WM. H. ALEXANDER, Alderman from the Seventh Ward, is a native of Connecticut. When thirteen years of age he had finished the course of study provided by the public schools and immediately took up advanced branches under Thos. Hart Fuller, of Yale, and others. At seventeen, having a natural inclination and aptitude for the legal profession, with mental and physical ability to meet its exacting requirements, Mr. Alexander began the reading of law with Hon. John T. Wait, now member of Congress from Connecticut. His father's ill-health, however, and other circumstances resulting from it, interrupted the legal study and shortly thereafter he set out to bear his part in the actual work of life. He taught in the public schools for nearly three years with gratifying success and was always an intelligent force in literary, social and religious affairs. In the fall of '71 he left the old New England home for the more progressive West. At Quincy, Ill., Mr. Alexander engaged as salesman with the Whitney & Holmes Organ Company, and after six months' service was appointed superintendent of agencies with general power of attorney and the whole West for a field. The opportunities thus afforded for gathering information were promptly taken advantage of, and but few men are better posted concerning the great Northwest than he. During his eight years of service with the organ company he was accredited correspondent of the Quincy Daily Whig. He prepared, among other interesting matter, historical sketches of Minnesota, Wisconsin and Kansas, which were widely copied and read. He attended the National Republican convention at Cincinnati, and reported the great Blaine meeting at Peoria in 1876; was with Colfax at a grand tri-county gathering in Farmer City, Ill., and at his request reported the proceedings for the Chicago Inter-Ocean. The acquaintance then formed with that distinguished gentleman ripened into warmest friendship that lasted till his death. From 1879 to 1883 Mr. Alexander had charge of the extensive furniture house of Jansen Bros. & Co., at Lincoln, Nebraska; was one of the organizers of the Board of Trade in that city; secretary of the Union Club, and was recognized as an active and valuable citizen. He came to Omaha in January, 1883, to take a position with Dewey & Stone in their mammoth furniture establishment. When the contract for "Twenty Years of Congress" was made with Mr. Blaine, Mr. Alexander was offered the general western agency for that great political history, and has since held control of its sale in the Trans-Missouri States. He has been quite largely interested in real estate, being now connected as senior partner with the firm of Alexander & Brigham, real estate and loan brokers. He stands high in the estimation of the people, and particularly so in the ward he represents in the Council. Mr. Alexander is a fine speaker, a genial companion, of unimpeachable integrity, and if so inclined could doubtless make his mark in a public way. He has a wife and two daughters, a pleasant home, and ought to be satisfied with life as it falls to his lot.

     WILLIAM F. BECHEL was born in Canton, Ohio, February 27, 1841. In 1848 he removed with his parents to Akron, Ohio, and was educated at Hiram Institute, Hiram, Ohio, the late President Garfield being a professor there at the time. In 1861 Mr. Bechel enlisted in Company C, 107th Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and served as second lieutenant of his company until 1862, when he resigned and entered the service of the Union Express Company at Akron. Subsequently he removed to Chicago, where he continued in the same business until 1869, when he removed to Sacramento, Cal., taking a position as cashier of Wells, Fargo & Co. In 1870 he was transferred to Kansas City, Mo., holding the position of secretary to Mr. Cooper, superintendent of the company there. In IS75 Mr. Bechel left the Wells, Fargo company to accept the position of auditor of the Kansas Pacific railroad express company, and in 1878 came to Omaha in the service of the same company. On November 1, 1879, the Pacific Express Company was organized and Mr. Bechel was appointed auditor, which position he still holds, and in addition was in January, 1886, elected the secretary and a director of the company. The Pacific Express Company covers the territory from Toledo and Detroit in the East, to San Francisco and Portland on the Pacific, operating by rail, steamship and stage 20,000 miles, and by connection with other companies it reaches all eastern and southern Atlantic ports. The holding of such responsible positions as director, secretary and auditor in a company doing such a vast business, sufficiently testifies to Mr. Bechel's business capacity. In 1884 Mr. Bechel was elected to the City Council for two years, and in 1885 was made president of that body. In 1886 he was re-elected for two years and again made president. On the reorganization of the council in 1887 under the new charter, Mr. Bechel was elected president for the third time, and by his thorough knowledge of parliamentary rules, the promptness of his decisions and the facility with which he disposes of business, the council is largely aided in its work. The system of city improvements -- grading, paving and sewerage -- had only been entered upon the year before Mr. bechel went into the Council, and to his intelligent and public spirited co-operation as president of the Council is !he city largely indebted for the faithful and efficient continuance of that system which is giving to Omaha as fine streets as any city in the country possesses. Mr. Bechel was also largely, if not chiefly, instrumental in securing the location of the city hall on Farnam street opposite the court house, thereby so concentrating the courts and offices of the county and city as when the city building shall be completed, to greatly expedite the public business. Any city may consider itself fortunate in the possession of citizen, who, like Mr. Bechel, have the capacity and willingness to serve it, and the integrity which assures that the service will be faithfully and conscientiously rendered.

