Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-10-25
UNCLE SANS SOIL.
A Movement to Induce Him to Sell
His Penn Avenue Possessions.
LOCATING CARNEGIE'S LIBRARY.
Building Operations Next Year Promise to
Smash ALI the Records
OLD PITTSBURG'S LONGEST STREETS

There Is a quiet movement on foot among
certain property holders on Penn avenue to
have an act passed by the coming Congress
to condemn and sell the Government prop
erty on the corner of Penn avenue and Gar
rison alley, running through to the river,
upon which stand two old buildings on the
Penn avenue front, one of which is used as
recruiting station and the other as a
bonded warehouse. A prominent local pol
itician is engineering the scheme.
1t was suggested by the gentleman from
whom these facts were obtained yesterday,
that this would be an admirable location for
the Carnegie library building, the grounds
being ample and so situated as to make struc-
ture of the kind proposed show of to the best
advantage.
Pittsburg architects and contractors are Of
one mind in saying that the building outlook for
next year is all that could be desired. A con-
tractor said yesterday that this years building
record. good as it is, would be badly broken in
1880. for the reason that capitalists would go
into the business on large scale. They have
found that building houses and selling them is
the best way to employ their money. 1t is now
known that at least three fats will be built
ucAt season, SO as TO InOrOuEnly beeL Iue Quce-
ton of their adaptability to this locality.
All this is encouraging to those who are iden-
tilted with the building trade as contractors,
mechanics. etc., and scarcely less SO to dealers
in building material, heaters, lighting aDpli-
ances, electrical goods and other essentials to
comfort and convenience.
The iron market continues active, though the
excitement Of last and previous weeks has in
measure subsided. Prices are firm and un-
changed, but a further advance is not improba-
bic, since coke is creeping up and iron must
necessarily keep it company. Coke is now
selling at 81 a ton for small lots The mills are
very busy, with orders several months ahead
of their capacity.
Shipments are greatly delayed by the scarcity
of cars, which not only affects the iron trade,
but every other branch of business depending
in any degree upon the railroads for transporta-
ton.
In speaking of the bulls and bears yesterday,
a stock broker remarked: From my own
perience l am inclined to believe that, in the
long run, good steady bear has the best of it.
He is quieter sort of animal-slothful, per-
haps but satisfied to wait for his prey, and
when the latter comes his way he sits on him
with vengeance.
"a bull is more excitable, fitting madly at ev
erything in sight, rushing around without any
apparently defined object, and often making
much cry and little WOOL Both bulls and
bears are, however, very ugly animals to pur-
sue. Pittsburg is great resort for bears"
The following description of Pittsburg was
written in 1929:
"The town contains about Is, 900 inhabitants,
consisting of native Americans, Irish, Germans.
nd wis is m
ably situated for trade and commerce, being at
the head of steam navigation. 1t is the mart Of
the western part of New York and Virginia and
the whole of Western Pennsylvania, while the
Ohio river opens to the enterprise of its citizens
the entire Valley of the Mississippi. 1t is des-
tined to become one of the largest manufact-
ur1ng centers in the country"
The last sentence was prophetic The pre-
diction has been more than fulfilled.
Pittsburg's longest street is Penn. It ex-
tends from the Point to wilkins burg. dis
tance of about eight miles. The next longest
is Forbes, about six miles. Carson street,
Southside, is nearly as long. Fifth avenue is
about five miles long. Liberty avenue is about
the same length. Sarah street. Southside, is
four miles long.
All of these streets are paved, and all are
traversed by street cars. TIL ere is great deal
of wealth in land, houses and business on each
of them.
Prot. N. s. Shaler, of Harvard, after a care
full consideration Of the much neglected condi-
ton of the common roads in this country,
makes the following suggestions:
II would in the first place suggest that in the
Federal Department of Agriculture there
should be commissioner of roads, having at
his command sufficient means to prepare and
print as public documents accounts of the con-
pition of roadways in this country, with essays
on the method Of their construction. Each
State should likewise have commissioner of
public ways, whose duty it should be to ad-
vance education in this class of questions in
every possible manner. To him the town and
county road commissioners should be required
to report. He should cause to be constructed
a map showing the location and condition of all
roadways in the State. These ways he should
classify as regards their condition"
Prof. Shaler adds a few remarks which will
be appreciated by readers in the country dis
tricts around Pittsburg: "Our country folk
wallow In the mire of their ways, pay excessive
tolls. endure, IN word, grinding taxation, gen.
Grafton after generation, without appreciating