Evening star., 1899-04-06
Capitalists Who See an Era of Good
Times Ahead.
Land VALUES SURE TO INCREASE
Interviews With Men Whose Judg-
ment is of the Best.
CHANCES FOR INVESTORS
Special Correspondence of The Evening Star.

ever known. When 1t is considered that
this has been a country of big movements
in land that It is the birthplace of the
word boom the significance of the state
ment can best be appreciated. There mas
been much talk of the prosperity that was
u com" along the various avenues OF trade,
hut the ordinary citizen has not, as RUE.
even heard a teot from a horn blower IN
the leading bandwagon as yet But IN lana
something has happened The man VINO
has followed Lincoln's advice and kept
his ear to the ground has found out that
the people are really moving.
MIR. Flower is a tacfturn man, devoted to
sharp explosives and facts. He is not in
the real estate business, although the oW-
ner Of d good deal Of it, but among all the
men who help bear the great burden OF
finance in this country there are few whose
opinions carry more weight on the basis
OF common sense than this same ex-HoYer-
nor Flower. When ne told me what was
going to happen. and that the first signs
of it Were already as clear as BelshazzarS
vision. it seemed to me it was worth in
vestigating. / talked with d large number
of the very best posted men and cOnlmuni-
Gated with various others in different sec
tiGns of the country. and the unanimlty
OF opinion that Mr.. Flower was right was
50 complete as to be almost starting. 1t
was interesting to note how most of them
avoided using the word boom. Boom,
they said. lis misncmer. because 1t gives
idea of imitation and false values. This
movement that is coming is going to be
solid the rock of Gibraltar. II is q
scrt Of pent-up Niagara at present, kept
in check for long time by war issues
and the resultant nervous feeling.
Small Investments.
Perhaps the most interesting thing in
connection with this movement that was
discovered was what is being done by the
+1oefr II has
been bruited far and wide that the great
combinations of capital, or trusts. with
the news of which the papers have been
flled lately. have absorbed all the small
amounts Of cash outside the savings banks.
1t now develops, however. that only
minor portion of this sort of capital mas
been absorbed by the trust stocks. and
that the rest of it has gone into ground.
You can put it down. said Mr.. Flower.
that the next year is going to see the big
gest Increase in land values of which this
country has ever known. And understand
this. TOO. il will not be because somebody
wants to sell real estate 1t IS a rather
large incident In the forward movement
that will mark the close of this century
and the beginning of the next. Personally
do not deal in real estate. except the
eXigencieS of business occasionally demand.
anC you can see that under ordinary cir
cur1stances | would not be apt to know
very much about real estate values. B'lt
conviction of the fact that 1 have stated
has been forced upon me. 1t is something
that is going to happen. and there is moth
ing that will prevent it. We see the effects
Of it right here on Manhattan Island now.
ard from all over the country word comes
that the same thing is felt in all sections
Put your finger the rock-bottom fac:
that values i'm this country are booked for
an increase. and an increase that is stable
We have had our fill of wildcat booms and
paper cities and now are going to have
the substantials. We have eaten soup long
enough That is the beginning and end of
zHr aarr1a inn
Real Estate Values.
Judge E. H. Cary. president of the Fed
eral Steel Company, who within the last
few months has Travelled through the coun-
try very extensively, said: Within the next
two years / look for the most extraordinary
appreciation OF real estate values this coun-
Try has ever witnessed. 1 do not
where man goes tOday-north, south, east
or WeSt-eVerywhere he will see evidences
Of the prosperity that has led up to this.
The very atmosphere indicates it. In a re-
cent "trip through the south l was more
than surprised at the activity there appar
ent. The southern people say their pros
poets never seemed so good.
Governing the trade of this country to-
day are underlying conditions such as have
been Witnessed IN previous period. No
matter where You go, whether to a railroad
Office. a factory, workshop or to a retail
store. You are bound to notice activity be
yOnd even the most Sanguine expectations
Of a year ago. This Is as true of Chicago
- OF New York
THE United States will reach out more
and more into the markets of the world.
The result Of the Spanish war. notwith
standing some of the unfortunate circllm-
stances attending its operation, has had
much 70 10 with this. 1t has made Euro
pean nations respect us, and from respect TO
confidence is but a step Fields that have
never before been cultivated will be open
I'd up 10 our products. Our horizon is rap
idly broadening. Never before have our
capitalists been in a position to loan their
funds 10 European borrowers. The foreign
investor IL coming to this country, and his
capital VIII aid in the development of our
resources. With our credit balances abroad,
with the steadily advancing volume OF our
export trade. it Is no idle boast to claim
that the United States is in position where
she can and will control the finances of the
world
More Active Market.
George r. Read is a man who is known
in the real estate world from Maine to Cal
ifOrnia. Il believe" he said. that the
market will De healthier and more active
during the next two years than it has been
in the past ten 1t is extraordinary to note
the amount OF money being put into real
estate. made up Of the proceeds of the sales
OF stocks and bonds. Don't make the mis-
take OF thinking that 1t is the big capital
lists who are making these investments 1t
Is the man who owns a little money, and
who IL shrewd enough to see the big in
crease in values that is already taking
place. The small capitalists not invest
ing as a rule. IN trust stocks. in spite of
the statements to that effect you see so
widely circulated. While a certain amount
of floating ca pital Is being utilized for such
purposes there has not been time il zen
years when investments In real estate have
been as heavy as they are today. and when
the increase in values has been steady
and persistent
Business conditions are generally much
better For the first time in many, many
months there are good profits in the ma
jOrity of lines OF business. 1t has been the
habit OF great many people to invest
such profits In stocks and bonds, because
real estate was not considered gilt-edged.
For months everybody has been watching
the current of affairs. to whether the
turgidity caused by the war was settling
down. and the stream of commerce and
finance would flow with a steady current
in its regular channels. 1t has been DEM
Oustrated to the satisfaction of nearly
everybody that there is a decided upward
movement caused by legitimate business
transactions The result of this is that
values substantial. and there Is no bet
ter evidence of the fact that public conf
dence has been thoroughly restored than