THE SUNDAY OREGONIAN, PORTLAND, OCTOBER 13, 1907.
MEED OF SEAWALL
IN LOCAL HARBOR
BIG
DREDGE TO
FILL DISTRICT
A REVENUE BASIS
8
TRANAGTSiDNS
Dealings in Portland Realty
Are of Most Substantial
Character.
VALUES CONTINUE STEADY
Sales of Week Show Prices Stronger
Than Ever Before East Side
Lot Increases (10,000
in One Year.
Sales that are now being made of Fort
land real estate are of the moat substan
tial character. The fact that the money
market, to a certain extent locally and
to a greater extent In other cities. Is
somewhat tight, and has been-so fori
several months, has resulted In holding
down speculative buying to a minimum.
For this reason large transactions ''are
somewhat fewer than at this time last
year, but this shortage Is largely If not
entirely made up by the Increased num
ber of smaller transfers.
The bulk of the buying at present Is
of residence lots, dwellings and Income
paying property. Sales of vacant busi
ness sites are not numerous, although a
few are being bought nearly ei'ery week.
The purchasers In nearly every case are
Intending to Improve without delay. Res
idence lots are being improved at a rate
never known here before, and In fact the
building activity speaks volumes by re
flecting the healthy conditions that pre
vail. Conditions Never Better,
Dealers are unanimously of the opin
ion that the local market was never in
better condition than It Is today. The
fact that property Is selling on a revenue
basis Is the best possible criterion of this
fact. The large number of people who
are buying and building homes indicates
not only the growth of the city, but
shows that the great majority of the cit
izens are prosperous and can afford to
own their own dwellings.
The small lists of properties that are
listed with dealers afford a reason why
the exchange of big holdings Is not more
general than it Is. Owners realize that
their purchases here are gilt-edge In
vestments, and they are by no means
anxious to dispose of them. It Is a truth
that can be established by Inquiring
among realty brokers that the demand
for property Is far In excess of the hold
ings that are available for purchase. ' In
times when money Is somewhat tight
there are usually those who' are willing
to dispose of property at less than the
established market value. It Is notable,
therefore, that there have not been even
isolated Instances of this In Portland.
Bales that are made show that values
are constantly becoming stronger.
Many purchasers have been looking to
the East Side for business Investments
and revenue' properties that are offered
soon find buyers. The sales there, as on
the West Side, show good advances as
la Indicated by a deal closed by the Port
land Trust Company yesterday.
Some of the Sales.
The property sold was owned by the
company and is a single lot, located at
the northwest corner of East Morrison
street and Union avenue. The Western
Oregon Trust Company, the purchaser,
paid for this lot toO.000, showing an ad
vance of 10.000 over the price at which
It sold a year ago. There Is a four-story
frame building on the lot. The Western
Oregon Investment Company has also
bought the Menefee Addition of 11 acres,
near Rose City Park, for $24,000.
An unusually large sale was made dur
ing the week at Nashville, a suburb on
the Mount Scott carllne. It is 100x125,
located at Mildred avenue and Kindorf
road. There is a two-story frame build
ing on the property and the price was
$10,000. The buyer Is an Omaha man.
The sale was made by Whiting & Roun
tree. The same firm sold to two San
Francisco men the Heltkemper property,
a half lot on the west side of West Park
street, between Stark and Burnslde, for
$16,000. The buyers will probably replace
the present frame dwelling with a busi
ness building next year.
One of the largest purchases of the
week was that of the quarter-block at
the northwest corner of Fourth and Ev
erett streets by the Dammler Investment
Company. The property was owned by
C. L. Haynes, the price was $46,200, and
the sale was made by Bollam, Grussl &
lligley. The ipammier Investment Com
y' If if iH! r
i" i rf C j ' W ji ifir 1 1 1
MEAD ESTATE BUILDING REINQ COMPLETED AT FIRST AND
pany was the builder ' of the Archer
Schans brick and several other struc
tures. It is intended to erect a four
story building on the Everett street hold
ing. The. corner is now used as a ooal
yard. SALES OF ACREAGE SCJIEHOUS
Coming of Mount Hood Road In
creases Land Values. '
There has been a remarkable move
ment In acreage tracts north of the
Base Line road to the Sandy.1 Moat of
this land has changed ownership with
in the past few months. This Is true
of the unimproved as well as the Im
proved lands. It is announced that the
owners of practically all this land have
offered the proposed Mount Hood Rail
way Company a free right of way
through their holdings if the company
will build there.
