PAET SIX
SOUTH OMAHA
PAGES ONE TO SIX
The Omaha Sunday Bee
PART SIX
SOUTH OMAHA
PAGES ONE TO SIX
VOL. XLVII NO. 16.
OMAHA, SUNDAY MORNING, SEPTEMBER 30, 1917.
SINGLE COPY FIVE CENTS.
SOUT
o
Push and Pride Mark Busy
-Life of the Packing Town
South Side, Bustling Omaha
Suburb, Ts Progressive Com
munity of Thirty Thou
sand Population.
"Pep, push, pride and prosperity"
is the keynote of civic life on the
South Side.
Thirty thousand persevering and
purposeful persons have made the
South Side the most progressive place
Aof its size in the world. It covers 3,921
acres. It has 100 miles of graded
streets. It has thirty-four miles of
paved streets. It has fifteen miles of
sewers; fourteen miles of double
track street railway; it is the terminal
of two suburban railways; it has
twelve packing houses and the largest
tannery in the state. More than 10,
000 men are employed in its indus
tries. The annual payroll is morel
than $10,000,000. (South bide is the
second largtst hog and sheep market,
X and the largest feeder and range horse
' market in the world.)
South Side has twenty-four schools,
twenty churches and seven parks. It
has five banks, which do an annual
business of $225,000,000.
. The South Side is all this and
more. These things are merely the
setting the stage property ior the
30,000 persons who live on the South
Side.
From All Nations.
People from every nation in the
world live in South Side. Sometimes
one class in school has twenty na
tionalities 'represented. Little colo
nies, wriich seem to be a handful of
Europe brought over and dropped in
tact, are scattered here and there
throughout the city. "Little Bo
hemia," near the Brown Park district,
is the center for thousands of South
Siders. of Bohemian descent. The
church and the home customs are
much the same as those of the old
country. The majority of the Polish
people have settled in the locality of
Thirty-sixth and R streets. Most of
these hard-working, clear-thinking
people own their own homes. There
are also settlements of Lithuanians,
Slovenians, Croatians and Serbs.
That the boiling -pot may boil more
busily much stress has been given to
the social settlement work on the
South Side. The settlement house at
2827 Q street has kept in touch with
all phases of life on the South Side.
A garden club was organized last
spring. Bushels of potatoes, tomatoes,
beets, onions and carrots, which were
0 exhibited at the settlement home last
month, gave silent testimony as to
the success of the organization. Girls
and women have been taught how
to sew and cook. Campfire Girls and
Boy Scout clubs have been organized.
Settlement Worker Coming.
, Mrs. Marie Leff of Cleveland, O.,
will arrive October 1 to take charge
of the settlement work. She speaks
seven languages and is considered
one of the most efficient settlement
workers in America. Maurice Howard
is in chaige of the boys' activities.
Mrs. W. J. Wirts has charge of the
work with the girls. She is assisted
by a number of the young society
girls of Omaha, wRc volunteer their
services.
The advisory committee is: R. C.
Howe, M. R. Murphy, C. B. Spangler
and Everett E. Buckingham. The
garden committee is: Mrs. Draper
Smith, Mrs. Lowrie Childs, Mrs. Lu
ther Kountze, Mrs. J. J. McMullen
and Paul McAulay,
South Omaha was annexed to Oma
ha two years ago. Since annexation
-South Omaha has had better schools,
better homes, better streets and bet
ter parks. The spirit of progress, of
big things in the making, permeates
the 1 South Side. A new Croatian
church being built at Thirty-sixth
and X streets. A new business block
is being built at Twenty-fourth and
N streets by Ed Johnson. The new
Omaha Roller Mills company has
been remodeling its buildings at
Twenty-ninth and C streets and will
begin operations the first of the year.
Plan for Future.
