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PAGES 1 TO 10
GROWING OMAHA
Want Ads Markets
PAGES 1 TO 10
GROWING OMAHA
Want Ads Markets
VOL. XLVII XO. 29.
OMAHA, SUNDAY MORNING, DECEMBER 30, 1017.
SINGLE COPY FIVE CENTS.
The Many New Buildings Erected in the Past Year Mark
5r7 9m Sr?
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in,
as the Most Progressive City of Its Size in the Country
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My Impressions of a Few Cities Visit
ed By Me As Compared With Omaha
By HARRY M. CHRISTIE
The statements that I now make covering conditions as I
found them covering cities of much greater population than
Omaha are not intended as any reflection on the cities named.
My first stop was at Denver, where I found general busi
ness very quiet. A considerable number of vacant store build
ings in the down town retail district. Scarcely any new build
ings under construction. Paving and grading and other street
improvements seemed to be at a standstill. The principal talk
in commercial circles' seemed to be auction sales of oil stock.
Several auction rooms were holding sales every day from 10
o'clock until 4 o'clock.
One day in Portland gave me a fair chance to judge con
ditions there. I found quite a little activity in shipbuilding, but
scarcely any other outdoor work was in evidence. The ship
building industry has been a great boon to all of the coast cities.
Tacoma seemed alive with soldiers from Camp Lewis, lo
cated at American Lakes, a short distance from the city. Seattle
with its 350,000 people is benefitting from this cantonment, as
well as from its naval training station. I stopped off here 10
days and looked over their city thoroughly and found the home
of the Fredrick Nelson's department store, which is to Seattle
what the Brandeis Stores are to Omaha, being the only new
building of any consequence that was under construction. This
great store is moving 12 blocks from their present location
again proving that retail districts shift in large cities.
My next stop was at Minneapolis, a city I always like to
visit and considered by me as one of the best cities of the north.
It, too, has its Fort Snelling and also a number of munition fac
tories to stimulate local .business. Very little local building is
under way at this point.
Now comes Omaha, in the language of the street, with a
whole flock of new buildings; almost too numerous to mention,
including the new 15-story Telephone building; the eight-story
Masonic Temple, a block away the 10 story Athletic club, a
little further down the street Mr. Blank's $200,000.00 movie
theater, the new Conant hotel with its 250 rooms, the Orchard
& Wilhelm's large six-story addition, many new wholesale
houses, garages, apartment houses and new homes. Charlie
Martin alone is building more homes in his famous Minne Lusa
addition than are now under construction in some of the cities
visited by me.
The New Home of M. F. Shafer and Company Consider the Calendar
It may be interesting to the citizens of Omaha to know
that seven grade school buildings will be finished and ready
for occupancy by February 1, 1918. ,
NEW INDUSTRIES
Among the new activities secured for Omaha during 1917
is the Omaha Roller Mills, with a 2,500-barrel daily capacity,
a large new corn meal mill, four auto tire factories. These are
some of the many new activities secured for the year just clos
ing, which also goes to prove that Omaha is the one bright spot
in the middle west.
Our slogan, "Business As Usual."
fflfl f la tin i kSH $$4m
M. F. Shafer & Co. last week moved in
to their new building on the northeast cor
ner of Seventeenth and Webster streets.
The cost of this new, modem building is
approximately $300,000. This improve
ment is the most important one in the de
velopment of the north side business sec
tion. since, the. erection .x)f the new. Ford
plant. It is only two blocks from the Web
ster street station and six blocks from the
postoffice.
The construction is of steel and concrete
throughout and has an automatic sprinkler
system, making it absolutely fireproof. One
of the principal features, as shown in the
above picture, is the number of square feet
devoted to windows, giving complete day
light on each of the five floors and base
ment. The building contains a sanitary
restaurant managed by the company with
out profit for the convenience of its em
ployes. Another interesting feature of this
model factory will be shower baths for em
ployes in the summer months.
The total floor space is more than 52,000
square feet, occupied exclusively by M. F.
Shafer & Co., which gives Omaha the larg
est industry of its kind west of Chicago.
HOTEL SANFORD
W2T J2
McCaffrey motor ccs. new home an ideal
ford service station and sales room
This is a story of how the new calendars, which you are receiving free
this week, are related to "Growing Omaha."
Because wo are accustomed to having one or more urbane gentlemen
donate beautiful photographic or lithographic calendars to us every New
Year's day, we are likely to think these expensive works of art grow on
trees, to be plucked at will.
Not so, not so. Calendnrs are bought and sold for real money just like
Christmas presents. The business of making and selling calendars is a con
siderable industry in itself, a manufacturing industry with a market as wide
as the world.
"Made-in-Omaha" is a label which can now be put on some of the most
beautiful calendars produced, thanks to M. F. Shafer & Co. Their large new
building, a photograph of which is shown here, was erected this year, to
keep pace with their increasing business. Its construction is one of the 1917
achievements in making Omaha a full-fledged manufacturing center.
There is a real business romance in the history of the rise of M. P.
Shafer & Co. to its present proportions, a rise so persistent that one might
think this firm had been elected pace-maker for all of those who "Grow
With Growing Omaha."
M. F. Shafer, founder, and W. E. Shafer, now president of the com
pany, were born in West Virginia in a town called Volcano, a prophetic
name indicating activity. When 21 years of age M. F. Shafer opened a gen
eral merchandiso store in Henderson, la., which he ran until 1900, after
which the brothers came to Omaha, full of advertising ideas, and estab-
lished a "special service" advertising business, planning and preparing "sell'
ing" campaigns. Starting in a small way, within a short time they were
operating in 34 states of the union.