The Gresham people have taken
alarm at this movement, as It would
mean that the route of the railway
would pass that place by. and have
taken steps to offset this action of the
property-owners north of the Base
Line road. The people In Eastern
Multnomah County have been kept
guessing where the road will be built.
The prospects that It will be built has
increased the price of acreage tracts.
A tract of 1 acres on the Baee
Line road, in the eastern part of the
city, was sold the past week for $7549.
H. Hlrschberg and H. B. Pershln were
the purchasers. A 10-acre tract near
Tremont, In the southeastern section,
was also sold by James Collins to John
H. Smith for $7250.
Fannie Malone eold to Robert Krohn
the northwest quarter of a five-acre
tract for-$3500. Louis King sold to
George M. Seally 14.4 acres of the Jo
seph Leonard donation land claim for
$1800. Frank H. Dunham sold to Ma
thilda Taylor 25 acres for $4000.
ANNEXATION PLAN IS PENDING
District Southeast or City May Apply
for Admission.
The movement .for annexing the
southeastern district. Including Wood
stock, Ivanhoe and all the settlements
along the Mount Scott railway per
haps as far as Lents, will be started
next month. At Woodstock the senti
ment for annexation Is very pro
nounced, but there Is opposition In the
Mount Scott section, which it is hoped
to overcome before the June election.
Some public meetings will be held and
the question presented to the people.
Bull Run water is wanted, which can
not be had unless the territory be an
nexed to Portland.
Some time ago it was estimated that
in the southeastern section there were
HxjiS rf SwlSi13 !
I . " '"" I f" Is jv- .4 f';
BESIDENCE OF L. J. SHELL,
more than 15,000 people, but It is not
now certain that the whole of that
territory will be willing to become
part of the city. " There is a steady
growth all over the territory, and al
ready the local water companies can
hardly supply the consumers. Noth
ing short of Bull Run water with a big
main will satisfy this section. - Those
favorable to annexation point out that
a substantial revenue will be derived,
which will help pay Interest on water
bonds and operating expenses.
Builder of Such Improvements
Points Out Lack of
Facilities Here. .
WHAT OTHERS HAVE DONE
Modern Docks a Prime Requisite for
Any Large Seaport to Give
Quick Despatch for
Vessels.
J. T. Flynn, of Seattle, who has Bad
wide experience in the construction of
conorete seawalls for dock purposes,
will appear before the Council tomor
row and dlBcuse the practicability of
this character of harbor Improvement.
Mr. Flynn was formerly a resident of
this city but he is now located In the
Sound city where he Is vice-president
of the American Engineering & Con
struction Company, whloh has con
structed many miles of concrete .sea
walls and dpeks in several of the large
cities of the United States.
"It has been 17 years since I visited
Portland, and while I observe many
marvelous changes and improvements.
I note the some old wooden docks are
Btlll In use that served the demands
of this point for shipping at that time,"
said Mr. Flynn last night. "The best
Interests of Portland from every stand
point require Improved dockage facil
ities, and It has been the experience
of other large shipping points that con
crete Is the material of which docks
should be built. My championship of.
this character of Improvement Is not
a mercenary proposition, but Is actu
ated entirely by civic pride and a real
ization of Portland's needs. The firm
with which I am connected. It is true,
builds these docks, but it is quite Im
probable that we would get a chance
to figure on ' such work that may be
decided on for this city since we al
ready have on hand contracts aggre
gating more than $20,000,000, repre-
FLANDERS STREET, BETWEEN TWENTIETH AND TWENTY-FIRST.
senting enough work to keep us busy,
for some time to come..
