National Republican., 1883-06-23
The REAL ESTATE MARKET.
The Boom Subsiding But Prices Firm and
Dealers Hopeful
Interviews With Several Prominent
Agents on the Subject
Full and Complete Description Of the New Opera
House and Casino.
Handsome Private Residences In Con-
temptation.

lots on washington heights during the past
week or two, and inquiries from many people
strongly indicative Of future trades. In con-
versation with Mr.. Green on tho general
situation that gentleman said
"Tho big traders have made heir purchases
for tho year, as rule, and now that they
have stepped out. OF gone away for the sum-
mer, the impression prevails that tho bottom
has dropped out Of the market. Such is not
the case. 1t Is a fact that there 10 loss hurrah
and excitement in real estate, aud for
the time being the conservative buy
ers are in possession Of tho field.
Conservative buyers are always bears In the
articles they are dealing and slow TO move.
They have been holding of In tho hope that
they may be able TO get shade better bar.
gains, but values, instead OF softening, are
getting hrmer, aud they are showing q dispo-
sition TO buy now. They SEQ that real estate
is quite rs near bed rock prices as 10 is liable
to get. The business was never on n hrner
foundation than II is to-day, and before the
summer is over look to SEQ o great deal of
purchasing for investment"
Messrs. Handy, sherman, Saunders, and
several other + street gentlemen, report nu.
merous inquiries from home and foreign par
ties, and prospects Of good business.
w. n Partello, WHO'S putting Sl50O00 into
new buildings this year, is an enthusiastic
believer in Washington. "Thisis the capital
of the nation" said he TO the reporter, "and
rich men from every city and town in the
country arc buying sites with the intention
of building residences. 1t Is possible that
there arc fewer costly houses going up this
year than last, but IL is equally true that
there are more houses in progress Of con-
struction, costing from $500 10
$1,000, than any season for years.
Men In moderate circumstances and
with moderate ideas are building them
selves homes and settling down to live in
comfort. This Is very encouraging feature
of the outlook. There arc more inquiries
from persons who have only few thousand
dollars than ever before. The near proximity
of the presidential election is having no in.
fuence on the market Washington is getting
too big for that sort Of thing. Its prosperity
Is established, and does not depend on party
supremacy in office. The city is bound to
grow steadily for many years. Its progress
since 1873 has been steady, and it will be
equally so during our lifetime.
Messrs. Fitch, Fox & Brown report con-
tinued inquiries in regard to the Columbian
heights property. and report several sales Of
lots to persons who will shortly build there.
A prominent real estate dealer said that the
activity in real estate during the spring, and
tho prominence that the newspapers had
given to the boom, had seemed to set the
owners of property wild as to the prices
which they thought they ought to obtain.
"One gentleman. said he, who owned a
piece of property on good avenue, which
we had been trying to sell for him at $1.75
per foot, came in and run it up to $3.50. Now
we could have sold it at $1,75, and possibly
could have gotten So for it, but $3.50 is out Of
the question. This is only one instance, and
could name more"
THE NEW OPERA HOUSE AND CASINO
The arrangements for the erection of the
opera house aud casino on Connecticut ave.
nue., between X and l. sire cts, are quietly
going on, and the studies or sketch plans
which have been invited from architects of
Boston, New York, Baltimore, and Washing
ton will be received on the twenty eighth
instant. OF course the company know about
what they want, and know how much
money they can spend on the enterprise, and
they desire TO obtain the best building for the
amount of money they have fixed-say
$175,000. So the right Is reserved to reject
any plan If the estimate is higher than that,
unless the architect can modify it so as to
come within their limit.
The ground plans already determined upon
indicate an opera house in the north wing of
the building l25 by 50 feet. Tho stage will
be so by so feet, with six proscenium boxes of
commodious size on either side. In the circle
there will also probably be boxes arranged for
four or six persons, SO arranged that the par
titions can be taken out and tho seats made
continuous as in the rest of the circle. On
the second floor will be a gallery, the front to
be occupied with row of fourteen "loges,"
the partitions of which can also be removed,
connecting with a second tier of boxes. This
gallery will be reached by four broad
stairways leading from the first floor.
There will also be spacious balcony accessi-
BILE from this floor, over the porte cochere, with
doors leading to the dining rooms and draw
ing rooms of the casino. The public restau-
rant and casino cloak and reading rooms are
also reached from the first floor. A second
gallery will also be erected. The dressing
rooms and green room are in the rear of the
casino, to the south of the stage, occupying
two floors, and this position will leave the
stage perfectly free. The proscenium arch
will be forty feet and the depth of the stage
fifty feet. The orchestra chairs will
have novel and convenient arrange
ment which will obviate the usual disturb
ance and annoyance caused by late comers.
The chairs will be arranged in rows of fours,
approachable from either SIDE and the end
chairs will be constructed so as to fold up
laterally when the occupant rises, thereby
allowing space enough in the four aisles for
rapid and easy exit. The entire front, eighty
feet, opens on the street for exit from the four
principal and auxiliary aisles, making in all
eight wide avenues for use. In case Of emer-
gency muftled doors opening into the casino
can be utilized.
The casino will be in the south wing Of the
building, and will be built around a con-
servatory or court about ffty-six feet long
and forty feet wide, warmed aud covered
with glass in the winter. In the south end
of this will be placed an almost continuous
sheet of cathedral glass, There will be a
fountain in the center and plants and flowers
will be arranged around tho open space. A
twelve-foot entrance hall leads from a porte
cochere, approached by semi-circular car
riage drive, The casino cafe and restaurant,
60by 1s feet in size is to the right OF this, with
spacious yeranda in the rear aud
tables outside in the conservatory.
On the other side of the hall
will be large general room. Back Of the
conservatory is tho casino ROOM with ample
accommodations for ladies, including reading,
dressing, aud writing rooms. On the second
floor will be suite of rooms to be used for
entertainments, consisting of a supper and
TWO drawing rooms, with private dining
and casino room A broad gallery for prom
enadinR runs around the conservatory. A
ball room rs by 40 feet occupies the rear.
All these rooms can be made to open into one,
and, with the opera house made level, will
furnish ample accommodations for inaugural
balls or great occasions.
Some have spoken of this opera house as a
toy theater, but the directors determined
upon the seating capacity of 900 after most
careful consultation with the most expe-
rienced theatrical managers, and the stage
will be larger than most Of the theaters re-
Gently built.
II Is expected that the buildings will be fin
ished by next February, and that a spring
saaaon of attractions will ha givan in the M eV