Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1879-12-14

'AiousoAu III tWtlVtmOnLl, OUT no one
could have foretold that within four
months, and those the most unfavorable
| of the year, the number of it's inhabitants
would be augmented by at least four
| thousand. A steadily increasing stream
OF fortune-hunters poured in through all
avenues Of approach, defying the storms
OF winter, and adding their capital, en-
terprise and energy to the restless activi-
tics of the camp. The rapid growth and
the increasing prosperity of Leadvile nat
urally gave birth to active speculation.
During December and January merchants
commanding large capital, in their eager
ness to secure eligible locations, paid
large prices for lots on upper Chestnut
street and Harrison avenue. This gave
impulse to real estate mania which soon
affected the whole camp. Lots held at
only $50 to 500 last fall suddenly
jumped to $1,000, $4,000 and even $4,000
each. Many were. mad at these figures.
| Real estate throughout the town felt the
influence, and buying and selling was the
order OF the day. Real estate agents are
now almost as numerous as lawyers. Lot
jumping, or more properly, lot squatting,
outside the placer-clalm limits, became a
regular occupation with many small
operators. Long streets of foundations
and skeleton frames sprang up in night
The whole slope lying between upper
Chestnut street and Fryer hill is now
covered with foundations, frames and
buildings in all stages OF growth. 1t be-
came tacitly understood that the actual
construction Of a building should give an
| undisputed title to lot. This gave i'm
| pctus to cabin-building, and log houses
sprang up like Jonah's gourd. AS fast
as completed they were sold or rented at
most remunerative figures. Meantime,
the utmost building activity prevailed in
every other direction. The only limit
was the supply of lumber, which, as the
demand intensified, jumped from $25 to
$50, thence to $40, and finally to $50 per
thousand. AS necessity, hewn logs
were substituted for boards in the walls
OF many pretentious buildings even on
| business streets, East. west and north
the town spread like prairie fire.
At present Leadv1lle is fully equipped
with all the social; educational and re-
ligious advantages that can be found
anywhere in a town Of its size. 1t has
three daily newspapers, one good school
building, two church edifces, Methodist,
Presbyterian, Baptist; Episcopal and
Catholic organizations, a city hall and
Jail, fi1c company, two theatres, four
teen hotels, ten restaurants, five general
merchants, four dry goods, ten clothing,
eleven grocery, three drug, four jewelry,
six boot and shoe, one commission, three
fruit and confectionery; two furniture
five feed and grain; two hardware and
two book and stationery merchants, twelve
meat markets, three sign painters, two
lighthouses, six barber shops, three bak-
cries, ten blacksmith shops, one machine
shop, three wagon shops, one auction
house, one harness shop, thirty two
lawyers, twelve physicians, two dentists,
one photographer, three banks, one
knitting factory, six steam sawmills,
one planning mill, one single and lath
mill, five smelting-werks Qncluding one
each at Malta and Adelaide), and three
sampling-works. There is the usual num-
Der of saloonss and gambling hells, and
even dance-houses, to rob the unwary of
money and health and honor. The simple
enumeration of business houses CONVEYS
but faint idea of the volume of business
transacted. Many of the merchants car
~ stocks which would be considered pre-
posterously large in towns of similar
size at the East.
! And Leadville's future progress prom
iscs to be as brilliant as it's past. Be-
fore long 1t will enjoy the luxuries Of
pure water and gas. The water-works
are so far completed that the mains have
been laid, the hydrants put IN place
along several streets, and the water let in.
Gas has been authorized by nearly
unanlmsus vote of the citizens, and an
efficient fire department, with one hook
and ladder and two hose companies, has
been organized. Leadville's present tele-
graph facilities are to be doubled by the
use of a duplex machine. A two.wire
line from Pueblo is in process of CON-
struction, and was to have been COM
pleted by the first of June. The growth
OF the postoffice Is an index Of the rapid
progress of the town. One year ago the
Leadvllle postotice occupied seventy
nine corner in small building on Chest
nut street. In the single delivery win
COW stood call-bell, at whose warning
some clerk would enter from an adjoin-
ing store to wait on the expectant
citizen. There was no ey-order de-
partment. To-day the Office occupies
one OF the largest rooms in the city, and
requires the unremitting attention of
ten clerks. It has its separated ladies'
stamp and money-order departments.
Long lines of men may be seen at all
hours Of the day standing at the four
general delivery windows impatiently
waiting their turn And all this has
been accomplished within two years. AS
one of the citizens of Leadville writes
1t is simply magical, this creation of a
city IN the heart of the Rocky mountains,
two miles above the sea, in a twelve
month Hauper's Weekly.
Not Walkist.
1t is shame to give the Oakland girls
away in this manner, we know, but our