St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-06-24
II Will Erect and Furnish Sew
eral Hundred Small Houses
for the People.
This Scheme of Rebuilding and
Furnishing to Cost Less
Than $5O0,000.
Twenty-Five Thousand People
Still B eing Fed--A Collision
Between Committees.


iision between the JohnStown citizens
committee and Gov. Beavers commits
sion over the matter and manner of
restoration of this city and its environs
is probable. Johnstown people have
an idea that with the hundreds of thou
sands of dollars donated for their re-
lief by the sympathetic people of this
and other countries something approx
mating the pristine condition of affairs
should result. The governors relief
commission think differently, and its
idea will likely go. Its members desire
10 place the means at their COM
mand in such manner as will
render comfortable all those enti-
tied TO assistance until such time
as they can by their own efforts make
permanent the Improvements they de-
sire. The Pittsburg members of the re-
lief commission took a look over the
grounds to-day. They have been not
little amused at the exaggerated reports
of losses caused to real and personal
property by the flood. A PittSburg
paper to-day published statement that
the losses would run from S20.0O0,000 to
S40.OO0.000. This statement set the COM
mission to figuring on the matter. and
the result is as follows: According to
the estimate of James Mcmillan,
Cyrus Elder and other leading business
men of Johnstown, the aggregate loss OF
houses was about 1.S00. This includes
the losses in the Conemaugh valley.
In figuring up what it requires to fur
nish house, including all necessary
articles. but of course without throwing
in any frillS, it takes about $50, eXclu-
sive of carpets. But for the sake of COM
putation. let US say that these 1,S00
houses would require 500 each to fur
nish them,l or S56O,000. but to give all
the margin necessary. let us call it half
million. So much for the furniture.
Now the average cost of replacing these
1,S00 houses would not be over $1,000
each, or S3,600,0G0 and again, TO give
margin to the people who may be in
credulouS TO these figures. let us put
this at S7,0O0,000 and you have nearly
what the aggregate cost of the flood is.
OF course these figures do not include
the losses of the Pennsylvania railroad
or the Cambria Iron company, but we
have nothing to do with them. From
this it will be seen that the real esti-
mate will not reach % per cent of the
amount published this morning. We
very much doubt if the assessed valua-
ton of all the property i'll Cambria
county is s20,OOO,O0O. We will go fur
ther: we very much doubt if the Cam
bria company is worth s20,000,000.
However, it is bad enough, and the
necessities of the people must
be looked to. and all aided at
the earliest possible moment. How
is this to be done? Let US figure.
When Gov. Beaver pays kack to Pitts
burg the $4,000 advanced from the re-
lief fund to pay off the laborers under
the volunteer system. Pittsburg will
have about 100000 with which to go to
work to relieve the wants of the people.
By relief now we mean giving them
houses and fitting them up for them.
This is what we propose to do. In ad-
e ditiun to this S500,000 there is probably
half million dollars in Philadelphia.
Gov. Beaver has in his hands a like
sum, Mayor Grant, of New York, has
sl50,000, and there are other
large sums in the hands of
heads of municipalities throughout the
country which are available at any
moment requisition is made for them.
Now as to rebuilding and furnishing
homes for the people. Pittsburg has
ordered 100 houses at 800 each, with
furnishments at $50 each. Gov. Beaver
has ordered 100 houses at 800 each,
100 others at sl25 each, and there will
be 100 stores put up on the public
square at a cost of $3.50 each. The cost
of the erection and furnishing of these
houses will of course, come out of the
funds already named. Now what will
these buildings aggregate? 100 houses
at 800 each each will cost $4,000
Their furnishings will cost $1,000 ad-
ditional: 100 houses ordered at $500 each
will cost $4,000, with $1,000 more fol
their furniture, and 100 houses at S12:
each with same furnishments, S17,500
This will make $4,000 for the erection
and furnishing of 500 houses. There
yet remains 1880 houses to be supplied
To do this will cost 1925. 200, with sS5,
600 for furniture. These figures show
that it will cost about $4,000 in round
numbers to do this building; but it viii
be found that great many of the citi
zens will want to put up their owl
buildings, and this. of course, will
tighten up the expenses of the genera
expenses of the general relief commit
tee materially. But to be liberal let u:
say that the cost of completing thi
scheme of rebuilding and furnishing
houses will be half million. We intent
to carry it out on this basis. Of course
some people will not be satisfied, bu
they must remember the circumstance
under which the work is being done
and that we are trying to do the great
est good for the greatest number, ant
in the end all will feel that we have beel
honest and sincere in our efforts in tbei
behalf. We don't believe it will cos
over S50O.G00 to clean up the streets ant
cellars of the city. With a force o
1900 men at work it will require abou
$4,000 week to pay them off, and wit
this force it will require not more thai
from ten to twelve weeks to finish VI
the work. 1t will be seen by theS
figures that the work of clearing up tn
streets will fail far below S500,000, NO
forgetting to include in this the $4,000
put up by the Pittsburg relief commit
tee to pay off the volunteer force"