Devil Wagons in Omaha

In 1902, there were only a few automobiles, and they were viewed as luxuries for the wealthy. But year after year, more vehicles hit the road. In this episode, we revisit early 20th-century Omaha and explore how well the automobile was accepted into society and the expectations people had of drivers, as described in the 1980 Nebraska History Magazine article, "The Devil Wagon Comes to Omaha: The First Decade of the Automobile," written by Tommy R. Thompson.

Episode Transcript

(00:00):
The following episode features ahistoric article from the
Nebraska History magazine. This article may reflect the
language and attitudes of its time and while it offers
valuable insight into the past, may content, expressions, or
viewpoints that are outdated or offensive by today's standards.
Any outdated terms do not reflect the current views or
perspectives of the Nebraska State Historical Society.
Welcome to the Nebraska History podcast.
I'm your host, Chris Goforth. Each episode we explore articles

(00:21):
written and published in Nebraska History Magazine.
In 19 O2 there were only a few automobiles and they were seen
as toys for the rich, but year after year more vehicles hit the
road. In this episode we go back to
the early 20th century in Omaha and discover how well the
automobile was accepted into society and the expectations

(00:43):
people had on drivers. Through the 1980 Nebraska
History Magazine article The Devil Wagon Comes to Omaha, The
First Decade of the Automobile, written by Tommy R Thompson.
One of the first automobiles Omahans ever saw was a machine
brought to the city for the Trans Mississippi Exposition of
1898, but this auto was a rarity.

(01:07):
As the 20th century opened, the people of Omaha depended on
streetcar, carriage and the verypopular bicycle for
transportation. It was an age when local
citizens worried about proper attire for cycling and the need
of the city to repair potholed streets to prevent injury to
riders out for a spin on their wheel.

(01:28):
For most people, the automobile was more of a dream than a
reality, a possible luxury if one came upon sudden riches.
Still, some Omahans began to sense the impact of the auto.
As the year 19 O2 commenced, theOmaha Daily News declared that
no one could yet fully understand the significance of

(01:49):
the automobile at this time. It was only a toy limited to the
wealthy, but eventually the horseless carriage was bound to
be recognized as one of the successful means of local
motion. By 19 O2, the automobile was
becoming a more permanent fixture in the city.
Interested citizens could examine the Oldsmobile, which

(02:10):
was quote inexpensive, elegant, simple and durable End Quote.
The Waverly Electric, described by dealer JJD Wright as quote
easily controlled, clean, noiseless, easy riding and
comfortable End Quote or a wide range of steam, gasoline and
electric autos at Henry Frederickson's store at 15th and

(02:31):
Capital. Frederickson offered customers a
service called the Auto Stable. He would store the owner's
machine and deliver it to his business or residence when asked
to do so by a simple phone call.Members of the local smart set
began to frequent Omaha dealerships in search of the new
machines, and enough of them made purchases by 19 O2 to

(02:54):
compose a new interest group in Omaha.
At that time owners of the horseless carriage organized the
Omaha Automobile Club to arrangequote a schedule of club runs
Sundays and evenings. End Quote.
The first excursions occurred inJune when 12 machines the number
was reduced to strong winds drove through the city.

(03:16):
It would not be long before members discovered a more
valuable use for the club, a means of opposing city
legislation for regulating the automobile.
In June 19 O2 Councilman Fred H Hoy introduced an ordinance for
such regulation. It provided that automobiles
would be limited to a maximum speed within city limits of 12

(03:38):
mph and required that motorists carry lamps after dark.
Hoy's proposed law called for Omaha drivers to operate
vehicles with an obedience to the laws of the road and
provided a fine of $25 if they failed to do so.
The council referred this measure to Comptroller John D

(04:00):
Westberg for study, since he wasconsidered the auto authority in
the City Hall. Westberg also was a member of
the automobile Club. Omaha motorists responded
cautiously to Hoy's ordinance. Many of them met in June at a
gathering at the automobile clubto assess the situation.
The position of the club reflected that of Omaha

(04:23):
automobile owners, most of whom were members.
At the meeting, members agreed that a speed limit was a good
idea. They felt 12 mph was not
realistic, especially when compared to existing speed
limits for the trolley cars at 10 mph in the business district,
12 in residential areas, and bicycles 8 and 10 mph.

