14 THE 3IORXIXG OREGOXIAX SATURDAY, JANUARY 1. 1910. GREAT NDUSTRIEvS BON y G ESIABLI5HE 0M PENMvSULA PORTL 2 D t I - """" ' i : ri tt 1 1 1 if i 8 i ft iffc jl .'ii a - . ? JrvrW, - ! 3 r NEaR PORTLAND- - -f - u ; -r -t-K. l ii -s; - s ' ' i- v ? : . ill i i i - r - nv ' ' -ior f Jrz,cr Fr-; s' v f? s , in I Ifrr'.'rV t it. - - "- '-- lit If - tfl I If "rvsr -s1- . i Jj- - III i til I lht,c, yr:- -j, (- II I g " " " S?asas5s! 1 dustrial center la 8prinKinS up to the entire state. N . ' f JBKfsjrA lt r-ASSiSTvr TTMLrVM?- '" I tf II b . - - " K El lb... iZr"0i- ? r? ......... -, ill LMOST in a night a. Kreat in dustrial center la springing up In Portland, involving the ex- pnditure of millions of dollars. Port land has long been the chief manufac turing point of the Pacitiu Northwest, but this new district that is being1 de veloped is entirely separate trom the older factory sections. The movement is bringing about the transformation of a vast tract, two years ago a vacant waste, into a neighborhood crowded with manufacturing plants that will make Portland the chief industrial city of the West. The site of this great development is the peninsula formed by the confluence of tho Willamette and Columbia rivers, and crossed by Ilarriman and Hill rail roads. The pioneers in the movemont wero the Swift interests, but the orig inal project tho erection of a great packing plant is now only one of a large number of enterprises, sites for which have been purchased. In sev- ral cases buildings are already under way, and before tho end of the present year the hum of wheels, the roar of nhe forge and the rasp of the saw -will Itilend in a chorus of industrial prog 'ress. Much has been written about the ipacklng plant being erected by the jT'nion Meat Company, tho Portland cor Iporatlon of the Swifts, and which is to (make this city the Chicago of the Pa cific Coast. The other manufacturing Concerns, which have been buying sites nd going ahead with building plans. t:ave received less public attention, but -heir cuminir here is a matter of great importance, not only to Portland, but to the entire state. I Industries are now assured for the Peninsula wnlch will on their comple tion give immediate employment to more than 2000 men. According to those in close touch with the situation, negotiations with several other largo corporations are now pending, and t is expected tuat within the present year tho number of industries which w.-l have selected locations on the Penin sula will have doubled. But, without drawing on tho future jn tho least, the companies that have secured sites will support a population of more than 10. 000 people, will greatly increase the city's shipments, both by rail and ves sel, and will supply a market for live stock and various raw products that will benefit tho entire Pacillc North west. The companies which have purchased sites oif tno Peninsula are as follows: Vnion Meat Company (Swifts), Monarch Lumber Company, Pacific Car & Foun dry Company, National Wood Pipo Company, Pacillc Tank Company, Da vis Safe & Lock Company, Pacific Gas Traction Company, Security Vault & Metal Works and the Glazed Cement Sewer Pipe Company. Two of the con cerns havex nearly completed their plants, three others are under construc tion, and on the remainder work will soon begin. To these might be added the Portland Union Stockyards, the only livestock market west of Denver. These yards were opened September 13. The pens are on a concrete floor 15 acres in area, and comprise one of the i F'1 ok'. 'jX - ' - x - - - $ iri ; -i . t-ooo ??fiz v I Gov-c5-7ryvcsG Trow I . for I 17" I ' f;tSfas ji gl v (jK- - - ,v. - , . Lr; -ZzSZ - IS5 - . - . . - - - a. uvu r ,. si s s jf- most modern systems In America the handling of livestock. The Swift plant, which Is the largest single industry not only in Portland but in the Northwest, will be completed in March or in April at-the latest. The main building. "00x140 feet, half four stories and half six, is nearly completed. Thl structure has hard brick floors In the slaughtering quarters v and asphalt floors in the cooling-rooms. A large tank house, a power-house and a--fertilizer plant are also nearly ready for use, and In addition there Is soon to be put up a wool pullery and glue, factory, and still other branches later on. ; This giant abattoir is to give employ ment to from BOO to 600 men as soon as operation begins. Its average daily ca pacity wilj be 500 cattle, 1000 hogs, 1000 to 1200 sheep and from "J00 to 300 calves. This packing plant will represent an in vestment of approximately $-',750,000. The Swifts originally purchased 3100 acres, a small portion of which has been sold to other concerns. A large amount of work was done, in dredging-the Oregon Slough channel and building up the site with the material excavated, and experts now consider the location of this industry as unsurpassed in the entire country. The second industry that Is nearly ready to open Its main plant is the Monarch Lumber Company. This con cern now has a mill on the Peninsula cutting 70,000 feet of lumber daily, but the one soon to be completed will cut 250.000 feet dally, and this plant will be finished within the next few weeks. The establlshmnt of this mill will add materially to the strength of Portland's position as the greatest lumber-shipping point in the world, both rail and water shipments being considered.. The main building of the Monarch Company Is 600x200 feet, and its equip ment is the most modern machinery of the kind manufactured. This is espe cially true of the power department, hich consists of two immense turbine engines. Besides excellent railroad fa cilities this plant is to hajre a dock, 100x900, feet, where the largest ocean carriers will be loaded with cargoes for foreign and coastwise ports. Both the Swift and the Monarch plants are located on Oregon Slough, which is really a branch of the Co lumbia, separated from the main stream by Ilayden's Island. This is nearly a mile from the town 'of Kenton, where other Peninsula factories are being lo cated. Of these the plant of the Na tional Wood Pipe Company and the Pacific Tank Company, affiliated cor porations, is now well under way. These combined- concerns have secured a site of 30 acres between Columbia