546 



OKLAHOMA. 



$1,000,000. The receipts for the last fiscal year 

 were $189,486.44. 



Education. The last school enumeration was 

 114,736; number in actual attendance, 85,635; 

 number of teachers in service, 2,191 ; school dis- 

 tricts, 2,000. The tax collected for schools 

 amounted almost to $750,000. 



The total attendance in 1900 at the five Terri- 

 torial institutions of learning the University, 

 Normal School, Northwestern Normal School, 

 Agricultural and Mechanical College, and Colored 

 Agricultural and Normal University was about 

 1,700. The attendance at the 18 Indian schools 

 conducted by the Government was 2,100. 



The enrollment at the university in all depart- 

 ments was 295. The number graduated in 1900 

 was 14. 



At the Agricultural and Mechanical College the 

 enrollment in September had reached 366. The 

 college has two new buildings a library and a 

 chemical building. 



The graduating class of 1900 at the Territorial 

 Normal School numbered 20. 



At the Northwestern Normal School the enroll- 

 ment in September rose to 353. The dedication 

 of the new building of this school, March 8, was 

 marked by elaborate ceremonies. 



Additional purchase of land adjoining the tract 

 of the Langston University made that institution 

 in 1900 the possessor of 160 acres of rich tillable 

 soil. The equipment of the farm with machinery, 

 etc., has kept pace with this expansion of its work- 

 able area. 



Penitentiary. The Penitentiary contract for 

 Oklahoma with Kansas remained the same in 1900 

 as in 1899. The report of the warden at Lansing, 

 Kan., to Gov. Barnes gives these details regarding 

 Oklahoma convicts there confined: Number of 

 prisoners on hand, Jan. 1, 1900, 176; number re- 

 ceived to Dec. 1, 1900, 109; number discharged to 

 Dec. 1, 1900, 64; number on hand, Dec. 1, 1900, 

 223; number remanded for new trial, 2; number 

 pardoned, 10; number died, 2. 



Social and Religious Conditions. This topic 

 is treated by the Governor in his annual report as 

 follows : " There are in the Territory about 900 

 church organizations, with a membership of 70,000, 

 and owning church property valued at $500,000. 

 There are about 600 fraternal organizations, 

 with a membership of about 25,000. The deaf- 

 mutes and insane of the Territory are cared for 

 in private institutions by contract. There are 50 

 in attendance at the deaf-mute institution and 283 

 in the insane asylum. The cost of caring for the 

 insane for the past year was $67,429.03. During 

 the past year 603,527 acres of Government land 

 were filed on in the Territory by homestead set- 

 tlers. There are still vacant 5,733,385 acres of 

 Government land. Most of this vacant land is 

 in the western part of the Territory, and adapted 

 more generally to stock raising, although some 

 good agricultural land is still vacant." 



Free Homes. One of the most important 

 events of 1900 to the people of Oklahoma was the 

 passage in Congress of the free homes bill, which 

 passed the Senate May 14, having already been 

 passed in the House. *This bill provides for free 

 homesteads on the public lands for actual and 

 bona fide settlers, and reserves the public lands for 

 that purpose. The news of its passage was re- 

 ceived in the Territory with groat rejoicing. It 

 saves about $16,000,000 to the people of Oklahoma. 



Banks. In l!t(M there were 7!> Territorial and 



, 11 National banks in operation in Oklahoma. 



There had been no bank failure in three years. 



The resources of the Territorial banks aggregated 



$5,147,181.51. Of this, $2,409,262.85 represented 



loans and discounts and $2,340,250.03 cash in 

 hand. The capital stock of the Territorial banks 

 was $744,588.66; the surplus and profits, $483,- 

 970.73; deposits, $3,918,622.12. They had a reserve 

 of 60 per cent, and had gained $2,419,472.43 in de- 

 posits in three years. The national banks had 

 $1,336,965.34 in loans and discounts, and $363,300 

 in Government bonds, their aggregate resources 

 being $3,098,377.47. Liabilities included $525 in 

 capital stock; $40,800 in surplus; $82,837.08 in 

 undivided profits; $2,042,295.15 in deposits; $74,- 

 902.13 in United States deposits. 



Building and Loan Associations. There are 

 6 building and loan associations in the Territory, 

 with an aggregate amount of $60,000 invested in 

 real estate securities, and paying dividends to 

 their stockholders of from 12 to 20 per cent, per 

 annum. 



Insurance. Forty-six insurance companies do 

 business in the Territory, the aggregate amount 

 of fire insurance written in the year being $15,- 

 274,519.14; premium collected, $255,425.41; losses 

 incurred, $62,026.36; losses paid, $49,663.45. The 

 15 life insurance companies doing business in the 

 Territory wrote $4,634,227 of insurance, collected 

 $102,396.86 premium, and paid $39,873 in losses. 

 There are 8 bond and surety and casualty com- 

 panies doing business in the Territory, who col- 

 lected $7,748.26 premium on $1,229,434.65 business 

 in the year, and paid $643.15 in losses. 



Railroads. There are about 1,000 miles of 

 main-track railway in the Territory, 200 miles 

 having been built during the year. Every county 

 but two is reached by rail. The lines operating 

 in the Territory are the Santa Fe, Rock Island, 

 'Frisco, and Choctaw. Much new construction is 

 projected for the near future, 18 railway com- 

 panies, aggregating $44,270,000 of capital stock. 

 having been chartered in 1900. The Oklahoma 

 and Southern Railroad Company filed its charter 

 with the Territorial Secretary. The length of this 

 railway is estimated at 400 miles. It will begin 

 at Kiowa, Kan., and pass through Woods. Garfield, 

 Elaine, Kingfisher, Logan, Canadian, Oklahoma. 

 Payne, and Lincoln. 



Militia. In 1900 i,he Territorial militia greatly 

 improved in strength and organization. For the 

 first time the Oklahoma National Guard grew to 

 a full regiment, well equipped and trained. 



Productions. The wheat crop of 1900 was 

 about 25,000,000 bushels, and the average yield 

 per acre about 19- bushels, while the higlir-t was 

 50 bushels. Oklahoma, according to the report of 

 the Agricultural Department at Washington, leada 

 all the States and Territories in the estimated 

 yield of cotton to the acre by more than H |{ > 

 pounds. The estimate for Oklahoma in pounds of 

 lint per acre is 381, Indian Territory ranking next 

 with 280. while Louisiana, Texas, and Arkan-a- 

 follow in order. The Oklahoma cotton crop of 

 1900 was 125.000 bales. The yield of oats i- c-ti 

 mated at 12,000.000 bushels, the peach and applf 

 crops at about 500,000 bushels each. 



Bulletin 45 of the Agricultural and Mechanical 

 College names nearly 750 native plant* of Okla- 

 homa. 



The number of horses listed for taxation wa-- 

 243.203; mules. 49.525; cattle. 990.524; sheep. 

 43,475 ; swine, 245,431. 



There are in the Territory 117 grain elevator-. 

 with an aggregate capacity of 1,860,000 bushel-. 



The geological survey of Oklahoma was begun 

 in 1900. and indications were revealed of mineral 

 wealth in salt, coal, oil, gas. limestone, copper. et< . 



Anti-horse-thief Association. This organ- 

 ization has 111!) subordinate lodges and 5.000 mem- 

 bers in Oklahoma, reaching into every county. 



