USA > Nebraska > Douglas County > Omaha > History of the city of Omaha, Nebraska > Part 16
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In July, 1860, a special meeting of the Council was held to take action with regard to a tract of 160 acres north of town, in
which Mr. E. V. Smith, and the city were rival claimants. Mr. Smith had made a proposition to the Council to the effect that he should be permitted to purchase the 80 acres in section 15, and the city should take 80 acres in section 10, and after considerable discussion the proposition was accepted.
The pre-emption undertaken to be made by Mr. Ileman Glass was the subject of a good deal of controversy. September 18th, 1860, Mr. Glass made a statement to the Council with regard to his case, and the following was adopted by the Board:
Resolved, That on condition that Heman Glass give a bond to the City of Omaha that he will pay to the city $1,000 in city scrip when his pre-emption is sustained, the City of Omaha hereby consents that the entry of the said Glass be perfected, and that the Mayor be and is hereby instructed to withdraw all opposition to the con- firmation of the pre-emption title of Heman Glass to the south-west quarter of the south- west quarter of section 21, township 15, range 13.
This description comprises 80 acres of land, extending from Twentieth Street on the east to Twenty-Seventh Street on the west, and from Leavenworth on the north to Pacific Street on the south, which bound- aries include Millard Place, McCandlish Place, Marsh's Addition, Redick's Second Addition, and Briggs' Place.
October 29th, 1860, the Council adopted a resolution to withdraw all opposition to the confirmation of the pre-emption of Paul Neilson to the east half of the south-west quarter of section 22, and the east half of the north-west quarter of section 27, town- ship 15, range 13, in consideration of receiv- ing $1,250 in scrip from said Neilson. This tract is a mile in length, north and south, and a quarter of a mile wide, extending from Center Street on the south to the alley south of llarney Street on the north, and from Sixteenth Street on the east to Twen- tieth on the west. It includes Hartman's Addition, Kountze & Ruth's Addition, and the triangular tract north of St. Mary's Avenue and east of Twentieth Street,
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REAL ESTATE AND OTHER LEGISLATION.
platted as Kountze's Reserve. With respect to this entry, on the 13th of March, 1862, this record appears in the proceedings of the City Council:
On leave, Messrs. Kountze and Ruth made a statement to the Council in relation to their note held by the city. Alderman Kennedy presented the following resolution, which was adopted : Resolved, That Messrs. Kountze and Ruth be released from all liability upon their note now held by the City of Omaha for the pay- ment of $1,250 in city scrip or orders, dated October 30, 1860, and from all obligation to the said city in relation to the Paul Neilson entry, being the east half of the south-west quarter of section 22, and the east half of the north-west quar- ter of section 27, upon payment by said Kountze and Ruth to the City Treasurer the sum of $1,000 in city scrip or orders ; and, further, that they take up the note of Heman Glass to said city for $920, dated September 17, 1860, payable in city scrip or orders.
For many years this man Neilson lived in a small house on this tract, just north of St. Mary's Avenue. July 21, 1874, he hung himself in an out-building. He was then 66 years old, and lived with his married daughter and her husband, Christian Peter- son. It was reported that he had been poisoned, and the body was taken up after burial and a post mortem examination had. Mr. and Mrs. Peterson, who discovered the dead body in the barn, at first reported that death had resulted from an attack of cholera- morbus, but the coronor's inquest disclosed the facts; when the body was dug up, it was found that a good suit of clothes in which it had been dressed for burial had been removed by someone, and an old suit sub- stituted.
There was evidently " a watch dog of the treasury" in the earlier history of our city government, however it may have been in later years, as the records show an almost universal habit of cutting down on claims presented for payment. For instance, in 1860, the city printer, M. Il. Clark, pre- sented one bill for $110.00, which was referred to the Judiciary Committee, which committee reported, recommending that he be
paid $70.00, but the Council thought this was too much, and voted the sum of $50.00 as a payment in full; M. W. Keith wanted $11.50 for the use of a room for election purposes, and was voted $3.50; Jerry McCheane asked for $3.00 for his services as clerk of eleetion, and was given just fifty per cent. of his claim, and Timothy Kelly was treated in like manner when he demanded $5.00 to pay for his services as judge of election, and for the use of a room for election purposes.
