WEST TXDIKS. 



\VKST VIRGINIA. 





to this must be mentioned the absence of capital 

 for the working and development of the quartz 

 mines, and the indecision about the boundary. The 

 Governor of the colony is Sir Walter J. Sendall. 



British Honduras, on the mainland of Central 

 America, has an area of 7,562 square miles, and u 

 population estimated in 1897 at 34,277. The reve- 

 nue in 1897 was 64,613, and the expenditure 66,- 

 459. The debt was 34,736. The value of the 

 imports in 1897 was 292,613, and of the exports 

 288,969. The mean temperature in 1897 was 78, 

 the rainfall 87.9 inches. The chief articles of ex- 

 port are mahogany and logwood. The Governor 

 is Col. David Wilson. 



French Colonies. These have a total area of 

 48,067 square miles, and a population of 393,692. 



Guadeloupe has an area of 583 square miles, and 

 a population estimated in 1897 at 170,000. The 

 dependencies of Guadeloupe are Desirade, Isles des 

 Saintes, Petite-Terre, Marie-Galante, St. Barthelemy, 

 and part of St. Martin. They have a total area of 

 about 103 square miles, and a population of 24,000. 

 In 1896 the imports were valued at 21,762,773 

 francs, of which 5,376,645 francs' worth came from 

 the United States; and the exports at 18,793,995 

 francs, of which only 16,298 francs' worth went to 

 the United States. The trade of the colony is 

 chiefly with France. 



Martinique has an area of about 400 square 

 miles, and a population estimated at 190,000. The 

 imports in 1896 were valued at 22,885,505 francs, of 

 which 9,430,648 francs' worth came from France, 

 and 7,002,303 francs worth from the United States. 

 The exports were valued at 21,431,026 francs, of 

 which 19,326,309 francs' worth went to France, and 

 32,348 francs' worth to the United States. The 

 principal articles of export were sugar and cocoa. 

 An attempt has been made recently to cultivate 

 indigo, but it has met with little success. 



t'rench Guiana has an area of about 47,000 

 square miles, and an estimated population of 26,- 

 000. The trade of the colony is insignificant. In 

 1896 101,938 ounces of gold were exported. There 

 is a dispute as to the boundary with Brazil, and some 

 fighting was reported early in 1899. 



Dutch Colonies. These have a total area of 

 46,496 square miles, and a population of 113.539. 

 Cura9oa and its dependencies, Bonaire, Aruba, St. 

 Eustache, Saba, and part of St. Martin, have a total 

 area of about 436 square miles, and an estimated 

 population of 49,000. The imports in 1896 were 

 valued at 3,000.000 guilders. The value of the ex- 



Kjrts is not given in the statistics published by the 

 utch Government. 



Dutch Guiana or Surinam, which is on the 

 mainland of South America, has an area of about 

 46,000 square miles, and a population estimated at 

 68,000. The revenue in 1897 was 2,245,498 guilders, 

 and the expenditure 2,245,498 guilders. The im- 

 ports were valued in 1896 at 5,335,180 guilders, and 

 the exports at 4,391,728 guilders. An interesting 

 report on the gold industry of Dutch Guiana was 

 issued by the British Foreign Office in 1897. It 

 appears to justify the opinion which has been ex- 

 pressed by experts that with better methods of min- 

 ing, and with the country more liberally opened up. 

 a considerable development of the Surinam gold in- 

 dustry may be looked for. 



Danish Colonies. The Danish West Indies have 

 a total area of 142 square miles, and a population 

 of 32.819. They consist of the islands of St. 

 Thomas, St. Crolx, and St. John. The imports in 

 1896 were valued at 1,306,000 kroner, and the ex- 

 ports at 680,000 kroner (a kroner is about equal to 

 26 cents). As no official returns are available, the 

 figures relating to the value of imports and exports 

 are only estimates. 



