, unless we buy the canal and assume their debts, contracts and obligations not to exceed §2,000,000! They step out without los- ing a cent. In other words, we pay $675,000 for the privilege of buying a busted canal scheme and indebtedness up to the amount of $2,000,000! What.a luxury s that, my countrymen! What a chance for a construe- tion company! If these parties choose they may form another corporation and let con- tracts to themselves on the work. What a chance for enterprise! What is $2,675,000 to us? If the Lord loves a cheerful giver, how he must be stuck on our county commis- sioners! Really, do you not enjoy paying taxes? Read the following: “In case any of the terms, limitations, conditions or pro- visions proposed herein relating to the begin- ning, progress or completion of sald improve- ments * ¢ ¢ or in case any of the pro- visions herein required to be kept and per- formed on-the part of sald canal company as a condition precedent to the delivery of the proposed bonds be not kept and per- formed then said canal company shall not be entitled to receive any of the uncarned bonds * * * but all earned bonds whether de- livered or not shall be the property uof the canal company and shall be delivered to the canal company.” In other words if the esm- pany fizzles oft at any time after constructin part of the work it Is to have pay for as far as it has got without being bound to complete the canal! This Is unparalleled in the wiole history of contracts! It offers a premium for begiuning the work and not finishing it. They may do the light, inexpensive and profit- able work and leave the costly parts uudone. The penalty for not completing the work s that they are to have the bonds for work done, but are not to have bonds for work not done! This is not a jug-handled proposition only because there is no jug! “Cheap power!” There will be no power at all! It abundant were to be provided, it | would not be cheap at their prices, and, stly, If we had power here today to give | away they could not dispose of any of it | to new industries. If these men could build up a center on their property nine miles away, would it help or huet the property | owners of Omaha who have improved their property, builded our city, paved our streets and sidewalks and constructed our sewers, Wwith a liberality unparalleled, and who have borne the burden of hard times and heavy taxes these dreary years? Omaha can not lift herself up by her boot straps; she can not buy prosperity with bonds—bonds made for banks! Running in debt is the worst thing to do to get pros- perity—as some of these heedless boomers u tell you. In the east prosperity is loom- ing up as It it were the rising sun—it will speedily spread over the west like unto the going down of the same! Omaha, St. Paul, Minneapolis, Kansas City, Denver and Ci cago are all having the same experience— all must wait until the country recovers, and the country I8 recovering now most rapidly. We ure on the eve of the most prosperous era Omaha has ever known Let us not retard Omaha’s prosperity by loading her down with debts to the gun- wales! We hear laboring men appealed to to vote for these bonds because they say it will give them work. Give you work? How many times have you been told that by bankers and corporations to enable them to corral another =I'ca of the earth? Thev laneh at you. They think you, being truth tellers, believe that words mean truth, and tha you will tako words, words, wor Words re llars unless handled by truth tellers. The laboring man |s neither dishonest nor a fool. He will not vote taxes upon his nelghbors. Thesa corporations, after combining Into unions and trusts themselves, we read are “weeding out” of theilr employ all men that belong to unions. Unions, they say, are for them but not for you. They combine in unions against the poor of the whole world, but they say the poor must not com- bine for a living wage to save their babies from starvation, They also say ‘‘we wil use the laboring man to vote us bonds.’” Laborers, you will not take your neighbor's work from him however great your necd— there you are noble. ~ Will you place taxes upon him to make a donation of $1,000,000 to a “franchised corporation?” JOHN D. HOWE. MORE L TERS ON T E TOPIO, Hicks Writes In Support of It — Turner Mnkes a Correction OMAHA, Oct. 26.