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LINCOLN, NEllllASKA, SATl'llDAV, FEllllUAItY s, .'(!
ESTAIILISIIEl) IN isMi
NEBRASKA'S SHARE OF PROSPERITY
Thirty Millions of Dollars the Sum Represented by
Industrial and Commercial
Organizations Which Have Incorporated in the Past Year
If the articles of incorporation tiled
witli tin secretary of stale during the
past thirteen months are any ind'u.i
tion. the state of Nebraska has enlereil
upon a great cm of industrial ami
commercial expansion.
Thirty millions in thirteen months:
That is the record of paper investment
in Nebraska since the first day of Jan
nary, 1001. In itself this gigantic array
of capital signifies an era of unexcelled
prosperity in every line, for the in
vestments include every Held of mer
cantile and manufacturing ventures.
' Besides this railroads incorporated
during this period to the tune of over
three hundred millions to be exact,
the amount was $303,925,000.
Strange as it may seem over twelve
millions bas been invested in manu
facturing processes of various sorts.
Mercantile ventures come next on the
list with an incorporated investment
of $t5,453,00O. Sixteen mining companies
operating in the west but capitalized
ami directed by Nebraska men swell
the investments by $3,S07,1'00. Uuge
cattle and land companies operating in
the west and northwest occupy a sum
of $2,f.32,O00. Twenty-Jive telephone
companies doing business in the small
er towns throughout the state are rat
ed at an aggregate of $1,510,540. Real
estate firms claim $1,103,000, irrigation
companies assert ownership over
stocks amounting to $1,054,500, guaran
ty companies need $Sl3,t00 and elee
mosynary institutions can issue sto k
to the total of $155,000.
In the matter of forming companies
all sections of the state are fairly i.p
rcseiited. Roughly estimating Douglas
county has as much capitalized slock
as all the rest of the state. Wholesale
houses, manufacturing firms, mining
companies, cattle linns and a suburban
railway scheme claim the state nie
t rn tolls as their home. Lincoln is next
on the list.
As a whole capital is pretty evenly
distributed. Irrigation, of course,
nourishes along the Platte, fat tie
companies invest their capital in the
North Platte and as a general thing
west of a line extending due north
from Lincoln. Several large grain
companies have been organized
in the larger cities. Hut no definite
rule can be fixed or any generalization
formulated without its exceptions. For
instance there is a mining company
with a capital stock of $100,000 incorpo
rated from Holdrege. Money is being
freely invested everywhere and the
whole state is sharing in the onward
inarch of prosperity.
Firms incorporated as manufacturing
plants do more or less wholesale busi
ness and perhaps they should be con
sidered as mercantile in their nature
in a great majority of cases. In Oma
ha there are several companies making
a specialty of farm implements, gas
oline engines, scrapers, carriages and
other implements demanded by the
farmers. Much of their stork is mad.
in the east, but the merchandise is in
many cases worked hut to meei On
demands of the western consumer.
These concerns are in reality embr
onic factories and are steadily drifting
in that direction.
Tents and awnings, drugs, overalls,
packing house products, cigars, fresco
materials, beet sugar, brick, milling
products and tin cans are all made in
abundance. One Omaha linn has a
million dollars invested in a plant for
supplying idle drivers ami the nee. s
sary material for their use.
Ice manufacturers by the artificial
process are represented by two small
plants. Taking care of the natuial
product is a different proposition, how
ever, and there are large companies
in various sections of the state. At
Grand Island, there is a concern with
:T capital stock of $200,000. Railroad
companies and packing houses usually
preserve their own ice.
Ill mining hnaha companies have
jl.Mto.iNMi of the capital stock. Lincoln
comes next. New York city has $::.".o,00o
and Holdrege anil Friend each have
tllHI.ttttO.
Out in 1.:. ramie. Wyoming, is the
greatest cattle company in the state,
the capital stock being $I.5oo.0imi. One
hundred thousand is invested in sheep,
but with the exception of a couple of
hoise importing companies cattle seems
to be the favorite purchase of the live
stock men.
Two real estate firms have been or
ganized during the past year with
$400,000 each. There are a score of
lesser firms and their locations are
sprinkled liberally in all sections of the
state.
Irrigation has marched proudly on
ward during this period of investment.
A IMatte river company has incorpor
ated with stock amounting to $i00.noo.
