Omaha Daily Bee Newspaper, January 1, 1895, Page 3

’ A THE OMAHA DAILY BER: TUESDAY, JANUARY 1, 1895. IN COUNCIL BLUFFS The 01d Year Has Treated it More Kindly Than Other Cities, BUSINESS 13 SOLID AND PROPZROUS But Two Bmall Failures, and Light -Lots to Oreditors, HAFPY OUTLOOK FOR THE NEW YEAR Opiniors of Leading Business Men on Past, Present and Future, SOME OFFICIAL FACTS AND FIGURES Healthy Increase in the Oity's Population and Building Improvem:nta, JOBBERS ARE ALL WELL SATISFIED Mer Record for the Year Just Ended Is U - Numer- approached In the Country ous Advantages Told In ness-Like English, The year 1804 has made a highly satis- factory record for Council Bluffs. Booms have been scarce all over the country, and this city Is not disposed to grumble over the scarcity of the crop. Booms are much like bombs—they are likely to ex- plode and blow everything in the vicinity to kingdom come. Instead of climbing so high as to render a fall and a fracture of the meck among the probabilities, Council Blufts has gone on in the even tenor of its way, with no commerclal failures of any consequence, and hardly any financial embarrassment to blacken the memory of 1894, On the trary, there was never a time in its too con- his ~+ tory when the prospects were any brighter — P, & mrty changed hands for the future than they are now. Numer- ous business plans are now in the process of incubation, and if there comes the re- vival in business circles throughout the nation that is naturally to be expected after 80 long a time spent in burrowing after bedrock, Council Bluffs can be looked for among the first citles of the country to get up and dust itself. “In discussing the past year and the out- look for the future, a representative of one of the leading commerclal agencies of the coun- try sald yesterday: “During the year 1594 there have been no failures of any magnitude in Council Bluffs, and on two of any - size, Both of were groceries, and thelr lia- bilitles wero less than No dry 0ds, hardware, nor boot and shoe m :iohants ave failed. In view of the general failure in crops and financial depression, that is a record which will hardly be duplicated in any city of the size in the country. Merchants tell me that notwithstanding the hard times the holiday trade this year has been better than last. Among the additions in the com- mercial line, the Terminal bridge, which was thrown open to the public last spring, is by all odds the greatest. Tno expendilure of $5,000,000 that this bridge indicates was not made for fun. It prophecys great things for the city, and the men who own the stock Wwill, in the course of a very short time, begin 10 show that they had a purpose in view. “The McCormick Harvester company has concentrated its western business in Council Bluffs by moving all its great warehouses from Lincoln, Omaha and Des Molnes. The ‘Warehouse bullt cost $60,000, and makes a big ‘addition- to the list of business houses to ba found in the implement district. The Com- bination Fenco works has been moved here from York, Neb., on account of the excellent Bhipping facilities, and will be enlarged as ®oon as spring opens. H. A. Rice has opened an_excelsior factory near the Terminal com- pany’s bridge, and has been having a good trade. He is making arrangements by which he will secure the capital necessary to branch out his business in all directions. “The Councll Bluffs & Lake Manawa Rall- way compnay has been organized during the 8t year, with acapital stock of $25,000, and laying its plans for the building of a road between Council Bluffs and the lake. It is composed mostly of Omaha men with plenty of means, and will carry on operations in conjunction with the Omaha & Council Bluffs “Bridge company. When the new road is com- loted the Main street line will be made reality the main line, all Omaha trains being run down that street instead of half of them going up Broadway, as they do now. The work of building the road will commence 28 s00n as spring opens, so I am told, by one of the leading men of (he company. Exten- sive improvenients are projected at Manawa during the coming spring in view of the pro- posed new road. “‘Altogether, the year has been a very suc- eesstul one in Council Bluffs, and the outlook from an unprejudiced standpoint, is a most Battering one.” ‘There are now 18.56 miles of paved streets 4n the city. Of this 2.37 miles are of granite, 4.50 of brick, and 11.58 of cedar block. The wvalue of the pavements all told is estimated by the city engineer at $754,433. About one mile' of new sewer has been laid during the year, making a total mileage of 22.62, valued at $125,000. The prospect for good times in the future, particularly for owners of property in the wpstern part of the city, is bettered by the recent developments In’ connection with the Omaha Bridge and Terminal company. The expenditure of several millions of dollars by this company appeared a year ago to have been done without any particular purpose, Comparatively litle money was taken in the ay of tolls, and to the curious public it med very much as though the company had overreached itself. Little by little dur- ing the last twelve months the plans have been shaping themselves, and the indica- tlons now are that before many months the company will be playing an important part in developing the business interests of the northwest part of the city. ‘Within the past few weeks the company has secured a right-of-way along U avenue, and having accepted the ordi granting it, announces its acceptance. This ordinance requires it to expend $76,000 in grading, laying tracks, and other like im- provements. The completion of ths track ‘Wil enable the company to connect with almost every rallroad company centering in Council Blufts, and a powerful competitor ©of the Union Pacific will thus be put into . Sie field. Among other things the Terminal people promise a union depot as soon as the rallway companies can bo induced by offers of trackage and depot facilities to use it. The Missourl Pacific has already determined 1o cross the river as a result of (he Terminal people's plans, and energetic and prayerful efforts are being mad: to Induce other com- panies to unite in the scheme. The general ieeling that something was £OIng to happen caused quite a flurry in real eatate In the northwestern part of the city throughout the year, and a large amount of not in such quan- at any one time as to create a boom, but enough to keep the real estate men Bustling. From a compilation made by J. W. Squire It was found that during the six months from April to October there were transfers, of a total valuation of more $200,000, in that part of the clty lying morth of Hroadway and west of the North- Western tracks. Unforfunately, no attempt has been made this your to enforce the law requiring the taking out of bullding permits, so that the #ecord is very unsatisfactory. = Only sixty- four property owners have taken the trouble Yoluntarily (o comply with the law, and the f slxty-four