—To the Editor of The Bee: Should the people of Douglas county in their wisdom see fit fo vote favorably on the fssuing of the Omaha canal and power bonds we may see the city of Omaha lit by electricity at something like reasonable rates. When the council asked City Electrician hurig to figure on putting in a municipal he said that it would §260,000, including a suitable site, Of this sum he calculated that it would ,000 for the machinery. There . of course, be the regular yearly ex of salaries, coal, etc., to say nothing the depreciation on ‘the machinery, which would not be less than 10 per cent a year. Now, with the canal in operation, all that would be required would be a small house centrally located, containing a_ switchboard, run by one night and one day man. The city would have no trouble arranging a suitable price per annum for the power, and its only other expense would be in keeping up its lines and supplying the ecarbon candles There would be at least $175,000 saved over the price of establishing a city plant, and a great saving over what is now charged for the lights by the company having the contract. This |8 only one reason why we should ‘all vote “yes” on the bonds. GEORGE N. HICKS. ARLINGTON, Neb, Oct. 26.—To the Ed- itor of The Bee: You have frequently printed articles from Mr. Curtiss Turner on the sub- Ject of good roads. It Is evidently Mr. Turner's intention to better the condition of Douglas county by these Improved road- ways, The county is in a terrible condi- tion, he says, by reason of these wretched roads of ours, and we will never progress oF amount to anything until these roads are fixed up according to his 1deas. He has ‘out- lined several systems of well drained, sub- stantial wagon roads, but he has. evidently misunderstood the temper of the peaple of this county. They do not want good roads; they do not want to progress; they. want to be left alone in their mud. Their fathers' wagons broke down in this mud; thélr own wagons have broken down, and they hope to sce their children's wagons there hub deep. They love the mud. Then, there is an electric light plant require ete. insuperable objection | to all Mr. Turner’s plans for crushed stone roads. The supply of stone I very lim- ited, and I am told that there Is golng to be so much building done next, year that there won't be any left for foads. =My friends, it is easy to play roulette with other people’s money, but when you eome to build- ing stone roads you have got to have a ecinch on_the stone. JAMES M’'AUSLAND. OMAHA, Oct. 27.—To the Editor of The Bee: I find that unintentionally I have been &uilty of a serious error in my statements concerning the cost of steam power in Omaha. 1In an article in last Sunday’'s Bee I stated that the cost of steam power in quantities of fifty lorse power and upwards was from $2L16 to $67.75 per horso power per annum “on the basis of a -continuous run.” I find that this is not correct; that I should have sald on the “basis of ten hours per day and 308 days per year." Therefore, the cost of steam power as eom- pared with the cost of canal power in that article was quite incorreet. 1 desire to make this correction, as I do not wish to permit ‘an ‘unwarranted state- meft to emanate from me knowingly, CURTIS! TURNER, Changes In the Regular Service as An- nounced Yesterday. WASHINGTON, Oct. 27.—(Special Tele- gram.)—The retirement of Colonel Loomis L. Langdon, First artillery, is anmounced. First Lieutenant Charles J. T. Clarke, Tenth infantry, will proceed to Fort Reno, Lieutenant Colonel Francis H. Parker, Ord- nance department; Major Henry C. Has- brouck, Fourth artillery, and Major Charles E. L. B. Davis, Engineer Corps, will join their stations. First Lieutenant Bogardus Eldridge is trans- ferred from company E to company K; First Lieutenant Robert L. Bullard, company G to company B, and First Lieutenant Lucius L. Durfee, company K to company G, Tenth Infantry. Major Joseph T. Haskell, Twenty-fourth infantry, is detailed as member of the ex- amining board at Fort Leavenworth, vice Major Camillo C. C. Carr, Eighth cayairy, relieved. Captain Charles H. Clark, Ordnance de- partment, Philadelphia, will {nspect rifle ball cartridges at the works of the Unlon Metallic Cartridge company, at Bridgeport, Conn. Captain William ™ H. Corbusier, assistant surgeon, is detailed a9 a member of the board in session at the Army buflding, New York City, vice Captain William C, Shannon, re- lieved. First Lioutenant James B. Goe is tran ferred from company H to company D, Thir- teenth Infantry, vice First Lieutenant John H. H. Peshine, transferred to eompany H. Captaln Francis W. Mansfield, Eleventh Infantry, is granted leave for four monthi First Lieutenant Solomon E. Sparrow, Twen- ty-first infantry, leave of absence extended one month. First Lieutenant Millard F. Ha mon, First Lieutenant Plerce M. B. Travis, Eleventh infantry, ten days. Sergeant Fast Dog, trumpeter, and Ottmar Twining Bear, troop L, Sixth