The future of South Omaha is
pregnant with plans for continuing
its growth. The Burlington company
will put in a new railroad station on
West L street. New streets have
been opened up and graded to the
Rock Island station in, Albright. It
is expected that the Union Pacific
will improve its 112 acres west of
the main line from Madison street.
South Side, to Avery. This strip of
land is 600 feet wide and two miles
long. The Burlington surveyors have
been busy surveying in the district
near Ihirty-eighth and L streets and
new improvements are expected there.
.South Siders are anxious to see the
government pave the boulevard to
fort Lrok.
The five improvement clubs of the
South 'Side recently consolidated.
They are seeking improvements in
paving and in water service. The
South Side clubs and their presidents
are: East Side. F. ,S. Richardson,
president; Southeast Side, J. J. Ma
honey, president; Southwest Booster,
W. J. Ciran, president; South Side,
George ''Merriman, president; Giles,
Louis Cohn, president.
Has Patriotic Record.
These people of many nations give
South Omaha a population of earnest,
hard working people. They have an
intense love of liberty which has
caused many of the young men to en
list in the army. Hundreds of South
Siders volunteered as soon as war
was declared. Many others, went
willingly as soon as they were called.
They are fine, up-standing, out-stepping
young fellows And they are "do
ing their bit bravely.
Many South Siders have received
commissions in the army.
South Side women are busy making
sweaters and hospital supplies for the
soldiers. They were successful in ob
taining a muny drying plant, which
was installed in the South Side High
school. Many bushels of food have
been conserved.
South Side is strong, virile. It is
a place of true standards and vital
issues. Toil and endeavor have made
the South Side what it is. It has
been hewn in the rough. There is no
false glitter. It, stands strong and
powerful, daughter of Omaha, mis
tress of the prairies the home of
those who hold worthwhile things
dear.
... .., jt.
MA
4
King Hog to Show His Class
At the Coming Swine Show
Prize Porkers from Coast to
Coast to Be at the South
Side October Three
to Ten.
When King Ak comes to town this
week he will quickly discover that he
is not the whole show. As the puis
sant old monarch walks up and down
the streets he will be apprised of
the fact that another king is compet
ing for the robes of royal -purple
and this other king is likely to be
enthroned to rule, not only over Quiv
cra, but wherever the Stars and
Stripes flutter in the breezes.
Before the end of this week, un
less there has been a mistake made
in reading the signs, King Hog will
be the sovereign before whom alt the
ioyal subjects of this dynasty will
bow the knee.
Seriously speaking, there is to be a
Swine show in the city this week.
It is to be held under the auspices and
direction of the National Swine Grow
ers' association and, according to the
estimates of E. Z. Russell, the gen
eral .superintendent, it will bring here
between 1,600 and 1,700 hogs valued
at fully $1,000,000. In fact, it will be
the most valuable collection of hogs
ever brought together and shown un
der one roof.
National in Scope.
As its name indicates, the National
Swine show is national in its scope.
The organization includes the whole
of the United States, or, rather, every
state in the union where hogs are
raised as one of the commercial com
modities. At the Omaha show twenty-two
states will be represented by from
200 to 250 exhibitors, with.of course,
Nebraska and- Iowa, on account of
their closeness, leading in the number.
This is the second time that the
National Swine Growers' association
has exhibited in Omaha. The first
show was held last fall and was a
most pronounced success. Evcrythiiic
points to the -show next week being
bigger and better. There will be more
exhibits than last year and the crowd
in attendance will be much larger. This
is indicated by the hundreds of let
ters that are being received 'daily at
headquarters. Superintendent Russell
puts the attendance at anywhere be
tween 20,000 and 30,000.
Held in Horse Barns.
The National Swine show will be
held in the horse barns at the Union
stock yards and in a building that is
said to be the best lighted of any of
its kind in the worW. For the recep
tion of the hogs, 1,000 pens have been
constructed and $15,000 in cash has
been hung, up to be given out in
prizes to the entrants.
