WISCONSIN. 



The receipts of wheat at Milwaukee for 1866 

 amounted to 12,664,448 bushels, constituting 

 that city the largest primary wheat depot in 

 the world. The number of acres returned for 

 taxation was 17,714,259, at an assessed value 

 of $92,211,405. 



The mining, lumbering, and manufacturing 

 interests of the State are second in importance 

 to agriculture alone. Millions of dollars are 

 invested in these pursuits, controlled by a class 

 of citizens among the most enterprising and in- 

 dustrious. 



The energy displayed by the inhabitants 

 during the past few years in projecting and 

 carrying out successful enterprises of internal 

 improvement, is considerable, and will soon 

 envelop the whole State in a network of much- 

 needed railways. Among the most important 

 now projected and to be completed at an early 

 day, are the Tomah and St. Croix ; Portage and 

 Sxiperior ; Milwaukee and Fond du Lac ; the 

 Manitowoc and Mississippi; the Oshkosh and 

 Mississippi ; the Sugar River Valley, from the 

 State line, via Madison, to Portage ; _ the St. 

 Croix and Superior, extension of the line from 

 Sheboygan to Fond du Lac; the lines from 

 Green Bay to the Mississippi ; Mineral Point 

 to Dubuque ; Monroe southwest to the Missis- 

 sippi ; between Omro and Oshkosh ; from 

 Madison, northwest, via Baraboo ; and Mil- 

 waukee to "West Bend. The completion of the 

 Northern Pacific Railroad will develop the rich 

 country north and west of Lake Superior, and 

 consequently is of great importance. 



All of these lines traverse rich portions of 

 this State, throwing open its remotest parts. 

 The citizens along the routes of many of them, 

 alive to their utility, are freely contributing 

 large sums of money, and urging them on by 

 every possible means to a speedy completion. 



The number of railroad companies making re- 

 ports is nine, having a total length of 1,731 miles. 



Capital actually subscribed $14,099,400 00 



Number of through passengers 260,523 



Number of way passengers 1,897,053 



Total number of passengers 2,157,576 



Number of tons of freight carried. . . . 104,203 



Receipts from passengers $4,311,004 67 



Receipts from property 9,411,361 34 



Receipts for mails 189,287 51 



Total receipts for transportation.. $13,902,714 52 



Amount of State tax paid 203,296 10 



Passengers and others killed 15 



Passengers and others injured 17 



During the past year officers detailed by the 

 War Department have made surveys of a por- 

 tion of the Mississippi Kiver, with a view to 

 the removal of obstructions to its navigation, 

 by the improvement of the Eock Island and 

 Des Moines Rapids. 



The Illinois, Rock, Fox and Wisconsin Rivers 

 have also been surveyed, with reference to a 

 water communication between the Mississippi 

 and the Great Lakes. Both projects are con- 

 sidered entirely feasible. 



It is reported practicable to construct a line 

 of navigation by Rock River to Lakes Horicon 

 and Winnebago, with at least the capacity of 

 the Erie Canal, thereby furnishing to the people 

 along its route facilities for the transportation 

 of heavy freight, which would be of incalcula- 

 ble advantage to them. It is deemed by the 

 engineers in charge, that the Wisconsin can be 

 rendered perfectly navigable, by such methods 

 of engineering as have been tried on similar 

 streams elsewhere and found successful, or, 

 should this in the end prove impracticable, 

 that a canal of large capacity can be built 

 along its valley at a cost so small as to warrant 

 the undertaking. 



The public schools of Wisconsin are prosper- 

 ous in a high degree ; taxes are liberally voted ; 

 a good class of buildings is found, and a better 

 one is in progress, well furnished with all the 

 articles necessary in schools ; an increased and 

 continually increasing demand for better quali- 

 fied teachers exists ; a greater interest is taken 

 in education by the people ; associations for the 

 mutual improvement of teachers are springing 

 up ; the best methods of teaching are sought. 



There are seventeen academies in the State, 

 having 90 teachers and 2,200 students ; nine 

 colleges, having 55 professors and 1,439 stu- 

 dents ; also, two hundred and twenty- eight 

 private schools, having 8,000 pupils. 



In the number of normal schools for training 

 teachers Wisconsin takes the lead of all the 

 States in the Union, six having been projected 

 one in each Congressional district in the State. 



The number of children in the State between 



the ages of ftmr and twenty 352,005 



Number attending public schools 234,205 



Number of teachers employed 7,879 



The whole amount expended by the 



people in support of common schools 



was $1,190,289 10 



The amount of the school fund at the 



close of the fiscal year was 2,141,892 17 



The total receipts for the fiscal year, 



being for sales of lands, dues, loans 



paid, taxes, etc., amounted to 329,412 44 



The disbursements were $420,560 74 



The amount of land belonging to the fund is 

 463,463.93 acres. 



The school fund is composed of : 1. Proceeds 

 of all lands granted by the United States for 

 support of schools ; 2. All moneys accruing 

 from forfeiture or escheat, and trespass penal- 

 ties on school lands ; 3. All fines collected in 

 the several counties for breach of the penal 

 laws ; and 4. All moneys paid as an exemption 

 from military duty. 



Wisconsin has manifested a liberal spirit in 

 providing for the destitute and unfortunate, 

 and in establishing such reformatory institu- 

 tions as the criminal require. Asylums have 

 been established for the insane, the deaf and 

 dumb, and the blind, a reform school for juvenile 

 offenders, and a State prison. 



The trustees of the Insane Hospital report 

 that the number of patients in the institution, 

 October 1st, was 177. 



