540 



KENTUCKY. 



who have kept your prison, and they will tell you ; 

 but shuddering delicacy will turn away and avert its 

 head at the disgusting recital. The revelations would 

 remind you of Sodom and Gomorrah. Let not such 

 things be even under the very shadow of our Capitol. 

 Kemember, pur Constitution says cruel punishment 

 shall not be inflicted. If this is not cruel, the English 

 language has lost all meaning. 



There are in the State three asylums for the 

 insane, but these are overcrowded, because 

 of various counties thrusting into them a class 

 of incurable epileptics and idiots. Many of 

 this class of unfortunates are entirely harmless 

 and quite rational, except when in epileptic 

 convulsions, which occur at intervals of weeks 

 or more, and last hut a few hours. There is 

 also an Asylum for the Blind at Louisville, a 

 Deaf and Dumb Asylum at Danville, and the 

 Feeble-Minded Institute at Frankfort. The 

 condition of these institutions is represented 

 as very favorable. The number of children 

 in the last-named institution is 131. The 

 receipts of the year were $32,579, and the 

 disbursements were $28,045. Of the opera- 

 tion of the institution the superintendent thus 

 speaks : 



tucky ; eight of the life and sixty-three of the 

 fire companies are organized under the laws of 

 other States ; and fifteen fire companies are of 

 foreign countries. The amount of insurance 

 upon lives and property of citizens of this 

 State, December 31, 1878, was $116,567,851. 

 The premiums received during that year from 

 this State were $1,860,591, and the losses paid 

 amounted to $1,028,397. Of these amounts, 

 $22,655,687 were issued by Kentucky compa- 

 nies, $93,912,164 by companies of other States 

 and foreign countries. Kentucky companies 

 collected in the State, for 1878, $335,545, and 

 companies of other States and foreign coun- 

 tries collected $1,525,046. Companies of the 

 State paid for losses $120,528, and companies 

 of other States and foreign countries paid 

 $907,869. Not included in the above state- 

 ment is the business of two accident and three 

 mutual fire companies, the three latter being 

 companies whose operations are confined to 

 this State alone. 



The number of the colored population of the 

 State is 250,000. According to the assessment 

 returns in the Auditor's office, the following 

 results are shown : 



WHITES. 



Total value of property for taxation. 1879 $341,949,321 00 



Total tax on same, at"40 cents per $ 100 1,367,71)7 28 



Less than one year ago a carpenter shop was erected, 

 and a practical mechanic employed to teach them, and 

 several boys put to that trade. They have progressed 

 so satisfactorily, that they can now be sent to any part 

 of the premises to do the most intricate work. Some 



months afterward a shoe-shop was furnished with ne- BLACKS. 



cessary tools and leather, a teacher, also a practical me- Totel value of property for taxation, 1879. . . . $3,088,554 00 



chanic, employed, and several boys put to that trade. Total tox on me ' at 45 ccnts l' er * !0 1:! - s;)S 4y 



So that now we are doing all the work required about Total va , uatlon for 18T8 . . $854^1^7600 



the institution in carpentry, and also making and Total tax for 1878 141607870 



mending all the shoes used hi the institution, saving Total valuation for'i877.. ..'....'........'.'.'... 8S3,012,'736 00 



largely in annual expenditures in this direction, teach- Total tax for 1877 ],582.'o50 94 



ing the boys valuable trades, and enabling the man- Total valuation for 1876 896,534,486 00 



agement, in the course of a few years, to send out an- Total tax for 1876. . 1,586,137 94 



nually a class of competent workmen. It is believed J ^"teisw I*'!!'!?! 2 



that the number of self-sustaining boys thus leaving lob S7 1,879,212 OS 



every year will be at least equal to the number desir- The yalue O f the ra il rO ads, as made by the 



ing admittance, and in this way we shall be able to Cf , -D^^^A ^c '! ,. 2 * 



provide for all the children of this class in the State ; ** Board of Equalization for taxation, is as 



for as these boys improve, and get from under the im- follows : 



mediate care or their instructors, others will take their Valuation. 



places, until all who arc old enough will be engaged St. Louis and Southeastern $610,734 00 



in some industry. Memphis, Paducah, and Northern 806,425 00 



Paducah and Elizabethtown 585,498 20 



The geological survey of the State is nearly Mobile and Ohio ... ... 199,325 oo 



, Y , - rt . J , , ,,. . % Chicago, St. Louis, and New Orleans 892,26175 



completed. Four volumes have been published 8 t. LJuis, iron Mountain, and Southern 12,868 is 



and two are ready for publication. The most Nashville, Chattanooga, and St. Louis 68,00000 



PonsifWflhlfl nirt nf fhp work that vpt remains Owensboro and Nashville 105,000 00 



LeraOle^pait 01 tne WOrK tnat yet remains Louisville mA Nashville and Great Southern.. 5,677,571 00 



to be done IS the topographical surveying ne- Louisville, Cincinnati, and Lexington 2,267,44400 



cessary to complete the State map. This work ui * vi " e . Kailw . a x Transfer. . 



f , , ,. , Elizabethtown, Lexington, and Big Sandy... 256.97800 



nas already SO far advanced that a relatively Lexington and Big Sandy, Eastern Division.. 176,800 00 



Small expenditure Will secure as Complete and Eastern Kentucky Railway Company. 125,77100 



accurate representation of the geography and ESSSS&te m cWMZ*&+. ttjoo Z 



geology of the State as has yet been given of Mt. sterling Coal Koad 42,000 oo 



anv Stnfp in tha TTnirm Kentucky Central 1,273,925 00 



any or, e Union. Maysville and Lexington Railroad, Northern 



The success of fish-culture has been very Division 451,70000 



encouraging. Many millions of young fish have Maysville and Lexington K.iilroad, Southern 



been placed in the waters of the State, and ci?cTnnat" Southern Kaiiroad.'.' .'.'.'.'":.'.':;::: sjooS oo 



abundant results are anticipated. Shelby Eailroad Company 140,675 00 



The number of insurance companies now _. , ,..- ~ ... M 



, , . Total slo.u44.084 40 



regularly authorized to transact business in 



Kentucky is ninety-six, of which nine are life The increase is $703,000 over the assessment 



and eighty-seven are fire companies. One of for 1878. 



the life and nine of the fire companies are or- The State guards who were sent to quell dis- 



ganized and operated under the laws of Ken- turbances in Breathitt County in December, 