The show doors will open the
morning of Wednesday, October 3,
and the exhibition will continue over
until and including Wednesday, Octo
ber 10. Night shows will be given
next Friday and Saturday and Mon
day and Tuesday of the following
week. The doors will be open Sun
day, October 7, but on that date there
will be no showing of animals.
That the sshool children of this
and other cities may see theiogs and
learn of them, Saturday, October 6,
has been designated as children's day,
and upon that occasion all children
will be admitted to the show free
of charge.
Six Classes of Hogs.
The high grade hogs of the United
States are divided into really only six
classes the Poland-Chinas, the Du-roc-Jerseys,
the Chester Whites, the
Berkshires, the Hampshires and the
Spotted Polands. Of course there are
others, but these are the standards
and they are the 6nes that wiM be
exhibited at the Omaha $how. There
will be hogs here that are worth $10,
000 each and $1,000 and $2,000 hogs
will be as common as grass.
Of course hundreds of the hogs
will.be for sale, and this fact is go
ing to bring to Omaha thousands of
farmers who will buy animals for the
'purpose of building up their herds.
Lr.st year sales of these animals
r-iii i-1 iii.o tlic t:iis of ihousands of
Omaha Live Stock Market Is Growing
At a Wonderful Rate Year by Year
Wonderful Increase Shown in Cattle and Hog Receipt and Shipments, While Sheep,
Horses and Mules About Hold Their Own.
Total Receipts of Stock for Thirty-three Years.
Years. " Cattle.
1884 88,603
1885 116,963
1886 148,515
1887 239,377
1888 355,923
1889 473,094
1890 : 615,337
1891 601,002'
1892 755,059
1893 852,456
1894 .; 821,512
1895 .; 586,103
1896 586,578
1897 810,949
1898 812,244
1899 837,563
1900 828,204
1901 818,003
1902 1,010,815
1903 1,071,177
1904 944,192
1905 1,026,392
1906 1,079,373
1907 1,158,716
1908 1,036,625
1909 1,124,618
1910 1,223,533
1911 1,174,312
1912 1,017,195
1913 962,103
1914 938,817
1915 1,218,342
1916 1,434,304
Hogs.
3,686
152,524
- 447,019
1,056,524
1,262,647
1,224,691
1,702,723
1,537,387
1,613,384
1,406,451
1,932,677
1,186,726
1,216,370
1,610,981
2,101,387
2,216,482
2,200,926
2,414,052
2,247,428
2,231,067
2,299,627
2,293,956
2,393,551
2,253,652
2,424,851
2,135,493
1,894,314
2,366,684
2,886,244
2,542,709
2,258,620
2,642,973
3,116,820
Horses and
Sheep. Mules.
Total Shipments of Stock for Thirty-three Years.
5,593
19,484
41,490
79;422
172,138
V 152,517
153,873
169,865
188,588
252,273
243,945
204,870
358,005
627,160
1,085,136
1,086,319
1,276,775
1,314,841
1,742,539
1,863,763
1,754,365
1,970,502
2,165,116
2,038,777
2,105,949
2,167,014
2,984,870
2,977,570
2,950,507
3,222,133
3,113,889
3,268,279
3,170,908
489
2,027
2,999
3,344
5,271
7,550
5,069
8,751
14,113
12,248
8,294
7,077
9,347
6,572
10,392
34,255
59,645
36,391
42,079
52,829 '
46,845
45,422
42,269
44,020
39,998
31,711
29,734
31,771
32,520
31,580
30,688
41,679
27,486
Years. Cattle.
1884 83,459
1885 82,844
1886 74,617
1887 155,275
1888 212,263
1889 226,757
1890 289,567
1891 269,573
1892 287,468
1893 306,889
1894 320,656
1895 274,627
1896 241,224
1897 355,175
1898 322,194
1899 288,474
1900 274,479
1901 239,250
1902 364,823
1903 301,351
1904 260,770
1905 314,978
1906 303,342
1907 361,808
1908 329,623
1909 373,908
1910 '424,583
1911 446,116
1912 418,474
1913 432,462
1914 394,461
1915 516,283
1916 565,496
Hogs.
