The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1910-04-22
What is the Population
OF San Juan County?

The BellinRham Herald a few davs
ago contained the following concern.
ing the probable results of the cen.
sus now being taken in this county:
1.-The population of San Juan couu
ty is estimated at from 5000 tc
$500. according to the observation
OF the four enumerators. who will
have charge of the work in that sec
tion. To large extent the votint
registration has been taken into &C
count and it is not believed that there
will be much variance from the figures
given. Of the total population about
1000 is credited to San Juan island
and about 1000 to Orcas island, the
balance being made up of residents
Of Blakeley. Lopez. Shaw and the
other islands which 90 to make up the
group. The population of Friday
Harbor is estimated at from 600 to
8OO.n
If the total is not any greater than
the above estimate it will occasion
considerable surprise and disappoint
ment, although it must be admitted
that the application of the ordinary
methods of computation using the
school census figures and the vote
cast at general elections as bases
does not warrapt an estimate much, if
any. in excess of 1000. The county s
population in 1890, as shown by the
federal census of that year was 2.072.
Ten years later it was 2, 928, showing
an increase during the decade of Al. 8
per cent. If the same ratio of in
crease has been maintained during tie
past ten years the present population
of the county is 4, 1877. At the gen.
eral election held in Novemb Der. 1900
the total vote cast in the county was
7O5. making the ratio of the vote to
population that year 4i5. At the
last general election. November,
1908. the total vote was GIG. If the
ratio of the vote to population was
the same then as it was in the census
year-and it probably was approx
mateIy the same-the population OF
the county in November, 1908, vas
37O1.
When the county was raised from
the 26th to the 25th class by Com
mIssioners Sandwith, Bostian and
Graham in October, 1913. the ratio
of the school census to population
approximately 1-3-was used. the
estimated population ut that time. as
shown by that method of calculation,
being 3. 233. If this ratio we're now
to be applied and deemed conclusive
it would show the present population
of the county to be considerably un
der 1000. When the commissioners
raised the classification of the coun-
ty over two years ago and fixed official
salaries upon the basis of 1000 pop
ualtion, as established by the state
constitution. they took the enumera-
tion made by Assessor Harrison IN
the fishing season and did not'consid
er any ratio.
Census Enumerator Carrier reports
the population of the Incorporated
portion of Friday Harbor as only a
little over 400. The registration
books for the local option election
closed Wednesday night with l52
names on the books. showing that the
ratio of voters to population here is
less than three. This cannot be re-
parded as true ratio, however. as
quite number of men have been in
duced to register who have no inter
ests here and ought not to be permit
ted to vote here. It will be interest
ing to see how nearly the census hR-
ures confirm the accuracy of the es
Inmates made upon the bases OF the
ratios of 4 to ! of voters and Id OF
school children between the ages OF D
and 81.
L. nvol