The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1890-08-22
BIG FIFTY THOUSAND.
Population of Seattle's Metro
polifan District.
SHOWING OF CENSUS FIGURES.
City, According to Proposed Extension,
Has 46,287 People-A Talk With
Special Agent Prosch.

the dispatch from Washington printed
in yesterday mornings P0sr-IETELLI-
GENcER, showing that the population OF
Seattle, according to the official figures
given out by Superintendent Porter. Is
1914. and of Tacoma only 1888. has
caused general feeling of satisfaction. 1t
is commonly believed by people familiar
with both cities that the figures as pub
lished are substantially corrects
To a PosT-IsTELLIoE EcER reporter yes
terday, Mr.. Thomas Prosch, who had
charge of the Seattle enumeration, said he
was satisfied with the result, and he
thought Seattle would view the result with
pleasure. The returns as given out from
Washington are official and exact. and the
count made there is more accurate than
any made either here or at Whatcom.
/Mr. Prosch gave some interesting facts in
connection with the count He declared
that he had not himself counted the re-
turns as first brought in. because he
thought the enumerators, who were paid
so much for each name, could be trusted to
make full returns. There was great anx-
iety to get the papers at Whatcom and at
Washington as soon as possible, and so as
fast as the enumeraters completed their
work the packages of papers were sent in
to Supervisor Viii d. Jenkins to be
coydted again. According to the tally Mr..
Bfosch kept there were 39,001 names, and
30 there was considerable surprise when,
from Whatcom, Mr.. jenkins gave
out Seattle's population as SO, 766.
After this 1921 supplementary names
were sent in, and 1,G35 were
gained in recount, which. with the former
3s.766, would give total of only 43.022, or
e92 less than the number given out from
Washington. From this it is evident that
the first count was about / 1000 short This
fact is yet more forcibly shown when it is
remembered that Superintendent Porter
asserted that probably not more than 10
per cent. of the names afterward taken
would be allowed. So it is perfectly clear
that the first counts. over which there was
such disappointment, were fully 1000 the
wrong way.
From the population, of 1914 in the
present city limits it is easy to calculate
the actual population of the whole city of
Seattle. The number of inhabitants in the
districts at once to be annexed is already
known. Fremont, Latona, Edgewater,
Yesler and Green Lake have ,467. Town
ship rs, range 3, north OF the city limits,
has 2,044, from which must be deducted
1,13S for Ballard, which will not probably
he added to Seattle immediately. The re-
mainder after the satisfaction is 9O6.
Adding the 1857 and 906 to the 1894
gives 46,2S7 as the population of the city as
soon as the formal process of annexation
is completed.
Besides these tracts there are several
places in what is known as the metropoli-
tan district, which within a very short
time will be consolidated under the city
government of Seattle. These places are
Ballard with 1,138 inhabitants, and South
Seattle, West Seattle and East Seattle with
2,26O. Adding these to the 46, 2s7 gives 49,
685. or approximately $1,000 souls ut pres
ent in the metropolitan district of Seattle.
In addition to these there are 1873 names
which one of the enumerators IN some way
lost.
The whole calculation shows that Seattle
is city of $4,000 inhabitants