752
75,213
186,999
154,874
319,096
178,218
288,763
238,850
383,887
363,548
401,231
98,672
70,450
83,061
172,024
25,999
36,$96
48,501
169,708
50,809
210,787
172,235
170,663
118,977
283,576
277,891
238,068
216,968
406,874
380,938
330,666 "
629,836
721,849
Horses and
Sheep. Mule
2,009
'8,318
19,146
59,468
128,716
98,558
90,681
87,222
83,200
96,279
112,181
112,617
140,244
205,617
483,171
342,247
552,234
562,601
863,250
892,199
818,995
1,015,754
1,176,042
1,022,997
1,097,620
959,034
1,683,611
1,564,968
1,343,326
1,585,608
1,198,311
1,317,203
1,223,963
"4
1,508
1,804
1,835
4,094
6,850
4,560
8,181
12,009
9,112
6,111
5,590
4,613
2,453
7,646
30,191
54,845
34,269
39,959
51,805
45,723
43,272
39,962
42,517
37,192
28,817
26,499
28,741
29,660
28,132
26,623
38,755
25,042
Totals.... 26,767,999 61,274,626 44,928,475 804,465 Totals. .. .10,113,269 7,506,979 20,957,390 728,789
dollars. This year a large increase
in the number of sales is anticipated.
Farmers from the Atlantic to the
Pacific and from Canada to the Gulf
of Mexico are coming to the Omaha
show, for they know that here will
be shown and for sale hogs that ar
the best and that are standard the
world over.
At the state fairs that have been
held in the agricultural states this fall
immense numbers of prize winning
hogs have been exhibited, and accord
ing to the advices of Superintendent
Russell, 75 to 90 per cent of the cham
pions will be at the Omaha show.
The judging will be one of the in
teresting features of the Omaha
show and it-will be done entirely by
experts. Teams of young men from
the agricultura1 departments of six
colleges and universities will be here
and take a hand in this work; For
them prizes aggregating $400 have
been hung up. Their work will start
Wednesday, October 3.
Experts as Judges.
Thursday morning, October 4, the
Duroc-Jerseys, Chester Whites and
Berkshires will be called into the
ring for judging, and Monday morn
ing, October 9, judging of the Poland-Chinas
and Hampshires will be
called. It is figured that about two
days will be consumed in -judging
each breed.
This year the management of the
show ha hit upon a plan by which
the public will be able to learn some
thing of the entrants without going
to the trouble of asking information
oi the attendants, though, of course,
all questions that are asked will be
answered. This year, attached to
each pen will be a card, showing the
name of the hog, the age and weight,
and in addition the name and post
office address of the owner.
One of the interesting features ol
the show will be a banquet that will
be spread in the dining rooms of the
Live Stock Exchange building Mon
day night, October 8. It will be
complimentary and covers will be laid
for 300 breeders. There will be nu
merous speakers, but up to this time
the assignments have not been made.
The Bee Keeps Its Readers Poste&Daily on
the Condition of the Live Stock Market
Omaha is Second Live Stock
Market for the Entire World
This Market Shows Fine In
crease, While Others Not So
Good; Price Paid Up
50 Per Cent.
BY BYRON DEMOREST.
Omaha is a great city the greatest
of its size in the country, in fact in
so many different lines that people of
this section are prone to forget that
the second live stock market in the
world is located here.
Since the market was opened back
;n the '80s it has shown a steady
growth, and for the last few years has
been second only to Chicago in point
of size. It is only natural that this
great growth should have taken
place. , Omaha is located right at the
very doors of some of the greatest
farming and stock raising land in the
coufttry, and besides that is the most
convenient market for the great
range district which starts in the
western part of Nebraska and extends
clear on out to the coast.
