The Black Hills union and western stock review. [volume] (Rapid City, S.D.) 1904-19??, 1909-04-09
INCREASE IN POPULATION.
Statistics Show the Distribution of
Population in the Northwest

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tistics compiled by the Spokane
chamber of commerce show that
seventy-five per cent of the new
corners in the northwest during the
fiscal year ended February 2s, 1909,
turned to farming, stock-raising and
dairying, while of the others more
than fifty per cent took up orchard
ing and chicken growing in districts
tributary to the settled communities.
OF the thousands of visitors to the
rooms of the chamber of commerce
since January 1, 1908, the majority,
including men and women from all
walks of city life, came to the North
west to seek homes in the rural dis
tricts; not to become general farm
ers, but to take up some special
phase of the work, and in the great
er number Of instances it is fruit
growing.
The practice Of intensive farm
ing more especially apple culture,
has, in measure, solved the prob
lem OF the American trait of the
farmer seeking city life and the city
man dreaming of rural happiness,
and the nearness of the irrigated dis
tricts to the towns and cities in the
northwest has served to satisfy
both. Small tracts, electric railways
telephones and rural mail routes
make combination of the best of
city and country, and thousands are
passing useful and busy lives in
these districts.
There has been tremendous
movement to the northwest in the
last fourteen months, when, accord
ing to the best information available
approximately 100000 persons set
tied in Washington, Oregon, Idaho,
and Montana, and of these about
69,500 located in eastern Washing
ton, northern Idaho, northeastern
Oregon, western Montana and south
eastern British Columbia. Thirty
five thousand settled in Yakima,
Wenachee, Spokane, Walla Walla,
'Okanogan and Colville valleys, the
Palous and Big Bend districts and in
settlements opened by the Chicago
Milwaukee & Puget Sound and the
Spokane, Portland and Seattle rail-
roads.
Illinois, Iowa and Missouri fur
nished the majority of these settlers
the rest coming from Nebraska, In
diana, Minnesota, Kansas, Pennsyl-
vania, Ohio, Michigan, New York,
West Virginia, Kentucky, Massachu-
sets, Vermont, Nevada and Mary
land with a sprinkling from south
western states.
There was also a large influx of
aliens into the northwest in 1908,
when, with the exception of Mime
sofa, Missouri and California, Wash
ington added more foreign popula-
ton than any other state west of
the Missouri river. There were ap-
proximately 10000 aliens and of
these Scandinavians were in the lead
with South Italians second, English
third, Germans fourth and Finnish
| fifth.
The most important thing about
immigration into Washington last
year is that the greatest increase in
numbers was of those who engage
in either professional or skilled oc-
cupations. Relatively to the great
mass Of immigrants, the number of
foreigners of good class who declar-
ed Washington as their destination
was larger than any other state.
The number of laborers so classed,
who entered the state from foreign
countries last year, $500 in round
numbers. The number OF farmers
is exceptionally high, and shows of
districts by thrifty class OF people.