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WEEKLY REVIEW
OF REAL ESTATE
Demand for Dwelling-Houses
Keeps in Advance of
Building Operations.
GARDEN TRACTS ASKED FOB
Jfru-Jt Industry ot Oregon Attracts
Attention of Farmers in Other -States
and Inquiries Come
Kvery Mall for Lands,
The demand for dwellings' In Port
landvhas become so urgent that lessees
of houses who desire tax any reason to
surrender them have no difficulty with
owners, in so doing. There are on. file
with owners and renting agencies many
more applications for dwellings than
there are- houses to accommodate the
applicants. A case in, point is that of a
small house owned by a leading real
estate man who had leased it for three
years at a monthly rental of $35. The"
lease had about 18 months, to run when
the lessee asked the owner -if he would,
take the house back as the renter de-.
Hired to move to another part of the city.
' The owner canceled the lease. and im
mediately rerented the house for $45 a
month. '
This Is an isolated case, for the rea
son that tenants are holding onto
houses with great tenacity when once
they succeed in getting possession of
them. Each day's record of building
permits Indicate a remarkable number
of dwellings springing up in. every di
rection, but little if any, abatement la
noticeable in the demund for them.
With the opening of Spring, quite' a
number of residences of the highest
class are to be erected, one to cost
over. $30,000 being considered by a
prominent lumber dealer, who will de
cide on the extent of hs Improvement
In a few. days. Architects, however,
report few commissions in hand for
large residences, those decided upon
having the plans already, made. The
large number of apartment-houses that
have been completed In the past six
months and others -about ready for oc
cupancy, will relieve the situation con
siderably. As soon as these -apartments
are 'opened they are promptly tilled,
which is regarded as showing continued
growth In population,- with barely
unough house room to accommodate the
increase.
The coming six months may find
building operations caught up with the
demand for dwellings, for In nearly all
the newly-platted tracts owners of .va
cant lots are arranging to erect homes
and these builders of new places axe
now renters' in the older parts o.f the
. city. Their removal will release num
bers of houses for new occi)panti early
in the year. It the Increase of popula
tion continues, however, at the same
rate It -did -last year many more new
dwellings must be erected to provide
for the increase.
Building LoM Sell Well.. ,
' There is said to be but a slight fall
ing off in Inquiry for building lots
among the agencies handlir.ar suburban
property. Rose Cjty Park, Waverleigh,
Ladd's Addition, Irvlngtqn, Holladay's
Addition, Piedmont Heights; Jorlesmore.
the southern part of the Peninsula,
Portland arid Willamette Heights," in
fact. In- all available bulidlng districts;
-buyers are making inquiries with the
l announced intention ' to' close . deals in
the Spring. In some of these tracts
sales are reported at tits present time,
though the movement is rather slow, as
is usual at this season. Of the year.'
- As to values, there is nothing to in
dicate much change one way or the
other. Owners ot inside realty seem to
be holding for an advance, and several
real estate Arms report orders on' their
books for Income' property, but that
nothing of the sort desired can be
- picked up. It is regarded by dealers as
a waiting game In the market just now
---owners holding for a further ad-
- vvance and buyers ready to take any
thing that looks' like a "snap." It is
reported by. a concern that handles
moderately priced houses in the out
skirts that salaried men and workmen,
who save their money, are negotiating
for bulkling lots and houses to a great
er extent at the present time than any
period since, it has been in business.
This, class of buyers realize that the
tlms is rapidly approaching, they say,
when rents will surely advance, and
eveiat present rates the yearly rental
ef house, If put into payments on a
piaffe of , realty, will soon -change the
renter into a property-owner, and what
is now absorbed la rent can be invested
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in Improvements and better house-furnishings.
Demand for small tracts to be used for
market-gardening continues to be active".
Farm lands are also In brisk demand, es
pecially in localities having good trans
portation facilities. During the past few
years frultraising has developed into auch
a good paying business that each suc
ceeding year brings a greater .area Into
development. Through the efforts of the
various associations, fruitgrowing in
Western Oregon has taken giant strides
and has been reduced to a science. The
Valley of the Willamette. Rogue River
and other southern idistricts, . together
with the established prominence of the
Hood River section, have already demon
strated what can.be done in the scientific
cultivation of fruits, with the natural re
suit that bordering these districts farm
ers are falling into line and are proving
that Oregon soil in almost any part of the
state is suitable for this industry. The
demand for these products of orchard
and field from all over the cduntry has
attracted the attention of farmers - and
others who haye an inclination in this di
rection, to the advantages offered settlers,
smd there "is scarcely a real estate man
in the 'city who is ndt receiving letters
from he Middle West and East inquiring
about prices' of lands ' irom prospective
buyers. The railroad companies and
commercial bodies have also; sent out
tons of literature regarding the natural
advantages of - the state, and this is
bringing the desired results. N
Good Streets Make Values.
