The Sunday Oregonian. (Portland, Ore.) 1881-current, June 16, 1907, Section Three, Page 30, Image 30

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TRAINS WILL BE RUNNING ON NORTH BANK ROAD FIRST OF YEAR
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IP the activity that Is being shown
on the Portland end of the Port
land & Seattle Railway Is being fol
lowed all along the line, there Is lit
tle doubt that the new road will be
completed late this year, and that
tralne will be In operation by next
January. Between Vancouver and
Portland, everyone connected with the
work is hustling to push the construc
tion operations to completion. Al
though some delays are being ex
perienced by the present high stage
of the water In the Columbia and Wil
'lamette Rlvere, the entire construc
tion forces, from the engineers down
to the muddiest "sandhog," are as
busy as the proverbial bee.
Big steam shovels are scooping up
the dirt In the big cut across the Pen
Irtsula at a rate that would open the
eyes of anyone who Is not accus
tomed to seeing these big machines
In action. Day and night, these tire
less giants are at work, forever dig
ging and making a path for the
equally tireless locomotives that will
some day rush across the Peninsula
Into Portland by the route now being
dug out for them.
The cut across the Penlsula Is al
most a Herculean undertaking, so
huge is the amount of dirt to be dug
away. The big cut looks like the
Panama Canal might appear when
nearer completed, and If the- Peninsula
cut were filled with water. It would
flot the biggest vessel that ever called
the eas.
At the Portland end of the cut, dif
ferent means are being used to cut
Into the backbone of the Peninsula.
Hydraulic giants are kept playing
against the slowly retreating cliff that
is being washed- down to give solid
footing to the Willamette bridge for
the' Hill trains.
The digging of this cut lfl such a big
work that Its completion will prob
ably require a longer time than will
be needed to complete the big steel
bridges across the Columbia and Wil
lamette rivers.
Work on the two bridges is pro
gressing at a satisfactory rate, al
though the sinking of heavy caissons
down to a solid foundation and the
erection of concrete piers is neces
sarily a slow and tedious process that
does not offer anything spectacular in
accomplishment. Men at work far be
low the river's bed In compressed air
compartments are mining out the sand
and clay above - the stiff, concrete
gravel In which the bridge piers will
be imbedded. The caissons must be
slowly settled. Inch by inch, and the
progress Is at times imperceptible.
But the work Is well along, and nearly
all the plere for the Willamette
bridge are in place.
They are built of solid concrete, and
will be faced with granite blocks. The
delay in delivery of granite has re
tarded progress somewhat, but the
building of a 11,000.000 steel bridge
requires the combined efforts of so
many workmen of different crafts and
the assembling of so much varied ma
terial, some of . which has to come
across the continent, that delays are
to be expected In all such work.
The little of the bridge that now
appears above the surface of the Wil
lamette Is being given a stronger re
semblance to the completed structure
. -BIG- SrAMJi2fZZ, AT WZVSrt
by the completion of the draw rest,
which Is being built just In front of
the pivot pier. Workmen are now
driving the piling and bolting on the
timbers of this structure.
But the spectacular- part of the
bridge work will be the erection of
the superstructure. This will not be
started for a month or two yet. The
steel has arrived on the ground and
Is ready to be hoisted Into position as
soon as the piers are ready to receive
it. The giant structure is now lying
In pieces on the west river bank.
Each plate and beam Is numbered, and
just where each piece lies is Indicated
by a map in Engineer Nlckerson's of
fice. When the piers" are ready to receive
their heavy load of steel, big derricks
will commence to hoist and swing
these steel stringers into position.
Then the work will take on greater in
terest to Portlanders for it will mark
tho practical completion of the work
that has taken a year In preparation
for the bridge erection. The rattle of
the. pneumatic riveter as the red-hot
rivets are hammered home, and the
whistle and snort of the donkey en
gines as they strain and wrestle with
the heavy iron beams which they wttl
swing Into position, will make the
bridge a bedlam for a while. But dis
cordant as these noises are, they will
make music for Portland and her peo
ple for they will signalize the entry
Into the Rose City of another big rail
road, opening up a new territory for
Portland's manufacturers and jobbers,
and bringing down the products of
lands that now contribute nothing to
Portland's prosperity.
