The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1890-05-04
GALVESTON AND ITS HOPE.
TIE BILL IN CONGRESS ron DEEP
ENLNG TIE SHIP CHANNEL.

whit deep Water" Means to the Texa'
CIty-A Look at GaivestOn-Its Real Es
tate Boom-Some Lucky SpecuIations.
GALVESTON, May Tho boom Is on II
the great State Of Texas. Bone cities and dis
tricts have been booming for N year or moro
and the movement is spreading over the State
1t has Just reached Galveston, though here II
exists as yet In somewhat modified form AZ
compared with its development at some othel
points The population oil this city by the
census Of 1880 was about $4,000. IT'S estimated
population now as Indicated by the most re-
cont directory statistics, Ia $1,000. Some OF the
strangers who havo recently visited the city
place 1t at $4,000 to 10000. A citizen Of Calves.
ton who makes what he thinks is correct
estimate puts 1t at 10000. Tho growth has been
large and steady but property values have not
increased In proportion. and land has been
cheap. For years real estate has, for various
reasons been very greatly depressed.
Tho city in It's own location. and In It's rela-
tlon to the nelRhborlnR country, is somewhat
peculiarly situated 1t is built near the eastern
end OF nm island, twenty-elGht miles long, and
from ono and a half to two miles wide. There
IRE other similar islands along the Texas
cons'. On the main land, stretching fifty miles
or so to Houston Is a fiat and level country
tint ha, had but very scattering population
aud has heretofore been devoted mainly to
grazing. To the southwest Of this tract, thirty
miles or Whereabouts. begins the sugar belt,
rich agricultural district. but Galveston. with
tho Gulf Of Mexico on one side and the district
described on the other has had outside OF the
custom OF Its own inhabitants but little OF the
retail trado that flows to q city from q denselv
populated surrounding country. and 1t has
grown up principally as q shipping port and as
q Wholesale Iobblng and distributing city. and
lno Inn ohaun tha citv haq anranI
out and somo OF the biggest wholesale houses
carry on business In buildings two and three
stories high. Besides the largest hotel. there
IN not q business building In the city moro than
four stories high the first flve-story business
building has Just been begun. and It 10 for a
lrinter and stationer. Land values have begun
e. 60 up. and the buildings start with them.
Between the northern end OF the island.
where Fort Point light stands, and the south
end OF the Bolivar Peninsula. a long sand
spit that skirts the mainland and comes pretty
near TO being an island like others on the
coast is the entrance to Galveston Bay, which
covers u large area. Bolivar Light stands at
the southern end Of Bolivar Peninsula. The
entrance to Galveston Bay between Bolivar
Peninsula and Galveston Island has In It's
channel water enough for the biggest ves-
sos The bar, four miles out in the Gulf
had for natural depth twelve feet.
Years ago 1t was necessary to lighter
b rer cent OF the oargoes OF the larger
vessels. both incoming and outgoing.
So long as the extensive. rich. and productive
country naturally tributary to Galveston had
no other or only inadequate other means Of
reaching the great markets. things went along
quietly. and merchants got rich-as for that
matter they have continued to do sinoe-but
with the growth OF the country and the multi
plication OF internal lines OF communication.
Galveston began to realize that 1t must have
deem water on tho bar. This ia what the cry
" Deem water" means. A single lefty NOT yet
completed has deepened the channel across
Provement II the bar and hsrbor OF Galveston.
house. The improvements contemplated are
expected to let into Galveston Bay ships draw |
Galveston is laid out In streets at right
angles and cumming, speaking not exactly ao-
cording to the points OF the compass but near
are on the north side Of the CITY, on the south
city and westward is the famous beach.
In Galveston's history there had been few
sSirts. but they did not amount to much either |
o or Tesg ana ely property was
and il man wanted to get out 1t was often
necessary to. sell at sacrifice. There were
leW trpnseTs The pen fret
there was no real activity until January Of this
year. There were not many transfers Of real
was more, demand. and property was more
hecame strong that the Deep Water bill
N WSd s 9GGs and SefpS "a tho to liam
February the boom had struck the town. Al
rendy few specu Rtors were on the ground.
and ,ssn came mere men from wKaHsas City
from Lincoln. Neh.. and Salt Lake City and
elsewhere as far away as San Diego Cal OF
and nearly al were shrewd men who have fol.
lowed booms ior years and enieAyor to get In
Iaiyestpn had not been slow Many OF them
invested early and kept on Investing. and they
nrcSeni Values hold good soms Of The e yis
tors went in as h their custom. for quick
!urn1. An early visitor from Kansas City
4 for tin0oj within ninety days.. besides the
!: gor Operators. many residents Of the city In
J. HeDsr. ami clerks and woTkingm-n. have
taken little flyer or made small InVestments.
u ~ S sGnR hSd 9 oMss ShG G1
; gmg limo ,iii!e tra't outside tho city for
~ $40 Tor bic land lie TOOK il promptly
2 ID hought another pisee. Now they tell him
J !" rnp get 60 900 for hl. last purchase. While
/ .InG 10 q oraIo. The IoSS lot bSsl6Sss
i"ni. 4 lew towns have ,ssn lad out some Of
iissm with the fnS-so1BdlnE namss familiar 10
loss who base followed the history Of b0oma.
j I'D i0Gs hare boon sold all the WAY from o. "a
,JU rash. ABs - lhsn IN towns that may
p,os AID o'Iers p places ihai niay nor gov
H. fac, aud AZ ibs pfisas obiAlnee thorO has
been ssry handsome profit 90 the acreage
usi, hui thete hAs Dot bbop segI mneb of this
husln orE That VIII nonlo Ia AL probability n
IhF IHop Water hlll bsnOnlHs q lnH. 40 eIflen
80 sTii Informed gsal esisis nlsB q ths eag
Hlnks thai ~ thls ling W. besF Toe OniI ths
~ hpl N bung. thai iLs AitlIIoTI Sill OIop
y sH ths I'LL l,AssaH
Asapslils ths bnbihE VI ISoT'oTtg continues
nnd iAffs base lssn more 1RhDiofs W this
~ fihry AAn than had la0n kbOeD Lrfids |
W lnApy cutie gnafs together; ana tie buik |
n ihg Jans or ~ this gaY las hnep slnae
llalrl !, li1is 10 liable iakaG from fAo Gss
. ffiHr Affa
fasf ~ Fasl $40 - EaffA ...... esaafs ] ,
= aisf g. Hrsf rfdiis Nafsi = 40. Id. $40
- go 80 sfifAs fafah ~ ........... lNRtaa
. - - HssI slals ksflE Il iialEl
. r. - i# 81 - fHalls fafnl : IUIISgl /
q - go sstf sfaiis Aifl 49, |
o - go $50 Ailis AL u sGt9
Sc ssfs sli.ss -. .ss aa.sir.t I
titF taisii tfans nir Ia - Asa, 80, 80.
htg % Z i H3 .f.N H ~ salaf All az
Z ~ 60 10 ias ra.i boz lfilsf his I