The Omaha Sunday Bee.
j PAGES 21 TO 28. j!
PART III.
ESTABLISHED JUNE 19, 1871.
OMAHA, SUNDAY MORNING, APRIL 17, 1904.
SINGLE COPY FIVE CENTS.
Omaha Building Interests Feel the Impetus of a New Life
SEW ERA OF CONSTRUCTION
Activity
in Bail dia Beyond that of
Btoent Yenrj.
OMAHA ON A NEW TURN UPWARDS
All lorta ( gtrnctaree Arm Under Way
r Jact Completed and Mur
Plana Xre Adopted (or
Immediate start.
It mar be and probably la true that
Omaha' "boom" daya are a thine ot the
fast. Thla city, like many another west
em metropolis, haa undergone the exhil
aration, intoxication and excitment of the
period in Ita existence known as the "boom"
time, when the possibilities of the olty
have been banked .upon aa actualities:
wben block after block of sky scraping
building have gone up on paper In a
alngle night; wben gigantic schemes have
made their advent fast upon one another's
heels, and when the actual growth of a
single aeason baa been greater than many
towns with very much of self-esteem ever
have or ever will see. And then has come
the reaction that follows such a season, aa
surely aa doea the night the day, when
prices have gone to the very bottom and
when promoters, projectors and million
aires have been left stranded high and
dry on the shores of adversity.
From the Invariable experiences of boom
towns, the time has come when there Is
nothing farther from the desires of the
substantial business Interests of the city
of Omaha than that the town undergo a
boom. In the accepted sense of the term;
but that the present marks the beginning of
n era of downright, ateady prosporfty,
auch aa the olty haa never before ex
perienced, there can be but little doubt.
No truer barometer of any clty'a prosperity I
could be devised tban the buildings, either
projected. In profess of construction or re
cently completed, and In this connection a
partial resume of what has been done here
In this line during the past few months, as
well as what la being and will be done'
before next fall, la a revelation, and pre
sents, a matter for rejoicing and congratu
lation on the part of every business Interest
and every citizen who haa the welfare of
the town at heart.
Points to Prosperity,
i last year's labor troubles were a serious,
thougti a temporary, setback to the growth
of the town, but having been settled In a
manner that probably precludes thefr repe
tition for a long time to come, It seems
a particularly auspicious time for the up
building ot the city. Another important
factor Is the present price of .lumber of
all kinds, which a careful eanvoss of the
main lumber concerns shows to be lower,
In Omaha, at least, than for several years.
Many things combine to bring abont thla
condition of the market, too chlefest , ot
which is an overproduction, induced by the
prevailing high, prices of the last two sea
sons. Another thing Is a mild aort of
price war between local concerna, which,
without regard to the relative merits of
the case, eannot fail to redound to the
profit of Intending and present builders.
One of the natural results of the In
creased activity In the building trade Is a
brightening up of the real estate market,
nd this, aa ahown by the official records
of the county, la at present at least 26
per cent more active than at this time
last year or for several years. While the
number of business houses and quasi -
public Institutions building Is wonderfully
large for a town the size of Omaha, they'
no more emphasise the increasing pros
perity of the town than do the surprisingly
large number of homes, not necessarily
large or expensive, but substantial, com
fortable and sightly, that are being built
and bought and paid for. Apartment
houses, too, are In great, demand, and
while under the existing supply of this
sort of aocommodatlona rents are com
paratively high, by another season the
owners of auch property can afford to and
naturally must lower their figures on ac
count of the Increased aupply and demand.
Ion Notable New Buildings.
Certainly the largest building nearing
completion In Omaha at thla time, and the
m one to which the construction and comple
tion of which the moat general interest at
taches. Is the Auditorium. 80 much public
ity Is given to every move that Is made
with regard to It that little need be said
f It In a general way. That when com
pleted It will be a lasting monument to the
enterprise and public spirit of the present
generation, In Omaha, goes without say'
lng, and that it will be completed at no
very distant day la equally sure.
Another of the notable buildings is the
Nebraska Telephone company's new home
en Eighteenth street, between Farnam and
Douglas. Built of brick, three stories high
nd devoid of all fanciful ornamentation.
It looks from the outside to be just what
It la, a aolld and enduring quartera for a
illd and enduring enterprise. It Is fitted
oil to aooomoiodat al Ibranohes of the
cenpany's business, from the exchange
room and the new $100,000 switchboard, to
storage for all the line paraphernalia. It
la aa near fire proof aa modern construction
ran make it, and supplied with every con
renlonce and accessory that the peculiarity
f the business to be carried on demands.
The new street car power house at the
foot of Jonea street covers aa much ground
aa almost any struoture In the city, though
Its purpose does not require that It be of
Imposing height The foundation Is of ce
ment, laid deep In the ground, with a view
to upholding a building that will be sub
letted to a constant and tremendous Jar
The walls and roof are buflt by the method
known aa bridge construction, for the same
reason, and the whole will be as substan
Hal and as near everlasting as stone and
sunent, scientifically dlvMed, can make It
Hew Maslnese Blocks.
