The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1907-09-06
MORE THAN 1000 MEN EMPLOY
ED ON NEW STRUCTURES
IN BILLINGS.
MANY new BLOCKS
Smith Block Will Soon Be Ready for
occupants-opera House Going Up
Rapidly-Y. M. e. A. Nears Com
pletion-Rapi Work on Other Build
ings.

ings.
Wonderful progress is being made
on the construction of the new bust.
ness blocks in Billings and within
the next few weeks several OF them
will be ready for occupancy. More than
1,100 men are estimated as being en-
ployed in construction work on blocks
warehouses and residences in Billings
at the present time, according to fig
ures compiled by well known con-
tractor. He says there is hardly a
portion of the city where there is not
some manner of building under con-
struction and nearly everywhere one
sees scores Of new structures going
up.
The Smith building, at the corner
of North Twenty-seventh street and
L 1AoC dYOAuS WILL DS SOulp1OISu dAu
ready for occupancy the latter part
of this month or the first part of next.
All of the exterior work and much Of
the interior has been done. The glass
front is being placed in the building
and the oak stairs have been COM
pleted The plumbing and heating
,c+o tbo
electric wiring and fixture work. The
plastering of the walls Of all the rooms
in both floors has been done for
some time and a hard finish has been
placed over it, Preparations for NOV
ing are being made by those who have
the rooms on the ground floor rent
ed and one firm has already moved
in. The building has five store
rooms on the ground floor and As
rooms on the second floor. Many Of
the rooms open into each other, so
that they may be used as suites. All
of the rooms in the building are light
ed and ventilated from the outside, an
area way extending to the roof of
the ground floor in the center of the
building, lighting and ventilating the
inside rooms. The walls OF the rooms
are hard finish and the painters are
engaged In painting the wood work.
The front Of the building is OF press
ed brick with steel cornices. Paint
ers have sompleted painting the cor
nices also.
The addition to the Northern hotel
will soon be ready for occupancy. The
partitions in the rooms have been
placed and the lathers are working
this week. A large concrete mixing
machine mas been engaged in mixing
the concrete for the basement for
some time past and this work is near
ly completed. Work on the interior
finishing will start next week and it
is expected that the building will be
completed and ready for occupancy by
the middle of next month.
Work on the excavation for the
telephone building on North Twenty
seventh street has been completed
and the forms FOR the concrete founda-
ton are being erected.
The concrete foundation and sup
ports Of the new 100000 Masonic
temple are completed. This building
viii be OF concrete stone and pressed
brick.
The concrete walls OF the theater
portion OF the new Babcock opera
house are nearing completion. The
theater portion OF the building will
be 81 feet nigh and built thoroughly
Gireproof, In fact, the entire building
will be fire proof. The steel girders
OF the store and ONCE portion Of the
building walich is to be built Of pressed
brick are being placed in position, and
two concrete mixing machines are be-
ing operated daily mixing the COM
crete for the walls of the &heater. The
tiheater portion OF the building will
seat $500 persons and is. SO feet wide
and 120 feet long. The front drop
curtain will be 80 feet wide. After
the forms for the concrete walls Of the
theater portion OF the building are re-
moved an outside plaster finish will
be placed on the walls. The theater
will have an arcade entrance la feet
wide on North Twenty-eighth street
and similar entrance ON Second ave.
nue. north. Beside the theater the
building will contain 70 store rooms
and 81 Office rooms. Every room I'm
the building will be lighted and ven-
ti1ated from the outside. Glass part1-
tions will be used between the ONCE
rooms. An area way In the center OF
the building provides Hight and yenti-
lation for the inside rooms. It is ex-
pected that the building viii be ready
for occupancy by December l at the
latest. q. w. Houten OF Seattle is the