10 CITY MAKES BIG BUILDING STRIDE Modern Structures Under Way in All Parts of Business District. ACTIVITY IS NORMAL More line Dwellings In Course of Construction Than Erer Per mits for nrfl Reach Cti. Valued at S2I2,382. Portland (oniinuri near ths top of the list ef Urm dtlcs of the t'nlted Statin til butldirg construction. Los Anfl 1 the only Pacific roast city that l-sds Portland. Thl. city Is doing mora building than fan Francisco, and a much as Prattle. Tacoma, and Spokane combined. The larffr part of the bulld lc; artlrlty here la confined to small buildings and dwellings, although thera re ion large structures under way an more to rise In the business dis trict at onre. Am ons; the new buildings to rlsa at nce are the seven-story reinforced concrete building at the northwest cor ner cf I"ark and Morrison streets, which will coat J1S0.0O0. the 10-story fireproof building at the nortbwest corner of Seventh and Morrison streets, which will cost i:;0.ooo. a four-story apart-ment-iiouse at Trinity Court to cost ISO.OOo. the University Club building at tenth and Jefferson streets, to cost 1 10. 000. the five-story Empress The ater building-, the 12-story Oregon Ho tel building and the 14-story telephone building. These buildings alone will In volve an Investment of over 12.100.000. In addition to these structures, there are planned many smaller buildings In nearly all parts of the business dis trict. With the big buildings under way and projected, the total building construction in Portland Is as fully as big as it was at this time last year and represents an Investment of several millions of dollars. Klne Dwlllnan tm Rlee. In residence, construction Portland Is rraktng great strides this year. If tha present activity keeps up the number of new dwellings will exceed tha rec ord of last y-ar by nearly 50 per cent. It is the opinion of builders that more costly homrs will be built In Portland tins year than ever before. There are several fine apartment houses under way. Flat buildings are becoming popular with Investors and several are being built on both tbe Kast Side and tha West Fide. Plans are being prepared for a three story addition to the building fronting on Twenty-third street and Cornell Itnad. owned by the Portland Kealty Associates. The present building Is one :ory in height, and with the construc tion It will be four stories high. The building has a frontage of 7S feet on Twenty-third street and ti feet on Cor nell road and Is ISO feet deep. One of the features of the building will be a freight elevator 10 feet wide and 10 feet long, with a capacity of 10.000 " rounds. The Improvement to the build 7 Ing will cost about 125.000. The plans r i I .1 - .. -' A -- r T Unul The contract for the steel frame of the new Empress Theater, which Is to e built by Sullivan Consldlne at the northwest comer of Seventh and Yam h'.il streets, was let last week to the l"nlted States Product Company for 119.009. Tbe contract stipulates that the contractors shall supply the steel and , put It In place. Kast Side .tssrtawst Flaaaed. i A two-story frame combination bulld- ing will be built on Kast Sixteenth and Clinton streets for tha Centennial In vestment Company. It will be to by 5 - feet In size, with full basement and will cost JS0V0. It will be a store and apartment structure. On the first floor there will be three store rooms and two three-room apartments, and on the sec ond floor there will be four suites of three rooms each. It will be heated by steam and the apartments will be equipped with disappearing beds. Ex cavation will be started at once. Hard in .- Richmond bare tha contract. Plans are being prepared for a three story brick building to be erected on 'the southwest corner of Grand avenue nd East Couch streets, for Wldmer 4k Chambers. It will cover the lot. 0 by 104 feet. Estimates of the cost of the building have not been made. The Adams Construction Company Is preparing plana and specifications for a eeven-room residence to be built on Floral avenue, near Imperial street. In Laarelhurst. for Hugo W. Kerble. to cost about 8650. It will be 47 by 10 feet In slxe. This company has Just finished a residence on Kast First and Kast Gllsan streets for Mrs. John Vea sen. It Is two and a half stories and cost J 10.000. It contains nine rooms. BaJIdlas: Permits Cllasb. The first week In April 'started off well in new building construction. The number of permits for the week reached :S. with a total valuation of S242.3S2. The majority of the permits Issued were for smail buildings, chiefly dwellings. The summary of tha week Is as fol lows: Monrt.r l S 7.M 41 4."