G
TUn OMATIA SUNDAY BEE: MAY 24, 1908.
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BUSY
home
BDDLDEBS
OMAHA'S GROWTH OF DECADE
Expansion of Suburbs Beyond the line
Ten Years Ago.
SOME FEATURES OF CITY'S LIFE
Jta-artmeat Hoa.es tbat Art , Itral
lloafi and Hotava that Ara
Owned br Their Oo-raaante.
"I dorTt think the people of Omhi
realise how this city U spreading out,"
aid a local contractor. "I have compared
a map of the city of ten yeara ago with
the latest map, and the latter la twice the
lie of the former. Additions have "been
made to the city on all aldea and tha mc
nlficrnt possibilities of the country with
which Omaha Is surrounded are being
brought out In a wonderful degree. People
here do not realize how beautiful the sur
rounding country Is. It must be remem
bered that practically nothing has been
done to enhance the beauty of nature In
Its wild state. With anything like the at
tention given to properties In the suburbs
of rme of the big eastern cities, Omaha
suburban property would bloom Into the
most charming picture of verdure. And
flowers and shrubs being added with the
proper proportion of trees of the proper
sort, there would be nothing more beauti
ful than the suburbs of Omaha with the
salubrious climate thrown tn, as It were,
as a premium or trading stamps. I firmly
believe that the future of Omaha suburbs
Is a most brilliant one. As the people grow
to a stage where they can cease to struggle
for the necessities and take on that dig
nified state which Is associated with the
old families of the east and of foreign
countries there will be some magnificent
suburban residences here as there are In
other cities. Suburban property will rise
In value as surely as the sun rises In the
heavens."
The growth of Omaha has been so rapid
that It would be almost too much to expect
public Improvements to keep pace with that
growth. City life educates people to a
desire for all the comforts and conveniences
possible. These comforts and conveniences,
because of their being such, become a busi
ness necessity and It is Interesting to note
that In Omaha action Is bolrur taken against
the shacks, the derelict buildings which
.were good enough for the Omaha that was,
but are entirely out of keeping In the new
Omaha that Is to be, the city beautiful
that Is becoming dally more and more a
fact with the rapid addition of beautiful,
costly and tasty homes In all parts of the
municipality,.
Of course. It Is axiomatic that permanent
and nightly Improvements enhance the
value of property. A welt paved street, a
beautiful church, a handsome business
block make a street more attractive and
therefore more valuable Hence people are
attracted to It, the neighborhood grows,
the stores In the vicinity do more business
and hence their sites are more valuable.
It is an endless chain of excellence which
builds a beautiful city, a handsome example
Of good begetting good.
Two magnificent new apartment houses
In Omaha are nearly ready for occupancy.
One Is the handsome sister house to the
Majestic on Sherman avenue. The other
Is the sister house to the Hamilton apart
ments. Twenty-fourth and Farnam streets.
Both are distinctive, or, rather, character
istic, of construction of this nature in
Omaha. In eastern cities people live in
houses which abut greedily upon the
sklewalk and snuggle up close to each
other, leaving only narrow, covered alley
ways to get to the rear of the flat. In
some districts even this alleyway la cut
out, and entrance to the rear can be se
cured only via the alley. No bit of greenl
is present to relieve the heat of summer
or to give sign thut nature is still allvo In
the dead of winter.
Note .the difference between these drear
abodes and the new apartment houses In
Omaha. They are built upon broad and
beautiful lines. They are provided with
broad and liberal porches and they face
upon liberal expanses of greensward, where
stately trees rustle their leaves In the
breese, where the cheery sound of the
lawnraower Is heard in the summer and
where In the winter the trees, shrubs and
grass are still visible and give assurance
that they are not dead, but only asleep.