In those early days there seemed to be no lack of poor in the city, as frequent refer- ences are made to that class in the Council proceedings. At one time the City Clerk was instructed to " issue city orders on the treasury, not exceeding $100 in the aggre- gate, as any person will volunteer to cash at par, the money to be appropriated for the relief of the poor of the city." At another time, in 1862, a committee was appointed to solicit donations from citizens for the support of the poor. Mr. Kellom seemed to be an active conservator of the public morals in . those early days. Mr. Peter Hugus pre- sented a petition in 1863, praying that steps be taken to prevent steamboats discharging their cargoes at the Omaha levee on Sunday, which petition was referred to a committee, of which Mr. Kellom and Mr. D. C. Sutphen were members. The former presented a report, recommending that the prayer of the petitioner be granted. An adverse report was presented by Mr. Sutphen, and the petition was re-referred to the same com- mittee and evidently never saw the light of day again.
In December, 1864, an appropriation of $100 was made to pay for clearing away the brush on Ninth, Tenth and Eleventh streets, sonth of Jones, and as late as 1866 residents in that part of the city were allowed to work out their poll tax by cutting out brush from the public streets.
In 1865 there was an ordinance passed " Dedicating streets, alleys, levee, Jefferson Square, and the Park, to public uses." The
94
HISTORY OF THE CITY OF OMAHA.
same year Ebenezer Dallow was granted license "to open and keep a theatre in his building, on block 119, in said city, for the term of one month," for which privilege he was taxed $10. General W. T. Sherman, being expected to visit the city, the Council, at its meeting of October 7, 1865, adopted a resolution tendering him the hospitalities of Omaha. The schools were evidently very modest in their demands in those days, as we find the Board of Education, consisting of George B. Lake, B. E. B. Kennedy and Lorin Miller, petitioning the Council for a deed, February 21, 1866, to the west half of lot 5, in block 232, for school purposes. This lot is situated at the northeast corner of Pacific and Tenth.
Early in 1866 the Council passed a resolu- tion declaring that the privilege heretofore granted E. B. Chandler to stack hay in certain streets of the city shall expire on the first day of May, 1866. March 22d, of that year, a police force was elected by the Council, consisting of Patrick Swift, John Morrissey, Thomas Welch and John Logan; and the "Captain of the City Police " was instructed to "place his men on their beats from 8 o'clock until sunrise." A few weeks later this army was increased by an addition of two, but as John Morrissey had been dismissed in the meantime, there was a net gain of but one.
During this same month an ordinance was passed requiring barbers to close their shops on Sunday, which action evidently created considerable dissatisfaction, as a few weeks later Alderman Ingalls gave notice that he would introduce a resolution to rescind the action previously taken; but, as no further record was made with regard to it, his purpose was evidently not carried out.
The following list comprises the principal city officers since the organization of the city government:
MAYORS-Jesse Lowe, 1857; A. J. Poppleton, 1858; George Armstrong, 1859; D. D. Belden, 1860; Clinton Briggs, 1861; George Armstrong, 1862;
B. E. B. Kennedy, 1863; A. R. Gilmore, 1864; Lorin Miller. 1865; Charles H. Brown, 1867; George M. Roberts, 1868; Ezra Millard, 1869; Smith S. Cald- well, 1871; Joseph H. Millard, 1872; William M. Brewer. 1873; C. S. Chase, 1875; Reuben H. Wil- bur, 1877; C. S. Chase, 1879; James E. Boyd, 1881; C. S. Chase, 1883; P. F. Murphy (to complete the unexpired term of C. S. Chase), 1885; James E. Boyd, 1886; W. J. Broatch, 1887; R. C. Cushing. 1889; George P. Bemis 1891. [In 1887, Judge Wakeley decided, in a quo warranto proceeding brought by C. S. Chase, that the latter had been illegally ousted as Mayor by the Coun- cil in 1884, and in a hearing before Judge Clark- son in June, 1890. the Court directed the jury to find for plaintiff in a case where Chase was seek ing to recover the amount of the Mayor's salary paid to Murphy while acting as Mayor, to the amount of nearly $1,000.]
