St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-12-25

plainly diScerni0le. Last seasons in
telligent work has nearly completed
the river bOulevards and parks, and has
put the finishing touches on Riawatha
and Minnehaha parks, on opposite sides
of the river-beyond question the two
most magnificent breathing spots in the
country. One hundred and fifty feet of
either bank Of the river. as will be re-
membered, were secured three years
ago, extending from the university to
the Smelling reservation, and includ-
ing Riverside park. The eighty
foot boulevard is entirely conf
pl eted. and at Thirty-sixth street,
on the west bank of the river, connects
with the boulevard running to and en-
circling Lake Como. That beautiful
sheet has been completely redeemed,
and is now the beauty spot of the east
ern half of Twincite. The claims of the
extreme eastern section have not been
neglected, and the oldest inha bitant
could not recognize in the crystal sheet,
with its park and drives, its pavilion
boat house and steamer landing on the
river, the once malOdOrouS surroundings
of Pigs Eye lake. And far off in the
sOutht asst. from the observatory, may be
caught a glimpse of the shrubbery and
! CLEAN of the statuary that are the
pride of Alta park, crowBing the sum-
NIT of the bluffs in the old Sixth ward.
WONDERFUL BUILDING FIGURES. y
The building figures for the year just
closed-the end of the nineteenth ecu
tury-must be something enormous.
The footingS are incomplete as yet, but
estimates run to upwards of $l25. .o0e.-
O00. The amount expended by the two
great packing concerns that removed
here from Chicago will not tall short of
l0.000.O00, while the great union sta
ton and terminal facilities of the Twin
cite Belt Line company will reach more
than half that sum. Eleven buildings,
exclusive of public structures, have
Deen erected at cost Of over 81 ,000,-
600 each, while the city has
expended over two millions in
school buildings, including the new high
school. which was, after some little con-
trOyersy, exc; ;uded from Triangle park.
The fremont Temple of Amusement,
the Masonic Temple. the Academy of
Science, the Auditorium and the Metro
pOlitan -MuSeum-all designed within
the year-will cost an average of a
| million dollars each. while the figures
for the palatial residences fronting on
Triangle park will run far into the
millions. Beyond doubt Twincite will
again lead New York and Chicago in
building for the year, aud by larger
margin than that of 1899.
LAKE SUPERIOR WATER SUPPLY.
The greatest municipal accomplish.
ment since the amalgamation of the
cities has been the establishment of the
,, new water supply system. For ten
years the battle had been waged for in
creased water facilities for each of the
old cities, and for years it was met with
the same argument, that the then pres
ent existing System-particularly for st.
Paul-was adequate. And so, indeed,
it was. But who uld have predicted
the miracle of growth? Who could have
spanned the wonderful increase from
S.000.0O0 gallons daily for the 100000
people of st. Paul, to over $4,000, ,00D
gallons daily for the million inhabitants
or Twlncite? Four years ago, when the
solution OF the water problem was first
attacked. Mile Lacs was the objective
/ point of the calculations, but actual ex-
| perimentS at that basin quickly de-
veloped the fact that once drained there
was strong possibility that Mile Lacs
| would not again replenish itself, and it
was at once abandoned. A scheme TO
utilize the st. Croix river was also aban-
d0Ded as impracbicable, and when the
| gravity OF the situation dawned, Lake
| Superior alone offered the required pos
| Sibillties and was chosen. The ponder
GUS pumping machinery near West Su-,
| periOr, where the great crib is located.
| now keeps the aqueductS constantly
! lowing and the four great reservoirs,
| each with capacity Of 6O,000.000 gal
] ions, place all danger of a water short
age beyond the bounds even of a posi-
bility. Since the destruction of the great
| plant of the Liverpool No-Hoop Barrel
| company in 1898, there has been no
large fire to test the water supply as
| fire-fghting weapon, but since the in
| PRODUCTION of the new jackson instan-
! taneous electric extinguishers, il is be-
| lieved the day of fOrce-pumping engines
has passed away. City water has never
been so cheaply furnished, and the ordi-
| nary hydrant supply is so cool in the
| middle of summer that ice has ceased to
be necessity except for winter carni-
walls. The number Of fountains that in
the season may be seen playing in the
| new and swell residence sections have
given to Twincite the popular sobriquet
| Of Fountain City.
FIFTH CITY OF THE UNION.
There is an universal and even fever
iSh interest manifest in the decennial
government census to be taken this
year, as it is believed, and with good
ground, that Twincite will be found to
be the fourth city in the Union. The.
race between it and Philadelphia will
be an exciting one, and there is not
difference of $1,000 in their populations.
A conservative estimate places the total
number of souls in Twincite at above
| 1O, O,000, 900. while the ordinary real estate
pamphlet and newspaper annual swells
| that figure to nearly 100000. In 1895,
when the last state interdecennial cen
sus was taken. st. Paul and Minneapo-
| lis had each within few thousand of
$4,000 people. but since the amaiga-
nation the growth has been so plie-
nODenal that the more sanguine and
enthusiastic feel warranted in as
serting the population has doub-
led In the past fys years.