The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1901-05-23
BUILDING NEWS.
oskaloosa's Improvements Con-
tinue With Unabated Fury.

Oskaloosa has never been buster
than at the present time. The plans
that were delayed by the tardy spring
have burst forth with all the sudden
ness of an explosion and surprising
activity is to be seen upon all sides.
Many new homes are in course of
erection, many others are being
planned, and the lack of workmen
alone retards many things that will
be done later. Here is bit of the
work now in progress over the city:
The standard oil company is putting
up big barn and wagon shed at
the corner of Third street and Sixth
avenue. The building is So feet long
and 81 wide with a large haymow
over the whole. The back part will
be used as a drive way and protec-
ton for the wagons while the front
will be divided between stalls, corn
cribs, etc. Merideth & Sons have
charge of the carpenter work. The
cost of the buildings will be about
S15O0.OO.
The factory of the Iowa Manu-
featuring company is a busy place
these days. There are now about
thirty people employed here and the
force is pushed for the completion of
orders.
Theirs are a number of the factory
workmen who have purchased lots
in the southeast part of the city and
will erect cottage residence during
the summer. Sam Graham is building
four room cottage on Ninth avenue
east OF the factory and will have an
improvement worth about $1,000 90.
The Oskaloosa Manufacturing Go.
say that this years. prospect is the
brightest in years. They have from
% to 80 men employed in their shops
and have built several new houses
for their employers. Among them are
the new homes of 7. A. Mckinley,
who moved here lately from Wash
ington and has charge of the wheel
borrow department, J. Ireland of the
shipping department and A. L. Whit
lock and Frank Wesson, also Frank
Macy of the painting department,
These buildings have been simply
side issues of the firm entirely sep
arate from their regular wheel Dor
row, wagon bed and shoveling board
business. The company has already
turned out 44OO boards and expect to
make it nine or ten thousand by the
end of the season. They have rented
the old Klingman property on First
avenue east and will make it their
up town shipping office for muddy
weather.
The company has put up eight of
these new company homes for the
employees since the first of the year
and the average cost has been
$3.50. 90 representing an Improvement
of about $60OO.00.
The company is arranging to start
another train load of lumber from
their mills in the south for the Oska-
oosa factory. 1t will be started in the
course of few weeks.
Dan Davis is putting a couple of
hundred dollars on his tenement
property on First avenue west. The
house has been repaired and had a
thorough going over and the lot is
being filled.
Benjamin F. Ferrall is removing
the story and a half residence on
High avenue that stands on the lot
Immediately west OF the Roux and
Easter place to his lot on North d
street. He will add a couple of rooms
to the building and will entirely re-
model and practically rebuild the
house making it rentable property
with modern conveniences. The i'm.
provements that he will put on the
building will cost between six and
eight hundred dollars.
Bart Sinclair is finishing two cot
ages on South B street across the
Rock Islaud tracks, one for Andy
Stanton and the other for Simon
Fitzgerald. The houses are practi.
cally twins and each cost in the
neighborhood of Sl5O0.00.
Mr.. Sinclair has has commenced
excevating for the foundation of his
model cottage home that he will
erect at the corner of First avenue
and @ street.
The foundation of the Brewer resi-
dences on north Third street is com
pleted and work upon the super
structure will be commenced mex
week.
The frame for the George Bertscl
residence on Third avenue east il
we'll along and the place will soon b.
ready for the plasterers.
Frank Wetherell's new residence
out on the Iowa City road, which
means A avenue east of 10th street
will be a much observed house. No
on account of the fact that it sits NJ
high and dry, but because it marks I
radical departure in house construc
ton in this city. The foundation o
brick is laid in Flemish bond, which
is something new here, but the nov
city of the building is in the plaster
ed sides, the walls OF the! first stor.
being of adamant plaster in place o
siding. The second story is shingl