The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-05-17
The Past Week a Profitable One In
tho History Of Helena's
Progress.
Work Commenced on Various
Buildings and a New Opera
House Assured.
Opening OF Lawrence Street.-The College
L0cation-Cracker and Shirt
Factories.

-
boom, which the architects and builders
predicted a month ago., is about to open
and that by June l there will DO u grea'
amount OF work for the brioklayer, car
penter and others engaged in the building
trades. Many people who have been put
ting of contemplated improvements have
finally concluded to build, and the result il
that the architects, who have been taking
it easy for two or three months, are now
quite busy, with the prospect for an un-
usually large amount of work for the next
two or three months. The fact that nine.
tenths of the houses vacant, two or three
months ago, are now occupied, has prov
en- that the building business was NOT
overdone last year, as many predicted, and
this is shown in all the additions. In the
Ensterly q large number of houses are go
ing up; on Broadway and on all the streets
east the same is true, while on the west
side piles of brick and lumber indicate that
that side of town is going to grow this
year, as it has in the past three.
The contract has been let to Mr.. g. 8.
Appleton for the construction of the west
side school house, and work on it will COM
mence this week. The building will be one
of the handsomest public structures in the
county. and when finished will be one OF
the most complete school buildings in the
west. II will occupy a commanding posi-
tion on the kessler property, adjoining. the
three stories in height, with q frontage of
seventy feet and a depth of ftty-fve, sur
mounted by a tall tower. The material
used will be the same as that in the high
school building now in course of construc-
ton, and when completed it will have cost
100000. There are two acres OF. ground in
the site, assuring plenty of play ground.
Another west side enterprise on which
work is new being pushed is the Stedman
foundry. The foundation is being put
in, and work on the building will be con-
tinued till it is completed. There are sufi-
cient funds to do this, and by the time the
building is ready the additional subsorip-
ion necessary to equip it with a complete
plant will be asked for, and with the inter
est being shown IN the enterprise, there is
no doubt Of a ready response by the solid
men of the city. Visitors to the city who
that such a plant as Mr.. Stedman contem-
plates is not already in operation, and
think it strange that lts great benefits to all
classes of people have not been realized be-
fore. AS small as the present works now
are, they are profitable, and with the add
tional facilities the profits will be increased
and employment given to 200 or 300 men.
As a rule it generally falls to the lot of some
half dozen men to carry the biggest part of
the enterprises started in Helena which
benefit every one, but in the case of the
foundry. it is thought Messrs. Broadwater
and Seligman, who are acting i'll the mat
ter with Mr.. Stedman. will find subscribers
to the stock in people wis refuse to go into
other enterprises.
The opera house question has been set
tied, with tho result that work on a play
house which will be an honor to the city
will be commenced within the next ten
days. The location is the southeast corner
of Lawrence and Main streets, S45, 600 be-
ing paid II. s. Hale for the lot. Beyond
the general details, plans for the building
have not yet been decided upon, and will
not be until some time thisweek. Mr.. Mcguire
now has some half dozen designs under
consideration, and when those interested in
the matter have a final meeting the selec-
ton will be made. AS planned now
the theater proper will be on Fuller avenue,
with the principal entrance on Main street,
an arcade running through the building.
The front will probably be designed for
stores, and when completed, which it is tx
pSCICuG w pC Ny L . IN SlIy Ill lulb
section will AVE a handsomer or more con-
reniently arranged theater. Those inter
estea with Mr.. Mcguire are among the sub
stantial men of Helena, who took hold of
the project with the determination to make
it go, and after abou forty days steady
work have succeeded in doing all they con
templated.
In connection with the location of the
nraru hnrca tina 1rantfar IF thu nrani,r &c
Lawrence street from Main is being dis
cussed. -Four years ago the property own
ers offered to sell the land necessary to the
CITY for 81, 800. The CITY refused the offer,
went into court, spent $4,000 in lawyers
fees and expenses and the supreme court
decided in favor of the owners. Last year
the owners pooled and offered the prop
erty to the city for 1874. O00. to be paid for in
warrants running a year at five per cent,
this being at the rate of about $500 n foot.
The proposition was, if those discussing
the matter are correct, passed by the coun-
Gil, but died in committee. That the city
should have Il thoroughfare from one side
of the city to the other there is no ques-
ton, and the Lawrence street opening offers
the only present solution. Ihirty-four
thousand dollars is a good deal to spend
for the property needed, but i'll u year after
the opera house is finished it will
take double that sum to buy it. AS it
Is now, there Is not a street running across
the town. Bridge street stops at Clore,
Broadway Mt Main, Grand at Main, Sixth
avenue at Park. while Lawrence street runs
from the foothills to Main. and by contin-
uing through Main would run into Ninth
and Tenth avenues and on to the eastern
limits. The school trustees have donated a
Iiece of ground for the purpose, George B..
Foote will give a strip, and the expenditure
of the money now would give an excellent
thoroughfare at a much less price than
would have to be paid later.
Thursday is the day fixed for opening the
new bids for the location of the Congrega-
tlonal college, and the Helena gentlemen
who have the matter III charge are doing
excellent work. Some people are shard to
convince of the benefits which will accrue
to the city getting the college, but tho COM
mittee hope by hard work to make such a
showing that Helena will secure the prize.
1t is not secured yet by any means, as both
Great Falls and Livingston have deter
mined to have it, and the people of those
towns are taking hold of the matter very
enthusiastically. With tho bid made by
Livingston for the college in mind, it will
be seen that Helena will have do some good
work to Guido the Park county city.
In addition To the CONGREGATIONAL ~collauo