One of the prdblems confronting the
city authorities is -' that ot keeping
street improvement up with the' rapid
settling of the outskirts. The same dif
ficulty confropts every city that shows
rapid expansion, and the tying, up of
city funds In street improvement bonds
and similar ways is the experience here
as elsewhere. Chicago, for Instance,
grew so rapidly after the big fire th;"
miles upon "miles of streets leading .out
on the prairie were for years knee deep
with mud, and when Improvements set
in on these sections, tlio downtown dis
trtcts surrerea tnrougn negiecr-
Every owner of city property recognises
the value of good streets on which his
property abuts, and in ' the surrounding
.neighborhood as well, and as rapidly as
good- roads are made to and through a
new tract.-just so soon values begin to
rise. Fairly good progress Is being made
in building first-class streets to the out
lying sections of Portland, but there is a
limit of capacity to carry on this work,
and the consequence is that some sections
must wait their turn.
Considerable discussion was aroused
over the letter printed on the Real Estate
page of last Monday's issue of The Ore
gonian". written' by J, O. Rountree. He
took the stand that values "In certain
sections" ot the city are too high, and
that owners of realty In those sections
must lower their prices before any move
ment can be hoped for. Some dealers dis
cussing that assertion, say that Mr.
Rountree is correct if only real estate
dealers' business" is to be considered, but
that if the owrers of these properties are
to be considered, they are not to be crit
icised for holding values up, but on the
contrary, should be -commended. ' It is
pointed out that even "in certain sec
tions'" values are below those" of cities of
similar importance in the United States,
and lower rates prevaij here than else
where on the CoasU Mr. Rountree prob
ably had In mind some of the desirable
corners in the business district that havs
remained unimproved for years, ,
. - May Erect Tannery.
It is announced that plans are being
drawn for a large tannery, probably to
be erected on the peninsula near, the
plant 'of the Swift Packing Company. F.
THE SUXDAY- OREGONIAN PORTLAND, JANUARY 19, 1903.
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J. .Catterlin is the leading sph-it in this
enterprise. He says that such a - plant
would .naturally be built ' near the Swift
Packing Company's, plant, where It would
be near the source of supply of raw hides
and have shipping facilities both by
water and rail. It. will be of large .ca
pacity. ' . ' , . .
STOP .WHITE SLAVE TRADE
Jewish' Order of B'nat B'rith Will
'.- 'Head Crusade.
The local Jewish community is planning
an active campaign against what is
known - as the- white slave trade. It has
come to .the notice of- the head officers of
the Independent Order B'nai B'rith that
there are many men throughout the world
who are making a business ot kidnapping
or otherwise luring girls of tender age.
both Jewish and Gentile, to the United
States and here selling them into prac
tical slavery hy placing them .in houses
of ill-repute. .
The local B'nai B'rith Lodge was noti
fied" some time ago by the executive offir
cers to assist in eradicating the evil so
far as the Jurisdiction of the local lodge
extends. .
In accordance with this notice 'at a
meeting of .Theodore. Herzl Dodge its
president, S. L. Goldschmidt appointed
a committee to make a thorough investi
gation of local conditions ' so far as
this white slavery is concerned, and take
aggressive action towards eradicating the
evil from this ' locality.
The committee consists of the follow
ing: Dr. A. Tilzer, Dr. N. Mos'essohn,
Rev. R. Abrahamson, A. Rosenstein and
M. Ostrow. This committee wilt hold- Its
first session today, when plans will be
formulated.
In discussing the object -ton which they
wera appointed a member .of the- com
mittee said that there are . several "men
in the City of Portland, who have made
a business of corrupting young women
and living off their earnings; besides im
porting other young women from out
side cities for the same purpose.
