Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-06-25
THE LATEST BOOM.
Assurance of Rapid Transit Makes
Business in Rural Districts.
WILLIAMSBURG SPREADING OUT.
A Crop Estimate Showing That 1t is in a
Satisfactory Condition.
ANCIENT AND MODERN MONEY VALUES.

The assurance of rapid transit at an early
day has given quite boom to property In
several outlying districts, notable among
which is Lakewood and vicinity. A real
estate dealer on Fourth avenue informed me
yesterday that about 18 months ago he en-
tered plan of lots at this place on his
books, and up to two or three weeks ago he
had not sold one of them.
About that time people became convinced
that rapid transit was sure thing, and such
demand set in for the lots in question that all
of them-l5-have been sold.
The difference between values and wages in
ancient and modern times is not so great as
many persons think. A penny was the day $
wage of a common laborer at the beginning OF
the Christian era. Its value, as estimated by
the American standard, was Is cents, but as
money was worth ten times as much then as
now, its purchasing power was equal to 81 so of
our money. A common laborer, therefore,
1000 years ago, received the same compensa-
sation as is being paid by the State at Johns
town.
On the same basis Judas received Sl6 96 for
betraying his Master. Joseph was sold by his
brethren for $ll 28. Abraham paid for the
field and cave of Machpelah about $4,000
Bucephalus, the famous war horse of Alexan-
de- the Great cost SOS 600.
Penn avenue, Williamsburg has long been
noted as the shabbiest street in the village but
a movement has set in which may ultimately
make it one of the best. Two or three lots on
that thoroughfare have lately changed hands,
and the purchasers propose to erect handsome
business houses as soon as possible. The av-
enue is being graded and paved. In other parts
of the village building is going on at lively
rate. Two business houses and number of
dwellings are in course of construction.
1t is said that ground will be broken for the
projected bank building and bakery adjoining,
IN a short time The walls of the Catholic
Church will be finished and ready for the roof
by the end of next month.
Nearly every person of thought and action
has hobby. Indeed, no man or woman can be
truly happy and useful without one. Hobby
lists are sometimes visonaries, doing no par
ticular good or harm. but more frequently
they are utilitarians of the strictest sort, and
spend their lives in the endeavor to elucidate
subjects of practical, everyday Importance. 1
met one of the latter sort yesterday. He ad-
mitted that he had hobby, and added:
For diverting our minds from the little
crosses which we all have to bear there is no
earthly solace So healing as subject in which
we are intensely misunderstanding to
which the thoughts may at any moment recur
when weary of the suggestions we would
escape When. in addition to being an inno-
cent diversion, ours is a useful study. we and
our fellow mortals are alike gamers. The per-
son who passes through life without being ain
enthusiastic student of something loses more
than he can appreciate.
81 emphasize the something, because nothing
do hot 0rrfrhf fr
be each persons field of work. Nature is gen.
erous: the field is the world With one it may
be rocks or ferns, with another moses or oaks;
or leaving untamed nature for applied science,
it may be the steam engine or the telescope,
the field of language or the human form. Each
mans hobby is really for him the most valua-
bic addition he can make to his own happiness,
and the most precious contribution on his part
to the sum total of human felicity and general
knowledge"
The condition of the crops Is thus set forth
in the Financial and Commercial Chronicle
which is good authority: The situation of
the crops, which so far as grain is concerned,
had experienced some setback during the first
half of the month under unfavorable weather
conditions, has now again become quite prom
isng In the Northwest where some Of the
spring wheat sections had been suffering from
drouth, the situation has been improved by
pretty general showers, while in the winter
wheat States, where there had been too much
rain, the situation has also changed for the
better. While these unpropitious circum-
stances have of course had some effect in re-
ducing the average condition, it is believed
that not much harm has been done which favor
able weather from now on will not repair.
''As regards corn, there has been less progress
than usual during the last few weeks because
of the rather low temperature, but as the plant
had previously been well advanced, the general
average still remains very high. In the case of
cotton, the weather conditions since the begin
ming of the month have had the effect Of max
ing the outlook for that crop very much more
satisfactory than before"