"I learn that the people of Portland
at the last election veted bonds to the
amount of $500,000 for the construction
of a public dock system. In the near
future I expect the city will Increase
that appropriation to probably $4,000.
000 In order that a concrete seawall
at least five miles In length on eaoh
side of the river may, be built.
"President Roosevelt in a " speech
recently delivered before the National
COLUMBIA STREETS.
! I iy' - i ' I
if. ;V-'HV 01 01 t fil vil-H '
HOTEL ITEARING COMPLETION
'
Waterways Convention at St. Louis, de
clared himself as being In favor of a
ehlp canal from the Lakes to the Gulf
of Mexico. That means 2000 miles of
concrete seawall.
"In an address delivered later at
Memphis, the same high authority de
clared in favor of the Improvement of
the Mississippi, Ohio, Missouri, Colum
bia, Willamette and Sacramento Rivers
from their sources to their ocean out
let by dredging, Impounding of waste
matter, and the removal of other sources
of obstruction. That means an expen
diture of $1,000,000,000, more than half
of which will be expended on con
crete walls, wingdams and catchments.
"The State of California, at the last
session of the Legislature, appointed a
special legislative committee to make
an examination of the several harbors
of that state with a view to issuing
bonds to the amount of $25,000,000 for
their Improvement under state1 owner
ship. .
"The California State Board of Har
bor Commissioners have" undex 'con
slderatlon a proposal from the Ameri
can Engineering & Construction Com
pany, to construct six miles of -steel
tube reinforced concrete seawall, un
der patents owned by that company at
an approximate cost of $5,000,000.
The City of Oakland. CaL, has un
der consideration at the present time,
a bond Issue of $,000,000 to construct
four miles of reinforced concrete sea
wall and a tunnel under the Oakland
estuary to connect with the City of
Aiameaa. The City of Eureka, Cal.,
miuuesii ins action or tne .Mayor and
City Council, has under consideration
a bond issue of $3,500,000 for the con
struction of five miles of seawall on
Humboldt Bay.
Construction Blade Easy.
"The marvelous concrete work which
Is found In all the leading cities of
the world. In the form of stately, Im
perishable skyscrapers, has been trans
ferred to the sea and Its tributaries
through the mechanical genius of
Captain Henry Winter, the United
States Cable Engineer, who has Just
been awarded patents In the United
States and Canada for a device which
makes seawall construction In anj
depth of water, as easy and as accurate
as brick-laying on shore, and at a
cost no greater than an ordinary loose
rock wall.
"Portland has done some excellent work
in its harbor by Its Improvement of the
Willamette and Columbia Rivers, but
, there Is still much to do in the matter
oi providing ample dock laclllttes. The
economical loading and . unloading of a
ship Is almost as Important as the ready
egress to the river. The time of the
modern ship is- worth all the way from
$o00 to $1000 per day. Any unnecessary
delay of that ship through defective dock
age, absence of proper gear, or Inability
to work all hatches at one time. Is a tax
against that community in the way of
Increased charter rates.
"Shipowners have corrected lists of all
of the docks in the world and when
quoting a rate cpnslder the feature of
docks just as much as they do pilotage,
towage and other expenses.
"President Roosevelt has sounded the
keynote of river Improvement which will
be followed by liberal appropriations forj
AT ELEVENTH AND STARK STREETS
B. LAM 5 ON.
that purpose, but Congress has no power
to build docks. That is strictly the duty
of the individual, the municipality or the
state. The modern ship carrying from
6000 to 20,000 tons has necessitated the
reconstruction of nearly all the docks
of the world. Shipping centers must
either conform to the needs of the new
ehlp or drop behind In the race for com
mercial prestige.
Dock Improvements Abroad.
