Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume XII.djvu/281

 NEVADA 269 lish a uniform system of common schools, and also a state university to embrace depart- ments of agriculture, mechanic arts, and mi- ning. A common school is required to be maintained for at least six months of each year in each school district. The school law vests the general control of the schools in a state board of education consisting of the governor, surveyor general, and superintendent of public instruction ; a county superintendent of public schools for each county, elected for two years ; and a board of trustees of three or five mem- bers for each district, elected by classes for four years. By an act of 1873 all children be- tween the ages of 8 and 14 years, unless other- wise educated, are required to attend the pub- lic schools at least 16 weeks in each school year, at least 8 weeks of which must be con- secutive. The following statistics are for the year ending Aug. 31, 1874 : number of children between 6 and 18 years of age, 6,315 ; number of school districts, 71 ; of schools, 108 (2 high, 12 grammar, 4 intermediate, 21 primary, 69 un- classified) ; of teachers, 115 ; pupils enrolled, 4,811; average daily attendance, 2,884; aver- age duration of schools, 7 months ; total re- ceipts for school purposes, $126,093 97, of which $30,811 98 was derived from state ap- portionments, $81,945 24 from county taxes, $11,485 99 from district taxes, $317 69 from rate bills, and $1,533 07 from miscellaneous sources ; total expenditure, $124,301 64, of which $83,548 88 was for teachers' wages, $22,241 05 for sites, buildings, repairs, and furniture, and $18,511 71 for other purposes; value of school property, $121,011 ; amount of permanent school fund, $250,000. The state university was established by an act of 1873, and the preparatory or academic department was opened in October, 1874. The legislature in 1875 appropriated $20,000 for its support. An act was passed at the same session provi- ding for an agricultural college, under the con- gressional land grant of 90,000 acres, for col- leges of arts and mines, and for a normal school. According to the census of 1870, there were 314 libraries, with 158,040 volumes, of which 286 with 118,100 volumes were private. Of those not private, 1 was the state library with 20,000 volumes ; 1 court and law, 250 ; 16 Sabbath school, 5,950; 2 church, 600; 8 circulating, 15,140. The number of newspa- pers was 12, issuing 2,572,000 copies a year, and having a circulation of 11,300; 5 were daily, 2 semi-weekly, and 5 weekly. The num- ber of church organizations was 32 (5 Episco- pal, 11 Methodist, 1 Mormon, 5 Presbyterian, and 10 Roman Catholic), having 19 edifices, with 8,000 sittings and property to the value of $212,000. The region within the limits of Nevada forms part of the Mexican cession of 1848. The territory of Nevada was created by act of congress of March 2, 1861, from a portion of Utah, and embraced the region bounded N. by the present boundary of the state, E. by the 116th meridian, S. by the 37th parallel, and "W. by California. A portion of California was included by the act within the limits of the territory, but the consent of that state to its transfer was refused. By the act of July 14, 1862, a further portion of Utah was added, extending the E. boundary to the 115th meridian. The act of March 21, 1864, enabled the inhabitants to form a state govern- ment, and, a constitution having been framed and ratified by the people, Nevada was de- clared a state by a proclamation of the presi- dent of Oct. 31 of that year. A third portion of Utah was added by the act of May 5, 1866, extending the E. boundary to the 114th me- ridian, and by the same act the portion of the state S. of the 37th parallel was added from Arizona. The first settlements within the present limits of the state were made by Mor- mons in Carson, Eagle, and Washoe valleys in the west, near the present towns of Genoa and Carson City, in 1848, and the two or three fol- lowing years. Gold was discovered in 1849 in the same vicinity, near the site of the present town of Dayton, and attracted some miners; but at the time of the discovery of silver in 1859 the population did not exceed 1,000. From this period the growth of Nevada may be dated. Within two years the mines were fairly in operation, the number of inhabitants having risen to upward of 16,000 in August, 1861. The first discoveries embraced the Corn- stock lode and other mines in the west. NEVADA. I. A S. "W. county of Arkansas, formed since the census of 1870 from portions of Columbia and Ouachita counties, bounded N. by the Little Missouri river, a branch of the Washita, and drained by several tributaries of that stream and of Red river ; area, 625 sq. m. The surface is rolling and generally well timbered. The valleys contain much produc- tive soil. Capital, Mount Moriah. II. A N. E. county of California, bordering on Nevada, and drained by Middle and South Tuba riv- ers; area, 1,026 sq. m. ; pop. in 1870, 19,134, of whom 2,627 were Chinese. The surface is generally mountainous, especially toward the east, which is traversed by the Sierra Nevada range. One half of the area is estimated to be occupied by mineral lands. Gold mining is the principal industry, and agriculture receives little attention, though there is much arable land, and timber is abundant. The county contains several of the richest and most pro- ductive quartz lodes in the state, and the pla- cer diggings are not surpassed by any other. The number of mines in 1870 was 80, viz. : 25 hydraulic, 40 placer, and 15 quartz. The Cen- tral Pacific railroad passes along the S. border. The chief productions in 1870 were 5,548 bush- els of potatoes, 10,183 gallons of wine, 50,741 Ibs. of butter, and 4,804 tons of hay. There were 786 horses, 1,148 milch cows, 1,156 oth- er cattle, 504 sheep, and 1,137 swine on farms; 1 manufactory of boots and shoes, 3 of iron castings, 2 of machinery, 4 of sash, doors, and blinds, 6 of tin, copper, and sheet-iron ware,