Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1910-08-24
OMAHA BUILDERS ARE BUSY
Have Many Contracts in Omaha, as
Well as in Other Cities.
EXCHANGE IS MOST POPULAR
Nearly All the Contractors of Omaha
Are Members of the Omaha
Builders ExchanRe-PIenty
of Work for All.

Omaha builders and contractors manage
to keep busy erecting buildings in this
always fast growing community, but being
mostly ambitious a large number Of local
contractors have reached out and secured
contracts in cities and towns ali over the
west and this in the face Of the keen COM
petition Of the great national construction
companies Of recent growth.
Local builders owe a good deal of their
prosperity and success to the existence
OF mutual benefit association and com
pany which came into existence seven
years ago This is the Omaha Builders ex-
change which was formed for the purpose
of furnishing and regulating suitable rooms
for daily meetings in the city of Omaha;
to promote mechanical and industrial in
terests to inculcate just and equitable
principles of trade; to establish and main
tain uniformity in commercial usages of
rules and regulations; to acquire, preserve
and disseminate valuable business nforma-
ton; to adjust differences and settle dis
putes between members or between MEM
bers and others. and for other purposes con-
ducive to the interests of its members,
especially of a protective nature, and for
the upbuilding of this section of the west
All this sounds somewhat ambitious, If
not pretentious, but the foregoing purposes
have been carried out by the Builders ex-
change with notable success, and 1t is
doubtful II there is an organization of the
kind and purpose, in Omaha or out, in
similar or different line of activity, which
has done more real good for It's members,
and always in a quiet and unostentatious
way without beating of cymbols or blaze
Of public trumpet
Large Membership.
The building exchange includes 100 men or
firms or companies in it's ranks numbering
besides contractors and builders all the
large building material supply houses of
the city. The exchange has done notably
well in perfec-ing pleasant and harmonious
relations between the men who buy and the
men who sell building material The active
conduct OF the exchange has always been
as is we'll within the hands of the builders
rather that the material men, but the latter
have had some representation in office or
on the board of directors.
When the exchange was formed and in
corporated IN 1903, John H. Harte was
chosen its first president, John Reynard
was elected vice president and j. r. Mer-
riam was treasurer. John Fl. Tate was the
first secretary, a position he held for three
years and was then succeeded by c. A.
Crlgg, who Is still In the position. The
secretaryshlp is a salared job, and on the
secretary devolves the routine work of the
exchange.
In 1904 and 1906 Charles j. johnson was at
the head of the exchange The vice presi-
dency In 1904 was held by William P,
Deverell Mr. Merriam continuing as treas
urer that year ard down to 1909, when he
became president. ]. w. Dow was vice
president In 1906
The next year p. O. Hamilton became
president and Thomas Herd vice president
In 1907 Mr. Herd stepped up a notch and
Andrew c. Bush become vice president
Mr. Herd was reelected in 1905 the vice
president being A. A. Newman. The year
| following A. c. Busk was again vice presi
dent and Robert Sanderson was treasurer
, succeeding j. f. Merriam, who now held
the highest office Of the exchange.
Present Officers.
For the current year A. C. Busk is presi
dent. with George Dyball vice president
and Mr.. Sanderson again treasurer.
On the board of directors during thes,
years, besides the names already mentioned
] hs OlllCelSs appear tne IOllOWlnR men.
Wallace II. Parrish. John Reynard. ]
Walter Phelps. A. ]. Vierling. Fred Ruemp
/ ing. Albert Foil Walter Peterse, A. o
Borchman, Henry Hamann, Grant Parsons
David NJ. Potter Benjamin Mequist, lie,
Bridges. Charles Anderson, r. l.. Carter
William Redgwick, George Kient, William
]. Creedon, A. A. Newman and r. C
strehlow.
The builders and contractors who belonj
to the exchange and practically all il
Omaha do, have a monthly informal meet
ing. but the big gathering of the yea
comes about the first of January when tn
exchange stages a banquet which Is one o
the most elaborate tile city knows ca oh sea
season. The exchange, Of course, does no
exist as a money making institution, bu
It's revenues are such that there IL general
tidy little balance which can be appro
prlated TO the banquet and this helps T.
make the affair delight 10 the epicure
The rooms of the exchange are in tn
Elks building on Fifteenth street betwee
Farnam and Harvey ANY business day {
the year a number of contractors can b
seen figuring on a Job or comforting vii
one another.
Three Of the exchange members hav
achieved national reputation by specializing
These are r. O. strehlow, who has bull
exposition buildings all over the country
o. II Wiese, who has received some of tn
largest postoffice building contracts in IN
west. and Hamilton Bros, who have gon
in for garrison work, barracks officer
quarters and other army buildings.