"That the cities of Europe vere the
first to note this change Is shown by the
following expenditures for docks, 90 per
cent of which has occurred in the last
20 years: Liverpool, $200,000,000; Hamburg,
$40,000,000; Antwerp, $25,000,000; Rotterdam,
$27,000,000; Newcastle-on-Tyne, $27,000,000;
Glasgow. $74,000,000; Bremen, $56,000,000;
Havre, $28,000,000; Buenos Ayres, $35,000,000;
Kobe, Japan, $8,600,000 with provision for
an additional fund of $10,000,000. -
"Against this stupendous preparation
for present and future needs the cities
of the United States have made but a
faint showing and that only where publlo
ownership provides, as In cades like New
York City and Ban Francisco. The former
has expended about $30,000,000 while San',
Francisco has expended less than $lu,ow,
000. The dock svstem of Liverpool, not
withstanding Its great cost, affords a net
revenue of $1,000,000 annually. San Fran
cisco enjoys a gross revenue at 5 cents
a ton of $1,260,000 a year, the surplus of
which goes into extensions and repairs.
"The tonnage at Portland under public
ownership and improved conditions, such
as a belt line railroad, warehouse charges,
berth charges and the rental of lands for
factory purposes, would take care of a
$10,000,000 bond Issue, leaving an imperish
able system without cost at the end of 50
years. Publlo attention has been called
by President Roosevelt to the necessity
of improving rivers. This should have a
Stimulating effect in the matter of im
proving the docks, for one is essential
to the other." '
Mr. Flynn is on his way to San Fran
cisco, where he goes to complete a pending
contract to build six miles of concrete
seawall for the State of California..
CONTRACT TO BUILD FACTORY
Modern Mining Machinery Company
Locates on Grand Avenue.
The contract was let the past week
for a two-story concrete building for
the Modern Mining Machinery Com
pany, on East Pine street and Grand
avenue, to the Elllst-Regan Company,
for $6100. It will be two stories, 100x90
feet, and will be built of cement blocks.
The concern will engage in the manu
facture of Merrill ore pulverizer and
other mining machinery. The Industry
will be of considerable importance to
Portland. The quarter block on which
the building will be erected Is owned
by Rev. George B. Van Waters, D. D.,
who purchased It several months ago.
E. C. Brainard, owner of the lot on
residence: of
Wa&Mi li-s!u 4
5. 4
V Si
FOR ML. L. HOLBItOOKAJTD R.
the northeast corner - of East Pine
street and Grand avenue, has had the
plans drawn for a brick building.
Will Build -on Washington.
Grading is now In progress on the
property owned by John Matthlesen,
on the north side of Washington street.
between Twenty-flrBt and Twenty
second. It Is probable that within a
few months a building project of some
kind will be begun on this location, al
though the owner has not decided defl
nitely what it will be. . His present
plan is to erect several dwellings on the
property for rental purposes. Mr.
Matthlesen is now erecting a five-story
hotel at Front and Harrison streets
which is up to the third story. When
this building is completed the owner
will take up the Improvement of his
Washington-street property.
Oar Shops for Peninsula.
The W. H. Judson Car Company may
establish Its car factory at some point
on the Peninsula, Instead of at Esta
cada, as first contemplated. The car
company is not satisfied with Estacada
as a location for the Industry, owing to
the limited shipping ' facilities, al
though in regard to material the place
is satisfactory. The car company
wants both water and railway facili
ties. Eight Flats Under Way.
W. L. iMorgan has begun the erection
of eight flats for B. H. Chapman, on
Flanders street, between Twentieth and
Twenty-first. Two similar buildings have
recently been completed on the same
block for Mr. Chapman. Flats that have
been erected during the past year have
been rented even before completion, and
owners are finding thaf they are good
revenue-paying properties.
Buys Site for Gas' Plant.
The Portland Shipbuilding Company,
of St. John, has sold Its site In lower
St. John to W. B. Streeter for $7000.
It Is Intended as the site for the pro
posed gas plant for the St. John Gas
Heating & Lighting Company. An op
tion has been taken and work will
soon start on the erection of the plant.
The cost will be $35,000, exclusive of
mains.
Albina Realty Actve.
In Albina there is a constant movement
of realty, mainly for residence purposes,
hut with an occasional business location
transfer. Bertha Wise has purchased lot
13, Mock 34, Central Albina, from Julius
31. Wetzel for $2400. John Johnson has
sold to Mary Ward Murphy the east half
of lots 9 and 10, block 13. Central Al
bina, for $3300. Marion Edee sold to Jane
Mlddaugh lot 6, block 6, Central Albina,
for $2700.
josefk f. kjblly at fifth and caruthers streets.