Ilayden Pros, have already begun the
trading preparatory to putting In the foun
lath n to what will unquestionably be one
ef the finest business blocks In this state,
It will be ten full stories high, made of
rray pressed brick and Bedford stone on
the exterior, and a ateel skeleton for the
pbulldlng of the floors. Every detail of
the construction will be strictly up to date,
from the back-alantlng. deck-calked floors.
that. In the case or tire, run the water off
kistvad of allowing It to leak through
to the next floor, to the locally Installed
spparatua for the quick extinguishment of
tw In any part and on any floor of the
uildtng. Recent detailed descrlptlona of
Ihls building make more than a mention of
I at thla time unnecessary. Ilayden Bros.
ire authority for the statement that, bar
ing unforeseen events, it wUl be ready for
fceir fall business, aud, af course. It win
be a noteworthy addition to the architec
tural sights of the city.
Brandela Bona' projected building on
the other aide of the street will vie with
any in the city for substantial elegance,
and with the other structures In this Im
mediate vicinity will make a square of
business houses that any city will find It
hard to outshine.
The only uncertain thing about a new
Toung Men'a Christian association building
at thla time seems to be the matter of a
location. It Is practically certain that one
will be selected within a comparatively
short time befitting the Imposing character
of -he structure that It Is proposed to
put up. The only existing difference of
opinion seems te be as to whether It Is
better to have the building In the heart of
the city, or more properly. In the business
district or to have It farther removed.
One very distinct advantage of thla latter
proposition la the much leea price that a
site oould be secured for, thus allowing
Just so muoh more money to be put into
the building Itself. The adherents of this
plai argue that the utility and patronage
of the association would In no wise be
lessened by having It located a reason
able dlatanoe from the business district,
while another element says that the build
ing would bring so much less business pa
tronage that a cheaper location' would be
unwise. In any case the association will
put up a building at soma point In the
very near future, that will be one of the
finest In any western city. Two floors will
be devoted to dormitories, and the baths,
gymnasium and all other departments will
be on a scale befitting the demands of the
city for all time to come.
MannfncturlnaT and Jobbing.
The A. I. Root Printing company will
aoon be installed In a new home on How
ard street, near Fourteenth, In the ahape of
a modern, four-etory, brick building,
equipped with all the machinery and con
veniences that the Increasing volume of
their business makes Imperltrve.
Allen Bros, are to build an addition to
their Farnam and Tenth street property
that Is to be I3B feet wide and the same
distance In length. In this will be In
stalled their coffee roasting plant built
on a fire proof plan, and other departments
for the enlargement of an already tre
mendous business. The addition. If a build
ing of that of the size proposed may be
so called, will match the rest of their
plant and give them room of whleh they
have beon ao much In need etnoe the die
astroue fire laat fall.
The managers of the Ames estate prop
erty on Jones street, between Ninth and
Tenth, will put up a five-story building
of red pressed brick and of mill construc
tion for manufacturing and wholesale or
retail mercantile purposes, to replace the
buildings burned last year. The Interior
plans are not 'altogether completed as yet,
but that ft will be modern In every par
ticular and adapted to the purposes to
whk ft wll bo "devoted is of course
certain. ..v..!- ''
The Harding Cream company Is to erect
a bulMlrtsj of'salow-burising construction at
the comer of Eighth and Harney streets
that will have a capacity of taking care of
twelve carloads of their goods at one time
It will be a gray brick, with th conven
tional trimmings of Bedford atone, and be
three stories In height The offices and ad
ministrative rooms of the concern will bo
on the second floor and tho whole Is to bo
ready for occupancy June 1. Thus equipped
the Harding .company will be one of the
biggest concerns of the kind In the country.
Probably the largest outlay In the Una of
additional building for Increased capacity
during tho past year has been made on the
Willow Sprlnga brewery, at Third and
Hickory street. It amounted to 176,000 and
the capacity of the plant was thereby In
creased one and a half times. Tho enlarge
ment made Include a new engine house,
boiler room, machine shop and an Increase
In the brewing house and cellar room.
. Far from tho least of the creditable ad
ditions to the clty'a architecture are the
three engine houses, that have been fully
described heretofore, and are rightly enough
the special pride of the fire department
The new street car barn will cover a large
area, probably In tho vicinity of Vinton
and Sixteenth streets, near the ball park.
This location la favored by the company
owing to the faot that It will bo convenient
tor tho storing of tho . cars of tho South
Omaha lines, aa well as those of Omaha,
proper.
. Chnrche and Charity.
The additional building for the Convent
of the Good Shepherd la one of the more
notable ot the atructurea that will be added
to the Institutions of the city in the near
future. The new building la to be at the
corner of Jonea and Fortieth 'streets, west
of the present building, to which it will be
joined by cloisters In an architecturally
artistic way that will take off any "addi
tion look that might otherwise mar the
beauty of the whole. A cloister will also
be added to tho south and of the present
structure and one to the center, making a
ymetrlsal, practically new building. Tho
addition will be for the exclusive use of
the nuns. The material la of gray brick,
with a ' red tiled roof and eocleslacUcal
designs over the entrances, courts, etc
me building will bo' three atorlea in height
and cost altogether In the vicinity of $50,000.
