Omaha daily bee., 1910-08-17

or the creations OF an auto
ES3TTGI crat. They are the logical
E&eJ result Of location and en-
vironment. The metropolitan Omaha
Of today is but the natural evolution
of the Omaha of yesterday. That yes
terday's Omaha was a crude, roughly
hewn frontier river town, but from
the very day back in the sos, when
the st. Nicholas hotel, ugly and glar-
ing with it's shiny log walls, came into
existence as the first house built in the
settlement" the destiny Of future
achievement in city building was GER
tainty. There had to be, in the very
nature of things, a city somewhere
along the Nebraska shore of the Mis-
souri, river. 1t might have been Belle
vue or Florence instead of Omaha, and
the advantage of location would have
still been preserved, but it so hap
pened that the early settlers of Omaha
were endowed with the "get-what-you-
go-after" spirit to such extent that
they outdistanced other aspiring buds.
existence, and reason for Omaha's
greatness as a commercial, industrial
and financial center. If you would &C
quaint yourself in further detail take
a map of the United States and study
the strategic location OF Omaha. Note
the vast territory for which Omaha is
the natural supply point Note the
rich western half of the peerless agri-
cultural state of Iowa, which is
Omaha's next door neighbor. Ponder
O moment over what this means and
you will understand clearly, If you do
not already understand, why Omaha is
the City of Fulfllment. Omahas
trading territory extends over an en-
pire that is but now being developed,
and in the great west and northwest
of the United States, region of un-
told wealth of mine and farm, of or
chard and range, the future of this
city is secure. AS this wonderful
country develops. Omaha must grow
because 1t is the natural market town
for all of the most rapidly growing of
any section In the United States.
Bond Between City and State.
State and city are linked by common
bond, and the highest tribute that can
be paid to the agricultural worth of
the Omaha territory is statement of
the fact that the farm implement job
bling trade of Omaha for the year 1909
aggregated $12,O0O,00O. Think of
the significance Of such a vast outlay
in tools for farming. Think of the
crop output that must come from
district that has use for such an array
of implements. Many other elements
besides agriculture that enter into
Omaha's triumph as a city, yet agri-
culture is the cornerstone, and it
should be remembered that no coun-
try as a whole ever flourished where
agriculture languished, and no coun-
try ever languished where agriculture
fiourished.
The entire jobbing trade of Omaha
for 1909 totalled $115, 900, and
present indications denote that when
the figures for 1910 are cast up next
January a substantial increase over
last year will be shown.
Omaha sold nearly $4,000, 900
worth of automobiles last year
$4,500,000, to be exact, and the trade
thus far in 1910 shows a strong uplift
over last year. Grocery sales for 1909
amounted to the enormous sum of
$13, 100000, which fact bears witness
that Omaha provides food for wide
circle of good eaters. Dry goods trade
to the extent of $6,0OO,O0O last year
trade in many larger city and proves
that Omaha is rapidly gaining as a dry
goods supply point. In fact, there has
within recent years been a remarkable
growth in Omaha's dry goods trade,
the improvement in that line being
more marked, perhaps, than in almost
any other, with the possible exception
of automobiles There was time
when the western retailer, quite con.
tent to buy his grocery stock il
Omdnd, Iell lHhl ulS QTy goods mus
come from New York, Chicago or st
Louis. But along came the Omaha
dry goods jobbers with stocks so i'm
mense, with prices so favorable by
comparison, and with massive build
ings TO house these building,
that would do credit to Chicago or any
other city of the giant class. Mr.. Re
taller. seeing all of this. is rapid!
coming into the habit OF marking
Omaha down as the eastern terminus
of his dry goods buying tour,
Strong on Hardware.
Hardware is another line in whicI
Omaha is we'll TO the forefront, tn
trade last year running up to $500,
600. II seems strange at first glanc
that the people of omaha's territor
would indulge themselves in sweets t
the extent of million and a halt do
lars worth in a single year, yet tina