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About The Omaha morning bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 1922-1927 | View Entire Issue (Feb. 1, 1924)
Building Marks Growth of Firm Structure Provides Permanent •Home for Bankers' Re serve Life Company. Completion of the Bankers Reserve f.ife company home office building at Nineteenth and Douglas streets marks the end of the quarter centen nial of corporate history. It may be i egarded as a milestone In the long road which the company’s managers have traveled during the last 26 j'ears. In point of artistic beautiy and solidity of construction, this great home office building is in the judgment of office building managers second to none. This fact may in part explain why the building was piactieally wholly occupied ae soon as the workmen had put on the fin ishing touches. ' The new building is a permanent l)ome for this flourishing company. Way back in 1807 the company started in business :n a large bank feig room of wlint was then the Mc Cague building at Fifteenth and Dodge streets. In less than 10 years the business of the company had grown to such proportions os to call * for larger quarters. The first move dt the home offices was made into the Ware building at Fifteenth and Far rtarn streets, where its business was opnduct-ed for something like eight £cars and until the growth of the lusinees necessitated another move. This time tile company took up quar &rs in the fourteenth floor of the 4ity National Bank building and re I lained there until the completion of qie new building. These successive t «ps are noted in order to illustrate Sie constant and substantial growth the company during the years of i s corporate existence. Another reason for the success of t le building in the matter of tenantry j its location In the new financial i strict, the locality which is gradu < ly being built up with great struc t ires. It stands in the path of nat i ral development of the business dis t let which is tending northwestward. 'The picture of the building in an c her column is a reproduction of the t chitect’s perspective drawing. It gives a good id?a of the magnitude m fhe structure which represents an <W'pcnditure approximately three i^iarters of a million. If evidence had igien needed to prove the unusual suc ■ tss of the Bankers Reserve I.lfe 0maha Man Pioneer j. in Electrical Industry i ___ - —Heyn Photo. E. C. Bennett. E. C. Bennett of the Bennett Elec trie company is a pioneer in the busi ness,, starting in 1884 with the Boston Edison Illuminating company. .While learning the electric business in Boston he helped to wire the first theater in the United States to use electricity for lighting. . In 1887 Mr. Bennett went to Chi cago and while in the employ of the Chicago Edison company had charge of wiring such homes as George M. I’ullman, P. D. Armour, Norman Ream and many others. In 18H1 he was employed by the electrical engineering department of ibe World's Columbian Exposition nompany, having full charge of all 'lanide light and power installed In tfie 13 exposition buildings. '■ In 1897 Mr. Bennett received a con tract from Architect Thomas It. Kim ball to wire the new Burlington sta tion, and during the completion of his contract decided to move his fam ily’ here and locate permanently. Many of the prominent buildings here here electrically equipped by the Bennett company. In addition to the Bankers Reserve building contract thp Bennett com pany has contracts for the new Kil patrick building, Omaha Loan and Building association structure and E. M. Morsenmn’s residence. AnVKRTISK.MKNT. Getting Too Fat? Try This—Reduce People who don’t grow loo fat ara the ferlunate exception, nut If you find the tat accumulating or already cumberaoma, su will be wise to follow thla atiggea ■ Ion. which is endorsed by thouaanaa of i&ople who know. Ask your druggiat for Harmola Prescription Tablets and follow <#rect1ona. One dollar la tho price tha 4orld ovar. Oet them from your own ‘tfiJCffigt or send price direct to Marmots <■>., 4#12 Woodward Ave., Detroit, Mich. !«• doing thi* you will be aafe from harm 's I drugs and 1»« able to reduce steadily .tnd cAKily, without starvation diot or ipoeonie exerrirtr. KEEPING WELL-An Nt Tablet (a vegetable aperient) taken at Bight will help Veep you well, by toning and etrengthenlng your 41 gaatlon and elimination. 