VIRGINIA. 



755 



198,204, or 11.9 per cent. The largest gains were 

 made in the cities and in counties contiguous to 

 cities. The increase in the southwestern mining 

 section was also large. The population of Rich- 

 mond, 85,050, is larger than in 1890 by 3,002, a 

 gain of 4.5 per cent. During the decade thou- 

 sands of people removed from the city proper to 

 the suburbs, and, taken together, the urban and 

 suburban inhabitants comprise a population of 

 about 125,000. In 1801 the population of Rich- 

 mond was about 0,000. The population of other 

 cities in 1900 was: Petersburg, 21,810; Roanoke, 

 21,495; Newport News, 19,(i35; Lynchburg, 18,891 ; 

 Portsmouth, 17,427; Danville, 16,520; Alexandria, 

 14,528; Manchester, 9,715; Staunton, 7,289. 



Finances. The operations of the treasury for 

 the fiscal year ending Sept. 30 are indicated in the 

 following synopsis of the Treasurer's report: 



On account of the Commonwealth: Balance on 

 hand Oct. 1, 1899, $005,942.45: received in the 

 fiscal year 1899-1900, $3,739,207.92; total, $4,345,- 

 210.37'. Disbursed in the fiscal year 1899-1900, 

 $3,530,875.33. Balance on hand Oct. 1, 1900, 

 $814,335.04. 



On account of the literary fund: Balance on 

 hand Oct. 1, 1899, $204,280!o4: received in the 

 fiscal year 1899-1900, $271,107.56; total, $475,- 

 388.10. Disbursed in the fiscal year 1899-1900, 

 $269,879.01. Balance on hand Oct. 1, 1900, $205,- 

 509.09. 



On account of interest on the public debt: Bal- 

 ance on hand Oct. 1, 1899, $4,005.39; received in 

 the fiscal year 1899-1900, $696,388.32: total. $700,- 

 393.71. Disbursed in the fiscal year 1899-1900, 

 $683,509.73. Balance on hand Oct. 1, 1900, $16,- 

 883.98. 



On account of the sinking fund: Balance on 

 hand Oct. 1, 1899, $437,860!03: received in the 

 fiscal year 1899-1900, $138,129.39; total, $575,- 

 990.02.' Disbursed in the fiscal year 1899-1900, 

 $507.109.00. Balance on hand Oct. 1, 1900, $68,- 

 820.42. 



On account of the Miller fund: Balance on hand 

 Oct. 1, 1899, $10,271: received in the fiscal year 

 1899-1900. $70,339.35 : total. $80.610.35. Disbursed 

 in the fiscal year 1899-1900, $64,569.65. Balance 

 on hand Oct. 1, 1900, $16,040.70. 



The total balance in the treasury to the credit 

 of the several funds Oct. 1, 1900, was $1.221.589.23. 

 In addition to this the United States direct tax 

 fund had to its credit $1,162.74. 



From the annual report of the State Board of 

 Fisheries it appears that the net income to the 

 State from its oyster beds for the fiscal year end- 

 ing Sept. 30 was about $70,000. During the thirty 

 months of its existence the board had saved to 

 the State $150.000. 



Education. The cost of public schools in Vir- 

 ginia from the inauguration of the system in 1870 

 to 1900 amounts to $36.919,186. According to the 

 census of 1900, the school population was 691.320. 

 In 1900 the State Superintendent of Instruction 

 made two apportionments of the school funds 

 among the counties and cities. Apportionment 

 No. 1 disposed of $196,334.88; apportionment No. 

 2, of $789.487.44. 



At the commencement of the University of Vir- 

 ginia, in June, degrees were conferred upon 97 

 graduates of the various departments. 



Washington and Lee University conferred de- 

 grees upon 25 graduates. The commencement wa* 

 marked by the dedication of the John Randolph 

 Tucker Memorial, building. 



At the commencement of Roanoke College 13 

 graduates received the degree of A. B., and the 

 degree of A. M. was conferred upon 3 former 

 graduates. 



The College of William and Mary, the oldest in 

 the State, founded in 1693, graduated 30 in all 



departments. 



A class of 25 was graduated at the Virginia 

 Military Institute. A statue, Virginia Mourning 

 her Dead, has been cast in Rome for the institute. 

 As soon as the necessary funds are obtained a 

 date will be announced for its unveiling in honor 

 of the cadets who fell at the battle of New Mar- 

 ket, May 15, 1864. 



Randolph-Macon College, Ashland, conferred de- 

 grees upon 23 graduates. This is a college for men. 

 The Randolph-Macon Woman's College, at 

 Lynchburg, which in 1900 conferred degrees ii|>on 

 8 graduates, is only about eight years old, but 

 has won remarkable success. Its fine buildings 

 were formally dedicated Feb. 15. (See Annual 

 Cyclopaedia for 1896, page 833.) 



The Virginia Polytechnic Institute, at Blacks- 

 burg, conferred degrees upon 35 graduates. Nine- 

 ty per cent, of the graduates of this institution 

 are engaged in industrial pursuits. It lias the 

 advantage of both State and national aid, and of 

 grounds comprising over 400 acres. Its adminis- 

 tration building, all but one wing, was destroyed 

 by fire Feb. 1, 1900, and many valuable records, 

 etc., were lost. 



At the annual meeting of the trustees of the 

 Peabody Educational fund, Oct. 3, the general 

 agent presented a favorable report from Virginia 

 on the work of the Hampton Normal and Agri- 

 cultural Institute. The portion of the Peabody 

 fund allotted to Virginia for the vear ending Oct. 

 1, 1900, was $5.300. 



Delegates representing more than 500 teacher-, 

 members of the Virginia Teachers' League, which 

 has a total membership of more than 1.000, held 

 an important meeting at Richmond in December. 

 Penitentiary. According to the October re- 

 port of the Superintendent, the number of prison- 

 ers in the Penitentiary showed recent increase. 

 The average number for 1899 was 1.202. The 

 number in October. 1900, was 1,457 male and 

 female, white and black. From July to October, 

 5" white and 11 colored convicts were pardoned 

 on recommendation of the Board of Pardons. 



New Charitable Organization. Nov. 23 was 

 the date of the organization, under a charter se- 

 cured from the last Legislature, of the Children's 

 Home Society of Virginia. It may be maintained 

 as an independent State organix.ation or may 

 affiliate with the national organization, which has 

 headquarters at Chicago. Similar organizations 

 exist in 26 other States. The Virginia society has 

 the whole State for its field. Its principal work 

 will lie to secure legal control of orphan children 

 and provide homes for them in families. 



Agriculture. The State Board of Agriculture, 

 in March, appointed 10 inspectors of fertilizers 

 to fill places created by the Legislature of 1899- 

 1900. One inspector was appointed from each con- 

 gressional district, at a salary of $50 a month 

 while performing the duties of the ollice. the term 

 of service being till the end of 1900. Samples of 

 every brand of fertilizer offered for sale in the 

 State are analyzed at the department, and the 

 results are made known in printed bulletins, which 

 are sent free to all farmers \\lio apply for them. 

 The importance of this ollicial action may be esti- 

 mated from the fact that the farmers of Virginia 

 spend for fertilizers more than $4.000.000 annually. 

 In November the State Board of Agriculture 

 decided in favor of locating in Charlotte County 

 the tobacco test farm to l>e established by the 

 board. The Board of Supervisors of Charlotte 

 County have agreed to give the State 500 acres for 

 this farm. 