While such structures are erected the
beauty of the Omaha of the future Is as
sured. It ts stated by a real estate man of
Omaha that J7 per cent of Omaha homes
re owned by those occupying them. It Is
a fact that In 1900 the United States cen
sus showed that only 23 per cent of Omaha
homes were owned by their occupants. If
S7 ' per cent Is the proper proportion of
those owning their own homes, it Is a won
derful showing for the people of Omaha
. and a showing that can be equaled by
hardly another city In this country. A
powerful campaign has been waged during
the last ten years by building associations
and by builders and real estate firms In
erecting homes and selling them on the
Installment plan, while the people of this
thriving city have attained to that am
bitious sphere where they seek to own
their homes and take a pride In raving and
paying for them. The folly of paying rent
has been drilled Into most of the people
and the result Is the large proportion of
home owners. Nothing could be a firmer
foundation for real estate values than the
fact that nearly half of the Inhabitants of
' the city are anchored to It by a valuable
piece of property.
The Great Red Plague
The country has grown to the point
where everything about It Is big; Its com
merce. Its products, yes, even Its crimes
are colossal. Treeumably to keep things
harmonic we permit our fire waste, our
national ash heap, to also be mammoth.
Incidentally losing sight of the fact, how
ever, that It. Is, at the same time. Idiotic.
Our burnt offerings, our national ash pile,
could be well be caled a tribute to the
"merciless sti'pldlty of the most enlight
ened nation on earth I"
The strange thing about It all Is that so
much Is said In the dally and perlodlo
press about life Insurance abuses, the ptc
cadilloes or more serious offenses of state
arid municipal grafters and all that sort
of thing. Indeed a wave of reform has
made Itself felt the country over, but SO
far little or nothing has been done to re
form one of the greatest abuses, the cost
liest and most murderous of municipal Ills
from which we suffer fire. True, millions
are spent In actually fighting fire, but a
minute's thought Is sufficient to convince
any one that an attempt at cure ts futile.
Preventive measures can by the only solu
tion of the matter.
A normal year's losses (and, by the way,
there are mighty few normal years, what
with Raltlmore In 1904 and San Francises
In 1906) mean $300,000,000 In smoke. At least
another $150,000,000 Is spent In alleged fire
protection, fire departments, high pressure
water plants, etc., beyond which we ex
pend another $196,000,000 In attempting to
get some solace via the fire Insurance
route. The sum of those figures represent
our annual normal cost of fire. In 1905 a
phenomenally prosperous and busy year
In building, we did In actual construction
and repairs of buildings, $525,000,000. What
think you of a nation that wastes as mr.ch
as it produces? We burn up more prop
erty than a half dozen first-class nations
put together. Just fire, eliminating Insur
ance, protection and everything cIbb,
merely smoke, costs us over $2 per capita
a year; the average of all Europe Is less
than 33 cents per capita!
Incidentally we have destroyed over 6,000
human lives by fire In one year's time.
But all this Is a normal year's record.
Seo what we did in 1906. At no time or
place on earth has there been so much
building done. We passed the $000,030,000
mark in construction that .year, but what
with San Francisco and our "regular
flr6s,'; we also destroyed over $300,000,000
worth of property! The cost of our alleged
fire protection has also increased and we
have gambled with the insurance com
panies In still heavier amounts than usual,
so that our total expenditure for fire must
be away in excess of $700,000,000. It Indeed
Is a cancer eating at the very vitals of our
economic structure, a devastating plague.
The apotheosis of folly!
Few people realize the degree In which
gambling penetrates the business fabric.
We see the work of the gambling bug, but
accept It as a matter of course. Rather
than build a little better and thus avoid
fire, wo have built, to use a mild term,
"rottenly," but have sought "protection"
from the gentlemen who, banded together
In that legitimate spoliation, under the
name of fire insurance, have graciously
condescended to sit in the game with us
and rake in our shekels. Wo have paid
them In premiums since 1860, $3,622,000,000,
or. Just in the last ten years, $1,G10.S85.000.
