from the magnificent showing of the freight shipments that the business is in a healthy condition, and while there is actual competition among the various lines, particularly in the passenger traffic, this voluntary reduction of fares shows a settled policy on their part to aid in building up the country. This is further evidenced by the reasonable rates given to homeseekers from the East who desire to avail themselves of the same in looking over this growing country.

This Bureau, in gathering the data herein before given, has been treated with a great deal of courtesy by nearly all of the railroad officials, who have responded promptly to requests for desired information.

TRANSPORTATION BY WATER.

In addition to the railroad facilities above mentioned, there are lines of steamboats carrying freight and passengers, which ply on the Snake and Columbia rivers in Eastern Washington, and on the Snohomish, Skagit and Nooksack, emptying into Puget Sound, and the Chehalis river flowing into Grays Harbor. Also, in addition to the numerous Oriental steamship lines, of which mention is elsewhere made in this report, there are a great many other companies operating boats on the Pacific Coast, among which are the Pacific Coast Company, the Empire line, the Washington & Alaska Transportation Company, all running magnificent steamers in the coastwise trade, and plying between the ports of Puget Sound, California, Oregon, British Columbia and Alaska.

In additition to the foregoing, a great factor in the commerce of the State of Washington is the Puget Sound fleet of steamers, which, not including the small sailing and fishing boats, pleasure craft, such as launches, steam, naptha, etc., aggregate 225 vessels. These vessels are of all sizes and dimensions, from the ordinary small tug boat and freighter to palatial and commodious steamers which traverse the waters of the sound, touching at the various points of call on its seventeen hundred miles of shore line, and the navigable rivers which flow into it, affording the people unexcelled advantages for marketing their products. There are 195 ports, and it is estimated that the various steamers annually carry 1,000,000 passengers and approximately 900,ooo tons of freight.

No doubt the reader who peruses this report will be greatly impressed with the vast natural resources of the State and the great possibilities for development in each and every part of it. While many of the people of our older states regard this as a sort of wild and woolly wilderness, we beg to impress upon their minds the fact that the State of Washington is now the home of more than six hundred thousand people. Then again, our eastern friends may wonder what type or class of people inhabit this remote region, and in reply to this we will say that there is no peculiar type- or possibly better to say that there is a mixture of all types and a blending of those coming from all of the states of the Union, with a fair proportion of citizens of foreign birth, representing all manner of religious belief and practice, and every phase of political allegiance, who have come hither to make homes for themselves and their families, and are now vitally interested in the State of their adoption.

When you examine the census returns and compare the figures showing the growth of this State for a term of years, it may be something of a surprise to note that a majority of the people have come out from the East only a few years ago. In business methods and spirit Washington is very much like Eastern States, especially the Lake States, except that arrivals from the East seem to partake of the spirit of the West, and become more aggressive in business, politics and the general pursuits of life.

In addition to the educational facilities which are elsewhere mentioned, there are other agencies of intellectual life unsurpassed by any of the older states, there being something over two hundred weekly newspapers published in the various towns and villages of the State. And the dailies published in the larger cities compare favorably with almost any of the newspapers in the land. In addition to these, there are a number of literary and commercial magazines of exceptional merit. The State has

a law for the maintenance of free public libraries, under which many of the larger towns have made excellent beginnings. Not alone do Washington men partake of the western spirit, but the Washington woman is an institution in herself. She is keen, alert, eager for impression, education, culture and experience— ever looking forward to that which will widen her sphere. There are something near a half-hundred flourishing women's clubs organizations which are doing much toward the upbuilding of the intellectual, moral, social and religious atmosphere of the State.

The new-comer is not long in learning that there is less of conventionality here than in the east, but a greater energy and closer application to business. The State has all necessary laws enacted to secure the safety and comfort of its citizens, which are rigidly enforced in every part of the State. It can be justly claimed for the people of this State that they are as peaceable and law abiding as those of the older communities, and that in addition to the educational facilities and advantages which have been herein before fully described, there are churches of some one or more of the various denominations to be found in every city and village in the State.

EXEMPTION LAWS.

