St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-03-06
Architects Talk Of Work on
Hand and the General Out
look for Trade.
Contra ctors Inclined to Grum-
BILE at What Is Considered
Adverse Legislation.
And There Are Certain Unde-
fined Rumors Of amending
immigration.


press himself on the situation.
There is no foundation for such reports as
have been made he said. The outlook is
bright; brighte than last year. and fully as
favorable as in any spring of the past nalf
dozen There is absolutely nothing alarming
or even surprising in the fact that there has
been inactivity III building circles up to the
present ] fail to recall any season lii which
there was activity thus early. The same cries
nf stagnation of business end black PROSPECTS
have been heard from the same sources year
iW year, and they Will be found later in 1891
60 have been just as groundless as their
predecessors. Prospects are bright: they
cannot be called anything else. There will
ic less building in the business portion of
the city perhaps than in some previous years,
bat residence building will be carried on
more extensively than ever before
Adverse Legislation.
The disparity of opinion on trade
prospects between the builders aud
contractors and the architects is a
marked one. The condition of affairs,
as gathered from conversations with the
builders and contractors of the city, is
scarcely encouraging. True, they say,
there is great deal of work projected
in the way of residence building, but
lie actual carrying out of the projects
depends largely Oh the ability 10 nego-
tiate loans in the East. In the present
condition of the money market this is
difficult matter, and many who would
build if they could borrow the money
will not be able 10 carry out their plans.
The character of the proposed legsla-
lion restricting the rate OfsintereSt Oh
mortgages, and debarring agents from
securing Il commission on the same. is
all adverse to builders and con-
tractors, in that it will brighten
Eastern capital out of the state.
capitalists will be aVerSe to lOaaing
money at a lower rate in the
West than is obtainable in the East.
Then again the bill to increase the liza
bility OF employers, it is claimed, will
make manufacturing industries so risky
hat already established concerns will
withdraw if the bill is passed, and
others intending to locate here will STU
iiously avoid the locality. The latter
bill, it is argued, as originally intro
tuced, placed the employer entirely at
The mercy Of the emplOye, and in build
ING circles is regarded as the most dam
Serous OF all the proposed measures.
Builders and contractors claim that the
bill affects them equally as much as it
dOes the manufacturers, permitting the
recovery of heavy damages for injury
received during the construction of
building, and for which the contractor
IS i'll no wise responsible. The con-
FACTORS base their hopes on the fact
that numerous petitions have been in
lroduccd against the bill, which may
result in the passage Of much modi-
lied substitute. Viewing the situation
from their position, the contractors do
not feel clated at the prospects.
4 Cheerful View.
The feeling among the architects is
widely different. They, without an ex-
ccption. speak cheerfully of the out
look, and predict prosperous season.
Arahitect \. II. Haas, replying TO a
question anent the amount and char
acter Of the work on hand already, re-
piled:
II ana probably able to take a more cheer
ful view of the situation than some of the
others. My prospects are particularly good
on may hear wall from a certain class of
people ut The opening of even the most pros
rerouS season. These are the cheap John
men. those who have no substantial backing
and whose presence i'll the business is to be
regretted. Many of these threaten to leave
~. raul, and the city will be well rid OF them,
put the best firms remain. and no complaints
are heard from them. There Will be plenty
~ building though trade has scarcely begun
10 open up at present, The greater
part of the buildings will be residences
and my observation shows that CrocnS
Hill and the ST. Anthony Hill district
generally viii be the favorite points l don't
LOOK for very much building i'll West ST. Paul
ar on Dayton's Bluff this year but there
viii DC a better class of structures than have
been the rule in those localities The only
actual ground for complaint by architects
That know of is in the fact that ST. Paul
men who have large buildings TO put up
lave tendency TO go outside to Chicago or
New York for their plans. This is discourag-
ing, of course, bat the only thing 10 do is to
educate them ont of the notion. | have
about SlCQ000 worth of binding i'll sight
even now, and the season has not begun vet
Among the most important structures
10 go up this year are the Catholic
university on Summit avenue, and the
It. Joseph's academy, also on the hill .
The former buildinr is being planned
in ST. Paul, and will be built by st.
Paul men, of Minnesota material. 1t is
supposed to cost 100000, but in the
language of the munificent donor sit
must be the finest in the country, if it
costs million" st. Joseph's academy
will also be built by st. Paul men, after
~. raul plans, and it Will cost $150,000
Big Private Hotel.
Architect c. A. Wallingford said that
in his own ease business gave promise
of being lively. He has already plans
under way for buildings that will cost
III the aggregate about 100000. One of
these is for structure to be put up as
soon as spring opens, on st. Anthony
Ilill, and designed for private hotel.
Mr.. Wallingford does not desire the
names OF the projectors to appear, but
the plans cali for four-storv brown
Stone-fronted building. The entrance
is an arched marble portico. leading into
marble vcStibule. Moorish arches
lead 10 the parlor suites, which are to
he finished in hard wood. The dining
room will be finished in old colonial
style, white and gold. The servants
hall will be entirely disconnected, and
in it the kitchen will be contained.
The site is on Selby avenue. This
idea is new one in the way of hotels in
St.Paul, and the hotel will without doubt
be very popular. 1t will cost, when
completed, between $4,000 and 100000.
Mr.. Wallimgford has also prepared plans
for flat on Mississippi, near Broadway,
for \. b. Wilgus. to cost $4,000; an
other on Cedar street, near Mississippi,
block Of dwellings. to cost between
$1,000 and $4,000, and a store building
on Seventh and Goodhue streets, to cost,
for Andrew DOYLE, at cost of $4,000.
These are comparatively small items,
but they represent a fair state of things
Tor so early date as March ).
outlook Good.
Architect Clarence Ii. Johnston, re-
plying 10 question as TO the amount of
work represented in the plans he is now
preparing. gave the figure at $500, 200.
This represents nothing, he said, except
as an indication that things are not as
bad as some people would have US be-
lieye.
People who have vacant or unim-
proved property, and are anxious to con-
vert the same into source of income,
will. il is held, be none the less liable to
build in that rents are lower than they
were few years ago. Interest is also
lower than il has ever been before, and
While there are many houses for rent,
prospective builders claim that they can
produce better and more. satisfactory
class Of buildings which will rent
readily. A large percentage of tenants
10 occupy such new houses will come
from buildings erected carelessly and
huricdiy daring the boom, and which