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About The west shore. (Portland, Or.) 1875-1891 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 1, 1886)
THE WEST SHORE. 14 "linn! times" followed, fr"in which Portland suffered in C'lllllllllll with every oily in tho United States. A largo wheat crop in ISSt failed to relieve tlio strain, because the market price nf that commodity wan tho lowest it had 1mm.ii in a century. Another largo crop wiih harvested the past full, fully twicn that of th year before, and as tlm maiket in nini'li Mter than it wiih ft year ago, we are now feeling tho good effects of the free circulation of money reHiilting from tho largo siiIcb already inado. I luring 1 1 1 i h pi rii hI of two yearn thousands havo sottlod iihiii vneiint laud in tho region tributary to tho city, and liiiudri'dH of thousands of acres of wild land havo boon converted into farniH. Tho railroads havo begun extend ing their linen into tho new producing regions. Tho I'nioii 1'iicilic Iiiih gained hero a deep water terminuH, iiinl that great prosperity which enthusiasts in 1883 so confidently eviH'cti'd to como niton Ufl suddenly ill soino HiiHrnalural manner in now reaching us in tho regular order of nut urn, just as all prudent men believed. Port land is emerging from tho dark cloud of "hard times" that has hung over tho nation for two years, more solid than Isforo, with tho line of futuro growth clearly de fined. No ono but tho veriest dreamer claimed more for tlm city in its speculative, period than is claimed for it now iiniii nmro substantial grounds. Many things which went then but matters of faith aro now mutton of fact, and tho futuro is clearer because relieved of tho indofin ilo liiilo which IsHiining ss'culators had thrown alsmt it Such is n brief sketch of tho commercial career of the chief city of tlm IVillo Northwest What it is to-day and what nro tho conditions upon which itti futuro growth is predicated the following pages will reveal. In thorn tho thoughtful man of business will find thoso material facts which ho requires to form an intelligent opinion, 1 orthuid is n city of IIII.IKK) pooplo within its charter 1 1 until, mill IO.IHKI more reside in East Portland nml Allium, practically K,rtions of the city. Tho jiopnhition is ixpmi u. ii,i ()f fty r,mr ,,,!, , or,1(,OM mt r(lHi mgt m, wlnlo tho volume of business transacted is eoual i . ii. . . ii .I ... .... i i- mm in nu inner ciiies or tins region combined. Sin tho ccm.UK f 1hs(), when the city and suburbs 1..l f. 1. th growth of iH.pulnti.iu and busi- (IISIM llHM luuili .i....l ..I.I.. Tl - m mninuii Aiie rami oi increase was Ktmvm during tl.o three yean of .iwulation, but even in tho pnt two yean of unusual commercial depression tho cty has made (ltt,.rig advancement During the porioii, n.l osHV,ally t, yenr jUHt clos,,(1 Many residences inner ..i i . ... cMiy iiusiiieim W.vks wore erected ....i ..ii... .... ..... .... -r s.runures were also erected during this period hl i ? Nuri" l-t yoj f(lIIy t-, !: M..l",:u,,,"B f,,ur ,,uiMinw mi (!.., .... .hi.mni ninl f 111. UN iw,.,...i;....i.. .... I. ... in the eost of (ls,r and material, Uasine. blocks airily . n,, or c,.nl..,p(lt,s f.,r construction i 1S8C f h7: ",,,l0th,,r rt'Brtai makotho tTj f..r tho ,lulI1g Iuuch ti closed. Iron fronts are being used in building more than formerly, and our local iron works are thus finding a new direction for their industry. The material in oom mon use is brick, the buildings being generally faced with plaster and sanded to represent stone. This opera tion not only improves their appearance, but serves to protect the walls from any disintegrating tendency of the elements. Of genuine stone buildings there are none, though several, such as the First National Bank and Custom House, have their foundations and a portion of the lower walls constructed of stone. The chief reason for the non-use of. stone ia the great expense of trans porting it from the quarries in the mountains. This region has an abundauce of excellent building stone which will be utilized when the cost of obtaining it is brought within reasonable limits. The great hotel, which covers an entire block, was completed to the top of the first story with solid stone, and cost for construction to that point about 1110,000. If completed on the original plans it will be a solid stone structure five and one-half stories high. Frame buildings are not permitted to be erected within tho fire limits, which embrace all of the businoss portion of the city. Tho wholesale trade of Portland is very large in pro portion to the city's population. In 1884 the purely wholosalo businoss amounted to $40,050,000. The year before these figures were exceeded considerably, owing to the largo business consequent upon extensive railroad construction. The total of 1884 represents simply the legitimate and permanent trade of the city with the trib utary country exclusive of all temporary sources of busi ness. The trade of 1885 was still greater, owing to the development of the country and the opening up of new fioldB by our morchants and manufacturers. In looking over the country which naturally turns to Portland for its goods and a markot for its products, and comparing its present condition with that of even five years ago, one cannot fail to be deeply impressed with the bright pros liocts of tho jobbing trade of this city. In that Deriod a largo jxirtion of that region has more than doubled in ! population, while the number of towns and retail stores I has increased in a still greater ratio. Large areas which were given up to Btock raising, a business which nntn. I rally yields little support to a commercial citv. have been converted into farms by the immigrants which have been pouring in. lowns and villages have sprung up in these now localities, while the population and businosa of older towns have increased largely. This has caused a natural and immanent enlargement of the wholesale trade of mis city, and as this work of develoornent ia atill nro. gressmg the volume of trade will be annually on the ' ascendant for many years to come. Aside from any ! Bjiecial causes which niav arise, unci. , i '. of manufacturing, the extensive working of the large ! quart KhIos of this region, etc., the wholesale trade of lortland must be a constantly growing one from the ! roa8on JU8 Pouted out-the settlement of tl,. trih,An I country and the springing up of many new local centre oi trade. The .innafn..v.. it.. . . uvttuu ui uie vregon ouon Aiine .