Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume XVI.djvu/168

148 for common schools and universities, including 7,830,000 reserved by act of congress passed July 2, 1862, for the establishment in the several states of colleges for the benefit of agriculture and the mechanic arts. The organization and control of these institutions are given to the respective states and many of them are in operation. The following are the most important facts relating to the common schools in the United States in 1874, as reported by the bureau of education, the number of states in the Union being 37, and of territories, including the District of Columbia, 11:

The higher and special institutions of instruction were as follows:

The charitable educational institutions embraced, besides those mentioned for the blind, deaf and dumb, and feeble-minded, 56 reform schools, 156 orphan asylums, 21 soldiers' orphans' homes, 9 infant asylums, and 57 miscellaneous charities. There were 26 industrial schools, with 259 teachers and 6,096 pupils. Art instruction, including training in industrial art, was afforded by 26 institutions. There were 44 museums of natural history, and 27 of art. (See, vol. vi., pp. 424-431.) No general provision is made by the United States for the treatment of the insane, idiotic, deaf and dumb, or blind. Such institutions are organized and maintained by

the states and by corporations. (See, , , and .) There is a government hospital for the insane in the District of Columbia, intended for the treatment of the insane of that district and of the army and navy. The superintendent is appointed by the secretary of the interior. The Columbia deaf and dumb institution is intended primarily for the deaf and dumb of the District of Columbia; but pupils residing in the states, not exceeding 40 in number, may be admitted to the collegiate department without charge for tuition. For an account of the charitable and reformatory institutions maintained or aided by congress in the District of Columbia, see, and. United States prisoners are confined in state or territorial prisons. For the prison systems of the states and the mode of treating paupers, see , and ; see also .—The total number of libraries in 1870 was 164,815 having 45,528,938 volumes. Of these, 108,800 with 26,072,420 volumes were private, and 56,015 with 19,456,518 volumes other than private. They were classified as follows: 1 congressional library, with 190,000 volumes; 14 departmental, 115,185; 53 state and territorial, 653,915; 1,101 town, city, &c., 1,237,430; 1,073 court and law, 425,782; 14,375 school, college, &c., 3,598,537; 33,580 Sabbath school, 8,346,153; 4,478 church, 1,634,915; 47 of historical, literary, and scientific societies, 590,002; 9 of charitable and penal institutions, 13,890; 43 of benevolent and secret associations, 114,581; and 1,241 circulating, 2,536,128. In 1876 the library of congress had more than 300,000 volumes. (See, vol. x., p. 404.)—The whole number of newspapers and periodicals in 1870 was 5,871, having an aggregate circulation of 20,842,475, and issuing annually 1,508,548,250 copies. There were 574 daily, with a circulation of 2,601,547; 107 tri-weekly, 155,105; 115 semi-weekly, 247,197; 4295 weekly, 10,594,643; 96 semi-monthly, 1,349,820; 622 monthly, 5,650,843; 13 bi-monthly, 31,650; and 49 quarterly, 211,670. In 1875 the total number was reported at 7,870, including 718 daily, 80 tri-weekly, 107 semi-weekly, 6,957 weekly, 24 bi-weekly, 106 semi-monthly, 802 monthly, 8 bi-monthly, and 68 quarterly. (See, vol. xii., p. 342.)—There is no established or state church in the United States. The most numerous denominations are the Methodists, Roman Catholics, Baptists, and Presbyterians, which are generally found in all parts of the country, though the number of Presbyterians is not great in New England, and the Baptist denomination is not relatively so strong there as in other parts of the country. But a small proportion of the Roman Catholics are of American parentage, being mostly of Irish, German, and French nativity. Of the 2,887 Congregational organizations reported by the census of 1870, 1,400 were in New England and 1,178 in New