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About The west shore. (Portland, Or.) 1875-1891 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 1, 1889)
THE WEST SHORE. Fifteenth Year. JANUARY, 1889. NiMiir.it 1. THE CAPITAL CITY OF OREOON. vi YING in the heart of the Willamette valley, and very near its geographical center, is the city of Salem, the capital of Oregon. It is a city of seven thousand inhabitants, and besides being tho stato cap ital is the seat of justice of Mar. ion county, a manufacturing and commercial town of importance and a social center. Tho city is platted on an undulating tract of land, and is handsomely laid out Tho streets are one hundred feet wide and the blocks three hundred and thirty feet square, exclusive of an alley sixteen feet wide extending north and south through the block. The streets are lined with maple, elm and other ornamental shade trees, and present a beautiful appearance in summer time. There are several very fine business blocks and tho business streets in general would bo a credit to a larger city. The residence portion of the city conformi to tho generous plan of the plat, and there is no evidence of crowding anywhere. Residences are surrounded with spacious lawns tastefully ornamented with trees and flowers. Pleasing styles of architecture are employed in the buildings, and whatever would add to tho en joyment of home life is observed in furnishing tho surroundings of the homes of Salem families. Man sions and cottages alike bear an air of general com. fort and refined taste that is quito attractive, Salem is favored by the patronage of tho state in its public buildings. The state house, of cour stands at the head of the list, both in the raaguifi cenco of its architecture and the importance which it serves. This structare is built of iron, stone and brick, and nearly a half a million dollars hare bn expended upon it The corner stone was laid in B73 and now the stracturo is entirely completed, with the exception of the dome and the interior of two or three of the rooms, which will probably be provided for by the present legislature. This will mako a building that could not bo duplicated for less ths threc-quar. tcrs of a million dollars. Tho main building is sov-enty-fivo by two hundred and soveuty.fivo feet on tho ground, and two stories high, besides a full basemcut and sub-basement On tho cast and west aides are wings each fifty feet long. Tho first lloor is devoted to the main department oflhos and tho IcgUlativo chambers, tho senate chamber beiug in tho north wing, and tho assembly in tho south. Roth are hand somely finished and provided with every convenience. A hydraulio elevator was recently placed in tho build ing, supplying an easy means o! reaching tho upjer lloor, whero tho state library and supremo court rooms are located. Tho dome, yet to bo added, will havo an octagonal base, and will be fifty-four feet in diameter, and ono hundred and eighty feet in height abovo tho ground. From tho summit of tho cnpitol dome tho view inch les ono of tho grandest scenes imaginablo -river and valleys and mountain rang and snow-clad poaks; rocky ridgei and timbers! slopes; grain fields and orchards and meadow -a wide expanse of greatly diversified scenery that inakoa an interesting study. Tho stato asylum for tho imano is another of the important public buildings of Halera. It is situatM on a tract of two hundred and ninety acres, lying jtut cast of the corporation limit. Tho building has a frontage of four hundred and cigbty-fivo fret, with a wing at either end extending back two hundred and twenty feet Tho main department of tho building U four stories in height, with an ornamental tower hav Ing a vano ono hundred and twenty f- t above tho ground Tho rest of tho building is two and ono half and three stories in height There are now firo hundred and eighty-six patient accommodate in this institution. On tho Mylara farm is produced a con siderable portion of tho vegetable products cor.nafaf! by tho patients. This institution compare favorably with any in tho Unit State.