CITY CLERKS-H. C. Anderson, 1857 ; James W. VanNostrand, Joseph R. Stokes, R. C. Jordan, 1858; James W. Van Nostrand, 1859: George R. Smith, Byron Reed, 1860; Byron Reed, 1861-2-3-4- 5-6; William L. May, 1867; C. L. Bristol, 1868-9- 70-71; Joseph M. McCune, 1872-3-4; O. C. Ludlow, 1875-6-7; Zachary Taylor, 1878; James F. Mc- Cartney, 1880; J. J. L. C. Jewett, 1881-2-3-4-5; J. B. Southard. 1886-7-8; John Groves, 1889-90-91 (still in office).
CITY TREASURERS-John H. Kellom, 1858; Joseph H. Millard, 1859; R. H. Brown, 1860; Daniel Gantt, 1861 to 1864; Frank Murphy, 1864 to 1868; Henry Gray, 1868 to 1871; John Steen, 1871 to 1873: Ed- ward A. Johnson, 1873 to 1875; C. Hartman, 1875 to 1879; Samuel G. Mallette, 1879 to 1882; Truman Buck, 1882 to 1887; John Rush, 1887 to 1891; Henry Bolln, 1891.
POLICE JUDGES-(Previous to 1868 the Mayor served as Police Judge also). John Sahler, 1868; John R. Porter, 1868 to 1873; Erwin G. Dudley, 1873; R. H. Wilbur, 1874; John R. Porter, 1875; Gustave Anderson, 1877: P. O. Hawes, 1879: Gus- tave Beneke, 1881 to 1885; E. M. Stenberg, 1885; Louis Berka, 1887; Lee Helsey, 1889; Louis Berka, 1891.
CITY ATTORNEYS-(This official was formerly called City Solicitor) -- Charles Grant, James M. Woolworth, 1857; George I. Gilbert, 1858; no rec- ord to 1866. in which last named year George B. Lake filled the position ; B. E. B. Kennedy, 1866-7; George W. Ambrose, 1868; J. P. Bartlett, 1869 to 1870: George E. Pritchett, 1873; John M. Thurs- ton, 1874; Charles F. Manderson, 1877; John D. Howe, 1881; William J. Connell, 1883; John L. Webster, 1887: A. J. Poppleton. 1889; W. J. Con- nell, 1891.
C
tto,
95
CITY OFFICERS-PAST AND PRESENT.
CITY ENGINEER-A. S. Morgan. 1857 ; Chauncy Wiltse, 1858; O. F. Davis. 1860 to 1866; George Smith, 1866; R. C. Barnard, A. J. Wilgocke, 1867; William Kipp, 1868 to 1871: J. E. House, 1871; Andrew Rosewater, 1871 to 1874; Edmund Dut- ton, 1874; Andrew Rosewater, 1875; Wilbur F. Hawes, 1876 to 1878; Henry Rohwer. 1878 to 1881; Andrew Rosewator, 1881 to 1887; George W. Till- son 1889; Andrew Rosewater, 1891.
CITY MARSHALS AND CHIEFS OF POLICE-J. A. Miller, J. H. Wheeler, 1857: J. H. Wheeler, 1858; Thomas L. Sutton. 1859 to 1861: T. J. Torrey, A. L. King. 1862; Thomas Riley, 1863 to 1864; Crock- ett Wilson, 1865; Thomas Riley, William P. Snow- den, 1866; William P Snowden, 1867; W. W. Angel, H. L. Seward, 1868; William G. Hollins, 1869 to 1870; H. L. Seward, 1871: Richard Kim- ball, 1872; Gilbert Rustin. 1873 to 1874: William P. Snowden. 1875 to 1876; John H. Butler, 1877 to 1878; C. J. Westerdahl. 1879; D. P. Angel, 1881 to 1883; Roger C. Guthrie, 1884; Thomas Cumings, 1885; Webb S. Seavey, 1887 (still in office).
GAS INSPECTOR-George W. Gratton, 1869 to 1872. The office was then vacant until the pres- ent incumbent, James Gilbert, was appointed in 1886.
