ARKANSAS. 



45 



outlay by the State. Thero is a normal 

 bnuu-h <>f this institution located at Pine 

 Hluil'-t. St. John's College unsuccessfully asked 

 of the Legislature an appropriation of $5,000 

 per annum, to be expended in the establish- 

 ment of a department of chemistry, metallurgy, 

 geology, and mining; which department was 

 to accomplish a thorough geological survey of 

 each county, furnish a complete collection of 

 specimens of the mineral productions of the 

 State, and publish the results of its labors. 

 The college engaged further to provide, in 

 !.T;ition of the State aid thus to be re- 

 1, a free normal school. 



It is made the constitutional duty of the Gen- 

 eral Assembly to provide by law for the sup- 

 port of institutions for the education of the 

 deaf and dumb and of the blind, and also for 

 the treatment of the insane. A beginning has 

 been made for the education of the deaf and 

 dumb and of the blind; but the institutions 

 established for that purpose are imperfect. 

 Owing to the embarrassed financial condition 

 of the State, the appropriations for their sup- 

 port have been insufficient to provide for the 

 education of all of those unfortunate classes 

 residing in it. 



In the Blind Institute forty-six pupils have 

 been instructed during the last two years. 

 Through lack of funds the number of pupils 

 was limited and the length of the sessions re- 

 duced. The deaf-mute institution requires an 

 appropriation of $8,000 for its maintenance, 

 and for the pupil fund the sum of $180 per 

 pupil. The sum of $50,000 was appropriated 

 in 1873 for the erection of a lunatic asylum. 

 Of this appropriation $21,000 in scrip was 

 drawn by the trustees, and the balance of $29,- 

 000 reverted to the Treasury; $16,000 was ex- 

 pended in purchasing ground for the building, 

 and $5,000 converted into currency, realizing 

 $3,366.61. Out of this amount there has been 

 paid for improvements on the ground, for 

 plans and specifications for buildings, and on 

 other accounts, $1,104.16, leaving in the hands 

 of the trustees $2,262.45. The number of in- 

 sane persons in the State, as nearly as can be 

 ascertained, is about 300. Many of these are 

 now "confined in loathsome and pestilent jails, 

 unfit for the meanest criminals, without any 

 regard for sex or condition." The trustees 

 estimate that it will require an appropriation 

 of at least $150,000 in current money for the 

 erection of " suitable and substantial buildings 

 for the insane." 



An enrollment of the militia of the State 

 has been made, and all irregular organizations 

 disbanded. The State possesses, nominally, 

 1,162 Springfield breech-loading rifle muskets, 

 79 muzzle-loading muskets, 61 shot-guns, 1 

 (62-pounder) Parrott gun, complete, and 1 

 (64-pounder) siege-gun, with sundry ordnance 

 stores. There is due to the State from the 

 United States, on her quota of arms, $11,977. 



The number of convicts in the State Peni- 

 tentiary on December 1, 1878, was 496. There 



had been released during the year 201. Dur- 

 ing the years 1877 and 1878 the Governor 

 pardoned 50 convicts out of the penitentiary ; 

 released from fines and imprisonment in coun- 

 ty jails, 55 ; commuted the sentence of death 

 passed on three persons to imprisonment for 

 life; and under the provisions of the act of 

 January 31, 1867, granted, for exemplary con- 

 duct during their confinement in the peniten- 

 tiary, commutations of sentence to 177 pris- 

 oners. 



The investigation by a committee of the 

 House of Congress relative to the failure of the 

 appropriation for the Hot Springs,* showed 

 it to have been the consequence of an over- 

 sight and not of a premeditated design. The 

 appropriation was therefore confirmed. The 

 Commissioners were reappointed in December, 

 1878, for one year. The engineer in charge 

 finished the laying out of the streets in the 

 southern portion of the city. Thirty-nine 

 streets and eight main avenues have been sur- 

 veyed. The Hot Springs reservation is under 

 the superintendence of General B. F. Kelly 

 of West Virginia. The bath-houses pay an an- 

 nual rental to the United States of $5 for every 

 bathing-tub in actual use. The money re- 

 ceived from this source will be applied toward 

 improving and embellishing the mountain with 

 shady walks, carriage-drives, and summer- 

 houses. Certificates of ownership are granted 

 by the Commissioners, and improvements on 

 an extensive scale are projected. 



Considerable excitement was created by the 

 reported discovery of silver ore in Montgom- 

 ery County, about thirty-five miles from Hot 

 Springs. The locality is at the extension of 

 the Santa Rosa Mountain range into the basin 

 of the Mississippi. The topography and geol- 

 ogy of this Arkansas region are similar to that 

 of New Mexico, and may be rich in minerals. 



Vigorous and successful measures were 

 taken under the direction of the State Board 

 of Health to keep out of the State yellow 

 fever and other infectious diseases. 



A colored convention assembled at Little 

 Rock on April 12th to consider the subject of 

 emigration. There was a fair representation 

 from different sections of the State. Fifteen 

 delegates and as many alternates to the con- 

 ference at Nashville on May 6th were ap- 

 pointed. Resolutions were adopted affirming 

 that, as colored citizens of Arkansas in many 

 localities were not allowed free enjoyment of 

 their constitutional rights, they were desirous 

 of emigrating to some other State or Territory 

 where the elective franchise can be enjoyed 

 nnmolested, and recommending the appoint- 

 ment of two colored commissioners under the 

 National Migration Aid Society to select a 

 suitable State or Territory, and a national 

 donation or loan to aid settlers in the territory 

 selected. The convention resolved itself into 

 an auxiliary State Migration Aid Society, and 

 appointed an executive committee. 



Sa * Annual Cyclopaedia," 1378, p.lJSI 