Cattle Receipts Grow.
Figures are mighty dry reading for
the average busy man, but there are
some stories that can be told more
vividly with them than in any other
way, and this is one of them. Receipts
of cattle, hogs and sheep at Omaha
during the first nine months of this
year numbered 5,555,000 head, an in
crease of about 120,000 over the first
nine months of 1916.
Chicago during the same period
has had 10,274,000 head of cattle, hogs
and sheep- while a year ago they had
somewhere around 11,350,000, leaving
the total receipts at the Windy City
for the year so far 1,100,000 short!
of 1916.
Kansas City, the third market, also
shows a big falling off, having re
ceived 4,665,000 head of stock so far
tllis year as compared with 4,949,000
head for the corresponding period a
year ago. In other words, Omaha has
materially strengthened its position
as the second largest market in the
country and has made a much better
showing comparatively than its big
rival, Chicago.
Production Increases.
All the principal markets have re
ceived more cattle this year than they
did in 1916. For the past two or three
years there has been a material in
crease in production all over the mid
dle and northwest and the natural in
crease in receipts at markets that this
would bring about has been aug
mented by the wintering in the north
of a great many southern cattle on
account of drouths in the southwest.
At Omaha cattle receipts have been
1,115,000 Head, which is 175,000
more than were received last year
during the same period. Despite this
big increase in receipts, prices, as the
average consumer will readily testify,
have been far higher than they ever
were before. In other words, while
production has been on the increase,
demand has grown even more rap
idly, and despite statements of agi
tators, etc.. the old law ot supply ana
demand Is the principal factor in the
regulation of prices for live stock, or,
in fact, any other commodity.
Demand Is Greater.
Thus with Europe at war for the
past three years, and producing only
a small fraction of the meat it needs,
demand for this country's beef has
become so broad that during the nine
months so far this year cattle have
advanced in value all the way from
$2.50 to as much as $6.00 per hundred
weight. Right now the best cornfed
steers are going &t $17.00 per hun
dred and better, while January 1 the
same kind of cattle was selling around
$11.00 per hundred. This is represen
tative of the amount of increase the
value of all kinds of cattle has shown
though the poorer grades have re
ceived the short end of the upturn.
This is all as it should be.
Food Administrator Hoover has
asked; that more live stock and bet
ter live stock be produced. Now
nothing will encourage the produc
tion of a commodity so much as its
bringing profitable prices. Also noth
ing will induce a farmer to raise good
cattle, but the fact that they are
bringing a big premium over com
mon grades.
Cleaning Out Herds.
It is not to be expected that Oma
ha or any other market will have as
large supplies of cattle for several
years to come as it is getting this
year, for stockmen are cleaning up
an accumulation ot several years and
cutting down their herds, which had
grown too large, to the safety point.
Last winter, on account of an exces
sive number of cattle on the range
there were great losses of stock, and
ranchmen are trying to keep these
losses from occurring again if they
can.
Less Hogs Produced.
Receipts atthe principal markets
of the country indicate that hog pro
duction for the year 1916-17 was a
good deal smaller than for the previ
ous twelve months. At the six prin
cipal western markets approximately
14,435,000 hogs have been offered
since January 1, a decrease of 1,400,
000 head as compared with receipts
during the correspondent period of.
1916;
The greatest decrease has been
noted at Chicago where receipts for
the year so far are 1,000,000 smaller"
than 1916. Omaha's receipts of hogs
for the year to date are almost as
large as a year ago, the run having
been 2,350,000 head, as against 2,383,
000 in 1916.
Demand for pork and all hog prod
ucts has had the same experience as
the demand for cattkj being greatly
broadened by the requirements of the
European nations. So with receipts
falling about 7 per cent short it is no
wonder that hogs are, now selling al
most twice as high as they were at
the start of the year.
x Price is Doubled.