permits cover only $74,425. Haq the city authorities enforced the law strietly & much better showing would have been made. A single firm of architects, as will Appear In another part of this issue, has superintended the construction of over $75,000 © Worth of new bulldings during the past ‘welve months in Council Blufts alone, which the hest indication possible of the amount public improvements that have been made private property owners. It is to be Ahat during 1895 a stricter watch of portion of the city business will be kept, In orller that the showing may come nearer being a correet one. Among the larger buildings that have been put up are the $6,000 business house of R 1. Mosler on Main street, near Story; the 000 dwelling of J. H. Peregoy on Second avenue, near Eighth street; the $3.000 dwell ing of John M. Galvin on Seventh avenue, near Eighth street; the residence of L. A. | Devine, in Plataer's grove, costing $2.600, | and the brick building erected on Fourth street by Van Brunt & Waite a cost of $3,500, [ The opening of the Grand hotel Is one of | the things for which the people of Councll Blufts, as well as the traveling public gen erally, have reason to feel grateful. And that it should start out once more under the management of B. F. Clark is another ground for congratulation, The hotel has always been a paying Institution, and even the ct of its being closed for a number of months, owing to an unfortunate quarrel with the owners of the property, was not sufficient to destroy the ‘“‘good will" it had as the best hotel in lowa Ever since its reopening last September it has done a busi- ness that was a surprise even to the enter- prising men who bought the property, and | Its success is a good indication of the general prosperity of the cit The city schools, which a’year ago were hampered by a lack of funds, owing to the neglect of the board to make an appropriation have again obtained their accustomed pros perity There are eighteen school buildings, with a total of nincty-¢ix rooms, in which 3,300 young ideas y put through the principles of shooting. buildings have a seating capacity of 4 The High school | has shown th me ving Increase in atten nee th year tha has marked its course for several years past. There have been 341 enrolled in the High school this year, an increase of seventy over the en rollment of 1893, The business course having been added to the curriculum is no doubt largely responsible for the increased inter among the young people. Within the past few weeks it has been de- cided to let the schools branch out still more by having night sessions, from 7 to 9:30 o'clock, five nights in the week, for the benefit’ of those who have to work during the day. More than thirty have already signified their intention of joining the classes which will meet for the first time at th Bloomer school Monday evening, January 7 1895. in at the matter of fires Council Bluffs has been exceptionally fortunate. While other cities in this vicinity have been enjoying thelr $1,000,000 blazes this city has not had one where the loss has equaled $10,000. The fire department is in good shape, the ap- paratus is all that is needed and the water pressure is excellent. During the year the department has responded to elghty-three alarms, in_which $200,000 worth of property was involved, The total loss has been $32,007, of which amount $26,0 was re- ceived by the owners from the insurance companies. The buildings visited by fire, with their contents, were covered by In- surance to fhe amount of $90,800. A deluge set, at a cost of §200, and a repeater, costing $800, have been added to the equipment of the department in the last few months, and it is now thought to be able to cope with any fire that may oceur. By means of this repeater the efliclency of the department is increased £o that it is now equal to that of any fire department in the country. Under the old system and its Imperfeetions a fire was likely to get such a start while the alarm was being sent from one house to another that it would be im- poseible to prevent great loss. Now the old machinery, which was often out of order, has been supplanted by new, the Arms are transmitted automatically by an instrument which works with all the rapidity of lightning and all the sureness of death or the tax col- lector, and the department is able to fight its arch enemy at the drop of the hat. Deputy County Clerk J. M. Fenlon has proved himself a valuable assistant to Sir Cupid In making connubially inclined young people happy--or otherwise. During the yea he has issued licenses by which 994 hearts have acquired the legal right to beat as 497. The mortality record, as usual, comes to the front as one of the things of which Coun- cil Bluffs can be proud, and proves it one of the healthiest places on the continent. Dur- ing the whole twelve months only 242 people have shuffled off the mortal coil—about 1 out of every 150 inhabitants. Measles has suc- ceeded in adding 394 to the list of contagious diseases, which numbers 554. Both measles and scarlet fever have had their usual inning, Both came in a very mild form and between them caused the death of just two victims. There s no talk at present of dispensing with the city jail. There have been 1,371 persons put behind the bars for various of- fenses by the police and marshal's depart- ments. Besides these 900 men, women and children to whom other hotels were closed on account of their financial depression have been given lodging over night. THE PULSE BEATS OF TRADE, The Bee Puts Its Flugers on the Arteries of Commerce und Kecords the Beats. Interviews with the leading business men of Council Bluffs, after each has rounded up his year's work and had time to think of the future and study its portents, are the best means of arriving at an accurate esti- mate of the real situation. The confldent tone that pervades all that is said in the following columns shows how well Council Bluffs has weathered the storm that has been so dis- astrous to many other cities. Such a show- ing and such strong expressions of confidence in the future would alone be sufficient to make 1895 a more prosperous year. But with the outlook-that all see the future is indeed not at all dscouraging. AS SHOWN BY SHOES. “I have been in the shoe business years, and came to Council Bluffs a for the reason that I thou phenomenally good retail point,” Duncan, the vigorous young merchant, who has built up such a magnificent business at the big shoe store formerly owned by F, H. Evans, “My experience during the past year has been sufliciently satisfactory to demonstrate the wisdom of my cholce. 