cavalry, Fort Niobrara, are’discharged. Sergeant Thaddeus Higgins, blacksmith, and Edward Rand, troop M, Sixth cavalry, Fort Niobrara, are sent to Fort Meyer, V: Major ‘Amos Kimball, Quartermaster de- partment, will be lieutenant col e gertiae lonel December Mrs 8. A. Kell of Pomona, Cal., had th bad luck (o sprain er ankle, I tried sex eral liniments,” she says, until 1 used Chamberlain’s Pain Balm, That remedy cured me and I take pleasure in re. commending it and testifying to its eMcacy." This medicine Is also of great value for rheu- matism, lame back, pains In the chest, pleu- risy and all deep-seated and muscular pains, For sale by druggists, e RAN AGAINST A TARTAR, but was not cured Mrs. Bradberry Has & Lively Tussle with a Burglar. Mrs, Bradberry, 1327 North Seventeenth street, had a struggle with a burglar at ¢ o'clock yesterday morning and still bears the marks of the encounter, According to Mrs. Bradberry's story she was awakened about 3 o'clock by a noise in her room. As she rose up In bed she dis- covered a man standing at her cheffonier opening the drawers. The woman screamed and leaped out of bed. As she landed on the floor the thief grabbed her throat and foreed her back on the bed and tried to choke her. Mrs. Bradberry is quite a strong woman and made a resistance. During the melee she scratched the burglar's face with the one hand she had loose and by kicks -amd scratches managed to make the thief loose his hold on her throat. Yesterday the woman was confined to her bed. She shows black and blue marks on her neck where the robber's fingers pressed, and several scratches on her face, While the thief in the house was trying to strangle Mrs. Bradberry two others were attempting to break Into the chicken coop, but these thieves were frightened away by the screams coming trom the inside of the house. Mrs. Bradberry describes her assallant as being a smooth-faced man of medium height, with a dark slouch hat pulled down over his eyes, In her remarks about the matter Mrs. Brad. berry sald: ‘He ran agalost a Tartar th time and he bears the marks of the encounter today." e Oregon Kidney Tea cures all kidney trou- tles. Trial slze, 25 cents, All druggists. CTOBER 28, 1894 ARGUING FOR-« THE CANAL et at a Pulili¢"Meeting. PROPGSED ADVOCATED SCHEME AS What it Is Likely to D¢ for the Manufac- turing Establishanents of Omaha— All Conditichiy ¥uvorable to Carrytng it Ouat. A good sized audience gathered at theater Jast night ta hear City Rosewater discuss the Platte river project and the benafits that might arise should the §$1,000,000. of county bonds be voted at the coming election and the canal be constructed as. contemplated by the pro- motets gnd incorporators of the canal com- pany. Preliminary to discussing the general ques- tion, Mr. Rosewater explained the power of water and steam when under control. He also described the manner in which the volume of water in the Platte and Elkhorn rivers had been measured. Since 178 there had never been so small a quantity of water as during the season just passed, this season the rainfall in the country drained by the Elkhorn and the Loup fork being from 50 per cent to 100 per cent less than in former years. But with this small quantity of rainfall, when the measurements were taken a short time ago the flow was shown to be more than 1,400 cublo feet per second, or double what would be required to produce the power contemplated by the canal pro- moters. The Missouri river, Mr. Rosewater showed, could not be utilized for canal purposes. He explained that the flow of the Missouri river was 30,000,000 cubie féet, with a velocity of four feet per second. To get a canal out of the Missouri river there would not be sufil- cient velocity, for the reason that the canal would have to carry as much water itself, the fall not being sufficient, there being & fall of but a few inches per mile, while in the Platte the fall was six feet per mile. Tak- ing up the whole of the water in the Mis- sourl river, theoretically, it would develop but 852 horse power. On the proposed canal the fall of the water at Seymour park would be 135 feet. Scouting the theory that the Platte was devold of water, Mr. Rosewatet said that it was true that at times there was but little visible upon the surfice, but below there was a strong underflow. At Kearney last year the people voted $60,000 in bonds to aid in paying the cost of enlarging the Kearney canal from 2,500 to 9,000 horse power, notwithstand- ing the statements of Judge lin to the con- trary. Had the eitizens of Kearney consid- ered their canal a faifuro they would never have incurred an addffonal indebtedness of $60,000. The city