In 1905 we carried Into the- "house" over
$196,000,000 In premiums and got bnrk In
salve for our losses a trifle over $!,000,000.
See how far that solace goes. Take San
Francisco as an example; over $300,000,000
went up In smoke there. Tho loss In busi
ness to the city and to the country genv
crally as a result of that fire very nearly
reached $1,000,000,000; it Is costing fully $12,-
000,000 to clear away the debris and $350,.
000,000, at least, and twenty years' 'time
will be expended to repair the damage.
Meanwhile the Insurance companies have
figured their losses and find that they owe
San Francisco $132,000,000. Surely it was a
Good Palat la Needed.
If you wont a good Job of painting you
must have good paint. Kven good paint
will not apply Itself. The best paint ever
rnade will blister, peel, flake, chalk and
give you all sorts of trouble If it is not
properly used. The principal causes of
trouble are due to dampness, moisture, bad
lumber, applying paint too thick, poor oil,
bad primer, hurrying the work, bad con
dition of old paint on old work and poor
workmanship.
TIMELY REAL ESTATE GOSSIP
0atealatd rhaaaea la City Char
ter Already m Topic
for Urbata.
To formulate a policy for the needed
changes to be made In the city charter
of Omaha by the next session of the NV
biaska legislature. Councilman W. S.
Sheldon has suggested to the Omaha Real
Kstate exchange that a citizen's committee
be appointed, which will consist of two
members kof the exchange, two members
of the Commercial club, two from the
'lty council and one from the Federation
of Improvement Clubs. The letter from
Councilman Sheldon met with favor when
It was communicated to members, of the
exchange, and President Oraham has an
nounced that he will appoint two members
of the exchange, while Secretary Harry
Tukey has written to Mr. Sheldon, Ulllng
him that the exchange Is very much In
favor of studying carefully the needed
changes in the charter, and that they
should be on a broad basis, looking caro
fully to the future Interests of the city
and agreeing with the councilman from
the Sixth ward that great care should be
taken to avoid anything creeping into
amendments which will give the large In
dividual and corporate Interests any ad
vantage over the taxpayers. Just what
changes will be proposed is a matter of
conjecture. The exchange has no sugges
tions to make at this time, but It is the
supposition that a citizen's committee will
be able to point out some radical changes
and recommend that they be made next
year. ,
A careful estimate of the amount of
property for rent In Omaha, made from
the lists of dealers and agents, shows that
some of the largest agencies have from
60 to 65 per cent of the normal number of
houses on their lists at this time. One
dealer who averaged thirty to forty houses
In good times, has but eighteen houses on
the lists at present. Another has but fif
teen houses and four flats when the lits
are normally fifty. Tl Is Is found to be
the general condition In other offices.
One dealer, who has had as high as 125
houses on his Hat, now has less than a
score. In spite of the fact that many new
homes are being erected, it ts shown from
this condition that the Investor Is not In
serious danger of having property Idle, and
r.ot drawing interest. If he is contented
with reasonable Interest and keer the
house In good repair. As a result of tha
demand for houses agents are extremely
careful in making leases snd good prop
erty is seldom rented to poor tenants.
"It Is really only a matter of getting
your sign up on a good lot to sell it," said
F. D. Wead. "Inquiries are numerous and
I have found recently that sales are much
easier than for many years. x Every owner
I
most unprofitable gamble for San Fran
cisco. Tet the Insurance companies wrote a
very low rate on San Fraaclsco because,
forsooth, of its excellent fire department.
People gaugnd the requirements of con
struction thereby and built Just as shoddlly
as Inurance regulations would permit. They
and the. people of the country at large
have virtually been seduced Into combusti
ble, shoddy construction of buildings under
false pretenses made by the nonprohibitive
rate of the fire Insurance companies.