1 wanted to make $1,000,000, but wanted to make it off of 1,000,000 people. But the year has been a remarkable one in every re- spect, It opened up with the country in the throes of the greatest panic in its his- tory, and this was followed by the inevit- able stagnation caustd by all kinds of busi- vess getting down to bedrock foundation, This would have made close and careful financlering necessary i there had been no other cause, but when this in turn was followed by the nearest approach to a crop failure we have known fn this section in forty years and a complete failure in half of the "adjoining states, it provided all that was necessary to try men’s souls. The mer- chants that were ablo to stand the pressure were certainly the strongest ones, and the fact that our business men were able to tide over the disastrous year s the strongest proof that Council Bluffs has enjoyed a degree of prosperity that many other cities have not known. 1f the shoe business can be taken as an indication, mine at least will show up w'th the best years we have ever had. T have done a bigger business this year than was done by my predecessor in any previous year. This, of course, Is ac- counted for by the fact that I have made prices closer the cost mark than ever. Buy- ing for spot cash and in big orders from the manufacturers when money was of such pressing importance to them, 1 have gotten all the edge from them that could be Blven, and this has enabled me to put prices down to Just about what some wholesale houses were job- bing them for. Thus my trade has had | the newest and best goods at ordinary whole- sale prices, and often in some of my special ®ales at prices far less than cost. 1 have learned that the people want the best goods for the least money, and 1 have glven them g00ds at prices they could not find anywhere else in this country. Confidence begets con- fidence, und I believe the puble has con- fidence enough in me to feel sure that when I advertise a bargain it has no string to it I have never advertised a thing that 1 didn't have, nor a bargain that I was not prepared | to give every one who called for it. “As to the future, I bave every confidence in it. Council Bluffs s ws solid as the ground upon which it is built. Personally, I propose to make it a record breaker. 1 have 1o old stock on hand, and in a few days I will have & buyer in the eastern markots and get the best offerings at the factories for spot cash, and if I don't sell shoes cheaper than they were ever sold, and make Councll Bluffs more than ever remarkable | as a retall shoe point, then I will confess | that I don't know my busiuess. Thank the public for me, and say that I have some thing better than ever for the future. for many year ago it was a A B. M INDICATED BY IMPLEMENTS. “The very best barometer in the world | ot to Indicate the state of trade this western farming country, is farm im plements,” said C. W. McDonald, manager of the western branch of the Sandwich Manu- facturing company. “Trade in implements Indicates the condition of the farmers, who ara more than ever the backbone of the country in times like these. The past year has undoubtedly been the worst they have known, the worst in forty years, but the farmers of Towa and Nebraska are pros perous today, and while they have not the surplus of farm products they have had at the tame season in other years, they have recefved better prices for what they sold, and except the few that are overloaded with debt they are in good financlal shape. Our dealings with tha retafl implement men brings us into cloge touch with them, and we feel every throb, We were never more ready to pin our faith upon their future than now. To the farmers of Nebraska, es- pecially, we want to say that we are going to stand by them with unfaltering fidelity, that we are going to sell them mor ds and on better terms than ever 1 volume of our business, barring sheller trade, averages up well with previous years Slight curtailment in some lines bal anced by increased demand in Our hay press trade was away ahead of other years, Scarcity and high prices of hay called for the best methods of preparing it for market, and the Southwick baling ma- chines won golden opinions in thousands of new fields, and established thelr pre-emin- ence over their most ambitious competitors n all important points, €peed, compactness work and low operating power. More €team balers were put out than ever before “No complaints, but only universal words of praise from all parts of our great terri- tory, which extends over all Nebraska, west ern Towa, southern Dakota and corners of Minnesota, Missouri and Colorado, show that the Sandwich goods are satisfactory stand- ards everywhere, The outlook for the new year is very bright. The mild winter is enabling farmers to carry their stock through with light grain ling. Hard times, Iike we have been hay- ing, will drive greater numbers of men into farming, and compel ter farming, and batter farming means the use of more of the Sandwich implement So we part with the old year without regrets and welcome the new with plenty of confidence. TESTED BY BUTCHE SCALES. “I owe dame fortune nothing but thanks," said J. H. Pace, the leading butcher, who £ been in the business continuously in Council Bluffs for sixteen years and who is hout as prominent in the provision business as a governor is in politics. The butcher business m not be the best thing to in- dicate the state of gencral trade, for people are bound to eat. They will not 80 hungry even if they are not rolling in prosperi but if it indicates anything my business shows that the people of Council Bluffs have not suffered seriously in their incomes. Trade has not been just what we might have desired, for wo have become o used to in- creasing each year in big ratios that when we strike a_year ‘that only permits us to clean up the satisfactory business of the previous year we are apt to think that we are not doing what we should do. To hold the great trade of last year I have had to pay close attention to details and supply the very best meats obtainable. The bulk of all my purchases have come from Hammond's whose dressed meats you know are famous all_over the world. My long experience has enabled me to pick the best, and my heavy trade, which includes some big steady contracts, like the D. and D., for instance, has called for large purchases and carload rates. T will not handle any but the best and my customers can depend upon it that any grade of butchers' products they get from me is the very best of that grade. “I am thoroughly satisfied with the out- look for the new year, and my knowledge of the affairs of my fellow merchants convinces me that they are equally prosperous, and en. ables me to assure the world that Council Bluffs has a greater percen age of safe, strong and financlally sound merchants than any other city I know of. With this belief and this enthusiasm I enter upon the work of the mew year, confident that it will end prosperously with us all.” INDICATED BY ANOTHER BIG INDUSTRY With our fingers on the pulse of trade, whose arteries reach from the capital of Towa to the Pacific coast, what's the reason we cannot tell you something about the gen- eral prosperity?” queried Mr. Carlisle, gen- eral manager for the Sharples Creamery com- pany, one of the most prosperous of the many big branch houses that dis'inguish