engineer of Kearney had written that there was no water flowing in the river, but the flow was as great as ‘when the canal Was'esustructed, the flow being 100 feet per sedond, In Kearney the candl furnished the power for operating twenty-tWwo manufacturing es- tablishments, the eleetric light plant and the strect raillway. /Phe statements made to the effect that the Kearney canal was a failure had been miadé without an investi- gation. b s Boyd's gineer canal CONTRADIGTING GASLIN, Regarding the statetents made by Judge Gaslin, and which recenily appeared in The Bee, Mayor Brady of Kearney wrote: “That portion of, the, judge's letter re- ferring to the cost of th¢ Kearney canal, is, I think, practically gorregt, but his observa- tions and conclusions ate wholly Incorrect. After a residence of over seven years In Kearney 1 am convfnbed that the Kearney canal is a success. 'Ih’ ?cl. it turnluhufio pet cent of all the pow§r used in the city eloven months in the ygar;.and we believe that by preper mamagement . full supply .of water ean be obtained’the year round. The water in the Platte now is low, but there is plenty of water i the canal for all pur- poses. The judge, in the conclusion of “his letter, leaves the Impression that the city of Kearney. Jast spring.voted $60,000 in bonds to help the canal company out of & hole. Generous city! The fact Is, the peo- ple of Kearney, péing convinced that the canal was a 'success, voted $60,000 in bonds, “ta. ald the canal. company to make it a greater success—to enlarge the canal to a width of thirty-five feet ¢n the bottom with a uniform depth of wine teet, and to furnish at the power house 9,000 horse power. ‘The bonds have been old and the work {s progressing rapidly. ‘0 prove that the citizens and taxpayers of Kearney belleve and -know that the canal is a success, I have but to state that at the election last spring when the question of voting $60,000 in borids to aid In enlarging the canal was submitted, 1,096 votes were cast in favor of the propesition and only 18 against the proposition. I am pleased to state that the Kearney cotton mill did not ‘shut down for gopd! as Judge Gaslin states. On the contrary, operalors are arriving daily and every preparatlon is being mads to have It runuing at its full capacity within thirty days, as I am informed by the superintendent.” Denying the Judge Gaslin statement, Mr. R. W. Reeve, a prominent investor of Kear- ney, wrots ‘I do not endorse fhe statement of Judge Gaslin. The Kearney canal is no experi- ment; it has fully demonstrated its useful- ness and value as a motive power, besides being of untold wealth to the thousands of acres which have recelved abundant moisture through the medlum_ of irrigation. The present year we all know has been an excep- tionally dry one, the flow of the Platte being greatly diminished over former years. In addition to that, operations have been com- menced on the enlargement of the canal, and befora the work of the head gates and the rising basin had been completed, work was suspended, pending the negotiation of bonds. While in this condition, there was a scarcity of water in the canal. This, however, will always be obviated when the work now in progress shall have been completed. The Kearney ocanal, which furnished an un- limited water power, is the means which will ultimately make our city the manufacturing pride of the Platte valley in central Ne- braska, The work of completing the en- largement is being prosecuted as rapidly as men and money can accomplish it, and it it this would not be had proven a fallure, done."” If during this dry® season the requisite quantity of power cofild be developed, Mr Rosewater contended that It would be safe to.say that the canal weuld always do what was promised. Touchiyg upon the subject of the cost of producingateam and other power, as quoted by Curtieuc. Turner recently, Mr. Rosewatér prové®’tg the satisfaction of the audience that the''gentleman was mis- taken tara Steam power in Omidha, Mr. Rosewater showed, was expensiwg-ay the present time, it costing’ the street pailwmy and other large establishments fully 80 per. cent more than the proposed rate to bA"¢harged by the canal company. At the pregih® time It was costing five horse power engigis $135 per horse power per annum, while the gharges provided by this proposition would’he$50 per horse power per annum, and s on along through the list. Mr. Turner had ptebed the figures much higher, but it wi angrent that he had made his figures to g.