The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1895-09-13
BUSINESS IN CHICAGO.
Traveller Tells Some Interesting Fact
of the Windy City.

or the Windy City,
Mr. w. H. Fiske, who represents the
large importing house Of John M. Locke
& Co., Chicago, arrived in Astoria yester-
day on business trip. Mr. Fiske is a
most experienced man in his line of work,
and yearly covers. a very large ter
ritory to an Astorian representative said:
II have had a very pleasant trip so far,
having been out from Chicago since July.
Business / ngeneral, I think, is greatly
improving, crop prospects are good and
money and collections are easier. There
have been large stocks carried over from
last year, but merchants are again buy
ing to some extent
Astoria is one of the liveliest business
towns 1 have found on my trip and for
its population Is doing a large and ap-
rarently prosperous trade. The new rail-
road which you are building win no doubt
largely augment your population and gen.
eral business within the next few years
and with your grand seaport it would
seem that there is no limit to the possi-
bilities of your future"
"How is business in Chicago?'
Business in Chicago is good in all lines
of commerce and building and improve
ments going on are simply marvellous.
You know we Chicagoans believe in Chi
cago, and certainly there is no city on the
continent that has so many fine business
palaces, such fine hotels and so many
and such perfect lines of transportation.
Besides the hundreds of miles of surface
cable lines there are the new west and
south side elevated steam and electric
double track railroads. The Metropolitan
is the name of the new elevated cleo
tric lire, which is operated by the stor-
age battery system
"A new plan is now being put into exc
oution, in the center of the city, by which
transfer can be made on a single plat
form by means of a loop system from
any line of road to any other line in
the city. This win of course be a great
saving of time and trouble to the business
familiar with the clty's ways and her
different car lines.
Construction is to commence at once
on the new postoffice building, which is
to be a magnificent structure on the site
of the old one on the block bounded by
Adams, jackson, Clark and Dearborn
streets. During construction a temporary
building will be put up at the foot of
Randolph street, where Uncle Sans busi-
ness will be conducted while the new
building is being erected.
New sky scrapers are going up daily
Old fashioned buildings are being torn
down, though in most cities they would
be considered as first class, to make
place for the modern structures, and it
does not take long to make the change.
In April of 1898 the old building on the
northeast corner of State and Madison
streets itself a six-story stone block,
was occupied by a large business firm,
The building was vacated and in the fol-
lowing fall a fifteen-story palace stood
in its place. occupied by tenants
The department stores are killing the
small retailers whose places of business,
on the west side particularly have been
vacated and are now for rent. A new
department store on State street was
recently opened with $l5,OOO0OO behind it.
Here you can get shaved, buy a steak,
have 1t cooked and served to you in
the best of style, get your teeth filed, !
or purchase anything from a pin to an
elephant, The business of these stores is |
N INN