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About The west shore. (Portland, Or.) 1875-1891 | View Entire Issue (Oct. 19, 1889)
WEST SHORE. NORTH PACIFIC INDUSTRIAL EXPOSITION. 1 I lIKN, less tlian two years ago, several enter JJ prining citi.'iiH of Portland. dissatisfied with thi' liinitntioiiM and lack of growth of the Me chanics' Fair, conceived the idea of building a mammoth pavilion and conducting an exposition on a wale of greater magnitude than had yet U-en attempt ed on the Pacilie coast, the suggestion wax Hnuited as chiinerieal, iniiracticahle and wholly heyond the do- on the scale projected, and the popular subscription wan enlarged to 1.')0,000. This was in May, 1SS8, and within a few days a contract was let for the huilJing and work was at once begun. It, waB completed too late for a fair to he held that year, and the one in pr,,. grcss is the first given by the association. The site chosen embraced nine full blocks of land near the corner of R and Fourteenth streets, lying chielly in the canyon cutting through that portion of the city and which was then utilized for a garden lit lit . I! I WV.'iSSW TAiliLJ T..KAKT 111 I ft wv flrfcS maud or iKumiliilitie of the time. Not discouraged, however, they uvurnl plan for building, found a uitahe building site mid incorpitratcd a company. It wan not long Ixforr tin patriotic enthusiasm of thecit ien gral the idea, and in a few day the entire HtHl.tMt of capital t.k was nulm-riM. Thin wan m found to U inadequate to carry out the enterprise OAI.UKY, Chinamen. Owing to the nature of the ground, the architect was enabled to design a building unifie in character and remarkably adapted to the use for which it was destined. The large structure, with a front of feet on 11 street, and extending hack into the can yon 'JtHI feet, was divided into three sections, the cen ter one having its floor on the Mtom of the canyon, and the ones on either side of it being built tins foundation of piling at the level of the street grade. Along the sides of the center section are aniphithea trcd m ats, the top of which is on a level with the floor of the Hide halls, where the chief exhibits are, and ow can walk directly from the main lloor on cither fid' down into these gallery seats of the central section. A grand conception was this construction of the mu sic hall, and most iniHising and U'autiful is the effect