Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-02-04
RUMORS IN THE AIR.
The Fitzsimmons Heirs Not Quite
Ready to Sell Their Valuable
FOURTH AVENUE REAL ESTATE.
A Fresh Batch Of Reports in Regard to the
St. Peters Church Property.
HENRY A. WEAVER TURNS ON THE LIGHT

In regard to the report that Captain Van
dergrift was negotiating for the property
Nos. 1O7 and 1O9 Fourth avenue, owned by
the Fitzsimmors heirs, a member Of the
firm of W. A. Heron & Sons remarked
yesterday: 1--WE represent the property,
and are in a position to say that the heirs
do not want to sell. They have never Of
fered the property to Captain Vandergrift
or anyone else. They could get $1,000
foot front, and perhaps little more, by
saying the word, but in view of the scarcity
Of business sites on Fourth avenue, and the
prospect of an advance in prices, they pre-
fer to retain possession of the property, for
the present, at least
"What will they do with it?'
81 have not been advised, but it would
not surprise me to see fine building on the lot
within year or two"
The gOssips seem determined to sell the st.
Peters Protestant Episcopal Church property,
corner of Grant and Diamond streets, whether
or lot. According to reports on Fourth ave-
nue. yesterday two or three parties are after it
hot and heavy, one of whom had gone so far as
to make an offer of S29O,OOO or thereabouts, and
that the offer would probably be accepted
Another party was said to represent tine Car
negie Library All this having air Of busi-
ness, ex-Mayor Henry A. Weaver, who is
member of the congregation, was called on for
particulars. He said: "The reports are, in the
main. a rehash of the old ones, which obtained
currency a month or two ago. We have had
some inquiries but no direct offers. Some time
ago one of the vestrymen, William Halpin, was
appointed committee of one to look after the
property and confer with me, and if there had
been any offers or the prospect of sale would
know it 1 can assure you that there is very
little truth in the reports now flying around.
We have had no direct offer for the property"
Mr. Weaver added: 'It is a valuable piece
Of real estate and will not 60 begging for
purchaser. think it is cheap at S25O, ,OOO the
pTlce put upon it. 1 have no doubt purchaser
will be found. 1t is a splendid site for law
building on account Of its proximity to the
Court House. If this property and the G. l.
Magee property at the corner of Fifth avenue
and Grant street, could be combined in one
block, it would afford Just such site as is
wanted for the proposed Carnegie tree library,
the ground of the two holdings being together
go feet on Grant street and 100 feet on Fifth
avenue and Diamond street. and affording not
only plenty of room for the library building,
but excellent light on every side ofsit so that it
could never be blocked up in that respect. 1
am in hopes that that will be the outcome of
the matter
A bill has been introduced in the Virginia
Legislature to incorporate Piedmont and
Potomac Railway Company to construct road
from Quantico or some other point on the PO-
tomac to point on the Chesapeake and Ohio,
east of the Blue Ridge Mountains. The de-
sign is TO give the Chesapeake and Ohio direct
connection with the Pennsylvania road. The
authorized capital stock is S5,OOO0O0 Another
bill was introduced authorizing the Chesapeake
and Ohio to purchase or construct branch
over this route
The statement is made that the sons of pro-
fessional men are in the majority in the Phila-
delphia Public Manual Training School. 1t is
surprising to learn that while the children of
artisans are striving TO get into the ranks of
the struggling and poorly paid professions, the
children of professional men are taking to me-
chanical pursuits. Prof William L Sayre, the
principal of the school at Seventeenth and
Wood streets, state: "lt is curious fact that
of the BOYS now in the training school and
learning the use of chisels and hammers and
lathes, fully three-fourths are the sons Of pro-
fessional and business men. We have many
sons Of doctors and ministers and lawyers Of
the "a occupations T6COTu6u OF pdTeubs VI OOyS
now in the middle class, 81 are those of profess
sinnal or business men and q those Of men en-
gagged in other pursuits, of whom only Il are
artisans.
A very useful invention, tending to lessen
the possibility OF accidents in mills and facto-
ries, is being extensively adopted in England.
The breaking of glass, which is adjusted
against every wall of every room in the mill,
will at once stop the engine, an electric current
being established between the room aud the
throttle-valve of the engine, shutting off steam
in an instant BY this means the engine was
seconds, and a young girl whose clothes had
become entangled in an upright shaft was re-
leased uninjured
Robert Giffen has read a paper before the
Royal Statistical Society Of England, in which
he estimates the wealth of the United King.
dom at $4,000 600 600. This would give each
inhabitant 627O Making a comparison Of the
richest three nations of the world, Mr.. Giffen
finds that the wealth per head of population
stands as follows: Great Britain, go; France,
100; the United States, l60.
The fremont Theater, Boston, is now fitted
with electric doors which can be opened by
simply touching one of eight push buttons sit
uated in convenient places in the theater. On
the slightest alarm IL sets of folding doors are
Immediately and simultaneously thrown open
by the electric circuit, doing away in large
measure with the danger of being trampled to