The Great Seattle-Portland Population War

A Portland real estate dealer in an article in the last Sunday Oregonian asserts that the growth of Portland during the past sixteen months has amounted to more than the building of a whole town like Seattle. He makes the assertion boldly, but submits neither argument nor proof to support the position taken. We maintain that he is wrong. We claim here 4,500 to 5,000 inhabitants. Portlanders claim from 30,000 to 35,000, or about seven times as many as we claim. What is there to justify any such extraordinary claim on the part of our neighbors of the Oregon town? The census of less than two years ago gave them about seventeen thousand, and gave us about thirty-six hundred. That our town has grown at least one-third in two years there is abundant reason for believing, but that Portland has doubled in the same time is simply absurd. At a recent special election 878 votes were cast in this city, and had the election been of a general character at least 1,200 would have been cast. To support the assertion of our Oregon friends, Portland under like circumstances would cast about 8,400 votes, and at a general election 10,000. Were any such votes ever known in that city? Our recollection is that the vote of Portland never yet reached 4,000. Again, the taxable property of the city of Seattle as recently returned by the assessor is $3,958,000, and will undoubtedly go up to $4,000,000 or over when past the board of equalization. If there is any one thing upon which Portlanders pride themselves it is on the wealth of their town, and the assertion is common that the city is richer in proportion to population than any other place in the country. Now, if it is no richer than Seattle, and it has as many people as are claimed, its taxable property should rate at $28,000,000. But does it? Our recollection is that that figure must be cut into pieces, and that about $14,000,000 is the actual amount of their assessment. Once more, our schools are attended by about 800 pupils, and at least 200 are kept out for want of accommodation. If Portland has the thirty-odd thousand inhabitants claimed, or seven times as many as we have, their schools should be attended by between 5,000 and 7,000 pupils. Are they? Again, memory tells us that they are in number between 3,000 and 4,000. These comparisons are enough for our purpose. They justify the assertion that Portland now has about three and a half or four times as many people as Seattle, against five times as many by the U.S. census of June, 1880, and their wealth is no greater in proportion than ours. Portland is a well-built little city, and her citizens are justified in feeling a pride in their past and present, but it isn't so big that other towns may not in good time be bigger. One of the towns certain to gain upon it is Seattle.