Omaha daily bee., 1903-01-01
YEAR OF PROSPERITY
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vas the preceding year, for the number
Of now houses started. but the growth was
mainly vita the houses In business at the
beginning OF the year. The dry goods
houses we're somewhat in advance OF the
other lines Is preparing for the increase
OF business, and the beginning OF the year
found warehouse space, manufactures and
ofice rooms enlarged. The grocery lines,
on the contrary, found their greatest ex-
pansion after the beginning Of the present
year. and the increase in the business
which has come caused all OF them in a
greater or less degree to enlarge their
facilities for handling the trade. One of
the new features Of the Omaha grocery
trade is the number Of branch distributing
houses which have been opened. One
Omaha firm during the last twelve months
has made arrangements for opening thir-
teen new depots. which will be located in
a number OF towns Of the state and adj
Joining states west OF Omaha. This course
has been brought about by transportation
conditions, a number OF the larger towns
taking a rate from Chicago and eastern
points little, II any, In excess OF the MIS-
souri, river rates. and the local rate from
the depot to the retail dealer In nearby
towns is less than the rate from Omaha,
so goods can be handled at a larger mar
gin OF profit and competition can be met on
a better basis.
The largest individual growth Of any one
house during the year has been that Of tho
Bemis Bag company. which has added to
its room a $50, 900 building and has taken
up the manufacture OF horse blankets. This
innovation has resulted in more than
doubling the annual payroll, and has sup
piled work to a large plumber Of people.
prohab1v IN M nfhor limo has there hnan
such relative increase In the business OF
the city as in the poultry. butter and eggs
trade. This increase is due in no small
measure to the action OF the large packing
houses Of the country. Swift and Armour,
particularly. have entered the local trade
on a large scale. According to the state
ment Of local managers of these houses,
this was done for the reason that. with
their perfect method Of distribution OF
packing house products, IT has been neces-
sary to keep statesmen in the larger cities
OF this and other countries VIII have been
able to attend to the business of the pack
ing house in a few hours each day. and as
a result their time was not fully occupied,
so the company managers decided 20 add
poultry. butter and eggs to the business.
being lines which required little additional
force at the warehouses and which up to
lndt time ndu not Deen eAplOlleu III u
systematic manner. In every country where
the packing houses have representatives an
active campaign was begun for the sale Of
frozen poultry, chilled eggs and refined but
ter. The result is that American products
OF this variety are to be found In almost
every civilized country. and the price paid
during the year has been higher, especially
for poultry, than has been known In any
former year. In a direct way the indie
pendent houses have prohted from the az
g~ressive action OF the packing houses, as
these houses have expanded the market
and the independent dealers are entering
those fields with the minimum cost OF ad-
vertising and expense OF sale. Last year
the estimate OF the business, made by
persons familiar with the trade. was 81 ,00O.-
600 for Omaha alone. This year the esti-
mate is 81, 500, 900, and s49, 900 a year is paid
to the workmen engaged In the business.
Among lines showing the most apparent
expansion are: Heavy hardware. in which
one concern has doubled Its floor space and
added to Its line the manufacture OF buggy
tops.
Tanning. in which the omaha tannery.
which was experimental last year at this
time. has increased its capital and after
adding the manufacture OF harness from
its product to its tanning business is now
preparing the plans for a model factory
and tannery building to be erected at
East Omaha at a cost Of approximately
$50, 900.
Brewing. in which a strong company has
taken charge Of the Willow Springs brew
cry and is pushing its trade into all parts
OF the west.
Distilling, In which the Willow Springs
dlstillery has expended about $4,000 in the
construction Of a new bonded warehouse,
and the selling agents. Tier & Co. have
constructed and occupied a new salesroom
at a cost Of about l 1900.
Stoves, in which one Of the houses in tbs
city in former years has erected a new
warehouse and salesroom at a cost OF about
$4,000.
Furniture, in which Beebee & Runyan
have added to their capacity a large Ave
story building covering a town block and
added the manufacture OF couches and par
lor suites on a large scale.
Jewelry, in which a local Wholesale house
has constructed a three-story building.
modern and model for the line and entered
upon the manufacture Of jewelry.
Caps, in which a wholesale hat and cap
house has entered upon the manufacture
OF caps with a factory having a capacity Of
about 500 dozen a week.
One OF the reasons assigned for the
growth OF the trade OF the city is the
opening Of the new line from this city
into South Dakota by the way of Boyd
county, Nebraska. This country has had
easier communication with Chicago and
st. Paul than with Omaha, and what trade
did not 60 to those points was captured
by Sioux City. With the new road Omaha
and Sioux City were placed upon a plane
Of equality. while because Of longer dis
,tanees St. Paul and Chicago were put out
of competition.
The growth Of the trade OF the city. on
the whole. is not so much assigned to any
development of new territory as II Is to the
more energetic working Of the old terri
tory, with the development Of country and
an increase In population. The evidence
Of the generally improved condition was
seen a year ago in the high prices offered
for Nebraska farming land. During the last
four years a large number OF people. farm
ers OF the better sort. have come into the
lRtate. and those wao held their land have
derived large returns from their invest
;ment. The result has been increased de-
tmand for goods. and according TO all re-
ports this demand has been more in the
way Of better quality than In the way OF
larger quantity. This tendency was OBJ