FIRE WARDENS AND CHIEFS OF FIRE DEPART- MENT-Benjamin Steckles, 1862 to 1866; W. J. Kennedy, 1866; Andrew J. Simpson, 1866; Joseph F. Sheely, 1869; J. E. Markel, 1871; Charles Simp- son, 1872; Stephen N. Mealio, 1874: John J. Galli- gan, 1874; Frank Kleffner, 1875; John J. Galligan, 1876 to 1882; John H. Butler, 1882 to 1886; John J. Galligan, 1886 (still in office).
HEALTH OFFICERS AND CITY PHYSICIANS-A. Chappel, 1857; J. P. Peck. 1858; George L. Miller, 1861; A. Roeder, 1862; G. C. Monell, 1864; J R. Conkling, 1865 to 1868, from which date the office was vacant for several years. R. C. Moore, 1876 to 1879: P. S. Leisenring. 1879 to 1887; J. B. Ralph, 1887 to 1889; Clark Gapen, 1889; A. B. Somers, 1891.
STREET COMMISSIONERS-Jeremiah Mahoney, 1858 to 1859; Jeremiah Mahoney, 1867: John Logan, 1868; William Knight, A. R. Hoel, 1869; B. B. Case, 1870; Jerry Dee, 1871; Robert G. Jenkinson, 1872 to 1874; Patrick Ford, 1881 to 1884; Michael C. Meaney, 1884 to 1889; Josiah Kent, 1889; J. H. Winspear, 1892.
BOARD OF PUBLIC WORKS-See chapter entitled " Public Improvements."
FIRE AND POLICE COMMISSIONERS-See chapter on Police.
BUILDING INSPECTORS-George C. Whitlock, 1887; James F. Filley, 1891.
COMPTROLLERS-Charles S. Goodrich, 1887; Theo- dore Olsen, 1891.
PLUMBING INSPECTORS-Robert D. Duncan, 1887: George Dennis, 1889.
CITY AUDITORS-Eben K. Long, 1885 to 1887, Mr. Long is the only person filling this office, the title being changed in 1887 to City Comptroller.
COUNCILMEN-(The city was first divided into three wards, with the Council composed of three members from each ward, to serve two years, after the first year, when half the Board was elected for only one year. Afterwards the city was re-districted into six wards, each having two members in the Board. At present there are nine wards, with a Council composed of eighteen members, half of whom are elected from the respective wards, and the others from the city at large). A. D. Jones, T. G. Goodwill. G. C. Bovey, H. H. Visscher, Thomas Davis, William N. Byers, William W. Wyman, Thomas O'Connor. C. H. Downs, John H. Kellom and James Creighton- the last two named being elected to fill vacancies caused by the resignation of A. D. Jones and death of T. G. Goodwill-1857; John E. Dailey, Wilham W. Keith, Lorin Miller, B. T. C. Morgan, G. W. Wood, Jonas G. Seely, O. P. Ingalls, D. F. Rich- ards, John Campbell, H. M. Judson, Albert S. Clarke, John Richards and O. D. Richardson- there were six vacancies caused by resignations during the year-1858; Thomas Davis, William A. Gwyer, Harrison Johnson, A. J. Hanscom, John McCormick, John Ritchie and Joseph Barker, Jr., 1859; G. C. Monell, John R. Meredith, J. G. Megeath, H. Z. Curtis, Edwin Loveland, Moses F. Shinn and Francis Smith, 1860; James K. Ish, Charles P. Birkett, J. J. Brown, John R. Porter, Asa Hunt and W. J. Kennedy, 1861; B. E. B. Ken- nedy, St. John Goodrich, D. C. Sutphen, Henry Gray, Joseph F. Sheely and William F. Sapp, 1862; Thomas O'Connor. St. John Goodrich, George B. Lake, Henry Grebe, John Campbell and John H. Kellom, 1863; Vincent Burkley, George M. Mills, Joseph F. Sheely, L. C. Huntington, John R. Por- ter, J. B. Allen and William E. Harvey, 1864; James B. Callahan, Jonas Gise, Charles H. Brown, O. P. Ingalls and George Smith, 1865; C. P. Bir- kett, A. J. Simpson, O. P. Ingalls and D. F. Rich- ards, 1866; John H. Green, Charles Maguire, John R. Porter, Julius Rudowsky, Henry Bruning, James Creighton, William Jones and Edwin Pat- rick, 1867; George W. Doane, Robert C. Jordan, John R. Meredith, N. P. Isaacs, C. L. Gambell, J. C. Ambrose, David T. Mount and John Evans, 1868; Julius Rudowsky, Thomas Davis, George C. Merrill, George W. Homan, J. E. Kelley, David T. Mount, L. C. Richards, J. S. McCormick, George
96
HISTORY OF THE CITY OF OMAHA.