Wood has been another curse of the
country. It Is almost a blessing In disguise
that our forest are well nigh devastated
by our extravagant ruthlessness, because
even to the most obtuse It must be evi
dent that the use of mood Is no longer
economy. A building of steel frame and
hollow flreprooflng tile, or of structural
reinforced concrete protected from fire by
tile, costs but a fraction over ID per cent
In first cost than does the usual frame of
wood with wooden Joists and studs. The
life of such framing ts Infinitely longer than
the old wood affair, the cost of mainte
nance Is less, so is the insurance rate, and,
all in all. In a very few years" time, good
construction not only means safety, Jtut
an actual economy. The enclosing of
stairways and elevator wells, the protec
tion of windows and skylights with wired
glass, the making of a building fireproof in
design costs nothing more In money than
the cheap flretrapa, but Is merely the ex
penditure of a little intelligence on the
part of the architects.
Millions are spent yearly In. handling this
plague, but only hundreds are doled out
In steps to prevent its outbreak.
Looked at fairly, says the American
Architect, the leading architectural Journal
of the country, it Is tho community at
large that la the culprit, since It "suffers"
fires to take place, when It really has the
power to prevent them. It looks calmly
on at the expenditure of millions annually,
millions that come out of Its own pockets,
for the maintenance of Imperfectly ef
fective fire departments, and yet, If but
half of the money spent In this way had
been used In the difference of cost between
combustible and. Incombustible construc
tion, the greater part of our cities would
now be Indestructible.
It has been the assumption that a real
estate Improver, as a sane business man,
rl'ould be able to perceive how much It
was to his own ultimate advantage to
build an indestructible building. The true
theory is that Incombustible buildings must
be built. It Is really immaterial to the tax
payer whether an individual elects to let
his building be destroyed by fire, but It Is
of very real Interest to the public that the
lives and property of other people shall
not be Jeopardized and destroyed at the
same time. It la desirable to substitute
unburnable for burnable buildings with the
shortest delay possible, since a conflagra
tion may occur any day, and the process
can be better accomplished by. coaxing
thon by compulsion.
The one thing for our municipalities to do
Is to arrange the taxation of property In
accordance with the latter's permanency
and Indestructibility. A fixed rate on
ground Values and a sliding rate on build
ings, the minimum on fireproof buildings
and the maximum on flretraps would be
perfectly equitable to all. It would put
the burden of paying for the maintenance
of fire departments upon those who needed
the service, and would mean -a lessened
load of tax on those who are public spirited
as well as businesslike enough to build so
as to not require such service. It Is the
one sane municipal solution of the problem,
the one way of extracting ourselves from
under the yoke of the Insurance companies;
tho surest means of stopping the ravages
of tho great red plague fire. F. W. F1U
patrlck. consulting architect and executive
officer of the International Society of
Municipal Building Commissioners, Wash
ington, D. C.
of Inside proparty has reason to feel cheer
ful as increases In value seem certain.
There are many buyers looking for prop
erty some of them for very expensive
property at that. Within the past week I
know of Inquiries for Inside residence prop
erty In which investors and homeseekers
proposed to buy property costing from
$25,000 to $100,000. The sale of property fur
ther out Is none the less active by reason
of the good prices being offered for down
town property."
The Ralston Townslte company has set
next week as the time for those who have
contracted for lots In Ralston to select the
property. As the contracts were signed
they were numbered and the selection will
be made In the order received. As there
are thirty-three blocks platted for resi
dence lots. It will not be difficult for the
buyers to find desirable lots. Ten blocks
have been platted for business lots and
some will prefer them to the lots "In the
woods," or those covered with valuable
walnut trees.
BLUEPRINTS
k . I.I J
I noon y fin J
lor ttsry mw utMcrlptl'i to th Journal
I, wst villi () h Itrr I .tin, i.rtnf. ..4
plMI awlMtavi f row our IUtilra,i4Ml Uuuk. of 5 4 uttiiyo
ftud laalttwa. Tii pl-im ar drawn If sicbl-tt-t
ud u.rhnte4 baolulcl-r correct. This ftiMtinc fra
off is poMihl btrauM) produt- tha plana la lsug
QuuUtie and to quirk ! (nttuduca our
Journal of Modem oiirtrurtlon.
