840 



WYOMING. 



ate in the direction of the ancient languages or of 

 the modern, or of mathematics, or science, or his- 

 tory, or economics and sociology. These combina- 

 tions are known as " groups." Every student is 

 required to pursue at least one elected subject 

 through two successive years, in courses of four 

 hours a week, and in most subjects opportunity is 

 afforded to add still another year's work. Gradua- 

 tion with the degree of bachelor of arts requires 

 that the equivalent of about sixty hours a week of 

 class work for one year, or fifteen hours a week for 

 four years, shall have been accomplished. Labora- 

 tory work in the sciences is added to this. 



The college is in its ninth year, and during this 

 time 91 students have been graduated. In 1896 

 235 students were enrolled in the college classes, 

 over 90 being freshmen. The faculty, including 

 the instructors in art and physical training, num- 

 bers 30, of whom 14 are women. The heads of de- 

 partments are all specialists, most of them having 

 received the degree of Ph. D. from European or 

 American universities of rank. The total of neces- 

 sary expenses is, for the day student, $125 a year; 

 for the resident student, $375. 



WYOMING, a Northwestern State, admitted to 

 the Union July 10, 1890 ; area, 97,890 square miles. 

 Population in 1896, 60,705. Capital, Cheyenne. 



Government. The following were the State 

 officers during the year : Governor, W. A. Rich- 

 ards, Republican ; Secretary of State, Charles "W. 

 Burdick ; Treasurer, Henry G. Hay ; Auditor, Wil- 

 liam 0. Owen; Attorney-General, B. P. Fowler; 

 Adjutant General, Prank A. Stitzer ; Superintend- 

 ent of Instruction, Estelle Reel ; Chief Justice of 

 the Supreme Court, H. V. S. Groesbeck ; Associate 

 Justices, A. B. Conway, C. N. Potter ; Clerk of the 

 Supreme Court, R. H. Redpath. 



The report of the State Treasurer for the two 

 years ending Sept. 30, 1896, shows : Balance on 

 hand Sept. 30, 1894, $148,333.16 ; receipts for the 

 two years ending Sept. 30, 1896, $461,371.54 ; mak- 

 ing a total of $609,704.70. Disbursements for the 

 two years ending Sept, 30, 1896, $544,628.48, leav- 

 ing a balance Sept, 30, 1896, of $65,076.22. The 

 decrease in the cash balance was principally made 

 in 1895, the Treasurer's report for that year show- 

 ing balance on hand Sept. 30, 1894, $148,333.16; 

 balance on hand Sept. 30, 1895, $58,532.89; de- 

 crease. $89,800.27. This large decrease in the cash 

 balance was caused by charging against it the 

 amount of State funds that were on deposit in the 

 bank of T. A. Kent when it suspended in 1893 and 

 were not turned over to his successor by the ex- 

 Treasurer, together with the fact that there was re- 

 ceived from the State tax for 1895 the sum of $38,- 

 518.93 less than was received from that source in 

 1894, with no corresponding decrease in appropria- 

 tions. There was on deposit in the Kent bank at 

 the time of its suspension $56,454.70 of State money, 

 of which sum there has been paid into the treasury 

 $12,307.39, leaving a deficiency upon that account 

 of $44,147.31, for which amount suit has been 

 brought against ex-Treasurer Gramm. This amount 

 was deducted from the cash balance and was ap- 

 portioned to the several funds. The general fund 

 arises mainly from the State tax levied for general 

 purposes, and is augmented by certain fees of State 

 officers and sales of revised statutes, session laws. 

 condemned property, etc. Most of the general ap- 

 propriations are made from this fund. The Treas- 

 urer's report shows that the general fund on Sept. 

 30, 1896, was not only entirely exhausted, but war- 

 rants payable from that fund were at that time 

 outstanding for $6,600.30 in excess of the amount 

 in the treasury with which to pay the same. It is 

 estimated that the general fund will have a defi- 

 ciency of about $70,000 in 1898. 



Valuations. The report of the State Board of 

 Equalization shows the total valuation of all classes 

 of property in the State in 1896 to be $30,029,- 

 704.65 a gain of $190,765.86 over the valuation for 

 1895, and a gain over 1894 of $831,663.45. The 

 valuation for 1894 is the lowest between the years 

 1886 and 1896. The highest valuation was in 1888, 

 when the total State valuation was $33,338,541. 

 The State has therefore to increase its property 

 $3,308,836.35 before it is again as rich as it was 

 eight years ago. 



In 1886 there were in the State 898,121 cattle, 

 valued at $14,651,125. In 1896 the report shows 

 297,250 cattle, valued at $3,682,558. This shows a 

 falling off from 1886, the year of greatest prosper- 

 ity in the cattle business, of 600,871 head of cattle, 

 and in valuation a decrease of $10,968,567. Fall- 

 ing prices, losses from severe winters, overcrowded 

 ranges, and the removal from the State of herds on 

 account of depredations of cattle thieves, are said 

 to have contributed to the depression and decrease 

 in what was once the State's most promising in- 

 dustry. 



In 1886 the value of all property in the' State ex- 

 clusive, of cattle was $16.369,586. "in 1896 the valu- 

 ation of all property exclusive of cattle is reported 

 to be $26,847,146.65, showing a gain in general val- 

 ues, excepting cattle, in 1896 over 1886 of $9,977,- 

 5.")7.65, and a gain in 1896 over 1888, when the val- 

 uation exclusive of cattle was $25,184,829, of $1,- 

 152,317.65. 



A noticeable increase is in the sheep-raising busi- 

 ness. In 1886 the State had 308,997 sheep valued 

 at $1.52 per head, making a total value of $469,- 

 825.75. In 1896 they had increased to 1,308,063, 

 valued at $1.77 per head, making a total value of 

 $2.317,048.50. 



Railroad and telegraph valuations have increased 

 steadily since 1886. In that year the total assessed 

 valuation of the railroads of the State was $5,395,- 

 990.74. In 1896 the valuation increased to $7,102,- 

 200.25. 



The tax levy made by the Board of Equalization 

 for State purposes is 6'15 mills. This will yield 

 about $185,000. The amount required to meet the 

 ordinary expenditures of the State Government is 

 about $160,000 per annum, and the interest charges 

 on bonded indebtedness will approximate $19,200. 

 The bonded indebtedness of the State is $320,000, 

 and reaches the limit fixed by the Constitution, which 

 is 1 per cent, of the valuation except where it is 

 necessary to suppress insurrection. 



Education. The State University, at Laramie, 

 is in a nourishing condition. In addition to the 

 main building constructed at an outlay of $81,142, 

 which includes the premiums on the bonds, the 

 State has contributed to the support of the univer- 

 sity, from 1887 to 1896, $161,896. 



The total amount expended for the support of 

 the common schools in 1896 was $253,419.25, an in- 

 crease of $13,396.07 above 1895. The number of 

 pupils enrolled was 11,582, requiring the services of 

 465 teachers. The average monthly salary paid to 

 teachers is slightly over $50. The number of new 

 school buildings erected in 1896 was 306. A uni- 

 form course of study has been adopted in many of 

 the counties, with a view to preparing pupils for 

 the high schools, and later for the courses in the 

 university. 



The amount of land granted to the common 

 schools aggregates 3,600,000 acres. Of this acreage. 

 one twentieth has been leased, yielding an annual 

 rental of $8.500. There has been distributed 

 among the various counties of the State $24,8Hs.', ) }, 

 the amount of rental derived from school lands, on 

 the basis of the enrollment of school children in each 

 county. The permanent fund derived from school 