Immanuel hospital Is to have another
new building, four stories in. height, that
will give It an additional thirty-two rooms
for the treatment of patients. In the old
building will be the Infirmary, Superin
tendent R. M. Fogleatroin'a quartera and
other departments of the hospital.
The Clarkson Memorial hospital is also
te be enlarged to the extent of a $80,000
building. Thla la to be four stories In
height, with wings at either end and a
court between It and the old building. It
will be built on thoroughly modern sani
tary and fireproof plana and will make
this Institution one of the largest and
best arranged of lta kind In the atate.
VYIU Cost Hail Million Dollars.
The Methodist hospital, already under
process of construction at Berais park,
will cost beore It Is completed in the
vicinity of half a million dollars and be
equipped In a manner In keeping with auch
buildings. The plan of the main building
la an elaborate and Intricate one, Inoludlng
a long mala structure with a large quad
rangular building at either end, from three
aides of each of which extend wings, mak
ing six altogether, that will be devoted to
the uses of various wards. Aside from this
main structure will bo the numerous neces
sary other smaller bulldlnga for the use
ot tho hospital attendant, aupertntondent
and others, and also tho stables and put
bouses. All will bo of handsome pressed
brick and It la proposed to make the
grounda and surrounding territory of the
most attractive nature possible. It la per
hape needless to add that when completed
this hospital will compare favorably with
any In thla part of tbe country, regardless
ef their nature.
8t Joseph's hospital l also Ooaaidortng
the putting up of an additional building or
two, to give It a much needed Increase of
facilities, though Just the nature of the
Improvement has not as yet been fully de
cided upon. '
The v'sonstructlon of the First Baptist
church, Twenty-nlnlh avenue and Harney
streets. Is progressing so rapidly and favor
ably that already plans for the dedication
In September are being made. ' It is to be
of gray brick and Bedford stono and will
be highly ornamental to that section and
a splendid addition to the sacred edifices
of tho city. Plans are also drawn for
the building of the First Christian church.
The general outline of the main structure
will be In the shape of a cross and the
Institutional features are being planned
with elaborate detail.
The Roman Catholic cathedral going up
at Fortieth and Burt streets will be. of the
old monastery or Spanish rennalssanca
atyle and architecturally beautiful, both In
side and out.
Down Town Blocks.
Just what the nature of the new Hoag
land building at the corner of Sixteenth
and Howard streets will be Is at this time
largely a matter of conjecture, owing to
some changes of plans. Certain It Is that
It will be a credit to the vlolnlty where
It will be located and to the bustnem
houses of tho city as a whole. The material
will be of gray pressed brick and the In
terior will be modern In every respect.
Thompson, Belden & Co. will occupy a
large share of the building.
The Schmoller & Mueller company arc
among those who have business buildings
projected for the coming summer. They
will In all probability put op a four-story
brick building that wltl eover their two
lots and serve for their own bnslness and
that of several other concerns. They will
not begin its construction ontil the middle
of the summer or thereabouts.
Some New Apartmesrt Houses.
One of the most elaborate and expensive
of the apartment houses built In Omaha this
season is the Chatham, on Thirteenth
street, opposite the Millard hotel. It In of
gray pressed brick, severely oolonlal In
style and modern In every detail as to Its
Interior arrangement The rooms are single
and ensulte and have recently been opened
to the public. Another building to be de
voted to select apartments will soon be
built at the corner of Twenty-fourth and
Farnam streets, on the site of tho Thurston
place.
Dr. C. 8. Shepard la putting the finishing
touches to a modern three-flat double
building at the corner of Twenty-fourth
street and St. Mary's avenue and to an
other like building at the comer of Eight
eenth and Cass streets. These are both of
pressed brick and built at a cost of about
$12,000, and near the last mentioned is a
similar structure recently completed by Dr.
Upjohn.
J. C. McKell has Invested $6,000 In a
double flat house at Seventeenth and Cass
and D. C. Thompson has completed a
double brick apartment house on Harney
street, near Twenty-fifth. .,
Among the more pretentious of the dwell
ings that are nowi building and will be
built during the summer is one for T. J.
Mahoney, esq., at Thirty-seventh and Far
nam. It will be of brick and atone, ot a
colonial " style of architecture and with
the Interior decoration and the hot water
system of heating that will be Installed
will cost in the vicinity of $25,000.
The rectory "of All Saints church Is a
handsome structure of gray pressed brick
and was recently completed at a cost of
$11,000.
. Edward Brown la building a block of
four modern houses on Patrick avenue that
will be ready for occupancy In the course
of a few months. J. E. Wright Is having
plans made for a oolonlal cottage on Thirty-
sixth street near Howard, that will be
ready to move into by the middle of the
summer, and Mrs. M. Kennedy la having
one of a like nature put up at the corner of
Twenty-ninth and Jackson streets. Howard
B, Smith Is the builder of another house.
Park avenue and Farnam street and Oscar
Williams will have an $8,000 modern home
on Dodge street C. E. Johannis and
George W. Loomls are each building houses
to be occupied by themselves; and so the
list might be carried on to great length,
were It necessary, to prove that whatever
the clty'a commercial future tho present
generation la bound to have a comfortable
and atghtly place in which to do lta work
aa well as in which to rest.
