Omaha daily bee., 1896-01-01
TWELVE MONTHS OF BUSINESS.
Record of Is05 One that IL Comfort-
ing TO Contemplate.

ing to Contemplate.
II might have been better but It might
have been worse. That Is about the way in
which the situation in Council Bluffs during
the past year is sized up by the Inhabitants.
Nobody, so far as is known, has become
suddenly rich, and although the poor are
always with us, their number Is not much
greater than In past years, when times were
considered good. The public has been startled
by no reports OF heavy failures. The large
firms have gone on In the even tenor OF
their way, sold their goods, and met their
obligations when they came due. What few
failures there were we're OF the smaller es-
adjustments. which, even In the best OF
times, often go broke"
The holiday saason Just ended was marked
by a good trade The merchants took care
not to overstock themselves with goods, and
as result they unloaded at fair profit.
Every one seemed to have what he needed
to make his Christmas merry one-partly,
possibly, because three years OF financial de-
preston have taught people to limit their
wants, to a certain extent, to the size Of
their pocketbooks, to dine on ham sand
wiches when porterhouse and mushrooms are
not obtainable.
The annual report OF r. G.. Dun & Co.,
recently issued, shows that, taking the whole
country over, there have been twice as many
failures during 1895 as during the preceding
year. In this Council Bluffs Is glad to see
that II has failed to keep up with the pro-
cessiop. There have been but six failures in
the city during the past twelve months, and
none of them were large establishments, or
for large amounts. The most extensive, per-
haps, was that Of Marcus, Marx & Co., the
Upper Broadway commission firm. They had
only limited capital to start with and over
reached themselves.
The aggregate amount of business done in
the jobbing line has diminished The inn
plement houses located here have been doing
business of about s500OO0O annually until
this year, when the cutting off of a large
territory owing to crop failure, decreased
the trade to between $500, 900 and 81, 900, 900.
Beside this there has been transfer business
of s5,o00,O0O this year. In spite of the de-
preston, the city has not lost single job
bing firm, and, on the contrary, has received
several very desirable accessions.
The Peru Plow company, with paid up
capital of $4,000, was moved here from
Sioux Falls, S. D., owing to the increase OF
its business and the transportation facilities
Of Council Bluffs. The establishment here
has been made the headquarters, and the
one at Sioux Falls is merely branch house.
T. j. Evans, who was largely instrumental in
bringing the company here, bought a large
block Of the stock.
The Combination Fence works was
moved here from York, Neb., and was build
ing up good business with stock of $10,-
O00 when the recent fire totally destroyed
energetic manager r. II. Bloomer, who thus
shows his confidence in the future Of the
country adjacent to this city.
John G.. Woodward & Co. is the name Of
new candy manufacturing company which
has a stock of 100000. NJ. Duquette, who
was formerly in business with Mr. Woodward,
has branched out on his own hook and has
invested about $4,000.
The, Monarch Manufacturing company
came here during the early part Of the year
from Rockford ILL.,, and is now doing good
business in the manufacture of axle grease,
the stock of the company being $4,000.
The number Of firms maintaining transfer
business in Council Bluffs has been increased
by the addition of the Stoughton Wagon
company, Fuller, johnson & Co., and the
Westinghouse company.
The amount Of money invested in wholesale
houses In the city is more than $2,000,0 000
and there has been no disposition manifest
on the part of any Of the companies to with
draw any part of it. The disastrous fire of
the past month, which wiped out several Of
the largest warehouses, did no permanent
damage, 1OT eacn OF tne companies WnlCn
suffered losses have already begun taking
steps looking toward rebuilding.
Figures furnished by City Auditor Gould
show that there is a creditable state of
things in the city finances. Intersection
paving bonds have been paid off and can
celled to the extent of $4,000, special assess
ment sewer bonds 50 5O0 special assessment
grading s32, 200, and special assessment paw
ing bonds $17 500. The bonded Indebtedness
of the city is now 5000 ,9OO as compared with
| hpv
been accumulated to the amount of SIS, 200
as compared with $4,000 March I. This
makes the net bonded Indebtedness at pres
ent 1924, ,7OO as compared with $561 100 ten
months ago. The general fund warrants out
standing amount to $122053, a decrease of
So S460 The water fund warrants outstand-
ing amount to s37,725, a decrease in ten
months of 1888. During this same period
100000 of intersection bonds, bearing 6 per
cent, have been refunded at Az per cent,
thus making a saving in interest charges of
$500 year.
There is one lack from which Council
Bluffs suffers and that is in modern houses
that will rent for from $1S to s25 per month
Thera are houses for rent. but there is
painful deficiency in small cottages, built
expressly fer the most desirable class of
tenants, with all the improvements which are
now recognized as necessary. great deal
bring in a good revenue If invested In this
way. The need is beginning to be realized
by the moneyed men of the CITY, and there is
no doubt that If the central prosperity in
creases during the coming year, some Of them
will release their hold on their purse strings
and put some Of their spare cash where it
will do them and the public generally some
good.
The health record during the year has bean
in the main good. Owing to the carelessness
of some Of the citizens an epidemic of con-
tagious diseases sprang up few months
ago. The efforts made by the health officers
to put II down were made of no avail by
the fact that parents would insist on allow
ing their children to go to school after they
had been attacked with the disease. In case
of death. they would allow their friends to
attend the funeral. City Physician Treynor
finally secured the cooperation OF Marshal
Canning and an officer attended each funeral
to see that no one else attended. During the
year there have been 2S4 cases of con-
tagous diseases reported to the city clerk.
The deaths from contagious diseases and all
other causes numbered 269.
In speaking on the subject of public
health, City Physician Treynor said "Out-
side Of the deaths from dphtheria, Group
and accidents. the death roll has been very
light. The hot weather in July caused con-
siderable mortality among children under
one year of age. OF the thirty-four deaths
in that month, twenty-three were under
1 year of age, and seventeen Of these were
the result Of cholera infantum. With regard
to the epidemic of contagious diseases we
ahnr hat ntt In thA