(04:45):
The club members decided they might suggest some additions to
Hoy's ordinance, such as the need to require a horn on all
vehicles. However, automobilists had
little to worry about concerningthe ordinance.
Comptroller Westberg would not bother to report on the measure
until one year later. The reaction of Omaha automobile

(05:05):
owners was somewhat stronger regarding another issue.
In late July, the Park Commission amended the rules
governing parks and streets designated boulevards by banning
automobiles from these areas temporarily.
Members of the Park Commission felt this action was necessary
until horses become accustomed and were unafraid of the autos.

(05:26):
Accidents had occurred in the parks when horses and autos had
met. This policy did not meet with
the approval of the automobile Club.
Members appeared before the Commission with a conciliatory
offer for modification of the new rules.
The motorists agreed, if allowedto drive in the parks not to
exceed 12 mph, to carry 2 carriage lights after dark, to

(05:50):
pull towards the right when approaching a horse, and to slow
down if a team seemed nervous. The members of the automobile
club acknowledged that there hadbeen some accidents in the parks
involving horses, but most of these were minor.
In fact, the most serious accident had occurred when a
team of horses smashed the auto of George Patterson, a club

(06:10):
member. In August, the committee
appointed by the Automobile Clubappeared before the Park
Commission in a peaceable session and successfully
persuaded the latter to moderateits stand.
After listening to arguments by the committee for an hour and a
half, the Park Commission granted Otto's the use of all
parks and boulevards except Hanscom and Riverview Parks and

(06:34):
Central Blvd. between 10th and 20th Streets.
The Commission included the latter because of its sharp
curves, steep inclines, and narrow roadways.
In other parks and on remaining boulevards, the speed of
automobiles would be limited to 10 mph.
Presumably both sides found thiscompromise acceptable.

(06:55):
The Automobile Club agreed that automobilists would endeavor to
have the rules adopted, lived upto, and would assist the Park
Board in enforcing them. The Park Commission defended its
restrictions as a reasonable means of protecting Omaha
citizens from speeding machines in areas designated for leisure
and recreation. In addition, the Commission

(07:16):
intended to recommend that the Omaha City Council adopt an
ordinance requiring lights, licensing and numbering of
autos. If the council failed to act,
the Commission would be considered adopting additional
regulations itself. While Omaha motorists
undoubtedly were pleased with this partial reversal by the

(07:37):
Park Commission, they had even more reason to celebrate.
A few days later, on August 18th, the Daily News reported
that Hoy's ordinance for regulation of autos might never
reach the council floor for a vote.
Comptroller Westberg had found ageneral ordinance already in
existence which regulated speed in Omaha and indicated there was

(07:59):
no need for additional legislation.
But Omahans concluded just the opposite.
As the number of automobiles increased, accompanying problems
became more evident. Speeding drivers paid little
heed to citizens, safety and property.
They speed along Omaha streets, smashing into buggies, wagons
and pedestrians. In many cases, drivers fled the

(08:21):
scene rather than face the consequences.
Even the upper class pro automotive Omaha Excelsior
declared in the fall of 19-O2 that it was appropriate to call
automobiles devil wagons, since they dash into trees, into stone
walls, jump fences, and break over bridge parapets to wreck
themselves and their occupants on the ground below.