In a Rurwell corporation $10,000 more
"
TRADE. EXPANSION IN NEBRASKA
.Maniifactnrinir $12,2o2,!(IO
.Mercantile l,r:i,000
Miiiinjr :5,:07,200
Land ami caitle l0:J2,000
LYal estate 1,10:5,000
Irrigation !,0."l,r00
( Jiiaiant y companies S1:,000
Telephone i:iS,f40
Kleemosynary Ififi.OOO
Total
.$!S.1S!U-10
lias companies have invested consid
erable capital. One item in the latter
is that of the Lincoln gas company,
which has increased its capital stock
to the extent of J2. 2511,0011. One acety
lene gas plant has ?.'J5.00t invested.
In the mercantile branch the liquor
and cigar men have been making many
ventures throughout the iast year.
Concern after concern has been capi
talized, varying from $5,000 to $100,000
in stock. A liquor men's protective as
sociation without capital has been or
ganized also and issues a paper in the
Intel ests of the members.
(rain men have hazarded $250,000
in various companies. A New Jersey
firm has been incorporated for $1,000,000
in this state and will do a jobbing
business in teas and toffees. Hastings
has an autoim.hilc house with a capi
tal stoik of $Crt,i.OO, Patent medicine
vendors .ire thick in all parts of the
state. As a general thing they h.u.
formidable caplt .fixations but there is
no way under the fl-in of I -trrinining
how much sto k is pi id up
has be. n invested. The aggregate
amount in this line is over a million
dollars.
Insurance companies and building
and loan associations are not incor
porated under the supervision of the
secretary of state, but are examined
into by the state banking board and the
insurance auditor. Advances in these
lines are not included in the estimate
of total investments given in this ar
ticle. Municipal telephone companies have
increased at a rapid rate. In all they
number twenty-five. A line has been
organized for service between Ponca
and the Rlack Hills and has a capi
talization of $100,000. At the other
towns the amount, of stock varies from
$2.fHM) to $50,fHM). The total investment
in this line foots up to $1.5M.54ii. Dur
ing the past year the following places
have been provided with telephones
for the most part under private con
trol Neligh, Hooper, Republican City.
Rassett, Arlington, Cook, Aurora. Al
bion, Rr.idshnw O'Neill Rrn.'j's Isl
and. I'apillion. Stockville, I'onca, Craig
Relgrade. Liberty, Renedict. Rattl.
('reek, Humphrey. Rtirwdl. Norfolk
.i ml Dawson.
Kleeinosynary institutions have hen
provided with capital. Fraternal so
cieties, lodge halls, churches, charitable
organizations ami one art gallery are
all represented in the articles of in
corporation filed. The Liuinger art
gallery of Omaha has been incorporat
ed and the capital is named at $10,000
Pictures are displayed ami the gallerj
s open to the public at stated times,
there being no admission charges.
Railroads have swung into line ami
the result is amazing. The Union Pa
cillc is recorded on the books in the
office of the secretary of state with a
capital stock of $100,0ort,ooo. The C. R.
& Q. has a like sum. The Missouri
Pacific is represented With $15,000,000.
The Chicago .i Northwestern claims i
capital stock of $t",0,00o,00o.
ne railroad has been organized
within the state. This is the Atkin
son. Niobrara & Missouri Valley line.
The termini of the road are designated
as Atkinson in Holt county, and Rutte
in Royd. The capital stock is placed
at $125,000. In all the total railway cap
italization is $::05,925,00o. The great
lines reincorporated, but the Atkinson
line is purely a state venture. An
other railroad, the Niobrara & Missouri
River, was organized with a capital
stock of $::00,fMtoi l,ut a dissolution no
tice was sent out in a short time
Some interested in this move lived In
Camden, New Jersey, it was thought
that the project was planned as .i
counter move on some plan of the Chi
ago & Northwestern.
Nebraska has one inter-urban trol
ley railway planned after the type of
the surburban railways of the east
Five hundred thousand dollars is th
capital stock of this company. It i
called the Omaha Surburban Railwav
.V: Traction company. Termini h.t
been planned for South Omaha. RIair
and Fremont.
The Omaha. Kansas i Culf railroad
has been mapped out with a capital
stock of $50,000. So far it has been
planned south through eastern Ne
braska to the Kansas line.
Down at Nebraska City J. Sterling
Morton ami others have interested
themselves in a crematory. Ten thous
and dollars is the capital stock. The
incorporators are A. R. Ciiii, II. N
Shewell. J. W. Shinehart. and A. T
Richardson.
These ventures show unwonted
activity in nearly all lines. R is hard
to find an industry not represented
in some form in this state. Mercantile
manufacturing', cattle, irrigation an I
telephone companies se.-m t be pnin
favorites. And the illegitimate -ire .tK. renr
sented There ar tontine .-.impau'
Itl their .irtl.Ies of ir orpontjn .i
Continued on p.ig. I )