Etch nttmbroi4tteinacompltllluuauxj plint for prao
fttcal mMra hmant tails row how aad vital h bin 14. Ao
r afr t4my. bntriaon pUiti aur tim wtthm Auk.
Journal of Modrui uiinrruiOun fra voarwtth
blua prluU of tour roum plana, $2 uU locludiuc .hiWt4
ttajk of 42 0tfM nd IVMiBaiow. ?.. J.,. aWna. .ift
HA1 L. .UUTIi, Ltmlwr tx MuiMH.Minia.
mm
TO) (S
EWMMMTOR
413-15.17 South 16th Street.
Summer Furniture for the Collage-lhe Bungalow, Porch and Hie Lawn
Is one of the most important features of our great business, as people have come to appreciate more and more the keen pleas
ure of open air life in summer, the need of FURNITURE that accords with rustic simplicity and comfort, yet it is artistic in line,
has grown until practically every house holder is interested. Our prices will be found extremely moderate and in the range
that will enable any one to furnish their home according to their taste. There is a great variety of pieces in about every
sort of material of which summer furniture is made, fibre
rush, crex weathered oak, fummed oak, forest green finish,
reed and rattan. We show hundreds of beautiful pieces for
summer use Rockers, Chairs, Tables, Couches, Settees,
Child's Rocker, Swings, Double Rockers, Stools.
Torch Hooker Like Cut, finished
In natural finish with wide arms,
diamond reed back, price "1 f C
$2.25; ladles' size a-.13
KB- !;., ?.if;''"i ill
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3. .''.".' ..
pi .i-vT...f...:iih-. .'. Am,
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-.f.,lUatllllul.t.t...ly lUlMMiViY''! .Mi.iii.i,,,,
L H
If
DOUI1LK ItOCKEIl Like cut, full rood wut and
hack, lijUit finish, price $5.75 C C f
Bc'ttrc of sumo quality JsJj
Rocker Like Cut, full reed seat
and back, close woven, with
brace arm, gent's Blze
$3.60; ladles' size. . .
Same style rocker, no arms $2.40
2.65
H shelaced, price
9
Arm Chair Like cut, full reed,
finely finished. tt 7 C
Forest green Tabourette $2.50
Forest green Table $6.00
Forest green Chair .$3.25
Fumed Oak Table $7.50
Fumed Oak Chair ' $3.25
Fumed Oak Arm Chair $4.50
Kaiki Hammock Swing with mattress $15.50
Swings, all sizes and colors, price from $7.50 to $9.00
PORCH RUGS
Moodj Porch Rug, 3xG. $3.50
Moodj Porch Rug, 4x7 $5.50
Moodj Porch Rug, 0x9 $10.50
Mdodj Porch Rug, 7-GxlO-G $15-00
Matting Porch Rugs, size 4x9, $5.50, $3.50 and $3.00
,SHIRT WAIST BOXES
Before placing your order for a Shirt Waist Box see
our new stock, it will pay you.
GAS RANGES ,
When down town call and see the New Vulcan Gas
Ranges, the kind that saves GAS. We are exclusive Omaha
agents. Prices up from $12.00.
CUT DOWN YOUR ICE BILLS
BUY A LEOXAIU) REFRIGERATOR.
You buy a Refrigerator once in a life time, you buy ice
every day. The walls of the Leonard Refrigerators are
scientifically built so that they will keep the cold air in arid
the hot air out ; they, therefore, use much less ice than others
and soon pay for themselves, besides keeping all provisions
pure and in fresh condition.
We sell them; prices up from $0.00
Large itorker Like cut, full reed
seat and back, wide " c
arms, price t, i O
ft- ' "S
I -nillLi'iVlni
V.,,V""","""-'lj
Jj;
Arm Chair Like cut, made very
substantial, full reed seat,'
slat back, price.