HELP OUT THERED CROSS
Campaign to Be Inaugurated for In
- crease in Membership." "
NEW. YORK. Jan. JS. It has been
determined by the Amertca.i Red Cross
to enter at once into a general cam
paign for Increased membership, both
annual and life. The executive board
in Washington has appointed Edward
R. Johnson -to .the position of National
registrar. His duties will include
the promotion - of publicity and, more
particularly the gaining of a member
ship, both annual and life, which will
provide a permanent, increasing, fund
for the uses of the society. Mr. John
stone has been editor-in-chief of the
Minneapolis Times and. of the Cleve
land leader. He was a correspondent
of the Associated Press throughout the
Spanish War and went to China In
charge of a cargo of flour provided by
America for the relief . of famine
stricken residents in Kiang Tsu, Mr.
Johnstone said:
"I believe, and the executives of the
Red Cross in Washington believe, that
conditions need only to tre made known
to the American people to secure a
membership in this countr-y that, shall
eventually exceed 1,000.000."
Do It now. Attend Rosenthal's great
house-cleaning sale.
. Spectacles $1.00 at Metzger'a. .
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START ERECT
OF
East Side Secures "Three
Story Plant to Occupy Lot
50 by 200 Feet.
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FIRM CHOOSES PORTLAND
Big .Fill Along 21 Blocks Begins
Soon, Which Will Extend Ware-..
. house District" Over . Great
Area in Central Iiocation. .
The most Important transaction af-r
fectlng the East Side' the past week
was the $80,000- permit issued to the
Brown-Yale Company for the erection
of a three-story brick Jaundry on East
Tenth between Belmont and East Mor
rison, streets. Purchase of a site SOx
200 feet on the east side of East Tenth
street .was made three months ago,
and it was announced that the laundry
would be built, but it was hardly cred
ited at the time. Representatives of
the Brown-Yale Company Investigated
carefully all the cities, of the. North
west before finally deciding to pur
chase a site and build in Portland.
Actual work has been started on thB
foundation of this big buildin-g, which
will cover the main portion ot the
ground purchased.
The excavating has already been
completed, and work will start on thtf
brick work the present week. Also
this weel-i comes - the significant" an
nouncement that the. Columbia Milling
Company, which erected a $75,000 plant
last year on East Second street, is to
be doubled In capacity some time dur
ing the present year, thus doubling its
output.'. At present plans have been
prepared' for the' Installation of floors
and walllng-in'df the basement at a
cost of $1500. The enlargement of. the
plant Will be undertaken later in1 the
year.-" '" -
Definite announcement is made that
the -Paciflo Bridge Company will start
.on Its -contract for the East Side fill
February 15. The. territory to be filled
embraces the district bounded by Un
ion avenue, Belmont and East First
streets and Hawthorne avenue, and in
cludes' 21 blocks. .
At St. John the bid dipper dredge,
which will scoop- up material from the
bottom , of the Willamette . River, is
nearing completion and also the long
dock af-the foot of East Taylor street.
Is ready to receive the material from
the river. . The dock runs out to the
wharf line from East Water street,
and sin streetcar tracks run under the
several bunkers now being completed
or the dock.
Unload Ballast for Fill.
Alrea-dy ballast from . ships Is being
unloaded at this dock and used in fill
ing up East Stark street between
Grand avenue and East Seventh street.
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LAUNDRY
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It has. taken the company nearly a
year to prepare the dredge and dock
for this immense filling contract, and
involved a trip East by - Manager
George Simon to select and purchase
machinery. . ;
The cost will exceed $108,000 before
work starts on .this flu. There are
several street fills on' the East Side
for which the. company has contracts,
and which . will be made by. material
from- the Willamette River. Perhaps
-the total amount of contracts the com
pany has. Including the 21 blocks be
tween Union avenue and East, First
street, are considerably over $500,000
on the East Side .alone. The filling of
the 21 blocks will have the double ef
fact Of .deepening the channel of the
Willamette River and- redeem a great
area of warehouse property, centrally
located, and which up to the present
time is unproductive. This contract
Is th,e result of the work of -the East
Side Improvement Association two
'years ago.
