Another seed company in Sioux City that has helped to make the city a supply point for farmers is the Wertz Seed Co., established in 1913, by L. G. Wertz. The concern retails and wholesales seeds of all kinds for the farm and garden. They employ 16 people and do over a quarter of a million dollars worth of business annually. In addition to seeds they handle birds, pet dogs, garden, poultry and bee supplies. Their stock is one of the most complete in the territory and enables them to give quick service to their thousands of regular customers over the surrounding territory.

From the standpoint of volume and extent of business, the Satrang & Cleminson Drug Company is one of the largest in the city. They own a store at Fourth and Douglas and one at Fourth and Pearl. They employ 17 men and do business with customers in three states. Ed Satrang, president of the company, has been in the drug business in Sioux City for 15 years, while K. B. Cleminson, secretary-treasurer, has been in the wholesale and retail drug line for 25 years. They handle drugs, drug sundries, seeds, physicians and hospital supplies, artists' materials, paints, oils, stock tonics, and other lines handled in modern drug stores of today. They also do a large mail order business.

Is Sioux City's only life insurance company. It was founded by its president and has made a place for itself in the community by reason of clean methods of organization, sound management, and unusual equipment in the way of policy contracts. By legislation it is empowered to hold in trust the proceeds of its own policies which become claims by death, and administer them in whatever way the policyholder has desired, and with absolute safety.

President's office

Secretary's office

While the management does not underestimate the desirability of growth, it is equally concerned with the quality of the business and the persistence with which it stays on the books.

This company is a permanent part of the business interests of Sioux City, and its highest ambition is to deserve the unlimited confidence of its community.

Officers

The Sioux City Board of Trade was organized in 1907. At that time there were seven firms in Sioux City engaged in the grain and milling trade. The organization of the Board of Trade was prompted by the promise of one of the railroads entering Sioux City to grant rates on a parity with other Missouri river towns, both east and south. After considerable expense had been incurred in the erecting of grain elevators and the organizing of a market, the promise so faithfully given was not kept.

For this reason a period of about nine years elapsed before any progress of a material nature was made in the building of a market at Sioux City. Finally rate adjustments were secured that enabled Sioux City to serve her trade territory by the handling of grain on a basis that would stand the comparison with competitive markets.

In 1922, it was found that the old organization of the Sioux City Board of Trade was inadequate to handle the increasing volume of business offered Sioux City. For this reason the old organization was abandoned and the Sioux City Grain Exchange was formed. This latter association is so incorporated that it is possible to give service to both buyer and seller along lines in accordance with the established rules of the grain trade.

Every carload of grain weighed in Sioux City is weighed under the supervision of the Sioux City Grain Exchange, the weights being checked by talleymen in the employ of the Grain Exchange. There is a talleyman stationed at each mill and elevator constantly. All scales are modern, they are inspected and tested frequently during the year. The Grain Exchange has its own test weights in sufficient amount to assure a fair and accurate test.

The Sioux City Grain Exchange publishes on every market day a Daily Price Bulletin. In this is carried the record of the day's cash sales, the receipts and shipments of grain at Sioux City, and much other information of value to shippers and buyers. Owing to postal regulations a charge of 50 cents a year is made for this publication.

Many of the houses shown in the residence sections of this book are the class of homes featured by the Excel Construction Co., builders of beautiful homes. The company was organized in February, 1921, and is owned and operated by Sioux City men who have had years of experience in home building.

The Sioux City branch of the Roberts Sanitary Dairy Co. was established in 1918. They buy milk direct from the producer and sell pasteurized milk, coffee cream, whipping cream and cottage cheese. The pasteurizing and manufacturing is done in the modern plant on Douglas street. The retail department covers the entire city daily, the slogan of the company being, "Our wagon passes your door." Seventy-five employees are kept at the plant with an annual payroll of $125,000. Over a quarter of a million dollars is paid out annually for raw milk. J. R. Roberts is president of the company; P. C. Wolfe, manager.