The new bridge will be the best ever
built across the Willamette- River. It
will cost the most and will have the
longest draw swing. It will carry
heavier train than any other, for the '
road now being built will have grades'
and curves that admit of the maximum
of tonnage being hauled with the
minimum of tractive , effort. The
bridge will be double-tracked, and for
this reason the piers now being plaoed
are being put in so substantially that
they will carry the heavy burden to
be Imposed upon them.
DISCUSS THE TAX QUESTION
Mllwaukle Will Give Subject a Spe
cial Study.
During the coming year the Mllwaukle
Grange, Patrons of Husbandry, will dis
cuss the tax questions with a view to
deciding on a better and more equitable
method of taxation. At the regular meet
ing yesterday, Mrs Mary Getchell, the
lecturer, made the announcement.
Following this announcement came a
celebration of the victory of the grange
in winning the banner In district No. 2
for literary work. Mrs. Getchell was
thanked by resolution for her able man
agement of the contest which led to the
winning of the victory.
Several topics were discussed, among
them the question, "Who is the Greatest
Living American?" A vote was taken
with the following result:- President
Roosevelt, ; William J. Bryan, 2:
Thomas Edison, 3: J. I. Rockefeller, 1;
Speaker Cannon, 1; Mayor Shlndler, o
Mllwaukle, 1; Postmaster Ballard, 2.
JENKS" PURCHASE
MYSTIFIES THEM
Heal Estate Dealers Eager to
Learn More Concerning
the Big Deal.
SALE OF FAIR GROUNDS
Persistent Rumor Has It That Buy
ers Represent trie Chicago, Mil
waukee & St. Paul Grounds
Are to Be Filled In.
Vrrterest Is keen among real estate men
regarding the purpose for which Arthur
W. Jenks and his associates In the
Colonial Investment Company have pur
chased the Iewls and Clark Exposition
(rounds. While the report of the sale,
which is one of the most Important made
In months. Is confirmed, no one who is
connected with the transaction Is making
public any Information as to the Intended
disposal of the property.
By the sale which was concluded Fri
day, the stock of J. S. McMillan, of Seat
tle, was transferred to the Colonial In
vestment Company. Thla stock gives
ownership to the greater part cf the Ex;
position site and to all of the buildings,
with the exception of the Forestry build
ing which was presented to the city. An
actual cash consideration of a little more
than KW0.000 was paid, but other things
entered Into the deal, the exact details
of which are not made public Altogether
the holdings transferred represent a
valuation approximating JSOO.OOO.
There Is a total of about J48 lots, or a
little more than 40 acres affected. The
lease which is held on the Meade tract
is also a part of the property. The sale
waa made through the Title, Guarantee &
Trust Company, which is acting aa the
representative of the purchasers.
Colonial Investment Company is an Ore
gon corporation, but. with the exception
of Mr. Jenks. all of its backers are East
ern men. Mr. Jenks is a mining engineer
who recently arrived in Portland, and
who had already spent 1135,000 buying
land near the Exposition grounds.
All kinds of rumors are in circulation
aa to the purpose for which the land Is
intended. Many are of the opinion that
a railroad company Is behind the deal
and that the acreage is desired for ter
minal purposes. A local realty broker
declared yesterday that he had good rea
son to believe that the Chicago, Milwau
kee & St. Paul Is the real purchaser and
that the land is acquired to give that
company an entrance to this city.
It Is known that from time to time
various railroad companies bare had their
eyes on the Fair grounds for terminal
purposes. It would be possible to fill In
the low ground from the elevated portion
of the tract and in that way make a large
area available for trackage. Whether
thla theory is correct remains to be seen
as no official confirmation is to be had.
While the original intention of the Port
land Development Company waa to trans
form the Fair grounds Into a big Industrial
center: using the present buildings for fac
tories. It Is known that Mr. Jenks has been
considering the advisability of tearing
down at least part of these structures. If
this Is done it would .Indicate that the
land is to be used either for railroad pur
poses or opened up as a residence ad
dition. For residence purposes there is probably
not a more attractive location In the city.
The land gently slopes to Guild's Lake
and when the lake is filled as contem
plated, the entire area would be available
for home sites.
