398 



NEBRASKA. 



CHARLES H. DIETRICH, 

 GOVERNOR OF NEBRASKA. 



The whole number of children of school age was 

 377,791 ; the whole number enrolled, 288,227 ; the 

 average daily attendance, 181,874. The whole 

 number of schoolhouses was 6,733; the number 

 built within the year was 175. The average school 

 tax was 15 mills. The total value of school prop- 

 erty in the State was $9,591.134.63. 



The superintendent says in his report: "Many 

 of our counties have shortened the period of insti- 

 tute from two or three weeks to one week, and 

 instead of making the institute the means of cram- 

 ming for examina- 

 tion, they have se- 

 cured the best tal- 

 ent available and 

 have sought to place 

 before the teachers 

 high ideals, to in- 

 spire them \vith a 

 desire for growth, to 

 elevate the profes- 

 sional standard, to 

 quicken and ener- 

 gize the profession- 

 al spirit, and to im- 

 prove the organiza- 

 tion, the instruc- 

 tion, and the man- 

 agement of schools. 

 A few years ago the 

 Teachers' Reading 

 Circle work was on 

 the decline, largely, 

 perhaps, because of 

 the selection of the line of work ; but the methods 

 pursued in forwarding the work seemed not effect- 

 ive. For the past two years there has been a steady 

 and healthful growth. The Pupils' Reading Circle 

 has made a healthful growth in the past two years 

 and is a potent factor in bringing to the pupils a 

 line of wholesome reading that stimulates a taste 

 for the best literature. In many of our schools 

 the Pupils' Reading Circle has formed the founda- 

 tion of a growing library. Special effort has been 

 made in the last few years to create a sentiment 

 in favor of libraries in our schools. Nebraska is 

 perhaps the first to put out a library programme. 

 We are gratified with the results. In many of our 

 cities and in a number of our counties are to be 

 found pedagogical libraries. Wherever these have 

 been properly managed they have been a powerful 

 agent in the upbuilding of the teachers. The 

 teachers who make use of these county teachers' 

 libraries are not content until the schools they 

 teach are provided with good working libraries. 

 In a number of counties almost every district has 

 a library." 



Irrigation. The report of the State Engineer 

 on the subject of irrigation for the years 1899 and 

 1900 fills a volume of 232 pages, illustrated with 

 maps and views. The Engineer says : " The wis- 

 dom of the enactment of the irrigation law of 

 1895, erecting a State Board of Irrigation and 

 giving it judicial powers, has been demonstrated 

 by the satisfactory adjudication of nearly 1,000 

 claims growing out of appropriations attempted 

 prior to the date of its approval. These adjudi- 

 cations have been made with but little expense 

 to the appropriators, and have harmonized the ad- 

 verse and conflicting interests of individuals and 

 communities throughout the arid sections of the 

 State. In States in which the adjudication of 

 rights to the use of water has been left to the 

 courts, endless litigation has been the invariable 

 result. It has impoverished and discouraged irri- 

 gators and invest 01^. and promoted discord be- 

 tween neighbors and jealousy and strife between 



communities. During the past two years the board 

 has been appealed to by appropriators on almost 

 every stream in the State from which water was 

 diverted for irrigation, to adjust controversies be- 

 tween appropriators and between irrigators and 

 those using water for domestic purposes. The 

 undersecretaries were instructed to give those 

 desiring water for domestic purposes, including 

 water for stock, the prior right in the distribution 

 of water, and the controversies were amicably 

 adjusted. 



" By the enactment of irrigation laws, the State 

 has encouraged the construction of canals and 

 other works for irrigation which represent an in- 

 vestment of probably more than $5,000,000. An 

 important part of the work of the past year has 

 been the examination and approval of applications 

 for permits to appropriate water. Before this 

 year the uncertainty concerning the validity and 

 extent of claims inaiigurated under the old law 

 had made it impossible to act on these applications 

 with safety. The opening of the new year found 

 the old claims largely disposed of." 



Fish. The fund appropriated by the last Leg- 

 islature for the use of the Fish Commissioners 

 was but $7,900. The superintendent says in his 

 report: "There have been hatched and planted 

 during the time I have been in charge, in round 

 numbers, by actual count, 250,000 of fish actually 

 raised at the hatcheries. The different varieties 

 of fish distributed consists of the following: Wall- 

 eyed pike, black bass, German carp, rainbow trout, 

 croppies, striped perch, channel catfish, rock lias-;. 

 besides about 15,000 gold fish for ornamental pur- 

 poses. I find that my predecessor, according to 

 his books, distributed since his last report 5,942.- 

 500. Making a total of 6,192,500 distributed since 

 his last report. Of this number, about 95 per cent, 

 were delivered to applicants, direct from the car. 

 and planted with scarcely any loss and no cost 

 to the applicant and at little cost to the State. 

 I think that this industry should be encouraged, 

 for there is a growing demand for fish even to the 

 gold or ornamental fish, there being a greater de- 

 mand every year for this latter kind, both by pri- 

 vate parties and by teachers in the public schools, 

 which alone will pay the State the amount it 

 costs." 



Exhibits of fish and products of the hatcheries 

 and of the manner of hatching fish were made at 

 the State fair in Lincoln. The main exhibit of 

 live fish was made in 20 aquariums each 8 to 10 

 feet long, including 1 large circular tank 12 feet 

 across, in the center of the building, holding about 

 100 barrels, ornamented with all kinds of pond 

 and water lilies, forming a very attractive feature 

 of the exhibit. 



Products. By a report issued in November, 

 it was estimated that the farmers of Nebraska real- 

 ized more than $105,000.000 for their corn, wheat. 

 oats, and rye crops. That is $10 for every man. 

 woman, and child in the State. 



Experiments made with the raising of small 

 fruits show that this can be done with large re- 

 turn where a good system of irrigation is in opera 

 tion. 



An experiment was made in the culture of -ui:ar 

 beets by convict labor on 30 acres. The expen-i s 

 amounted to $338 and the profits were $3(i::.71. 

 In the expenses the wages of the convicts were 

 rated at 50 cents a day. 



Banks. There are only 8 savings banks in 

 the State. At the date of the last report, Augu-t. 

 1900, they held deposits amounting to $674,498.18, 

 an increase of $4.1.91 9.93 since Dec. 9. 1S9-J. Tin' 

 deposits of savings banks are included in the total 

 deposits in State banks as reported by the 1> 



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