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About The Sunday Oregonian. (Portland, Ore.) 1881-current | View Entire Issue (May 17, 1908)
THE SUNDAY OREGOXIAX. PORTLAND. MAY 17, I90S. REPRESENTATIVE PORTLAND RESIDENCES, MANY OF WHICH ARE NOW UNDER COURSE OF CONSTRUCTION I iim I A 5 :' . i ' XMt. sr i" s 51 A -V. FARM LANDS IN GREAT DEili Market-Gardeners and Small Farmers in Market for Acreage. INSIDE SITES INACTIVE Along Terminal TJnes, Warehouse Troperty Is Strongly Held and Recent Sales Are Made at Top Figures. About the only new feature In the Teal estate market the past week was the demand for lands along the lines of railroads recently opened or which hre projected. Several good-sized sales were made of acreage on the Salem elec-'t trie line, and options were secured for' tracts on the proposed extension of the T'nited Railways, which will open a territory between the Oregon electric line and Macadam road, south of the city. If this line is built, two lines to Hillsboro will be run through a rich farming country and a brisk move ment in small tracts is sure to follow. In that direction, and out the line of the Mount Hood road garden lands are in demand, and the same is to be said of the nearby tracts on the new North Bank road. Agents who are making a specialty of lower Peninsula lands report a con tinuation of inquiry for lots and small acreage tracts. The several improve ment clubs in that district are doing good work In keeping the advantages of the section advertised and in hav ing petitions presented to the Council for new streets. Work is going on steadily in the Slough, and by the middle of Summer construction of the packing plant is expected to start. Repairing Old Buildings. A walk through the downtown dis tricts furnishes an object lessen that Is of significance. More alterations and repairs are being done than seen in many years at one time. The Per kins Hotel is receiving a coat of paint and the new fronts are about finished on the Washington street side. In several old structures the new-fangled nickel -show business is greatly in evidence, and it must be said in that connection that as a rule the new fronts add much to the appearance of the streets. Work on Pantages Theater has pro gressed to the extent of having the whole interior ripped out and a base ment excavated. In fact, nothing of the old building now remains, except the outside walls. Finishing touches are being put on the exterior of the Board of Trade building, copper mold ings being run up the concrete walls between the windows, which adds much to the appearance of the build ing. The building will be ready for occupancy about the first of the com ing mon th. On account of rainy weather the last week, sales of lots in the new addi tions fell off somewhat, as buyers could not visit the tracts with comfort. Agents report, however, a fairly good amount of business with persons who had already made their selection of lots. In at least one of the recently platted tracts prices were advanced last week and in some of the others similar action is being considered. Warehouse Sites Hold Values. The sale of a 50x50 building at Thir teenth and Marshall streets by the Portland Trust Company for $13,000 was regarded as significant by the trade, In that it establishes the fact that warehouse sites are holding up values and that investors are willing to pay ruling prices for property in that district of the city. A comment made by a leading dealer yesterday was that the small movement In realty in the old business part of the city is accounted for in holders not being in clined to let go except at more of an advance than buyers think justifiable at present. "If they would drop their figures a little." said he, "you would find an active market again In that class of realty. On the other hand, probably buyers shall have to come up in their Jdeas before much is done In downtown sites." The same authority said that in quiries are for small farms. In a radius of about 15 miles values are gradually going up, and up the. Valley farms which a few months ago could be bought for from $125 to $150 an acre are now held at well up to $300. Iands on the lines of railroads al ready built or projected are, of course, in best demand, but fruit or vegetable farms have ready sale at good, stiff prices, even if located some distance from railroads. Compare With San Francisco. Several realty men who have been visiting in California during the pres ence of the battleship fleet agree in saying that conditions here in Port land in their line are much better than those to the South. While there is a vast amount of building under way, one broker remarked on his return, there Is evidence on every hand that the city is building ahead of the de mand. "Probably that Is to be expected," said he, "when the peculiar conditions are taken Into account. After the fire, business made a jump from downtown to the old residence districts of the city. Now It seems to be difficult to move back again. '"There are any number of business blocks in the burned-over parts of the city which are tenantless, and seeing so many to let signs is rather depress ing, especially to u who are unaccus tomed to see that sort of sign dis played. I am free to admit, however, that San Francisco is a marvel. It Is a good object lesson, and many things