2.15
a.I;S..''-.ii-
Rocker Like cut, full reed seat
and close woven back, natural
finish, price $2.75, J TP
ladles' size, same style .
Dining Room Domes
Chandeliers
Chain Hanging Pieces
Real Brass, Hot, Platsd
QUALITY ALL THE TIME
AMERICAN ELECTRIC
COMPANY
"The Fixture House"
20 South 16th St TelDMSl
j
BARRET'S SPECIFICATION ROOFS
Pitch and graved roofs put on according to this
specification have weathered storms for twenty years
without any cost of repairs. We use this specifica
tion in applying this character of roofing.
SUNDERLAND ROOFING AND SUPPLY CO.
1006-8-10 Douglas St. Phones: Bell. D. 871; Ind. A1225.
i .
Awnings and Tents
. Kara as maks awnings (or jour horns
and XSZF COOI.. Thsy ara Inazpansivs.
Wa maka bo caarr for ostimatas.
aad our salsciaaa will oaU.
Wa rant tonts, eaaip outfits, poroa
oaavaa aad anoylsa. Wa, build portable
huuaa touts, camp ad (vtcb fttraUua.
Phone -'r
Omaha Tent aid Awning Co.
IlthanJ Harney Sts. m 'Phone Dccg. 8 S3. IntLAlSS
HE
W1
"N.
s8 jtfjfiasi. ft.
S SYsiiV- ri 8 iivTfl ii 1 m
4-1 4 Vi-AVeVsi
BEAUTIFY YOUR LAWN
rltlk aUV IMS rnnrt Wtaa . . mm us ..
VlUaTsl llflWel m wA K MJM ATVOTI fOf
tlta poats. wluduw goaids. fcara fUturaa aud "uZZ
CHAMPION FENCE COMPANY
ir-l Boat 16ta Streak elepoaea Doug-, lsso,
ad fus Catalogs. lad. Al
II
S4
Gold Silver andffickte
Let us repute and iepulr your old
niftsllc arlk'les. We make thtm good
as new at a small cost.
OJIAHaplatiNIj Cll
iss8 1220 Harney Stfi-s
lk-ft 'f"-' f uTttH-, A iViI'.i-t Vr.r"" I
FENCES!
F)
IRON-WIRE
Cheaper than wit J
ANCHOR fENCEUFG. CO I
1
U5?
G7 STOKTX 1TTX STTI.KX7
Vaoae Bad ale.
There s a best
in everything
A scuttle of coal
a day is a ton in a
month. You
save much coal,
cozily warm your
home and do away with
ash-dirt and
dr"dsei7nl?
using HOT llrjm'i
W A T T? T) Y
SYSTEM
1
I
5tf
Esltmmles
Idkal Itollert and
AukitiiAN lUUiatori
If
A
JO.Sfcl'll I'ATKK,
Thone Doug-. MOS.
Itia ao. leta c Omaha.
X
cores ai
Home
Plate
Everyone. has, who has sent their Silver
ware, Chafing Dishes, Candlesticks, Brass
Beds, and in fact anything made of
metal, whether solid or plated, to
be repaired and refinished by the
OEV1AHA SILVER CO., Inc.
temper, Hemphill & Buckingham
Ai SILVERSMITHS and
All
Half Block Kinds
South Farnam 3i"w
if. :
tm fin to m mttm a
For the baker and
candy maker
Bakers and confectioners find no method of
supplying power to their mixing, kneading and
stamping machinery, so cleanly, or desirable, as
the electric motor. Each machine can be directly
connected to motor. This does away with all dirt
collecting belts and line shaft and give you power
when and where you want it, night or day.
Omaha Electric
LlghtGc Power Co.
Tel. Doug. 1062
Y. M. C. A. Dullding.
SffkJgf
jaiij.BSiMaSg.a-