..H"0 . . . r.s 4 ::.:: ... :u 44.:iT" ... ".4 ::i.ut.-. .-- vi.za Thurvlay ...-. Kridar Total , 245 t'J42.S: MORE FIRE STATIONS PLANNED x-ven Districts on East Side to Have Better Protection. Battalion Chief L. G. Holden Is draw ins plans for a fire station to be erect ed in Rose City Park, on the Sandy boulevard, to cost $10,000. It will bo fire-proof and will be adapted to the use of auto ftre apparatus as well as for horse-drawn apparatus. Mr. Hol rtrn will also prepare plans for a simi lar fire stations in Woodlawn, Monta vllls, and Kenton. The fire station to be built In Irv incton will be along different lines and will conform to tha character of the residences that have been erected there. The fire station In Kenllworth is being completed. It Is of brick construction and will cost tls.000. Work Is In progress on the fire sta tion for Sunnyslde at the comer of East Thirty-fifth and Belmont streets, which will coat 115.004V NEW SCHOOL. BCII.DIXG IHGED Milwankic .Mar Decide to Erect Modem Structure This Year. Tlirre Is a growing sentiment In the M Iwauklit school district that the pro .ord eight-room high, school should made a modern flrc-proof structure. M.ivor Strrlb. a hesvy property own er aid yesterday that bo would prefer to wait another year rather than to e a frame structure built now. and de clared himself In favor of a modern fire-proof building. He ssld that the project Is Jn the hands of tha bosrd of directors, but he thinks that aetitlment will favor, get ting along for another year and then erecting a brick or concrete building. It should be located, he said, where It will accommodate the largest number of people In the dlstrtct.i "The growth In Mllwaukie will Justify tha erection of a fine modern fire-proof building," said Mayor Streib. Pacific Place Is Platted. rarlflc riace. the new addition p'aeed on the marleet last week by Ttow bridge A Stephens and T. O. Montgom ery, is one of the most attractive resi dential districts on the Tenlnsula. It has frontage on Portland boulevard and Minnesota. Missouri and Michigan avenues. The addition will be Im proved with graded streets and cement curbs and sidewslka. Water mains ars now Installed. There are II building sites In the sddltlon. Ten lots Have ben sold. .tpinmrnl Annex Under Way. Taylor. Bailey 1-ambert. who evert ed the four-story apartment building at te northwest corner of East Fif teenth and Pelmont streets list year, st a cost of 145.000. are enlarging tha structure. THr new part la of tha same sixe and height of the original bulldtn? snd will cost 145.000. making the total cost of the completed struc ture tsO.000. When the annex Is fin ished this apartment building wi'l be the largest and most elaborate ys; ttiill on the Ksst Side. BUSINESS TONE BETTER: i FINANCIAL SITUATION SHOWS', MARKED IMPROVEMENT. Prospect for Fine Crops and Im proved Industrial Conditions Have Stronc Effect. With the prospects of seasonable monev rates: with the soil throughout the country In good shape for the ap proaching crop season: with an Im proved political situation both here and abroad, and with the baste Industries of the country In good shape, the outlook appears as meriting more confidence In the future than has been possible for some time." reports Spencer. Trask Co. In the monthly letter received yes terday by Wilfred Shore Co. "After a period of relstlv apathy, the markets In March, particularly the stock market, became active and at tracted more attention from tha public at large than in months past." contin ues the report. '"Several reasona may be given to account for the change In sen timent which spread over tlie country, but In our Judgment the advance which took place wss due largely to a final realisation of the soundness of the economic and financial condition of the country and to a more general recogni tion as the month progressed that the political horlxon was clearing and mak ing It increasingly evident that the people will choose their leaders st the next election from the conservstlve rather thsn the radlcsl elements In politics. "With these favorsble factors ss a basts, a sound foundation wss laid for a comprehensive advance In stocks, and while the advance has halted for the time being, as It is good that It should there are many who believe that It Is but a temporary slowing down In a movement which Is destined to go further and to last longer before it resches Its culminating point. We our selves sro far from believing In tha advisability of bullish enthusiasts tak ing the bit between their teeth and bringing on a runaway market, but we do feel