Architect Edgar M. Lazarus -has
nearly oompleted plans for the build
ings of the- Country Club, .which are
to be erected. on the 90-acre tract east
of Rose City Park. . The buildings are
to be yniform. The clubhouse will be.
placed ' west of the main entrance,
where will meet, socially, the members
of the Automobile, Portland Hunt
Club, Driving Club, Kennel Club, Live
stock Association and the Rod and Gun
Club.: It will have a large assembly
hall, and around the second story will
be a commodious gallery, with other
galleries similar to those of the Multnomah-
Athletic Club. The building
will contain, also; private and public
dining-rooms and private sleeping
rooms for the accoznmpdation of- mem
bers of the general organization.
The' Automobile Club will have Its
own quarters opening on .the county
road, with a garage, washroom, chauf
feurs room, battery-ro'om. -repair and
blacksmith .shop. This building will
be constructed of -slow burning ma
terial. Quarters for the Portland Hunt
Club will be equipped with stables,
kennels, harness-rooms and men's and
-women's lockers. - ;
Pattern After Pimllco.
The steeple-chase course will be pat
terned after that at -Pimllco, Md... and
the general stables will be planned' to
accommodate 350 horses. For the Ken
nel Club 120 five-foot kennels will, be
provided. These will be erected east
of the stables. A pigeon-house, cow
stable and aquarium will be built.
Private bungalows and cottages will
be erected on the surrounding grounds.
The grandstand will accommodate
3000 people. On the whole, the build
ings wilJ follow a harmonious plan.
Work Ingoing forward on the grading
and filling of the grounds.
'- At the meeting of the United East
Side Push Clubs Tuesday night, where
Mayor Lane and Tom Richardson were
guests, Mr. Richardson made the state
ment that the present, class of dwell
ings under construction on the East
Side averaged ill eost between $300 and
$400 mora than similar cottages being
erected In Seattle and In- other cities
In the Northwest. Mr. Richardson also
made the prediction thaf for the year
196$ building operations In Portland
would not fall off mori than 10 or 15
per cent of the total of 1907. In the
matter of homes, however, there might
be no falling off and probably there
would be an Increase In the number of
bouses erected. i
Thomas Hlslop, a well-known resi
dent of the East Side, predicted -that
Portland would experience as much of
a growth on the whole in 1908 as in
1901 in the matter, of residences. W.
II. Mail, Joseph Buchtel and others
handling largely East Side property,
say they cannot now supply the call
for small bouses for rent. They say
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that there is a dally demand' for
houses of five and six rooms, either
for rent Or for sale. The building per
mits during the past week' certainly
verify Mr. Richardson's remarks about
keeping- up the home-building move
ment. To January 13 the building per
mits for th.e month on the East Side
totaled $95,000.
Realizing the importance of the im
provements, the East Side Business Men's
Club will spare no efforts to. have the
remaining -portion ; of Grand , avenue im
proved to Sullivan's Gulch,' and also East
Morrison street, between Grand avenue .
and Morrison-street bridge. W. M. Jack
son, the new secretary of the East Side
Business Men's Club, says: '
"It 1s important that these two streets
should be improved before ;the" Rose
Festival, 'if the East Side hopes to have
the procession- 'pass through East Port
land: The contract on Grand avenue has
been- let, but - the- improvement ought to
be expedited so it will be completed in
time. On Bast Morrison there is a
problem. Owing to the fill on that street
a hard-surface pavement may "not be
practicable, this year, but we cannot hope
to get the rose procession unless thai
street is replanked. The floats in the rose
procession cannot be aken over bad or
rough streets. 'I have no doubt but Grand
avenue and East Morrison street will be
put in good shape. To me it appears that
the proper improvement of these two
streets ls'tlie essential thing, that should
be accomplished as soon as possible.
Among the important East Side sales
for the past week Was that of W. J.
Funk who sold, a two-story frame build
ing on the corner lot of East Ash and
East. Fifteenth streets to Anna Peterson
for $4500. Sarah Ex Huston purchased a
dwelling and lot on - Wasco street, be
tween" Second and Third streets .for $4500.
Airs. Margaret C. McKenzle. was the
owner of the property. Charles Brubaker
sold to Mis. Diena Wilkes a lot 111x152
feet on East Thirty-fourth and East Lin
coln streets for $3000.
IiOts Bring 911,00ft. - -.
The largest single . sale of residence
property was made in Piedmont. Albert
J. Paul sold to Caroline Fuqua four lots
at the corner of Peal street and Wil
liams avenue for $11,000. y
- Katie Michels sold a house and lot to
Otto Nelson,- on East Eighth, between
Davis and Everett streets, 33x100, oc
cupied by a cottage, for $3150- A quarter
block on Irvington Heights, located on
East Nineteenth street, was sold by Her
,man Wittenberg to Al Hamel for $250.
