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About Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922 | View Entire Issue (July 30, 1911)
The Omaha' Sunday Bee. PAST FOUB JOBBERS' SECTION PAGES OXE TO TWELVE. TART FOUR WANT AD SECTION PAGES ONE TO TWELVE. VOL. XLI NO. G. OMAHA, SUNDAY MORNING, JULY 30, 1011. SINGLE . COPY .FIVE CENTS. Business Houses that Lead in Omaha's Rapid Progress WONDERFUL GAINS IN 1910 Business in Omaha Shows Increase oi ' Over Eighteen Million Dollars. OLD LINES DO VERY GREAT TRADE J mat Hew Each Ilrnch of Industry Went Ahead la the Moat Pros perous Year of the. City's History. Just ona plain statement tells how ' wonderful has been the growth of Omaha wholesale and Jobbing business. What Omaha does la rapid and thorough. During the year 1910 the business of the wholesale and Jobbing firms of this city was Increased $ IS, 000.000. This statement Is made after a thorough Investigation that was conducted by the publicity bureau of the Commercial club. It shows that Omaha's business Is on an Immense increase. Think of $18,000, 000 being added to the business of the Job bers and wholesalers of this city In one year. It really Is marvelous, and lUshows that ttie firms of this city are gradually and truly getting business away from other cities; it shows that Omaha Is cover ing more territory and that It Is making stronger competition for the firms of other cities. According to the publicity bureau, the figures are absolutely authentic and there la not a bit of guesswork about them. The heads of the various houses submit In confidence a statement of the business dona,' and, from the many statements banded in to the publicity bureau, the total amount of business done is compiled. It Is very probable that a few houses are not represented, for some are Inclined to keep their facts under their own guard. Total Business Large. The total business done In the city for 1910 by these various wholesale and Job bing firms was 1S3,28?.000. Nearly every line of business shows a substantial Increase over the business for 1009. Every Jobber and wholesaler In the city declares that his business for 1911 will better that of inio. Business for the first six months of this year has been better than It was for the corresponding period of last year. Omaha' manufactures for 1810 were greater than those of the previous year by 18,000,000. The gain was greater than might be Inferred from these figures, for the great advances were made by a number of Increases and these had to offset them the losses In one or two other lines. The total business done for the year totaled mora than $300,668,590. Omaha manufactures nearly everything. The list runs from acetylene gas to sith ers and from artificial limbs to yeast. The manufacturers committee of the Commer cial club has compiled a list of articles manufactured, under general heads, and there are 450 of those general titles. They could be subdivided until the list would, be almost endless. Mora than one new Industry a week Is what Omaha achieved last year. Fifty-six new manufacturing and Jobbing concerns came to Omaha during 1910. The Commercial club, which has brought most of these concerns to Omaha, keeps an accurate record of all new Industries and finds that each of recent years show a better result than the year Just previous. In 1908 fifty-three new Industries came; in 1909. fifty-five companies Joined the grand total and in 1910, flfty-slx. Wholesale Lumber Trade. With approximately $10,000,01)0' Invested In the lumber business and with an annual distribution of between $5,000,000 and $6,000, 000 worth of lumber, Omaha holds a lead ing place among the lumber distributing cities of the world. It Is generally con ceded that this city has the greatest lum ber distributing railroad yards In the coun- try. ' The local Industn gives its attention ex clusively to the distribution of lumber. Into this city Is shipped the finished prod uct of the forests tn Texas, Louisiana, Ar kansas, Mississippi, Wisconsin, Michigan and the northern coast states. Lumber may be obtained from the mills direct, but the small dealers find It con siderably more convenient to buy In small quantities as their needs arise, from the wholesalers. Omaha Is the only city on tha Missouri river that through Its wholesale lumber concerns, maintains an unlimited supply of lumber for all demands. The smaller towns cannot hazard the expense of unloading a wholesale stock of the commodity on their ground and reload it to suit tha de mand that reaches them. In this respect Omaha transcends even St Joseph and Kansas City, which me tropolises make more of a pretense at lum ber greatness than this city does. Omaha, from all sources of Information, ranks easily fourth tn respect to the lum ber Industry of the country. Tha order of tha cities In relatfon to their Importance as lumber concerns are, St. Louis, Kansas City, Chicago and Omaha. The lumber trade In 1910 amounted to $8,423,000. Dry Goods Establishments. With eight large dry goods establishments