that, barring unexpected de velopments, underlying conditions war rant a constructive tendency In the market. "Were It not for tha fact that the economic situation of the country was Intrinsically sound, it would seem an omalous that there should be so much fAnMn shown In financial circles at a time when the strike fever has broken ! out In several or the most Important manufacturing countries of the world, and has caused, at least In England, a suffering which is truly appalling-, and a financial loss of such extent ss to be difficult of computation. In our own country we are confronted by rest lessness of labor In the textile and ooal industries, to mention no others, but It seems likely that a fair and Just basin for compromise, particularly In the coal fields, will be reached before any actual distress Is caused to labor or before the industrial life of tile country Is crip pled through lack of Its primal and most vital necessity." Stories of Success by Homebuilders, Apartment - Hons Dwellers Ux for Frr-raona an Klad ladepead. eare la Owl Heme Parrbasea om Installment Plaa. By Kd M. Mark. 680 Kast Fortyseventh street. North. I HAVE been reading tbe very Inter esting articles In Tha Sunday Or aronlan on "owning your own home" and have wondered If my own experi ence would not help some of the many apartment-house dwellers to own their own home, become Independent and not have longer to submit to the "call down" of the autocratic Janitor. One Sunday In the Summer of 10 I took a car ride out to Hose City Park to look at that suburb, not with tha Intention of buying, for It took all my salary to live and pay rent In tha apartment-house. I had been there about an hour when I met a gentleman and he began talking house to me. I told him plainly that I had no money to Invest, but was merely out to get a little freeih air. He talked with me for some time and showed me some of his lots, and then asked me If I couldn't make a small payment down. I re peated that I could not. as I did not have the money. He then offered to let me put up a tent on one of his lots while building me a. house, snd what money I saved during the time 1 was living In the tent could apply as the first payment on the house when It was ready to move Into. I went back to my apartment home and told my wife of the offer. We had always lived In apartment-houses, and the offer seemed too good to be true. Well, to make a long story short, we concluded to "make a try" tor the home. In August. 1909. we bought a tent and moved out to Rose City Park. The gentleman had us submit some house plans of our own and then began the work of excavating for the founda tion. On the first of Xovember we were comfortably housed In as nice a five-room bungalow as any one could wish. It Is modern and up-to-date, snd In a very short time It will all be paid for. This Is the story of how we got our-own home without a cent for s starter, and should tend to frncourage others situated as we were to do like wise. ' Easter In Story and Vcree. Easter la attractively pictured In the number to hand of Ufe. and the mix ture of fun and good humored observation- fills a want. THE SUNDAY OIf.EC.OXI A . PORTLAND. DEVELOPMENT PLANS UNDER. WAY AT JENNE STATION EXTENSIVE Organisation Formed to Promote IL" BY I- H. WELLS. With the organization of the Jenne Station Improvement Association a few months ago there has been a rapid de velopment of the Jenne Station town ship district, situated on the Gresliam hratiph of thu Portland Kallwav. Li? lit e Tower Company, midway between Mount 8cott and Gresliam. K. S. Jenne, I nresldent of the association and found er of the township, has lived on the old homestead since the early 'oOs. John M. Mann, secretary. Is a young business man of Portland. Comprlaing between JS00 and 2000 acres of as -fine land as can be found In the state, the district is belns devel oped along progressive lines. There Is more than a mile squsre of terrltory about Jenne Station In which extensive clearing Is in progress. Mr. Jenne re cently platted nearly 200 acres of the land that he has held for so many years Into one. two. three and five acre tracts, which will be placed on the market this year. This land is re garded of great value because of its fertility and beauty. A considerable number of men who want evcreage tracts for Summer homes sre waiting to make reservations on Mr. Jcnne's farm land. The county road reaching Jenne Station runs south from the Pow ell Valley Just east of the old "Walnut Farm." formerly the property of John Camp, but now owned by Richard Wil son, who purchased the farm because of Its