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About The west shore. (Portland, Or.) 1875-1891 | View Entire Issue (July 1, 1887)
.7)1 THE WEST SHORE. to build such a line, and that portion of it between Astoria and Seaside will, no doubt, hi built at an early day. Centering in Astoria, is a large lum bering industry. There are three mills in tho city, and a number at points on Ix.fb sid s of tho river, which are tribu tary to this place, such as Knappton, Wf bt jHjrt and Skamokawa. The supply of log is abundant and of tho best qual ity. I sides receiving logs cut along the river and brought down in rafts, the mill have tho opportunity of tapping the huge forests to tho south and south east. On tho Nehalem are many squaro miles of tho choicest timber, which would bo opened up by tho proposed road from Forest (J rove, and by the lino down the coast There is already a logging railway constructed into the tini Imt by J. C. TrulliL'ger, proprietor of the Went Shore mills. Tho road is standard gauge, two miles in length, and jx'netrateH a magnificent body of timber. Tho mills are turning out fifty thousand feet jht day, ami aro now engaged on a cargo for Ilio, consisting of nine hun dred thousand feet Tho mills are pro vide! with electric lights for night work. Tho capacity of tho road is two hundred thousand feet of logs daily. In tho camp aro ox teams and a steam log ger. Tho mills have largo wharfing fa cilities, and can dock a vessel drawing twenty-two feet of water. Mr. Trullin gcr has a steamer for towing logs and delivering lumber. Attached to the mill is a largo box factory, with a daily capac ity of four thousand salmon cases or six thousand Ux shoaka. Ho also makes thousands of pickets and laths. This is one of the tast equipped mills on tho coast There aro two other mills and a planing mill and sash factory in tho city, lesides the outside mills previously mentioned. Closely connected with tho lumlriug industry, is that of ship build ing. Abtoria has a singularly favorable location for that industry. With an abundance of the best material at hand, with splendid locations for ship yards, and with complete exemption from the voracious toredo, which creates such havoc with wooden piling on Puget sound, her advantages are great A largo number of river steamers, tug boats, schooners and barges have been constructed here, and from two hundred to three hundred fishing boats aro con structed annually. When the American merchant marine begins again to be seen on the ocean, this city will contribute her share in tho work of construction. Astoria is built partly on a founda tion of piling, partly on a narrow bench near tho water, and partly on the bills rising up to the southward. It is divid ed into two towns by a high ridgo which comes down to tho edge of the water, tho two divisions being connected by a long plank roadway built on piling. Tho chief business houses, public build ings and residences are located in the lower town, but Upper Astoria is ex panding rapidly along the river, and back upon tho hill, a number of the largest canneries being located in that portion of tho city. The population of the two towns was given by the census of 1830 as five thousand eight hundred and forty, including two thousand Chi nese, It approximates ten thousand now during the fishing season. Many of tho fishermen depart for other places at tho end of tho season, while a largo number of them have families and are permanent residents and property own ers. Tho city has a complete system of water works, costing nearly $100,000.00. The reservoir has a capacity of three million gallons, and gives a pressure of two hundred and forty feet at tidewater, through a large iron pipo eleven miles in length. Gas works, costing 75,000, and having a capacity of twenty thou sand cubic feet, were built afewyjars