Omaha daily bee., 1889-01-27
CHAT WITH BUSINESS MEN.
Proud of Council Bluffs Past and
Confident of It's Future.
YESTERDAY IN THE COURT.
A Small BIaze-Ncws OF a Personal
Nature Several Offenders
Indictcd--The Guards
Bazaar.
YESTERDAY IN THE COURT.
How u Beat With Pride and Hope
For Council Bluffs.
THE PUBLIC l.

etc. To answer these questions intelli-
gently, and present facts without color
ing, TIE BEE has been feeling the
public pulse by touching its rcportorial
finger to the wrists OF a number OF those
citizens who are thoroughly conversant
with the situation and prospects of the
city. These gentlemen are 50 well
known that their opinions will be read
with interest. Some of them do not re-
side here, but all of them have made
themselves thoroughly con versant with
the matters concerning which they
were questioned.
Mayor Rohrer-"Yes. | am well ac-
quainted with the history of our city.
Nearly all the years OF my life have been
passed here. | have seen Il struggling
frontier town grow into this metropolis:
have seen IT take on its elements of
strength and beauty. | have watched
it closely all these years, and | am free
to say that | have found no city east or
west which has had II more steady. solid
growth than this has. Years ago the
length and breadth of the city could be
travelled in a few minutes. 1t has eX-
tended its borders so that its residence
area comprises about eighteen square
miles. Yes, its business has developed
| proportionately. Its school system is
| the equal of any. Its churches are the
pride of all. In these nearly every
shade of religious belief is repre-
| sented.n
What is the financial condition of
the city?'
If you mean the stability of its bust
ness men, | may say its rating is far
above the average. There have been
less failures than in any city of equal
size in the United States"
But mean its condition as a cor
porate city,"
"Oh, yes. Well, you must consider
that until about five years ago there
were few public improvements, and all
has been crowded into a few years.
Considering this fact. our taxes are
very low-about 5 per cent on the
valuation. This valuation is very low
low indeed-not more than 80
per cent of the valuation in
SIMILAR cities. Jun bonds are at
par in the eastern markets. and many
OF them find ready sale at home. These
securities are regarded as the very best.
Our financial condition could not be
BETTER
"What do you think Of the future pos.
sibihties of the city.
why. l think-no. [ don't Think
know Council Bluffs is destined to be
not only'the banner city of Iowa, but of
the northwest, Omaha excepted. OPP
portunities for making money? Why,a
man cannot help but make money, if he
invests his money here"
G.. e. Bell, OF Bell & Berlinghof,
architects-"Don't bother me with ques-
tions, please. We're so busy we don't
know which way to turn. We have to
work night and day TO keep our heads
above water"
What plans have you now on hand?"
plans? Look al this. and he pulled
open Il drawer. We have now in the
office $225 600 worth of work."
GLOW does the business now compar
with that of a ear agoI"
1--WE did Il good business then. but
we are ~discounting it now. Council
Bluffs will see more building this year
h a during any previous W years"
Lucius Wells, Of Deere, Wells & Co.
Seven years ago certain agricultural
implement firms established h~eadquar-
tiers here and erected buildings. ware
houses, etc. This was, OF course, to
more readily reach their northwestern
trade. The coming of these brought
others, until Council Bluffs has come TO
be regarded us the distributing point
for this territory. 1t is the terminal
point of nearly 10000 miles OF rail
roads.
"What has been the annual increase
in your line during the past seven
years."
'Fully 33b per cent. Our trade last
year exceeded by far that of any pre-
vious year. This year we expect to
greatly exceed the business of last year,
which is saying IA great deal"
How do you regard Council Bluffs as
a distributing point?"
'hIt iS the very hest bppauSp all tho
railroads except one that traverse the
northwest reach US. Council Bluffs
Sustains the same relations here that
Chicago did to the west twenty years
ago. i confidently expect within five
years to see a population of Mt least |
10000 people in Council Bluffs and
Omaha"
]. H. WILLARD, Of Omaha, president
of the Omaha National bank. after cor |
daily welcoming the questioner, said: |
las you know, my dear SIR, | am not |
the owner of a foot of real estate in
Council Bluffs, yet | have watched the
progress OF the city with o great deal Of
interest, and | firmly believe it will |
grow beyond the expectations of its |
most sanguine friends"
"You are treasurer of the Omaha and
Council Bluffs bridge company, are you
not?'
Yes, ana suppose you want TO know
what have been the results of it's opera
tion thus far. | believed and said at
the outset hat there was money in it, |
and | was not wrong. Although people
did not see it, the construction of the
line was of great benefit to Coun-
Gil Bluffs. 1t opened up and made ac-
cessible a belt OF territory which was
undesirable for any purpose. 1t has in
property values, not only along
the line, but over the entire territory.
j believe you will see $4,000 people in
Council Bluffs before you know it. And
then Omaha will have $50 900. AS the
west develops, the advantages OF this as
a distributing point will be more and
more seen and utilized. This country
has a great future before 1t, and a man
hardly go amiss in investing his
money here"
Simon Eiseman, OF Henry Eiseman &
COVE have been. in business here
twenty-five years, and have built up the
trade, we believe, in the west.
We did the best business last year we
ever did. Our trade has increased at
least SO per cent each year during the
past five years"
"How about the trade going 10 Omaha,
that the motor line is in operationy"
u don't take any stock in it. We get
trade every day from Omaha. Whyf
Because, in many lines, we can sell
cheaper tlan those merchants |