beauty and real value. The road crosses Johnson Creek at Jenne Sta tion on the electric railway and winds about the sloping hillside at the south and turns westward, making connec tion with the Foster, road near bj can-tore Station. Towaalte To Be Platted. It la the purpose of the Improvement association to develop a townslte about the station. The erection of a two-story frame building Is projected, the lower portion to be used for general business purposes and the upper room as a meet. Ing place for the association. It will be built near the station, where it will be central and easy of access from the district. It will be the center of this great district covering more than a mile squsre. One of the achievements of the asso ciation is the opening of a much-needed toad eastward from the station. The fences have been set back by the own ers of adjacent property, preparatory to ; r: : : - -r 'rn !! jRJ "'""?!.' " s'"l- : " - jl f "'--". "i ;.-.,. . w "ll I " - ' , ' II ' ' ' 3 . , rt i" ' . - j i i : ;-v - ' I If . . I ' v , lllS v t . , .. .pt.at' nit Jr--- w,ifi,rir.ifcAJ.- I 2X7 1 sasaaasasBssj sssl ssTaaBsnPlsBSBBl sBsKsBBWaTMHaBlsKasBB y lino. h-V;r' : . I ; :' H' ;l ijf.1 ' -V I ! ; - j "- sBssssjBassaaBssssasa ?-fces-lW? Community Expansi on Soil Is Productive Many Country Homes Are Established. ' - piadinar. The road will be macadam ized soon. It is expected. Clearing Is In progress all throiiRh this district. Near the Foster roa.l at Sycamore Station many acres of land have been cleared. Great masses of stumps have been taken from the ground ready to be burned and the land made ready for cultivation or sale to the man who wants a little farm near an electric railway. The road through tho Jenne Station district has been put Into rine condition, macadamized with crushed rock, and Is popular with auto Ists who come out from Portland over the Foster road. Guinea Farm Kalabllabed. John M. Mann, of Portland, as secre tary of the Jenne Station Improvement Association, has taken great interest In the development of the district. He Is the owner of the Spring Hill farm of 10 acres, a beautiful tract of land. Mr. Mann has erected a cozy Summer home there. Walter Metxler is superintend ent of Mr. Mann's farm, and Is develop ing it into a modern country place. On this tract Is the only guinea pig farm in this part of tho country. 'VYliile Mr. Mann was back of the enterprise at the start, his 13-year-old son, Mau rice Mann. Is the manager and owner of the guinea pig farm. He has made r success of the enterprise. From this farm Maurice supplies guinea pigs for the use of bacteriological experiments. From the start the guinea pigs found ready sale for scientific purposes, and it was found necessary to Increase the output. He now has on hand about 200 guinea pigs. So successful has he made the enterprise, that he has repaid Mr. Mann for all his financial aid at the beginning of the enterprise. For a Hoy so the young, the result of the guinea farm Is considered remarkable. To visit Spring Hill farm Is a reve lation in the way of beauty and devel opment. Mr. Mann may give up his Portland home and erect a country home on Spring Hill farm, where he can personally look after the farm de velopment. Water Supply Abnadant. Pure water in abundance is found through this district. On the Spring Hill farm are several springs from which pure water flows in abundance. In other sections of t'ue district fine water abounds. The soil is deep and exceedingly fertile, as may be seen In APRIL 7. 1912- the growth in the cultivated districts. On the old "Walnut Farm." owned by Richard Wilson, there formerly was grown several hundred walnut trees, which produced a large crop, without any care. An idea of the productive character of this country may be had vt-hen It is stated that every year 50 carloads of potatoes are shipped from Jenne Station, besides other produce of w-lilcU no record hH been kept. This output, of course, may he doubled sev eral times by Increasing the acreage. Two or five or ten acres of land In the Jenne Station township diBtrlct will afford a good Income through Intensi fied cultivation, and the closeness of the electric railway makes shipment to Portland markets an easy proposi tion. Compared to other districts, land throughout the .lenno Station district Is considered reasonable and low priced. Homeattea la Demand. K. X. Jenne, who hasnad nearly 200 acres platted, is holding a. portion at 600 an acre, hut other portions of the tract are held at $100 an acre. Recent ly, a large acreage was contracted for at an averase of 400 an acre, hot the sale fell