tn tha city, Omaha Is a colossus of dry goods Importance. The city virtually Stepped Into Its greatness in this respect without any remarkable effort The loca tion In a territory naturally tributary to tha town for hundreds of miles, and the natural advantage over other cities located along the Missouri river, was always Omaha's advantage. Of the enormous establishments dealing In dry goods, most of the local concerns handle the rug, carpet and many other in dustries, besides tha strict dry goods lines. The sales managers say that their business Is bound to keep on growing, no matter what efforts they make, or fall to make, because of the rapid settling up of the Western country. One big local house re reived an order for a $10,000 bill of goods from a small town in Oregon,' as a sample of Its business In that section. It is de clared tha Omaha houses not only trade with consumers from the Mississippi river to tha coast, but are almost exclusively tha distributors for the coast states. The local dry goods authorities say that a vast territory lies close at hand, and that for this reason as large a supply is kept per manently on hand by their concerns as Is to be had In Chicago. Ths coast buyers find It much easier to get shipments from Omaha than from tha eastern concerns, owing to tha less cost of transportation, and get Just at prompt service, owing to the practice of Omaha Jobbers In keeping a ready supply of goods on hand. ' Tha dry goods business of last year In Omaha, reached a, volume of 18.3u0.UU) in alas. Ice Machinery Business. In the manufacture of machinery for Ice making and refrigerating Omaha stsnds at the head of the cities of tha west- Indeed, the Baker Manufacturing company, which ' to lb only concern la tha city, engaged, la this line of work, Is acknowledged to have the largest output of any manufacturing plant In the world which confines Its at tention solely to the manufacture of the smaller sort of machines for Ice-making and refrigerating. This company, which was established but three years ago, has advanced by leaps and bounds until today It has an annual output of approximately $500,000 per year and Its large factory at Twentieth and Izard streets Is "kept running overtime to supply the demand. The company is placing Its product In all parts of the United States and North America, and there are now only three states In the union where Baker machines are not Installed. The mechanics which the company employs are all skilled and highly-paid men, and as a result about 99 per cent of the vast Income which this company receives from other states re mains In Omaha. Mr. Baker of tha com pany Is confident of the future and states that the usefulness of refrigerating ma chinery la only beginning to be appreciated. Manufacturing Draft-gists. Reaching farther Into the west for their trade than almost any other group of wholesalers and manufacturers, tha local drug Jobbing men and pharmaceutical manufactures, although both lndusties are comparatively new to Omaha, are es tablishing themselves more and more firmly every year and If tha present rata of in crease continues will soon prove formidable rivals for the Detroit and St. Louts con cerns, which are the country's largest. The territory which belongs almost ex clusively to Omaha's drug manufacturers and Jobbers comprises Nebraska, South Dakota, Kansas and western Iowa, but these firms, especially the wholesalers, are constantly booking orders from the western coast states and tha amount of trade which they secure yearly from what was primarily the territory of tha drug men of other cities Is enormous. Candy Manufacturing. Confectionery manufactured In Omaha in 1910 was valued at $800,000, and If business for the present year continues In tha same ratio it has set during this spring and sum mer, with the heavy winter and holiday trade when the middle west leans on Omaha to fill the stockings on the Christ mas tree, this amount will be materially eclipsed. Omaha has seven thriving candy factories which supply a large amount of tha sweetmeats for the people of the mid dle west. The D. J. O'Brien Candy company of this city is the largest concern of the kind west of the Missouri river and Is growing with rapid strides. Three hundred thousand dollars of the confectionery busi ness passes through this concern, which was established but ten years ago. The company was first organized by Mr. O'Brien on South Thirteenth street and later moved to 1202-4 Howard street, where the factory, has been located until press of room roads ' the- ereotton - of the present building at' Douglas and Eighth streets necessary. The first years the O'Brien Candy company produced $125,000 worth of confectionery, which has since practically tripled in volume. At the new factory, which has a floor space of 60,000 square feet, all heat is produced by manufactured gas, and one of the cleanest kitchens In the country is maintained. Ona hundred and eighty men and women are employed In the factory and fourteen salesmen are