Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1896-10-24
WAITING FOR M'KiNiewSsLeorioH

Millions of dollars are tied up In Chi
cago until the last chapter In the tale
Of Two Williams" il concluded. says
the Record. Pending improvements in
other parts of the country increase the
amount to u fabulous sum, for which
even Dives would have been glad to
give receipt.
praughtsmcn. designers. inspectors
and office boys in every architects
Ollie" In Chicago are becoming round.
shouldcrcd from working over plans.
and the heads of firms keep late hours
downtown pouring over piles of plans.
specifications ana bluc-prin,s. like those
in the days Of 'Do. ~ and ~. which are
piled up in .ihcir offices.
With construction companies. struc-
tural and building contractors and FUR
nishcrs of materials there Is a dparth
of business In strong contrast. In al.
most every salcsman's desk In any of
those offices there are figures for mate.
rial In office buildings, apartment
houses. mercantile blocks. flats and
small store buildings. with the names
of the contractors who are to do the
work If /, Is ever done. The millions
that these estimates foot up partly rep
resent the construction work held In
allegiance until after election Is over.
The architects are all agreed that the
building interests of the country are
on the eve of such prosperity ny pre-.
vailed during the three years just pre-.
ccding the panic of 1893. IL the finan.
cial agitation gets settled on the side
they wish all the men engaged In the
building trades In Chicago will be- kept
busy for scores of months to come.
Plans are in u. II. Burnllam's Office
now that would keep the construction
In progress for more than u year. Mr..
Durham said: "rhe plans In our
hands and awaiting election returns
foot up S6.6?O,COO." Mr.. Graham. see.
rotary of the firm. said: ION one Job
that Is tied up In our hands there IL
work for 400 men eight months. That
II but one of the big mercantile build.
ings which will be put In course of cree.
ton In the very heart Of the city. III
several. the total cost Of which range,
from S3OO,OOO to 100000, the contracts
are signed ana acknowledged. but IN
each there Is an election cane, llatloi
clause. am confident that IL McEin
ley IL elected all the building trades
Will be busy at once and continue so
With many there II n feeling of conf
dencc already. but not II great deal will
he accomplished until the returns ar,
| counted"
Henry Ives Cobb and other big do
signing architects corroboratcd th,
statement made by the members OF
Mr.. Burnham's firm. What Is true ~
the large offices Is true In the smaller
ones to u proportlonatc extent. Tn,
testimony of the smaller architects ant
contractors for small mercantile an(
nat buildings was that loans are tict
hp. small investors refusing to tax,
action until they saw which way til,
election was going.
ii. j.. Black. Wee President of tn,
George \. Fuller Company, said: IVY,
take no contracts under SaOO.OOO. an,
our clients are not men who will sign
contracts and pour out money unit
they know what they are doing an,
what kind of government We are 20
Ing TO have. We have now under con
sidcration In Chicago and Throughout
the country millions of dollars wortl
of work. II will go forward with ;
rush II Mckinley Is elected. Under tn
present conditions not any of It vii
be commenced Immediately. II Bryan
ana free silver prevails 1t will not b
done ut ALL"
John &. Fleming, western sales agen
Of the Carnegie Steel Company. q
| I'ittsburg. said: IL have seen dozen
OF contracts which are dependent en
| tirely upon the outcome of election
ana they involve the expenditure O
millions. Last week a man from Nil
waukee came down with a copy of
contract In his pocket for an improve
ment that will cost $4,000. The con
tract was conditioned on the election
of Mckinley, and the Milwaukee maj
/ '"''' w. W. Wv It'NHNNt VI
battery of steam boilers on the sam
basis. However, he had so much falt
in the Canton mans election he In
| prepared to 90 on with his work now
There are many Others like this one.
The offices OF the Union COnstruC
ton Company, Rookery building. con
tain estimates on two apartment hous
as To be built on the north side pre-
vlded the election isn't against tn
gold standard. They have also tn
estimates for West Side office build
Ing ana numberless flats and smal
store buildings. These buildings wi
cost all the way from $1,000 to 5000,
and are sure to be built, the contract
ors claim, rs soon rs Mckinley bon
fires begin TO burn.