O. Williams, James Creighton, Joseph W. Pad- dock, S. C. Rose and Jesse H. Lacey, 1869; E. A. Allen, Richard P. Kimball, John A. Horbach and George Smith, 1870; M. J. McKelligon, George W. Homan, James S. Gibson, Henry Luhens, John Campbell, John A. Horbach, Byron Reed, James Creighton, J. P. Bartlett and Thomas Martin, 1871; Thomas Swobe, A. J. Doyle, John M. Thurs- ton, John D. Jones, L. L. Bristol and Henry J. Lucas. 1872; James Stephenson, James S. Gibson, W. J. Hamilton, D. C. Sutphen, A. A. Gibson and W. W. Marsh, 1873; O. C. Campbell. A. McGavock, Charles Bankes, Lewis Brown, H. J. Lucas M. H. Brown, Isaac W. Miner and Thomas Swobe, 1874; John P. Kelley, Charles J. Karbach, M. Cumings Charles C. Sperry, William N. Dwyer and Edwin Loveland, 1875; A. McGavock, Edward C. Mc- Shane, Angust Aust, Bernard Shannon Lewis S. Brown, C. V. Gallagher and E. V. Smith. 1876; Robert G. Jenkinson, James G. Megeath Charles Bankes, George H. Boggs, Fred W. Gray, William M. Dwyer and Robert K. Taft. 1877: Isaac S. Has- call, Owen Slaven, Dennis Cunningham, Bernard Shannon, George W. Lininger, Orrin G. Dodge and Joseph Redman, 1878: Charles Kaufman, George F. Labagh, Fritz Riepen, John D. Jones, Levi J. Kennard, Thomas H. Dailey and James Stephenson, 1879; Edward Roddis, Charles A. Thieman, Henry Hornberger, Thomas Blackmore, James E. Boyd and William Dailey, 1880; A. Mc- Gavock, M. A. McNamara, Martin Dunham, W. I. Baker. Richard O'Keefe, Fred Dellone, Homer Stull. J. O. Corby and Samuel H. Herman, 1881; C.C. Thrane, Fred Behm, D. L. MeGnekin, Martin Dunham Edward Leeder and W. I. Baker, 1882; William Anderson, Isaac S. Hascall, Charles Kaufman, Charles D. Woodworth, P. F. Murphy and Josiah B. Redfield 1883; C. C. Thrane, Fred Behm, D. L. McGuckin, Martin Dunham Edward Leeder and W. I. Baker, 1884; Patrick Ford, W. F. Bechel, John B. Furay, Charles Kaufman, Isaac S. Hascall and P. F. Murphy, 1885; Charles F. Goodman, Michael Lee, Louis Shroeder, Charles S. Goodrich. Thomas H. Dailey and Francis E. Bai- ley, 1886; Adam Snyder, John F. Boyd, Charles Van Camp. Jacob M. Counsman, Jeff. W. Bedford, Leavitt Burnham, T. J. Lowry, Frank S. Kasper and Charles D. Cheney, 1887; William G. Shri- ver, Dan. H. Wheeler, Edward O'Connor, A. H. Sanders, Edwin P. Davis, Clarence L. Chaffee, F. E. Bailey, Isaac S. Hascall and Patrick Ford, 1888; William F. Bechel, F. L. Blumer, F. D. Cooper, James Donnelly, Sr., B. F. Madsen, John McLearie, Edward F. Morearty, Theodore Olsen and Henry Osthoff, 1889; Clarence L. Chaffee, Edwin P. Davis, Thos. J. Lowry, Charles E. Bruner, Thomas
F. Tuttle, Richard Burdish, Peter Elsasser, Timo- thy Conway and Christian Specht, 1890; Peter M. Back, William S. Bechel, A. G. Edwards, Edward E. Howell, Halfdan Jacobsen, George F. Munro, John McLearie, Sol Prince and John Steel, 1891.
