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Has Many New Buildings Added to Its Large Quota
NEW MASONIC TEMPLE
DODGE COMPANY IN
OMAHA ATHLETIC CLUB
SEVENTY-SEVEN CITIES
U. S. FOLLOWS WEEKLY
PAYMENT PLAN
THE OMAHA SUNDAY BEE: DECEMBER 30, 1917.
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The new Masonic Temple, practically completed, is one of the latest of a series of magnificent structures recently erected on
the highway soon to be recognised as the "BrosAJway of Omaha." Seldom in the history of Omaha has one street been developed with
such speed and with so many handsome structures being realized in such a short period as the present growth on Douglas street.
The. new Masonic Temple is one of three beautiful buildings erected in the past year on Douglas street west of Seventeenth.
, Due to the difficulty in securing certain building materials, the Temple has been a little more than a year in the course of
construction, but the Masons expect to be in their new home in January of 1918. The approximate cost of the building complete
is $400,000. Walter Peterson was the general contractor and the Omaha Structural Steel Company the steel contractor. J. J. Han
ighan supplied the plumbing, and the Otis Elevator Co. the elevators. Jas. Corr Electric Co. wired the building, and Fnrcre-',nndi
Co. had the contract for the lighting fixtures. The rental of the store space is in charge of Harrison & Morton, 916 Omaha National
lank Bu'ldln::.
DOWNTOWN GARAGE NO. 2
R. M. Harris, owner and manager of Downtown Garage No. 1, at 1420 Howard street, has been
compelled to double his floor space in 1917 by the erection of the new garage at 1313-15-17 Harney
street. His new place of business is known as Downtown Garage No. 2. It was finished June 1st, 1917.
Mr. Harris started in the garage business in 1913 with one idea a square deal to his customers.
He believes in treating patrons like guests in his own home. His customers know for an absolute cer
tainty that theirAcars will go out of his garage exactly as they come in. His reputation extends into the
farming territory for many miles surrounding Oma'ia, so that Downtown Garage has come to be known
as a sort of "Farmers' Home for autos"; 130 to 150 transit cars per day are th6' usual number of Omaha's
visitors represented at this garage. Thus it can be seen from the business done that the policy of a
square deal and courtesy to patrons is appreciated. "Sometimes cars are packed and jammed until you
cannot get another in with a crowbar," says Mr. Harris.
In construction this is an ideal garage. There is not a post in the building, and cars can be handleu
faster than any other place in the west, because it is all on the ground floor, no elevators, nor ele
vations. Evidence, of the immense business is teen in th fact that IS employes are kept busy in this
garage, which specializes on storage and washing cars and courtesy to patrons.
Downtown Garage No. 1 is 66x132 feet. That the arrangement of floor space without a post is the
most satisfactory in practice for quick handling of cars is indicated by the fact that Downtown Garage
No. 2 was built exactly like No. 1. The increasing business demands, in fact, have compelled Mr. Har
ris already to make arrangements for the construction of a third garage of exactly the same dimensions
as the other two, giving an additional 9,000 square feet of floor space. The next new building will be
erected in the spring and be known as the Downtown Garage No. 3.
NICHOLS-RICE MOTOR COMPANY
Of the many new Ford Sales Stations constructed in Omaha in the past year, the
building of Nichols-Rice Motor Co. is one conceived of original thought.
All the new stations inthe past year have been built in the down-town business dis
trict except the Nichols-Rice Motor Cd. Situated on Florence Bulevard at the beginning
of the Prettiest Mile, the sales station serves a double purpose; namely, that of taking
care of the vast flow of transient business, several thousand cars daily, which is con
tinually moving past their doors and that of the large Ford business which is so rapidly
.developing in the north part of the city and the adjoining suburbs.'
The building and safes rooms are beautiful and well uphold tH standard of Ford's
buildings. It is ideally located at the corner of Ames Avenue and Florence Boulevard.
It will pay anyone to visit this beautiful establishment.
The large volume of Uncle Sam's
sales of $50 bonds and thrift stamps
on weekly payments shows that when
real value is offered in small units,
at a price within the reach of all,
success is assured.
"It was just a few years ago," says
N. P. Dodge, "that real estate men
laughed at the proposition to sell lota
at $1 down and 50 cents a week.
Today the government is following
the same plan in selling bonds and
thrift stamps. Woolworth has also
shown that the small unit price
builds a large volume of successful
business.
"Hueh Fullerton says that the
'breaks' in base ball have their coun
;erparts in the careers of business
men. The 'break' in my business ca
reer came on a hot August morning
when I was sitting iir my office on
the ground floor fo The Bee building
looking at a map. John L. McCague
stuck his head in the door and asked:
'What are you doing?' I replied:
"Looking at a snap.' 'Why don't you
buy it?' 'Haven't the money,' said I.
