Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-05-29
A VALUABLE STRIKE.
Good Water Found on a Hilltop Over
An Abandoned Coal Mine.
AN OLD-TIME TAlLORS' PARADISE,
Mortgage Laws Of Pennsylvania More
Liberal Than Those of Ohio.
WHAT TWO MEN HAVE LIVED TO SEE

An important strike was made al
West End Place, back of Temperanceville,
yesterday. Hitherto scarcity of water has
been drawback to that otherwise favored
locality This prevented sales and greatly
retarded the growth of the place. But this
cause of complaint seems to have been over
come and bountiful supply of the Prohibi-
ton fluid assured. Some time ago one of
the lot owners began drilling well on the
top of the hill. At "a depth of 80 feet a
stream of pure, cold, sparkling water was
struck, which gives every evidence of hold
ing ont 1t is Just on top of an exhausted coal
pit, that has not been worked for 25years. This
strike will no doubt increase the demand for
lots in West End Place.
Wood street, from Fifth avenue to the river,
has undergone almost a complete transforms
ton since decade or less before the war. An
old citizen who has a vivid recollection of its
ancient appearance said yesterday: "Wood
street of to-day is one of our finest thorough
fares. But it was not always so. remember
distinctly when it was lined on both sides by
shanties there being very few good houses
among them. But it was hive of industry,
even more than now. What was the principal
business do you suppose? Tailoring. Almost
every house on the street was tailor shop.
That was before the era of cheap clothing, and
the demand was immense. Steamboating was
then at its height here, and the people thus en-
ployed were the principal customers Fashion
was little regarded by these rough and
hardy men, comfort and lndivid-
ual taste being the sole. guides
for the tailor. The consequence was an assort-
ment of styles that gave a picturesq ne, il not
elegant appearance TO the wearers. There was
big money in the business then. Suits brought
$40 or $50 that would now be thought dear atSl0
or SIS. Sometimes a customer would leave the
tailor in the lurch by not taking his clothes or
refusing to pay for them, and then there was
trouble. One of these difficulties led to muir
der, the particulars of which forget. When
the steamboat business fell away these tailors.
or nearly all OF them. quit the business, which
was no longer profitable, and engaged in other
pursuits. The descendants of part of them
still ply the needle or are the proprietors of
clothing stores"
The large mortgage business in Pittsburg is
conducted almost entirely with home money.
Early in the season few Eastern capitalists
sought to invade the field, but they soon
found out they were not wanted, and with
drew. Pennsylvania laws, while protecting the
ably to this branch of business. On this point
a broker said yesterday: zone reason why SO
many mortgages are placed in this State and
in this locality, is that they can be closed up
without any unnecessary delay or expense
While the borrower is given ample time to
meet his obligation, the rights of the lender are
carefully guarded. This encourages capitalists
to invest their money in this form of security
and is good for all concerned. am glad tosay
that very few foreclosures occur. If the laws
in Ohio were as liberal in this respect as ours,
that would be one of the best States in the
Union for the money lenders But mortgages
are SO hedged about with red tape that it re-
Quires years to close them up. The borrower
has all the advantage there, and the conse-
quence is that comparatively few mortgages
are placed. 1 have had, many applications to
lend money on Ohio realty. but have always
refused for the reason stated"
An old gentleman who did business in neigh
boring town made a casual remark about 40
years ago that was the other day brought Wv |
idly to his memory by one of his friends.
What he said was: "Dave, Iwould like to visit |
this world 100 years hence, just to see what i'm
provements have been made" Both of these |
men have lived to see the railroad, the teIe- |
graph, the telephone, the electric light, the !
electric street car, tie phonograph, and graph |
ophone and probably 0,000 other inventions in |
successful operation that save labor and con-
tribute to the pleasure and comfort of man.
kind. since the remark above quoted was made. |
Meeting by chance they talked over these mat |
ters. Both were impressed with the immensity |
of the possibilities in store for an energetic |
and intelligent people. and were ten times |
more anxious to revisit the earth 100 years
hence than they were 40 years ago-one of |
ia NIl,-AT
would not even know the tools used in NV |
trade"