Page:Collier's New Encyclopedia v. 10.djvu/398

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WEST ALMS 340 WESTERN AUSTRALIA "Death of General Wolfe" was among the first of his productions that attracted public notice, especially for the rational innovation on which he had ventured in it, of painting historical personages in a modern dress. Among his later works were "Death on the Pale Horse," and "Christ Healing the Sick" There is in the Pennsylvania Hospital, in Philadel- phia, a copy (with some alterations) of "Christ Healing the Sick," which was presented to it by West. He died in London, March 11, 1820. WEST ALLIS, a city of Wisconsin, in Milwaukee co. It is on the Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul, and the Chi- cago and Northwestern railroads. It is an industrial suburb of Milwaukee, and has an automobile factory, and manu- factories of machinery, wheelbarrows, trucks, sashes, doors, blinds and other manufactures. Pop. (1910) 6,645: (1920) 13,745. WEST BROMWICH, a parliamentary, municipal and county borough of Staf- fordshire, England; one of the most im- portant towns in the great manufactur- ing and mining district knovm as the "Black Country," BVz miles N. W. of Birmingham. The seat in the 12th cen- tury of a Benedictine priory, it yet is of modern growth, having risen within the last 100 years from a mere village on a barren heath, in consequence mainly of the rich coal and iron mines in the vicinity, of the industries to which these give rise, and of the transport facilities by rail and canal. The manufactures comprise all departments of Birming- ham hardware. Puddling and sheet-iron rolling, sheet-glass making, coal mining, and brick and tile making are also car- ried on to a great extent. Pop. about 70,000. WESTBROOK, a city of Maine, in Cumberland co. It is on th'.- Boston and Maine and the Maine Central railroads. Its industries include the manufacture of paper, brick, and silk. Pop. (1910) 8,281; (1920) 9,453. WEST CHESTER, a borough and county-seat of Chester co., Pa.; near the Brandywine river, and on the Philadel- phia, Wilmington, and Baltimore, and the Pennsylvania railroads; 27 miles W. of Philadelphia. Here are a court house, State Normal School, Darlington Female Seminary, Villa Marie Convent, county hospital, public library, waterworks, street railroads, electric lights. National and private banks, and several daily and weekly newspapers. The borough has' a print establishment, cold-storage works, creamery, and manufactures wheels, car- riages, hosiery, toys, artificial ice, um- brellas, etc. Pop. (1910) 11,767; (1920) 11,717. WESTERLY, a city in Washington co., R. I. ; on the Pawtucket river, and on the New York, New Haven, and Hartford railroad; 6 miles N. E. of Stonington. It contains numerous churches, hotels, a high school, public library, Soldiers' Me- morial Building, street railroads, electric lights. National and savings banks, and daily and weekly newspapers. Westerly is widely known on account of its exten- sive and excellent granite quarries. It has manufactories of flannel, cotton and woolen goods, and printing presses. Pop. (1910) 8,696; (1920) 9,952. WESTERN AUSTRALIA, one of the states of the Commonwealth of Aus- tralia; includes all that portion of the continent situated W. of Ion. 129° E. The territory measures 1,480 miles from Cape Londonderry in the N. to Peak Head in the S., and about 1,000 miles from E. to W. The total estimated area is 975,920 square miles, thus making it the largest of the former Australian colonies. The really occupied portion is confined mainly to the coast region and to gold-mining settlements in the interior. Capital, Perth, on Swan river; pop. about 100,000. Topography. — The rivers in the S. W. are the Blackwood, Murray, Swan, Mur- chison, etc.; farther N., the Gascoyne, Ashburton, Fortescue, De Grey, Fitzroy, etc., none of them navigable at all sea- sons. The interior of Western Aus- tralia is in great part sterile, with ex- tensive tracts of scrub and salt marsh; but the colony is as yet imperfectly known. The S. W. has vast forests, which supply valuable timber for expor- tation, especially that known as jarrah. The Kimberley and N. districts contain boundless pastures, and there are lands suitable for the growth of sugar, tobacco, wheat, etc. In other parts are soils and climates admirably adapted for the cul- tivation of silk, olives, the vine, etc. Minerals. — Gold is found at Kimber- ley and Yilgarn, and at several places be- tween these districts, the chief fields being the Murchison, the Ashburton, and the Rilbarra. The Coolgardie field be- came prominent in 1895. The total value of the gold export of 1918 was about $20,000,000. Copper and lead are found in abundance. The other chief minerals are coal, tin, and iron. The pearl fish- eries are rising in value. Government.— In 1890 responsible government was conferred on the colony by the British Parliament in a new constitution (amended in 1893, 1899, and 1911), vesting the administration in a governor and Parliament. The latter