Six times in the last seven years they have been compelled by growth
of business to seek larger quarters. In 1910, when the partnership was suc
ceeded by an incorporated company, their total floor space was about 480
square feet.
In less than a year they moved to quarters having 2,600 square feet,
and one year later purchased complete printing plant, bringing their total
floor space to 4,600 square feet.
It was in 1913 that the company took up the manufacture and sale of
a complete line of Calendars and Advertising Specialties. The next year the
two plants were consolidated on one floor of a larger building containing
0,000 square feet. Another year added a second floor 10,000 square feet
Another year another floor totaling 14,000 square feet.
That was in 1916. But a home of their own much larger became
necessary, and in 1917 the new building was constructed. Now more than
1)2,000 square feet of floor space are in use in a building of five stories
and basement with concrete and fireproof construction throughout The
,u "J- ""o ew uuuuinK ana sue is approximately ?3UU,000. H Is lo
cated on the northeast corner of Seventeenth and Webster, near the new
Pord assembling plant, 2 blocks from the Webster street station and only
6 blocks from the postoffice.
The Calendar line, with all its infinite variety, is but one member of a
whole family of products from the house of M. F. Shafer & Co. They sell
complete lines of Advertising Specialties, including everything from pencils
and fans to expensive Jeather and aluminum articles. The equipment of
their factory include machinery for printing on celluloid, aluminum, leath
er, paper, cloth, tin, steel, glass and wood, and they handle complete lines
of advertising specialties made from each material Metal Signs, Paraffin
Signs, Pennants and many unique forms of indoor display signs are also in
cluded in their line of Printed Products.
It is not surprising that a plant capable of doing such uncommonly dif
ficult printing should have superior facilities for the more familiar com
mercial printing known as "Job Work." Their monotype machines, cy
linder presses and automatic self-feeding Gordon Press make the most eco
nomical production possible in catalogue and book work. In the new factory
the largest Miehle press in the city has just been installed, in addition to
their large folding machine and cutting machines.
Omaha can well be proud of this fine six-story plant which places this
city on a par with the very best production centers in this line anywhere in
the country.
THE NEW CONANT HOTEL
Tba new fireproof Hotel Sanford opened January 20,
1917, offers to the traveling public a safe, modern hotel at
reasonable rates. In every respect it has adhered to its slogan
"Safety Service Saving;" it is absolutely fireproof, being built
of steel and concrete throughout. Every accommodation one
could expect to find in a first-class modern hotel is to be
found here.
The schedule rates ranxinr: from $1.00 for sleeping room to $1.G0
for room with bath have ma !e thia institution extremely popular not only
with the visiting public, but also with the residents of Omaha. Entrance
to the hotel is from I urnam street throunh a vestibule into a spacious
lobby furnished with a view to insure the utmost comfort.
The east section of the lobby is devoted to men patrons, where will be
found cigar counter, taxi stand, phone booths and a commodious writing
room.
The west section has been reserved fnr ladies. It is furnished with
tapestry Jacobean oak furniture of the latest design and equipped with
vKt!ng desks, phones, conv.t:'ent retiring room.
Located tf the main flour, with entrance from the lobby as well as
if m street, is the cafe and jur.cli n:on.
A sanitary barber h '1'. m white enamel (with the floors), of seven
ibair.; is also located on thi- fioor, with entrance from both lobby and
stivct.
All guest rooms are rfecw-ated, carpeted and furnished with a view of
meeting all modern roiuhv:m-nU in taste and comfo;-t.
The New Sanford is conveniently located on Farnam street at Nine
teenth, in the center of the new growth of Omaha, away from all thaft
undesirable and on direct car lines to and from all dwvU
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McCaffrey Motor Company's fine new home at Fifteenth and Jackson streets is
rapidly nearing completion. In one short year these authorized Ford agents have in
creased their business to such an extent that they were compelled to build this large
new model structure.
It will be occupied about January 20th, 1918. Undoubtedly it will be the handiest
Ford station in town, having all of the modern equipment necessary for the renair of
Ford cars. The salesroom will be a model for up-to-date Ford agencies.
The present location of the McCaffrey Motor Company, authorized Ford acenis.
is at Tenth and Howard streets. Telephone Douglas 3500.
The new skyscraper nearing completion at the busy co
ner of 10th and Harney Sts. will soon be known throughout
the West as one of Omaha's most magnificent hotels. The new
Conant Hotel will be opened May 1st, 1918. It is 10 stories in
height, built entirely of steel, concrete and ornamental brick,
and is absolutely fireproof in construction.
Its popularity with the traveling public is a foresone con
elusion, because of its central location in the very heart of the
busiest retail section, and because elegance of appointments
and service befitting its location are assured by the reputation
of the Conant Hotel Company whose patronage at the New
Sanford Hotel has outstripped the capacity of that large ne"
hotel in one short year.
Mr. Conant will continue his policy of giving the best hotel
accommodations at moderate prices. There will be 250 roomj
and 250 baths, 50 rooms with bath at $2.50, 100 rooms with
bath at $2.00 and 100 rooms with bath at $1.50.
The speed at which this newest Sixteenth street buildinj
has arisen on this historic corner has excited the admiration
of the daily throng of shoppers who have watched it grow
before their very eyes. The pride of possession which every
loyal Omahan feels in a new public improvement is lent with
peculiar force to the new Conant Hotel as a result of this daily
association while it was being built.