Mrs. Marie Jorgenson purchased a six
acre tract from Annie Laurison for $2250.
In Albina Florence B. McClure sold to
A. P. Morse lot 26, block 21, for $6750. In
Holllday Park R. B. Rich sold to J. E.
Blazier lot 4, block 6, for $00.
At Woods'tock the Portland Trust Com
pany sold to M. Wllkins lot 2, -block 21.
for $200.
In Tremont Park, Alice L, McKee sold
to John H. Russell lot 30 block 6, for
$1600. At North Mount Tabor George W.
sold to John F. Daly in tract 'D" also
lot 1, block M, North Mount Tabor, for
$1956. ..
Twenty-five acres on Columbia Slough
were sold for $7500 to Mrs. Minnie Baeske
for H. W. Monaates. This is at $300 an
acre. Hartinan & Thompson made the
sale. '
C. J. Llttlepage has sold to William
Shindler lot , block 1, jn Gresham, with
buildings, for $1750.
Settle Rate War.
LONDON, Jan. 18. Shipping men
here predict that ' an attempt will be
made next week to settle the trans
Atlantic rate war by a conference in
this city of representatives of the
principal steamship companies.
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TRANSFER ST. JOHN HOTEL
GOOD MOVEMENT OF PENIN
SULA PROPERTY.
Gas Light Plant Costing $40,000
Will Be Erected Soon After
Plans Are Ready. '
During the- week there was considerable
movement in St. John property, the total
sales running about $75,000. rThe most im
portant transfer" was the sale of the St. -John
otel to Eastern Investors for $17,
500. The property consists of ono lot,
100x50, on a prominent street, and a two
story, brick, occupied as m hotel and do
ing a good business. It was the first
brick building to be erected In St. John.
Goodrich & Goodrich are drawing plans
for the proposed plant for the -St. John
Gas Lighting & Heating Company. It '
will be 33x70, of steel or trick. The esti
mated cost of $40,000. The plans will be
ready to -figure on about February 1. ..
There will be one gas holder of 20,000 -.
cubic feet capacity, with-a -diameter of
42 feet, 'and a relief holder of '4000 cubic
feet capacity. About five miles of mains
will- be installed. It is the intention of
the company to start work on the -plant
at once.
During trie week S. V. Davidor, presi
dent of the St- John Gas Lighting & Heat
ing Company, executed a trust deed t,o
the Merchants Savings ft Trust Company,
of Portland, for $50,000. The transaction
was not understood by the people of St.
John, but Mr. Davjdor baa explained the
object of the .deed, which Is to float the
bonds of the company. The preparation
of the plans .' gives assurance that the
plant will be "erected at once. - '
There Is now hardly any doubt but that
a vote on the- question of issuing bonds '
will b had at the' election In SL John
In April for park purposes and erection ..
of a public dock. The amount will proba
bly be $75,000. The Commercial Club has
indorsed the bond issue and will urge the -Council
to provide for a special election
to" submit the question to voters. Very
likely at this election the question of pur
chasing the present ferry will submit-
ted along with the bond issue, so It may
be operated free to the public. A com
mittee - from the Commercial Club has
taken up the matter of operating the
ferry free to the public with the County
Court. - .
Casper N. Braasch sold to Oscar Boden
lots $ to 15' including block 1; lots 1, 11,
12 and 15 and 'part ef lot 2, block 2,
Braasch Addition to St. John, for $12,000.
R A. Johnson sold to Bert Johnson lota
3 and 4, block J- St. John Heights, for
$45.
Mrs. Jessie. Peker has . sold a property
In St. John for. $3000.
Will Bnild at. Rose City Park.
The special committee appointed by the
Rose City Park Improvement League has
received 42 answers to the letters sent
out to property-owners, asking them If
they will not join a concerted building
movement in that suburb. These replies
were to the effect that the writers will .
build this year on their lots. This means
that 42 new dwellings, each costing from
$3000 to -$5000, will be built in Rose City
Park Addition tfils year, making a total
of considerably, over $100,000 in buildings
alone- ,. . .'
Tomorrow (Monday), positively will be
the last day for discount on East Side
gas bills. Portland Gas Company..
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