Columbia University Libraries Digital Collections: The Real Estate Record

Real estate record and builders' guide: v. 28, no. 716: December 3, 1881

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EAL Estate Record AND BUILDERS^ GUIDE. Vol. XXVIII. NEW YOKE, SATUEDAY, DECEMBER 3, 1881. No. 716 Published Weekly by The Real Estate Kbcord Association TERMS; Oi\E YEAR, lu advance.....$6.00 Communications should be addressed to C. W. SWEET, 137 Broadway. J. T. LINDSEY'Busmess Manager. Although there is one day less to report, due to the Thanksgiving holiday, the an¬ nexed official list shows an increase in the number of conveyances, in the amount paid and the mortgages taken over the previous week. Still the figures show that there is no boom under way in real estate. Week N.Y. Am't. No. No. 23d Am't. No. end City in- Nom- &24th in¬ nom¬ mg. Cons. voived inal Wards. volved. inal. Sept. $ $ 14 75 809.074 25 12 24,450 21 111 1,381,992 36 16 45.928 6 28 89 1,355,333 21 19 90,593 4 Oct. 0 1.^7 3.200,444 34 15 15,400 8 12 157 2.007.448 39 21 .38.289 3 19 159 1,696.607 52 18 64,000 6 2n 146 1,720.325 44 21 213,871 6 Nov. 2 192 3,103.469 44 20 25,725 4 9 151 2,953.416 37 14 71,300 1 16 185 3,078,525 45 35 ! 6,9.53 7 •23 173 2,046,389 51 22 174,385 6 30 175 2,284,165 48 12 55,202 1 Week Mort- Am't. No. Am't. No. to Am't end- gag¬ in¬ Five in¬ T.& m- ing. es. volved, per ct. volved. nsCos. vol veil. Sept. $ $ $ 14 108 79S.153 13 224,700 17 227.900 21 149 1,159,231 29 235,681 28 464.450 28 117 1,076.874 29 469,100 27 562,500 Oct. 5 169 1,310,982 35 334,900 31 378.700 13 152 1,531,8.56 28 285.611 29 549,175 19 174 1,486.930 36 334,038 30 480,250 26 298 1,741,258 35 377,632 51 687,000 Sov. 2 241 1,866,805 65 466.500 41 375,000 9 204 2,331,630 42 787.250 25 371.01)1 16 196 5.413.6,50 36 595,200 39 3,748,300 23 156 1,104,452 40 318,600 22 264,000 30 157 1,508,576 35 339,145 39 .543,872 It is a singular fact that vrhen such des¬ peradoes as Billy the Kid, Younger Boys, the James brothers and others of that ilk, so well known in Kansas and Missouri in con¬ nection with all kinds of. crimes, have killed a man, that the victim nearly every time has been shot in the back. These fellovi^s always take their man at a disadvantage. One of these characters, who in his time killed sixteen men, started his career by killing a teamster, who, feeling himself aggrieved at an insult, drew a pistol and was about to shoot, when the desperado called out, "You are a pretty man to draw a pistol on an un¬ armed man!" The teamster, who was an honest fellow, recognizing the force of the remark, threw away his weapon, and doub¬ ling up his fists replied, "No; I'll give it to you this way." As soon as the ruffian had his man at this disadvantage he drew his own pistol and shot the teamster dead. This is about all the bravery that such men have; if, fully armed, they can only get at an un¬ armed man, they are all right, and it is only when cornered like a rat that they show real fight. The Eastern railroad desperado, represent¬ ed by such men as Field, Gould and Sage, is a man of pretty much the same calibre. He swaggers, blusters and threatens his victims, calls out to them to throw away their weap¬ ons, then picks them up himself turns on his prey and shoots. Gould, Field and Sage called out to the Manhattan stockhold¬ ers, throw away your worthless stuff, it is good for nothing. Then to heighten the force of this appeal, Gould and Sage raade oath (perjuring themselves) that in their opinion this stock was worthless. Having once got¬ ten their victims to throw it away they pick¬ ed it up, and this worthless stuff is now safely lodged in the boxes of the trium¬ virate. -------«-------- HOW THINGS LOOK. The country is undeniably prosperous, about that there is no mistake whatever. Railroad earnings, despite the war, are the largest ever known; very few bad debts are made, labor is fully employed and well rewarded, i:nmigration is phenomenally large, and all classes of the community are making and saving money. True, our export trade has fallen off, and yet some gold continues to come from Paris and London; then we are building new railways ahead of the demand, and some time next year it is possible that it may prove we are over producing, but for the present there seenis to be no cloud in the sky. Ex-Speaker Randall has announced that a 3 per cent, funding bill will be introduced early in the session and pressed