Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-05-01
GROWTH OF WASHINGTON.
No City in United States Offers More
to It's Inhabitants.

From the New York Tribune.
census just taken by the Washington
police shows that the national capltafs
population Is increasing at a surprisingly
rapid rate A city built to order Tor pur-
poses of government and lacking manu-
features shipping and wholesale trade,
Washington has developed along lines pc
culiarly it's own. 1t has had to grow IN
default OF any natural advantages as cen
ter of commerce or industry. Overshad-
owed by Baltimore, only forty miles dis
tant, and with no territory OF It's own 10
draw on for population or business, the city
was long condemned to isolation and 70
such slow and painful growth as 1t could
achieve through the broadening of the fed
eral service and of the federal governments
activities. What population 1t had IT at
tracted simply and solely because II was
the seat Of federal power, and to the pres
ent time its character as a capital still
wholly dominates it's character as city.
There are indications, however. in the
census just taken that washington Is be-
gin ing to grow as city faster than II Is
growing as the seat of government. Since
$780, certainly the population of the Dis
trict of Columbia has expanded out OF
ratio to any expansion In the limits OF the
federal service. The census of 1890 showed
a. total of 230, :92 inha btants in the federal
district BY 1900 the total had increased to
27S.718. This gave Washington a percent
age of increase for the decade Of GOA
higher rate than that reached by Balti-
more and only 90 less than that reached
by Philadelphia. This discovery caused
some surprise, for it suggested that in spite
of its handicaps as a nOn-manufacturing
town the national capital could still COM
pete for population with two great nearby
centers of industry and commerce like Phil
adelphia and Baltimore. The census of this
year gives evidence of still more remark
able progress According to the police fig
ures the population of Washington Is now
800. 572-a gain over 1900 of 1884. This Is
within 5000 Of the total gain between 1890
nr,I oh f0r f6uf 1xya- rfr,1
percentage of increase Of 1893. Expan-
sion at the same rate for the next five years
would give the national capital percent
age of increase for the decade Of 1905 and
on the Atlantic seaboard are likely to out
strip such record.
Washington now stands fifteenth in the
list Of our great cities. In 1890 it stood
thirteenth. Detroit and Milwaukee both
passed it in 1900. Detroit's total going to
2S5. 704 and Milwaukee's to 2S5. 315. These
two western cities are still gaining popu-
lation rapidly, and they may hold their
own against Washington in 1910. But New
Orleans-now twelfth In ranks In some
danger Of being outgrown by all three.
New Orleans population in 1900 was 2S7,-
lO4. and its percentage of growth from 1880
to 1860 was only 1876. Unless that growth
is greatly accelerated. New Orleans will
fall to fifteenth place and Washington will
rise to fourteenth. Evidently the charms of
the federal capital a place of residence
are beginning to make themselves felt.
No city In the United States offers more to
its inhabitants and very few offer so much.
The natural growth Of the federal govern
ment insures steady and splendid develop
ment to the capital, and that DEVELOPMENT
will continue to attract population il it does
not directly encourage manufacturing and
general business Washington has outlived
its period of stagnation and dependence
and few decades more will see 1t a solid
ly populous and prosperous as well as a
rarely inspiring and beautiful city.