Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-02-15

Oh THE MAEKEr- OTHER MATTERS OF INTEREST
The details o: tile extended transactions in
suburban property published in InE STAR dur.
ing the past week have been generally dis
eussed in real estate circles as well as outside
For some time past. the readers of The STAB
have been kept informed there has been con-
siderable activity IN suburban property to
the north of the city Until the particulars
were published BY The STAR but few outside
Of the syndicates engaged in these pur-
chases were aware OF the character Of the
men behind the movement or Of their inten-
tons Ii Is now the general opinion that
these enormous investments have been
made not onlv by men of means but of business
sagacity. The announcement that has been
made in behalf of the purchasers that they
have in view extended improvements IL re.
garded as an evidence that the movement will
result in permanent advantage to the property
interests Of the city. The sum of the opera
tions thus far reported presents an aggregate
that Is astounding and stands without parallel
IN the history of the city. About ESQ acres
have been purchased AT an expenditure OF over
S2COOOOO The opening of streets and the
building of railroads IL accordance with the
plans now being considered viii! greatly in
crease the residence capacity Of the city.
How TIE CITY Is GROWING.
Where arc all the people coming from to oc-
cuPy this territory? is question that is fire.
quently heard when the subject of suburban
property is mentioned. This question was put
to one OF the leading operators the other day
and his reply WIS as follows:
In the past four years We have built in this
District S.tj5 houses at d cost Of 523 $50 OOO or
an average OF about :. 200 houses a year. costing
about $1,000 each. Some of these houses oc-
cupy big lots and Others are small lots 1t
Is not eXtravagant. therefore. to allow on an
average. 2 DND feet Of CyrOuDd 10 zach hnusa
We have, therefore, IN four years occupied H.
SlO.OOO feet of ground. there are 43 $50 feet
IN an acre. a grand total of 400 acres Making
allowance for streets, this means that an area
OF over GOO acres of ground has been soidly
built up III four years with new house on every
lot The ratio of growth has increased nearly
300 per cent within the last decade and if the
present rate should be maintained it is mani
part. II not all. of the ground now being subdi-
vlded. ana that within twenty-five years the
entire District will be built up"
IN THE EASTERN SECTION.
The buying and selling of vacant lots and
squares in East Washington continues to be a
feature of the real estate market. Dealers re-
port that they still find an active demand for
property In that section of the city, and in some
cases lots are sold three or four times before
the formal transfer of the property is made
The activity In property in that section of the
city at this time Is explained by property
owner there To be due In his opinion to the
same cause that has led to advances in value
In real estate IN many of the western states and
territories, namely, the opening up of a reserv-
alton to settlement. FOR a period of twenty
1--we years, he went on, (which covers the en-
tire time of the existence of what may
be called modern Washington. a syndicate
Of nOn-residents have owned about thirty acres
OF the choicest ground. far as natural adj
vantages are concerned, in East Washington or
any part OF Washington as to that matter
This property lay north. east and south of Lin
coin park and covered the very spot that the
founders OF our national capital supposed
would be the heart of the city. Further than
this. the tract SO held was the KEY to the entire
eastern section except a small portion along
the rout TO Bennings bridge, including III street
northeast As said this undeveloped ground
acted as a barrier to all improvements east of
llth street. Efforts were made to penetrate
this reservation by opening Tennessee and Ken
lucky avenues, but the District authorizes
failed 10 fully appreciate the Importance of the
work and but little had been DONE
Negotiations with the syndicate for the pur-
chase of its property were begun last summer
by an association Of local capitalists and the
bulk of 1t, after encountering many difficulties,
was secured and the property has been placed
on on the markets. Within the past month a
Washington man has secured the remaining
fractional interest of the syndicate and the
reservation is thing of the past, no longer
barrier to the march of improvement"
MR. sHEHAN's RESIDENCE.
fine residence is to be built by Mr. George
a Shehan at the southeast corner of 10th and
X streets. The first story will be stone and the
rest of brick combined with stone There will;
be a handsome corner tower, which will rise
above the tile roof. At the main entrance the
stone work will be adorned with carving. The
interior arrangement, designed BY the
architect, ". Bruce Gray. is very convenient
y large library separates the parlor from the
dining room anu feature of the latter room ia
a bay window which opens on II street The
first floor will be finished in hard woods. A
hne stable Will be erected on the rear of the
lot
STREET IMPROVEMENTS
Plans have been prepared by Mr. Jas G.
Hill, architect. for the erection of handsome
business building on the southwest corner of
1lth and streets. The property WAS recently
purchased by Mr.. b. III. Warder and his
builders, Messrs. Emmons King. will in the
course OF a few weeks have the old structures
removed. preparatory to active building opera
lions The lot Is 5Oxl00 feet and the plan il TO
occupy the entire site with the new building
Inc new structure will only be three stories
high. but 1t will be arranged that an addi-
uonal three stories can be added. 1t will be
occupied FOR business purposes when finished
Inc building VIII have passenger and freight
elevators and be heated with steam The occu-
patton OF U street for business purposes is
Messrs. EmmOns * King remodeled the resi-
dence az the southeast sOrner OF 18th and G.
streets and II is now used for y business estab-
menI They are now considering plans for the
erection OF - large apartment house on this
street
An AMUSING BLCNDER.
An amusing instance OF builders blunder
occurred the other day. A gang OF workmeu
were ordered to remove the fence around va
cant lot in the northwestern part Of the city
anu begin the excavation for a house. They
ooeyed Instructions and worked with a will all
Gay. The next morning however. the neigh
bors were 9stonished to see two gangs OF men
al work. One set of men were engaged in I'LL
ing up the hole and replacing the fence. which
had been torn down. while the other set were
at work on a lot above industriousIy making an
excavation FOR "a new house. IL seems TIA, a
mistake had been made in the lot The lot in
tended rs the site of the new house adioiu.d n
residence and had fence around IT, but ON the
other side OF the house was also a vacant Ia,
protected by fence. The contractor evidently
went u WORK on the hrst lot he reached
IMPROVING REsIpENCE
Mrs. Annie '. Barbour has taken out a per
NIT to put a b. odsome stone front to her COM
modious residence, l7il Rhode Island avenue,
according to the drawings of Robert Stead.
architect. The approach will begin with two
steps 10 a large platform with stone bulustrade
then turn to the left leads up flight of four
steps to the main platform, also inclosed b. a
stone balustrade of rich design. The entrance
Is through a large stone arch banked by huted
columns with carved and enriched cans and