The Morning herald., 1876-03-17
~rs-,s4ss .s,ss.sss...sus....s.ss....a
BUILDING HOV1ES.
Hs.v tho yssr OSsnsd-Buslds"ss going
Nd a,sd those under COsssidsratSos-
Tall .s.xAh Ahnsa WhA KtAM

Hssv tho Yssr ,Opsnsd-B"slds"g' going
~p a'sd those "'sdsr Co''ssdsrslse"-
Talk scitA those Who K'sOW.
What are the building prospects in VIII
miugton :" "What you might term fair
almost bordering on first rate, and quite
what you might call good,n was the peril
nent and certainly very expressive answer,
which came from Mr., VIM. McMenamin
yesterday afternoon in answer to the lorego-
ing question put 70 him by representa- atiye
of the MORNING HEkALD. .e-,s. .'oa.pasesr
"From that am to infer then that there
il only moderate demand for buildings IN
Wilmington, and that the building interests
while they are good might lie q great deal
better," said the interrogator. "Youhave hit
the nail right square ON the head" replied
the gentleman.
"You see sir, since 1872, that is the time
when the panic came upon us, like thief
in the night, upset eyerybodyIs calculations
and upketting good deal that had not been
calculated upon," said the gentleman with
sly twinkle in his eye, as he ln'Hmared
the name Of Jay Cooke"
"But what affects one branch OF trade
most materially affects another. All BUSH
nesses are but the latcrals of the great
structure Of financial credit, and if the
health Of that is impaired by i heavy blow,
why then the laterals, or rivies that the diff
terept branches OF business form of the gen
eral structure must feel the pulsation and
sustain some injury, and to none does it
more generally extend than to the building
interests" said Mr.. MacMcnamin as he
pointed out the number of lots in The vicin-
ity of his own residence on East Eighth St.,
that have received no touches of improve
ment.
Is this the sole reason z" asked the re-
porter.
"Yes, sir, but there is coucClitant
with 1t, US surely as breath is with life, and
that is q lack Of confidence. People will
not invest their money when everything
looks, as the business men describe it, very
shaky. In these times man must see eX-
actly where he is putting u dollar, and
what the prospects are for al early return,
or that dollar will remain in bank, and do
nobody good but the oank itself.
SIS that the feeling now %
II am pleased to statc," The builder re-
marked, "that it is not SO much the case
now as it has been; and it is only by the re-
turn of confidence that we eau hope to re-
vive trade notice that wi h time that
the feeling OF mistrust is gradually becom-
ing dispelled, and business Of every kind is
reviving in Wilmington, and with il the
building interests; but not to that degree
that we most desire it."
"How do you mean that it is reyiving q
inquired the interrogation.
"Simply from the fact that there has
been more building goin" on in Wilmington
from the first Of the present year up tc
the present time than before at such time
for the last two years."
"What is the character of the houses
Are they, large and commodious buildings
"Now, sir, you are disposed to somewhat
impeach the judgment of both the builder
and the rest interested in building. No
sir, it is just to the contrary The drrnan
is now for houses OF moderate rents, and i
weerect large ones it is only occasionally
and they are in the upper sections Of IL.
city, intended for the private residences 0
people of wealth. 1t is very seldom, in
deed, though, that we have been cale,
upon to erect such within the past two o
three years, and I have not sold three
story house for over a year"
''Are you putting up any houses at pres
ent z"
"Only such as will meet the demands 9
these stringent times" At the present
am putting up 40 two-story, six-roome
houses, at the corner of Taylor and Pin
streets. But in few days" said he, point
ing to square of ground; bounded on til
east by Pine street, on the west by LON
bard. north by Eighth, and south b
Seventh, "fronting on Pine street, inten
to erect nineteen three-story houses, and o
Walnut street, at the same time, ! wi
commence two two-story houses. Thes
are the kind Of houses mostly in demand
and if the Centennial attracts anything lik
the crowd that it is thought, there will /
in my opinion, quite an active demand upo
Wilmington for houses
To The HERALD representative. Mr..
c. Conwell, the efficient Chief Eneince
and Surveyor, furnished few interestil
facts concerning the building interests
the city.
"What do you think, Mr.. Conwell," sa
the newspaper man, ''of the building pro
poets for this year!"
"Very bright; better than they have be-
since we felt the first twinge of thespani
In fact the year has opened with very go'
indications. In January there we've sew
buildings erected, in Februrry there we
13, and up to dale there have been pc
mits taken out for twenty six during II
present year. This is better than any ye
since 1871, and during that year there we
permits issued in the month of March al0
for one hundred and two buildings"
"Where are the buildings being put
principally" asked THE HERALD rep,
sentative.
I'm the business portions of the city
said Mr.. Conwcll, "which I consider
excellent sign, as you must know, W
mington is built up in rather scatter
manner over good deal of territory T
manner of building now will have te
dency to fill up vacancies in the centre
the city, and will prove more recrcatve
the eye than vacant lots. 1t is what mig
be termed permanent, solid inprovemel