The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-03-08
Commissioner CIRCUITS Interesting
Report for 1893.
STEADY GROWTH or BUSINESS.
yoIae Of This City Insfftstfon New
xsc.x.,.~a ~ E~pssyer and
Enpis4e Anke-Fsrsishes Skilled
A Well A Iaskflted Lah0F-in
nished "A Statistical Review.

officer ia fkaat DETAILING she work OF the
LEsor commissioners for the year ls'e. g1zs
ccazpsatss2 ~ I4aasor COMMISSIONS arthur
H. Great TIE report - moi Only VAN
sA4ss FOR lis accuracy Ok statistics, n11
q prepared u. q style ts1at makes inter
exsinx what might otherwise be dry read
Ing The report introduces at the start
4 general review ~ Isss. and thea lakes
NJ ffse various departments IN Waicn
work was furnished In ISIS, concluding
with statistical summary. Following Is
tbs report IL. full:
THE e.oga 81 the year isG found the
work " the public employment office II
better eossssf,ien than it had esesa before
during any period u It's history. ifle
sudden news Of the vast ricnness Of the
kIoaaske gold fields. with the excitement
necessarily attendant. had broagh; 70 our
shores ia June and July Thousands OF
Deopge. SINE 10 locate rs the West, osn-
ers 10 earn q few honest dollars with
which to work their way north. ~nHe q
large ma sortsg came 10 seattle as the
natural Quitting point for the northern
gold fields. AZ a. result, there Waa u
marked congestion along several lines.
Merchants had for time more business
tAan they eosfid well attend TO. hotels aud
lodging houses wsEe over crowded. ard
tnronzs Ux idle men walked our streets
day after day. seeking employment
Fortunately. some OF the new arrivals
brought capital with them. and this nat
money, too, which had been spent for
outfits and Alaska supplies soon found
It's way into other channels OF trade; and
the congestion began 10 be relieved. Boats
were built for the Alaska trade. citizens
began 10 repair and improve their prop
<rty ngtita ran full time. and soon thou-
sands OF mechanics and laborers were
employed To add To this the railroads
enntsriag al Seattle began a system OF
repair work along their various lines,
which employed ali the surplus common
labor ~ the market
THESE favorable conditions continued
during the summer and fall. and until
the Chris mas holidays. when a slight re-
action set in. Railroad iahorers began
TO flock 70 the city mechanics could not
as readily find work. and the office was
besseged with applicants seeking employ
maslf.
Y~ar 1867 Exceeded.
Thus ended the work Of the public en-
pinyment office for the year 1891 a year
OF large results. yet closing under circum-
stances which wonIa Indicate that the
following twelve months might be less
active sr business way than those pre-
cesiing. The result Of our work for 1886
was mere than double that OF any pregi-
Gus year. and IL seemed that the office
had reached the zenith or It's usefulness.
having furnished employment to u.68
people st Il cost 10 The city of Ga cents
'"Th.. results of our efforts during the
year 1s@2 have been far beyond our ex-
gecsations. The year opened quietly. but
y
fi0rs OF an exceedingly large years bust
nsss Tn. railroad companies making Sc
attic their terminus began 20 employ large
numbers 81 fafurers for track and surface
work many logging camps started OPERA
tons ard all lines of business began to
assume an aspect of substantial prosper
try. From early spring until the middle
al November no one who could do hard
manual work could consistently say that
he could not ind employment. especially
II he was not forced to remain in the city
on account of family cares.
The office furnished employment dur
Ing the year. aside from hop pickers. 10
lsiA men ar an average of isis u month.
These are classified IA follews.
Common uusklilsd labor .....,......... Il. so
Vacations requiring sotne knowledge
or sslii .+...+.t..+ ..s....,.. s.-+..+..-. s.fsF
Trades -.+s....... .,+.s. .-.,--.-,-,. ], asE
Professions ..-... ...s..,. -........-..+s. 1910
Total ......... ........ .............i Il la
From shla classification II appears that
ase-eirflfhs If the employment furnished
to men of natur" requiring little
or no salii. and that which anS ah9t-~0ssd-
Ted man csslid do OF these positions ful~
iy - PER eeBt. were out of the city. and
u per cert were fer railroad labor. either
sectioa work cnustrnctsuu or what ~
known as extra work, general repair at
ruadk@d.