HEALTHY TRADE GOOD SIGN
Bonders' Hardware, Fnraaeea, Tiles
aas Uantels Are Mack, gonght
After.
C. T. Sehram, manager of tho builders'
hardware department of the Milton' Rogers
at Sons company, sayst
"Builders' hardware la moving In Terr
satisfactory .volume and tho tendency la
toward a better class of good. The recent
email advance In prloo en the better grades
has had a tendency to stimulate rather
than retard sal, and purchasers are giv
ing more attention to adapt ability of de
sign and finish than ever.
"It Is also gratifying to note that buyers
are placing their orders for bulldora' hard
ware at an earlier stag of their building,
thereby enabling us to give better and more
careful attention to their contracts. We
consider the prospects for future business
In builders' hardware and tools very en
couraging." J. P. Williams, manager of the furnace
and mantel and tile department for the
same Arm, aaya:
"On account of the present activity !n
tho building Una, our furnaoe business has
been exceptionally good for the past six
months, and the prospect are very favor
able for a continuation during the year.
Improved construction of furnaoe and up-to-date
methods of installing them, to
gether with the moderate cost of the ap
paratus, make them the popular method of
heating. Interest la being taken in the
combination hot air and hot water method
of heating for tbe larger dwellings, and
some orders are being plaoed for these
ayatema. Sales of the better claaa of fur
nace are increasing, ahowlng tit buyers
are Inspecting the quality of the materials
closer tban the price.
"In the mantel and tile department fhe
same conditions hold good, and our cus
tomers are buying better goods In this line
than for yeara Architects' plana and
apeclflcatlona call for a great deal af tile
work in bath rooms and vestibule. Soma
very fine bath rooms are being tiled all
over, floors, walla and celling, in both
the above lines our Inquiries front out of
town are Increasing.
"Furnaeee and mantel are being sold to
be placed In farm residences, showing that
the terming population la In a prosperous
condition. Taken altogether, the condition
of bualneaa at prtarnt and the proepecta
for the future are very satisfactory."
NOVELTIES FOR BUILDERS
How Modern Ingenuity Euuiemi ICodiro
Taste in tin Boine-
ART IS WEDDED TO UTILITY NOWADAYS
Combination Produces All Sort of
Pleasing? Things In Glaas, Paint,
Hardware, Paper and Other
Decorative Staffs.
Building novelties and Improvements al
ways Interest the public. Every man ant.
woman In the city Is either the owner of a
house or expects and hupcB to be some
time, so that anything which will make the
home handsomer, safer, stronger, more
sanitary and leas costty Is a thing to at
tract the attention of the average reader.
The art of maktng modern and artistic
finishing material has progressed with
other arts, and while wo have today noth
ing finer probably titan the oarved oak f
old English interiors, We have many things
which make a contpwfatlvely better appear
ance for the cost. In addition we havo all
soars of things of which tho old people
never dreamed.
"No industry In thla country has made
greater advancement Curing the last ten
years than the manufacture of plate glass,"
said F. W. Judson of the Midland Glass
and Paint company. "Only a few years
ago it was looked upon as a great luxury,
used only in the better grade of store
buildings In large cities, and occasionally
In the homes of the wealthy. Most of this
glass was Imported. Today there are four
teen or fifteen immense factories In the
United States turning out large quantities
ef the very best grade. Practically no
glass Is Imported now, and the plate la (0
per cent cheaper than It was ten years ago.
This comes through the building of more
factories and the introduction of up-to-date
machinery. The polishing, which formerly
had to be done by hand, Is now accom
plished by machinery. American glaas la
every bit as good as any Europen glass.
What is known to the trade as French
plate mirror Is no more French than I am;
It is tho best grade of American glass;
silvered. The foreigners only get an order
when our factorlea are ao leaded down
that they cannot take them. Pittsburg is
the glass making center of the world.
Uses tor Plate Glass.
"It is a question of only a few years
when plate 'glass will entirely supplant or
dinary window glass In all but the smaller
houses. I know of a nine-room house In
this city in which the old windows were
changed for plate glass, and the difference
in cost was only $28, while the house could
not have been improved as much by the
expenditure of. a considerably larger sum
In any other way. No store building of
any sort is now put up without plate glass
windows.
"The plating of desk tops Is one of the
newest uses of glass. Two or three years
ago articles of this sort were introduced In
the east, and have proved popular. The
Grand Rapids houses havo taken It up.
They use mahogany or birch or aome hand
some wood and cover It with highly
i polished plate glass. They not only pro
tect the wood from mar and stains, but
price lists and such things can be put
under the glass and aave a buay man
much time. All sorts of furniture are ao
made. Glass shelves are also an idea of
only two or three yeara They greatly in
crease the beauty of china closets and
sideboards, and are becoming very pop
ular. Plate glass door panel add very
much to the modern residence or office.
About five years ago they began to deco
rate theae with mitred work and wheel
cutting. Plain, mitred, bevelled or leaded,
they are a noticeable feature of any room.
