The semi-weekly tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1890-1891, 1891-01-03
The Business Men Of Great Falls Well
Satisfied With the Result of the
Years Trade.
ALL LINES OF BUSINESS HAVE DONE WELL
Everybody Confident the New Year
Will Usher in Increased
Prosperity.
The Views Of Some Of Our Business
Men Regarding the Future
Outlook.

A few brief interviews with our real
estate dealers, merchants and others dis
closes a healthy aud cheerful state of af-
fairs. All branches of trade in Great
Falls has enjoyed a year of unprece-
denied prosperity and the outlook for the
future is even more tiattering. Dry
goods men, boot and shoe dealers, cloth
ing men, real estate dealers, grocers, ag-
ricultural implement dealers, harness
makers. druggists, %restaunters, hotel men
and others are enlarging and preparing
to meet the anticipated business activity
of the year 1891. Appended are some of
the expressions of our business men:
Fl. F. Collect says: The movement in
real estate during the past season has
been very brisk and 30 far as my firm is
concerned productive of a large volume
of business. have, through the locality
becoming SO much better known in the
east due to advertising and the press
generally, consummated several very
large real estate deals with eastern parties
and have at present on hand more of a
like magnitude. There can be no ques-
ton that the coming season will witness
a large influx of all classes of intending
property holders. Apart from any other
| consideration the manifold advantages of
acquiring property in this district, whic
cannot but be apparent to even the most
superficial and generally doubling speci-
mems of humanity, will be the means Of
largely augumenting our population and
wealth within the next few months.
To my mind we have nothing to appre-
bend III this regard as our natural site and
varied advantages cannot be approached
by any locality in the west. The
giant strides our young city h,
made during the past year together with
the works of tremendous magnitude now
going on in our midst %should,I think, con
vince the most skeptical or increduIous
of the u%ndoubted future prosperity of
Great Falls.
DR.. Crutcher was asked for an opinion
and said:-The realty market for the
past year has been of a most satisfactory
kind. Trade has been active at all times;
prices firm and steadily tending upwards.
AL kinds Of landed property in and
about Great Falls has experienced a re-
markable rise-ranging from twenty to
four hundred per CEN These values are
III NV lLbitlOuSS O. luO luISC llduS-
actions constantly occurring fully attest.
active demand, at growing prices. The
business area is widening, and in cOnse-
quence, values If lots outside Central
avenue have advanced proportionately
OF OF Central avenue, where most Of
lhs business marts now are, First avenue
north seems to be in request, with Second
avenue south close behind as a ~favorite.
The demand for residence lots still keeps
the astonishing lead it has held during
the first six months. The spring outlook
for a building boom Is incredibly
great. AT nj time in the brief history Of
this thrifty city has there been a suffici-
ency of houses to supply the business and
residential wants. The several business
blocks and many hundred dwelling
houses that have gone up here during the
year have generally been engaged long
before completion The demand is aug
menting constantly aud with the rapid
influx of people that shows no signs OF
decreasing an army of contractors, brick
layers, mechanics and laboring men will
be needed to construct houses during the
coming season. The superb wealth
er prevailing throughout the month
of December has greatly aided in push
ing all kinds of outdoor work. At NO
time have operations upon the dam and
smelters been suspended because Of bad
weather. Foundations for buildings are
being laid in all parts of the city, and the
winter has 80 far progressed that work
cannot be Delayed but "a short time,
even If severe cold super
proper seems destined to be recognized
in the spring by the construction Of
houses. The choice for the better class
of houses seems to be on the North side
of Central avenue and in West Great
Falls. Several very fine residences are
already designed for erection on the West
side aud on Fourth and Fifth avenues
North. The Townsite company have
recognized the Partially for the West side
and have plated a large area over there
and will place upon the market in due
season. With the construction of the
several large smelling and refining works
here mex year, the Butte u Montana
Commercial company's mills, the COM
pletion OF the big dam, the new railway
connection promised with Barker and
Neihart mines, the erection Of large rail-
road shops and scores of other enterprises
under way in this county all betoken fol
Great Falls an impetus of growth not t.,
be rivalled in America.-Since the first
of March the population of this city has
more than trebled, and a conservative
estimate places the number at 1880 peo-
pie to day. What The censu of Great
Falls may show one year hence, IS q diff
cult thing ito guess,-but $4,000 people
will not be many beyond the actual count
when that date is reached. Mark it.
T. Gahagan:-Real estate during the
last year has been very active, but at the
same time not in advance of the other
Improvements which have gone forward
In Great Falls. When one stops to con-
slider what has been done in the way of
Improvements he can at once see why
eastern parties and investors generally
after seeing this town find that this is the
place not only to invest in, but to locate
in, in any business. As regards this point
as u town for any mercantile business, We
have only TO look into the stores of our
merchants and see lines of goods not to
be equalled by any town IN Montana.
Numbers Vt eastern merchants with
whom l have talked have remarked on
the large stocks that our merchants carry,
but wha. excited their surprise more than
anything else was that the stocks were
OF an expensive character. 1t seems thai
our people are not only liberal buyers.
hut that they want the best of everything
There is another thing. That while the
money market of the east, has been In
such q disordered state We have felt il
less bore than in any other town in Mon.
tam and certainly less than In the east
Throt0h ali fhn 1uta hard tinnos ,.n;toI