The Princeton union., 1906-08-30
S.B. SMITHS LETTER
The Rapid Growth of Washington and
Brief Description of Its Most
Important Industries.
Country Generally Rough and Noun
tain Ranges Covered With
Heavy Timber Growth.


my opinion of Washington, and since
I came here I have received letters
asking for further information and
stating that the writer's were greatly
interested in my letters published in
the Union. These requests and the
interest manifested is what induces me
to continue to write. but whenever the
editor becomes weary of my CORE
spondence or the readers of the
Z n n take no interest in them then
he will cease to publish them and I
will stop writing.
Washington was originally por-
tion of Oregon. It came into sep
arate existence as a territory in
March, 1858. At that time there we're
no railroads and few wagon roads,
and water transportation was in its
infancy, but the gold discoveries in
California served to- give an impetus
to immigration, which soon began
heading toward Washington, and in
1860 it had over 10000 population.
From this time on immigration stead
lily increased until Washington was
admitted into the union as state
with population of 345, ,00O-in 1889.
Since that date the population has in
creased very rapidly and June l, 1905,
it had S74, 80 people. AS the popula-
tion has increased at the rate of
about 100000 yearly, Washington
has at the present time nearly one
million poeope. I have already inti-
mated in previous articles that the
state is an extremely rough and
rugged country. The foothills of the
Rocky mountains extend into eastern
Washington, making portions of that
part Of the state very rough and
rugged, and then there are the Cas-
cade mountains, which cross the state
from north to south, and the Olympic
mountains, called the "Coast range"
which lie in the northwestern part of
the state. These mountains, with
their foothills occupy large portion
of the state and must necessarily make
the surface of the state very rough.
And the mountains mentioned are
characterized by lofty peaks covered
with perpetual snow. The highest
peak in the Olympic mountains is
5000 feet high and the highest peak
in the Cascade mountains is Mount
Rainier, which is 14,445 feet high.
These ranges are generally covered
with an immense growth of timber
composed principally of fir, cedar,
pine and spruce. It is estimated that
there are about 2O,000,O0O acres of
timber land in the state and lumber
ing at the present time furnishes one
Of the chief Industries. There is also
an abundance Of coal in the noun
tains and the coal mines are being
extensively worked and are destined
soon to become one of the great rev.
enues of the state. In 1908 they pro-
duced 3,190,477 tons of coal.
Puget sound and the numerous
streams furnish no insignificant in
come to the state.
There are more than 10000 men now
employed in the canning establish
ments.
Washington has always had the
reputation outside of the state of be-
ing poor country for wheat grow
ing, yet in 1904 the wheat crop was
81, 100000 bushels and the oat crop
the same year was over 100000
bushels, but it must be observed that
thousands Of acres of the above
grains are cut for grain hay, that is,
cut for hay when the kernel is in the
dough, which, if allowed to ripen
would add several hundred thousand
bushels to the yield. The amount of
improved land in l901-from the lat
est statistics obtainable-was 2, 1888, 99l
acres. Some eastern people have the
idea that Washington is not "a dairy
state. Following are the statistics of
the state for the year 1904: Number of
creameries, 4l4; pounds of butter man
ufactured, 1855, ,769: hay product,
791, 4OS tons. The amount of fruit
grown in the state the same year of
all kinds, apples, pears, peaches,
plums and cherries, was LILA, 900
bushels. Dried fruit and grapes pre-
pared aggregated 1,349,712 pounds.
The above statistics are reliable, but
give only small proportion of the
industries OF the state. To enumerate
all of the Industries would be uninter-
esting except to Washingtonians. I
found it difficult to obtain reliable
statistics in regard to the lumber
trade, so have omitted it all. can
only say that it is immense, but I will