Plate glass signs are among tho hand
somest Plate glass show windows make
the goods displayed more attractive and
give more light to the Interior, are eaaler
to clean and more durable. Floor plates of
rough, heavy glaaa are uaed now to give
right to basements. Tho plate glass comes
In sheets ot from Ova square feet to ISO
square feet Wa have, I think, 75,000 feet
of all sizes.
New Things in Glass.
"In the manufacture of ordinary window
glass a great change bas lately been made.
Machinery has been put In to take tho
place of hand work, and I question if In a
year any men are blowing window glass.
Tho largest factories are in the control of
the American Window Glass company and
thla corporation la Introducing the ma
chinery. Tho glaas made by the machines
Is not aa heavy ss that made formerly,
but It la more uniform and fully aa dur
able. When the machines get to working
better I think that tho glaaa will be turned
out cheaper.
"Prism glass Is one of tho newest things
and one of th moat useful Inventions for
lighting. About ten years ago prism glass
was patented In Canada, and Its advan
tages were Immediately seen, ao that now
It Is very largely used In the east, and the
new buildings to be put up hero will bo
equipped with it. It now costs about twice
aa much as nlate glass, but It aave a
great deal In lighting bills, for the prisms
refract the light and send it Into the build
tnca There are the cheaper sheet prisma,
which can be placed on any building, and
then there are prisma specially msde with
regsrd to the angle from which the light
will come. The prism glass la 18 per cant
cheaper now than It waa a few year ago,
anil I believe will decrease In prlca
"For skvllghta the proper thing la the
wired glass. Purine: five year the use of
this has become general because the under
writers have approved It as fireproof.
Wired class windows do away with th
peed of Iron shutter for window. While
tho sin rrsck from ht the wire which
It contain hnMo It In r1ee. snd In sltv
Wrhta does not allow the fatal draft wHrh
romeS aa soon a the r1"a falls out. Thv
now make pn'Ufced wire plate glass for
doors and windows.
Art la Glaaa Wnrk.
"In ornamental rlass the colored has now
been superceded bv the white glass. It I
nwre artlrte. Colored rl Is now con
fined to churches and In residences to tran
soms and hull windows. Ten or fifteen
rears aro all colored g1aa waa Imported
Into thla country, but we now are more
progressive than the old countries. They
do not chance so (rnleklv, while American
manufacturers are alwaya searching for
new pattern In order to keep a market
for their products.
"When we started bur art glass factory
her a rear am there were only three or
four men In Omaha making leaded glass,
and elmost none had been made here for
five year. Now we have thirty-five or
forty men. Omaha's business In art glass
Is growing, you can see by the fact that
we have Just filled an order for a church
set from the Indian Territory and another
from Oregon. Leaded windows are now
made with figures or without, the former
being the most expensive and requiring
painted gloss. An innovation In this work
la the use of copper In place of lead. This
was Introduced five or six years ago. It Is
much more effet tlve und does not need Iron
braces as does the lend work and will stand
the wear and tear In office and shop. Tho
cost la about 2S per cent more.
"The art glass market Is subject to fads
and fashions. At one time the fleur-de-lis
was seen everywhere, now It Is not used.
The poster glass Is the really up-to-date
Idea. New York Is the glass fashion cen
ter. Two-thirds of the cost of art glass is
due to the labor. It Is never made by ma
chinery. The class of labor is bettor every
yeur."
Oil and lead Preferred.
Omaha house owner may be Interested
to know that OTnaha Is an oil and lead
city and net a mixed paint city. Lincoln,
on the othftr hand, scorns the crude ma
terials and Will have nothing for ita houses
but the tempting cans of prepared color
Towns seem to be peculiar In these little
natters of taste. Omaha Is fast coming to
be a mixed paint city, however, if we may
believe the dealers In this variety of deco
rating material. A few years ago all the
paint came from St. Louis and from east
ern jobbers; now a largo part of tho paint
used In Omaha and by the trade In Omaha
territory comes from this city. This Is a
proud thing for Omaha citizens to know.
Paint Is an exhibition of prosperity. If
a traveler comes from a far land and finds
the air of a city heavy with the boquet
of turpentine and of new paint, and the
prospect filled with fresh new color, he
takes a hunch to himself that prosperity
has been buying comer lots in tho business
district. A few streets of dingy frame
bouses, on the other hand, give the way
farer the Idea that the Inhabitants are liv
ing In a financial Valley Forge. Two years
ago Minneapolis and Omaha were these
things. The Minnesota metropolis was all
prosperity and paint, while In Omaha a
man would have had to be extremely dill
gent to get a spot on hla coat tails. But
that was two yeara ago. Now the glad
faced dealer Informs us that never In Its
history has Omaha consumed so much
paint as during the last twelve months.
Paint Is affected by the fads of mankind.
Also there are colors which are as sure to
be seen In the proper places as the tur
quoise of the sky and the blueness or
brownness of the denim pant. White Is
one of these and long may It reflect the
sun, say the dealers, for white grows soiled
and sere with becoming quickness. Vene
tian red Is another. With It the barn and
the wooden warehouse spread abroad a
glory of vermilion reflection on sunny days,
and all is peace, and durability, and cheap
ness.
