Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume XII.djvu/205

 NEBRASKA 197 FUNDS. Receipts. Disbursements. General fund $529,704 95 $507,534 87 Sinking fund 117,558 69 126,554 94 ! Permanent school fund Temporary school fund ..'.... Temporary university fund. . . Judiciary fund. 252,818 47 467,008 38 50,292 46 12,773 41 258,303 13 364,337 93 50,292 46 11,488 86 1 Penitentiary building fund... . Insane asylum building fund. Normal school building fund. Normal school tuition fund. . . Salt (royalty) fund State building fund In hand Jan 1 1873 27,223 47 8650 5,875 20 4,733 85 52 66 1,280 00 198287 65 21,575 97 1 50 00 | 8,759 18 i 4,597 82 j 78,877 12 1,280 00 Total $1,667,695 69 $1,483,152 28 Balance in treasury Nov 30 1874 $234,548 41 TTm -frvfal TTalnafirk-n rf 1 the state board of equalization, was $55,549,868 in 1871, $69,873,818 in 1872, $78,419,480 in 1873, and $81,218,813 in 1874. In the last year the lands held by private owners and sub- ject to taxation amounted to 11,000,579 acres, the assessed value being $43,004,800 ; town lots, $9,941,809 ; money used in merchandise, $2,- 448,235; in manufactures, $522,410; stocks and shares, $979,455 ; moneys and credits, $1,578,- 329; household furniture, $343,762. There were 87,449 horses, valued at $3,906,778 ; 229,- 469 neat cattle, $2,973,221 ; 7,615 mules and asses, $417,911 ; 30,329 sheep, $42,556 ; and 233,652 swine, $367,576. The railroad prop- erty was valued at $11,183,114, and telegraph property at $61,555. The taxes levied for 1874 amounted to $502,933 78, being 6 mills on the dollar, viz. : for the general fund, $200,- 995 77, 2i mills ; sinking fund. $79,864 77, 1 mill; school fund, $161,507 89, 2 mills; peni- tentiary fund, $40,376 94, mill; and univer- sity fund, $20,188 41, J mill. The property of corporations is taxed in the same manner as that of individuals. The institutions supported by the state are the institute for the deaf and dumb opened at Omaha in 1869, the asylum for the insane opened at Lincoln in 1871, and the penitentiary, which is also at Lincoln. In 1875 an act was passed to establish an asylum for the blind at Nebraska City. The school lands of Nebraska comprise about 2,700,000 acres, which, if sold at the minimum price ($7 per acre), would give a permanent school fund of $18,900,000. The schools are supported by the proceeds arising from the sale and lease of school lands, from a general tax of two mills, and from fines, licenses, and dog tax. The ap- portionment is made by the state superinten- dent among the counties according to the num- ber of children between the ages of 5 and 21 years. In June, 1874, $107,764 were distribu- ted among 72,991 children. To be entitled to. a share of the state fund, districts having fewer than 75 pupils must support a school not less than three months, those having between 75 and 200 not less than six months, and those hav- ing more than 200 not less than nine months. There is no state board of education. The superintendent of public instruction is elected by the people for four years, and receives an annual salary of $2,000. County superinten- dents are also elected by popular vote. The most important statistics for the year ending Jan. 1, 1875, were as follows: I Number of school districts 2,215 " houses 1,516 " children 72,991 " attending school 47,718 " of male teachers 1,252 " of female teachers 1,483 Average monthly wages of male teachers $37 98 " of female teachers $32 12 Number of private schools 80 " of pupils in private schools 863 Tax for building school houses $204,998 " teachers' wages $73,920 Amount raised from all other sources $271,653 Total resources $888,740 Total expenditures for schools $1,004,957 Amount apportioned by state superintendent $292,471 " per pupil $4 00 " apportioned by county superintendents. . $201,871 Value of school houses and sites $1,546,480 The state normal school is at Peru, having a fine brick structure 90 by 63 ft. and three stories high above the basement. The institu- tion comprises a model school with primary, junior, and senior departments, and a normal school with a three years' course of instruction. Tuition is free. During the fall term of 1873 there were 201 pupils in the model and 60 in the normal department. The number of teach- ers in the latter was six. Normal institutes are also held throughout the state, but not at the public expense. The university of Nebras- ka, at Lincoln, constitutes a part of the educa- tional system of the state. It owes its exist- ence to a congressional grant of 44,800 acres of land for the support of a state university, and the donation of 90,000 acres granted by congress to Nebraska for the establishment of a state college of agriculture and the mechanic arts. By the same law of 1869 the regents were authorized to establish a university com- prising six departments or colleges : 1, a college of ancient and modern languages, mathematics, and natural science; 2, of agriculture; 3, of law; 4, of medicine; 5, of practical science, mechanics, and civil engineering; 6, of fine arts. The institution was opened in the au- tumn of 1871. In 1872 the department of lit- erature, science, and art was organized, with two courses of four years each, and in 1873 that of agriculture, with courses of two, three, and four years. In 1873-'4 there were 7 in- structors and 100 students. Both sexes are admitted. The other leading educational in- stitutions are Nebraska college (Protestant Episcopal), at Nebraska City, and Doane col- lege (Congregational), at Crete. The former affords instruction in classics, mathematics, science, and business, and has also a theologi- cal department. In 1874 it had a total of 10 instructors and 88 students. Doane college had 4 instructors and 50 students. According to the census of 1870, there were in the state 390 libraries, having 147,040 volumes, of which 219 with 95,125 volumes were private, and 171 with 51,915 volumes were other than pri-