The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-02-05
MILLIONS In LOTS
Holland Tells How Scenes
Change in New York.
Money Plentiful, Many Build
ing Enterprises Show.
AROUND THE WORLD SOON
In Dirigible Balloon Is Predic-
ton of Melvin Vaniman.
This to Be Greatest Year in
Aeronautics in History.

New York, Feb. 5.=In the brief
visit which Sir Frederick Treves, the
distinguished surgeon who successfully
performed the heroic operation upon
King Edward VII in 1902, made to
this city on Wednesday of last week,
he is reported to have said that the
changes in New York city since his
last previous visit have been extra
ordinary; so vast, in fact. that the
New York of today bears hardly any
resemblance to the city as 1t was
some twenty-five years ago.
In fact, Sir Frederick was so amazed
by the stupendous changes which he
saw in the course of few hours that
he declared to his friends that but
for imperative calls to Great Britain
he would gladly remain in New York
for several days.
There were intimations from him
that he may return to New York in
the course of the next two or three
years for q visit of several days He
would like to be in this country at the
time of the opening of the Panama
canal, an insp lection of that work haV-
ing Just been made by him. Should
Sir Frederick return within the next
two or three years he would see that
other and vast changes have taken
place, especially in that part of the
city which is contiguous to the hotel
upon Fifth avenue at which he was
guest for one day
work of the Grand Central terminal
will have been completed and within
two wears a considerable portion OF
the real estate improvement cOntem-
plated by the Central management,
stretching for a little over half a mile
northerly from the Grand Central sta
ton, will either be completed or else
well under way. Already this stu
pendous work is influencing not mere
" the course of trade, especially re-
tail trade, but the value of the real
properties in the vicinity.
Within a day or two an Offering was
made for a piece of real property
within a short distance from the
Grand Central terminal. the repre-
sentatives of those who were anxious
to buy the property offerlng tour MIL
lion dollars in cash for this piece OF
real estate. A few years ago less than
half that amount would have been
looked upon as a high price Tor the
property, and twenty years ago 1t was
not regarded as worth much over
half a million dollars
If 1t be possible to negotiate the
purchase of this property then one
of the Oldest of the retail dry goods
houses in New York will establish
there, in a new building, q store, the
total investment. pro badly. amounting
to as much as I'VE million dollars
This is not as large a sum as three, at
least and possibly four of the large
retail houses of New York have in
vested in real estate for the purpose |
of carrying on their business IN new !
quarters. One investment of that kind |
involves as much as ten million dol |
lars, another about seven million dol |
lars and still another about six mil |
lions
Yet all of these ventures, involving !
as they do, heavy interest on rental I
charges, seem to have been justified /
by the results. Fifth avenue itself |
has been converted within the past |
five years from Madison square north |
erly to Fifty-ninth street-a distance |
of a little under two miles-into a re- |
tail shopping thoroughfare whose /
architectural magnifcence is under |
stood greatly to have impressed the |
Duke of Connaught when he was re-
Gently in this city
A Fifth Avenue Block.
The owners of large retail store near
Madison Square which has long had a |
successful career erected, about two |
years ago. a large addition to the old |
have cost about a million dollars al |
though this estimate is a somewhat I
rough one The real estate and the build |
ing upon it which have been occupied by
this firm are believed to be worth some
thing like three million dollars although /
there has been no market test of the
value The proprietors however had |
they realized two years ago what thev
now believe to be inevitable. would in all |
proba bility, have abandoned any purpose /
to erect an addition to the store and .
would have bought new quarters some
where on Fifth avenue. In fact notwitf-
standing this recent investment of theirs
in real estate Improvement, it is the IN |
derstanding in high-class real estate |
circles in this city that the own
estate are negotiating for an entire Fifth |