é:d the public. POWER RARES CHEAP. Reading from scighttfi# journals upon the subject of power, ‘i Hosewater contended that the highest Talg Which the canal com- Oity Engincer Discurson the Wholo Question | the canel could be purchased by the city, the company agreeing upon the plan The indebtedness of the company was lim- ited to $2,000,000, and, upon purchase, the $1,000,000 to be donated by the people would be deducted, the public losing nothing but | the interest. Objections to the propositio | at this time, Mr. Rosewater thought, came | with bad grace, owing to the fact that the | subject was before the ounty commissioners for weeks, and at that time nothing was aid detrimental to the canal. | _Outlines of the Elkhorn and Platto rivers were shown by the ald of a stereopticon, | showing that there was a good flow of water | in_both of the rivers. | The canal, Mr. Rosewater s was not the interest | m set of men and wou in n or any nterprise of any It was a public benefit any property holder. It the enterprise was carried out it would benefill some more than others, but even the man with a single house would be | benefited in proportion one In time, as more navagation ditches were constructed, water would be absorbed, but | from 30 to 50 per cent would go back into | the soil feeding the streams again. In the ordinary way, but 10 per cent of the rainfall flowed into the streams, the balance going | into the sofl. It the 20,000 horse power of | the two rivers were utilized in Omaha there | would bs a builded up a monument that would last for all time to come, If the com- pany filed for a certain number of cuble feot, no man could go above the canal and cut off that supply, which fact made It impossiblo to take away the water for irrigating pur poses, leaving the company without the quantity which it claimed. The canal itselt would cost from $2,500,000 to $3,000,000, the canal proper costing about $1,000,000, with the balance of transmission and electrical appliances. ETCHING AS ONE OF THE FINE ARTS. As Boswell was indisputably king of biog- | raphers or Shakespeare of poets, so was | Rembrandt of etchers. Etching, although considered co-ordinate with painting by some of the greatest masters, had fallen into decay and decrepitude until the present generation of genuine artists In France, England and the United States revived it These works of the needlo are increasing greatly o value and the success of the etch- ing appears, in many Instances, to be due more to the artistic quality of the work rather than to the pleasing character of tho subject, which proves that the taste for this delightful department of art Is growing in cultivation and its position in art is already assured, It was less than two years ago that the art world lost one of its best artists of the needle In the death of Charles Emil Jague His fmportant canyases are, for the greater part, owned in Chicago, and although a painter of unquestionable talent, he is better known to the world as as an etcher, and he was one of the first to contribute to the revival of the art in Franc: His earlier works In this line are known to be some what affected and effeminate, but later when depicting subjey that he had a strong affection for, his work became more robust. It was the privilege of the writer to know the man and artist and to visit at intervals his atelier at Paris and also the little flower-bedecked studio at Barbizon, where he oiten sought rest and quiet after a labor ious winter in the busy French capital. He was a man of highly nervous and sensitive temperament and had not been health He in vigorous for many years before his death would sit for some time by the open e fire shivering, wrapped up in such a that only his mose and a bit of his cho remained visible. When he be interested in conversation he would 1 up, throw aside his wraps and sug- zew a long walk in the forest. At Barbi o showed me his portfolio filled with ny of his youthful attempts at engraving and olching, from its very infancy down to its later day completeness. Jaque's early ideas of affected eclegance in rustic scenes soon gave way to homeller sub- jects. Many woodcuts fn his studio at Paris bear wiiness to the change of manner even before Millet had produced his first real peasants. The influence of these two great artists on each other was very strong, and Jaque soon diseovered in rural life the strength and picturesqueness of the peasant in the fleld which his etchings show us. He loved to watch the cattle grazing and study their movements, and I have seen him talk- ing with the shepherds and at the same moment fixing his eye Intently upon a drove of sheep hard by. Cattle and sheep were sympathetic subjects to him, and in his etchings we can trace his intense devotion to the rural life around him. His