The Oroville weekly gazette. [volume] (Oroville, Wash.) 1905-19??, 1922-05-05
Random Observations.
Portland City OF HOmes-All Parts
OF City Building Rapidly-Ram
Does Not Dampen ArdOr Of the
PeOple-Dry Moisture.
BY FRANK NJ. DALLAM SIR.


In one of my letters casual mention
was made OF the steady aind really re-
markable growth of Portland, and
since that writing We have been lib
eral contributor to the street car sys-
' tenn of the town going hithef and yon
mot only to familiarize ourselves with
the suburbs that surround the central
setting like circle of lesser gems but
to ascertain by observation whether
this building fever was confined to
one single locality or whether the en-
tire city is innoculated with the same
febrile symptoms. Investigation goes
to show that the disease is far reach
ing, and that no one section appears
to have any perceptible advantage
over another in this matter of steady
growth. Owing to the range OF hills
that stand as background to Port
land to the west, and up to the foot
and over the crest of which the city
has already spread in that direction
the residential section is rolling on
like great tide to the eastward, and
of the Willamette buildings can be
seen in every stage of construction In
almost evedy instance these buildings
are of superior character, and many
of them are elegant mansions centered
in ideal surroundings. This growth is
evidence that Portland is city of
homes, and although thousands hive
in apartment houses the bulk of the
population is animated with the home
spirit and hence the demand for resi-
dences keeps step, or continues a lap
ahead of the supply. This continuous
home building is a most healthy sign
as it goes to show that people locating
here are coming to stay.
But this growth is not confined to
outlying districts, the city business
section is keeping pace with the resi-
dental quarters in this matter of ex-
pansion. In late years when visiting
the larger cities of the northwest il
has struck us that the business sec
tions were in state of petrification
That is, at some time in the past there
mad been great activity in the con-
struction of big business blocks, but
that the demand for such structures
had been satisfied and the erection of
that class of buildings had suddenly
come. to a standstill. 1t is different in
Portland. Great piles of brick, tile and
concrete are going skyward in almost
every quarter of the business section
representing the investment of mill
ions of dollars, an indication that
ready money is not as scarce as we
imistic atmosphere that prevails in al
most every community, or at least
that Portland is not suffering from a
money shortage. The character of
these new buildings is in keeping with
the larger Structures that already
adorn the city There are so many of
these improvements under way that it
would be impossible for stranger to
enumerate even a small per centage
of the new blocks, but as giving a
slight idea of the nature of what is
going on in the building line we can
state that from window of the apart
ment in which we are at present re-
siding, and which is so hedeged in that
the range of vision is confined to a
very limited space, We can see nine
story apartment house well on the
way to completion, representing an
| investment of several hundred thous-
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