kept on the road, covering Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas, South Dakota, Wyoming and other states. Wholesale Clothing Trade. Probably the first commercial Industry of Omaha to enter the western wholesale field was clothing. This city holds its rank us the market town In the wholesale cloth ing business as well as in the scores of other industries, and by reason ' of the years in which that particular trade has been worked up Is stronger In respect to wholesale clothing selling than In any otherl Tha trade for Omaha extends from the Mississippi river to the coast. In Just the same extent as Omaha's other wholesale enterprises reach that field. All the big clothing houses of the city, which Includes concerns which handle dry goods and which manufacture them, are out in open and very stern competition with Chicago, St. Louts and the other great markets further east. The factory output of clothing in Omaha In 1909 amounted to $2,375,000. In 1910 it amounted to $2,600,000, Omaha Shoe Industry. Tha shoe industry, both the wholesale and manufacturing phases, is one of Omaha's half dozen mainstays. The finan cial magnitude of the business is indicated by the report last year that the manufac tured output reached $300,000 and the whole sale business amounted to $2,700,000. It Is declared that the advent of whole sale boot and shoe houses In Omaha has had the greatest sort of an effort in bring ing Into being countless retail shoe stores throughout the west. It Is to the Omaha market that the dealers throughout tha west look for their catalogues and adver ting matter. To this end the shoe concerns of Omaha have become educated to a high degree In the production of shoe liter ature of the excellence found nowhere else In the land. The footwear Industry is made to cover a large range of products under that general head In Omaha. It Includes the production and distribution of shoes, boots, rubbers and a variety of leather goods and incidentals. This scheme of handling a large variety of products with out regard to specialisation in no other line has become so distinctive of Omaha as In the shoe Industry. It seems to be a proof that close specialization Is not Justified in the west, if. In fact, anywhere, and that a big business built upon trade tn related articles will be more apt to succeed and will reach vastly greater vol ume than does a business confining itself to a single article. Omaha Cracker Business. Omaha is rapidly becoming one of the Important cracker centers of the west, and approximately six carloads of the product are produced each day. A large per centage of this Is consumed in Omaha, while thirty-four salesmen distribute train loads of it over the entire middle west, in cluding the states of Iowa, northern Mis souri, northern Kansas, Wyoming, South Dakota and tha Black Hills country. In short the cracker factories of Omaha give employment to 659 people, produce about 1.S00 cars of crackers and cakes a year, which bear more than GOO different labels, and Is sent to supply the demand of the thousands of families in tha west who are In tha market for first-class good. The I ten Biscuit company of Omaha has mads a large growth during the time It has been in business In this city. Its fac tory la being run at Its full capacity at present, which Is inadequate to supply tha lemands of tha trade. The products of tha cracker industry (Continued en Page Tw4 f BEEBE & RUNYAN FURNITURE CO. Omaha's leading furniture manufacturing firm is the Beebe & Ifunynn Furniture Co., which is located at 1101-11.05 Douglas street. This firm manufactures high grade furniture and does a large wholesale business in the west. "The Ideal Lines" are famous throughout the west and are sold extensively wherever travel ing salesmen of this firm go. ir U pm.iv mP,m OMAHA OIL COMPANY The Omaha Oil company, who handle the P. O. E. brands of oils and greases, is one of the prosperous firms of Omaha and the west. The plant of the company is located at 1317 Grace street. Its oils are rated as among the best, and its business is growing ever day. The local management lias done wonderful work in advancing the interests of the company dur ing the last year and is getting great results from all its endeavors. f ftri , -1 i -Mr ft ADAMS & KELLY CO. Adams & Kelly Co., have a large manufac turing plant, office and warehouse at 1202 1224 Nicholas street, where sash, doors, frames, mouldings, building paper, etc, are manufactured in large quantities. All kinds of mill material are turned out by this big firm and the sales in the west are very large. George II. Kelly is president, J. T. Adams vice president, J. C. Collier treasurer" and Harry G. Kelly secretary. v,.