Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1883-02-03

the Recent Hotel Fires-Ihe Rise of
the "Flat' Hoase-NeiU YOrk's
Great Society BaUs,--The Patri-
archs's and +. C.. ID. C.-HoW they
are Managerial Womdn's Insu-
rance Conapany.-A Proposal to In
sure Lives of Horses.
New York, January 23d, 1888.
Our sister city, Brooklyn, is at pres
ent actively engaged seeking solu-
ton of the Rapid Transit problem
which is growing to be a very impor-
tant question. An Elevated Road
connecting the East River Bridge with
the more distant parts of Brooklyn is
inevitable, but, after the experience
New York has had and is still having
with her elevated roads, it is quite ma
tural that the authorities are looking
very carefully before they leap. May
or Low is at present considering sew.
eral propositions. One of them is that
the city should own all the rapid
transit lines and lease them to individ-
uals or corporations for operation.
Mr.. Corbin, Of Manhattan Beach fame,
the President of the Long Island Rail-
road, has submitted plan, the most
prominent feature of which is that it
acknowledges primo tdcie right of
property owners whose lands may
uffer, to lay claim to damages. The
objection to this project is the extreme
difficulty of properly appraising and
adjusting the damages that will be
claimed. Several other schemes and
propositions are under consideration
but these two are the leading ones.
Mayor Low who is very active and
clear headed man is devOting all his
spare time to this question, and he
seems determined not to be hustled
INTO decision by the urgent neces-
-ity of establishing some means of
quick transportation.
Investors and spectators who
placed large sums of money in the
hands of builders for the purpose of
erecting vast apartment houses, are
beginning to feel uneasy. A reaction
has set in in the universal desire to
i've in them, and should this turn out
| 10 be more than momentary feeling,
he crash which will bring down large
spectators will be heavier than the
awful real estate collapse of some years
,go. When first these houses were
-tarted they proved good investment.
People were glad to have all their
| rooms on the floor, to have accomoda-
lions and conveniences which they
| could not enjoy in private house
| without additional servants, and to
| enjoy the novelty of joining the COM
:orts of home with some of the adj
| vantages of hotel. Then everybody
with money to invest put it in apart
nent houses, and speculative builders
IAN enormous risks in building such
| caravansaries by tens and twenties
md in one or two cases 10y fifties. But
the risk was crowned with success.
These houses were built to height of
i've, six and seven stories; they We're
furnished in the most elaborate style,
provided with every modern conve-
hence, and given high sounding at
ractive names. Apartment houses
'ecame the fashion, and the rents
| asked and given were enormous. The
'uilding of so many of them, however
brought rents down, but even now
money invested in them brings from
seven to fifteen per cent, per annum,
IN enormous interest when one can
'btain but five per cent, for money
,oaned on first class bonds and mort
RACES.
And is all this to be changed? 1t is
well known fact that frequently the
smallest causes bring about the grea-
lest results. I met prominent real
| estate man the other day in Broadway.
He seemed to be very depressed.
Said he "that destruction of the New
hall House Milwaukee by fire, and the
! subsequent hotel fires have had bad,
a very bad effect. People who live in
TALL houses and particularly those who
occupy upper flats have got scared.
Our janitors say SO, and / know hotel
| clerks can hardly get guests to go
| above the second floor. If only this
thing had not happened so near May, :"
and he walked away in very thought
full mood. After all this may be only
momentary scare but should few
more fires of the kind alluded to occur
there will be general exodus to sub
urban places and property OH Long
Island, Brooklyn, Jersey City, West
chester County and other contiguous
places will advance accordingly.
Tomorrow evening the Charity Ball
takes place. This used to be the great
event for New York's upper society,
but it's place has been taken by the
Patriarch's, the Family Circle Dane
ing Glass, and the Matriarch's balls,
all of these are very close corporations.
The Patriarch's consist of fifty leading
gentlemen. They subscribe each $50,
for the three balls annually given by
them. This entities them to nine
invitations, five gentlemen and four
ladies. The +. G.. ID. G.. has a MEM
bership of about two hundred. Each
of the members subscribes $12, whic!,
entities him or her to admission 10
three balls. Well introduced visitors
may obtain cards of admission at four
dollars for each ball. The Matriarch' Is
balls were organized this winter by :,
number of leading society ladies to re-
pay the compliments ofthe Patriarch's.
This body is similarly managed to
that of the Patriarch's, except that