The St. Louis Republic., 1901-04-28
Investments Thus Far Made Indi-
cate Healthy and Encourag-
ing Growth.
BUILDING ON THE INCREASE.
st. Louis Real Estate Market
Shows Heavier Gains Than
Any Other Large City
Important Deals Made.

Deals last week in real estate circles were
most encouraging, showing as they did
that the general investment Of this year
bid fair to exceed the heavy purchases Of
business corners recorded lately. The re-
vival of interest in realty generally Is best
shown by statistics OF this and last year
in the matter OF building and real estate
transfers.
Real estate transfers for April up to last
Friday amounted to 2702, $50. an increase
of nearly $4,000 over the record for the
entire month of April of 1900. AS April Of
the present year has three days yet to be
counted in completing the record for the
month. it is believed that this months recz
ord will exceed that Of last year, by three
quarters of a million.
The building record for April, 1901. has
not yet been completed, but a comparison OF
the records for the month Of March OF
this year and last year is of interest. In
March, 1900. the buildings erected were
valued at 24,99o. For March, 1901. the
record was ssll. .sSs, an increase Of lis per
cent in favor of this year. When it is con-
sidered that March is not q good building
month, it can be seen that the prospects for
later periods in the year are most nope
ful
St Louis real estate has shown heavier
increase in point of value than that OF any
other large city in the county and M Its
manent and in no sense boom. The IN
crease in values inaugurated by the Worlds
Fair will be maintained by the increase In
the city's population and commercial inter-
ests, and last weeks records in all the COM
panies have shown that the small investor
has realized this fact.
Investors Seeking Residence Property
In all portions of the city realty trans
volved is of the residence class, being pur-
chased as speculation or as a residence
by the small investor desirous of securing
a home making safe Investment. The
record of the Mercantile Trust Company for
last week is an indication OF this, as, al
though heavy deals did not figure in their
programme, as in the last few weeks. the
number of deals in residence property has
made their week an exceedingly good one.
or the large deals of the week the two
most worthy of mention were published in
Saturdays Republic-the sale Of Nos. 1917
and 1913 Washington avenue to Simon Van
Raalte for $50 per front foot, and the deal
now under way to erect an immense mer-
camille house on the vacant lot extending
from Twentieth to Twenty-first street on
Washington avenue This property is
owned by S. H. Leathe, and he and several
other capitalists are interested in the erec-
tion of the structure.
Mr. Leathe stated Friday that no conclu-
:nn concerning the plans for the building
hai beer, arrived at. but that its general
cesign had been agreed upon by himself
and the Others interested in the deal. Def
mite plans and arrangements will be closed
next week. he said. The approximate cost
OF the structure will be $4,000.
New Merca ntile House Projected.
The purchase of the Washington avenue
property by Mr.. Van Raalte will be fol-
lowed by the erection Of a new mercantile
house upon the site. He stated Thursday
agents announced last week that the e'pi pro- O.
posed erection OF mercantile houses so far
west on Washington avenue is an indica-
tion that this street will be the wholesale
hoxy TNxxal fS
street. which was fomerly considered the
western limit for houses Of the sort.
olive street property has not attracted
the absence of any large deals on it's down
town district, but several large transac-
tions are said to be pending in the heart
along this street have been the subject Of
steady inquiry. and 1t is expected that the
arrival OF the Worlds Fair year will see
the supplanting Of the old-fashioned struc-
lures now occupying sites upon the street
oy modern buildings and business houses.
Future Of Downtown Streets.
The prediction made by some agents con-
Gerning three of the downtown streets.
w masai1gfSn hs qsTsd Pine and nd. Olive seems likely
q real estate dealer was quoted as saying
that Washington avenue would soon be the
VIII wholesale street Of the city. Olive street
street. especially near the Union Station.
This prediction seems to be verified in some
directions by the reports received.
So much interest has been taken in the
sale of the Emile building and the pros
pective use Of the site as q location for
theater that an officer Of the Mercantile
Trust Company announced Saturday that
there was no immediate intention Of using
the site for any other purpose than its
present one. The purchase of the property
was made, he said. by men who believed
in the safety of the site simply as an in
vestment, and the rumors Of a theater on
the site were premature.
Concerning the rumorS connecting the
new theater of the Castle Square Com
pany with the Site he stated that nothing
definite had ever been done in this line nor
had the owners Of the property been ap-
There was no prospect, he said, OF any i'm
mediate change.
The same officer of the trust company
stated that their business for last week had
that the small investors were anxious for
business in all portions of the city. Inqut-
ries from outside sources also promised
healthy business in the immediate future.
Trust Company from New York asked the
Price Of all available sites for business prop
erty which could be secured on Washington
avenue. Numerous other inquiries have
been received concerning other business
Notes Of the Street.
Great interest has been taken at the Real
Estate Exchange in the work Of the new
president and committees. Applications are
stu posted at the exchange for associate
W Mfy01 nes m1s Sfa.1t Dava
the Turner Real Estate Company, and
Hiram B. Morse, president Of the Daily Rec.
ord Company. The applications will be act
ed on this week.
Albert G. Blanke, the well-known member
exchange 1ocf