Page:History of Iowa From the Earliest Times to the Beginning of the Twentieth Century Volume 3.djvu/90

 the land owners from the slavish toil of rail making and furnishing the material for frame buildings in place of the pioneer log cabins. Improved breeds of domestic animals were introduced and spring wagons and carriages were gradually taking the place of the saddle horse and lumber wagon.

The Auditor’s report showed the receipts of the State Treasurer, from November, 1871, to the same date in 1873, to be $2,129,577.51; the disbursements $2,180,100.69, leaving a balance of $31,217.66. The amount of the permanent school fund was reported at $3,294,742.83. The number of children of school age was 491,344, showing an increase in two years of 29,862. The Soldiers’ Orphans’ Home supported five hundred and eight children in the three schools. The number of miles of railroad completed in the State at the end of the year 1873 was reported at 3,800, of which four hundred and sixty-nine miles were constructed in the last two years.