through. The unimproved land brings 1150, J200 and 300 an acre. It costs from 1100 upward to clear an acre of land, and ihe first year a crop of potatoes alone will pay for the cost of the clearing. Adjacent to Jenne Station Is the Sye ainore station, which Is at the entrance of Pleasant Valley. In this neighbor hood a considerable section of land has been platted into what Is known as Sycamore Acres. This property has been selling rapidly the past few months. The Foster road extends Into Pleasant Valley. It is macadamized and Is one of the best roads In the county. Pleasant Valley Is well named. It Is a settlement of well-cultivated farms, occupying the entire valley. The land Is highly productive and will be tributary to the new Jenne Station townsite. Settlement eastward from Lents Junction has extended to Jenne Station on both sides of the track of the Port land Railway, Light & Power Company. Most of the large farms have been sub divided into smaller tracts. At Jenne Station the Jenne homestead has been platted. That there will be a consider able development all through this dis trict can bo seen. The Jonne Improve ment Association has a number of Im- nnrlinf Imnrnvements under COntenv plation, which will be carried out this year. That the district will rival Gresham as a center Is conceded by all who have passed through the territory. The erection of many suburban homes will be undertaken sthis year on the acreage tracts of the neighborhood. The district has electric as well as water power, and several manufacturing con cerns on Johnson Creek are under con templation. Roads leading to Jenne Station are to be -opened In all direc tions and improved in the general plan for developing a center of business. Timber District Active. ' As Spring opens the prospects for a great future in the timber belt of which the new townslte of Timber Is the . hub are brightening every day. The sawmills of the Xehaletn River Lumber Company are making prepara tions to resume cutting. The logging Interests are making plans for a busy year. The little city of Timber, a few months ago a solitary homestead in the heart of the woods, is commencing to take on metropolitan airs. Mall service by star route connecting with Kist, Vernonla and other lower Xeha lem points was started Monday. April 1. The Southern Pacific Railway has taken over the P. R. & B., with Its' vast timber resources, and made terminal lumber rates on the line. LONG LEASES ARE BEST ADVANTAGES OF 9 9-YEAR PERI ODS POINTED OUT. Edgar B. Giles Discusses Important Subject Before Portland Tlealty ' Board Members Kdgar B. "Giles addressed the Fort land Kealty Board on the subject of lons-time leases at the regular weekly meetlng of the board held Friday at the Hotel Multnomah. A portion of the address follows: "In my opinion nothing shows the greater w isdom of our forefathers in framing our Constitution than that re stricting of entailing estates bevond the third generation. We can hardly conceive what estates would have grown to even in this short period If they, could have been entailed to the direct male heir, ss Is the custom in so many of the old countries. This has caused big estates to gradually fall to pieces and become scattered and di vided. As an illustration, if I am rightly informed, the Vanderbilt es tate, which at one time comprised an immense railroad system, today ij be coming so scattered that the entire Vanderbilt family controls less than $10,000,000 worth of stock In the rail roads that were formerly owned and controlled by their ancestors. "Leases are divided into two classes: those which we term the short-term lenses, covering a period .varying from five to 50 years, and those of the long term leases, which cover 99 or more years. "In my experience I have known of many leases covering a longer period, but none made for the intermediate length of time between 50 and 99 years. The accumulation of surplus necessi tates investments along conservative lines that eliminates all possibility of risk and all speculative features and makes It earn the largest possible in come consistent with absolute security. "The 99-vear lease offers to tho in vestor a 6 per cent net income bond, the cash value of the property at the time the lease is made, and at tho end of the period it comes Into his estate with its value increased many fold. Statistics show that the average piece of vacant real estate has to double in value every ten years to pay 6 per cent on the Investment and take care of the taxes and special assessments. "Every married man before me works by day and dreams by night looking forward