BOARD OF EDUCATION (since the establishment of the present school system)-Theodore Baumer, Charles M. Conoyer, Flemon Drake, Vincent Burkley, Charles W. Hamilton, A. Boehme, Ho ยท - ard Kennedy, Alvin Saunders, Thomas F. Hall, James Creighton, John T. Edgar, 1872; P. P. Shelby, Flemon Drake, James Morris, Howard Kennedy, David Harpster, Charles K. Coutant, 1873; Alvin Saunders, C. A. Baldwin, James Creighton, A. Boehme, Vincent Burkley, William Stephens, Jr., 1874; Eben K. Long, John Newell, I. R. Steel, M. G. McKoon, W. Mulhall. Charles K. Coutant 1875; W. H. S. Hughes, John Morrell. Charles Powell, Wilham A. Gwyer, H. G. Clark. Howard Kennedy, Robert McConnell, Joseph W. Paddock, W. W. Marsh, 1876; W. J. Broatch, T. J Staley, George Wilkins, Daniel Sullivan, J. J. Points, Thomas H. Dailey, Robert Calderwood. 1877: George C. Bonner, Simeon Bloom, Peter O'Malley, 1878; Charles M. Conoyer. E. K. Long, R. E. Gaylord, Robert McConnell. W. W. Marsh, John Dwyer, 1879; John Bamford, John Morrell, Charles D. Woodworth, Howard Kennedy, M. G. MeKoon, A. A. Gibson, 1880; George Thrall, F. J. McShane, A. N. Ferguson, William Anderson, Charles M. Conoyer, 1881; J. J. Points, E. K. Long, Charles M. Conoyer, 1882; A. N. Ferguson, F. J. McShane, William Anderson, 1883; W. E. Copeland, W. A. L. Gibbon, R. S. Hall. Henry Livesey, A. A. Parker, Christian Specht, 1884: Henry Livesey, William Coburn, H. G. Clark, 1885: R. S. Hall, J. J. Points, Charles Conoyer, W. E. Copeland, R. S. Hall, W. A. L. Gibbon, 1886; H. G. Clark, E. K. Long, Henry Livesey, William Coburn, T. W. Blackburn, H. E. Davis, 1887; Frederick W. Gray, D. V. Sholes, Edward A. Parmalee, Robert McConnell, Aug. Pratt, Wil- liam A. Kelley, W. E. Copeland, J. J. Saville, S. S. Auchmoedy, Morris Morrison, Henry T. Clarke. 1888; Charles Wehrer, Frederick R. McConnell, Frank Spoor, S. K. Spaulding. S. K. Felton, C. F. Goodman, Alfred Millard, Samuel Rees, 1889; W. S. Gibbs, Morris Morrison, H. B. Coryell, C. J. Smyth, Charles E. Babcock, 1890; W. N. Babcock, Charles S. Elgutter, R. W. Gibson, Clinton N. Powell, C. L. Jaynes, 1891.
The city has nine wards, and the Council is composed of eighteen members, one half of whom are elected from the city at large, at the regular city election, and the other
97
SALARIES OF PRESENT CITY OFFICIALS,
half are elected by the respective wards on intervening years, for a term of two years, so that but one half the membership is made up of new members at any time. Following named are the present city officials:
MAYOR-George P. Bemis. TREASURER-Henry Bolln. COMPTROLLER-Theodore Olsen. POLICE JUDGE-Louis Berka.
COUNCILMEN AT LARGE (terms expire January 1, 1894)-Peter M. Back, William F. Bechel, A. G. Edwards, Edward E. Howell, Halfdan Jacobson, George F. Munro, John McLearie, Sol. Prince, Johu Steel.