Railroad Labor.
There were sent from the office during
the year fer railroad labor 10 all the ratl-
foasss having lines IN Western Washington.
and including several loEganS railroads.
T.a.7 men. TIE Northern facite and Great
Northern railways had hssan ssIan ot
permanently improving the roaahef 81
their lines tn ani west ef the Cascade asolsns
sailis which employed several hundred
yaen for slsr greater part ar tGe year, while
otasx rtgsds Were ts1tag similar work On
smaller sraie. the faesiiss Coast Company
standardized lts tFacks, the Seattle IL IntsE~
national had several crews ~ men al surk x.
ard the Everett n Monte Cfsssn. although
limiting liza extra wnrk 10 the hArest ueces~
sitsas. was Obliged - call rur men sevpr.sl
tim.a during fac year
'~rhs rsEiFoad iahaFer as a rule - the
ssar.sipaint with whlfA xe have 20 deal lie
Nas no family. It's EARTHLY pessss sieFS can
usually PEE iteiassd iH a pair 81 blankets.
ard Ills home - uns'~r iiis ehapeaa. He
work. when necessity cafafe:s HIN ard
QUITS IBIS bob SosH he has carried
eaoush 10 paw for a xood spree: b. then
comes Ia sae ettx. asl3 esn BE fauna AZ esse
Of tie mary saloons. "a 6s - he ia wsll cared
fer a. long az he has money ta spend ts.f
wsser his pockets arr empty ia nB8s that
he has no frsensis ana - forced hy penafy
srarey fo asagf pack his blankets ana re-
sumo his psace nsonF th~ fellvFs N ssa kAe
first Opportunity il offered IL n not 80
he inferred thai aA railroad l1hpF9Ts ar. II
this stamp. fer there are many wbo are
sahss ard Industrious. yet ~ il safe - SAy
that targa ssiorsty are ~ the character
described a ts5ss.
THE railroad companies have teet@a -
necessity the plan - free tssss~&~sT "a 'os'
fsr these ssnasasesv%, ea afss-ssSs - the sfas~
tsnes of she istssr market }raTn tse place
% ensnfnvsu@Fft arr the scr. fhaf @2rh hn3a
Is USUALLY without sYssaTS 5@ sAV khe fares
ard fhsx sssssshsse~% encourages tgze taAarers
IN the aahss ~ frequent Vacations
General Labor,
'sThs~e h&x beer during zoe year AZ ur-
usual amount ~ general wosk ieefa IN ara
.,,tt 81 TIE city watch - a gafaTai eosse-
cusnet 81 thc revival ~ Ey~asi 2aneee We
nave beess ssmansa - sspgSy az asnsasssse SO
matter l..sss srcssssl tap ~cf& aslsat ''s safe-
frss he gNssgsiesxs demanded by Slic esmTecs--
er u.s,. xsaen sssag ~ sensible usa9 ceig'a
ae..ss.t Tsss SUPPLY or gnsksilrss Sa1ssg gar
werk In tae S5sN has been $40 always y 81
~ greatly Ia excess ~ Inc demand
ssf'hrFe are Always wtss rs saass n Ass, af7
account OF LACK ~ native 2sssa sr S&fsAsss
~eag.s t.sssxsssAa lw8gnsstys geal ~ sss & assSs
are always 10 toss foAse sE1atss n" esfa's.
Wa sfsa SOC Aass* hing - 'SUs1 gse- afsst -
,rrrss aktwsa haxe 50 Nss auT Sssssz5s'ssA4 -
.tf{fsx fSsssss rsnSa - the a9ss sa}>s&fs{-
rslesss IL a,any &ssA a. fiAfsGss- IL - @NfA
mi mates sy scfsss fssf. - - EFsa<z taH SIX
49, xa.sss.s Re 50 carried An thsk tae @tss
f,,sssss, xffssgsx fer any position ~sSsiA6 -
s4s-sy n ssfs4xee 81 scstsge x. A@r Csssfsfzffs~