Tints Now la Vogue.
The prevailing fashionable tint now la the
light cream and the light gray. The dark
rich. It la probable the salesmen of that
day sold paints of two years ago have
gone Into the Ice box. No longer will tho
man with the little cottage make it look
little and contemptible with dark paint In
an effort to observe the mode. Now hq
may avail himself of his knowledge that
light paints make a house larger, and while
adding no chambers to Its comfort, he may
by taking thought add several cubits to Us
stature.
The pries of mixed paint has not changed
much In two or three yeara It depends on
the condition of the lead and oil markets.
Thla of course applies to good paint Other
kinds are made of benzine, baryties or even
of buttermilk and whiting. Zino was In
troduced Into the paint business about ten
or twelve years ago, and Is a lasting and
worthy Ingredient As tho world moves
'round, the paint gets better and the col
ors brighter and mors lasting. Paint Is
made mostly in the east for there are few
large factorlea west ot Milwaukee and Chi
cago, Mlnneapolla Is tho great town for
linseed oil. The flaxseed grows all over the
flax belt of Minnesota, hence the market at
Mlnneapolla The Argentine Republlo used
to furnish much of thla oil for paint but
It Is now a small factor. Patriotic Ameri
cans believe it is better to use ootton seed
than to go to a foreign land.
Energ-y of Paint Meaw
No manufacturers are mora energetlo ad
vertiser than the paint men. There la now
an advertising war on amonc them and tha
tdvertlsing possibilities of the country are
being strained in an attempt to adequately
set forth the value of this and that deco
rative liquid. Bomething Ilk ISO salesmen
are bringing paint into thla territory.
Root stains are taking the place of paint
for roof in a wav that nleaaa thole manii-
facterera. They preserve the ahlnglea In a
way that paint or atmoapherlo conditions
never will and give the house on which they
are spread that air of refinement and
culture which la so desirable.
Varnish is getting more expansive every
day. No longer can the innocent young
man afford to alt on the newly varnished
rocking chair when ho drops In of an
evening. Varnish Is getting into real
money. Th reason Is that th rums used
In making varnish aro getting more scarce
every year. These come from New Zealand
and from Africa. Asphaltum la the only
Ingredient ot varnish which Is native to
America. The gums used aro in appear
ance cheap Imitations of amber and are
rapidly being used up. Twelve is the
number of standard varnlshea for house
finishes, and there are dozena of apeclal
varnishes for special purposes. Varnish
Is being used much more freely in these
days than a few yeara ago. Th natural
woode ars being uaed for Interior finish
ing In place of painted boards, and the
varnish Is the best finishing.
Improvement In Hardware,
A big revolution in builders hardware
haa happened in th last ten yeara Door
and window futures are so very much
handsomer now and th locks have Im
proved so much; but tho prlco has also
been busy and la two years there has boan
an Increase of 24 per cent.
The old copper finish Is th proper thing
for door wear these days, and at least So
per cent of the sales of all qualities of
knob and lock are now in that finish. Mod
ern bouses demand a neat doorknob and
lock and the limit has been raised con
tinually unUl th market now offer
splendid bronze door lock costing as much
as $11. The oval knob has been used for
four or Ave years and Is a favorite.
Tbe greatest advance has been made in
front door locks. Th cylinder lock with
tbe small Tale pattern key was formerly
uaed in only tbe finer houses, but Is now
quite common. This is an advance over
the front door lock with two keys. The
mortice lock trimmings are bronze now.
In window fixture th latest epoch-making
Invention is the sash balano. This
does away with th clamorous weights and
the frail and uncertain rope. A flat metal
taie winds Itself up in a drum, and Is
otherwise accommodating when one wishes
tho window up or down. Bash locks have
Leen Improved to the discontent of tho
burglurlous.
Practically there Is nothing new in tho
nail market. The wire nail has super
seded the cut uuil. Shingle nails now to
please the tr.ido must be galvanized. Tho
dealers sny that with each year more and
more expensive builders' hardware Is re
quired. Among the up-to-date metal things
used are galvanized wall tlos, metal laths,
steel studs, joist hangers, corner beads and
metal ceilings.
Steel for Celling;.
Pressed etoel ceilings are rapidly grow
ing In popularity, say the dealers. The use
of metal for celling work 1 not new, but
Its general popularity is one of the later
developments In building. Formerly the
Idea was for a uheap ceiling and plain
sheet metal or corrugated iron were used.
Now a high class or art is employed In
making the designs und the ceilings are
used In the best buildings. T. J. Malioney's
new residence will have these pressed ceil
ings In the porches. More commonly they
aro used In office and store buildings. Can
ton, O., Is tho place where this sort of
work originated and Is now the center of
production. The lenigns are first m.i.le In
clay by an artist and from this u cat
Iron model or die la made. The plain sheet
ot soft annealed steel is tin 11 pressed into
the die by a drop press. The same sort of
work is used for wainscoting. The pressed
steel comes in standard sizes like wall pa
per and Is made to fit any room by the use
of a filling border. When enameled with
tho high points brought out In gilt the effect
la like plastic work and very handsome,
and haa tho additional advantage of being
unburnable. Tho modern pressed work
does not cost much more than tho old
rough metal.
