The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1899-12-01
Jhe NTlessenger.
A RAPID VIEW OF WILMINGTON

tNyenty-three years ago. A walk
through the streets will reveal to the
observer that most remarkable prog
ress has been made. We do not pro-
pose to exaggerate.' The facts are suf-
fciently encouraging without the aid
OF unmeaning adjectives and high
flown rhetorical flourish. In 1876 ana
1877 we were accustomed to walk nue.
and all the chief streets became very
familiar to us. We nov stroll on any
street between Brooklyn Bridge and
Castle and we see on every hand most
cheering evidences of development, of
Improvement, of growth. New and
handsome dwellings are to be seen in
every direction. There are streets that
count these by the dozens. There are
blocks that are so improved as to
amount practically to being built up
nearly all around. If we had a perfect
picture of every street as it appeared
in 1876, and were to view it in connec-
ton with a perfect picture of every
street as it now is between the points
Indicated it would prove a surprise and
Il revelation. If o fail to visit a
given street in six months you are
met with such surprises when you do
visit, that it is difficult to realize the
transformation Of scene.
Only on Sunday evening last we had
occasion to visit a sick friend in a part
of the city we had not seen in a year,and
our eyes were most pleasantly greeted
by eight or ten dwellings, some large
and handsome, others of good size and
attractive, that la gon up on n Or
two streets within The time indicated.
nthar paw residences we conld dis
Germ in the distance.
1t is known that in about two years
north of Market more residences have
been built than south of Market. And
still in that time it is known that
some forty-fve, perhaps one or w
more, have been erected south of Mar
ket. So crediting north of Market with
ffty-fve, and there have been ITO
neat, some costly and elegant, resi-
dences quilt in two years. These do
not include the little cheap cottages
scattered all about in some parts of the
town.
The building has not stopped with the
great advance in material. Several
buildings are being completed and n
or more are being much changed. Hon.
John D. Bellamy is so changing the
very COInHlOulOuS IeOISe I1dlIloS HOliie
thai several thousands of dollars will
be expended upon the enlargement and
improvements. New contracts are
making constantly.
An exceptionally intelligent, travel
ed gentleman from Baltimore recently
told us that he had been much i'm
pressed with the general attractive
ness of Wilmington, and had been es-
pecially struck with the very many
large, handsome residences, and re-
markably good average of substan-
tial, neat, well improved houses. A
well known North Carolina travelling
salesman said to us within a day or
two: There is steady, sure rogress
in Wilmington. The erection Of hand
some, solid homes goes on regularly
without buster or parade. If Char
lotte had such residences in such num-
beers, the Charlotte woul
be constantly filling columns with an
account of the growth and evidences
of prosperity and taste"
In addition to improvement in so
many homes in twenty-three years,
and they, count by hundreds, many
large and handsome buildings have
been erected. Few towns not larger
than Wilmington in the south can
show a more beautiful postoffice-the
handsomest building we ever saw in
the state except the capitol at Raleigh
thar the one that graces Front
street. Our $50, 900 courthouse is unique
and elegant for such a structure. The
massive Masonic Temple, when COM
pleted, will have no rival of it's kind in
North Carolina. Then there are three
or four large brick churches, the capa-
cious Offices Of the A. G. L., the i'm
mense Rheinstein store building. the
large Y. M. G. A. building, the hand
some Sprunt offices, the dozen of
other stores, the Orion House, the Mes
senger office and others that might be
named, that have been all built since
the year when this writer -1S76-iden-
titled himself with the little city, then
with about $1,000 inhabitants, on the
raging Cape Fear, Inc six miles from
the Atlantic ocean.
Steadily, resolutely, the people have
pushed along the car of progress and
the results are seen in this somewhat
hurried and imperfect survey.
In the time indicated we think the
first cotton mill was built. and now a
quarter of a million dollar mill is near
ing completion. If We were to under
lake to note the particular improve
ments we would mention the new Solo
mon building, the market house. the
Warren building, the Polvogt store, the
Stevenson store. the Worth building,
the Atlantic National bank, and so on.
1t may be relied upon that Wilmington
If not fussy is not asleep. It's pro-
gress is visible on every side. 1t would
require the assistance of one who a
time to visit Water street and other
streets to give a complete write up
of improvements in business houses
since 1876, for they are numerous. We
merely wished to indicate enough of
the improvements to give some idea of
progress in Wilmington. The statistics
of business now as compared with 1876
must be sought IN the wharf We
would rejoice to have to note the build
ing Of a dozen cotton factories and a
score or two of other industrial plants.
We have not essayed to tell any thing