nurses' board, an embalmers' board, an optometry board, a medical board, a veterinary board, a pharmacy board, costing the people approximately $15,000 per year; a commissioner of labor, costing $21,500; a bank examiner, costing as much more; a state grain inspector, a hotel inspector, a state board of health, a state geologist, an industrial welfare commission, state fire warden, a humane bureau, boards and regents of our various institutions of higher education and many others. "The Legislature of 1915 appropriated $20,503,386.33 to be expended by these numerous boards and commissions, or a little more than $10,250,000 per year. When it is understood that this appropriation will be expended and this great multiplicity of duties performed by officials appointed by the governor, responsible to him only and removable at his will, it will be readily seen that our state government has become most autocratic. "In fact there are few commonwealths in which the chief executive is charged with an equal measure of responsibility or exercises so potent a power in shaping the affairs of state. This has not been accomplished without limiting and largely curtailing the powers and duties formerly enjoyed by our elective state officials." CHAPTER XLIV BAD FOREST FIRES IN 1891-WESTERN WASHINGTON EXPOSITION IN TACOMA—SOLDIERS' HOME BUILT AT ORTING THE PHRA NANG, FIRST ORIENTAL STEAMER TO ARRIVE AT TACOMA-TACOMA HAS AN EARTHQUAKE AND PART OF THE WATERFRONT SLIDES INTO COMMENCEMENT BAY-METHODIST CONFERENCE REJOICES OVER THE FAILURE OF THE HOP CROP. The fall of 1891 was notable for the number and size of its forest fires. In almost every county of Western Washington, as well as in many in Oregon, destructive fires raged for weeks, the districts most severely affected being in Southwestern Washington. By the 12th of the month the smoke had turned the sky into a dark, copper-colored mantle through which the sun shone only as the fitful breeze shifted the dense cloud. In both Tacoma and Seattle electric lights were necessary through the greater part of the day, shipping on the Sound was delayed and the Tacoma branch of the "Come Outers," a religious sect, announced that the end of the world had arrived. In Clarke County farmers lost their barns, their dwellings and several persons living on farms within the timber belt were burned to death. Thirty square miles of Mason County territory was burned over, several mills and numerous logging camps being consumed. Rayville, Chehalis County, with its three mills, was reported on fire and its citizens fleeing towards Grays Harbor towns for safety. Early on the morning of the 12th word was received from Hoquiam that the Town of London had burned and its citizens were then trying to reach that place. A little later Elma reported buildings in the outskirts of that place burning and then the fire crossed the telegraph line and communication with the Grays Harbor country was cut off. The Great Northern bridge at Wellington was burned and reports from Enumclaw and Buckley said the fires had eaten into the outskirts of those places, both of which were threatened with destruction. These fires, however, did not prevent the Western Washington Exposition from becoming a great success. Some two years before Henry Bucey, of Tacoma, had conducted a small exhibit of Washington products as a feature of Tacoma publicity work. The success led Bucey to plan a larger exhibit-one that would embrace the entire Western Washington country. His early efforts failed. Several companies were formed but it was not until the fall of 1890 and the incorporation of the Western Washington Exposition Company that a realization of his dream seemed to be possible. Stock sold rapidly and soon reached a total of almost one hundred thousand dollars. Oppermann & Berens were given a contract for the construction of a building 280 by 300 feet in ground dimensions, and two stories high. Ninety days later the structure, the largest wooden building in the state, was completed and Bucey and a corps of assistants began installing a collection of Washington products never before equaled. Notwithstanding rainy, foggy weather a very large crowd of people from all over the state was present when the doors were opened on the evening of September 10th. President Charles E. Hale delivered an address of welcome which was responded to by Patrick Henry Winston, of Spokane, Governor Ferry and other men prominent in state affairs. The hard times following the panic of '93 prevented the exposition attaining that measure of success which it and its promoter so richly deserved, and although it was, for several years, a leading amusement and educational feature of the fall season, it was never a financial success. The property passed into the control of a receiver and September 20, 1898, the great building was destroyed in one of the most spectacular fires Tacoma has ever known. It was about this time that fire destroyed the unfinished Tourist Hotel and paved the way for the building of Tacoma's beautiful high school and its celebrated Stadium. With the coming of statehood, veterans of the Civil war discussed the ques- · tion of obtaining a soldiers' home. Stevens Post No. 1, Grand Army of the Republic, Seattle, adopted a resolution endorsing the movement and recommending that the annual encampment take similar action. The encampment met in Spokane April 25, 1889, adopted resolutions favoring the establishment of a soldiers' home and appointed S. G. Cosgrove, department commander, John R. Kinnear, George W. Tibbetts and John P. Hoyt, of Stevens Post, and William F. Prosser, North Yakima, as a committee in charge. This committee induced the constitutional convention to make constitutional provision for the home and several bills, providing for its establishment, were introduced in the first State Legislature. These, under the plea of economy, were all defeated. The bills were redrawn and as Senate Bill 143, introduced by Senator Kinnear, passed the Legislature and were signed by the governor March 26, 1890. The first board of trustees consisted of G. H. Boardman, M. M. Holmes, J. F. McLean, W. R. Dunbar and A. S. Cole, the board organizing July 3, 1890. Puyallup, Orting, Ellensburg, Goldendale, Vashon Island, Whidby Island, Eliza Island, Kitsap and San Juan counties offered sites for the home, Orting being selected by the trustees. July 4, 1891, the home was dedicated, S. F. Street being the first commandant with Maud S. Street the first matron. During the first six months it had an average membership of thirty, which by 1900 had grown to 192. Charles E. Hale was chairman of the celebration held June 17, 1892, in honor of the arrival of the Phra Nang, the first steamship to arrive at Tacoma from the Orient. The Phra Nang, pronounced Pre Nahng, was launched at Glasgow, Scotland, and was two years old the day she arrived in Tacoma. She had a registered tonnage of 1,021 and an average speed of eleven knots an hour. Her crew was Chinese, her officers English and she carried a cargo of tea, silk, sugar, rice, curios, firecrackers and Japanese liquor. On board were 183 Japanese bound for San Francisco and Portland. They were dressed in white man's clothing which fitted them little better than gunny sacks, and appeared to wear their starched collars just as uncomfortably detached from their shirts as fastened, some preferring them one way and some the other. Resplendent in white cot |