The Iowa Foundry Company, which was established in 1905 by Geo. E. Tiller, has developed from a small concern doing general foundry work to one of the best equipped and most modern foundries in this section of the middle west. While the general manufacturing and foundry lines have an important part in their activity, the firm specializes in the manufacture of Big Sioux products, making the well-known Big Sioux Furnace, concrete mixers, coal chutes, sewer specialties, cistern tops, oil burners, etc. They also handle a large volume of welding and machine and pattern work. The plant employs from 20 to 25 men and the merit of the Big Sioux products is well known throughout the territory.

Geo. E. Tiller, as owner of the concern, is assisted by E. M. Tiller and Iver Tiller in the management of the business.

From the standpoint of years in the automobile game. Franklin H. Clark, head of the organization bearing his name, is one of the oldest automobile men in the city. After many years of experience with factories in Detroit and on the road for various automobile concerns, he came to Sioux City and has since been in the automobile business here. He first opened an Overland agency here in 1914. After selling thousands of Overland and Willys Knight cars to Sioux City and the territory, and after giving service to these buyers for years, he gave up the agency in 1921 and accepted the agency for Ford products. Ford cars and trucks, Fordson tractors and Lincoln cars, the latest addition to the Ford family, are handled by a well developed organization consisting of 42 employees—12 salesmen, 24 mechanics and six office employees. The total business last year reached a half million dollars and will exceed $650,000 this year, according to the estimates of Mr. Clark. In addition to the cars, trucks and tractors, they handle a most complete line of parts and accessories. They are distributors for Hercules Bodies for Fords.

Mr. Clark is one of the city's firmest believers in printer's ink and carries on extensive advertising campaigns exclusive of the ones planned by the factory offices. His recent series of booster ads boosting Sioux City with the idea that whatever was good for Sioux City was good for his company, created considerable interest in local publications and in trade journals. Street car ads and newspaper space is used extensively in his effort to tell Sioux City what he has for sale.

The company's new building, now under construction at Fifth and Jennings streets, will be one of the finest structures in the city devoted exclusively to the automobile business. It will be ready for occupancy about June 1, 1924.

The Farmers Mercantile Co. is a farmers' store in that it is owned and controlled by farmers and sells its products to the farmers. The company was organized in 1916, with the following officers who have been in active charge since: C. H. Chase, manager; L. N. Carter, president, and P. E. Held, secretary. The company has exclusive sales for 20 miles around Sioux City on such lines as John Deere farm implements; Stover gasoline enginees, [engines] wind mills, feed grinders, ensilage cutters; Papec ensilage cutters; Monitor wind mills and pumps; Great Western cream separators, Cushman engines and numerous other well known lines.

The Storage Battery and Electrical Works, in the beginning a small concern, has been developed by the proprietor, J. F. Albright, into one of the leading battery distributing firms in Sioux City or the territory. Mr. Albright distributes the nationally known storage batteries — Columbia and Philco Diamond Grid. The shop and salesrooms are located at 306 Fifth street. Mr. Albright has charge of the office and shops, and is always able to give personal attention to the wants of an increasing list of patrons.

During the past nine months the building department of the A. L. Stein Realty Co. has completed 25 modern homes in Morningside, and has plans made for more than 10 others in the same part of the city. These houses are of medium size, bungalow style and finished with good taste. The policies of Mr. Stein are progressive and broad-minded with the purpose of building homes of quality. He employs in his building operations a great number of men and completes about three or four houses a month. He has done more than his share in building up the residence section of the beautiful suburb of Morningside.