Council Bluffs from all other western oitles. *We come into touch with the producing classes in a territory that covers more than half of the United States. Measured by our suc- cess the year has not been one of disasters, Our business indicates some things that are of real public interest, and the most promi- nent is the fact that the farmers and dairy- men of all this western country are using their brains as well as other natural forces in their conflict with nature, and they are reaping benefits that were not dreamed of a few years ago. Improved modern dairy ma- chinery on the farms has made the milk and butter business as profitable as the feed- ing lots, and thousands of farmers who have failed in other lines are now recovering {hrough the assistance rendered by the faith- ful family cow. This new education that makes possible the finest butter on farm and in dairy has created a wonderful demand for dairy machinery, and that Is just what the Sharples Creamery company Is supplying. It has grown into a business that has reached a wonderful magnitude, and in the production of our machinery the best brain and skill of the day has been empioyed. The result is that the Sharples brand fs the recognized standard of ellence everywhere. Our steck includes everything used about the dalry, cream separators, vats, churns, butter tubs, milk cans, butter workers, salt, color and cloth, Fach article is the best of the character than can be produced, and the dairy products that result bring the highest prices in the markets of the world. The new year opens up with bright prospects, for the hard times will compel a closer attention to smaller details, and adirymen will realize more than ever the necessity of having the very best modern appliances, and that is the term that most fully describes the Sharpless Creamery company’s articles, The company occupies one of the largest rooms on the ground floor of the Merriam block, n the heart of the city, besides a large part of the basement. It {s a hive of indus- try, surrounded by an air of piquant push that indicates confident prosperity in all direc- tions, BENNISON BROS. ASSURANCES. “This s our second year In Council Bluffs,” said Mr. Frank Bennison, the ene:- getic Junior member of the thrifty dry goods firm in the Sapp block. “The first Was up to our expectations, and this has ex- ceeded our hopes in the middle of the sea- son whefl the drouth prospects looked so bad for business of all kinds. Every month in the year, with a few exceptions, our trade has doubled the figures for the corresponding period of the previous season, and since Sep- tember it has shown a most gratifying in- crease. We have been up to the times and have let people know that we were. Wo have taken that happy-go-lucky Irishman in Donnybrook Fair for our example in some respects, and whenever we saw a head we hit it good and plenty. Whenever we saw that the people wanted o be hit harder with more bargains we just got up and hit, and before they had time to get over the effects of the attack we have been ready to tempt them with still greater bargains, We haye glven especlal attention to our cloak depart- ment, and there are hundreds of ladies who have realized the benefit. We have sold more goods at lower figures during the last months of the year than I have ever known in all my experience in the dry goods business, *“Council Bluffs is all right, and so is the future, and I am confident the coming year will be a prosperouse one to us all. This season we will pay a greater amount of atten. tion to the carpet business. More people have gone out of town o buy carpets in the past than have been led astray in the hunt for dry goods. This we are going to counteract by giviog them prices that they cannot get anywhere else, and an assor(- ment to pick from that will be large enough to meet all tastes and demands “Compliments of the season to our friends, with the assurances that Bennison Bros. will do their share toward making 1895 a year to be remembered." THE M'CORMICK COMPANY CONFIDENT. “Everybody knows that the trade for the past year has been attended by peculiar difficuities, owing to short crops,” remarked W. G. SBawyer, manager of the Council Bluffs branch of the McCormick Harvesting Machine company, “but the McCormick company fs not depressed thereby, believing fully in the adage that the darkest time is just before especially In 1 & was othere day and hoping for good crops WeXf eeason. The consignment of machines 'for '95 will s00n begin to arrive, as 200 cjrs, bave al ready been ordered, and every, preparation {8 being made for an increased ‘ Dusiness. The company moved to Councll” Puffs ex pecting to find it a very desirabledpoint for distributing, and has not been: dieappointed in any w as the facHlitles for promptly moving goods in any direction are of the best. This as demonstrated last the rapidity with which we were to handle large shipments for Utah; Colorado Wyoming, Nebraska South - and North Dakota, Minnesota and lowa, and ‘parts of Missourl. The company is here'toistay, as fs evidenced by its magnificent new ware house, which is said to be the largest and most complete of any building of its class on the Missourl river, and which has a city of 350 carloads,.” SOME BOSTON “I hardly know whether It is the New Year or the Fourth of July we are to cele brate and talk about sald Mr. A, White law, m: ger of the Boston store, the big dry goods establ'shment that has been such an important factor in the commercial life of Council Bluffs and the Missourl valley ‘December has certainly been pleasant as May, and we imagine that it has cut into our winter trade to some extent. But whether it has or not, we are very agreeably sur- prised to find that our holiday bus ness has greatly exceeded that of last year. The entire trade, howeve has not been fully what wo counted upon, but as there are several million other merchants In the land who are In just the =same fix, our grief not unbearable But has the year been such a bad one? It could certaicly have been lots worse around the Bo:ton store, and £till not have bee disastrous. But out of it all come some things that are extremely gratifying. Council Bluffs people have learned more than ever that they can get bargains every day in the year at home, and we have kept less trade from going abroad to gratify fts whims. More people out of town have learned the same valuable on, and we have drawn thousands of dollars of gllt-edged trade to Council Bluffs, which has benefited_other merchants as well as our elves. We can do business here at less exp than it can be done in any city that I am familiar with, and buying goods ag we do for four of the largest stores in the United States, w th a resident buyer right at the fountain head of tne New York markets every day in the year, we get as great ad- vantages as can be given by factories, job- bers and importe Then we lay these goods down here in car lots and reduce the costs again, and when all this is added to extraordinarily