TRANSPORTATION.

In addition to its salt waterways, with 75 miles of shore lands,
and its navigable fresh water lakes, there are centering in the
county coming in from all directions seven transcontinental lines of
railroads, making King county and its metropolis a great distributing
center for the commerce between the American continent and the
continents of Asia and the islands of the Pacific. Besides these
steam roads, electric trolley lines are making a network of
inter-communication between all parts of King county not only, but
reaching out into the adjoining counties.

CITIES AND TOWNS.

SEATTLE is the county seat and great metropolis of King county and
the state, with a population crowding, if not exceeding, 275,000
people. It covers the hills and lowlands surrounding Elliot bay, an
indentation of Puget sound, and a part of the land between the sound
and Lake Washington, a freshwater lake of great beauty paralleling
the sound for 23 miles and from one to three miles wide. It also
includes two smaller lakes, whose sloping shores are covered with
the homes of its citizens. From its hills the snow-capped mountains
of the Cascade and Olympic ranges and Mount Rainier's towering
peak are visions of surpassing beauty. A constant stream of coming
and going water craft from all quarters of the globe frequent its
harbor. Its business buildings of brick, stone, iron and concrete
tower heavenward over four avenues, and many cross streets and
miles of its low lands are
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covered with railroad tracks, warehouses and manufacturing plants.