life was spent In France and a large number of the plates he showed me were executed from sketches made in Burgundy—the etcher's paradise. In looking at some of Percy Moran's work T am foreibly reminded of Jaque. There is a striking similarity of treatment, and when I make this bold assertion I do not feel that I am taking from the French artist any of the laurels which the world of him, but rather prove his worth ing_another honored name with cy Moran's etchings display the ate effect, the same soft shadows happy story of rustic life same del: and the same He shows us people and things as they are in nature. ~ His shepherds are real shepherds and his cows and sheen exist for us out- side of the copper plate. The attitude and movement of his animals are never strained, but free and natural. He repre- sents the shepherd’s dog grown old in faith- ful servitude in the most touching manner. For background he employs a bit of country landscape, a farm house with thatched roof, 4 winding road and stream—qulet, harmoni- ous, restful. His subjects appear familiar to us, we seem to know (he spot, and even the shaggy shepherd dog looks at us appealingly as if we, too, were not strangers. The “peasant painfer,” as Millet was affec- tlonately termed, has taught us to recognize his gleaners, but none have told us more truthfully of sheep in search of grass or cat- tle grazing than Percy Moran. His two pieces, “Cattle” and “Sheep,” in the present collection of art mow on exhibition in the library building are loaned by Mr. Charles A. Coe, Who also owns “May and December,” by S. J. Ferris, another etcher who has achieved well merited recognition and whose artistic work will bear comparison with much of the famous work of Jaque. His plate is never overloaded with unnecessary and unexpressive lines, every detail Is distinet and delicate and there is a‘crisp quality of tone which is very satisfactory. He chooses his subjects with care, and in the one before us there Is such a halo of sunshine above and around it that we long to cateh the brigntness of those laughing eyes and tell her how sweet we think her. What could be more charming than the look of perfect joy and trust de- plcted on the smiling countenance of the young girl as she nestles up close to her grandfather and leans her pretty head against the old man’s wrinkled face! Tt is a glimpse of tender sentiment, a blending of the two extremes of life, old age and youth. It is a picture which calls forth one's best emotions of the heart, Mrs. Edward A. Cudahy contributes “Har- vest Home," by Leopold Lowenstain, a strong etching after the well known painting by Alma Tadema. A party of workers in the field have come to offer their libations of wine and other products at the altar upon which the incense is burning. At its base are jugs and jars filled with the offerings made for a successful harvest. The interest at once centers upon the dancing figure of the woman in the foreground. A minstrel crowned with laurel leaves is piping a joyous aria, while near him are other musicians and workers who are watehing the graceful danc- ng of the woman before them. The back- zround is flled in with sheaves of golden wheat. “A Warm Day,” by Ferdinand Chaugneaux, pany would be allowed to charge would be much lower than that at which power could | coal reglons | In_ California they were constructing a | canal which would develop cheap power, | making the cities through which it would pass the greatest maufacturing centers There the eanal eompany proposed to charge $60 per anum for a single horse power, while here the maximum rate was to be but $55 per year to the consumer. Last year, Mr. Rosewater said, he opposed the canal proposition. At that time there | was no agreement as to what the rates | should be. In fact; at-that time the fnter- | ests of (he people were not guarded. Since that time the objectionable features of the | proposition had been eradicated, and now the proper safeguards had been thrown about it for the Interesty of the public. The speaker advocated municipal ownership of this, as well as all,pther franchises of a like nature. The proposition provided that be developed in the eawt and throughout the | o; shows us a delightful example of the French sehool of etching. This picture received hon abodies in its treatment the same methods uploycd by the present day etcher to ob {ain soft effects and delicacy of tone. We a long stredch of level ground, a few sheep nibbling at dry blades of grass, the weary shepherd drinking from a gourd. and tired dog resting by his side. This is all \ere Is in the picture, yet one can feel the sppressive atmosphere of a sultry