(08:45):
In 19 O3, the situation grew worse by summer.
Something had to be done. In June, Chief of Police John J
Donahue ordered the arrest of all Spitzers traveling quote,
faster than the ordinary gate ofa horse, or more rapidly than
they could stop their machines at short notice.
End Quote. Donahue, admiring New York law,

(09:07):
said, quote, New York limits theprogress to 4 miles an hour.
That speed should be fast enoughfor Omaha.
End Quote. He probably did not know
automobilists in New York City were ignoring the speed limit.
Violations there were so blatantthat the city hired 6
professional bicycle riders, including Mile a Minute Murphy,

(09:28):
to chase speeding autos. Soon after Chief Donahue handed
down his ultimatum to Omaha automobilists, the council
acted. It voted both to revive Hoy's
ordinance of the previous summerand to introduce a new
ordinance. The latter of these measures,
reflecting the prevailing sentiment towards motorists,

(09:50):
limited the speed of autos to five mph in the business
district and eight in residential areas.
One auto owner, disturbed by this ordinance, decided to take
matters into his own hands. He hoped to convert Harry B
Zimman, president of the counciland chairman of the Judiciary
Committee, which was consideringthe restrictive ordinance, to a

(10:12):
pro automobile position by demonstrating to him the thrill
of speed. The motorist coaxed Zimman into
his machine at the ballpark and drove him to 16th and Harney
streets in 4 1/2 minutes. At the end of the trip, Zimman
was gasping with fear and rage. Shortly thereafter, he declared

(10:32):
that the speed ordinance definitely would pass.
Before the final passage of the speed ordinance, Omaha drivers
did succeed in gaining A slight modification of the measure.
When the City Council met to consider the ordinance,
automobile dealers HE, Frederickson and JJD Wright
spoke against the proposed speedlimits of five and eight mph.

(10:57):
Probably as a result of these individuals influenced, the
council voted to change the speeds to 7 and 12 mph, and the
measure passed in that form. Members of the Omaha Automobile
Club may have well been surprised to learn a week later
that Mayor Frank E Moores had vetoed the ordinance.
He did so, he said, because the speed limit of 12 mph voted by

(11:21):
the council for residential areas was, quote, too great for
the safety of the people generally who use the streets.
End Quote. The mayor expressed concern that
drivers might lose control of their autos.
Also, during the summer months, children used the streets as
playgrounds and quote if automobiles were permitted to go
tearing through the streets at 12 mph, some terrible accident

(11:46):
would sure to result. End Quote.
It was Moore's opinion that if Omaha drivers wanted to travel
at a high rate of speed or anything over 8 mph, they could
use the country roads. Immediately following the veto
by Mayor Moores, the City Council considered the
possibility of another ordinance, although nothing

(12:08):
definitive surfaced until late summer.
At that time, the council calledupon City Attorney Carl C Wright
to prepare the measure. The one he drafted was based on
one used in Chicago and called for a limit of speed of 6 mph in
the business district and eight in residential areas.
Certain equipment would be required on all autos.

(12:31):
Lights on the front and rear, white for the front, red for the
rear of the vehicle, a horn or abell and brakes capable of
stopping the auto within 10 feet.
The vehicle had to display a license number in white letters
5 inches high on the rear, illuminated by a small white
light. But most disturbing to Omaha

(12:53):
motorists was a provision that all drivers would have to pass
an exam as to their qualifications to operating
machines, but no demonstration of their driving skill.
The examining board was to be comprised of city electrician,
boiler inspector and chief of police.
If the board found an applicant to be mentally, physically, and

(13:16):
morally competent, then he paid a small fee and received a
vehicle license number. However, if a citizen filed A
complaint against a driver charging negligence and the
examining board sustained the accusation, his license shall be
forever revoked. Presumably, this included a
violation of the provision whichmade it, quote, obligatory for

(13:38):
every driver to stop and investigate whenever his car
strikes a person or vehicle in the street.
End Quote. Omaha automobilists met to
discuss the proposed ordinance after the council decided that
the measure should be passed into law.
Although the motorists at the meeting all spoke with a
conciliatory spirit, they disliked the examination

(13:59):
process, the requirement for lights, and the low speed
limits. The latter they denounced as
impracticable. It was the consensus of those
attending the meeting that the motorists should send a
representative committee to meetwith the council in an effort to
very much modify the provisions of the ordinance, if not to