are to be learned of benefit to realty men elsewhere during a visit and ex amination of their methods of rebuild- it M IX .1 , & ib:sM, sisas ci&ujzr or wya&ssss ' K .yli f'4 Zl - Vif. V " MA -,V f J? LEAVE OLD ROOM: Commercial Club Members March to New Quarters. SIWG FAREWELL SONGS ing the city.' Celebration lYHovs last Luncheon Served- in Temporary Quarters. Houscwarming ViIl Be Held Next Month. Yesterday afternoon at the close of the lunch hour at the Commercial Club members present were called to order and Judge Clsland addressed them In a con gratulatory vein. A brief history of the club was given, and after one or two other addresses were made the members formed in line and marched around the old clubrooms singing songs of farewell to the quarters they had occupied since the next day after the Chamber of Com merce Are, two years ago. Then bearing with them a copy of the Bible that had been saved from the Are, the Commercial Club went to the new building at Fifth and Oak and took pos session of the handsome quarters. Be ginning Monday lunch will be served in the new rooms and the other floors will be ready for occupancy as well, though some finishing touches remain to be made. Formal ceremonies attending the occu pancy of the rooms will be held early in June. The first banquet to be held in the new club will be that of the Portland Ad Club on the evening of June 1. Furniture houses of Portland arc on record as saying that this city is employ ing more art furniture and "period" deco rations in the homes of people than ever before. What the residents are doing in their private homes has extended to the decoration of the Commercial Club's quar ters. The board of governors of the club, through the house committee and officers of the institution, have produced results in club furnishings and embellishments that leave nothing to be desired. The office of the club on the seventh floor, where Assistant Secretary Peel will have his desk, and where the telephone exchange is operated, occupies the space to the right of the grand staircase lead ing to, the banquet-room on the floor above. On the office floor, facing Fifth street, is the main parlor or lounging room. which is declared to be the hand somest apartment of the kind on the Coast. Chairs, tables and lounges are of special design, handsomely carved and are luxurious in the extreme. Twin fireplaces on the north end of the room lend much to the appearance of the room, which is 50x100 feet. " Immediately under the lounging-room is a billiard-room of the same size and above it the banquet-room. This dining room is destined to be one of the favorite resorts of the members, for not only has Steward May attracted Commercial Club members to lunch and dinner by the ex cellence of the fare, but the new room is one of the airiest and most comfortable in the entire building. The views from its windows are unsurpassed in the city. A .wide passageway leads from the banquet-room to the kitchen, which has been equipped with all the latest and most ap proved appliances. In different parts of the four floors de voted to the club and its officials are numbers of accessories, ladies' parlors and lunchroom, private telephone booths, lavatories and small private dining-rooms. One of the floors is fitted up in sleeping apartments, which are furnished in air elaborate manner and are to be used by members of the organization or visitors to Portland who have privilege cards. The furnishing and decorations of the club were done under the supervision of Ellis F. Lawrence, of the firm of Mac-Naughton,- Raymond & Lawrence. He also designed the general color scheme carried out in walls, floors and window draperies. ANOTHER TRACT IS PLATTED. Ten Acres to Be Cut Into Lots and Put on Market. A notable sale of the week was the pur chase of a 10-acre tract by Dr. Robert H. Ellis from Dr. T. L. Eliot. The property joins Rose City Park. Belie Crest and the Country Club. The sale was made through the agency of Van W. Anderson Sell Sandy Road Blocks. Mall & Von Borstel have sold for the Mercantile Trust & Investment Company to Harry P. Palmer the two blocks facing Holladay avenue between East Twenty sixth and East Twenty-eighth streets. The consideration was $15,000 RAISE FUNDS By TAXATION NEW PLAN FOR CARRYING ON PUBLICITY WORK PROPOSED. Astoria Chamber of Commerce Pre pares BUI Commercial Bodies Will Be Asked to Ratify It. The Astoria Chamber of Commerce is now engaged in making an active cam paign to secure the passage at the next session of the Legislature of a bill that will allow counties and towns to vote a tax to carry on their work. Through the able propaganda that has been made by Manager Tom Richardson, of the Portland Commercial Club In his capacity as Secretary of the Oregon De velopment League, practically every town in the State of Oregon of over 1000 inhab itants, and many of the towns of a less population, have been organized to take hold of municipal publicity affairs. Indeed, one of the prominent officers of the Pacific Coast Advertising Men's As sociation, Bury I. Dasent, the secretary of the association who has for several years been carrying on the advertising work for the Portland Light & Power Com pany, has resigned his position with that company to accept a more lucrative one with the enterprising city of Albany. Astoria has