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.

as dull as they are reported to bc"'
asked 4 representative OF the GLOBE
Yesterday of Clarence II. Johnston.
the we'll known architect. That gen
tleman swung around in his chair. and,
facing the queStiOner, prepared to eX-
press himself on the situation.
There Is 10 foundation FOR such reports as
have been made he said. The outlook is
bright; brightC than last year and fully as
favorable a. in any spring Of The past nalf
dozen. There IS absolutely nothing alarming
Or even surprising in the fact that there has
ijeen inactivity III building circles up to the
present ! fail to recall any season iii which
there was activity thus early. The same cries
ri Stasnation of business end black PROSPECTS
nave been heard from the same sources year
lay year, and they VIII be found later in 1891
90 have been just as groundless as their
predecessors. Prospects are bright: they
cannot be called anything else. There will
la lass building in the business portion of
jhe city perhaps than in some previous years
out residence building will be carried on
more extensively than ever before.
Adverse Legislation.
The disparity of opinion on trade
prospects between the builders and
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
tfle actual carrying out of the projects
depends largely on the ability 20 nego-
fiate loans in the East. In the present
condition of the money market this is a
difficult matter, and many who would
build II they could borrow the money
will not be able TO carry out their plans.
he character of the proposed legiSla-
lion restricting the rate Of5intereSt Oh
mortgages, anu debarring agents from
securing a 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 aYerse 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
tiOusiy avoid the locality. The latter
0lll, 1t IS argued. as originally intro
tuced, placed the employer entirely at
-he mercy Of the employe. and in build
NC circles is regarded as the most dan
eerouS Of all the proposed measures.
Builders and contractors claim that the
bill affects them equally as much as it
lOeS the manufacturers, permitting the
recovery Of heavy damages tor injury
received during the construction of a
building, and for which the contractor
IS in no wise responsible. The con-
ractOrS base their hopes on the fact
that numerous petitions have been in
lroduccd against the bill, which NAV
result in the passage Of a 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-
ccptICn. speak cheerfully Of the out
look, and predict a prosperous season.
-Arahitcct \. 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 more cheer
ful view "t The situation than some of the
others My prospects are particularly good
on MAY hear Il wall from certain class of
people mt The opening Of even the most pros
hefou> season. THESE are the cheap John
men. those who have no substantial backing.
and Whose presence in 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 VIII be plenty
~ building. though trade has scarcely begun
10 open up at present, The greater
harl at the buildings Will be residences,
and my observation shows that Green's
Hill and The ST. Anthony Hill district
generally viii be the faYOrile points don't
look toI very much building in West St Paul,
pr on DaYtons Bluff this year. but there
Will hc IL better class of structures than have
kn o,,l,
actual ground for complaint by architects
mat know Of is in the fact that ST Paul
men who have large buildings TO put I'D
ltaNe a tendency 10 60 outside to Chicago or
New York for their plans. This Is discourag-
ING, at course, bat the only thing 10 do is to
educate them ont of the notion. | have
about SlC4060 worth of building in sight
even now, and the season has not begun yet"
Among the most important structures
10 90 up this year are the Catholic
university on Summit avenue, and the
II. Joseph academy, also on the hill.
IN 81. Paul, and Will be built by st.
i'aul men, of Minnesota material. 1t is
supposed TO cost $685. but in the
language Of the munificent donor sit
must be the finest in the country, if it
costs 4 Million" St. Joseph'S academy
Viii also be built by st. Paul men, after
~. Paul plans, and it will cost S150,OOO
Zig Private EsOtei.
Architect c. a. Wallingford said that
in his own ease business gave promise
of being lively. lie has already plans
under way for buildings that Will cost
~ the aggregate about 5000, 900. One of
these IS for structure TO be put up as
soon as spring opens, Oh st. Anthony
lIiil, and designed for private hotel.
Mir. Wallingford does not desire the
names Of the projectors to appear, but
The plans call for a four-Storv brown
stone-trontcd building. The entrance
IS an archcd marble portico, leading into
marble vcStibule. Moorish arches
lead TO tho parlor suites, which are to
be 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 a new one in the way of hotels in
II. Paul, and the hotel will without doubt
be very popular. 1t will cost, when
completed, between $4,000 and $50, 600.
Mr.. Wailim@ford has also prepared plans
for fiat on Mississippi, near Broadway,
Tor y. Is. WilguS. TO cost $50 600; an
other on Cedar street, near Mississippi,
block OF dwellings. to cost between
Sl5,00 and 1900, and a store building
GA Seventh and Goodhue streets, to cost,
for Andrew Doyle, at a cost of $4,000.
These are comparatively small items,
but they represent a fair state of things
Tor 50 early date as March :.
Outlook Good.
Architect Clarence Ii. Johnston, re-
plying to question as to the amount of
work re represented in the plans he is now
preparing. gave the figure at $500, ZOO.
This represents nothing, he said, except
as an indication that things are not as
bad as some people would have US be-
lieye.
People vino 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 i'm that rents are lower than they
were few years ago. Interest is also
lower than it mas ever been before, and
Willie there are many houses for rent,
prospective builders claim that they can
nrndpnp n ttpttar and moro S1ticfactOrV