(14:20):
carry the whole matter over until next year, this driving
season being so nearly at an end.
In the meantime, all present agreed that one of the best
tactics that they would pursue would be to exercise unusual
care until automobiles were firmly established and
understood in Omaha. The representatives of the

(14:41):
automobilist succeeded in persuading the council to put
the proposed ordinance on the back burner at least until the
following spring. They met with the members of the
council and agreed the vehicles needed identification numbers.
However, after the meeting, the ordinance remained in an
unperfected state. A disposition to regulate

(15:02):
automobiles in Omaha by late 19 O 3 was not dead, but merely
delayed. The council recognized that the
horseless carriage was becoming a permanent part of Omaha life.
Every day more citizens of meanswere purchasing Ramblers,
Wintons, waterless Knoxes, Locomobiles, Cadillacs, or even
Fords. Ladies were taking a seat behind

(15:25):
the wheel and fashion articles in newspapers instructed them as
to the proper attire for driving.
Perhaps some of the women motorists purchased long coats
of rain proof silks. Fashion for automobile use
reported as the most captivatingof all nineteen O 3 fall styles
for automobiling. Less expensive but probably

(15:45):
popular worthy trifles for lady motorists on the market.
A newspaper article related thatchain charms in the shape of
tiny gold and silver automobilesabound.
Other signs of the growing acceptance of the automobile
were more obvious. The Exarben Festival in early
October featured a parade which included 26 autos decorated with

(16:09):
poppies, roses and chrysanthemums.
And in keeping with the spirit of progress, King Exarben and
his lovely queen rode in the lead vehicle.
The Christmas season brought with it the use of the
automobile in ads to attract thereader's attention of miniature
auto toys for the children, justlike the big toys of their

(16:30):
parents, at least of affluent parents.
An enterprising business in Connecticut advertised in late
November that any young girl whosold twenty articles at $0.10
each supplied by the firm could have for her very own a new
wonder doll. This magnificent toy could say

(16:51):
Mama and Papa. It came with a mechanical
automobile which moved by springwith great speed.
Locally, JL Brandeis and Sons Department store in an ad
featured Santa Claus flying overrooftops with innumerable toys,
not in a sleigh led by dasher and Dancer, but in an
automobile. Lastly, if anything signaled a

(17:14):
general acceptance of the horseless carriage in Omaha.
By late 19 O3, it was its recognition by the tax assessor.
For the first time, automobiles were taxed as personal property.
Of course, owners of the autos felt their machines were nothing
with which the tax assessor should become overly concerned.

(17:36):
Emil Brandeis, for example, suggested that his $3000
Peerless should be valued at $100 for the purpose of
taxation, a figure raised to 1000 by the assessor.
The inescapable fact remained that regulation of the
automobile was needed. There was enough sentiment in

(17:57):
the fall of 19 O3 to prompt the Daily News to editorialize that
it might be very appropriate to label the auto the Red Devil.
Unfortunately, said the News, anindividual, upon entering an
auto seemed to be overcome by a satanic spell and developed a
complete disregard for the life and safety of other people.

(18:20):
The only means of controlling the reckless driver, it
appeared, would be to treat the scorcher to a schooling of
arrests, fines and horse whippings.
Not everyone took such a harsh position.
The Omaha Excelsior pointed out that some of the quote
uninitiated still looked suspiciously at a so-called red

(18:40):
devil and cannot be induced to get into one.
End Quote. Yet those same individuals
enjoyed a ride with a spirited team of horses.
The Excelsior could have added that everyone noticed an
automobile involved in an accident, but few paid attention
to similar accidents perpetratedby carriages.

