582 



NEBRASKA. 



line to the target. The brass plate is divided 

 into a number of squares, the sides of which are 

 in proportion to the sides of the squares into 

 which the actual territory coming under observa- 

 tion is divided. When the two telescopes are 

 parallel the needle of a galvanometer included 

 in the circuit points to zero, moving either tele- 

 scope throws in a different resistance, and the 

 needle of the galvanometer is deflected. There 

 is a slider moving along one of the movable 

 arms, which are graduated in yards, and the 

 number of yards at which the slider rests when 

 the needle of the galvanometer is again at zero 

 shows the distance the target is off, while the 

 point of intersection of the movable arms is the 

 exact location of the target. The square over 

 which this intersection is located is then, with 

 the distance, reported to the battery officer, so 

 that he can regulate the pointing of his guns. 



NEBRASKA, a Western State, admitted to 

 the Union March 1, 1867; area, 76,855 square 

 miles. The population, according to each de- 

 cennial census since admission, was 122,993 in 

 1870 ; 452,402 in 1880 ; and 1,058,910 in 1890. 

 Capital, Lincoln. 



Government. The following were the State 

 officers during the year ; Governor, John 

 M. Thayer, Republican ; Lieutenant-Governor, 

 George D. Meiklejohn ; Secretary of State, Ben- 

 jamin R. Cowdery; Auditor of Public Accounts, 

 Thomas H. Benton ; Treasurer, John E. Hill; 

 Attorney-General, William Leese ; Superintend- 

 ent of Public Instruction, George B. Lane ; Com- 

 missioner of Public Lands and Buildings, J. 

 Steen ; Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, 

 Amasa Cobb ; Associate Justices, Samuel Max- 

 well and T. L. Norval. 



Population. The following table presents 

 the population of the State by counties, as ascer- 

 tained by the national census of 1890. compared 

 with the population for 1880 : 



* Decrease. 



Finances. The following facts are presented 

 by the State Treasurer in his biennial report : 

 Dec. 1, 1888. cash on hand ... . $936.298 72 

 Receipts since Dec. 1, 1888 4,686,328 42 



Total $5.622.627 14 



Disbursements since Dec. 1, 1888 $4,023.37^ 94 



Nov. 30, 1890, balance on hand 1,599.248 20 



The balances in the more important funds 

 on Nov. 30, 1890 were as follow : 

 General fund... . $404,20788 



Sinking fund 



Permanent school fund 



Temporary school fund 



Permanent university fund 



Temporary university fund 



Agricultural college endowment fund 



Hospital for insane fund 



The assessed valuation of the taxable prop- 

 erty of the State in 1889 was $182,763,538.41, an 

 increase of $6,750,717.96 compared with the as- 

 sessment of 1888. The assessment of 1890 gave 

 the value of property for taxation as $184,770,- 

 304.54, a total increase for two years of $8,757,- 

 484.09. 



522,364 86 

 305,032 99 

 3.3SO 78 

 47.782 65 

 11,813 71 

 11,084 42 



