784 



WEST VIRGINIA. 



some persons perished from thirst, and the 

 situation of many districts would have become 

 critical but for- the energy displayed by the 

 Captain-General, who made a trip through the 

 portions of the island where immediate as- 

 sistance was most needed, took the necessary 

 measures, and distributed funds where wanted. 



Railroad-building has not been attempted in 

 Porto Rico; but there are in operation 473 

 miles of telegraph. 



The peninsular and foreign trade movement 

 in Porto Rico for two years was : 



The chief articles exported during 1884 were: 



Sugar... .. 79,733 tons, worth $5,182,976 



Coffee 1T.071 M " 4,779,742 



Molasses 80,864 " " -740,744 



Tobacco 1,758 " " 573,072 



The American trade with Porto Rico has 

 been as follows: 



The American exports embraced 78,534 bar- 

 rels of flour, 466,699 gallons of refined petro- 

 leum, and 5,713,285 pounds of provisions of 

 all sorts. 



WEST VIRGINIA. State GoYernment. The fol- 

 lowing were the State officers during the year : 

 Governor, E. Willis Wilson, Democrat ; Secre- 

 tary of State, Henry S. Walker; Treasurer, 

 William T. Thompson; Auditor, Patrick F. 

 Duffy; Superintendent of Free Schools, Ben- 

 jamin S. Morgan ; Attorney-General, Alfred 

 Cal dwell. Supreme Court of Appeals : Presi- 

 dent, Okey Johnson; Judges, Samuel Woods, 

 Adam 0. Snyder, and Thomas 0. Green. In 

 May the seat of government was removed from 

 Wheeling to Charleston. 



Legislative Session. The Legislature met on 

 Jan. 14, and adjourned on Feb. 27. The fol- 

 lowing are among the acts passed : 



Amending the election law so that general elections 

 shall be held on the Tuesday next after the first Mon- 

 day in November. 



Authorizing the State Superintendent of Free 

 Schools to contract for the supply of class-books to be 

 used in the free schools of the State. 



Amending the existing law so that the term of office 

 of the Governor, State Superintendent of Free Schools, 

 Treasurer, Auditor, and Attorney-General shall begiii 

 on the 4th of March next after their election : of mem- 

 bers of the Legislature, on the 1st day of .December 

 next after their election ; and of judges and county 

 officers, on the 1st day of January next after their 

 election. 



Authorizing any person or persons or corporations 

 to construct, and to condemn land for the construc- 

 tion of, lateral railroads, and regulating traffic over 

 the same. 



Giving railroad companies, organized since March 

 14, 1881, two years within which to commence con- 

 struction, three years to expend thereon 10 per cent. 



of the capital stock actually subscribed, and ten years 

 to complete and put the road in operation. 



Kelating to corporations for the mutual relief and 

 protection of their members, insuring lives on the as- 

 sessment plan. 



Amending the tax and assessment laws. 



To enlarge the duties and powers of Boards of Edu- 

 cation in reference to the purchase of text-books pre- 

 scribed by law lor use in the free schools of the State. 



To prevent county courts from abusing their powers. 



To prevent the manufacture and sale of mixed and 

 impure butter and cheese, and imitations thereof. 



Making it unlawful for certain stock to run at large, 

 and making the owner thereof liable in damages lor 

 injury or destruction of property thereby. 



A prohibitory amendment passed in the Senate, and 

 failed in the House by two votes. 



Coal. The following coal statistics are for 

 the year 1883: 



Tons. 



Production of eighty-nine mines 2,5-40,020 



Estimate of twenty-nine mines from which no re- 

 ports were received 256,546 



Total for one hundred and eighteen mines 2,805,566 



Shipped out of the State by railroad, east 1,248,986 



Shipped out of the State by railroad, west 10(5,574 



Total by railroad 1,355.560 



Shipped out of the State by river 625,717 



Total quantity of coal shipped out of the State. 1,981,277 



Assessment of Property. The following are 

 items of the assessment for 1884: Number of 

 horses, mules, and asses, 127,282 ; of cattle, 

 406,055; sheep, 680,718; hogs, 212,114; car- 

 riages, vehicles, etc., not elsewhere included, 

 43,815; watches and clocks, 60,055; piano- 

 fortes and inelodeons, 7,096; value of horses, 

 etc., $6,384,456; cattle, $6,531,349; sheep, 

 $1,255,329; carriages, etc., $1,223.767; watch- 

 es and clocks, $459,842 ; piano-fortes and nielo- 

 deons, $524,444 ; value of farming and garden 

 utensils and implements, $2,650,142; house- 

 hold and kitchen furniture, $4,546,599 ; value 

 of property and capital (not real estate) em- 

 ployed in any trade or business, after deduct- 

 ing debts, $3,355,934; all money and value 

 of all credits and investments not otherwise 

 assessed nor exempt, after deducting debts, 

 $9,916,098; value of toll-bridges and ferries, 

 $292,388; value of all personal property not 

 exempt nor otherwise assessed, including stock 

 in any bank doing business in the State, 

 $1,614,673; average value of personal prop- 

 erty listed by merchants, etc., $3,930,083; 

 actual value of capital employed or invested 

 in trade or business by incorporated com- 

 panies, except railroad, telegraph, foreign in- 

 surance and express companies, $678,900; 

 value of capital used by any individual or firm 

 not incorporated in any trade or business, 

 $1,460,516 ; total amount of all personal prop- 

 erty, $46,167,253; acres of land, 18,162,070; 

 value of buildings on land, $12,122,615.98; 

 value of buildings on lots, $16,193,675.50; 

 value of town-lots alone. $9,108,570.63; value 

 of land alone, $81.638,570.81; total value of 

 land, lots, and buildings, $118,951,675.03 ; total 

 value of personal and real estate, $165,124,- 

 394.03 ; total tax, including license and capita- 

 tion tax, $679,020.13. 