The metal lath Is another modern build
ing material which Is rapidly coming to the
front and In the opinion of the handlers
will In the end supplant the wooden lath
In all but the cheapest cottages. About
ten years ago this lathing was Introduced.
It costs a little more than the wood, but In
somewhat eat.Ier to place, the work in the
end costing about 30 per cent more than
wooden lathing. The wooden material is
growing In cost Mid Is poor In quality, so
that the Iron Is retarded as a sure winner.
A sheet of thin metal Is cut In parallel
lines over Its surface by a machine and
then stretched out, the gnln In surface
being about 0$ per cent. Tho eheets come
8x14 feet. In addition to being fireproof
material the plastering does not crack as
It does on the wooden lath. The latter
shrinks and swells with changes of
weathor.
When pressed steel studding Is used In
connection with the metal lathing and
hard plaster, rooms are constructed of an
almost fireproof character, which will with
stand anything but a really big blaze.
They are said to make a more rigid wall,
to be more easily placed and to cost but
little more than wood. ,
' Wall Taper is Cheap.
According to the dealers now Is the time
to buy wall paper. It will never be as
cheap as now. Four or five years ago, be
fore the break In the wall paper trust,
paper was almost GO per cent more expen
sive than It la now. The trust would,
doubtless, have done well, but the outsid
ers became very busy In starting small
factories for the trust to buy, in order to
keep down competition. The trust bought
and In keeping these factories going ar
rived at a production ef at least one-third
more tban the market called for. Then fol
lowed the break and a man who had a
$10,OM stock In the evening when he went
home, found It worth only $5,000 when he
returned. Since then the weaker factories
have been going under one by one, so that
the price has stiffened cp a little and la
likely to do ao more rapidly In the future.
Most of the paper la made in New York
City or In Philadelphia. Practically none
Is turned out In tho west, although there
Is a small factory In Des Moines.
"There are many strikingly handsome
and original effects In pnper hangings this
season," said R. M. Beard. "The manu
facturers are constantly on the lookout for
new designs and new colors which will
provs attractive to the refined householder.
Many of our novelties come .from the
French and German papers. Aa soon as
these come out, those which strike the
manufacturers on this side as worthy are
copied and In about a yenr become popular.
The carpet manufacturers and' the paper
men mutually admire each other'a products
and copy any design which looks good to
them.
Trend of Modern Tast.
"The more striking papers aro used In din
ing room and dena now daya, and the
quieter dealgna for parlors and reception
rooms. No gilt Is used la the new papers
beyond an occasional thread. Thla is a
marked change from the style a few year
ago. For dining rooms, libraries and dena
and reception rooms, tapestry is being used
very largely. The Oriental tapestries are
rnoat popular.' Th maker are copying the
old Gobelin and other tapestrlea of Europe
with the greatest cleverness. These papers
have been popular for about two yeara. Tho
divided wall treatment Is getting to bo
very popular for these rooms. The division
bas gradually become trouder from one
third until now the line Is midway between
the celling and tha floor. The women all
like to have the plat mouldings, even If
they have not enough plates to fill it Pic
torial paper Is becoming very popular and
makes a pleasing room with burlap on
the lower half of the waijs and a plain
tint celling. Ceilings are practically all
alngle tint papers now.
Two-tone papers are taking the place of
th ingrains, which were so popular for
parlor. These papers or made In two
tones of the same color and are very neat.
They are hung without bordera with a
moulding against the ceiling. With the
two-tone the celling should be perfectly
plain. Th borders, by the way, are in
cold storage and are seldom used. The
style changed about five years ago In the
east, but about two years are necessary
for the popular idea to change this fur
from the centers of fashion. The paper Is
put on clear to the celling or In panels.
Crown e IT acts are uaed In pluce ot the
border. We have cut out crowns which are
laid on over the paper, and the regular
crown In which the paper la printed to
tbe deklgn. The pictorial stuff shows
friezes of snips, children at play and sim
ilar subjects. Floral papers are holding
their own tor sleeping rooms and green Is
the popular color for parlor decoration.
The lighter papers are the popular thing
now and the gloomy old effects are out of
favor. Fabrics are growing la favor and
I look to see a great deal of crash good,
similar to burlap aud other fabrics, used
next year.
FEW FIREPROOF BUILDINGS
Arohhosti Ear Not Ifanj lis B Proper1
Cltcted 11 Each.
OMAHA HAS SEVERAL EXCELLENT TYPES
Flame Lauab, at llonran Efforts to
Balk Them, bat Danger Can
Bo and Is Greatly
Lessened.
