Omaha daily bee., 1906-08-19


Stewart building, seven stories; Alexander
hotel. seven stories; Barron estate build
ing, ten stories: Elysium hotel, six stories;
DeYoung building, seven stories.
All of these buildings will be Glass "A"
and all of them will be rushed to compile
ton. They are all replacing buildings
which were destroyed by the fire in this
district and are in the former retail center
OF the city.
Clearing Away Obsta cIes.
About 100 buildings of similar character
are now under way In San Francisco and
building permits for large permanent
buildings are being issued at the rate Of
about nifty day As rapidly as insurance
adjustments are made property owners
begin work Of removing the debris and
preparing the foundations Of their new
buildings without waiting for the financial
settlement of insurance claims.
While building Is still hampered by lack
of skilled labor in the building trades, more
men are coming In every day and con-
tractors are rushing all work as we'll as
they can under the circumstances. with
high wages, and prospects for long con-
tinued employment In a climate where no
time is lost the whole year round, II is
expected that there will be an influx of
skilled laborers with the coming of the
winter months when building lags in the
east Building material is now in ample
supply. With several thousand additional
workmen on the buildings years time
would make a wonderful difference in the
situation, but even under present condl-
tons new buildings are going up so rap
idly that the entire burned district will be
under roofs within two years
Residences are under construction all
over the western part of the city, and In
addition to these the rehabilitation COM
mite will begin the immediate erection of
900 houses to be used by those now
dwelling in tents. These houses are to be
built and sold to the people on installment
payments, and II is expected by this means
between 1900 and 1900 will be housed be-
fore the beginning of winter. These houses
with others which are going up and with
the barracks to be erected in various parts
of the city, will house all who are now in
tents and will provide homes for others
who come to the city to work.
High Wages.
A correspondent of an eastern paper
writes that walters can make ~ or IS a
day in the city, exclusive of tips. Chinese
cooks in private households receive from
$50 to $40 a month. This would suggest a
high market generally, and we find the
following schedule in a California publica-
tion:
Minimum wage for railroad work and
warehouse work. 1925 Bricklayers receive
81 and IS for an eight-hour day, with a
minimum wage of So. Cement workers get
IS, bod carriers 81, plasterers IS, stone cut
tiers A.75, carpenters IS, cabinet makers
A75, millmen $3.50, fathers Sc, shinglers 81
painters "a, fresco painters IS, paper hang
ers g. plumbers IS. machinists 1915, timers
"a, sheet metal workers 81, glaciers 81 and
stationary engineers 81
The report that Claus Spreckles has de-
cided to move from San Francisco to New
York proves unfounded. His mansion on
Van Ness avenue is to be restored at an
expenditure of $4,000 According to the
terms OF the contract 1t wiz ibe ready for
occupancy within year. Before the fire
the Spreckles mansion was one of the
most pretentious homes in America. The
marble in the hall alone cost more than
10000. The rest Of the house was fur
nished in corresponding style. In less
than an hour after the fire the famous art
treasury paintings. tapestries and carvings
were reduced to heaps of ashes and
charred stones. The house was completely
Quilted by the fire.
According to a press dispatch from San
Francisco, the Lumber trust a gigantic
monopoly Of the Pacific coast has raised
the price of lumber for building purposes
by the amount of So per 1000 feet. II is
anticipated that a still further advance
will soon be made.