WASHINGTON 



6191 



WASHINGTON 



tures three-fifths of the shingles made in the 

 United States, and doors, sash and furniture are 

 other important products. The largest mills 

 and factories are located in the western forests 

 and in the Puget Sound basin. The annual 

 value of the lumber and timber products is 

 about $90,000,000, and exceeds that of any other 

 state. 



Flour and grist mill products are second in 

 value and are largely exported to Oriental mar- 

 Meat packing, printing and publishing, 

 foundry and machine-shop work, the canning 

 - 1 1m on and railroad-shop work are other 

 lending industries, and the manufacture of 

 1 and bakery products, butter and con- 

 densed milk, cement, clay products, sheet metal 

 and stonework are also important. There are 

 large shipyards at Seattle, Tacoma and other 

 points on Puget Sound, the Washington timber 

 being especially adapted for shipbuilding. Steel 

 vessels are also constructed. Seattle is the 

 leading manufacturing center. 



Transportation and Commerce. Though 

 Washington was the last political division of 



the United States to be entered by railroads, 

 there are now over 8,800 miles of railroad in 

 the state. Three transcontinental lines cross 

 the state from east to west, and the great cen- 

 ters of trade on Puget Sound are conn* 

 with the larger cities and towns in the state 

 and with cities in British Columbia. The lines 

 of longest mileage are the Northern Pacific, the 

 Great Northern, the Oregon A Washington, and 

 the Chicago, Milwaukee & Saint Paul. About 

 11.5 per cent, or 4,250 miles, of public road are 

 surfaced. 



The Columbia is navigable along the south- 

 ern boundary, and the Snake River may be 

 navigated 180 miles above its junction with 

 the Columbia. These rivers and their various 

 branches constitute an important factor in the 

 transportation problem of the state. 



Seattle and Tacoma, both on Puget Sound, 

 possess the chief harbors of the state, and are 

 among the four leading ports on the Pacific. 

 There is an extensive trade with Alaska, Ha- 

 waii and the Philippine Islands. Gray's Harbor 

 is important in the shipment of lumber. 



Government and History 



Government. The present constitution was 

 adopted in 1889. Suffrage is extended to both 

 men and women who can read and speak the 

 English language and who have lived in the 

 state one year, in the county ninety days and 

 in the precinct thirty days. Untaxed Indians, 

 convicts, insane and feeble-minded persons are 

 debarred from suffrage by an original provision 

 oi the constitution. 



The executive department consists of a gov- 

 ernor, lieutenant-governor, secretary of state, 

 treasurer, auditor, attorney-general, superin- 

 tendent of public instruction and commissioner 

 of public lands, all of whom are elected for 

 four years. 



The legislature consists of a senate and a 

 house of representatives, and meets biennially. 

 Members of the house of representatives are 

 elected every two years and may not exceed 

 y-ninc nor be fewer than sixty-three in 

 number. Senators nrc* :.! for four years, 

 and their number must not exceed one-half 

 be less than one-third of the number of mem- 

 bers in the house of representatives. 



Ih' judicial d<i>nrim.nt consists of a su- 



ac court of nine judges, elected for six 



years, and a superior n.urt in each county. 



presided over by one judge, elected for four 



years. 



Local government is by counties. Cities of 

 2,500 to -20,000 may adopt the commission form 

 of government. The initi nivr and referendum 

 are in force, but do not apply to constitu- 

 tional amendments. Statewide prohibition has 

 existed since January, 1916. 



History. The exploration of the Columbia 

 River in 1792 by Captain Gray in the American 

 ship Columbia, gave the United States claim to 

 the territory which it drained. Subsequently 

 the river and coa>t >itcd by many ex- 



plorers, and the first United States naval expe- 

 dition ever sent out by the government was for 

 the purpose of exploring Puget Sound 

 most notable exploration of the interior of the 

 present state was made !> Lewis and Clark, 

 who in 1805 descended the Snake River to th. 

 Columbia and followed the Columbia from that 

 point to the Pan early history of 



Washington is the story of the settlement of 

 Oregon, of which it was a part (see ORB.* 



In 1853 Washington was separated from Ore- 

 gon and was organised as a territory, 

 great influx of settlers who meted at 



tins time by the discovery of gold m th. 1 



was followed in 1855 by an uprising <>1 th. 

 Indians and an attempt to massacre the whit. 

 population in what is known as the Washing- 

 ton-Oregon War. 