Fewer than fifteen absolutely fireproof
buildings exist in Omaha, Among these
may be Included Tbe Bee building, city
hall. New York Life building, Boston Store
building, postolllue bullilli.b, Nebraska Tele
phone buildings. Commercial National aud
Merchant's National bonk buildings, th
new part of the Omaha High school build
ing and the Burlington and Union Paclflo
passenner ataiions. The Douglas county
court house might be fairly considered as
an absolutely fireproof structure, and was
constructed with that view at the time
of lis erection, but this was along th
old lines of fireproof construction, that In
tiii modern day would nardly be accepted
as a fireproof building. The Ironwork ot
the court house Is exposed, white with th
new methods ot tlreprootlng the Iron and
steel framework of (he stiucture must bo
encased in teira cotta. or cement. Owing
to Its Isolated location the Douglas county
court house Is entitled to bo considered as
a fireproof building. -
The Omaha public library la practically
fireproof, excepting aa to the roof, though
It might be more properly classed with th
slow burning structures of the city. .j
The best tyres of slow burning construc
tion in the city are the McCngue, Bennett
and Paxton buildings, the latter at tha
corner of Sixteenth and Farnam. These
are practically about the only technlcuMy
slow burning specimens of building In
Omaha. A number of the larger bank
buildings cf th.. city are In a large measure
fireproof, but only to the roof. Other
buildings U19 fireproof for only one or two
stories. 1
Omaha's trnrent Advantages.
It must not be Inferred, however, that
'naha Is any less better equipped with
(.bsjlutoly 11-epreof structure than other
cltle of it size. There are no excessively
tull buildings In the city and for this
reason alone Omaha may consider Itself
as immune Irom any really disastrous con
flagrations tch as are likely to and havo
recurred In c'.iles that lean to tho sky
rcn.per ttyle of business architecture. And
then again, Op.lia is a brick built city,
which n k .trial is regarded by builders as
the cne material tnat can withstand fira
successfully if given half a chance.
The question waa naked of a leading
architect, "What owjit..utes an absolutely
fireproof build.ng?" The leply was, "No
biulding is absolutely fiieproof, especially
if there be any woodvirk t-bout It, inolud-.,
lng window francs, wbtfews, ooor casings,
doors, woodon walnscofjdng and wooden
floors, even though the latter be laid on
cement covered Iron girders. The popular
conception if 1 fireproof bi-llding a that It
must be built of IneomUastible material,
brick, with all the Iron frames and casings,
beams and pillars one-red In terra cotta
or cement, with tilo fkors. Wood must of a
natural consequence enter iito tame part
of the conatructlen of a bi.lldlng, and that
wood will burn If given the opportunity. 80
you see that an absolutely reproof build
ing Is almost an architectural Impossi
bility." Fire No Respecter of Theories.
The Z ftltlmore Are demonstrated the utter
impotency of the modern fireproof truc
turo. This, however, waa cot Sh ault of
the builder or the designer, but of the fir,
which had no regard for modern device
against It Anent thla matter an elaborate
article In the last Issue ot the Architect
and Builder' Journal says: "That whll
the fervent heat melted away much of the
material with which the tall buildings were
constructed, th steel frames withstood tho
teat in many instances, and om of
these structures con be rebuilt at a cost of
about 40 per cent of the original cost.
Houses built substantially of the best brick
withstood tbe fire In many Instances and
against them the fir met Its master, for
notwithstanding they were In the midst of
a sea of flam which left complete ruin on
either side they passed through th ordeal
practically unscathed."
A leading builder of Omaha said: "Tha
bane of all fireproof construction Is In th
elevator shafts. Th elevator shaft has
come to stay and so long as they are con
structed aa at present, no building In which
they are located la absolute'y fireproof. A
systsm haa been adopted in Stockholm,
Sweden, where the elevator shaft la built
of brick, til or Iron and th door are of
iroa and ax dosed automatically. I seri
ously question whether this system will b
ever Introduced In this country to any
great extant"
li'lroproof Flooring-.
Thar Is on exhibition at the Bulldsrs
exchange, In this etty, a new material for
flooring which Is claimed to be absolutely
fireproof. It Is called "pulp flooring," being;
a patent combination ot aawdust with soma
Incombustible material. Its technical nam
being "petro pulp and raonollth combina
tion." Its component parts are a secret ot
the patentee, snd it Is claimed to be per
fectly incombustible. It Is designed to do
away with tiling la large bulldlnga a her
wooden flooring over a concrete and Iron
base Is ordinarily laid. It Is made In th
form of ordinary lumber flooring and may
be cut into any shape desired. Another
architect la of th opinion that th Urn. Is
fast arriving when a new element will
enter Into building construction In all
buildings leas than seven stories high snd
this will be the sprinkler cystem of fire
protection. Thla system operates auto-,
matlcally In each raom of tha building. Th
floors will be so constructed that It will b
Impossible for the water to leak through
from one floor to the ether. Said thla
architect: "Wherever the sprinkling ye
tern haa keen Introduced th rates of Insur
ance have been decreased, and thla sprink
ler system Is destined In time to solve th
Interesting preblem f fireproof construc
tion." Another architect aald: "Th elevator
mad the tall building possible and enor
mously Increased the value of property In
the congested business districts, and at tha
am time It haa contributed to Increased
fire r1$a In this claaa of buildings."
New Elementa la Construction ,
Many new element enter Into fireproof
construction, aalde from the "sprinkler"
system, and these will Include the new ma
terial known as "ferroconcret," a com
bination of steel and concrete building ma
terial. Th expansive and contracting
qualities of steel and concrete aro very
lContiad. uu Twnty-U-
