Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-09-20
MURRAY'S MUSINGS.
How Real Estate Sharks Have Prospered
on the Coast-A Satisfactory Street Car
Standardization for Green Goods Men
-ComoetttiOn in Advertising

How Real Estate Sharks Have Prospered
on the Coast-A Satisfactory Street Car
Standardization for Green Goods Men
-Competition in Advertising.
rFRoM A STAFF CORRESPONDENT
1.-THE days of the Forty-niners in Cali
fornia never witnessed more remarkable
scramble for wealth than has been seen in
the great Northwest during the last few
years" The speaker was ex-Congressmau
Calkins, formerly from Indiana; once Re-
publican candidate for Governor of that
State. Mr.. Calkins was leader in the House
of Representatives in his time. being Chair
man of the Committee on Elections. He re-
tired from public life poor man and began
his legal practice again at the bottom. Go
ing out to Washington Territory on tour
OF recreation he was so struck with the cli-
mate and possibilities of the country that
he sent for his wife and family and did not
even return to Indianapolis to close mp his
business. He was afterward appointed As
sociate Justice OF the supreme Court of the
Territory, and when Congress made it a
State came very nearly being elected to the
United States Senate. In the meantime he
had made 500 900 in two years in real estate
at Tacoma and is now on the road to million
airedom.
"The fortunes made in California" con-
tinued.Judge Calkins, "in '49 out of gold
would not compare with what has been
made out of real estate in our State in the
same space Of time. 1 know of a case where
single piece Of property changed hands 10
times in q day, and every transfer saw d
good sound profit. There were numerous
instances of from $4,000 to $4,000 being
cleared In day, often without Il dollar be-
ing put up on the original purchase. say
WERE because that time has gone by now.
Buying and selling real estate or mar ins in
that country has practically ceased. At
that time, however, man could go into the
market and buy and sell on a 10 per cent
margin, the same as you can buy stocks in
New York. There was young Wallace, you
know, who married q daughter of Chief
Justice Fuller last winter-he and a clerk
named Baker bought tract OF land near
town, plated it out and put it on the mar
ket at once. They paid 500 an acre for it
they got g, 600 an acre. Both men are now
rich men. The syndicate of which was q
member purchased suitable piece of land
on the Sound and laid off a town. We built
a splendid wharf for steamers the first
thing. We sold all the town lots in less
than no time. There wasn't house there
two years ago-now there is u thriving town
of over 1000 Inhabitants. The city of
Tacoma is really of but about six years
growth, and 1t has now some 81, 600 inhabtt-
ants. And, mind you, the city is not of the
sort of growth such u phenomenal place
would have been 30 years ago, but a city of
modern architecture, substantial, elegant.
The Fidelity Trust Company has a magnifi-
cent building, 100X120 feet, of vitrified brick
there, the only really f1reproof building on
earth. A million dollar hotel is being
erected that would be credit to New York.
"Where did all the money come from?
bought and sold property they. never saw,
and they did the business by wire. But be-
hind it all was the strength of the Northern
Pacific road. Then the climate is lovely,
m TiaiD n in
mer nor falling lower than 200 above zero in
winter. Ice formed but once last winter, and
then no thicker than window pane. The
country is rich and fertile beyond concep-
tion.
"Politics9 No politics out there. never
saw SO little interes. manifested in political
matters. It's been all money, money, money.
When 1 first went out there and for year
or two the prices for everything CORE
sponded to the prices in the old California
days. Twenty-Five cents for newspaper or
for backing your shoes, etc. The nickel is
still the smallest change in circulation. OF
course the stories of the fortunes being made
brought thousands out there, many OF whom
were soon penniless and objects of charity.
The boom is over, ut least for the time"
Gave the Conductor Lesson.
Hundreds of amusing incidents occur
every day in this city that never reach the
general public. The other day a quiet,
plain-looking gentleman took Broadway
car uOWnCOWn anu Us WOunu pdlnlully
around through the back streets to avoid
the cable construction corps 1t gathered the
usual variety of representative humanity.
Among the rest couple of beefy-looking
men under the influence of liquor got on and
by conversation and antics annoyed the de-
cent passengers very much The ladies
huddled up TO the front end of the car and
some were so frightened they began to get
off. Finally, q passenger Indignantly de-
manded of the conductor that the men be
put off. The conductor saw the whole
thing, but said he had no power to put them
gentleman sat there and heard this. He
calmly arose and pulled the bell rope. The
car stopped.
that you decline to put these loafers of, or
that you can't do it?"
81 said can't do it, was the whimpering
reply. 'T would if 1 could. Do 1 look like
man who can handle two fellows like themP''
"Well, can do 1t" said the quiet gentle
man, folding his evening paper and placing
it in his pocket And he turned to the
of herer' He didn't wait to see whether
they we're going so take the fIint or not, but
banged one of them r1ght-hander on the
nose and let go his left on the other fellows
iuguIar with a snap that took the breath
and every ounce of fight out of the recipt-
ent In the same instant he grabbed the
other man by the collar and jerked him
headlong out of his seat and out upon the
platform, planting three or four sounding
punches in the eve, on the ear and jaw Of
his victim as he went and finally touched
him off int the mud with vigorous foot in
the small of the back. The man who got it
in the neck had partially recovered by this
time and made for the exit on his own &C
cord He arrived just in time to get a stiff
right handler between the ears that sent him
sprawling across the other car track.
All this didn't take 45 seconds When It
was over the quiet gentleman without a
word shook out his cuffs, pulled the strap,
evening DADer and resumed
seat and his reading. He seemed to regard
the whole affair rs a very ordinary occur
renee. The broad smile of satisfaction that
lighted up the faces of the male passengers
made no impression on him because he
didn't even look on them. And the ladies
who had become jammed into frightened
knot forward-well one pretty miss said in
a stage whisper to her companion as they
futtered to seat: 81 could just hug that
man."
What's in o Name.
There is family uptown by the name
of Katz Mr.. Katz has little boy who has
been going to ward schools until quite re-
GENTLY He doesn't go now and his pa and
the school teachers and the school trustees
and the school commissioners and every
body connected with the schools, from the
janitor up, are enjoying strained relations.
1t is an old story, but a new thing to this
Mr.. Katz. You see, he had a relative to
future complications, he named this boy
after him-Thomas. Surviving this appella-
ton along with the measles, whooping cough
and croton water, the boy reached the school
age and was sent to school. In the mean /
time his companions began to cheer life's
weary way by mysterious illusions to and
limitations of the feline family. When
Tommy entered the schoolroom a shrilI cry
came from under a distant bench.
"Mea-ow!"
"sspit!'
OUr