The increase has been made In two
or three big spurts, but the tendency
has been toward higher prices right
along as the man who pays for pork
chops or bacon well knows. On the
first of January the average price of
all the hogs sold in Omaha was under
$10.00. At the present time the porker
is soaring around 19c a pound and
the top of the market which is paid
for choice hogs for the eastern trade
is flirting with the 20c mark.
Fewer Sheep Grown.
Production of sheep has been on
the decrease at an alarming rate for
several years. The settling up of a
great deal of the old range country
by farmers has deprived both cattle
and sheepmen of their range lands.
Cattle production has not suffered so
much from this as most of these farm
ers start raising cattle on a small
scale, and thus balance op the de
crease that is shown in the big grow
ers' herds. Dry do no how
ever, raise sheep to any extent, and
every section ot land 'that is turned
from sheep range into farms makes
just that-much of a decrease in the
number of sheep that can Tie pro
duced". The result is that while high
prices which ordinarily would stimu
late production have prevailed, the
decrease has gone steadily on because -sheepmen
did n have range on
which to handle their flocks.
This decrease iis vividly shown in
the receipts of sheep at the six prin
cipal markets so far this year which
amount to 6,587,000 as compared to
7,657,000 a year ago.
Omaha a Feeder Market
Omaha which has long had theTep
Sitation of having the best feeder mar
ket in the country has shown less or
a decrease comparatively than either
Chicago or Kamas City, decreases
for the year so far at Omaha, Chicago
and Kansas City being 123,000 head,
450,000 head and 207,000 head Re
spectively. Receipts at Omaha since
the range season opened July 1 have
been quite a bit smaller than for
1916, but at that have been larger
than at any other market. -y
Packers Lose On Sheep. ,
Sheep and lamb prices have been
soaring all year, and while ihe in
creased value of wool has been partly
responsible, mutton prices have also
had to be raised a good deal. The fact
is that packers have lost money on
most of the sheep and lambs they
have bought this Rummer. That will
sound fishy to the average reader, but s
it is gospel truth nevertheless.
"Well, if they are losing money on
sheep, why do they buy them?" will be
the first question that will occur to
the business man. Simply because in
order to hold their trade packers have
to supply a certain amount of mutton
at the market price regardless of
whether that price represents a loss
or a profit. .
The recent high levels of sheep and
lambs were due mainly to the fact that
feeder buyers were taking nearly
everything that came unto theTnarket,
even going so far as tcf take a good
deal of fat stuff. Had packers been in
the market alone they would certainly
have reduced prices, an reduced, them
a great deal, but the feeder demand
was so strong that packers had very
little to say about what prices should
be.
Consumers Must Settle.
There si no consolation for the con
sumer in the outlook for any kind, of
stock. Cost of production has
risen along with the cost of every
thing else and all kinds of feed are
from 100 per cent to in some cases
200 and even 300 per cent higher than
they were a year or two ago; so that
even though the government did try
to regulate live stock prices, or es
tablish a minimum price of any kind
it would have to set that-price high
enough to make feeding provable,
and that would preclude any reduc
tion in the cost of meat.
Extensions in the yards themselves
have not occupied much attention this
year. Service to patrons was bet
tered anywhere it was possible, but
not much additional building of pens
and the like was done. The steady
increase in receipts makes it apparent
that in the near future the present ca
pacity of the yards will not accommo
date the business and the Stock Yards
company is laying away each year a
sum of money to carry out an exten
sive building plan when the need
arises. It is probable that whenever
this is done much of . the present
equipment, which is considered the
best in the country, will have to be
entirely rebuilt.
There is not much use inHrying to
estimate the amount of business that
the live stock market brings to Oma
ha each year. The sums involved are
so large that different estimates made
in the past have merely been con
fusing, but this much can be said,
the amount paid for live stock bought
and sold on the market and for the
products of the packing plants has
been at least 50 per cent larger than
for any previous year since the mar
ket was opened