Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-04-14
TELL-TALE FIGURES.
The Bank Clearings Away Ahead Of
Last Years Rosy Record.
BUSINESS QUIET BUT GROWING.
Agitation in Favor of Widening Diamond
Street Making Converts.
WHY PITTSBURG STREETS ARE MUDDY

provement multiply. The opening of the
lake trade will affect variety of interests,
give employment to labor and assist In the
distribution and interchange of commodities
which accumulated during the winter. 1t
will be of especial benefit to iron manu-
facturers by lowering the rates on ores.
Spring work is progressing, and the growing
crops are in good condition. Early fruits
and berries are believed to have escaped the
frost. This is of great Importance to the
country tributary to Pittsburg. Dealings in
stocks and oil were of moderate proportions,
and generally at a lower range Of prices. The
close was dull and barely steady. There was
better demand for iron, aud prices were firm.
The drygoods jobbing trade was active many
| large country orders having been filled. Beal
estate maintained its old-time activitJ the sales
being noted in The DISPATCH from day to
day. Money was in better demand, indicating
an expansion of business. The clearings for the
week were 81, 900 larger than for the same
| time last year. There were recorded during the
| week 1872 mortgages for loans aggregating $524,-
953. Included was one for $4,000. one for S25,-
0OO, one for $751; 600, one for Sl5OO0 one for S12-
6OO, one for 1000 one for S. 000 and 15 for sums
ranging from s., 900 to 81, 500. A large proper
tion of the total amount was for purchase
money. The rates were from ~ to per cent.
The feeling in favor of widening Diamond
street seems to be gaining ground. The more
| 1t is talked of the more manifest becomes its
| Importance and necessity if done under wise
conditions as to the allotment of the cost.
Whatever may be done, just regard for the
| rights Of property holders should be observed.
Said a gentleman yesterday: 81 recently made
| an investment on Diamond street in the belief
| that it would be widened. If had not thought
SO would not have purchased. I know of
Others who have lately acquired property there
with the same, expectatation. If widened the
street would be one of the best for business
purposes in the city, and property on it would
| be rated as high as it is on
Fifth or Wood. I think the enhancement
of values would more than pay the cost. So,
instead of anybody losing, all wonld be gaining.
Looking at it in this light, I think every prop
| erty owner on the street would be immensely
| benefited by the improvement and I am at a
loss to see how anyone can take different
! view of it. The north side of the street above
| Smithheld is all right and but little is neces-
sary to be done on the south side to bring it in
line. The bulk of the work, therefore, lies be-
| tween Smithfield and Market where the chief
benefit would fall. With SO little to be done
and such good results sure to follow, cannot
but think the opponents of the scheme are
standing in their own light"
A Philadelphia gentleman who was in the
| city day or two ago, remarked that Pittsburg
| had the muddiest streets he had ever seem If
| he had been to the manor born he would have
known the reason. Pittsburg streets, unlike
those of Philadelphia, were made for use and
not for ornament. They are daily traversed by
thousands of heavily laden vehicles drawn by
| from tW0 f0 ei INN Tha od
tear of this constant and heavy traffic is SO
great that no kind OF pavement yet discovered
| is able to sustain 1t without damage. These
vehicles, coming from all directions, carry
more or less mud with them, which they dis
tribute impartially throughout the city. If
Pittsburg did less business it would have more
attractive looking streets; but their present
condition is preferable to that which would re-
suit if they were given over to the owners
of dainty carriages and morocco-shod pedes-
trians. The difference in this respect between
Pittsburg and Philadelphia is so radical that a
just comparison between the two is impossible
-one is hive of industry; the other place of
elegant ease.
Pittsburg is suffering from a scarcity of bust.
ness houses in the central part of the city,
real estate agent said yesterday that he had
had numerous applications for this description
of property within few days, which he had
been unable to meet He didn't know of
single business house for rent in the district in
question, and added: while this is a great
drawback to the city, by shutting out enter
prises of various kinds which would employ
large capital and utilize much of the unem-
ployed labor, don't see how it can be helped
SO long as people want to crowd themselves into
what is called the business center, where all the
houses are full and no room to build more. If
they would be willing to go out Fifth avenue
Liberty, Penn or other leading thoroughfares
they could be accommodated There they
could either rent or build. That these streets
will be largely given up to business in the near
future is beyond question. All of them are
traversed, or soon will be. by cable or other
cars, rendering transportation easy and making
them almost as desirable for business purposes
as streets further down town. A movement of
this kind is already in progress, quite number
of stores and light manufacturing concerns
having been located out there within year or
two, and am advised that others will follow
this season. The Capitalization of business
has for years been great disadvantage to the
city, and it has forced up rents to SO high
figure that only big establishments are able to
pay it, and they must do a rushiag business to
make both ends meet. This crowds out people
with moderate capital. By spreading business
out as suggested everybody would have q
chance. There is no reason why there should
not be large drygoods, grocery. hardware.
drug and other stores in every part Of the city.
instead Of consolidating them in one locality.
1t would be of great advantage to the public to
be able>to purchase what they want near home
instead of being compelled to take day off
and go to town for it. The city is getting too
big for one little business CENTER"
A year or two ago Dallas was one of the most
unsightly places on the line of the Pennsyl-
vania Railroad. A brickyard was the princi-
pal ornament on one side, while on the other
piles of garbage and other refuse caused the
people who had business that way to hold their
noses as they hurried through. Now for the
other side of the picture. The brickyard has
been removed, the ground leveled up and sod
ded and number of handsome cottages built
Transforming the place SO completely that even
old residenters scarcely recognize it. Other
improvements are projected which will make
the change still more marked and surprising 1t
is understood that the Pennsylvania Railroad
Company will recognize the spirit of progress
by putting up handsome station in place of
the one that has so long been an abomination
to the community