Dipper Equipment Will Deepen
Channel and Level Sites
for Warehouses.
CONTRACT ON EAST SIDE
Owners May Build Concrete Retain
ing Walls Along Harbor Lino
Active Dealing Especially
In Residence Lots.
George W. Simon, manager of the Pa
cific Bridge Company, announces that
the machinery tor the company's big dip
per dredger has reached Portland and
will be Installed at once In .the dredger
barge under construction In the shipyard
at St. John. The machinery was shipped
from Chicago. This dredge will be used
for the filling of the warehouse district
between Belmont street and Hawthorns
avenue and also for such other fills as
may be called for. It Is similar to those
In use on the canal construction aoross
the Isthmus, and can work in 36 feet of
water. Four cublo yards of material cant
be handled by the dippers.
One of the most Important results of
this filling contract will be the general
deepening of the harbor In front of all the
docks In. the city. Manager Simon says
that the owners of docks are entering
contracts for deepening the river In front
of their property so that the deepest ves
sels may float up to ' them. Material
taken from the river will be run out and)
dumped on the low grounds.
Plans Drawn, for WalL
W. X. Boise, who represents largs
property Interests on the East Side, says
that some of the property -own errs hav
under contemplation the erection of con.
crete retaining walls, back of which ma
terial will be dumped from the river.
In some cases, said air. Boise, plans ax
being drawn for these walls.
J. T. Flynn, who represents a big con
cern In Ban Francisco, urges that Port
land erect these sea walls, but prophe
sies that the main docks will tie built
north of the bridges. As far as St. John,
he says, conditions are favorable for
the erection of solid docks, and ha ex
peots to see these piers built in a short
time. It will take a large amount of
money to complete such a system of
docks, said Mr. Flynn, but the shipping
of the metropolis will warrant It. The
amount of dredging In sight will talcs)
several years to complete.
Sales on East Side.
Bales all over the East Bide continue to)
Increase, and although there is great de
mand for houses to rent there are fevr
to be had. Following are some of the
week's transfers In different sections: '
The Title Guarantee & Trust Company
has sold a double flat on the north side
of Russell street, near Ganterfbetn ave
nue, to Charles Thwlng. for $7500. This
property Is midway between Upper and
Lower Al'blna.
T. S. McDanlels has purchased two lots
In Park View Annex, near Hawthorne
avenue from C. A. Myers for $8400.
J. W. Armstrong, a recent arrival,
bought the handsome home of R. C.
Brooks on East Twenty-ninth and East
Davis streets for $4000.
Mrs. Fanny T. Montgomery bought the
quarter block and apartment house on
the northwest corner of East Eighth and
Morrison streets for $17,000.
Transfers In Holladay.
In Holladay's Addition, Nellie C. Dolen
sold to Charles H. Chick lot 8, In Mock
5, Holladay Park, for $9000. The lot la
covered with a residence. Also in Holla
day's Addition, A. J. Lee sold to Martha
Smith the east 35 feet of lots A and 2,
block 69, for $3850. The Oregon Real Es
tate Company sold Josephine W. Yocura
lots 1 and 2, block 235, Holladay's Ad
dition, for $2600. H L. Sanborn sold to
Nels E. Evensen the west 40 feet of
lots 25 and 26. block 19, Holladay's Ad
dition, for $4500.
Frank S. Munn sold to Rudolph Martin
lot U, block 21, Walnut Park, for $5000.
The property is covered with a dwelling.
E. B. Holmes sold to Isaac Amson lot
13, hlock 6, John Irving's Addition, for
$4000. In Dunn's Addition, on the Sandy
road, Kate Mlchels sold to Elmer Espey:
lots 1 and 2, block 9, for $3800. W. W.
Hall bought of M. A. Raymond lot 5, la
block 69, Sunnysifle, for $3400.