     FRANCIS A. BAILEY was born in England, July 6, 1833, and came to this country with his parents in 1850, settling at Cleveland, Ohio. Having learned the trade of brickmaking he established himself in that business at Cleveland before he was twenty-one, and continued in it until April, 1869, when he came to Omaha and engaged in the same business, for the first year alone, and afterwards in company with the late Samuel Cafferty. After his death, Mr. Bailey formed a partnership with Mr. Ole Olson, which still continues. The firm is largely engaged in contracting and building, using the entire product of their brick yards in their own building contracts. Among the fine buildings erected by them in Omaha as contractors is the Millard Hotel. Mr. Bailey was an early investor in real estate here, having bought ten acres west of Creighton College which has become by the progress of the city very valuable. In 1885 Mr. Bailey was first elected to the Council as an Alderman-at-Large, and in 1887 was re-elected under the new charter to serve until January, 1890. This is the only official position which he has held, but as an active business man he became a member of the Board of Trade on its organization, and is a zealous promoter of the best interests of Omaha.

     JEFFERSON W. BEDFORD was born in Lafayette county, Missouri, June 3, 1845, received his education in the common schools and at the Masonic College, Lexington. In 1862-3 he was a member of the Third Colorado Cavalry, engaged in quelling Indian troubles on the plains. His regiment was a part of Col. Chivington's command at Land Creek, where such a terrible slaughter of Indians occurred as to completely end their further depredations in that quarter. In 1866 Mr Bedford engaged in merchandising at Lexington, Missouri, and there continued until 1877, when he went to Joplin, Missouri where he established a branch store and engaged in coal mining at Pittsburg, Kansas. In 1880 he went to Rich Hill, Missouri, where he opened up coal mines for the Missouri Pacific railroad, remaining there as superintendent for the company until 1882, when he resigned and came to Omaha. Here he engaged in the coal and real estate business, from the latter branch of which he retired in January, 1887, to give exclusive attention to his large coal trade. In May, 1887, Mr. Bedford was elected to the City Council under the new charter, to serve until January, 1890. He is interested in various enterprises, besides his special business, as stockholder, etc., and is one of the active and representative citizens of Omaha.

     JACOB M. COUNSMAN is one of the quiet members of the Council. He is conservative and careful, but always on hand, and although naturally of a retiring disposition he takes a deep interest in the proceedings and thoroughly posts himself on all important city matters before acting. He was elected from the Fifth Ward last spring on the Republican ticket. Mr. Counsman is one of the pioneers of Omaha in the Council. He is of German descent, was born in Blair county, Pennsylvania, on his father's farm, in 1837, and lived there until 21 years of age. He learned the trade of a carpenter and builder, which he has followed ever since. While living at home he was married to Miss Arabella Redmond, and with his young wife he left the old home and came West in 1861. He selected Omaha as the most likely town with a promise of the future, and set himself up in a small way as a carpenter and builder. His business has grown and prospered, and to-day he is one of the largest contracting builders in the city. Mr. Counsman has always taken practical control of his work, and as he is a fine mechanic himself he always gives satisfaction. The result is that his business has grown to such proportions that it has made him rich. Mr. Counsman is a wide-awake, progressive man. He is enterprising and hardworking. He is held in high esteem by busines's men and capitalists and is popular with the labor classes, to which latter he belongs, being a member of their different organizations and high in their confidence. His election was due to his being a representative workingman, and he has been mindful of their interests during his term.