Omaha daily bee., 1903-04-05
STORE OPEN AGAIN
Every Department in Perfect Order and Old
Employees on Hand.
BIG PLACE IS ATTRAcTNtLY DECORATED
Managers w. n. Bennett and ,. n.
baum Welcome T~hOusands of
Their Friends and Customers
During the Day.


As though there had been no Interrupt
tion whatever, Benefits department store
re~oPened yesterday under the control
Of The Bennett company, with every de-
partment working in perfect business har-
mony and 9S per cent of the old heads OF
departments and employees caring for the
crush Of costumers. The restoration was
made with eclat, with flags Of all nations
flying proudly from the windows and thou
sands Of Easter lilies and ferns and palms
making the interior more like a con-
servatory than a big department store. The
purple and white streamers Of the Easter
season were entwined everywhere and clus-
tiers Of vari-colored electric bulbs glowed
cheerily at all points Of advantage.
All day the aisles along which were dis
played vast quantities Of the products of
looms and factories and mills and shops,
crowds Of men and women jostled eagerly,
inspecting WITH delight and backing their
approval by purchases.
The managers, J. e. Baum and w. r.
Bennett, the latter with a white carnation
In his coat, received personally as many
OF their customers as they could. There
was the sense Of rejoicing in the air-that
the re-opening was going so successfully
and the people proving their good will by
so generous an attendance and patronage.
With one accord everyone seemed to agree
that an era Of prosperity had set in that
would more h obliterate the recent dark
clouds that have been hanging over the
store. An orchestra played from a balcony
on the main moor and individual musicians
played in the music room.
Business Moves Smoothly.
Excepting hat perhaps every department
seemed fresher and brighter, one might
have imagined there had been no reverses
and from the pretty cafe to the provisions
department. business had been swinging
smoothly during the past few months. EN-
ployes who had found other positions gave
them up and returned to the store when
they found It would reopen and there was
none Of the lost motion that usually ao-
companies such events. In the morning
twenty-four of the Bennett delivery wagons,
headed by a band, paraded the down town
streets.
Concerning the opening a member Of the
company saidi THE Bennett people came
here twenty-five years ago without capital.
The business and the reputation established
them as the foremost merchandisers of this
section OF the west. Their success led to
their being crowded out Of the old quarters
through pressure of business. They were
unable to secure a larger building, and,
with the belief that the people Of Omaha
and vicinity would justify them in doing
so, they conceived the enterprise Of building
this big store at Sixteenth and Harvey
streets, Throu' unfortunate overdepend-
ence on securing financial assistance that
failed them at the critical time they were
unable to successfully finance the building
proposition, which led to their failure a few
months ago.
Rare and Promising Combination.
Like the BENEFITS, the Baums came here
about twenty years ago and started business
In a small way and have made a remark
able success, having established five branch
houses as large as the one in Omaha. They
have earned q well deserved reputation as
successful business men and fnanciers and
in the reorganization of the Bennett COM
pany is the combination Of merchandising
experience, prestige and the close relation
with the people on the part Of the Ben
netts with the successful financial expert
ence OF the Baums. The big store certainly
starts OF with nothing lacking in the ele-
ments for success"
The crowds came from the country and
surrounding towns as we'll as from Omaha.
South Omaha and Council Bluffs.