WEST VIRGINIA, a S,iith.-rii StaU-. admiu.-d 

 to the Union .June 19, 1803; area, 24,780 square 

 miles. The population, according to <-a< h decennial 

 census, was 442,014 in 1870; 618,547 in 1880; ami 

 762,749 in 1890. Capital. Churl. 



Government. The following wen- t|,,- Slate of- 

 ficers during the year: Governor, G. \V. Atkinson; 

 Secretary of State, William M. n. Daw^n: State 

 Superintendent of Free Schools, J. K. Tr< 

 Auditor, L. M. I^afollette; Tr.-a-ur.-r. M. A. Ken- 

 dall; Attorney-General, Edgar I'. Kucki-r: Libra- 

 rian, P. S. Sh'irkey; State Bank Examiner. O. H. 

 Wetzel; Adjutant General, J. W. M. Apj.leton : 

 Commissioner of Labor, I. V. Burton: Chief Mine 

 Inspector, .1. W. Paul; Game and Ki-h Warden. 

 Frank Lively all Republicans; Presiding Judge 

 of the Supreme Court of Appeals, John \V. i. 

 lish ; Associate Judges, Mafmaduke H. l>ent. 

 Henry Brannon, and 11. C. .McWhurler: Clerk. ' 

 Long all Democrats except McWhorter, Repub- 

 lican. 



Finances. The receipts for the year endit; - 

 30, 1898, were $1,824.24. <>7: StatV fund, $1.280,- 

 925.10; the general school fund, $436,534.75; the 

 school fund, $107,164.22. The disbursements w, TV 

 $1.544,403.09: State fund, $1,104,032.31; general 

 school fund, $385,337.90: school fund, $55,032.88. 

 The balance in the treasury Oct. 1, 1897, amounted to 

 $782,639.50; in 1898. to $1,062,860.48. The Governor 

 borrowed from different banks in the State the Mini 

 of $28,000, to meet the necessary expenses in fur- 

 nishing two regiments of volunteer soldiers called 

 for by the President to meet the emergency of the 

 Spanish war. From the Treasurer's biennial report 

 of October, 1898. we quote the following: "The 

 improvement during the last two year- ha- been 

 very gratifying. The balance in the State fund 

 at this season of the year is unprecedented, and 

 this is all the more gratifying because of tin- 

 fact that there are few deficiencies to provide for. 

 The total balance in the treasury to the credit O f 

 the three funds is $1,062,860.48. This is available 

 cash, subject to check, and the depositories are 

 paying interest on it at the rate of 3 per cent. 

 per annum. This amount is divided as follows: 

 To the credit of the State fund. $424.641.17: to 

 the credit of the general school fund, $367,026.10; 

 to the credit of the school fund (uninvested). $271.- 

 193.21. In addition to this the amount of the 

 school fund invested is $656,800. The amount di>- 

 bursed for school purposes during the last two 

 years was greater than ever before, and the school 

 hind has been increased nearly $100,000." 



The annual tax imposed upon the railroads of the 

 State amounted to somewhat more than $400.000. 



Banks. There are 74 State banks. 2 more are 

 being onrani/cd. and 2 have gone into voluntary 

 liquidation since IS'.IT. The report on the rendi- 

 tion of the banks Sept. 30. 1898, gave the total re- 

 sources as sls.Mil.-Jdti.-J4. The principal items 

 were: Loans and discounts. $12,336.379.43; \er- 



$1 .->0'J r>::!.01. The principal items in the liabilities 

 were: Capital stock paid in. $348,672.18; divi- 



dends unpaid. $9.2S9.70; undivided profits, $648.- 

 578.41; deposits, $18,OCM6&84; bills paya 

 rediscounts. $95.825.22 : due to l>ai; 



Thea"-"Tcirato capital paid in of all State lank-n 

 this dale (Sept. :!0. 1 *!*' -how- an il 

 1897 of $91,261.60. Ti lofthfa 



vear -how an increase ..\vr is 1 .'? >f > " 

 while the total loans and discounts < 

 an increase of but $1.4NJ.'.'- 



Insurance. The number of eoinpame,- 

 mitted in the two years was as follow- 