light expense in dolng bus ness, you can readily account for the many great bargains that have lured the dollar from its hiding place and people from their homes miles away. We have used The Bee and other newspapers liberally to let theworld know what we had for it, and if other com- merclal houses had done o0 to the same ex- tent we would have had still greater success. This is the first r for the new firm, Fowler, Dick & Walker. We are not here 1o try ‘an experiment, but are here to stay and grow wth each year. We have the capltal, the goods, the opportunity and the determination, and will make use of all of them for the upbuilding of Council Bluffs and its dry goods trade. “‘The outlook for the new year in the dry goods trade is very flattering, and is, in m pinion, the brightest we have ever known. The woolen tar ff schedules: take effect to- morrow, and these will give us gr vantages in carrying out our centr of belng the promoters of low prices. our heartiest complin ts to all of our friends and patrons and tell them to jus keep their eyes on the Boston store during 1895. ORE 1DEAS year's is A PRODIGIOUS GROWTII. “If you want to measure the prosperity of Council Bluffs duting 1894 by the growth nd prosperity of the Unit-d States Masonic Benevolent association and the Guaranty Fund Life association, you can just epitomize it in a few sentences that will best expre success,” said Mr. W. J. Jameson, sccretary of both associations. “You can safely do it for we have made a prodigious growth, even compared with our best years. And when you take into consideration the general depression in business affairs, bur success is still_more strongly marked, 'During the year we have written over $6,000,000 of new business, about equally divided between the two associations, and we hava increased our guaranty funds and assets accordingly. “Our growth and ability to pay are the best indications of success. In the United States Masonic we have paid $49,000 of death losses from interest and surplus, saving the policy holders just that much cold cash during the year 1894, and we have distributed $218,750.00 to the widows and orphans of deceased members. “Our plan for the two associations Is to build up strong and safe organizations of carefully selected risks; to collect funds from surviving members, in’ proportion to age at time of joining, to pay death claims promptly. Each association has created a reserve fund which is constantly increasing, and which affords a financial standing which cannot be questioned, and places the association in a position to meet any emergency. These funds are under the supervision of the in- surance department of the state, and the interest Is applied to the. payment of death losses. Old and new members alike partici- pate in the benefits of this safeguard agains ive mortality, which also obviates the ity of advancing the rate as age in- “The results of our busipess for 1894 are highly satisfactory to both the members and the management. The favor we most de- siro for the new year is the careful investi- gation of our plans, for we know that the closer and more intelligently they are ex- amined the better will be the result for us. The outlook for the new year is brighter than ever before in the history of our as- soclations. With our substantial corps of agents throughout the United States, Coun- cil Bluff: can well be proud of two such as- sociations, which are today in the front ranks of the insurance world,” BRIGHT DRUGGIST'S OPINION. “The past year has tried us all thoroughly and made great hustlers of the most of us," sald George S. Davis, oue of the brightest of the successful young merchants of the city. “I'm not a sage nor a seer, but some- how T got the impression before the new year ot old enough to look ont for itself that. it was going to be a year that would make us all scrateh, and I made an extra effort to meet all the requirements of the public in 4 first-class drug store. The result has been that 1 have little cause for complaint and few regrets to express. My year's bal- ance shows that 1894 .has been the biggest year:1 have had since engaging in business, I have Increased my stock with the increase of trade, and among other things have added glass to my paint and oll stock, under the supervision of Mr. Adams. In this depart- ment we will be able to meet all the de- mends of builders and contractors, and give prices that will satisfy them. What do I think of the coming year? Just say that 1 have not got the dyspepsia, but have all the standard’ remedies to jeure it, and that I'm going to do a better business than ever In 1895, "1 wish all my many customers a Happy New Year.” 5 HERE'S “VIOLETS FOR THOUGHT." “I have been too busy to hear much of hard times,” said J, F. Wileox, the vigor- ous young man who has bullt up a florist, fruit and vegetable business: béyond the com- prehension of the general public. “It has been more than a busyiyear with me—it has been a highly prosperens one. 1 have had from sixty to 125 .jen employed con- stantly all the year, apd fn the busiest seasons as high as 160. 1 haye grown, too, and have added to my flopicultural establish- ent four new houses, three. of them 20x100 and one 20x150, and a pew packing shed 160 feet long and wide ejoilgh to drive a team through, giving me Tofn to haul in potting earth and greatly’ eXped ting packing and shipping. I have about 800,000 square feet of glass, which I can say without boast- Ing 1s more than any other establishment in the west possesses, nol"even Chicago. I have altogether five places and about 200 acres of land under cultivation. - It requires ten steam bollers (o furnish the nec essary heat In the hot houses. I certainly have every confidence in the future, and expect to go right along increasing the investment and the output.” Mr. Wilcox is too modest to speak fully of the wonderful business he has cre- ated, and which has reached a magnitude that places it by the side of the largest com- merclal, {uterests of the city. The capital required s sufficient to run a natlonal bank The enterprise and the brainy young man who has created It are of more than ordi- uary Interest to the public, as furnishing the most strikiog example of the possibilitios that are buried in the hills around Council Bluffs. He supplies the bulk of the flowers at home and In neighboring citles, and the winter vegetables that form the exotics of your New Year's dinner today were grown in the tropical climate of his hothouses. He came to Council Bluffs not many years ago, an | unknown and ‘almost penniless boy, but he | stepped quickly and 1ightly over obstacles and turned nature's frowns into approvnig | smiles. 