The Oskaloosa herald., 1903-01-01
KALBACHS AT HOME.
FleesSat and Immense New
LumEer Sheds Finished.

- - t@N&
merchants, are now in their new Office
and lumber shed which was erected
by them at the corner of First avenue
and B street. The new building IS sixty
feet wide by one hundred and twenty
long and equal in height and appear
ance to a two-story building. The
building was erected by Henry Weth-
erell, contractor.
The Office part is at the northeast
corner Of the great shed and is a two
story and basement building. The
Offices of the company are devoted to
the first floor. The entrance at the
northeast corner opens into a large
and well-lighted general Office that is
elegantly finished in hard wood. The
hard wood desks and furniture about
the room is from the shops of the Os-
kaIoosa Wood Working Company and
is both elegant and substantial. A
large plate glass window on the First
avenue side of the room gives a good
exterior appearance to corner. The
large desk and a gateway extends
across the room from the east to the
west and separates the general office
into two parts. A doorway on the
south opens into the private office Of
the company and here at the extreme
south end is the desk of MI. George
Kalbach. Another private DON opens
from the east of this Office, as also
does a convenient vault. The dimen-
sions of the Office part are Is by "a
feet. The vault is 6 by 9. The Sec
ond story of the office contains a
couple of heated rooms that are to be
used as needed by the employees or
the members of the company. The
building is heated by a hot air furnace
situated in the basement. On the
south side of the Office with entrance
from the driveway is a large work
room wherein are placed the various
tools that are used about the build
ings and the yards and lear this is a
water closet.
A great driveway twenty-five feet
wide extends through the center of the
building and is for the passage of
teams and loads of lumber. The
sheds on either side of the driveway
are 10 feet in depth and are two-story
affairs. The second floors of these
sheds are connected near either end
by a truss bridge devised by George
Kalbach. The interior of the great
shed is painted white and to ccom-
plish the covering this great surface
and the many constructive timbers Of
the place about ten barrels Of paint
were used. The paint was applied by
means of an air machine that virtual
Iy automized the paint and distributed
it evenly and quickly over all surfaces
The paint is white and makes the
great shed almost as light as day on
the interior. The exterior is painted
a slate color. An opening vas made
in the shed on the south side of the
alley, hence the driveway in the big
shed is continued south, over a paved
alley to the sheds in the old parts of
the yard. Some changes and improve
ments have also been made in the old
yards for the better handling of the
stock and the greater convenience of
the patrons. On the west of the old
part of the yard some ''open front
sheds have been erected that will per-
NIT the handling of the largest tim
bers without the Interference of posts,
The roof of these sheds is made upon
the truss plan and hence the desired
in the clear Is obtained. There
are two of these truss sheds. With
the opening of the spring season 1t is
likely that the former Office building
will be removed and the big shed that
stands on the south side OF the old
yard will be built over the ground now
occupied by the old Office. The m
provements made this season VIII
amount to between four and five
thousand dollars. The ground space
now occupied by this great yard is al
most forty thousand square feet. In
the sheds much of this space is doub-
led on account of the double decking
that gives accommodation to much of
the lumber.
The new building is neat and slightly
in and adds greatly to the
appearance of the locality on West
First avenue and B street. 1t is one
of the notable changes of the year.
Messrs. Kalbach r TO be congratu-
lated upon getting into their new
home. 1t is comfortable and convent
ent in every way and will serve h
purpose for which it was intended for
wears IN come. The business of this
concern Is conducted by Messrs John
A. and George Kalbach, and Mr.. War
rem Kalbach has charge Of the books
OF the firm. 1t is n Of the Oldest
established lumber firms in the state
and has been in existence almost as
Ions as the city of Oskaloosa. The
firm has well served the people Of the
city and the county and the success
attained is richly merited. Congratu-
lations are generally extended to the
members Of the firm.