It Is practically certain that the new
owners intend to go ahead with the fill
ing projects already started. Two weeks
ago the company bought the Goldsmith
tract which includes a high elevation
lying above the Fair grounds. This tract
will itself be available for residence pur
poses after it has been leveled, and it is
doubtless the purpose of the owners to
put the earth removed on the ground
now bought.
Activity in this portion of the city1 has
been very marked for several months
past. Since Russell & Blyth purchased
the large holdings of the Scottish-American
Company . they have been spending
much money improving portions of that
acreage. A large tract is now being
graded and streets opened preparatory to
placing It on the market.
The population of the g-lobe la 1.400,000.
000, of whom 83.214.000 die every year. The
births amount to 86.792.000 every year, or
more than one a second. -
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, APARTMENT HOVfE ISDER ERECTION FOR DR. J. K. WKTHKBBEE A.ND J. H. MeCLUNG, ELLA
STREETT, NEAR WASHINGTON.
IMPROVEMENT IS NOTED
REAL ESTATE MARKET SHOWS
MORE ACTIVITY.
Large Sales Few, Due to Unwilling
ness of Owners to Part With
Inside Property.
Ral estate was more active during
the past week than for some time past.
While large sales were not numerous,
due to the fact that it Is very difficult
to find anyone willing to sell inside
property, there were many buyers In the
market. Brokers report that the demand
is picking up and indications are better
for an active Bummer. Prices remain
strong. 4
Outside of the transfer of the Exposi
tion grounds the largest sale of the
week was one In North Portland, involv
ing a consideration of H75.0O0. Although
large deposits are up on this deal tht
facts are being kept secret at present. It
Is known, however, that it means exten
sive Improvements for that part of the
city.
Considerable interest was aroused dur
ing the week by the fact that Charles
Sweeny has negotiated a loan of $300,000
on the Dekum and Washington build
ings, and another loan, the amount of
which is not known, on the Tul & Glbbs
property. These loans made at 6 per
cent, show the- readiness with which
Portland property Is accepted as secur
ity. Outside of this" tfiere is no local
significance to the transactions, as the
loans of Mr. Sweeny have not been nego
tiated in connection with any Portland
project, and the reason he has foutvd It
expedient to borrow is of no concern to
the local realty market.
W. D. Wharton has sola M L O.
Clarke an Inside lot on the north side of
Washington street, near Twenty-third.
The sale was made by B. J. Daly and
W. B. Btreeter. The consideration Is
not announced.
Mrs. Mabel B. Carr has purchased the
southwest corner of Twenty-fifth and
Pacific streets from the United States
National Bank. The same institution
has sold to John Radmaker a. lot on
Pacific street, between Twenty-fourth
and Twenty-fifth. Both sales were made
by Mall A Van Borstel.
It Is rumored that the San Francisco
syndicate which recently bought the
property 110x100, BO feet south of Burn
side on the west side of West Park, is
Intending to improve It. This property
was purchased from William Wolfe and
Cornelius McHale through Whiting &
Rountree for J65.000. There are or'
frame buildings on the property, and
these, it is understood, are to be removed
and a brick erected.
IS NOW CHINESE SUBJECT
Sister of Mrs. Howard Gonld Adopts
Husband's Nationality.
CHICAGO, June 15. A dlspjUch to the
Record Herald from San Fraiusco says:
Mrs. Wong 6un Tue, sister of Mrs.
Howard Gould, Is no longer an American
citizen. She voluntarily relinquished her
rights as a native-born Callfornian yes
terday to become as much as possible an
all-around Chinese, like her husband.
The records of the local Chinese bu
reau are lacking of cases similar to that
of Mrs. Wong Sue Tue. She will be subject
to the laws of China when she chooses
to visit that country and when she comes
home she will be subject to the regula
tions of the immigration and restriction
laws.
Mrs. Tue. who renounced her citizen
ship to become a Chinese merchant said:
"As a Chinese merchant many paths
are open to me which were closed before.
I have become a member of the tailoring
firm calld the Quong Tuen Tick. It's the
dragon for me instead of the colors and
stripes."
A property-owner at Kingston, a London
suteurb, has posted a notic that "no Brand
children or cats" will be allowed on bu
premises.
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