The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1910-12-16
State Leads in Percentage of Growth

State Leads in Percentage OF Growth
The population of the State OF
Washington, as announced by F..
Dana Durand, director of the thlr-
teenth United States census, IS
1,141,999. The increase in popuia-
ton in the past ten years has been
632, SS7, or 1904 percent. For two
reasons, at least, the people OF this
great state should feel proud OF
such an enviable record. One OF
these is that the percentage OF IN
crease in population is greater than
that of any other state in the Union
and another is that Washington has
within it's confines such wide range
of opportunity for investment as to
induce settlers to come here in such
great numbers. Probably no other
state in the Nation, unless it may
possibly be California, offers so many
attractive inducements to the capita
list, the tradesrhan, the merchant or
manufacturer, the farmer, the fruit
grower or the laborer. We have
our numbering, fishing, farming,
fruitgrowing, mining, stock raising
and single manufacturing, the
Washington Red Cedar shingles hav-
ing become famous throughout the
civilized world. Why should good
settlers not flock here where there
is every inducement to invite them?
An amazing feature of the census
figures is the fact that so much of
the population of the state is center
ed in few of our larger cities,
though the interests of the state are
supposed to be largely agricultural,
numbering, mining and fishing. The
population of Seattle, Spokane and
Tacoma approximates 423, 900 out of
an entire population of 1,141 1899.
This means that more than one third
of the people live in these three
cities. In Bellingham, Everett
Walla Walla, Yakima, Wenatchee and
Vancouver are approximately an
other 100, 900, while the rural dis
tricts, generally speaking. are yet
sparcely settled Washington has
$3.50 more population than her
two neighboring states of Oregon
and Idaho combined and yet both of
these are rich in agricultural and
timber resources. One explanation
for this is that Puget and Washing
ton Sounds are known the world
over for their beauty and healthful
surroundings, and for this reason
alone thousands of settlers flock to
their shores and the enchanting
islands that lie peacefully in their
waters.
The rural districts have attracted
more settlers during the past year
than at any other period in the his
tory Of the state and for the next few
years there is a promise of these
sharing their proportion of incresae.
In recent years the trend of immi-
grafton has been toward the cities
of the state and these have shown an
enormous percentage of increase.
In order that these cities may hold
their own and thrive the country
districts must grow rapidly and this
is just what they are likely to do.
Upon the country depends the life
of the cities, and real estate men in
all cities of the state realizing this
are urging newcomers to buy farm
lands and settle up the country
districts. Railroad men say that the
year 1911 will see the greatest travel
to the northwest ever known, and
that inquiries for farm homes are
more numerous than ever before.
Will the state double it's present
population in the next ten years as
it did in the past? 1t is not improb.
able, at least.