Democratic Sentinel, Volume 11, Number 12, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 22 April 1887 — THE WESTERN BOOM. [ARTICLE]

THE WESTERN BOOM.

St. Jouph, Mo., Btill Loading All Competitor* in Real Estate Deal* and the Acquisition of Substantial Enterprise*. The moct noticeable real estate activity continues to prevail at Bt. Joseph, Mo., 89*9 a correspondent of an Eastern paper. Packing hon>es and other industrial enterprises, among them the Louisiana Tobacco Works, are going ip at a lively rate; one of the chief evidences of the growtn of the city being the granting of a lrancbise to a syndicate of Kansas City capitalists for the construction of an extensive system of cable lines, to be commenced at once, and to cost $300,000. The best evidence, however, is in the showing of actual transactions closed in one week recently: W. A. P. McDonald bought 99 lots in Eastern Extension for $10,500. He sold 54 of them for $10,700, and sold balance at an advance of S2O per foot in cost. Sam Nave and J. S. Britton bought a lot in Patee’s addition for $2,000 and sold for $3,000 in four days. W. H. Constable bought lot 2, block 54, St Joseph Extension, for S3OO, and sold for $550. J. S. Blackwilder, of Chicago, bought eighty feet, southeast corner of Third and Sylvanie, for $14,000, and has been offered nearly double that for it and refused it. J. M. Hill paid $7,000 for northeast comer of Second and Francis, nnd has since refused SIB,OUO. C. W. Brown bought two lots on St. Joseph avenue for $1,900, and sold in six days for $3,000. John Kelly bought two lots iu Eastern Extension; he paid $000; in thirty days he sold for $y00; it has since been resold for $1,200. J. F. Tyler bought a lot in Eastern Extension for sl2o and sold to Hubbard lor SSOO, who has since been offered S7OO. L. E. Carter bought a lot in January in Kemper’s addition or S7OO. Jn three days after he was offered SI,OOO, and since then $2,000. He bought four lots in Robidoux addition for $4,600; sold for $6,000, and his purchaser sold for SB,OOO. Mrs. N. M. Brewster bought three lots for SSOO and sold for $1,150 in three days, and in four days they were resold for $1,400. D. G. Griswold bought six lots in East St. Joseph for S2OO and sold the next day lor $750; also three others for S2OO and resold in three weeks for SI,OOO. One of tee publishers of Hove’s Directory, speaking of the Western cities and the prevailing boom, writes as follows of St. Jioseph, where he has just issued the Directory for 1887: “Not only has St. Joseph increased iu population at a most satisfactory rate, there being an increase in one year of 5,846, while the total population in round numbers is shown to be 60,000, but she has undergone a spirited revival that augurs the outstripping of ull competition. Ten years ago the city had scarcely a dozen manufactories, whereas the year ’B7 finds her with some 170 of all kinds, with thirteen railroads, the largest stockyards west of Chicago, some thirteen miles of streets, paved with asphaltum, and as many miles more under contract, with the electric motor 60on to be in operation on two of the car lines, and the cable line an assured fact, and new enterprises springing up daily on every hand. The demand for real estate ha 3 been steady and active. Eor the past year St. Joseph has led almost continually tue other cities of the United States in bank clearances, the per cent, of increase over 1886 reaching in one case 140.7, and up to date maintaining an averuge of almost 100. Down to Deo. 31, 1886, St. Joseph’s jobbing houses did a business of $110,539,000, showing an increase in the business of 1886 over that of 1865 of $23,111,028. A fair indication of the increasing business may be sought iu the fact that St. Joseph now employs a force of commercial travelers numbering 1,013 men.” St. Joseph, more than any other Western town, offers the best inducements to men of small capital to commence a manufacturing business, and to mechanics and laborers to find employment and build desirable homes.