The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1913-02-23
BUSINESS AND TRADE.

The most interesting business an
nouncement of the week ia that the
Hartman lines, in preparation for the
impending contest for traffic suprem-
acy in transcontinental business, have
placed orders for s610 freight cars OF
various types, aggregating s6,SsS,ooO
in cost, The Santa F'e system has
added 900 Of the latest steel refriger-
ator cars costing $4,000 each. The
special contest for transcontincntal
business is announced to be three
cornered, involving the UnionCentral
Pacific, the Southern Pacific, and the
Santa Fe,
Eastern newspapers comment upon
the fact of the heavy railroad orders
for equipment, and state that no busi-
ness symptom is more significant than
these large purchases Of cars and loco
motives, and the inference is fairly
drawn that "if there wcro any clouds
on the commercial sky the railroad
companies would not be pushing the
steel companies as they are now," for
cars and locomotives.
A. L. Mohler, president Of the Union
Pacific system, accompanied by other
high officials of the Hartman lines,
visited the city during the week and
other. officials continued west to San
Francisco, the object Of these trips
being to further the "unscrambling"
Of the Hartman railroad interests
e. L. Brown, vice. president, and j..
G. Gwyn, chief engineer, Of the Den
yer & Rio Grande, spent most of the
week on this end Of the line, going
over the work Of the Utah lines of
the company with General Superintend-
ent A. B. Apperson.
The Salt Lake Route demonstration
train started from this city on Tues"
day and Is now touring Utah and Ne
vada, reports coming Of it's successful
trip.
February Is usually counted the dull
est month in the year, but Salt Lake
merchants generally say that the
month has been fair with their bust
ness and even beyond expectations.
The bank clearances Of the city for
the past week have shown the enormous
increase Of 57.S per cent compared with
the corresponding week last year, this
being in the nature Of perfect gauge
of business activity.
The big department stores, the dry
goods stores, millinery stores, clothing
stores, and furniture stores are receiv-
ing their spring stocks and placing
them on display. These stocks are in
greater volume and variety than ever
before. The cut rates On winter goods
are practically at an end, attention
centering now upon the spring offer
ings. It is estimated that between rs
and 100 buyers for Salt Lake houses
have been in the East during the past
thirty days making their selections of
goods for their respective houses for
the spring trade.
Reports generally are to the effect
that money is plentiful and collections
are good. Merchants expect a record
breaking business when the spring
trade fairly opens.
In the building activities the great.
est announcement Of the week is that
the contract for the construction Of the
State capitol has been signed on be-
half Of the State by the capitol com
mission and by the representatives of
James Stewart s. Company, the low,
est bidders on construction. It Is ex-
pected that work on the capitol build
ing will be begin about the middle OF
March The excavating will be done
by the time the builders are ready to
begin. By January, 1915, it is e1-
pected that the capitol will be ready for
occupancy. The capitol commission
still harbors its idea Of purchasing
more ground on the east side of the
site
The building Of homes Is evidently
to be a great feature OF the coming
season New homes are contemplated
in the vicinity Of the capitol grounds
and homes are being planned in al
parts Of the city, and especially in the
suburbs Several important structure:
for Main street are contemplated, and
conspicuously the new hundred thou
sand dollar theater projected to be
built on the site of the former Auer
bach store. It is understood that e. J
Kelley. brother Of William B. Kel
ley, has interested eastern capital II
this project.
Several new industries and some big
ones are about to be started in Utah
Additions and extensions to old indus
tries continue to aid in increasing tht
population of the city.
Realty dealers owning suburban
property report many sales, and al
abundance of inquiries.
Mining men have occupied tbemselve
zealously during the week in convincin;
the members OF the legislature tina
tho nroDosed chanoee in the faTnflo,