River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1904-02-04
FROM ''OUT WEST. +"
Washington Its People-A Few
Personal Incidents.


immigrants. The population is
heterogeneous, cosmopolitan. The
people came from all over. Here
in the coast cities are many.of Ash
attic origin-Chinese, Japanese, Fill
pinos, Afghans, "P arthians and
Modes and Elamites and the dwell
ers in Mesopotamia," ct al. There
are many Europeans here, but these
came more recently from the east
ern states. The great majority of
the residents of the state are Ameri-
cans-who come from the states
east of the mountains. Of these the
most came from the states of Min
nesota, Wisconsin,, Iowa, Illinois
and Michigan and, we should say,
more came from Wisconsin than
from any other state. There is still
large floating population in the
cities, especially in the maratime
cities. In Seattle, the largest city
in the state, vast number of people
come to look for work. Many are
sailors, or those looking for a job on
outgoing vessels. Some are miners,
some looking for work in the woods
or saw mills. Many find work in
the city. Here in Seattle there are
5000 Japanese. These are peace
able and thrifty. Crime, especially
robbery and such violence as attend
attempts at robbery, is rampant.
Hold-ups occur every day, and
many murders have been reported in
the papers as having been commit
ted but recently. This city, which
had population of $4,000 when the
census of 1900 was taken, now
claims a population of 10000.
Tacoma, Everett and Whatcom
have increased proportionately in
the number of their residents during
the same time and Spokane has also
increased its population largely, it
having doubled if inhabitants in the
past four years. The smaller cities
have also added large percentage
to their numbers.
A marked feature of the character
of the people out here is amenity,
an inclination to sociability. There
is an entire absence of stiffness in
their conduct toward strangers that
characterizes the people of the far
eastern communities. There is not
so much starch in their clothes or in
their manners. This pleasing quail
ity is favorably commented upon by
all newcomers. The people here
manifest a disposition to give such
information of the country as they
possess. Any man courteously dis
posed will receive uniform courtesy
in his intercourse with the people
here. Especially is there bond of
sympathy between the recent immi-
grant form the east and the residents
of the state who came earlier from
that region. We have met former
residents of Wisconsin in all parts of
Washington where we have stop
ped, have been the recipient of many
kindnesses from all with whom we
have had conversation and enjoyed
the hospitality of many. We have
found out here considerable num-
Der of people who were formerly
residents of St. Croix, Pierce or
Polk counties. At Kalispell, Mont,
are several people who came from
St. Croix county and at Spokane
there are many former residents of
Pierce county. A number of these
we called on, and talked with them
of the old and new times. We
found Mr.. and Mrs. H. n. Bascom
pand their son Frank on ranch two
or three miles outside of Spokane
where they had resided since last
spring. Mr.. Bascom's health had
not been very good for some time
and the family were arranging to
| move back into the city where
Frank is employed the most of his
time, he being contractor and
builder. Called on Mr.. and Mrs.
Campbell, but were not able to see
Hugh Cameron, Mrs. Campbell's
father, as he was spending week
with friend in the country, several
miles from the city. He was re-
ported by his daughter as in fairly
good health and pleased with his
home in the west. We visited Mr..
and Mrs. w. F. Kellogg and found
them pleasantly situated and well
pleased with the country but they
expressed the conviction that there
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