The chief industries of the city, in the order of their importance as regards annual product, are metal, $107,802,063; packed meats, $42, a0,000; leather, $39,200,000; beer, $28,110,000; coal and wood products, $25,000,000; automo bile parts and commercial trucks,$24,000,000; electric and telephone supplies, $24,000,000; Loots and shoes, $21,650,000; malt, $21,000,000. From 1880 to 1890 the total product of the city's industries increased 147 per cent; from 1890 to 1900, 88.6 per cent; 1900 to 1910, 88.8 per cent; 1910 to 1915, 21.8 per cent; 1915 to 1917, 48.3 per cent.
The manufacturing statistics In 1917 were as follows: Persons employed, 147,087; paid in wages, $113,820,814; capital employed, $350, n2,365; value of products, $595,520,102; the value of products increased 80.7 per cent from 1910 to 1917; wages paid, 72.8 per cent.
Population.— Within the city's corporate limits are comprised 24 square miles, a smaller area than that of any other city of considerable population in the United States. The first enu meration, in 1838, revealed a population of 700, which had increased to 9,666 by the date of the incorporation of the city in February 1845. The number of inhabitants according to the Federal census of 1900 was 285,370. During the next decade (1910) it increased to 373,587. The estimated population in 1917 was 471,203. The great bulk of the residents are working men, and it is estimated that fully 80 per cent of them own their own homes. Local banking statistics show savings deposits aggregating $45,409,476, of which 75 to 80 per cent are esti mated to be those of wage-earners. There has been no considerable strike in Milwaukee since the general labor disturbance of 1885, except a walk-out of street car employees in 1896. The population of the city is polyglot. A map of the city with division lines determined by the predominating nationalities inhabiting certain districts would bear much resemblance to that of Europe as to nomenclature. For many years the population was largely of German birth, and Milwaukee acquired the title of the "German Athens of America." The first Ger man settlers came in 1838, but it was not until 1845 that large numbers of Germans began to make the young city their home. For nearly half a century their customs found expression in the chief social life of the city. At one time
the number of daily newspapers printed in Ger man was nearly twice the number printed in the English language. A theatre was built expressly for performances in German, with stock companies drawn from Germany. A German market hall was constructed. Six turn er halls were erected, and a seminary for stu dents of physical training was established. During the Civil War, one company of volun teers was composed wholly of German turners.
The tide of German immigration was followed, beginning 40 years ago, by a stream of Poles, Dutch, Scandinavians and Bohemians, and more recently Italians and Syrians have estab lished colonies in certain sections of the city. The preponderance of German population has now disappeared, although certain wards re main largely German. The foreign-born in habitants are grouped in various sections of the city. German, Polish, Bohemian and Scan dinavian papers and periodicals are published in Milwaukee, including two dailies in the Polish and one in the German language. The first Polish daily paper established in the United States was printed here.
Churches.— The seat of a Catholic arch bishopric and of a Protestant Episcopal bishop ric are located in Milwaukee. The 206 churches are distributed among the following faiths and creeds: Adventist, 1; Baptist, 9; Catholic, 45; Christian, 2; Christian Science, 4; Congrega tional, 4; Episcopal, 10; Evangelical, 10; Evan gelical Association, 7; Greek, 1; Italian Evan gelical, 1; Jewish, 8; Lutheran, 60; Free Lutheran, 1; Methodist Episcopal, 20; Free Methodist, 1; Mormon, 1; Presbyterian, 12; Reformed, 3; Serbian, 1; Spiritualistic, 3; Syrian, 1; Unitarian, 1. The property of the religious organizations is valued by the tax commissioner at $10,878,380. Some of the church edifices are architecturally beautiful, notably Saint Paul's Church, in the Norman style; SaintJosaphat's, Byzantine; Gesu, Im manual and Saint James, Gothic. The convent of Notre Dame, which occupies a square in the heart of the city, is the mother house of the order in the United States. In the suburb of Saint Francis the Catholic seminary of Pio Nono is surrounded by a magnificent tract of 200 acres. Marquette University (Jesuit) and Concordia College (Lutheran) are located on the west side.