St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-04-08

which the city and state are enjoying.
is looked at with suspicion by many,
who expect another cold snap or dis
agreeable spell, and this is holding back
Much of the trade which retailers do
not now look for until the end of the
month. Then all hope for large in
crease in sales and great Improvement
in the summer business over that of last
year.
FROM BRADSTREETS.
1.-THE outlook is showing marked i'm
prOvement as the season advanc es,
said c. G. Cochrane, manager of Brad
streets, to the GLOBE. ''ln the earlier
part the outlook for Minnesota and the
Northwest was dubious. There was a
seeming uncertainty as to the quantity
of marketable product in the state, and
rather slow collections helped out that
feeling. While collections have not
been anything to brag of, it has been
found that there is more or less money
in the country, and sales of merchan-
disc have increased materially as the
weeks have gone by, showing feeling
of more confidence. Failures have been
few. A great many extensions and set
Elements have been made between
debtors and creditors where assets have
OCCu dlHpI0, Dub uOUlOlo nave UCCu uii-
able to realize upon them. l have no
figures to compare the spring trade this
year with that of last, but know that in
some lines the sales have been greatly
in excess of those for the first three
months of 1883. Everything indicates
fairly good year-So good that there
will be no cause for complaint. There
is large immigration to the Pacific
coast, and, in my opinion, much of this
is certain to drift back to Montana and
the Dakotas. Locally there is a great
deal of activity. 1t was expected that
rents would come down, but they re-
main firm. The large number Of people
looking for houses indicates most decid
edly that there is considerable new
growth in st. Paul"
This we'll sums up the situation. III
the wholesale quarter of ST. Paul there is
rush and hurry and hustle which indl-
Gates large and prosperous business,
while the retail districts show a graft
flying activity all things considered.
Now as to building:
WHERE THERE IS A BOOM.
The year 1888 was one of unparalleled
activity in building operations in st.
Paul, and what will be some of the
finest business and Office blocks IN the
entire country were put well under
way, while others, for which permits
were taken out the preceding year.
were completed. None but the most
stable city, one founded upon substan-
tial business interests. and great
and rich country all about MAX
ing it a metropolis of trade, could hope
to maintain its growth through the
dull times the country has been and
is experiencing. Yet the record of the
of
with the corresponding months of the
preceding year, shows a magnificent
increase in the building operations in
st. Paul, while it is well known
that many buildings of great size and
cost, to be erected the coming summer,
have not yet been put on record. Every
body has heard the complaint OF hard
times and tight money market, yet
there is no foundation for it if one
looks at the volume of trade in this
city, and the enormous amount of
building going on and being arranged
for. 1t has been not only rapid
growth in St.Paul, but steady growth:
and that it now not only equals, but
SurpasseS the record of preceding
years, tells of the character of the city
as nothing else could dc.
In looking over the building permits
one is struck by the fact that few large
business blocks appear in the list. Last
year the first three months permits in
cluded many such buildings, and before
the present month is ended several will
be added to the list, among them the
new opera house. But SO far nearly all
the permits issued in 1889 have
been for homes and tenements.
Each year st. Paul is becoming more
and more city of homes. The people
who come to st. Paul find at the end of
year that they have come to stay.
With business prosperous. with de-
lightful climate, and with charming
city. they are thoroughly satisfied, and
they set about to build a home. So,
after all, it is not surprising to find that
OF the 723 permits issued for buildings
during January, February and March
great majority are for comfortable
homes in desirable localities. At the
great boom in building, however, every
body was surprised. There is an old
saying that buried money always comes
to the surface. With the cry of hard
times abroad some are content to be-
lieve this. adding that of the buried
money st. Paul has certainly her full
share. 1t is to be questioned if any
city of the country, in proportion to
population, can begin to compare with
st Paul in building for the first three
months OF the present year.
In the first three months of 1888 the
permits for buildings numbered 463.
For the three months of this year the
permits issued reached a total of 723,
an increase of 65 per cent. The esti-
mated value of the buildings for the
same period in 1888 was S662, $40, while
for 1889 it runs up to the grand total of
81, 47,315-an increase of over 100 per
cent. This is, indeed, record to be
proud of. Each year there has been a
steady increase month after month. as
will be seen by the following compare
tive table:
1888 1880.
No. Est. Value. No. Est. Value