The Aalfs Paint and Glass Co. is one of the largest wholesale houses in its line in this part of the country. Nittert Aalfs, founder of the company, was in business in LeMars and Fort Dodge, Iowa, for many years, coming to Sioux City to open his wholesale house in 1909. The growth of the concern since that time has been remarkable. At the start the concern handled only wall paper and paint in a modest way, with but a few customers, mostly Sioux City firms. From this start has grown the present business, occupying over 50,000 square feet of floor space, jobbing paint, wall paper and glass, both window and plate. Over 35 people are employed by the Aalfs company, four salesmen being on the road constantly, covering South Dakota, Nebraska, western Iowa and southern Minnesota. The firm is exclusive distributor of Minnesota Linseed Oil Company's paints, O'Brien Varnish Company's and Murphy Varnish Company's products. A great part of the success of the business is based on the complete line of the high grade paints and varnishes handled. For many years the business was located on the second, third and fourth floors of the Gilman block on Fourth street. This location, however, became too small to accommodate the rapidly increasing business which demanded larger stocks and better equipment. As a result larger quarters were secured at the present location, the Boston block, where three floors and basement are occupied.

Paving, concrete buildings, bridges and precast reinforced concrete piles are included in the contracting work of F. T. Leeder, who first launched his business in Sioux City in 1908. He employs from 50 to 100 men and does a business of from $100,000 to $150,000 annually. During the past year he has made 25,000 feet of precast reinforced concrete piling in Colorado and 10,000 feet in Salt Lake City and 50,000 feet for the new Ford assembling plant at Kansas City. He maintains a fleet of 10 trucks hauling material for his work and for the work of other contractors. The bridge at the stock yards over the Floyd river adjoining the hog division, was constructed by F. T. Leeder.

FRANCES PHARMACY

The Frances Pharmacy handles the largest and finest line of imported toilet goods in this section of the middle west. These include such as Houbigant, Coty , Luyna, Rosine, Roger & Gallett, Gueldy, Caron, Guerlain Riquad, Vigny, Violet, Legrande, Piver and Keroff lines. Face powders, rouges, perfumes and other goods in these lines are handled. In addition they specialize in prescriptions and the sundries that are found in good drug stores. In addition to the main store in the Frances building, they operate a store at 4007 Floyd avenue. Orville L. Coates and Ben F. Foresberg are owners and managers of the stores.

The West Hotel was opened in Sioux City in February, 1905, as the first exclusive European plan hotel in the state. It was founded by Mr. and Mrs. F. J. Donohoe and was operated by them until 1915, when the hotel was incorporated as the West Hotel Co. Mr. Donohoe was president of the West Hotel Co. until his death, which occurred in 1921. Mrs. Donohoe is now president and J. MacLarty, treasurer of the company. They employ 108 people in addition to the barber shop and billiard room. The hotel contains 223 rooms, most of them with bath. A large and popular coffee shop with a banquet room and several private dining rooms, is maintained and operated by the hotel company. The entire hotel is modern in every respect and is operated on a strictly European plan as it was established 18 years ago. For many years it has been popular for conventions and group meetings for people from over the territory.

Sioux City was among the first few cities in the United States to have automatic telephone service. The Sioux City Telephone Co. opened such a service here in 1904. At that time only about five other automatic systems were in existence. A year after the installation there were 1,500 telephones in the city, while at the present time there are over 16,000. Over these instruments come 50,000,000 calls per year. According to reports maintained at the office of the company, 1,500 phones are in service every minute of the day receiving or answering calls. Thirty per cent of the calls come between 9:00 a. m. and 11:00 a. m.

The equipment necessary to maintain such a system is greater than the average person realizes. There are over 51,000 miles of wire owned by the company in Sioux City. Ten thousand miles of this is in aerial cables and 41,300 miles underground. The average number of employees is 174, with a monthly payroll of over $20,000. New equipment is being added all the time to take the place of that which is worn out. In order to maintain an efficient crew of workmen, a school for their instruction is conducted by the company where new men are constantly being trained for the work of maintaining the large outlay of equipment.

The main office of the company is located on Jones street between Third and Fourth. Sub-stations have been established in various parts of the city. These contain switches for certain parts of the city. The main stations are: Central station at 314 Jones street; Morningside; Jackson street station, between Jackson and Jones on Twenty-eighth street; Myrtle street station, Leeds and North Riverside. The last two mentioned are manual exchanges.