WARD COUNCILMEN (terms expire January 1, 1893)-T. J. Lowry, Peter Elsasser, Richard Bur- dish, Thomas F. Tuttle, Timothy J. Conway, Christian Specht, Clarence L. Chaffee, Charles E. Bruner and Edwin P. Davis.
BOARD OF PUBLIC WORKS-P. W. Birkhauser, Chairman; A. E. Egbert, J. B. Furay.
ENGINEER-Andrew Rosewater. BUILDING INSPECTOR-James F. Tilly.
BOILER INSPECTOR-Charles Soudenberg. CITY CLERK-John Groves. PLUMBING INSPECTOR-Robert L. Duncan. GAS INSPECTOR-James Gilbert. STREET COMMISSIONER-J. H. Winspear. SIDEWALK INSPECTOR-John E. Bonewitz.
MEAT INSPECTORS - Frederick Hickstein, A. Halle.
CITY PHYSICIAN-Dr. A. B. Somers.
CITY VETERINARIAN-Dr. H. L. Ramacciotti.
Omaha's officials are paid as follows:
Mayor, $3,100; City Clerk, $2,000; Treasurer, $6,000; City Attorney, $3,000; Chief of Police, $2,000; Police Judge, $2,500; Comptroller, $2,500; City Physician, $2,000: City Clerk, $2,000; City Engineer, $3,000; Assistant City Engineer, $2,000; Chief of Fire Department, $2,000; Board of Pub- lic Works-Chairman, $2,500, other members, $1,000; Assistant City Attorney, $2,000; Building Inspector, $2,000; City Prosecutor, $1,500; Gas Inspector, $1,500; Boiler Inspector, $1,500; Plumb- ing Inspector, $1,800; Sidewalk Inspector, $1,200; Street Commissioner, $1,800; License Inspector, $1,200; Meat Inspectors (two), $1,200 each; Super- intendent of City Schools, $3,600; Clerk of Board of Education, $1,800; Fire and Police Commis- sioners, $1,000; City Councilmen, $800; Chairman Park Commissioners, $600, the other four mem- bers $200 each; Policemen, $85; Captains and Sergeants not exceeding $100.
In the early history of Omaha the Mayor had the legal jurisdiction of a Justice of the Peace, and tried the class of cases now disposed of by the Police Judge.
7
CHAPTER XI.
THIE CLAIM CLUB-THE PURPOSE OF ITS ORGANIZATION -SOME FACTS REGARDING EARLY LAND TITLES.
Claim clubs were a feature in the early settlement of Nebraska which the situation rendered necessary. The land had not been surveyed, hence titles could not be perfected and the protection of the rights of the settlers by a combination of interests was the only method possible. The Omaha Claim Club was organized precisely as clubs were organized in every town in the Terri- tory, with the exception that it allowed its members to hold 320 acres of land, while the rule with others was to protect their members in claiming but 160 acres each. The good of the many was secured by these organizations, though in some instances injustice may have been done the few. The Omaha Club was composed of such men as John M. Thayer, A D. Jones, A. J. Hans- com, A. J. Poppleton, Lyman Richardson, Governor Cuming, Dr. George L. Miller, Dr. Enos Lowe, Jesse Lowe, Joseph and George E. Barker, Joseph Barker, Sr., O. D. Richardson, Byron Reed, M. C. Gaylord, Robert B. Whitted, S. Lewis, John I. Redick and James M. Woolworth-indeed its mem- bership comprised almost all of the male residents of the town in 1854 and 1855. In many instances valuable improvements were made upon claims taken by members of the club, and the transfer of the rights of claim- ants formed a considerable part of the commercial transactions of those early days, in the absence of anything more substantial. The difficulties which followed were attrib- utable, chiefly, to the fact that a half section, instead of a quarter section, could be held by each claimant, and the further fact that
nearly 4,000 acres were claimed by the origi- nal town site company. Later comers objected to so wide an expanse of territory being held by so few; claims were " jumped" and conflicts with the claim club resulted. Under its regulations the only course to be pursued was to notify each intruder that the land he claimed had previously been taken by a member of the club; that the latter's rights would be protected and that the new- comer must vacate to avoid trouble. In a very few instances personal resistance was made, and, of course, the club carried out the purposes for which it was organized.
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