NEBRASKA. 



585 



is not less than 600,000. The total assessed value of 

 property as shown by the grand assessment roll of 

 1882, on file in the office of the State Auditor, is $98,- 

 537,475.11. 



The sparse settlements of 1867 were remote from 

 centers of trade and railroad connections, and were 

 deprived of most of the comforts of life. The people 

 of Nebraska are now brought into close relations with 

 the commercial and social world, and it is a gratifying 

 fact that every organized county in the State, except 

 eight, has railroad facilities. Two principal agencies 

 have accomplished this transformation. The home- 

 steaders, under the liberal policy of the General Gov- 

 ernment, accepting a heritage which in itself was a 

 valuable legacy, have toiled from year to year with 

 untiring energy and splendid success in improving 

 the lands thus secured. The capitalists of this and 

 other countries, having a degree of faith in our future 

 which has been more than justified by results, pushed 

 the work of railroad extension in Nebraska with un- 

 exampled zeal, and thus opened the way for the large 

 immigration which followed from the Eastern States 

 and the Old World. 



The policy of the General Government in granting 

 aid to railroads, as in giving homesteads to settlers, 

 was designed to promote the common welfare, and it 

 speedily gave us a railroad system which has been a 

 potent agency in developing our natural resources. 

 The practical co-operation of the above-mentioned 

 agencies has brought us to a period of prosperity 

 which is contemplated with feelings of pride by every 

 citizen of Nebraska. 



FINANCES AND EDUCATION. The receipts and 

 disbursements of the Treasury for the two 

 years ending November 30, 1882, as shown by 

 the Treasurer's report, were as follow : 



Balance in Treasury, November 30, 1880 $843,018 61 



Beceipts from all sources during the two years 

 ending November 30, 1882, including transfers 1,943,307 64 



Total amount $2,256,326 25 



Disbursed during same period, including trans- 

 fers 1,814,211 75 



Balance on hand, November 30, 1882 $472,114 50 



The bonded indebtedness of the State is : 



Belief bonds due in 1885 $50,000 00 



Funding bonds due in 1897. 449,267 85 



Total $499,267 35 



The aggregate valuation of property assessed 

 for taxation in 1881, as shown by the Auditor's 

 report, was $93,142,456.99, and in 1882, $98,- 

 537,475.11. The rates of levy, and amounts 

 that will accrue to the State on the assessment 

 of 1882, are as follow : 



General fund, four and one half mills $437,874 44 



Sinking fund, one quarter mill 23,726 15 



School fund, one mill 98,537 47 



University fund, three eighths mill 86,951 56 



Total $597,089 62 



The number of acres of educational lands 

 held by the State, November 30, 1882, was 2,- 

 582,366-65. Of this amount 217,080 acres have 

 been sold but not deeded, 489,440 have been 

 leased, leaving 1,872,846-65 acres subject to 

 sale or lease. During the two years preceding 

 the above date 274,699*70 acres were leased 

 at an estimated aggregate valuation of $824,- 

 099.10. During the same period 88,627 acres 

 were sold for the sum of $657,971.42, being an 

 average of $7.42 per acre. 



The report of the State Superintendent of 

 Public Instruction embodies a fund of valuable 



information concerning the common-school 

 system of the State. The school attendance in 

 1882 was 115,546, an increase of 14,770 over 

 the number in attendance the previous year. 

 The total value of school property is estimated 

 at $2,054,049.18. The permanent school fund 

 is invested as follows : 



Cash in Treasury, November 80, 1 882 $135,208 37 



United States four per cent bonds 15,000 00 



County bonds 303,600 00 



Mortgages 4,000 00 



State funding bonds 826,267 35 



Claims in hands of Attorney-General for collec- 

 tion 7,692 23 



Notes from sales of school-lands 1,470,919 49 



Grand total $2,262,687 44 



The fund derived from this endowment has 

 increased from year to year in about the same 

 proportion as the increase of population, con- 

 sequently the distribution per capita has not 

 materially changed. 



The unfortunate controversy which was for 

 some time a disturbing element in connection 

 with the affairs of the State University has been 

 brought to a close, and the faculty is in process 

 of reorganization upon a basis which enables 

 the institution to enter upon a period of en- 

 larged usefulness and prosperity. 



A period of uninterrupted prosperity is re- 

 ported by the Principal of the State Normal 

 School the last year being the most prosper- 

 ous in its history. The catalogue shows an at- 

 tendance of 318 students. 



STATE INSTITUTIONS. On the 30th of No- 

 vember, 1880, there were 193 patients in the 

 Hospital for the Insane. During the two years 

 following, 288 were received, 165 discharged, 

 1 escaped and 42 died ; leaving 273 in the hos- 

 pital November 30, 1882. The hospital farm 

 has been very productive during the past year, 

 and the crops produced have materially de- 

 creased the average cost of maintaining the in- 

 mates. 



The average cost per capita per week of 

 maintaining the inmates of the asylum, includ- 

 ing salaries and expenses of every kind during 

 the past two years, has been $3.24|. 



At the regular session of 1881 the Legislature 

 provided for the construction of an additional 

 building in connection with the Institute for 

 the Deaf and Dumb. The building has been 

 erected and completed by contract under the 

 general supervision of the Board of Public 

 Lands and Buildings, and is now partly occu- 

 pied. 



The total number of pupils in attendance is 

 120, an increase of 24 over the number re- 

 ported two years ago. The average cost per 

 capita per week of maintenance of inmates has 

 been $3.29. 



The educational and industrial departments 

 of the Institute for the Blind have been con- 

 ducted with success. The number enrolled at 

 the present time is 25. The average cost per 

 capita per week of maintaining the inmates 

 during the past two years has been $5.33. 



In accordance with the act of the Legislature 



