The Kennewick courier. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1905-1914, 1906-09-14
The GROWTH OF WASHINGTON

It's Population Increasing at Surprts
| ingly Rapid Rate.
| A census Just taken by the Washing
ton police shows that the national cap
itars population Is increasing at sur
prisingly rapid rate. A city built to
order for purposes Of government and
lacking manufactures, shipping and
wholesale trade, Washington has de-
veloped along lines peculiarly IT'S own.
1t has had to grow in default of any
natural advantages as a center Of COM
merce or industry. Overshadowed by
Baltimore, only forty miles distant,
and with no territory Of it's own to
draw on for population or business, the
city was long condemned to isolation
and to such slow and painful growth
as 1t could achieve through the broad
en1ng OF the Federal service and the
Federal governments activities. What
population it had it attracted simply
and solely because it was the seat of
Federal power, and to the present time
Its character as capital still wholly
dominates its character as u city.
There are indications, however. IN
the census just taken that Washington
Is beginning to grow as a city faster
than it is growing as a seat of govern
ment Since 1890 certainly. the pop
ulation of the District of Columbia has
expanded out of ratio to any expan-
sion in the limits of the Federal ser.
vice. The census of 1890 showed
total of 3O,392 inhabitants In the Fed
eral district BY 1900 the total had
Increased to 27S71S. This gave Wash
ington percentage Of increase for the
decade Of 20.9-a higher rate than
that reached by Philadelphia. This
discovery caused some surprise, for IL
suggested that in spite of it's handicaps
as a non manufacturing town the ma
tional capital could still compete for
population with two great nearby CEN
tiers of industry and commerce like
Philadelphia and Baltimore The CEN
sus OF this year gives evidence of still
more remarkable progress, According
to the police figures the population of
Washington Is now 322,572-a gain
over 1900 of 1854. This Is within
5000 Of the total gains between 1896
and 1900. 1t shows for the f1ve-year
period percentage of increase Of
1893. Expansion at the same rate FOR
the next five years would give the ma
tional capital percentage of increase
for the decade of 3OO6 and q popula-
ton in 1910 of $4,000 Few cities on
10 nfi
strip such record.
washington now stands fifteenth In
the list Of our great cities. In 1890 1t
stood thirteenth. Detroit and Milwau-
kee both passed it in. 1900. Detroit's
total going to 285, 7O4 and Milwaukee's
to 2S5,315. These two western cities
are still gaining population rapidly,
and they may hold their own against
Washington in 1910. But New Orleana
now twelfth in ranks In some
danger Of being outgrown by all three
New Orleans population in 1900 was
2S7, 1O4, and its percentage Of growth
from 1890 to 1900 was only 1876. Un-
less that growth is rapidly acceler-
ated, New Orleans will fall to fifteenth
place and Washington will rise to
fourteenth. Evidently the charms of
the Federal capital as place Of resi-
dence are beginning to make them
selves felt. No city in the United State.
offers more to it's Inhabitants and very
few offer so much. The natural growth
of the Federal government insures
steady and splendid development to
the capital, and that development will
continue to attract population If &
does not directly encourage manufao
turing and general business Washing.
ton has outlived it's period of stagna-
ton and dependence, and few dec
AIDES more will see it solidly pOpu-
lous and prosperous as well as a rarely
inspiring and beautiful city.
Wanted to BE Let Alone.
whats the matter, old manY' he
said, as they met the next morning.
You look blue"
II feel blue"
But lagt night yod were the jolliest
member of our party"
II felt jolly"
"You acted like 10y just let out of
schOoJ0