St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-12-23


perity, but to Minneapolis it was
but a llcecy cloud passing over
the clear sky of progress as an
accent mark. There is no credit in adj
vaucement under clear skies and
fair winds. "TO the stars through
difficulties" was the motto of
1858, and Minneapolis therefore rounds
up the year with considerable inward
satisfaction. In ser onward rush to
greatness, she was StOpped by the as
sault of 1883, but her momentum was
not overcome, and she can come to the
front with the same glowing results
that have been the wonder of the ma
ton for a decade. In but one single
particular is there room for regret.
There has been no boom in real estate
during the year. Every Western
city will make this same showing,
but what is an apparent misfortune is
an actual cause Of T joicing. Real estate
settled to a real, substantial basis, spec
ulatiVc and fictitious values disappeared
and city land rests upon its actual
worth, 50 that sales stand out, not as
specuatOns, but As demands for pur-
poses Of immediate improvement, and
that is the basis on which all legitimate
real estate transactions should rest.
This change has given sub
estate business. and the build
Ing has followed the example. The
year will always he remarkable for the
solid and enduring character of its
building Operati Ons. The growth of the
city is nowhere more conspicuous than
I'm the fact that its building has been
conducted ON a more metropolitan scale.
The single cottage has given way
TO the slightly series Of Gle
giant tenements and the single
store superseded by the massive
build NJ which occupies a block. In
this closing year Minneapolis has, there
fore, eclipscd all previous records in the
building line. The total amount of the
building will De estimated all the way
from $ll,000.G0O to $l6, 100000. but il is
not the figure that counts. The results
show for themselves, and with them
Minneapolis is ready to 20 before the
world.
Whocar for these dry statistics. any
how? Who reads them? There are peo-
pie who delight in flooding their Eastern
friends with oceans of Minneapolis fig
ureS. but they are never read. II fifty
and fOurtenths miles of water mains
are laid, or tWcntyfour miles OF streets
graded, il is we'll enough to say so
briefly and COnCiSeiy, but who could
avoid being Surfeited with that same
story extended over two columns of rule
and figure work? 1t is an interesting fact
that the output of the Minneapolis |
flour mills for 1855 will reach the euor-
nous total of nearly 100000 barrels, |
or that the wheat receipts for the wear
Will exceed 50,O0O.0O0 bushels, clearly
GROWING Minneapolis as the great pri-
mary wheat market of America; but
those pleasing attributes of the city'S
greatness are not improved by the frame
work of two columns each OF statistical
drynesS. Ii is like diluting a glass of
rare wine in caSk of Mississippi
river water. The lumber cut reaches
nearly 800, 000,0c0 feet; the bank clear
lngS over S2O0, 100000; the number of
banks Increased TO tWenty-onc, and
their capital to nearly $4,000, eco; even
the real estate business has held up;
each of these gems of progressive art
makes a picture of itself, without the
necessity OF statistical adOrnment.
All of this Minneapolis has accom-
pliShed in the backward year of 1883. |
And il was bad year. Business suf- !
fered everywhere and the crops were
light. The presidential campaign tore
up the entire country, and as Minneap-
offs was the theater of Il fiercey fought
fight itself, it felt the effect dOublV. |
Business dropped and languished as
the first consequence. Real estate
stood still. Then came the reaction
the revival. and since the end of the
election excitement a fair start
for 1889 has been obtained. But there
was one essential element of growth |
that never checked, and that was the !
increase of population. 1t is estimated !
by those who are in position TO know |
a lot it,t
lSSS was greater than in any other in its /
history. The round 100000 claimed is. !
of course, approximate, as no one can !
know the precise figure until the gov
eminent census in 1890; but the heavy
Increase in the vote, in the school emu |
meratOn and in the directory census is |
reliable foundation for the belief that
the population received large accesSlons !
during the year.
As the city grows so do its improve |
mentS ard expenses. Each years out |
lay exceeds that of IFS predecessor until |
5000, coo is placed at the figure neceS-
Sary to meet all of the bills. This is not !;
Il striking tribute to the city greatness. |
and the amount might, with justice, !
show falling off in 1889 without i'm |
pairing the municipal credit, but the !
large increase is almost entirely due to !
the effects of the increase of the munich |
pal territory and city officials In this
regard Il sweeping reform is promised |
and 1889 will open with a godlike eX-
preston of retrenchment on lis youth i
full countenance.
So 1883 is practically rounded up for /
Minneapolis, and the retrospective !
glance is satisfactory. The year climbed :
q pleasant activity from which the
future smilingly may he viewed 1t is
universally held that 1889 will mark a /