to a vote. This, of course, will help to cheapen money and will stimulate speculation. Bonds and good dividend paying stocks will advance and the stock market will again become buoyant. If there is any serious intention of passing such a bill as that vetoed by President Hayes last March, we may see a rampant stock market in naid-winter. A '6 per cent, funding bill would have an un¬ wholesome effect upon prices, and a reaction would follow that could not but be disas¬ trous. Still, the effect on real estate for the time being would be stimulating. Natural causes are, however, at work to advance the price of realty. A real estate "boom" is under way in several of the large Western cities. This is due to the crowding of popu¬ lation to the centres of business, and as this cause is at work here as well as in Chicago, Kansas City and Denver, we shall have, in time, as great a speculative furore here as anywhere else on the continent. Recent IDrices for New York property are very low, in view of the competition for the limited amount of land on this island, which is sure to develop itself in time. ----------------<-•->---------------- The exchanges for the past few weeks show an increase over the remarkably large business of last year, when a vigorous stock speculation was under full headway. While stock speculation has fallen ofl, there is a heavy gain in all the manufacturing centres, such as Pittsburg, Cleveland, Providence, Worcester and Lowell. There is a rapid development of manufacturing industry all over the country. Railway stocks had the * call this time last year, the stocks of manu¬ facturing companies this year. Cleveland shows an advance of 50 per cent, over last year, and Pittsburg of 56 per cent., New York, Chicago and Baltimore show a falling off in the exchanges compared with the corresponding two weeks business last year. The steadiness and rise in the price of iron and coal tells the story of the impetus given to the manufacturing industry and the building of new railways in all parts of the country. ANOTHER OLD LANDMARK TO BE REMOVED. The great tide of building that has been sweeping over our city for the past year has been reducing the landmarks of " ye ancient time," until the Knickerbocker of three¬ score years can scarcely find the well-known spots of his youth. The old family man¬ sions have one by one been torn down as the march of improvement has been advancing. Men that were boys less than fifty years ago may recall the many old residences that fronted on the East River, and which had their entrances on the old Boston or Post road. These mansions were the abode of the wealthy, and form a striking contrast to the homes of the rich of the present days, who are satisfied to live and bring up their families on a plot of ground 25x100, while these old New Yorkers had theirs surround¬ ed by broad acres, containing groves of superb trees, and magnificent drives extend¬ ing all the way from the Boston road to the doors of their hospitable homes. Let us glance back at the history of two of the most famous of these old estates, and see how they finally became blended into one, which is now owned by the fourth generation, who are about to remove the last remaining vestige of their past grandeur to make way for the inevitable brick and mortar that must so soon cover every foot of ground on this island. The Hardenbrook estate consisted of about 18 acres of ground, commencing at what is now Third avenue, between Sixty-third and Sixty-fourth streets, and extending in the form of a belt to the East River, gradually widening as it approached the river front. This property was conveyed by Ann Harden¬ brook, in the year 1817, to the New York Hospital for $11,600, who in the following year sold it to Peter Schermorliorn, Jr., for 114,000. Mr. Schermerhorn named his newly acquired property the Belmont Farm, and the title to the major portion of it is retained by his descendants up to the present time. The Louvre Farm extended from what is now Third avenue, between Sixty-seventh and Seventy-fourth streets, to the East River. As far back as 1743, the larger portion of this farm, notably that part adjacent to the river front, belonged to David Provost, and re¬ mained in the possession of his family until about 1787 when the title to it was acquired by John Jones. In the deed to him the right to use the family vault and the ^ entrance thereto was reserved, and in this