- , -.J 1 t PAXTON & GALLAGHER CO. One of the oldest and best known wholesale grocery houses in the west is th3 Paxton & Gallagher Co., which is located on Tenth and Jones streets. It occupies one of the first buildings noticed by strang ers on the east side of the viaduct and north of the Union station. The firm are im porters, coffee roa&ters and jobbers of gro ceries and hardware. They have a very large number of traveling salesmen on the road and have established an excellent re putation all over the west. T V 'JIT - AMERICAN DRUGGISTS SYNDICATE The Omaha branch of the American Druggists Syndi cate is located at 809-811 South Sixteenth street. This firm is a wholesale drug house of which E. T. Yates is gen eral manager. All supplies for drug stores are sold by this company in Nebraska and other western states. Busi ness has increased rapidly with this company. It is one of the firms that has pro gressed with up-to-date ideas and has kept well to the front all the time. TRACY BROS. COMPANY The Tracy Bros. Company, wholesale tobacconists, are located at 1415 Douglas street, Omaha. This firm was established in 1892 and incorporated in 1902. Among the famous brands put up by it are Dunora, La Truda, Blenheim, Te Be Ce, Tra broco and Dunora, jr. It is one of the many prosperous firms in this city and it has enjoyed a very substantial increase in its business dur ing the last few years. 3 JTTT l - trm ft- .t o rNrft r- -'iAms 11 mi 4 Vtr JUL ' Vrf1 SCOTT TENT & AWNING CO. At 314-316 South Twelfth street is located the Scott Tent & Awning Co., dealer in all kinds of canvas goods. Window awnings, camping tents, canvas bags, etc., are sold by this firm. Special orders will be made. The firm will fit out any house with awnings and other canvas articles. A. C. Scott is presi dent and manager of the company. J A ; rfi 1 1 - fc Fi rf -f 4 1? T Nk' -Tv 1 1 OMAHA CASKET COMPANY. The Omaha Casket Comjany, Seven teenth and Izard streets, are manufacturers of coffins, caskets, dry goods and funeral fur nishings. Increasing salvs every year for the past ten have caused the business of this com pany to expand and today it is enjoying an extremely prosperous period with the factory working its capacity every week and with every salesman increasing his orders. ! - - ---- HAARMANN BROS. Manufacturers of vinegar, pickles, catsup, mustard, sauces, etc., the llaarmann Bros, company occupies a high position among sim ilar concerns in the west. It has a large fac tory in Omaha at 1914-16-18 South Twentieth street, where it annually turns out thousands of dollars' worth of its products. Its busi ness haa increased by bounds during the last four years, and the outlook is for the great est record of all during 1911. mjj.'.uiwimJ' u "' ii .i' hi. I i in i p -Say tnsirrft a- - - M. E. SMITH & CO. M. E. Smith & Co., Ninth and Farnam streets, is one of the largest wholesale dry goods houses in the west. M. E. Smith estab lished his business here when Omaha was very young and was just coming to be a jobbing place. The firm of M. E. Smith & Co. is one of the most prosperous in the city and its many traveling salesmen have gradually extended its territory until it covers more than any other Omaha dry goods house. One important fea ture of this company's policy is its annual trade convention, when all its salesmen and employes gather in Omaha for a get-together business meeting. r- -ir . rat 1 m 2 ril .'ill: I 1 Hrl bV" m D. J. O'BRIEN. D. J. O'Brien i3 Omaha's candy man. His large plant is located at 801-11 Douglas street, right at the foot of the Doughu street bridge. Here are manufactured high grade confections. The chocolates put out by this factory are among the best sold in the state and have big sales all over Nebraska and adjoining states. O'Brien candy is good candy and for this rea son is the kind people with a sweet tooth like to buy. -f-e-ai.it7 (WXa vi i.r J OMAHA BRICK & TILE CO. One of Omaha's very prosperous establish ments is the Omaha Brick & Tile Co., which is located at Second and Hickory streets. Here are manufactured hollow building blocks, drain tile, hollow brick and very beautiful earthenware. The company does a large busi ness throughout the west and its trade U growing rapidly every year. P. E. Her is pres ident of the company. John M. Dougherty is vice president; L. II. Curen, secretary; John I Pheland, manager of clay products; R. N. W. Nugent, manager of the paint department, and "V. E. Her, assistant manager. 0TIVV Cl UV MOIIC TO MOI rNIWII WlTM tCI . wi ncraifltavi MActfiHtar. n lirEII IC siCKIHE ts. a) J IWU.,1, si I.. n4 R.'r.rati Mums.,. Each dot represents of our KcfriKersting Plsots doing actual work BAKER ICE MACHINE CO. The Baker Ice Machine Co. furnish and erect refrigerating plants for cold storage boxes, water tooling and ice making. They are manufacturers of ite making and refrigerating machinery. They design, install and guarantee their plants. The company says: "We have, with our corps of effi cient refrigerating engineers, expert mechanics, draftsmen and erecting engineers who are the best it has been iossible for us to procure and who have grown up in the business with us kept over coming each obstacle at it presented itself, and arenow ready to say we have conquered the prob lem connected with all features of small ice mak ing and refrigerating plants." -J J