The Oroville weekly gazette. [volume] (Oroville, Wash.) 1905-19??, 1922-03-31
RANDOM OBSERVATIONS
Concluded from page one.)

Concluded from page one.)
tic resident of the state can concede.
and during those two years Portland
has been forging ahead, if not in
leaps and bounds at least with a
never faltering steadiness that has
added thousands to the number OF
people she was given credit for when
the census was taken.
This growth is not problemetical
or based on claims by citizens BIZ
ased by the pride of place, a bias nat
ural to residents of any town loyal
to the community in which they live.
but upon observations made by the
writer who has had occasion to visit
Portland annually during the past
several years, and has noted the
marked changes that have taken
place. especially in the residential
districts, where the addition of new
homes is indicative of a growing pop
ulation. AS further evidence of this
claim of steady growth it may be ad-
ded that during 1921 over 1000 new
residences were constructed in Port
land. while the indications at this
time are that those figures will be ex-
ceeded during 1922. With a few years
of such a remarkable record in the
matter of expansion Los Angeles will
be crowded to hold the edge as the
most populous city of the coast.
Portland has long had the reputa-
ton Of being one of the wealthiest
cities of its size in the entire coun-
try. and from the impressive size and
stability of its business blocks and
the elegance of many of its homes
there are evident grounds for the
claim, and also that the possessors
of this wealth are not averse to
spending considerable OF the same in
identifying their city while contribut-
ing to their personal comfort and
enjoyment Many substantial fortunes
have been builded by the older res
idents of Portland, for this has always
been a great mart of trade, while
others have profited most materially
value of real estate as the city ex-
banded. Some of the older inhabitants
have done so well, more or less hon.
estly, in the line of trade that the
accretion of land values has cut no
figure with them as contributing to
bank accounts, for they have held on
to their original homes, in some in
stances covering an entire city block,
until the forward wave of the advanc-
ing business section has swept beyond
these isolated homes, leaving them a
green and open oasis in the wilderness
Of tall business blocks.
To stranger it is an incongruous
sight to see a family wash Hopping
| in the breeze on the lawn in the heart
OF the business section where the lin
gerie and ct cetras of the family
wardrobe gives bucolic touch to
the scenery catching the eye of steady
streams of people that flood the sur
rounding walks. This is not the only
contribution to sight and sound that
leaves an impression that great city
has been built around an erstwhile
country village, for while occupying
Aooh uo"H to"H III al eiSHt story
hotel the writer has been wakened
morning after morning by the chal-
longing voice of chanticleer, with
echoing answers arising from the
same neighborhood
But this is somewhat Of a digres-
sion from the text of the paragraph
Aside from the outward and visible
signs of the use of wealth We have
no way Of confirming the oft repeat
ed statement that Portland is one of
the richest cities in the entire coun-
try. claim or reputation based upon
the worldly possessions Of its inhabi
tants. We can accept the statement as
fact without further probing and
LET IL go at that