554 



NORTH DAKOTA. 



54'7 per cent, of the home families hire and 45-3 

 per cent, own their own homes; that of the 

 home-owning families 72'34 per cent, own free 

 of incumbrance, and 27'66 per cent, with incum- 

 brance. In 100 home families, on the average, 

 55 hire their homes, 12 own with incumbrance, 

 and 33 without incumbrance. The debt on 

 owned homes aggregates $990,774, or 37'64 per 

 cent, of their value, and bears interest at the 

 rate of 9'42 per cent., so that the annual amount 

 of interest to each home averages $73. An av- 

 erage debt of $771 incumbers each home which 

 has the, average value of $2,049. 



Railroads. The Supreme Court of the 

 United States rendered a decision in April in a 

 case arising between the Northern Pacific Rail- 

 road and certain counties in North Dakota which 

 has a bearing on the question of the feasibility 

 of taxing lands belonging to a railroad corpora- 

 tion that had already accepted the gross-earn- 

 ings law and paid taxes under it. A gross-earn- 

 ings act was passed for the State in 1889, and 

 the railroad accepted it and paid its taxes in ar- 

 rears. It did not, however, pay the 1889 taxes. 

 The question is whether it is liable for that year, 

 the act referred to having been displaced by the 

 organic act of the same year. The court holds 

 that this does not relieve the road: and that, 

 " not having fully accepted the provisions of the 

 act of 1889 by the payment or tender of its taxes 

 for that year, as provided in that act, it can not 

 be granted the relief prayed for." The inference 

 seems to be that if it had not only accepted the 

 act but also paid taxes under it, it would be un- 

 der no further liability to the State. 



Banks. The annual report of the Bank Ex- 

 aminer for the year ending July 30 shows 71 

 banks in the State, with total resources of 

 $3,398,170.06. Liabilities the same, with a cap- 

 ital stock of $1,087,100. The number of banks 

 that have declared dividends during the past 

 year is 32, with total dividends declared $67,- 

 670.65, and the average rate per cent, of divi- 

 dends 13-02. 



Insurance. The report of the Insurance De- 

 partment for 1893, published in May, shows 

 that 2,224 life-insurance policies were issued, 

 representing nearly $3,000,000 of insurance. The 

 several life companies received $404,722.87 in 

 premiums, and paid $81,333.85 in losses. 



Of the miscellaneous insurance risks, a plate- 

 glass insurance company wrote $61,173.34 worth 

 of risks in the year, received $2,168.27 in premi- 

 ums, and incurred $1,128.50 in losses. 



Only 1 live-stock insurance company operated 

 in the State. The company wrote $45,050 in 

 risks, received $3,583 in premiums, and paid 

 $2,400 in losses. 



By the several North Dakota hail insurance 

 companies 184,883 acres of land in crop were in- 

 sured last year. On this premiums were paid of. 

 $43.648.46," and losses incurred of $14,841.92. 



Charities. The first biennial report of the 

 Soldiers' Home at Lisbon for the period ending 

 July 1 shows that the total number of members 

 admitted is 25 old soldiers ; the number last 

 jJuly was 19. Three had been discharged at 

 their own request. The Legislature of 1893 ap- 

 propriated for the two years $17,550 for current 

 expenses and $2,450 for permanent improve- 

 ments. There are 40 acres surrounding the home 



farm. The institution is fitted up with all con- 

 veniences. A garden spot of 7- acres has been 

 fenced, and the grounds improved. 



The North Dakota Orphans' Home, at Fargo. 

 is supported by voluntary subscriptions. During 

 the past three years 175 children have been re- 

 ceived and taken care of at an average cost of 

 $37.35. The total expenses of the institution for 

 the year ending Nov. 3, 1894, were $1,605.91. 



Penal Institutions. The board of trustees 

 of the State Industrial School have had no money 

 to work with, and accordingly have done noth- 

 ing except to meet at the State Capitol and des- 

 ignate the size and material of a proposed build- 

 ing. They have filed with the Secretary of State 

 a warranty deed of a site. 



The Penitentiary has about 90 inmates. The 

 estimated cost of each is 28 cents a day for main- 

 tenance. Some of the convicts are employed in 

 harness-making, the State receiving 40 cents a 

 day for the labor of each. 



Education. The State Normal School, at 

 Valley City, graduated its first class, numbering 

 3, in June. Many of the class, according to a 

 newspaper dispatch, left the school early in the 

 year on account of the removal of the preceptress, 

 Miss Bates, for political reasons. Miss Bates 

 was afterward the candidate for State Superin- 

 tendent on the Republican ticket, and was elected. 



The Fargo Congregational College has had an 

 offer of $50,000 from D. K. Parsons, of Chicago, 

 on condition that $150,000 additional can be 

 raised for permanent endowment. 



Militia. The report of the Adjutant General 

 for 1893, published in April, shows that the Na- 

 tional Guard numbers 480 men, divided into: 

 1 regiment of infantry, composed of 8 com- 

 panies; 1 battalion of cavalry, composed of 2 

 troops; 1 battery of artillery: 1 regimental 

 band of 21 members. The infantry are armed 

 with Springfield rifles, the cavalry with Spring- 

 field carbines, and the battery with 2 3-inch 

 rifled cannon and 1 Gatling gun. The annual 

 appropriation of $11,000 is sufficient to main- 

 tain the guard, but not to provide for an an- 

 nual encampment, and none was held in 189^. 

 The total sum to the credit of the militia fund, 

 July 1, 1893, was $12.689.14. The expenditures 

 up to the date of the report were $10,396.82, 

 leaving $2,292.32 still to the credit of the fund. 

 The guard was called out 3 times in 1893 to 

 the fire at Fargo and that at Jamestown, and to 

 assist the sheriff of Ramsay County during the 

 Bomburger excitement. In 1894 it was ordered 

 out on occasion of the labor troubles that caused 

 disorder at some points in the State, particularly 

 at Maudan. Several men were arrested there 

 and indicted for driving United States marshals 

 away during the strike. 



The so-called Industrial Army, or a portion 

 of it, made some trouble in June. It seized a 

 train and was pursued by 75 deputies, resulting 

 in a fight at Dawson, in which several were in- 

 jured. Some of the train seizers were arrested 

 at Jamestown. 



Government Land. North Dakota will re- 

 ceive 1.000,000 acres of the land that was appro- 

 priated to Western States at the last session of 

 Congress for irrigation. This land goes to actual 

 settlers, the limit being 160 acres to one person, 

 who is obliged to irrigate 20 acres of it. 