sum- wr day. The ground is parched and dry, the heat is clearly to be felt and the subtleness of its influence permeates the plcture, which is loaned by Mrs. George B. Lake. 1 foel that I cannot close this hurrled re- view of etchings without mentioning the very excellent pen and ink drawings done by Mr. Mark 0. Pollock, whose several sketches show more than ordinary talent in this branch of art. Among the clover sketches which he coutributes are three which are esveclally 14, In his mind | mention at the Paris Salon in 1592 and | | | peck of coal where bushels of it. saves you at least a have the same amot ter afterwards. winters to pay Milton R Opera™ and ‘Head of Philip 11 trait by Velasques. us a bewitching little Dutch face screened In a big, sharp pointed Dutch bonnet tied un- der the chin with wide, flaring bow; her face is strong and one can imagine what a quaint little lady she must be in the flesh, for the catalogue tells us the portrait is from life. The second and perhaps the cleverest subject in his collection s “Lady at the Opera.”" A beautiful woman in fashionable toilet of the day, with high Spanish comb, rests her fan against a well molded face in a box at the opera. Every detail of the head and arm, every little mystery of the dress is mastered with minute fidelity and there a brilliant boldness in the lines which gives the sketch vigorous tone. “Head of Philip IL" shows us the strong face of that monarch in velvet cap and wide rolling collar. young artist distinctly emphasizes his ability for portralt work, he Is quick at catching the expression of the face, as witnessed In his clever portrait of Victor Hugo. The distin- guished French writer is seated with folded arms and wears that modest, kindly look which was always present with him. The drawing |s made after the last photograph taken, at an advanced age, and the young artist has caught the true spirit of it and given us the author of “Les Miserables” pre- cisely as he appeared the year before his death. But I would warn the amateur, whether he be working in what is known as dry point, or pen and ink, not to overload his plate or paper with unnecessary lines. No line not absolutely necessary should ever be drawn, NETTIE W. COLLINS. _—— * from a_por- The first of these shows Permisdon Glven to Pusturo Some Cattle on the Indian Reservation. WASHINGTON, Oct. 27.—(Special Tele- gram.)—The first official action as the result of the flerce prairle fires now raging in Ne- braska was taken today, when the Indian office telegraped to the Indian agent at Pine Ridge Agency, 8. D., instructing to per- mit Bartlett Richards of Chadron, Neb., to pasture his cattle on the reservation. This action on the part of the Indian ofiice was in response to a telegram received from Richards, who has the contract of furnishing 4,500 head of cattle to the Pine Ridge Agency stating that his property is in imminent danger of being destroyed by the fire, and asking permission to herd his cattle on the reservation, Commissioner of Indian Affairs Browning said that the contract did not contain such stipulations, and that it was not the usual custom to grant such permission to con- tractors, but that favorable action had been taken in this case in view of the extent of the fire. The permission granted will ex- tend for two or three months. Commissioner Browning also stated that he did not con- template any further trouble or inconveni- ence as a result of the Nebraska fires. The following Nebraska postmasters were appointed today: Maywood, Frontier county, W. M. Stewart, vice D. S. Freeland, rosigned; Pickrell, Gage county, C. F¥. Pethoud, vice J. W. Moore, removed. Towa postmasters have been appointed as follows: Angus, Boone county, Bessie Com- mon, vice Enoch Lewis, resigned; Franklin Station, Lee county, Charles Lederer, vice G. P, Lederer, dead; Leighton, Mahaska county, T. B. Kitching, vice A. F. Barnes, resigned Postmasters were commissioned to day as follows: Frank C. Thorpe, Wauneta, Neb.; John J. Liddy, Littleport, Ia. NEW TREASURY REGULATIONS. Eatirely New Arrangement for Keturns on per Cu, WASHINGTON, Oct. 27.