'He fs bending his ageressive and practical energy to the fruit culture business and is making the same characteristic sucs cess of it that has followed all his otlier efforts, SOME HIGHLY POLISHED OPINIONS. | “If the laundr taken as an_ indicatio the year has bee generally, has suff A no curtaflment of her prosperity,” were |almost the identica uttered by both |F. J. Duerr and 8. F. Henry, managers |of the Eagle and the Evans, that have | brought an_immense territory into tribute | to Council Blufts, Mr. Henry, continuing in reference to his own big plant, sald: I am more than pleased with the total results of the year's business. With the ot last year, when the prospects looked so dark | for all Kinds of business, 1 felt that my | most sanguine expectations would be realized if we were able to hold our own during ‘04 but when I find that my business has in creased far beyond the proportions attained | during the previous year, and learn from Mr. Duerr that his has stained the same re markable growth, I am forced to the con- ciusion that the people are a great deal more cleanly than they used to be or that| | they “are more prosperous and have | more money to spend The facts | are the laundry business has grown | to the proportions of other large manufac turing industries, to a point where it re q es brains and capital 2o handle ‘Yes, said Mr. Duerr of the Bagle, “we have a| great deal more than held our own during | the year, and have grown in the most | satisfactory manner. To meet the require- | ments Mr. Henry has had to make extensive | additions to his plant and we have had to | increase ours to mearly double its capacity | of a year The Eagle was the youngest, | of course, had ‘the most room to grow. The whole result is that at the present time Council Bluffs has the most | modern laundry plants to be found in any | of the big cities, and of a capacity to meet all demands of the trade in a very extensive territory. As an indication of this fact, one day last week we received by express a consign- ment of 200 shirts from Sioux Th went through with the work and created no ripple. the good Lord vouch- safed us a special blessing during the in the shape of an inexhaustible spring that we struck a few f beneath the surface in our washroom, and which we have piped down to a distance of seventy-five feet, and which gives us an unlimited supply of the clearest pure water, Just like the Mynster springs water. With the new year we put on extra wagons to handle our local trade and make the quick deliveries so necessary for the good nature of our patrons. “The outlook for the new year,” sald Mr, Henry, “‘seems to me to be very bright, and I am confident that the laundries of Council Bluffs will be no small factor in its gencral prosperity during 1895. People generally do not have a full and correct idea of the mag- nitude of our laundries, that give employ- ment to nearly 100 people at good wages every working day In the year, and to en- able them to comprehend it more fully 1 have lssued a general public invitation to visitors and set apart Wednesday and Thurs- day afternoons as reception days, when vi itors will be shown through all department and the almost humanly intelligent machi ery be explained to them. They will see what a modern laundry is, and that it is the means of preserving and not destreying all kinds of wash goods. Our express pack- age business has grown wonderfully and we now cover all of western lowa and eastern Nebraska. People living 100 miles away can have thelr work done just as promtly and Just as cheaply as if they lived within sight of the marvelous machinery that does it, We have added two new wagons to our local delivery force to make sure the quickest pessible delivery. In a laundry water is the great destderatum, and, in_addition to an claborate filtering process that renders the city water as limpid as a mountain spring, I have a piped well in the basement that gives an unlimited supply of pure arteslan water, which is used when the river supply is_unusually unruly in the spring floods. “Give our compliments to the public and assure the people that Council Blufts will have more than ever reason to be proud of her big laundries during the coming year." GOOD INSURANCE YEAR. “Premiums received about $70,000, losse: paid a little less than $30,000—there Is a concise and condensed statement of what the vear has done for us,” said J. Q. Anderson, secretary of the Council Bluffs Insurance company, the strong old company that has spread its protecting wings over the homes of so many citizens of Council Bluffs and Iowa during the many years it has stood between them and the fire fiend. *During the last four months of the year our losses were almost nothing. The result is much better than we could have anticipated, with the heavy disasters of June, July and August, which time the unpaid’ losses were $14,000, while today the losses unpaid are less than $1,400, which includes all contested claims. Isn't that a record to be proud of. With the business of the year closed up the fact is brought out with very pleasing prominence that the Council Bluffs was never in a better condition than at this time. The company has been phenominally fortun- ate in escaping losses for the past four months. When we Rave every reason to expect losses aggregating not less than $6,000 for the four months we find that they do not exceed $600. Thus the company will start upon its fifteenth year with more vigor than cver. Another ihing that is particularly gratifying to us is the fact that western people are evincing a stronger determina- tion than ever to patronize home institutions. They realize that, with other things being equal, it is better to keep their money at home, and while getting the best protection for their property, on the most advantage- ous terms, help themselves by strengthening their home company. It has been a provi- dent and profitable year for us, and our con- fidence in the future is unalterabl SOME DYE WORKS FACTS, “The Council Bluffs Steam Dyo works has been a busy place night and day since the first of last January, and I have nothing to say about hard times,” said C. A. Machan, the energetic founder and owner of the widely known steam dye works st 1013 Broadway. “I have increased my forc: constantly, and have had all that I could do. I have drawn work for many miles around, country mer- chants, with faded and shopeworn = goods, ladies "with dresses that would have been discarded as spolled a few years ago, have sent their goods to me and had them re- turned as bright nmew fabrics. Our ability to do the highest grade work fs the secret of our success, The new year will be busier than ever, and will find ‘me better able to meet all demands of patrons.” SAFE REAL ESTATE MAN. First and foremost in the real estate busi- ness is B, H. Odell, manager of Odell's Real Cstate exchange, Kor eignteen years he has been actively engaged in handling real es- tate in Council Bluffs and Omaha, and no one is better posted as to values of realty thon Mr, Odell. Business entrusted to his care recelves prompt and courteous attention, Address No. 7, Baldwin block. MANHATTAN BEACH WILL BE IN IT. “Manhattan beach will be in it in great shape this year,” sald E. H. Odell of the Beach Improvement company. “People will not know the place when they