The officers of the company are: E. A. Burgess, president; James A. Rae, vice president and general manager; L. R. Manley, secretary and treasurer; F. L. Eaton, D. S. Lewis, W. B. T. Belt, J. P. Martin. These are all men who have added their share to the building of a greater city. The company itself has always stood behind any move morally and financially that was for the good of the city.

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THE SOCIETY OF PLUMBING AND HEATING ENGINEERS OF SIOUX CITY

Some great man has said, that the march of civilization down through the ages can be accurately traced by the progress of sanitation.

It is very obvious that the growth, prosperity and contentment of any community, urban or rural, is primarily dependent upon the amount of attention given to the public health and the steps taken for its protection.

An ounce of prevention is worth many pounds of cure and for hundreds of years the plumbing business and the reputable ones engaged in it have been perhaps more closely allied with the subject of public health along constructive lines than any other business or profession.

Almost daily there are hundreds of changes being made in the sanitary laws and ordinances of our various states and cities and the enforcement of these laws is in a great measure in the hands of the legitimate business man engaged in the plumbing business.

Unfortunately, many times inexperienced or irresponsible men simply use the plumbing business as a means of exploiting the public and it is a common occurrence for such individuals to violate even the most elementary of the sanitary and heating laws enforced in their own community.

In view of the facts above mentioned, in almost every city it becomes necessary for the responsible, experienced, legitimate plumbing and heating employers to form themselves into an organization for their mutual education and protection, such an organization exists in our city with a membership composed of only the highest type of men engaged in the plumbing business and the only qualifications necessary to joining this organization are that the members must be legitimate, reliable men, known for square dealing with the public and observance of the laws of public sanitation.

Pictured on the opposite page are the sales rooms of eight members of the Society of Plumbing and Heating Engineers of Sioux City, Iowa, including The Sanitary Company, Don Holt, president; LaVelle & Hogan, A. J. Cunningham, V. J. Hagan, M. J. Fisher, The Orr Company, Marolf Brothers and Matt Temple.

The officers of The Society of Plumbing and Heating Engineers of Sioux City are: Don Holt, president; Matt Temple, vice president, and J. F. Wilson, secretary.

Mr. Holt is also vice president of the Iowa Association of Master Plumbers.

MACFARLANE COAL CO. Retail Coal

The Macfarlane Coal Co., originally the Olson & Wiggins Co., started in Sioux City in 1895. From 1905 to 1920, it was operated by Sam Carlson & Son. It was then taken over by the Macfarlane brothers, two well known Sioux City men. Bill Macfarlane was raised in the coal business, first working for Woodbury Sanborn and later for the Wells Coal Co. From here he went to Chicago with the Taylor Coal Co. of that city, returning to take over a coal business here with his brother Bob. As the Macfarlane Coal Co. they have built up a growing retail business. They own their own equipment and give all orders their personal attention.

SUE BELTING AND SUPPLY CO.
Wholesale Belting and Supplies

The Sue Belting and Supply Co. is the only wholesale concern of its kind in the city and territory. It was organized in 1919, by Guy Reitz, John Seabrook, Frank Ehielen and W. E. Worly. They have been active in the management since that time. The concern sells belting, hose and packing to jobbers in this territory. They employ six people with three salesmen on the road covering Iowa, South Dakota and Nebraska.

SIOUX CITY FOUNDRY AND BOILER CO.
Manufacturers of Norfolk Furnaces

The Sioux City Foundry and Boiler Co., organized more than 35 years ago, starting in a modest machine and boiler shop, has expanded into an important manufacturing plant. They manufacture the well known Norfolk All Cast Furnace and have established agencies throughout the middlewest.
In addition to the manufacture of furnaces they do a general foundry jobbing business in grey iron castings, furnishing a large number of machine castings, building columns, cistern rings, coal chutes and coal hole covers, sewer manhole castings, etc.

They also manufacture and repair boilers, make and erect smoke stacks, boiler breechings and steel tanks. They also carry a large stock of boiler tubes, boiler and tank plates.