—United States ency. We Her> also the | RESULT OF NEBRASKA PRAIRIE FIRF, | We Are Not Interested in selling coal, but when you call upon us with the idea of buying a stove, we are interested in showing you a stove that will do its work with a other stoves eat up There is a big saving for you if you buy the Radiant Home. Figure it out like this. more for the Radiant Home and it You pay $5 ton of coal the first winter---that's about $10.00---and you int saved each win- have customers who use the Radiant iHome that tell us they have saved enough coal in two ' - their stove. ors & Sons, Sole Agents, 14tk and Farnam Sts. AMUSEMKNTS. BOYD’S—TUYES. and WED. Oct. 30 and 31 WILLIAM COLLIER, 4.qARa IN THE NEW COMEDY DRAMA, [ Bdwand B Kl author o [ ! Relation, | oA g torest fillod with merey monie | Under Manazament of W @, 8M TH. | Box Sheets open Monday at t | STl [ BOYD’S-Fr. | — Nov. 2—-3—4. : Matinee Saturday:. [ WOth to 5720 times of | THE SUCCESSFUL COMEDY DRAMA, FRIENDS. By EDWIN MILTON BOYLE, Manacementof ART UR (. AT TON. Interpreted by the same excellent company, —SAT.— SUN, The sale of seats wil | at usual pric Next Attraction—'"The County Falr,” 3 iu:und ¢ y Fair,” Nov. 18, Omiha Ethiopian Songsters BOYD'S NEW THEATER, MONDAY EVENING, OCT. 29. TiCK 11 open Thursday merning —50¢ and T5e. (5TH ST. THEATRE KLEPHONE 1531, 7§, Uo neing § ‘4 MGHTS. mme: O;'g“-fldu Mat. The Funnlest Thing that Ever Happenod, 4-11-44, A £ ARCE COMEDY NOVELTY Matineo Wednesday, Mutinee Wednesday POPULIR PRICKS. LADIES: For this weck only you may join Morand's Dancing School at the reduced price of $5 for twelve lessons. The Wultz and latest dances taught cvery Tuesday and Thursday at 8 p. m. —— e Why not select some of your hollday gifts now Our line of Ladies Desks Is superb, and the October prices are the Incentive to purchase naws e Treasurer Morgan today gave out for publi- cation a eircular fust issued by him, of spe- clal interest to bauks, on the subject of the issue and redemption of currency. Only in a few instances have any changes been made in the clrcular of June 4, 1833. Among the important changes, however, is the in- creased rate allowed the United States Bx- press company under a new contract for the transportation of moneys and securities of sh- the United States. ington and points reached by The rate between W the expr: company s increased from 15 cents per §1 to rat or fractional part thereof over $500 In sums of §500 or less the s remains. Between Washingt points in the territory of another excepting poluts in Texas, Arkansas rado, Kansas, Nebraska, Montana, North D) kota, South Dakota, Wyoming, Oklahoma and the Indian Territory, the rates are increased from 50 cents and 30 cents to 60 cents and 40 cents. To all other points the charges remain the same. Anotber change made Is that only in cases where the express charges | on remittances have been prepaid will the | treasurer issue transfer checks om the as- sistant treasurer payable to the order of the sender or his correspondent. Under the head “returns for paper cur- rency’ an entirely new regulation is made as follows: For remittances received under the government contract: For remillances from a place where there is no sub-treas- ury, returns will be made in new United Staies paper currency by express at the expense of the consignee at government contract rate, or In fractional silver coln at the expense of the government for transportation in sums or multiples of $200. For remittances from a place where there s & subtreasury, returns will be made in new United States paper currency by express at the expense of con- signees al government contract rates, or subject to the convenience of the treaury In the treasurer's transfer chiecks on the sub- treasury on.the place trom whence the mittance came. No exchange for remittance of currency to the trasurer for redemption under the govermment contract will be furoished. elther by transfer checks or ship- ‘ Shiverlci('s Octob er ments of currency. The new circular will ) into effect November 1 next, No New Cases of Smallpox Yesterday. WASHINGTON, Oct. 27.—There are ng ow cases of smallpox In Washington today and the authorities think that the worst ig over. It will be several days before the cases caught from those who recently haye been affected will develop, and it whl not be until next week that the authorities will know how severe an outbreak to expect. Meanwhile vaccination bas been almost unie versal. S stie——— I0WA MURDERER . PTURED, Allegod Slayer of Missouri Valley's Chlef of Police In Castody. KEARNEY, Neb., Oct. 27.—(Speclal Tele gram.)—This morning while Detective Vigs zard of Omaha was {n town he showed Officer Overmier the photograph of the fellow whe murdered the chief of police of Missouri Vals ley about a year ago. The officer at once rocognized the pleture as being that of a fel low who bas been around here for some time, and in & few minutes bad him locked up, He has agreed to go to Towa without requisis tlon papers, and the sheriff s expected here tonight to take him back home. There has been a standing reward of $500 by the gove ernor of lowa for the capture of the murs derer, and Officer Overmier will claim it