The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-10-25

terday S U o d e relallNe 10 the pIOSi0oS
of the building industry in this city will
be an occasion of surprise to those IN
and out of the city who have not bestow-
ed any special attention on the growth
and development of st. Paul. They will,
moreover, be the cause of much OF
pride and pleasure to our own people VINO
are actively concerned in the city's pros
perity and advancement.
There can be no more conclusive test
applied to the progress of a community
than the one of the development Of its
building operations On that test the city
of st. Paul may be said to offer to view
a state of facts of the most gratifying
nature. Five millions of dollars expend-
ed in single year on additions to the
business and residence structures of the
people of any city, however populous or
progressive, signifies measure of local
growth and assured prosperity very graf
flying in itself; but it also implies condi-
tons of general well-being, the benefits of
which are not to be considered as con-
fined to any locality.
In estimating the real significance of
the building activity of St. Paul.
it should be borne in mind that the
total figures represent an advance of
something like 800 per cent on the opera
lions of last year. The character of the
structures erected or provided for is also
an important element in the situation.
The present years building operations
show that a large, perhaps the largest,
proportion of the moneys thus expended
is devoted to the erection of substantial,
and, indeed, expensive business buildings,
and the remainder to the construction of
additional dwellings for the people.
Last year represented normal growth;
binary. Their lesson is gratifying and
important one st. Paul today ranks
well up among the great urban centers
of the country. It's attainment to still
more important relative position is as
sured. The trend of material develop
ment is plainly in the direction of the
larger cities. The great aggregations Of
capital which are a feature of modern
industrial growth find their field of oper-
alton in such communities Industrial
undertakings of great moment are
necessarily established in them. The
great objective points of the great
distributing and carrying agencies
are the large cities They are
the central depots of the ma
tons commercial supplies. AS nev-
er before the movement in commerce
and, indeed, in social life is toward such
has been in progress fer some five years
past or over of electric means of convey
ance reaching out from the large cities to
suburban and contiguous communities
must be regarded as another expression
O. this same tendency.
st. Paul is plainly in the forefront OF
this great movement. With the territory
Immediately tributary to it commercially
advancing in population in far greater
ratio than any other section of the eoun-
try, the surprising showing we have to
offer in building operations for the year
is very easy of explanation. We are the
inevitable benefciaries of a great move
ment of population, of a marvellous ma
teriai growth, of natural conditions more
favorable to human well-being than per-
haps have ever before been realized.
Awaiting ourselves fully of the vast pos
sibilities, there is the amplest reason for
believing that before many generations
have passed away we viii have at this,
the doorway to the American Northwest,
city of the first-class in population,
culture and natural resources, the great
est to be found on the entire continent.