see it again next summer. They will find a new $7,000 pavilion, a forty-acre park, with the beach ex- tending all along its water front, and every new thing in the way of noveltiés to please the patrons of a first-class watering place and summer resort. We will make some large investments, and make them intelli- gently, and make Lake Manawa what it should be, the popular pleasure resort in this part of the country. WHAT THE SEED BUSINESS SHOWS. “Every year brings its important changes in the vicissitudes of life,” sald C. G. Ouren of the Shugart & Ouren Seed company. “In no instance is this change more noilceable than in the seed trade. Although our trade 18 not 0 much affected by hard times, caused by monetary fluctuations and other causes, as other kinds of business, yet we feel the de- pressions the same as others. However, the year has been all right with us. , It has been | the best year we have had. This activity in | the seed business indicates a thrifty condi- tion of the gardeners and farmers, and their dotermination to get the best results from cultivating . the soll by using the highest | grade of seeds. The drouth affected the re- | sults greally this year, but we have found invariably that where our secds were used | the best results followed. We do & wholesale and retall business in field, flower and garden seeds. We have taken especlal palng for (Continued on Seventh Page) business what Blufts usual words I8 to be of Council | | tax | agr | operation NEWS FROM COUNCIL BLUFFS Supervisors Decide to Pay Shea & Galvin's Olaims and Avoid Further Trouble, CLAIMS TO BE PAID IN INSTALLMENTS End of a Series of Suits Based on an Error of the 1t Levying a Tax in Excess of the Rate Al- lowed by Law. rd in The board adjourned proposition of held a at which supervisors special the ses yesterday, of Shea & Galvin for a held by them against th These an error of the con ment of the claims county was accepted claims aro out of board in the years 1888, 1889 and 1890, in levying a county of 2 in ss of the amount al lowed & Galvin discovered the error year and bought up the claims of properiy owners, $21,000. made board brought mills law. ex by She: aggregating about to the ¢ falling aud superior d judgments in all five of their hen presented a proposition for settlement, in which they the $21,000 in warrants, one year and the other interest at 6 per cent. This proposition was discussed at the meeting yesterday, and it was decided that rather than spend any moy money in litigation, as the county clearly had no d . the terms should be agreed to. One of the stipulations contalned in the ement is that Shea & Galvin shall bring ore suits this nature against the overtures but district unty ment the celv They in this in courts suits agreed to take able one-half in half in two, bearing no of coun The question of granting a_right of way to the Council Bluffs & Lake Manawa Electric Rallway company was laid over until the regular meeting on the first Monday In Jan- uary. b A Huppy New Year, Boston store will be closed all day. Domestic soap breaks hard water. Sheridun Conl. coal from Wyoming for sale ain street. Telephone This new only by H, A. 8. Ask for Too 1 o Talk with Him. The father of A. A. Truesdale, who suicided, arrived in the city yesterday morn- ing from Fremont and made arrangements to take the remains of the young man home with him on the evening train He stated that he believed his son had been more or less insane for a year or more, and was of unsound mind when the tragedy occurred Mrs. Truesdale, who scparated from her husband about a’year ago, was in the city Sunday afternoon, as stated in yesterday Bee, and talked with her husband for some time. When going home #he sald she would not come back to live with him untll he could find the means to support her. She returned to her home in Omaha, but ap- parently thought better of what she had said. In a short time after reaching Omaha £he made up her mind that she would come back and see him again and talk the mat- ter over more fully. When she arrived g the house of Mr. Collins she walked in with- out knocking. The light n the front par- lor, where (he body of her dead husband ay, had gone out, and the members of the family were sitting in the back parlor, She walked through the front parlor without Knowing that “her husband had committed suicide, or that the remains lay there. When she was told of the horrible thing that had occurred she was taken with violent hysteria, and for a time was completely prostrated A Huppy Now Yea Boston store will be closed all day. Davis sel's drug: cirey palnts and glass cheap. Washerwomen use Domestic soap. Try Eagle laundry, 724 Broadway, for good work. Our medium gloss finish can't be beat, but we do strictly hand work, domestic finish, when preferred. Telephone 157, Marrluge Licenses, The following marriage licenses were sued by the county cletk yesterday: Name and addre: Albert A. Adam is- h Age, Pottawattamie county. 23 Mary A. Barlow, Pottawattamie coun: 2 G. W. Partridge, Pottawattamie county.. Annle Walter, Pottawattamie county. Allen H. Sutherland, Quick, Ia Jennie Crumbaugh, 'Quick, 'Ia. Harry O. Smith, Council Bluffs Ada Smith, Colncll Bluffs. A Happy New Year. Boston store will be closed all day. The laundries use Domestic soap. Personal Paragraph B. G. Baird is to be the new deputy county clerk. Theodore Rohlfs of Avoca was in the city yesterday. Ben A. Frye, representing W. A. Maurer in_Colorado, is in the cly. William and Frank Stageman are visiting their parents In Garner township. Sherlft Job Card of Atlantic was in the clty yesterday on official business, 0. P. McKesson, who has been very {Il for the past month, s reported Improving. Dr. Thomas Jeffries is reported lying at the point of death at his home on Pletoher avenue. Misses Bello and Bessle Harkness left last evening for a visit with friends fn M neapolis, Minn, O B, Taylor and wife returned home, after spending Christmas with Mr. E. L. Davis and wifo of Ossawattamle, Kan, B. G. Auld, the new member of the Board of County Supervisors, was in the city, at- tending his first meeting of the board, A. F. Randall, who was visiting with his sister, Mrs. H. I Forsyth, returned yester- day to Chicago to resume his studies in dentistry. Mrs. Mary B. Maynard, who spent the last two years in Colorado, returned yesterday, and Is the guest of her son, C. M. Maynard, 2 North First street. Gas cocking stoves for Gas Co.’s office. rent and for sale at 20 per cent discount on all trimmed ha at Mrs. Ragadale's, e Domestic soap outlasts cheap soap. Bouriclus' music houss has few expenses high grade planos are sold reasonably, 116 Stutsman street. Minor Meution. Grand hotel, Council Bluffs, reopened Oct, 1, Mayne Real Estate agency, 639 Broadway, Ground ofl cake $1.30 hhd. at Morgan & drug store, 134 Broadway. A series of meetings will be held in the East Presbyterian church, commencing Janu- ary 165, The Daughters of Rebecca held a watch meeting and soclal last evening in the 0dd Fellows hall, Gray Davis, aged 1 year and 6 months, 18 reported sick with the diphtheria at 1420 Third avenue. Mr. and Mrs. B. Thornton celebrated the fitty-second anniversary of their marriage Saturday night at their home, 400 First street, The fire department was called out yester- day afternoon by an alarm of fire from Oak- land avenue near Avenue B. It was caused by a brush fire started by some small boys. No damage The Anglo-American Mortgage and Trust company has commenced a sult for $18,676 against the firm of Burnham & Tulleys. The claim Is based on transactions in a deal of several years ago. B4 Archer, a Union Pacific employe liv- Ing at 1726 ‘Second avenue, who had been confined to his bed for many months past, was taken to Omaha yesterday to have an performed on the injured arm which has caused him s0 much trouble. A meeting of the Pottawattamie County Bar association Is called for Wednesday morning at 9:30 o'clock at the district court room, for the purpose of making arrange- ments 0 attead the funeral of Mre. Amelia C .