The people of the state, who from any cause become unable to pay their debts, are protected from penury by having exempted from sale, under execution, a reasonable amount of property. Every head of a family is entitled to a homestead, consisting of the dwelling house in which he resides, together with the land on which the same is situated, not exceeding in value the sum of $2,000. In addition to this he also has exempted family wearing apparel, private libraries, household goods, and a certain number of cows, horses, mules and other live stock, tools, utensils, etc. Professional men are exempted libraries, office furniture, fixtures, etc., to the value of $1,000. Pension money, the proceeds of fire insurance on exempted property, and the proceeds of all life and accident insurance, is exempt from liability on account of debt. Also the separate property, real or personal, of a married woman, belonging to her prior to, or that she may have acquired subsequent to her marriage, is exempted from judgment and execution on any lia

bility of her husband. Personal property to the value of $300 is free from taxation and the earnings of all laboring men, earned within ninety days, to the value of $75, is exempt from garnishment. The legislature of the state has also provided ample protection to the working classes in the enactment of lien laws whereby every man exercising this right can protect himself against loss for labor performed.

HEALTHFULNESS.

The State of Washington has pre-eminently a healthful climate, and by reason of its topography a person may find almost any climate he may desire, and can also find any altitude from that of the sea level to the top of the highest mountain, Rainier, 14,444 feet high. On Puget Sound and the coast, west of the Cascade mountains, there is the invigorating and healthful salt breeze from the Pacific ocean, and east of the Cascade mountains the atmosphere is dry and warm, and has a strong tonic influence upon all such persons as require a warm, dry climate. The nights are always cool, even after the hottest days in summer, a fact which lends vigor and comfort to the inhabitants. The variations of temperature are slight as compared with other states, and the people are not subjected to sudden climatic changes, which are so detrimental to health. The medium or low temperature renders innocuous the miasmas or other deleterious exhalations which might be engendered by extreme heat, and as a consequence malarial diseases are at a minimum. From the best available data at hand for a number of years, this Bureau has found the highest death rate for any year since 1890 to be 1 in 153 of the estimated population of the State, which, compared with the death rates of other states and countries, establishes the healthfulness of our climate.

WHO SHOULD IMMIGRATE TO THE STATE.

The man with money, who is looking for investment, upon the perusal of this report, can certainly satisfy himself that there is an opening here in some of the lines of business, or in the development of the natural resources of the State, many of which are as yet practically untouched, and which require money for development. Only those who are capable of aiding in the development of the country, and not only in making it contribute

to their maintenance, but to that of others as well, ought to immigrate. Unless they can reasonably hope to do this, they had better stay where they are. The indolent and shiftless classes fare better in the thickly populated parts of the country, and those who expect to get something for nothing need not look to this country, as by coming here they would certainly be disappointed and be an injury to the country. There are two things that are essential, and without one of these essentials you can do nothing towards the development of this State: First, you ought to have money for investment; or, second, if you have sufficient funds to enable you to get a start, and will apply your hands and energy to the opening up of the State's resources, you will be able to accomplish something for yourself and at the same time enlarge the opportunities for others.

The advantages usually offered by a new country are that the land is not already fully occupied, and that therefore every newcomer may find a farm and go to work with the reasonable certainty that he will be reasonably paid for intelligent and well directed industry. If he is unable to procure government land for settlement, he still may be able to buy lands at such prices as will warrant a change from less favored communities.

THOSE MOST NEEDED.

The tendency of the people of this age is to settle in the cities, the urban population of the country being continually swelled at a remarkable rate. Hence, farmers and those who engage in the cultivation of the soil and the development of our agricultural resources, dairying, fruit growing and stock raising, are the ones most desired and the ones most likely to succeed from the start. From the statements hereinbefore contained it is to be seen that farm products-beef, mutton, butter, cheese and fruit - have a home market where they find sale at remunerative prices, and consequently all labor devoted to their production would bring the best returns. In Lewis county, Okanogan and Clallam and in some other portions of the state there is still some government land to be had, and there is good agricultural, grazing and fruit land to be purchased in almost any portion of Western Washington at reasonable prices. It is, therefore, possible for each immigrant, who brings a few hundred dollars with him, to get some land, and by careful and dili