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its length being 230 miles and its extreme breadth 340. The population (census 1910) was 1,141,990. Its capital is Olympia. The larger cities are Seattle (population 237,194), Tacoma (83,743), Spokane (104,402) and Walla Walla (19,364).
Surface and Climate. The Cascade Mountains' lofty peaks are striking features. They embrace Mount Baker (10,827 feet), Glacier Peak (10,436) and, farther south, Mt. Rainier or Tacoma (14,363), Mt. Adams (12,470) and Mt. St. Helens (10,000). In the northeast, between Puget Sound and the Pacific, is the coastal range known as the Olympic Mountains, the highest peak of which is Mt. Olympus. In the southeast are the Blue Mountains, while in the northeast there are several ranges of the Rockies. Bordering on the Chelan range is oblong-shaped Chelan Lake; west of the range and extending southward from the Strait of Juan de Fuca is the extensive basin of Puget Sound, with its variedly ramifying arms. Besides the Columbia the chief rivers are the Snake, its most important tributary, entering it from the east, the Okanagan, the Yakima, the Pend' Oreille, the Spokane, the Chehalis, Skagit, Nesqually and other streams. The coastal inlets, besides that of the Columbia River and Puget Sound, are Gray's and Wallapi Harbors. The climate varies greatly, the region west of the Cascade Range being much more humid and, on the whole, warmer and more equable under the tempering influence of the ocean; while in the east the rainfall is barely normal and less favorable for agriculture, and the soil for the most part is infertile, with underlying rock and lava-covered surface. The east, moreover, is treeless in parts, though there is much yellow and white pine, while the west has magnificent forests, in which occur gigantic conifers, cedar, spruce and hemlock.
Natural Resources. The lumber industry leads all others in the annual value of its products. In 1909 the number of establishments turning out timber and planing-mill products was close upon 1,265, with an output valued at over 89 million dollars, while the number of wage-earners engaged in the trade exceeded 43,000. To conserve and promote the industry, the Federal government has established five forest reserves aggregating over seven million acres. Agriculture also does well, despite the large mountainous areas. Of the yield from the cereals wheat has by far the best showing; the yield in 1910 was 25,603,000 bushels, while the product of oats was 8,817,000 bushels. The barley and the hay crop are also large, while fruit-culture, especially apples, plums and prunes, is a profitable and growing industry. Stock-raising is an important industry. In 1910 the state had 475,555 sheep, 215,887 cattle, besides 186,233 dairy-cows, 280,572 horses and 206,135 swine. The fisheries also are an important industry, the amount invested in the trade in 1905 being over seven and a half millions. The annual catch of salmon is especially large, and the fish-canning industry is very important. Coal yields largely, the output in 1909, including lignite as well as bituminous coking-coal, being 3,602,263 short tons. Of quarried building-stone, embracing granite and limestone, as well as the clay products of brick and tile, the state had about $3,000,000 in value. Gold, silver, copper, iron and lead also are among its products.
Manufactures. With the advantages the state has in coal, extensive water-power and good facilities of transportation, Washington's growth in manufacturing industries is to be looked for. Already it has over 222 million dollars invested in manufactures, while the value of the products of all kinds in 1909 was close upon 220 millions. The number of wage-earners was 69,120, wages amounting to nearly 50 million dollars. Among the chief manufactures are those of the timber and lumber mills, of flour and grist mills and of fishing, curing and canning establishments. Fish-canning nets annually close upon five million dollars, while the flour and grist mill receipts in 1905 were nearly seven million. Besides, there are the factory product in cheese, butter and condensed milk and the product of the slaughter-houses and meat-packing establishments.
Commerce and Transportation. With such facilities in the furthering of oceanic trade from the Puget-Sound Ports of Seattle and Port Townsend, as well as from those in the Columbia River, commerce is bound steadily and largely to increase. Already Washington has a large oriental and Pacific trade from Seattle and Port Townsend. The railway mileage in 1906 was 3,313 miles, the chief lines being the Northern Pacific and the Great Northern, while it is connected at Seattle with the Canadian Pacific. There are five other railroads, and the Milwaukee, North Coast and Union Pacific railroads are building into the state. Large steamers reach Vancouver on the Columbia, while there is a large inland navigation, of smaller steamers, on that river, as also on Snake River. The assessed valuation of the state had in 1905 grown to nearly 310 millions
Education. The public schools are under a board of education, with a state superintendent of public instruction. The schools' population in 1911 exceeded 276,000, the enrollment being 220,461 and the daily average attendance about 163,000. The teachers numbered about 7,600, four fifths of whom were women; and the total expenditure for school maintenance amounted to over four and one third million dollars.
