The Growth of Gore

Southland Times, Issue 14879, 23 February 1901, Page 2

The Growth of Gore

ACTIVITY IN THE BUILDING TRADE. The neighbouring town of Gore has become notable for its push and enterprise and for the sanguine confidence which all its citizens display in its future. 1 ho people of Gore enter upon comparatively large undertakings without fear and almost without hesitation. With an.unbounded faith in their capacity to succeed in any commercial or industrial twlventure, and with an ever wakeful jealousy for the good name of their town, the citizens of Gore are rarely found lagging behind in the general movement of progress and improvement. When any question nvieoo whicli is of colonial importance Gora is ready to bear its full responsibilities, and, as a rule, it is found that those responsibilities are discharged in a manner that improves by comparison. Ambitious, bold, and original, Gore has attained a worthy position already and its energy and expansion show no abatement. On the contrary, Gore is enjoying a burst of almost phenomenal activity in the form of a building boom on a very sound basis. It is probable that the building contracts already entered into involve the expenditure of close upon £29,000 in Gore, anffi there is a large amount of work still in prospect. The eminently satisfactory feature of this prosperity is that it is not only apparent but real. There is nothing of risky speculation about it. The buildings which are being erected are not intended to meet a doubtful rise in the value of property, or an uncertain growth of the future. They are required for business that already exists, and they are built by men who are able, and who intend, to keep their premises whatever the future tnay bring. Gore, therefore, is not merely inflating a fine bubble that is liable to burst under the slightest pressure, and the people of that town may be congratulated on the substantial increase in business and wealth which had led to this period of building activity. A description of some of the larger business places which are in process of erection will probably be read with interest, and by the courtesy of Messrs Mackenzie and Wilson, architects, we are able to give some particulars of the most important additions that are being made to the town property of Gore. Messrs Mackenzie and Wilson have designed a very large proportion of the newer buildings in Gore, and are at the present time very busily engaged upon the plans we are about to describe. The first structure in size and costliness is HOLLAND’S ARCADE. lii shape the arcade is like a horseshoe slightly straightened, with one end resting on Main street and the other on Mersey street. Messrs Mac Gibbon and Co.’s premises occupy the corner of Main and Mersey streets and the arcade is, so to speak, bent round Messrs Mac Gibbon and Co’s shop. The arcade has a frontage to each street in the form of a handsome arch of the unusual size of 26 ft. The idea of the design is to arrest the attention and induce the passer-by to halt and turn his steps towards the arcade. On each side are double storey buildings standing upon Main and Mersey streets, and between these frontages stretches the body of the arcade, single stqroy in height. The structure covers an area of considerably more than half an acre and contains 21 shops, 9 offices and other rooms. Although the shape of the site was peculiar, and presented many difficulties to the architect, these have been overcome very successfully, and the shops are, without exception, adapted to the requirements of tradesmen. Worthy of detailed notice is a butcher’s shop in which everything is of the latest design. Instead of the usual arrangement —a door between two show windows — there is here a show window between two doors. On opening the shop the doors are removed altogether, being adjusted by a patent hinge, and for each door there is a separate counter. By this method greater convenience in working is obtained. Ono counter attends to customers in waiting, while the other is devoted to supplying the order carts. The work of the shop is thus done smoothly aud without confusion. Attached to the shop are a large work-room and a private office. The shop will be decorated with imitation tiling all round, and floored with concrete, and in every other way will be up to date. Close at hand is a well for an oil engine to be used to fill tanks, which ensure a good supply of water for the butcher’s shop and the rest of the arcade. The remaining shops arc of varying size, from small to verylarge. Each has a fireplace and is lighted without borrowed aid. In the two storey frontage on Mersey street the first floor is taken up by a suite of three offices and a strong room specially designed for the convenience of Mr F. G. Inder, solicitor; while the main street frontage contains four offices provided with double strong rooms. As showing that the arcade will not have to wait long for tenants it may be mentioned that four shops are being built to suit tenants, and applications have been tjpxde for sixteen, others. The structure is entirely of bricks and iron, anil will use up some 200,000 bricks and nine tons.of iron. The staircases are of concrete, fireproof, with strong rooms below. The roof is of light iron, and light is obtained by elevating the roof above the height of the shop

roofs, and constructing the extra height of glass. The arcade is thus lighted from both sides after the manner of a clear storey in a church, a plan which avoids the use of skylights with their inseparable companion, a drip. On the underside the roof will be painted white, so that the arcade will always have a fresh bright appearance. At night two large aro electric lamps will supply the light. The floor will be asphalted throughout, and beneath it there will be a thoroughly modern system of drainage. By the same method as that in use at the Golden Age Hotel, Bluff, the whole of the drains can be swept effectively from time to time. Work was begun about a fortnight ago and the foundations are now being put in. The contractor is Mr Albert Hartley, of Gore. When the arcade is completed, it will have cost about £5BOO.

. MESSRS MACGIBBON AND CO. are having built for them a three-storey shop at the corner of Main and Mersey streets. The ground floor comprises three shops with fitting rooms, lavatories, etc. The basement below, which is large and roomy for purposes of storage, will be lighted by means of the latest prismatic pavement lights. On the first floor there is a suite of rooms for drapery display, show rooms, eto ; while on the top floor are the tailors’ and dressmakers’ workrooms. Each floor is fitted with the necessary lavatories, and the whole building is well furnished with goods’ lift, cash lift, and speaking tubes. The windows are of plate glass and the establishment will be, when finished, a very good example of a first-class, up-to-date grocery and drapery shop. The two departments of trade, are, of course, kept quite separate, and there is no sign in one shop of the goods or traffic of the other. The building has been designed so that the two divisions of this old-established firm’s business may be carried on indepen dently. The building is of brick, and has a striking front, well set off by a handsome glass and iron verandah of light and graceful design. With this three-storey building on the corner flanked by the attractive arches of the arcade, in all a frontage of over 200 feet of uniform design, it goes without saying that Main and Mersey streets at this point will present a very tasteful and finished appearance. • These buildiiTgs are now up to the second storey. The contractor is Mr Albert Hartley, who is also building Holland’s arcade. Messrs Mac Gibbon’s premises will cost very nearly £3OOO to complete. Passing down Mersey street past the arcade the visitor reaches THE “ ENSIGN ” CHAMBERS.

The perfected design was half finished some time ago, and the Ensign Publishing Company are now completing it. In the half already built Mr E. R. Bowler has a fine suite of offices on the ground floor, and Mr J. B. Nichol occupies, the first floor. The extension of the building will provide for a further suite of three offices, board-room, strongroom, etc., on the ground floor, which have been bespoken by a firm of brokers, and a stationery shop and office for the Mataura Ensign. On the first floor there are five offices with strong rooms and lavatories. The whole building will be well-finished, "and furnished with office fittings of superior workmanship. Passing through a passage on the ground floor the newspaper building is reached. Here, in the one-storey building, is the printing press, compositors’ room and editor’s room. They are all very large and well lighted from the roof, and the plan of their construction is such that future enlargements can be made easily. As in the case of the othei- buildings the staircases are fireproof, Altogether the Ensign Chambers will be equipped for office purposes in a manner that would be very creditable in the largest town in the colony, and the occupiers should be well satisfied with the care taken in consulting their convenience. This work, for which Air Owen Kelly, Gore, is concontractor, is nearing completion.