| saloon and Bloomer. D. €. Bloomer, the husband of the deceased, Is prostdent of the assoctation. Judge Macy sent Judge Smith instructions yesterday to overrule the motion of the | Omaha & Council Bluffts Bridge company for a new trial in the suit in which Maud Bryant received a $4,600 judgment not long ago, and to enter up Judgment for the amount, The case will be appealed to the supreme court, in all probability. Judge Smit heard evidence yesterday In the case of Nora Murphy against Sigler and eight others, the defendents belng charged with contempt. The defense is that the court _has no jurisdiction, the place where the offense Is alleged to have been committed being in Nebraska, so It Is clalmed. The case will be taken up again tomorrow, CH oodrich picked up 10 cents off the lunch counter at the Emmet house on Sixth street and Sixteenth avenue yesterday morn- ing. A patron of the counter had just put it there. The cook turned around just in time to see Goodrich making for the door. He ran after him and after hasing him several blocks, caught him Goodrich was | deposited in the cooler with the charge of larceny entered against him Bd Brumstein has been in the hablt of raising trouble at the meetings of the Free Methodists at the corner of Avenue A and Twelfth street. Night before last he per- sisted In saying “Amen” In a basso robusto volce whenever the pastor, Rev. Mr. Britton, made a point Charles Goff, one of the pillars of the church, went for the police. Brumsteln caught him outside and threatened to blow him full of holes, whereupon Goft decided to go back to church. Yesterday morning he screwed up courage enough to file an information, and Brumstein is now In Jail on a charge of peace disturbing. We have $400,000 to loan upon Improved farms in lowa and will take all the gflt- edged loans offered at low rates. We do not want wild 1 and will not loan in Ne= braska. Lougee & Towle, 235 Pearl stroet, - Bits of lown News, Fire destroyed the school house at Gil- bertsville. ~There was an insurance of $2,000 on the building A Stanwood young lady fooled with a re- volver and her leg {8 now disfigured with a big bullet in §t. The wound is not a dangerous one, but is very painful, There Is a hot county seat war on in Win- nebago county. Forest City wants to r tain the capitol, but the peoplo of Lake Mills have ralsed $50,000 to build a new court house, Steve N Dickerson of Ottumwa entered a tried to ralse a row. When he found he could not do it, he sat down on a beer case and in a few minutes dropped dead. He had been drinking heavily for some days John Gibson of Preston was at a dance because he wanted a different kind of a dance than was on the program. Now he has sued three people who pounded his for §15,000 damages, and has had them arrested besides for assault and battery. Francls Smith, the young son of the no- torious Betsy Smith, serving a life sentence In the state penitentlary at Anamosa for the murder of her husband, Michael Smith, hus been ordered taken from Des Moines to the orphans’ home at Davenport. The county will be reimbursed for the boy's keep= ing at the home from $1,000 of the $3,000 life insurance derived from the policy held by Michael Smith in the beneficiary” order of locomotive engineers at the time of hig death. The boy is the last of the notorious family of which he was a member left In Des Moines. THE DIRE pounded up SOUTHERN ROUTE Vi the Rock Island—Shortest Line and astest Thne, To all points in Kansas, Oklahoma, Indlan Territory, Texas and el ‘noints in southern California. _Only one tight out to all points in Texas. The “Texas Limited” leaves Omaha at 5:15 a. m. daily except Sunday, landing passengere at all polnts in Texas 12 hours in advance of all other I'nes. Through tourist cars via Ft. Worth and El Paso to Los An- geles. For full particalars, maps, folders cte., call at or address Rock Island ticket office, 1602 Farnam St. CHAS. KENNEDY, G. N. W. P. A, e AU A Cheap Trip South. Tickets will be sold at one fare round trip to points in Tennesses, Kentucky, Alabama, Mississippi, Loulsiana and Florida on the line of the Louisyille & Nashville, and Nash- ville, Chattanooga & St. Louls railroads, on January 8, February 5, March 6, April 2 and 30, 1805. Ask your ticket agent about it, and it he cannot sell you excursion tickets write to C. P. Afmore, general passenger agent, Louisville, Ky., or George B. Horner, D. P. A, St. Louls, Mo. Eoemant ot Wh) New Om: Limited Tral On and_after Sunday, November 4, the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul ‘“electric lighted ‘limited” will leave Omaha at 6 p. m., arriving in Chicago at 9 a. m. Remem- ber this train carries dinner a la carte, C. S. CARRIER, Ticket Agent, 1604 Farnam St. Children Cry for Pitcher's Castoria. Children Cry fos Pitcher's Castoria. Children Cry oy Pitcher’'s Castoria. The HOMEBAKER and ROASTER Is not a luxury, but a necessity. Make: tough meat tender; saves all its flavor ang richness; bakes bread molst and makes dry bread fresh; is easily handled when in oven, Write for' circulars fully describing thi and also gfx-blade choppers, —combinatio dipper, frying pan, cake gridale, ete, Agents wanted, o CHAS. SCHULTHEISS, 513 Pearl St., COUNCIL BLUFFS, lIOWA, GEO. P, BANFORD, President, A. W. RICKMAN, Cashler, Fist National Bank of COUNCIL BLUFFS, Capital, Profits 12,000 One of the oldest banks in the state of lowa, We molicit your business and collections, We pay b per cent on time deposits. We will Dlcased (0 sxe and merve ¥oi L AGENTS WANTED, MONEY TO LOAN—-CHATTELS, GRINDING. wa. 100,000 SINS & BAINBRIDGE, 25t prnersinc-tu: und Federal Courts. Roous #08-1-8-), Shugiry Block, Couneil $1011, 1owa. . —_— Specia) Notices Couneil Bluffs== = = e ] CHIMNEYS CLEANED; VAULTS CLEANED, Ed Burke, ot W. 8. Homer's, 638 Brondway. 0D COMPETENT GIRL TO DO work. 820 Oakland avenu WANTED, BY YOUNG LADY, CHANCE T work for her bourd while attending college i Council Blufls. Address 1T et utfice,