Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1890-12-19
OUR GIANT STATE.
A Record Of its Rapid Growth and
Progress.


The New York Journal of Commerce.
in an exhaustive article, has the fol-
lowing to say OF Washington:
"In marked contrast with Oregon
is the growth of the new State of
The Great Northern
system, the North Pacific system and
a branch of the Union Pacific will all
find the sea coast in this State. Its
has increased with great
rapidity. The population of the
State in 1853 was 1865; in 1870, 23,-
995; in 1885, 1926; in 1889, $780,
544, and in the last year. by the
census of 1890, the increase has been
upwards of 100000.
"The counties east of the Cascades
have population of about 125,O0O;
those west of the Cascades have
of about 225.OOO. In the
two years Immediately following the
building of the Northern Pacific the
of the then Territory was
increased by nearly 100000. Spokane
Falls, Tacoma and Seattle now show a
of about 10000 each, the
of these cities doubling
year by year.
"The State is in form of a paral-
telegram, which is bisected by the
Cascade mountains, lofty range
separating it into two distinct climatic
divisions. The western portion is
moist and warm, somewhat resembling
the south of England, while the
eastern sections has a temperature
not unlike that of Virginia. Between
the coast range and the Cascades lies
Puget Sound, having an area of 1000
miles. At this point railroad build
ing up to this time has stopped long
enough to build ON the borders of the
Sound the cities of Tacoma and Sc
attic.
Lumber and coal are the principal
products of the Puget basin, which
contains numerous agricultural val
leys that await development. Eastern
Washington is an elevated plateau or
rolling prairie region, walled in by
mountain ranges. Numerous valleys,
which derive their names from the
rivers that flow through them, are in
terspersed.
"The value of taxable property in
the State rose from $61 100000 in
1887, to $l24,OOO,OOO in 1889. In
Pierce county. in which Tacoma is
the valuation of property
rose from less than $6,OO0,OOO in 1887
to over $26,OOO,OOO two years later.
King county, containing the city of
Seattle, doubled its valuation within
the same period. The valuation of
Spokane county, having within its
limits the city of Spokane Falls, in
1889 was $15,OOO,OOO, four times as
much as in 1887. The counties of
Chehalis and Pacific will soon show
the same development, as they will
contain the terminal points
of the railroads now within 100 miles
of the coast and rapidly reaching for
ward to that goal;
"The eastern section is distinctly
the agricultural section. 1t possesses
q fertile soil, an even temperature, and
yields marvelously in cereals, vegeta-
bles and fruits. The total amount of
land is; about ,OOO, 600 acres,
Of which nearly 100000 are in the
eastern section of the State.
"The great staple of Eastern Wash
ington is wheat. The yield is seldom
less than twenty.fiv bushels per acre,
while it often reaches fifty or sixty
bushels. Corn is grown south OF
Snake river, and yields about thirty
bushels to the acre. These averages
lar exceed any other State in the
Union. Ohio, the highest wheat-pro-
ducing State in proportion to its acres
under cultivation for that crop, aver
aging but eighteen bushels to the acre.
1t is said that the presence Of potash
and soda in the soil produces an ap-
parently inexhaustible fertility, Re-
ceipts Of grain at Tacoma were about
2 ,OOO,OO bushels, while the shipments
Of agricultural products to Portland
were about $4,OOO,OOO. The total ex-
ports during 1889 were about Z 1000, 600
bushels. More than 100000 pounds
Of hops are produced each year. Wool
is another industry engaging the at
tention of the inhabitants Of the State,
the number of sheep being about 7OO,-
600.
"At present there are twelve coal
mines in the State. Eleven of these
are on the western and one on the
eastern slope OF the Cascade range.
The total amount of coal put out at
present yearly is about 100000 tons,
nearly all of which is bituminous in
character. 1t is reported, however,
that vein of anthracite has been
discovered not far from North Yakima.
UGo1d oud cilvar ia fO,1nd in DayinU