(19:00):
Still, the Excelsior supported regulation of the automobile in
19 O 4. Early that spring, as some young
men's fancy turn to love, othersopted for a fast automobile.
Once again, speedsters became a nuisance.
In March, Chief Donahue announced, quote, that the fast

(19:20):
and reckless driving of automobiles in the city must
stop once and for all. End Quote.
Citizens complain to him daily that autos had come dangerously
close to hitting them. Donahue, only warning speedsters
at first, now began arresting them.
He also supported an ordinance which set speed limits and

(19:41):
required identification numbers.The City Council resumed
discussion of the need for a regulatory ordinance and in
mid-april Zimmen introduced an ordinance similar to the one
proposed the previous August. The ordinance set a limit of 6
mph for the business district, required each automobile to have

(20:02):
a gong horn, whistle or bell to be sounded at each St.
intersection, An identification number registered with the city
and painted in letters 5 inches high.
A red light for the rear and a white light in the front to
illuminate the license number after dark and brakes capable of
stopping the car within 10 feet.Lastly, drivers had to pay a

(20:25):
license fee of $2.00 and a deposit a bond of $100.
The News declared the ordinance quote so rigid as to be
unreasonable. End Quote.
It would be an injustice to holdvehicles to a speed limit of 6
mph when carriages could travel at 11:50 and streetcars at 15 to

(20:46):
20. In reality, said the News, the
majority of drivers were responsible and safe.
The situation could be improved if Chief Donahue simply would
make some of the arrests he talked about.
If an ordinance was needed, the news favored one which would not
be oppressive but rigidly enforced.

(21:08):
Automobile dealer Clark Powell echoed these sentiments when he
stated that this ordinance was more suited to a backwoods town
of the South than for a city like Omaha.
The City Council passed an ordinance basically the same as
the one proposed, although it provided 8 and 12 mph limits in
the business and residential areas, lowered the registration

(21:30):
fee to $1.00, and eliminated thebond.
The measure passed only after, quote, a great deal of quibbling
and several passages at arms andmuch objection by owners of
automobiles. End Quote.
The ordinance went into effect May 24th when the mayor did not
veto the measure. Omaha now had its first

(21:51):
ordinance regulating automobiles, perhaps as an act
of defiance. Just two days after passage of
the ordinance, speeding motorists caused a rash of
runaways, more than Chief Donahue had seen in weeks.
Also, automobile owners were slow to obey the registration
provision. In the first week of his
existence, only 52 owners complied.

(22:15):
According to the News, this figure represented 1/3 of Omaha
autos. However, the total number of
automobiles in the city probablywas much smaller.
By mid-july, 83 owners had registered their autos.
Some were trying to use one registration for several
vehicles. Chief Donahue warned that he
would arrest any driver who did not have a number on his

(22:38):
automobile, failed to secure a number for each auto, or refused
to observe the speed limits. Omaha drivers paid little
attention to Donahue's warnings,particularly those concerning
speed. In June 19 O 4 residents of the
Clifton Hill area complained about speedsters, one of whom
police timed as he was, quote, scorching down Military Ave. at

(23:01):
a rate of 40 mph End Quote. The auto carried license number
46, which was registered to the Rambler Automobile Company.
Investigation revealed that the driver was a potential purchaser
from Manning, Iowa, who is out for a test drive.
Since the number was registered in the name of the Rambler

(23:21):
Company, the police were reluctant to prosecute the
dealer or the purchaser. A few days later, an officer
swore that he saw AI Root, president of the Root Printing
Company, or at least his auto scorching at about the same rate
of speed on 28th St. between Farnham and Leavenworth.
The officer went to the scene after Council Member Zimmon

(23:44):
called the Police Department, which reiterated A determination
to arrest the drivers of these whiz carts.
Complaints were coming to City Hall at such a rapid rate, City
Clerk William H Elbourne called the automobile ordinance A
nuisance. Elbourne felt Omahans were too
jumpy, often telephoning for identification of a car or to

(24:07):
request that someone be sent to check the car speed.
Some women called to find out with whom acquaintances were
riding. Elborn said he intended to ask
the council to raise the licensefee so that he could hire
another clerk to answer the telephone.
The real problem in 19 O 4 was whether Omaha Society was

