Omaha daily bee., 1908-01-02
Business Men Sure It Will Reach 900.
600 Population in 1910.
MUCH BUILDING IS NOW GOING ON
Hartman is Expected to Erect Union
Pacific Headquarters.
DWELLINGS FOR THOUSANDS MORE
Relief I'm COnEestion OF Homes for
working People vital Element
In Reckoning on Plans
for the Future.

nave mistaken shadow for substance the
year Of 1908 will be the best year for steady
business Increase Of population and growth
VI industries IN the history Of the city. in
the Judgment OF conservative business men
omaha has waRered that 2rNOOo parsons
VIII De making homes in Omaha in lust
Two Years from the present day Ana
Omaha expects TO win as there Is mora
work to do in the city than ever and nlans
are made for industries which will give an
army or workers an opportunity to make
norey IN the city and the workers como
Wherever work is needed. More workers
mean more homes and some 1900 more
homes means a population Of 100000 That's
the solution
Almost 1oOO individual residences were
built during 1907 which makes room for
loo more families. Already there Is a
prospect that rents will decline because
OF the large number building new homes,
and unless the houses vacated fill up at
once a slump in rents is expected.
Diagnosis of the Case.
Feeling the pulse Of Omaha on New
Years day, the case is diagnosed some
thing like this:
Money is flowing through the arteries
and veins and the banks have plenty OF
more to pump in when needed
Real estate for improvement and invest
ment is IN such demand that the savings
and loan associations cannot suppIv money
fast enough to build homes and make I'm
provements.
Business outlook with the wholesalers
suggests stationary conditions for about
four weeks, when the spring business will
open in good shape
Grain will begin TO pour into Omaha at
once and continue until trains are actually
blockaded by storms, almost whole years
crop being yet in the country.
Building plans have never been more
extensive, and when spring opens an aver
age OF more than $4,000 per day will be
spent for building material and labor
Prospects are bright for boat line on
the Missouri river, which viii enable
Omaha manufacturers to bring IN raw ma
terial by water and ship out by the same
route reducing the cost OF transportation
to and from the seaboard to about one
seventh of the rail rate"
While 1907 was record breaker in many
lines. It is said to be down in history as
the Great Year of Talk" Experts of
trade msjudged the situation, but the
eyes Of Omaha business men are open to
the real trend Of events scheduled to take
place during the coming twelve months.
Army of Trade EvRnEeIs.
Not intoxicated with the talk of big PROS
perity, an army Of Omaha travelling men
leave for their runs Thursday and Fri
day. while a few will not jump into the
harness until Monday. But things will fly
when the boys" get into the field. Many
of the wholesale houses have given dinners
and held meetings to talk the general situa-
ton over with their men. When the con-
sensus of opinion was taken. almost every
a.,
bully" Many promised to get more orders
than a year ago just to show up the
calamity howlers," and no such we'll
trained army ever entered the field as will
embark from Omaha during the next few
days to keep the promises they have made
to the houses they represent.
Now that the holidays are over and the
banking situation is in normal condition the
club OF fifty business men. organized in
October for the promotion and encourage
ment of Industries, Ia expected to do some
definite work to secure cereal mills. which
they declare are as much needed to go
hand in hand with the grain market as
the packing houses were needed to join
with the live stock market and make the
most Of the resources of the surrounding
territory.
Factory Town of the West.
Figures for the year OF 1907 proved the
| possibility of Omaha becoming the factory
town Of the west. With coal already COM
ing to the city at a low rate. the promised
steamboat lines will make fuel even
cheaper while the Loup river power pro-
! ject. should It materialize, will furnish
power to hundreds OF factories.
! For years It has been said, "Omaha sells
everything to the territory surrounding it,"
| but during 1908 business men declare II will
/ be said, Omaha makes everything and
! buys every kind Of raw material produced
| in the territory"
/ Hope exists that the Union Pacific Rail-
/ road company will erect the new headquar-
ters building during the year. The build
/ ing will cost almost S1,OOOO)O. Just how Mr.
! Hartman feels about the financial stua-
! tion is recorded in an eastern magazine
which quotes the railroad magnate as fol-
/ lows This is going to have some effect
on general business during the early part
of 1905 but | am not at all worried about
/ the outlook. As d result Of the panic some
/ shrinkage has taken place but no more
/ than will do good. II will make II possi-
/ BILE to secure cheaper labor and cheaper
money for there will be less demand for
both"
Banker Looks for Building.
Mr. Hartman is very likely to take ad-
vantage Of the situation and erect the Of
flee building during the coming year" said
/ an Omaha banker. Il believe he Is right
| and there is reason TO believe steady i'm
provement OF railroad properties will so
ahead when sping opens"
But plans have been made for some $500
600 OF new buildings without mentioning the
Union Pacific building. Many OF them have
been started. Some Of the larger ones are:
! George IA. Lee
Incubator factory, six stories 30Xl32. 800, coo
! 81. Joscph's Hospital
North wing 5000
Northwestern Freight Depot
Duplicate Ol one just CJmplet ed ....... 10000
Frank NJ Weeks
/ Three-story apavtment house. Elgh-
| teenth and Jackson. 1850
| National Printing Company
| Five stories, 44Xl32, Twelfth and Har-