been carrying on' publicity work of a classified nature, advertising throughout America and Europe and. re sults have been such that the campaign has attracted quite general Interest among advertising men throughout the country. Printers' Ink of issue August 7, 1907, gave an account of several pages telling how Astoria was conducting this advertising campaign. " In' Oregon lange tracts of land are held by railroads, timber and lumber com panies, not to mention foreign corpora tions of various kinds. These are all op posed to the making of subscriptions for publicity work, and there is no way to reach them excepting through taxation. The Astoria Chamber of Commerce pro poses to do this, and has prepared a bill which it will present to the Pacific Coast Advertising Men's Association convention at Portland and to every commercial or ganization in the State of Oregon for rat- lncauon. ine bill as prepared, follows: AN ACT authorizing the several counties and towns of the state to levy taxes for advertising- and promoting- the resources thereof. Be It enacted by the people of the State of Oregon: Be It enacted by the Legislative Assembly of the State of Oregon: Section I. That any county or town of this state is hereby authorized and em powered to levy a special tax of not more than four mills for advertising, printing and distribution of literature In such man ner and forms as may be determined upon, for the purpose of making known the vari ous agricultural, horticultural, mining, manufacturing-, commercial and other resources; or for the purpose of promoting manufac turing and railroad building enterprises by the payment .of bonus or subsidy or for the promotion of any other enterprise that may be deemed for the best Interests of the county or town. . Sec. . That the funds thus raised shall be turned over by the County Court to any Chamber of Commerce. Board of Trade or Commercial Club, or other organ ization formed for the purpose of advertis ing, promoting or otherwise furthering the commercial and Industrial welfare of the community, as may be designated on the ballot cast at the election In which such a special tax Is voted. Sec. 3. That any county may at any election instruct the County Court to set aside for such advertising and promotion work as Is distinguished in section 1 of this act. a sum not to exced four mills of the assessed valuation, such appropriation to be paid as designated in section 1 of this act. Sec. 4- Inasmuch as there Is a press ing need for Immediate action looking to the most effective advertising and pro motion of the unlimited resource of the state an emergency therefore. Is hereby de clared to exist, for which reason this act shall take effect and be in force on and after its approval by the Oo-vernor. Governor Chamberlain, of Oregon, to whom the bill has been submitted, looks upon It with favor, as does alo Senator Fulton, who has also given his opinion. The measure as presented is In a tentative form, and the Judicial committee of the Legislature will be asked to scrutinize it closely that Its terms may be Bafely writ tei:. It would seem that this will be one of the most important measures affecting publicity work that has been considered In recent years In the State of Oregon. DEATH OF J. R. E. SELBY Civil War Veteran for Many Years Portland Resident. J R E. Selby, of Portland, whose funeral was held last Tuesday, was a native of Maryland, born August 17, 1834. His father, a native of the same rta;te. was born in 1780. was of Scotch ancestry and served in the War of 1B12. His mother's family came from England. Mr. Selby spent his youth in Hamtlton County. Indiana. At the time of the Civil. War Mr. Selby enlisted In the Ninety-fourtfi Illinois Volunteer Regi ment, Company E. and went at once to the front. He participated in the battle of Pin Grove, the siege of Vicksburg, the capture of Frazier City, the battle of Fort Donelson and in the fighting at Mississippi Pass and lastly at Spanish Fort. He waa honorably discharged July 17, 1865. While in service he was serious ly disabled. Mr. Selby went to Califor nia in 1874 and settled In Woodland. Yolo County, where he remained until 1878. when he came to Portland. Mr. Selby was married in Indiana on May 6, 1857. to Miss Rebecca Shryock, who survives him. Four days previous to his death occurred the 51st anniver sary of their marriage. He is survived by two daughters. Mrs. Richard M. . Stuart, of Portland, and Mrs. W. L. Brooke, of Reno, Nev. Mr. Selby was a member of the Oddfellows and for sev eral years was treasurer of Harmony Encampment, No. 19. His membership was with Samaritan Lodge. No. 2. un der whose auspices, together with the G. A. R. of George Wright Post, his funeral was conducted. . Untidy Husband Loses Wife. Lon Moore lost his wife yesterday be cause of being too infrequent in his use of the family bathtub. The wife, Mar garet Moore, was given a decree of di vorce by Circuit Judge Bronaugh. She testified that Moore was very untidy in his habits, so much so that she lately discovered his hair was inhabited. Be sides that, he was cruel to her, so that she felt life would never be worth living so long as she was tied down to Moore. Her application for alimony was denied by the court. PHOTOGRAPHS OF THE INTERIOR OF THE NEW COMMERCIAL CLUB ROOMS IN THE COMMERCIAL CLUB BUILDING