St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-01-25

Whatever business UTdHSdCtiOn lfl6y ell
gage in. Thus far they have not failed.
1t is believed that all who had the good
luck or judgment to jump into the
years ago, when West st. Paul
started forward so vigorously OH its pros
porous course, have made great deal
of money. If any one of them has failed
his name cannot now be called 10 mind.
Mr.. Charles Prescott at that time was
in unpleaSantly moderate circumStan-
ces. His financial difficulties did not
disturb him. so far as any one could see,
or cause HIM to become sour or NOR
| ose, but at the same time life would
! have slipped alongWith him good deal
more smoothly and pleasantly if he
could have had One-Qnarter of the means
he now has. He stuck to business, had
hope and confidence, together with
pluck. He has an abundance now,
owns an orange grove in Florida, spends
his winters SonIh, travels much of the
time during the balance of the year and
generally lives on the fat of the land.
Ii there is anything that he wants and
doesn't nave, his friends have not
discovered what it is.
G. II. Lienan came here from Chaska
in exceedingly moderate circumstances.
He went over to West st. Paul to live
because lots were very cheap over
there, and it was necessary for him to
live moderately. lie went into the real
estate business and has been in it more
or less ever since. and has accumulated
handsome fortune. One of his first
ventures was to organize a syndicate,
or kind of land and building company,
with Albert Schetfer and some others,
one of the principal ideas, or objects
of which was to sell lots to people
cheap, and aid them in erecting dwell
ing houses thereon, or even building
the houses for them. The business was
wholly carried on in West st. Paul, and
was decided success from the start.
Paul Martin is name that is more
frequently heard in West st. Paul, prob
ably. than any other. Mr.. Martin is
man that has had Singularly success
full career in business. He is the hustler
of the hustlers, and stands prominent in
the real estate line. When the boom
started in West st. Paul he was at work
at day labor. and earned but scanty
wages. He managed to dip in little
in very small way. A little cheap lot
or two was the beginning. and by active
and judicious handling of the first lot
or two he got stake. Not large one,
but something. This first success
tempted him to further efforts, and
thus by small successes at first and per-
sistent activity he gradually succeeded
in accommodating large fortune. 1t is,
of course, difficult to say how much,
5000, 900, and may be much more. All
of which has been gathered together
within few years. and by his own eX-
ertions.
The Lawton brothers have also been
remarkably successful in West St Paul
realty. Like those named above, they
devoted all their attention lowest st.
Paul property. Like the other hustlers,
they have bought and sold freely and
are erecting several large and costly
business blocks on what was formerly
called the ''fats." R. NJ. Lawton, oJae
of the brothers, is erecting fine bust
ness block on the corner of Winifred
street and Brown avenue.
w. r. Sache also had confidence and
Joined in with the active throng that
was buying real estate. He can easily
clean up 100000.
The ST. Croix Lumber company
bought in West St. Paul for its lumber
yard one block at ridiculously low fig
ure, and without an effort cleared $780,
600 on it.
Ex-Ald. Minea is another fortunate
and active mOney-maker in West st.
Paul. tie has from time to time bought
heavily in realty, and even boldly. He
was among the first that started in with
the early real estate movement there,
and he has stood by it without waver-
ing. Like all others, he has accumu-
lated large fortune. and is engaged in
erecting a number of large business
blocks.
The Wilgus brothers were early in
the fight, and have always had the
greatest confidence in West St. Paul.
They are known among men, and eS-
pecially among real estate men, as re-
markably smart and alert, with eyes
and ears wide open for trade. While
these gentlemen have dealt mostly in
West st. Paul realty, looking at that as
having the most money in it, they have
also dealt heavily in property in all
other parts of the city.
Grlggs Bros, the commission men,
have dealt heavily in West st. Paul
realty, and have erected some large
warehouses in the Sixth ward. Their
accumulatiOns in that ward have been
very large.
S. Lee Davis was one of the first to
take hold of property south of the river,
and he has been one of the successful
dealers, and has made a fortune out of
real estate.
B. l. Bravton is another of the same
class. Like all the others he had con-
fidence in the property in the flat, aud
he has dipped in heavily and has taken
out large pile.
James Bell, William Berlandi, Chester
Hitchcock are also among the success
full ones, and each one has seen their
investments increase daily and run into
the thousands without any effort on
their part.
W. A. Somers. while city engineer,
several years ago became convinced
that realty in West st. Paul, though at
that time regarded as of no value,
would at some time in the futule, adj
vance. He accordingly put in consid-
cradle money. He bought principally
on what is called Prospect Park, at that
time held in slight estimation. Such
improvements have now been made in
all parts of West st. Paul, and espec-
tally on ''the flats,'' that these purchases
have proved very successful to Mr..
SOmers and put him into very salts
| factory financial situation.
|. st. Pierre furnishes another eXanl-
| pie of man accommodating fortune in
remarkably short time through judi
cIous investments in real estate and at
tending carefully to his business. A
few years ago he was a shoemaker in
the employ of GotZian & Co. He is one
of those men who bought small at first
and peddled out what he bought at an
advance. He gradually grew into the
business of buying and selling real
estate and was one of the pioneers in
buying it on 'the flats" 1t was just
such confidence in West st. Paul as was
exhibited by Mr.. ST. Pierre that has
lifted that part of the town up into such
prominence, graded its magnificent ave-
nues, and made a great city where but
a short time age there was little more
than a swamp.