The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-08-08
CITIES OF WASHINGTON.
How the State Has Recently Made
Great Progress.

FIDflGenCes X. l.. JO1Iudi
Seattle. the metropolis OF the north
west as il likes to call itself, has had
a big boom IN the last few months the
discovery OF gold in the Yukon country
has made II the distributing center Tor
a large and important mining trade, ard
this. added to its former industries, has
revived the hopes OF its enthusiastic citi-
ixens that IL is destined TO become not
only the greatest town In the northwest
il is now neck and neck with Portland.
Ore, its only rival for that distinction
but the greatest on our entire PaciHc
coast San Francisco. TO De sure, has SSo,-
CO inhabitants. but the prophetic Scatter
finds no difficulty In believing that the
Washington city will some day outstrip
the California metropolis II certainly has
wonderfully rich country back OF IT. 10
say nothing OF it's Alaskan and foreign
trade. and with a population approximate
ing So0c0, is well in the lead OF its old ri
val. Tacoma, for municipal honors.
According to statistics in a special ed!-
tion of the Seattle Post-Inteligeneer. the
city has an area of : square miles. or
much more than Providence, which COM
prises perhaps Is. now that the compact
portion of the town of Johnston has been
annexed. Its electric and cable roads az
gregate 6SI. miles, with u total OF ~ miles
OF track, and there are over a hundred
miles Of graded streets, Of which about
% are planked and 50.c0 square yards paw
ed with brick and cedar blocks Its
steamers run 10 almost every important
point on Puget Sound and to San Francis
co, Victoria and Alaska. Three transcon-
tinentai railroads connect il with the east,
and there are two other roads TO local
places. And. perhaps the most significant
Of ali, the trans-Pacific steamers OF the
Nippon Yusen kaisha now connect IL reg
uhrly with Japan and the Asiatie market.
hat~s .4Eax s.nf a.
these stirring days. and this western
trade of ours is going TO be increasingly
important.
Tacoma. which used to run a close race
with Seattle for population honors seems
to be left hopelessly behind. The Post
Intelligencer credits 1t with only $1,000 in
habitants, and this is not far from the
estimate made last January for the
World almanac by the Tacoma authori-
ties themselves. 1t is a fine town, how
ever. and growing one, the trade reports
Tor 1877 showing marked increase over
1896. The volume of business of the 221
more important establishments of the
city reached more than ten millions last
year, ami the average monthly pay roll
or the factories amounted to s205 900. No
street within the city limits is less than so
feet IN width and the avenues are 20 feet
wider The town has II church buildings
and GOO children are enrolled In its
schools.
Spokane, the metropolis OF the north
eastern section OF the state has also
4o,ooO inhabitants. 1t Is the heart of a
great cereal country, nearly 10000 900
bushels OF wheat being harvested in 1897
In the tributary region. Fruits are raised
In abundance and the Spokane apple
trade extends eastward TO ST. Paul and
Minneapolis. Until last fall the place had
no street pavements. Brick has now been
laid on portion of one OF the principal
ehoroughfares. and a contract Is being
negotiated for ten blocks of fine asphalt
business avenue. These are three of the
growing young cities of Washington. and
there are several more of less size, but
no less aspirations. The state though ad-
mitted TO the Uuscn only nine years ago.
has now 1900 inhabitants, and as vet
Its vast resources. agricultural horticul-
tural and mineral, have scarcely been
touched. II is destined TO become a great
commercial state, too. with the wonder
fui natural harbors afforded by Puget
sound making maritime trade prohta bic
mas better ground for bright hopes and
none deserves our interest or study more
Tor II is new New England planted on
the shores of the Pacific, with New Eng
land Institutions, ideals and ambitions.