to the time when he will have accumulated enough to provide for himself while living and his famjy who survive him after he has passed away. The unmarried man also works to accumulate a sufficiency to provide for himself when the time shall come that he will be incapacitated. To these men no fle'.d offers the security that they have been working for as is of fered by the long-term lease. "I have people call on me'who say this is a good Idea, but their children object to It. Their children object to the old folks, who have struggled and worked to accumulate a competency while striving to raise them, looking forward to the time when they could possibly pass a few years in the en joyment of life, as they would like to do, possibly taking a trip abroad that they have talked and planned on doing ever since their bridal day, but now all these dreams must be wiped out De cause their children wish it. I think, perhaps, this Is an exception, but I cannot let this opportunity pass with out touching on this point and hoping our citizens may better understand this line of Investment and make it possible to have, improved some of the vacant property scattered over our beautiful city." Independence Realty Active. INDEPENDENCE. Or., April 6. (Special.)-This city is going forward by leaps and bounds this Spring: For months thre has been a demand for dwellings far beyond the supply, and a number of citizens, are planning to build or are already doing so. About 20 new dwellings will be erected this season, about half of which are al ready started. A large new automobile garage also 19 being built and will soon be open for business under the man agement of Mr. Long. Local leal es tate men -report a good business, and the outlook for crops in this vicinity Is. bright. Klickitat Lands Attractive. - LTLE, Wash., April 6. (Special.) H. H. Reed, of Minneapolis, and John Fray, of Chicago, who were through this section recently and bought 160 acres each on Klickitat Terrace, have reported that they intend to wind up their business affairs in their respec tive cities and make a "bee line" for the woods. It is their intention to let contracts, on their arrival here, to clear up 100 acres each and as soon as possi ble set to fruit. The land bought by them is near Wahkiakus. where large development in fruit land has taken place of late. Property Is Exchanged. The Tabor Heights Kealty Company has negotiated the exchange of a lot 100 by 135 feet on Fast Seventieth and East Morrison streets, owned by L. B. Thompson, for an 11-acre tract located in Tualatin Valley, owned by Mrs. Emma M. Larson. The Mount Tabor property Is Improved -with a seven-room residence and is valued at 5500. The farm, with buildings, is valued at $6000. New Publication Out. The Building and Insurance Is the name of a new publication which made its appearance last week. It is a monthly periodical devoted to the building. Insurance and realty activ ity of the Northwest. . P. W. Ormsby Is editor and Louis Sondheim is man aging editor. The initial number con tains several interesting and timely articles- LUIEHETIS GROWING STRONGER Millmen Are Optimistic Over Prospects of Big Trade Expansion in 1912. RAIL " SHIPMENTS GAIN Foreign and Offbhorc Trade Best In Years Railroads ..Place Big OrdersMajority of Orr gon Mills Running. The lumber trade in the Faclflo Northwest is gradually attaining a healthy condition, and there is every Indication that the industry will develop before the close of 3312 similar to the halcyon days four and five years ago. From every producing district In Ore gon and Washington, most favorable reports are being received. The rail market Is much stronger than It was this time last year, while coastwise aud offshore shipping Is assuming big pro portions. In Oregon it is estimated that about 80 per cent of the wills are In opera tion. The mills are - not, however, working night shifts, and as long as only 10-hour shifts continue, the dally output is approximately 60 per cent of the capacity of the Oregon mills. It is probable that many of the larger mills will operate 24-hour shifts later in the season. Middle West In Markrt. The Middle West is drawing on the output of lumber heavily. With the depletion of old stocks in the retail yards and with excellent crop condi tions, the lumber market in the Middle West Is unusually strong. The rail roads have been doing a big rail busi ness for the past 30 days and the traffic to Eastern points appears to be in creasing gradually. Water shipping is exceedingly brisk. Lumbermen de clare that water traffic would he still larger were there more vessels