The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-05-10
FINE BUILDING OUTLOOK
NUMBER OF NEW STRUCTURES CO.
ING UP ENCOURAGES CONTRACTORS.
Great Many $4,000 to $4,000 Houses in
Process of Construction on
the North side.

A representative of the Journal on Sat
urday dropped in at the Builders Exchange
rooms and was surprised at the different
tenor of remarks of contractors as com
pared with thirty days age, Without ex-
ception the contractors talked more en-
couragingly of the outlook for building, and
some went so far as to say that 1t was
much better than in the early May OF last
year or the year before. One cited the new
buildings the English heirs are erecting,
the Mansur and the McCarty buildings, on
West Washington street, the new Park
Theater, the Hitz elevator, the Malott
block, on Massachusetts avenue, and sew
eral other large buildings now in process of
erection or contemplated.
But" said the contractor, the most re-
markable thing is the large number of
houses costing from 5000 to $4,000 that are
being erected in the northern part of the
city. In driving a few blocks forty new
houses can be counted, not any of them
costing any less than the first named sum
and most Of them 5000 or more. On North
Meridian street several houses more ex-
pensive are now building or contracts have
been let for them. On the South Side new
houses are springing up on many of the
vacant lots, most of them neat, wel-con-
structed cottages and of modern style of
architecture. East of the city and in Wood
ruff Place new houses are going UP in larger
numbers. it is stated, than was the case in
May, 1896"
The brick makers report larger sales of
brick and a good deal of inquiry. The
stone workers are doing more than at the
corresponding period last year, and the
prOprietorS of the planning mills report a
better business than in May last year. The
lumber dealers and planning mill men are
securing a good deal of business from other
cities and larger towns within a radius Of
seventy-five miles of Indianapolis than in
any former year, and their orders for lum-
Der Indicate that building has been re-
sumed IN the gas belt territory as br1skly
The officers of the building and loan as
sociations report more inquiry for money
to build with! and without question the sit
uation is much brighter than thirty days
ago. One of the policemen on the corner of
Washington and Meridian streets made a
remark on Saturday which had much
meaning. He said that he could not I'M
derstand what had become of the hundreds
of men who We're loafing a month ago on
the Washlngton-street corners. He did not
believe that there was one now where there
were ten In early April and the preceding
winter months.
The Water Works Company has fully
TWO hundred men at work., the contractors
for cement walks are employing a large
number of men, and in the way of improve
ments to grounds of the resident property
holders a good many improvements are in
progress which in the aggregate gives en-
ployment to q large number Of laborers.
The packing houses are employing more
men than in any former year at this sea-
son OF the year, and in the surrounding
country farmers are short of help, and men
who have an inclination to work drift to
outside towns and find employment, and,
While there is room for Improvement still
in the matter of employment to mechanics
and machinists, the day laborer is now bet
ter employed than at any time in many