Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1908-06-25


the endeavor to keep up with the
rapid growth, is great. An organiza
tion of boosters known as the 10000
club predicts population of 10000
for 1910 and [ guess they won't fall far
short of this estimate.
| actually believe that over 80 per
cent of Spokane is for sale. Every
body buys and sells everything all the
time and they think of nothing else.
l really believe one could buy the
city hail if he made the mayor an
offer. Property advances by leaps
and bounds. Lots that sold a year
ago for $500 cannot be touched for
less than $500 now and many bring
more. People who bought acre tracts
, two years ago for $500 are getting
from $1,000 to $500 for them now and
so on in all real estate transactions.
The business blocks are fine speci-
mems of architecture. Well arranged,
cool and light, and extensively built.
There are five more now in course of
construction, the largest Of which is
the Poison block on riverside which is
Ii stories. This block is strictly fire
proof as it is built of steel and con-
crete. Rents on the business streets,
| would turn your hair curly. Just a
cigar stand 10X14 on Riverside rents
for $3.50 per month and millinery
store room on Lincoln pretty well
down Riverside rents for $3.50 per
month. You can imagine from these
figures what stores, well located, bring
the owners, You cannot rent any
sort of a dwelling in any part of the
city short of $40 per month, and
| houses of seven or eight rooms within
the two mile circle bring from $45 to
$50 per month.
The parks of this city are new and
many of them are not fully completed
as yet. The principal amusement
park is Natatorium park, owned by
the Washington Water Power Co.
| This park contains all sorts of devices
for pleasure such as roller coaster,
chutes, box ball alleys, swimming pool,
scenic railway, ETC., and also has a
fine base ball ground enclosed and
equipped with huge grand stand
where the city league plays all their
games. Twenty-Five cents entities
one to admission and seat in grand
stand for two games. That is GER
tainly cheap enough. The music in
Natatorium is furnished by a S22, 900
pipe organ recently installed. A daily
balloon ascension is now one Of the
attractions
The prettiest family PARK in the
city is Mantle park. There are no
amusement features here but it is a
park where mothers can go with the
/ children on an afternoon and enjoy
the shade, flowers, grass and watch
the animals. The Zoo in Mantle is
quite extensive containing two pens
of bears, one of hyenas and coyotes,
| monkeys, bob cats, mountain lions,
badgers, d large pen of Elk and various
species of deer and birds of every de-
scription from a lark to the American
| eagle. Many picnicers go to Mantle
with their lunches and as tables are
furnished free it is dandy place for
an outing. A large lake full of water
foul is the center piece and smaller
lake full of gold fish is another at
| traction. Out in the south east part
Of the city the residents have access
to Cour de Alene park, which is an
ideal beauty spot, the artist who laid
it out being entitled to great credit
| for excellence of taste. Some of the
other ;parks which are as yet I'M
finished are Liberty park, Union park
and Corbin park, all of which will be
beautiful places when completed
Spokane goes in strong for educa-
tional facilities having now twenty
| five splendid public school buildings
and several more under course of con
struction. In addition to these schools
there is the Courage college con-
Quoted by the Jesuit Fathers. This
is the largest college in the west and
is a marvel of architecture.
For religiously inclined persons
Spokane is the mecca as every known
religion in America and several be-
sides, are represented and all have
their church buildings, The newest
one to me is ''Tonguers. l went one
evening to learn what sort of reli-
gion this sect offered but | couldn't
get head nor tail to the business. l
| decided it to be a very good reproduc
tion of the great iargon of Babylon in
the olden times For those who wont
go to church land there are q few
such in Spokane) we have the Saliva
J tion Army who, as you all know, con-
duct street meetings.
Next in order in public buildings
and places are the theatres. We have
number of first class play houses,
the best of which are ''The Spokane,
1.-The Auditorium, - 1.-THE Columbia, F."
1.-THE Washington" and "Pantages
Theatre" In addition to these are
the usual moving picture shows,
penny arcades, ETC., found in any city.
Spokane people are theatre goers too
l have attended several plays and
found the house packed each time
from gallery to parquet and on one
occasion could not get in at all.
The rage just now toutside of the
wearing of Merry Widow hats by the
women and the lodging of the same
by the mem is the base ball playing in
tho Northwest Ieaoup Snotano now