(24:27):
willing to enforce its new ordinance.
In June, AI Root had the dubioushonor of appearing in Municipal
Court, typically called police court.
In the first case prosecuted under the law, he was there to
answer for his alleged speed on 28th St.
The officer who witnessed the event testified that he had been

(24:49):
unable to stop Root's vehicle, but that he did see license
number 17, which was registered to Root.
Unfortunately, the officer had not been able to identify Root
as the driver because of the speed of the auto and because
the incident occurred in late evening.
Due to the lack of positive identification, the court

(25:10):
dismissed the case. Police were unhappy with the
decision. They wanted to hold the owner of
the automobile responsible for aspeeding incident, regardless of
the driver. This leniency or confusion
regarding prosecution under the speed ordinance continued in
July. Chief Donahue himself witnessed

(25:31):
A speeding incident as he was going home from work and Otto
shot by at a high rate of speed.Donahue identified the
automobile by its number 61. The machine belong to Emil
Brandeis, who received notice toappear in police court.
Brandeis appeared but informed Donahue that Frank Decker, his

(25:51):
chauffeur, was driving the auto at the time of the incident.
Brandeis did not ask that charges be dropped, but
requested that the case be postponed in order that Decker
might Dr. Brandeis's car in a scheduled race at the Sprague
St. Drive Park.
Chief Donahue agreed to the postponement.

(26:12):
The following Monday, Decker appeared in court.
Chief Donahue testified that he saw Decker flying, quote, like a
bird at a rate of not less than 40 mph End Quote.
Donahue, in earlier reports, said Decker was traveling at 60
to 100 mph. Decker replied that he was
unfamiliar with the auto and hadaccidentally opened the throttle

(26:35):
too far. The judge accepted the story and
dismissed the charges with the explanation that the auto, not
the driver, was to blame for theincident.
Obviously, the police court did not yet consider the automobile
a serious problem, probably because there were relatively
few autos in Omaha. The Police Department, despite

(26:58):
Donahue's protestations, reactedin a similar manner, adopting a
modest policy by arresting only 9 drivers in 19 O 4 foot.
Patrol officers, of course, werehandicapped.
A small bicycle squad had trouble catching the speedy whiz
wagons. Outraged Omahans occasionally
took matters into their own hands.

(27:20):
Grain broker Sewell Sluman had his machine showered with eggs
on Dodge St. Missus.
HE, Frederickson and a party of five women were bombarded with
cantaloupe rinds, H Vance Lane, manager of the Nebraska
Telephone Company, was repeatedly stoned and someone
shot at Dana C Bradford, president of Bradford Kennedy

(27:43):
Lumber Company. Although boys were often the
perpetrators of these activities, much of it
undoubtedly reflected the citizens concern over speeding
autos, the scaring of horses andthe occasional accident.
A more mature attitude by Omahans towards the automobile
developed in 19 O 5. The news commented on the

(28:05):
increasing feeling that motor vehicles be regulated and
restricted. The main concern, according to
the news, was the fool in the auto who should be exterminated.
This, of course, was hyperbole, but the moderate response did
develop. The legislature in 19 O 5 passed

(28:26):
the first state law to regulate the automobile.
Similar to Omaha's ordinance in 19 O 4.
It required state registration of all motor vehicles and
provided for a maximum fine of only $25 versus a city fine of
up to 100. Locally, the Omaha Automobile
Club became more involved in theattempt to encourage responsible

(28:48):
driving. The club recommended that
members not pay speeding fines levied against their chauffeurs.
Also, the club began to offer $20 rewards for information
regarding hit and run accidents.The Daily News strongly endorsed
this latter move, declaring it would help allay the suspicion
that every man who owns or drives a car is a speed maniac,

(29:11):
careless of the lies of all who may chance to cross his path.
Still, many Omaha automobile owners and drivers maintained A
defensive and even indifferent attitude towards responsible
driving. The Automobile Club revealed
that its members would support one another in unavoidable
accidents and would resist damage suits, although liability

(29:34):
insurance became more popular. By 19 O 5 In April 19 O 5, the
auto of Emil Brandeis, driven byhis chauffeur, struck Dr. Rundle
of Minnesota at 16th and Douglas, and the victim died
soon thereafter. Brandeis told a coroner's jury
that he had expected Rundle to move from the vehicle's path.

