Omaha daily bee., 1908-08-19
BUILDING FOR FRUIT SHOW
Proposal to Buy Old City Mill Prop.
erty for the Purpose.
COMPANY FORMING FOR PURPOSE
Plan IL "a Enclose IL with Brick Wall,
a Truss Roof and Also Use It for
stock Sale Pavilion and
Public Meetings.

As the result of three meetings of
prominent business men yesterday at the
solicitation OF President Charles A. Beno
Of the Commercial club, a large au-
ditorium building, in which the National
Horticultural congress will hold It's
show next December, is practically as
sured.
The project to secure such a building
for Council Bluffs assumes definite shape
yesterday morning. Mr.. Beno called a
number of business men together In the
rooms OF the Commercial club and un-
folded a plan whereby the old City mill
property at the corner of Washington
avenue and Bryant street could be Sc
cured as the site for a public auditorium,
exposition and stock sale building. An
ticipating that the proposition would be
favorabl yreceived by the business men
Of the city, Mr.. Beno stated that he had
secured an option on the property.
The proposition was enthusiastically re-
ceived by those present and 1t was at
once decided to take steps to organize
a stock company to purchase the prop
erty and put up a building. So sure were
those present that the project could be
successfully carried out that Architect
Fred e. Cox was called into consultation
and directed to draw a rough plan of the
proposed auditorium, which is to be ready
today.
At a second meeting in the afternoon
a good start in the matter of stock sub
scriptions was made and committees to
canvass the city today were named. In
a few minutes yesterday afternoon close
upon $4,000 was subscribed. The John
Beno company. the P. c. DeVol company,
the Day & Hess company, ]. e. Hollen-
beck and George f. Hamilton each sub
scribed $3.50. A balance of 5000 in the
treasury of the old Market day fund was
transferred to the auditorium fund.
Plans of Promoters.
The property which was offered to the
city as a site for the roposed new central
fire station, has a frontage on Washington
avenue Of 1S feet and 1888 feet on Bryant
street. An additional sixty feet on Wash
ington avenue with a depth Of 1873 feet can
be purchased II deemed advisable. II is
proposed to enclose the property with four
brick walls at least twenty feet high and
cover 1t with a truss roof so that it can
be ready for use by the National Horticul-
tural congress. 1t is believed that all the
preliminaries can be arranged so thai the
work of construction can begin by October
1. Whether the floor will be OF cement
! or hard wood was not determined yester-
I Jay Out lnB sentiment seemed IN FAVOR OF
cement. 1t is proposed to use the building
as a hall for conventions and other gather
ings and as a stock sale pavilion. The pro-
motors also have under consideration a
proposition for the renting of the building
as a skating link! The party desiring to
rent 1t for this purpose being willing to
pay a rental of $500 a month and give up
the hall whenever needed for meetings
and stock sales. -
At the meeting In the evening, which was
attended by a large number of the leading
business and professional men, the follow
Ing committees were appointed to canvass
the city today for stock subscriptions to
the project:
c.. A. Beno, chairman; George, r. Hamil-
ton, P. c. DeVol, DR.. II. B. Jennings, f. F,
Everest, ]. G. Wadsworth. T.sG. Green.
w. s.. Keeline, chairman; J. p. Hess
Henry Sporting, NJ. c.. Rich, J.. e. ]. Hol.
lenbeck, r. B. Wallace, T. FaTnsworth.
G. w. Mcdonald, chairman; Fl, w
Binder, H. A. Quinn, w. A. Maurer.
H. II. Van Brunt. chairman; F. r. Davis
Keys.
1t is proposed to organize a stock com.
pany with $4,000 capital and to raise
$4,000 at once. Architect Cox estimate
that the property could be enclosed ant
rooted and floored at a cost not to exceed
$1,000 as a starter. The old Mill property
with the adjoining fifty feet frontage or
Washington avenue. 1t is stated, can bC
secured for about 1880.