Slough and Columbia Boulevard and will have 5000 feet of private trackage connecting with the O. K. & N. and Spokane, Portland & Seattle railroads. This plant will consist of five large buildmgB, the foundations for - which have all been Installed and erection of the super-structures under way. These buildings will cover six acres and the storage sheds will cover another six acres. The buildings consist of the main pipe factory, tank factory, power plant, concrete dry-kilns and dry storage building. The foundations of these struc tures have been placed entirely under ground, and the railroad tracks are also sunk several feet. This method .of con struction has been followed as a precau tion against spread of fire from one building to another. It is expected that this plant will he in operation in February, when 200 men will be employed. The Investment of tho company will be approximately $200, 000. Between 5,000,000 and 10,000,000 feet of lumber will be used each year in thej manufacture of pipe and tanks, 300 miles of pipe being the amount that the Port land concern is to turn out each year. . These companies now have factories In San Francisco and Los Angeles. Another branch of the concern at Olympia was destroyed by fire. The tank company Is the largest of its kind in the Vnited States and has just completed supplying tanks for the Milwaukee's new road In the Northwest and for the Western Pa cific's line to San Francisco. Of the industries announced but on which work has not yet started, the most important fs doubtless the Pacific Car & Foundry Company. There has been little official given out concerning this firm's plans but it is known that a factory site of 22 acres at Kenton has been secured. This site adjoins that of the Monarch Lumber Company and engineers have" been-, at work for some time preparing detailed plans for the enterprise. This company, which is capitalized at Jl. 000, 000. will manufacture passenger and freight cars and general repairs for rail road rolling stock. Between 400 and 500 hands are to be employed. Heavy capi tal, it is understood, is behind this cor poration, the chief backers being a syn dicate of San Fvancisco bankers. One of the officers, however, is also an officer of the American Car & Foundry Com pany, of St. Louis, the largest manufac turer of railroad equipment in America. That the Portland corporation Is really affiliated with the St. Louis one Is the general impression. In any event It is certain that the car factory on the Penin . sular will be one of the most Important Industries In the West and one from which this city will greatly benefit. The Pacific Gas Traction Company is also to build at Kenton on a tract of 80 acres recently acquired. The output of the plant will be gasoline traction engines fori farm and industrial uses. W. H. Cor bctt. president of the W illamette Iron & Steel Works, is head of this company, although the two concerns are entirely separate. The investment of this company is to be about $200 000 and the plant will probably begin turning out engines about April 1. One hundred men are to be employed and 200 engines will be manufactured each year. The main building will be of the "saw-tooth" construction, a plan adopted In large industrial buildings to secure the greatest amount of light possible. Urading on the site of the Davis Safe & Lock Company's plant at Kenton be gan over a month ago and this con cern expects to start operating by March 1. Six acres have been bought for this industry and an investment of about $145,000 will be made. The main building will be of fireproof concrete construction, 100x400 feet in dimen sions, and with a basement 100x100 feet. One hundred twenty-five men will be given employment and the output will be 20 safes a day, besides vault doors. An iron and brass foundry will be operated in connection, the company receiving pig iron and turning It out as the finished product. An Industry along somewhat the same lines will be the plant of the Security Vault & Metal AVorks also at Kenton. This concern will make metal doors, bank equipment and other-metal com modities, but its chief product will be steel culverts. This concern has ac quired a site and It is announced that It will employ 100 men. A six-acre site east of the Security Vault & Metal Works has been pur chased by the Glazed Cement Eewer iipe Company. Seventy men are to be employed by this company. As a result of all this activity on the Peninsula. Kenton, a new Portland su burb, where the men employed In the various factories will reside. Is growing with a rapidity of a mushroom. In less than two years since the town was laid out. eight miles of sewer and water mains have been laid and more than $200,000 has been spent in building; homes. Scores of houses are now go ing up and the building movement will be heavier the coming six months than before. The town now has streetcar service to Portland and an electric line operated by the Kenton Traction Com pany connecting the town with the packing plant and the other Industrie on the Columbia. It was with the greatest deliberation that the Swifts, -as well as these other companies, chose Portland as the loca tion for their gigantic industrials. The factors that threw the choice to Fort land rather than to some other Pacific Coast city were many, but foremost of all came transportation facilities. They found here ideal means of shipment, both by rail and water. With two roads, the O. R. & N and the Spokane, Portland & Seattle, crossing the Penin sula, they have the choice of two water grade routes by which to ship raw ma- . terial from the interior or to send their products eastward . as well as railroads north and south from Portland.. The Columbia and Willamett rivers add greatly to Portland's strategic po sition as a shipping point, offering the only fresh water harbor on the Pacific Coast At the location of the Swift plant there Is a 40-foot channel in the Columbia, so that the largest ships of the merchant marine can be dispatched. At no other point on the Pacific Coast are equal facilities at hand, and con servative Eastern business men who have inspected the Peninsula agree In declaring that Portland will always be without a rival as a manufacturing center west of the Mississippi.