'What will it take to tie it up?' 'Five
hundred dollars.' 'Well, I have $250
you can lose' Within tea minutes I
was in Father Kelly's office with
$500 to pay down on the Toner farm
on Q street in South Omaha. I have
often felt grateful to Father Kelly
for selling me that farm. With the
financial assistance of John F. Flack,
we organized a company and develop
ed the 'Homestead' property. Mr.
Flack took the lead and did most of
the work and in September we sold
976 lots inside of a week.
"That was incentive enough for
me to forget the brokerage business
and look for another 'Homestead.' It
was two years before I finally closed
on the purchase of 160 acres between
Dundee and Benson, known as 'Morn
ingside.' It was owned by a nonresi
dent estate, but patience and hard
work bought the land. That was the
first addition we put on alone. We
sold 936 lots in about three. days and
nights. The following week we sold
our first addition outside of Omaha,
when we put on our Sioux City prop
erty. Strange as it may seem, al
though for eight years we have done
little else than plat and sell additions,
we have never sold more lots in less
tmie than our first two sales in
Omaha and Sioux City. Today, we
have sold and scheduled for sale in
1918 eighty-seven different additions
m seventy-seven cities.
"We have learned from experience
many truths not of common know
ledge in the real estate business. Gen
erally speaking, 'Prosperity' is mere
ly a local condition; one city will be
dead because its local industries are
quiet, or nearby crops destroyed,
while another city is booming. For
instance, in Oklahoma today the agri
cultural market towns are dead from
drought and have never recovered
from the boom of fifteen years ago.
On the other hand, the oil cities are
remarkably prosperous and places
like Bartlesville, Tulsa and Okmulgee
have had a marvelous growth. This
year the cotton cities in northeast
Taxas broke all records for cash in
hand among farmers and the colored
population.
"We have about 17,000 lots in our
additions. The weekly payments are,
with few exceptions, quite steady un
less there is a shutting off of wages
in the community. The war has given
the wage earner better salaries and
steady employment. As a consequence
our payments are kept up very well.
"We sell only properties posses
sing real value and our average price
for lots ranges from $100 to $300.
Through experience we have built up
a system of advertising and selling
that has been, remarkably successful.
We believe that specializing in sub
division work has an unlimited
future if it is conservatively managed
and good judgment is shown in tak
ing contracts or investments."
New Industry
For Omaha
Omaha is to have another large
wholesale millinery house. The build
ing at Twelfth and Farnam, vacated
by M. F. Shafer & Co., when tliey
move to their new plant this week,
has been rented already. The new
occupants are Thelie-Sharpc company,
formerly of Sioux City. This com
pany is enlarging its territory by mov
ing, into this jobbing center. They
will keep their old business and sales
men, and in addition put on more
travclii.R men on opening their new
Omaha house. The significance of the
removal to Omaha of this large estab
lished millinery house, is that it puts
this city distinctly on the map as a
millinery market. There is now
variety amongst wholesale houses,
and buyers will no longer travel to
Kansas City anfurther markets to
make their millinery selections
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The new 860,000 horn of tht Omiha Athletic Club l fir enough along to present an Imposing appearance. It la 10-itorj
building on Douglaa street between Seventeenth and Eighteenth, with a louth frontage of 132 feet, running back to th alley XtS feet
The first two atorlee are don In Indiana limestone ashlar. The upper stories will be an artistic red' brick In so-called rug texture
with variegated patterns and ornamental stone trimmings. Beauty is attained in doteas of architectural refinements of exquisite tasta
and costly design. Visitors to Omaha after seeing this building will surely carry away favorable impressions that will linger In tha
memory. In May. 1916, about twa weeks before his death, th lat A. D. Drandela signed th contract for the transfer of tha slta .
for this magnificent club house. Th architects are John Latenser & Sons. Th value of th lot Is $250,000. Estimated cost of til
building, including furnishings, $400,000. Total cost, $650,000. .
MERCANTILE STORAGE & WAREHOUSE COMPANY
11th and Jones St. '
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NOW UNDER CONSTRUCTION
Will Be Completed About June 1st, 1918. '
Solicits the storage of general merchandise transfer of freights, distribution of manu
factured products motor service for, city delivery or transfer.
CAPACITY
Will have storage capacity for 420 cars of merchandise 120,000 square feet of floor
space trackage on two sides, permitting the loading or unloading of eight cars at
a time, in addition to 132 feet of street loading platform for teams or motor cars.
BUILDING
The building will be the most modern, fire-proof construction known to the best American
engineers lowest rates of insurance obtainable will have two elevators with a ca'
pacity sufficient to handle the largest automobile. auto truck or tractor engine will1
be in charge of experienced warehouse men, insuring the best service obtainable.