Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1899-06-19

an active one for builders and mechan-
les, there is pronounced Mll in the
boom just at present. Explanations
for the subsistence vary somewhat, but
those in a position to be conversant
with such matters are agreed that a
comparatively quiet period has follow
ed the hustle and hustle which char
acterized the first two months of the
building season. Said one architect
yesterday, Il still furnish estimates.
but when the people for whom | per-
form such service leave the office they
very often don't come back to ask for
specifications for contractors, but APP
parentiy postpone the work or erect
ing themselves new dwelling or bust
ness room, as the case may be. | am
not certain that the advance i'll mater
ial is wholly responsible for such
apathy, but it no doubt has something
TO do with it.
While the parties interviewed by the
Register were, as is Indicated in the
words of the party above quoted, 10th
to hold the higher markets for ma
terial responsible, the slowness with
AlSA ASW Ol OStAS SohtANSSNNN
for can hardly be explained upon any
other basis. A contractor who has
big lot of work under Roadway, says
the advance upon the principal mater
ial used in the construction OF houses
is anywhere from ten to twenty-five
per cent. To give the public an idea
as to what these advances have been,
the gentleman was asked to be SPECIFIC
and he proceeded to enumerate articles
and prices as follows: Bricks have in
creased in price from 81 to $1.15 per
thousand, lumber on an average is up
20 per cent, Stonework has also adj
vanced at least 20 per cent over what
it was a year ago; plastering has adj
vanced cents on the yard; lime has
gone from 70 cents to $1.15 a barrel,
lath is worth % per cent more than IL
was last January, and foreign cements
are ranging Is ito 20 per cent higher
than two months ago, and domestic
cements 10 per cent higher; skilled Ia
Dor has also come in for share OF the
boom and all metals, such as steel
ceilings, tin conductors, &c, can only
be bought at much higher prices than
formerly. Tin roofing has risen from
SIS to 81 a square, and slate roofing is
UP from Is cents to 81; glass has adj
vanced in some instances 100 per cent,
and a certain grade of metal ceiling is
now selling 25 per cent higher than
ruling prices at the beginning of the
year, and so on all along the line.
From the above statement it viii be
seen that it will cost on an average
10 per cent more to erect house now
than it would year ago, and 1t Is
natural that persons contemplating
building are slow TO accept the new
conditions.
While there are quite number of
residences going up in SUBURBAN locali-
ties there is not a single business house
under construction in the city. Con-
tractors are at present busy on work
secured at the opening of the season
or on repair work, which is now being
taken more than the erection of new
buildings.
In this day and age when the tend
ency is to discover new processes and
new materials for building purposes, it
is Just a little odd that very large
percent of the residences erected out
the pike are wood. The frame house,
where not prohibited by fire limits, is
greatly in vogue, possibly more on ac-
count of its artistic beauty than because
of its cheapness when compared to
stone or brick.
While the building industry is not
developing as fast as it was month
ago, the subsistence, it must be I'M
derstood, is only comparative. Some
of the enterprising architects of the city
are still getting out plans and specifi-
cations for new work every week and
among other jobs Of less consequence,
the firm of Franzheim, Giesey q Faris
has secured the architect work for the
following: A ten thousand dollar
frame dwelling for VIM. Schempf at
Echo Point; a $500 dwelling for Mrs.
NJ. E. Whitaker at Leatherwood; a So
| 900 residence for Geo. Woods at Wood
| land; two residences for 0. c. Dewey at
Echo Point, and a residence for VIM.
| Tiernan in the same locality.
Chas. d. McCarty, another we'll
known architect, is getting out plans
| for two tenement houses, pressed brick
front and stone trimmings, 10 be
erected on Twentieth street for t. A.
| Little; an S-roomed house at Edging-
ton Lane for Sidney Sarver, and he is
now receiving bids for the pumping
station at Benwood.
Other architects report considerable
work of more or less importance on