(29:57):
Instead, he seemed confused and appeared to leap towards the
car. The coroner's jury decided that
Rundell had committed suicide since he knew he had cancer of
the stomach. He was listed as having died
from cancer, hastened by being run over by an automobile.
During the next few years, the situation regarding the

(30:18):
automobile in Omaha changed little.
In 19 O 7, the Police Departmentfinally began to adjust to a
changing technology by renting 2motorcycles to chase speedsters,
and in the following year purchased two first class
machines. Motorcycle officers were made
responsible for arrest of speeding drivers, but two men

(30:40):
were insufficient for the job and police lobbied for more
motorcycles. However, some critics felt that
the department, more precisely Chief Donahue, did not want to
make arrests and anger influential people.
The Daily News claimed that Donahue ordered an occasional
crusade only when the public pressure became too great.

(31:02):
And in 19 O 9, the Omaha World Herald ran a page One cartoon
showing the chief with dark glasses and a white cane
proclaiming, quote, I see nothing particularly alarming in
the auto speed situation. End Quote.
The police court also continued to receive its share of
criticism regarding ineffective enforcement of speed limits.

(31:25):
It dismissed many cases because an officer wasn't able to stop
the speeding motorist and make an arrest.
The judge would not accept a case based only on an officer's
recording of the license number.A major complaint was that the
police court did not penalize speeders severely enough.
The news declared that the judges did little more than tell

(31:48):
a speeder he was naughty. An examination of fines given
speeders tended to bear out thischarge in 19 O 719 O 8 and in 19
O 9. The court heard a total of just
over 60 cases for speeding. In these, the average fine was
slightly over $10. It was not unusual to assess

(32:10):
higher penalties, including jailsentences for prostitution,
vacancy, drunkenness and lettingminors play pool.
It was a constant demand that speeders be sent to jail for a
few days. But in 19 O 9A judge who said he
would follow such a policy failed to carry out his threat,
probably because ordinances did not provide such a penalty or

(32:33):
because state law allow jail sentences only on the second
offense regardless of the penalty.
A few Omahans escaped fines by applying to the mayor for
pardons. From July 19 O 7 through June of
1911, Municipal Court records show Mayor James C Dolman
pardoned 17 drivers convicted ofspeeding.

(32:55):
While the mayor was criticized for the use of his pardoning
power, these cases represented only 6% of speeding cases before
the court. Throughout nineteen O 7 through
19 O 9, the Omaha Automobile Club issued statements
condemning speeding. In 19 O 8, the club encouraged
members to inform the president and the police when they saw

(33:17):
members speeding. It is unknown whether members
turned in offenders, but if theydid, speeding still did not
stop. The club now called for stricter
but reasonable regulation beforea serious accident prompted
drastic laws. The council did pass a new law
in 19 O 7, which kept the old speed limits but raised the

(33:40):
minimum fine to $500. However, as previously noted,
the police court tended to levy fines much below this sum.
The only notable accomplishment of the club during this period
benefited the members by an agreement with Chief Donahue.
The club gave member cards signed by Donahue to serve as

(34:01):
bail if the police stopped them for speeding.
This eliminated the embarrassment of going to the
police station but guaranteed the offender would appear in
court. Also, the club promised to
penalize them a year's dues. One city official condemning the
special privilege cards declaredDonahue was quote in league with

(34:22):
a band of known persistent violators of the law End Quote
and stated a club for porch climbing house burglars should
be formed so that they could have cards too.
Obviously, by 1910, efforts to regulate automobiles were
insufficient and owners continued to flaunt the law.
Some, for example, allowed theirchildren to drive.

