Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1908-01-11
OPEN WINTER AIDS BUILDERS
Enables Outside Work to Proceed All
Over the City.
CONTRACTORS SEIZE OPPORTUNITY
Cement and Lumber Are Now Rs Low
I'm Price as the Local Dealers
Expect Them to BE
This Year.

open winter weather has been worth
many thousands OF dollars to builders, con-
tractors and property owners of Omaha
during the last six weeks.
Besides being able to push buildings to
completion the contractors have gained
much because of the low mark on material
prices. Another advantage is in keeping
the worlSingmen employed all winter and
retaining them in Omaha to begin work
in 'gangs" when spring opens.
One of the notable advantages gained by
the open weather is noted on the construc-
tion of the new Henshaw hotel. This
building is being made Of cement, fire brick
and terra Gotta. This building has had
three stories and the wallis added since
winter opened. One slight cold snap de-
layed work on this building in early De-
cember. but II lasted less than a week.
The slightest freezing weather would have
stopped work with the cement But it has
been so mild that it has set perfectly
To the builders of the Henshaw hotel
alone the weather has been of great value.
1t will be opened from month to six
weeks earlier than if the season had been
normal and cold weather delayed the work.
Il was in Dundee yesterday" said c. c.
George "and the store buildings and resi-
been practically completed since the time
for cold weather. The open winter has
been worth many thousands of dollars
Cement Falls in Price.
Since last May the price of cement has
been dropping off and 10 cents per
month"; said H. G.. Kranz of the Bowman
Kranz Lumber company. II believe it is
now at its low point. l do not see how 1t
can be sold for cent lower than at pres
ent. AS it is, the manufacturer is receiv-
ing only about 81 per barrel. The freight
is about 40 cents on the average for bar
res weighing 400 pounds. The wholesaler
and retailer must have some profit, and
IL must be more than 10 cents per barrel, as
the cement must be delivered in most cases
to where it is being used by contractors.
IF the manufacturers are compelled to
make cement for 81 per barrel very long
fear they will close down and wait for a
higher price"
Cement is selling in small quantities for
around $1.75 per barrel. In large quantities
it may be secured for $3.50. 1t sold at $2.25
per barrel during the early summer of 1907
I.umbermen do not anticipate a decline
in southern pine prices unless the northern
market falls s. to IS per thousand below
tne present price, Wieh IL "ouiu SoiiiS Hi'"
competition with the southern lumber. A
short time ago the Minneapolis dealers
quoted northern lumber at from 81 TO 80
lower per Thousand, but such decline did
not cause any competition between north
ern and southern lumber. - ,--a--,- 2
Dealers believe that all lumber is now
at it's low mark. The northern mills are
not manufacturing the lumber which they
usually do at this season of the year, while
the absence of snow in the northern forests
has made logging difficult and impossible
in many places. Only the mills which have
railroads to haul out their logs have been
enabled to manufacture an average output.