to transport lumber products. As an Indication of a substantial ex pansion of the lumber trade, it Is gratifying to note tho gain made in ocean shipping at the close of the fiscal year, February 1. The foreign and coastwise shipments reached a total of 1.630.290,194 feet. Coastwise shipments made a gain -of 27,412.145 feet and for eign shi7ments gained 44,938.173 feet, making the gross gain 72.350,318 feet. There was a miscellaneous domestic loss of 16,179,643 feet, leaving a net gain In shipments from the Pacific Coast of 56,170.675 feet over the fiscal rear of 1910. It is the opinion of ship pers that the present fiscal year will make a much better showing than that recorded last year. Car Materials Ordered. One of the important features of the situation Is that the railroads are again in the market for lumber. The Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul road and the Northern Faciflc are the two largest buyers. The former road re cently placed an order for 6.000.000 feet of carbuilding materials and tt is announced that another order for the same amount of lumber will be made soon. This road plans to hutld 3000 freight cars this year. The Northern Pacific has contracted for 25.000,000 feet for Its Point Defiance line and also has bought a largo number of lies. Resumption of work on the double tracking of the Portland-Seattle line will also call for a large supply of ties. Several of the large car manufactur ing companies have placed big orders for lumber during the past few weeks. The demand for freight cars has not been so heavy in years. It is under stood that some of the large shops in the Middle West are so crowded with business that they are required to work 24-hour shifts. In the last two years the railroads have purchased a comparatively few cars, with the re sult that rolling stock has been re duced considerably. It is expected that nearly all the transcontinental lines will place orders for thousands of cars during the year. Xew Mills Being Built. In the Columbia River basin there are several new big lumber manufac turing nlants that will be ready for operation this Spring. One of the largest mills being completed is at Wauna. 1n Columbia County, owned by the Columbia Valley Lumber Company. This mill is equipped with all modem machinery and is said to be one of the finest and most complete plants In the country. The riant will begin opera tion May 1. ' The big plant of the West Oregon Lumber Company at Linnton. which was almost entirely destroyed by fire last Winter, is being rebuilt and will be opened about May 1. All the build ings have "been completed and most of the machinery has been installed, in connection with the plant will be a. large pinning mill. The sawmill will have a 10-hour capacity of 100.000 feet. E. D. Kingslcy. manager of t ie com P?nv. said vesterday that the plant will be a great improvement over the old mill and will hare the latest wood working machinery in all departments. Trnde Prospects Kncooraglng. Mr Kingslcy is optimistic over the prospects for a brisk lumber trade this vear. He returned last week from a trip East and through the Middle West and found healthy conditions in each district he visited. "The prospects for bumper crops in the Middle West were never better," said Mr. Kingsley. "The farmers are feeling good, business men are in good spirits and manufacturers are san guine. The political situation is tha only thing that is a source of anxiety now. If general conditions continue to improve, it will be a great year m spite of the Presidential campaign. There ought to be a big building stride all over the country. Everything points to a brisk trade with the lum ber Industry and I believe that 1912 will be the best year millmen will have bad for some time." Another large plant that was opened this year Is at Ostrander. Wash. This mill is owned by the Ostrander Rail road & Lumber Company and was built especlallv to handle long timbers. It has a 10-hour capacity of 100,000 feet. The mill of the Hill Lumber Com pany at Kalama, Wash., which has been closed more than two years, has resumed operations. The daily capacT lty of this plant is 50,000 feet, Altamead Lots Sold. The German Realty and Trust Com pany reports the following sales in Altamead the past week: Lot 11, block 3, C. O. Dunn, J650; lots 12 and 13. block 7. George IL Jovlk, J1300; lot 3, block 12, Alvln Keinath, 1550; lot 14, block 7, N. M. True, 700; lot 3. block 17, John Nicholas, ?700; lot 7. block 17, Henry Ringle, 1700; five acres St. Joe Orchard Tract. C. Olson, J25O0; five acres St, Orchard Tract, Mrs, , Morris, f2&A -