(34:45):
In 19 O 9, the Daily News did a feature story on the youngest
driver in Omaha, 12 year old Jack Summers, son of Doctor and
Missus John E Summers, grandson of pioneer lumberman George A
Hoagland. The News reported that young
Summers had driven on Omaha streets at a speed of 55 mph.

(35:07):
Well, this might horrify some citizens.
The newspaper concluded that he,quote, is careful and toots his
horn persistently when he turns corners or passes streetcars or
even slower autos. End Quote.
Whoever was driving, accidents continued in large numbers.
In 1910, some Omahans formed an anti automobile club referred to

(35:28):
as the Humanity Club, which wanted enforcement of the speed
limits and prohibition of young drivers.
The club provided legal advice and assistance when necessary to
those injured. The Omaha Automobile Club was
probably accurate when it statedin 1910.
Quote. We have reached the point where
the automobile is regarded as a good thing.

(35:50):
End Quote. Still, changes were needed.
The club urged that signs and danger signals be placed at
intersections where accidents might occur and recommended that
motorcycle officers wear uniforms.
The sight of uniformed officers,they say, would deter speeding,
and drivers would not flee from uniformed officers as they did

(36:11):
others whom they might mistake for bandits.
Ordinances were passed in June prohibiting children under 16
from driving and provided that joyriders be sent to jail for
from 5 to 30 days for each offense.
One week after the council actedin 19 O 9, young Jack Summers

(36:32):
was arrested under the first of these ordinances.
Although the judge dismissed charges after delivering A
lecture, but all these events were insignificant when compared
to a devastating accident. On June 21st, an auto driven by
Alex Schultz, owner of a car rental firm, struck another auto

(36:52):
at 34th and Leavenworth, killingWilliam Krug of Krug Brewing
Company. Reaction to this accident was
immediate and strong. The World Herald called Alex
Schultz a driver with an unsavory record.
Schultz had been to court several times and in 19 O 9 was
fined $100 for reckless driving.The president of the park board

(37:15):
declared that the police were not doing their job, and the
Excelsior suggested that offending drivers should be
thrown in jail. The threat of spending time in
the black hole, claimed the Excelsior, would make drivers
more careful. A judge pointed out, though,
that speeding cases were, quote,one of the most delicate matters

(37:37):
with which he had to deal. End Quote.
While the comments flew, Schultzsat in jail and the World Herald
felt his incarceration accurately reflected public
sentiment. Schultz was charged with
manslaughter in the District Court on August 1st.
A jury found him guilty and the judge sentenced him to three

(37:57):
years in the penitentiary. The Supreme Court upheld the
sentence. The death of Krug and
prosecution of Schultz shocked the community into the
realization that greater regulation of the automobile was
necessary. The police court began handing
out more and stiffer fines. During the first six months of

(38:20):
1911, the court fined 130 drivers, an average fine of
about $20. The Legislature in 1911 passed a
stricter law which provided those under 16 could not drive.
The law set higher fines, and ifa driver caused injuries or
death while violating provisionsof the law, he could be fined

(38:43):
200 to $500 or be sentenced one to 10 years in jail.
While these changes would not end problems associated with the
automobile, as the situation today shows us, they did reflect
A determination to impose controls for the welfare of
society. 10 years earlier, the automobile had been only a toy

(39:04):
for the affluent. The number of machines had
increased dramatically from yearto year, and motor vehicles were
no longer mere pleasure cars, but delivery trucks, moving
vans, and taxi cabs. After a decade, Omaha society
had accepted the automobile in all its forms.
But Omahaans also expected drivers to use their machines in

(39:28):
a safe and responsible manner and not as devil wagons.
Thank you for listening to the Nebraska History Podcast.
To learn more about the NebraskaHistory Magazine, to listen to
more podcasts, or to support ourpodcast by becoming a member of
the Nebraska State Historical Society, go to
history.nebraska.gov/podcast. And don't forget to subscribe to

(39:51):
the podcast and get notified when we release a new episode on
your favorite podcast platform. Until next time, I'm Chris
Goforth.