0mt i tPBw I Chips Nt JUNIOR*—Llttln Nt* 1 One-third the regular done. Made I of the name Ingredienta, than candy I coated. Por children and adulta. I \maa*OLD *T YOUR DRUOGI*Ttm* that It has always maintained a high ratio of assets to liabilities, which is another way of saying that baijlt of every policy issued there is an amount of gold accumulated in the vaults of the company making it as sound as a government bond. The company is now operating in 38 states and in time', there is no doubt, that it will pervade the whole territory of the United States. Its growth is gradual and substan tial. Without going into details it is perhaps, enough to say that. the growth and progress of the comapny form the basis of a story of real ro mantic interest. While it encoun tered obstacles in ahe early years of It* life not unlike obstacle* met by any other new insurance company, the manager* overcame suoh diffi culties and emerged from seasons of business depression with flags flying, and with Increasing assets. The war period was beset with difficulties, chief of which was the influenza epi demic which cost the company as it did all other life companies, a good deal of money; yet the accumulated surplus on hand more than met the increased losses so that the ravages of the worst epidemic that ever vis ited the nation caused no embarrass ment whatever to tlie Bankers Re serve Life company. On the other hand, the great impetus of war made prosperity brought to the com pany large volume* of new business as it did to other good life com panies, and it 'is an indisputable fact ,that the company flourished during the war period in greater degree than ever before. Then came the financial and business depression that struck the nation in the fall of 1920, putting a serious check upon all lines of business. This, for a time, slackened the pace of the com pany’s growth which, however, was steadily maintained. As year succeed ed year, business In all lines im proved, and the" business of the com pany kept pace with such Improve ments. The war period was a time calling tor most cjreful and intelligent man agement, and it might be stated in passing, that only the strongest cor porations . of the nation passed through the difficulties of the last three Or four years without impair ment of their resources. So the Bankers Reserve Life com pany pursued the even tenor of its way and gave evidence of constant, substantial growth. Good manage ment had much to do with bringing about such splendid results which enabled Uie company to put up a large home office building to meet all demands that may be made upon :l by growth during the next 50 ygcrs. The success of a corporation is due in large part to the ability of the ex ecutive officers who define its policy and manage its affairs. It so hap pens that the men at the helm of the Bankers Reserve I.ife company are those who have grown up with the company during the last quarter r.f a century, acquiring both knowl edge and <skill In the conduct of its I UHineas affairs. This is true of President Robert B. Robison and of Vice President Walter O. Preston and of the secretary-treasurer, Kay (’. Wagner. These are the men who define the course and set the sails of this great financial ship. They hav# iS’v’trjiUy and Joint!/ von th6ir spiurs as financial navigators and have attained success In superlative degree. In conversation. Presidents Robison stated that the reports re ceived frequently from representa tives in many states are quite opti mistic touching the outlook for busi ness In the new year. This is true of all southern states, where the high price of cotton has brought millions into that region. In ther states the condition of farmers Is steadily im proving and business is gradually as suming enormous proportions. Mr. Robison said that his company would enjoy a large share of increased bus iness. _ Congratulations from Omaha Insurance Men and Agencies The undersigned Omaha Insurance Men and Agencies join with all Omaha in extending their heartiest congratulations to the Bankers Re serve Life Company on the completion of their new home. It is evidence of a well-earned success, a monu ment created by public confidence in Omaha Insurance activities. BANKERS RESERVE LIFE BUILDING Douglas at Nineteenth J-I H. O. WILHELM CO. V State Agent* Jj Northwestern National Life ' Insurance Cd. 1313 Fir*t Net. Bank * On*aka ^ ^ 1 *ol \ G*n*r*' ‘ ,if Jj,8. ^^ ti.b. . - Mutual Lll* Oea»V*' NortkUCo of H“‘cauk(e N*'>' «*»* 0 *’*“*-*> \ 9 Y >eT»»k \ frank l. sveska I Life In****1*® I J■ V^-rte F«4*ri \Th \ *i«»' Sup \ ^ The Security Mutual Life Insurance Co. Lincoln, Nob. ARTHUR G. GEORGE, M«r. Omaha Branch Office, 702 Patera Truat Bldg. \ GOULD & STURGES General Agent* Penn Mutual Life Insurance Company 71 A-tS-20 Peter* Tru»t Bldf., Om«lie, Nek.